Patent Description:
In particular, it is known to use the metal frame of the card itself as such an antenna or amplifier, with the metal enclosure that surrounds the payment module chip having a discontinuity or "slit" in the metal. <CIT> and <CIT>, disclose metal cards with such a discontinuity in the form of a slit emanating from a mounting location of the RFID chip in the card to a peripheral edge of the card. The concept of a metal, card-shaped, non-contact antenna having a slit, for RFID signal amplification in a metal environment, is also described generally in the literature, such as at "<NPL>).

The '<NUM> Patent characterizes the metal frame of the card as an amplifier for amplifying the gain of the near-field communication antenna electrically connected to the microcircuit associated with the payment module, the amplifier comprising "an electrically conductive element electrically insulated from the microcircuit and from the antenna, of generally annular shape," which in some embodiments forms a ring that is broken at least once.

The Finn patents refer to the payment module as a "transponder chip module (TCM) comprising an RFID chip (IC) and a module antenna" and describes the amplifier formed by the card body as a "coupling frame" having "an electrical discontinuity comprising a slit or non-conductive stripe.

Regardless of the nomenclature used, metal "slit" cards may have some disadvantages. In particular, embodiments in which a single slit extends from a midpoint of one edge of the module pocket to the periphery of the card in a straight horizontal line that is the shortest path from the pocket to the periphery provides little resistance to flexure of the card at the discontinuity. Metal cards may still have one or more layers over the metal layer. For a card in which the one or more layers is plastic, the plastic may start to wear or whiten because of such flexure. Thus, there is a need in the art for designs that provide better resistance to card flexure and the potential wear induced thereby. Although Finn proposes some alternative constructions, there is still a need in the art for constructions that provide improved functionality and aesthetics.

<CIT> illustrates for example a capacitive coupling enhanced transponder chip module comprises an RFID chip, optionally contact pads, a module antenna, and a coupling frame, all on a common substrate or module tape. The coupling frame may be in the form of a ring, having an inner edge, an outer edge and a central opening, disposed closely adjacent to and surrounding the module antenna. A slit may extend from the inner edge to the outer edge of the coupling frame so that the coupling frame is "open loop". An RFID device may comprise a transponder chip module having a module antenna, a device substrate, and an antenna structure disposed on the device substrate and connected with the module antenna.

<CIT> relates to a passive smart card comprising a transponder chip module having an RFIC chip and a module antenna, and a coupling frame having an electrical discontinuity comprising a slit or non-conductive stripe. The coupling frame may be disposed closely adjacent the transponder chip module so that the slit overlaps the module antenna. The coupling frame may be moved to position the slit to selectively overlap the module antennas of one or more transponder chip modules disposed in the payment object.

<CIT> concerns a RFID tag is composed of the first antenna of metal film layer on which the IC chip is mounted and at least one second antenna of metal film layer on which the IC chip is not mounted. The metal film layer is formed on the base, and the metal film layer is formed on the base. The metal film layer partially overlaps the metal film layer with the base interposed between them, so that the first antenna and the second antenna are capacitively coupled to each other.

The invention is set out in claim <NUM>.

<FIG> show an exemplary transaction card or portion of a card <NUM>, having a card periphery <NUM> defined by left side <NUM> (also depicted in <FIG>), right side <NUM> (also depicted in <FIG>), top side <NUM> (also depicted in <FIG>), and bottom side <NUM> (also depicted in <FIG>). Left side <NUM> and right side <NUM> are parallel to one another, and top side <NUM> and bottom side <NUM> are parallel to each other. Sides <NUM> and <NUM> may be referred to as the "relatively shorter" sides and sides <NUM> and <NUM> referred to as the "relatively longer" sides. The portion of the card illustrated in <FIG> is a metal layer <NUM> having a front surface <NUM> (also depicted in <FIG>) and a back surface <NUM> (also depicted in <FIG>). It should be understood that the terms "front" and "back" are used herein for differentiation of the opposite surfaces, and no particular significance is intended by the use of these terms. Similarly the terms right and left and top and bottom are used to refer to the sides that form the periphery of the card, which terms are oriented from a view of the front surface of a card as depicted in, e.g., <FIG>, but again, this terminology is for ease of description only. Similarly, the term "side" is used herein to refer to the sides that form periphery of the card, and the term "edge" is used to refer to the edges of the boundary of the opening, but the use of these terms is intended only for differentiation, without specific significance to the terminology used.

