Smart card comprising a removable minicard and method for making same

• US 6,685,097 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gemalto SA (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Gemplus (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Housse, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Diane I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US09/787,815
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07739 comprising a first part capable of functioning as a record carrier on its own and a second part being only functional as a form factor changing part, e.g. SIM cards type ID 0001, removably attached to a regular smart card form factor

Abstract

The invention concerns a large format smart card having a card body and a minicard connected thereto by at least a strap. The strap includes a first portion arranged on the minicard side and shaped to form an imposed rupture zone for detaching the minicard by pressing with the finger. The strap also has a second portion, arranged on the card body side and capable of forming a hinge.

Claims

1. A smart card comprising a card body and a mini-card which is connected thereto by at least one strap, said strap including at least one first portion disposed in a vicinity of the mini-card and shaped to constitute a place at which breaking is forced to occur in order to enable the mini-card to be separated by pushing said mini-card out with a finger, said strap further including a second portion, separate from said first portion, disposed in a vicinity of the card body and forming a hinge.

2. A smart card according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is constituted by a thinned neck formed by thinning the strap.

3. A smart card according to claim 2, wherein the thinned neck is in the form of a trough having a rounded profile.

4. A smart card according to claim 3, wherein the thinned neck is formed to a depth of 250 μ

m on both front and back of the card body.

5. A smart card according to claim 1, wherein said first portion comprises a score line formed by two scores respectively on front and on back of the card body.

6. A smart card according to claim 5, wherein the scores are formed respectively to a depth of 150 μ

m on the front of the card body and to a depth of 120 μ

m on the back of the card body.

7. A smart card according to claim 1, wherein said strap is provided with connection fillets for connecting respectively to the card body and to the mini-card. card.

8. A smart card according to claim 1, wherein a length of the strap one a side closer to the mini-card is shorter than a length of the strap on a side closer to the card body.

9. A smart card according to claim 1, further including a long strap along a short side of the mini-card, said long strap including a score line formed by two scores that extend over an entire length of said long strap and on respective ones of both front and back of the card body.

10. A method of making a mini-card, the method including the step of forming a partial cut-out to dimensions of the mini-card, said partial cut-out being constituted by a slot interrupted locally by at least one strap between the mini-card a standard-format card, said strap being formed such that said strap includes a first portion disposed in a vicinity of the mini-card and shaped to constitute a score line, and a second portion, separate from said first portion, disposed in a vicinity of the standard-format card and constituted by a thinned neck formed by thinning the strap, said first and second portions being implemented over an entire length of the strap and over both front and back of the standard-format card.