Infrared blocking article

• US 8,240,574 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• 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: Faenza, Jr., William J., Vigiletti, Judy, Morrill-Webb, Lisa Ann, Lasch, Ellen
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/224,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20110315775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 235/491, 235/487, 235/488
• US Class Current: 235/491
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/22 Fibres of short length
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/28 in the form of a mat
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2309/12 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2310/0831 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2425/00 Cards, e.g. identity cards, credit cards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/10 characterised by the pressing technique, e.g. using action of vacuum or fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/145 Printing
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/04 Transparent material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/06 Translucent material
• 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 25/318 Signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/351 Translucent or partly translucent parts, e.g. windows
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/369 Magnetised or magnetisable materials
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/382 absorbing or reflecting infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/455 using heat
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/46 using pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/47 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/475 Cutting cards
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/12 : Special arrangement of layers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 : Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/02 : characterised by the selection of materials, e.g. to avoid wear during transport through the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 : with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 : the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 : Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 : using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/16 : the marking being a hologram or diffraction grating
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 : General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0013 : by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers connectors in general H01R13/00; connectors for SIM cards used in mobile phones or the like H04B1/3816
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/084 : sensing magnetic material by relative movement detecting flux changes without altering its magnetised state
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 : by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 : Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 : specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 : Card having specific functional components

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for producing an opaque, transparent or translucent transaction card having multiple features, such as a holographic foil, integrated circuit chip, silver magnetic stripe with text on the magnetic stripe, opacity gradient, an invisible optically recognizable compound, a translucent signature field such that the signature on back of the card is visible from the front of the card and an active thru date on the front of the card. The invisible optically recognizable compound is an infrared ink and/or film, which can be detected by a sensor found in an ATM or card assembly line.

Claims

1. An article comprising:

a thermoplastic material having a surface that is transmissive to visible light;

a first infrared blocking ink incorporated into said thermoplastic material; and

an infrared blocking film comprising a plurality of layers disposed on said thermoplastic material, said plurality of layers comprising at least two layers having different refractive indices.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein said article is incorporated into a transaction card.

3. The article of claim 1, wherein said article is capable of blocking infrared light at substantially all points on said surface.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein said infrared blocking film comprises a birefringent dielectric multilayer film.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein said infrared blocking film is configured to block infrared light in a first wavelength range and said first infrared blocking ink is configured to block infrared light in a second wavelength range.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein said article is incorporated into a transaction card.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein said incorporation is performed at a temperature above the melting point of said thermoplastic material.

8. A method comprising:

combining a first infrared blocking ink with a thermoplastic material at a temperature above the melting point of said thermoplastic material to form an infrared blocking thermoplastic material;

forming an article from said infrared blocking thermoplastic material, wherein the article has a surface that is transmissive to visible light and substantially opaque at all points on said surface to infrared light, and

applying an infrared blocking film comprising a plurality of layers to said thermoplastic material, said plurality of layers comprising at least two layers having different refractive indices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising incorporating said article into a transaction card.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said first infrared blocking ink is capable of blocking infrared light in a first wavelength range and said infrared blocking film is capable of blocking infrared light in a second wavelength range.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising screening a second infrared blocking ink onto a surface of said thermoplastic material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said infrared blocking film comprises a birefringent dielectric multilayer film.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said first infrared blocking ink comprises a rare earth compound.

14. An article comprising:

a thermoplastic material having a surface that is transmissive to visible light;

a first infrared blocking ink screened onto said thermoplastic material; and

an infrared blocking film comprising a plurality of layers disposed on said thermoplastic material, said plurality of layers comprising at least two layers having different refractive indices.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein said article is incorporated into a transaction card.

16. The article of claim 14, wherein said article is capable of blocking infrared light at substantially all points on said surface.

17. The article of claim 14, wherein said infrared blocking film comprises a birefringent dielectric multilayer film.

18. The article of claim 14, wherein said infrared blocking film is configured to block infrared light in a first wavelength range and said first infrared blocking ink is configured to block infrared light in a second wavelength range.

19. The article of claim 14, wherein said first infrared blocking ink comprises a rare earth compound.

20. The article of claim 14, wherein said article is incorporated into a transaction card.