WO2021223884A1

WO2021223884A1 - Metal chip card and associated shell

Info

Publication number: WO2021223884A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/062890
Authority: WO
Inventors: François Droz
Original assignee: Nid Sa
Priority date: 2020-05-08
Filing date: 2020-05-08
Publication date: 2021-11-11
Also published as: CH717421A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chip card (10) comprising a plastic substrate (1) in which at least one antenna (3) and a magnetic shield (6) are arranged. The chip card (10) comprises a metal shell (4) formed from a coating layer (40) provided with an integrated peripheral rim (44) defining a housing (8) for the substrate (1).

Description

Metal card and associated shell

Technical field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of smart cards. More precisely, it relates to a card of the dual interface type or of the RFID type, that is to say comprising at least one chip and one antenna.

State of the art

The use of cards which contain both a chip and an antenna is well known, particularly in the field of payment cards and electronic labels (RFID transponders). These cards are made essentially of plastic, on the basis of a substrate, for example PVC, and have a laminated structure comprising several laminated layers. An RFID card has a coil connected to a chip and is typically totally embedded, for example in a polymer. In the case of a so-called dual interface payment card, a contact module comprising a chip intended to be inserted into a reader, while an antenna is intended for its part to allow payment without contact, via communication with a remote reader. The antenna is also used not only as a means of communication, but also as a means of supplying power to the chip; it is preferably carried out on a flexible support, for example via printing with conductive ink, or the introduction of a copper wire directly into the polymer to form the coil.

Purely metallic chip cards are also known; however, the latter do not make it possible to integrate an antenna therein and consequently no longer constitute “dual interface” type cards, but only so-called contact cards. However, these cards are in great demand in certain markets where the metallic appearance and the heaviness of the card give the product a high-end character. A drawback of this type of card nevertheless concerns their production cost, which is much higher than standard plastic cards, as well as the difficulty of personalizing these cards, especially in terms of decorative patterns, which is much more tedious on metal than on plastic.

There is therefore a need for a solution free from these known limitations.

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a new smart card comprising an antenna, which is entirely metallic in appearance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new smart card the life of which is improved.

According to the invention, these aims are achieved by means of a smart card comprising a plastic substrate in which are arranged at least one antenna and a magnetic shield, characterized in that it comprises a metal shell formed by a layer of coating provided with an integrated peripheral rim defining a housing for the substrate.

These goals are also achieved by means of a metal shell intended for such a smart card, taken in isolation, and which can be manufactured and sold independently of the complete smart card, in particular as a semi-finished product to card manufacturers. Such a metal shell is characterized in that it is formed of a coating layer provided with an integrated peripheral rim.

One advantage of the proposed solution is that it is easy to produce new chip cards of the RFID type or of payment with a double metal interface.

Another advantage of the proposed solution is that it allows the production of an RFID or payment type chip card with a dual interface, the lifespan of which is significantly improved compared to cards made of plastic, thanks to the integrated rim of the shell. which protects the edge of the substrate and thus effectively prevents any delamination of the various layers of the plastic substrate at the edge of the latter.

Another advantage of the proposed solution is to be able to produce such metal smart cards while achieving significant economies of scale, both in terms of intrinsic manufacturing costs and in terms of depreciation of existing production tools for products. usual plastic cards. In fact, metal cards require specific equipment relating to machining techniques relating to another profession, which implies significant investments in a new production tool. The use of a metal shell with an integrated peripheral rim also gives the impression of a card made entirely of metal while it is possible, to make such cards, to simply manufacture plastic cards in a conventional manner. in slightly smaller dimensions and then add the hull to it. Yet another advantage of the proposed solution relates, in particular for the production of bank cards, to compatibility with existing certification standards. Thus, the method of producing a hybrid card as proposed according to the invention makes it possible to dissociate the production of the metal parts, requiring no certified secure environment, from the production part of the plastic cards which must be carried out in an environment certified in accordance with applicable certification standards.

According to a preferred embodiment for the present invention, the integrated peripheral rim of the metal shell extends over the entire periphery of the smart card, and the coating layer is disposed on an upper surface of the plastic substrate. and assembled to this substrate such that the side edge of the substrate abuts an inner surface of the integrated peripheral rim of the metal shell.

