The present invention relates generally to optically variable pigments, films, devices, and images and, more particularly, to aligning or orienting magnetic flakes during a painting or printing process, to obtain an illusive optical effect.
Optically variable devices are used in a wide variety of applications, both decorative and utilitarian. Optically variable devices can be made in variety of ways to achieve a variety of effects. Examples of optically variable devices include the holograms imprinted on credit cards and authentic software documentation, color-shifting images printed on banknotes, and enhancing the surface appearance of items such as motorcycle helmets and wheel covers.
Optically variable devices can be made as film or foil that is pressed, stamped, glued, or otherwise attached to an object, and can also be made using optically variable pigments. One type of optically variable pigment is commonly called a color-shifting pigment because the apparent color of images appropriately primed with such pigments changes as the angle of view and/or illumination is tilted. A common example is the “20” printed with color-shifting pigment in the lower right-hand corner of a U.S. twenty-dollar bill, which serves as an anti-counterfeiting device.
Some anti-counterfeiting devices are covert, while others are intended to be noticed. Flakes having covert features therein, such as indicia, gratings, and holographic features, can be used in addition to overt features. Furthermore flakes with can be used. Unfortunately, some optically variable devices that are intended to be noted are not widely known because the optically variable aspect of the device is not sufficiently dramatic. For example, the color shift of art image printed with color-shifting pigment might not be noticed under uniform fluorescent ceiling lights, but more noticeable in direct sunlight or under single-point illumination. This can make it easier for a counterfeiter to pass counterfeit notes without the optically variable feature because the recipient might not be aware of the optically variable feature, or because the counterfeit note might look substantially similar to the authentic note under certain conditions.
Optically variable devices can also be made with magnetic pigments that are aligned with a magnetic field after applying the pigment (typically in a carrier such as an ink vehicle or a paint vehicle) to a surface. However, painting with magnetic pigments has been used mostly for decorative purposes. For example, use of magnetic pigments has been described to produce painted cover wheels having a decorative feature that appears as a three-dimensional shape. A pattern was formed on the painted product by applying a magnetic field to the product while the paint medium still was in a liquid state. The paint medium had dispersed magnetic non-spherical particles that aligned along the magnetic field lines. The field had two regions. The first region contained lines of a magnetic force that were oriented parallel to the surface and arranged in a shape of a desired pattern. The second region contained lines that were non-parallel to the surface of the painted product and arranged around the pattern. To form the pattern, permanent magnets or electromagnets with the shape corresponding the shape of desired pattern were located underneath the painted product to orient in the magnetic field non-spherical magnetic particles dispersed in the paint while the paint was still wet. When the paint dried, the pattern was visible on the surface of the painted product as the light rays incident on the paint layer were influenced differently by the oriented magnetic particles.
Similarly, a process for producing of a pattern of flaked magnetic particles in fluoropolymer matrix has been described. After coating a product with a composition in liquid form, a magnet with desirable shape was placed on the underside of the substrate. Magnetic flakes dispersed in a liquid organic medium orient themselves parallel to the magnetic field lines, tilting from the original planar orientation. This tilt varied from perpendicular to the surface of a substrate to the original orientation, which included flakes essentially parallel to the surface of the product. The planar oriented flakes reflected incident light back to the viewer, while the reoriented flakes did not, providing the appearance of a three dimensional pattern in the coating. It is desirable to create more noticeable optically variable security features on financial documents and other products and to provide features that are difficult for counterfeiters to copy.
It is also desirable to create features which add to the realism of printed images made with inks and paints having alignable flakes therein, especially printed images of objects and more particularly recognizable three dimensional objects.
Heretofore, in patent application PCT/US2003/020665 the inventor of the present application has described the “rolling-bar” and the “flip-flop” images which provide kinematic features, that is features which provide the optical illusion of movement, to images comprised of magnetically alignable pigment flakes wherein the flakes are aligned in a particular manner.
