WO2003084765A2

WO2003084765A2 - Security element for use as photocopy protection

Info

Publication number: WO2003084765A2
Application number: PCT/EP2003/003481
Authority: WO
Inventors: René Staub; Andreas Schilling; Wayne Robert Tompkin
Original assignee: Ovd Kinegram Ag
Priority date: 2002-04-05
Filing date: 2003-04-03
Publication date: 2003-10-16
Also published as: CN1655953A; RU2286887C2; AU2003224033A8; RU2004132235A; DE10216563B4; EP1492677B1; AU2003224033A1; EP1492677A2; WO2003084765A3; DE10216563A1; CN100551717C

Abstract

The invention relates to a security element (2) which is cut out from a plastic composite structure (1) and is suitable to be glued onto a substrate (9). A reflection layer (10) is embedded between a molding layer (4) and a protective layer (7) of the composite structure (1), into which reflection layer optically effective structures (5; 6) are molded. The security element (2) comprises at least one security feature whose surface has a macrostructure in the reflection layer (10) and/or is subdivided into at least one first and one second subarea (32; 33). The first subarea (32) has a first structure (5). An achromatic second structure (6) is molded into the second subarea (33). The optically effective structures (5; 6) deviate the incident light (11) by the direction of reflection within a predetermined angular range ( epsilon ) and comprise a visually perceptible but not photocopiable information since the copiers are blind in the angular range ( epsilon ).

Description

Security element as photocopy protection

The invention relates to a security element with an arrangement of optically active structures in a layer composite according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such security elements serve as photocopy protection and contain a surface pattern from a mosaic of surface elements with light-modifying structures molded in a layer composite of plastic. The security elements are used to authenticate the authenticity of an original and are particularly suitable for protecting securities, banknotes, means of payment, identity cards and documents of all kinds, including against unauthorized photocopying. The function of the security feature is to visually and easily check the recipient of the object provided with it that the object is genuine and not a copy. It is prevented or at least extremely difficult to put the illegally copied item on the market. However, the current technical status of the analog black-and-white copiers and the digital color copiers meanwhile makes it possible to make copies of documents which are practically indistinguishable from an unprotected original. Such security elements use holograms and / or a surface pattern made of diffractive structures and are made of a variety of

Documents known. EP 0 105 099 A1, EP 0 330 738 A1 and EP 0 375 833 A1 are representative of this. The surface patterns are characterized by the brilliance of the patterns and the movement effect in the pattern. The diffractive structures are embedded in a thin laminate made of plastic and are usually stuck in the form of a brand on documents such as banknotes, securities, ID cards, passports, visas, identity cards, etc. The color copies of these security elements show a colored pattern without the movement effect, so that if the recipient is inattentive and the lighting is poor, a color copy could be confused with the original of the security element.

Another security feature for protection against unauthorized copying of the document is known from EP 0 522 217. A shiny metallic transfer strip is glued to the document. The metallic shiny transfer strip is reproduced in black on the copy and therefore creates a clear contrast to the reflective behavior on the original. This simple, easily understandable message is enough to distinguish the copy from the original. Unfortunately, this protection can be imitated on the copy, so that the copy can be mistaken for the original in poor lighting or in hectic conditions.

In EP 0 201 323 B1 materials are listed which can be used for the production of the layer composite with the security elements.

The invention has for its object to provide a difficult to imitate, inexpensive, security element that contains a representation that cannot be copied with photocopiers.

This object is achieved by a security element made of a layer composite for gluing onto a substrate, which is an impression layer, a Has a protective layer made of plastic and a reflection layer embedded between the impression layer and the protective layer, optically effective structures of a security feature being molded into the impression layer, the security feature having at least one surface with a reflecting macro structure that is curved in some areas and / or at least in a first and in a second sub-area is divided, the first sub-area being covered with a first structure and an achromatic second structure being molded into the second sub-area, and the optically effective structures of the security feature for deflecting parallel incident light within a predetermined angular range (ε) of 14 ° the direction of the reflex is set up and the security feature contains a visually visible but not photocopable information.

A multitude of advantages are achieved by the invention.

A curved, reflective macro structure that deflects light essentially within this angular range, or by two or more partial surfaces that deflect light essentially within this angular range, makes it possible to encode optical information in the area that is not photocopied but for the human eye are visible.

