Anticounterfeit security device . . . including two security elements

• US 5,583,631 A
• Filed: 12/08/1995
• Issued: 12/10/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fedrigoni SpA
• Original Assignee: Mantegazza Antonio Arti Grafiche S.r.l.
• Inventors: Lazzerini, Maurizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Gonzalez, Frank
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIERRA EISENBERG, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US08/585,438
• Time in Patent Office: 368 Days
• Field of Search: 356/72, 356/71, 235/493, 235/449, 324/226, 324/235
• US Class Current: 356/71
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/355 Security threads
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/04 Testing magnetic properties of the materials thereof, e.g. by detection of magnetic imprint G07D7/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/12 Visible light, infrared or ultraviolet radiation

Abstract

An anti-counterfeit security device for documents in general in the form of a tape-like or filament-like supporting element made of polyester. On the tape or filament, a first security element is provided which can be detected by devices and is constituted by regions made of a material which can be detected by magnetoresistors and are arranged in succession to generate a signal that can be decoded by the magnetoresistors, and a second security element is also provided, visually detectable in transmitted light, which is constituted by portions of the regions that are free from the magnetoresistor-detectable material in order to form graphic markings optically perceivable in transmitted light.

Claims

1. Anti-counterfeit security device for documents in general, comprising a tape like supporting element supporting:

a first security element constituted by regions that are made of a material which can be statically detected by magnetoresistors, said regions being arranged in succession and being formed by ink containing iron dust, said regions comprising at least one first region made of said ink which contains a first percentage of iron dust and at least one second region made of said ink which contains a second percentage of iron dust which differs from said first percentage, thereby to generate a coded signal that can be statically detected by said magnetoresistors; and

a second security element, visually detectable in transmitted light, which is constituted by portions of at least some of said regions which are free from said ink in order to form graphic markings that can be perceived optically in transmitted light.

2. Security device according to claim 1, comprising an additional security element constituted by regions made of magnetic material that form a read code, said regions made of magnetic material being located in different points with respect to said regions that are free from said ink.

3. Security device according to claim 1, wherein said ink forms regions that have a different response to reading by means of said magnetoresistors by varying a thickness of said region.