Security Paper Weakness Lines Destroy Features on Splitting

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current security papers and documents of value can be split and reused for counterfeiting purposes, as existing methods do not effectively prevent damage to security features during splitting, allowing counterfeiters to combine genuine and counterfeit halves.

Innovation Solution

The security paper features lines of weakness that extend perpendicularly into the paper substrate, ensuring that security features are destroyed during splitting, making the resulting sub-layers unusable for counterfeiting, with these lines produced through methods like laser cutting and designed to be either visible or invisible depending on the application.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If security paper is made thin to reduce cost and improve ease of manufacture, then manufacturing cost decreases and ease of manufacture improves, but the paper becomes susceptible to splitting and counterfeiting

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidsusceptibility to splitting
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by embedding security features (watermarks, security threads, holographic elements) into the paper substrate during the papermaking process itself, before the paper is cut or processed further. This ensures that anti-counterfeiting properties are inherently built into the paper structure, making it resistant to splitting and counterfeiting even when made thin for cost efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If security features are made visible to ensure authenticity detection, then reliability of authentication improves, but the document becomes more complex and harder to produce

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication reliabilityVSAvoiddocument complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making security features visible only under specific conditions or from specific angles. For example, watermarks are visible only when held up to light, security threads become visible when the document is tilted, and holographic elements display different images at different angles. This allows authentication reliability to be maintained while keeping the overall document design relatively simple and straightforward to produce

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Strength

If paper substrate is strengthened to prevent splitting, then resistance to splitting improves, but the paper becomes more difficult to process and manufacture

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresistance to splittingVSAvoidease of processing
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining the paper substrate with other materials that provide strength and anti-counterfeiting properties. Security threads made of metal or plastic are embedded within the paper, and watermark areas use different paper densities or compositions. These composite structures increase resistance to splitting and counterfeiting while maintaining ease of processing during manufacture, as the additional materials are integrated into the papermaking process itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

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 effectively prevents the reuse of split security papers by ensuring that security features are destroyed during attempted splitting, rendering the sub-layers unusable for counterfeiting purposes, while also allowing for design flexibility in visibility and recognition.

Implementation Method 1

lines of weakness in the first main surface which extend into the carrier substrate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser ablation: Laser Ablation

Data Source

PatentEP3789207B1Security paper and document of value protected against splitting
Publication Date: 2022.08.10 GIESECKE & DEVRIENT CURRENCY TECHNOLOGY GMBH
  • EP3789207B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3789207B1 patent drawingFigure 5~8
  • EP3789207B1 patent drawingFigure 9~12

AI summary

The invention relates to a security paper for producing a security document, comprising a carrier substrate with a first main surface and an opposing second main surface and at least one weakening line in the first main surface extending into the carrier substrate without reaching the second main surface, and at least one security feature on the first main surface or in the volume of the carrier substrate, wherein the weakening line extends into the carrier substrate at least so far that, when the carrier substrate is split between the first main surface and the second main surface into a first substrate sublayer and a second substrate sublayer, the carrier substrate tears at the weakening line, and wherein the weakening line and the security feature are arranged relative to each other such that, when the carrier substrate tears at the weakening line, the security feature is separated into at least two feature parts.which are located on different substrate sublayers. The invention further relates to a security document based on the security paper and to methods for producing the security paper and the security document.