Decorative element and security document comprising a decorative element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10007233-B2
Application number	US-201314410825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2013
Priority date	Jun 26, 2012
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A decorative element ( 2 ), in particular in the form of a transfer film, a laminating film or a security thread, as well as a security document with a decorative element and a method for producing same is described. The decorative element ( 2 ) has a microstructure ( 4 ) which generates an optical effect in incident light and/or with light passing through. In a first area ( 32 ), the microstructure ( 4 ) has a base surface ( 40 ) and several base elements ( 41 ) which have in each case an element surface raised or lowered compared with the base surface ( 40 ) and a flank arranged between the element surface and the base surface ( 40 ). The base surface ( 40 ) of the microstructure defines a base plane spanned by coordinate axes x and y. The element surfaces of the base elements ( 41 ) in each case run substantially parallel to the base plane. In at least one or more first zones of the first area ( 32 ), the element surfaces of the base elements ( 41 ) and the base surface ( 40 ) are spaced apart in a direction running perpendicular to the base plane ( 40 ) in the direction of a coordinate axis z by a first distance which is chosen such that a color is generated in the one or more first zones in particular by interference of the light reflected at the base surface and the element surfaces in incident light and/or in particular by interference of the light transmitted through the element surfaces and the base surfaces with light passing through.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A decorative element, wherein the decorative element has a microstructure which generates an optical effect in incident light or with light passing through, wherein the microstructure has, in a first area a base surface and several base elements which in each case have an element surface that is raised or lowered compared with the base surface and a flank arranged between the element surface and the base surface, wherein the base surface of the microstructure defines a base plane spanned by coordinate axes x and y, wherein the element surfaces of the base elements in each case run substantially parallel to the base plane and wherein in at least one or more first zones of the first area the element surfaces of the base elements and the base surface are spaced apart in a direction running perpendicular to the base plane in the direction of a coordinate axis z by a first distance which is chosen such that a first color is generated in the one or more first zones by interference of the light reflected at the base surface and the element surfaces, in incident light, or by interference of the light transmitted through the element surfaces and the base surfaces, with light passing through, wherein the microstructure is designed such that it generates the first color in the first diffraction order or in scattered light, and
wherein the base elements are molded and arranged in the first area such that between 20% of the incident light and 90% of the incident light is deflected out of the zero order by scattering or diffraction.

2. A decorative element according to claim 1 , wherein the base elements are molded and arranged in the first area such that the incident light is deflected by the base elements by scattering or by diffraction out of direct reflection or direct transmission or of the zero diffraction order such that in a viewing in direct reflection or direct transmission or in the zero diffraction order a second color different from the first color is generated.

3. A decorative element according to claim 1 , wherein in at least one or more second or third zones of the first area, the element surfaces of the base elements and the base surface are spaced apart in a direction running perpendicular to the base plane in the direction of the coordinate axis z by a second or third distance respectively which differs from the first distance and is chosen such that a third or fourth color which differs from the first or second color is generated in the one or more second or third zones by interference of the light reflected at the base surface and the element surfaces in incident light or by interference of the light transmitted through the element surfaces and the base surface with light passing through.

4. A decorative element according to claim 1 , wherein the base elements are molded and arranged in the first area such that the incident light is scattered in at least one direction in a scattering angle range up to 30 degrees around the zero diffraction order.

5. A decorative element according to claim 1 , wherein at least one lateral extension of the projection of each base element onto the base plane is between 0.25 μm and 50 μm.

6. A decorative element according to claim 1 , wherein the minimum distance of neighboring base elements is chosen to be between 0.5 μm and 300 μm.

7. A decorative element according to claim 1 , wherein the molding or positioning of the base elements in the first area or in at least one first partial area of the first area is varied pseudorandomly.

8. A decorative element according to claim 7 , wherein in the first area or in the at least one first partial area of the first area, one or more of the parameters:
positioning of the base element, spacing of the base element from the closest neighboring base element, size of the shape or surface area of the projection of the base element onto the base plane and lateral preferred direction of the projection of the base element onto the base plane of the base elements arranged in the first area or in the at least one first partial area, is varied pseudorandomly within a variation range in each case predefined for the first area or the respective first partial area.

9. A decorative element according to claim 8 , wherein the parameters which are varied pseudorandomly in a first of the first partial areas and in a second of the first partial areas differ or at least one variation range of the varied parameters is chosen to be different in a first of the first partial areas and in a second of the first partial areas, the at least one variation range in the first of the first partial areas differs from that in the second of the first partial areas by at least 10%.

10. A decorative element according to claim 8 , wherein the predefined variation range comprises between 5 and 20 values.

11. A decorative element according to claim 7 , wherein a two-dimensional grid spanned by the coordinate axes x and y defines, for each of the base elements arranged in the first area or in the first partial area, a normal position of the respective base element in the base plane and in that the position of each of the base elements in the first area or in the first partial area is determined by a pseudorandom shift out of the respective normal position in the direction of the coordinate axis x or in the direction of the coordinate axis y.

12. A decorative element according to claim 7 , wherein at least one lateral dimension of the projection of the respective base element onto the base plane is varied pseudorandomly in a variation range of from 1 μm to 10 μM.

13. A decorative element according to claim 7 , wherein one or more of the base elements are symmetrical base elements in which the projection of the base element onto the base plane has a symmetrical shape or wherein one or more of the base elements are asymmetrical base elements in which the projection of the base element onto the base plane has an asymmetrical shape with a lateral dimension in a preferred direction running parallel to the base plane which is larger than the lateral dimension of the projection transverse to the preferred direction is 50% larger than the lateral dimension of the projection transverse to the preferred direction.

14. A decorative element according to claim 13 , wherein in the first area or in a partial area of the first area, the base elements are asymmetrical base elements which have the same preferred direction.

15. A decorative element according to claim 13 , wherein, in the first area or in a partial area of the first area, the base elements are asymmetrical base elements the preferred direction of which in each case is varied pseudorandomly in a predefined variation range, wherein an angle range of from +180 degrees to −180 is chosen as variation range.

16. A decorative element according to claim 13 , wherein the first area or first partial area of the first area has one or more first cells or one or more second cells wherein the base elements arranged in the first and second cells are asymmetrical base elements, wherein the asymmetrical base elements of the first cells have a first preferred direction and the asymmetrical base elements of the second cells have a second preferred direction which differs from the first preferred direction.

17. A decorative element according to claim 16 , wherein the first area or the first partial area of the first area has one or more third cells and wherein the base elements arranged in the third cells are symmetrical base elements.

18. A decorative element according to claim 16 , whe

Assignees

• Ovd Kinegram Ag

Inventors

• Schilling Andreas
• Mader Sebastian
• Staub Rene
• Tompkin Wayne Robert
• Walter Harald

Classifications

• G02B1/14

  Protective coatings, e.g. hard coatings · CPC title

• G02B5/285

  comprising deposited thin solid films (G02B5/281 - G02B5/289 take precedence; multilayered film filters for fibre optic multiplexing G02B6/29361) · CPC title

• G02B5/1809

  with pitch less than or comparable to the wavelength · CPC title

• B44C1/1729

  Hot stamping techniques · CPC title

• B42D25/346

  Perforations · CPC title