As depicted in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, an opening <NUM> in the metal layer <NUM> is sized to accommodate a transponder chip module <NUM> having a front surface <NUM> and a back surface <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>). The details of the transponder chip module are not a claimed feature of the invention and are shown for illustrative purposes only. Although an <NUM>-pin module is shown, the transponder may have fewer or more contacts, such as for example, a <NUM>-pin module. Those of skill in the art will recognize that any number of different transponder chip designs are available and may be used in an exemplary card.

As shown in more detail in <FIG>, the opening has a left edge <NUM> parallel and relatively closest to the left short side <NUM> of the card periphery <NUM>, a second edge <NUM> parallel and relatively closest to the top side <NUM> of the card periphery, a third edge <NUM> parallel and relatively closest to the bottom side <NUM> of the card periphery. Left edge <NUM> is relatively closer to the left side <NUM> of the card periphery than the top edge <NUM> is to the top side <NUM> of the periphery, and the top edge <NUM> is relatively closer to the top side <NUM> of the periphery than the bottom edge <NUM> is to the bottom side <NUM> of the card periphery. The edges of the opening <NUM> define corners (e.g. a top left corner <NUM> formed by edge <NUM> and edge <NUM> and a bottom left corner <NUM> formed by edge <NUM> and edge <NUM>).

A discontinuity or slit <NUM> in metal layer <NUM> comprises a gap in the metal layer extending from the front surface <NUM> to the back surface <NUM> of the metal layer <NUM>. The terms "discontinuity" and "slit" may be used interchangeably herein. The discontinuity defines a path from an origin (O) at the card periphery and terminating at a terminus (T) in the periphery of the opening. In the example shown in <FIG>, the terminus is located relatively closer to corner <NUM> than to the adjacent corner <NUM> defined by common edge <NUM>. Most if not all of the other examples depicted herein show the terminus located relatively closer to one corner than the other corner defined by the common edge. This is in contrast to prior art designs that depict the slit terminating in a location at a midpoint between adjacent corners <NUM> and <NUM>.

As depicted in <FIG> and <FIG>, the opening and the discontinuity reflect an intermediate step in the manufacture of the card. Opening <NUM>, as depicted, is a stepped pocket opening that defines an overall area having an outer boundary <NUM> and an inner boundary <NUM>. An upper portion (open to the front surface of the card) of the stepped pocket opening has an open area defined by the outer boundary <NUM>. A lower portion of the pocket (open to the back surface of the card) has an area defined by inner boundary <NUM>, wherein the area of the lower portion of the pocket is less than the area of the upper portion of the pocket. The wall between the inner boundary and the outer boundary along the direction of the thickness of the card defines a ledge <NUM> between the inner boundary and wall of the upper pocket and having a surface parallel to the upper and lower surfaces of the card. It should be understood that as used herein, the term "parallel" as used in connection with any and all comparative features is intended to mean parallel within a desired tolerance, but may include features that are not precisely parallel. The discontinuity is depicted as having an endpoint E located on the inner boundary <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts a "tool path and milling boundary view" of the card of <FIG> and <FIG>. <FIG> schematically reflects discontinuity <NUM> as a line showing a tool path for the cutter (e.g. laser) for generating the discontinuity. Thus, the line <NUM> in <FIG> extends past the origin O on the periphery of the card and past the endpoint E on the inner boundary of the opening. The manufacturing boundary lines corresponding to the opening depict the locations of the inner boundary <NUM> and outer boundary <NUM> of the upper and lower pockets generated by the pocket-making process, which may be performed by milling tools, etching tools, lasers, and the like. Sequentially, during manufacture of the card, the discontinuity may first be cut in the metal layer, such as with a laser, along a line including origin O and endpoint E and which may extend past both origin O and endpoint E to ensure a complete cut through the metal layer. Then the upper and lower pockets are milled. Thus, although depicted in the tool path view of <FIG> with the endpoint of the discontinuity located inside the inner boundary <NUM>, in a completed metal layer, such as is shown in <FIG>, the discontinuity actually ends at the inner boundary <NUM> at point E, but from the front of the card as depicted in <FIG>, the discontinuity is only visible to the edge of the outer boundary <NUM> at point T, because of the payment module inserted in the opening. Because only the inner boundary <NUM> extends through the back surface <NUM> of the metal layer, the discontinuity <NUM> extends to the endpoint E on the back of the card. It should be understood that the design of the transponder chip depicted herein only illustrates an exemplary contact pattern, and the invention is not limited to any particular pattern. It should also be understood that although the discontinuity <NUM>, the inner boundary <NUM>, and the back surface of the module <NUM> are depicted on the back of the metal layer in <FIG>, layers over the back surface of the card may fully or partially obscure visibility of the discontinuity, the transponder chip, and the opening, depending upon the nature and opacity of the back layer. In general, the opening and transponder chip are typically obscured from view by an opaque member or portion of a layer, but some portion of the discontinuity may be detectible from the back side, if viewed closely and if an optional back layer of the card is not fully opaque. It should further be understood that the contacts on the top surface <NUM> of the transponder module are preferably flush with the outermost front surface of the card. If the metal layer is the top layer, the contacts will be flush with the front surface of the metal layer. If another layer, such as a clear plastic layer or a ceramic layer, are disposed on top of the metal layer, however, such as depicted in <FIG>, the contacts will be mounted flush with the top layer <NUM>.