It has been discovered that providing a rolling bar used as a fill within an outline of a curved recognizable object, particularly a smooth curved recognizable object such as a bell, a shield, container, or a soccer ball provides striking effects that reach beyond a rolling bar moving back and forth on a rectangular sheet. The bar while providing realistic dynamic shading to an image of an object not only appears to move across the image but also appears to grow and shrink or expand and contract with this movement within the closed region in which it is contained. In some instances where the size or area of the bar appears to move across the image while simultaneously moving up and down. Thus, a highly desired optical effect is provided by using the rolling bar changes as the bar moves across the image, and or wherein the bar appears to move horizontally and vertically simultaneously as the image is tilted or the light source upon the image is varied. Additionally, if the bar is designed to be of suitable size and radius of curvature, it can be used as a dynamic, moving, shrinking or expanding shading element in the image, providing exceptional realism. It has also been found, that the rolling bar appears to have a most profound effect when it appears to mimic moving shading on an image of a real object this is capable or producing a shadow when light is incident upon it. In these important application, it is preferred that the radius of curvature of the flakes forming the rolling bad be within a range of values wherein the image of the real-object it is applied to, appears to be correctly curved so as to appear realistic.
Patent Publication EP 7I0508A1 to Richter et al (herein “Richter”) discloses methods for providing three dimensional effects by drawing with magnetic tips. Richter describes three dimensional effects achieved by aligning magnetically active pigments in a spatially-varying magnetic field. Richter uses standard pigments (barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, samarium/cobalt, Al/Co/Ni alloys, and metal oxides made by sintering and quick quenching, none of which are composed of optical thin film stacks. Rather, the particles are of the hard magnetic type. Richter uses electromagnetic pole pieces either on top of the coating or on both sides of the coating. However, Richter uses a moving system and requires “drawing” of the image. The “drawing” method provides only limited optical effects. In particular, the “rolling-bar” and the “flip-flop” images can not be formed using this method.
The aforemetioned kinematic features, such as the “rolling-bar” and the “flip-flop” images, as well as images appearing to be 3-dimensional curved objects as a soccer ball, rely on particular, intrinsic flake patterns. By way of example, two parts of a “flip-flop” image should be clearly separated and blurred border would downgrade the image quality. In order to form such intrinsic patterns, the high precision alignment of the flakes is required.
A method of painting an object with a paint containing magnetic flakes includes placing a magnet under or above the object's surface, painting the object using a spray gun, and leaving the object in place until the paint solvent evaporates. This method, as well as “drawing”, takes time and is not conducive to production type processes.
The optically illusive images with kinematic features, such as the “rolling-bar” and the “flip-flop” images, as well as image appearing to be 3-dimensional curved objects like, provide highly visible security features. Such features attract a person's attention, are easy to verify and difficult to forge, thus they are used more extensively over time in different applications, such as currency, documents, packaging.
Mass production requires high-speed methods of manufacturing of such images while providing high precision alignment of the flakes therein.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for aligning of magnetic flakes with a high degree of precision performed as a speed suitable for mass production.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method of aligning magnetic flakes, which includes: (a) coating a substrate with a carrier having the magnetic flakes dispersed therein; (b) after step (a), moving the substrate in a magnetic field so as to align the magnetic flakes along force lines of the magnetic field in the absence of an effect from a solidifying means; and, (c) after step (b) and before the substrate reaches an exit field part of the magnetic field, at least partially solidifying the carrier using a solidifying means while further moving the substrate in the magnetic field so as to secure the magnetic flakes in the carrier while the magnetic field maintains alignment of the magnetic flakes.
Another feature of the present invention provides an apparatus for aligning magnetic flakes dispersed in a carrier, which includes: a support for supporting a substrate, moveable along a support path; a dispenser for coating the substrate with the carrier having the magnetic flakes; a magnet assembly for aligning the magnetic flakes by a magnetic field, disposed along a first path segment of the support path, wherein the first segment comprises second and third path segments; and, a solidifying means for at least partially solidifying the carrier, disposed along the third path segment, wherein no solidifying means is disposed along the second path segment, so as to align the magnetic flakes by the magnetic field, when the magnetic flakes move on the support within the second path segment, and to secure the magnetic flakes in the carrier using the solidifying means while alignment of the magnetic flakes is maintained by the magnetic field, when the carrier with the magnetic flakes move on the support within the third path segment.
The support may be a belt, the magnet assembly can be in a form of an elongate assembly or a rotary magnet assembly.
In one embodiment of the apparatus, the substrate moves on a belt, an elongate magnet assembly is disposed under the belt and the solidifying means, e.g. a UV light or e-beam source, is disposed above the belt.
Another feature of the present invention provides a screen within the apparatus so as to protect the flakes from the effect of the solidifying/currying means during the aligning step of the aforementioned method.
One aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for aligning magnetic flakes in a carrier printed on a substrate. The apparatus includes: a rotatable roller comprising a magnet for creating a magnetic field emanating from an outer surface of the roller; a moveable belt bending about the rotatable roller, for supporting the substrate and for moving the substrate proximate to the magnet along an arc on the outer surface of the rotatable roller, wherein the arc comprises first and second arc segments; and, a solidifying means for at least partially solidifying the carrier, disposed along the second arc segment, wherein no solidifying means is dispose along the first arc segment, so as to align the magnetic flakes by the magnetic field, when the magnetic flakes move on the support within the first arc segment, and to secure the magnetic flakes in the carrier using the solidifying means while alignment of the magnetic flakes is maintained by the magnetic field, when the carrier with the magnetic flakes move on the support within the second arc segment.
Yet another aspect of this invention provides an apparatus for aligning magnetic flakes dispersed in a carrier. The apparatus includes: a support for supporting a substrate with the magnetic flakes in the carrier, movable along a support path; a magnet assembly tor providing a first magnetic field for aligning magnetic flakes into a first alignment; and, a solidifying station located in a predetermined position for at least partially solidifying the carrier, before the carrier exits the first magnetic field and before the carrier reaches an exit field which is provided by the magnet assembly and differs from the first field such that rite Hakes remain in said first alignment.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in accordance with the figures. Since the figures shown in this application represent the images is accordance with this invention, made with magnetic flakes, these effects cannot be provided in this document which attempts to describe and illustrate these kinematical and 3-D features.
The present invention in its various embodiments solves the problem of pre-determined orientation of magnetic flakes of optically variable ink in a high-speed printing process. Normally, particles of an optically variable pigment dispersed in a liquid paint or ink vehicle generally orient themselves to be substantially parallel to the surface when primed or painted on to a surface. Orientation of reflective flakes parallel to the surface provides high reflectance of incident light from the coated surface. Magnetic flakes can be tilted while in the liquid medium by applying a magnetic field. The flakes generally align in such way that the longest diagonal of a flake follows a magnetic field line. Depending on the position and strength of the magnet, the magnetic field lines can penetrate the substrate at different angles, tilting magnetic flakes to these angles. A tilted reflective flake reflects incident light differently than a reflective flake that is parallel to the surface of the printed substrate. Reflectance and hue both vary depending on the flake orientation. Tilted flakes typically look darker and have a different color than flakes parallel to the surface at a normal viewing angle.
Orienting magnetic flakes in printed images poses several problems. Conventional methods, which hold a magnet against a static (non-moving) coated article until the paint or ink dries, are not suitable for printing presses, because the inks used in such operations typically dry within milliseconds whereas, in a print press, a substrate moves at a speed of 100-160 meters per minute and would move relatively to the magnet before the ink dries thus distorting the image.
It was discovered that one way to align magnetic flakes on a substrate in order to obtain enhanced optical effects in the painted/printed image, is to move the substrate relative to a magnet so that the profile of the magnetic field does not change. Thus flakes, while physically moving through the magnetic field, would not have their position or orientation affected by this movement and would align the same way as in conventional methods wherein a substrate and a magnet are stationary.
The effect of moving through the field without being affected by the movement can be achieved by using a specially designed magnet assembly which extends along the substrate path and has magnetic lines perpendicular to the direction of movement of the substrate. In other words, painted or printed liquid paint or ink medium, with dispersed magnetic flakes on the substrate moves perpendicular to magnetic lines of the field to cause re-orientation of the flakes.
However, we have discovered that moving the ink with magnetic flakes along the magnets(s), where the magnetic field profile changes significantly in any direction, so it is impossible for the printed sample to pass the exit field without distorting the flake alignment. The importance of the exit field problem is associated with the intrinsic patterns necessary to provide kinematic features which rely on a difference between the alignment of different groups of flakes. By way of example, the “rolling bar” effect requires gradual change of the flake alignment in the direction where the bar “rolls,” while the alignment of the flakes along the “bar” should be maintained in order to distinguish the “bar” shape. Such precision of the flake alignment has not been required from the magnetic imagining before, and the effect of the exit field at a trailing edge of the magnet(s) on the magnetically aligned flakes has not been addressed before.
