SEE-THROUGH SECURITY ELEMENT WITH MICROSTRUCTURES

• US 20100194091A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient (Giesecke & Devrient GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
• Inventors: Dichtl, Marius, Rahm, Michael, Heim, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 8,534,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/85
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/24 Reliefs or indentations
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/21 for multiple purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/351 Translucent or partly translucent parts, e.g. windows
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a see-through security element (12), for security papers, value documents and the like, having at least one micropattern having a visual appearance that is viewing-angle dependent when looked through (26, 28). According to the present invention, the at least one micropattern is formed from an arrangement of a plurality of pattern elements (24) having a characteristic pattern spacing of 1 μm or more, and the see-through security element (12) exhibits a total thickness of 50 μm or less.

Claims

1. A see-through security element for security papers, value documents and the like, having at least one micropattern having a visual appearance that is viewing-angle dependent when looked through, characterized in that the at least one micropattern is formed from an arrangement of a plurality of pattern elements having a characteristic pattern spacing of 1 μ

m or more, and in that the see-through security element exhibits a total thickness of 50 μ

m or less.

2. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern elements are provided in sub-regions with an opaque, transparent, semitransparent, reflective or absorbing coating.

3. The see-through security element according to claim 2, characterized in that the coating is formed to be multilayer, especially three-layer.

4. The see-through security element according to claim 2, characterized in that the coating is formed as a thin-film element having a color-shift effect.

5. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern elements are provided in sub-regions with a metallic coating.

6. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern elements are provided in sub-regions with a moth-eye pattern.

7. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern elements are provided in sub-regions with a diffractive pattern that diffracts substantial portions of the incident light in directions outside of the viewing direction.

8. The see-through security element according to claim 2, characterized in that the pattern elements exhibit an asymmetrically arranged coating, moth-eye pattern or diffractive pattern.

9. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one micropattern is formed by a lamellar pattern composed of a plurality of substantially parallel lamellae.

10. The see-through security element according to claim 9, characterized in that multiple micropatterns formed by lamellar patterns are provided that differ in one or more of the parameters lateral orientation, color, width, height, relief shape and spacing.

11. The see-through security element according to claim 10, characterized in that the differing lamellar patterns are arranged in the form of patterns, characters or a code.

12. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the see-through security element exhibits a transparent or translucent substrate and, applied on the substrate, a marking layer that includes the at least one micropattern.

13. The see-through security element according to claim 12, characterized in that the marking layer is a colored embossing lacquer layer whose regions that were unaffected when embossing form the pattern elements of the at least one micropattern.

14. The see-through security element according to claim 12, characterized in that the marking layer is a transparent or translucent embossing lacquer layer that exhibits embossed depressions that are subsequently filled with colored material and that form the pattern elements of the at least one micropattern.

15. The see-through security element according to claim 12, characterized in that the marking layer is a printing layer having regions of high transmittance and having regions of low transmittance, the regions of low transmittance forming the pattern elements of the at least one micropattern.

16. The see-through security element according to claim 12, characterized in that the marking layer is a micro intaglio layer having regions of high transmittance and having regions of low transmittance, the regions of low transmittance forming the pattern elements of the at least one micropattern.

17. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the see-through security element exhibits a total thickness of 20 μ

m or less, preferably of 3 μ

m to 10 μ

m.

18. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern elements exhibit a characteristic pattern spacing of 5 μ

m or more.

19. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern elements exhibit a pattern size of 1 μ

m or more, preferably of 3 μ

m or more.

20. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the pattern elements exhibit a height-to-width ratio of about 1:

5 up to about 5;

1, particularly preferably from about 1;

1 up to about 5;

1.

21. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one micropattern in a marking layer is formed by a plurality of depressions having an increased transmittance.

22. The see-through security element according to claim 21, characterized in that the plurality of depressions are arranged in the form of patterns, characters or a code.

23. The see-through security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the see-through security element exhibits a transparent or translucent substrate having a first and an opposing second surface, a see-through mask being applied to the first surface as a micropattern, and a congruent see-through mask being applied to the second surface with a predetermined lateral offset of 100 μ

m or less.

24. The see-through security element according to claim 23, characterized in that the see-through mask includes a motif, in the form of patterns, characters or a code, that is visually perceptible when looked through only at a certain viewing angle.

