EP2886267A1 - Method and device for placing an insert in a cavity formed in a foil product - Google Patents

Abstract

To place without play an insert (30) cut in a film (3) in a cavity formed in a thin sheet, and after placing the sheet (2) on a substrate (1) support, is made the cavity (21) punching the sheet (2) by means of a punch (50) of tubular cutout having an inner pusher (51) and whose cutting edge (52) has the desired shape of the cavity and the insert, so that the edge (52) passes through the thickness of the sheet and cuts therein a pellet (20), the punch (50) is raised with the pellet (20) held inside the punch, without moving the sheet (2), the film (3) is brought between the sheet (2) and the edge (52) of the punch, the punch (50) is lowered again so as to cut the insert (30) in the film (3) then pushing the insert thus cut into the cavity (21) by means of the pusher (51), and removing the punch (50) and the pusher (51), the insert (30) being maintained in place in the cavity (21).

Description

The present invention relates to a novel method and device for placing an insert in a cavity formed in a thin sheet product, typically having a thickness of less than 2 mm, and more particularly less than 300 μm.

The invention is particularly but not exclusively in the field of electronic cards, or smart cards, or other thin plastic documents, typically polycarbonate and may contain one or more electronic circuits, such as for example a data sheet used in some passports. In the field of smart cards, we are well aware of the difficulties encountered by card manufacturers to achieve the insertion of the electronic modules equipping these cards in the card bodies, and with the least possible clearance between said module and its housing formed in a constituent layer of the card body. More recently, there has also been the problem of setting up, in the thickness of the card body, various inserts such as transparent inserts which may or may not carry printed or engraved information on one of their faces, intended for to be placed inside the card, the transparency of the material of the insert allowing visual access to said information and more generally providing additional security against copying. This information may be for example an image, a photograph or information readable only by a specific reader, for example inscriptions made using a laser-sensitive ink, etc. The insert may also comprise an active or passive electronic device, such as an electronic chip, an RFID antenna, etc.

In general, it is desired that the inserted functional element, carried by the insert itself, be integrated in the thickness of the finished card, without space, between the periphery of the insert and the cavity formed in the card body that receives it.

The current techniques for setting up such an insert in the cavity constituting its housing consist, on the one hand, in cutting the inserts and, on the other hand, in making the cavities in the card bodies, these operations being carried out by molding , machining, laser cutting or punching. Each insert is then placed in its cavity by means of high-precision robotic multiaxis machines to allow the precise positioning of each insert in front of its cavity, most of these machines being furthermore equipped with a vision assisted vision control system.

The difficulty of this insertion is important in particular because of the small thickness of the layer, commonly made of polycarbonate, in which the cavity is formed, and the small thickness of the insert, thicknesses which may be of the order of 50 μm. only, or even less. Despite the sophistication of the machines used, the clearance between the insert and the cavity can not be reduced to less than 0.05 to 0.10 mm.

The present invention aims on the one hand to completely eliminate this game and, on the other hand, to reduce the complexity of the facilities currently used, and thus reduce the cost of manufacturing card or similar thin products with inserts.

With these objectives in view, the subject of the invention is a method of placing an insert in a cavity formed in a thin sheet product, according to which the insert is cut in a film and placed in said cavity.

1. a) on réalise la cavité par poinçonnage de la feuille au moyen d'un poinçon de découpe tubulaire comportant un poussoir intérieur et dont l'arête de coupe a la forme désirée de la cavité et de l'insert, le poinçon étant abaissé orthogonalement à la feuille, de manière que son arête traverse l'épaisseur de la feuille et découpe dans celle-ci une pastille,
2. b) on relève le poinçon avec la pastille maintenue à l'intérieur du poinçon, de manière à dégager entre la face supérieure de la feuille et le poinçon un espace suffisant pour y placer le film,
3. c) sans déplacer la feuille, on amène le film entre la feuille et l'arête du poinçon, le film étant appliqué contre la feuille,
4. d) on abaisse à nouveau le poinçon de manière à découper l'insert dans le film puis à pousser l'insert ainsi découpé dans la cavité au moyen du poussoir,
5. e) on retire le poinçon puis le poussoir, l'insert étant maintenu en place dans la cavité.

