EP3041687B1 - Tamper proof security document - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a compact transportable security document, which is particularly protected against unauthorized copying. In particular, the invention relates to individualized personal documents in the form of ID cards or data pages.

Card-shaped tamper-resistant security documents in the form of plastic identity cards are known in large numbers. In order to prevent such security documents being easily imitated and manipulated without permission, it is known to form the surfaces with three-dimensional line structures and to pattern them in such a way that viewing-angle-dependent effects occur. An example of this kind is in the US 4715623 B described. Then groove structures are impressed into the surface of a substrate, which allow the detection of certain patterns contained in the groove structures only at certain viewing angles.

Such three-dimensional line structures are difficult to produce and hard to copy. However, they affect the overall appearance of a security document, and sometimes compromise the visibility of payload or other security features.

From the DE 10 2008 046128 A1 For example, a security element is known which is based on the variation of the surface properties of a metallization. The support of the security element has microelements which create a matt area by reflection, absorption, scattering and / or refraction effects. The microelements are in relief form micromirrors or embossed structures, which are coated with a metal layer. The matting The effect is achieved by randomly varying a characterizing parameter of the microelements within the matte structure. By shaping the microelements, the overall brightness of the matte area can be adjusted. The microelements can be combined cumulatively with other security features, including so-called moth-eye structures. These are understood to be regular or stochastical structures of nubs in the order of magnitude of 50 to a few 100 nm. However, moth-eye structures are considered unfavorable because their manufacture is laborious and they always appear dark. The security element is applied as a finished, separate element on an object to be secured, for example on a banknote or on a passport. For a production directly on an object, for example on a pass, the known security element is due to the required special manufacturing steps usually out of the question.

From the DE 10 2010 024 790 A1 Further, a method for applying color images to identification cards, passports and the like by dyer sublimation is known. It is proposed to improve the image transfer process by roughening the surface of the security document in the area to be printed. The roughening should be done with laminating, which are roughened in the areas to be printed by sandblasting and have a negative of the rough surface to be produced. In addition to sandblasting brushes are suggested as an alternative to the preparation of the roughened negative surface structure.

It is an object of the invention to provide a security document with a security feature enhancing the security against manipulation, which does not affect the appearance of the security document.

This object is achieved by a security document having the features of the main claim. The object is likewise achieved by a method having the features of the independent method claim.

The security document according to the invention has the advantage that its overall visual impression is not impaired by the added security feature. It can also be produced directly on a security document according to the invention and the production can be easily inserted into an existing manufacturing process.

A security document according to the invention has a further security feature in that it has at least one matt area whose surface texture differs from an adjacent, typically shiny surface area. The difference is observable depending on the viewing angle and above all in the gloss angle of the adjacent surface area. The matte area is formed by a microscopic nub grating, i. by a nubbed grid, the pimples are visible only with the help of a magnifying glass or a microscope, however, are not visible to the naked eye. The interaction of one or more matt areas with adjacent glossy or unaltered surface areas of the security document creates a surface pattern.

The security document according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that the nature of the matt areas is readily discernible when viewed microscopically with conventional aids, but not when viewed macroscopically with the naked eye. A further advantage of the security document according to the invention is that the matt areas can be laser-engraved just as well as typical smooth surfaces. In particular, alphanumeric Generate characters with a high edge contour sharpness by laser, which in macroscopic view with the naked eye are virtually indistinguishable from laser markings in conventional smooth surfaces. The security document according to the invention can continue to be produced almost without additional effort. It is also very advantageous for the design of the surfaces of a security document that it is easy to produce matt areas with different gloss values. The possibilities of designing security documents are thereby further increased.

In an advantageous embodiment, the security document according to the invention has at least one individual pattern that superimposes a surface pattern generated using matt areas. Preferably, the individual pattern is a personalization. To further increase the security against counterfeiting, provision can be made for conventionally produced roughening areas to be provided in addition to the dull areas formed by nub grids. Attempts to mimic knob patterns by conventional matting techniques then become particularly apparent.

