The invention relates to a multilayer structure 2 such as a data page intended to be inserted into an identification document and a manufacturing process of such a data page.
A data page (or biodata page) is a part of an identification document, such as a passport, including the information of the holder, such as name, date of birth, etc., and consequently forming a data area. The data page is sewn into the passport booklet using a flexible part, extending beyond the data area, and called the “hinge”. The data page consists of several layers, which can contain holes, and a thermoplastic material, and which are laminated together.
Identification documents are becoming increasingly important. These documents must be kept secure from tampering to ensure that counterfeiters or tamperers cannot produce counterfeit identification documents or tamper such identification documents without leaving any mark after the identification document falsification.
In order to enhance the security of identification documents, it is known, in document EP 2 401 158 B1, to produce a security document in which a security element continuously extends from the data page area onto the hinge area in order to duplicate the security element in different parts of the data page. The security element is carried by a specific layer and is visible in integrality.
It is also known, in document EP 2 433 809 A1, to produce an identification document in which a security element carried by the hinge extends on both sides of the sewing line, this element being visible on a data area in continuity of the hinge (e.g., without any interruption between the two areas).
Finally, it is known in document US 2014/0265295 A1 to produce a data page comprising an opening and a hinge, a security element being visible through a window, that is to say a transparent area on the data page which can be seen from at least one side of the data page.
It was found that the solutions disclosed in the documents listed above can have security gaps, mainly considering the increase of the techniques available for counterfeiters or tamperers.
Furthermore, the processes used to manufacture data pages according to these documents can require several lamination steps, which increase the complexity and the costs of these processes.
Therefore, it is an objective of the invention to increase the security of a data page by providing a data page which is much more difficult to tamper than the data pages of the prior art.
This object is achieved by providing a multilayer structure intended to be inserted in an identification document and comprising:
Thus, the multilayer structure (called herein after “data page”) comprises a single layer, the at least transparent second layer, forming simultaneously the window of the data page and the hinge and comprising the same security element which can be observed (in addition to the visual properties of the transparent layer) at two distinct points of the data page. Consequently, it becomes much more difficult to tamper an identification document comprising a data page as enounced above because of the repetition of the security element. For example, if a tamperer cuts the data page and attaches a new one to a hinge, there will be no more correlation between the security element on the hinge and the new data area.
The multilayer according to the invention can include at least one of the following characteristics:
The invention also concerns an identification document such as a passport, an identity card, a driver's license, or a travel pass including a multilayer structure according to the invention.
The invention also concerns a method of fabricating a multilayer structure intended to be inserted in an identification document, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
The method according to the invention can include at least one of the following characteristics:
Some embodiments of the invention are given as non-limiting examples in support of the attached figures in which:
Referring now to
The two first layers 4 comprise one or more through openings 8 (the number of through openings can vary) which are integrally confined by at least partially opaque material of the opaque layers 4. In other words, the through opening 8 perimeter defines a closed loop integrally surrounded by opaque material of the opaque layers 4. The through opening 8 is confined by at least partially opaque material in directions according to axes X and Y (see the orthonormal system on
An at least partially transparent second layer 10 is arranged in-between the two first layers 4. Preferably, this layer can be made in thermoplastic polyurethane. This second layer 10 extends at least partially (it can be an integral extension) between the two first layers 4 in order to extend into the through openings 8. The extension of the second layer 10 into the through openings 8 forms windows 11, that is to say a part of the data page in which the internal second layer 10 is visible through the first layers 4.
The second layer 10 also extends beyond the first layers 4, more precisely on one side of these layers, in order to form an edge part 12 which can be a hinge used to attach the data page 2 to the identification document such as a passport booklet, for example by sewing. The edge part 12 could also be the edge of a card. It may comprise or may not comprise some data. The thermoplastic polyurethane has the advantage to be a flexible material, and consequently, a good material for the function of a hinge. The first layers 4 can cover all the surface of the second layer 10 except the edge part 12 which is only constituted by the second layer 10.
The second layer 10 can be provided with an opening 14 in its part sandwiched between the two first layers 4 in order to receive a transponder coil 16 composed of a chip 18 (having in this case a T-shape) and an antenna 20 comprising two endpoints in contact with the chip 18. The transponder is maintained in position thanks to the structure of the data page 2 in which it is compressed between the first layers 4. This kind of transponder is known of a person skilled in the art and will not be described in detail.
The thickness of the second layer 10 may vary from 70 μm to 500 μm, preferably form 150 μm to 500 μm, depending on the number of layers added to manufacture the data page 2 or the material used for these layers.
