The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 07, 2005
Filed:
Sep. 13, 2002
Alberto Argoitia, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Vladimir P. Raksha, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Dishuan Chu, Rohnert Park, CA (US);
Alberto Argoitia, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Vladimir P. Raksha, Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Dishuan Chu, Rohnert Park, CA (US);
Flex Products, Inc., Santa Rosa, CA (US);
Abstract
Diffractive pigment flakes are selectively aligned to form an image. In one embodiment, flakes having a magnetic layer are shaped to facilitate alignment in a magnetic field. In another embodiment, the flakes include a magnetically discontinuous layer. In a particular embodiment, deposition of nickel on a diffraction grating pattern produces magnetic needles along the grating pattern that allow magnetic alignment of the resulting diffractive pigment flakes. Color scans of test samples of magnetically aligned flakes show high differentiation between illumination parallel and perpendicular to the direction of alignment of the magnetic diffractive pigment flakes.