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Method of making smart cards

  • US 5,955,021 A
  • Filed: 09/08/1997
  • Issued: 09/21/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A process for making a smart card comprising a top layer, a core layer in which an electronic component is embedded and a bottom layer, said process comprising:

  • (1) using at least one mound of low shrinkage glue to connect an electronic component to an inside surface of the bottom layer of the smart card and thereby form a bottom layer/low shrinkage glue/electronic component assembly;

    (2) partially curing the mound of low shrinkage glue to produce a bottom layer/partially cured glue/electronic component assembly;

    (3) positioning the bottom layer/partially cured glue/electronic component assembly in a bottom mold;

    (4) positioning a top layer in a top mold;

    (5) closing the top mold to the bottom mold in a manner that creates a void space between the top layer and bottom layer;

    (6) injecting a thermosetting polymeric material into the void space at temperature and pressure conditions which are such that;

    (a) the electronic component is held in place by the mound of partially cured glue while the electronic component and mound of partially cured glue are immersed in the thermosetting material, (b) at least one layer of the smart card is at least partially cold, low pressure molded into a cavity in the top mold, (c) gases and excess polymeric material are driven out of the void space, (d) the electronic component is encapsulated in the thermosetting polymeric material before the partially cured glue becomes completely cured and (e) the thermosetting polymeric material bonds with both the top layer and the bottom layer to produce a unified precursor smart card body;

    (7) removing the unified precursor smart card body from the mold device; and

    (8) trimming the precursor smart card to a desired dimension to produce a smart card.

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