The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a data carrier with a partial piece detachable therefrom, and such a data carrier, in particular a chip card, preferably a so-called combined SIM card.
Chip cards of various sizes are known, in particular in the form of SIM cards for mobile communication terminals. The different sizes of SIM cards are known in particular as mini SIM (“2FF”, second form factor), micro SIM (“3FF” third form factor) and nano SIM (“4FF”, fourth form factor) and are employed for different types of mobile phones, for example. A user of a mobile phone receives a SIM card matching his mobile phone most frequently in the form of a partial piece of a chip card in the credit card format (ID-1) for breaking out. In order to simplify the manufacture and handling, combined SIM cards are known, wherein several of the mentioned form factors are pre-punched in a card body for breaking out or pushing out.
In addition to different length and width dimensions, the different form factors can also have different thicknesses. When, for example, a nano SIM is to be made available in a combined SIM, there is the problem that the nano SIM has a smaller thickness according to its specification than the other form factors. The smaller thickness can be achieved by milling the front side of the chip card, since a cavity needs to be milled here anyway for receiving a chip module. However, when in such a combined SIM it is not the nano SIM that is required, but a larger form factor, the contact areas of the chip module are disposed in a depression on the front side of the card. This can result in the contacts of the mobile phone becoming stuck in the depression. When, in order to avoid a depression on the front side, the thickness of the card body is reduced from the back side, for example by milling, the already printed back side is destroyed in this region or the not yet printed card body cannot be printed properly in this region.
It is the object of the present invention to propose a data carrier with a partial piece of reduced thickness and a method for its manufacture, wherein the handling and manufacture of the data carrier are improved with reference to the disadvantages mentioned above.
This object is achieved by a method for manufacturing a data carrier and a data carrier having the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments are specified in the dependent claims.
In a method for manufacturing a data carrier, in particular a chip card, a card-shaped data carrier body is first made available, having a first thickness and a front side and a back side. The first thickness is reduced to a second thickness in a predetermined region on the front side of the data carrier body, which can be effected by removing material, for example by milling, of the front side in the predetermined region. The back side and optionally the front side of the data carrier body can be printed either before or after reducing the thickness.
For producing a first, detachable partial piece, the data carrier body is cut through in the predetermined region, so that the first partial piece is fitted into a through opening of the data carrier body formed by the cutting and can be displaced in the through opening. The cutting through of the data carrier body is effected within the predetermined region, but can preferably be effected exactly along the edges, so that the predetermined region has the same length and width dimensions as the first partial piece to be produced. Alternatively, it is possible conversely to effect the cutting through of the data carrier body first and then the reduction of the thickness of the data carrier body consecutively.
The first partial piece is then so displaced within the through opening in the direction of the front side of the data carrier body that the first partial piece is flush with the front side of the data carrier body. Since the first partial piece is arranged in the through opening of the data carrier body such that it is flush with the front side of the data carrier body, the resulting data carrier has a level front side and a depression in the region of the first partial piece on the back side. The level front side is advantageous in comparison to a depression on the front side, since contacts of a mobile communication terminal can slide over the front side of the data carrier, on which there are preferably disposed contact areas of a chip module, without there existing the risk that they will get stuck in a depression. However, since the thickness of the data carrier in the predetermined region is not reduced from the back side, but from the front side with subsequent displacement of the first partial piece in the direction of the front side, the print of the back side is not destroyed.
Preferably, the method comprises the step of printing at least the back side and/or the front side of the data carrier body at a time before reducing the thickness of the data carrier body in the predetermined region. As mentioned, the print on the back side is not destroyed, since the reduction of the thickness is effected from the front side. Destroying the print in the predetermined region on the front side is undisturbing, however, since in this place there is advantageously implanted a chip module in the data carrier body anyway, which chip module can cover the area of the first partial piece completely or, if the contact areas are smaller than the area of the first partial piece, then there is merely a small border around the contact areas of the chip module without print.
Preferably, the cutting through of the data carrier body for producing the first partial piece is effected from the front side of the data carrier body. This is preferably done by means of a special punching tool and a punch which is adapted to hold the produced partial piece in the punched through opening upon withdrawal of the punching knife and to push said partial piece in the direction of the front side of the data carrier body. Thus, the first partial piece can be produced and displaced in one step.