After creating the discontinuity, the opening may be cut by first milling the lower portion and then milling the upper portion, or vice versa. The lower portion may be milled from the back surface of the card, and the upper portion from the front surface of the card (although both portions may be milled from the front surface). In some embodiments, a non-conductive material may be provided in the opening by any of the methods described in <CIT>. When the payment module is eventually mounted in the opening, an upper portion of the module rests on ledge <NUM> and the integrated circuit on the back of the module is disposed in the lower portion. The geometry of the lower portion of the pocket (e.g. defined by boundary <NUM> in <FIG> and <FIG>), specifically its length (X dimension - parallel to the long sides <NUM>, <NUM> of the metal layer) and width (Y dimension - parallel to the short sides <NUM>, <NUM> of the metal layer) in the plane coextensive with the back surface of the card, has an impact on RF performance. For example, acceptable ranges of performance for a <NUM>-pin payment module may have X and Y dimensions preferably in a range of <NUM>-<NUM>, more preferably X = <NUM> to <NUM> and Y = <NUM> to <NUM>, and most preferably <NUM> × <NUM>. For an <NUM>-pin payment module, acceptable ranges of performance may have X and Y dimensions preferably in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>, and more preferably in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. The size of the gap in the discontinuity may also impact performance, with the gap size preferably less than <NUM>, more preferably less than <NUM>, and most preferably about <NUM>, plus or minus <NUM>. The invention is not limited to any particular discontinuity gap size or dimensions of the lower portion of the pocket, however. In the example depicted in <FIG>, the left side <NUM> of the card has a region <NUM> (shown in <FIG> only, to reduce clutter) that is aligned coextensive with and parallel to the left edge <NUM> of the opening <NUM> / transponder module <NUM>, and the origin (O) for the discontinuity is located on card periphery <NUM> outside region <NUM>. In the embodiment depicted in <FIG>, the terminus is located at corner <NUM>.

Depicted in <FIG> are various other slit configurations, each of which can be characterized in numerous ways and may have certain features. Each <FIG>, <FIG>, etc. depicts the manufacturing path or boundary lines associated with each slit design. For the illustrations of the manufacturing path lines, the line <NUM>, <NUM>, etc. corresponding to the slit as depicted corresponds to the tool path for the cutter (e.g. laser) for generating the discontinuity. The manufacturing boundary lines corresponding for the opening depicts the inner (e.g. <NUM>, <NUM>) and outer (e.g. <NUM>, <NUM>) boundaries of the upper and lower pockets generated by the pocket-making tools, which may be milling tools, etching tools, lasers, and the link. The finished metal layers of the cards, in each case, however, conform to the designs as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, etc., in which, for example, <FIG>, <FIG>, etc. depict the front view perspective views of the metal layer of the respective cards, <FIG>, <FIG>, etc. depict front surface views, <FIG>, <FIG>, etc. depict top (or bottom) side views, <FIG>, <FIG>, etc. depict left side views, and <FIG>, <FIG>, etc. depict back surface views. As should be understood, the one of the top side view or bottom side view depicted is selected to show the side of the card on which the origin (O) of each discontinuity is located, whereas the one of the top or bottom side view not depicted is essentially identical to <FIG>. Likewise, the right side view for all of the aforementioned embodiments is essentially identical to the side view depicted in <FIG>.

It should also be understood that <FIG> depict only the metal layer of the exemplary cards. The metal layer may have one or more layers disposed over the front surface or the back surface of the card, and each additional layer may cover the entire surface or only a portion of the surface. The metal layer itself may comprise a composite of multiple metal layers, including embodiments in which at least one layer comprises a different metal than another. The additional layers may comprise, for example, any of the layers described in U. Published Pat. No. <CIT> and/or <CIT>, A preferred embodiment may comprise a ceramic coating on the front surface of the metal card and a plastic layer on the back surface of the card.

