USRE42188EExpiredUtility

Security articles

Assignee: HONEYWELL INT INCPriority: Feb 21, 2001Filed: Sep 10, 2008Granted: Mar 1, 2011

Est. expiryFeb 21, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:Thomas Tam Alfred Siggel Samir Abdalla Jiunn-Yow Chen Thomas Potrawa Huy X. Nguyen Sheldon Kavesh Alexander Lobovsky

D01F 1/04D21H 21/48Y10T428/2976D01D 5/253Y10S428/913D01F 8/04Y10T428/2982Y10T428/298Y10T428/24802Y10T428/2973Y10T428/2931B42D 25/355Y10T428/2929

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Claims

Abstract

This invention provides security articles comprising fibers, threads and fiber sections (“dots”) possessing multiple verification characteristics. The fibers possess unique and difficulty duplicated combinations of complex cross-sections, components, and multiple luminescent responses. The many verifiable characteristics of the security fibers, threads and dots provide high levels of protection against fraudulent duplication of articles in which they are incorporated. The manifold security features provide means of tailoring specific identity characteristics for specific use and users.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

1. A security fiber comprising at least one synthetic polymer filament possessing multiple security elements comprising:
a. a filament cross-section having a complexity factor of at least 5; and
b. at least one said filament comprising at least one luminescent substance dispersed therein;

wherein said fiber filament exhibits at least two luminescent spectral response peaks when excited by at least one wavelength selected from the region 200 to 2000 nanometers.

2. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the filament cross-section has a complexity factor of at least 10.

3. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the filament cross-section has a complexity factor of at least 15.

4. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the filament cross-section has a complexity factor of at least 20.

5. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the filament cross-section has a complexity factor of at least 25.

6. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the filament cross-section is a member selected from the group illustrated in FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 .

7. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the number of said filaments is at least two.

8. The security fiber of claim 7 wherein said filaments are in a side-by-side relationship.

9. The security fiber of claim 7 wherein said filaments comprise the same polymer containing different luminescent substances.

10. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the wavelength producing a luminescent response is in the infra-red.

11. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the wavelength producing a luminescent response is in the visible.

12. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the wavelength producing a luminescent response is in the ultraviolet.

13. The security fiber of claim 1 where at least one of the luminescent responses is in the visible and at least one luminescent response is in the infra-red.

14. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein there are two or more excitation wavelengths producing luminescent responses and wherein the excitation wavelengths lie within at least two different members of group consisting of the infra-red, the visible and the ultraviolet.

15. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein at least one of the luminescent responses is fluorescence and at least one of the luminescent responses is phosphorescence.

16. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein the effective diameter of the filament(s) is in the range of 0.01 to 3 mm.

17. The security fiber of claim 1 prepared by the process comprising:
a. mixing a polymer and a luminescent substance in a mixer in a dry state;
b. extruding and spinning the mixture using a twin screw extruder with mixing and kneading elements; and
c. cooling the melt filaments to solidify.

18. A security article containing the security fiber of claim 1 .

19. A security thread comprising a plurality of the fibers of claim 1 .

20. The security thread of claim 19 comprising at least one other fiber.

21. A security article containing the security thread of claim 19 .

22. The security fiber of claim 1 wherein said fiber comprises different luminescent substances.

23. The security fiber of claim 1 herein said fiber comprises a single luminescent substance.

24. A security fiber comprising at least one synthetic polymer filament possessing multiple security elements comprising:
a. a filament cross-section having a complexity factor of at least 5; and
b. at least one said filament comprising at least one luminescent substance dispersed therein;

wherein said fiber filament exhibits at least one luminescent spectral response peak when excited by at least one wavelength selected from the region 200 to 2000 nanometers; and

wherein the number of components present in said filament, C, is equal to one.

25. The security fiber of claim 24 wherein the filament cross-section has a complexity factor selected from the group consisting of at least 10, at least 15, at least 20 and at least 25.

26. The security fiber of claim 24 wherein the filament cross-section is a member selected from the group illustrated in FIGS. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 and 7 .

27. The security fiber of claim 24 wherein the number of said filaments is at least two.

28. The security fiber of claim 27 wherein said filaments are in a side-by-side relationship.

29. The security fiber of claim 27 wherein said filaments comprise the same polymer containing different luminescent substances.

30. The security fiber of claim 24 wherein the wavelength producing a luminescent response is selected from the group consisting of the infra-red, the visible and the ultraviolet regions of the spectrum.

31. The security fiber of claim 24 wherein the effective diameter of the filament(s) is in the range of 0.01 to 3 mm.

32. The security fiber of claim 24 prepared by the process comprising:
a. mixing a polymer and a luminescent substance in a mixer in a dry state;
b. extruding and spinning the mixture using a twin screw extruder with mixing and kneading elements thereby forming melt filaments; and
c. cooling the melt filaments to solidify.

33. An article containing the security fiber of claim 24 .

34. A security thread comprising a plurality of the fibers of claim 24 .

35. The security thread of claim 34 comprising at least one other fiber.

36. A security article containing the security thread of claim 34 .

37. A method of protecting documents or articles against fraudulent duplication by incorporating therein security fiber comprising at least one synthetic polymer filament possessing multiple security elements comprising:
a. a filament cross-section having a complexity factor of at least 5; and
b. at least one said filament comprising at least one luminescent substance dispersed therein;
wherein said luminescent substance exhibits at least one luminescent spectral response peak when excited by at least one wavelength selected from the region 200 to 2000 nanometers; and

wherein the number of components present in said filament, C, is equal to one.

38. A method of making security fiber comprising at least one synthetic polymer filament and possessing multiple security elements, said fiber comprising:
a. a filament cross-section having a complexity factor of at least 5; and
b. at least one said filament comprising at least one luminescent substance dispersed therein;

wherein said luminescent substance exhibits at least one luminescent spectral response peaks when excited by at least one wavelength selected from the region 200 to 2000 nanometers; and
wherein the number of components present in said filament, C, is equal to one , prepared by the process comprising:
a. mixing a polymer and a luminescent substance in a mixer, b. extruding and spinning the mixture using a twin screw extruder having mixing and kneading elements to produce melt filaments; and c. cooling the melt filaments to solidify.

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