Method of manufacturing a plastic card with a lenticular lens therein

• US 6,277,232 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1999
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MBNA America Delaware NA (Bank of America Corp.)
• Original Assignee: MBNA America Delaware NA (Bank of America Corp.)
• Inventors: Wang, Jachin, Pfingst, Dale Mitchell, Green, Susan, McGonigle, George
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAY, LINDA LAMEY
• Application Number:
  US09/295,600
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 156/250, 156/277, 156/327, 156/308.2, 156/583.1, 283/70, 283/75, 283/82, 283/94, 283/109
• US Class Current: 156/250
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• 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 25/23 Identity cards
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/425 by deformation, e.g. embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/47 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/475 Cutting cards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a plastic card comprises the steps of providing a sheet of lenticular lens material; coating the back side of the lens material with a vinyl resin base; printing the back side of the lens material with a composite lithographic image; coating the back side of the lens material with an adhesive such that it can adhere to a sheet of plastic which serves as the back of the plastic card; and laminating the sheets together.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a plastic card comprising the steps of:

a. providing a sheet of lenticular lens material having a front side and a back side, the front side having an array of identical spherically curved surfaces embossed thereon, the back side being flat;

b. coating the back side of the sheet of lenticular lens material with a vinyl resin base;

c. printing over the vinyl resin base on the back side of the sheet of lenticular lens material with a filmed image;

d. coating the back side of the sheet of lenticular lens material with an adhesive after the printing;

e. providing a sheet of plastic having a front surface and a rear surface;

f. printing the rear surface of the sheet of plastic;

g. providing a sheet of clear PVC overlay film;

h. laminating magnetic material onto the sheet of clear PVC overlay film;

i. assembling and collating the sheet of lenticular lens material, the sheet of plastic and the sheet of clear PVC overlay film with laminated magnetic material so that the sheet of plastic is oriented in the middle of the three sheets; and

j. laminating the assembled, collated sheets of lenticular lens material, plastic and clear PVC overlay film laminated with magnetic material using a platen press laminator.

2. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheet of lenticular lens material is comprised of PVC plastic approximately 0.014″

thick.

3. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of printing the back side of the sheet of lenticular lens material is done in stochastic printing format performed on offset lithography.

4. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of printing the rear surface of the sheet of plastic is done using an offset lithography process.

5. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheet of plastic is comprised of white PVC core stock material approximately 0.0135″

thick.

6. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adhesive for the back side of the sheet of lenticular lens material is comprised of a vinyl acetate co-polymer.

7. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of laminating the assembled, collated sheets of lenticular lens material, plastic and clear PVC overlay film with laminated magnetic material is performed at a temperature of approximately 290°

F., applying a pressure of approximately 200 PSI to the sheets for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

8. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of coating the back side of the sheet of lenticular lens material is done using a silk-screening process.

9. The method of manufaturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein The step of printing the back of lenticular lens material uses a UV curable ink.

10. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of printing the rear surface of the sheet of plastic uses a UV curable ink.

11. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further includes the step of applying a clear coating to the laminated, assembled sheets in a designated area where a hologram is to be stamped following the step of laminating the assembled, collated sheets of lenticular material, plastic and clear PVC overlay film laminated with magnetic material.

12. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 11 wherein the step of applying a clear coating to the laminated, assembled sheets in a designated area where a hologram is to be stamped is done using a silk-screening process.

13. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 11 wherein the clear coating applied to the laminated, assembled sheets in a designated area where a hologram is to be stamped is a vinyl resin.

14. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 11 wherein the method further includes the step of cutting a plurality of cards from the laminated, assembled sheets, each of said plurality of cards having a front side and a back side.

15. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 14 wherein the method further includes the step of stamping the hologram onto the designated area on the front side of each of the plurality of cards.

16. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 15 wherein the method further includes the step of stamping signature panels onto the back side of each of the plurality of cards.

17. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 14 wherein the method further includes the step of stamping signature panels onto the back side of each of the plurality of cards.

18. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 1 wherein the method further includes the step of cutting a plurality of cards from the laminated, assembled sheets, each of said plurality of cards having a front side and a back side, following the step of laminating the assembled, collated sheets of lenticular material, plastic and clear PVC overlay film laminated with magnetic material.

19. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 18 wherein the step of cutting a plurality of cards from the laminated, assembled sheets is done;

using a die cut machine.

20. The method of manufacturing a plastic card as claimed in claim 18 wherein the method further includes the step of stamping signature panels onto the back side of each of the plurality of cards.

21. A method of manufacturing a plastic card comprising the steps of;

a. providing a sheer of lenticular lens material having a front side and a back side, the front side having an array if identical spherically curved surfaces embossed thereon, the back side being flat;

b. coating the back side of the sheet of lenticular lens material with a vinyl resin base;

c. printing the back side of the sheet of lenticular lens material over the vinyl resin base with a filmed image;

d. coating the back side of die sheet of lenticular lens material with an adhesive after the printing;

e. providing a sheet of plasic having a front surface and a rear surface;

f. printing the rear surface of the sheet of plastic;

g. providing a sheet of clear PVC overlay film;

h. laminating magnetic material onto the sheet of clear PVC overlay film;

i. assembling and collating the sheet of lenticular lens material, the sheer of plastic and the sheer of clear PVC overlay film with laminated magnetic material so that the sheet of plastic is oriented in the middle of the three sheets;

j. laminating the assembled, collated sheets of lenticular lens material, plastic and clear PVC overlay film laminated with magnetic material using a platen press laminator;

k. applying a clear coating to the laminated, assembled sheets in a designated area where a hologram is to be stamped; and

l. stamping the hologan onto the designated area.