JP7530684B1 - Anti-counterfeit seal - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a secure anti-counterfeiting seal with an inexpensive and low-cost configuration.
[Solution] The counterfeit prevention seal 1 of the present disclosure includes a seal layer 10, a base layer 20, and a gloss layer 30. The seal layer 10 is a transparent layer with an adhesive applied to the back surface. The base layer 20 is a transparent layer laminated on the surface of the seal layer 10. The gloss layer 30 is laminated on the surface of the base layer 20 and is a layer on which a fine uneven pattern is formed by transparent ink. The uneven pattern 31 includes a design area 33 and a character area 34. The design area 33 is formed of parallel lines formed by fine unevenness, forming a predetermined regular pattern. The character area 34 is formed of parallel lines formed by fine unevenness, forming a predetermined character string. The design area 33 and the character area 34 at least partially overlap.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to anti-counterfeiting seals.

Conventionally, there are known counterfeit prevention media that are affixed to various certificates and the like. Patent Document 1 discloses a counterfeit prevention medium that uses a hologram structure in which a three-dimensional image is recorded by laser processing.

JP 2021-014053 A

However, the laser processing used to create hologram structures is costly, making it less versatile.

This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a secure anti-counterfeiting seal with a low-cost configuration.

The counterfeit prevention seal of the present disclosure comprises a seal layer, a base layer, and a gloss layer. The seal layer is a transparent layer with an adhesive applied to the back surface. The base layer is a transparent layer laminated on the surface of the seal layer. The gloss layer is laminated on the surface of the base layer and is a layer on which a fine uneven pattern is formed with transparent ink. The uneven pattern includes a design area and a character area. The design area is formed of parallel lines formed by fine unevenness, forming a predetermined regular pattern. The character area is formed of parallel lines formed by fine unevenness, forming a predetermined character string. The design area and the character area at least partially overlap.

This disclosure makes it possible to provide an anti-counterfeiting seal that can be realized with a low-cost configuration.

2 is a diagram showing a state in which the counterfeit prevention sticker shown in FIG. 1 is used. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a certificate on which the counterfeit prevention seal shown in FIG. 1 is used. FIG. 2 is a plan view of an anti-counterfeiting seal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the forgery prevention seal shown in FIG. 3 taken along line IV-IV. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the symbol V in the counterfeit prevention seal shown in FIG. 3 . FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing line for the anti-counterfeiting seal shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view of a plate used for printing the anti-counterfeiting seal shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a base material input into the production line shown in FIG. 7 . FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a method for producing the counterfeit prevention seal shown in FIG. 1 .

One embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in the drawings, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference symbols.

(1) Overview of Anti-counterfeit Seal 1 An overview of an anti-counterfeit seal 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a certificate in which the anti-counterfeit seal 1 is used. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the certificate shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 according to this embodiment is a seal member that is affixed to various certificates and the like. The anti-counterfeiting seal 1 has the function of certifying that the certificate to which it is affixed is genuine. In other words, the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 is affixed to a certificate for the purpose of preventing the certificate from being counterfeited. In this way, by simply affixing the anti-counterfeiting seal 1, it is possible to prevent the counterfeiting of official certificates.

Therefore, the affixation of the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 confirms that the certificate is genuine. The anti-counterfeiting seal 1 is made up of multiple transparent layers and is optically transparent, so that the contents of the certificate can be confirmed through the anti-counterfeiting seal 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the certificate includes, for example, the following information:
・Certificate name ・Identification information of the person to be certified (name, address, personal number, etc.)
・Proof attributes of the person certified by a public institution (qualifications, disability level, affiliated institution, etc.)
- Certificate issuance details (issuer, issue date, etc.)
The information to be entered on the certificate may be changed arbitrarily depending on the type of certificate.

By presenting the certificate to a government office, the certified person has the following items recognized by the government agency:
- The certified person performs or does not perform a specified action - The certified person receives specified goods or services The matters that are recognized by holding a certificate are set arbitrarily depending on the type of certificate.

As shown in FIG. 1, a certificate is issued by its issuer to a person to be certified with an anti-counterfeit seal 1 affixed. Distribution of the anti-counterfeit seal 1 is restricted, making it difficult for anyone other than the certificate issuer to obtain it. This prevents unauthorized use of the anti-counterfeit seal 1.

