Method for manufacturing a card

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a card comprising a transparent window. The window comprises a front side and a back side. The method comprises steps of printing a color picture on the back side of the window and laser engraving the front side of the window. Also provided is a device configured to carry out the above-described method and a card manufactured with the above-described method.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a card having a transparent window with a front side and a back side, the method comprising: printing a color picture on the back side of the window; printing an additional picture on the back side of the window displaced from the color picture; providing a lenticular screen on the front side of the window; and laser engraving the lenticular screen under two different angles with respect to a displacement between the color picture and additional picture printed on the back side of the window.

2. A method for manufacturing a card having a transparent window with a front side and a back side, the method comprising: printing a color picture on the back side of the window; providing a lenticular screen on the front side of the window; and laser engraving the front side of the window, wherein laser engraving the front side of the window is carried out before printing the color picture.

3. A method for manufacturing a card having a transparent window with a front side and a back side, the method comprising: printing a color picture on the back side of the window; providing a lenticular screen on the front side of the window; and laser engraving the front side of the window, wherein laser engraving the front side of the window is carried out after the step of printing the color picture.

4. A method for manufacturing a card having a transparent window with a front side and a back side, the method comprising: printing a color picture on the back side of the window; providing a lenticular screen on the front side of the window; and laser engraving the front side of the window, wherein laser engraving the front side of the window is carried out during the step of printing the color picture.

5. A method for manufacturing a card having a transparent window with a front side and a back side, the method comprising: printing a color picture on the back side of the window; laser engraving the front side of the window; and at least one of laminating or printing an additional layer over the color picture on the back side of the window.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein printing a color picture on the back side of the window is carried out by at least one of dye sublimation or inkjet printing.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein laser engraving the front side of the window comprises providing a lenticular screen on the front side of the window.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein laser engraving the front side of the window comprises laser engraving under two different angles.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein laser engraving the front side of the window comprises laser engraving under two different angles.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein printing the color picture on the back side of the window comprises printing an additional picture on the back side of the window displaced from the color picture.

11. The method according to claim 5, wherein the additional layer is at least partly transparent.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein transparency of the additional layer at least partly depends on an exposure to light of the additional layer.

13. A card manufactured with the method according to claim 5, and comprising: a color picture printed on the back side of the window; a laser engraving on the front side of the window; and an additional layer over the color picture on the back side of the window.

14. The card according to claim 13, further comprising an additional picture printed on the back side of the window displaced from the color picture.

15. A device for manufacturing a card having a transparent window with a front side and a back side, the device comprising: a printing unit configured to print a color picture on the back side of the window by at least one of dye sublimation or inkjet printing; and a laser engraving unit configured to laser engrave the front side of the window.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the laser engraving unit is configured to laser engrave the front side of the window under two different angles.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein the printing unit is configured to print an additional picture on the back side of the window displaced from the color picture.

18. The device according to claim 15, further comprising a laminating unit configured to at least one of laminate or print an additional layer over the color picture on the back side of the window.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The drawings illustrate generally, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present disclosure.

(2) FIG. 1 depicts schematically a cross-sectional view of a card according to one embodiment.

(3) FIG. 2 depicts schematically a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a card according to one embodiment.

(4) FIG. 3a depicts schematically a step of pressing together a card comprising multiple layers by using a mold according to one embodiment.

(5) FIG. 3b depicts schematically the card with a lenticular screen resulting from the step shown in FIG. 3a.

(6) FIG. 3c depicts schematically a step of laser engraving a front side of the card shown in FIG. 3b under two different angles.

(7) FIG. 3d depicts schematically the pictures a viewer can see when viewing under different angles onto the front side of the card after the step shown in FIG. 3c is carried out.

(8) FIG. 4 depicts schematically a device configured to carry out a method for manufacturing a card according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) As can be gathered from FIG. 1, the card 1 comprises a front side 2 and a back side 3. A transparent window 4 extending from the front side 2 to the back side 3 is provided in an area of the card 1. Thus, the window 4 extends throughout the whole cross-section of the card 1. The card 1 comprises a laser sensitive material, e.g. a laser sensitive plastic, such as polycarbonate.

(10) As can be gathered from FIG. 2, in a first step S1, at least in the area where the transparent window 4 is provided, a color picture, e.g. with cyan, magenta and yellow, is printed on the back side 3 of the card 1. In a second step S2, at least in the area where the transparent window 4 is provided, the front side 2 of the card 1 is (laser) engraved in black such that a color picture results. The engraving of the front side 2 may be carried out before, after and/or at the same time as printing the picture on the back side 3. That is, a time span during which the first step S1 is carried out and a time span during which the second step S2 is carried out may at least partly overlap.

(11) Furthermore, as shown throughout FIGS. 3a-d, a lenticular screen could be added to the window 4. This may be done, for example, during or before the second step S2 of the manufacturing process of the card 1 described above. Furthermore, under at least two different angles a1, a2 (as shown in FIG. 3c) data, e.g. two pictures, may be applied by laser engraving at least to the area of the card 1 where the window 4 is provided. However, the present embodiment is not limited to two pictures and also more than two pictures, for example, three or four or more pictures, may be provided. It is possible that only one color picture is printed on the back side 3 of the card 1, but also more than one picture, for example, two or more (color) pictures, may be printed on the back side. The data applied under the first angle a1 and the data applied under the second angle a2 may be the same, but can also be different data.

