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US5891576A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Card

Assignee: Toppan Inc
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Filing: 1995-10-10
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Granted: 1999-04-06
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Expires: 2015-10-10
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Abstract

Abstract A card having a paper as a base material laminated with decomposable plastic layers having such properties as durability, banding resistance, water resistance, chemical resistance, waterproofness, surface smoothness, glossiness end workability. Any visible information/design portion and/or a magnetic recording portion may be formed as required. The present invention improves the durability of a card using paper as a base material and provides the card which spontaneously decomposes even when left after being discarded.

Inventors

  • 👤 Toshibumi Imai
  • 👤 Akihiko Kobayashi
  • 👤 Tsutomu Shikakubo
  • 👤 Masayuki Taniguchi
  • 👤 Kazuya Yabusa
  • 👤 Testuo Aizawa
  • 👤 Motoko Yoshikawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 19:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/04; G06K19/041; G06K19/02; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31786; Y10T428/3179; Y10T428/31971; Y10T428/31993

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 129 words
A card for recording character and pattern information, said card consisting essentially of: a substantially planar layer of uniform thickness of a resilient base material selected from the group consisting of paper and card board, and at least one plastic layer which is a decomposable plastic having decomposition properties equal to or better than those of the base material, which is at least one member selected from the group consisting of microorganism-derived polyesters, aliphatic polyesters, polyglycolides and polyalcohol-starch composite materials, said plastic layer being laminated on the layer of the base material, wherein character and pattern information can be printed on at least one of said layer of the base material and plastic layer, and the card in its entirety is substantially decomposable spontaneously when held in activated sludge.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 129 words
A card for recording character and pattern information, said card consisting essentially of: a substantially planar layer of uniform thickness of a resilient base material selected from the group consisting of paper and card board, and at least one plastic layer which is a decomposable plastic having decomposition properties equal to or better than those of the base material, which is at least one member selected from the group consisting of microorganism-derived polyesters, aliphatic polyesters, polyglycolides and polyalcohol-starch composite materials, said plastic layer being laminated on the layer of the base material, wherein character and pattern information can be printed on at least one of said layer of the base material and plastic layer, and the card in its entirety is substantially decomposable spontaneously when held in activated sludge.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 14 words
The card according to claim 1, wherein said decomposable plastic is a microorganism-derived polyester.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
The card according to claim 2 wherein said microorganism-derived polyester is 3-hydroxybutyric acid-3-hydroxyvaleric acid copolymer P.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
The card according to claim 1, wherein said decomposable plastic is an aliphatic polyester.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 13 words
The card according to claim 4, wherein said aliphatic polyester is a polycaprolactam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 13 words
The card according to claim 1, wherein said decomposable plastic is a polyglycolide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
The card according to claim 6, wherein said polyglycolide is a polyacetate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 15 words
The card according to claim 1, wherein said decomposable plastic is a polyalcohol-starch composite material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 16 words
The card according to claim 1, wherein the plastic layer has a thickness of 30 μm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 16 words
The card according to claim 9, wherein said microorganism-derived polyester is 3-hydroxybutyric acid-3-hydroxyvaleric acid copolymer P.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 13 words
The card according to claim 10, wherein said aliphatic polyester is a polycaprolactam.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 12 words
The card according to claim 11, wherein said polyglycolide is a polyacetate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 175 words
A card for recording character, pattern and digital information, said card consisting essentially of: a substantially planar layer of uniform thickness of a resilient base material selected from the group consisting of paper and cardboard, at least one plastic layer which is a decomposable plastic having decomposition properties equal to or better than those of the base material, which is at least one member selected from the group consisting of microorganism-derived polyesters, aliphatic polyesters, polyglycolides and polyalcohol-starch composite materials, said plastic layer being laminated on the layer of the base material, and at least one layer for recording digital information selected from the group consisting of a magnetic recording layer and an optical recording layer, said layer for recording digital information being formed on either one of said layer of the base material and said plastic layer, wherein character and pattern information can be printed on at least one of said layer of the base material and plastic layer, said plastic layer and said base material being substantially decomposable spontaneously when held in activated sludge.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 175 words
A card for recording character, pattern and digital information, said card consisting essentially of: a substantially planar layer of uniform thickness of a resilient base material selected from the group consisting of paper and cardboard, at least one plastic layer which is a decomposable plastic having decomposition properties equal to or better than those of the base material, which is at least one member selected from the group consisting of microorganism-derived polyesters, aliphatic polyesters, polyglycolides and polyalcohol-starch composite materials, said plastic layer being laminated on the layer of the base material, and at least one layer for recording digital information selected from the group consisting of a magnetic recording layer and an optical recording layer, said layer for recording digital information being formed on either one of said layer of the base material and said plastic layer, wherein character and pattern information can be printed on at least one of said layer of the base material and plastic layer, said plastic layer and said base material being substantially decomposable spontaneously when held in activated sludge.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 14 words
The card according to claim 13, wherein said decomposable plastic is a microorganism-derived polyester.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 14 words
The card according to claim 13, wherein said decomposable plastic is an aliphatic polyester.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 13 words
The card according to claim 13, wherein said decomposable plastic is a polyglycolide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 16 words
The card according to claim 13, wherein said decomposable plastic is a polyalcohol- starch composite material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 16 words
The card according to claim 13, wherein the plastic layer has a thickness of 30 μm.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2002-04-05 2002-10-05 2003-04-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2006-04-05 2006-10-05 2007-04-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2010-04-05 2010-10-05 2011-04-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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