Referring now to the slit configuration depicted in <FIG>, the origin (O) is located relatively closer to the line defined by the top side <NUM> than the terminus (T). This characterization is also true of the slit configuration depicted in <FIG>, in which the origin (O) is located on the top side <NUM>. The location of the origin relatively closer to the line defined by the top side of the periphery than the terminus is also true of at least the designs depicted in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>. In other designs, the location of the terminus is located relatively closer to the line defined by the top side <NUM>, such as in the slit designs depicted in <FIG>. The term "line defined by the top side" refers to the imaginary line in space along which the top side <NUM> lies. Because the cards have rounded corners, the distance from the origin to the line defined by top side <NUM> is measured from intersection of the line defined by the top side <NUM> and the line defined by the left side <NUM>, which point is not actually physically present as part of a metal layer having standard rounded corners. Thus in each of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, one of the terminus or the origin are located relatively closer to one long side of the periphery than the other. In other embodiments (e.g. <FIG>, <FIG>, others) the terminus and the origin may be located approximately the same distance from the top or bottom sides.

It should be understood that although the term "origin" and "terminus," although representative of one method of constructing the discontinuity in which the cut line begins at or before the origin and extends in the direction of and beyond the terminus as further described herein, the use of these terms does not imply a specific manufacturing method or direction of the cut for forming the discontinuity. Furthermore, although referred to as a "terminus," as explained elsewhere herein, the terminus is only the location where the discontinuity meets the opening on the top surface of the card, and the discontinuity actually extends further inward to the periphery of the opening in the back surface of the card. Finally, although the front, upper left of the card is traditionally the location for the contacts, relative to what a consumer considers the "front" of a finished card containing the card branding, card number, and the like, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the contacts may be located in a mirror image position on the lower back right of the card and provide equivalent functionality, with the discontinuity similarly located relative to the back surface of the card as depicted herein relative to the front surface. Thus, the "front" and "back" surfaces of the card, as used herein, are relative to the disposition of the transponder module and do not necessarily reflect a traditional "front" or "back" as those terms might be used by a consumer in receipt of the final card. Of course, the location of the contacts is dictated by the arrangement of card readers that read the cards via a physical connection, and it should be understood that the location of the transponder chip relative to the periphery of the card is not limited by the invention.

In certain embodiments, the discontinuity path comprises at least two changes in direction of <NUM> degrees or more. For example, <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG> illustrate stairstep designs in which the discontinuity path makes multiple <NUM> degree changes in direction. In the embodiments depicted in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the stairstep geometry has a rise (vertical distance covered between adjacent horizontal sections) and a run (horizontal distance covered between adjacent vertical sections), in which the rise is greater than the run. In other embodiments, not shown, the rise and run may be equal or the run may be greater than the rise. In the embodiments depicted, the rise and run are roughly equal for each step, but in other embodiments, the rise and run may be different in at least one step relative to others in the series of steps.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate sawtooth geometries in which the path of the discontinuity makes multiple changes in direction of more than <NUM> degrees. <FIG> illustrates a discontinuity path that has a micro stairstep geometry and a macro sawtooth geometry, comprising at least a first plurality of more than two changes in direction of <NUM> degrees leading to a first change in direction of more than <NUM> degrees and a second plurality of more than two changes in direction of <NUM> degrees leading to a second change in direction of more than <NUM> degrees. Again, although depicted with each "tooth" in the sawtooth geometry of roughly equal dimension, the invention is not limited to such geometries.

The discontinuity path may also have at least one section of curved geometry. A basic curved geometry is illustrated in <FIG>, but the curved design may also have one or more changes in direction greater than or equal to <NUM> degrees, wherein at least one of the changes in direction has a curved geometry. The embodiments and examples illustrated in <FIG> depict such features, with the discontinuity paths illustrated in <FIG> each having a sinusoidal shape for at least a portion of the path comprising at least two changes in direction of more than <NUM> degrees.

Although the paths shown in <FIG> are generally sinusoidal in nature, a curved path with multiple changes in direction may also have portions that complete a change in direction of more than <NUM> degrees before making a subsequent change in direction of more than <NUM> degrees, as depicted in <FIG>. Also depicted in <FIG>, the size of each section encompassing a <NUM> degree change in direction may vary over the length of the path from a relatively smaller section <NUM> to a relatively larger section <NUM>.

The path in <FIG> depicts sections of curved geometry within a stairstep architecture, comprising a radius or fillet instead of a right angle for each change of direction of <NUM> degrees. Such a path may enable faster operation of the cutting tool and/or may be aesthetically more pleasing than the embodiment with sharp direction changes.

