Security Paper and a Method for the Production Thereof
The invention relates to a security paper for manufacturing security or value documents, such as banknotes, identification cards and the like, having at least two through openings (12, 16). According to the present invention, a first (12) of the through openings is produced during paper manufacture and exhibits characteristic irregularities in the edge region (14), while a second (16) of the through openings is produced after paper manufacture, by cutting or punching, having a sharply delimited edge region (18).
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The present invention relates to a security paper for manufacturing security or value documents, such as banknotes, identification cards and the like.
For protection, security papers or value documents are often equipped with various authenticity features that permit the authenticity of the security paper or value document to be verified, and that simultaneously serve as protection against unauthorized reproduction.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “security paper” refers to the unprinted paper that is typically present in quasi-endless form and is further processed at a later time. The term “value document” refers to a document that is finished for its intended use. For the purposes of the present invention, value documents are especially banknotes, stocks, bonds, certificates, vouchers, checks, valuable admission tickets and other papers that are at risk of counterfeiting, such as passports and other identification documents, as well as product protection elements, such as labels, seals, packaging and the like. In the following, the simplified designation “security paper” or “value document” includes all such documents and product protection means.
Publication WO 95/10420 describes a value document in which, after its manufacture, a through opening is punched that is subsequently closed on one side with a cover foil that overlaps the opening all around. The cover foil is transparent at least in a subregion so that, when an attempt is made to copy the value document, the background shows through and is rendered by the copier accordingly. In this way, counterfeits can easily be recognized. However, the opening produced by punching can likewise be produced by a counterfeiter. Although the color copy of a genuine value document no longer exhibits the transparent region, similar to the genuine value document, this region can be subsequently punched out and again closed with a suitable cover foil. Such counterfeits are difficult to recognize.
To remedy this, it is recommended in publication WO 03/054297 to produce a through opening already during paper manufacture. Such an opening produced at sheet formation exhibits, in the edge region, characteristic irregularities that are not subsequently manufacturable in the finished paper. The irregularities reveal themselves especially through the lack of a sharp cut edge or through irregular accretion of fibers in the edge region and through individual fibers that protrude into the opening. Such produced openings have a similarly high security value as a watermark produced at paper manufacture or a security thread embedded at paper manufacture.
However, such openings produced at paper manufacture often vary in their quality and are not easy to manufacture reproducibly. To some extent there is also the danger that fiber bundles partially close the opening.
Based on that, the object of the present invention is to create a security paper that avoids the disadvantages of the background art. In particular, the security paper is intended to combine the high counterfeit security of the openings produced at paper manufacture with high reproducibility at manufacture and good perceptibility of the authenticity features formed by the openings.
This object is solved by the features of the independent claims. Developments of the present invention are the subject of the dependent claims.
In a first aspect of the present invention, a generic security paper includes at least two through openings, a first of the through openings being produced during paper manufacture and exhibiting characteristic irregularities in the edge region, and a second of the through openings being produced after paper manufacture, by cutting or punching, having a sharply delimited edge region.
Here, the contour shapes of the first and the second through opening are preferably associated in meaning. In particular, it can be provided that the contour shapes of the first and the second through opening constitute related or complementary information, such as an image motif, characters or a code.
In a preferred embodiment, the second, sharply delimited opening is produced by laser cutting. Here, the sharply delimited edge surfaces of the second opening can run parallel and vertical to the paper surface. In contrast, in other embodiments, the second opening is formed having edge surfaces that are tilted against the surface normal. This can be achieved for example at laser cutting through a suitable selection of the beam divergence and the beam tilt relative to the paper surface. In particular, beam divergence and beam tilt to the paper surface can be set such that the second opening is produced having edge surfaces that are tilted differently against the surface normal. Tapered edges lead to a softer transition between a cover foil disposed over the openings and the paper substrate, and thus to, among other things, a lower susceptibility to dirt.
Moreover, differently tilted edge surfaces offer advantages in a duplex lamination of the opening with foils, and minimize especially the potential problem with air entrapment in duplex lamination. Furthermore, the openings having tilted edge surfaces exhibit an additional optical effect compared with vertical edge surfaces, since they appear to be of different sizes depending on the viewing direction.
In an advantageous development of the present invention, the security paper exhibits a predefined paper thickness and a thin site having reduced paper thickness, at least the second through opening being introduced in the region of the thin site. The thin site can especially comprise a watermark.