(2) Configuration of the anti-counterfeit seal 1 Next, the configuration of the anti-counterfeit seal 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 5. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the anti-counterfeit seal 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an exploded cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the anti-counterfeit seal 1 shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the symbol V shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 has a specific character string and a specific design formed thereon. As shown in FIG. 4, the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 comprises a seal layer 10, a base layer 20, and a gloss layer 30. The anti-counterfeiting seal 1 is formed by printing the base layer 20 on the surface of an adhesive seal constituting the seal layer 10, and then printing the gloss layer 30 on the surface of the base layer 20. The structure of each layer will be described in detail.

The sealing layer 10 is a transparent seal with an adhesive applied to the back side. The sealing layer 10 is made of, for example, a colorless and transparent PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material. The sealing layer 10 is light-transmitting. An adhesive is applied to the back side of the sealing layer 10. The sealing layer 10 may be colored and transparent. The sealing layer 10 is affixed to various certificates issued by public institutions. The thickness of the sealing layer 10 is, for example, several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm.

The base layer 20 is a transparent layer laminated on the surface of the sealing layer 10. The base layer 20 has a base portion 21 printed with a transparent base ink. The base portion 21 is optically transparent. An arbitrary character string or design is printed on a portion of the base portion 21 with colored ink. The thickness of the base layer 20 is, for example, several μm to several tens of μm.

In the illustrated example, the character string "〇×市" (see FIG. 3) is printed on the four corners of the base portion 21, which is rectangular in plan view. The characters or designs printed on the base layer 20 are printed with colored ink.

The type of colored ink used for the base layer 20 is not particularly limited, but ultraviolet-curable ink (UV ink) can be used. This is because the curing time can be shortened by printing the UV ink and then irradiating it with ultraviolet light. In addition, in order to fully obtain the glossy look caused by the lines formed in the gloss layer 30 described below, it is preferable to use an ink that has as much gloss as possible. Since the gloss layer 30 is formed on the surface of the base layer 20, it is desirable for the surface of the base layer 20 to be a uniform surface with as few irregularities as possible.

In this way, at least one of a predetermined character string and a design is printed in colored ink on a portion of the base layer 20. Therefore, by printing specific information on the base layer 20, the structure of the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 can be made more complex, making it even more secure.

As shown in FIG. 3, the gloss layer 30 is a colorless and transparent layer laminated on the surface of the base layer 20. Transparent ink is further printed on the surface of the base layer 20 to form the gloss layer 30. This makes the gloss layer 30 optically transparent. The transparent ink is printed to have a predetermined thickness, for example, tens of μm to hundreds of μm. Lines forming a fine uneven pattern 31 are formed on the gloss layer 30 using the transparent ink. The width, spacing, and depth of the lines are, for example, tens of μm to hundreds of μm.

Stripes refer to a collection of lines arranged in a regular pattern. For example, stripes are formed by a group of parallel lines. By adjusting the thickness, spacing, and depth of the protrusions 32 that make up the group of parallel lines, it is possible to change the local transparency in the transparent area and express shading in the degree of gloss. A smooth portion on which stripes are not formed may be formed on part of the surface of the gloss layer 30.

In the lines shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 4, the height and width of the convex portion 32 can be set as desired. It is preferable that the transparent ink has high light transmittance. The transparent ink may be a light-colored ink that allows the patterns and character strings printed on the base layer 20 with the colored ink to be visible. As with the colored inks used in the base layer 20, a UV ink may be used as the transparent ink, and the manufacturing time may be shortened by curing it by exposure to ultraviolet light.

The uneven pattern 31 includes a design area 33 and a text area 34. In the design area 33, lines formed by fine unevenness are arranged to form a predetermined regular pattern.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, a grid-like pattern area 33 is formed in a regular pattern over the entire surface of the glossy layer 30. Each of the multiple pattern areas 33 has the same size and shape. Therefore, the pattern area 33 as a whole creates a unified aesthetic appearance.

The group of parallel lines contained in one pattern area 33 are oriented in the same direction. In other words, in the glossy layer 30, the pattern area 33 is defined by a group of parallel lines extending in the same direction. That is, although some of the parallel lines contained in the pattern area 33 are not shown in FIG. 3, in reality, the interior of one rectangular pattern area 33 is occupied by a group of parallel lines extending in the same direction.

In the character region 34, a group of parallel lines formed by minute projections and recesses are arranged to form a predetermined character string. In this embodiment, the character region 34 showing the character string "OxCITY" is formed in a part of the glossy layer 30. The group of parallel lines included in the character region 34 face in the same direction. In other words, in the glossy layer 30, the character region 34 is defined by a group of parallel lines extending in the same direction.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the symbol V in the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 5, in the glossy layer 30, adjacent pattern areas 33 each have a group of parallel lines that extend in different directions. This allows a detailed pattern to be formed in the glossy layer 30 by the parallel lines formed by the fine irregularities.

