JPH10129162A - Thermosensitive recording card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermosensitive recording card having a slight card deformation such as a curl by improving reliability of erasing print. SOLUTION: The thermosensitive recording card 1 comprises a reversible recording display 2 formed at least on partial area of a reversible thermosensitive recording layer provided on one surface of the card 1, and a non-visible information recording area 3 of a constitution provided on partial area of the other surface to form a protruding part on partial area of the other surface in such a manner that the area 3 is provided out of an area corresponding to the display 2 or at least part is provided in contact with the area corresponding to the display 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermal recording card, and more particularly to a thermal recording card applicable to a field requiring a security function such as an ID card or a prepaid card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, an ID card, a prepay card, and the like based on a thermal recording method generally used are:
Various security functions are provided to prevent unauthorized use due to forgery or falsification. As an example of such a security function, for example, by providing an invisible identification code (such as a bar code) that can be detected only by infrared rays on a part of a thermal recording card, it is possible to judge the authenticity of the card, and to illegally use it by falsification or falsification Has been prevented.

[0003] In addition to the invisible identification code that can be detected only by infrared rays, a thermosensitive recording section made of a reversible thermosensitive recording material is provided on either side of the card. There is known a configuration in which a graphic is recorded so as to be displayable, and a security function is realized based on both displayed information and information obtained from an invisible identification code.

Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-309090, a thermosensitive recording layer made of a reversible thermosensitive recording material is provided on the front side of a support constituting a card. A bar code having an infrared absorbing property on the side is provided at a position corresponding to the heat-sensitive recording layer on the front side, and when the portion of the bar code that has absorbed the infrared light locally becomes high temperature, this heat is applied to the heat-sensitive recording layer. A configuration utilizing a phenomenon in which a bar code pattern is transferred and transferred into a heat-sensitive recording layer has also been proposed.

FIG. 9 shows an example of a conventional configuration as described above. As shown in FIG.
No. 01 has a bar code 103 having an infrared absorbing property formed on its back side 101b, and a part of the bar code 103 is configured to correspond to the heat-sensitive recording layer 102 on the front surface side.

The bar code 103 is invisible, so that its pattern cannot be observed with the naked eye. When the barcode 103 is irradiated with infrared rays, the temperature of the barcode pattern portion rises, and this temperature rise is transmitted to the thermosensitive recording layer 102, whereby a state change occurs only in the portion of the thermosensitive recording layer 102 corresponding to the pattern. Thus, the pattern is transferred to the heat-sensitive recording layer 102 and is displayed in a visible state. When the determination or verification based on the pattern displayed in the visible state is completed in this manner, the thermal recording layer 10 is formed using a thermal head or a hot stamp.
By applying heat to 2, the pattern displayed in the visible state is erased.

[0007]

However, the recording portion on the back surface typified by the above-mentioned bar code is, for example, several μm.
Since the recording portion on the back surface and the heat-sensitive recording layer 102 overlap with each other in position, the unevenness due to the thickness becomes an obstacle when the heat-sensitive recording layer 102 is heated by a thermal head or a hot stamp. However, there is a problem that it is not possible to perform a simple print erase.

Further, in the conventional card, the recording portion on the back surface represented by the bar code 103 is formed at a position close to the peripheral edge of the card 101 or the end of the card. Due to such a thickness, there is also a disadvantage that the card end is easily curled. The state in which the card is curled is shown in the explanatory diagram of FIG. In the figure, the warp c at the end of the card 101 is curled. When the curl c occurs in this manner, when the card 101 is loaded on the card reader / writer, it does not adapt to the mechanism,
There was a possibility that a disadvantage that the conveyance of the card was hindered might occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems and disadvantages of the prior art, and has as its object to improve the reliability of printing and erasing and to reduce the card deformation such as curling and the like in a thermal recording card. Is to provide.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a thermosensitive recording card according to the present invention, wherein a reversible thermosensitive recording layer is provided on one surface of a support, and at least one of the reversible thermosensitive recording layers is provided. A reversible recording display section is formed in the section area,
An invisible information recording area configured to form a convex portion on the surface is provided in a partial area of the other surface of the support, and the invisible information recording area on the other surface is provided on the one surface. Or provided at least partially in contact with the area corresponding to the reversible recording / display section.

According to the heat-sensitive recording card of the present invention having the above-described structure, the reversible recording and display section and the invisible information recording area are not superposed in position. When the reversible recording / display section is heated by the apparatus, uniform heating is performed, and no erasure failure occurs. That is, the reliability in print erasure is improved.

