Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Dean J Randazzo

Louis M Spoto

William A Herring

Alan J Varacins

Suwit John Sangkaratana

Paul Richard Jelonek

Shannon K Crawford-Taylor

Matthew J Deschner

Matt Deschner

An apparatus for producing an optically variable film includes a laser configured to emit a beam, a telescoping lens section having a first lens and a second lens spaced apart by a first distance and an interferometer configured to direct the beam toward a workpiece. The laser may be operated at a predetermined power level and the first and second lenses are sized and spaced relative to one another to direct the beam onto the workpiece at about 200-230 dots per inch. The workpiece may include a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer configured to be ablated by the beam, forming a microstructure in the surface of the layer. The microstructure may be randomized and used to present non-chroma visual effects.

Optically variable film, apparatus and method for making the same

A seamless, embossed or cast substrate is formed using a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon and configured to slide over an cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly. The substrate is a flat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated flat material. The surface relief can be applied through interfering ablation, non-interfering ablation, ink jet printing, or other techniques wherein a seamless surface relief is formed onto the seamless sleeve. A method of making a seamless, embossed or cast substrate includes expanding a diameter of a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon, sliding the expanded seamless sleeve onto a cylindrical base, allowing the diameter of the seamless sleeve to contract around the cylindrical base, and conveying a substrate through the embossing or casting assembly and embossing or casting the seamless surface relief into the substrate.

Seamless sleeve and seamless substrate

A variety of deep structured decorative patterns originate with mechanical relief or etching. The present method incorporates a deeply patterned or textured etching or relief into a thin film embossing shim to simulate the look of the deep pattern or texture when used to emboss thin film or material. A transparent mold of the relief surface (such as brushed metal, engine-turned patterns, and textured glass) is formed using UV curable liquid and a transparent substrate. The relief copy in the transparent mold or overlay is mapped onto a photoresist surface or plate by shining or expanding one or more laser lights or laser beams through the transparent mold. The different heights of the relief copy of the transparent mold will cause the light to diffract/refract to form a corresponding patterned etching in the photoresist plate. The resulting photoresist plate is then metalized and electroplated to form a thin film embossing shim. The thin film embossing shim is then used with conventional embossing equipment to form thin film embossings. The embossed thin films can then be metalized and laminated onto substrate to create a product that has shifting patterns that reflect at a variety of viewing angles when (observed under normal lighting conditions) exposed to white light.

Imaging of deep structures of reliefs for shallow relief embossing

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Dean J Randazzo