25. The see-through security element according to claim 23 characterized in that the see-through masks are each formed by an opaque layer having transmissive openings having a size of less than 200 μ

m, preferably having a size of about 3 μ

m to about 100 μ

m, the openings forming a motif in the form of patterns, characters or a code.

26. A method for manufacturing the see-through security element according to claim 1, in which the see-through security element is provided with at least one micropattern having a visual appearance that is viewing-angle dependent when looked through, the at least one micropattern is formed from an arrangement of a plurality of pattern elements having a characteristic pattern spacing of 1 μ

m or more, and the see-through security element is produced having a total thickness of 50 μ

m or less.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the pattern elements are provided in sub-regions with an opaque, transparent, semitransparent, reflective or absorbing coating, especially with a metallic coating, a moth-eye pattern or a diffractive pattern.

28. The method according to claim 27, characterized in that the pattern elements are provided with an asymmetric coating, moth-eye pattern or diffractive pattern.

29. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the at least one micropattern is formed by a lamellar pattern composed of a plurality of substantially parallel lamellae.

30. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that, to a transparent or translucent substrate, a marking layer is applied in which the at least one micropattern is developed.

31. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that a colored embossing lacquer layer is applied as a marking layer, and the embossing lacquer layer is patterned by means of embossing techniques in such a way that the regions that were unaffected when embossing form the pattern elements of the at least one micropattern.

32. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that a transparent or translucent embossing lacquer layer is applied as a marking layer, depressions are introduced into the embossing lacquer layer by means of embossing techniques, and the introduced depressions are filled with colored material such that the filled depressions form the pattern elements of the at least one micropattern.

33. The method according to claim 30, characterized in that a printing layer having regions of high transmittance and having regions of low transmittance is applied as a marking layer, the regions of low transmittance forming the pattern elements of the at least one micropattern.

34. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the micropattern is applied to the substrate in that

a) a die form is provided whose surface exhibits an arrangement of elevations and depressions in the form of the desired micropattern,

b) the depressions in the die form are filled with a curable colored or colorless lacquer,

c) the substrate is pretreated for a good anchoring of the colored or colorless lacquer,

d) the surface of the die form is brought into contact with the substrate,

e) the lacquer that is in contact with the substrate in the depressions in the die form is cured and, in the process, joined with the substrate, and

f) the surface of the die form is removed from the substrate again such that the cured lacquer that is joined with the substrate is pulled out of the depressions in the die form.

35. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the depressions in the die form in step b) are filled with a radiation-curing lacquer and the lacquer is cured in step e) by impingement with radiation, especially with UV radiation.

36. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the lacquer in the depressions in the die form is precured prior to the bringing-into-contact in step d).

37. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the micropattern of the die form is formed by micropattern elements having a line width between about 1 μ

m and about 10 μ

m.

38. The method according to claim 34, characterized in that the micropattern of the die form is formed by micropattern elements having a pattern depth between about 1 μ

m and about 10 μ

m, preferably between about 1 μ

m and about 5 μ

m.

39. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the see-through security element is produced having a total thickness of 20 μ

m or less, preferably of 3 μ

m to 10 μ

m.

40. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that at least one micropattern in a marking layer is formed by a plurality of depressions having an increased transmittance.

41. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that a transparent or translucent substrate having a first and an opposing second surface is provided, a see-through mask is applied to the first surface as a micropattern, and a congruent see-through mask is applied to the second surface with a predetermined lateral offset of 100 μ

m or less.

42. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that the see-through masks are applied to the opposing surfaces of the substrate simultaneously.

43. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that the see-through masks are applied to the opposing surfaces of the substrate in succession.

44. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that the see-through masks are applied to the substrate by means of micro intaglio technique.

45. A security paper for manufacturing value documents or the like that is furnished with the see-through security element according to claim 1.

46. A data carrier, especially a value document such as a banknote, identification card or the like, that is furnished with the see-through security element according to claim 1.

47. A use of the see-through security element according to claim 1, of a security paper for manufacturing value documents or the like that is furnished with the see-through security element, or of a data carrier, especially a value document such as a banknote, identification card or the like, that is furnished with the see-through security element for securing goods of any kind against counterfeiting.