Process for applying marks letterings and structures on the surface of an identity card or a different card

• US 6,165,696 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ORGA Kartensysteme GmbH (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: ORGA Kartensysteme GmbH (Safran SA)
• Inventors: Fischer, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Duda, Kathleen
• Application Number:
  US08/977,967
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 430/320, 430/322, 430/311, 430/330, 430/945, 430/313, 427/487, 427/492, 427/496, 427/500, 427/504, 427/508, 427/510, 427/511, 427/514, 427/519
• US Class Current: 430/320
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0045 using protective coatings or film forming compositions cured by mechanical wave energy, e.g. ultrasonics, cured by electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams, or cured by magnetic or electric fields, e.g. electric discharge, plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0054 using protective coatings or film forming compositions cured by thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0081 using electromagnetic radiation or waves, e.g. ultraviolet radiation, electron beams
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/146 Laser beam

Abstract

A process for applying marks, letterings and/or structures on the surface of a card, comprising the steps of applying varnish that includes a photo-initiator and/or color printing ink that includes a photo-initiator on the surface of the card; and before the entire hardening of the varnish and/or the color printing ink, exposing the varnish and/or color printing ink in selected areas that define shapes of the marks, letterings and/or structures to ultraviolet light so that the degree of shine in the selected areas changes relative to surrounding areas.

Claims

1. A process for applying visible marks, letterings and/or structures on a surface of an identity card, said identity card identifying by name and/or symbol, comprising the steps of:

applying a coating on the surface of the identity card, the coating selected from the group consisting of a varnish that includes a photo-initiator and a color printing ink that includes a photo-initiator; and

before the entire hardening of the coating, exposing the coating in selected areas that define visible shapes of said marks, letterings and/or structures on the surface of the identity card to ultraviolet light so that the brightness of the reflection characteristics in said selected areas, referred to as the degree of shine in said selected areas, changes relative to surrounding areas.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of exposing with vacuum-ultraviolet light.

3. A process according to claim 2, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of exposing with vacuum-ultraviolet light consisting of monochromatic light.

4. A process according to claim 2, further comprising the step of hardening the coating in said surrounding areas by infra-red radiation or warmth.

5. A process according to claim 2, further comprising the step of hardening the coating in said surrounding areas by ultraviolet light whose wavelength is longer than the wavelength of said ultraviolet light used in said exposing step.

6. A process according to claim 2, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of directing said ultraviolet light through a mask so that only said selected areas of the identity card are exposed.

7. A process according to claim 2, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of moving an ultraviolet on the surface of the identity card and achieving different degrees of shine by changing the deflection-velocity and changing the wavelength of the beam.

8. A process according to claim 7, wherein said exposing step further comprises the step of moving the ultraviolet beam line by line on the surface of the identity card.

9. A process according to claim 7, wherein said exposing step further comprises the step of moving the ultraviolet only to those points that create a desired contour.

10. A process according to claim 2, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of achieving different degrees of shine by changing the intensity of said ultraviolet light.

11. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of exposing with ultraviolet light consisting of monochromatic light.

12. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of exposing with polychromatic ultraviolet light.

13. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of exposing with polychromatic vacuum-ultraviolet light.

14. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step includes the step of achieving different degrees of shine by filtering polychromatic ultraviolet light with different wavelength filters for different selected areas to produce filtered light and selectively exposing said identity card to said filtered light.

15. A process according to claim 14, further comprising the step of hardening the coating in said surrounding areas by infra-red radiation or warmth.

16. A process according to claim 14, further comprising the step of hardening the coating in said surrounding areas by ultraviolet light whose wavelength is longer than the wavelength of said ultraviolet light used in said exposing step.

17. A process according to claim 14, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of directing said ultraviolet light through a mask so that only said selected areas of the identity card are exposed.

18. A process according to claim 14, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of moving an ultraviolet beam on the surface of the identity card and achieving different degrees of shine by changing the deflection-velocity and changing the wavelength of the beam.

19. A process according to claim 18, wherein said exposing step further comprises the step of moving the ultraviolet beam line by line on the surface of the identity card.

20. A process according to claim 18, wherein said exposing step further comprises the step of moving the ultraviolet only to those points that create a desired contour.

21. A process according to claim 14, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of achieving different degrees of shine by changing the intensity of said ultraviolet light.

22. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step includes the step of achieving different degrees of shine by filtering vacuum-polychromatic ultraviolet light with different wavelength filters for different selected areas to produce filtered light and selectively exposing said identity card to said filtered light.