Furthermore, a combined function of information recording by the reversible recording and display unit and information recording by the invisible information recording area can be used, and a security card that is difficult to forge or falsify is realized.

Alternatively, the thermal recording card according to the present invention is characterized in that at least a part of the invisible information recording area is provided at a central portion of the thermal recording card.

According to this structure, the invisible information recording area is formed at the center of the card, so that the card is less likely to be warped, and therefore, the conveyance failure caused by the curl is improved.
In addition, since the flatness of the card is ensured, a magnetic recording function can be added. Further, even when the support holding the invisible information recording area is entirely or partially adhered to the thermal recording card with an adhesive layer, the conveyance failure due to curl is similarly improved.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a front surface of a first embodiment of a thermal recording card according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the back surface of the thermal recording card shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a thermosensitive recording card 1 according to the present invention includes a reversible recording display section 2 in a part of a reversible thermosensitive recording layer provided on a front surface 1a. Is formed on the back surface 1b, and an invisible information recording area 3 forming a convex portion is provided.
It is provided outside the area corresponding to the reversible recording and display unit 2.

Here, it is preferable that at least a part of the invisible information recording area 3 is disposed at the center of the thermal recording card 1. The invisible information recording area 3 is formed by a bar code, data recording using a recording material such as a magneto-optical recording layer or an optical recording layer, or a high-level figure including a photograph, and each has a convex portion having a thickness of 1 micron or more. Then, it is formed on the thermal recording card 1.

FIG. 3 shows a thermal recording card 11 according to the present invention.
It is a schematic diagram which shows the back surface of 2nd Embodiment. In this embodiment, the invisible information recording area 13 is provided at least partially in contact with the area corresponding to the reversible recording and display unit 12.

As shown in the above embodiments, in the present invention, the reversible recording and display unit 2 provided on the front surface 1a is provided.
And the invisible information recording area 3 provided on the back surface 1b is configured not to overlap in position. With this configuration,
Irregularities formed by the convex invisible information recording area 3 do not affect the reversible recording and display unit 2.

Therefore, when printing is performed by heating the reversible recording and display unit 2 by a heating device (thermal head or hot stamp), the flatness of the contact portion with the heating device can be ensured, and uniform heating is performed. As a result, no erase failure occurs. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of such a function. Thereby, the reliability in print erasure is improved.

Further, the reversible recording / display unit 2 or 12
Information recording and the invisible information recording area 3 or 13
A security card that is difficult to forge or falsify can be realized by using the combined function of the information card and the information recording.

The invisible information recording area 3 or 13
Is provided at the center of the thermal recording card 1 or 11, so that the card is less likely to be warped than the conventional card (see FIG. 7), so that a conveyance failure caused by curling can be eliminated. The handling function can be improved.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the thermal recording card according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the thermal recording card 31 has an aluminum evaporation layer 26 on one surface (upper surface in the figure) of a support 27 having a thickness of 50 to 350 μm.
The reversible thermosensitive recording layer 21 is adhered to the upper surface of the aluminum vapor-deposited layer 26 by an adhesive layer 25. The reversible thermosensitive recording layer 21 is provided, for example, in the entire region (entire surface). Further, a protective layer 22 is provided on the upper surface of the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 21, and a print layer 23 and a print protective layer 24 are sequentially formed on the upper surface.

On the other hand, an infrared reflecting layer 30 is provided on the other surface (the lower surface in the figure) of the support 27, and an infrared absorbing layer 28 and a concealing layer 29 are formed on the surface of the infrared reflecting layer 30. ing. The infrared absorbing layer 28 and the concealing layer 29 constitute the convex invisible information recording area.

The infrared reflecting layer 30 is formed by printing a light-colored paint such as white to a thickness of 1 to 2 μm. The infrared absorption layer 28 is formed by printing black ink using carbon black as a pigment to a thickness of 1 to 2 μm, for example. The concealing layer 29 is formed by printing an infrared transmitting black ink mixed with, for example, three primary color pigments of red, yellow and blue so as to fill the gaps of the infrared absorbing layer 28.

It is preferable that a coloring layer is provided in addition to the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 21 and the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 21 is provided thereon so that the reversible visible image can be easily viewed. In this case, the coloring layer may be composed of two or more types of portions having different reflectances with respect to visible light.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the thermal recording card according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a thermal recording card according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. As described above, in the thermal recording card of the present invention, the flatness of the card is ensured, so that the magnetic recording function can be easily added. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5 or 6, by providing the magnetic recording layer 31 on the lower surface of the support 27, a part of the magnetically recorded information can be displayed on the thermosensitive recording layer. Thereby, the convenience of the reversible thermosensitive recording card is further improved.

