PROTECT THE INFORMATION DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an arrangement consisting of an object, with information arranged therein that must be protected, such as, for example, an encoding, a mark, a PIN number or the like, and a covering layer to cover the information to protect. The invention also relates to a method for the protection of such an arrangement. It is a known procedure to cover secret numbers, PIN numbers or other secret information, such as credit card cards, prepaid phone cards, chip cards and the like, by means of an opaque, removable coating layer, which is often formed as a label coating or rubbing label. Usually, the authorized owner of the value document removes the coating layer by rubbing, to learn the information, intended for him. But it must be impossible, in this, to make attempts of manipulation not detected by unauthorized persons, so that the authorized person can learn of a manipulation. It is also important that a person who has a valuable document with a label to rub apparently does not
falsified, may in any case assume that no manipulation has been made. In this context it is known from document DE 102 52 521 A1 the suggestion to provide one or more intermediate layers between the object and the information covered by the coating layer. Adhesional forces variable by zones then have the consequence that by abusively lifting the rubbing label, it suffers visible damage and that the information is released only partially. But during the production of such rubbing labels, due to changing production parameters, deviations in the production process may occur which may result in the desirable effect not being fully deployed. The invention is based, therefore, on the objective of proposing an object comprising information to be protected, and a production method thereof, which guarantees a uniformly stable high reliability in terms of manipulation attempts. This objective is met, inventively, by means of an arrangement and a method having the characteristics of the independent claims. Claims and improvements of the invention are indicated in the dependent claims. In an inventive arrangement, consisting of a
object and a coating layer of smaller area than this, is arranged between the information, coated by the coating layer, and the object at least one intermediate layer that is structured in a spatial sense in such a way that it prevents exposing the information by eliminating of the coating layer. The spatial structuring of the intermediate layer consists of notches that pass through the intermediate layer completely. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the spatial structuring of the intermediate layer consists of a figure formed on an area that is formed by recesses and on top of which the information to be protected is located. This figure may consist of arbitrary geometric shapes. However, regular figures are preferred, for example diamond or rectangular figures. Since this structuring is present precisely in the area of the intermediate layer in which the information to be protected is applied over the intermediate layer, this information is applied partly in the matter of the intermediate layer, and in part it is located in the carvings The information, which is usually printed, is present, therefore, in different planes of the laminar construction of the layout. The printing thickness of the information, preferably, is less than the thickness of the structured, intermediate layer. When applying the layer of
coating the notches of the intermediate layer are filled, structured, which partially contain printing ink, preferably with the coating layer. An abusive lifting of the rubbing label or of the intermediate layer, by means of a scalpel, discovers, therefore, in each case only partial information. An advantage is in this, if the figure of the intermediate layer, structured, is designed in this way so that the complete information can not be reconstructed from any of the partial information. The structuring is produced by applying the intermediate layer to the object, preferably by a printing method, leaving the notches predetermined during the printing operation. It is an advantage in this, if the intermediate layer, structured, has the same color as the background on which it is applied, so that it is difficult to distinguish it optically from it. The color is preferably gray. On the one hand it is possible to apply such a gray background layer as an additional intermediate layer on the object by printing, before the structured intermediate layer. On the other hand, for example, when the object itself is large and lacquered or printed over its entire area, and that it has at least in the area of the information by applying a printed field having the color of the intermediate layer,
structured, or if such a field is otherwise integrated into the object, it is possible to print the intermediate layer, structured, directly on the object, respectively its external coating. Of course it is also possible, in this context, to apply additional external layers to the object first, for example transparent or colored lacquer layers having elements designed in a certain form, before applying, in the area of the information to be applied, the layer of monochrome background and on top of it 'the intermediate layer, structured, having the same color. Essential is, in this sense, only that the background of the same color remains visible through the notches in the intermediate, structured layer. In a second preferred embodiment, the structuring of the intermediate layer does not occur immediately upon application of the intermediate layer to the object, but then in a separate processing step. Firstly, at least two intermediate layers are applied to the object, in particular by printing, to which the notches are then applied, in such a way that they are located outside those areas of the intermediate layers that are printed, in a processing stage. later, with the information to be protected. These notches extend, at least, by two intermediate layers, applied
one after another, which in this sense have the same structure. The structuring of the intermediate layer is preferably arranged in such a way that it encloses the area in a continuous manner in which the information to be protected is printed. The notches are preferably produced by stamping after applying the intermediate layers. After the application of the information to be protected, the embossing can be filled with the covering layer or, also, remain unfilled. As the materials of the intermediate layers and the coating layer differ in their material characteristics, the printing constitutes in any case a good guide for a scalpel, applied to lift the coating layer. By means of the stamping, such a scalpel is guided as far as possible downwards to the intermediate layers, ie in the direction of the object, so that the information to be protected is not visible, from below, in the eventually detached layers. That is, the scalpel is guided to a part of the color or lacquer layer that does not carry information. In principle it is possible to combine the two modalities described above, since the notches refer in each case to different areas of
