MULTI-LAYER BODY

• US 20140037898A1
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OVD Kinegram AG (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: OVD Kinegram AG (Leonhard KURZ Stiftung & Company KG)
• Inventors: Tompkin, Wayne Robert, Walter, Harald
• Granted Patent: US 9,676,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/141
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0074 Production of other optical elements not provided for in B29D11/00009- B29D11/0073
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/04 comprising metal as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/08; next to a water-setting substance layer B32B13/06; next to a glass layer B32B17/061; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/042
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/40 having particular optical properties light or UV resistant B32B2307/71
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2551/00 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/30 characterised by a layer formed with recesses or projections, e.g. hollows, grooves, protuberances, ribs apertured layer B32B3/266; layer with cavities or internal voids B32B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/18 Reflecting material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/20 Optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/45 Associating two or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24355 Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or component [e.g., roofing, etc.]

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-layer body (10) and a process for the production thereof. The multi-layer body has a first layer (23) with a first surface (231) and a second surface (232) opposite the first surface (231). The first surface (231) of the first layer (23) is defined by a base plane spanned by coordinate axes x and y, wherein a large number of facet faces (50) are moulded into the second surface (232) of the first layer (23) in a first area (31). Each of the facet faces (50) is determined by one or more of the parameters F, S, H, P, Ax, Ay and Az, wherein the parameters of the facet faces (50) arranged in the first area (31) are varied pseudorandomly in the first area (31) within a variation range predefined in each case for the first area of surface and wherein a reflective second layer (24) is applied to each of the facet faces.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A multi-layer body with a first layer with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the first layer defines a base plane spanned by coordinate axes x and y, wherein molded into the second surface of the first layer in a first area are a large number of facet faces, wherein each of the facet faces has a minimum dimension of more than 1 μ

m and a maximum dimension of less than 300 μ

m, wherein each of the facet faces is determined by the parameters;

form F of the facet face, area size S of the facet face, spacing H of the centroid of the facet face from the base plane, position P of the centroid of the facet face in the coordinate system spanned by the x-axis and the y-axis, angle of inclination Ax of the facet face about the x-axis towards the base plane, angle of inclination Ay of the facet face about the y-axis towards the base plane and azimuthal angle Az of the facet face defined by the angle of rotation of the facet face about a z-axis perpendicular to the base plane, wherein one or more of the parameters F, S, H, P and Az of the facet faces arranged in the first area is varied pseudorandomly within a variation range predefined in each case for the first area, and wherein a reflective second layer is applied to each of the facet faces, wherein the multi-layer body generates an optically variable first item of information and, to generate the first item of information, the angles of inclination Ax and Ay of the facet faces in the first area are varied according to a function F(x,y).

44. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the function F(x,y) describes a three-dimensional free-form surface with one or more free-form elements and wherein the angles of inclination Ax and/or Ay determined by the function F(x,y) are determined by the respective surface normal of the three-dimensional free-form surface in the centroid of the respective facet face.

45. A multi-layer body according to claim 44, wherein the function F(x,y) describes a cut section of a surface of a three-dimensional object as free-form element, wherein the minimum dimension of a free-form element relative to a projection onto the base plane is more than 2 mm, and adjacent maxima of the free-form element in the direction of the z-axis relative to a projection onto the base plane are spaced apart from each other by more than 4 mm.

46. A multi-layer body according to claim 44, wherein the three-dimensional free-form surface comprises one or more free-form elements, producing a lens-like magnification, demagnification or distortion effect, in the form of an alphanumeric character, a geometric figure or another object.

47. A multi-layer body according to claim 44, wherein each of the free-form elements has a minimum surface extension in the base plane of between 2 mm and 50 mm and/or wherein that the maxima of the free-form surface relative to its respective projection onto the base layer are spaced apart from each other by more than 4 mm.

48. A multi-layer body according to claim 44, wherein the function F(x,y) is constant and differentiable in the area of each free-form element and/or wherein the function F(x,y) is composed of straight and curved areas of surface in the area of each free-form element.

49. A multi-layer body according to claim 44, wherein the function F(x,y) describes, in the area of a free-form element, a free-form surface in the form of a lens or a lens transformed to represent an alphanumeric character, a geometric figure or another object.

50. A mufti-layer body according to claim 41, wherein for the pseudorandom variation of one or more of the parameters F, H, P, Ax, Ay and Az within the respectively predefined variation range a parameter variation value is selected pseudorandomly from a predefined group of parameter variation values, wherein the group comprises 3 and 10 parameter variation values.

51. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the angle of inclination Ax and/or Ay of the facet faces in the first area is varied pseudorandomly in a variation range of from −

45°

to +45 to achieve a glitter effect.

52. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the azimuthal angle Az of the facet faces in the first area is varied pseudorandomly in a variation range of from −

90°

to +90°

.

53. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the spacing H of the centroid of the facet faces in the first area is varied pseudorandomly, wherein the difference between the maximum spacing and the minimum spacing between which the spacing H between the facet faces in the first area is varied randomly is between 0.5 μ

m and 8 μ

m.

54. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the facet faces are arranged according to a two-dimensional grid spanned by the x- and the y-axis.

55. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein a two-dimensional grid spanned by the x- and y-axes for each of the facet faces arranged in the first area defines a normal position of the centroid of the respective facet face in the base plane and wherein the position P of each of the facet faces in the first area is determined by a pseudorandom shift from the respective normal position in x- and/or y-direction.

56. A multi-layer body according to claim 55, wherein the limit values of the variation range of the pseudorandom shift from the respective normal position in x-direction and/or y-direction are between 0% and 100% of the dimension of the facet face in the direction of the x-axis or of the y-axis.

57. A multi-layer body according to claim 56, wherein the variation range of the random shift is +D/2 and −

D/2, wherein D is the dimension of the facet face in the direction of the x-axis or of the y-axis.

58. A multi-layer body according to claim 55, wherein the grid width of the grid in the direction of the x-axis and/or of the y-axis is 1.5 times the dimension of the facet face in the direction of the x-axis or y-axis.

59. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the form F of the facet face is selected from the group:

square, rectangle, regular polygon, circle, conic section, random polygon.

60. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein two or more of the facet faces in the first area have a different shape.

61. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein one or more of the facet faces have the form of a symbol or a letter in order to provide a second item of optical information concealed from the human eye without the use of a tool.

62. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein one or more of the facet faces are overlaid with a diffractive structure, a zero-order diffraction structure or a nanotext.

63. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the second layer has a thin-film layer system which has one or more spacer layers the layer thickness of which is chosen such that the thin-film layer system generates, by means of interference of the incident light, a color shift effect dependent on the viewing angle, in the visible wavelength range.

64. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the second layer comprises an oriented liquid crystal layer.

65. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the second layer comprises a metal layer and/or an HRI layer.

66. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the multi-layer body has a second area, wherein one or more of the parameters F, S, H, P, Ax, Ay and Az of each of the facet faces arranged in the second area is varied pseudorandomly in the second area within a variation range predefined in each case for the second area, and in that the parameters which are varied pseudorandomly in the first and in the second area differ, and/or at least one variation range of the varied parameters is chosen differently in the first and in the second area, the at least one variation range in the first area differs from that in the second area by at least 20%.

67. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the multi-layer body is a transfer film, a laminating film, a packaging film, a security element or a security document.

68. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein in a partial section of the first area which is not overlaid by the facet faces a background structure is molded into the second surface of the first layer, wherein the background structure comprises a diffractive and/or refractive relief structure.

69. A multi-layer body according to claim 68, wherein the background structure comprises a relief structure which produces movement and/or morphing effects as optical effect and/or comprises a microscopic relief structure with diffractive and/or refractive action which acts like a lens.

70. A multi-layer body according to claim 68, wherein the proportion of the surface covered by the areas of surface of the multi-layer body overlaid with the facet faces relative to the total surface of the partial surfaces of the first area overlaid with the facet faces and of the areas of surface of the first area overlaid with the background structure is less than 70%, when the multi-layer body is viewed perpendicular to the base plane.

71. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the centroids of adjacent facet faces is spaced apart from each other by between 2 μ

m and 300 μ

m.

72. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the minimum distance between a point on the outside edge of each of the facet faces and a point on the outside edge of the respectively adjacent facet face is less than 300 μ

m.

73. A multi-layer body according to claim 41, wherein the reflective second layer is provided in the first area in each case in the area of the facet faces and is not provided in a first partial section not overlaid with the facet faces.

74. A multi-layer body according to claim 73, wherein the reflective second layer is provided in the first area in a second partial section not overlaid with the facet faces.

75. A multi-layer body according to claim 74, wherein the first and/or second partial section is formed in a pattern, and the first partial section forms a pattern area and the second partial section forms a background area for the first partial section or vice versa, and wherein, when viewed with light passing through, the multi-layer body provides an item of information which is determined by the form of the first and second partial section and is visible for the human observer.

76. A multi-layer body according to claim 73, wherein the first partial section forms a background area for the partial sections of the first area overlaid with the facet faces.

