Electronic microchip token and its fabrication process

• US 7,931,204 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Angel Group Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Gaming Partners International Corporation
• Inventors: Chapet, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Savusdiphol; Paultep
• Application Number:
  US10/590,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20070278314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/487
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 21/00 Coins coins specially adapted to operate coin-freed mechanisms G07F1/06; Emergency money; Beer or gambling coins or tokens, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/047 the record carrier being shaped as a coin or a gambling token

Abstract

A generally disc-shaped token of the type having a body produced by multiple injection of plastic material and method of fabricating the same, which includes a core produced by a first injection of plastic material and having a central portion defining the central portion of the body of the token and a peripheral portion with radial projections defining at least part of the edge of the body of the token. The core incorporates an insert including a contactless electronic microchip identification device buried in the central portion during the first injection and retained at its periphery by projections or fingers attached to the injection mold and defining openings in the core. The body of the token includes a covering layer produced by a second injection of plastic material around the peripheral portion of the core to produce in conjunction with the core the whole of the edge and the annular peripheral portion of the body of the token. A decorated label is fixed to each face of the token. The token may be used as a gaming chip or a casino chip.

Claims

1. A generally disc-shaped token having a body produced by multiple injections of plastic material, the token comprising:

a generally disc-shaped single-piece core of the body of the token produced by a first injection of plastic material and having a central portion defining the central portion of the body of said token and an annular peripheral portion defining at least part of an edge of said body of the token; and

a covering layer produced by a second injection of plastic material around the peripheral portion of the core to produce in conjunction with the core one of, all or almost all of the edge and of the annular peripheral portion of the body of the token,

wherein the core of the token incorporates an insert embedded in the plastic material of the central portion of said body during the first injection and comprising a contactless electronic microchip identification device, wherein said insert is secured between a first half-shell and a second half-shell of a first injection mold during said first injection of plastic material such that said resulting generally disc-shaped single-piece core is a single-piece construction with said insert being embedded within said plastic material of the central portion of said body of said core upon completion of said first injection.

2. The token according to claim 1, wherein, in the first injection, the core defines at least part of the annular peripheral portion of the body of the token.

3. The token according to claim 2, wherein, in the first injection, the core defines at least part of the annular peripheral portion of the token and the edge of the token by way of radial peripheral projections that are grouped.

4. The token according to claim 3, wherein the radial peripheral projections that are grouped are evenly distributed in a circumferential direction and extend on either side of said body and axially over the edge.

5. The token according to claim 2, wherein, in the first injection, the core defines at least part of the annular peripheral portion of the token and the edge of the token by way of radial peripheral projections that are not grouped.

6. The token according to claim 5, wherein the radial peripheral projections that are not grouped are evenly distributed in a circumferential direction and extend on either side of said body and axially over the edge.

7. The token according to claim 1, wherein, in conjunction with the core, said covering layer defines the annular peripheral portion and the edge of the body of the token except for housings provided with injected plastic material edge inclusions produced by at least one complementary injection.

8. The token according to claim 1, wherein a peripheral region of the central portion of the core comprises a plurality of openings into which project portions of an insert which comprises said electronic microchip identification device.

9. The token according to claim 8, wherein the core comprises at least three openings evenly distributed in a circumferential direction at the periphery of the central portion of the core.

10. The token according to claim 8, wherein said portions of the insert projecting through openings in the core are sufficiently strong to hold the insert in place during injection of the core of the body of the token.

11. The token according to claim 8, wherein a center of the central portion of the core has at least one recess on at least one of its faces.

12. The token according to claim 8, wherein an internal portion of said peripheral portion of the core comprises a circular groove including through passages that are evenly distributed in a circumferential direction.

13. The token according to claim 12, wherein at least one of (a) said openings, (b) any recesses in the faces of the token and (c) said through passages are filled with plastic material by said second injection.

14. The token according to claim 1, wherein the body of the token has on each face a cavity into which is fixed a label carrying at least one of a decoration, a mark and a hologram.

15. The token according to claim 1, wherein the token is produced by injecting plastic materials of different colors.

16. The token according to claim 1, wherein said token comprises colored plastic materials obtained from at least one basic polymer selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA);

acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS);

polyamides and copolymers thereof;

polyacetal and acetal copolymers (POM/polyoxymethylene);

phenylene polysulfide (PPS);

polyalkylene terephthalates;

thermoplastic polyurethanes (PUR);

vinyl polymers; and

polyolefins.

17. The token according to claim 16, wherein the polyalkylene terephthalates is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), the vinyl polymers are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and the polyolefins are at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylenes (PE) and polypropylenes.

18. The token according to claim 1, comprising a body produced by injection of plastic material and having a diameter one of, greater than or equal to 39 mm and a maximum thickness that does not exceed 3.3 mm, the thickness of the central portion of the body being of the order of 2.5 mm.

19. The token according to claim 1, wherein the token is one of a gaming chip or a casino chip.

20. A generally disc-shaped token having a body produced by multiple injection of plastic material, the token comprising at least:

a generally disc-shaped single-piece core of the body of the token produced by a first injection of plastic material and having a central portion defining the central portion of the body of said token and an annular peripheral portion defining at least part of an edge of said body of the token; and

a covering layer produced by a second injection of plastic material around the peripheral portion of the core to produce in conjunction with the core one of, all or almost all of the edge and of the annular peripheral portion of the body of the token,

wherein the core of the token incorporates an insert embedded in the plastic material of the central portion of said body during the first injection and comprising a contactless electronic microchip identification device and wherein said insert is secured between a first half-shell and a second half-shell of a first injection mold during said first injection of plastic material such that said resulting generally disc-shaped single-piece core is a single-piece construction with said insert being embedded within said plastic material of the central portion of said body of said core upon completion of said first injection;

in the first injection, the core defines at least part of the annular peripheral portion of the body of the token;

in conjunction with the core, said covering layer defines the annular peripheral portion and the edge of the body of the token except for housings provided with injected plastic material edge inclusions produced by at least one complementary injection;

a peripheral region of the central portion of the core comprises a plurality of openings into which project portions of an insert which comprises said electronic microchip identification device;

the core comprises at least three openings evenly distributed in a circumferential direction at the periphery of the central portion of the core; and

the body of the token has on each face a cavity into which is fixed a label carrying at least one of a decoration, a mark and a hologram.

21. A method of fabricating a body of a token comprising:

placing an insert comprising a contactless electronic microchip identification device in a first injection mold, two half-shells whereof define a first imprint corresponding to a generally disc-shaped core of the body of the token;

holding said insert at a center of the first imprint by axially clamping the insert between the two half-shells of the first mold;

injecting the core of the token;

placing the core of the token in a second injection mold, two half-shells thereof defining a second imprint corresponding to one of all or almost all of the body of the token;

holding said core at a center of the second imprint by axially clamping a central portion of the core between the two half-shells of the second mold; and

injecting a covering layer.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the clamping during the first injection and the second injection is realized at a peripheral area of the central portion of the core of the token.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising at least one further injection of edge inclusions to complete the body of the token.

24. The method according to claim 21, further comprising machining the body of the token to finish the edge of the token.