The present disclosure generally relates to an assembly including a first magnet; a substrate positioned above the first magnet, and having a surface for receiving a composition including a plurality of magnetizable platelets; and a second magnet, positioned above the substrate. The assembly can be used in a method of making an optical security element. The optical security element and the method of making the optical security element are also disclosed.
The current technology for the production of articles with security elements, such as banknotes, employs a single cylinder with embedded magnets. The embedded magnets align magnetic particles in an ink composition. In particular, a substrate with the ink composition is moved over the single cylinder. The embedded magnets produce a magnetic field that protrudes from one magnet toward another and mostly along a plane of the substrate. The magnetic particles in the ink composition are therefore subjected to this magnetic field, and create a singular optical effect.
There are two main methods for producing optical security elements: continuous and discrete. In a continuous method, platelets are oriented along a X coordinate, in a Cartesian coordinate system, of a continuously moving substrate with statically mounted magnetic assemblies. In a discrete method, platelets are oriented along the X and Y coordinates, of a continuously moving substrate with magnetic assemblies moving in the direction of the substrate at the same speed. The number of optical effects produced by the discrete method is much larger than by the continuous method.
What is needed is a way to produce articles with security elements with varying and/or different optical effects. The production of these articles should be capable of being generated in an efficient (time and cost) assembly system.
Features of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example and not limited in the following figure(s), in which like numerals indicate like elements, in which:
In an aspect, there is disclosed an assembly including a first magnet; a substrate positioned above the first magnet, and having a surface for receiving a composition including a plurality of magnetizable platelets; and a second magnet, positioned above the substrate.
In another aspect, there is disclosed a method of producing an optical security element, can include moving a substrate, in a feed direction, between a first cylinder including a first magnet and a second cylinder including a second magnet; and rotating the first cylinder and the second cylinder at a same speed as the substrate; wherein a composition including a plurality of magnetizable platelets is present on a surface of the substrate.
Additional features and advantages of various embodiments will be set forth, in part, in the description that follows, and will, in part, be apparent from the description, or can be learned by the practice of various embodiments. The objectives and other advantages of various embodiments will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the description herein.
For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the present disclosure is described by referring mainly to an example thereof. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be readily apparent however, that the present disclosure may be practiced without limitation to these specific details. In other instances, some methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present disclosure.
Additionally, the elements depicted in the accompanying figures may include additional components and some of the components described in those figures may be removed and/or modified without departing from scopes of the present disclosure. Further, the elements depicted in the figures may not be drawn to scale and thus, the elements may have sizes and/or configurations that differ from those shown in the figures.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are intended to provide an explanation of various embodiments of the present teachings. In its broad and varied embodiments, disclosed herein are articles, such as banknotes with security elements; assemblies for use in a method of making the articles; and methods of making and using the articles and/or assemblies.
The present disclosure describes an assembly 10 including a first magnet 12a; a substrate 16, positioned above the first magnet 12a, and having a surface for receiving a composition including a plurality of magnetizable platelets 18; and a second magnet 12b, positioned above the substrate 16, as shown in
The substrate 16 can be any material capable of receiving a composition including a plurality of magnetizable platelets 18. Non-limiting examples of the substrate include paper, cardboard, plastic, etc. The substrate 16 can have a surface for receiving the composition.
The plurality of magnetizable platelets 18 can be dispersed in a binder. The plurality of magnetizable platelets 18 can be present in the composition in an amount sufficient to allow movement, such as alignment or orientation, of the plurality of magnetizable platelets 18 within the binder. The composition can include additional additives. The composition can be an ink, a pain, or a varnish.
The plurality of magnetizable platelets 18 can be any platelets including a magnetic material that can align and/or orient in a magnetic field 20. Non-limiting examples of magnetizable platelets 18 include NOVAMET™ (available from Novamet Specialty Products Corporation) magnetically soft nickel or stainless-steel platelets produced by the ball-mill technique; platelets of magnetizable material produced by vacuum deposition technique; and magnetizable platelets that are monochromatic or color-shifting thin-film interference security pigments containing a magnetizable material in their structure.
The magnetic field 20 generated by the first magnet 12a, the second magnet 12b, and the third magnet 12c goes up from XY to Z direction, as illustrated in
The assembly 10 can include two or more magnets 12, such as a first magnet 12a, a second magnet 12b, a third magnet 12c. The assembly can include a plurality of magnets in which at least one magnet 12a is positioned below a substrate 16 and at least one magnet 12b is positioned above a substrate 16. As shown in
The assembly can include a first cylinder 14a and a second cylinder 14b positioned with the substrate between them. The first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b can be aligned together, for example, with the second cylinder 14b directly across a substrate 16 from the first cylinder.
The first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b can rotate around an axis orthogonal to a feed direction 17. The first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b can rotate at a same speed or a different speed. The first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b can rotate at a same speed as a substrate 16 moving in a feed direction 17.
The first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b can rotate in a same or an opposite direction. The first cylinder 14a can rotate in a first direction and the second cylinder 14b can rotate in a second direction, which is opposite from the first direction. In another aspect, the first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b can rotate in a same direction.
