JPH07179060A - Card processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accurately and rapidly perform the processing (reading and rewriting of memory part, erasing and writing of display part) of a card (prepaid card, credit card) having a recordable and reproducible invisible memory part such as a magnetic IC and a rewritable display part using a reversible thermal recording material. CONSTITUTION:In a method for processing a card having a recordable and reproducible invisible memory part and a rewritable display part using a reversible thermal recording material, five processing means of the writing to the memory part (a), the rewriting of the memory part (b), the erasure of the display part (c), the writing to the display part (d) and the entire surface opacification of the display part (e) are applied.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a card processing method of the present invention,
More specifically, rewriting is repeatedly performed by providing a reversible thermosensitive recording display unit on a so-called “card” that has a storage unit (recordable / reproducible information storage unit) such as magnetic or IC in many things such as prepaid cards and credit cards. The present invention relates to a card processing method that enables display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wide variety of "cards" such as prepaid cards and credit cards have appeared on the market, and have permeated society in many fields. Most of the rewritable display parts of these cards rely on the use of magnetic recording. These cards did not have a function of displaying the balance etc. at the beginning of their appearance, but recently, cards having a write-once type display section using a thermal recording material have been developed. . Nowadays, it is further desired to introduce cards having a rewritable display unit.

By the way, a display method using a reversible thermosensitive recording material is known as the most effective means for rewriting the display section. Examples of the reversible thermosensitive recording material include a support provided with a thermosensitive layer in which an organic low molecular weight substance such as a higher alcohol and a higher fatty acid is dispersed in a resin such as polyester (for example, JP-A-54-119377). ,
JP-A-55-154198, etc.). Recording by this type of reversible thermosensitive recording material, that is, image formation and erasing is based on the change in transparency depending on the temperature of the thermosensitive layer, and an image formed by a thermal head or a hot stamp as in the conventional irreversible thermosensitive recording material. It can be formed, and in addition, it can be erased.

Therefore, cards (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "card") in which the magnetic recording material and the reversible heat-sensitive recording material are used in combination have been proposed (for example, JP-A-1-181766). Issue). When using a card in which the reversible thermosensitive recording material is used for the display unit and the recording material such as a magnetic or IC chip is used for the recording unit (storage unit), (a) reading of the recording unit (b) recording unit Rewriting of (c) erasing the display section (d) writing to the display section. However, according to such a processing method, after repeatedly performing writing and erasing a few hundred times, the image on the display part cannot be erased gradually, and the previous image remains when the writing is performed next time. There is a problem that occurs.

[0005]

The present invention is based on magnetic or I
Reading, writing (rewriting), and erasing are all performed in a short time on a card having a storage unit (rewritable invisible information recording unit) using C etc. and a rewritable display unit using a reversible thermosensitive recording material. In particular, the present invention provides a card processing method capable of accurately erasing the image on the display unit during repeated writing and erasing, which does not lead to visual misrecognition.

[0006]

The card processing method of the present invention provides a card having a recordable and reproducible storage section using magnetic or IC, and a rewritable display section using a reversible thermosensitive recording material. Perform five processes: (a) reading the storage unit, (b) rewriting the storage unit, (c) erasing the display unit, (d) writing to the display unit, and (e) clouding the entire display unit. Is characterized by.

The inventors of the present invention have made earnest studies to find a method for preventing an image generated during repeated writing / erasing on the display unit from becoming difficult to be erased. As a result, the entire surface of the display unit is formed before the image formation by the thermal head. It was found that the above problems could be cleared if they became cloudy. It was also found that by doing so, deterioration of the reversible thermosensitive recording material can be effectively prevented. The exact reason why this deterioration is resolved has not been clarified, but it can be considered as follows. That is, in the initial state of the reversible thermosensitive recording material, particles of substantially spherical organic low-molecular substance are dispersed in the resin base material. However, when the reversible recording material is deformed by image formation by a thermal head, the organic low molecular weight substance particles are also deformed and become distorted. When heated to a specific temperature, it returns to the original spherical shape, but as writing and erasing are repeated, the particles become distorted and stick to each other, and even if heated to a specific temperature the image does not return to a spherical shape, making it difficult to erase the image. It is presumed to be a thing. Therefore, a stable spherical shape can be maintained by increasing the spherical shape of the organic low molecular weight substance by making the entire surface cloudy before writing, and thus it is possible to prevent particles from sticking to each other during repeated use. The present invention has been made based on these findings.

The method of the present invention will be described in more detail below. As the processing means for making the entire surface cloudy, a non-contact type heating element using hot air or infrared rays or a contact type constant temperature heating element such as a hot stamp, a heat roller, a heat block, or a thermal head is used.

FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b) are schematic views of two examples of a card processing apparatus useful for carrying out the method of the present invention. Here, (a) is a card processing device of a type in which the storage unit and the display unit are located on opposite sides, and (b) is a card of a type in which the storage unit and the display unit are located on the same surface side. It is a processing device, and (a) and (b) have the same configuration except for such a difference. In the figure, 1 is a card carry-in port, 2 is a card carry-out port, 3 is an entire white turbidity processing device, 4 is an image erasing device, 5 is an image forming device, 6 is a magnetic reading device, 7 is a magnetic rewriting device, 8, 9 and Reference numerals 10, 11 and 12 represent rollers.

As can be easily inferred from the above description, the card according to the present invention is provided with a storage layer made of a magnetic recording material on a support (resin film), and preferably a metal vapor deposition layer on the storage layer. And a display layer (display section) made of a reversible thermosensitive recording material thereon, and further preferably, a protective layer is provided on the display layer. .

The reversible thermosensitive recording material of the present invention utilizes the transparency change (transparent state, cloudy opaque state) as described above, and the difference between the transparent state and the cloudy opaque state is presumed as follows. . That is, in the case of (I) transparent, the particles of the organic low molecular weight substance dispersed in the resin base material are composed of large particles, and the light incident from one side is transmitted to the other side without being scattered. To look transparent,
(II) In the case of white turbidity, the particles of the organic low-molecular substance are composed of polycrystals of fine crystals of the organic low-molecular substance.Since the crystal axes of the individual crystals are oriented in various directions, they are incident from one side. The generated light is refracted many times at the interface of the crystals of the organic low-molecular substance particles, and is scattered and thus appears white.

In FIG. 2 (representing the change in transparency due to heat), the resin base material and the thermosensitive layer (reversible thermosensitive recording layer) mainly composed of the organic low molecular weight substance dispersed in the resin base material are shown. For example, at room temperature below T ₀ , it is cloudy and opaque. When it is heated to a temperature T ₂ , it becomes transparent, and even if it is returned to room temperature below T _{0 in} this state, it remains transparent. It is considered that this is because the organic low-molecular-weight substance undergoes a semi-molten state from the temperature T ₂ to T ₀ or lower and the crystal grows from a polycrystal to a single crystal. Further heating to a temperature of T ₃ or higher results in a semi-transparent state intermediate between maximum transparency and maximum opacity. next,
When this temperature is lowered, the initial cloudy opaque state is restored without returning to the transparent state. It is considered that this is because the organic low-molecular-weight substance melts at a temperature of T ₃ or higher and is then cooled to cause polycrystals to precipitate. It should be noted that when this opaque state is heated to a temperature between T _{1 and} T ₂ and then cooled to room temperature, that is, a temperature of T ₀ or lower, an intermediate state between transparent and opaque can be obtained. In addition, even if the material becomes transparent at room temperature, it is returned to the cloudy opaque state again when heated to a temperature of T ₃ or higher and then returned to room temperature. That is, both opaque and transparent forms at room temperature and intermediate forms thereof can be obtained. Therefore,
The heat-sensitive display layer can be selectively heated by selectively applying heat to form a cloudy image on a transparent background and a transparent image on a cloudy background, and the change can be repeated many times. By arranging a coloring sheet on the back surface of such a thermosensitive display layer, it is possible to form an image of the color of the coloring sheet on a white background or an image of the white background on the background of the color of the coloring sheet. Further, when projected by an OHP (overhead projector) or the like, the cloudy portion becomes a dark portion, the transparent portion transmits light and becomes a bright portion on the screen.

To prepare the reversible thermosensitive recording material used in the present invention, it can be formed on the supporting member as a film or formed into a sheet by the following method, for example. 1) A method in which a resin base material and an organic low molecular weight substance are dissolved in a solvent, which is applied onto a supporting member, and the solvent is evaporated to form a film or sheet. 2) The resin base material is dissolved in a solvent that dissolves only the resin base material, and the organic low molecular weight substance is pulverized or dispersed therein by various methods, and this is applied onto a support member, and the solvent is evaporated to form a film or Sheet method. 3) A method in which a resin base material and an organic low molecular weight substance are heated and melted and mixed without using a solvent, and this is molded into a film or sheet and cooled.

The solvent for forming the heat-sensitive layer or for preparing the heat-sensitive recording material can be variously selected depending on the types of the resin base material and the organic low molecular weight substance, and examples thereof include tetrahydrofuran, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, ethanol, Examples include toluene and benzene. The organic low molecular weight substance is precipitated as fine particles and exists in a dispersed state in the heat-sensitive layer obtained not only when the dispersion liquid is used but also when the solution is used.

