Cards with special texture and color
AssigneeCompoSecure, LLC
InventorsJohn Herslow, Adam Lowe, Luis Dasilva
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi layered card embodying the invention includes an outer layer of an amorphous laser reactive copolymer material which is embossed with a selected pattern at a selected temperature which is above the glass transition temperature, Tg, of the copolymer and below its melting temperature, Tm. So embossed, the selected pattern is set in the copolymer layer, and its external shape cannot be changed from the embossed form to which it was set at the selected temperature, without destroying the selected pattern. The outer layer may be laminated with the other layers of the card and laser engraved before or after lamination.
Claims24
A multilayered card comprising:
- an amorphous laser reactive copolymer layer having top and bottom surfaces, said amorphous copolymer layer having a glass transition temperature, Tg, and a melting temperature, Tm, and said amorphous copolymer layer characterized in that it enters a crystalline state and is then settable to a set form when its temperature is above Tg and below Tm;
- a selected pattern embossed on, and within, said copolymer layer at a predetermined temperature above Tg and below Tm for setting the selected pattern within said copolymer layer;
- and
- a plurality of additional layers attached to the bottom surface of said amorphous laser reactive copolymer layer.
A method of forming a card comprising the steps of:
- stacking an amorphous laser reactive copolymer layer and a plurality of additional layers;
- wherein said amorphous laser reactive copolymer layer has a glass transition temperature, Tg, and a melting temperature, Tm, and is characterized in that it enters a crystalline state and is then settable to a set form when its temperature is above Tg and below Tm;
- and
- laminating the stacked layers and concurrently embossing the amorphous laser reactive copolymer layer with a pattern at a predetermined temperature which is greater than Tg and less than Tm for setting said pattern in said amorphous laser reactive copolymer layer.
A multilayered card comprising:
- an amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (PET) laser reactive copolymer layer having top and bottom surfaces, said amorphous laser reactive copolymer layer having a glass transition temperature, Tg, and a melting temperature, Tm, and said amorphous copolymer layer characterized in that;
- (a) it enters a crystalline state and is then settable to a set form when its temperature is above Tg and below Tm;
- (b) information or design can be lasered on or within the layer;
- and (c) the color of the layer can be altered with a laser;
- and
- a thermoplastic layer, a core layer and a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) laser reactive layer;
- each one of said thermoplastic layer, core layer and PVC laser reactive layer having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- and
- wherein said amorphous PET laser reactive copolymer layer is stacked together with said thermoplastic layer, said core layer and said PVC laser reactive layer to form said multilayered card, and wherein said amorphous PET laser reactive copolymer layer is the outer layer of the card.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.