Combination Credit Card

Abstract

A credit card, security pass or like identification device in the form of a panel having a window therein, a display slide located beneath the panel for movements between an effective position (wherein a predetermined portion of the slide is in register with and exposed at the window) and an ineffective position (wherein the predetermined portion is out of register with the window and not visible therethrough) and a plurality of displaceable coded elements cooperating with the slide to prevent its movement to the effective position except in predetermined relative positions thereof.

Description

This invention concerns an identification device which term is intended to mean a device which serves to signify that the possessor is entitled to some predetermined consideration. Examples of such devices are credit cards, which enable the possessor to obtain goods or services on credit, and security passes, which enable the holder to obtain access to restricted locations.

An object of this invention is to provide a device as aforesaid embodying means whereby the possibility of use being made by unauthorized persons is minimized.

With this object in view, the present invention provides an identification device comprising a panel having a window therein, a display slide located beneath said panel for movement between an effective position wherein a predetermined portion of said slide is in register with and exposed at the window and an ineffective position wherein the said predetermined portion is out of register with the window and not visible therethrough, and a plurality of displaceable coded elements co-operating with the display slide to prevent movement of the latter to its effective position except in predetermined relative positions thereof.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the coded elements are in the form of coded slides extending across and displaceable transversely relative to a portion of the display slide and providing abutments for respective protrusions on the display slide, said abutments having gaps therein which register with the protrusions in the said predetermined relative positions, to permit movement of the display slide.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, it will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the front of a preferred embodiment of the identification device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the reverse of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but exploded to illustrate the components thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing front face of one of the coded elements of the device of FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional end elevation taken on the line V--V of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing the slide in its effective position.

The drawings illustrate an identification device, in the form of a credit card, constructed in conformity with the present invention, which is made substantially wholly of tough rigid plastics material and comprises a rectangular panel 10 of a size suitable for carrying conveniently in the pocket. This panel 10 is preferably of a laminated plastics material.

One face 11 of this panel 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "front face" for convenience) is generally planar and carries appropriate inscriptions 12 such as the name of the organization issuing the card, the name and/or other particulars of the person to whom it is issued, the consideration which the holder can expect upon appropriately presenting the card and/or any other data.

In its other face 13 (FIG. 3) (hereinafter referred to as its "rear face" for convenience) the panel 10 has a shallow T-shaped recess formed therein. Where the panel 10 is of a laminated plastics material, the recess can be formed readily by machining away or otherwise removing corresponding portions of one or more of the laminea thereof. The recess comprises a transverse slot-like portion 15 extending transversely across the panel approximately at its transverse center line, and a longitudinal portion 16, adjacent one longitudinal edge of the panel 10, the transverse portion 15 extending from the longitudinal portion 16 to a position close to the other longitudinal edge of the panel 10. This recess accommodates a T-shaped display slide 17 comprising an upright portion 18 whose width is substantially equal to the width of transverse portion 15 the recess and whose length is somewhat shorter than the length of transverse portion 15 of the recess and a crossbar portion 19 whose width is narrower than the longitudinal portion 16, so that the display slide 17 can be slid in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the transverse portion 15 of the recess within limits defined by the free end of the upright portion 18 abutting the end of the transverse portion 15 of the recess and the longitudinal edge of the crossbar portion 19 remote from the upright portion 18 abutting the corresponding edge of the longitudinal portion 16 of the recess.

A rectangular window 20 of dimensions slightly smaller than the crossbar 19 of the slide 17 is provided through the panel 10 in register with the longitudinal portion 16 of the recess so that when the card is viewed from the front face 11 thereof the corresponding portion of the front surface of the display slide 17 may be visible therethrough. Such portion of the front surface of the display slide 17 may be of a color, for example red, contrasting markedly with the color of the front face 11 of the panel 10 which is, for example, white. The arrangement is such that the said portion of the slide 17 will register with and be visible through the window 20 when the slide 17 in its end position, wherein the lower longitudinal edge of the crossbar 19 of the slide 17 abuts the lower longitudinal edge of the longitudinal portion 16 of the recess, as shown in FIG. 6, which position may be regarded as its effective position, said portion being moved out of register with the window 20 and being masked by the panel 10 when the display slide is moved to its other end position, as shown in FIG. 5, which may be regarded as its non-effective position.

On its reverse surface 21, the display slide 17 has, on the upright portion 18 thereof, four small protrusions 22 projecting perpendicularly therefrom, these protrusions 22 being equispaced substantially along the longitudinal center line of the upright portion 18 of the slide 17.