Preferably, the data carrier comprises a chip module which is inserted into the first partial piece. Accordingly, the manufacturing method preferably further comprises the steps of producing a cavity for a chip module on the front side of the data carrier body in the predetermined region and of inserting a chip module in the cavity. This is preferably effected before the displacement of the first partial piece in the direction of the front side of the data carrier body. In other words, the first partial piece is moved in the through opening of the data carrier body together with the implanted chip module, whereby it is achieved in particular that the contact areas of the chip module are flush with the front side of the data carrier. The contact areas can take up the surface of the first partial piece completely or cover only part thereof.
In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the original, first thickness of the data carrier body in the predetermined region is reduced by a proportion of at most 30%, preferably between 15% and 25%. In other words, the second thickness amounts to at least 70%, preferably between 75% and 85% of the first thickness.
Preferably, in addition to the first partial piece, a second and/or a third partial piece detachable from the data carrier body are produced, wherein advantageously the second partial piece encloses the first partial piece and the third partial piece encloses the first and, where applicable, second partial piece. Preferably, the second partial piece has a length of 15.0 mm, a width of 12.0 mm and a thickness of 0.80 mm, while the third partial piece preferably has a length of 25.0 mm, a width of 15.0 mm and a thickness of 0.80 mm. The first partial piece preferably has a length of 12.30 mm, a width of 8.80 mm and a thickness of 0.67 mm, and the data carrier body has a length of 85.60 mm, a width of 53.98 mm and a thickness of 0.80 mm. All dimensions are to be understood to include a tolerance of +/−0.1 mm.
Preferably thus standard-compliant form factors are provided, wherein the data carrier is preferably a chip card in the ID-1 format according to ISO/IEC 7810:2003 and in the first partial piece is a nano SIM (4FF) according to ETSI TS 102 221 V11.0.0. The second partial piece is preferably a micro SIM (mini UICC; 3FF) according to ETSI TS 102 221 V9.0.0 and the third partial piece is a mini SIM (UICC; ID-000; 2FF) according to ISO/IEC 7810:2003. Preferably, the data carrier has all four form factors. The second and/or third partial piece can also be omitted, however. In another expedient variant, the data carrier itself has the shape of a third partial piece and includes a second and/or a first partial piece; the partial piece forming the largest form factor is missing here.
The cutting through of the data carrier body for producing the first partial piece and, optionally, producing the second and/or third partial piece detachable from the data carrier body is preferably effected by punching. Therein the partial pieces can be fitted into each other accurately or a gap can be provided, wherein the partial pieces are then interconnected by webs. Preferably, smaller form factors are punched first, in other words the punching takes place from the inside towards the outside, since this facilitates the handling and the meeting of tolerances.
The invention is described hereinafter by way of example with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. The figures are described as follows:
In
The third partial piece 5 can be taken out of the card body 2 and for this purpose is connected to said card body by webs 10 with predetermined breaking points, wherein a gap 9 is provided between the third partial piece 5 and the remaining card body 2, said gap being produced by means of a corresponding punching tool. The nano SIM 3, the micro SIM 4 and the mini SIM 5 are respectively fitted into each other. In other words, the respectively larger form factor comprises a through opening into which the respectively smaller form factor is fitted. A user can detach the form factor matching his terminal from the card body 2. Advantageously, a detached smaller form factor can be refitted into the corresponding through hole of the next larger form factor, if an undersized form factor has been detached accidentally, for example. Advantageously, in particular a partial piece 3 can be reinserted into a partial piece 4, and a partial piece 4 into a partial piece 5.
The first partial piece 3 in the form of the nano SIM has a chip module with a chip 8 and contact areas 7. As can be seen in the sectional view in
According to specification, however, it is permissible for the surface of the chip module to be offset from the front side of the chip card 1 by +/−0.1 mm. In contrast, on the back side 16 a depression 17 can be found in the region of the first partial piece 3, since the first partial piece 3 has been displaced in the direction of the front side 15 after punching, as will be described in detail below. The first partial piece 3 hence has a thickness 23 that is reduced with reference to the thickness 22 of the other form factors. The first thickness 22 amounts to 0.68 mm to 0.84 mm, preferably 0.80 mm, while the second thickness 23 is smaller, and amounts to 0.60 mm to 0.70 mm, preferably 0.64 mm. In
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Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2014 012 394.4 | Aug 2014 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2015/001696 | 8/17/2015 | WO | 00 |