An achromatic structure is a structure that deflects incident light essentially independently of the wavelength.

Incident light is reflected, diffracted or scattered by an achromatic structure essentially independently of the wavelength, so that for the human observer at the usual viewing distance there are no or only very small, negligible color effects. Achromatic structures are, for example, macro structures or blaze grating structures with a period of 6 μm or larger, preferably with a profile depth in the range of 0.25 μm. For example, structures with a period are also shown between 6 μm and 3 μm depending on the relief depth of achromatic behavior.

By using achromatic structures, the advantage is achieved that with these structures, the fanning out of the light does not have to be taken into account when determining the angular range, since the incident light is deflected from the optical structure around the direction of the specular reflection. This ensures that no light components are deflected outside the predetermined angular range and are therefore visible in the photocopy. Advantageous refinements of the invention result from the subclaims.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and are described in more detail below by means of the figures.

1 shows a cross section through a security element,

FIG. 2 shows a copier in cross section,

FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the response function of the copying machine,

FIG. 4 shows a security feature,

Figure 5 is a macro structure, Figure 6 is a document with the original security element and

Figure 7 is a copy of the document.

FIG. 1 shows the structure of a layer composite 1 from which security elements 2 are cut out. In layer composite 1, 3 means an outer cover layer, 4 an impression layer, into which optically effective structures 5, 6 are molded, 7 a protective layer, 8 an adhesive layer for connecting the security element 2 to a document 9 as a substrate, for example a security, a banknote, a means of payment, an identity card, documents of all kinds in general.

The protective layer 7 fills the depressions of the optically active structures 5, 6. Therefore, the boundary layer between the impression layer 4 and the protective layer 7 has the shape of the reliefs of the optically active structures 5, 6. To enhance the reflection at the boundary layer, the boundary layer is designed as a reflection layer 10. The reflection layer 10 consists of a thin layer of a high-gloss metal, such as Al, Au, Cr, Te, etc., in a layer thickness of 30 to 100 nm. In the aforementioned EP 0 201 323 B1, inorganic dielectrics with a high refractive index listed, which are suitable as a reflective layer 10. Interesting additional color effects result with an interference layer as a reflection layer 10 with several layers of alternating metallic and dielectric layers. For example, this can be a double layer metal-dielectric, the dielectric adjoining the impression layer 4 and the metal adjoining the protective layer 7, a triple layer in which the transparent dielectric layer, e.g. 100 nm to 150 nm TiO2, between a transparent metallic layer, e.g. 5 nm Al, and the reflective metal layer, e.g. more than 50 nm Al, is included, the reflective, opaque metal layer adjacent to the protective layer 7.

The layer composite 1 is built up on a long web of a carrier film (not shown here), the cover layer 3 first being applied to the carrier film and then the impression layer 4, the reflection layer 10, the protective layer 7 and the adhesive layer 8 in the order given. If that If the material of the protective layer 7 is an adhesive, the adhesive layer 8 is unnecessary. The reliefs of the optically active structures 5, 6 are molded either before or after the application of the reflection layer 10. Finally, the security elements 2 are cut out of the layer composite 1, glued to the substrate 9 and the Carrier film removed. Since at least the cover layer 3 and the impression layer 4 are transparent, the optical effects of the optically active structures 5, 6 through the cover layer 3 and the impression layer 4 are visible to an observer. The optically active structures 5, 6 are divided into first structures

5 and in second structures 6 or are integrated in other macrostructures discussed below. The first structures 5 are, for example, reflective structures, such as smooth mirror surfaces arranged parallel to the surface of the layer composite 1, diffraction gratings acting as colored mirrors with any profile and with a spatial frequency f greater than 2400 lines / mm and special achromatic grating structures. Parallel incident light 11 is reflected by the reflecting first structures 5 according to the law of reflection, i.e. the angle of incidence α between the direction of the incident light 11 and a normal 12 to the surface of the layer composite 1 is equal to the reflection angle β which is included between the normal 12 and the direction of reflected light beams 13 or the specular reflection. The diffraction gratings with the high spatial frequency f> 2400 lines / mm diffract a section of the visible spectrum of the incident light 11 only into the zeroth diffraction order, i.e. at the angle of reflection ß. The second structures 6 are achromatic structures, such as symmetrical and asymmetrical, sawtooth-shaped lattice structures with a spatial frequency of at most 300 lines / mm, weakly scattering matt structures and cinema forms with e.g. the corresponding property.

