JPH0628305Y2 - Electronic card - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] This invention forms an embossed character along a side edge of a card body having a key input section on one side and an input / output module housed inside. It is related to the electronic card.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, it has been considered that an electronic card having an input / output function such as a card-type small electronic calculator generally called a card calculator can be used not only as an electronic card but also as a credit card. When the electronic card also has a function as a credit card as described above, it is necessary to form embossed characters along the one side edge of the card body.

As a method of forming the embossed characters, there are a method of directly forming the embossed characters on the card body and a method of forming the embossed characters on a sheet member different from the card body and adhering the sheet member to the card body. Although it is considered, it is troublesome to align and bond the sheet member on which the embossed characters are formed at a predetermined position of the card body, and there is also a concern that the sheet member may be peeled off. It is desirable to form the protrusion directly on the main body.

When the embossed characters are directly formed on the card body in this way, the card body may be formed of a material capable of forming the embossed characters (for example, hard vinyl chloride), and the card body is formed of such a material. By doing so, the embossed character can be easily formed only by protruding the embossed character forming portion of the card body from one surface side to the other surface side by heat pressing or the like.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, an electronic card that has an input / output function, such as a card-type electronic calculator, has a key input section on one side of the card body and stores an input / output module (a computer module in an electronic calculator) inside the card body. Therefore, if the card body is made of a material that allows protruding embossed characters, the strength of the card body against bending is weakened and the card body bends when a bending force is applied to the card body. The bending force is applied to the internal input / output module, and the electronic components of the input / output module are damaged. Therefore, in the electronic card, by providing a hard metal panel such as stainless steel on one or both sides of the card body to reinforce the card body,
Although the strength of the card body against bending is increased, if the card body is reinforced with a hard metal panel in this way,
Since the hard metal panel becomes an obstacle and it is not possible to project the embossed characters directly on the card body,
In order to form the embossed characters on the conventional electronic card, there has been no choice but to adopt a troublesome method of forming the embossed characters on a sheet member different from the card body and adhering the sheet member to the card body.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and its purpose is to make it possible to form embossed characters directly on the card body and to secure sufficient strength against bending of the card body. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic card capable of preventing damage to the internal input / output module.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the invention, a card body having a key input section on one surface and an input / output module housed therein is formed of a material capable of forming an embossed character and has a storage section for the input / output module and one side edge. The core member having a thick portion for forming embossed characters formed on a portion thereof has a structure in which a hard metal panel having a portion corresponding to the thick portion for forming embossed characters cut out is joined, and the thick wall for forming embossed characters of the core member is formed. It is characterized in that an embossed character is formed so as to protrude from the portion.

[Action]

That is, in the electronic card of the present invention, the core member is reinforced by a hard metal panel to ensure sufficient strength against bending of the card body, and the embossed characters of the core member made of a material capable of forming protrusions of the embossed characters. The thick portion for forming is exposed from the cutout portion of the metal panel so that the thick portion for forming embossed character of the core member can be embossed and formed.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings by taking an electronic card in which a magnetic stripe and embossed characters are provided in a card-type small electronic computer as an example.

The electronic card of this embodiment has an appearance as shown in FIG. 2. In the figure, 10 is the card body, and the display unit is on the surface thereof.
11 and a key input portion 12 are provided, and a magnetic stripe 13 is provided on the back surface along the lower edge thereof, and an embossed character 14 is formed along the upper edge thereof. In addition, the card body 10 has the same size as a general credit card (about 8
5.5 mm × about 54 mm × about 0.8 mm), and the magnetic stripe 13 and the embossed character 14 are formed in accordance with JIS or ISO.

The structure of this electronic card will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the figure, 20 is a core member of the card body 10, 30 is an upper panel, 40 is a lower panel, and the card body 10 is configured by bonding an upper panel 30 and a lower panel 40 to the upper and lower surfaces of the core member 20. There is. The core member 20 has an embossed character 14
Is formed of a material capable of excellent protrusion formation, for example, a thermoplastic resin such as hard vinyl chloride or a soft metal such as aluminum. This core member 20 is used for the card body 10.
It is a frame-shaped one in which a large-area computer module storage opening 21 is formed leaving the outer peripheral part which is the peripheral side surface of the embossed character forming area on the upper edge side of the embossed character 14 to project and form the embossed character 14. The flesh portion 22 is formed so as to protrude from the upper and lower surfaces of the core member.