In addition, in the glossy layer 30, the parallel lines that make up the pattern area 33 extend in a different direction from the parallel lines that make up the character area 34. This allows the parallel lines formed by the minute irregularities in the glossy layer 30 to form a detailed character string that is visible.

In addition, in each of the multiple character areas 34, the parallel lines that make up the character area 34 extend in the same direction. This makes it easy to recognize that the group of character areas 34 in adjacent character areas 34 expresses the character string "OxCITY." OxCITY indicates the issuer of the certificate. Therefore, the character areas 34 formed in the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 can be used to prove that the issuer of the certificate is genuine.

In the counterfeit prevention sticker 1 of this embodiment, the design area 33 and the text area 34 overlap at least partially. In the example of FIG. 5, the design areas 33A to 33D overlap with the text area 34. In other words, the design areas 33A to 33D, which are originally rectangular areas, are shaped to exclude the text area 34.

In this way, a complex pattern consisting of a specific design and specific character strings is formed in the glossy layer 30 using transparent ink. This makes it even more difficult to counterfeit, and a secure anti-counterfeit seal 1 can be provided with an inexpensive and low-cost configuration.

In addition, the surface of the glossy layer 30 has an uneven pattern 31 formed by lines, so when light is observed passing through the glossy layer 30 while being incident on and reflected by the uneven pattern 31, the gloss changes in various ways, creating a sense of luxury.

As shown in Figure 1, all layers of the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 are transparent, so that the glossy layer 30 has a pattern consisting of specific designs and character strings, giving it a glossy appearance, but the contents of the certificate are fully visible.

(3) Manufacturing Method of the Anti-counterfeit Seal 1 Next, a manufacturing method of the anti-counterfeit seal 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing line 100 for the anti-counterfeit seal 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a plate 41C used for printing the anti-counterfeit seal 1 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the substrate 2 fed into the manufacturing line 100 shown in Fig. 7. It is a flow diagram showing the manufacturing method of the anti-counterfeit seal 1.

The anti-counterfeit seal 1 is produced by multiple rounds of flexographic printing. Flexographic printing is a type of letterpress printing in which ink is applied to the raised areas of a plate made of soft material such as resin, and then the ink is transferred to the substrate 2 that is to be printed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the production line 100 includes a first printing machine 110, a second printing machine 120, a third printing machine 130, a die cutter 140, and a number of conveying rollers 150. The first printing machine 110, the second printing machine 120, the third printing machine 130, and the die cutter 140 are arranged in this order from front to back processes. The first printing machine 110, the second printing machine 120, the third printing machine 130, and the die cutter 140 are configured to form a continuous production line 100 by the number of conveying rollers 150.

The first printer 110 is a printer that prints a transparent base ink on the surface of the sealing layer 10 as the base portion 21 of the base layer 20. The second printer 120 is a printer that prints the character string L with colored ink on the surface of the base portion 21 of the base layer 20. The third printer 130 is a printer that prints the gloss layer 30 on the surface of the base layer 20. Note that the first printer 110 to the third printer 130 have a common configuration, so the specific configurations will be described below.

Each of the printing presses 110 to 130 is a flexographic printing press. Each of the printing presses 110 to 130 includes a plate cylinder 40, an impression cylinder 50, an anilox roll 60, and an ink pan 70. The plate cylinder 40 is a roller member to which a plate 41 is attached. The plate 41 is wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 40.

As shown in FIG. 7, the plate 41 is formed with the design and text to be printed. The plate 41C shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the plate 41 used for printing the glossy layer 30. The plate 41 is made of a resin material or a rubber material. The surface of the plate 41 is formed with projections and recesses corresponding to the design and text to be printed, which are the reverse of the finished state.

The plate 41 is produced by shaping it using laser processing. This allows for a finely detailed surface shape to be achieved, and has the advantage of being environmentally friendly, as no chemicals are used in the production of the plate 41.

The impression cylinder 50 transports the long substrate 2 while pressing it against the plate cylinder 40. This transfers the ink to the surface of the substrate 2. The printing condition can be adjusted by adjusting the pressing force of the impression cylinder 50.

When using UV ink as the ink, after transferring the ink to the substrate 2, it may be irradiated with an ultraviolet lamp. This immediately hardens the ink, allowing you to proceed directly to the next process.

The ink pan 70 is a container that stores ink. The ink that forms each layer is stored in the ink pan 70.

