Data carrier having an optically variable element and methods for producing it
First Claim
1. A system of data carriers comprising a plurality of data carrier which are manufactured and thereafter issued for use, said data carriers having a body provided with a multilayer, optically variable element, said optically variable element comprising diffraction structures having a contour and being common to the plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information,wherein at least one subset of data carriers or each of the data carriers is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable element, the alteration comprising a modification of the contour of the diffraction structures, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers, the alteration being affected prior to issuance of the data carriers.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a system comprising a series of data carriers, in particular identity cards, papers of value or the like, whereby the data carriers belonging to the system exhibit diffraction structures containing standard information and parts of the series are changed by additional measures in the area of the diffraction structures or combined with other elements and they differ from the rest of the series in optically recognizable fashion, whereby the change in the diffraction structures and/or the combination with other elements convey an esthetic overall impression and the change and/or combination with the other elements cannot be undone without destruction of the diffraction structures.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A system of data carriers comprising a plurality of data carrier which are manufactured and thereafter issued for use, said data carriers having a body provided with a multilayer, optically variable element, said optically variable element comprising diffraction structures having a contour and being common to the plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information,
wherein at least one subset of data carriers or each of the data carriers is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable element, the alteration comprising a modification of the contour of the diffraction structures, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers, the alteration being affected prior to issuance of the data carriers.
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5. The system of clam 1, wherein said data carrier has raised areas on a first surface and wherein said alteration comprises the arrangement of said diffraction structures on the opposite surface of said data carrier congruently to the areas located between said raised areas on the first surface of said data carrier.
- 14. The data carrier which is manufactured and thereafter issued for use, said data carrier having a body provided with a multilayer, optically variable element, said optically variable element comprising diffraction structures common to a plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the data carrier is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable element, the alteration comprising replacing the diffraction structures by nondiffractive structures in at least one partial area, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers, the alteration being affected prior to issuance of the data carrier.
- 16. A data carrier which is manufactured and thereafter issued for use, said data carrier having a body provided with a multilayer, optically variable element, said optically variable element comprising diffraction structures common to a plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the data carrier is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable element, the alteration comprising an irreversible material or color change in at least one layer of the optically variable element, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers, the alteration being affected prior to issuance of the data carrier.
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19. A data carrier which is manufactured and thereafter issued for use, said data carrier having a body provided with a multilayer, optically variable element, said optically variable element comprising a metal layer with a predetermined surface area and diffraction structures with a predetermined surface area, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the surface area of the metal layer is smaller than the surface area of the diffraction structures and surrounded by the diffraction structures.
- 20. A data carrier which is manufactured and thereafter issued for use, said data carrier having a body provided with a multilayer, optically variable element, said optically variable element comprising diffraction structures common to a plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the data carrier is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable element, the alteration comprising a coloration of at least one layer of the optically variable element, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers, the alteration being affected with a substance comprising luminescent substances, phosphorescent substances, laser absorbent colors or laser absorbent additives, and the alteration being affected prior to issuance of the data carrier.
- 25. A transfer band for transfering a multilayer optically variable element to a data carrier, the optically variable element comprising diffraction structures common to a plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the transfer band is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable element, the alteration comprising replacing the diffraction structures by nondiffractive structures in at least one partial area, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers.
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27. A transfer band for transfering multilayer optically variable elements to a data carrier, the optically variable elements comprising diffraction structures common to a plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the transfer band is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable elements, the alteration comprising a metal layer of inherent color, the color being different for each optically variable element or subset of optically variable elements, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers.
- 28. A transfer band for transfering a multilayer optically variable element to a data carrier, the optically variable element comprising diffraction structures common to a plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the transfer band is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable element, the alteration comprising a coloration of at least one layer of the optically variable element, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers, the alteration being affected with a substance comprising luminescent substances, phosphorescent substances, laser absorbent colors or laser absorbent additives.
- 33. A transfer band for transfering a multilayer optically variable element to a data carrier, the optically variable element comprising diffraction structures common to a plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the transfer band is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable element, the alteration comprising the removal or destruction of at least one layer of the optically variable element, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers.
- 44. A transfer band for transfering multilayer optically variable elements to a data carrier, the optically variable elements comprising diffraction structures common to a plurality of data carriers, said diffraction structures presenting visually recognizable information, wherein the transfer band is provided with an alteration in a portion of the optically variable elements, the alteration comprising a continuous numbering of the optically variable elements, thereby individualizing the appearance of the optically variable element relative to at least one other of said plurality of data carriers.
Specification