A liquid crystal display panel is provided on the wiring board 50 in the card body 10.
A computer module A in which the 60 and the paper-like battery 70 are connected is housed. The wiring board 50 has a large number of fixed key contacts 51, 51 arranged vertically and horizontally on the upper surface thereof, and the LSI chip 52 is attached to the wiring board 50 while avoiding the formation of the fixed key contacts 51, 51. ing. This LSI chip
The wiring board 52 is inserted into the opening 53 provided in the wiring board 50.
It is connected to the wiring on the 50th surface, and the mounting portion of the LSI chip 52 is molded with an epoxy resin or the like although not shown. The liquid crystal display panel 60 is arranged side by side with the wiring board 50 so as to fit in the notch formed on the upper edge side of the wiring board 50.
The heat seal connector 61 connects 60 to the lower surface of the side edge of the wiring board 50. In addition, the paper-like battery 70
Are arranged side by side with the wiring board 50, and the paper-like battery 70 has terminals 71, 71 derived from the upper and lower electrode plates soldered to the lower surface of the wiring board 50. It is connected to the wiring board 50. The computer module A has the computer module housing opening 21 of the core member 20.
It is positioned and stored inside by its peripheral wall surface.

On the other hand, the upper panel 30 of the card body 10 includes a flexible sheet 30a forming the surface of the card body 10 and a flexible sheet 30a.
It comprises a metal panel 30b laminated on the back surface of 0a to support the flexible sheet 30a from the back surface side thereof and to reinforce the card body 10. The flexible sheet 30a,
A transparent display window 31 is formed in a portion of the card body 10 corresponding to the display area of the liquid crystal display panel 60, and the card body is formed.
The portions corresponding to the respective key contacts 51, 51 arranged and arranged on the surface of the wiring board 50 in 10 are key operation surfaces 32, 32. The flexible sheet 30a is a transparent resin sheet made of polyester or the like. Make-up printing for blindfolds is applied except for the display window 31 part, and key display is printed on each key operation surface 32, 32 part, and each key operation surface is formed.
Movable key contacts 33, 33, which are brought into contact with the fixed key contact 51 by pressing the key operation surface 32, are formed on the back surfaces of the parts 32, 32 with conductive rubber or the like. The metal panel 30b is made of a thin plate of hard metal such as stainless steel, and the metal panel 30b has a portion corresponding to the display window 31 and the key operation surfaces 32, 32 of the flexible sheet 30a.
A display opening 34 and key operation openings 35, 35 are formed, respectively. Further, this metal panel 30b is formed with a notch formed with a horizontally long window-like opening 36 for exposing a thick portion which is fitted to the thick portion 22 for forming embossed characters formed on the core member 20. On the back surface of 30b, a concave portion 37 for accommodating the upper surface portion of the LSI chip 52 attached to the wiring substrate 50 protruding above the wiring substrate 50 and a concave portion 38 for accommodating the upper surface portion of the paper-like battery 70 are formed by half etching. Has been formed. Then, the upper panel 30 is adhered to the upper surface of the core member 20 by a double-sided adhesive sheet 39 having openings provided at portions corresponding to the openings 34, 35, 36 and the recesses 38, 39 of the metal panel 30b. Cage, flexible sheet 30
Movable key contacts 33, 3 formed under each key operation surface 32, 32 of a
3, the metal panel 30b and the double-sided adhesive sheet 39 are used as spacers to face the fixed key contacts 51, 51 on the surface of the wiring substrate 50 at a distance.

The lower panel 40 of the card body 10 is an exterior sheet made of polyester resin or the like that forms the back surface of the card body 10.
40a and a hard metal panel 40 such as a stainless thin plate laminated on the back surface of the exterior sheet 40a to support the exterior sheet 40a from the back surface side thereof and to reinforce the card body 10.
and the magnetic stripe 13 is provided on the outer surface of the exterior sheet 40a. Also, the metal panel
An opening 41 for exposing a thick-walled portion in the shape of a horizontally long window that fits into the thick-walled portion 22 for forming embossed characters formed on the core member 20 is cut out in 40b, and the back surface of the metal panel 40b is further formed. A recess 42 for accommodating the lower surface of the liquid crystal display panel 60,
A recess 43 for accommodating the lower surface portion of the LSI chip 52 protruding below the wiring substrate 50 and a recess 44 for accommodating the lower surface portion of the paper battery 70 are formed by half etching. The lower panel 40 is the metal panel 40b.
Is adhered to the lower surface of the core member 20 by a double-sided adhesive sheet 45 having openings for exposing the thick portion and openings corresponding to the respective recesses 42, 43, 44.

Also, flexible sheets for the top panel 30 and bottom panel 40
30a and the exterior sheet 40a are in close contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the embossed character forming thick portion 22 of the core member 20, and the embossed character 14 provided on the embossed character forming thick portion 22 is a flexible sheet 30a. And by heat pressing from above the exterior sheet 40a (even when the core member 20 is formed of a soft metal such as aluminum, a flexible sheet made of a resin sheet)
It is necessary to apply heat in order to thermally deform 30a and the exterior sheet 40a into the shape of the embossed character 14), and the card body 10 is formed so as to project from the front surface side to the back surface side.