The magnetic recording layer 31 can be provided in contact with the back surface of the support 27 opposite to the reversible thermosensitive recording layer. As the magnetic recording layer 31, iron oxide, parium ferrite, or the like and a resin can be used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the infrared reflection layer 30, the infrared absorption layer 28 and the concealing layer 29 are formed on the upper surface of the print protection layer 24. In FIG. 16, a configuration in which the magnetic recording layer 31 is omitted is also possible. As shown in FIG. 12, by providing an invisible information recording area on the thermal recording card using the adhesive layer 32, any part other than the center can easily have a function,
This adhesive layer 32 absorbs distortion in the invisible information recording area. The adhesive layer refers to a commonly used one.

Further, in the thermal recording card of the present invention, a part of the information recorded in the invisible information recording area may be displayed on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer.

As described above, in the thermal recording card of the present invention, in addition to the reversible thermosensitive recording layer as a recording portion, a magnetic storage layer, an IC chip and / or a rewritable barcode, and light reflection on a support. It includes a layer provided with a layer and / or a layer provided with a protective layer on the recording layer. With this configuration, the security in printing and erasing is improved, and a security card that is difficult to forge or falsify by realizing effective use of the composite function can be realized. Further, it is possible to improve the conveyance failure caused by the curl of the card.

Next, the materials used in the thermal recording card of the present invention will be described. As the reversible thermosensitive recording material used in the thermosensitive recording card of the present invention, two types of materials having the temperature-transparency characteristics shown in FIG. 10 or FIG. 11 can be applied.

FIG. 10 is a state change diagram of the first type of thermosensitive recording material. The recording layer mainly composed of a resin base material and an organic low-molecular substance dispersed in the resin base material is in a cloudy opaque state (A) at room temperature below T0, for example, as shown in FIG. is there. When this is heated to a temperature between T1 and T2, it becomes transparent, and in this state, it remains transparent even if it is returned to room temperature below T0 again. It is considered that this is because the organic low-molecular substance grows from a polycrystal to a single crystal through a semi-molten state from the temperature T1 to T2 to the temperature T0 or lower. Further heating to a temperature equal to or higher than T2 results in a translucent state (C) intermediate between the maximum transparency and the maximum opacity.
Next, when the temperature is lowered, the state returns to the first cloudy and opaque state (A) without taking the transparent state again.

It is considered that this is because polycrystals are precipitated by cooling the organic low-molecular-weight substance after melting at the temperature T2 or higher. In addition, this opaque state is T0
When heated to a temperature between T1 and then cooled to room temperature, that is, a temperature equal to or lower than T0, a state between transparent and opaque can be obtained. Further, the material which has become transparent at room temperature is again heated to a temperature of T2 or higher, and when it is returned to room temperature, it returns to a cloudy and opaque state again. That is, both opaque and transparent forms at room temperature and intermediate states thereof can be taken.

Therefore, the surface of such a reversible thermosensitive recording layer can be selectively heated by, for example, a thermal head to form a cloudy image on a transparent ground or a transparent image on a cloudy ground. Such image formation and erasing can be repeated many times.

The reversible recording layer can also form an image by pressure. The principle of image formation in this case is as follows. First, it is assumed that the recording layer is in a cloudy and opaque state, for example. When the recording layer in such a cloudy state is pressurized, it becomes transparent, and when further heated, it becomes a translucent state intermediate between the maximum transparency and the maximum opacity. Next, when the temperature is decreased, the state returns to the original cloudy and opaque state. When pressure is applied again to this, it becomes transparent. Therefore, for example, after heating the entire reversible recording material having such a recording layer, it is cooled to room temperature to make it opaque and opaque, and a transparent image is formed, for example, by applying pressure to the image with a dot impact print head. Also in this case, image formation and erasing can be repeated many times.

As this type, besides the above-mentioned one which becomes transparent when heated and cooled to the first lower temperature and becomes cloudy when heated and cooled to the second higher temperature,
There are, for example, a color that develops black, red, blue, or the like at a lower first specific temperature and decolorizes at a higher second specific temperature.

FIG. 11 is a state change diagram of the second type of heat-sensitive recording material. 10, the recording material in the transparent (colorless) state (D) or the opaque (colored) state (A) is, for example, melted at the melting point of the matrix forming material. When heated to room temperature, it becomes a transparent (colorless) state, and when it is cooled to room temperature, it is fixed in a transparent (colorless) state.

