Punch tool

Abstract

 A punch tool (1) for punching a plug in smart card from a substrate where the punch tool has an edge (20) to delineate at least part of a periphery of the plug in card and there is also cutting edge (24) for cutting the areas not punched by the tool. The cutting edge passes partway through the depth of the substrate when the periphery is punched out by the edge (20) so connections between the plug in card and the main body are formed in a single action using a single tool.

Description

Field of the Invention

[0001] The invention relates to a punch tool and in particular but not exclusively to a punch tool that has both punching and cutting surfaces combined in the one punch tool to delineate one card within the body of a larger card.

Background of the Invention

[0002] Data cards are of a generally rectangular shape, often with rounded corners and these cards are made using a pre-punching or cutting tool which scores or cuts out the outline of the shape of the card that is to be cut from a sheet of material. SIM cards are now often provided as a card that is held on a carrier card that is formed from a sheet of material with the SIM card being held within the body of the carrier card by connections between the SIM card and the carrier card. The SIM card when used by a user is pushed out of the carrier card, and the carrier card is then discarded. It is necessary to have a data card where the boundary of the card is defined but the SIM card is still retained in the body of the data carrier. Also it is necessary that the SIM card can be easily removed from the sheet of material that it is contained in.

[0003] Apparatus for punching out plug-in cards for smart cards have been known for some time. Known apparatuses have a stamping punch that cooperates with a support or die-plate, whereby the plastic to be punched is positioned between the stamping punch and the die-plate. The stamping punch is formed so as to have the contour of the desired plug-in card. However, known punching apparatus only use a punching process to form the outline of the card. The areas where there is a connection between the card and the SIM card are of the thickness of the card substrate and so the SIM card is still difficult to remove from the main card body. Further, known apparatus for punching around plug-in cards have the disadvantage that cracks occur, in particular on the upper side of the punched edge due to the high punching pressures used.

[0004] US 2003/0159560 discusses general punching apparatus for punching plug-in cards that permits the plug-in to be punched free with the exception of a few bars that keep the plug-in attached to the main card. There is the problem that the connections between the main card and the plug are still robust making the two difficult to separate. WO 96/31427 discloses an apparatus for cutting plastics that includes a support for a plastic to be cut and on the side of the plastic facing away from the support there is a wedge-shaped cutting knife to cut the plastic. A narrow core remains that still connects the plug-in with the rest of the card body but the card could become easily detached from the card as the connections are not particularly robust.

[0005] The current invention seeks to overcome the problems of the prior art by providing a data carrier formed of a plug card and carrier card where the plug card is securely held in the main card body and yet it is possible to easily detach the SIM card from the main body. Further, the invention allows for the production of an easily detachable plug card by a simple process involving a single tool, which increases the accuracy of the data carrier that is produced.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a punch tool for punching a plug in smart card from a substrate, with the punch tool being adapted to cooperate with a die-plate or support for the substrate, the punch tool having an edge to delineate at least part of a periphery of the plug in card, characterized in that in use, the edge of the punch tool is used for punching the at least part of the periphery in combination with a cutting edge for cutting the areas not punched by the tool the cutting edge passing partway through the depth of the substrate thereby leaving connections between the plug in card and a main body of the substrate so the plug in card remains attached to the substrate at said connections.

[0007] Preferably the punch tool is of a rectilinear shape.

[0008] It is envisaged that punch tool is of a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners.

[0009] Preferably the edge of the punch tool has cut outs along three sides of the rectilinear shape

[0010] It is envisaged that cut outs include a blade set back from the edge of the punch tool.

[0011] Preferably the blade is chamfered.

[0012] It is envisaged that the substrate is selected from a plastic material, a plastic and paper composite material or a paper composite material.

[0013] It is preferred that the plug in smart card is an ID-000 card, for example a SIM card that is punched out of an ID-1 card which provides the substrate. However the card may be any type of card, for example an ecoSIM card.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of punching a plug in smart card from a substrate, wherein a substrate is positioned between a punch tool being and a die plate that supports the substrate and a punch tool having an edge to punch an impression around at least part of a periphery of the plug in smart card is brought towards the substrate, characterized in that the edge of the punch tool acts in conjunction with a cutting edge for cutting the areas not punched by the tool said cutting edge cutting partway through the depth of the substrate thereby leaving connections between the plug in card and a main body of the substrate so that the plug in card is held in the main body by said connections which are friable. The delineation of the outline of the plug in card, which is typically an ID-000 card occurs substantially simultaneously as the cutting edge forming the friable connections or lines of weakness, thereby reducing production time for such cards because there is no need for multiple actions or multiple tools.

[0015] It is envisaged that the method is used to produce a data carrier and in particular a SIM card.

Brief Description of the Figures

[0016] An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying figures by way of example only, in which:

Figure 1 shows: a front perspective view of a punch tool according to an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 2 shows: a side perspective view of the punch tool of figure 1; and

Figure 3 shows: a plug in smart card that is formed using a tool according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention

[0017] Figure 1 shows generally a punch tool as 1. The punch tool is formed of a body having an edge 20 which is of the shape that is to be punched in a substrate (not shown). The shape of the punch tool is generally rectilinear but can be of any shape required. As shown the rectilinear punch tool has rounded corners 25. The edge has one or more recesses 22 or cut outs. As shown there are two recesses 22a and 22b which are on opposite facing sides forming the longer sides of the rectangular punch tool. These recesses are positioned towards a first shorter side of the rectangular tool. At the other shorter side of rectangular tool there is a further recess 22c which is wider than the recesses 22a and 22b and generally is the same width as the end of the punch tool where it is situated.