An advantage of the proposed solution is to realize new cards emulating full metal cards thanks not only to the upper covering layer, but also to the integrated peripheral edge of the metal shell which in this case completely covers the edge of the substrate. Furthermore, the effectiveness against delamination is further increased in view of the exact correspondence of shape between the side edges of the substrate and the inner surface of the integrated peripheral rim of the metal shell.

According to an even more preferred embodiment, the smart card produced is a payment card with a double interface of dimensions conforming to standard standards, or an RFID card of predefined dimensions, and the height dimensions of the substrate are reduced by a greater thickness. or equal to a first thickness corresponding to that of the coating layer of the metal shell, and a second thickness corresponding to that of the integrated peripheral rim. It is thus sufficient, in order to manufacture new metal cards according to the present invention, to use standard processes for the production of plastic cards by adjusting the dimensions of the latter by subtracting a first thickness in height relative to the layer of plastic. coating of the metal shell, and a second thickness in width relative to the integrated peripheral rim of the shell, and then to add the metal shell to the substrate amputated by these two thicknesses respectively in height and in width. Thus, the manufacturing process remains very simple and inexpensive for manufacturing having a completely metallic appearance. According to another preferred embodiment relating to a dual interface payment card comprising a contact module mounted on said plastic substrate, this contact module is affixed to a lower shoulder of a through hole made in the coating layer of the metal shell provided for its insertion so as to level the upper surface of the smart card at said through hole.

One advantage of this solution is that it makes it possible to automatically level the upper face of the smart card following the assembly of the contact module which usually constitutes the last assembly step. This shoulder also makes it possible to avoid any excessive depression of this module in the substrate. According to a variant for such a smart card constituting a payment card with a dual interface, the contact module is mounted on the plastic substrate in such a way that it has a slight extra thickness relative to the latter, the extra thickness being substantially equal to the first thickness in height of the coating layer so as to level the upper face of the card at the level of the through hole made in the coating layer of the metal shell provided for the insertion of the contact module. Here again, the technical effect of an automatic leveling of the upper face of the card during the mounting of the contact module on the substrate is obtained, but it requires to arrange a suitable housing on the substrate instead of acting on the metal shell.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the smart card is characterized in that the lower surface of the substrate is flush with the heel of the integrated peripheral edge of the shell. In this way, when mounting the substrate in the metal shell, an automatic leveling of the underside of the card is obtained. The operation of fitting the substrate into its housing of exactly corresponding dimensions can be carried out extremely simply, and the fact that the height of the integrated peripheral rim of the metal shell corresponds to the total height of the metal card makes it possible to make the card an entirely metallic appearance in a particularly simple manner also via a single mounting operation, in particular when the substrate comprises a printing sheet spreading over the entire lower surface and thus no longer requires any subsequent machining for finalize the back of the card.

According to a preferred embodiment, the thickness in height of the metal coating layer for the smart card is between 150 and 500 micrometers, while the thickness in width of the integrated peripheral rim is between 150 and 2000 micrometers. These values allow relatively simple machining of the metal shell while limiting the material costs to achieve the metallic appearance. According to yet another preferred embodiment, the metal shell is perforated, which allows underlying decorative patterns made on a plastic layer to show through instead of being machined directly in or on the metal, which is much more complicated and requires specialized devices. In this way, it is thus possible to easily decorate such metal cards at a lower cost.

According to yet another preferred embodiment, the metal shell has a series of cavities or openings provided for the insertion of various decorative materials. This allows for example to set the card with precious stones or other noble materials giving an even more upscale appearance to the card produced.

