[0001] The invention relates to a fraud-proof identification document, consisting of a laminate
of two uniform and completely overlapping, transparent covering sheets of thermosetting
plastic material, which at their inner sides have been provided with a thin adhesive
layer of thermoplastic plastic material and have been laminated on to each other by
hot-pressing while enclosing the identification data. The invention also relates to
the making of such identification documents.
[0002] In the sense of this invention, identification documents are understood to mean passes
such as admission passes, bank passes, credit cards, as well as documents issued by
the central government, such as passports, driving licences, and the like. In order
to protect such documents intended for specific personal use against forgery, nowadays
they are usually designed in the way as described in the introduction, that is, coated
with a laminate of thermosetting plastic material. It is common use, to enclose the
document concerned, consisting of printed paper, cardboard, or plastic material, with
two transparent covering sheets of thermosetting plastic material, each provided with
a thin adhesive layer of thermoplastic material, and subsequently laminate this entirey
by hot-pressing. The document EP-A-431564 discloses a method of manufacturing a fraud-proof
identification document according to the preamble of claim 1.
[0003] A thus prepared identification document does offer a primary protection against forging,
but does not completely exclude this possibility, as it remains possible to remove
the laminate by a heat treatment, change the data of the document, for example by
applying another passport photo, and subsequently laminate the thus forged document
anew.
[0004] The aim of the invention is to provide an identification document, which is absolutely
fraud-proof, and in which disengaging the laminate inevitably leads to destruction
of the identification data enclosed.
[0005] To that end, the invention provides a fraud-proof identification document as described
in the introduction, characterized in that the identification data were printed on
the adhesive layer of one of the covering sheets by a printer, prior to lamination.
[0006] By applying the identification data on one of the adhesive layers of the covering
sheets with the help of a printer, it is achieved, that after lamination, these data
are so to speak part of a common binding layer, which is formed by the two adhesive
layers after hot-pressing of the laminate. The identification data in the shape of
for example ink dot patterns present in this binding layer enclosed by two transparent
covering sheets, remains clearly visible and legible, because during laminating e.g.
with hot pressing rollers, no lateral displacement of the adhesive layers in relation
to each other will occur. However, should one want to reopen such a laminate again,
for example by exposing it to the temperature of the hot pressing, pulling both covering
sheets from each other would cause the printed pattern to be pulled apart in an irregular
way, thereby damaging it such that on laminating anew the originally applied information
is damaged to such an extent, that the laminate can no longer be used as an identification
document.
[0007] Instead of printing the identification data on the adhesive layer of one of both
covering sheets, according to the invention, an intermediate sheet can be laminated
along as well. In that case, the invention is characterized in that an intermediate
sheet of thermosetting plastic material, being provided with a thin adhesive layer
of thermoplastic material on at least one side has been laminated along between the
two covering sheets, on which third sheet, on its adhesive layer, the identification
data have been printed by a printer prior to lamination. This last embodiment is preferred,
if one requires a slightly thicker and stronger identification document. Moreover,
the intermediate sheet need not be transparent, so that the identification can be
made to stand out in contrast to a white back layer. However, in this embodiment the
printing patterns of the identification data are in the middle of a binding layer,
consisting of two original adhesive layers of the intermediate and one of the covering
sheets respectively, so that opening the laminate under heat here will inevitably
lead to destruction of the information contents as well.
[0008] Effectively, printing of the adhesive layer of one of both covering sheets or of
an intermediate sheet can take place with the help of a controlled laser printer,
coupled to a scanner, which scans and prints the information to be applied point by
point. In this way, passport photos, such as used with many of such documents, can
be accommodated as well.
[0009] The invention also provides an efficient method of making a number of identification
documents as described hereinbefore.
[0010] For making identification documents, in which the identification data are printed
on the inner side, provided with a adhesive layer, of one of both covering sheets,
the method according to the invention is characterized in that a first transparent
sheet of thermosetting plastic material, coated on one side with a thin adhesive layer
of thermosetting plastic material, which sheet has the size of a number of identification
documents, is printed with identification data for a number of identification documents
on the coated sides according to sections, by a printer, that a second, transparent
sheet, similar and uniform to the first sheet, is put on this first sheet with the
adhesive layers of both sheets facing each other and laminated with the first sheet
by hot pressing, and that the laminate obtained is cut according to sections to form
a corresponding number of identification documents.
[0011] For making identification documents with an enclosed intermediate sheet, the method
according to the invention is characterized in that a sheet of thermosetting plastic
material, coated with a thin adhesive layer of thermoplastic plastic material on at
least one side, which sheet has the size of a number of identification documents,
is printed with identification data for a number of identification documents according
to the sections by a printer, that this sheet is positioned between two transparent
sheets Of thermosetting plastic material, each of them coated on one side with a thin
adhesive layer of thermoplastic material, which two sheets have the same dimensions
as the intermediate sheet and have their adhesive layers facing each other, that the
three sheets are laminated by hot pressing, and that the laminate obtained is cut
according to the sections to form a corresponding number of identification documents.
[0012] Efficiently, in this method, printing with identification data is performed by a
laser printer coupled to a scanner, at which identification data are scanned and printed
point by point.
