Optically variable security element having reflective surface region

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11654709-B2
Application number	US-201917258719-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2019
Priority date	Jul 9, 2018
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

An optically variable security element has a multicolored, reflective areal region including a first relief structure disposed at a higher level than a second relief structure. The first relief structure has a first ink coating and the second relief structure has a second, different ink coating. The two relief structures overlap in an overlap region. The first ink coating of the first relief structure is disposed at a higher level in the overlap region and has at least one recess the dimension of which is more than 140 μm. The first ink coating comprises an edge region adjoining the recess, and as a bicolor register feature the first relief structure lets the edge region of the first ink coating appear with a first color impression and the second relief structure through the recess lets the second ink coating appear with a second, different color impression in mutual register.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optically variable security element, a surface expansion of which defines a z axis standing perpendicularly thereon, with a multicolored, reflective areal region, wherein
the reflective areal region includes a first relief structure disposed at a higher level and a second relief structure disposed at a lower level, which are arranged at different height levels in a z direction along the z axis;
the first relief structure is supplied with a first ink coating and the second relief structure is supplied with a second, different ink coating;
the two relief structures overlap in an overlap region;
the first ink coating of the first relief structure disposed at the higher level in the overlap region has at least one recess, a dimension of which is more than 140 μm, wherein the first ink coating comprises an edge region adjoining the at least one recess; and
as a bicolor register feature the first relief structure lets the edge region of the first ink coating appear with a first color impression and the second relief structure through the at least one recess lets the second ink coating appear with a second, different color impression in mutual register;
wherein the first relief structure and/or the second relief structure comprises a non-diffractive micromirror arrangement.

2. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the dimensions of the recess are more than 250 μm.

3. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective areal region includes exactly two relief structures, each of which is arranged at a specific height level.

4. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein in a viewing angle range or at a second viewing angle the ink coatings appear in mutual register for a viewer.

5. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein in a second viewing angle range or at a third viewing angle at least one of the two relief structures does not appear chromatically for a viewer.

6. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the second ink coating appears over a full area or partially, namely only adjoining the edge region in a viewing range defined by the recess and a viewing angle.

7. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the bicolor register feature forms an independent, optically variable feature or is integrated in an optically variable feature of the reflective areal region.

8. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the reflective areal region comprises two, three or more than three corresponding recesses, which are in particular matched to one another in order to form an optically variable feature of the reflective areal region.

9. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the relief structures are each characterized by a maximum pitch and a distance between adjacent height levels in the z direction is greater than the maximum pitch of the second relief structure disposed at the lower level between 150% and 750% of the maximum pitch of the second relief structure disposed at the lower level.

10. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the ink coatings are formed by glazing inks, by metalizations, thin-film structures, by glazing inks backed with a metallization, by luminescent inks with a metallic mirroring, by structural inks and/or by nanoparticle inks.

11. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein in the overlap region there is additionally provided at least one partial region with a negative marking, in which the ink coating of the first relief structure disposed at the higher level and at least partially also the ink coating of the second relief structure disposed at the lower level are recessed.

12. The security element according to claim 11 , wherein the ink coating of the second relief structure is completely recessed in the negative marking partial region, so that the negative marking does not produce any of the color impressions of the two ink coatings.

13. The security element according to claim 11 , wherein the second ink coating of the second relief structure is configured to be multilayered and in the negative marking partial region at least one of the layers is recessed so that a colored negative marking is created.

14. The security element according to claim 13 , wherein the ink coating of the second relief structure has an opaque partial layer, a metallization, and a translucent ink layer, and the opaque partial layer, but not the translucent ink layer, is recessed in the negative marking partial regions, so that a negative marking with the color effect of the translucent ink layer is created.

15. The security element according to claim 1 , wherein the first and/or the second relief structure is a micromirror arrangement with directional micromirrors.

16. A data carrier with an optically variable security element according to claim 1 .

17. A method for manufacturing an optically variable security element, the method comprising:
providing a carrier, an areal expansion of which defines an x-y plane and a z axis standing perpendicularly thereon,
supplying the carrier with a multicolored, reflective areal region which is formed with a first relief structure disposed at a higher level and a second relief structure disposed at a lower level in the z direction along the z axis with reference to the carrier, the first relief structure and the second relief structure arranged to overlap in an overlap region,
wherein the first relief structure is supplied with a first ink coating and the second relief structure is supplied with a second, different ink coating,
wherein the first ink coating of the first relief structure disposed at the higher level in the overlap region is configured with a recess, a dimension of which is more than 140 μm, wherein the ink coating of the first relief structure disposed at the higher level comprises an edge region adjoining the recess, and
as a bicolor register feature the first relief structure is configured so that the edge region of the first ink coating is configured with a first color impression and the second relief structure is configured such that the second ink coating appears through the recess with a second, different color impression in mutual register,
wherein the first relief structure and/or the second relief structure comprises a non-diffractive micromirror arrangement.

18. An optically variable security element, a surface expansion of which defines a z axis standing perpendicularly thereon, with a multicolored, reflective areal region, wherein
the reflective areal region includes a first relief structure disposed at a higher level and a second relief structure disposed at a lower level, which are arranged at different height levels in the z direction along the z axis;
the first relief structure is supplied with a first ink coating and the second relief structure is supplied with a second, different ink coating;
the two relief structures overlap in an overlap region;
the first ink coating of the first relief structure disposed at a higher level in the overlap region has at least one recess, a dimension of which is more than 140 μm, wherein the first ink coating comprises an edge region adjoining the recess; and
as a bicolor register feature the first relief structure lets the edge region of the first ink coating appear with a first color impression and the second relief structure through the recess lets the second ink coating appear with a second, different color impression in mutual register;
wherein in the overlap region there is additionally provided at least one p

Assignees

• Giesecke & Devrient Currency Technology Gmbh

Inventors

• Scherer Kai Herrmann
• Scherer Maik Rudolf Johann
• Dehmel Raphael
• Rahm Michael
• Dorff Giselher
• Rauch Andreas
• Fuhse Christian
• Sattler Tobias

Classifications

• G02B5/1842

  Gratings for image generation (G02B5/1847 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B5/1828

  having means for producing variable diffraction (controlling the direction of light by means of one or more diffracting elements G02B26/0808; acousto-optical elements G02F1/11, G02F1/33; electro- or magneto-optical diffraction G02F1/292, G02F1/2955) · CPC title

• B42D25/23

  Identity cards · CPC title

• G02B30/00

  Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images (in microscopes G02B21/22) · CPC title

• B42D25/29

  Securities; Bank notes · CPC title