The anilox roll 60 is a roller member that transfers the ink in the ink pan 70 to the surface of the plate 41. The anilox roll 60 scoops up the ink in the ink pan 70 by adhering it to its outer peripheral surface, and transfers the ink to the plate 41 by contacting the surface of the plate 41. The transport roller 150 is a roller member that transports the long substrate 2.

The die-cutting machine 140 is disposed at the most downstream position of the production line 100. The die-cutting machine 140 cuts out the anti-counterfeiting seals 1 from the base material 2 fed into the production line 100, and removes the backing paper 11 included in the base material 2. Here, the base material 2 fed into the production line 100 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, the substrate 2 includes an adhesive sticker 10 and a backing 11. The adhesive sticker 10 is a sealing member made of, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) material, and an adhesive is applied to the back surface. The adhesive sticker 10 is adhered to the backing 11. A base layer 20 is printed on the surface of the adhesive sticker 10. In other words, the adhesive sticker 10 of the substrate 2 becomes the sealing layer 10 of the anti-counterfeit sticker 1.

The die-cutting machine 140 performs die-cutting on the base material 2 on which the glossy layer 30 has been printed. In the die-cutting process, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 8, a blade mold that matches the size of the anti-counterfeit seal 1 is pressed against the surface of the adhesive seal 10, and a half cut is performed to make a cut in the adhesive seal 10 that corresponds to the outer shape of the anti-counterfeit seal 1.

The die-cutting machine 140 further removes the waste from the base material 2 that has been half-cut. The waste removal is the process of removing the frame portion of the adhesive sticker 10 that is on the outside of the anti-counterfeit sticker 1. This makes it possible to obtain a tack sticker in which multiple anti-counterfeit stickers 1 are lined up on the mount 11.

Next, the manufacturing flow of the anti-counterfeit seal 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, in the manufacture of the anti-counterfeit seal 1, first, the plate 41 is produced (step S101). The plate 41 is produced by laser processing based on the printing image of the base layer 20 and the gloss layer 30. In this way, the plates 41A to 41C to be used in each of the printing machines 110 to 130 are produced.

With the produced plate 41 attached to each of the printing machines 110 to 130, the base layer 20 is printed on the substrate 2 (step S102). In printing the base layer 20, the first printing machine 110 first prints the base portion 21 on the surface of the adhesive sticker 10 on the substrate 2 using a transparent base ink. Then, the second printing machine 120 prints a character string or a design on the surface of the base portion 21 using colored ink.

After printing the base layer 20, the gloss layer 30 is printed (step S103). In printing the gloss layer 30, a third printing machine 130 is used to print a relief pattern 31 on the surface of the base layer 20 using transparent ink.

After printing the glossy layer 30, a die-cutting process is performed (step S104). In the die-cutting process, a blade of the die-cutting machine 140 is half-pressed against the surface of the base material 2 to make a cut that corresponds to the outer shape of the anti-counterfeit seal 1. After the die-cutting process, waste is removed, and a tack seal is obtained in which multiple anti-counterfeit seals 1 are lined up on the backing paper 11.

The tack seal is then cut to a specified length. This completes the production of the anti-counterfeit seal 1. When the anti-counterfeit seal 1 is to be used, the anti-counterfeit seal 1 removed from the tack seal is affixed to various certificates.

(4) Modifications Modifications of this embodiment will be described below.

In this embodiment, the base portion 21 of the base layer 20 is transparent, but this is not a limitation. The base portion 21 of the base layer 20 does not have to be transparent. In other words, a specific character string or design may be printed on the base portion 21 of the base layer 20 with colored ink. In this case, the base layer 20 does not have transparency. For this reason, such an anti-counterfeiting sticker 1 can be used as a voucher to prove that the certificate is genuine by being affixed to part of the certificate without covering the entire certificate.

In addition, in this embodiment, the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 is configured to include the seal layer 10, the base layer 20, and the gloss layer 30, but this is not limited thereto. In other words, the anti-counterfeiting seal 1 may include only the seal layer 10 and the gloss layer 30.

In addition, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the anti-counterfeit sticker 1 is affixed to various certificates, but this is not the only option. The anti-counterfeit sticker 1 may be affixed to various printed materials, such as valuable printed materials such as coupons and admission tickets, as well as business cards and advertising printed materials, in order to impart a sense of luxury.

In addition, by combining the directions of the lines formed on the glossy layer 30, it is possible to have glossy layers 30 of a wide variety of shapes. The lines are not limited to straight lines, and can also be curved.

In addition, in this embodiment, the method of manufacturing the anti-counterfeit seal 1 using flexographic printing has been described, but this is not limited to this. Various printing methods can be used as the method of manufacturing the anti-counterfeit seal 1. For example, silk screen printing, which allows printing by piling up ink like flexographic printing, can be used. This is because these printing methods make it possible to form a three-dimensional uneven pattern 31 on the gloss layer 30 while ensuring a predetermined thickness on the base layer 20.

