JPH0439096A - Visible recording method for card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform the mechanical check of the automatic examination of tickets or the like by together forming an image containing a character and/or a numeral and an encoded image readable by an optical apparatus at the time of the formation of a visible image from a frost surface and a smooth surface. CONSTITUTION:A card 1 having a smooth layer 11 composed of a synthetic resin formed to the surface thereof is used and a visible image is formed from the frost surface 17 having strain formed to a part of the smooth layer 11 within the temp. range from the glass transition temp. of the resin to the m.p. thereof and the smooth surface. At this time, an image 21 containing a character and/or a numeral and an encoded image 22 readable by an optical apparatus are together formed. At the time of the entry due to this card, when the frost surface 17 is partially heated at temp. higher than frost treatment temp., only the heated part returns to the smooth surface and an image 2 appears on the basis of the difference in reflectivity between the frost surface and the smooth surface. At the time of exit, the encoded image 22 is read by the optical apparatus incorporated in an automatic ticket examining machine and compared with encoded data 9 preliminarily printed on the card to check for illegal riding.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method for forming a visually visible image that can be repeatedly recorded and erased on a card that is used repeatedly, such as a commuter pass or an admission permit.

(Prior Art) Commuter passes for public transportation, admission passes to event venues and buildings, etc. are used repeatedly every day, or there is no way to check for unauthorized boarding or unauthorized entry due to management reasons.

In recent years, a magnetic card-based check method has been adopted in some areas, but since the presence or absence of a check cannot be visually checked, there is a risk of a check being omitted due to equipment trouble, which was inconvenient for both administrators and users. .

Therefore, the present applicant has previously proposed a method that can repeatedly create and erase visible records on commuter passes and the like.

The method involves using a card with a smooth layer made of synthetic resin on the surface, forming a heat-erasable frosted surface on the smooth layer, and heat-erasing the frosted surface to return it to a smooth surface. This method creates a visually visible image based on the contrast between the frosted surface and the smooth surface, that is, the difference in light reflectance.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) Generally, this type of card is provided with a magnetic recording layer for storing information. This is to enable mechanization, such as automatic ticket gates.

However, in magnetic recording, there is a risk that the recording will be erased if it is brought close to a magnetic material. Also, of course, since the card is provided with a magnetic recording layer, it becomes expensive.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention creates records that are visible and can be repeatedly formed and erased on commuter passes, admission permits, and other various prepaid cards, so that users can visually confirm the records, and , which can be mechanically checked by a device such as an automatic ticket gate without the need for a magnetic recording layer, and is characterized by a card having a smooth layer of synthetic resin on at least a portion of its surface. When forming a visible image using a frosted surface having a distortion formed on a part of the smooth layer at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and below the melting point of the resin and a smooth surface other than the frosted surface, and/or an image containing numbers and a coded image readable by an optical device.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, using an example of entry and exit using a commuter pass.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a card used in the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the card before recording, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along IV-IV in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of the card after recording, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along Vl-Vl in FIG. Figure 8 is a partial plan view of the card shown in Figure 7.
It is a sectional view taken along ■-■ of the figure.

The card used in the method of the present invention will be explained using the example of a commuter pass in Figures 1 and 2. The card 1 has a printing 15 on the lower surface of a support layer 12 such as a strong polyethylene terephthalate sheet or paper, and an aluminum layer on the upper surface. Perform vapor deposition 13,
A smooth layer 11 made of synthetic resin is laminated thereon.

A part of the smooth layer 11 is used as a recording surface 14, and the other surface is printed 16 to display necessary explanations and decorative designs.

Furthermore, when the commuter pass is issued, information such as the expiration date and travel section is printed on a part of the card using coded information 9 such as a bar code.

The method of entering and exiting using this card will be explained with reference to Figs. 3 to 6. First, as shown in Figs. 3 to 4, the entire recording surface 14 of card 1 is frosted (roughened). , frost surface 17.

By performing this frosting at a temperature not lower than the glass transition temperature <Tg> and lower than the melting point (Tyn) of the resin of the smooth layer 11, the frosted surface retains a strain that tends to return to the original smooth surface by heating.

When entering with this card, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the frosted surface 17 of the card is partially heated at a temperature higher than the frosting temperature, only the heated portion returns to a smooth surface. Image 2 appears due to the difference in reflectance between the frosted surface and the smooth surface.

Here, in the present invention, as the image 2, characters and/or
Alternatively, an image 21 containing numbers and a coded image 22 readable by an optical device such as a bar code are formed together.

Information containing characters and/or numbers (hereinafter simply referred to as "character images") 21 is for visual confirmation by users and administrators, and is intended to be visually confirmed by users and administrators. In the case of commuter passes, the name of the station where the ticket is issued, the date and time of the ticket, etc. are displayed.

This character image fi21 allows the user to confirm that the correct recording is being made, and also allows the operator to check whether the ride is legitimate when necessary.

The coded image 22 is intended to be automatically read by an optical device upon exit.

When exiting, the coded image 22 is read by an optical device built into the automatic ticket inspection machine, and compared with the coded information 9 printed on the card in advance to check whether the ride is legitimate.

After the check is completed, 70 strokes are applied to the entire surface of the recording surface 14, and the image! Delete 2. This frost treatment, like the first frost treatment, is performed at a temperature above Tg and below Tm of the synthetic resin to retain distortion inside. As a result, the card 1 returns to the state shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 before image formation, and can be used repeatedly thereafter. Normally, this erasure of the record is simultaneously performed in a code north side gA reading device such as an automatic ticket inspection machine.

A more detailed step-by-step explanation will be given below.

