GB1595898A - Plastic cards - Google Patents

Description

(54) PLASTICS CARDS (71) We, DATA CARD (U.K.) LIMITED, (formerly Rapid Data Systems International Limited), a British Company of New Lane, Havant, Hampshire, PO9 2NR, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be grznted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to plastics cards which are particularly suitable for use in security systems.

A previously proposed card has information printed so as to be visible on one or both sides of the cards. Commonly, the card is of a laminate construction comprising an inner core of opaque, usually white, plastics material having the information printed on one or both surfaces of the core, and two outer layers of transparent plastics material disposed one on each side of the core. The outer layers are bonded to the inner core using heat and pressure to pro vide a homogeneous mass.

On an outer face of the card an etched or engraved reproduction of an image is provided by printing a black or coloured ink panel on to the surface, polishing the panel by means of heat and pressure to form a receptive panel for an engraving process and reproducing the image, for example a photograph or signature, by engraving the inked panel. The reproduction is performed using an etching stylus which etches the inked panel to different depths to provide a dot reproduction similar to a newspaper photo graph.

This form of card has a disadvantage that it can be forged by replacing an engraved image on an existing card with a different image by removing all the black or coloured ink layer printing another, fresh ink layer and engraving a new image from a different photograph.

The present invention aims to make the forgery of existing cards more difficult and in accordance with one feature of the invention there is provided a plastics card for use in security systems, comprising a substrate on one surface of which is a panel formed of two ink layers, the lower ink layer being of a; colour different to that of the top layer and to that of the said substate surface, wherein the top layer has à hard, polished outer surface so that the panel is suitable for engraving.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, there is provided a method of making a plastics card having a panel for security engraving, a method of making a plastics card having a panel for security engraving, comprising applying a lower layer of ink to a surface of a substrate of the card, covering that lower ink layer with a top layer of ink to provide the panel, and polishing the outer surface of the top layer the lower layer of ink being of a colour different from that of said substrate surface and from the top layer.

When the panel is engraved with a reproduction of an image, which may for example be a photograph or a signature, the lower layer of ink is at least partially engraved simultaneously with the upper layer and is exposed in certain areas. Thus, a visual contrast is provided between the upper and lower layers.

The lower layer may be simply one colour or it may have the plurality of colours arranged in a particular pattern. For example, the lower layer may take the form of lettering, stripes, or patterns of any desired shape or form.

Preferably the lower layer is printed by Litho printing and the upper layer is screen printed directly on to- the lower layer.

More than one layer of ink may be used beneath the upper layer to provide additional security.

A plastics card in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the card, and Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the card.

The card comprises a substrate having an opaque core 1, preferably white, laminated between two transparent plastics layers 2.

In practice the layers are heat and pressure bonded to provide a homogeneous mass, but are shown as separate layers in Figure 2 for the purpose of illustration. Information is usually printed on one or both surfaces of the core before bonding. The plastics material of each layer 2 and the core 1 is preferably PVC.

An ink panel 3 is printed on the upper surface of the substrate and comprises a lower layer 4 of coloured ink which is Litho printed and an upper layer 5 of ink, preferably black to provide a suitable contrast with the white colour of the plastics card, which is screen printed on the lower ink layer 4. The lower ink layer 4 may be multicoloured or a single colour and may be printed in the form of words or lettering or any desired emblem or pattern.

It will be realised that the thickness of the plastics layers 1, 2 and ink layers 3, 4 have been exaggerated in the drawings for the purpose of clarity.

A reproduction of an image, for example a photograph, is then engraved on the panel using known apparatus which comprises an etching stylus which engraves dots in the panel 3 to different depths, depending upon the contrast of the original image. The dot reproduction provides an effect somewhat similar to a newspaper photograph, the stylus engraving more ink in light areas to uncover the white card and less ink in dark areas to retain the black of the upper ink layer 5.

The stylus thus simultaneously engraves the upper and lower ink layers, at least in certain areas, so that the pattern of the lower ink layer in the finished engraving shows through the etched upper layer.

Before the etching process the upper layer of black ink is polished using heat and pressure.

It will be appreciated that it is difficult to remove the engraved image without disturbing the lower, security ink layer and therefore it is difficult to replace an existing image on a card with a new image without such replacement being obvious by disturbance of the security layer. Of course, more than one lower ink layers may be used.

The ink may be of any suitable composition which provides a non-frangible, hard, durable surface which permits engraving.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A plastics card for use in security systems, comprising a substrate on one surface of which is a panel formed of two ink layers, the lower ink layer being of a colour different to that of the top layer and to that of the said substrate surface, wherein the top layer has a hard, polished outer surface so that the panel is suitable for engraving.