With reference to the drawing, an embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail below.

Fig. 1

ein Sicherheitsdokument in Form einer Ausweiskarte in Schrägaufsicht,

Fg. 2

einen Querschnitt durch ein Sicherheitsdokument,

Fig. 3

einen Ausschnitt eines mit einer Lasermarkierung versehenen Mattbereiches in perspektivischer Darstellung,

Fig. 4

ein Oberflächenmuster mit mattierten Bereichen und Glanzbereichen.

Show it:

Fig. 1

a security document in the form of an identity card in oblique supervision,

Fig. 2

a cross section through a security document,

Fig. 3

a detail of a provided with a laser marking Matt area in perspective view,

Fig. 4

a surface pattern with frosted areas and gloss areas.

Fig. 1 As an example of a tamper-proof security document, it shows a card-shaped identity card 1, which may be, for example, a driver's license, an identity card, a health insurance card, a bank card, a credit card or a membership card. The design options for the security document are not limited to independently manageable identity cards; A security document in the sense of the invention can also be, for example, a data page for a passport book, a book spine or a surface of a container, for instance for receiving valuables.

Typically, the security document is made of plastic and is composed of multiple layers that are laminated together. Other materials, e.g. Paper, but are completely or partially just as possible. In addition, all or part of the compounding of the individual layers may be by other techniques, e.g. by gluing; it may also be provided that the core or some layers are produced by injection molding.

In the Fig. 1 shown ID card 1, as shown Fig. 2 can be seen from a support 2 and at least one cover layer. 3

The carrier 2 in turn consists of a core 4 and a laser layer 5. However, the laser layer 5 can also be omitted; Similarly, the carrier 2 may consist of more than two layers.

The cover layer 3 is deformable at least on the outwardly facing upper side under the influence of pressure and heat. Suitably, the cover layer 3 is transparent and laser-permeable at least for certain lasers.

According to the underlying design as an identity card, the security document 1 carries typical individual patterns 10 for identifying a person or a thing, eg a photo of an owner - as in Fig. 1 indicated, alphanumeric information and / or biometric data or information. At least a part of the individual patterns 10 is generated by coloring the layers of the ID card 1. The individual pattern 10 may in particular be a personalization.

The outer surface 6 of the cover layer 3 is typically basically smooth and shiny. That the surface roughness is low and a large part of incident light is reflected; The outer surface 6 consequently has a high gloss value. The gloss value is e.g. determined by the surface to be measured illuminated at a defined angle and the reflected light is photoelectrically measured. A measurement can be made, for example, with a reflectometer at an angle of 60 ° according to DIN 67530 or ISO 2813, ASTM D 523 and BS 3900 Part D5. As a "matte" is then called a gloss value of less than 16%.

The outer surface 6 also forms a perceptible for a user viewing area 11 and carries information and features. Parts of the outer surface 6 can be formed - in the usual way - by technical devices such as contact fields, magnetic strips, displays or input means.

The viewing area 11 includes at least one viewing angle dependent surface pattern 12. The surface pattern 12 may cover the entire viewing area 11 or portions thereof.

The surface pattern 12 is produced by making parts of the outer surface 6 with a different gloss value than adjacent parts respectively. In basically glossy design of the outer surface 6, the surface pattern 12 is typically caused by frosted areas 14, 15.

In the frosted areas 14, 15, the surface roughness is greater than in the gloss areas. Incident light is scattered diffusely in the matt areas, the frosted areas have low gloss values. The interplay of frosted and glossy areas forms the surface pattern 12.

Since gloss is a viewing-angle-dependent effect, the visibility of the surface pattern 12 is dependent on the viewing angle: in the glancing angle, it is easily recognizable, but poorly in supervision. Matt and gloss areas can be provided in several different gloss value gradations. In a preferred embodiment, the surface pattern 12 is a halftone image, which is formed of gloss areas 13 and matted areas 14,15 in different gradations.