According to the invention, the method is characterized in that, after placing the sheet on a support surface, the following succession of steps is carried out:

1. a) the cavity is made by punching the sheet by means of a tubular cutting punch having an inner pusher and whose cutting edge has the desired shape of the cavity and the insert, the punch being lowered orthogonally to the sheet, so that its edge passes through the thickness of the sheet and cuts therein a pellet,
2. b) the punch is raised with the pellet held inside the punch, so as to clear between the upper face of the sheet and the punch sufficient space to place the film,
3. c) without moving the sheet, the film is brought between the sheet and the edge of the punch, the film being applied against the sheet,
4. d) again lowering the punch so as to cut the insert in the film and then push the insert thus cut into the cavity by means of the pusher,
5. e) the punch is removed and then the pusher, the insert being held in place in the cavity.

During step d) the insert is cut exactly to the same shape and dimensions as the cavity, since the two cuts are made, successively, by the same punch. In addition, since there is no displacement, transversely to the axis of the punch, of the sheet in which the cavity is cut with respect to said punch between the step of cutting the cavity and the step of cutting the insert, the exact positioning of the insert relative to the receiving cavity is automatically ensured, without the need for mechanisms of high precision or control means and of assisted vision.

Thus, thanks to the invention, it is possible to ensure the placement of an insert in a cavity in a very precise manner, without peripheral clearance between the insert and the cavity, and without the need for expensive investments in machinery. and high precision equipment.

• f) sans déplacer le film, on déplace la feuille et son support pour amener face au poinçon une zone de découpe d'une nouvelle cavité,

puis on reprend la suite d'étapes a) à f), le poinçon passant, lors de l'étape a), dans l'orifice formé dans le film lors de la découpe de l'insert de l'étape d).According to a preferred arrangement for the application of the industrial-scale process, for the successive introduction of several inserts in respective cavities, the following step is carried out after step e):

• f) without moving the film, the sheet and its support are moved to bring a cutting zone of a new cavity facing the punch,

then the sequence of steps a) to f) is repeated, the punch passing, during step a), in the orifice formed in the film during the cutting of the insert of step d).

During this industrial implementation, a preliminary step is performed during the first cycle, consisting in making in the film the cutting of a first insert, to obtain the orifice required to pass the punch during step a ), this first insert then being evacuated without being used.

The pellet may be disengaged from the punch between step b) and step d), the pusher then acting directly on the insert during step d) to push the insert into its cavity.

However, according to a preferred embodiment, during the lifting of the punch in step b), the pellet is held inside the punch, and serves as an intermediate piece between the pusher and the insert to push the pin. insert in its cavity during step e).

Preferably again, the pellet is held inside the punch by suction against the pusher, this mode of maintenance to ensure that the pellet will remain in place against the front wall of the pusher, during the stages where it serves as an intermediate piece to press the insert at the bottom of its cavity, and up to its ejection out of the punch.

In the preferred embodiment, the pellet is ejected from the punch and discharged after step e), this operation of ejection and evacuation of the pellet cut in the sheet can then be performed in masked time during the moving the sheet and the support of step f), which reduces the cycle time.

According to a particular arrangement, especially when the sheet and the insert are of small thickness, the support surface of the sheet is constituted by a support substrate which is associated with the sheet in a fixed manner, said substrate and the moving sheet therefore simultaneously, and can be linked by lamination. Such an arrangement applies in particular in the case of the implementation of the invention for the manufacture of smart cards or the like with a thin sheet, for example less than 100 microns. In the case of thicker sheets or inserts, it is possible not to use a support substrate. Indeed the precise adjustment of the insert and the cavity will allow the insert to be sufficiently blocked and retained on its edges in the cavity, to allow a minimum of manipulation of the sheet with the inserts, before proceeding to a subsequent step of assembling different layers, including including the said sheet, and together forming the card body, then to laminate these layers to obtain the card body including the insert.

When the process is carried out using a support substrate bonded to the sheet, during step d), the pusher presses the insert at the bottom of the cavity, against the support substrate, so as to adhere the insert on said substrate, under the sole effect of face-to-face contact between the insert and the support substrate. To facilitate and reinforce this adhesion, step d) can be carried out with a preheating of the materials, in particular the insert, to make it more adhesive, and / or a heat input by the pusher, which can, at this effect include heating means.

For inserting inserts into cards, including chip cards having the assembly of a substrate member and a thin sheet member of the same size, the support substrate and the thin sheet have a dimension cross-section determined to form a plurality of cards, and the different steps are carried out simultaneously on as many cutting stations and insertion of inserts, distributed in the transverse direction. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a number of cutting and inserter insertion stations smaller than the number of transversally distributed cards, preferably a sub-multiple of the number of cards, and the cutting and setting stations are moved. in the transverse direction. Whatever the case, the film is preferably a strip in which only one insert is cut in its width, each cutting and positioning station being fed by this band independently of the other stations. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a wide film, for example of the same width as the substrate of support and the thin sheet, and feed all the cutting and setting stations simultaneously to cut and put simultaneously the inserts of all the card bodies distributed over this width. Thus, the method according to the invention makes it possible, thanks to the absence of any need to seek a very high precision in the positioning of the inserts with respect to the corresponding cavities, to perform the cutting and insertion operations in a particularly rapid manner and economical, while guaranteeing that there will be no peripheral space between inserts and cavities.

