FR3039093A1 - INSERT FOR SECURITY DOCUMENT, IN PARTICULAR FOR PASSPORT - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an insert for passport booklet, formed by a multilayer complex (2,3,4,5,8) comprising at least one layer (4) of a flexible polymer material, characterized in that it further comprises at least one layer (2) of cellulosic paper.

Description

The invention relates to an insert for electronic passport operating without contact, also called "inlay" in English terminology, and a passport incorporating such an insert, or another document in the format of an electronic booklet.

State of the art

Passport inserts are already known, made from two sheets of synthetic material (for example TESLIN, NEOBOND) between which is integrated a radio frequency identification device (printed or engraved antennas connected to an electronic module comprising a chip). The adhesion between the synthetic layers is ensured by the presence of an adhesive. By abuse of language, the synthetic material used is called a synthetic or semi-synthetic "paper", although it contains little or no cellulose like paper.

This synthetic "paper" gives the necessary properties to the inserts: bonding ability, printability, opacity, tear resistance, assembly cohesion, protection of the electronic device to ensure the reliability and durability of the passport throughout its lifetime.

These synthetic inserts are quite flexible and need to be integrated between a cover page and a cover page relatively more rigid, to give the passport book the desired look. The known inserts have a substantially uniform thickness, of the order of 400 microns, thus ensuring their flatness, with the exception of the hinge, less thick, so that the passport remains closed.

These inserts, although simple in appearance, are very technical components that must meet a set of sometimes contradictory criteria.

Thus, the synthetic "paper" has a relatively high cost, and a rather random availability, which increases the cost price of synthetic paper-based inserts.

In addition, the intrinsic flexibility of the synthetic inserts requires cover pages quite thick (between 11 and 13 points, a point equivalent to about 25 micrometers), so expensive.

Furthermore, the homogeneous structure of the known inserts does not allow to easily hide marks or security devices, because this would be to the detriment of the flatness of the insert and passport booklet.

Goals of the invention

A general object of the invention is therefore to propose a new insert design passport booklet or other equivalent security document, which has no aforementioned drawbacks.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an insert which is of a lower cost than the known inserts, without harming the resistance and the high level of reliability.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new passport insert structure, which remains compatible with rolling processes and commonly used passport and insert assembly machines.

Another particular object of the invention is to provide an insert capable of integrating without visible extra thickness marks or security elements to enhance the security and the fight against copying, passports that integrate the insert. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION For this purpose, the principle of the invention provides for providing a multilayer insert structure, at least one of which is based on cellulose, namely a cellulosic paper.

Preferably, a cellulose-based paper layer is located on either side of the radiofrequency antenna of the insert, when the insert is intended for a non-contact operating passport. In this way, an essential layer of the insert is made of a very low-cost material (the paper), and which, moreover, by its intrinsic rigidity, makes it possible to obtain a sufficiently rigid passport, even with cover pages and Coverage thinner and therefore also cheaper.

According to the invention, the insert also comprises at least one layer of a polymer film, and an adhesive layer interposed between the paper layer and the polymer film layer, and between the antenna and the layers adjacent to the film. antenna, when the insert has an antenna.

In order not to reduce the necessary flexibility of the passport at its hinge, the invention further provides that the insert comprises, along its hinge zone, perforations, for example in the form of a honeycomb, allowing to loosen locally the insert, without harming its rigidity elsewhere. The invention therefore relates to an insert for passport booklet, formed by a multilayer complex comprising at least one layer of a flexible polymer material and preferably incorporating in its structure an antenna connected to a microelectronic module for communication by radio frequency characterized in that it further comprises at least one layer of cellulosic paper.

The cellulosic paper layer has a composition, especially a high cellulose percentage, typically greater than 90%, allowing it to have a greater rigidity than that of the layer of polymeric material.

Preferably, the layers of polymeric material and the layers of cellulosic paper, as well as, if appropriate, the antenna and the layers adjacent to the antenna, are joined to each other by an adhesive layer.

Advantageously, the insert comprises a folding zone, and the flexibility of this folding zone is increased by perforations made locally in at least one of the layers of the insert.

In one embodiment, said perforations are made solely in the cellulosic paper layer.

Alternatively, if more flexibility is needed in the folding zone, said perforations are made through contiguous layers of cellulosic paper, adhesive, and polymeric layer.

Preferably, the insert comprises a thickness compensation material disposed either on the periphery of the antenna or juxtaposed with the antenna, this material being able to maintain the flatness of the insert on its entire surface. . The use of a multilayer complex allows perforations or other security reasons noticeable to the touch, outside the folding zone. The invention also relates to an electronic passport, characterized in that it comprises, between a cover sheet and a guard sheet, an insert as described above. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the insert according to the invention, along a line. cutting through the microelectronic module of the insert; FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of the insert of FIG. 1.

detailed description

As shown in Figure 1, the insert is intended to be integrated between the cover sheet and the guard sheet of a secure document, for example an electronic passport booklet. The insert has a multilayer structure assembled by rolling. A cavity is provided for the integration of a microelectronic module 1 provided with a chip (not shown) connected to an antenna 6. But in a specific embodiment, it may be an insert without antenna, although that in the rest of the description, consider an insert provided with an antenna. Unlike the known passport inserts, the insert according to the invention comprises one or more layers of a cellulosic paper, which is a very inexpensive material and available without restrictions (more than 90% cellulose fibers or mixture of cellulose fibers with optional treatment, for example with a waterproofing agent). The paper will give the insert its rigidity, its ability to print and glue (including using aqueous adhesives, solvent, heat fuses), opacity, touch.

