The invention relates to a value document and a security element in the form of a strip having a first and second polymer layer, and having a visually recognizable halftone printed image, which luminesces under UV radiation, between the first and second layer, wherein the halftone printed image has an opacity and forms at least one imprint area having a boundary contour within the security element.
Security elements in the form of a strip are known from the prior art (EP 1 241 022 A1), which have an imprint, which luminesces under UV radiation, between a first polymer layer and a second polymer layer, which imprint is visually recognizable. Such a luminescent imprint always displays a certain opacity, however, so that the boundary contour of the imprint area on the security element is comparatively strongly recognizable. Such imprints can disadvantageously result in opacity differences on the security element and therefore impair the forgery protection, etc.
The invention therefore has the object, proceeding from the prior art described at the outset, of increasing the forgery protection of a security element having a luminescent imprint.
The invention achieves the stated object in that at least one of the two polymer layers has an opacity at least in the region of the boundary contour of the imprint area and is designed as adapted in its opacity to the opacity of the imprint area, to diminish the visual recognizability of the boundary contour of the imprint area of the luminescent halftone printed image on the security element.
If at least one of the two polymer layers has an opacity in the region of the boundary contour of the imprint area, in particular over the entire area, and is designed as adapted in its opacity to the opacity of the imprint area, to diminish the visual recognizability of the boundary contour of the imprint area of the luminescent halftone printed image on the security element, a security feature which is forgery-proof to a high degree can be provided on the security element—not least as a result of the increased production expenditure. Furthermore, it is possible in this manner to provide a security element having a concealed security feature, which security feature does not change the general appearance of the security element under specific conditions. This is because, according to the invention, the boundary contour of this luminescent imprint can be diminished and/or concealed in relation to the security element such that the visual recognizability of the imprint, in particular under white light, is not possible or is hardly possible—but it is easily visually recognizable very well under irradiation using UV light, for example. In contrast to the prior art, in which a visually easily recognizable imprint can already provide an indication with regard to a security feature as a result of not providing adaptation of the opacity, a security feature—which is not recognizable or is recognizable with difficulty under specific conditions, above all in white light—causes less attention in the security element according to the invention, which can in turn substantially contribute to improving a proof of the authenticity and, as a further consequence, the forgery protection.
In general, it is to be noted that a halftone printed image can be understood as a printed image having a printed grid, in which the grid points or printed points can be plotted adjacent to one another and one above another. An image effect can be created by additive color mixing and/or intensity variation. Halftone printed images can represent single-color or multicolor images.
In general, it is furthermore to be noted that for example, for this imprint which luminesces under UV radiation, a printing ink can be used which contains luminescent colorants or pigments. Such a luminescent colorant and/or luminescent pigment can be brought into an energetically excited state, for example, under the effect of radiation, and can then pass spontaneously into a state of lower energy, wherein photons of a specific wavelength are emitted, which is perceivable by the human eye in the case of a corresponding wavelength.
In general, it is furthermore to be noted that the luminescent imprint and/or the halftone printed image can be applied using any common printing method, for example, a contact or contact-free printing method, for example, gravure printing, screen printing, pad printing, offset printing, lithographic printing, flexographic printing, relief printing, or inkjet printing methods, etc.
In general, it is moreover noted that the opacity of the polymer layers is understood as being opaque to light in the wavelength range of visible light.
If the opacity values of the halftone printed image and at least one of the polymer layers are essentially equal, a stable and particularly simple and cost-effective visual concealment of the boundary contour of the luminescent imprint can be achieved. If the opacity values of the halftone printed image and the second polymer layers are essentially equal, and/or are adapted to one another in particular, it can be ensured in a simple manner that the advantages according to the invention are also achieved in the regions in which no halftone printed image is arranged above the second layer.
The visual recognizability of the boundary contour of the imprint area of the luminescent halftone printed image on the security element can be diminished particularly reliably if a diffusely scattering lacquer layer forms the first layer. A matte lacquer layer can be distinguished in this regard in particular. This is because such a diffusely scattering lacquer layer can stably compensate for different opacities on the security element, and therefore ensure a desired—above all homogeneous—appearance of the safety element. A particularly forgery-proof security element is to be provided in this manner.
In general, it is additionally to be noted that the security element can particularly advantageously be embedded in a value document if the first layer is printable. Alternatively, it is also possible to adapt the first layer and the value document optically and/or haptically to one another. The forgery protection of the security element can be improved by a full-area printability.
If the second layer is formed as an adhesive layer, the security element can thus be protected from external influences and at the same time it can be provided in a handling-friendly manner on a value document or on any arbitrary carrier. In particular, oxidation of the fluorescent colorant of the luminescent imprint can thus be avoided. According to the invention, a particularly robust and stable security element can be provided in this manner.
The adhesive layer can have in particular a hot-seal adhesive or a cold-seal adhesive. The second layer can alternatively also have a self-adhesive coating, a radiation-curing coating, or other comparable coatings, however.
In general, it is to be noted that the second layer can additionally be translucent. In this case, a particularly handling-friendly and also stable security element can be provided, since the second layer does not impair the visual appearance of the security element and therefore the security features thereof.