The achromatic, sawtooth-shaped lattice structure 6 is distinguished by an excellent direction 39, the lattice vector, and has a local inclination γ of the lattice structure of at most + 7 °, preferably ± 5 °, in relation to the surface of the layer composite 1 in the continuous region. In the drawing of FIG. 1, an asymmetrical lattice structure is shown as an example second structure 6 with the excellent direction 39 pointing to the right.

The matt structures scatter the incident light 11 into a scattering cone with an opening angle predetermined by the scattering capacity of the matt structure and with the direction of the reflected light 22 as the cone axis. The intensity of the scattered light is e.g. largest on the cone axis and decreases with increasing distance from the cone axis, the light deflected in the direction of the generatrices of the scattering cone being just discernible for an observer. The cross section of the scattering cone perpendicular to the cone axis is rotationally symmetrical in the case of a matt structure called "isotropic" here. In contrast to the “isotropic” matt structures, structural elements of the matt structures called “anisotropic” here have a preferred direction in the plane of the security element 2. The cross-section of the "anisotropic" matt structure is compressed in the preferred direction, i.e. elliptically deformed with the short main axis of the ellipse parallel to the preferred direction. In the "anisotropic" matt structure, the preferred direction and the excellent direction 39 assigned to the "anisotropic" matt structure include an azimuth angle of 90 °.

The weakly scattering "isotropic" or "anisotropic" matt structure or the kinoform deflect the incident light 11 within a narrow scattering cone with an opening angle ε of at most 14 °, preferably 10 °, that between a surface line 14, 15 of the scattering cone and the direction of the reflected light rays 13 is included. For technical reasons, the profile height of the optically active structures 5, 6 in the layer composite 1 is limited to a stroke H of less than 10 μm. Preferred values of the stroke H are in the range 0.05 μm to 2 μm. The stroke H is not a fixed value within the security feature 30, since the stroke H, due to the optically active structures 5, 6 or the macrostructures, advantageously differs locally Assumes values from the specified range in order to avoid technological difficulties, particularly in the case of macrostructures.

FIG. 2 shows a modern digital copier 16 for color copies or black and white copies with its functional components in longitudinal section. A transparent glass plate 17 serves as a support for the document 9 and has a predetermined format, such as A4, A3, etc. The document 9 - with the glued-on security element 2 (FIG. 1) turned against the glass - is arranged on the glass plate 17 and is passed through the glass plate 17 in a narrow strip which extends across the glass plate 17 or the document 9 , illuminated, the strip being moved along the glass plate 17 during the copying process. A lighting device 18 comprises a carriage, which is displaceable under the glass plate 17 on a rail 34 in the direction of the arrows, not shown, along the glass plate 17, a linear light source 19 and focusing mirrors 20, 21. The lighting device 18 with the carriage, the light source 19 and the focusing mirrors 20, 21 in FIG. 2 extend perpendicular to the plane of the drawing over the width of the glass plate 17. The white light emitted by the light source 19 is approximately symmetrical to the normal 12 by the focusing mirrors 20, 21 (FIG. 1) concentrated through the glass plate 17 on the document 9 in the narrow strip. Depending on the make of the copier 16, the light incident on the document 9 has an angle of incidence of approximately 40 ° to 50 ° and -40 ° to -50 °. At the security element 2 and on the document 9, light 22 backscattered in the direction of the normal 12 reaches the detector 26 via three flat deflection mirrors 23, 24, 25. The deflection mirrors 23, 24, 25 and the detector 26 extend parallel to the light source 19 and to the focusing mirrors 20, 21 over the entire length of the strip. The detector 26 has in its longitudinal extent on a straight line a plurality of photodetectors 27 for receiving the backscattered light 22. The number of Photodetectors 27 per unit length determine the resolution of the copier 16. The detector 26 analyzes the backscattered light 22 and generates an electrical image of the strip illuminated on the document 9. Analog copying machines have a comparable guidance of the emitted light serving for illumination and of the backscattered light 22.

