Abstract: A discrimination medium cannot be easily falsified. Since the visibility of the discrimination medium is unique, the discrimination medium is superior in determination of the authenticity. The discrimination medium is structured such that a cholesteric liquid crystal layer 106 and a multilayer film 103 having plural light transparent films which are laminated and are different from each other in refraction index are laminated. The reflection light reflected by the discrimination medium includes circular polarization lights which are different in polarization direction, and the discrimination medium has unique optical characteristics. A discrimination method using the above unique optical characteristics, an article to be discriminated by the discrimination medium, and a discrimination apparatus using the above unique optical characteristics are provided.

Abstract: A thermosensitive ink layer 102 is composed of a thermochromic material which changes from black to a transparent state and is formed on a substrate 101 made from a PET film by heating. A cholesteric liquid crystal layer 103 on which a hologram 105 of an appropriate form is formed on the cholesteric liquid crystal layer is mounted thereon. At ordinary temperature, the thermosensitive ink layer 102 exhibits a property of light absorption and a property of selective reflection and a color shifting of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 103 are observed. The thermosensitive ink layer 102 becomes transparent by heating and the figure 104 on the substrate 101 is also visible. The determination of the authenticity thereof is performed by utilizing the change of view. Therefore, the anticounterfeiting effects are superior to those of the discrimination techniques using conventional techniques, and this enables articles to be distinguished easily and reliably.

Abstract: An identifying medium comprises an optical functional layer that is optically identifiable and comprises a layer containing microcapsules. The microcapsule contains a material that occurs color change by breaking the microcapsule.

Abstract: A discrimination medium on which printing can be freely performed, which cannot be easily falsified, in which the authenticity can be easily discriminated by unique appearance, and which can be produced at low cost, is provided. A cholesteric liquid crystal layer 10, and a breakable print recording layer are laminated in the discrimination medium. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer 10 has plural light transparent films, which are laminated and are different from each other in refraction index. Therefore, the discrimination medium has unique optical characteristics such that a character, a symbol, a pattern, a figure formed by printing by a thermal printer or the like changes in color depending on the viewing angle. A discrimination method using the above optical characteristics of the discrimination medium is provided.

Abstract: Provided is a multilayer reflector about which a complicated step is not required when the molecular alignment of a retardation film is partially relaxed to form a latent image of authentication information, and about which the latent image is not made visible by the generation of unevenness in the surface. A multilayer reflector 1 has a retardation film 10 in which the phase difference ?nd1 to an observation wavelength ? is set to be m×?/4???/16??nd1?m×?/4+?/16 wherein m is a positive odd number, and a metallic reflector 11 laminated on the rear face side of this retardation film 10, wherein an authentication region 10a where predetermined authentication information is beforehand formed in the retardation film 10 is formed to give a phase difference ?nd2 set to be n×?/4??/8??nd2?n×?/4+?/8 wherein n is 0 or a positive even number provided that n<m, and further a light diffusing layer 12 is formed on the front face side of the retardation film 10.

Abstract: An identification medium is to be observed via a linearly polarizing filter and includes a first liquid crystal layer that changes the wavelength of light according to the rotational angle of the linearly polarizing filter, a cholesteric liquid crystal layer, and a light absorbing layer that is provided below the cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: A transparent plastic container which is transparent, allows good design and can be used for an anticounterfeit system that determines authenticity by visual check with the use of polarization property. A transparent plastic sheet of a polystyrene-based resin having a total light transmission of 85% or higher and a haze of 7% or less is subjected to vacuum, pneumatic or vacuum/pneumatic forming at a sheet temperature ranging from a glass transition temperature plus 50 degrees C. to a glass transition temperature plus 130 degrees C., thereby obtaining a transparent plastic container having a planar portion with a strain amount of 150 nm or less.

Abstract: An identifying medium comprises an optical functional layer that is optically identifiable and comprises a layer containing microcapsules. The microcapsule contains a material that occurs color change by breaking the microcapsule.

Abstract: An identifying medium comprises a nematic liquid crystal layer for forming a latent image with gradation, and the nematic liquid crystal layer has a thickness distribution corresponding to the gradation.

Abstract: A discrimination medium for objects by which counterfeiting can be prevented, authenticity of the article can be easily and reliably determined, and the production cost can be reduced is provided. In the discrimination medium, the support body 31 and the pattern 20 appear to be the same color when viewed from a specific angle (for instance, viewing from the front). On the other hand, when the viewing angle is increased, the color of the pattern 20 composed of a multilayer thin film changes by color shift, whereby the pattern 20 becomes a color different from the support body 31.

Abstract: An identification medium provided with a laminated structure comprises laminated layers of a magnetically controllable layer, in which magnetic microcapsules are dispersed, and a color shifting layer.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a discrimination medium which has high discrimination ability, and which is more difficult to counterfeit than conventional discrimination mediums. A discrimination medium comprises: a cholesteric liquid crystal layer; and a liquid crystal layer acting as a half-wave plate and provided on the cholesteric liquid crystal layer in a predetermined pattern.

Abstract: A discrimination medium 10a includes a first double layered body 101 having a right-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 11 and a left-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 12 which are stacked. The right-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 11 reflects a specific right-handed circular polarization light, and the left-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 12 reflects a specific left-handed circular polarization light. The discrimination medium 10a is applied to the article 30, and is viewed via a simple determination tool 20 having a filter 21 allowing only right-handed circular polarization light to pass therethough and a filter 22 allowing only left-handed circular polarization light to pass therethough.

Abstract: A breakable seal can be discriminated more easily than the conventional one. The discrimination medium 100 has a cholesteric liquid crystal layer 104, a substrate layer 105, an adhesive layer 102, and a partial peeling layer 103. The discrimination medium 100 has an adhesion strength XA between the adhesive layer 102 and the partial peeling layer 103, an adhesion strength XB between the partial peeling layer 103 and the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 104, and an adhesion strength XC between the cholesteric liquid crystal layer 104 and the substrate layer 105. The relationships XA<XB and XA<XC are satisfied at areas 106, 108, and 110. The relationships XC<XA and XC<XB are satisfied at areas 107 and 109. In the above manner, when the discrimination medium 100 is peeled from the article 101, the discrimination medium 100 is separated into a discrimination medium 116 and a discrimination medium 117.

Abstract: An identification medium 101 has a stacked structure comprising a fabric 102, an ordinary printed layer 103 of an ordinary black ink, and an identification layer 104 of an ink including cholesteric liquid crystals. A predetermined printed character is formed by the identification layer 104, whereby a print display utilizing optical characteristics of cholesteric liquid crystals is formed. The ordinary printed layer 103 functions as a flattening layer to smooth the asperity of the fabric 102, whereby optical characteristics of the identification layer 104 is effectively performed. Thus, the identification medium 101 is comprised of the fabric 102 as a substrate, whereby the design of articles such as garments and accessories is not spoiled and discomfort is not caused.

Abstract: An identification medium 100 comprises an adhesive layer 102, an ink displaying layer 103, a cholesteric liquid crystal layer 106 including a hologram 107, and a transparent protective layer 108. The ink displaying layer 103 comprises a printed layer 104 formed by printing with an ink which includes cholesteric liquid crystals, and a printed layer 105 formed by an ordinary ink. When the printed layer 104 and the printed layer 105 are observed from the front side, the printed layer 104 and the printed layer 105 are formed so as to have the same color. Thus, when the identification medium is tilted, a visual effect is produced in which a figure formed by the printed layer 105 appears.

Abstract: A thermal ink layer (102) formed by a thermochromic material changing from a black color to a transparent state when heated is arranged on a base (101) which is a PET film. A cholesteric liquid crystal layer (103) in which an appropriate pattern of hologram (105) is formed is arranged on the thermal ink layer (102). At room temperature, the thermal ink layer (102) exhibits the light absorption characteristic and the selective reflection characteristic and it is possible to observe the color shift characteristic of the cholesteric liquid crystal layer (103). When heated, the thermal ink layer (102) becomes transparent and the pattern (104) on the base (101) is further observed in the superimposed state. By utilizing the change of the view, it is possible to authenticate a commodity. This realizes a higher level for preventing forgery than the conventional discrimination technique and enables a user to easily and surely judge whether a commodity is a forged one.

Abstract: A discrimination medium 10a includes a first double layered body 101 having a right-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 11 and a left-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 12 which are stacked. The right-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 11 reflects a specific right-handed circular polarization light, and the left-handed circular polarization polymer cholesteric liquid crystal layer 12 reflects a specific left-handed circular polarization light. The discrimination medium 10a is applied to the article 30, and is viewed via a simple determination tool 20 having a filter 21 allowing only right-handed circular polarization light to pass therethough and a filter 22 allowing only left-handed circular polarization light to pass therethough.

Abstract: A discrimination medium on which printing can be freely performed, which cannot be easily falsified, in which the authenticity can be easily discriminated by unique appearance, and which can be produced at low cost, is provided. A cholesteric liquid crystal layer 10 or a multilayer film 5, and a breakable print recording layer are laminated in the discrimination medium. The multilayer film 5 has plural light transparent films which are laminated and are different from each other in refraction index. Therefore, the discrimination medium has unique optical characteristics such that a character, a symbol, a pattern, a figure formed by printing by a thermal printer or the like changes in color depending on the viewing angle. A discrimination method using the above optical characteristics of the discrimination medium is provided.

Abstract: The present invention provides a discrimination medium A for discriminating the authenticity of an article by providing an optically discriminating mark on the article. A film 20 having a light reflecting layer of a polymer cholesteric liquid crystal having a circular polarization light selectivity for reflecting a specific circular polarization light is fixed to a part of the surface of a support 10. A printed portion is made by printing on the portions other than the film 20 of the support 10 in substantially the same color as that shown when the film 20 is viewed from the front. The discrimination medium A appears to be red at the support 10 and the film 20 when viewed from the front (although the film has a metallic luster), but at a larger viewing angle, the film 20 changes to blue by the blue-shift of the polymer cholesteric liquid crystal so as to exhibit a color different from that of the support 10.