If the halftone printed image has grid points which luminesce in different colors, a multicolor luminescent imprint can be provided in a structurally simple manner. This multicolored luminescent imprint can even be designed as true color, if red and/or green and/or blue luminescent grid points are used.
A particularly forgery-proof security feature on the luminescent imprint can be provided if the halftone printed image has a honeycomb grid.
If the honeycomb grid has hexagonal grid cells, which consist of triangular grid points arranged adjacent to one another, the forgery protection of the security feature can be further improved—in particular if the grid points adjoin one another.
If each grid cell has two luminescent grid points of the same color in each case, the luminescent intensity and the color reproduction of the luminescent imprint can be made particularly homogeneous.
If the color impression of the grid cell is formed as a function of absent grid points, the variation of the color reproduction and the luminescent intensity within the halftone printed image can be achieved in a structurally simple manner.
In addition, the security element can be distinguished if the color impression of the grid cell is formed as a function of the size of the grid points. A particularly homogeneous halftone printed image can thus be provided, inter alia, which in turn can contribute to the forgery protection of the security element.
The grid points of the halftone printed image preferably have a size of 10 to 500 μm, in particular of 50 to 200 μm.
In general, it is to be noted that the forgery protection of the security element is further improvable if an embossed diffraction structure and a metallization adjoining this diffraction structure are provided between first and second layers. The embossed diffraction structure can interact in particular with the adjoining metallization in this case, to form a reflection hologram.
In general, it is to be noted that such a reflection hologram can optionally be attached in the observation direction above or below the luminescent imprint. If the reflection hologram is provided above the imprint, the visual recognizability of the imprint thus has to be ensured by corresponding openings in the reflection hologram.
In general, it is furthermore to be noted that the forgery protection of the security element can be further increased if it has machine-readable security features, in particular having magnetic properties, for example, in the form of a magnetic strip. It is also conceivable that such magnetic properties are provided in combination with a hologram.
In general, it is additionally to be noted that a particularly high level of stability and forgery protection of the security element can be achieved if the security element has a thickness of less than or equal to 30 μm, in particular less than or equal to 25 μm. Nearly protrusion-free embedding of the security element in a substrate or value document is thus possible.
The security element according to the invention can provide its advantages in particular if it is provided on a substrate of a value document—i.e., is connected thereto. For example, a banknote, a tax stamp, a passport, driver license, or personal identification, etc., are conceivable as a value document.
Above all, value documents can be distinguished in this regard which have a security element according to the invention, which extends continuously from one edge of the substrate to the opposite edge of the substrate. In this case, these can be security elements in the form of a strip, thread, or tape.
The forgery protection of the value document can be further improved if the surfaces of the first layer of the security element and the value document are essentially identical in the haptic properties and/or individual appearance thereof. Therefore, for example, as a further consequence, a visually recognizable opacity difference between substrate and luminescent imprint can be avoided—which it can conceal in a stable manner in the value document upon observation under white light. With regard to such an opacity difference, a printable matte lacquer layer on the security element can be distinguished in particular.
The subject matter of the invention is illustrated in greater detail in the figures as an example on the basis of an embodiment variant. In the figures:
According to
According to the invention, the first polymer layer 1 and/or the second polymer layer 2 is/are preferably adapted in the opacity thereof to the opacity of the imprint area 5 in this case in regions of the boundary contour 4 of the imprint area 5, but particularly over the entire area, to thus diminish the visual recognizability of the boundary contour 4 of the imprint area 5. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the luminescent halftone printed image 3 is therefore concealed in the security element 100 upon observation under white light. The conditions under which the halftone printed image 3 are concealed or visible can be varied as needed, of course. Thus, in addition to increasing the design expenditure—and therefore more difficult simulation—forgery protection etc. are also increased by the security element 100 according to the invention.
It can be distinguished in particular if the first polymer layer 1 is formed by a diffusely scattering matte lacquer layer 6. This stably ensures the advantages according to the invention with regard to the boundary contour 4—but can also be distinguished in that it adapts the overall appearance of the security element 100 to that of the value document 200. Furthermore, the first layer 1, in particular in the form of the matte lacquer layer 6, is easily printable and can therefore be embedded in a particularly forgery-proof manner in a value document. The first layer 1 of the security element 100 is visually adapted in this case to the surface condition of the value document 200 or to the substrate 21 of the value document 200—which can also be planned with regard to the haptic properties.
In the example shown in
The halftone printed image 3 of the security element 100 has, as can be seen in the top view in
To vary the color impression of a grid cell 15 and/or to create a true-color image, individual grid points 16 are omitted in the grid cell 15—as is shown in the detail portion in
The security elements 100, 101 have a thickness of less than or equal to 30 μm, in particular less than or equal to 25 μm.
The security elements 100, 101 can extend in this case continuously from one edge of the substrate to the opposite edge of the substrate 21, in particular in the form of a tape or a strip, which was not shown in greater detail in the figures, however.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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16192287 | Oct 2016 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2017/075264 | 10/4/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2018/065496 | 4/12/2018 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
20020018430 | Heckenkamp | Feb 2002 | A1 |
20120031978 | Hansen | Feb 2012 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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1241022 | Sep 2002 | EP |
2015095976 | Jul 2015 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200047538 A1 | Feb 2020 | US |