To solve the exit field problem, the method of this invention includes a step of at least partially solidifying of the ink/paint before the sample has reached the exit field. With reference to
In the coating step 322, the carrier with flakes therein, e.g. in the form of ink or paint, is provided to the substrate. The flakes are non-spherical, preferably planar, magnetic flakes, i.e. pigment flakes that can be aligned using a magnetic field. They may or may not retain remnant magnetization. A typical flake is twenty microns across and about one micron thick, The image is printed or painted on the substrate, such as paper, plastic film, laminate, card, stock, or other surface. The substrate may be a continuous roll, or a sequence of substrate sheets, or have any discrete or continuous shape. The substrate is supported by a support which may be a belt, a platform, a frame, etc. For convenience of discussion, the term “printed” will be used to generally describe the application, of pigments in a carrier to a surface, which may include painting, ink-jet printing, silk printing, intaglio printing, etc. The carrier can be a liquid or paste-like carrier, curable by the UV-light or e-beam source, e.g. a photopolymer, or a solvent-based carrier, including water-based.
Before the carrier dries or sets, the substrate is moved relative to a magnet assembly to orient the magnetic pigment flakes.
During the aligning step 324 and the solidifying step 326, a portion of the carrier with flakes, also referred to as “printed image,” moves along a substrate path in the magnetic field provided by a magnet assembly perpendicular to force lines of the field.
As discussed above, it is desirable for the magnetic field to have a constant profile along the substrate path. The magnet assembly is designed so that the profile of the field, a cross-section of the field in a plane normal to the substrate path, changes very little while the substrate moves along the substrate path during the aligning step 324 and solidifying step 326, before the carrier is at least partially solidified in the solidifying step 326, so as to obtain an optically variable image resulting from the alignment of the flakes. In other words, drying the steps 324 and 326, first and second cross-sections of the magnetic field in any first and second points of the substrate path are substantially a same desired field profile.
In some instances, the image may have additional optically variable effects, such as color-shifting. In a particular embodiment, the magnet assembly is configured to provide a flip-flop image. In another embodiment, the magnet assembly is configured to provide a rolling bar image. In some embodiments, the thin planar substrate is a sheet that is printed with several images. The images on the sheet can be the same or different, and different inks or paints can be used to print the images on the sheet. Similarly, different magnetic assemblies can be used to create different images on a single sheet of substrate. In other embodiments, the substrate can be an essentially continuous substrate, such as a roll of paper.
According to the method of this inventions the flakes are being aligned and secured while the substrate moves along the magnet assembly perpendicular to the field force lines. Thus, the cross-sectional profile of the field changes insignificantly, if at all, and the flakes are aligned and secured while affected by a substantially same field configuration. Advantageously, the step of securing the flakes in the carrier happens while the alignment of the flakes is maintained by the magnetic field, which ensures the desired flake pattern rendered with a high degree of precision. Since the printed image moves pass the magnetic assembly at a relatively high speed, the method of this invention is suitable for mass production of printed images having magnetic flakes aligned therein.
An exemplary apparatus for aligning magnetic flakes dispersed in a carrier is shown in
The belt 401 passes through the rollers 402 of the printing press in a direction 403. The carrier printed onto the substrate 404 is supported by the belt 401 and moves along a support path, which, in this instance, coincides with the belt 401. The substrate 404, further referred to as “image 404,” is shown in
The wet ink of the image on the substrate 404 contains magnetic flakes. When the flakes in the ink approach a linear magnet assembly 406, they start to change their orientation following magnetic lines of the field. While moving through an alignment segment 407 of the substrate path, the flakes have enough time to orient in the direction of the field in this region. Moving further with the belt 401, the flakes approach and subsequently enter a solidifying segment 408 of the substrate path. A solidifying means 409, e.g. a UV lamp, e-beam source, or a heater, is installed above of the assembly 406, so as to illuminate the image 405. Of course any solidifying source compatible with the carrier can be used. UV-curing or e-beam curing cause almost instantaneous solidifying of the carrier. Solidifying solvent-based carrier with a heat source of drier requires more time and evaporation of the solvent may cause the thickness of the ink or paint layer to lessen up to 60%, whereas UV or e-beam curable organic carriers do not shrink when cure.
When the printed image 405 is within the solidifying segment 408, the solidifying means 409 secure the magnetic flakes in the carrier within the image 405, while the alignment of the magnetic flakes is maintained by the magnetic field of the magnet assembly 406.