The resin base material used for the heat-sensitive layer (display portion) is a material that forms a layer in which an organic low molecular weight substance is uniformly dispersed and held, and has an effect on the transparency at maximum transparency. Therefore, the resin base material is preferably a resin having good transparency, mechanical stability, and good film forming property. Examples of such resins include polyvinyl chloride; vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol copolymer, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-maleic acid copolymer, vinyl chloride-acrylate copolymer. Vinyl chloride-based copolymers such as polymers; polyvinylidene chloride; vinylidene chloride-vinyl chloride copolymers, vinylidene chloride-based copolymers such as vinylidene chloride-acrylonitrile copolymers; polyesters; polyamides; polyacrylates or polymethacrylates or acrylates -Methacrylate copolymer; silicone resin and the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

On the other hand, the organic low molecular weight substance may be any substance that changes from polycrystal to single crystal due to heat in the heat-sensitive layer (changes within the temperature range of T _{1 to} T ₃ shown in FIG. 2).
Generally, those having a melting point of 30 to 200 ° C., preferably about 50 to 150 ° C. are used. Such organic low-molecular substances include alkanols; alkane diols; halogen alkanols or halogen alkane diols; alkylamines; alkanes; alkenes; alkynes; halogen alkanes; halogen alkenes; halogen alkynes; cycloalkanes; cycloalkenes; cycloalkynes; saturated or Unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acids or their esters, amides or ammonium salts; saturated or unsaturated halogen fatty acids or their esters, amides or ammonium salts; allylcarboxylic acids or their esters, amides or ammonium salts; halogenallylcarboxylic acids or Of their esters, amides or ammonium salts; thioalcohols; thiocarboxylic acids or their esters, amines or ammonium salts; of thioalcohols Carboxylic acid esters, and the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The carbon number of these compounds is 10 to 60, preferably
10 to 38, particularly 10 to 30, are preferable. The alcohol group moiety in the ester may be saturated or unsaturated, and may be halogen-substituted. In any case, the organic low molecular weight substance is at least one of oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and halogen in the molecule, for example, -OH, -COOH, -CONH-, -COOR, -NH.
A compound containing-, -NH ₂ , -S-, -SS-, -O-, halogen or the like is preferable.

More specifically, as these compounds,
Uric acid, dodecanoic acid, myristic acid, pentadecane
Acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, nonadeca
Higher fatty acids such as acid, araginic acid and oleic acid; steer
Methyl phosphate, tetradecyl stearate, stearin
Acid octadecyl, octadecyl laurate, palmitin
Of higher fatty acids such as tetradecyl acid acid and dodecyl behenate
Stell; C₁₆H₃₃-OC₁₆H₃₃ , C₁₆H₃₃-SC₁₆H₃₃
 , C₁₈H₃₇-SC₁₈H₃₇ , C₁₂H_{twenty five}-SC₁₂
H_{twenty five} , C₁₉H₃₉-SC₁₉H₃₉ , C₁₂H_{twenty five}-S-
S-C₁₂H_{twenty five} , Etc., such as ether or thioether. Above all
In the case of light, higher fatty acids, especially palmitic acid, stearic acid,
High-grade fats with 16 or more carbon atoms such as behenic acid and lignoceric acid
Fatty acids are preferable, and higher fatty acids having 16 to 24 carbon atoms are more preferable.
preferable.

In order to widen the temperature range in which the material can be made transparent, the organic low molecular weight substances described in this specification may be appropriately combined, or such organic low molecular weight substances may be combined with other materials having different melting points. . These are, for example, JP-A-63-3
9378, JP 63-130380 and other publications, and Japanese Patent Application 63-14
Although disclosed in the specifications such as Japanese Patent Application No. 754 and Japanese Patent Application No. 1-140109, the invention is not limited to these. The weight ratio of the organic low molecular weight substance to the resin base material in the heat sensitive layer is preferably about 2: 1 to 1:16, more preferably about 1: 1 to 1: 3. When the ratio of the resin base material is less than this, it becomes difficult to form a film in which the organic low molecular weight material is retained in the resin base material. Becomes difficult. The thickness of the heat sensitive layer is preferably 1 to 30 μm, more preferably 2 to 20 μm. If the heat-sensitive layer is too thick, heat distribution will occur in the layer and it will be difficult to achieve uniform transparency. On the other hand, if the heat-sensitive layer is too thin, the white turbidity is lowered and the contrast is lowered. Further, the white turbidity can be increased by increasing the amount of low molecular weight organic compounds in the heat-sensitive layer.

