Optically variable surface pattern

• US 9,734,735 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Giesecke & Devrient (Giesecke & Devrient GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Glesecke & Devrlent GmbH
• Inventors: Fuhse, Christian, Rauch, Andreas, Hoffmuller, Winfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US14/766,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20160023495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 359566, 359558, 359567, 359568, 359569
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/06 Translucent material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/10 Metallic material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/16 Magnetic or magnetisable material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/18 Reflecting material
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/20 Coloured material; Pigments or inks
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2033/24 Reliefs or indentations
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/14 Dot or raster patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/16 Bars or lines
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/24 Colours
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/36 visible in transmitted light, e.g. in a window region
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 2035/50 Corresponding markings appearing in different shapes or at different places
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/29 Securities; Bank notes
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/324 Reliefs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/328 Diffraction gratings; Holograms
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/342 Moiré effects
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 25/355 Security threads
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/09 Multifaceted or polygonal mirrors , e.g. polygonal scanning mirrors; Fresnel mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1861 Reflection gratings characterised by their structure, e.g. step profile, contours of substrate or grooves, pitch variations, materials G02B5/1809, G02B5/1828, G02B5/1833, G02B5/1838 and G02B5/1847 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00

Abstract

An optically variable surface pattern is made available, having at least two partial areas with reflection elements, wherein the reflection elements of the first partial region on the one hand and the reflection elements of the second partial region on the other hand reflect impinging light in different reflection directions. The first partial region is so covered with a first glazing ink layer that a viewer, upon a change of the viewing angle at which the viewer views the optically variable surface pattern, sees the first partial region glow in a first color upon reaching a first viewing angle. The second partial region glows in a second color that is different from the first color upon reaching a second viewing angle.

Claims

1. An optically variable surface pattern having at least two partial regions with reflection elements;

wherein the reflection elements of the first partial region on the one hand and the reflection elements of the second partial region on the other hand reflect impinging light in different reflection directions;

wherein the first partial region is so covered with a first glazing ink layer that a viewer, upon a change of the viewing angle at which the viewer views the optically variable surface pattern and despite the absence of an interference coating, sees the first partial region glow in a first color upon reaching a first viewing angle, and the second partial region glow in a second color that is different from the first color upon reaching a second viewing angle, the color in which each partial region lights up being adjustable using only the first glazing ink layer, wherein, for the viewer, upon changing the viewing angle, the partial regions glow consecutively in such a fashion that a movement of a motif is reproduced, wherein at least a part of the motif glows consecutively in the corresponding colors of the partial regions, and wherein a part of the motif always glows in the same color upon viewing at the corresponding viewing angles of the partial regions.

2. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein the second partial region is covered with a second glazing ink layer which differs in color tone from the first glazing ink layer.

3. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein the reflection elements reflect achromatically.

4. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein at least one further partial region with reflection elements is provided, which is covered with a further glazing ink layer, wherein the reflection elements of the further partial region are so oriented that the viewer, upon changing the viewing angle, sees the further partial region glow in a color that differs from the first and/or second color upon reaching a further viewing angle.

5. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein a sequence of the colors of the partial regions glowing consecutively upon changing the viewing angle contains a color change to and/or from the color white.

6. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein a sequence of the colors of the partial regions glowing consecutively upon changing the viewing angle has at least one color several times.

7. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein a sequence of the colors of the partial regions glowing consecutively upon changing the viewing angle is different to a sequence which would occur by interference in a thin-film coating.

8. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein it has a reference region which always glows in the same color at the corresponding viewing angles of the partial regions.

9. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second partial region are so mutually interlaced that an apparently uniform region is presented to the viewer, said region glowing in the first color when viewed at the first viewing angle, and in the second color when viewed at the second viewing angle.

10. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein reflection elements of at least one of the partial regions are formed by relief structures with ray-optically active reflective facets.

11. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein reflection elements of at least one of the partial regions are formed by optically-diffractively active reflective relief structures.

12. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein reflection elements of at least one of the partial regions are realized by oriented pigments of a printing ink.

13. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein reflection elements of at least one of the partial regions are formed by relief structures in a metalized foil.

14. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein the colors which the partial regions have to the viewer upon viewing are independent of the viewing angle.

15. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein the first glazing ink layer has a register accuracy of less than 200 μ

m with the reflection elements of the first partial region.

16. The optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1, wherein the optically variable surface pattern is provided as a security element for a security paper or value document.

17. A value document with an optically variable surface pattern according to claim 1.