42. A multi-layer body with a first layer with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the first layer defines a base plane spanned by coordinate axes x and y, wherein molded into the second surface of the first layer in a first area are a large number of facet faces, wherein each of the facet faces has a minimum dimension of more than 1 μ

m and a maximum dimension of less than 300 μ

m, wherein each of the facet faces is determined by the parameters;

form F of the facet face, area size S of the facet face, spacing H of the centroid of the facet face from the base plane, position P of the centroid of the facet face in the coordinate system spanned by the x-axis and the y-axis, angle of inclination Ax of the facet face about the x-axis towards the base plane, angle of inclination Ay of the facet face about the y-axis towards the base plane and azimuthal angle Az of the facet face defined by the angle of rotation of the facet face about a z-axis perpendicular to the base plane, wherein one or more of the parameters F, S, H, P, Ax, Ay and Az of the facet faces arranged in the first area is varied pseudorandomly within a variation range predefined in each case for the first area, and wherein a reflective second layer is applied to each of the facet faces, wherein the angles of inclination Ax and Ay of the facet faces in the first area are in each case determined according to an additive superimposition of the angles of inclination Ax and Ay determined by a function F(x,y) with the pseudorandom variation of the angle of inclination Ax and/or the angle of inclination Ay within the respective variation range predefined for the first area of surface, wherein the function F(x,y) is chosen such that it varies the angles of inclination Ax and Ay to generate an optically variable first item of information.

43. A multi-layer body according to claim 42, wherein the predefined variation range of the angles of inclination Ax and/or Ay is chosen between 0.1 times and 1.9 times the average gradient of the function F(x,y).

77. A process for producing a multi-layer body comprising:

providing a first layer with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the first layer defines a base plane spanned by coordinate axes x and y;

molding a large number of facet faces into the second surface of the first layer by means of a stamping tool, wherein each of the facet faces has a minimum dimension of more than 3 μ

m and a maximum dimension of less than 300 μ

m and wherein each of the facet faces is determined by the parameters;

form F of the facet face, area size S of the facet face, spacing H of the centroid of the facet face from the base plane, position P of the centroid of the facet face in the coordinate system spanned by the x-axis and the y-axis, angle of inclination Ax of the facet face about the x-axis towards the base plane, angle of inclination Ay of the facet face about the y-axis towards the base plane and azimuthal angle Az of the facet face defined by the angle of rotation of the facet face about a z-axis perpendicular to the base plane, and wherein one or more of the parameters F, S, H, P, Ax, Ay and Az of the facet faces arranged in a first area are varied, in the first area, pseudorandomly within a variation range predefined in each case for the first area;

applying a reflective second layer to the large number of facet faces;

determining the angles of inclination Ax and Ay of the facet faces in the first area by an additive superimposition of the angles of inclination Ax and Ay determined by a function F(x,y) with the pseudorandom variation of the angle of inclination Ax and/or of the angle of inclination Ay within the respective variation range predefined for the first area, wherein the function F(x,y) is chosen such that it varies the angles of inclination Ax and Ay to generate an optically variable first item of information.

79. A process according to claim 77, further comprising:

determining the position P of each of the facet faces in the first area by a pseudorandom shift of the centroid of the respective facet face from its respective normal position in x- and/or y-direction, wherein a two-dimensional grid spanned by the x-axis and the y-axis defines, for each of the facet faces arranged in the first area, the normal position of the centroid of the respective facet face in the base plane.

78. A process for producing a multi-layer body comprising:

providing a first layer with a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface of the first layer defines a base plane spanned by coordinate axes x and y;

molding a large number of facet faces into the second surface of the first layer by means of a stamping tool, wherein each of the facet faces has a minimum dimension of more than 3 μ

m and a maximum dimension of less than 300 μ

m and wherein each of the facet faces is determined by the parameters;

form F of the facet face, area size S of the facet face, spacing H of the centroid of the facet face from the base plane, position P of the centroid of the facet face in the coordinate system spanned by the x-axis and the y-axis, angle of inclination Ax of the facet face about the x-axis towards the base plane, angle of inclination Ay of the facet face about the y-axis towards the base plane and azimuthal angle Az of the facet face defined by the angle of rotation of the facet face about a z-axis perpendicular to the base plane, and wherein one or more of the parameters F, S, H, P and Az of the facet faces arranged in a first area are varied, in the first area, pseudorandomly within a variation range predefined in each case for the first area; and

applying a reflective second layer to the large number of facet faces, wherein the multi-layer body generates an optically variable first item of information and, to generate the first item of information, the angles of inclination Ax and Ay of the facet faces in the first area are varied according to a function F(x,y).