METHODS FOR MANUFACTURED SECURITY DOCUMENTS AND SECURITY DEVICES

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a safety device, comprising: (a) forming a network of primary focusing elements on a first region of a focusing element support layer, by: (a) applying at least one transparent curable material to the focusing element support layer or to a molding tool carrying a surface relief over an area that includes at least the first region, the surface relief including parts corresponding to the primary focusing elements; (a) (ii) forming the transparent curable material(s) with the molding tool; and (a) (iii) curing the transparent curable material(s) so as to retain the surface relief in the first region;in which the surface relief further comprises a plurality of structures of greater depth than the height of the primary focusing elements such that the hardened transparent material(s) comprise a plurality of features exceeding the height of the primary focusing elements between the primary focusing elements of the lattice, in which the surface relief is configured such that more than one of the primary focusing elements of the lattice spaces each of the plurality of features among the following.

Description

configured in such a way that more than one of the primary focusing elements of the network space each of the plurality of characteristics among the following.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. A method for manufacturing a safety device, consisting of: (a) form a network of focusing elements (20) on a first region of a support layer of the focusing element (201), by: (a)(i) applying at least one curable transparent material (205) either to the support layer of the focusing element (201) or to a molding tool (220) bearing a surface relief (225) corresponding to the focusing elements, on an area which includes at least the first region; (a)(ii) forming the curable transparent material(s) (205) using the molding tool; and in (a)(iii) hardening the hardenable transparent material(s) (205) so as to maintain the surface relief in the first region; the surface relief (225) defining structures (226) between sub-regions of focusing elements to space the sub-regions of focusing elements apart from each other, so that the hardened material(s) define subsets of focusing elements spaced by intervals (28), each subset comprising a plurality of focusing elements, characterized in that the intervals (28) between the sub-regions of the focusing elements have a width (w) less than the pitch (p) of the network of focusing elements, and in that the transparent hardenable material (205) is continuous over the entire extent of the intervals (28) and in the intervals, these having a height less than the height of the focusing elements.

2. A method for manufacturing a safety device, consisting of: (a) form a network of focusing elements (20) on a first region of a support layer of a focusing element (201), by: (a)(i) applying at least one curable transparent material (205) either to the support layer of the focusing element (201) or to a molding tool (220) bearing a surface relief (225) corresponding to the focusing elements, on an area which includes at least the first region; (a)(ii) forming the curable transparent material(s) (205) using the molding tool; and in (a)(iii) hardening the hardenable transparent material(s) (205) so as to maintain the surface relief in the first region; in which the first region comprises a plurality of sub-regions spaced on in which at least one transparent hardenable material (205) is applied, no hardenable material being applied in the intervals between them and / or in which the surface relief (225) defines structures (226) between subregions of focusing elements to space the subregions of focusing elements from one another, so that the hardened material(s) define subsets of focusing elements spaced by the intervals (28), each subset comprising a plurality of focusing elements, characterized in that the intervals (28) between the subregions of focusing elements have a width (w) less than the pitch (p) of the focusing element array, and in that, before step (a)(i): (a)(؛ ('؛'application of a base layer (249) consists of applying at least one transparent material (207) on said at least the first region of the first surface of the support layer of the focusing element, the base layer extending over the entire extent of the intervals (28) in the network of focusing elements formed on it.

3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the height of the base layer (249) is at least 1 pm (micron), preferably at least 2 pm (microns), more preferably at least 5 microns at least in the subregions of the focusing element array.

4. Method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said at least one transparent material (207) forming the base layer (249) is more flexible than said at least one curable transparent material (205) forming the focusing element array, said at least one transparent material (207) forming the base layer preferably being elastomer when fully cured.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the focusing element array (20) and the gaps (28) are designed so that the presence of the gaps is practically indistinguishable to the naked eye from the safety device.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the intervals (28) between the sub-regions of the focusing elements have a width between 3 and 20 ⅓ / 10 of the pitch of the focusing element array, more preferably between 5 and 10 ⅓ / 10 of the pitch of the focusing element array.

7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pitch and / or orientation of the focusing elements (20) is practically uniform within each sub-region and is practically identical in all sub-regions.

