Data carrier with an optically variable element

Details Data carrier with an optically variable element Data carrier with an optically variable element

1998-03-03

2000-03-14

Fridie, Jr., Willmon

Printed matter

Having revealable concealed information, fraud preventer or...

Utilizing electromagnetic radiation

B42D 1502

Patent

active

060362324

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a data carrier, in particular a bank note, paper of value, identity card or the like, having a security element disposed on the surface thereof.
2. Background of the Invention
For protecting data carriers, in particular security documents, manufacturers provide these documents with additional security elements intended to authenticate them, on one hand, and to serve as protection from unauthorized reproduction of the data carrier, on the other hand. Along with a number of elements which have been produced by separate printing or other production processes, the use of optically variable elements which are applied to such data carriers have become widespread.
For detecting the authenticity of a document having a security element in the form of a reflection hologram consisting of an embossed layer of lacquer and a reflecting metal layer, it has been proposed for example in WO 94/11203 to use an adhesive layer with a fluorescent substance for applying the optical security element to the document. For detecting the authenticity of the document this fluorescent substance can be transferred to the document together with the optical security feature. However the fluorescent substance is only visible if openings are provided in the metal layer of the element so that the fluorescent substance is visible through the openings. Alternatively it has been proposed in WO 94/11203 that the document material be transparent so that the adhesive layer bearing the fluorescent substance is visible from the side facing away from the optical security element.
A disadvantage of the fluorescent adhesive known from WO 94/11203 is that it can only be applied in documents or optical security elements which fulfill special boundary conditions suitable for the adhesive. Specifically, the document material must either be transparent or the optical security element to be used must provide a view of the subjacent, fluorescent adhesive layer at least in partial areas. Another disadvantage is that the element could be detached and glued to a falsified document without this abuse being recognizable, since part of the fluorescent adhesive layer would still adhere to the element after its detachment and thus still provide a qualitatively correct authenticity signal, although it is quantitatively too small due to a lower fluorescence intensity. When authenticity elements are quickly tested, only the qualitative properties are usually evaluated, such as the presence of fluorescence or its wavelength, so that insufficient intensity of the signal does not enter into the detection of whether or not a document is authentic.
The problem to be solved is to provide a document with a security element wherein the security element on the document can be protected effectively without the document or security element having to meet special requirements of the type described.


BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention a security element is protected by special pretreatment of the document material in the area of the element to be applied. This establishes a relation between document and element which permits attempted forgery to be prevented or at least easily discovered. In the simplest embodiment the pretreatment consists in applying a background layer provided with visually and/or machine detectable feature substances, the element being applied to the background layer such that the background layer is not covered by the element at least in a partial area and is thus freely accessible from outside. The feature substances can thus be detected unhindered in the uncovered area of the background layer with no need for special measures in the element layer structure or special document materials.
Furthermore the feature substances can provide information about the authenticity of the document material since they are not bound to the element and the layer structure thereof. If a luminescent substance is admixed to the background layer for example, a forgery consisti

REFERENCES:
patent: 5265916 (1993-11-01), Coe
patent: 5354099 (1994-10-01), Kaule et al.
patent: 5388862 (1995-02-01), Edwards
patent: 5599047 (1997-02-01), Kaule et al.

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