the intermediate layers. In the case of a combined mode, then, one after the other, for example, a conventional color layer and a structured color layer are applied to the object, in which the continuous circumferential notch is then applied by stamping, before or after the structured color layer has been provided with the information to be printed. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention result from the following description of different examples of inventive application and alternative embodiments, together with the attached drawings. In these they show: Figure 1, a schematic representation of a value card, seen from above, having a structured intermediate layer, according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2, a schematic representation, seen from above, of an intermediate, structured layer, according to a second embodiment of the invention; and Figure 3, the structure of layers of a value card, in cross section, which combines the two modalities. Figure 1 shows an arrangement 1, consisting of an object 2 and a rubbing field 3, disposed therein, occupying a smaller field, being the object 2, in which the information 4 is applied in a manner
protected, a value card, for example, a prepaid phone card (prepaid card). In the same way any other document of value can be used as an object, respectively, any object of value. In a top view, the arrangement 1 comprises a rubbing field 3 applied to the value card 2, which is applied in the manner of an opaque coating layer in a layer construction 8, 9 printed on the value card 2. The opaque coating layer of the rubbing field 3 can be easily removed by rubbing with the nail or other appropriate object, to expose information 4, located below it. The layers 8, 9 which lie below the rubbing field 3 are shown in Figure 1 for purposes of illustration (with interrupted lines). They are completely covered, viewed from above, on an unused card, by field 3 of rubbing. Figure 3 shows the layer structure of arrangement 1, in cross section. To produce the value card 2, a card substrate 5 of a suitable synthetic material is printed with a color print 6, preferably a full area, preferably a four-color print, in order to give the card 2 a value of a certain color. In the area where information 4 will be applied later on card 2 of value, it is printed, instead of a design of
colors, a gray field, monocolor, which preferably has a size of 5.5 x 40 mm. Above the layer 6, 12, a layer 7 of protective lacquer, preferably a high-gloss lacquer, is still applied over the entire 2-value card. In this way, the value card 2 is completely produced in the form of a plastic card. In the gray field, additional layers 8, 9 are now applied, and the information 4 to be protected, as well as the field 3 of final rubbing. Figures 1 and 2 show, separately, two combinable modalities of the present invention, while figure 3 outlines the laminar construction of a combined modality. The structured color layer 9 of FIG. 1 is applied to the value card 2 as a regular diamond pattern. Some notches 10 between the diamonds of the diamond pattern preferably have a width of 0.5 mm. As an example, the structured color layer 9 is applied by an offset method in the object 2, respectively in the additional layer 8 below it. The notches 10 of the structured color layer 9 leave corresponding zones of the layer 8 below it free. Layer 8, applied on card 2 of value below structured color, is optional and is visible through the
notches 10. The layer 8 can be either an additional color layer, which preferably exhibits the same color as the structured color layer 9 itself, or a lacquer layer, for example from a UV lacquer or other appropriate lacquer. In case the structured color layer 9 is applied directly to the value card 2 without the layer 8, then the gray field 12 of the value card 2 is seen through the notches 10, since the layer 7 of Protective lacquer is usually transparent. In this embodiment, care must be taken that the layer or surface visible through the notches 10 of the structured color layer 9, which is below it, has the same color as the structured color layer 9, regardless of whether or not an additional color layer 8 or the field 12 integrated in the value card 2 is visible. By using the same colors, the structured layer 9 is only difficult to distinguish, in an attempt to manipulate, from the layer below it. The color layer 9 can be structured in a discretional manner in variation of the diamond pattern represented, for example, with regular or irregular patterns, or geometric figures. It is important, however, that by means of the structure the information 4, which must be protected, comes to be located in different planes
of the laminar structure in such a way that the complete information 4 can not be reconstructed from the knowledge of only one layer. On the structure 9 of structured color, the information 4 to be protected is printed, for example, a number code, a PIN number or some other coding, also in the form of a color layer. The structuring of the layer 9 has the effect that the information 4 is located partially in the raised structures of the layer 9 of structured color, and partially reaches the notches 10 and ends up being located in the layer 8 of color respectively additional lacquer , or the lacquer layer 7 of the value card 2. In any case, the information 4 is distributed to different planes of the laminar structure according to the structuring thereof, so that, by means of an abusive exhibition, respectively the detachment of one of the layers, the information is discovered in any case only in a partial. Of course, it is also possible to print several structured layers to distribute the information in more than two planes. After applying the information 4, the rubbing field 3 is applied, properly, in the form of a covering layer, the covering layer also filling the notches 10, so that in an attempt to manipulate by means of a scalpel, which is inserted between the
layer 3 of coating and layer 9 of structured color, the partial areas of the information printed on the recesses 10 remain hidden. By rubbing the rubbing field 3, on the other hand, the complete information 4 is found legibly. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, at least two layers 8,9 are structured in the same manner by a pattern 11 that traverses both layers. The pattern 11 preferably extends on the edge of what will subsequently be the rubbing field 3 and encloses the area of information 4 to be protected. After the final application of the coating layer of the rubbing field 3, the embossments 11 are, as shown in Figure 3, filled with the coating layer respectively of a glue used therefor. The operation of the pattern 11 consists in guiding, in an abusive attempt to detach the field 3 from rubbing with a scalpel, the scalpel as deep as possible in the laminar structure on the card 2 of value, so that as far as possible, the layers firstly, irreversibly and visibly, and, secondly, the information 4 remains completely in the detached part of the laminar structure and is inaccessible. In this embodiment it is necessary that at least two layers 8, 9, preferably applied through
offset printing, are structured in the same way, it is not indispensable in this that the stamped notches 11 penetrate the lower layer 8 completely, while in the embodiment shown in figure 1 it is only necessary that the upper layer 9 be structured. In the combined mode shown in the figure
3, color layer 9 is structured by notches
10 forming shapes and a circumferential, patterned notch 11, while the color layer 8, located below it, only exhibits the pattern 11.