Flex Products, Inc.

Gary S Ash

Thomas A Mayer

Roger Winston Phillips

Roger W Philips

An article with a surface with a paint film adherent thereto having a liquid medium hardened into a solid to form said paint film and having first and second parallel surfaces with the first parallel surface being adhered to the surface of the article and the second surface exposed to be viewed by the human eye. A plurality of flakes are provided having first and second planar parallel surfaces lying in said paint film with the first and second planar parallel surfaces being parallel to the first and second parallel surfaces of the paint film. The flakes are characterized in that they have physical dimensions such that when the dimensions of the flakes are measured parallel to and perpendicular to the respective first and second planar parallel surfaces, an aspect ratio of at least two-to-one is provided. Each of the flakes has a symmetrical optically variable multilayer thin film interference structure including at least one thick substantially opaque metal reflecting layer having first and second surfaces and a multilayer thin film including at least one thin semi-transparent metal layer and at least one dielectric layer formed of an inorganic material with an index of refraction of 1.65 or less and disposed on each side of the substantially opaque metal reflecting layer. The multilayer thin film structure produces a shift in color between two distinct colors when the angle of incident light on the paint film is shifted between two different angles.

Optically variable flakes paint and article

An article for applying a color shifting optically variable coating on a substrate formed from a polymeric web, a release coating on the web and an optically variable coating wherein the optically variable coating consists of a semi-opaque metal layer adjacent to the release layer, a transparent dielectric layer on the semi-opaque metal layer and a reflective metal layer on the dielectric layer. The article can be bonded to a substrate by means of hot stamping with the hot stamp adhesive layer being applied to the article or applied to the substrate.

Hot stamp article for applying optically variable coating to substrates

Articles and methods for forming optically variable thin film flakes and replicated coatings having preselected optical properties. The articles generally comprise a flexible web of material and an optically variable thin film coating formed on one surface of the web. The optically variable coating is separated from the web to form optically variable thin film flakes. The flakes are disposed in ink and paint vehicles to provide optically variable inks, paints and the like.

Method of making optical thin flakes and inks incorporating the same

Optically variable multilayer structure on flexible web

Optically variable printing ink

Optically variable thin film flake and collection of the same

An article adapted to be utilized in the production of optically variable ink comprised of a flexible insoluble web, a release lever formed on the web and an optically variable multilayer thin film interference stack disposed on the release layer and which provides a color shift between two predetermined uniform colors. The interference stack includes an opaque reflective layer which has first and second surfaces and at least one period on each said first and second surfaces to provide the same color shift from each of said first and second surfaces between said two predetermined uniform colors at two different angles of incident light. Each period is comprised of a dielectric layer and a semi-opaque layer.

Optically variable multilayer thin film interference stack on flexible

Optically variable ink for obtaining a color shaft between two distinct two colors at first and second angles of incident light comprised of an ink vehicle and optically variable flakes disposed in the ink vehicle. The optically variable flakes are comprised of a multilayer thin film interference structure having first and second parallel planar surfaces. The optically variable flakes have physical dimensions such that when the flakes are measured in directions parallel and perpendicular respectively to the planar surfaces an aspect ratio of at least 2 to 1 is provided. The multilayer thin film structure is of symmetrical design and includes a metal reflector having first and second surfaces parallel to the first and second parallel planar surfaces and at least one period disposed on each of said first and second surfaces of the metal reflector. Each period is comprised of a dielectric layer with an index of refraction of 1.65 or less and a semi-opaque layer.

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Boston, MA, United States of America

Gary S Ash