Registers – Records – Conductive
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-30
2002-06-04
Tremblay, Mark (Department: 2165)
Registers
Records
Conductive
C235S487000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398114
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet-framed IC carrier (IC carrier with sheet frame), in which a compact IC carrier including a built-in IC module is incorporated with a sheet frame, a method for producing the same, and an IC carrier case.
2. Related Background Art
FIGS. 47A and 47B
are drawings to illustrate a conventional IC carrier and a use thereof.
An IC carrier
41
is constructed, as shown in
FIG. 47A
, in such a manner that an IC module
42
in which a CPU, a memory, and electrodes are incorporated is mounted in a compact base (in the size of about 15 mm×25 mm), which has been used, for example, as a subscriber identity module (SIM) for a portable telephone.
Once a user obtains a subscriber identity module, which is a right for telephone subscription, he or she can purchase a portable telephone
50
among those with common specifications in accordance with his or her purpose and the subscriber identity module (IC carrier
41
) is set in the portable telephone
50
purchased whereby he or she can use it.
The IC carrier
41
, however, is not entirely popular at present, which limits applications thereof. Accordingly preparation of purpose-built facilities for mass production of the IC carrier would cause an increase in production cost. In the case of use as a subscriber identity module, a carrier is enclosed in an envelope to be mailed. This requires apparatus for enclosing and sealing and causes possible breakage or less because of erroneous handling before mounting in a portable telephone
50
.
Under such circumstances it is suggested that IC cards
40
are to be produced using existing facilities in such an arrangement, as shown in
FIG. 47B
, that taking-off slits
44
are formed in card base
43
for IC card
40
, leaving a plurality of bridges
45
, from which only IC carrier
41
is taken off to be used.
According to the suggestion, not only can existing card production and inspection facilities be used but conventional IC card issue and sending systems can also be used without modification.
With the conventional IC carrier
41
as described, a load such as bend or torsion would be exerted on IC module
42
when removed from the card base (sheet frame)
43
, which could cause destruction or popping-out of the IC module.
Another problem was that a bridge
45
sometimes remained on the side of IC carrier
41
after removing the module from card base
43
, which made the module hard to be inserted into a mount portion in a portable telephone
50
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems and to provide a sheet-framed IC carrier which can achieve removal of an IC module without an excessive load thereon and without learning projections of bridges on the circumference of a carrier base, a method for producing it, and an IC carrier case.
The present invention provides, as a first aspect, a sheet-framed IC carrier comprising: a sheet frame having an aperture; a backing film having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on one surface, said backing film being stuck on a back surface of said sheet frame through said adhesive layer; and an IC carrier having a base and an IC module mounted on the base, said IC carrier being set in the aperture of said sheet frame so as to be secured there with said adhesive layer of said backing film.
The present invention provides, as a second aspect, the sheet-framed IC carrier according to the first aspect, wherein a frame slit is provided between the aperture and a peripheral edge portion of the sheet frame whereby said sheet frame can be divided into a plurality of frame segments.
The present invention provides, as a third aspect, the sheet-framed IC carrier according to the first aspect, wherein said backing film has a film slit for separating a region covering the aperture from the other region.
The present invention provides, as a fourth aspect, the sheet-framed IC carrier according to the first aspect, wherein a plurality of apertures in each of which an IC carrier is set are provided in the sheet frame.
The present invention provides, as a fifth aspect, the sheet-framed IC carrier according to the first aspect, wherein the other surface of the backing film is a contact surface with a conveying portion and said backing film is made of a material to increase a frictional force of said contact surface.
The present invention provides, as a sixth aspect, the sheet-framed IC carrier according to the first aspect, wherein an information recording portion into which mechanically readable information is to be recorded is provided on a back surface of the sheet frame and the backing film is stuck on a region of the back surface except for said information recording portion.
The present invention provides, as a seventh aspect, the sheet-framed IC carrier according to the first aspect, wherein said IC carrier is produced in approximately the same size and the same shape as the IC module.
The present invention provides, as a eighth aspect, a sheet-framed IC carrier according to the first aspect, wherein an information indicating portion for indicating identification information of the IC carrier is provided on each of the sheet frame and the base of the IC carrier.
The present invention provides, as a ninth aspect, the sheet-framed IC carrier according to the first aspect, wherein a magnetic layer for information, to be written or read, is provided on the other surface of the backing film.
The present invention provides, as a tenth aspect, an IC carrier case for storing an IC carrier having a base and an IC module mounted on the base, comprising a case body in which a storage portion for storing the IC carrier is formed.
The present invention provides, as an eleventh aspect, a method for producing a sheet-framed IC carrier in which an IC carrier having an IC module is secured with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a backing film in an aperture in a sheet frame, comprising a step of mounting an IC module on a sheet card base; a step of sticking a backing film having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on one surface thereof onto a back surface of said card base; and a step of cutting and removing a portion corresponding to a peripheral edge of said IC carrier on a top surface of said card base, excluding said backing film, to form a peripheral slit, whereby the sheet frame and the IC carrier secured in the aperture are separated from each other through the peripheral slit.
The present invention provides, as a tweleveth aspect, a method for producing a sheet-framed IC carrier in which an IC carrier having an IC module is secured with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a backing film in an aperture in a sheet frame, comprising a step of forming an aperture in a card base; a step of sticking a backing film having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on one surface thereof, onto a back surface of said card base; a step of cutting and removing a region between said aperture and a peripheral edge portion of said card base, leaving the backing film, to form a frame slit, whereby the sheet frame may be separated through the frame slit into two or more frame segments; and a step of securing said IC carrier in said aperture with said adhesive layer on said backing film.
The present invention provides, as a thirteeth aspect, a method for producing a sheet-framed IC carrier in which an IC carrier having an IC module is secured with a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a backing film in an aperture in a sheet frame, comprising a step of sticking a backing film having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on one surface thereof, onto a back surface of a card base; a step of forming a mount recess for mounting an IC module therein on a top surface of the card base and cutting and removing a portion corresponding to a peripheral edge of said IC carrier, leaving the backing film, to form a peripheral slit portion; and a step of mounting an IC module in said mount recess.
According to the invention of the first aspect, the IC carr
Fukushima Yoshikazu
Harima Hiroshi
Inada Mayumi
Irisawa Kazuyoshi
Moriyama Akiko
Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P.
Tremblay Mark
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