In the diagram in FIG. 3, the response function AF of the copier 16 (FIG. 2) is schematic in arbitrary units as a function of a drop angle θ of the backscattered light 22 (FIG. 2) and of the diffracted or scattered light relative to the direction of the reflected light beams 13 (FIG . 1) applied. An area "A" in the immediate vicinity of the direction of the SLR, i.e. in the direction of the reflected light beams 13, extends from θ = 0 ° to θ = 15 °. This angular range ε «15 ° is predetermined by the construction of the copier 16. In area "A", the copier 16 is blind in order to avoid the reception of specular reflections from the glass plate 17 and the document 9 in the detector 26. A region "B" includes the drop angles θ from 15 ° to 75 °. In this area "B" the copier 16 operates and receives the backscattered light 22 in the detector 26. The backscattered light 22 from a third area "C" with the exit angles θ> 75 ° is no longer detected by the copier 16. For example, the backscattered light 22 of white paper, a strongly scattering surface, centers around the angle of reflection of θ 45 °. Each flat mirror surface is reproduced in black in the copy.

FIG. 4 shows the security element 2 arranged on the document 9. The security element 2 has a mosaic-like surface pattern 28 made of surface elements 29 with microscopic diffraction structures,

Mirror surfaces and matt structures. When illuminated with daylight and when the security element 2 is turned or tilted, the flash Surface elements 29 so that the visual impression of the surface pattern 28 changes continuously.

Together with or instead of the surface pattern 28, the security element 2 contains a security feature 30. In one embodiment, an area 31 of the security feature 30 is divided into at least one first partial area 32 and one second partial area 33. The first partial surfaces 32 have one of the first structures 5 (FIG. 1), while the second partial surfaces 33 are covered with one of the second structures 6 (FIG. 1).

The second structure 6 is an achromatic structure from the group of symmetrical and asymmetrical, sawtooth-shaped lattice structures with a spatial frequency of at most 300 lines / mm, the weakly scattering matt structures and the cinema forms.

The first structure 5 is a structure arranged parallel to the surface of the layer composite from the group of flat, smooth mirror surfaces and the diffraction gratings with a spatial frequency f greater than 2400 lines / mm, as well as the sawtooth-shaped achromatic grating structures and "anisotropic" matt structures if their excellent direction 39 (FIG. 1) and distinguish the excellent direction 39 assigned to the second structure 6 by at least the azimuth angle of 25 °. The two partial surfaces 32, 33 advantageously have a common boundary, the partial surfaces being immediately adjacent and / or the one partial surface 32 or 33 being arranged within the other partial surface 33 or 32. In another embodiment, a plurality of the partial areas 32 and 33 are arranged on the other partial areas 33 and 32 forming a background in such a way that the plurality of one partial areas 32 and 33 are visually clearly visible

Information forms, for example as writing and / or logo or image information. The security feature 30 is therefore also large and has at least one surface of 0.5 cm ² , preferably more than 1 cm ² , the smallest dimension being at least 0.5 mm.

The security element 2 is cut out of the layer composite 1 made of plastic and applied to the document 9. The optically active structures 5, 6 of the security feature 30 and, if present, the diffraction structures, mirror surfaces and matt structures of the surface elements 29 of the surface pattern 28 are molded into the reflection layer 10 (FIG. 1) embedded between the impression layer 4 and the protective layer 7. According to the design of the security element 2, the reflection layer 10 in the surface 31 of the security feature 30 has the

Macro structure on and / or the reflection layer 10 is at least divided into a first and a second partial surface 32, 33. The first partial surface 32 is covered with one of the first structures 5 arranged parallel to the surface of the layer composite 1, which deflects the incident light 11 in the direction of the specular reflection as mirrored light 13 (FIG. 1). In the second

Partial surface 33 is molded of one of the second structures 6, which deflects the incident light 11 around the direction of the specular reflection within the angular range predetermined by the scattering cone with the opening angle ε (FIG. 1).