A screen 411 prevents solidifying of the ink or paint when the printed image 405 is in the alignment segment 407 where the flakes change their orientation. The light screen prevents solidifying of the carrier in the areas of the image where the flakes were not aligned yet. By way of example, the shield is made from a non-magnetic sheet metal having thickness in the range of 0.01″ to 0.1″ and extends along a half of the magnetic assembly length from the point of the first contact of the printed image and the magnets. The screen 411 is not necessary is the solidifying means 409, e.g. a UV light source, is mounted very close to the belt 401. However, the screen 411 prevents the wet image 405 from any possible scattered or diffused UV light radiated from the lamp that can cause partial solidifying of the ink while the image 405 is in the alignment segment 407 of the substrate path.
The solidifying of the ink in the segment 408 can be either full or partial. When the solidifying means 409 only partially solidifies the carrier, another solidifying source 412 may be used downstream along the belt 401.
The magnet assembly may be an elongate assembly including one or more permanent magnets with North and South poles at long surfaces of the magnets. Exemplary magnet assemblies are shown in.
In the apparatus 400, the belt supporting a printed image moves along the support path, which is a straight line. However, in accordance with this invention, a support supporting a printed image may move along a curve as soon as it follows the surface of a magnet assembly and the support moves orthogonally to force lines of the magnetic field so as to ensure that the profile of the field is a substantially same profile, i.e. it changes insignificantly along the support path in the proximity of the magnet assembly.
The magnet assembly 506 includes a rotatable roller and one or more magnets 520 along the cylindrical surface thereof for creating a magnetic field emanating from an outer surface of the roller. The belt 501 moves while bending about the roller so that a substrate path is an arc on the outer surface of the roller. A substrate 505 with magnetic flakes thereon for a period of the time moves together with the magnet 520 along the arc, initially without being affected by a solidifying means 509, e.g. protected by a screen 511 and, then, under the solidifying means 509 for at least partially solidifying the carrier and securing the flakes while their alignment is maintained by the magnet 520. The solidifying means 509 may be a UV- or e-beam source, a heater, or a drier. Exemplary rotary magnet assemblies are shown in
Fixing magnetic flakes in a predetermined orientation on the fast moving support in the last segment of the support path right before the exit field allows printing of images with very crisp optical effects, The flakes come to the exit field of a magnet assembly with their orientation permanently or partially fixed.
This method provides remarkable illusive optical effects in the printed image. One type of optical effects will be referred to as a kinematic optical effect for purposes of discussion. An illusive kinematic optical effect generally provides an illusion of motion in the printed image as the image is tilted relative to the viewing angle, assuming a stationary illumination source. Another illusive optical effect provides virtual depth to a printed, two-dimensional image. Some images may provide both motion and virtual depth. Another type of illusive optical effects switches the appearance of a printed field, such as by alternating between bright and dark colors as the image is tilted back and forth.
Generally, flakes viewed normal to the plane of the flake appear bright while flakes viewed along the edge of the plane appear dark. For example, light from an illumination source 30 is reflected off the flakes in the first region to the viewer 32. If the image is tilted in the direction indicated by the arrow 34, the flakes in the first region 22 will be viewed on-end, while light will be reflected off the flakes in the second region 24. Thus, in the first viewing position the first region will appear light and the second region will appear dark, while in the second viewing position the fields will flip-flop, the first region becoming dark and the second region becoming light. This provides a very striking visual effect. Similarly, if the pigment flakes are color-shifting, one portion may appear to be a first color and the other portion another color.
The carrier is typically transparent, either clear or tinted, and the flakes are typically fairly reflective. For example, the carrier could be tinted green and the flakes could include a metallic layer, such as a thin film of aluminum, gold, nickel, platinum, or metal alloy, or be a metal flake, such as a nickel or alloy flake. The light reflected off a metal layer through the green-tinted carrier might appear bright green, while another portion with flakes viewed on end ought appear dark green or other color. If the flakes are merely metallic flakes in a clear carrier, then one portion of the image might appear bright metallic, while another appears dark. Alternatively, the metallic flakes might be coated with a tinted layer, or the flakes might include an optical interference structure, such as an absorber-spacer-reflector Fabry-Perot type structure.
The bar may also appear to have depth, even though it is printed in a plane. The virtual depth can appear to be much greater than the physical thickness of the printed image. The tilting of the flakes in a selected pattern reflects light to provide the illusion of depth or “3D”, as it is commonly referred to. A three-dimensional effect can be obtained by placing a shaped magnet behind the paper or other substrate with magnetic pigment flakes printed on the substrate in a fluid carrier. The flakes align along magnetic field lines and create the 3D image after setting (e.g. drying or curing) the carrier. The image often appears to move as it is tilted, hence kinematic 3D images may be formed.
