Security element, security arrangement, method for its production and authentication method using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10493789-B2
Application number	US-201616063207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A security element comprising a first and a second pattern formed in or on a substrate is described, the first pattern (105; 205) being formed by discrete elements (105a-105g; 205a-205c) of a first material that are distributed over a first region (101) of the substrate (100; 200), the second pattern (106; 206) being formed by discrete elements (106a-106i; 206a-206c) of a second material that are distributed over a second region (102) of the substrate (100; 200), said second material being different from said first material, said first and second regions of the substrate overlapping, wherein the discrete elements of at least one of the first and second patterns are distributed randomly, a part of the discrete elements of the first pattern (105; 205) overlap with a part of the discrete elements of said second pattern (106; 206), and the security element is defined by the first pattern (105; 205), the second pattern (106; 206) and a third pattern (107; 207) associated with the overlap of some or all of the discrete elements of said first and second patterns.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A security element comprising a first and a second pattern formed in or on a substrate,
the first pattern being formed by discrete elements of a first material that are distributed over a first region of the substrate,
the second pattern being formed by discrete elements of a second material that are distributed over a second region of the substrate, said second material being different from said first material, said first and second regions of the substrate overlapping,
wherein
the discrete elements of at least one of the first and second patterns are distributed randomly,
a part of the discrete elements of the first pattern overlap with a part of the discrete elements of said second pattern, and
the security element is defined by the first pattern, the second pattern and a third pattern formed by the overlap of some or all of the discrete elements of said first and second patterns;
the first material comprises a first fluorescent dye or pigment, which upon excitation by electromagnetic radiation falling within an excitation wavelength range λ1a of the first fluorescent dye or pigment is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one first emission wavelength range λ1e, and
the second material comprises a second fluorescent dye or pigment, which upon excitation by electromagnetic radiation falling within an excitation wavelength range λ2a of the second fluorescent dye or pigment is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one second emission wavelength range λ2e, and
wherein said first emission wavelength range λ1e of the first fluorescent dye or pigment overlaps with the excitation wavelength range λ2a of the second fluorescent dye or pigment, so that upon irradiation with electromagnetic radiation within the excitation wavelength range λ1a of the first fluorescent dye or pigment the second fluorescent dye or pigment is excited, in the area of overlap of the discrete elements, to emit electromagnetic radiation in the emission wavelength range λ2e.

2. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises one or both of a first dye and a first pigment, and the second material comprises one or both of a second dye and a second pigment.

3. The security element according to claim 2 , wherein one or more of the dyes and pigments present in the first and second materials is luminescent.

4. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the discrete elements of at least one of the first and second patterns are not visually distinguishable from the substrate.

5. The security element according to claim 4 , wherein the discrete elements of one of the first pattern and the second pattern are not visually distinguishable from the substrate, and the discrete elements of the other of the first pattern and the second pattern are visually distinguishable from the substrate.

6. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the second emission wavelength range λ2e does or does not overlap with the first emission wavelength range λ1e.

7. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein λ1a-max<λ1e-max<λ2e-max, wherein λ1a-max, λ1e-max, and λ2e-max denote the wavelengths of the excitation and emission peaks in the respective excitation and emission wavelength regions of the first dye or pigment and the second dye or pigment, respectively.

8. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the randomly distributed discrete elements are ink spray spatter.

9. A commercial good or value document, comprising a security element, the security element comprising a first and a second pattern formed in or on a substrate,
the first pattern being formed by discrete elements of a first material that are distributed over a first region of the substrate,
the second pattern being formed by discrete elements of a second material that are distributed over a second region of the substrate, said second material being different from said first material, said first and second regions of the substrate overlapping,
wherein
the discrete elements of at least one of the first and second patterns are distributed randomly,
a part of the discrete elements of the first pattern overlap with a part of the discrete elements of said second pattern, and
the security element is defined by the first pattern, the second pattern and a third pattern formed by the overlap of some or all of the discrete elements of said first and second patterns;
the first material comprises a first fluorescent dye or pigment, which upon excitation by electromagnetic radiation falling within an excitation wavelength range λ1a of the first fluorescent dye or pigment is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one first emission wavelength range λ1e, and
the second material comprises a second fluorescent dye or pigment, which upon excitation by electromagnetic radiation falling within an excitation wavelength range λ2a of the second fluorescent dye or pigment is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one second emission wavelength range λ2e, and
wherein said first emission wavelength range λ1e of the first fluorescent dye or pigment overlaps with the excitation wavelength range λ2a of the second fluorescent dye or pigment, so that upon irradiation with electromagnetic radiation within the excitation wavelength range λ1a of the first fluorescent dye or pigment the second fluorescent dye or pigment is excited, in the area of overlap of the discrete elements, to emit electromagnetic radiation in the emission wavelength range λ2e.

10. A security arrangement comprising
a security element comprising a first and a second pattern formed in or on a substrate,
the first pattern being formed by discrete elements of a first material that are distributed over a first region of the substrate,
the second pattern being formed by discrete elements of a second material that are distributed over a second region of the substrate, said second material being different from said first material, said first and second regions of the substrate overlapping,
wherein
the discrete elements of at least one of the first and second patterns are distributed randomly,
a part of the discrete elements of the first pattern overlap with a part of the discrete elements of said second pattern, and
the security element is defined by the first pattern, the second pattern and a third pattern formed by the overlap of some or all of the discrete elements of said first and second patterns;
the first material comprises a first fluorescent dye or pigment, which upon excitation by electromagnetic radiation falling within an excitation wavelength range λ1a of the first fluorescent dye or pigment is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one first emission wavelength range λ1e, and
the second material comprises a second fluorescent dye or pigment, which upon excitation by electromagnetic radiation falling within an excitation wavelength range λ2a of the second fluorescent dye or pigment is capable of emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one second emission wavelength range λ2e, and
wherein said first emission wavelength range λ1e of the first fluorescent dye or pigment overlaps with the excitation wavelength range λ2a of the second fluorescent dye or pigment, so that upon irradiation with electromagnetic radiation within the excitation wavelength range λ1a of the first fluorescent dye or pigment the second fluorescent dye or pigment is excited, in the area of overlap of the discrete elements, to emit electromagnetic radiation in the emission wavelength range λ2e,

and
a data record of an index for identifying said third pattern.

11.

Assignees

• Sicpa Holding Sa

Inventors

• Dorier Jean-Luc
• Carnero Benito

Classifications

• G07D2207/00

  Paper-money testing devices · CPC title

• B42D25/387

  absorbing or reflecting ultraviolet light · CPC title

• B42D25/378 Primary

  Special inks · CPC title

• B42D25/382

  absorbing or reflecting infrared light · CPC title

• B42D25/373

  Metallic materials · CPC title