Printed magnetic ink overt security image

• US 8,025,952 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Delst, Cornelis Jan, Raksha, Vladimir P., Coombs, Paul G., Markantes, Charles T., Argoitia, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruthkosky; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): DICUS, TAMRA
• Application Number:
  US11/928,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20080171144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 428/195.1, 428/204, 283/72, 283/109, 283/110, 283/111, 283/112, 283/113
• US Class Current: 428/195.1
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/14 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/207 post-treatment by magnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/06 to obtain multicolour or other optical effects B05D5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/52 Two layers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/005 Colour cards; Painting supports; Latent or hidden images, e.g. for games; Time delayed images
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/14 Security printing securities B42D25/29
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/148 Transitory images, i.e. images only visible from certain viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0027 using protective coatings or layers by lamination or by fusion of the coatings or layers
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/16 Magnetic or magnetisable material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/24 Colours
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/00 Information-bearing cards or sheet-like structures characterised by identification or security features; Manufacture thereof printing processes to produce identification or security features B41M3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/369 Magnetised or magnetisable materials
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/14 displaying different signs depending upon the view-point of the observer
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/04 the elements being secured or adapted to be secured by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24876 Intermediate layer contains particulate material [e.g., pigment, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles

Abstract

A security image and method of forming said image is disclosed wherein a substrate having an image or indicia thereon is coated with a dilute solution of pigment flakes in an ink or paint. The flakes are subsequently aligned in a magnetic field and are fixed after the field is applied. Most or all of the flakes in a region are aligned so as to be partially upstanding wherein their faces are essentially parallel. Coating the image with flakes yields a latent image which can be clearly seen at a small range of predetermined angles.

Claims

1. A security device comprising:

a) a substrate supporting an image;

b) a coating of flakes supported by the substrate and covering the image thereby forming a latent image, wherein said flakes are aligned in such a manner as to obscure the image forming a latent image when viewing the security device from a first angle, and to reveal the image when viewing the security device from a second different angle, wherein the coating of flakes includes a carrier supporting the flakes and wherein the concentration of flakes within the carrier is dilute enough so as to allow the latent image to be seen or to be obscured as the substrate is tilted from one direction to another, wherein a first group of the flakes are aligned in a substantially same orientation and wherein a second group of the flakes are oriented in a substantially same orientation that differs from the orientation of the first group of flakes.

2. A security device as defined in claim 1 wherein the first group of flakes overlies a first symbol and wherein a second group of flakes overlies a second symbol.

3. A security device as defined in claim 2, wherein the first symbol is obscured while the second symbol is revealed when viewing the substrate at a first predetermined angle.

4. A security device as defined in claim 2, wherein the first symbol is revealed while the second symbol is obscured when viewing the substrate at a second different predetermined angle.

5. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the flakes are at least one of color shifting, diffractive, reflective, absorbing and color switching.

6. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the latent image is printed with pigment flakes that are oriented so as to be parallel with the substrate.

7. A security device as defined in claim 5 wherein the flakes are opaque.

8. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the coating is over at least 80% of the image and wherein regions of the image are uncoated with the coating.

9. A security device as defined in claim 8 wherein the substrate, the image and the coating are different colors and wherein the color of at least one of the image, the coating and the substrate change with a change of viewing angle.

10. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the coating forms a tessellated plane.

11. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the flakes are electrically or magnetically aligned flakes.

12. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the image is printed upon the substrate and wherein the coating of flakes is coated over the latent image on a same side of the substrate.

13. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate is transparent and wherein the coating of flakes is coated on a first side of the substrate and wherein the latent image is on a second side of the substrate.

14. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the device exhibits at least 70% of reflectance of light incident thereon when the latent image is obscured, and wherein the device exhibits less than 40% of light incident thereon when the latent image is revealed.

15. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the latent image is text.

16. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the latent image includes one or more symbols, or a logo.

17. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the substrate is printed with an ink or paint and wherein the latent image is formed by an absence of ink or paint on the printed substrate.

18. A security device as defined in claim 1, wherein the particles are flakes and wherein at least 80% of the flakes have a same shape.