• au moins un ensemble de découpe et de placement comprenant un poinçon tubulaire de découpe, mobile selon une direction axiale, et un poussoir coulissant à l'intérieur du poinçon,
• des moyens d'alimentation pour alimenter la feuille mince sur une table de support,
• des moyens de déplacement pour déplacer la feuille mince devant le poinçon et perpendiculairement à l'axe du poinçon,
• des seconds moyens d'alimentation et de défilement pour alimenter le film entre le poinçon et la feuille mince, et pour assurer un déplacement du film indépendamment du déplacement de la feuille mince,
• des moyens de commande pour commander de manière coordonnée les déplacements du poinçon et du poussoir et les déplacements de la feuille mince et du film.

The invention also relates to a device for placing an insert cut in a film, in a cavity formed in a thin sheet, according to the method defined above, the device comprising:

• at least one cutting and placing assembly comprising a tubular cutting punch, movable in an axial direction, and a sliding pusher inside the punch,
• feeding means for feeding the thin sheet onto a support table,
• displacement means for moving the thin sheet in front of the punch and perpendicular to the axis of the punch,
• second feeding and scrolling means for feeding the film between the punch and the thin sheet, and for moving the film independently of the displacement of the thin sheet,
• control means for coordinatingly controlling the movements of the punch and the pusher and the displacements of the thin sheet and the film.

According to one particular arrangement, the device comprises third feed means for feeding a support substrate, in a coordinated manner with the supply of the thin sheet, the displacement means being arranged to simultaneously move the assembly formed of the substrate and the thin sheet applied to said substrate.

• le poussoir comporte des moyens de retenue pour retenir temporairement à l'intérieur du poinçon une pastille découpée par le poinçon,
• lesdits moyens de retenue comportent des orifices d'aspiration formés dans le poussoir et débouchant sur sa face frontale,
• le poussoir comporte des moyens de chauffage.

According to complementary and / or preferential provisions:

• the pusher comprises retaining means for temporarily retaining inside the punch a pellet cut by the punch,
• said retaining means comprise suction orifices formed in the pusher and opening on its end face,
• the pusher comprises heating means.

Other features and advantages will appear in the description which will be given by way of non-limiting example, of a machine according to the invention for the manufacture of chip cards comprising an insert, as well as the method of implementation. .

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective de la machine conforme à l'invention,
• la figure 2 représente le dispositif selon l'invention en position de départ d'un cycle de mise en oeuvre du procédé selon l'invention,
• les figures 3 à 10 représentent le dispositif selon l'invention dans respectivement la suite des étapes suivantes b) à g) du procédé selon l'invention.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine according to the invention,
• the figure 2 represents the device according to the invention in starting position of a cycle of implementation of the method according to the invention,
• the Figures 3 to 10 represent the device according to the invention in respectively following the following steps b) to g) of the method according to the invention.

Said head 10 is mounted on a carriage movable in translation on the frame 11, transversely to the displacement direction F of the substrate 1 and the associated thin sheet 2

The machine represented figure 1 has two heads 10 for cutting and placing the inserts mounted on a carriage movable in translation on a frame 11, and movable transversely to the direction F of displacement of a table 12 movable under the frame. Each head has a punch 50 and a pusher 51, visible on the figures 2 and following. The machine comprises first feeding means 13 for feeding a support substrate 1 and depositing it on the table 12 and second feeding means 14 for feeding the thin sheet 2 to receive the inserts and placing said sheet on the substrate.

In the illustrated implementation example figure 1 , the film in which the inserts are cut is in the form of a strip 3 in roll in the width of which a single insert 30 is cut, and each head 10 also comprises means 15 for scrolling the said strip 3.

In the example presented, the substrate 1 and the thin sheet 2 are deposited on the table 12 in the form of two sets each comprising a pre-cut substrate 1 and a thin sheet 2 of rectangular shape and pre-assembled in a manner known per se, and whose dimensions are determined to produce, in each set of substrate 1 and sheet 2, 48 card bodies. We can of course use any other format as needed.

