JPS63288793A - Ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an I(3) card incorporating an IC module.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years, ICJ cards with built-in IC modules such as microcomputers and memories have been put into practical use due to their large storage capacity and security concerns.

Such an IC card, like conventional magnetic cards, has the great advantage of portability. Therefore, today, an important issue in putting IC cards into practical use is how to protect the IC module and improve its reliability in the environment in which it is carried, especially when IC cards are prone to bending. There is.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a conventional IC card.1. In Fig. 4, 1 is a card base material made of vinyl chloride, etc., 2 is an I
C module, 3 is a concave opening provided in the card base material 1;
4 is an input/output terminal for connection with the outside. In such a conventional IC card, the IC module 2 is fitted into the opening 3, and the bottom or side surface thereof is bonded and fixed to the card base material 1.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the IC card configured as described above, when the card base material 1 is bent, the bending stress is transmitted to the IC module 2, and the IC module 2 also bends. Therefore,
There is a risk of damaging the IC chip mounted inside and its peripheral components, and in extreme cases, the IC module 2 may peel off from the card base material 1. As described above, the conventional configuration has a serious problem in reliability against bending of the IC card.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has provided that even if the card base material is bent,
An IC with extremely high reliability against bending, in which the C module cannot be bent, and therefore the IC chip installed inside the I (j module and its surrounding parts) will not be damaged.
It is intended to provide a card.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the IC card of the present invention has the following features:
A notch is provided in an arbitrary shape near or in contact with the outer periphery of the concave opening of the card base material in which the 10 modules are embedded. The notch portion may penetrate through the card base material, or may be formed to a predetermined depth from the front surface, the back surface, or both the front and back surfaces of the card base material.

In the IC card constructed as described above, when the card base material is bent, the transmission of bending stress is blocked by the cutout, and almost no bending stress acts on the IC module embedded inside the cutout. Of course, if the notch is set in accordance with the mechanical strength of the IC module, bending stress acting on the IC module will not be a problem. Therefore, even if the card base material is bent, the IC module will hardly be bent, and the IC chip inside the module and its peripheral components will not be damaged.

Embodiments FIGS. 1A and 1B and 2A and 2B are perspective views of IC cards according to four embodiments of the present invention. In Figures 1 and 2, 1 is a card base material made of vinyl chloride, etc., 2 is an IC module with an IC chip inside, 3 is a concave opening for embedding the IC module, and 4 is a connection to the outside. The output terminal 6 is a small notch for blocking the transmission of bending stress. Figures 1a and b show the opening 3
This is an embodiment in which four minute notches 6 in an arc shape or a rectangular shape are provided in contact with the outer periphery of the opening 3. FIGS. This is an example in which four angular minute notches 5 are provided. Figure 1a
In the embodiment, the card base material 1 is provided with a concave opening 3,
The IC module 2 is embedded in this opening 3 and its bottom surface is fixed to the card base material 1 with adhesive. And opening 3
Notches 6 are provided at the four corners of. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the IC card having such a structure when it is bent. The amount of bending of the card base material 1 decreases as it approaches the opening 3 from the outside of the card base material 1 bent into an arc shape, and almost no bending occurs near the IC module 2. This is because the bending stress is relaxed by the minute notches 5 and is eventually cut off to below the mechanical strength of the IC module 2. Of course, at this time, since the side surfaces of the IC module 2 are not fixed to the card base material 1, the bending stress acting inside the opening 3 comes only from the thickness of the bottom of the opening 3 and is not a problem. . Also,
IC module 2 on its bottom.

In a structure in which both or both sides are fixed to the card base material 1, as in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6
If provided, the bending stress coming from the card base material 1 can be similarly blocked in the vicinity of the IC module 2. Therefore, in the IC card of this embodiment, even if the card base material 1 is bent, the IC module 2 will not be bent.

In this embodiment, a case where the front surface of the card base material 1 is convex has been described, but the same applies to a case where the back surface is convex. Furthermore, the notch 6 can penetrate the card base 1 or from one direction on the front and back sides, as long as it relieves the bending stress of the card base 1 to less than the mechanical strength of the IC module 2. It is sufficient to set the depth to a predetermined depth even from both directions, and there are no particular restrictions on its shape as long as it does not affect the aesthetic appearance of the IC card. Further, such a cutout portion 5 can be easily realized by pressing after the card base material 1 is completed or by stacking card base materials 1 with cutout portions formed in advance.

Effects of the Invention As described above, in the IC card of the present invention, bending of the card base material is blocked by the notch, so even if the card base material is bent, the IC module does not bend. The IC chip mounted on the IC chip and its peripheral members will not be bent, and there is no risk of damaging them. Therefore, the present invention can provide an extremely reliable IC card that does not impair the functionality of the IC module even when used as a portable card, which is most prone to bending. Furthermore, since the IC module and the card base material in the vicinity thereof do not bend, the adhesion between the IC module and the card base material is stable, and it is possible to obtain the effect that the IC module does not peel off.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are perspective views of an IC card according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the bending of the IC card, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a conventional IC card. 1... Card base material, 2... IC module, 3... Opening, 4... Input/output terminal, 5... Off Notch. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and one other person
-Kataichi Do Tomuse 2-10 Module No. 1 Figure 8-Kanro Part 4--
Jinkiriki 4jIA'5- 5- Notch? Part (a, 2 (b) Figure 2 (b)

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) Forming an opening for embedding the IC module in the card base material, arranging the IC module in the opening, and placing the IC module near or in contact with the outer periphery of the opening;
An IC card with multiple cutouts. (2) The IC card according to claim 1, wherein the notch passes through the card base material in the thickness direction. (3) The notch is formed to a predetermined depth from the front side where the input/output terminals of the IC module are exposed, or vice versa, from the back side, or from both the front and back sides. IC cards listed in Scope 1.