In some embodiments and examples, such as depicted in <FIG>, the terminus of the discontinuity may be located on the top edge opening with the origin located on the left side of the card. In other examples and embodiments, such as depicted in <FIG>, and <FIG>, the discontinuity may be located on the top or bottom side of the card periphery and the terminus may be on the top or bottom edge or a top or bottom corner of the opening.

In some examples and embodiments, such as depicted in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the discontinuity has a terminus located on the left edge of the opening at a location relatively closer to the bottom left corner <NUM> than the upper left corner <NUM> and has an origin in the left side of the card periphery in a location relatively closer to the upper left corner <NUM> than the bottom left corner <NUM>. In other embodiments, such as depicted in <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the terminus location is relatively closer to upper left corner <NUM> than the bottom left corner <NUM> and the origin is located in the left side of the card periphery relatively closer to the upper left corner <NUM> than the bottom left corner <NUM>. In other words, the paths of the discontinuities for both of the foregoing types of embodiments are generally diagonal and downward from the origin to the terminus, but the first group terminates on the left edge of the opening closer to the bottom corner than the top corner.

As described above and depicted in the figures, e.g., 1C, 8C, 9C, etc., in a completed metal layer of the card, a transponder chip module <NUM> is disposed in the opening, and the metal layer serves as an amplifying antenna for the transponder chip module. In final card embodiments incorporating any of the metal layers depicted and described herein, such as layer <NUM> depicted in <FIG>, the card may comprise at least one non-metal layer <NUM>, <NUM> disposed on at least one surface of the metal layer <NUM>, such as but not limited to a plastic layer, a ceramic layer, a decorative layer comprising one of wood or leather, or a combination thereof. Different types of layers, or combinations thereof, may be disposed on different surfaces of the card. As used herein, the term "disposed" does not denote a direct connection to the respective surface, but also an indirect connection (i.e. on top of one or more other layers that are directly connected to the surface).

In one preferred embodiment, wherein metal layer <NUM> has a stairstep shaped discontinuity <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, such as is depicted in, for example, <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the card may have a front surface coated with ceramic layer <NUM> and a back surface on which a plastic layer <NUM> is attached, preferably by an adhesive. As is known to one of skill in the art, attachment of a plastic layer with an adhesive may comprise employing a carrier substrate (e.g. polyester) having adhesive (e.g. an ethylene copolymer adhesive, such as ethylene acrylic acid (EEA)) on both sides. As depicted in the cross sectional diagram of <FIG>, in embodiments with a ceramic layer <NUM> comprising a ceramic coating over the metal layer <NUM>, the gap <NUM> defined by the discontinuity may at least partially filled with the ceramic coating, leaving a surface imperfection <NUM> still visible from the top surface of the ceramic coating.

The discontinuity as described herein may be optically visible from one or both surfaces of the card. In some embodiments, such as one in which the back surface is covered with an opaque plastic or translucent plastic with opaque ink, the discontinuity may not be visible from the back surface. In embodiments with front decorative layers, such as wood, leather, or certain ceramics, the discontinuity may also be hidden from the front. In some ceramic-coated embodiments, however, the ceramic coating may only partially fill the gap caused by the discontinuity, thereby making the discontinuity still visibly perceptible, at least as a surface imperfection <NUM> as depicted in <FIG>, which imperfection may be in the form of at least a perceptible line, if not a perceptible gap. Thus, it should be understood that in the drawings depicting a finished metal layer, that metal layer may be a top layer, or it may be a layer that is covered with another layer but still visibly perceptible in some way.

In still other discontinuity examples and embodiments, the card may comprise a plurality of discontinuities, such as in the examples and embodiments depicted in <FIG>. In all of the examples and embodiments depicted, at least one of the plurality of discontinuities (e.g. <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) has a length equal to a shortest length from the opening to the periphery of the card, and at least two of the plurality of discontinuities (e.g. <NUM> and <NUM>, <NUM> and <NUM>, etc.) are parallel to one another. In some examples, such as depicted in <FIG>, fewer than all of the plurality of discontinuities may extend from the periphery to the opening, meaning that one or more discontinuities (e.g. <NUM>) may extend from only the periphery of the card or the periphery of the opening, but not to both and/or one or more discontinuities (e.g. <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) may not extend to either the periphery of the card or the periphery of the opening. In multiple-discontinuity examples and embodiments, the presence of multiple discontinuities spreads the stress associated with flexure across multiple locations, minimizing the stress whitening attributable to any one discontinuity. In the examples and embodiments depicted with multiple slits extending from the card periphery to the opening, metal areas disposed between such slits are held in place by the overlying and underlying non-metal layers of the card.