The substrate 1 is typically an opaque polycarbonate plate, for example white, 100 μm thick, and the thin sheet 2 an opaque polycarbonate of 50 microns, these thicknesses being given only as an indication, in no way limiting.

The thin strip 3 in which the inserts 30 are cut is formed of a transparent polycarbonate film on one side a coating 31 may have any pattern which must be integrated but visible in the thickness of the card body following the placement of the insert. However, it will be possible to implement the invention with other types of inserts, other transparent materials or not, and to perform other functions, for example to integrate in the card body an RFID antenna. The thickness of the strip 3, and therefore of the insert and its impression, is typically the same as that of the thin sheet 2, but it could also be different, especially smaller. In general, it is planned to place, after the introduction of the insert 30, one or more additional layers of protection on the thin sheet, the set of layers, substrate, thin sheet with insert and other protective sheets being then laminated together to form the finished card body.

Each set 10 of cutting and placement of the inserts comprises a cutting punch 50, movable in an axial direction, and a pusher 51 sliding inside the punch. The tubular punch has an inner section of shape and dimensions identical to those of the insert 30 to be put in place and therefore of the cavity 21 to be produced. The lower end of the punch constitutes the cutting edge 52 in bevel, in a manner known per se. A pusher 51 is guided in translation inside the punch 50 in the axial direction, this pusher 51 has suction ducts 53. through opening to the front face 54 of the pusher 51, connected at their other ends to a central vacuum not shown.

In connection with the Figures 2 to 10 , we will now explain the various stages of cutting and setting up an insert, it being understood that all of these steps is renewed for each card body, but these steps can be synchronized for several sets of cutting and placement implemented on the same machine.

The figure 2 represents the device at the beginning of a cycle, the support substrate 1 being placed on the table 12 and the thin sheet 2 placed on the substrate 1, the punch 50 being in the raised position, its edge 52 being aligned with the orifice 32 made by a previous cut of an insert 30 in the strip 3. The pusher 51 is also in the raised position. It will be noted that, at the beginning of a series of insertion of inserts, a preliminary step is performed to make in the band 3 the cutting of a first insert, to obtain the orifice 32 required to pass the punch 50 during the first step, this first insert then being evacuated without being used.

In the first step a), represented figure 3 , the punch 50 is lowered by passing through the orifice 32 created by cutting the insert during the preceding cycle, or the preliminary step. The punch 50 is lowered until its stop 52 reaches the surface of the support substrate 1, thus having cut into the thin sheet 2 a wafer 20 of exactly the same shape and dimensions as those of the stop of the punch. The pusher 51 is simultaneously brought into contact with this pellet and the suction through the conduits 53 keeps the pellet 20 pressed against the front surface of the pusher.

In the second step b), represented figure 4 , the punch 50 and the pusher 51 are raised simultaneously, by a sufficient distance so that the band 3 can slide between the punch and the thin sheet 2, that is to say a distance at least equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the thin sheet 2 and the strip 3. During this rise of the punch, the pusher 51 holds the pellet 20 inside the body of the punch.

In the third step c), represented figure 5 , the band 3 is slid between the punch 50 and the thin sheet 2 to bring the area corresponding to the insert to be cut just under the punch. During this movement of the band, the punch remains immobile, as well as the substrate and the thin sheet.

In the fourth step d), initially, represented figure 6 the punch 50 is lowered to cut the insert 30 in the band 3, the pusher 51 remaining indented so as not to press on the insert being cut, and then, in a second stage, figure 7 , the punch 50 continues its stroke a little, without reaching the substrate 1, and simultaneously the pusher 51 causes the insert 30 cut into the cavity 21 of the thin sheet 2 released previously, the pellet 20 serving as an intermediate between the pusher and the insert during this insertion. Under the effect of the pressure exerted at the end of travel, the insert 30 adheres against the face of the substrate 1 constituting the bottom of the cavity 21. As already indicated, because the insert 30 has been cut by the same tool having formed the cavity 21 in the thin sheet in the previous step, and without the thin sheet 2 has been moved relative to the punch 50, it is thus ensured that the insert 30, having exactly the same dimensions as the pellet 20 previously cut, will take its place accurately and without any peripheral game.

In the fifth step e), represented figure 8 , the punch 50 is raised and then the pusher 51, taking with it the pellet 20 still held by suction, and the insert 30 remaining held in the cavity 21 of the thin sheet 2.

The pellet 20 can then be ejected from the punch, by suppressing the suction in the pusher and using an air jet brought in the opposite direction by the orifices of the pusher, and collected in a collector 55 to proceed with its evacuation.