Flip-flips and rolling bars can be printed with magnetic pigment flakes, i.e. pigment flakes that can be aligned using a magnetic field. a printed flip-flop type image provides an optically variable device with two distinct fields that can be obtained with a single print step and using a single ink formulation. A rolling bar type image provides an optically variable device that has a contrasting band that appears to move as the image is tilted, similar to the semi-precious stone known as Tiger's Eye. These printed images are quite noticeable and the illusive aspects would not photocopy. Such images may be applied to back notes, stock certificates, software documentation, security seals, and similar objects as authentication and/or anti-counterfeiting devices. They are particularly desirable for high-volume printed documents, such as bank notes, packaging, and labels, because they can be printed in a high-speed printing operation, as is described below.
The image 56 is printed on a thin printing or painting substrate 58, such as a sheet of paper, plastic, film, or card stock in a previous printing step, which is not illustrated in this figure. In a typical operation, several images are printed on the substrate, which is subsequently cut into individual documents, such as printing a sheet of banknotes that is cut into currency. The carrier 28 is still wet or at least sufficiently fluid to allow alignment of the magnetic flakes with the magnets. The carrier typically sets shortly after alignment to allow handling of the printed substrate without smearing the image. The magnetic flakes 26 follow direction of magnetic lines 60 and tilt.
A plastic or paper substrate 29 with printed fields 20′ (e.g. squares or other shapes) moves at high speed over the top of the assembly in the direction of the arrows 82 in such way that gaps between two magnets, e.g. magnets 72 and 74, go through the centers of the printed fields. Alternatively, the gaps between the magnets may be offset from the centers of the printed fields. Similarly, the substrate could be a continuous roll, rather than sequential sheets. In many cases, several sets of images are printed on a sheet, and the sheet is cut into individual documents, such as bank notes, after the printing is completed.
After tilting of the flakes, the image 20 has an illusive optical effect. A drier for water- or solvent-based paints or inks (not shown in the picture) or UV-light source for photopolymers typically follows the magnet assembly shortly in the line to dry the ink or paint vehicle and fix re-oriented flakes in their aligned positions. It is generally desirable to avoid magnetizing flakes before application, as they may clump together. Pigment flakes with layers of nickel or P
Fields 104′ printed on the substrate 29 have generally non-oriented flakes. Some alignment of the flakes may occur as an artifact of the printing process, and generally some of the flakes tending to align in the plane of the substrate. When the substrate moves at high speed in the direction indicated by the arrow 82 above the magnet assembly, the flakes change their orientation along lines of the magnetic field forming an illusive image 104 (flip-flop). The image has two areas which reflect light in different directions and a relatively sharp border (transition) between them.
The substrate 29 moves across the magnet 106 in the direction of the arrow. The image 110 forms a rolling bar feature 114, which will appear to move up and down as the image is tilted or the viewing angle is changed. The flakes 26 are shown as being tilted in relation to the magnetic field lines. The image is typically very thin, and the flakes might not form a hump, as illustrated, but generally align along the magnetic field lines to provide the desired arched reflective properties to create a rolling bar effect. The bar appeared to roll up and down the image when tilted through an angle of about 25 degrees in one example.
It was found that the intensity of the rolling bar effect could be enhanced by chamfering 116 the trailing edge 118 of the magnet. It is believed that this gradually reduces the magnetic field as the image clears the magnet. Otherwise, the magnetic transition occurring at a sharp corner of the magnet might re-arrange the orientation of the flakes and degrade the visual effect of the rolling bar. In a particular embodiment, the corner of the magnet was chamfered at an angle of thirty degrees from the plane of the substrate. An alternative approach is to fix the flakes before they pass over the trailing edge of the magnet. By was of example, this could be done by providing a UV source part way down the run of the magnet, for a UV-curable carrier, or a drying source for evaporative carriers.
In companion to the magnetic devices shown in
In general, electromagnets might be used in some embodiments, but it is difficult to obtain magnetic fields as high as can be obtained with current supermagnets in the confined spaces of a high-speed printing machine. The coils of electromagnetic also tend to generate heat, which can affect the solidifying time of the ink or paint and add another process variable. Nonetheless, electromagnetic may be useful in some embodiments of the invention.