In a method for making a transaction card as described herein, the method comprising the steps of (a) providing a metal layer having an front surface and a back surface; (b) creating an opening in the metal layer sized to accommodate a transponder chip module, having the features described herein, (c) creating a discontinuity in the metal layer as described herein, and (d) disposing the transponder chip module in the opening. As described above, the step of creating the discontinuity may precede the step of creating the opening for the transponder chip module.

As described above, the method may comprise at least partially filling the gap defined by the discontinuity with a non-metal material, such as ceramic. The method may also further comprise disposing at least one non-metal layer on the front surface or the back surface of the metal layer, such as by adhesively bonding the non-metal layer to the metal layer, or by spray coating a ceramic layer onto the metal layer. In some embodiments, the non-metal layer comprises a ceramic layer having a color, in which the method further comprises using a laser to create one or more permanent markings on the ceramic layer having a different color than the ceramic layer color, as described in more detail with respect to <FIG> later herein. In some embodiments, the permanent markings in the ceramic may arise from a chemical change of a pigment within the ceramic composition, or the permanent markings may arise from removing an overlying ceramic layer to reveal an underlying layer having a different color. The underlying layer with the different color may comprise an underlying ceramic layer, if multiple layers of ceramic are provided. For example, it has been found that for certain types of cured ceramic spray coatings comprised of ceramic microparticles containing, e.g., zirconia dioxide, aluminum disilicide, pigment, and a curable resin binder suspended in a carrier solution, a white colored base ceramic layer having a white pigment therein may have better adhesion than a layer having a colored pigment, and therefore a first, white layer may be disposed underneath a second, non-white layer of ceramic. Or, multiple ceramic layers may be used for aesthetic purposes. In other embodiments, the exposed underlying layer having the different color may be the metal layer. In still other embodiments, a composite metal core may facilitate the appearance of different colors depending upon the depth of the engravings. The engraving may be performed by any method, such as a chemical or mechanical method, and is not limited to laser marking. Finally, grooves in the ceramic may be filled with another substance, such as metal. For example, a ceramic-coated steel card may have laser engraved grooves in the ceramic coating that penetrate to the metal, and then a noble or precious metal, such as gold, silver, platinum, or the like, may be electroplated into the groove as a filler.

The various configurations comprising the ceramic layers as described herein are not limited to card embodiments having a discontinuity in the metal layer as described herein. Although the ceramic layer may comprise one or more layers of a ceramic coating applied directly to the metal and cured, other methods of providing the ceramic layer may include adhering a freestanding monolithic ceramic layer to the metal layer or disposing a ceramic coating on a substrate, and then adhering the ceramic- coated substrate to the metal layer. In another method, a ceramic layer may be created by tapecasting and adhered to the body.

Cards with slit geometries as shown and claimed herein have functional advantages over cards with straight slit geometries or other geometries of the prior art, per the examples noted herein. While all of the discontinuity designs may have functional advantages over prior art designs, some more than others, and all or most may have relatively similar production costs, some may be considered more aesthetically pleasing than others and thus may be favored purely for aesthetic reasons. Thus, certain features of the discontinuities in the metal layers disclosed herein may be selected for ornamental design and are not dictated by practical function. Accordingly, design elements of each may be varied and selected while maintaining functionality, such that a variety of ornamental configurations are available with substantially the same function or performance. As non-limiting examples, the exact contours of the discontinuity, such as the number of steps or zig zags, rise or run of steps, curved or non-curved changes in direction, degree of curvature or changes in direction, precise locations of the origin, terminus, and any inflection points, and the number of discontinuities in embodiments with a plurality of discontinuity, may be varied to provide different ornamental appearances while maintaining substantially the same functionality. The ornamental design of the metal layer may be protected separately in one or more U. design patent applications.

