KR20090108650A - Method of fabricating electronic cards including at least one printed pattern - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing electronic cards, that comprises the following steps: A) forming a plurality of card bodies in the form of a thick sheet (36) in which is respectively imbedded a plurality of electronic units or modules (28); B) printing a plurality of first patterns (14) on a first face (21) of said thick sheet in a printing station in which ink is applied on the first face for making said first patterns; C) applying a first at least partially transparent coating (38) on each printed first pattern, that adheres to said card body. In an advanced embodiment, the method also comprises printing a plurality of second patterns (40) on the inner surface of a film (38) forming said first coating. Preferably, the printing of the first patterns is carried out in an offset type station for printing high definition patterns, essentially of the security type. The second patterns essentially define personal data. The printed thick sheet (36) defines an intermediate product according to the invention.

Description

METHOD OF FABRICATING ELECTRONIC CARDS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE PRINTED PATTERN}

The present invention relates to the manufacture of an electronic card, ie a card comprising at least one electronic unit and of any shape or contour. More specifically, the present invention relates in particular to the manufacture of an electronic card having at least one printing pattern protected by an at least partially transparent coating, such as an overlay.

In particular in the practice of the present invention, the manufactured card has a printing pattern on two flat planes of the card, each printing pattern being protected by at least partially transparent plating.

It should be noted that the method according to the invention applies to all types of electronic cards with various thicknesses and various dimensions. However, the method according to the invention is particularly efficient and advantageous for producing electronic cards with relatively small thicknesses, for example approximately 0.8 millimeters, such as bank cards with very small thicknesses.

The present invention relates in particular to a card with a high quality printing pattern, for example a bank card or identification card which has become a security impression which is difficult to forge.

A card making method is known from US Patent No. WO 2004/074000, where data recording is performed by a laser beam after a plurality of card layers have been assembled. For this purpose, a special layer, which can be recorded with a laser, is inserted into the card. This method of writing letters or patterns is limited and requires a relatively long period of time because the laser beam must follow a line that matches the desired pattern. This method can be used for individual card recording. However, this method cannot be used to completely cover a specific surface of a card or to make a pattern with a different color. In addition, this technique requires the integration of a special laser sensitive layer in the card. This laser recording technique therefore does not fall within the scope of the present invention, which relates to the technique of printing with ink deposited on the sheet surfaces or solid layer forming the manufactured cards.

1, a conventional electronic card manufacturing method for printing patterns with ink on both sides of the card will be described below. Three main steps can be embodied in this conventional method. First, an inlay 2 constituting a plurality of electronic modules 4 is formed. The electronic module 4 is formed of a substrate 6 containing various electronic elements 8, 9 and 10. The electronic module may be of any type and may be formed of electronic devices connected to each other without a substrate, for example. In the next step, two opaque intermediate layers 12 and 13 are provided, on which the first and second patterns 14 and 15 are printed, respectively. In order to obtain a high quality print, it is desirable that the colors of the intermediate layers become white. In addition, those skilled in the art select PVC layers of sufficient thickness, for example, usually larger than 100 microns, to ensure that the intermediate layers remain stable while the first and second patterns are printed. In order to obtain a card with a high definition print, in particular an identification card, the person skilled in the art preferably selects intermediate layers having a thickness between 120 and 150 microns. Finally, two transparent overlays 16 and 17 are positioned on the print patterns, inlay 2, two intermediate layers 12 and 13 and two overlays 16 and 17 (vertical arrows) Located within a laminating station to form various layers, thereby forming a plate forming a plurality of printed electronic cards. Individual cards are obtained by finally cutting off the plates.

The thickness of the transparent overlays 16 and 17 is generally between 50 and 100 microns, preferably between 60 and 80 microns.

Typically, when using a bank card with a thickness between 0.76 and 0.86 mm according to the ISO standard, the overall thickness of the outer protective layers and intermediate layers is, for example, 60 microns with intermediate layers having a thickness of 120 microns. It should be noted that the outer layers with a thickness of up to 360 microns (0.36 mm) are selected. Thus, in order to obtain a card that is within the ISO standard mentioned above, the inlay containing the electronic units must have a thickness of less than 480 microns, in other words 400 to 480 microns.

Since the height of the inlay 2 is limited, the height of the electronic elements that can be integrated in the inlay 2 is also limited. If the electronic card comprises at least one electronic device, for example approximately 300 microns in height, the thickness of the material forming the inlay is slightly thinner or thicker than the thickness of the electronic device. In such a situation, it is difficult to obtain an inlay with a suitable flat surface and homogeneous behavior when heat is applied. Thus, during the laminating step of the conventional method described above, the intermediate layers will easily cause local deformation in overlapping regions on the electronic elements. Due to the fact that the inlay 2 often has surface waviness, it is necessary to supply a relatively large amount of thermal energy during lamination in order to reduce this waviness to the maximum possible. Offsetting for inlay deformation and wave shape under the thermal effect causes deformation in the intermediate layers, and because of the location of these intermediate layers in the laminated multi-layers, the intermediate layers are softened and are easily exposed to deformation or slightly Unfolds. As these interlayers receive substantially more thermal energy than inlays and have a smaller thickness than the inlays, the interlayers generally undergo the most significant deformation. Since these intermediate layers 12 and 13 have printed patterns, the patterns are easily damaged during the final laminating step.

In the areas where the electronics are located, considering the small thickness of the material in these areas when the electronics are close to the surfaces of the inlay, the inlay 2 is removed when heat is present that affects the surface state of the inlay. It should be noted that local deformations occur due to different behavior of the forming materials. Thus, during the laminating step in which thermal energy is supplied to assemble the various layers, the behavior of the material in the areas where the electronics are located and any bumps due to the presence of these electronics are found in the softened intermediate layers. It produces a small displacement of the material in a local manner, which causes the printed patterns to be displayed on the intermediate layers. Finally, greater hardness of the electronic devices will be mentioned, which easily indicate the intermediate layers during lamination when the intermediate layers are located at a short distance from the electronic elements.

The conventional fabrication method described above allows the inlays constituting the electronic units or modules to be made with flat surfaces in the press, so that the electronic units or modules are bent during card manufacture. One of ordinary skill in the art regards this fact as a key factor when manufacturing electronic cards, in particular when electronic units or modules have a relatively large size and / or electrical connection between various electronic devices. Thus, the inlay 2 or the center sheet is prevented from bending or warping during the whole card making method.

