Charge card

• US 6,025,283 A
• Filed: 12/14/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Real Gold Card Company Limited
• Original Assignee: The Real Gold Card Company Limited
• Inventors: Roberts, William Sherbrooke
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Terrel
• Assistant Examiner(s): SINGH-PANDEY, ARTI R
• Application Number:
  US09/077,311
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 283/904, 257/679, 400/127, 428/548, 428/607, 428/615, 428/75, 428/465, 442/260.6, 442/261, 442/52, 442/104, 442/19, 442/105, 442/65, 442/15, 442/22, 442/37, 442/232
• US Class Current: 442/15
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/06 of natural rubber or synthetic rubber
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2311/04 Gold
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2319/00 Synthetic rubber natural rubber B32B2317/22
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/16 comprising polydienes homopolymers or poly-halodienes homopolymers B32B25/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/904 Credit card
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12028 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12438 Composite
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/238 Metal cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31707 Next to natural rubber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/109 Metal or metal-coated fiber-containing scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/124 Including a natural or synthetic rubber layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/131 Including a coating or impregnation of synthetic polymeric material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/136 Including a foam layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/162 Including a natural or synthetic rubber layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/188 Metal or metal-coated fiber-containing scrim
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2049 Each major face of the fabric has at least one coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3415 : Preformed metallic film or foil or sheet [film or foil or sheet had structural integrity prior to association with the woven fabric]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3642 : At least one layer contains natural or synthetic rubber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/365 : At least one layer is a preformed synthetic polymeric film or sheet

Abstract

A charge card is described which is made from a rubber or plastic laminate with precious metal forming the upper surface and preferably lower surface. The precious metal layers are adhered to the rubber material by means of a suitable adhesive formulation or the plastic materially a latex adhesive. The laminated card has uniquely flexible properties which render it suitable as a credit card.

Claims

1. A charge card made partly from gold, silver or platinum and one or more layers made of other materials characterized in that the card comprises a layer of a rubber based composite material having an internal fabric or fibre web, one or more layers made of gold, silver or platinum sheet and the rubber based composite layer is adjacent the layer of gold, silver or platinum sheet.

2. A charge card according to claim 1, in which the card is formed from a three layer laminate including outer layers of gold, silver or platinum and an inner layer comprising the rubber based composite material.

3. A charge card according to claim 2, in which the inner layer of rubber based composite material is of greater thickness than each of the outer layers of gold, silver or platinum.

4. A charge card according to claim 3, in which the inner layer of rubber based composite material is substantially equal to 360 microns in thickness and/or the outer layers of metal are substantially equal to 200 microns in thickness.

5. A charge card according claim 1, in which the rubber based composite layer is bonded to the gold, silver or platinum layer by a suitable adhesive.

6. A charge card according claim 1, in which the rubber based composite material comprises a synthetic rubber.

7. A charge card according to claim 6, in which the synthetic rubber is polychloropropene.

8. A charge card according to claim 1, in which the composite material comprises a polyester or nylon fibre fabric.

9. A charge card according to claim 8, in which the composite material comprises polychloropropene coated polyester fibre fabric.

10. A charge card according to claim 8, in which the fibre fabric is of plain weave construction.

11. A charge card made partly from gold, silver or platinum and one or more layers made of other materials characterised in that the card comprises a layer of a rubber based material and in which the rubber based material is a latex adhesive and a layer of a plastic material is bonded to a layer of the gold, silver or platinum with the adhesive.

12. A charge card according to claim 11, in which the card is formed from a three part laminate including outer layers of gold, silver or platinum and an inner layer of a plastic material.

13. A charge card as claimed in claim 11, wherein a coating of polyurethane lacquer or acrylic isocynate or a transparent coating of plastic is applied to provide the exterior finish for the card.

14. A charge card according to claim 11, in which the card is formed from a three layer laminate, having an inner rubber composite layer and outer gold, silver or platinum metal layers, the outer layers extending around the edges of the inner layer to conceal its presence.

15. A charge card according to claim 14, in which the edges of the outer metal layers overlap about the edge of the inner layer.

16. A charge card according to claim 15, in which the overlapping edges of the metal layers do not abut the edge of the plastics layer.

17. A charge card according to claim 11, in which a perimeter gasket extending around and partially overlapping the edges of the card is provided.