The two openings are expediently closed on at least one side of the security paper with a foil element. In some designs, the openings are even closed on both sides with a foil. Here, potential problems with air entrapment can be minimized through the above-mentioned tilted edges.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a generic security paper includes at least one through opening, the edge surface of the through opening exhibiting first, sharply delimited subregions and second subregions having characteristic irregularities. First and second subregions preferably alternate along the contour line of the opening. In particular, it can be provided that first and second subregions alternate in irregular sequence along the contour line of the opening.
In one embodiment, first and second subregions each extend through the entire paper thickness. It can also be provided that first and second subregions follow one another in succession in one direction along the thickness of the security paper and complement each other to form the through opening. For example, in one edge section, sharply delimited subregions can extend through 90% of the paper thickness, while the edge surface for the remaining 10% of the paper thickness is irregular. Such edge sections can also be combined with other edge sections in which first or second subregions extend completely through the entire paper thickness.
Such a sequence of first and second subregions along the thickness of the security paper can be produced for example in that, during paper manufacture, a through opening having characteristic irregularities is produced in the edge region and, after paper manufacture, the edge region of the opening thus produced is modified by cutting or punching and, in this way, is sharply delimited at least in subregions. The modification is preferably produced by laser cutting, the above-mentioned possibilities for the tilt of the edge surfaces existing here, too.
The sequence of first and second subregions along the thickness of the security paper can also be produced, for example, in that a piece of paper having the desired shape of the opening is defined with interrupted, sharply delimited cutting lines in the security paper, and the piece of paper thus defined is then torn out of the security paper, especially blown out or pulled out. The piece of paper is preferably defined by laser cutting, the above-mentioned possibilities for the tilt of the edge surfaces again existing.
A further possibility to produce the sequence of first and second subregions consists in that a sharply delimited thin site having the shape of the desired opening is produced in the security paper, and in that the piece of paper formed in the region of the thin site by the residual paper thickness is torn out of the security paper, especially blown out or pulled out. Also, in a preferred method, the sharply delimited thin site is produced by laser cutting, if desired, having tilted edge surfaces, as explained above.
In an expedient embodiment, the security paper exhibits a predefined paper thickness and a thin site having reduced paper thickness, for example a watermark, the through opening being introduced in the region of the thin site.
The through opening is expediently closed on one or even on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
In a further aspect of the present invention, a generic security paper includes at least one through opening, produced during paper manufacture, that exhibits characteristic irregularities in the edge region. The through opening is combined with an engraving, produced by laser etching, that complements the opening to form a projection representation. Preferably, the through opening is closed on one or even on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, a generic security paper includes an embedded foil element that is visible in subregions through window regions manufactured with papermaking technology. The security paper further exhibits, in the region of the foil element, an opening produced after paper manufacture, by cutting or punching, having a sharply delimited edge region.
In an advantageous embodiment, the sharply delimited opening is disposed over and/or immediately next to the foil element. Preferably, the sharply delimited opening is formed to be continuous, with the exception of a potential overlap region with the foil element.
According to a preferred embodiment, the window regions are disposed on a first main surface of the security paper, while the sharply delimited opening extends from the opposing main surface of the security paper to the foil element.
In all embodiments, the foil element can constitute a security element, especially a security thread or a security band.
The sharply delimited opening is advantageously produced by laser cutting. Here, the edge surfaces of the opening can be tilted, as explained above. In an expedient embodiment, the security paper exhibits a predefined paper thickness and a thin site having reduced paper thickness, for example a watermark, the sharply delimited opening being introduced in the region of the thin site. The sharply delimited opening is expediently closed on one or even on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
The present invention also includes a value document, such as a banknote, an identification card and the like, having a security paper of the kind described. The security paper or value document according to the present invention can be used for securing goods of any kind against counterfeiting.
Further exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present invention are explained below by reference to the drawings, in which a depiction to scale and proportion was omitted in order to improve their clarity.
Shown are:
The invention will now be explained in greater detail using a banknote as an example. For this,
The second through opening 16 was produced only after paper manufacture by laser cutting or with the aid of a punching tool and exhibits a sharply delimited edge region 18. The two through openings 12 and 16 show the same information twice, spatially separated from each other, in each case an isosceles triangle in the exemplary embodiment in
Even if the information depicted by the first opening 12 should not be immediately perceptible due to its irregular edge region 14, due to the second opening 16 formed having clear contours, the viewer can establish the relationship of the two shapes and perceive the information with no doubt. Due to the presentation of the information twice in different attire, the attention and the regard of the viewer is guided particularly to the difference in the two openings. The high counterfeit security of the irregularly edged opening 12 is thus combined with the clear perceptibility of the sharply edged opening 16.
