Patterned Optical Structures With Enhanced Security Feature

• US 20070058227A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Roger, RAKSHA, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/2
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/207 post-treatment by magnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/16 Magnetic or magnetisable material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/20 Optical effects
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/24 Colours
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/369 Magnetised or magnetisable materials
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0011 for security or authentication holograms on information-bearing cards B42D25/328; testing papers with holograms G07D7/0032
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0236 Form or shape of the hologram when not registered to the substrate, e.g. trimming the hologram to alphanumerical shape substrates bearing a hologram G03H1/0272
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0244 Surface relief holograms replicating hologram without interference recording G03H1/0276
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0256 having specific functional layer
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/188 Demetallisation, i.e. removing the enhancing metallic layer enhancement layer G03H2250/36
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/34 Colour layer
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2250/36 Conform enhancement layer
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms

Abstract

A security image and method for forming said image is disclosed wherein an image having a layer with a hologram therein has an additional layer of magnetically aligned flakes together forming an image that is difficult to counterfeit and is highly attractive. Preferably windows of an opaque layer provide additional means of encoding or forming the image.

Claims

1. A security device having a first region coated with magnetically aligned pigment particles;

and,

a second marked region different from the first printed region, wherein the magnetically aligned pigment forms an image that appears to move with a change in viewing angle or incident light, and wherein the second marked region serves as a frame of reference against which the image appears to move.

2. A security device as defined in claim 1 wherein the second marked region is marked with indicia formed thereon by embossing or etching the second region to form a grating.

3. A security device as defined in claim 2, wherein the first region forms a layer of the security device and wherein the second region forms another layer of the security device.

4. A security device as defined in claim 3 wherein said another layer is a substrate layer.

5. A security device as defined in claim 1 wherein the first coated region is coated with magnetically alignable flakes, and wherein the second marked region has printed indicia thereon formed of material other than magnetically alignable flakes.

6. A security device as defined in claim 3 wherein the printed indicia is printed with ink or paint.

12. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the second marked region has a patterned segmented reflector layer.

14. A security device as defined in claim 1 wherein the magnetically aligned pigment particles form a color-shifting ink or paint.

7. A security device comprising:

a substrate;

a first region coated with a magnetically aligned pigment and a second different region having a diffraction grating thereon, wherein the magnetically aligned pigment forms an image that appears to move with a change in viewing angle or angle of incident light, and wherein the diffraction grating serves as a frame of reference against which the image appears to move.

8. A security device as defined in claim 7, wherein the second region having the diffraction grating is segmented so that some sub regions are absent a the diffraction grating and other sub-regions include the diffraction grating.

9. A security device as defined in claim 7, wherein the first region is on one side of the substrate, and wherein the second different region is on an opposite side of the substrate.

10. A security device as defined in claim 7 wherein the diffraction grating has a high refractive index layer having a index of refraction of 1.65 or greater, adjacent to the diffraction grating.

11. A security device as defined in claim 7 where a reflective layer is coated upon portions of the diffraction grating.

13. A security device as defined in claim 7, further comprising a patterned segmented reflector layer, wherein at least some of the magnetically aligned pigment can be seen simultaneously with at least some of the patterned reflective layer.

21. A security device as defined in claim 7, wherein the diffraction grating serves as a frame of reference against which the image appears to move, and wherein the first region is contained within boundaries of the second region, or, wherein the second region is contained within boundaries of the first region, and wherein both the diffraction grating and the magnetically aligned pigment can be seen from one side of the device.

22. A security device as defined in claim 21 wherein one of the diffraction grating and the color-shifting coating have discontinuities therein defining windows wherein a portion of the grating or color-shifting coating is absent forming a diffraction grating pattern or a color-shifting coating pattern.

23. A security device as defined in claim 21 including a reflective layer or a high refractive index layer having an index of refraction of 1.61 or greater.

24. A security device as defined in claim 23, wherein the reflective layer or high index layer is patterned having windows therein where some of said layer is absent.

26. A security device as defined in claim 7, wherein the first region is on a first layer and wherein the second region is on a different layer.

27. A device as defined in claim 26 wherein the magnetically aligned pigment is a color switching pigment which changes color with angle of incident light.

29. A security device as defined in claim 7, wherein the first region is on one side of the substrate, and wherein the second different region is on a same side of the substrate.

15. A security device comprising a patterned reflective optical structure having:

a substrate having a diffraction grating therein or thereon;

an at least partially reflective layer adjacent to or near the diffraction grating; and

,

a layer of field aligned pigment supported by the substrate.

16. A security device as defined in claim 15 wherein the at least partially reflective layer is a high refractive index partially transmissive layer.

17. A security device as defined in claim 15 wherein the at least partially reflective layer is a segmented reflective layer.

18. A security device as defined in claim 15 wherein the diffraction grating is a segmented diffraction grating forming a layer that is partially embossed and partially non-embossed.

19. A security device as defined in claim 15 wherein the diffraction grating forms a hologram and wherein the layer of field aligned pigment is printed outside of the hologram.

20. A security device as defined in claim 15 wherein the diffraction grating forms a hologram and wherein the layer of field aligned pigment is printed inside of the hologram.

25. A security device comprising a substrate having a surface that is partially embossed such that embossed regions on said surface are separated by non-embossed regions forming windows and a layer of magnetically aligned pigment above, below or within the windows and visible through the windows, whereby diffractive effects are seen from the embossed regions separate from effects seen from the magnetically aligned pigment seen through or in the windows when the device is irradiated with light.

28. A security device comprising a layer having a diffraction pattern therein or thereon, and another layer formed of a color-shifting coating wherein only some regions of the color-shifting coating are magnetically aligned.