Method of producing a contactless chip card or a contact/contactless hybrid chip card with improved flatness

• US 7,116,231 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ask S.A. (Paragon Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ask S.A. (Paragon Group Limited)
• Inventors: Halope, Christophe, Kayanakis, Georges, Benato, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, HOI CHING
• Application Number:
  US10/498,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5728, 295/921, 235/497, 235/491, 361/728, 361/737
• US Class Current: 340/572.7
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/342 Chips
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/12 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2519/02 RFID tags
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/02 characterised by a sequence of laminating steps, e.g. by adding new layers at consecutive laminating stations
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/04 characterised by the partial melting of at least one layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/203 One or more of the layers being plastic
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

Method of manufacturing a chip card having an antenna support, two card bodies and an electronic module or a chip linked to the antenna. This method has a first lamination step which includes fusing two thermoplastic sheets (32, 34 or 62, 64) on each side of antenna support (10 or 40) at a temperature sufficient for the thermoplastic sheet material to soften and to flow wholly so as to eliminate any differences in thickness from the support, and a second lamination step carried out after a period of time necessary for the thermoplastic sheets (32, 34 or 62, 64) to be solidified, the second step including fusing by hot pressing two plastic layers (36, 38 or 66, 68) making up the card bodies onto the plasticised and even faces of uniformly thick antenna support (30 or 60) plasticised by the thermoplastic sheets.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a contactless chip card or a contact/contactless hybrid chip card having an antenna support, two card bodies on either side of said antenna support and an electronic module or a chip linked to the antenna comprising:

a first lamination step comprising fusing two homogeneous sheets of thermoplastic on each side of said antenna support by pressing at a temperature sufficient for the material of which the sheets are made to soften and to flow wholly so as to eliminate any differences in thickness from the antenna support and to form a plasticised antenna support having even faces, and

a second lamination step carried out after a period of time corresponding to the period of time necessary for said sheets of thermoplastic to be solidified, said second step comprising fusing by hot pressing two plastic layers making up the card bodies onto the even faces of said plasticised antenna support.

2. The method of claim 1, applied to a contactless chip card, wherein said sheet of thermoplastic which is applied onto the face of said antenna support receiving electronic module or chip is perforated with a through-cavity and its thickness is greater than the thickness of the chip, said cavity being situated such that said electronic module or chip is inside the cavity when said sheet is placed on said support before the first lamination stage and such that electronic module or chip is not in contact with said sheet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said sheet of thermoplastic which is applied onto the face of the antenna support opposite that receiving the chip is perforated with a through-cavity, said through-cavity being situated on said sheet of thermoplastic such that it is superposed at the location of said electronic module or chip, such that the chip is protected from any stress due to the pressure applied on sheets of thermoplastic during the first lamination step.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said support is adapted to receive, at the location of cavity, an epoxy-type resin to protect the electronic module or chip and make the plasticised antenna support more even.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said antenna support is made up of a material, the dimensions of which remain stable irrespective of the temperature and notably of a material which can withstand temperatures of approximately 180°

C. without deforming or altering.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said antenna support comprises a plastic.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said antenna support comprises a epoxy glass.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said antenna support comprises a fibrous material.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of manufacturing the antenna comprises screen-printing loops of conductive polymer ink on said fibrous material support and subjecting said support to heat treatment to cure said ink.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, during the antenna manufacturing step, cavity cut-outs are made in antenna support further allowing the fusion of both layers of thermoplastic together during the first lamination step.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said card bodies laminated on each side of said plasticised antenna support are preprinted with personalised card graphics.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, during the lamination step of the card bodies on said plasticised antenna support, a third plastic sheet or a layer of varnish is added onto each card body, acting as covering.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic making up the card bodies is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester (PET, PETG), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS).

14. The method of claim 6, wherein said plastic comprises polyester or polyamide.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said fibrous material comprises paper.