In the present invention, various resins such as polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polymethyl (meth)acrylate, polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, ABS resin, or copolymer resins thereof can be used as the resin constituting the smooth layer 11 of the card 1. They can be used alone or in combination. Among these, non-grade resins such as polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, and polymethyl (meth)acrylate are preferred because they are easy to handle.

Furthermore, crosslinkable acrylic resins, crosslinkable urethane resins, or the various resins mentioned above can be treated with crosslinking agents, electron beams, gamma rays, etc.
It is also possible to use a resin that has been crosslinked to the extent that it does not lose its heat fluidity.

The thickness of the smooth layer 11 is usually in the range of 5 μm to 3 mm,
There is no particular limit to the overall thickness of the card 1, but it is 0.1
It is approximately 3 mm.

As this smooth layer 11, a film or sheet formed by extrusion molding or the like may be used, or it may be formed by coating.

Moreover, the aluminum vapor deposition layer 13 provided on the lower surface of the smooth layer is
2 is made to stand out clearly with the metallic reflective layer so that it can be clearly seen, and a metal foil can also be used in addition to the vapor deposited layer.

In order to retain distortion, the frost treatment shown in FIGS.
It is carried out at a temperature below the melting point (Tm).

At temperatures lower than Tg, no distortion occurs even after 70 strokes, or the resulting distortion is rapidly released without heating; at temperatures higher than Tm, the resulting frost has no distortion and cannot be reheated. Since it cannot be deleted even if
The purpose of the present invention cannot be achieved.

In the case of non-quality resins, they often do not show a clear Tm, but in that case, the flow start temperature is defined as Tm, and in the case of crosslinked resins that generally do not show a Tm, the flow start temperature (
If the mixed resin or copolymer resin exhibits two or more Tg's, the higher Tg may be used as the standard.

Regarding the condition of the frost, the surface roughness of the frost surface 17 is 1 according to the 10-point average roughness Rz of JI 5-B-0601.
A range of ~10 μm is preferred.

If Rz is less than 1 μm, even if a smooth image 2 is formed on the frosted surface during recording, it is difficult to determine the presence or absence of the image.
If it exceeds 0 μm, it will take time to smooth the surface during recording, and it will be necessary to increase the heating temperature, which is disadvantageous in terms of equipment.

This frost treatment can be performed, for example, by pressing with a mold having a frosted pressure surface.

The heating (recording) shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 can be carried out by a method in which heated markings are brought close together or pressed together, a method using a laser beam, a method using a thermal head used in a normal thermal printer, or the like.

Particularly preferred is a method using a thermal head. According to this method, an image is formed by a collection of a large number of minute dots, so a clear and high-resolution image can be obtained.

Furthermore, not only predetermined images but also images of arbitrary characters and sizes can be recorded as needed.

7 and 8 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which the smooth layer 11 is partially frosted to form a character image 21 and a coded image 22 as frosted images.

As mentioned above, the frosting process in this case can be carried out at a temperature of at least 7g of the resin of the smooth layer 11 and at most Tm, and when erasing the image, for example, by blowing hot air at a temperature higher than the frosting process temperature. Just heat it.

The method of the present invention can be applied to entrance/exit checks using commuter passes, admission passes, etc., cards and gift certificates for department stores, supermarkets, etc., cards for company cafeterias, and the like.

<Effects of the Invention> According to the method of the present invention, since a heat-erasable character image and a coded image are both formed on the card, mechanical checks such as automatic ticket gates are possible without providing a magnetic recording layer. ,
It is possible to reduce the cost of cards. Additionally, users can visually confirm the contents of the records.

Furthermore, if the method of the present invention is applied to a card provided with a magnetic recording layer, etc., it becomes possible to double-check the authenticity of the card and whether or not it has been modified using a magnetic check and an optical check, resulting in a high level of security. Functionality is obtained.

(Example) (Example 1) A polyethylene terephthalate sheet (thickness 188 μm) was used as the support layer 12, and a transparent polyvinyl chloride resin layer (thickness A card as shown in FIG. 1 was prepared by laminating 7 g (70° C., 202° C.) with a thickness of 15 μm and printing 16, leaving the recording surface 14.

A frost with an Rz of 2 μm was formed on the recording surface using an embossing roll. Next, 24 dots, 5 mm square characters and a bar code were recorded on the frosted surface using a thermal head.

After reading the card with a reflective optical reader, the card was frosted again with a frost roll to erase the record, and the operation was repeated 0 or more times, but no recording defects or reading errors occurred.

(Example 2) On the smooth layer of the same card as in Example 1, 5 mm square characters and barcodes were recorded as a frosted image with an Rz of 2 μm using a 120° C. heating stamp with a frosted surface.

Then, the same process as in Example S1 was performed except that the recording was erased by pressing a smooth heating plate at 130°C. the result,
The same results as in Example 1 were obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a card used in the method of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the card before recording, and FIG. 3 is an IV-TV sectional view, FIG. 5 is a partial plan view of the card after recording, FIG. 6 is a Vl-Vl sectional view of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is another example of the method of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a partial plan view of the card after recording in the 9th mode, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line -■ in FIG. 1st Figure 1...Card 11...Smooth layer 17...
Frosted surface 21... Character image 22... Coded image Patent applicant Mitsubishi Plastics Co., Ltd. agent Patent attorney Kumi Kondo\~1. Figure 2 Figure 3 I! PlS drawing 7 figure 4 figure 6th figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] A card having a smooth layer of synthetic resin on at least a part of the surface is used, and a frosted surface having a distortion formed on a part of the smooth layer at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and below the melting point of the resin, and the frosted surface. 1. A method for visually recording on a card, characterized in that in forming a visible image using a smooth surface other than the above, an image containing characters and/or numbers and a coded image readable by an optical device are formed together.