Overlying the rear face 13 of the panel 10, and also the display slide 17, is a coding frame 23 which is rectangular in overall shape, being of dimensions substantially equal to those of the panel 10. Extending longitudinally of this frame 23, but stopping short of the ends thereof, are four coding slide slots 24, there each being undercut or of dovetail configuration, the frame 23 being welded, adhered or otherwise secured to the rear face 13 of the panel 10 with the wider part of each coding slide slot 24 towards the rear face 13 of the panel 10. Each of the coding slide slots 24 accommodates a respective coding slide 25 whose shape is such that it is retained in the respective slot 24 and is slidable from end to end thereof by means of a respective finger piece 30 formed integrally with each slide 25 and projecting through the respective slot 24 so as to be readily engaged by the user's fingers. On its rear or exposed face, each such slide 25 has a respective series of indicia thereon as can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, a datum line 26 on the frame 23 serving to enable the positions of each of the coding slides 25 in their slots to be determined by registration of a respective one of the indicia with the datum line 26. Each of the coding slides 25 has, on its face confronting the rear face of the panel 10 and the display slide 17, a respective transverse groove 27 (see FIG. 4) through which the corresponding protrusion 22 on the display slide 17 can pass, these grooves 27 being positioned along the respective coding slides 25 to correspond with a selected one of the indicia on such slide 25. Thus, assuming the indica to be numerals and letters of the alphabet, the groove 27 of the first of the coding slides 25 may, for instance, correspond to the numeral "6," in which case this coding slide 25 must be slid to a position wherein the numeral "6" thereof registers with the datum line 26, for the groove 27 therein to be aligned with the respective protrusion 22 on the display slide 17.

An opening 28 in the coding frame 23 enables a finger piece 29, provided on the display slide 17, to project therethrough.

In the practical use of the card as just described, it is to be understood that it is the intention that the credit card should only be accepted as being authentically proffered when it is presented with the crossbar portion 19 of the display slide 17 in register with the window 20 so as to obscure marking 30 (see FIG. 1) provided on the front face of the masking frame 23 which is indicative of the fact that the card is not valid. Accordingly, the holder thereof, in order to be able to bring the card to this condition must, of necessity, know the code applicable thereto; that is to say he must know which of the indicia on the four coding slides 25 must be brought into register with the datum line 26 to bring their grooves 27 into alignment with the protrusions 22 on the display slide 17 to enable the latter to be shifted from its non-effective position to its effective position to bring the crossbar portion 19 thereof into the window 20 of the panel 10. If, as shown, the numerals and five letters of the alphabet are used for the indicia on all four of the coding slides, there are accordingly, 15 .times. 15 .times. 15 .times. 15 = 50625 different combinations of the positions of the four slides, of which one combination only releases the display slide 17 for movement to its effective position.

If use is made of all of the letters on each of the four slides 25, there are 456986 different combinations of positions, of which one only releases the display slide.

In practice, the act of positioning the coding slides 25 according to the specific code applicable to the card, and movement of the display slide to its effective position, will be effected by the holder immediately prior to proffering the card, and immediately upon recognition of the validity of the card by the person to whom it is proffered, the holder will return the display slide 17 to its non-effective position and shift the coding slides 25 so as not to correspond with the card's code, so that any third party of other unauthorized person into whose possession the car may come will not be able to ascertain the code applicable thereto. Thus, the card will effectively be valueless to such a third party.

It will be understood, of course, that it will be the intention that each of a plurality of the cards should have different codes, so that the positions to which the coding slides 25 thereof have to brought for enabling the display slide 17 to be shifted to its effective position will vary from card to card.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing example, and variations may be made thereto. Thus, while it has been described with reference to a credit card, it can, of course, be applied to any other comparable arrangement, such as a security card or identity card.

In the described example, there may, of course, be more than four of the coding slides 25, the maximum number being limited by practical considerations, and the indicia thereon can take the form of letters of the alphabet, numerals, symbols or combinations thereof. As described, the display slide 17 is provided with the crossbar portion which serves to obscure the marking 30 from being visible through the window 20 when the display slide 17 is in the effective position. Naturally a visual representation, such as a signature, photograph or the like can be provided on the display slide 17 to be visible through the window in the panel 10 when the slide 17 is in its effective position.

In the described embodiment, the four coding slides 25 constitute abutments against which the protrusions 22 of the display slide 17 abut to prevent movement of the latter except when the coding slides 25 are brought to their predetermined positions according to the individual code of the card. It will be appreciated that other coded elements, such as coded notched rotatable discs, can be employed in the place of the slides 25 to co-act correspondingly with the display slide 17.

The device can, of course, be of material other than plastics; for example it could be of metal or other suitable material.

Claims

I claim:

1. An identification device suitable for use exclusively by the proper holder thereof comprising:

a panel having a window therein,

a display slide located beneath the panel for shifting movement between an effective position wherein a predetermined portion of the slide is in register with and visible through the window and an ineffective position wherein the predetermined portion is out of register with the window and invisible therethrough,

a plurality of displaceable coded elements cooperating with the slide for preventing movement of the slide to its effective position except in predetermined relative positions thereof,

the coded elements being in the form of coded slides extending across and displaceable transversely relative to a portion of the slide and providing abutments for engaging respective protrusions on the slide,

the abutments having gaps therein which register with the protrusions in the predetermined relative positions to permit movement of the slide.

2. The identification device as set forth in claim 1, the slide being T-shaped and located in a correspondingly-shaped recess in the panel, the window being provided in register with a crossbar portion of the T-shape of the recess in the panel, the coded slides being provided in respective slots in a coding frame secured against the rear face of the panel.