In addition, in this embodiment, the sealing layer 10 is a transparent sealing member with an adhesive applied to the back side, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the present invention also includes a special packaging film that has a film layer instead of the sealing layer 10. The special packaging film has a film layer, a base layer 20, and a gloss layer 30. The base layer 20 and the gloss layer 30 are configured similarly to the above-mentioned embodiment. The film layer is formed of a transparent film material to which no adhesive is applied. The film layer may be colored and transparent. The thickness of the film layer is, for example, several tens of μm.

Special packaging films are used, for example, as wrapping paper to cover specific products. This not only certifies the authenticity of the product covered by the special packaging film, but also allows the product to have a distinctive design during distribution.

For example, plain, colorless, transparent film materials are widely known as conventional wrapping paper. Because such general wrapping films are plain, colorless, and transparent, they lack design appeal. In the special wrapping film included in the present invention, the glossiness varies depending on the uneven pattern of the glossy layer, so a luxurious feel can be created for products during distribution.

In addition, since the embossed pattern of the glossy layer includes the design area 33 and the text area 34, for example, a specific mark indicating the origin of the product can be printed as an embossed pattern in the design area 33 or the text area 34, thereby providing the product with an origin indication function at the distribution stage. This also makes it possible to prove that the coated product is genuine.

The above describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various aspects without departing from the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the multiple components disclosed in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. For example, a certain component among all the components shown in one embodiment may be added to a component of another embodiment, or some of all the components shown in one embodiment may be deleted from the embodiment.

The drawings also show each component in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding of the invention. The configuration of each component shown in the above embodiment is merely an example and is not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various modifications, omissions, and combinations are possible without substantially departing from the effects of the present invention.

(5) Supplementary Notes The following supplementary notes are provided regarding the invention according to the present disclosure.

(Appendix 1)
A transparent seal layer with adhesive on the back side;
A transparent base layer laminated on the surface of the sealing layer;
a glossy layer that is laminated on the surface of the base layer and has a fine uneven pattern formed thereon by a transparent ink;
The embossed pattern includes a pattern area in which lines formed by fine projections and recesses are arranged to form a predetermined regular pattern, and a character area in which the lines formed by fine projections and recesses are arranged to form a predetermined character string, and the pattern area and the character area are at least partially overlapping.

(Appendix 2)
2. The counterfeit prevention seal according to claim 1, wherein the lines constituting the design area extend in a different direction from the lines constituting the character area.

(Appendix 3)
A plurality of the design areas are provided,
3. The counterfeit prevention seal according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lines constituting the adjacent pattern areas extend in different directions.

(Appendix 4)
4. The counterfeit prevention seal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of a predetermined character string and a design is printed in colored ink on a portion of the base layer.

(Appendix 5)
The counterfeit prevention seal according to claim 1 , wherein the seal layer is attached to various certificates issued by public institutions.

This disclosure is applicable to the field of anti-counterfeiting seals.

1: Anti-counterfeit seal 10: Seal layer 20: Base layer 30: Gloss layer 31: Textured pattern 32: Convex portion 33: Design area 34: Character area 40: Plate cylinder 41: Plate 50: Impression cylinder 60: Anilox roll 70: Ink pan

Claims (3)

A transparent seal layer having an adhesive applied to the back side and to be attached to an object to be prevented from counterfeiting ;
a base layer formed of a transparent ink that is laminated on the surface of the seal layer and hardens when irradiated with ultraviolet light , and a base layer having at least one of a predetermined character string and a design printed on a part of the base layer in colored ink ;
a glossy layer that is laminated on the surface of the base layer and has a fine uneven pattern formed thereon by a transparent ink;
the relief pattern includes a pattern region in which lines formed by fine reliefs are arranged to form a predetermined regular pattern, and a character region in which lines formed by fine reliefs are arranged to form a predetermined character string ,
the pattern area and the text area at least partially overlap each other;
The seal layer is attached so as to cover a predetermined certificate which is the object to be prevented from being counterfeited,
An anti-counterfeiting seal configured so that the contents of the certificate can be seen through the seal layer, the base layer, and the gloss layer . The counterfeit prevention seal according to claim 1, wherein the lines constituting the pattern area extend in a different direction from the lines constituting the text area. A plurality of the design areas are provided,
3. The counterfeit prevention seal according to claim 1, wherein the lines constituting the adjacent pattern areas extend in different directions.

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