(12) More specifically, in FIG. 3a, a first sub step S21 of the second step S2 is shown. In the first sub step S21, one or, as shown in FIG. 3a, multiple layers 11, 12, 13, 14 forming the card 1 are pressed (together) using a mold 5. In a surface 51 of the mold 5 corresponding to the front side 2 of the card 1 in at least the area of the card 1 where the window 4 is provided, recesses 52 are provided.

(13) Here, a surface of the first layer 11 forms the front side 2 of the card 1 and a surface of the second layer 12 forms the back side 3 of the card 1. The window 4 extends from the first layer 11 to the second layer 12. The transparency of the third and/or fourth layer 13, 14 may depend on their exposure to light. However, the present disclosure is not limited to four layers, and it is also possible that the window extends through multiple layers, such as five, six or seven layers, or even all layers forming the card. The layers provided with the window may be internal layers.

(14) When pressing together the multiple, here four, layers 11, 12, 13, 14 in the first sub step S21, a surface 41 of the window 4 on the front side 2 of the card 1 is provided with a lenticular screen, i.e. a structure corresponding to the respective recesses 52 provided in the surface 51 of the mold 5. The card 1 resulting from the first sub step S21 is shown in FIG. 3b, wherein the lenticular screen is provided at the surface 41 of the window 4.

(15) In a second sub step S22, following the first sub step S21, at least the area where the window 4 is provided, e.g. the surface 41 of the window 4 on the front side 2 of the card 1, is laser engraved. As can be gathered from FIG. 3c, laser engraving may be done under two different angles a1, a2 with respect to the front side 2 of the card 1. As already indicated above, the present disclosure is not limited to the two angles a1 a2, but laser engraving may be carried out also under more than two angles or only one angle.

(16) By printing at least one color picture in the first step S21 on the back side of the window 4 formed by the second layer 12, and laser engraving the surface 41 of the window 4 on the front side 2 of the card 1 formed by the first layer 11 under the two different angles a1, a2, two color pictures may be achieved that may be seen under the two different angles a1, a2.

(17) It is also possible to print two different color pictures slightly offset from each other on the back side 3. A viewer, when viewing at the surface 41 of the window 4 on the front side 2 of the card 1 under the first angle a1, will see a first data, e.g. a face of a person. Under the second angle a2, the viewer will see a second data. As can be appreciated from the first row in FIG. 3d the second data may, for example, be a marking like “ok,” or as can be appreciated from the second row of FIG. 3d, the second data may also be the face of the person. Also, an image of a person and a second image of the same person with superimposed other information, such as the text “ok,” may be provided.

(18) In case of a 3D photo, the two angles a1, a2 are generally so narrow that both eyes of the viewer see the two pictures at the same time, i.e. a perception of a 3D-picture is created. It is also possible that the same object/person under at least two slightly different viewing angles (left ear/right ear) is depicted.

(19) As described above, here it is possible to print two images on the back side. But, it is also possible to provide only one color print and laser engrave two images under different angles on the front side.

(20) It is also possible that the above-described method comprises an additional step of laminating and/or printing an additional layer on the back and/or front side 2, 3 of the window 4. This additional layer may be (partly) transparent. The transparency of the additional layer may depend on the exposure to light thereof.

(21) In FIG. 4, a device 6 for manufacturing the card 1 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 is schematically shown. The device 6 comprises a printing unit 61 and a laser engraving unit 62.

(22) The printing unit 61 is configured to print the color picture on the back side 3 of the window 4. The printing unit 61 may be configured to print the color picture without using black since black is added by the laser engraving unit by laser engraving the front side 2. The laser engraving unit 62 is configured to laser engrave the front side 2 of the window 4. The laser engraving unit 62 is configured to laser engrave the front side 2 of the window 4 before, after or during the time the printing unit 61 prints the color picture.

(23) More specifically, the printing unit 61 is configured to print the color picture on the back side 3 of the window 4 by inkjet printing, for example, by using cyan, magenta and yellow inks.

(24) The laser engraving unit 62 is configured to laser engrave the front side 2 of the window 4, which may comprise the lenticular screen on the front side 2 of the window 4. To provide the lenticular screen on the front side of the window 4, the device may further comprise the mold 5 described above with reference to FIG. 3a.

(25) The printing unit 61 may not only be configured to print the color picture on the back side 3 of the window 4 but further to print an additional picture on the back side 3 of the window 4 displaced from the color picture. The laser engraving unit 62 may then be configured to laser engrave the front side 2 of the window 4 comprising the lenticular screen under two different angles a1, a2 with respect to the displacement of the two pictures printed on the back side 3 of the window 4.

(26) The device may further comprise a laminating unit 63. The laminating unit 63 is configured to laminate and/or print an additional layer over the picture on the back side 3 of the window 4. Transparency of the additional layer may depend on an exposure to light of the additional layer. This additional layer may be (partly) transparent.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(27) 1 card 11 first layer 12 second layer 13 third layer 14 fourth layer 2 front side 3 back side 4 window 41 surface 5 mold 51 surface 52 recesses 6 device for manufacturing the card 61 printing unit 62 laser engraving unit 63 laminating unit S1 step of printing S2 step of laser engraving S21 first sub step of providing lenticular screen S22 second sub step of laser engraving lenticular screen under two different angles a1 first angle a2 second angle