8. Safety device comprising a focusing element array (20) formed of at least one transparent curable material (205) disposed over the entire extent of a first region of a support layer of the focusing element (201), the focusing element array (20) comprising one or more intervals (28) between sub-regions of focusing elements, characterized in that the intervals (28) between the sub-regions of focusing elements have a width (w) less than the pitch (p) of the focusing element array (20), and in that the transparent curable material (205) is continuous over the entire extent of the intervals (28) and in the intervals, the latter having a height less than the height of the focusing elements. 9.A safety device comprising a focusing element array (20) formed of at least one transparent curable material (205) arranged over the entire extent of a first region of a support layer of the focusing element (201), the focusing element array comprising one or more intervals (28) between sub-regions of the focusing elements, characterized in that the intervals (28) between the sub-regions of focusing elements have a width (w) less than the pitch (p) of the focusing element array (20), and in that the safety device further comprises a base layer (249) comprising at least one transparent material (207) between said at least one transparent curable material (205) forming the focusing element array and the support layer of the focusing element (201), the base layer (249) extending over the entire extent of the intervals (28) in the array of elements focusing on it.

10. Safety device according to claim 9, wherein the height of the base layer (249) is at least 1 pm (micron), preferably at least 2 pm (microns), more preferably at least 5 pm (microns) at least in the subregions of the focusing element array.

11. Safety device according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein said at least one transparent material (207) forming the base layer (249) is more flexible than the material (205) forming the focusing element array, said at least one transparent material (207) forming the base layer preferably being an elastomer.

12. A security device according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the network focusing elements (20) and intervals (28) are designed so that the presence of the intervals is practically indistinguishable to the naked eye from the safety device.

13. Safety device according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the intervals (28) between the focusing element sub-regions have a width between 3 and 20% of the focusing element array pitch, more preferably between 5 and 10% of the focusing element array pitch.

14. Safety device according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the pitch and / or orientation of the focusing elements (20) is practically uniform within each sub-region and is practically identical in all sub-regions.

15. Security document including a polymer substrate (2) having first and second surfaces: a focusing element network (20) formed of at least one curable transparent material (205) has over the entire extent of a first region a support layer for the focusing element (201), the focusing element network (20) comprising one or more intervals (28) between sub-regions of focusing elements, each sub-set comprising a plurality of focusing elements, the support layer for the focusing element (201) being either the polymer substrate (2) or another layer applied thereto; and at least one opacifying layer (3) applied to the first and / or second surface of the polymer substrate (2), the opacifying layer or layers comprising a non-transparent material, in which at least the opacifying layer or layers on the first surface of the substrate define an interval forming a window region in which is disposed at least a part of each of a plurality of sub-regions and intervals situated between them, characterized in that the intervals (28) between the sub-regions of focusing elements (20) have a width less than the pitch of the focusing element array, and in that the hardenable transparent material (205) is continuous over the entire extent of the intervals (28) and in the intervals, the latter having a height less than that of the focusing elements.

16. Security document including a polymer substrate (2) having first and second surfaces; a focusing element network (20) formed of at least one hardenable transparent material (205) disposed over the entire extent of a first region of a support layer of the focusing element (201), the focusing element network (20) comprising one or more intervals (28) between sub-regions of focusing elements, each sub-group comprising a plurality of focusing elements, the support layer of the focusing element (201) being either the polymer substrate (2) or another layer applied thereto; and at least one opacifying layer (3) applied to the first and / or second surface of the polymer substrate (2), the opacifying layer or each opacifying layer (3) comprising a non-transparent material, in which at least the opacifying layer or layers on the first surface of the substrate define an interval forming a window region in which is disposed at least a part of each of a plurality of sub-regions and intervals situated between them; characterized in that the intervals (28) between the sub-regions of the focusing elements have a width less than the pitch of the focusing element array (20), and in that the safety document further comprises a base layer (249) comprising at least one transparent material (207) between said at least one hardenable transparent material (205) forming the focusing element array and the support layer of the focusing element (201), the base layer (249) extending over the entire extent of the intervals in the focusing element array on it.

17. Safety document according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the focusing element array (20) and the gaps (28) are designed so that the presence of the gaps is practically indistinguishable to the naked eye from the safety document.