2. A plastics card according to claim 1, wherein the lower layer has a plurality of colours.

3. A plastics card according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said lower layer is one of a plurality of layers below said top layer.

4. A plastics card according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the said substrate surface is white.

5. A plastics card according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said top layer is black or other dark colour.

6. A plastics card according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the top layer is nonfrangible.

7. A plastics card according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the top layer is in direct contact with the lower layer.

8. A plastics card according to claim 10, wherein the lower ink layer is printed on said substrate surface by Litho printing and the top layer is screen printed on to the lower layer.

9. A method of making a plastics card having a panel for security engraving, comprising applying a lower layer of ink to a surface of a substrate of the card, covering that lower ink layer with a top layer of ink to provide the panel, and polishing the outer surface of the top layer the lower layer of ink being of a colour different from that of said substrate surface and from the top layer.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said lower layer is one of a plurality of layers beneath said top layer.

11. A method according to claim 9 or or 10, wherein said lower layer is multicoloured.

12. A method according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the lower layer is applied by Litho printing and the top layer is screen printed on to the lower layer.

13. A method according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the top layer is non-frangible.

14. A method according to any of claims 9 to 13, wherein the outer surface of the top layer is polished by the application of heat and pressure.

15. A plastics card constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A method of making a plastics card according to claim 9 and substantially as herein described.

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

Claims (16)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. between two transparent plastics layers 2. In practice the layers are heat and pressure bonded to provide a homogeneous mass, but are shown as separate layers in Figure 2 for the purpose of illustration. Information is usually printed on one or both surfaces of the core before bonding. The plastics material of each layer 2 and the core 1 is preferably PVC. An ink panel 3 is printed on the upper surface of the substrate and comprises a lower layer 4 of coloured ink which is Litho printed and an upper layer 5 of ink, preferably black to provide a suitable contrast with the white colour of the plastics card, which is screen printed on the lower ink layer 4. The lower ink layer 4 may be multicoloured or a single colour and may be printed in the form of words or lettering or any desired emblem or pattern. It will be realised that the thickness of the plastics layers 1, 2 and ink layers 3, 4 have been exaggerated in the drawings for the purpose of clarity. A reproduction of an image, for example a photograph, is then engraved on the panel using known apparatus which comprises an etching stylus which engraves dots in the panel 3 to different depths, depending upon the contrast of the original image. The dot reproduction provides an effect somewhat similar to a newspaper photograph, the stylus engraving more ink in light areas to uncover the white card and less ink in dark areas to retain the black of the upper ink layer 5. The stylus thus simultaneously engraves the upper and lower ink layers, at least in certain areas, so that the pattern of the lower ink layer in the finished engraving shows through the etched upper layer. Before the etching process the upper layer of black ink is polished using heat and pressure. It will be appreciated that it is difficult to remove the engraved image without disturbing the lower, security ink layer and therefore it is difficult to replace an existing image on a card with a new image without such replacement being obvious by disturbance of the security layer. Of course, more than one lower ink layers may be used. The ink may be of any suitable composition which provides a non-frangible, hard, durable surface which permits engraving. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A plastics card for use in security systems, comprising a substrate on one surface of which is a panel formed of two ink layers, the lower ink layer being of a colour different to that of the top layer and to that of the said substrate surface, wherein the top layer has a hard, polished outer surface so that the panel is suitable for engraving.

2. A plastics card according to claim 1, wherein the lower layer has a plurality of colours.

3. A plastics card according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said lower layer is one of a plurality of layers below said top layer.

4. A plastics card according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the said substrate surface is white.

5. A plastics card according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein said top layer is black or other dark colour.

6. A plastics card according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the top layer is nonfrangible.

7. A plastics card according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the top layer is in direct contact with the lower layer.

8. A plastics card according to claim 10, wherein the lower ink layer is printed on said substrate surface by Litho printing and the top layer is screen printed on to the lower layer.

9. A method of making a plastics card having a panel for security engraving, comprising applying a lower layer of ink to a surface of a substrate of the card, covering that lower ink layer with a top layer of ink to provide the panel, and polishing the outer surface of the top layer the lower layer of ink being of a colour different from that of said substrate surface and from the top layer.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said lower layer is one of a plurality of layers beneath said top layer.

11. A method according to claim 9 or or 10, wherein said lower layer is multicoloured.

12. A method according to any of claims 9 to 11, wherein the lower layer is applied by Litho printing and the top layer is screen printed on to the lower layer.

13. A method according to any of claims 9 to 12, wherein the top layer is non-frangible.

14. A method according to any of claims 9 to 13, wherein the outer surface of the top layer is polished by the application of heat and pressure.

15. A plastics card constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

16. A method of making a plastics card according to claim 9 and substantially as herein described.