The wiring board 50 in the card body 10 is adhesively fixed to the metal panels 30b and 40b of the upper panel 30 and the lower panel 40 by the double-sided adhesive sheets 39 and 45, and the liquid crystal display panel 60 is the upper panel 30. The flexible sheet 30a and the bottom surface of the recess 42 formed in the metal panel 40b of the lower panel 40 are sandwiched and fixed.
Further, the lower panel 40 is sandwiched and fixed between the bottom surfaces of the recesses 38 and 44 formed in the metal panels 30b and 40b of the lower panel 40.

Thus, in the electronic card of this embodiment, both sides of the card body 10 are connected to the upper panel 30 and the lower panel 40.
Since it is reinforced by the hard metal panels 30b and 40b of
Even if the core member 20 of the card body 10 is formed of a material (thermoplastic resin such as hard vinyl chloride or soft metal such as aluminum) capable of forming the protruding embossed characters 14,
It is possible to sufficiently secure the bending strength of the electronic card 10. Therefore, there is no concern that the card body 10 will be bent and the internal computer module A will be damaged when a bending force is applied to the electronic card. And with this electronic card,
The embossed character forming thick portion 22 of the core member 20 made of a material capable of forming the protruding embossed character 14 is cut out in the metal panels 30b and 40b to expose the thick portion exposed openings 36 and 41.
The card body 10 is reinforced by hard metal panels 30b and 40b because the card body 10 is exposed from the core member 20 and the embossed characters are formed on the thick portion 22 for forming the embossed characters of the core member 20. Embossed characters can be directly formed on the main body 10 by extrusion.

Although both sides of the card body 10 are reinforced by the hard metal panels 30b and 40b in the above embodiment, the hard metal panel may be provided on only one side of the card body 10. Further, in the above embodiment, the notch for exposing the thick portion formed in the hard metal panels 30b, 40b is a window-shaped opening, but this notch cuts off one side edge side of the metal panels 30b, 40b. You may form. Further, in the above embodiment, the electronic card in which the magnetic stripe 13 and the embossed character 14 are provided in the card-type small electronic computer has been described, but the magnetic stripe 13 may be omitted. Not limited to an electronic calculator, for example, an IC equipped with a key input unit
Of course, it can be widely applied to an electronic card such as a card in which a key input portion is provided on one surface and an input / output module is housed inside, and an embossed character is formed along one side edge thereof.

[Advantages of the Invention] The electronic card of the present invention has a card body made of a material capable of forming embossed characters and forming an input / output module storage portion and a thick wall for forming embossed characters on one side edge. As a structure in which a hard metal panel, in which a portion corresponding to the thick portion for forming embossed characters is cut out, is joined to the core member having a portion formed, an embossed character is formed by protruding on the thickened portion for forming embossed character of the core member. Therefore, the embossed characters can be directly formed on the card body by projection, and the card body can be sufficiently secured against bending to prevent the internal input / output module from being damaged.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 2, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are an external view and an exploded view of an electronic card. . 10 …… Card body, 11 …… Display, 12 …… Key input,
13 …… magnetic stripe, 14 …… embossed letters, 30 …… top panel, 30a …… flexible sheet, 32 …… key operation surface, 3
3 ... Movable key contact, 30b ... Hard metal panel, 34 ... Key operation opening, 36 ... Thick wall exposing opening, 40 ... Lower panel, 40a ... Exterior sheet, 40b ... Hard metal panel , 41
...... Aperture for exposing thick part, A ・ ・ ・ Computer module, 50 ・ ・ ・
… Wiring board, 51… Fixed key contacts, 60… Liquid crystal display panel.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location G06K 19/08

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An electronic card in which an embossed character is formed along one side edge of a card body having a key input section on one surface and an input / output module housed therein, wherein the card body has a protrusion of the embossed character. A core member made of a material that can be formed and having a storage portion for the input / output module and an embossed character forming thick portion formed on one side edge, and has a size substantially equal to that of the core member. Further, a portion corresponding to the thick portion for forming embossed characters is cut out, and the thickened portion for forming embossed characters is housed in the cutout portion, and a hard metal panel joined to the core member is provided. An electronic card, wherein embossed characters are formed by projecting on the thick portion for forming embossed characters of the core member. 2. The thick portion for forming embossed characters of the core member is formed so as to project on both sides of the core member, and the portion corresponding to the thickened portion for forming embossed characters on both sides of the core member. The notched hard metal panel accommodates the embossed character forming thick portion in the notched portion and is joined to each other, and one of the two metal panels receives the input / output stored in the core member. A key operation opening corresponding to the key contact portion of the module is formed, and a flexible sheet having a portion corresponding to the key contact portion as a key operation surface is provided on the surface of the metal panel. The electronic card according to claim 1 of the utility model registration claim.