GB1569850A - Security cards - Google Patents

Description

(54) SECURITY CARDS (71) We, VICKERS LIMITED, a British Company, of Vickers House, Millbank, London, SWlP 4RA., do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement : The present invention relates to security cards.

The term "security cards" is nowadays used to denote cards of the kind carrying information relating to the identity or status of a bearer. Common examples of security cards are credit cards, cheque guarantee cards and company identity cards. Such cards are intended to be reasonably tamperproof, that is to say they are constructed so as to make tampering (alteration of the information carried) difficult and/or to make any attempt at tampering immediately evident.

Generally speaking, credit cards are of an embossed plastic type which is relatively expensive to produce.

Less expensive non-embossed security cards having a plastics or paper internal sheet sealed in a transparent plastics pocket or having a plastics or paper internal sheet laminated on both sides with transparent plastics material, are available. Security information, bearer identity information for example, has to be entered on an information carrying side of the internal sheet of a card blank before the card is completed and made tamper-proof by sealing in the pocket, or by lamination of the information carrying side of the sheet.

Such previously available non-embossed cards can be inconvenient since the issuing authority must, after the identity information has been entered on a blank, either send the blank back to the manufacturer for sealing or lamination or go to the expense of buying sealing or kmination equipment of its own so that sealing or lamination may be effected on the spot.

According to the present invention there is provided a security card blank, comprising a sheet of material having on one side thereof a space for entering security information, a transparent plastics sheet-form overlay having a self-adhesive side and having an edge region attached to the said one side over an edge region of that one side so that the said self-adhesive side can be brought into overlying registration with, and facing, the said one side, and a removable protective liner, covering a major part of the self-adhesive side of the overlay for removal, after entry of such information on the said one side, to permit the self-adhesive side to be pressed against that one side, over the entered information, so that the overlay thereafter provides an adhesively secured transparent covering inhibiting tampering with that information.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a security card blank embodying the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the use of the security card blank of Figure 1, and Figures 3 and 4 are, respectively, an edgeon and a plan view of a security card made from a blank embodying the present invention.

The security card blank of Figure 1 comprises a sheet of paper 1, having a front side la having a space thereon into which identity information, for example, is to be entered. The other (reverse) side of the sheet of paper is covered with a transparent plastics overlay 2. A transparent plastics sheet-form overlay 3, having a self-adhesive side the major part of which is covered by a removable protective silicone liner 4, is attached to one edge of the face la of the sheet 1, for example along a strip 5 as shown in the Figure, so that the selfadhesive side is towards the front side la of sheet 1.

After entry of identity information on the face la of the sheet 1 the liner 4 is peeled back from the self-adhesive side of the overlay 3, for example in the manner depicted in Figure 2. When the liner 4 has been removed, the overlay 3 is pressed down into overlying registration with the side laZ to which the self-adhesive face of the overlay then adheres. The resulting completed security card is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Thus, the final tamper proofing of the card by laminating the information carrying side of the internal sheet (i.e. by adhesively securing the sheet-form overlay thereto), after entry of identity information, can be effected on the spot by the issuing authority without the need for any special laminating equipment.

As is the case in the illustrated example the reverse side of the internal sheet of a card blank embodying the present invention will usually be laminated before the card blank is sent to an issuing authority. The lamination on the reverse side will usually be provided by an overlay having a selfadhesive side. The overlays 2 and 3 are usually of glossy, transparent plastics material between 0.005" and 0.010" thick.

In addition to written or typed identity information entered on the front side la of sheet 1, the identity information may include an identity photograph, for example, mounted on the sheet before the overlay 3 is stuck down. The identity information may include a thumb print for example.

The sheet 1 may bear printed matter on both front and reverse sides thereof, for example company names, special patterns etc.

A convenient size for a security card made from a blank embodying the present invention is 3-5/16" long by 2-1/8" wide.

The material of the sheet 1 may be such that the front side la is self-imaging so that, after the overlay 3 has been pressed down, the identity information can be entered on the side 1a by typing or writing on the overlay 3 with a ball point pen or steel stylus.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A security card blank comprising a sheet of material having on one side thereof a space for entering security information, a transparent plastics sheet-form overlay having a self-adhesive side and having an edge region attached to the said one side over an edge region of that one side so that the said self-adhesive side can be brought into overlying registration with, and facing, the said one side, and a removable protective liner, covering a major part of the self-adhesive side of the overlay for removal, after entry of such information on the said one side, to permit the self-adhesive side to be pressed against that one side, over the entered information, so that the overlay thereafter provides an adhesively secured transparent covering inhibiting tampering with that information.

2. A security card blank according to claim 1, in which the removable protective liner is a silicone liner.

3. A security card blank according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the other (reverse) side of the sheet of material is covered with a transparent plastics overlay.

4. A security card blank according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the overlay or each overlay is a glossy transparent plastics material between 0.005" and 0.010" thick.

5. A security card blank according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said one side of the sheet of material is selfimaging.

6. A security card blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings;

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. side the major part of which is covered by a removable protective silicone liner 4, is attached to one edge of the face la of the sheet 1, for example along a strip 5 as shown in the Figure, so that the selfadhesive side is towards the front side la of sheet 1. After entry of identity information on the face la of the sheet 1 the liner 4 is peeled back from the self-adhesive side of the overlay 3, for example in the manner depicted in Figure 2. When the liner 4 has been removed, the overlay 3 is pressed down into overlying registration with the side laZ to which the self-adhesive face of the overlay then adheres. The resulting completed security card is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Thus, the final tamper proofing of the card by laminating the information carrying side of the internal sheet (i.e. by adhesively securing the sheet-form overlay thereto), after entry of identity information, can be effected on the spot by the issuing authority without the need for any special laminating equipment. As is the case in the illustrated example the reverse side of the internal sheet of a card blank embodying the present invention will usually be laminated before the card blank is sent to an issuing authority. The lamination on the reverse side will usually be provided by an overlay having a selfadhesive side. The overlays 2 and 3 are usually of glossy, transparent plastics material between 0.005" and 0.010" thick. In addition to written or typed identity information entered on the front side la of sheet 1, the identity information may include an identity photograph, for example, mounted on the sheet before the overlay 3 is stuck down. The identity information may include a thumb print for example. The sheet 1 may bear printed matter on both front and reverse sides thereof, for example company names, special patterns etc. A convenient size for a security card made from a blank embodying the present invention is 3-5/16" long by 2-1/8" wide. The material of the sheet 1 may be such that the front side la is self-imaging so that, after the overlay 3 has been pressed down, the identity information can be entered on the side 1a by typing or writing on the overlay 3 with a ball point pen or steel stylus. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A security card blank comprising a sheet of material having on one side thereof a space for entering security information, a transparent plastics sheet-form overlay having a self-adhesive side and having an edge region attached to the said one side over an edge region of that one side so that the said self-adhesive side can be brought into overlying registration with, and facing, the said one side, and a removable protective liner, covering a major part of the self-adhesive side of the overlay for removal, after entry of such information on the said one side, to permit the self-adhesive side to be pressed against that one side, over the entered information, so that the overlay thereafter provides an adhesively secured transparent covering inhibiting tampering with that information.

2. A security card blank according to claim 1, in which the removable protective liner is a silicone liner.

3. A security card blank according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the other (reverse) side of the sheet of material is covered with a transparent plastics overlay.

4. A security card blank according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the overlay or each overlay is a glossy transparent plastics material between 0.005" and 0.010" thick.

5. A security card blank according to any one of the preceding claims, in which said one side of the sheet of material is selfimaging.

6. A security card blank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings;