Security Fibres With UV Fluorescent Margins For Counterfeit Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing security fibers used in security papers for counterfeit protection, such as those with mono-color fluorescent stripes, are easily replicable using highlighter pens and are difficult to produce with precise color registration, leading to reduced effectiveness and production challenges, especially when incorporating small fibers into paper products like banknotes.
Innovation Solution
The development of security fibers with colored regions visible only under UV light, featuring a margin area that enhances adhesion and allows for tolerance in cutting accuracy, and a method of manufacturing that includes printing on both sides of the substrate and using a crenellated knife for precise cutting, ensuring accurate registration and increased security against counterfeiting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If security fibres with multiple coloured regions are produced by printing on large surfaces and cutting small fibres, then colour registration precision deteriorates, but producing multi-colour fibres becomes possible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-printing the coloured regions on both sides of the substrate with margins extending beyond the coloured regions. This preliminary positioning of print elements allows subsequent cutting to occur within the margins without affecting colour registration, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving precise colour alignment and managing production complexity.
2Reliability
If smaller security fibres are used to improve incorporation into paper, then ease of removal by counterfeiters increases, but if larger fibres are used, then incorporation difficulty and removal ease worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating fibres with non-uniform structure: the coloured regions provide visual security features while the margins (unprinted areas) provide enhanced adhesion to the paper substrate. This local differentiation allows the fibre to simultaneously achieve secure incorporation into paper and maintain effectiveness against counterfeiting, resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of removal.
3Ease of manufacture
If mono-colour fluorescent fibres are used, then production cost and ease of manufacture improve, but security effectiveness deteriorates due to ease of replication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by using fluorescent materials that emit different colors under UV illumination. The fibres contain multiple coloured regions (first coloured region and second coloured region) that are not visible in daylight but fluoresce under UV light, creating complex multi-color patterns that are difficult to replicate with simple highlighter pens while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes.
4Manufacturing precision
If cutting precision is increased to improve colour registration, then manufacturing complexity increases, but if cutting precision is reduced, then colour registration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the coloured regions with margins that extend beyond the coloured areas. This preliminary layout allows the cutting process to operate with reduced precision requirements, as the cut will always fall within the margin area and not affect the coloured regions. This resolves the contradiction by allowing simpler cutting control systems while maintaining colour registration accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides enhanced security against counterfeiting by making it difficult to replicate the fibers and ensures precise registration of colors, maintaining the appearance of the fibers even with minor cutting inaccuracies, thereby increasing the security and reliability of paper products.
Implementation Method 1
The coloured regions become visible only when illuminated by ultra-violet light
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
A security fibre (1; 51; 52), for use in counterfeit protection, is suitable for incorporation into a paper product. The security fibre (1; 51; 52) comprises (i) a coloured region (2), wherein the coloured region (2) is made up of a plurality of different colours (21; 22; 23; 24), and (ii) a margin (3; 31; 32; 33; 34) adjacent to the coloured region (2).