In addition to the above components, additives such as a surfactant and a high boiling point solvent may be added to the heat-sensitive layer in order to facilitate the formation of a transparent image. Specific examples of these additives are as follows.

Examples of high boiling point solvents: tributyl phosphate, tri-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, tricresyl phosphate, butyl oleate, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, diheptyl phthalate, Di-n-octyl phthalate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, diisononyl phthalate, dioctyldecyl phthalate, diisodecyl phthalate, butylbenzyl phthalate, dibutyl adipate, di-n-hexyl adipate, di-adipate 2-ethylhexyl, azelaic acid di-
2-ethylhexyl, dibutyl sebacate, di sebacate
-2-ethylhexyl, diethylene glycol dibenzoate, triethylene glycol di-2-ethylbutyrate, methyl acetylricinoleate, butyl acetylricinoleate, butylphthalylbutyl glycolate, tributyl acetylcitrate.

Examples of surfactants and other additives: polyhydric alcohol higher fatty acid ester; polyhydric alcohol higher alkyl ether; polyhydric alcohol higher fatty acid ester, higher alcohol, higher alkylphenol, higher fatty acid higher alkylamine, higher fatty acid amide , Lower olefin oxide adduct of fats and oils or polypropylene glycol; acetylene glycol; Na, Ca, Ba or Mg salt of higher alkylbenzene sulfonic acid; higher fatty acid, aromatic carboxylic acid, higher fatty acid sulfonic acid, aromatic sulfonic acid, sulfuric acid monoester Or Ca, Ba or Mg salt of phosphoric acid mono- or di-ester; low degree of sulfated oil; poly long chain alkyl acrylate; acrylic oligomer; poly long chain alkyl methacrylate; long chain alkyl methacrylate-amine containing monomer copolymer ; Stiletto - maleic anhydride copolymer; olefin - maleic anhydride copolymer.

When an image of this heat-sensitive recording material is used as a reflection image, if a layer (light-reflecting layer) that reflects light is provided on the back surface of the heat-sensitive layer, the contrast can be improved even if the thickness of the heat-sensitive layer is reduced. Can be raised. Specifically, Al, N
Examples thereof include vapor deposition of i, Sn, An, Ag, etc.
-14079).

A protective layer may be provided on the heat-sensitive layer (reversible heat-sensitive recording layer) to protect the heat-sensitive layer. As a material for the protective layer (thickness of 0.1 to 5 μm) to be laminated on the heat-sensitive layer, silicone rubber or silicone resin (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
3-221087), polysiloxane graft polymer (described in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-152550), UV curable resin or electron beam curable resin (described in Japanese Patent Application No. 63-310600), etc. . In any case, a solvent is used at the time of coating, but it is desirable that the solvent is difficult to dissolve the resin of the heat sensitive layer and the organic low molecular weight substance. Examples of the solvent that hardly dissolves the resin and the organic low molecular weight substance in the heat-sensitive layer include n-hexane, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and the like, and the alcohol solvent is particularly preferable from the viewpoint of cost.

Furthermore, an intermediate layer may be provided between the protective layer and the heat-sensitive layer in order to protect the heat-sensitive layer from the solvent, monomer components, etc. of the protective layer-forming liquid (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-133781). Description). As the material of the intermediate layer, in addition to the materials listed as the resin base material in the heat-sensitive layer, the following thermosetting resin,
Thermoplastic resins can be used. That is, polyethylene,
Examples thereof include polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, polyurethane, saturated polyester, unsaturated polyester, epoxy resin, phenol resin, polycarbonate and polyamide. The thickness of the intermediate layer is preferably about 0.1 to 2 μm.

[0025]

EXAMPLES Next, the present invention will be described more specifically by way of examples. Both parts and% are based on weight.

Example 1 1, Preparation of Card A transparent PET having a thickness of about 188 μm was vacuum-deposited with Al to a thickness of about 600 Å to form a light reflecting layer. On this light reflecting layer, stearic acid 5 parts eicosane diacid 5 parts diisodecyl phthalate 3 parts vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-phosphoric acid ester copolymer 39 parts (Denka vinyl # 1000P manufactured by Denki Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) THF 100 parts toluene 65 Part of the solution was applied and dried by heating to provide a heat-sensitive layer (reversible heat-sensitive recording layer) having a thickness of about 10 μm. Furthermore, 10 parts of a urethane acrylate UV curable resin 75% butyl acetate solution (manufactured by Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Unidick C7-157) a solution of 10 parts toluene was coated on this with a wire bar, and after heating and drying. , 8
It was cured with a 0 W / cm ultraviolet lamp to provide a protective layer having a thickness of about 2 μm. Then, on transparent PET on the opposite surface, γ-Fe ₂ O ₃ 10 parts Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol copolymer 10 parts (UCH VAGH) Isocyanate 2 parts (Nippon Polyurethane Coronate L, 50%) Toluene solution) Methyl ethyl ketone 40 parts Toluene 40 parts is applied with a wire bar and dried by heating to about 9
A magnetic recording layer having a thickness of μm is provided to provide a reversible thermosensitive recording medium,
This was molded into a card.