The section in
Preferably, the depicted motif is matched to the different edge characteristics of the two openings. For illustration,
The exemplary embodiment in
An associated meaning of the two opening types can also result in that the irregularly edged opening is modified by the sharply edged opening, as will now be explained with reference to
After laser cutting, a single, continuous and through opening 56 results that, due to the two-phase manufacture, exhibits, as shown in
In the exemplary embodiment in
A sequence of regular and irregular edge regions can also be achieved without involvement of an opening already produced at paper manufacture. For example, with the aid of a laser, the desired shape of a through opening 82 can be cut out of a security paper 80 in such a way that the cutting lines 84 do not form a continuous cut curvature, but rather are interrupted by uncut sub-pieces 86, as shown in
The cut-out shape can subsequently be, for example, blown out with an air jet or pulled out by means of vacuum. As illustrated in section 85, depicted in detail in
In the further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in
When viewed in reflected light, the engraving lines 94 are practically imperceptible, the areal shape of the opening 92 determines the appearance there. If, in contrast, the security paper is viewed in transmitted light, due to the smaller paper thickness, the engraving lines 94 stand out clearly and complement the areal opening 92 to form a three-dimensional projection representation. In this way, the combination of the irregular opening 92 with the engraving lines 94 leads to an optically conspicuous interplay between the 2D and 3D depiction.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, which will now be described with reference to
At paper manufacture, a nonwoven material now forms on both sides of the foil. In addition, for example with the aid of electrotypes, on the bottom 104 of the foil strip is left uncovered a window 110 in which the foil element becomes visible. On the bottom 104 that is contiguously coated with heat seal coating 107, the nonwoven material is set, except for the uncovered window 110, in the drying section. On the opposing front 106, in contrast, only the edge regions 108 prepared with heat seal coating are set in the drying section.
Subsequently, with a laser, a shape 112 is cut out above the uncovered window 110 of the opposite side 104, as is best perceived in the cross-sectional diagram in
Here, the laser parameters are chosen such that only the paper is cut, but not the foil strip 110. This can be achieved in that, for example, the laser cutting is carried out with a laser wavelength for which the foil strip 102 is transparent and non-absorbent.
The cut-out shape 112 can then be removed with a suction apparatus since, due to the lack of heat seal coating on the front 106 and the non-stick foil surface, no connection has been created between the cut-out piece of paper and the foil.
Another exemplary embodiment having a foil element will now be explained with reference to
Further, in the region of the window 124 in the front of the security paper 120, a sharply edged opening 126 that extends beyond the security thread 122 is introduced into the paper substrate with a laser. For this, the laser parameters are chosen such that, although the paper substrate 120 is cut by the laser, the security thread 122 is not. In the region of the opening 126, the security thread 122 is then perceptible from both sides, as shown in
In the alternative design shown in
Unlike in
Further exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be explained with reference to
The piece of paper 144 remaining after the laser treatment is then removed by blowing or suctioning it out. Since it is only a very thin paper ply, the piece of paper 144 tears out at the edges and, in this way, produces an irregular subregion 148 in the edge surface of the now through opening 145, as depicted in the cross-sectional diagram in
As an exemplary combination of laser-produced openings with thin sites in the paper substrate (
This remaining piece of paper 154 is torn out by blowing or suctioning such that, at the bottom of the paper substrate 150, an irregular edge surface 158 is produced, as depicted in
Overall, along a direction extending through the paper thickness, the edge surface of the opening 160 exhibits, in succession, a sharply delimited subregion 156 and a characteristically irregularly shaped subregion 158. Here, too, when viewed from opposing sides of the security paper, the through opening 160 appears having different impressions, depending on whether the sharply delimited edge region 156 or the irregular edge region 158 adjoins the paper surface.
In the embodiments described, the sharply edged opening can also be produced by a punching tool rather than with a laser. It is also not necessary that the edge surfaces of the laser-cut openings run parallel and vertical to the paper surface, as shown in the figures for the sake of simpler illustration. Rather, it can be advantageous to set the laser source and/or the paper at an angle when cutting, so that “tapered” edges are produced.
For this,
Furthermore, the design in
As a further advantage, the openings in
Claims
1. A security paper for manufacturing security or value documents, such as banknotes, identification cards and the like, having at least two through openings, characterized in that a first of the through openings is produced during paper manufacture and exhibits characteristic irregularities in an edge region, and a second of the through openings is produced after paper manufacture, by cutting or punching, having a sharply delimited edge region, the contour shapes of the first and the second through opening being associated in meaning.
