Textured transaction cards and methods of making the same

• US 7,757,957 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Skilling-Belmond, Lisa E., Logan, Michele D., Wenger, John J., Cranston, Kimberly A., Webb, Lisa A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US11/201,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 235/488, 235/380, 235/487
• US Class Current: 235/488
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/06 Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/14 Printing or colouring
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/24 Reliefs or indentations
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/425 by deformation, e.g. embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/455 using heat
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/46 using pressure

Abstract

Rigid polymeric transaction cards are provided having a plurality of layers forming a first surface and a second surface wherein at least one of said first and second surfaces comprises a textured pattern. In addition, a method of making a transaction card is provided wherein a textured pattern is disposed into a lamination plate, and further wherein a plurality of layers are laminated together to form a rigid card having the textured pattern disposed in at least one of the first and second surfaces of the transaction card.

Claims

1. A transaction card comprising:

a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface comprises an entirety of a surface of the transaction card; and

a textured pattern disposed over the first surface, wherein the textured pattern comprises a logo,

wherein the textured pattern is disposed in a substantially continuous layer over an entirety of the first surface,

wherein the textured pattern is formed during a lamination process that utilizes a textured die, and

wherein the textured pattern is tactilely perceivable, and

wherein the lamination process comprises a heating cycle of about 325°

C. for a period of about 4 minutes at a pressure of about 40 psi and a period of about 18 minutes at a pressure of about 120 psi.

2. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the logo further comprises a corporate trademark.

3. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the logo is multi-featured.

4. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein a second textured pattern is disposed over the second surface.

5. The transaction card of claim 4, wherein the second textured pattern comprises a logo.

6. The transaction card of claim 4, wherein the second textured pattern is disposed in a substantially continuous layer over the second surface.

7. The transaction card of claim 4, wherein the second textured pattern forms an image.

8. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the transaction card is at least one of transparent and translucent.

9. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the textured pattern comprises at least one of a plurality of alternating raised lines, a plurality of blocks, a plurality of dots, a plurality of depressed valleys, a plurality of depressed pits, and combinations thereof

10. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the textured pattern has a depth of between about 2 mils and 3 mils.

11. The transaction card of claim 1, wherein the lamination process is performed prior to an embossing process.

12. The transaction card of claim 11, wherein the second surface is substantially smooth.

13. The transaction card of claim 12, wherein the transaction card further comprises a plurality of layers, wherein the textured pattern is disposed in at least one layer, but not all layers, of the plurality of layers.

14. A transaction card comprising:

a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface comprises an entirety of a surface of the transaction card; and

a textured pattern disposed in a substantially continuous layer over an entirety of the first surface,

wherein the textured pattern is formed during a lamination process that utilizes a textured die,

wherein the textured pattern is tactilely perceivable, and

wherein the lamination process comprises a heating cycle of about 325°

C. for a period of about 4 minutes at a pressure of about 40 psi and a period of about 18 minutes at a pressure of about 120 psi.

15. The transaction card of claim 14, wherein the textured pattern is disposed over only the first surface.

16. The transaction card of claim 14, wherein the textured pattern is uniformly disposed over the first surface.

17. The transaction card of claim 14, wherein the lamination process is performed prior to an embossing process.

18. The transaction card of claim 17, wherein the second surface is substantially smooth.

19. The transaction card of claim 18, wherein the transaction card further comprises a plurality of layers, wherein the textured pattern is disposed in at least one layer, but not all layers, of the plurality of layers.