Finally, during step f), represented figure 10 the substrate 1 and the sheet 2 are moved in order to bring the next location where another insert is to be placed in front of the punch 50 and return to the position of the figure 2 , to start another cycle of cutting and setting up another insert. It will be appreciated that collection and disposal of the wafer 20 may be performed in masked time during movement of the substrate and the foil, thereby reducing the overall cycle time.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment and application described above solely by way of example. In particular, the invention can be used to place many types of inserts, such as transparent viewing window, electronic module, printed circuit board, screen, element of material or color different from those of the thin sheet, etc. in a cavity formed in said thin sheet and without any clearance between the insert and the cavity. The thin sheet may be assembled with the support substrate prior to placement on the table. The film in which the inserts are cut can also be, instead of a single strip, a wide film, for example of the same width as the thin sheet, common for all cutting heads. Several layers of material in sheets can be placed under the thin sheet receiving the insert and one or more layers can also be placed above the thin sheet after placing the insert. The invention is particularly intended for the insertion of an insert in cards, such as a smart card, bank card, identification card, etc., ie typically polycarbonate cards having a thickness of less than of 1 mm. It can also be used for inserting inserts in thin plastic documents, typically polycarbonate, such as for example a data sheet used in some passports, or for products in thicker sheets, for example up to two mm or more, and in other plastics or other materials.

Claims (11)

A method of placing an insert (30) into a cavity (21) formed in a thin sheet product (2), wherein the insert (30) is cut from a film (3) and placed in said cavity , characterized in that , after placing the sheet (2) on a support surface, the following succession of steps is carried out: a) the cavity (21) is made by punching the sheet (2) by means of a punch (50) of tubular cutout comprising an inner pusher (51) and whose cutting edge (52) has the desired shape of the cavity and the insert, the punch (50) being lowered orthogonally to the sheet, so that its edge (52) passes through the thickness of the sheet and cuts therein a pellet (20), b) the punch (50) is raised with the pad (20) held inside the punch, so as to release between the upper face of the sheet and the punch a space sufficient to place the film (3), c) without moving the sheet (2), the film (3) is brought between the sheet (2) and the edge (52) of the punch, the film being applied against the sheet, d) again lowering the punch (50) so as to cut the insert (30) in the film (3) and pushing the thus cut insert into the cavity (21) by means of the pusher (51), e) removing the punch (50) and the pusher (51), the insert (30) being held in place in the cavity (21). Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that after step e) the following step is carried out: f) without moving the film (3), the sheet (2) is moved to bring a cutting area of a new cavity (21) facing the punch,
then the sequence of steps a) to f) is repeated, the punch (50) passing, during step a), in the orifice (32) formed in the film (3) during the cutting of the insert (30) of step d). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that , during the lifting of the punch in step b), the pellet (20) is held inside the punch (50), and serves as an intermediate piece between the pusher and the insert for pushing the insert into its cavity during step e) Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the pellet (20) is held inside the punch (50) by suction against the pusher (51). Process according to claim 3, characterized in that the pellet (20) is ejected from the punch and discharged after step e). Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support surface on which the sheet (2) is placed is a support substrate (12) fixedly associated with the sheet (2). Device for placing an insert (30) cut in a film (3), in a cavity (21) formed in a thin sheet (2), according to the method defined in any one of the preceding claims, the device comprising: at least one cutting and placing assembly (10) comprising a tubular cutting punch (50), mobile in an axial direction, and a pusher (51) sliding inside the punch, feeding means (14) for feeding the thin sheet (2) onto a support table (12), displacement means for moving the thin sheet in front of the punch and perpendicular to the axis of the punch, second feeding and scrolling means (15) for feeding the film (3) between the punch (50) and the thin sheet (2), and for moving the film independently of the displacement of the thin sheet, - Control means for controlling in a coordinated manner the movements of the punch (50) and the pusher (51) and the displacements of the thin sheet (2) and the film (3). Device according to Claim 7, characterized in that it comprises third feed means (13) for feeding a support substrate (1), in a coordinated manner with the feed of the thin sheet, the moving means being arranged simultaneously moving the assembly formed of the substrate (1) and the thin sheet (2) applied to said substrate. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the pusher (51) comprises retaining means (53) for temporarily retaining inside the punch (50) a pellet (20) cut by the punch. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that said retaining means comprise suction orifices (53) formed in the pusher (51) and opening on its end face (54). Device according to claim 9, characterized in that the pusher comprises heating means.

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