The use of alternative slit designs enable a traditional metal or ceramic-coated metal card to overcome potential weaknesses at the slit, which allow the card to maintain the traditional metal feel and sound. Another option for reinforcing the card is to use a self-supporting layer on the back of the card, such as an FR4 material (a thermoset laminate made with epoxy resin and woven fiberglass) or polyimide. Printed layers, such as for the various indicia, magnetic stripe, etc., may be assembled with the FR4 layer or printed directly on the FR4 layer. For example, in one embodiment depicted generally in <FIG>, a relatively thin (e.g. <NUM> inches thick) stainless steel substrate <NUM> may be used with an FR4 backing layer <NUM>. In another embodiment, an <NUM> mil stainless steel layer may have on its back side a <NUM> mil FR4 layer (attached to the steel layer with a <NUM> mil adhesive layer), a <NUM> mil printed sheet on the back of the FR4 layer (attached via another <NUM> mil adhesive layer), and a <NUM> mil overlay layer comprising the magnetic stripe laminated to the back side of the print sheet layer. The print sheet and mag stripe overlay layers are the layers vulnerable to stress whitening, which the reinforcing layer helps to prevent. While reinforced backing may enable the weakness of the slit to be overcome sufficiently without a need to use one of the other slit designs described herein, embodiments combining both an FR4 (or other self-supporting) layer and one of the slit geometries depicted herein may also be provided. Preferable self-supporting layers have a rigidity of 80MPa ·m<NUM> to <NUM> GPa·m<NUM>.

Thus, referring now to <FIG>, there is shown a cross-sectional illustration of an exemplary card embodiment <NUM>, showing the metal layer <NUM>, which may be any metal layer as described herein, with or without a slit, and having a stepped opening <NUM> therein, including an opening upper portion <NUM>, the opening lower portion <NUM>. Also illustrated in <FIG> are a front layer <NUM> and a back layer <NUM>. Layer <NUM> has an opening <NUM> that matches (i.e. is coextensive with) opening upper portion <NUM>, so that the contacts of a transponder module disposed in the opening in the metal card will sit relatively flush with the upper surface of layer <NUM>. The thicknesses of the layers depicted in any of the drawings herein are not to scale. In some embodiments, the front layer as depicted in <FIG> may represent a plurality of layers, the back layer as depicted may represent a plurality of layers, the metal layer as depicted may represent a plurality of layers, or any combination thereof. Layers <NUM> and <NUM> are both optional. In one embodiment, layer <NUM> may comprise a <NUM> mil PVC or PVC/PEEK composite layer on the front of a <NUM> mil metal layer and a <NUM> mil PVC layer on the back of the metal layer. The front and back layers may each be adhered to the metal layer with <NUM> mil adhesive layers, such as a polyester substrate having EEA adhesive on both sides, as is well known in the art. Some embodiments may have only a front layer or a back layer, but not both, and some metal card products may have no additional layers other than a coating to promote printability on the metal. For example, the card may comprise a printable metal such as printable stainless steel having a coating at least on its front face that improves acceptance of printing inks on the stainless steel surface. The coating may comprise, for example, a polyester based coating receptive to UV curable screen and inkjet inks or solvent or oxidation printing.

It should be understood that one manufacturer may provide the metal layer as an intermediate to a finisher that may add additional layers as part of later processing. In one embodiment, as described herein, front layer <NUM> comprises a ceramic layer (applied to the metal layer by any of the methods described herein) and back layer comprises a plastic layer. In another embodiment described herein, back layer <NUM> may be a self-supporting layer, such as a layer made from FR4.

As illustrated in <FIG>, in some embodiments, a ceramic layer <NUM> on a metal layer <NUM> may comprise at least two ceramic layers <NUM> and <NUM>, each layer having a different color. Similarly, metal layer <NUM> may comprise at least two metal layers <NUM>, <NUM>, and the two metal layers may be different metals having different colors. Creating a design in the ceramic layer may comprise making laser markings <NUM> that change a color in the ceramic layer by permanently chemically changing a pigment in the ceramic layer, or by removing a portion of the ceramic to make a groove. Such a groove may be a superficial groove, such as groove <NUM> that does not penetrate the upper layer to reveal underlying layers, or may be a groove that reveals an underlying layers. Grooves may be created with laser, mechanical, or chemical methods known in the art. Grooves that reveal an underlying layer may include grooves <NUM> that remove one ceramic layer <NUM> to reveal another ceramic layer <NUM>, grooves <NUM> that remove all ceramic layers <NUM> and <NUM> to reveal an upper metal layer <NUM>, and grooves <NUM> that remove all the ceramic layers <NUM>, <NUM> and the upper metal layer <NUM> to expose an underlying metal layer <NUM>. Still another design technique may include creating a groove (such as any of the groove embodiments described above) and then filling that groove in the ceramic with another material, such as an electroplated metal <NUM>, which may be a different metal than one or both of the other metal layer or layers. For filling a groove by electroplating, the initial groove is preferably a groove <NUM> or <NUM> that removes the ceramic down to a metal layer. Although presented in a single embodiment for illustrative purposes only, each of the various grooves and marking techniques may be practiced alone or in any combination with others described herein. And although described in combination with the various embodiments disclosed herein for reinforcing a slit card design, the various techniques for creating decorations in a ceramic card are not limited to such embodiments.

