Method for decorating the sides of plastic cards

Abstract

Engraver configured to be coupled to a heater piece of a hot foil stamping machine for decorating sides of plastic cards wherein the engraver is made of silicone and capable of being heated up and comprising a recess on its external face opposite to a foil of the hot foil stamping machine, in such a way that a cross-section of said engraver is a negative shape and size of a side of plastic cards, including rounded corners formed by said side and adjacent side, wherein engraver size is dependent on number of plastic cards and the engraver is capable of being heated up and is suitable for being coupled to the heater head piece of the hot foil stamping machine.

Claims

1. A method for decorating sides of plastic cards by hot foil stamping, the method comprising the following steps: a. placing a plurality of plastic cards on a support wedge, such that first sides of said plastic cards are opposite an engraver, b. hot foil stamping, via the engraver, the first sides of the plastic cards and including round corners formed by said first sides with adjacent sides of the cards, c. blowing air on the hot foil stamping applied to the first sides, d. placing the plurality of plastic cards on the support wedge such that second sides of said plastic cards are opposite the engraver, e. hot foil stamping, via the engraver, the second sides of the plastic cards and including round corners formed by said second sides with adjacent sides of the cards, f. blowing air on the hot foil stamping applied to the second sides, g. placing the plurality of plastic cards on the support wedge, such that a third side of said plastic cards are opposite the engraver, h. hot foil stamping, via the engraver, the third sides of the plastic cards and including round corners formed by said third sides with adjacent sides of the cards, i. blowing air on the hot foil stamping applied to the third sides, j. placing the plurality of plastic cards on the support wedge, such that fourth sides of said plastic cards are opposite the engraver, k. hot foil stamping, via the engraver, the fourth sides of the plastic cards and including round corners formed by said fourth sides with adjacent sides of the cards, and l. blowing air on the hot foil stamping applied to the fourth sides.

2. The method for decorating the sides of plastic cards according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cards comprises of 25 cards.

3. The method for decorating the sides of plastic cards according to claim 1, wherein a same wedge is used to hot stamp all four sides of said plastic cards.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1: is a cross-section of the controlled temperature engraver.

(2) FIG. 2: is a perspective view of a detail of a plastic card, showing the sides thereof.

(3) FIG. 3: is perspective view of a vertical hot foil stamping machine with the engraver coupled to a heater head piece of said vertical hot foil stamping machine.

(4) FIG. 4: is a perspective view of a roll-on hot foil stamping machine with the engraver coupled to a heater head piece of said roll-on hot foil stamping machine.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(5) 1. Engraver 2. Plastic card 3. Longest side 4. Shortest side 5. Rounded corner 6. Heater head piece 8. Foil 9. Negative 10. Vertical hot foil stamping machine 11. Roll-on hot foil stamping machine.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

(6) In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plastic cards comply with ISO 7816 and the measurements thereof are: Length: 85.6+1/0.5 mm Width: 53.98+/0.2 mm Nominal depth: 0.762 mm
and groups of 25 cards are preferably worked with.

(7) The method uses hot foil stamping machines that are either vertical or roll-on, with the engraver and the wedge described previously; the production chain may consist of: Four hot stamping machines, each of which is followed by its corresponding blowing station. In this production chain, each hot stamping machine stamps one side. Two hot stamping machines followed by their corresponding blowing stations, each one of the hot stamping machines stamping two sides. One hot stamping machine followed by a blowing station.