Security device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776444-B2
Application number	US-201314653326-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2013
Priority date	Dec 18, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A security device including an array of lines printed or otherwise provided on a substrate, the lines including materials which have the same appearance under visible light illumination but which appear different from each other in the visible under a combination of visible and non-visible, ultraviolet illumination. At least some of the lines in the array appear different from other lines under the combination of visible and non-visible, ultraviolet illumination. A second, surface relief array of lines imposed on the first array, the orientation, line widths and spacings of the first and second arrays being such that the device exhibits a variable appearance as it is tilted while exposed to the combination of visible and non-visible illumination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A security device comprising:
a first array of first and second pluralities of lines on a substrate, the first and second pluralities of lines comprising respectively different materials that have the same visible appearance with respect to colour under visible light illumination, the material(s) of the first plurality of lines or portions of the first plurality of lines comprising luminescent and/or photochromic pigments such that the first plurality of lines or portions of the first plurality of lines appear visibly different in colour to the second plurality of lines under a combination of visible light and ultraviolet illumination; and
a second array of lines imposed on the first array, the orientation, line widths and spacings of the first and second arrays being such that the device exhibits a variable, visible appearance with respect to colour as it is tilted while exposed to the combination of visible and ultraviolet illumination.

2. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second pluralities of lines of the first array comprises an array of parallel lines.

3. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second pluralities of lines of the first array comprises an array of rectilinear lines.

4. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second pluralities of lines of the first array comprises an array of curvilinear lines.

5. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second pluralities of lines of the first array are discontinuous.

6. The security device according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second pluralities of lines are formed by spaced apart dots, alphanumeric symbols, or other indicia.

7. The security device according to claim 6 , wherein the dots, alphanumeric symbols or other indicia forming the first array are located in an orthogonal or other regular polygonal grid.

8. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one line of the first plurality of lines in the first array has portions that appear visibly different from each other with respect to colour under the combination of visible light and ultraviolet illumination.

9. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein each line of the first and second pluralities of lines in the first array exhibits a different colour from its neighbouring line under the combination of visible light and ultraviolet illumination.

10. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein each line of the first and second pluralities of lines in the first array exhibits a respective one of two colours under the combination of visible light and ultraviolet illumination so that the colours of the lines alternate across the array.

11. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second pluralities of lines of the first array appear different under the combination of visible light and ultraviolet illumination because they appear opaque and transparent respectively.

12. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the first array is printed on the substrate.

13. The security device according to claim 12 , wherein the first array has been printed by one of litho, offset letterpress, waterless lithography, direct letterpress, rotogravure, flexographic printing and screen printing.

14. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the second array comprises rectilinear lines that are typically parallel.

15. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the second array comprises curvilinear lines.

16. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the lines of the second array are not parallel with the first and second pluralities of lines of the first array.

17. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the lines of the first and second pluralities of lines of the first array are equally spaced apart.

18. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the lines of the second array are equally spaced apart.

19. The security device according to claim 17 , wherein the pitch of the lines of the second array is different from the pitch of the first and second pluralities of the lines of the first array.

20. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the pitch of the lines of the second array varies across the array.

21. The security device according to claim 20 , wherein the pitch of the lines of the second array increases in a regular manner across the array.

22. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the line widths of the second array are greater than 10 microns.

23. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the pitch of the first and second pluralities of lines of the first array is in the range 100-500 microns.

24. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the pitch of the lines of the second array is in the range 100-500 microns.

25. The security device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third array of lines imposed on the first array, the lines of the third array being laterally offset from the lines of the one second array.

26. The security device according to claim 25 , wherein the pitches of the second and third arrays are the same, the lines of the second array being aligned with spaces between the lines of the third array.

27. The security device according to claim 25 , wherein the second and third arrays are rotated at least in localised regions to generate the moiré effect.

28. The security device according to claim 1 , wherein the first array comprises a plurality of laterally spaced sections, the lines in each section, when viewed under the combination of visible light and ultraviolet illumination, exhibiting a respectively different sequence of the same group of colours.

29. The security device according to claim 28 , wherein the laterally spaced sections have similar shapes.

30. The security device according to claim 1 , provided as a transferable label on a carrier.

31. A document incorporating the security device according to claim 1 or on which such a security device has been affixed.

Assignees

• De La Rue Int Ltd

Inventors

• Hatton Jan Adrian Robert

Classifications

• B42D25/29

  Securities; Bank notes · CPC title

• B41M3/148 Primary

  Transitory images, i.e. images only visible from certain viewing angles · CPC title

• B42D2035/16

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B42D25/324

  Reliefs · CPC title

• B42D25/342

  Moiré effects · CPC title