[0018] The edge (20) of the punch tool is used for punching through a substrate that is placed on a die. The substrate is generally a plastic material, a fibrous material such as cardboard or it may be a composite plastic and fibrous material. The substrate may be lamellar or a single layer composite.

[0019] The recesses are in the form of channels 27 that extend the height of the sides of the tool. The channels house the blades 23 which may be in a fixed position in the channel or the blades may be moveable in the channel so that the position of the blade and hence the cutting edge 24 of the blade can be adjusted relative to the edge 20. The cutting edge of the blade is chamfered with the chamfer of the cutting edge 24 being directed towards the interior of the tool.

[0020] When the tool is used the edge 20 will penetrate the substrate and form a cut out that is the shape of the cutting edge. Where the recesses are located there will be no cutting but the cutting edge will meet the substrate and form a score line on the connection between the substrate that is to form the plug and the rest of the substrate that forms the carrier card for the plug. Depending on the position of the cutting edge 24 relative to edge 20, the depth of the score line can be adjusted. The connection provides the link between the plug card and the carrier card while the score line forms a line of weakness to allow the plug card and carrier card to be easily separated when the plug card is to be used.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the corners 25 of the edge 20 at the shorter edge of the rectangular tool are thicker than the cutting edge 24 of the blade. The chamfer of the cutting edge 24 can be seen as being directed towards the inside of the tool.

[0022] Figure 3 shows a substrate 30, generally referred to as a data carrier or ID-1 card, in which a plug-in smart card 31 (referred to usually as an ID-000 card) has been formed using the apparatus described above and as shown in Figures 1 & 2. It can be seen that the plug-in smart card 31 has been separated from the substrate 30 around a large portion of its periphery in those areas corresponding to the edge 20 of the punch tool 1. In the remaining areas of the periphery the substrate 30 has been scored by the blades 23 of the punch tool 1 to form one or more lines of weakness 33 that nonetheless still connect the plug-in smart card to the surrounding substrate. The lines of weakness 33 allow the plug-in smart card to be separated from the substrate when desired. The initial separation of the plug-in smart card around the portions of the periphery and the scoring of the remaining sections of the periphery to form the lines of weakness is accomplished with a single punching operation of the punch tool 1 shown in Figures 1 & 2. The line of weakness 33 is positioned to be offset from the periphery of the substrate and is positioned inside of the periphery.

[0023] Although the embodiment that has been shown includes 3 cutting faces, one cutting face may be used or any other number of cutting faces depending on how the card is to be held in the main card body.

[0024] It is to be understood that the above embodiments have been provided only by way of exemplification of this invention, such as those detailed below, and that further modifications and improvements thereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the present invention described. Furthermore where individual embodiments are discussed, the invention is intended to cover combinations of those embodiments as well.

Claims

1. A punch tool (1) for punching a plug in smart card from a substrate, with the punch tool being adapted to cooperate with a die-plate or support for the substrate, the punch tool having an edge (20) to delineate at least part of a periphery of the plug in card, characterized in that in use, the edge (20) of the punch tool is used for punching the at least part of the periphery in combination with a cutting edge (24) for cutting the areas not punched by the tool, the cutting edge passing partway through the depth of the substrate thereby leaving connections between the plug in card and a main body of the substrate so the plug in card remains attached to the substrate at said connections.

2. A punch tool according to claim 1, herein the edge (20) of the punch tool (1) is of a rectilinear shape.

3. A punch tool according to claim 2, wherein the punch tool is of a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners (25).

4. A punch tool according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the edge of the punch tool has cut outs (22) along three sides of the rectilinear shape

5. A punch tool according to claim 4, wherein the cut outs (22) house a one or more blades (23) the cutting edge (24) of which is set back from the edge (20) of the punch tool.

6. A punch tool according to any preceding claim wherein the cutting edge (24) is chamfered.

7. A punch tool according to any preceding claim wherein the cutting edge (24) is adjustable relative to the edge (20) of the punch tool.

8. A punch tool according to any preceding claim wherein the substrate is selected from a plastic material, a plastic and paper composite material or a paper composite material.

9. A punch tool according to any preceding claims wherein the plug in smart card is an ID-1 card.

10. A method of punching a plug in smart card from a substrate, wherein a substrate is positioned between a punch tool being and a die plate that supports the substrate and a punch tool (1) having an edge (20) to punch an impression around at least part of a periphery of the plug in smart card is brought towards the substrate, characterized in that the edge (20) of the punch tool acts in conjunction with a cutting edge (24) for cutting the areas not punched by the tool said cutting edge cutting partway through the depth of the substrate thereby leaving connections between the plug in card and a main body of the substrate so that the plug in card is held in the main body by said connections which are friable.

11. A method according to claim 9, to produce a data carrier and in particular an ID-1 card.

Drawing