Method of manufacturing cards with a transparent window

1. A method for manufacturing a card product with several laminated layers, said method comprising:

a first pre-lamination step including:

providing a lamination plate having a recess;

providing a second layer;

placing the second layer in contact at least on one side with the lamination plate; and

laminating the second layer using the lamination plate such that a raised portion is formed on the second layer in the recess of the lamination plate;

an assembling step including:

providing a first layer having an opening; and

placing the first layer in contact with the second layer such that the raised portion of the second layer is at least partially placed in the opening of the first layer; and

a lamination step including:

laminating the assembled first and second layers together.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said method further comprises:

a second pre-lamination step including:

providing a further lamination plate having a recess;

placing the second layer in contact on the other side with the further lamination plate; and

laminating the second layer using the further lamination plate such that a raised portion is formed on an other side of the second layer in the recess of the further lamination plate;

a second assembling step including:

providing a third layer having an opening; and

placing the third layer in contact with the second layer such that the raised portion formed on the other side of the second layer is at least partially placed in the opening of the third layer; and

a lamination step including:

laminating the assembled second and third layers together.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the lamination step comprises laminating the first, second, and third layers at the same time.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the first and second pre-lamination steps of said second layer are in parallel.

5. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein said first layer is an opaque layer.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein said second layer is a transparent layer.

7. The method as defined in claim 6 , wherein said third layer is an opaque layer.

8. The method as defined in claim 2 , further comprising laminating at least one covering layer on at least one of the first or third layers.

9. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein each one of the lamination plates with a recess is formed by a plate and a foil with an opening which is placed on said plate.

10. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and third layers has flat surfaces on both sides.

11. The method as defined in claim 2 , wherein the first and third layers are thinner than the second layer.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein said second layer is an RFID transponder inlay.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 , wherein said RFID transponder inlay comprises a chip or chip module and an antenna connected to said chip or chip module.

14. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein laminating the assembled first and second layers together comprises laminating the assembled first and second layers together such that the raised portion of the second layer at least partially fills the opening of the first layer and the card product resulting therefrom has an even surface and no collapse at the location of the opening of the first layer.

15. A card product comprising:

a first layer having an opening; and

a second layer having an integrally formed raised portion, the raised portion being formed by placing the second layer in contact at least on one side with a lamination plate having a recess and the raised portion is formed on the second layer in the recess of the lamination plate;

wherein the first layer is placed in contact with the second layer such that the raised portion of the second layer is placed in the opening of the first layer; and

wherein the first layer and the second layer are laminated together such that the raised portion of the second layer at least partially fills the opening of the first layer and the card product resulting therefrom has an even surface and no collapse at the location of the opening of the first layer.

16. The card product as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first layer is thicker than the raised portion of the second layer.

17. A method for manufacturing an RFID transponder, said method comprising:

a first pre-lamination step including:

providing a lamination plate having a recess;

providing an RFID transponder inlay comprising a chip or chip module and an antenna connected to the chip/chip module;

placing a first side of the RFID transponder inlay in contact with the lamination plate; and

laminating the RFID transponder inlay using the lamination plate such that a raised portion is formed on the first side of the RFID transponder inlay in the recess of the lamination plate;

a second pre-lamination step including:

providing a further lamination plate having a recess;

placing a second side opposite to the first side of the RFID transponder inlay in contact with the further lamination plate; and

laminating the RFID transponder inlay using the further lamination plate such that a raised portion is formed on the second side of the RFID transponder inlay in the recess of the further lamination plate;

an assembling step including:

providing a first layer having an opening;

providing a third layer having an opening;

placing the first layer in contact with the MD transponder inlay such that the raised portion on the first side of the RFID transponder inlay is at least partially placed in the opening of the first layer; and

placing the third layer in contact with the second layer such that the raised portion on the second side of the RFID transponder inlay is at least partially placed in the opening of the third layer; and

a lamination step including:

laminating the first layer, the MD transponder inlay and the third layer together with heat and pressure.

18. The method as defined in claim 17 , wherein laminating the first layer, the RFID transponder inlay and the third layer together comprises laminating the first layer, the MD transponder inlay and the third layer together such that:

the raised portion formed on the first side of the MD transponder inlay at least partially fills the opening of the first layer; and

the raised portion formed on the second side of the RFID transponder inlay at least partially fills the opening of the third layer;

wherein the RFID transponder resulting therefrom has an even surface and no collapse at each of the location of the opening of the first layer and the location of the opening of the third layer.

19. An RFID transponder card comprising:

a first layer having an opening;

a second layer having an opening; and

an RFID transponder inlay comprising a chip or chip module and an antenna connected to said chip or chip module, the RFID transponder inlay being integrally formed with a first raised portion on a first side of the RFID transponder inlay and a second raised portion formed on an opposite second side of the RFID transponder inlay by at least one lamination step using at least one lamination plate comprising a recess;

wherein the first and second layers are laminated on the first and second sides of the RFID transponder layer such that the raised portions of the RFID transponder inlay are at least partially placed in the respective opening of the first and second layers.

20. The RFID transponder card as defined in claim 19 , further comprising:

a covering layer attached to one of the first and second layers, the covering layer being a transparent covering foil and comprising a raised portion in the region of the respective opening of the one of the first and third second layers.

21. The REID transponder card as defined in claim 20 , further comprising:

a further covering layer attached to the other of the first and second layers, the further covering layer being a transparent covering foil and comprising a raised portion in the region of the respective opening of the other of the first and second layers.

22. The RFID transponder card as defined in claim 19 , wherein at least one of the first and second layers is thicker than the raised portions of the RFID transponder inlay.