Next, the skilled person in the prior art regards the conventional method mentioned above as appropriate for obtaining high quality printing on both sides of the card. The opaque interlayers form a flat surface and a homogeneous printing support. In addition, those skilled in the art consider that such intermediate layers need to be used to accommodate high definition printing patterns, especially when they use cylinder printing stations, in particular offset type printing stations. Since the printing station tauts over the cylindrical surfaces of the cylinders, the person skilled in the art manufactures, on the one hand, an inlay that integrates the electronic elements and on the other hand by means of a plastic material, for example a PVC sheet. Create high quality prints on a wholly formed uniform layer. Next, these layers are assembled at a laminating station where the layers are pressed between the flat surfaces to be assembled.

Thus, it is observed by those skilled in the art that there is a general tendency to use homogeneous plastic sheets, having a thickness of approximately 100 to 150 microns, as a support for printing of high quality, in particular for offset printing. One skilled in the art knows that these sheets will behave properly in a cylinder printing station. Thus, they separate the forming of inlays that unite the electronics from printing on a homogeneous flexible support. Next, they assemble these layers with a general level of technology to obtain electronic cards with print patterns visible on both sides of the cards. The intermediate layers used as printing support should preferably have a certain thickness to ensure that the support becomes stable at the printing station and to limit separating these intermediate layers during the subsequent laminating step.

Thus, as already mentioned, the conventional method used by those skilled in the art has the first drawback due to the limited thickness of the inlay 2, which limits the height of the integrated electronic devices and As they pass into the hot press used to form the final card, they cause deformation in the printed intermediate layers.

It should be noted that other drawbacks of the conventional method described above are in a non-limiting manner. By laminating a multi-layer consisting of an inlay with a thickness less than 500 microns, two interlayers each having a thickness less than 100 microns and two transparent outlays with a thickness between 60 and 80 microns They require the use of relatively expensive laminating stations. In addition, since the inlay 2 may have some surface wave and internal stress, it is a material from which it is formed, and laminating the various layers is particularly a parameter included in the method, namely the length and pressure of the laminating cycle, You need to control how the card is made to control the temperature. Given the critical know-how needed to produce high quality cards, it is desirable that the laminating step be performed with these techniques by experts. Therefore, in addition to the fact that it is very difficult to obtain a card with high definition printing patterns without local damage, it should be noted that manufacturing such a card must be performed by a professional manufacturer in order to obtain a high quality card. . therefore

Flexibility in the card manufacturing finish, practically expected from the individual fabrication of the inlays constituting the electronics and the interlayers printed on the plastic sheet printing station, is not practically available. Thus, at least in part, it is not practically possible to consider performing final assembly and printing of the card in a region other than the distributor or card user.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic card manufacturing method that overcomes the various drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above by providing a reasonable solution for providing electronic cards with very high quality printing patterns, in particular high definition patterns, in an efficient manner. Is to suggest.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a card making method having a personalized pattern and a high definition security pattern which can have a lower sharpness. It can be printed and the card can be easily completed in another location to ensure protection of the personalized pattern by adding at least partially transparent coating.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a card making method, wherein each card comprises at least one electronic unit integrated into or embedded in the card body and comprising at least a first printing pattern on the side of the first surface of the card body. This card making method,

A) forming a plurality of card bodies in the form of a thick film sheet in which each of the plurality of electronic units or modules are integrally embedded or embedded;

B) printing a plurality of first patterns on the first surface of the thick film sheet in a printing station where ink is deposited on the first surface to form first patterns,

C) disposing at least partially transparent coating over each first printing pattern, wherein the transparent coating is adhered to the card body.

In a main embodiment of this method, a plurality of second patterns are also printed on the second surface of the thick film sheet at the printing station, in which ink is deposited on the second surface and at least partially transparent coating is the card body. It is disposed on each second printing pattern bonded to the. In this case, the first and second coatings, in particular two plastic films, are added at the same time after the first and second patterns are printed. This coating can also be formed by transparent ink or lacquer deposited by being transferred from the ink support. In the latter case, the lacquer or transparent ink is preferably deposited directly after each surface has been printed.

According to one preferred variant, the thickness of the thick film sheet forming a plurality of card bodies incorporating or embedding respective electronic units or modules is greater than or nearly two thirds of the final thickness of the manufactured cards. same. In particular, for cards with an ISO thickness between 0.76 and 0.84 mm, the thickness of the printed thick film sheet is preferably greater than or nearly the same as 0.60 mm (600 microns), with the two outer films each having two coatings. Form them.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, the printing station used for printing the plurality of first patterns on the first surface of the thick film sheet consists of several cylinders used as printing support. . Thus, the thick film sheet incorporating a plurality of electronic units or modules is continuously arranged on the surfaces of the cylinders during the printing step. The thick film sheets are thus curved or bent at the printing station, which one of ordinary skill in the art would normally avoid. In particular, the printing station is an offset printing station for high definition printing or a similar printing station.

It should be noted that it is also possible to provide several continuous prints on the surfaces of the thick film sheet. For example, first of all, a high-definition first pattern, in particular an encryption pattern, is made on the first surface of the thick film sheet, which means that it is difficult to duplicate without implementing important means. Next, a second print, which generally has lower clarity but not necessarily at the client's station, can be provided either directly on the first print or continuously on at least partially transparent fine interlayer arranged over the first print. . This second print may define personal information.

It should be noted that prints following the first patterns may be provided on the thick film sheet on each card body after the step of cutting the card body in the sheet. In the latter case, a coating is added to the printing patterns of each of the individual card bodies in order to complete the card sequence at the station.

Generally, in the method according to the invention, or in a batch method of manufacturing a card from a plate or sheet (a sheet with electronic elements integrated or embedded in a plate or a sheet without these electronic elements), each card is After printing independently, an advantageous method is provided for covering the card's print with a plastic overlay of a certain thickness. Each card body, which may or may not include the first printed pattern, is cut from the plate into an initial contour having a size larger than the contour of the final card. Next, at least one particular print is printed on each card body and an overlay having a thickness of, for example, 40 to 80 microns is added on top, with or without the thin film layer, and the card The cards are assembled in turn in a small press to accommodate the larger shapes of the bodies. Finally, the final contour of the card cuts the inside of the initial contour. This allows for the individual production of the card in a second independent step of the production method, with a clean card edge with a uniform cutting surface and a laminated overlay with the card body, thus enabling high quality card production.

