Optical device that produces flicker-like optical effects

• US 10,434,812 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visual Physics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Visual Physics LLC (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Cape, Samuel M., Gosnell, Jonathan D., Jordan, Gregory R., Palm, Scott K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Justin V
• Application Number:
  US15/129,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20170173990A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,656 Days
• Field of Search: 283 67, 283 70, 283 72, 283 74, 283 75, 283 77, 283 91, 283 94, 283 98, 283901
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0006 Arrays G02B3/02, G02B5/188 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0031 Replication or moulding, e.g. hot embossing, UV-casting, injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/14 displaying different signs depending upon the view-point of the observer

Abstract

An optical device that produces flicker-like optical effects is provided. The inventive device employs directionally cured image icons. Specifically, the optical device is made up of at least one arrangement of image icons formed from one or more cured pigmented materials, and at least one arrangement of optionally embedded focusing elements positioned to form one or more synthetic images of at least a portion of the arrangement(s) of image icons. Some or all of the pigmented material(s) is cured using collimated light directed through the focusing elements toward the arrangement(s) of image icons at one or more angles relative to a surface of the optical device to form directionally cured image icons. The synthetic image(s) of the directionally cured image icons is viewable at the cure angle(s) and therefore visually appears and disappears, or turns on and off, as the viewing angle of the device moves through the cure angle(s). The inventive optical device may be used in conjunction with laser engraving allowing for, in at least one embodiment, superior laser engraving through the optical device.

Claims

1. An optical device that produces flickering optical effects, the optical device comprising:

an icon layer comprising;

a radiation curable resin,

at least one arrangement of directionally cured image icons, each directionally cured image icon of the at least one arrangement of directionally cured image icons comprising a region of one or more directionally cured pigmented materials disposed in or on the radiation curable resin, the region of one or more directionally cured pigmented material formed as one or more of a void or post formed in the radiation curable resin; and

at least one arrangement of focusing elements positioned relative to the at least one arrangement of directionally cured image icons to form one or more synthetic images of at least a portion of the at least one arrangement of directionally cured image icons,

wherein some or all of the one or more directionally cured pigmented materials are directionally cured based on a direction of a collimated light directed through focusing elements of the at least one arrangement of focusing elements at one or more collimated light cure angles,

wherein the one or more synthetic images of the directionally cured image icons is viewable at the one or more collimated light cure angles and visually appears and disappears, or turns on and off, as a viewing angle of the optical device moves across a range of viewing angles.

2. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the directionally cured image icons comprise one or more of:

posts on or within a surface of the optical device, or voids or recesses on or within a surface of the optical device.

3. The optical device of claim 1, in which micro-sized and nano-sized directionally cured image icons are in register with one another in an arrangement or layer of directionally cured image icons within the optical device.

4. The optical device of claim 1, wherein each directionally cured image icon in the at least one arrangement of directionally cured image icons comprises at least two directionally cured pigmented materials, each directionally cured pigmented material having a different color, and each directionally cured based on a different angle of collimated light.

5. The optical device of claim 1, wherein each directionally cured image icon in the at least one arrangement of directionally cured image icons is formed from a cured fluorescent pigmented material and from a cured non-fluorescent pigmented material.

6. The optical device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a laser markable arrangement or a laser markable layer.

7. The optical device of claim 6, further comprising the laser markable layer disposed below the icon layer, and at least one directionally cured image icon comprising a directionally cured unpigmented material.

8. The optical device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a laser markable arrangement or laser markable layer,

wherein the at least one of a laser markable arrangement or laser markable layer has one or more laser marked static two dimensional images thereon.

9. The laser marked optical device of claim 8, further comprising a laser markable layer disposed below the icon layer, and

at least one directionally cured image icon comprising a directionally cured unpigmented material.

10. The optical device of claim 6, wherein the laser markable layer comprises markings based on laser energy directed into or below the optical device at an angle different from the one or more collimated light cure angles.

11. A sheet material comprising the optical device of claim 1.

12. A document comprising the sheet material of claim 11.

13. A base platform comprising the optical device of claim 1.

14. A document comprising the base platform of claim 13.

15. A polymer ID card comprising an embedded patch, the embedded patch comprising the optical device of claim 1.

16. The optical device of claim 1, wherein at least one focusing element of the at least one arrangement of focusing elements comprises an embedded focusing element.

17. The laser marked optical device of claim 8, wherein the laser markable arrangement or laser markable layer, is disposed at a location above focusing elements of the at least one arrangement of focusing elements or below the icon layer.

18. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the directionally cured image icons comprise posts composed of one or more directionally cured pigmented materials.

19. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the directionally cured image icons comprise voids surrounding posts, wherein voids are filled with one or more directionally cured pigmented materials.

20. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the viewing angle of the optical device moves across a range of viewing angles, the range of viewing angles including at least one collimated light cure angle.

21. A method for producing an optical device, the method comprising:

on an icon layer comprising a radiation curable resin and at least one arrangement of directionally cured image icons formed as one or more of a void or post formed in the radiation curable resin, adding a colored pigmented material to an image icon of the at least one arrangement of directionally cured image icons;

directionally curing a portion of the pigmented material using collimated light passing through an arrangement of focusing elements positioned above the icon layer, from one angle, leaving a portion of the pigmented material uncured;

washing the uncured pigmented material from the icon layer;

adding a second colored pigmented material; and

directionally curing the second colored pigmented material using collimated light passing through the arrangement of focusing elements at a different angle.