The recording material in the transparent (colorless) state (D) or the cloudy (colored) state (A) is, for example, 57 degrees Celsius to 6 degrees Celsius.
When heated to a temperature of 8 degrees, it becomes cloudy (colored), and when it is cooled to room temperature, it is fixed in the cloudy (colored) state. Materials of this type include those that become transparent when heated and cooled to a higher first temperature, become cloudy when heated and cooled to a lower second temperature, and those that become more opaque when cooled to a second temperature.
When heated and cooled to the second temperature, the color disappears, and when heated to a lower second temperature and then cooled, black, red, blue and the like are developed.

As the support 27, a plastic film such as PET, polyvinyl chloride, polyacetate, or a material in which a pigment (especially white) is dispersed therein is usually used. As the transparent support, a plastic film made of the same material as the support is used.
% Or more, more preferably 70% or more, particularly preferably 80% or more. The thickness of the transparent support is 50 μm to 35 μm.
It is preferably about 0 μm, more preferably 75 μm to 250 μm.

The material of the protective layer 22 (0.1-5 μm in thickness) laminated on the reversible thermosensitive recording layer 21 may be silicone rubber, silicone resin, polysiloxane graft polymer, ultraviolet curable resin or electron beam curable resin. Resins. In any case, a solvent is used at the time of coating, and it is desirable that the solvent does not easily dissolve the resin of the reversible thermosensitive recording layer and the organic low molecular weight substance. Examples of the solvent that hardly dissolves the resin and the organic low-molecular substance in the heat-sensitive recording layer include n-hexane, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol. In particular, alcohol solvents are desirable in terms of cost.

Further, an intermediate layer can be provided between the protective layer and the reversible thermosensitive recording layer in order to protect the reversible thermosensitive recording layer from the solvent and the monomer component of the protective layer forming solution. As the material of the intermediate layer, the following thermosetting resins and thermoplastic resins can be used in addition to those listed as the resin base material in the reversible thermosensitive recording layer. That is, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl butyral, polyurethane, saturated polyester, unsaturated polyester, epoxy resin, phenol resin, polycarbonate, polyamide and the like can be mentioned. The thickness of the intermediate layer is preferably about 0.1 to 2 μm.

[0043]

As described above, the thermosensitive recording card according to the first aspect of the present invention has a configuration in which the reversible recording display section and the invisible information recording area do not overlap with each other in position. The unevenness formed by the invisible information recording area does not affect the reversible recording and display section, and uniform heating is performed when the heating apparatus heats the reversible recording and display section, causing erasure failure. There is an effect of not doing. That is, according to the configuration of the present invention, reliability in print erasure is improved.

Furthermore, a composite function of information recording by the reversible recording and display unit and information recording by the invisible information recording area can be used, and a security card which is difficult to forge or falsify can be realized.

Alternatively, in the thermal recording card according to the second aspect of the present invention, at least a part of the invisible information recording area is provided at the center of the thermal recording card, so that the card is hardly warped. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the conveyance failure caused by the curl, and to improve the card handling function. Further, since the flatness of the card is ensured, there is an effect that the magnetic recording function can be easily added.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a front surface of a first embodiment of a thermal recording card according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a back surface of the thermal recording card shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a back surface of a second embodiment of the thermal recording card according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of a thermal recording card according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a thermal recording card according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a fifth embodiment of a thermal recording card according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of functions of the thermal recording card according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a curl.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the back surface of a conventional thermal recording card.

FIG. 10 is a state change diagram of a thermosensitive recording layer.

FIG. 11 is a state change diagram of another heat-sensitive recording layer.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a sixth embodiment of the thermal recording card according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermal recording card 1a Front surface 1b Back surface 2 Reversible recording display part 3 Invisible information recording area 21 Reversible thermosensitive recording layer 22 Protective layer 23 Print layer 24 Print protective layer 25 Adhesive layer 26 Aluminum vapor deposition layer 27 Support 28 Infrared absorbing layer 29 Concealing layer 30 Infrared reflecting layer 31 Magnetic layer 32 Adhesive layer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A reversible thermosensitive recording layer is provided on one surface of a support, and a reversible recording display part is formed in at least a part of the reversible thermosensitive recording layer. An invisible information recording area configured to form a convex portion on the surface is provided in a partial area of the surface, and the invisible information recording area on the other surface is the reversible recording and display unit on the one surface. A heat-sensitive recording card provided outside a region corresponding to the reversible recording display unit or at least a part thereof is provided in contact with a region corresponding to the reversible recording display unit. 2. The thermal recording card according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the invisible information recording area is provided at a central portion of the thermal recording card. 3. The thermal recording card according to claim 1, further comprising an adhesive layer between the support of the invisible information recording area and the visible information recording area.