The invention also relates to a card making method wherein each card comprises at least one electronic unit integrated into or embedded in the card body and comprising at least a first printing pattern on the side of the first surface of the card body. This card making method,

A) forming a plurality of card bodies in the form of a thick film sheet to form or embed a plurality of electronic units, respectively,

B) printing a plurality of first patterns on the first surface of the thick film sheet such that each first pattern is on a different card body,

C) printing a plurality of second patterns on the surface of the partially transparent film or on each of the plurality of partially transparent films,

D) arranging the film or the plurality of films on the side of the first surface of the thick film sheet, wherein each second pattern is located on a different card body, or cuts the card bodies in the thick film sheet. After the step of arranging the plurality of films on each of the plurality of card bodies, such that the printing surface of the films or films is located on the printing surface of one part of the film or on the side of the thick film sheet or the film One of the printed surfaces is located on the side of each card body and the first patterns are at least partially visible through the film or the films,

E) assembling the thick film sheet into the film or the plurality of films or assembling each card body into one of the films or as part of the film.

While retaining the advantages of the present invention described above, the method improves, in particular, allowing complex prints with personalized patterns such as those appearing on high-definition encryption patterns, e.g. bank cards or identification cards, to form a general basic print. A second print pattern is arranged on a different support above or above this basic print. Therefore, according to the improved manufacturing method, it is possible to easily overlap a high-definition encryption pattern and a personalized pattern that are not substantially perceived by the naked eye.

The term "personalised pattern" or "personal data" refers to any print whose characteristics change based on what it is for, that is, for the company, for personal use, or what the animal or object is. it means. This personalized print can be multiple and / or one photograph, logo, brand, or the like.

Cutting individual cards may be performed before step D) or after step E). Steps D) and E) can be performed at about the same time when the film is positioned in contact with the card body by an assembly press. Thus, it is possible to work with the plate until the final cutting of the card or to complete the cards in turn by assembling each card body with each transparent overlay. It is even conceivable for a card body, each card body separately added (already cut) to face a portion of the film containing the printed pattern and a station with a plurality of printed patterns on the same film. Then, for example, a hot press can be used to assemble the part of the film into a separate card body and only that part of the film is cut in the card body. The operation can therefore be carried out continuously using a film in the form of a strip, such as a photographic film. Preferably, the final contour of each card is cut in each card body, which has a larger size than the contour of the final card.

According to one preferred variant, after the printing step B), the first printing surface is covered with a protective film or lacquer to protect the first printing patterns before the step D).

According to a first particular variant, the protective film or the lacquer is detachably arranged on the first printing surface of the thick film sheet and at least partially transparent film (s) are arranged on the first printing surface. These features ensure that the first printed patterns are protected until the moment at least partially transparent film (s) including the print with the second patterns are added over the first printed pattern of the thick film sheet. Thus, the thick film sheet can be stored and / or transported after printing without any risk of damaging the printing patterns. This is particularly important when the first print patterns form a high definition encrypted print.

According to another particular variant, the protective film or lacquer covering the first surface of the thick film sheet is suitably adhered to the sheet and these are at least partially transparent films or films between the thick film sheet and at least partially transparent during assembly in step E). It is chosen to form. The same benefits are obtained in another particular variant described above, but the protective film or lacquer forms part of the card made and thus is made at least partially transparent.

In some special fields and in some markets, especially in the identification card market, the improved method according to the invention means that steps B) and D) can be easily carried out at different production sites, which can be located in different countries. do. Thus, for example, a first printing pattern on a thick film sheet defines a general encrypted print that requires very good control of printing technology and expensive equipment, and a second printing pattern on a transparent film has lower sharpness. It is to define a personalized print that is printed in a country of destination that has less, requires less know-how and uses less expensive means.

Preferably, the improvement method according to the invention allows two at least partially transparent overlays to be laminated with a thick film sheet and to be printed on both sides via a small supply of energy relative to the amount of energy generally used in step A). This limits the deformations of the thick film sheet and even prevents any perceptible deformations in the first printed patterns. However, because of the greater stability of the printed sheets, it is also possible to consider fabrication with heat supply, in particular as in the prior art, with little or no deformation. This should be provided to allow heat to reach the intermediate plate when the stack of plates in the hot press is arranged.

As in the method according to the invention, which was first mentioned, in a preferred embodiment, surprisingly, the person skilled in the art does not consider such an electronic card manufacturing method with a very high quality printing pattern, in which the first method is described. The printing station for the pattern consists of several cylinders used as a printing support, and the thick film sheet incorporating a plurality of electronic units is continuously arranged on the surface of the cylinders during the printing step and thus bent several times in the printing station. Lose. Surprisingly, various tests have shown that electronic units or modules embedded in a relatively more flexible thick film sheet can, in some cases, pass through this type of printing station without damaging the electronic units or modules. When certain electronic devices have a significant size, care will be taken to provide some flexibility and capacity to these elements to elastically deform if possible. Precautions may be necessary regarding the electrical connections and couplings between electronic devices. In particular, sliding electrical contact with the flexible support would be desirable.

Preferably, the printing station provided for the first patterns is an offset printing station or similar printing station for making high definition printing.

According to one variant embodiment, the plurality of third patterns are also printed on the second surface of the thick film sheet at the printing station, and at least partially transparent coating is each third printing which is glued to the card bodies formed by the thick film sheet. It is placed over the pattern. Preferably, the first and second films are added and assembled during the same step after the various printing steps are performed.

As in the method according to the invention which was first mentioned, in one preferred variant, the thickness of the thick film sheet is greater than or nearly equal to two thirds of the final thickness of the cards produced. In the particular case of a bank card, the thickness of the printed thick film sheet is preferably greater than or nearly equal to 0.60 mm.

Generally, it is also possible to provide a thin film resin layer arranged or deposited on the first printed surface of the thick film sheet, respectively on the second printed surface or on the printed surface of at least partially transparent film added to one or two of these surfaces. Do. The thin film resin layer is selected such that the thin film resin layer forms an adhesive boundary between the film and the thick film sheet. Generally, the thin film resin layer is arranged on a printed pattern. However, in one variant, it is possible to first deposit the thin film resin layer on the surface of the support and then print the resin. However, this latter variant is important, especially considering that it is difficult to avoid the ink spreading slightly during the assembly step by lamination in which a certain amount of thermal energy is transferred to the thin film resin layer.

