Method of manufacturing a contactless card

Abstract

A method for producing a contactless card having a support for the functional elements of the card. The support is provided with lower and upper covering layers, and the functional elements borne thereon are formed by means of extrusion, directly in contact with the support.

1 . A method of manufacturing integrated circuit media of the contactless type that has functional elements comprising an electronic chip connected to a winding that functions as an antenna, and a body comprising a covering layer on at least one side of said functional elements, said method comprising the steps of providing said functional elements on a support sheet, and extruding said covering layer immediately in contact with said support sheet.  
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said support sheet is a conductive grille in which said winding is formed.  
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein said extruding step comprises passing said support sheet containing said functional elements through a die for extruding said covering layer.  
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein said support sheet, provided with said functional elements, is packaged in the form of a coil to be unwound continuously during the extrusion step.  
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 4 , further including the step, following the extrusion step and after cooling, of cutting said media to the final format for products to be obtained while said support sheet is moving along a manufacturing line.  
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the step of cutting the products to the final format includes a prior positioning phase that includes detection of said functional means through the covering layer material.  
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 4  further including the step, following the extrusion step, of depositing a printed film on the front and/or rear face of the products to be obtained while said support sheet is moving along a manufacturing line.  
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 3  wherein said support sheet comprises a film of dielectric material.  
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said covering layer comprises bottom and top layers for covering the dielectric film, which forms a central core between the two layers, and wherein said central core has one or more openings so that said bottom and top layers are coextruded whilst being joined to each other in a monolithic fashion.  
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 8  further including the step, prior to the step of extruding the layers, of producing a winding with antenna and supply coil functions for the chip by metallisation on the dielectric material.  
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the chip is bonded to said dielectric film, and its contacts are connected to two wires for connection to said winding, and the entirety of the chip and its connection wires are embedded in a drop of resin.  
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the two operations of producing the winding and of mounting the chip are carried out continuously on a film packaged as a coil to be unwound continuously during said extrusion.  
   
   
       13 . (canceled)  
   
   
       14 . An integrated circuit medium of the contactless type, having a central sheet for supporting functional elements, and bottom and top layers, wherein said support sheet has at least one opening through which the bottom and top layers communicate, the material of the bottom and top layers having, with the material situated in said opening, at least a homogeneous molecular continuity constituting one and the same material, said bottom and top layers being obtained by extrusion.