Hard cover product with concealed printed security device

A method of manufacturing a hard cover product having an outer liner to which a pair of cover boards each having opposing planar surfaces attach on a respective planar surface in spaced-apart relation on a major surface of the outer liner on the outer liner to define a spine for the hard cover product while defining opposing front cover, back cover and spine therefor and overlying inner liners each inner liner attached to a respective one of the cover boards in overlying relation to an opposing surface thereof, characterized by the steps of:

• (a) providing hard cover boards pre-cut to a selected size with a length and width exceeding a thickness;
• (b) selectively defining a laydown area within the hard cover product between the outer liner and a respective one of the inner liners;
• (c) positioning a thin-film security device on a laydown area, the security device having a thickness no greater than about a minority of the thickness of the one of the rigid cover boards, the thin-film security device configured for responding to radio frequency signals;
• and
• (d) attaching an interior body cooperatively supported within the hard cover product,
• whereby with the laydown area within the hard cover product between the outer liner and the respective one of the inner liners, the outer liner, the security device, the one of the cover boards, and the said inner liner laminated together concealingly disposing the security device therein,
• whereby the security device enclosed and laminated therein is concealed from casual indication of its presence and is held after lamination safely and securely therein during normal use thereof for hard cover product purposes and
• whereby the opposing rigid cover boards define the front cover and back cover that move together foldably along lines defined by opposing sides of the spine for using the interior body within the hard cover product.

A hard cover product, comprising:

• an outer liner;
• a pair of rigid cover boards pre-cut to a selected size and having opposing planar surfaces with a length and width exceeding a thickness, the pair of rigid cover boards attached on a respective planar surface to a major surface of the outer liner in spaced-apart relation to define a spine for a hard cover product while defining opposing front cover and back cover therefor;
• at least one of the rigid cover boards comprising:
• a pair of opposing sheets and a first one of the pair of opposing sheets defining in a selected portion a laydown area on a planar surface thereof;
• a thin-film security device positioned on the laydown area and attached thereto, the security device having a thickness no greater than about a minority of the thickness of the sheet;
• and
• the pair of opposing sheets laminated together to sandwich the thin-film security device concealingly there between, with the opposing sides of the one of the rigid cover boards substantially parallel without a surface indication of the presence of the thin-film security device therein, whereby the security device enclosed and laminated in said one of the rigid cover boards
• is concealed from casual indication of its presence and is held after lamination safely and securely therein during normal use thereof for hard cover product purposes;
• and
• an interior body cooperatively supported within the hard cover product,
• whereby the opposing rigid cover boards define a front cover and back cover that move together foldably along lines defined by opposing sides of the spine for containing the interior body within the hard cover product.