In the case of a plurality of layers of paper, they are preferably distributed on either side of the central core including the antenna 6 which is an antenna with engraved metal turns. The insert further comprises one or more polymer films (aliphatic and aromatic polyesters, polyolefins, polyvinyl acetate and its derivatives, polyamide, etc.). These films will provide the insert with mechanical strength, tear strength, bendability, gas barrier properties, and resistance to wet (tropical), aggressive (salinity) and chemical environments.

In a practical embodiment, the layers 4 of polymeric material have a thickness of between 10 and 40 microns, and the layer or layers of cellulosic paper 2 has (have) a thickness between 40 and 150 micrometers.

The cellulosic paper layers 2 and the polymer layers 4 are laminated together with adhesives 3.5 coated on one or both sides of the polymeric films. These adhesives, with a thickness of the order of 15-20 micrometers, will ensure the cohesion of the complex and will make the electronic device relatively unfalsifiable (unmountable). These adhesives can be heat-reactivatable (polyamide, polyurethane, vinyl polymers, etc.) or sensitive to pressure (acrylic polymers, styrene and copolymers, rubbers, etc.).

Paper by its fibrous property is much more rigid to identical thickness than synthetic or hybrid materials (TESLIN, NEOBOND, ...), which allows the use of finer cover pages (9 points ie 220 micrometers), therefore less expensive. On the other hand, the increased rigidity can create a problem with the folding hinge of the passport, which then remains difficult to close.

To remedy this, the invention provides for producing in one or more layers of the insert, in the vicinity of the folding zone, perforations 7.

These perforations are either made only in the paper layer or layers, which allows them to be softened locally, either in one or more layers of cellulosic paper, and in the layers of adhesive. In this case, the adhesive will flow in the perforations during the rolling operation, ensuring the flatness of the assembly, and reinforcing the resistance to delamination of the layers. In order not to block the creep, neither the antenna 6 nor the compensation layer 8 extends opposite the perforations 7.

In order to further increase the resistance to delamination, the perforations 7 stop at a certain distance, for example 10 mm, from the edge of the insert.

The perforations 7 may have various shapes, for example circular or oblong as shown in Figure 2, or in the form of a honeycomb.

Advantageously, it is possible to take advantage of the multilayer structure of the insert to make perforations 7 in areas other than the fold zone in order to form safety marks 9 which will remain invisible after assembly of the insert in passport, but perceptible to the touch by the supervisory authorities.

Advantages of the invention

Ultimately, the invention provides a novel design of passport insert, combining both the flexibility and strength of polymeric materials, and the stiffness and low cost of cellulosic papers.

In addition, the manufacturing method makes it easy to incorporate security marks outside the folding zone. Numerical references: 1: module / chip 2: paper 3: adhesive 4: polymer film (s) 5: adhesive 6: Antenna 7: perforations 8: compensating material 9: security mark 10: folding zone 11: cover sheet 12: cover sheet

Claims (11)

1 - Insert for passport booklet, formed by a multilayer complex (2,3,4,5,8) comprising at least one layer (4) of a flexible polymer material, characterized in that it further comprises at least one layer (2) of cellulosic paper. 2 - Insert according to claim 1, characterized in that the layer (2) of cellulosic paper has a stiffness greater than that of the layer (4) of polymeric material. 3 - Insert according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises in its structure an antenna (6) connected to a microelectronic module (1) for communication by radio frequency with a remote reader. 4 - Insert according to claim 3, characterized in that the layers (4) of polymeric material and cellulosic paper (2) are secured by an adhesive layer (3). 5 - Insert according to claim 4, characterized in that the layers (4) of polymeric material have a thickness of between 10 and 40 microns, and in that the cellulosic paper layer (2) has a thickness of between 40 and 150 micrometers, the adhesive layers (3,5) having a thickness of 15 to 20 microns. 6 - Insert according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a folding zone (10), and that the flexibility of this folding zone is increased by perforations (7) made locally in at least l one of the layers of the insert. 7 - Insert according to claim 6, characterized in that said perforations (7) are made solely in the cellulosic paper layer (2). 8 - Insert according to claim 6, characterized in that said perforations (7) are made through contiguous layers of cellulosic paper (2), adhesive (3.5), and polymer layer (4). 9 - Insert according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a thickness compensation material (8) disposed at the periphery of the antenna (6), able to maintain the flatness of the insert on the entire surface. 10 - Insert according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises perforations or security reasons (9) outside the folding zone (10). 11 - Electronic passport, characterized in that it comprises, between a cover sheet (11) and a guard sheet (12), an insert according to any one of the preceding claims.