FIG. 5 shows the implementation of the security feature 30 with one of the macro structures 35. Together with or instead of the discrete arrangement of the first and second partial surfaces 32 (FIG. 4), 33 (FIG. 4), a single surface 31, the macrostructure 35, is also used in the security feature 30. The reflection layer -10 with the macrostructure 35 embedded between the impression layer 4 and the protective layer 7 has curvatures 36 in the predetermined surface parts. The profile of the macro structure 35 is smooth in microscopic areas or the profile is overlaid with one of the matt structures or cinema forms or the microscopic diffraction grating, the spatial frequency f of the diffraction grating is more than 2400 lines / mm. The profile of the macro structure 35 is a function M (x, y) of the coordinates x, y that span the area 31 of the security feature 30, with ΔM (x, y) ≠ 0 at least in partial areas of the macro structure 35. The curvatures 36 follow known mathematical functions determined by the function M (x, y) and border or form, for example, graphic characters or letters or the. Macro structure 35 is a relief image as is known from coins or gems. At no point does the tangential surface on the macrostructure 35 have a local inclination γ of more than ± 7 ° with respect to the surface of the layer composite 1 (FIG. 1). In one embodiment, the macro structure 35 has the reflection layer 10 designed as an interference layer.

In order for the macro structure 35 to achieve visual effects that are visible to the naked eye, adjacent points with extreme values of the profile height of the macro structure are at a distance of at least 0.3 mm. Since the stroke H of the optically active structures 5 (FIG. 1), 6 (FIG. 1), 35 to be molded in the layer composite 1 is limited to approximately 10 μm for technical reasons, the macro structure 35 is modulo stroke H with a profile height in the impression layer 4 molded. The resulting discontinuities 37 are not to be regarded as extreme values. FIG. 6 shows the top view of the original of the document 9. In this embodiment, the security feature 30 has the letters “OK” as information, which are composed of the second partial areas 33 with the achromatic second structures 6 (FIG. 1) and as a background the first partial surface 32 with the reflective first structure 5 (FIG. 1). The information or the second partial areas 33 of the white illuminated security feature 30 appear to the observer in the reflex in a gray color against the bright, shiny background of the first partial area 32 with the reflecting one first structure 5, since the achromatic structures 6 of the second partial surface 33 direct the incident light 11 (FIG. 1) past the eye of the observer.

This is explained on the basis of FIG. 1. For the sake of simplicity, the effect of the refraction on the light rays during the transition from air to layer composite 1 is not taken into account. The light 11 incident at the angle of incidence α is deflected by the reflecting structure 5 in the first partial surface 32 in the direction of the reflected light 13. The azimuth of the specular structures 5 mentioned is immaterial. If the light 11 falls on the lattice structure of the achromatic structure 6 with the local inclination γ, the angle of incidence α is smaller by the local inclination γ, since the normal 12 and the surface normal on the inclined surface of the lattice structure include the local inclination γ. In the asymmetrical lattice structure, the local inclination corresponds to the blaze angle. The grating structure deflects the incident light 11 in the direction of the reflected light, the angle of reflection, based on the surface normal, by the local inclination and, based on normal 12, by twice the amount of the angle γ being smaller. Since the inclination γ is at most ± 7 °, the light deflected by the grating structure deviates by at most + 14 ° from the direction of the reflected light 13. The observer randomly rotates and tilts the document 9 with the security element 30 (FIG. 6) such that its direction of observation is in the same plane as the lattice vector of the

Lattice structure of the achromatic second structure 6, the second partial areas 33 are suddenly lighter than the background of the first partial area 32, since the direction of the reflected light 13 points past the eye of the observer. If the "isotropic" matt structure described above is used as the achromatic second structure 6 in the second partial surface 33, the scattered light is distributed within the scattering cone delimited by the surface lines 14, 15 regardless of the azimuth. In the direction of the reflected light 13, the scattered light from the second partial surface 33 is less intense than that mirrored light 13 of the first partial surface 32. Within a scattering cone, the intensity of the scattered light is stronger in a zone than that of the mirror surface, ie the second partial surface 33 is brighter than the first partial surface 32. The intensity of the scattered light increases against the cladding of the scattering cone too quickly, so that outside the scattering cone the second partial surface 33 is again darker than the first partial surface 32. The change in intensity between the partial areas 32, 33 of the security feature 30 is the authenticity feature.

