Abstract:
The invention relates to a chip card with a card body that can be produced by injection-molding. The card body has a core component and an external component surrounding the core component. The external component has different material characteristics and/or a different color design than the core component.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to a novel chip card and process for manufacturing chip cards. This invention also relates to a device that may be used in the process for manufacturing chip cards.  
           [0002]    In conventional chip cards, such as those disclosed in EP 0 430 282 B1, several internal card layers, each consisting of a thermoplastic elastomer, are provided to achieve a flexible card structure. This layered structure permits higher stability of the chip card under a bending load. The disadvantage of these conventional chip cards is that the number of layers in each chip card, and the application of lamination technology to the chip cards, renders their production comparatively expensive.  
           [0003]    Some conventional chip cards are manufactured by injection-molding of a single plastic material. The physical and chemical characteristics of the chip card are determined exclusively by the chosen plastic material.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is an object of the invention to provide a chip card, a process for manufacturing a chip card, and a device for use in the manufacture of a chip card, wherein the chip card has material characteristics that may be adjusted, depending on the chip card requirements. In addition, the chip card may be easily and safely manufactured.  
           [0005]    A preferred embodiment of the invention which is intended to accomplish at least some of the foregoing objects includes a chip card having a core component and an external component surrounding the core component. Advantageously, the external and core components are comprised of materials that account for the different requirements for a core layer, on the one hand, and an outer cover or external layer, on the other hand. Such a chip card may be easily manufactured by injection-molding the chip card in a single manufacturing process.  
           [0006]    In one embodiment of the invention, the external component has a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm, so that the core component forms the largest volume of the chip card. The core component preferably is made of a recycled material, which thus can be reintroduced into the manufacturing process.  
           [0007]    In another embodiment of the invention, the core component may be comprised of a thermoplastic elastomer, thus improving the card&#39;s elasticity or stability under a bending load.  
           [0008]    The external and core components advantageously may consist of different materials, with the external component made of a visually attractive material and the core component made of a material exhibiting adequate material characteristics. Furthermore, a colorant may be added to the external component. This enables economically efficient production of the chip card.  
           [0009]    The invention also contemplates a device for the implementation of a manufacturing process for chip cards. The devices enables easy and safe production of chip cards from several components.  
           [0010]    The device, in accordance with the invention, allows injection of two components through one common nozzle in a single manufacturing step. The only adjustment parameter to be set is the ratio of volumes between the first and the second components.  
           [0011]    Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a front elevation view, in cross section, of a chip card in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view, in cross section, of a chip card in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a front elevation view, in cross section, of a chip card in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a schematic of a device for manufacturing chip cards in accordance with the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    The chip cards described below are manufactured by injection-molding using an injection molding machine. The machine is suitable for injecting several materials, preferably two, into a mold in sequence and/or almost simultaneously. The injection molding machine may be equipped with one nozzle, through which the materials are injected into the mold in sequence, or it may be equipped with two nozzles, one for each material, through which the two materials may be injected into the mold almost simultaneously. Preferably, an external component material enters the mold first and then, while cooling down, the external material is distributed over the wall of the mold when the core component is injected.  
         [0018]    Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like parts, and initially to FIG. 1, there will be seen a chip card  1  according to a first embodiment of the invention. The chip card  1  includes a core component  2  and an external component  3 . In this embodiment, the core component  2  comprises a recycled material, and the external component  3  comprises a prime material, such as a polycarbonate- (PC-) plastic material. The recycled material of the core component  2  may comprise ground stock or a shredded and/or regranulated, molten-down plastic material, such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polytetrafluoroethylene (PET), or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The core component  2  has a rather unattractive color as compared to the external component  3 . The material characteristics of the recycled material may be identical with those of the material used for the external component  3 .  
         [0019]    The core component  2  is completely enclosed by the external component  3 , so that the external component  3  surrounds and forms a protective layer about the core component  2 . The external component  3  preferably takes up 20% of the card volume, so that the chip card  1  is securely protected against any mechanical or temperature load by the external component  3 . The volume percentage of the external component  3  may, however, also be higher and reach up to approximately 40%. The bending characteristics of the chip card  1  are mainly determined by the material of core component  2 .  
         [0020]    The external component  3  includes a recess  4 , into which a chip module  5  may be inserted and held in perfect bonding. The recess  4  can, on the one hand, be generated by milling after the injection process, or, on the other hand, it can be formed during the injection process by lowering a movable die.  
         [0021]    According to a second embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, a core component  6  comprises a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and an external component  7  comprises a high temperature resistant material, such as PC. This material combination increases the bending elasticity of the chip card  1 . The chip card  1  is molded in mold  19 , with a projection  20  in the mold, providing the recess required for subsequent insertion of a chip module. An injection point  21 , through which the injection material is injected into mold  19 , is situated approximately in the center of one side of the chip card  1 .  
         [0022]    In a third embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 3, the chip card  1  includes a core component  8  comprising an ABS-material, and an external component  9  comprising a PC-material containing a color additive. Alternatively, the external component may comprise a polymethyl methacrylate- (PMMA-) material or a PFT- material. This allows any desired color design of the chip card  1 .  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 shows a device for injection-molding chip cards. The device includes an injection molding machine  10  having a main cylinder  11  and a subsidiary unit  12  having a subsidiary cylinder  13 . Cylinders  11  and  13  are designed as melting cylinders. In the subsidiary cylinder  13 , the external component  14  is molten. After the subsidiary unit  12  is moved into the nozzle area of main unit  10 , this molten component  14  is channeled through main injection nozzle  15  of the injection molding machine  10  into the main cylinder  11 . In main cylinder  11 , the molten material of the external component  14  displaces the core component  16 , which is already molten. In a subsequent injection process, the two components  14  and  16  are injected through main nozzle  15  into a mold space  17 , which is formed by the mold  18 . During this injection process, components  14  and  16 , in molten form, are injected into the mold  18  at a consistent flow rate. The external component  14  gradually attaches itself to the walls of the mold  18  and cools. The core component  16  attaches itself gradually to the outer skin formed by the external component  14 , thus filling the inner area of mold space  17 . This manufacturing process is easy to operate, because only the quantitative ratio between the materials has to be determined. During the injection process, no switch-over between the delivery systems for the external and the core components need be performed. It should be noted that the external component material  14  and the core component material  16  must be chosen such that they are not combinable chemically with each other within a temperature range that includes the operating temperature of the injection process. This operating temperature range for the injection process will depend on the materials chosen.  
         [0024]    As evident from FIG. 4, the auxiliary unit  12  may be moved in the direction of the up-down arrow, and the injection molding machine  10  may be moved in the direction of the side-to-side arrow.  
         [0025]    Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, and representative devices, shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.