In an aspect, a magnet, such as the first magnet 12a of the first cylinder 14a, can face another magnet, such as the second magnet 12b of the second cylinder 14b. In an aspect, a first magnet 12a in a first cylinder 14a can be in register with a second magnet 12b in a second cylinder 14b.
The assembly 10 can also include a light source 22. The light source 22, such as a laser or a light emitting diode, can emit energy, for example, light in a blue wavelength or an ultraviolet wavelength. The energy can be focused towards a gap between the first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b. In this manner, the light source 22 can cure a composition, present on a surface of the substrate, and including the plurality of magnetizable platelets 18. For example, the plurality of magnetizable platelets 18, after alignment in a magnetic field 20, can be fixed in the aligned and/or oriented state. The light source 22 can be a laser or a blue LED. The assembly 10 can also include a lens, such as a cylindrical lens. In an aspect, the light source 22, such as a diffracted light source, can refract through the lens to become a collimated light beam.
In another aspect, as shown in
The light beams 24 can arrive to the composition at a normal angle through the lens 28, while other light beams 24 reflect from the mirror 26.
The magnets 12a, 12b can be permanent magnets. In an aspect, the first magnet 12a and the second magnet 12b can be positioned so that a pole of the second magnet 12b faces a same pole of the first magnet 12a. In another aspect, a pole of the first magnet 12a can be positioned to face an opposite pole of the second magnet 12b.
A plane of the first magnet 12a can be parallel to a plane of the second magnet 12b. In an aspect, a plane of the first magnet 12a is at an angle greater than 0° to a plane of the second magnet 12b. The angle can be between 0° and 180°, for example between 5° and 170°, and as a further example, between 10° and 160°. In an aspect, the angle is about 15°.
The assembly 10 can include a second magnet 12b that is statically positioned along a central axis 28. A first magnet 12a can revolve around the central axis 28. In an aspect, the assembly 10 can include a first magnet 12a and a third magnet 12c that can revolve around the central axis 28, and can be positioned beneath a surface of the substrate 16 by a first distance 30. The second magnet 12b can be positioned above a substrate 16 by a second distance 32.
The assembly can be used to produce an article, such as an optical security element. A method of producing an optical security element, can comprise moving a substrate 16, in a feed direction 17, between a first cylinder 14a including a first magnet 12a and a second cylinder 14b including a second magnet 12b; and rotating the first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b at a same speed as the substrate 16; wherein a composition including a plurality of magnetizable platelets 18 is present on a surface of the substrate 16. As the substrate 16 moves in the first direction between the first cylinder 14a and the second cylinder 14b, the magnetizable platelets 18 in the composition can be oriented in the magnetic field 20 generated by the first magnet 12a in the first cylinder 14a and the second magnet 12b in the second cylinder 14b. The oriented magnetizable platelets can be cured via a light source. The cured composition can exhibit an image, such as a symbol, a numeral, a shape, and etc. When the substrate 16 with the cured composition is tilted and/or the viewing angle is changed, the image can morph or deform and/or a portion of the image can become lighter or darker relative to another portion of the image.
The assembly illustrated in
The assembly included a first magnet 12a, which is funnel-shaped, and is positioned under a substrate 16, and a second magnet 12b positioned over a substrate 16, as shown in
The article of
In another aspect, the assembly can include at least one magnet that can rotate around a central axis, and at least one magnet that is static. As shown in
The assembly including the at least one rotating magnet and the at least one static magnet was used to produce an article. In particular, a substrate including a composition with a plurality of magnetizable platelets was subjected to a magnetic field 20, as shown in
The second distance 32 in
In another aspect, the assembly of
The assembly as shown in
An advantage of the magnets, such as the first magnet 12a and the second magnet 12b installed in a first cylinder 14a (not shown) and a second cylinder 14b (not shown), respectively, is the opportunity of the asymmetric registrations of magnets when they come together with a substrate 16 in between. As shown in
From the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can appreciate that the present teachings can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while these teachings have been described in connection with particular embodiments and examples thereof, the true scope of the present teachings should not be so limited. Various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein.
This scope disclosure is to be broadly construed. It is intended that this disclosure disclose equivalents, means, systems and methods to achieve the coatings, devices, activities and mechanical actions disclosed herein. For each coating, device, article, method, mean, mechanical element or mechanism disclosed, it is intended that this disclosure also encompass in its disclosure and teaches equivalents, means, systems and methods for practicing the many aspects, mechanisms and devices disclosed herein. Additionally, this disclosure regards a coating and its many aspects, features and elements. Such a coating can be dynamic in its use and operation, this disclosure is intended to encompass the equivalents, means, systems and methods of the use of the device and/or optical device of manufacture and its many aspects consistent with the description and spirit of the operations and functions disclosed herein. The claims of this application are likewise to be broadly construed. The description of the inventions herein in their many embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application is a divisional of commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/839,013, filed Jun. 13, 2022, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/210,365 filed on Jun. 14, 2021. The disclosures of both of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63210365 | Jun 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17839013 | Jun 2022 | US |
Child | 18595021 | US |