Brief description of the drawings

Other advantageous characteristics will emerge more clearly from the following description of particular embodiments for the invention given by way of nonlimiting examples and represented by the appended drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is an exploded three-dimensional view of a metal shell for a smart card according to a preferred embodiment for the invention corresponding to a dual interface payment card, and of a substrate for such a card smart;

- Figures 2A and 2B correspond to two sectional views of preferred embodiments of the coating layer of a metal shell for a dual interface payment card as illustrated in Figure 1, with respectively a through hole through fully vertical side walls, and a through hole with shoulder for housing a contact module;

- Figure 3 illustrates the assembly of a circuit before subsequent covering with a sheet according to the prior art. - The series of FIGS. 4A and 4B respectively shows two sectional views illustrating the assembly of a smart card according to two preferred embodiments for the present invention, and more precisely the assembly of a substrate with shells having two edges of different widths.

detailed description

In what follows, reference will be made to a smart card 10 as preferably corresponding to a payment card with a dual interface, or an RFID type card. Figure 1 illustrates a three-dimensional exploded schematic view of a smart card 10 according to a preferred embodiment for the present invention, relating to a dual interface payment card.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the new smart card 10 proposed in the context of the present invention is composed of a plastic substrate 1 covered with a metal shell 4. The plastic substrate 1 comprises an antenna. 3 which is covered with a magnetic shield 6 to isolate it from the upper coating layer 4 of metal; these elements integrated into the substrate 1 are not referenced in this figure for reasons of readability, but are shown schematically below in FIGS. 4A and 4B. The coating layer 40 of the metal shell 4 constitutes the upper face 101 of the smart card 10, while the lower face 101 of the smart card consists of the lower surface 11 of the substrate 1, which is preferably formed by a printing layer 5 - also illustrated schematically in FIGS. 4A and 4B - making it possible to display, for example, the personalization data of the card, comprising the name and first name of the cardholder, as well as the “PAN” (acronym for "primary account number) allowing to identify an issuing bank, the credit institution and to assign a unique identification number to the card)

According to the preferred embodiment illustrated, the integrated peripheral rim 44 of the metal shell extends over the entire periphery of the smart card 10, so that its edge has an appearance entirely metallic and such a smart card 10 placed on a support hiding its underside 101 and thus gives the impression of being made entirely of metal. The integrated peripheral rim 44 of the metal shell 4 has a height H corresponding to the total thickness of the smart card 10 formed, while a second thickness R corresponding to the thickness of the peripheral rim, this time taken from the direction of the width (or respectively length). In FIG. 1, this second thickness R appears to be substantially constant over the entire periphery of the smart card 10, but one could, according to a variant, imagine dissociating values of thickness in the direction of the length L and the width W from the menu. The integrated peripheral rim 44 is preferably produced by stamping or directly by sintering / molding; however, according to manufacturing variants, it could also be produced by engraving, chemical machining, machining, hot or cold stamping, or by assembly of a laser-cut frame on a metal plate, or even by 3D printing.

In Figure 1, it can be seen that the housing 8 formed inside the internal lateral surface 44A of the integrated peripheral rim 44, here constituted by a series of four vertical walls extending mutually at right angles to each other. , and ending at the level of the lower surface 41 of the coating layer 40 of metal, corresponds exactly to the volume of the substrate 1 including the outer lateral border 13, that is to say the part forming the edge of the latter, directly adjoins the internal lateral surface 44A of the integrated peripheral rim 44. The plastic substrate 1, thus corresponding to that of a conventional smart card, but the dimensions of which have simply been slightly reduced in height (by a first thickness E , illustrated in particular in Figures 2A and 2B which follow) as well as in length and width (of a second thickness R, corresponding to that of the integrated peripheral rim) is thus can be assembled simplem ent to the metal shell 40 preferably by heat sealing. However, other assembly methods cited by way of nonlimiting examples include simple cold gluing, lamination with a film, or even the use of a standard or thermosetting self-adhesive film, etc. Following this assembly step, besides the fact that the lateral edge of the substrate 13 is covered by the integrated peripheral rim 44 and thus effectively protected against delamination, the dimensions of the substrate 1 in height of the substrate are preferably configured in such a way that they make it possible to automatically level the lower face of the card 101, the lower surface of the substrate 11 being flush with the bottom of the integrated peripheral rim 44 (the heel 45 illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B below).

