Security device with multiple authentication features

Abstract

A security device comprising the following components: a) 30-80 wt % mono-functional LCP's, b) 0-50 wt % higher functional LCP's, preferably below 50 wt % c) 0-30 wt % liquid crystalline inert monomers, preferably below 20 wt % d) 0-50 wt % non-liquid crystalline (mono- or higher) functionalized monomers, preferably below 30 wt % e) 0-30 wt % non-liquid crystalline inert monomers, preferably below 20 wt % f) 0.01-10 wt % initiators, preferably below 2 wt % g) 0.-10 wt % inhibitors, preferably below 2 wt % h) 0.01-50 wt % additives, preferably below 20%, more preferably below 10 wt %, with the provisions that the total amount of the components is 100 wt %, characterized in that the additives h) comprise magnetic additives, such as paramagnetic, super-paramagnetic, diamagnetic or ferri-magnetic particles

1 . A security device comprising the following components:
 (a) 30-80 wt % mono-functional LCP's   (b) 0-50 wt % higher functional LCP's, preferably below 50 wt %   (c) 0-30 wt % liquid crystalline inert monomers, preferably below 20 wt %   (d) 0-50 wt % non-liquid crystalline (mono- or higher) functionalized monomers, preferably below 30 wt %   (e) 0-30 wt % non-liquid crystalline inert monomers, preferably below 20 wt %   (f) 0.01-10 wt % initiators, preferably below 2 wt %   (g) 0-10 wt % inhibitors, preferably below 2 wt %   (h) 0.01-50 wt % additives, preferably below 20%, more preferably below 10 wt %,   
       with the provisions that the total amount of the components is 100 wt %, characterized in that the additives h) comprise magnetic additives, such as paramagnetic, super-paramagnetic, diamagnetic or ferri-magnetic particles. 
     
     
         2 . The security device according  claim 1  characterized in that the additives h) comprise additionally or only conductive or semi-conductive additives. 
     
     
         3 . The security device according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the conductive or semi-conductive additives are selected from a group comprising nanometer or micrometer sized rods, flakes, spheres or otherwise suitably shaped conductive particles of metals, alloys or semiconductor-based materials. 
     
     
         4 . The security device according to  claim 3  characterized in that the conductive or semi-conductive additives are selected from a group comprising
 semi-conductive conjugated polymers, such as polyphenylene vinylene   semi-conductive liquid crystals, such as oligothiophenes, which are preferably LCP's.   
     
     
         5 . The security device according to  claim 1  characterized in that the additives h) comprise additionally or only photochromic pigments or dyes, thermochromic pigments or dyes, electrochromic pigments or dyes, ionochromic pigments or dyes, halochromic pigments or dyes, solvatochromic pigments or dyes, trobochromic pigments or dyes and piezochromic pigments or dyes. 
     
     
         6 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the components are applied to a substrate by means of printing, such as but not limited to inkjet printing, flexography, offset printing, screen printing, micro-contact printing, micro-transfer printing, gravure printing, rotogravure printing, reel-to-reel printing. 
     
     
         7 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the components are aligned by a substrate layer comprising linearly photo-polymerizable polymers. 
     
     
         8 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the component are aligned by multiple types of alignment through the combination of multiple aligning substrates. 
     
     
         9 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the substrates contain further authentication features, such as holograms, retro-reflecting layers, interference stack reflectors, fluorescent layers, color-shifting layers or features printed by means of flakes. 
     
     
         10 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the components from e) through f) are selected such that they do not prohibit the alignment of the liquid crystals from components a) through d). 
     
     
         11 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the components from a), b) and d) are functionalized to form a polymer structure, preferably due to possessing compatible types of functional groups, very preferable by possessing the same type of functional group. 
     
     
         12 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the components a) through h) are selected such that phase-separation is suppressed at least only before polymerization but preferably also during polymerization. 
     
     
         13 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the device contains information such as e.g. text, numbers, a barcode, or an image. 
     
     
         14 . The security device according to  claim 1 , characterized that the additives are in a pattern so that they contain additional, optionally hidden, information such as e.g., text, numbers, a barcode or an image.