The method according to the invention has several advantages. First, it is possible to manufacture inlays incorporating thicker electronic units than in the prior art in order to produce a card having at least one high quality print pattern protected by a transparent coating. Two different cases can be distinguished, wherein the thick film sheet according to the invention has an important advantage. In the first case, the card body with a larger thickness can incorporate higher electronic elements than the electronic elements which can be integrated in the prior art methods. In the second case, for a given electronic unit or module, the amount of material covering the top and bottom of the surfaces of the electronic elements is greater than in the case of the method according to the prior art. Thus, the thickness of the material forming the thick film layer above and below the electronic devices is larger, which can make it easier to obtain a completely flat surface state in order to improve the quality of printing. In fact, the flatness of the printed sheet is important to realize complete duplication of the printing pattern.

As already described, when the thickness of the material covering the electronics is too small, the electronics generally create some waviness on the card body surface. This is particularly the case when a sheet is formed which presses at least two plastic sheets to form the card bodies, and the electronic elements are arranged between these plastic sheets. As these electronic devices pass through the softened plastic layers, the material is deformed to cause the electronic devices to be contained or embedded in the plastic layer, which causes internal tensile forces or stresses in the material from which the layers are formed. When the sheets forming the card bodies are removed from the press, especially when there is only a small thickness covering the electronics, there is a tendency for some bumps to appear in the areas where the electronics are located.

The method according to the invention thus increases the thickness of the material covering the electronics and makes a better surface condition for the thick film sheet, forming a good printing support and showing a good level of flatness. In addition, the thick film sheet will remain more stable during the final assembly step with an at least partially transparent outlay. The important advantage is that the assembling step after the printing steps consists of assembling the thick film sheet forming the card bodies only for the relatively thin outlays, by another important advantage of the methods according to the invention. More is added. This assembly step is carried out by lamination for a relatively short time, ie at a relatively low temperature with a limited energy supply.

The outlays are generally stabilized by the surface of the press and only the middle layer is formed by the thick film sheet and no perceptible deformation will occur with the small amount of energy required for this final lamination step. This latter advantage is already of great importance as an advantage over the prior art method, which is necessary for the supply of more energy, given the presence of two intermediate sheets used as printing supports. Thus, within the scope of the present invention, the fact that printing directly onto sheets incorporating electronic devices has a thicker thickness, in which two individually printed intermediate layers can be eliminated and the printed patterns are transparent This means that the quality of the printed patterns does not decrease during the final assembly step protected by.

Another important advantage is in card making with back-to-back print. Since the first pattern and the second pattern are printed on both sides of the thick film sheet, it is relatively easy to ensure the relative position of the two patterns. In addition, during final assembly, this position will remain stable. This is because given that intermediate sheets can be moved more easily as the intermediate sheets are arranged between the inlay and the transparent outlay, the relative position can be changed during the final assembly step and an exact relative position is required during the final assembly. This is not the case in the prior art in which two patterns are respectively printed on two intermediate layers.

It should also be noted that other interesting advantages of the present invention. In order to ensure that the plastic layers are laminated correctly, it is desirable for a person skilled in the art to select layers with mat surfaces, ie with micro relief. Thus, in the prior art method described in the present invention, printing is generally performed on such matte plastic sheets. This surface condition limits the possible definition for the printed pattern. However, within the scope of the present invention, the latter may have smoother surfaces when the first pattern is printed onto the thick film sheet. This thick film sheet only needs to be produced, at least in the final stage, in a press with smooth surfaces. The thick film sheet resulting from the methods according to the invention can thus be perfectly smooth and flat, which means that very fine and very small characters or patterns can be printed, ie a very high definition print can be obtained. it means.

 First of all, the present invention is very advantageous within the scope of the improved method since the thick film layer constituting the electronic elements is fabricated. As mentioned above, this thick film layer may have flat and uniform surfaces. In addition, the thick film layer is stable because it has a minimum residual internal tensile force compared to the inner layers of the prior art. The thick film layer thus forms a very good support for high definition printing by card manufacturers or printing specialists. Thus, a thick film sheet is obtained which integrates the electronic elements and in particular has very high quality patterns, in particular at least one encryption pattern, on both sides. To get the final cards, what is missing from the printed thick film sheet is a clear protective coating. Transparent films can be printed relatively simply at an economical station and can be easily assembled into a thick film sheet, especially through a small energy supply, thus ensuring that the printing patterns are not damaged during this final assembly. Thus assembly of thick layers with overlays and printing on transparent overlays can be performed with less skilled personnel using less complex and less expensive stations. These steps may be performed at other locations by the client to stations belonging to the client.

In summary, during the final lamination or bonding after printing, only one central thick film sheet and two relatively thin outlays arranged therebetween are not deformed locally or entirely when there is a small amount of energy supply. The fact of having ensures that a card with a very high quality print that is not damaged during final bonding or lamination is guaranteed. This can increase industrial efficiency or yield and printing on transparent outlays and assembling on the central thick film sheet can be performed at different locations at different manufacturing sites where the thick film sheets are made and high quality printing on the surface of the sheets This means that it is done.

The invention also relates to an intermediate product or semi-finished product included in the card production method according to the invention. This intermediate product is formed by a sheet which forms each of a plurality of card bodies and integrally or embeds a plurality of electronic units, the sheet having a plurality of first printing patterns on a first surface.

In one advantageous variant, the plurality of first patterns are covered by a protective coating, in particular a plastic film, a resin layer or a lacquer. The lacquer can be of the kind, for example transparent ink, deposited with the aid of a transfer film.

In the first case, the protective coating is temporarily arranged on the thick film sheet. This protective coating is therefore not very adhesive to the sheet and can thus be removed.

In the second case, the protective coating tends to adhere stably to the sheet and thus form at least partially transparent layer for the card made from the intermediate.

In one particular example, the first patterns form a high-definition encryption pattern, in particular print elements or characters, that is substantially invisible to the naked eye.

The present invention finally relates to a plate obtained during the practice of the improved method of the present invention. The plate includes a thick film sheet or a thick film layer forming each of the plurality of card bodies and integrally or embedding the plurality of electronic units. This sheet has a plurality of first printed patterns on the first surface. The plate further comprises an at least partially transparent film arranged on the first surface of the thick film sheet or the thick film layer and has a plurality of second patterns on the inner surface, each card body having a first pattern and a second pattern; Connected, they are located at about the same height of the card.

In one particular variant, the plurality of first patterns and the plurality of second patterns are separated from each other by a thin, at least partially transparent layer forming an adhesive boundary surface.

In one preferred variant, the first patterns form high definition encryption patterns and the second patterns form partly personal information.

In another variant, the plate has at least one plurality of third printed patterns which are protected by at least partially transparent coating on the side of the first surface of the plate.