2. The security paper according to claim 1, characterized in that the contour shapes of the first and the second through opening constitute related or complementary information.
3. The security paper according to claim 2, characterized in that the information constitutes an image motif, characters or a code.
4. The security paper according to claim 1, characterized in that the second opening is produced by laser cutting.
5. The security paper according to claim 1, characterized in that the security paper exhibits a predefined paper thickness and a thin site having reduced paper thickness, the second through opening being introduced in the region of the thin site.
6. The security paper according to claim 5, characterized in that the thin site comprises a watermark.
7. The security paper according to claim 1, characterized in that the second opening is formed having edge surfaces that are tilted against the surface normal.
8. The security paper according to claim 7, characterized in that the second opening exhibits edge surfaces of varying tilt against the surface normal.
9. The security paper according to claim 1, characterized in that the two openings are closed on one side of the security paper with a foil element.
10. The security paper according to claim 1, characterized in that the two openings are closed on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
11. A security paper for manufacturing security or value documents, such as banknotes, identification cards and the like, having at least one through opening, characterized in that the edge surface of the through opening exhibits first, sharply delimited subregions and second subregions having characteristic irregularities.
12. The security paper according to claim 11, characterized in that first and second subregions alternate along the contour line of the opening.
13. The security paper according to claim 12, characterized in that first and second subregions alternate along the contour line of the opening in irregular sequence.
14. The security paper according to claim 11, characterized in that first and second subregions each extend through the entire paper thickness.
15. The security paper according to claim 11, characterized in that first and second subregions succeed one another in one direction along the thickness of the security paper and complement each other to form the through opening.
16. The security paper according to claim 11, characterized in that the security paper exhibits a predefined paper thickness and a thin site having reduced paper thickness, the through opening being introduced in the region of the thin site.
17. The security paper according to claim 16, characterized in that the thin site comprises a watermark.
18. The security paper according to claim 11, characterized in that the first subregions are produced by laser cutting.
19. The security paper according to claim 11, characterized in that the first subregions are formed having edge surfaces that are tilted against the surface normal.
20. The security paper according to claim 19, characterized in that the first subregions exhibit edge surfaces of varying tilt against the surface normal.
21. The security paper according to claim 11, characterized in that the through opening is closed on one or on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
22. A security paper for manufacturing security or value documents, such as banknotes, identification cards and the like, having at least one through opening, produced during paper manufacture, that exhibits characteristic irregularities in the edge region, characterized in that the through opening is combined with an engraving that is produced by laser etching and that complements the opening to form a projection representation.
23. The security paper according to claim 22, characterized in that the through opening is closed on one or on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
24. A security paper for manufacturing security or value documents, such as banknotes, identification cards and the like, having an embedded foil element that is visible in subregions through window regions manufactured with papermaking technology, characterized in that the security paper exhibits, in the region of the foil element, an opening that is produced after paper manufacture, by cutting or punching, having a sharply delimited edge region, and that is disposed immediately next to the window regions manufactured with papermaking technology.
25. The security paper according to claim 24, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is disposed over and/or immediately next to the foil element.
26. The security paper according to claim 24, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is continuous, with the exception of a potential overlap region with the foil element.
27. The security paper according to claim 24, characterized in that the window regions are disposed on a first main surface of the security paper and the sharply delimited opening extends from the opposing main surface of the security paper to the foil element.
28. The security paper according to claim 24, characterized in that the foil element constitutes a security element, especially a security thread or a security band.
29. The security paper according to claim 24, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is produced by laser cutting.
30. The security paper according to claim 24, characterized in that the security paper exhibits a predefined paper thickness and a thin site having reduced paper thickness, the sharply delimited opening being introduced in the region of the thin site.
31. The security paper according to claim 30, characterized in that the thin site comprises a watermark.
32. The security paper according to claim 24, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is formed having edge surfaces that are tilted against the surface normal.
33. The security paper according to claim 32, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening exhibits edge surfaces of varying tilt against the surface normal.
34. The security paper according to claim 24, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is closed on one or on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
35. A method for manufacturing a security paper having at least two through openings, especially according to claim 1, in which
- during paper manufacture, a first through opening having characteristic irregularities is produced in the edge region, and
- after paper manufacture, a second through opening having a sharply delimited edge region is produced by cutting or punching,
- the first and second through opening being formed such that their contour shapes are associated in meaning.
36. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that a thin site having reduced paper thickness is formed in the security paper, and in that the second through opening is produced in the region of the thin site.
37. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that the second opening is produced by laser cutting.
38. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that the beam divergence and the beam tilt to the paper surface are set such that the second opening is produced having edge surfaces that are tilted against the surface normal.
39. The method according to claim 37, characterized in that the beam divergence and beam tilt to the paper surface are set such that the second opening is produced having edge surfaces that are tilted differently against the surface normal.
40. The method according to claim 35, characterized in that the two openings are closed on one or on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
41. A method for manufacturing a security paper having at least one through opening, especially according to claim 11, in which the through opening is produced having an edge surface that exhibits first, sharply delimited subregions and second subregions having characteristic irregularities.
42. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that
- during paper manufacture, a through opening having characteristic irregularities is produced in the edge region, and
- after paper manufacture, the edge region of the produced opening is modified by cutting or punching and, in this way, is sharply delimited at least in subregions.
43. The method according to claim 42, characterized in that the modification is produced by laser cutting.
44. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that
- a piece of paper having the desired shape of the opening is defined with interrupted, sharply delimited cutting lines in the security paper, and
- the piece of paper is torn out of the security paper, especially blown out or pulled out.
45. The method according to claim 44, characterized in that the piece of paper is defined by laser cutting.
46. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that
- a sharply delimited thin site having the shape of the desired opening is produced in the security paper, and
- the piece of paper formed in the region of the thin site by the remaining paper thickness is torn out of the security paper, especially blown out or pulled out.
47. The method according to claim 46, characterized in that the sharply delimited thin site is produced by laser cutting.
48. The method according to claim 46, characterized in that the sharply delimited thin site is produced in the region of a thin site produced with papermaking technology, such as a watermark.
49. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that the beam divergence and beam tilt to the paper surface are set such that the modification, cutting line or thin site is produced having edge surfaces that are tilted against the surface normal.
50. The method according to claim 43, characterized in that the beam divergence and beam tilt to the paper surface are set such that the modification, cutting line or thin site is produced having edge surfaces that are tilted differently against the surface normal.
51. The method according to claim 41, characterized in that the through opening is closed on one or on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
52. A method for manufacturing a security paper having at least one through opening, especially according to claim 22, in which
- during paper manufacture, a through opening having characteristic irregularities is produced in the edge region, and
- into the security paper is introduced, by laser etching, an engraving that complements the through opening to form a projection representation.
53. A method for manufacturing a security paper having an embedded foil element, especially according to claim 24, in which
- during paper manufacture, a foil element is embedded in the security paper,
- window regions are produced in which the foil element becomes visible, and
- after paper manufacture, an opening having a sharply delimited edge region is produced in the region of the foil element over and/or immediately next to the window regions by cutting or punching.
54. The method according to claim 53, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is produced by laser cutting.
55. The method according to claim 53, characterized in that a through, sharply delimited opening is produced immediately next to the foil element.
56. The method according to claim 54, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening overlaps the foil element, the laser parameters being set such that the laser cuts only the paper substrate, but not the foil element.
57. The method according to claim 53, characterized in that, on a first main surface, prior to embedment, the foil element is coated contiguously with heat seal coating, and on a second, opposing main surface, is prepared with heat seal coating only at the foil edge, so that the middle region of the foil element remains uncoated.
58. The method according to claim 57, characterized in that the window regions are produced on the contiguously coated main surface.
59. The method according to claim 57, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is produced in the middle region of the main surface that is coated only at the edge.
60. The method according to claim 57, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is produced by laser cutting.
61. The method according to claim 60, characterized in that the beam divergence and beam tilt to the paper surface are set such that the sharply delimited opening is produced having edge surfaces that are tilted against the surface normal.
62. The method according to claim 60, characterized in that the beam divergence and beam tilt to the paper surface are set such that the sharply delimited opening is produced having edge surfaces that are tilted differently against the surface normal.
63. The method according to claim 53, characterized in that the sharply delimited opening is closed on one or on both sides of the security paper with a foil element.
64. A use of a security paper according to claim 1 for securing goods of any kind against counterfeiting.
65. A value document, such as a banknote, identification card and the like, having a security paper according to claim 1.
Type: Application
Filed: May 3, 2006
Publication Date: Sep 11, 2008
Applicant: GIESECKE & DEVERIENT GMBH (Munich)
Inventors: Jurgen Ruck (Schliersee), Manfred Heim (Munchen), Andreas Pretsch (Holzkirchen)
Application Number: 11/913,658
International Classification: D21H 27/22 (20060101);