Flex Products, Inc.

Jds Uniphase Corporation

Stacey A Yamanaka

Thomas A Mayer

Jaroslaw Zieba

Roger Winston Phillips

Paul G Coombs

Alberto Argoitia

Cornelis Jan Delst

Richard Alan Bradley, Jr

Wilfred C Kittler, Jr

Christopher W Lantman

Wilfred C Kittler Jr

Opaque flakes, such as pigment or bright flakes used in paints and inks, have a selected shape and/or other indicia to provide a covert security feature to an object. Shaped opaque covert flakes are not readily detectable by causal observation, but in some embodiments are easily seen at 50&#xd7; magnification. In manufacturing the flakes a sheet of embossed frames are provided having embossed symbols or indicia within. Upon removing a coating from the embossed sheet the coating material tends to break along frame lines or grooves and the resulting flakes are substantially uniform in size. In order to have the flakes break along frame lines or grooves more readily than along the embossing or grooves defining indicia within a frame, the frames are provided with a deeper groove than indicia grooves. As well a groove having a different shaped profile conducive to breakage can be used for the frame grooves whereas a groove having a profile less conducive to breakage can be used to form the indicia grooves. We have found that the flakes can be further protected from breakage by coating them in a protective coating. This coating may have other features which makes the logo more visible.

Provision of frames or borders around pigment flakes for covert security applications

Interference pigment flakes and foils are provided which have luminescent and color-shifting properties. The pigment flakes can have a symmetrical coating structure on opposing sides of a core layer, can have an asymmetrical coating structure with all of the layers on one side of the core layer, or can be formed with encapsulating coatings around the core layer. The coating structure of the flakes and foils includes a core layer, a dielectric layer overlying the core layer, and an absorber layer overlying the dielectric layer. A luminescent material is incorporated into the flakes or foils as a separate layer or as at least part of one or more of the other layers. The pigment flakes and foils exhibit a discrete color shift so as to have a first color at a first angle of incident light or viewing and a second color different from the first color at a second angle of incident light or viewing. The pigment flakes can be interspersed into liquid media such as paints or inks to produce colorant materials for subsequent application to objects or papers. The foils can be laminated to various objects or can be formed on a carrier substrate.

Luminescent pigments and foils with color-shifting properties

Interference pigment flakes and foils are provided which have luminescent and color-shifting properties. A luminescent material coating structure is provided which partially covers or encapsulates a color-shifting pigment flake, or covers the outer surface of a foil. The pigment flakes can have a symmetrical coating structure on opposing sides of a core layer, can have an asymmetrical coating structure with all of the layers on one side of the core layer, or can be formed with encapsulating coatings around the core layer. The coating structure of the flakes and foils includes a core layer, a dielectric layer overlying the core layer, and an absorber layer overlying the dielectric layer. The luminescent pigment flakes and foils exhibit a discrete color shift so as to have a first color at a first angle of incident light or viewing and a second color different from the first color at a second angle of incident light or viewing. The luminescent pigment flakes can be interspersed into liquid media such as paints or inks to produce colorant materials for subsequent application to objects or papers. The luminescent foils can be laminated to various objects or can be formed on a carrier substrate.

Color-shifting pigments and foils with luminescent coatings

Growing community of inventors

Windsor, CA, United States of America

Stacey A Yamanaka