In another embodiment of the security feature 30, the first structure 5 has the achromatic sawtooth-shaped lattice structure or an "anisotropic" matt structure with a first distinguished direction 39 arranged in the first partial area 32 and the achromatic sawtooth-shaped lattice structure or as second structure 33 molded an "anisotropic" matt structure, the excellent direction 39 of which differs from the first excellent direction 39 at least in azimuth. In one example, the achromatic sawtooth-shaped lattice structure of the first structure 5 is the mirror image of the second structure 6.

So that a maximum of the surface brightness of the partial areas 32, 33 with the achromatic lattice structures does not only occur in a narrow angular range of the azimuth, the achromatic lattice structures are arranged in pixel elements. The achromatic lattice structures have polygonal or circular furrows in each pixel element with a constant spatial frequency f. The grid vectors of these grid structures point radially outwards from the center of the pixel element. The information shown with the partial areas 32 and 33 is e.g. made up of square pixel elements of at least 0.5 mm side length, the corresponding grid vectors each

Pixel elements are aligned in parallel or according to a predetermined pattern. The predetermined pattern causes the maximum surface brightness to migrate over the partial surfaces 32 and 33 when the security element 2 is rotated. Another advantageous property of the security feature 30 is achieved through the use of different achromatic lattice structures in the multiplicity of the one partial surfaces 32 or 33, which are arranged on the background of the other partial surface 33 or 32. In one embodiment, the lattice vectors in the three partial surfaces 32 and 33 are aligned parallel to the marked direction 39. When the security element 2 is tilted about an axis parallel to the marked direction 39, the partial areas 32 and 33 successively reach the maximum area brightness. For example, the three partial surfaces 32 and 33 have achromatic lattice structures with a spatial frequency f of 160 lines / mm. The three grating structures differ in the blaze angle or stroke with the values 150 nm, 250 nm and 400 nm. On the other hand, if the achromatic grating structures have the same profile and different excellent directions 39, the partial areas 32 and 33 successively reach their maximum area brightness when rotating of the security element 2 around the normal 12. In another

Execution, both the blaze angle and the excellent direction 39 change from one partial surface 32 or 33 to the next.

A copy of the original shown in FIG. 6 is shown in FIG. Since the copier 16 (FIG. 2) is blind in the region “A” (FIG. 3) and “C” (FIG. 3), only those surface elements 29 of the surface pattern 28 (FIG. 5) are imaged by the copier 16 that Scatter or bend light into area "B" (Fig. 3). For example, the surface element 29 'which is rectangular in the illustration in FIG. 6 has a diffraction grating which, per se, could diffract light into the region "B", the diffraction grating vector of which, however, in the plane of the glass plate 17 (FIG. 2) is not perpendicular to the illuminating strip of the Copier 16 is aligned. The surface element 29 'thus does not meet the copying condition. The copier 16 can, however, reproduce the rectangular surface element 29 'in a pale mixed color or a shade of gray if the intensity of the backscattered light 22 (FIG. 2) from the rectangular surface element 29 'is not sufficiently small. By rotating the security element 2 in its plane, the surface elements 29 are aligned differently on the glass plate 17 (FIG. 2). The rectangular surface element 29 ', the diffraction grating vector of which is now oriented practically perpendicular to the illuminating strip, can now fully deflect the incident light 11 (FIG. 1) in the direction of the backscattered light 22; for this, the intensities of the other surface elements 29 are lower or practically zero, so that the copy of the surface pattern 28 (FIG. 6) depends on the orientation on the glass plate 17 (FIG. 2) of the copier 16. In contrast, the security feature 30 behaves differently, since the optically active structures 5 (FIG. 1), 6 (FIG. 1) of the partial surfaces 32 (FIG. 6), 33 (FIG. 6) receive the incident light in each azimuthal orientation 11 divert into areas "A" and "C". The surface 31 of the security feature 30 is therefore rendered in the copy in monochrome in black regardless of the azimuthal orientation of the document 9 on the glass plate 17 of the copier 16. The security feature 30 therefore contains visually visible but not photocopable information. The advantage of this security feature 30 is the independence from its azimuthal orientation to the copier 16.

In another embodiment of the security element 2, surface elements 29 extend over the security feature 30, e.g. as narrow, linear bands 38. At least one surface element 29 has one of the meandering, guilloche-like, net-like shapes and divides the surface 31 into smaller partial surfaces 32, 33. Since, with a predetermined orientation of the security element 2, the band 38 appears to the observer of the original as a very brilliant line, a line width of the band 38 of at least 0.05 mm is sufficient; the line width is preferably between 0.1 mm and 0.3 mm. The security feature 30 is protected by means of the band 38 against simple imitation using an aluminum household foil.