The matted areas 14, 15 may be formed in two embodiments, as matt areas 14 and as Rauhmattbereiche 15. Suitably both are designed so that they are indistinguishable to a viewer on macroscopic viewing without tools but appear as uniformly matted surface areas.

Matt areas 14 are formed by the cover layer 3 is deformed into a microscopic grid 17 of microneedles 16. The microneedles 16 have a height H of 3 to 60 microns, diameter D from 10 to 500 microns and are preferably arranged in a uniform grid spacing A from 3 to 500 microns; expediently the height H is between 10 and 30 μm, the diameter D between 60 and 200 μm and the grid spacing A between 10 and 200 μm; Preferably, the height H is between 12 and 18 microns, the diameter D between 90 and 150 microns and the pitch A between 30 and 80 microns. Suitably, the micro-tops of the dimpled grid 17 have floor plans in the form of basic geometric shapes, for example, the micro-tops 16 are cylindrical, hemispherical or pyramidal; other basic geometric shapes are also possible. By varying the parameters of a knob pattern 17 - height H, diameter D, pitch A - different gloss value gradations can be set. In variants, nub grids 17 with regularly or irregularly varying grid spacings A can also be provided.

The nub grids 17 forming the matt areas 14 are not perceptible to the naked eye as such. Only when using an aid, e.g. a magnifying glass, or under a microscope, the individual micro-tippers 16, the knob pattern 17 are visible.

Rough mats 15 are formed by deforming the outer surface 6 to a microscopically mountainous surface having random peaks and valleys. Deformations of this type are typically caused by sand blasting processes. However, it is also possible to use appropriately prepared laminating sheets or stamping dies.

Matt areas 14 and Rauhmattbereiche 15 can, as in Fig. 4 indicated, be designed as a separated surface areas, as adjoining surface areas or also into one another.

It is readily possible to carry out the matted areas exclusively in the form of matt areas 14, as in FIG Fig. 1 indicated. Furthermore, it is possible to design matt areas 14 and roughness areas 15 in a targeted manner such that they have different gloss values and can therefore be perceived directly by a viewer as different surface areas. It is also possible to form a plurality of matt areas 14 with different gloss values to form the surface pattern.

Preferably, at least one individual pattern 10 is designed as a superimposed individual pattern, in that it completely or partially overlays the surface pattern 12. In particular, the overlaying individual pattern 10 is designed such that it at least partially overlays a matt area 14.

The superimposed individual pattern 10 is expediently subsequently introduced by coloring over an already existing surface pattern 12. In a variant, the surface pattern 12 can also be created superimposed only after the individual pattern 10 has been generated. The coloring is preferably carried out by laser.

The introduction of the overlapping individual pattern 10 takes place in a visible from the outside layer of the ID card 1 by means of laser radiation. Preferably, the superimposed individual pattern 10 contains at least one alphanumeric information; this in turn suitably includes at least some characters that have small dimensions and finely designed are. The small dimensions are appropriately sized so that the characters for the unaided eye, although seem small, are still recognizable. Signs of this kind are, for example, letters with a height of 1 mm and line weights of at least 20 μm.

If the cover layer 3 is laser-permeable and transparent and a laser layer 5 is present, the introduction of the overlaying individual pattern 10 is expediently effected by the laser layer 5 underlying the cover layer 3 being discolored. If a laser layer is not present, the core 4 is expediently discolored. It is also conceivable that at the same time or in a separate step, the cover layer 3 itself is discolored.

The subsequent introduction of a superimposed individual pattern 10 by laser is fundamentally impaired in the matt areas 14 by the nub grids 17 formed there. Likewise, the viewing of such a lasered, overlapping individual pattern 10 is affected by a nubbed grid 17. However, it has been found that this impairment can be minimized to the extent that it is visible to the naked eye when viewed macroscopically, i. when viewed from a common reading distance, is not immediately noticeable. Thus, the impairment can be kept so small that, for example, alphanumeric characters with dimensions of <1 mm in macroscopic view even in a matte area 14 are substantially as sharp as in an adjacent gloss area 13 and an adjacent undeformed area of the outer surface. 6

When viewed with a tool, such as a magnifying glass or under a microscope, the knob pattern 17 is visible. At the same time, the recognizability of the alphanumeric characters remains safeguarded. The Noppenraster 17 forms in this way a - with an aid - well recognizable characteristic feature that verifies the authenticity of the ID card 1.