The invention will be further described by the following non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating a card making method according to the prior art, including back-to-back printing patterns.

Figure 2 diagrammatically shows a first embodiment of a card making method according to the present invention;

3 is a view showing a preferred embodiment of a thick film sheet integrally constructing a plurality of electronic units.

Figure 4 diagrammatically shows a second embodiment of a card making method according to the present invention;

5 and 6 diagrammatically show an offset printing station preferably used for printing thick film sheets according to the invention.

The first embodiment of the method according to the invention shown in FIG. 2 is characterized in that a thick sheet 20 is first formed, which thick film sheet comprises a plurality of electronic units 4 or Landfill The thick film sheet 20 forms a plurality of card bodies each including an electronic unit 4.

This thick film sheet 20 can be made by any technique known to those skilled in the art, in particular using several layers laminated or bonded to each other. In one variant, at least one central layer has openings, which receive at least the electronics 8 and 10. In another variant, the electronic unit 4 is integrated in a press in which the plastic layers are preferentially sufficiently softened so that the electronic unit 4 can penetrate these layers to form the housing of the electronic unit itself. Pressed in a controlled manner. In another variation, the thick film sheet 20 can be obtained by pouring or injecting the liquid resin.

Preferably, the flat surfaces 21 and 22 of the thick film layer 20 are opaque and have a particularly white color. However, certain areas of these surfaces may have other colors or may be transparent to show any type of display, logo or hologram at a lower height. Particularly for encryption purposes, it is also possible to consider partially printing over the transparent areas.

Surfaces 21 and 22 are obtained when thick film layer 20 is formed, which are preferably very flat and smooth in appearance. Since the thick film sheet 20 is thicker than the thickness of the prior art inlay shown in FIG. 1, if the person skilled in the art has learned the technique used to form the layer 20, the layer 20 inside Even if the electronic module 4 is present, the state of the surfaces 21 and 22 will hardly be affected. It should be noted that the thickness of the material forming the thick film layer 20 above and below the electronic devices 8 and 10 is much thicker than the thickness of the inlay 2 of FIG. 1. After the thick film layer 20 is formed in accordance with the present invention by the same technique, the surface waviness of the prior art inlay 2 does not appear again.

According to the method of the invention, the first patterns 14 and, in the variant described herein, the second patterns 15 are printed directly on the two surfaces 21 and 22 of the thick film layer 20 respectively. do. To this end, the thick film sheet 20 is inserted into a printing station. Preferably, the printing station is arranged for high definition printing, which can form patterns of very good quality with characters or symbols that are hardly perceptible to the naked eye in particular. A preferred printing station for printing the first patterns and the second patterns on the thick film layer 20 is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and will be described below.

After the first patterns and the second patterns 14 and 15 are printed on both sides of the thick film sheet 20, these printed patterns are, in certain variations, at least partially transparent films 16 and 17. Is protected by These films 16 and 17 are thus added to one of both sides of the thick film sheet 20 and may be laminated in a press (for example in a press with flat pressure surfaces or in a continuous press by cylinders or belts). It is assembled to one side of the thick film sheet by lamination or bonding. This assembling step requires little or no heat energy and thus can easily ensure the stability of the thick film sheet 20, that is, it can easily prevent any deformation of the surfaces 21 and 22 of the thick film sheet. It means. Thus, within the scope of the present invention, the printed patterns are not damaged by the final assembly of the layers. Finally, the cards are separated into plates along the vertical dashed lines in FIG.

In the case of forming a bank card, that is, in the case of forming a card having an ISO thickness between 0.76 and 0.84 mm, the thickness of the thick film layer 20 is between 600 and 720 microns, for example, each transparent outlay ( 16, 17) are between 60 and 80 microns thick. In general, according to the present invention, the thickness of the thick film layer 20 is preferably greater than or nearly equal to two thirds of the final thickness of the manufactured card. In the specific example given above, the thickness of the thick film layer 20 is greater than or nearly equal to 600 microns (0.60 mm).

When the thick film layer 20 is formed in a laminating process by the supply of heat to form a dense layer, the amount of energy required for forming the thick film layer 20 depends on the thickness of the thick film layer 20. This is significantly greater than the small amount of energy required for laminating outlays 16 and 17 with a relatively small thickness.

In a particular variant, a thin resin layer is added to the surfaces 21 and 22 of the thick film layer 20 that are external to the inner surfaces of the transparent layers 16 and 17. This suitably selected resin layer forms an adhesion layer, which promotes adhesion of the laminate layer, in particular when the ink forming the print patterns 14 and 15 is present and thus the films 16 and 17. The assembly of the thick film layer 20 is secured.

Typically, assembling the transparent layer to the thick film layer or adding a coating to each printed pattern is implemented to ensure that the film or coating is properly adhered to the corresponding card body, ie to the thick film sheet. The choice of inks and / or materials used is therefore of great importance. As mentioned above, in general, the presence of an adhesion interface formed by a thin film resin layer or lacquer enables a solid and durable assembly of transparent outlays with a central thick film sheet.

The use of the term "thick layer" or "thick sheet" may be such that the thick layer or thick sheet is composed of a plurality of sub-layers formed of the same materials or different materials. It doesn't mean you can't. Therefore, the thick film layer 20 may be made of various materials and may be made of various sublayers according to methods known to those skilled in the art. The important fact is that the thick film layer or thick film sheet 20 forms a support that can accommodate printing of a plurality of surfaces on at least one of the surfaces of the thick film sheet.

3 shows an improved variant of the thick film sheet formed according to the invention. In a first step, the inlay 24 comprises an integrated circuit connected to a laminating station, in particular a coil or antenna 30, with two plastic layers 26 and 27 with a plurality of electronic units 28 arranged therebetween. 29) are made in the communication units with. The layers 26 and 27 are pressed and softened to embed the electronic units 28 in the inlay 24 and thus are formed as best as possible. Some waviness, because the layers 26 and 27 are significantly deformed in the region of the coil 30 and the integrated circuit 29 so that the material is displaced from the two elements penetrating the two layers. Often appears on the surfaces of inlay 24 within the areas where these electrical elements are located.

It should be noted that in other variations, other electronic units or modules may be integrated within inlay 24 and may be formed by various techniques known to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that at least one electronic device may be arranged almost horizontally with at least one surface of inlay 24.

