GB2129371A

GB2129371A - Identity cards

Info

Publication number: GB2129371A
Application number: GB08329494A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerald Dutton; John Martin Haslop; James Raymond Eldred
Original assignee: Thomas De la Rue and Co Ltd
Current assignee: De la Rue International Ltd
Priority date: 1982-11-05
Filing date: 1983-11-04
Publication date: 1984-05-16
Also published as: GB8329494D0

Abstract

An identity card, e.g. a driving licence has an essential information- containing security layer (4) wholly encapsulated between a pair of protective sheets one of which is transparent (8) to render visible the security layer and the other of which has an outer surface (1) capable of receiving markings, e.g. licence endorsements, such as are made by writing, stamping or printing in inks or the like. The card may be produced by hot-laminating the security layer (4) between a transparent layer 8 and a layer of paper (1) (especially security paper), with both of these layers carrying internally disposed layers (2, 9) of heat-activable adhesive coatings. The identity cards may be issued and used in officially-sealable transparent pouches (10, 11) so that unauthorised access to the markable surface is not readily available. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Identity cards and the like This invention relates to improved forms of cards or similar devices which are issued by authorities for the purpose of identifying the holders thereof or generally for authentication purposes.

Such cards are well known and often include a printed security paper or the like which may bear printed information and/or such as a photograph and/or the signature or other personal identifying mark of the person to whom the card is issued, with the security paper being wholly sealed and encapsulated within transparent sheets of a protective material which are bonded, conveniently by a heat sealing process, to the security paper and to each other at their edges which extend beyond the external dimensions of the security paper.

The efficacy of such encapsulated cards is beyond doubt because, by reason of the use of the various security devices and the adherence between the encapsulating sheets themselves and between the encapsulating sheets and the security paper, fraudulent modification or counterfeiting of the cards is rendered very difficult, if not impossible.

However, for some uses it is additionally desirable that such cards should be capable of being marked with legible information when they are in use but generally, because of the properties of the transparent layers, which may, for example, be synthetic polymeric films, this is not possible.

Exampies of identity-card like devices which advantageously are capable of being marked include endorsable driving licences and voting cards for use in voting systems which include individual records that voting has taken place.

One object of this invention is to provide an identity card or the like which comprises security paper or some other secure informationcontaining device or material, encapsulated between protective layers, the security paper being visible through one of these layers and the other of these layers bearing a material which is adapted to receive markings, such as those made by writing, stamping or printing in inks or the like, on its external surface.

According to one aspect of this invention an identity card or the like comprises a security layer wholly encapsulated, via adhesion or the like, between a pair of protective sheets, a first sheet of said pair being transparent to reveal said security layer and a second sheet of said pair bearing upon at least a major portion of its external surface area a material which is capable of receiving markings, such as are made by writing, stamping or printing in inks or the like.

Preferably the material for receiving marking comprises a layer of paper, and more particularly, a security paper.

The identity card or the like may, for example, be in the form of a driving licence, in which instance endorsements are entered on the markable material or in the form of a voting card, in which instance the markable material is used to record that the card holder has voted on particular occasions.

According to another aspect of this invention a method of manufacturing an identity card or the like comprises wholly encapsulating, in a hot laminating press, a security layer between a first composite layer comprising an external transparent material and an internal layer of a heat activable adhesive and a second composite layer comprising an external material capable of receiving markings and an internal layer of a heat activable adhesive.

According to an alternative aspect of this invention a method of manufacturing an identity card includes the step of adhesively adhering a layer of a material capable of receiving markings to one face of a premanufactured wholly encapsulated product which comprises a security layer laminated, by the use of adhesives, between a pair of protective sheets at least one of which is transparent to reveal the security layer.

Although the security layer and the markable material may each take one of a wide variety of known forms we prefer to use security quality paper in each instance. Such security paper may incorporate security devices, for example, planchettes, and the printed markings thereon may be made in security inks which are commonly used in the production of banknotes, cheques, travellers' cheques or passports, etc., and which are capable of exhibiting evidence of attempts fraudulently to alter these portions of the cards.

The markable material is preferably so securely bonded or affixed to the body of the card that it cannot be removed therefrom without destroying the markable surface and/or damaging the card so as to make it difficult for the markable surface undetectably to be replaced by another such surface.

Identity cards according to this invention may alternatively be manufactured by adhesively applying a layer of a material adapted to receive markings to a premanufactured card comprising a security layer wholly encapsulated between a pair of transparent layers of a durable material.