[0013] The method according to the invention is particularly suitable for programmed automated
processing of a series of identification documents. By programmed laser printing,
a relatively large sheet of thermosetting plastic material can readily be printed
with a number of identifications next to and under each other on its adhesive layer,
which are distributed across the large sheet matrix-wise. After laser print printing,
the second sheet is laid up, or the sheet is positioned between two outer covering
sheets, and laminating takes place in one hot pressing operation, as a result of which
one obtains a laminated plate consisting of a number of information documents positioned
next to and under each other section-wise, that only need to be cut loose from each
other, which can simply take place with the help of suitable equipment. Each of the
identification documents thus obtained is completely fraud-proof, since in all these
documents the printing ink is situated in the interior of a common binding layer of
twee enclosing sheets of thermosetting plastic material.
[0014] The invention is now further explained by means of an embodiment, in which the making
of a number of identification documents with the help of two covering sheets to be
laminated is explained. In the drawing
Fig. 1 shows a both covering sheets prior to laminating in diagrammatical side view
in cross-section,
Fig. 2 shows the laminate obtained by hot pressing, likewise in diagrammatical side
view in cross-section, and
Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatical plan view of this laminate with the subdivision in individual
identification documents indicated thereon.
[0015] In fig. 1, a transparent sheet of thermosetting material has been indicated by 1,
for example a high-grade polyester. This sheet 1 is coated with a thin layer 2 of
thermoplastic adhesive material, for example ethyl vinyl acetate. The dimensions of
this sheet have been selected such, that as seen in fig. 3, a series of identifications
can be applied thereon next to and under each other (identifications 1 through 6).
[0016] This sheet is used for printing identification data thereon, in which a laser printer
prints these data, indicated by 3, 4 and 5, on the adhesive layer 2. The data concerned
of various identifications (3, 4, 5) are printed point by point after point by point
opto-electronic scanning of basic data, digits, passport photos and the like, and
the data belonging to a specific identification are present in one of the sections
on the sheet 1.
[0017] After printing with identification data, a second, uniform and transparent sheet
1' provided with a similar adhesive layer 2' is laid on to the adhesive side 2 of
the first sheet 1 with the adhesive side 2'.
[0018] Subsequently, hot pressing takes place, for example with hot pressing rollers or
with hot pressing plates, as a result of which a laminate is formed, as shown in fig.
2.
[0019] As can be seen in fig. 2, this laminate consists of two transparent outer layers
1 and 1' of polyester or another suitable thermosetting material, with a binding layer
2'' of the thermoplastic material of the original adhesive layer 2 and 2' therebetween.
Within this binding layer 2'', all printed identification data have now been completely
contained in the binding material, whereby it is guaranteed that the laminate can
not be opened without taking the printing ink information 3, 4 and 5 from its original
connection and there consequently destroying it as identification.
[0020] Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatical plan view of the laminate obtained with the border
lines of the several identifications indicated thereon.
[0021] By cutting the laminate through across the full lines, one obtains the individual
identifications 1 through 6, which represent very reliable and fraud-proof safety
documents, in which forgery later on is absolutely impossible.
[0022] The method can be modified by employing an intermediate sheet, also made of polyester,
which however need not be transparent, and has likewise been provided with a thin
adhesive layer of thermoplastic material, on to which the identification data are
printed in the same way. Subsequently, this intermediate sheet is positioned between
two covering sheets according to fig. 1, after which laminating takes place. Thus,
once again one obtains a laminate with a number of identifications applied thereon,
which can be separated from each other in the same way in order to obtain individual
identification documents.
[0023] It should be understood, that many modifications and variations are possible within
the field of the invention. If, for example, one requires rounded-off corners at the
individual identification documents, cutting can be substituted by punching, for example.
[0024] It is also possible to make "kangaroo-type" laminates as described in dutch patent
application 80 04467 instead of the usual laminates.
1. Verfahren zum Herstellen eines betrugssicheren Identitätsdokumentes, enthaltend:
Erstellung von Identifikationsdaten (3, 4, 5), wie etwa Ziffern, Buchstaben, und Paßphotos
auf einer thermoplastischen Schicht (2), die auf einem Träger (1) angebracht ist,
und
Ausbilden einer Schutzschicht (1') über der thermoplastischen Schicht (2), gekennzeichnet
durch
Drucken eines ersten transparenten Bogens aus wärmeaushärtendem Kunststoffmaterial
(1), der auf der einen Seite mit einer dünnen haltenden thermoplastischen Schicht
(2) beschichtet ist, auf die beschichtete Seite mit den Identifikationsdaten (3, 4,
5), Anordnen eines zweiten transparenten Bogens aus einem wärmeaushärtenden Kunststoffmaterial
(1'), der ebenfalls auf einer Seite mit einer dünnen haftenden thermoplastischen Schicht
(2') beschichtet ist und dem ersten Bogen ähnlich sowie gleichartig ist, über dem
ersten Bogen, wobei die haftenden Schichten beider Bögen einander zugewandt sind;
und Laminieren der Bögen zu einer Verbindung miteinander durch Heißpressen.
2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß
der erste Bogen nach dem Drucken zwischen dem zweiten transparenten Bogen und einem
dritten transparenten Bogen aus wärmeaushärtendem Kunststoffmaterial, der mit einer
dünnen heftenden thermoplastischen Schicht, ähnlich dem zweiten Bogen beschichtet
ist, angeordnet wird, wobei die heftenden Schichten des zweiten und des dritten Bogens
einander zugewandt sind und zu einer Verbindung miteinander durch Heißpressen laminiert
werden.