In order to obtain a thick film layer according to the invention with flat and uniform surfaces to have a very high quality of printing support, two, preferably opaque, color white layers 32 and 33 of the inlay 24 are provided. It is arranged on both sides and this assembly is disposed in the laminating station to form the multilayer structure 36. In the second step of forming the thick film layer 36, since no pattern is printed on the surfaces of the layers 32 and 33, it is necessary to reduce any internal tensile force or stress remaining in the inlay 24, and At a time, sufficient energy may be supplied to somewhat modify the layers 32 and 33 to offset any wave shape present on the surfaces of the inlay 24.

This variant of forming the thick film layer 36 has various advantages. Inlay 24 can be made at low cost without having to have properly flat surfaces at this stage. Next, inlay 24 may have non-uniform surfaces of different materials, and in particular may have at least one electrical element that is substantially horizontal to the surface of the inlay. In particular, inlay 24 may be formed of transparent or translucent materials that are not suitable for high contrast quality printing. In one variation, inlay 24 is initially added to a viscous liquid state to coat or embed electronic unit 28 and thus form a dense layer with little or no internal tensile force or stress. It is formed by the resin.

Adding two layers 32 and 33 and assembling the two layers to inlay 24 at the laminating station provides a thick film layer 36 having flat and smooth surfaces, thus providing a thick film sheet ( On each side of 36), a uniform printing surface is formed in a homogeneous manner at the printing station and assembled by lamination or bonding, as shown schematically in FIG. By way of example, the thickness of inlay 24 may be between 400 and 500 microns and the thickness of coating layers 32 and 33 may be between 80 and 100 microns. Preferably, these thicknesses are selected to obtain a thick film sheet 36 having a thickness of 600 to 720 microns.

In the improved method described with respect to FIG. 4, as in the basic method according to the invention, a plurality of first patterns 14 are placed on the surface 21 of the thick film sheet 36 at the station in order to obtain high definition printing. Is printed. Next, a plurality of second patterns 40 are printed on at least partially transparent film 38 having a thickness of, for example, between 80 and 100 microns. In the variant shown in FIG. 4, the third patterns 15 are printed on the surface 22 of the thick film sheet 36 and the fourth patterns 41 are printed on the at least partially transparent second outlay 39. . In one particular example, only the third patterns 15 are provided on the side of the surface 22 of the thick film sheet 36, while in another variant, only the fourth pattern 41 printed on the film 39. Are provided only on the side of the surface 22. Preferably, the thickness of film 39 is approximately equal to the thickness of film 38.

After the set of patterns mentioned above is printed, the films 38 and 39 are assembled to the thick film sheet 36 together with the plurality of patterns 40 and, if necessary, the inner surface of the corresponding film, i.e. 38 and the plurality of patterns 41 arranged on the printed surfaces of the film 39 respectively are located on the side of the thick film sheet 36 so that the outlays 38 and 39 have a protective coating for the printed pattern. Form. This final assembly is carried out with lamination or bonding with little energy supply or without any heat. The first and second printed patterns are thus located at about the same height, thus providing a better visible appearance and better read contrast for the two patterns.

In a preferred embodiment, after the first patterns 14 and, where appropriate, the third patterns 15 have been printed on the surfaces of the thick film sheet 36, the printed surfaces at least temporarily protect the printed patterns. In order to be covered with a protective film, a resin layer or a lacquer. This is implemented as soon as possible after the patterns have been printed on the sheet 36.

In a first variant, the protective film or lacquer is arranged in a detachable manner and removed prior to the final assembly step shown in FIG. 4. They thus have a temporary protection function between the moment the sheet 36 is printed at the appropriate station and assembling at least the first to the outlays 38 and 39 having a plurality of print patterns.

In the second variant, the protective film or lacquer added to the surface of the thick film sheet 36 is stably assembled and maintained in the thick film sheet, thereby forming the final card layers. In this case, the material forming the protective film or lacquer will be selected to form an adhesion boundary between the thick film sheet 36 and the films 38 and 39. In each of the variants, as the basic method described above, a thin film resin layer may be deposited between the thick film sheet 36 and the outlays 38 and 39 to enhance the adhesion of the outlays. In some cases when there is ink forming print patterns that do not adhere well to either the thick film sheet or the outlay, the adhesion boundary between the first and second overlapping patterns in the final cards, in some cases, Outlays can significantly increase adhesion to the central thick film layer.

Here, the outlays 38 and 39 are added to the thick film sheet 36 or a plurality of unique films each having a pattern printed on one surface are added to the plurality of card bodies formed by the thick film sheet, respectively. You should be careful. In both cases, this operation is preferably performed before the final cutting operation of the card in the manufactured plate. However, in one variant, the card bodies are to be separated from the thick film sheet and a plurality of outlays each having a pattern printed on one surface is obtained by adding to the card bodies, respectively and accordingly the card body in the card by the card method. It is possible to be assembled to. In the latter case, the final card contour can be cut again to get a clean cut surface. Preferably, this final contour is performed inside the initial contour of the cut card body.

Therefore, the thick film sheet 36 forms the intermediate or semi-finished product developed in the card manufacturing according to the present invention. The fabrication process of the thick film sheet 36 requires the know-how characteristic of a particular card procedure. As mentioned above, forming thick film sheets whose thickness is greater than or equal to two thirds of the final thickness of the card can be achieved by means of a suitable method to obtain completely flat and preferably smooth surfaces which form a good printing support. It means that there is. Thus, in particular, at least one pattern is printed on the first surface of the thick film sheet 36 at the printing station to perform high definition printing. To do this, the present invention proposes to insert the thick film sheet 36 directly into the printing station. According to a preferred variant of the invention, the thick film sheet 36 is inserted in a printing station of the offset type or in a similar station where printing is performed.

Next, in an improved method according to the invention, an at least partially transparent film 38 having a second printing pattern on the inner surface of the film is added to the first surface of the thick film sheet 36 on which the first patterns have been printed. . The thick film sheet is preferably assembled into the film 38 before cutting the cards in the plate accordingly. In a more sophisticated variant, as shown in FIG. 4, the third patterns are printed on the second surface of the thick film sheet 36 and the fourth patterns are printed on the inner surface of the second film covering the third patterns. However, various modifications may be provided, for example to provide cards having a back side with a single printing pattern. In particular, if the pattern provided on the back side of the card has general characteristics and is common to the batch of plates on which the card is made, it would be desirable for printing to be performed on the second surface 15 of the thick film sheet 36.