If a surface pattern 12 has rough areas 15 in addition to matt areas 14 and is overlaid by an individual pattern 10, a transition is usually also visible in a macroscopic view. This applies both to a transition from a matt area 14 into a roughened area 15 and to a transition from a gloss area 13 into a roughened area 15. The transition typically occurs in a color jump and / or in a sharp jump. Thus, for example, at a transition from a matt area 14 into a roughened area 15, the individual pattern 10 in the matt area 14 is regularly clearly and sharply recognizable, while in a roughening area 15 a color change and / or a worsening of the edge sharpness occurs. The transition can be deliberately brought about in order to realize a security feature.

Fig. 3 illustrated in not to scale strong magnification a section of a matte area 14 of a badge 1, in which an individual pattern 10 has been introduced in the form of a laser mark. The structure of the ID card 1 corresponds to the in Fig. 2 shown. In the area of laser marking, the laser layer 5 is partially discolored in accordance with the overlaying individual pattern 10. The edges of the discoloration, ie the individual pattern 10, can, as in Fig. 3 are indicated outside of the micro-tufts 16 or run through the micro-tufts 16, so that individual micro-tufts 16 appear partially discolored by the underlying laser marking.

The nub grid 17 is expediently produced during lamination of the identity card 1. Carrier 2 and cover layer 3 are between two laminating placed, of which the cover layer 3 facing a negative of the surface pattern 12 with the matte areas 14 provided therein carries.

In one variant, the generation of the dimpled grid 17 is carried out as a separate step on an already pre-laminated identification card 1 by embossing the dimpled grid 17 with an embossing stamp. Insofar as a surface pattern 12 also includes rough-gauge areas 15, these are expediently applied together with the negatives of the knob pattern 17 as corresponding negatives in the laminating sheets or stamping dies used.

The production of suitable lamination sheets or suitable dies for the production of knob patterns 17 is technically demanding. The copying of equipped with corresponding Noppenrastern 17 ID cards 1 or security documents is correspondingly difficult. Mimicking mock grid 17, e.g. through sandblasted surfaces, are easily recognizable with tools.

It is also conceivable initially to introduce the individual pattern 10 in an identification card 1 and only then to produce the surface pattern 12.

In the example of Fig. 1 the matt regions 14 are geometrically simple subregions of the outer surface 6 of the ID card 1. The interaction of matt regions 14 and gloss regions 13 correspondingly forms a very simple geometric structure.

Fig. 4 shows a contrast more complex surface pattern 12 with surfaces in two gloss values, which are delimited by contour lines in a third gloss value against each other, so that a halftone image is formed. The two gloss values are simply matted areas 14, 15 on the one hand and gloss areas 13 on the other hand. The contour lines can be formed, for example, by means of a line-shaped knob pattern 17, which can also have a different parameter-height H, diameter D, pitch A. Alternatively, contour lines simply result from the adjoining edges of the surfaces. The frosted areas 14, 15 may be designed so that they are perceptible to a viewer with the naked eye as a uniform, continuous frosted surface areas; In this case, the different design forms as a matt area 14 or as Rauhmattbereich 15 a security feature. Or they can be designed so that they differ recognizably and thus form optically recognizable structures of the surface pattern 12.

Without further ado, the different gloss values of the areas of the in Fig. 4 indicated surface pattern 12 can also be achieved by the surfaces are formed as different matte areas 14 with different gloss values, ie with different, in at least one parameter - height H, diameter D, grid spacing A - differing nub grids 17; the contour lines can then be glossy, formed as releases of the underlying outer surface 6. Or matt areas 14 and Rauhmattbereiche 15 may be provided, which differ in their gloss values. Furthermore, it is possible to provide more gloss values. Among other things, the number of possible gloss values depends on the granularity of the nub grids 17 with which the matt areas 14 are formed. The surface pattern 12 is preferably superimposed on an individual pattern 10, as explained above, for example, as in Fig. 4 indicated an alphanumeric information, or a passport photo.