The data page 2 may have transparent overlays 22 in order to give an optimal finished appearance to the data page 2. These overlays 22 can be made of transparent polycarbonate.
Concerning the through openings 8, each first layer 4 may have at least one of these through openings 8, as illustrated on
These through openings can be made by punching the first layers 4. It is possible to adapt some polycarbonate perforation technology such as the realization of a watermark, e.g., multiple small holes into the first layers 4 due to multiple perforations in order to allow the creep of the second layer 10 into these holes to create multiple windows. The data page 2 may thus have a plurality of windows forming a security feature that can be detectable or visualized under specific condition (for example by using a UV lamp) by any authority controlling the authenticity of the data page 2.
This concept is based on removing part of the first layers 4 before the collating phase, which locally reduces the opacity of the final laminate, for example using a CO2 laser perforation technique. A removal factor can be defined using the diameter of the holes and the spacing between holes as parameters.
During lamination, the first layers 4 reach beyond the softening temperature which cause the plastic melting and the layer fusion to produce the final laminate. The creep of the second layer 10 into the holes prevent the filling of these holes by the opaque layer's material which is in fusion.
Thanks to this technique various images, characters or patterns can be realized by means of a plurality of windows, which can be of relatively small dimensions.
According to a first embodiment illustrated at
According to a second embodiment illustrated at
According to a third embodiment illustrated at
A window 11, e.g., a through opening 8 filled with the second layer 10 material, is integrally confined by at least partially opaque material, that is to say that borders form a continuous loop surrounding the window 11. The through opening 8 (and consequently the windows 11) can have various forms and sizes.
Preferably, the through opening(s) 8 is located at least 3 mm away from the edge part 12, preferably at a distance at least equal to the third of the width of the data page 2. A gap is then created between the window(s) 11 and the edge part 12 in order to increase the security of the document (the link between the window(s) 11 and the edge part 12 becoming more difficult to visualize).
As explained above, the second layer 10 comprises at least one element forming a security element (not shown) (the security element is included inside the second layer (10) or arranged on the second layer (10)). This security element is present and/or visible in and/or on the edge 12 and in the through opening(s) 8 of the first layer(s) 4 (through the window(s) 11). This feature can be chosen among the non-exhaustive following list of processes and security features obtained using these processes:
Furthermore, the second layer 10 can extend integrally between the first layers 4 and form borders 26 surrounding the first layers 4 in order to obtain a better finished appearance, as it is illustrated at
Concerning the manufacturing method of a data page 2 as described above, the following steps are executed:
The data page 2 is preferably manufactured with this one-step lamination process. The benefit lies in a cost-effective way to manufacture a data page 2 component or a final data page 2 with window 11.
The second sheet flows in the through opening 8 in order to create a window 11. This creep allows to use different shapes/patterns of the through opening 8. This is very advantageous since the edge part 12 and the window 11 is formed in one step during the manufacturing process and that it does not need the use of a patch to fill the through opening 8 and form the window 11. Moreover, the window 11 and the edge part 12 can be linked with the same security feature associated with the second sheet. The security elements, that also fill or cover the full or partial surface/area of the second sheet, are associated to this specific second sheet before any collating or first lamination process of the data page 2.
As described above, the second sheet can be sandwiched between two first sheets. The second sheet is then positioned between two first sheets as described above, at least one of the first sheets being provided with a through opening.
If the two first sheets are provided with a through opening 8, the first sheets can be positioned on both sides of the second sheet so that the through openings 8 are at least partially overlapping to each other.
The second sheet can flow around borders of the first sheet during the lamination process. This allows to create borders 26 surrounding the first sheet.
As described above, a transponder coil 16 may be incorporated into the second sheet before lamination.
The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and other embodiments will become apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example, the use of another suitable security element could be intended. The composition of the second layer could be specific in order to constitute the security element (addition of a specific component into the second sheet). The method to make through openings can be different from methods described above. Other elements than the transponder coil can be inserted in the second layer or in the first layer(s).
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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18210486.9 | Dec 2018 | EP | regional |
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/145,434, titled “Identification Document Data Page and Related Production Method,” filed Dec. 22, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/309,550, titled “Identification Document Data Page and Related Production Method,” filed Jun. 4, 2021, which is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Appl. No. PCT/EP2019/082669, titled “Identification Document Data Page and Related Production Method,” filed Nov. 27, 2019, which claims priority to European Pat. Appl. No. 18210486.9, filed Dec. 5, 2018, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 18145434 | Dec 2022 | US |
Child | 18414542 | US | |
Parent | 17309550 | Jun 2021 | US |
Child | 18145434 | US |