In one particular variant, printing onto the second surface 22 may form only a uniform background in a particular color. Only third patterns are provided on the back side of the card and when they are printed on the second surface of the thick film sheet, it is not necessary to provide an outlay, but only transparent ink or lacquer deposited using a transfer film. You may. The lacquer of this transparent ink forms a protective coating for the third printed pattern. Transparent protective ink in which a final passage for assembling the thick film sheet into the transparent film added to the first surface of the thick film sheet, in particular by bonding, is previously added to the back side of the thick film sheet within the laminating process. Or it may be used to improve the surface condition of the lacquer. The final assembly step thus allows a smooth, bright surface to be obtained on the back of the card without adding an outlay. However, it should be noted that it is desirable to provide a symmetric multilayer structure where heat must be used for final assembly.

The plates obtained for the improved manufacturing method form the subject of the present invention, just as the cards are cut into plates.

On the at least one of the surfaces of the thick film sheet, the intermediate product in the form of a thick film sheet 36 having a plurality of first patterns, which may or may not be protected by a film or lacquer, and integrally constitutes the electronic units. The manufacture of semi-finished products has an important advantage, particularly for the manufacture of identification, driver's licenses or other official documents containing personal information. Personal information is generally protected by the state, which has identification, driver's licenses or other documents of public nature. For the purpose of confidentiality and privacy, some states may not want to send the information to card makers located overseas. However, the present invention provides a sufficient solution to solve this problem, since the production of cards with high-definition patterns that are integral to electronic units and for encryption purposes, which is difficult to duplicate, cannot always be carried out in the country concerned. do.

In fact, according to the invention, it is possible to manufacture a card in two unique steps. First, a thick film sheet containing electronic units and having very high quality flat surfaces is produced and according to the invention at least one of a plurality of encryption type patterns are printed on one surface of the thick film sheet. Printing such encryption patterns is relatively complicated and requires expensive means and special know-how. Therefore, tasks requiring special know-how and complex and expensive manufacturing means can be carried out by one of the few manufacturers who can produce these intermediates. Secondly, variables and / or personal information may be printed by clients, particularly designated states within state boundaries. Personalized patterns generally do not require high definition and thus can be performed on transparent plastic films laminated with thick film sheets according to the invention in less complex and less expensive conventional printing stations. In the second step, the client can continue to make cards in the plates or complete the cards in one card by the card station. In such a case, the client may receive printed and precut card bodies in the intermediate according to the invention.

As already mentioned, the transparent film is preferably assembled and added to the thick film sheet before cutting the arrangement of the cards. However, it is also possible to consider doing this with a card after cutting a plurality of card bodies from a thick film sheet. This latter variant is less advantageous and increases the problem with the quality of the final card, especially at the edge of the card. This is why, within the scope of the present invention, a preferred solution constitutes a step of assembling a thick film sheet printed with at least partially transparent and printed film prior to cutting cards in the plate.

Programming of the electronic units can be performed at different times and in various ways. Some data may be inserted during the manufacture of the electronic units, other data may be programmed after the manufacture of the thick film sheet, and once the client has accepted the printed thick film sheets, the identification card, driver's license or Even in the case of a bank card, another data related to it may be inserted. The pattern printed on the transparent film may depend on the contents of the memory arranged in the electronic unit to be read to generate the printed pattern. Thus each electronic module may have a unique number or personal code and each personalized pattern printed on the transparent film has at least one variable item of data for the unique number or personal code of the corresponding electronic unit. The transparent film is added to the thick film sheet such that the personalized first patterns are disposed facing the corresponding electronic units. The management of these steps and the entry of various data are accomplished using computer means known to those skilled in the art.

The at least partially transparent films 38 and 39 may be laminated together with the thick sheet 36 with a small energy supply relative to the amount of energy used to form the thick sheet 36.

Final assembly can be implemented under relatively simple presses without requiring any great know-how. Outlays 38 and 39 are relatively thin compared to thick film sheet 36 to remain stable and do not deform during this step. Outlays 38 and 39 are generally stabilized by the surfaces of the press. As already mentioned, it is also possible to provide an adhesive boundary surface in the form of a thin film resin layer, lacquer or even transparent ink, selected for adhesive properties to the materials of the outlays and thick film sheets. Thus, the client can easily make very high quality final cards with high definition print patterns, thus allowing for a reliable and stable official title that is difficult to duplicate.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a high-definition printing station of the Offset type will be described, provided in the preferred variant for printing patterns on at least one of the surfaces of the thick film sheets 20, 36 from below. This is not a detailed description of the printing station known to those skilled in the art in this field. Instead this shows the path of the thick film sheets 20, 36 at this printing station. This station comprises a plurality of printing units 52 arranged for printing different basic colors on the sheets 20, 36 for the respective units 52. For this purpose, each unit comprises a plurality of ink rollers 54 shown schematically. The cylinder 56 used as the support for the thick film sheet is connected to each printing unit 52. The sheets 20 and 36 are unfolded in series on each of these cylinders 56 and drive the sheet to coincide with the end of the ink roller 58. Between two adjacent cylinders 56, there is a rotating device 60 for transferring the sheets between the various printing units. Grip means 62 and 64 are arranged above cylinders 56 and above rotators 60, respectively. These grip means are used to pull the thick film sheets 20, 36 and cause the thick film sheets to rotate with the cylinder 56 to rotate the delivery device 60, respectively. Therefore, it should be noted that the thick film sheets 20 and 36 are bent several times in the offset printing station. Above the printing cylinder 56, the sheets are convexly curved while these sheets are concavely curved in the transfer area 66. Therefore, it is obvious that the thick film sheets 20 and 36 are subjected to mechanical stress in the printing station where the bending is briefly performed. The stations are provided for printing simple and homogeneous sheets.

Using such printing stations within the scope of the present invention acts to obviate the bias of those skilled in the art and allows for printing clean, high definition printing, in particular encryption patterns, directly onto the thick film sheet integrating the various electronic units. have.