As for a plastic smart card, the step of mounting the contact module 2, which comprises a chip to be electrically connected to the antenna, is here the last to be carried out during the assembly of the smart card 10. The contact module 2 is introduced through a through hole 43, two variants of which are respectively illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

In FIG. 2A, the through hole 43 made in the coating layer 40 of the metal shell 4 has side walls 43 which are completely vertical. In such a case, to level the upper face of the smart card 10 at the level of the upper surface 42 of the coating layer 40, it is necessary to provide that the housing of the module in the substrate has a slight extra thickness corresponding substantially to that of the through hole, that is to say corresponding substantially to the first thickness E.

In FIG. 2B, it is not necessary to provide any arrangements at the level of the substrate 1 to obtain an automatic leveling of the contact module 2 with respect to the upper surface 42 of the coating layer 40, since the latter is obtained via a particular arrangement of the through-hole of the coating layer 40. In fact, according to this preferred variant, a lower shoulder 43A is provided at the base of the through-hole, acting as a stop for the contact module 2, which cannot d 'on the one hand not to penetrate more deeply into the substrate 1, but which on the other hand makes it possible to define a support and defining a complete housing in addition to the side walls. In this way, the contact module can also be mounted on the substrate 1 so that it is flush with the level of the upper surface 42 of the metal coating layer 40 of the shell.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method of assembling a smart card such as an RFID card comprising an electronic circuit 8 which is, unlike the present invention, not produced on a plastic substrate 1. Its geometric shape, of any kind, does not include any lateral border defined by a wall, and it is thus plated on the back of a metal shell comprising an imprint of corresponding shape, without any rim strictly speaking having to be formed in this shell. The shell then consists of a coating layer of greater thickness (partial height H1 of the card) in which the corresponding shaped imprint of the electronic circuit 8 is made; and the latter must then be covered with a laminating foil, such as the printing foil 5 glued to the lower surface 41 of this metal coating layer. Thus the leveling at the level of the lower face 101 of the card is carried out via this laminating layer itself, and the total thickness of the card is always greater than the partial height H1 corresponding to the thickness of the metal layer. . In this way, if the top face 102 of the card matches the top surface 42 of a metal layer, the edge of the card will still have a plastic lamination layer and nothing is provided against delamination of this layer. .

FIGS. 4A and 4B on the contrary illustrate two preferred embodiments relating to the present invention, in which the first thickness E in height corresponding to that of the coating layer 40 of metal is less than the partial height H1 illustrated in FIG. 3 above. , but whose total thickness of the card, corresponding to the total height H is greater than this partial height H1 thanks to the integrated peripheral rim 44 whose heel 45 extends to the underside of the card 101 flush with the bottom surface 11 of substrate 1.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show two integrated peripheral flanges 44 whose first thickness E corresponding to that of the coating layer 40 is identical and substantially identical - according to the invention, this is preferably between 150 and 500 micrometers - but of which the width (second thickness R shown in these figures) differs; according to the invention, this is preferably between 150 and 3000 micrometers. The correspondence of the minimum values of 150 micrometers for the first thickness E of the coating layer 40 and the second thickness R of the integrated peripheral rim 44 corresponds to the case where a sheet of 150 micrometers is formed by stamping and this sheet rises on the edge of the card to form the integrated peripheral edge. In this case these two thicknesses, formed from the same sheet of metal, are identical; this equality can however be achieved for greater values of thickness of the coating layer 40.

In these figures, the substrate 1 comprises not only the antenna 3 and the magnetic shielding 6, but also a printing layer 5 constituting the lower surface 11 of the substrate; according to a variant, this printing layer 5 could be further covered with a transparent protective layer (usually referred to as an "overlay"). The housing 8 provided for the substrate 1 has the exact dimensions of the substrate 1, such that the side edge of the substrate 13 adjoins the inner surface 44A of the integrated peripheral rim 44, and the upper surface 12 of the substrate 1 adjoins the lower surface 41 of the coating layer 40 of the metal shell 4, while ensuring a leveling of the lower surface 11 of the substrate 1 with respect to the heel 45 of the integrated peripheral rim 44 at the level of the lower face 101 of the smart card 10.