While retaining the basic idea of superimposing an individual pattern 10 with a viewing angle-dependent surface pattern 12 formed by a microscopic nub grating 17 in order thus to provide a further authenticity feature for a security document 1, the invention permits a number of further embodiments that are suitable for a Professional readily available. Thus, the production of the individual pattern 10 and the knob pattern 17 can also be done by other techniques. For example, the individual pattern 10 can be produced by printing and the knob pattern 17 by a chemical process. Also, the sequence of operations can be varied. The microneedles 16 may be further configured to provide a viewing angle dependent effect from any viewing angle. This can be achieved in particular by designing the surface of the microneedles 16. It is also possible, by designing the surface of the microneedles 16, to superimpose an independent further optical viewing effect on the viewing angle-dependent effect brought about by the knop grid 17.

Claims (13)

1. A security document with a carrier (2) with a viewing region (11) in which a surface pattern (12) is prepared by at least a part of the outer surface (6) of the carrier (2) being executed as a matte region (14) and at least an adjacent different part (13) having surface properties which differ from those of the matte region (14) by a higher gloss value, characterized in that

   - at least one matte region (14) is formed by the outer surface (6) of the carrier (2) being deformed into a microscopic knob grid (17),

   - in the carrier (2) an individual pattern (10) is prepared by the carrier (2) being discolored in a manner corresponding to the individual pattern (10),

   - and the individual pattern (10) and the surface pattern (12) are mutually superposed at least partially.
2. The security document according to claim 1, characterized in that the knob grid (17) is formed of micro knobs (16) which are arranged at a uniform grid spacing (A).
3. The security document according to claim 2, characterized in that the micro knobs (16) of the knob grid (17) have a height (H) of 3 to 60 µm, preferably 10 to 30 µm, particularly preferably of 12 to 18 µm, and a diameter (D) of 10 to 500 µm, preferably of 60 to 200 µm, particularly preferably of 90 to 150 µm.
4. The security document according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a further part of the outer surface (6) of the carrier (2) is executed as a rough matte region (15).
5. The security document according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it consists of a carrier (2) and a cover layer (3) and the carrier (2) has a core (4).
6. The security document according to claim 5, characterized in that the carrier (2) has a laser layer (5) and the cover layer (3) is laser-transmissive.
7. The security document according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the knob grid (17) is configured in the cover layer (3).
8. The security document according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the discoloration for producing the individual pattern (10) is a laser marking.
9. The security document according to any of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the cover layer (3) is configured to be transparent.
10. The security document according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one part of the outer surface adjacent to the matte region (14) is executed as a glossy region (13).
11. The security document according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface pattern (12) has glossy regions (13) and matted regions (14, 15) in at least two different gradations, so that a halftone image is created.
12. The security document according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface pattern (12) has matted regions (14) in at least two different gradations, which are formed by knob grids (17) that differ from one another with regard to at least one parameter - height (H), diameter (D), grid spacing (A).
13. A method for manufacturing a tamper-resistant security document bearing on one surface a surface pattern (12) and an individual pattern (10), wherein the surface pattern (12) has at least one matte region (14) whose surface properties differs from an adjacent surface region (13) by a higher gloss value, with the following steps of:

    - making available a cover layer (3) and a carrier (2) having a core (4),

    - placing the carrier (2) between lamination plates, of which at least one bears a negative of a knob grid (17) of micro knobs (16), wherein the knob grid (17) forms a matte region (14) in the surface pattern (12),

    - applying pressure and heat to the carrier (2) for the deformation of the cover layer (3) in accordance with the surfaces of the lamination plates,

    - discoloring the carrier (2) in a manner corresponding to the individual pattern (10), at least partially in superposition with the surface pattern (12).

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