Claims (36)

A card manufacturing method comprising: each card comprising at least one electronic unit integrated into or embedded in a card body, the card manufacturing method comprising at least a first printing pattern on a side of a first surface of the card body; How to make this card A) forming a plurality of card bodies in the form of a thick sheet, each uniting or embedding a plurality of electronic units or modules, B) printing a plurality of first patterns on the first surface of the thick film sheet in a printing station where ink is deposited on the first surface to form first patterns, C) disposing at least partially transparent coating over each first printing pattern, wherein the transparent coating is adhered to the card body. The method of claim 1, Printing a plurality of second patterns on the second surface of the thick film sheet in a printing station where ink is deposited on the second surface, and at least partially transparent over each second printing pattern adhering to the card body. Card manufacturing method comprising the step of adding a coating. The method of claim 2, The thick film sheet, which forms a plurality of card bodies in which each electronic unit is integrated or embedded, has a thickness that is greater than or nearly equal to two-thirds of the final thickness of the cards produced, and the two coatings each have two A card making method, characterized by being formed by outlays. The method of claim 3, wherein Wherein the cards have an ISO thickness between 0.76 and 0.84 mm and the thickness of the printed thick film sheet is greater than or substantially equal to 0.60 mm. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, And the coatings are laminated to the thick film sheet with a small amount of heat energy or without any amount of heat energy. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The printing station consists of several cylinders used as printing support, and the thick film sheet which integrally or embeds the plurality of electronic units is continuously arranged on the surfaces of the cylinders during the printing step. Card manufacturing method, characterized in that the bending several times in the printing station. The method of claim 6, And the printing station is an offset printing station or a printing station for high definition printing. The method according to claim 6 or 7, The first pattern is a card manufacturing method, characterized in that it is a security print that can include a print pattern that is in particular virtually unrecognizable to the naked eye. A card manufacturing method comprising: each card comprising at least one electronic unit integrated into or embedded in a card body, the card manufacturing method comprising at least a first printing pattern on a side of a first surface of the card body; How to make this card A) forming a plurality of card bodies in the form of a thick film sheet to form or embed a plurality of electronic units, respectively, B) printing a plurality of first patterns on the first surface of the thick film sheet in a printing station where ink is deposited on the first surface such that each first pattern is formed on a different card body, C) printing a plurality of second patterns on the surface of the partially transparent film or on each of the plurality of partially transparent films, D) arranging the film or the plurality of films on the side of the first surface of the thick film sheet, wherein each second pattern is located on a different card body, or cuts the card bodies in the thick film sheet. After the step of arranging the plurality of films on each of the plurality of card bodies, such that the printing surface of the films or films is located on the printing surface of one part of the film or on the side of the thick film sheet or the film One of the printed surfaces is located on the side of each card body and the first patterns are at least partially visible through the film or the films, E) assembling the thick film sheet into the film or the plurality of films or assembling each card body into one of the films or a portion of the film. The method of claim 9, B) after the printing stage, The card manufacturing method includes the step of covering the first printing surface with a protective film or lacquer to protect the first printing patterns before step D). The method of claim 10, The protective film or the lacquer is detachably arranged on the first printed surface of the thick film sheet and is removed before step D). The method according to claim 9 or 11, A thin resin layer is deposited on the first printing surface of the thick film sheet or on the films or the printing surface of the film, and the thin film layer is an adhesive boundary between the film or films and the thick film sheet. and a card making method for forming a adherence interface. The method of claim 10, The protective film or the lacquer is selected to form a layer of cards and to form an adhesive boundary between the film or the films and the thick film sheet. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, Card production method characterized in that the steps B) and D) are performed at different production sites. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, Wherein said first pattern forms a basic encrypted print and said second pattern forms a personal print. The method of claim 15, And the personal print requires a print with lower sharpness than the encrypted print. The method according to claim 15 or 16, And said basic encrypted print is a high-definition print that can include print elements that are substantially invisible to the naked eye. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, And the film or films are laminated with the individual card bodies or the thick film sheet with a small amount of heat energy or without any amount of heat energy. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, The printing station consists of several cylinders used as a printing support, wherein the thick film sheet incorporating or embedding the plurality of electronic units is continuously arranged on the surfaces of the cylinders during the printing step and at the printing station. Card production method characterized in that it is bent several times. The method of claim 19, And the printing station is an offset printing station or a printing station for high definition printing. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 20, The card making method includes printing a plurality of third patterns on a second surface of the thick film sheet at a printing station and arranging at least partially transparent coating on each third print pattern adhering to the card body. Wherein each third pattern is located on a different card body. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 20, The card making method includes printing a plurality of third patterns on at least partially transparent film and adding the film to the second surface of the thick film sheet such that the printing surface of the film is located on the side of the thick film sheet. Wherein each third pattern is located on a different card body. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 20, The card making method includes printing a plurality of third patterns on a second surface of the thick film sheet at a printing station and printing a plurality of fourth patterns on at least partially transparent film and Adding the film to a second surface of the thick film sheet such that a printing surface is positioned on the side of the thick film sheet, wherein each third pattern or each fourth pattern is located on a different card body. How to make a card. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein The thick film sheet forming a plurality of card bodies that integrally or embed each of the electronic units is a card manufacturing method, characterized in that the thickness is greater than or nearly equal to two-thirds of the final thickness of the cards produced; . The method of claim 24, The cards have an ISO thickness between 0.76 and 0.84 mm and comprise at least two partially transparent outlays, wherein the thickness of the printed thick film sheet is greater than or nearly equal to 0.60 mm. . In the intermediate product related to electronic card manufacturing, The intermediate product is formed by a sheet which integrally embeds or embeds a plurality of electronic units and forms each of a plurality of card bodies, the sheet having a plurality of first patterns printed with ink on the side of the first surface. And each of these patterns is connected to a different card body. The method of claim 26, The plurality of first patterns are covered with a protective coating, in particular covered by a plastic film, resin layer or lacquer. The method of claim 27, The protective coating is removably arranged on the first surface of the sheet. The method of claim 27, The protective coating is stably adhered to the sheet and is intended to form a layer of cards made from the intermediate. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 29, Wherein the first patterns form security patterns. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 29, And the sheet has a plurality of second printed surfaces each connected with a different card body on the side of the second surface of the sheet. A plate comprising a thick film sheet or a thick film layer which forms a plurality of cards and integrally embeds or embeds a plurality of electronic units, The thick film sheet or thick film layer each forms a plurality of card bodies and has a plurality of first patterns printed with ink on a first surface, wherein the plate is at least partially arranged on the first surface of the thick film sheet or thick film layer. A plate further comprising a transparent film and having a plurality of second patterns printed on the inner surface of the thick sheet or thick film layer, each card body being connected with a first pattern and a second pattern located at approximately the same card height. The method of claim 33, wherein And the plurality of first patterns and the plurality of second patterns are separated from each other by a thin, at least partially transparent layer forming an adhesive boundary surface. 34. The method of claim 32 or 33, Wherein the first patterns form high definition encryption patterns and the second patterns form at least partial personal information. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein And the first patterns are printed at an offset type printing station or similar printing station. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 35, And the plate has at least one plurality of third printed patterns protected by at least partially transparent coating on the side of the second surface of the plate.

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