2. Card processing test A card processing test apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 (a) was assembled, and a test was performed using the created card. At this time, the entire white turbidity treatment is performed with a hot stamp and the heating temperature is 120.
Writing / erasing was repeated at up to 130 ° C., and the number of times was 1000 times. The test results are summarized in Table 1.

Comparative Example 1 A test was conducted in exactly the same manner as in Example 1 except that the hot stamp was not used (the entire surface was not clouded). The results are summarized in Table 1.

Example 2 1. Preparation of card On transparent PET having a thickness of about 188 μm, γ-Fe ₂ O ₃ 10 parts Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-vinyl alcohol copolymer 10 parts (UCH VAGH) Isocyanate 2 parts (Nippon Polyurethane Coronate L, 50% toluene solution) Methyl ethyl ketone 40 parts Toluene 40 parts is applied with a wire bar and dried by heating to about 1
A magnetic recording layer having a thickness of 0 μm was provided. Aluminum was vacuum-deposited on the magnetic recording layer so as to have a thickness of about 400 Å to form a light reflecting layer. Then, on the light-reflecting layer, behenic acid 7 parts eicosane diacid 3 parts diisodecyl phthalate 2 parts vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-phosphate ester copolymer 25 parts (Denka vinyl # 1000P manufactured by Denki Kagaku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) THF 150 parts A solution containing 15 parts of toluene was applied and dried by heating to form a heat-sensitive layer of a reversible heat-sensitive recording material having a thickness of about 5 μm. Further, a protective layer having the same structure as in Example 1 was further provided thereon, and this was molded to prepare a card.

2. Card processing test A card processing test apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 (b) was assembled, and a test was performed using the created card. At this time, the entire white turbidity treatment is performed with a heat roll and the heating temperature is 120 to
The temperature was set to 130 ° C., and the number of times of writing / erasing was repeated 1000 times. The test results are summarized in Table 1.

Example 3 Using the card prepared in Example 1, the entire surface turbidity treatment was performed with hot air (120 to 130) by the card processing apparatus shown in FIG.
C.) was used for evaluation under the same conditions as in Example 1.

Example 4 The same reversible thermosensitive recording material as in Example 1 was provided on an Al vapor-deposited polyester film having a thickness of about 100 μm. A card was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1 by attaching an adhesive to the back side and adhering it to an IC card with a built-in IC chip to form a reversible thermosensitive recording medium. This was repeated 1000 times for writing and erasing by the card processing device of FIG. The test results are summarized in Table 1.

[0033]

[Table 1] (Note) A Macbeth reflection densitometer (RD-914) was used. The larger number in the reflection density means that the data is erased, and the smaller number in the reflection density means that the data is insufficiently erased.

[0034]

According to the present invention, writing and erasing can be performed in a short time, and the image on the display portion made of the reversible thermosensitive recording material can be accurately erased, especially during repeated writing and erasing. You can handle evasive cards.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 (a) and (b) are schematic diagrams of two examples of apparatus useful for practicing the method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a change in transparency of a reversible thermosensitive recording material due to heat.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 card carry-in port 2 card carry-out port 3 whole surface opaque processing device 4 image erasing device 5 image forming device 6 magnetic reading device 7 magnetic rewriting device 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 roller

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Nogori Dori 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Ricoh Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A card having a recordable and reproducible invisible storage section and a rewritable display section using a reversible thermosensitive recording material, wherein (a) reading of the storage section, (b) rewriting of the storage section, and (c). ) Erase the display, (d) write to the display,
And (e) the entire surface of the display section is clouded. 2. A non-contact type heating body such as hot air and infrared rays or a contact type constant temperature heating body such as a hot stamp, a heat roller, a heat block, and a thermal head is used as the means (e) for making the entire surface cloudy. 1. The card processing method described in 1. 3. A reversible thermosensitive recording material comprising a resin base material and an organic low molecular weight substance dispersed in the resin base material, and reversibly changing the state of transparency and cloudiness by heating. The card processing method according to claim 1, which is used.