Yet another embodiment of strengthening a section of a card having a discontinuity comprises providing a supporting tab overlying and/or underlying the discontinuity, such as for card <NUM> depicted in <FIG>. _In an exemplary embodiment, such as for a "full metal" card, having no co-extensive layers on the top or back surface of the card (except, optionally, a coating to promote printing), pockets <NUM>, <NUM> around the opening <NUM> for the module (not shown) are recessed in the Z axis on both sides of the card. Pockets <NUM>, <NUM> on opposite sides of the card, both of which of which have an area that is less than the area of the metal layer, are depicted as the same size as one another in the figures, but can be different sizes. Non-metal inserts <NUM>, <NUM>, such as ceramic or plastic, are placed into the pockets <NUM>, <NUM>. In a similar design for a "hybrid/veneer card" (having one or more non-metal layers on the back side of the metal layer, typically coextensive with the metal layer), a pocket and corresponding insert may be provided only in the front. Front insert <NUM> has a hole <NUM> to accommodate the module and expose the contact portion of the module on the top surface of the card. The use of an insert construction, such as is disclosed herein, may avoid the need to provide a stepped pocket for the transponder module in the metal layer, as the thicknesses of the pockets on either side may be selected so that the "lip" (larger periphery portion) of the module (not shown) rests on the shelf created by the card body and the portion on the back of the module protrudes through the hole <NUM> in card body and stops short of the inner surface of the rear insert <NUM>. Artwork may be applied to the inserts by laser or any means known in the art.

It should be understood that any of the methods disclosed herein for strengthening an area around a discontinuity of a card (specific single slit geometries, multiple-slit geometries, reinforcing layer(s), or reinforcing pocket insert) may be practiced alone or in combination with one another, and that, for example, the use of additional.

Any other methods of creating designs or providing indicia on card as are well known in the art may also be provided, including providing a signature block, a magnetic stripe, a hologram, branding indicia, personalization information, and the like.

Exemplary slit design embodiments as depicted herein showed less ink cracking substrate stress whitening after short dimension bending (bending parallel to the long edges) than other cards, when subjected to a Dynamic Bending Stress Test (ref ISO/IEC <NUM>-<NUM>:<NUM>). Various embodiments were tested up to <NUM> Flex Test Cycles at a rate of <NUM> cycles/minute per axis.

Claim 1:
A transaction card defined by a card periphery having a plurality of sides comprising first and second parallel short sides (<NUM>, <NUM>) and first and second parallel long sides (<NUM>, <NUM>), wherein the short sides (<NUM>, <NUM>) being shorter than the long sides (<NUM>, <NUM>), the transaction card comprising:
a metal layer (<NUM>) having a front surface (<NUM>), a back surface (<NUM>), a metal layer (<NUM>) periphery, and an opening (<NUM>) sized to accommodate a transponder chip module (<NUM>), the opening (<NUM>) having a first edge (<NUM>) being parallel and relatively closest to the first short side of the card periphery, second edge (<NUM>) being parallel and relatively closest to the first long side of the card periphery, and a third edge (<NUM>) being parallel and relatively closest to the second long side of the card periphery, the first edge (<NUM>) being relatively closer to the short side of the card periphery than the second edge (<NUM>) is to the long side of the card periphery, and the second edge (<NUM>) being relatively closer to the first long side of the card periphery than the third edge (<NUM>) is to the second long side of the card periphery, the edges of the opening (<NUM>) defining corners;
at least one discontinuity (<NUM>) in the metal layer (<NUM>) comprising a gap in the metal layer (<NUM>) extending from the front surface (<NUM>) to the back surface (<NUM>), the at least one discontinuity (<NUM>) defining a path from an origin (O) at the card periphery and terminating in a terminus in the opening (<NUM>), wherein one of the terminus or the origin (O) is located relatively closer to a line defined by the first long side of the card periphery than the other, and the path has a length greater than a shortest distance from the terminus to the side of the card periphery containing the origin (O), wherein the short side of the card periphery has a rectangular region (<NUM>) having an edge which is coextensive with the first edge (<NUM>) of the opening (<NUM>), wherein the rectangular region (<NUM>) extends from the edge (<NUM>) to the first short side (<NUM>) of the card periphery characterized in that the origin (O) is located on the card periphery outside the rectangular region (<NUM>); and
a self-supporting non-metal layer (<NUM>) disposed on at least one surface of the metal layer (<NUM>), wherein the self-supporting non-metal layer (<NUM>) comprises polyimide or a fiberglass reinforced layer comprising an epoxy.