According to a preferred variant for the present invention, the coating layer 40 of metal may moreover be perforated to reveal decorative patterns, intended to be visible from the upper face of the card 102, which may thus be produced directly on the substrate. 1 and not directly on metal. According to another even more preferred variant, in order to give the card a more luxurious appearance, the metal coating layer may include a series of cavities or openings provided for the insertion of various decorative materials, such as inserts in precious metals or set stones (eg diamonds). Although only a few embodiments have been described by way of example in the foregoing, it will be understood that the latter are not intended to exhaustively expose all the possible variants of implementation for the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that it is conceivable to replace a means described by equivalent means without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, it would also be conceivable, without departing from the scope of the present invention, to use peripheral flanges extending only on two opposite faces of the card, in length or in width, or flanges on all sides of the card. the card but truncated at the corners, or on the contrary of the edges formed only at the level of the four corners of the card to wedge it in its housing under the coating layer of the metal shell.

Similarly, it would be conceivable to use a substrate whose shape would only partially correspond to that of the volume of the housing defined inside the rims, for example taking a square shape corresponding to a truncation of the rectangular shape available inside. an integrated peripheral rim extending over the entire periphery of the card.

Alternatively, we could still imagine making a slot in the metal shell, extending from the integrated peripheral rim to the contact module, in order to produce a capacitive magnetic shielding instead of the shielding produced directly above the antenna. in the substrate.

Claims

1. Smart card (10) comprising a plastic substrate (1) in which are arranged at least one antenna (3) and a magnetic shield (6), characterized in that it comprises a metal shell (4) formed a coating layer (40) provided with an integrated peripheral rim (44) defining a housing (8) for said substrate (1).

2. Smart card (10) according to claim 1, said integrated peripheral rim (44) extending over the entire periphery of said smart card (10), and said coating layer being disposed on an upper surface ( 12) of a plastic substrate (1) and assembled to said plastic substrate (1) such that the side edge of the substrate (13) abuts an inner surface (44A) of said integrated peripheral rim (44) of said shell in metal (4).

3. Chip card (10) according to claim 2, said card (10) being a dual interface payment card of dimensions conforming to standard standards or an RFID card of predefined dimensions, the height dimensions of said substrate (1) being amputated by a thickness greater than or equal to a first thickness (E) corresponding to said coating layer (40) of said metal shell (4), and a second thickness (R) corresponding to that of said integrated peripheral rim ( 44).

4. Smart card (10) according to claim 3, said smart card (10) being a dual interface payment card comprising a contact module (2), said contact module being mounted on the plastic substrate (1). ) such that it has a slight extra thickness with respect to said substrate (1) substantially equal to said first thickness (E) so as to level the upper face (101) of said card (10) at the level of a through hole (43) formed in said coating layer (40) of said metal shell (4) provided for the insertion of said contact module (2).

5. Smart card (10) according to claim 3, said smart card (10) being a dual interface payment card comprising a contact (2) mounted on said plastic substrate (1), said contact module (2) being affixed to a lower shoulder (43A) of a through hole (43) made in said coating layer of said metal shell ( 4) provided for the insertion of said contact module (2) so as to level the upper surface (101) of said smart card (10) at the level of said through hole (43).

6. Smart card (10) according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the lower surface (11) of said substrate (1) is flush with the heel (45) of said integrated peripheral edge (44).

7. Smart card (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that it further comprises a printing sheet (5) extending over the entire lower surface (11) of said substrate (1).

8. Metal shell (4) for a smart card (10) according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is formed of a coating layer (40) provided with a peripheral edge integrated (44).

9. Metal shell (4) for smart card (10) according to claim.

8, characterized in that said coating layer (4) has a first thickness (E) in height of between 150 and 500 micrometers, and said integrated peripheral rim (44) has a second thickness (R) of between 150 and 3000 micrometers .

10. Metal shell (4) for smart card (10) according to one of claims 8 or 9, said card (10) being a dual interface payment card, and a through hole (43) being made in said. coating layer (4) of said metal shell (4) to allow insertion of a contact module (2).

11. Metal shell (4) according to claim 10, characterized in that a lower shoulder (43A) is provided at the bottom of said through hole (43).

12. Metal shell (4) according to one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that it is perforated.

13. Metal shell (4) according to one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that it comprises a series of cavities or openings provided for the insertion of various decorative materials.