23. A process according to claim 22, further comprising the step of hardening the coating in said surrounding areas by infra-red radiation or warmth.

24. A process according to claim 22, further comprising the step of hardening the coating in said surrounding areas by ultraviolet light whose wavelength is longer than the wavelength of said ultraviolet light used in said exposing step.

25. A process according to claim 22, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of directing said ultraviolet light through a mask so that only said selected areas of the identity card are exposed.

26. A process according to claim 22, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of moving an ultraviolet beam on the surface of the identity card and achieving different degrees of shine by changing the deflection-velocity and changing the wavelength of the beam.

27. A process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of hardening the coating in said surrounding areas by infra-red radiation or warmth.

28. A process according to claim 1, further comprising the step of hardening the coating in said surrounding areas by ultraviolet light whose wavelength is longer than the wavelength of said ultraviolet light used in said exposing step.

29. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step includes the step of generating said ultraviolet light by an excimer spotlight.

30. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of directing said ultraviolet light through a mask so that only said selected areas of the identity card are exposed.

31. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of moving an ultraviolet on the surface of the identity card and achieving different degrees of shine by changing the deflection-velocity and changing the wavelength of the beam.

32. A process according to claim 31, wherein said exposing step further comprises the step of moving the ultraviolet beam line by line on the surface of the identity card.

33. A process according to claim 31, wherein said exposing step further comprises the step of moving the ultraviolet only to those points that create a desired contour.

34. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of achieving different degrees of shine by changing the intensity of said ultraviolet light.

35. A process as defind in claim 1, wherein said coating step comprises the step of applying a coating that further includes a monomer.

36. A process as defined in claim 35, wherein said exposing step comprises the step of exposing with vacuum ultraviolet light.

37. A process according to claim 1, wherein said coating is present on the surface of the finished card.

38. A process according to claim 1, further comprising:

after the exposing step, hardening said surrounding areas by a second exposure to warmth, infrared radiation, or ultra-violet radiation with a longer wavelength than said ultraviolet light of said exposing step.

39. A process according to claim 1, wherein the coating is a varnish that includes a photo-initiator and is permanent.

40. A process according to claim 1, wherein said exposing step comprises:

before the entire hardening of the coating, exposing the coating in selected areas that define visible shapes of said marks, letterings and/or structures on the surface of the identity card to ultraviolet light for a predetermined period of time less than a total period of exposure for surrounding areas so that the brightness of the reflection characteristics in said selected areas, referred to as the degree of shine in said selected areas, changes relative to said surrounding areas.

41. The process according to claim 1, wherein said identity card is a chip card.

42. A process for applying visible marks, letterings and/or structures on a surface of an identity card, said identity card identifying by name and/or symbol, comprising the steps of:

applying a coating on the surface of an identity card, wherein said coating is selected from the group consisting of a varnish that includes a photo-initiator and a color printing ink that includes a photo-initiator;

selectively exposing the coating to ultraviolet light in selected areas to define visible shapes of the marks, letterings and/or structures on the surface of the identity card for a predetermined time period during a first exposure of ultraviolet light so that the brightness of the reflection characteristics in said selected areas, referred to as a degree of shine, changes relative to surrounding areas that are not selectively exposed during said first exposure, wherein said selectively exposing step is performed before an entire hardening of said coating; and

hardening said surrounding areas by a second exposure to warmth, infrared radiation, or ultra-violet radiation with a higher wavelength than said first exposure.

43. The process of claim 42, wherein the coating is selected from the group consisting of binders, monomers, and photo-initiators.

44. The process of claim 43, wherein said coating comprises a binder that is selected from the group consisting of polyester-acrylate, epoxy-acrylate, and silicone acrylate.

45. The process of claim 43, wherein said coating comprises a monomer that is selected from the group consisting of polyether-acrylate, and polyol-acrylate.

46. The process of claim 43, wherein said coating comprises a benzophenone photo-initiator.

47. A process for applying visible marks, letterings and/or structures on a surface of a plastic or plastic-coated card, comprising the steps of:

applying a coating on the surface of the plastic or plastic-coated card, the coating selected from the group consisting of a varnish that includes a photo-initiator and a color printing ink that includes a photo-initiator; and

before the entire hardening of the coating, exposing the coating in selected areas that define visible shapes of said marks, letterings and/or structures on the surface of the plastic or plastic-coated card to ultraviolet light so that the brightness of the reflection characteristics in said selected areas, changes relative to surrounding areas.