Magnetic lines in the field are not parallel. The difference is minor in the near order and becomes larger with increase of a distance between the lines. It means, that on a large printed image, placed in magnetic field, all flakes would have different tilt resulting in a non-consistent image appearance. The inconsistency can be reduced by deflecting of magnetic lines toward the center of the magnet to keep them more parallel. It is possible to do with small auxiliary magnets.
Inclusion of the auxiliary magnets 170, 170′ in the assembly shifts magnitude of field intensity to the left. The second curve 176 shows magnitude of field intensity of an assembly according to
In one instance, magnetic color-shifting pigment flakes were applied to a paper card using a conventional silkscreen process. The same ink was applied to another paper card, but before the ink carrier dried, a magnet was used to re-orient the flakes in the plane of the card. The difference in visual appearance, such as the intensity of the colors, was very dramatic. Measurements indicated that a 10% improvement in chroma had been attained. This level of improvement is very significant, and it is believed that it would be very difficult to achieve such an improvement through modification of the pigment flake production techniques, such as changes to the substrate and thin film layers of the flake. it is believed that even greater improvement in chroma is possible, and that a 40% improvement might be obtained when magnetic re-alignment techniques are applied to images formed using an Intaglio printing process.
It is advantageous in applications to have the outer surface 244 of the roller 232 sufficiently even or smooth, otherwise it can potentially deform or even damage the substrate 212. For these applications, it is preferred that the outer surface 244 does not have any protruding portions, resulting in a substantially even and uniform contact of the roller with the substrate across the outer surface of the roller.
In one embodiment, the magnets 302, 303 are positioned flush with the outer surface 333 of the body 301, so that the outer surface of the roller 332 with the magnets 303, 302 therein is substantially even, for providing substantially uniform, contact with the substrate 212 across the outer surface of the roller 332 during the linear printing process. The term “contact” is used herein to mean either direct or indirect contact between two surfaces, i.e. via an intermediate sheet or plate. In another embodiment, at least one of the magnets 302, 303 is recessed relative to the outer surface 333 of the drum 301, and the recess is filled with a non-magnetic filler, e.g. an epoxy, tin, brass, or other, to make the outer surface of the roller substantially even as described hereinabove. The ability to have different magnets at different distances from the ink layer is advantageous for creating different types of optical effects provided by the respective magnetic flake arrangements. Generally, for forming flake arrangements providing sharp image transitions, as for example for forming a flip-flop image, the ink-magnet distance should be minimized. However, for forming images or optical effects wherein transitions in the image should be smeared, e.g. for providing an illusion of depth as in a rolling bar image, the magnets are preferably positioned at a larger distance from the ink layer, for example between 0.125″ to 0.75′ for a rolling bar image depending on particular requirements of the graphics. The rolling bar and flip-flop images, and magnet arrangements that can be used for their fabrication are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,883.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/350,021, filed Nov. 12, 2016, (now U.S. Pat. No. 10,059,137), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/681,551, filed on Apr. 8, 2015, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,522,402), which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/574,007, filed Oct. 6, 2009, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,027,479) which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/313,165 filed Dec. 20, 2005, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,604,855), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/022,106 filed Dec. 22, 2004, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,517,578), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/386,894 filed Mar. 11, 2003, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,883), which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/410,546, filed Sep. 13, 2002, from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/410,547, filed Sep. 13, 2002, and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/396,210, filed Jul. 15, 2002, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/574,007, filed Oct. 6, 2009, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,027,479), is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/623,190, filed Jan. 15, 2007, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,451), which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/759,356, filed Jan. 17, 2006, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/777,086 filed Feb. 27, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/552,219 filed Oct. 24, 2006, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,876,481), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/278,600 filed Apr. 4, 2006, (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,343,615), which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/668,852 filed Apr. 6, 2005, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/777,086 filed Feb. 27, 2006; both of which are continuation-in-part applications of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/313,165, filed Dec. 20, 2005, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,604,855), which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/022,106, filed Dec. 22, 2004, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,517,578), which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/386,894, filed Mar. 11, 2003, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,047,883), which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/410,546, filed Sep. 13, 2002, from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/410,547, filed Sep. 13, 2002, and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/396,210, filed Jul. 15, 2002, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety for all purposes. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/623,190, filed Jan. 15, 2007, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,934,451), is also a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/560,927, filed Nov. 17, 2006, (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,038), which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/737,926, filed Nov. 18, 2005, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/574,007, filed Oct. 6, 2009, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,027,479), also claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/104,289 filed Oct. 10, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
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