Data carrier with a module and a hologram

Details Data carrier with a module and a hologram Data carrier with a module and a hologram

1999-01-14

2001-01-09

Wellington, A. L. (Department: 3722)

Printed matter

Having revealable concealed information, fraud preventer or...

Utilizing electromagnetic radiation

C235S457000, C235S492000, C283S091000, C428S913300, C428S916000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06170880

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a data carrier comprising a data carrier body bounded by a body surface and having a recess which terminates in said body surface and which accommodates a module, which comprises a plate-shaped component carrier having a first carrier main surface, which faces said body surface, and having a second carrier surface, which is remote from said body surface, and at least one component mounted on the component carrier in the area of the second carrier main surface which is remote from said body surface in the recess, covered by the component carrier, the data carrier having a plate-shaped hologram carrier, which carries a hologram on its main surface which is visible from outside the data carrier.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Such a data carrier of the type defined in the opening paragraph and constructed as a chip card is commonly known and used in many variants, for example as a so-called credit card or bank card in banking transactions. In the known chip card the module, which is accommodated in the recess which terminates in a first body main surface, is disposed comparatively close to a short card edge of the chip card and the hologram carrier is disposed comparatively close to the opposite short card edge of the chip card. The known chip card and its module, accommodated in the recess, have been designed exclusively for contact-bound operation, for which purpose a chip carrier in the form of a plate-shaped component carrier has been provided with planiform connecting contacts on its externally accessible first carrier main surface, which contacts form a contact area whose surface shape corresponds to the cross-sectional area of the recess which terminates in the first carrier main surface. The planiform connecting contacts are wholly unprotected and exposed, as a result of which they can be damaged comparatively easily, which is undesirable in view of a trouble-free operation and also in view of a satisfactory appearance.
It is an object of the invention to preclude the afore-mentioned problems and to provide an improved data carrier. According to the invention, in order to achieve this object in a data carrier of the type defined in the opening paragraph, the plate-shaped hologram carrier is arranged on the data carrier so as to cover the plate-shaped component carrier of the module in the area of its carrier main surface which faces said body surface, and covers this plate-shaped component carrier at least for the greater part. In this way, it is achieved that the hologram carrier is utilized for covering the component carrier of a module accommodated in a recess of the data carrier, as a result of which the first carrier main surface of the component carrier is at least for the greater part protected and covered by means of the hologram carrier, thereby precluding damage to the component carrier, i.e. to components of the component carrier arranged in the area of the first main carrier surface of said component carrier. When the data carrier in accordance with the invention is a data carrier for contact-bound operation, in which case the module of the data carrier has planiform connecting contacts in the area of its first carrier main surface, the plate-shaped hologram carrier has partial passages or openings at given locations, through which contact pins of a read/write device can enter into electrically conductive contact with the planiform connecting contacts which are covered for the greater part by the hologram carrier.
In a data carrier in accordance with the invention it has proved to be advantageous if the data carrier comprises a plate-shaped hologram carrier which, already before the module is mounted in the recess of the data carrier, is connected to the plate-shaped component carrier of the module in the area of the first carrier main surface which faces said first body main surface, the main surface of the hologram carrier, which main surface carries a hologram, covering the first carrier main surface of the component carrier at least for the greater part. Such a construction of a data carrier in accordance with the invention is advantageous because the hologram carrier can already be connected to the component carrier of a module before this module is mounted in the recess of the data carrier.
However, in a data carrier in accordance with the invention it has also proved to be advantageous if the data carrier comprises a plate-shaped hologram carrier which, not until after this module has been mounted in the recess of the data carrier, is connected to at least the plate-shaped component carrier of this module in the area of the first carrier main surface which faces said first body surface, the main surface of the hologram carrier covering the first carrier main surface of the component carrier at least for the greater part. Such a construction of a data carrier in accordance with the invention has proved to be advantageous because the hologram carrier can then be connected to the component carrier of a module not until after this module has been mounted in the recess of the data carrier.
However, in a data carrier in accordance with the invention of the type defined in the preceding paragraph it has further proved to be advantageous if, with its main surface which carries a hologram, the plate-shaped hologram carrier projects from the first carrier main surface of the component carrier, which first carrier main surface faces said body surface, along the entire circumference of this first carrier main surface and is connected, in addition, to the data carrier body by its peripheral area. In this way, it is achieved that the hologram carrier is not only used for mechanical protection of the component carrier of the module of a data carrier in accordance with the invention but in addition has a sealing function, as a result of which a data carrier having a particularly well-protected module is realized.
An advantageous variant of a data carrier in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the data carrier is constructed exclusively for contactless operation, its module comprising a component carrier which is contactless in the area of its first carrier main surface. Such a data carrier has the advantage that it is simple and convenient to handle.
An advantageous variant of a data carrier in accordance with the invention as defined in the preceding paragraph is characterized in that, with its main surface which carries a hologram, the plate-shaped hologram carrier completely covers the first carrier main surface of the component carrier, which first carrier main surface faces said body surface. In this way, the component carrier is protected and covered in the area of its entire first carrier main surface, as a result of which a particularly good protection is achieved.
Data carriers in accordance with the invention can serve various purposes and can have various shapes, for example a key shape, a bar shape or other shapes. A highly preferred variant of a data carrier in accordance with the invention is characterized in that the data carrier is constructed as a chip card.
The above-mentioned aspects as well as further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described hereinafter by way of examples and will be elucidated by means of these embodiments.


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patent: 5996897 (1999-12-01), Prancz
patent: 4328469A1 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 0548858A1 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 0636495A2 (1995-02-01), None
patent: 0709805A2 (1996-05-01), None

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