Cards according to this invention may be issued by authorities in sealed transparent pouches from which they may be removed by the authorities, then marked and then reinserted and officially resealed; preferably the cards fit snugly in the transparent pouches which, after being officially opened, are not re-used but replaced by new transparent pouches of the correct dimensions. By making the cards fit closely within the pouches there is insufficient material for re-sealing and the risk of unauthorised removal and reinsertion of the cards is considerably reduced.The open pouches may, for example, be made by the heat-sealing of two sheets of transparent plastic on three adjacent sides or from lay flat tubing which requires heat-sealing along one edge only; irrespective of the type of product an official heat seal may be applied not only along the open edge of the pouch, after the insertion of the card, but also along one or more of the other heat-sealed edges of the pouch.

This invention will now be exemplified by reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically, and in section, a composite sheet which includes a markable layer and an adhesive layer, Figure 2 shows diagrammatically, and in section, a driving licence according to this invention which incorporates the composite sheet of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a driving licence according to this invention in a sealed and transparent protective pouch therefor.

Referring to Figure 1, a markable sheet of printed security paper is indicated at 1 and a dry layer of polyethylene adhesive thereon is indicated at 2; the paper bears printed grid areas 3 suitable for receiving driving licence endorsements.

In Figure 2, the basic element of a driving licence, a sheet of printed security paper is shown at 4; this paper which may be of the quality of standard passport paper carries at 5 and 6 printed information giving details of the licence, the issuing authority and the holder and at 7 a photograph of the holder.

The driving licence is made by encapsulating the basic element 4 between the composite layer of Figure 1 with the markable layer 1 outermost, and a further preformed composite layer, which is known per se in the manufacture of identity cards, comprising an external layer 8 of a transparent polyester resin which bears a dry hot melt coating 9 of polyethylene which acts as an adhesive. The encapsulation is done in a heated laminating process. The encapsulating layers have slightly larger overall dimensions than those of the basic element 4.

During the laminating process all the relevant components of the card are bonded together to produce a unitary object with the basic element 4 being wholly encapsulated between the external composite layers 1, 2 and 8, 9; the polyethylene layers 2 and 9, although stable prior to lamination, flow under the application of heat during laminating and adhere to each other (where they make contact with each other) and to the basic element 4.

The resulting card is ready for marking overall or on areas of surface 1 delineated for marking.

The layer 8 may be of an alternative durable and transparent material, such as another polymeric material. The polyethylene adhesive layers 2 and 9 may be replaced by other suitable and compatible adhesives.

Referring now to Figure 3, a driving licence fits snugly within a transparent pouch 10 of polyvinyl chloride formed from lay flat tubing; the opening of the pouch is heat sealed at 11 by a sealing device which has imparted to the seal the insignia 12 of the Republic of Arcadia. The heat seal at the opposite end of the pouch is shown in plain form but it also could have borne the insignia 12. Thus, the transparent pouch permits ready inspection of the licence and the official seal or seals and the relative dimensions of the wallet and licence render it difficult for an unauthorised person to remove an officially sealed licence from the pouch and to replace it without leaving some detectable evidence.

Claims

1. An identity card or the like comprising a security layer wholly encapsulated, by means of adhesives or the like, between a pair of protective sheets, a first sheet of said pair being transparent to reveal said security layer and a second sheet of said pair bearing upon at least a major portion of its external surface area a material which is capable of receiving markings such as are made by writing, stamping or printing in inks or the like.

2. An identity card or the like as claimed in Claim 1 in which the markable material comprises a sheet of paper or the like especially adapted to receive markings relevant to the intended use of the identity card.

3. An identity card or the like as claimed in either of the preceding claims in which the markable material is adapted to exhibit evidence of attempts to alter markings thereupon.

4. An identity card or the like as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the security layer includes information which identifies or relates to an official holder of the card.

5. An identity card or the like as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in the form of a driving licence.

6. An identity card or the like as claimed in any one or Claims 1 to 4 in the form of a voting card.

7. An identity card or the like as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 when sealed within a sealable pouch of a transparent material.

8. A method of manufacturing an identity card or the like as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, comprising wholly encapsulating, in a hot laminating press, a security layer between a first composite layer comprising an external transparent layer and an internal layer of a transparent heat activable adhesive and a second composite layer comprising an external layer of a material capable of being marked by inks or the like and an internal layer of a heat activable adhesive.

9. A method of manufacturing an identity card or the like as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 comprising the step of adhering, by means of an adhesive or the like, a sheet of a material capable of receiving markings to one surface of a previously manufactured wholly encapsulated product comprising a security layer laminated, by means of adhesives or the like, between a pair of protective sheets at least one of said protective sheets being transparent to reveal the security layer.

10. An identity card or the like made by a method substantially as described herein with reference to Figure 1.

1 An identity card or the like substantially as described herein with reference to either or both of Figure 2 and Figure 3.