Claims

Claims:

1 . Security element (2) made of a layer composite (1) for sticking to a substrate (9) with an impression layer (4) and a protective layer (7) made of plastic and with one between the impression layer (4) and the

Protective layer (7) of the layer composite (1) embedded reflection layer (10), optically effective structures (5; 6) of a security feature (30) being molded into the impression layer (4), characterized in that the security feature (30) has at least one surface ( 31) having ^'an arched in partial regions specular macrostructure (35) and / or at least in a first and in a second partial area (32; is located 33), wherein the first partial surface (32) covered with a first structure (5) and an achromatic second structure (6) is molded into the second partial surface (33) and that the optically effective structures

(5; 6; 35) of the security feature (30) for deflecting parallel incident light (1 1) within a predetermined angular range (ε) of 14 ° around the direction of the mirror reflex and the security feature (30) is a visually visible, but contains information that cannot be photocopied.

2. Security element (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first structure (5) provided in the first partial surface (32) is a smooth, flat mirror surface parallel to the surface of the layer composite (1), which the incident light (11) deflects in the direction of the reflex as mirrored light (13).

3. Security element (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first structure (5) provided in the first partial surface (32) is a diffraction grating which acts as a parallel mirror to the surface of the layer composite (1) and which has an arbitrary profile and has a spatial frequency (f) greater than 2400 lines / mm.

4. Security element (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first structure (5) provided in the first partial surface (32) differs from the second structure (6) by the excellent direction (39), and in that the two are distinguished Directions (39) in azimuth an angle in the range of 25 ° to 155 ° for the symmetrical

Include lattice structure or in the range of 25 ° to 180 ° for the asymmetrical lattice structure.

5. Security element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in the reflection layer (10) of the second partial surface (33) as an achromatic second structure (6) a sawtooth-shaped lattice structure is molded, and that the sawtooth-shaped lattice structure Spatial frequency (F) of at most 300 lines / mm and an excellent direction (39) and the blaze angle, the local inclination (γ) of the lattice structure to the plane of the layer composite (1) is at most ± 7 °.

6. Security element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the reflection layer (10) of the second partial surface (33) as a achromatic second structure (6) a weakly scattering matt structure or a kinoform is molded, and that Matt structure or the

Kinoform scatters the incident light (11) into a narrow scattering cone around the direction of the specular reflex within the predetermined angular range (ε).

7. Security element (2) according to claim 5, characterized in that a plurality of second partial surfaces (33) with achromatic lattice structures is arranged on the first partial surface (32) with a reflective first structures (5) and the visually visible, but not copyable Form information and that the second partial surfaces (33) differ only in the local inclination (γ) and / or in the excellent direction (39) of the achromatic lattice structures.

8. Security element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the first partial surface (32) has a common boundary with the second partial surface (33).

9. Security element (2) according to claim 8, characterized in that a plurality of the second partial surfaces (33) with the achromatic second structures (6) is arranged on the first partial surface (32) with the first structure (5) and the visually visible , but form information that cannot be copied.

10. Security element (2) according to claim 8, characterized in that a plurality of the first partial surfaces (32) with the first structures (5) on the second partial surface (33) with the achromatic second structure (6) is arranged and the visual form visible but not copyable information.

11. Security element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the reflection layer (10) is a multilayer interference layer made of dielectric and metallic layers, the layer transparent to the light of the impression layer (4) and the opaque metal layer Protective layer (7) is facing.

12. Security element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the reflection layer (10) is a layer of aluminum.

13. Security element (2) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the security feature (30) of a mosaic-like arrangement is surrounded by surface elements (29) with other structures having an optical diffraction effect, and that the mosaic-like arrangement forms an optically variable surface pattern (28).

14. Security element (2) according to claim 13, characterized in that at least one linear surface element (29) of the surface pattern (28) extends as a band (38) over the security feature (30).

15. Security element (2) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first structure provided in the first partial surface is an achromatic structure which is optically distinguishable from the achromatic second structure for the human eye.