Patent ID: 12252846

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG.1shows in a) a multilayer substrate or a print carrier9in a top view in the still intact state where the hidden information has not yet been exposed. It is possible to see the first paper layer1and, through openings or cutouts8provided in this first paper layer1that form windows, through to the plastic layer3and the laminating film strip or the strip-shaped tear film5arranged behind it. The dashed line12shows in schematic form the extent of the covered strip of tear film, i.e. the tear film extends along one of the edges of the multilayer substrate.

The top surface15is therefore visible. There is public information7on the tear film5in the regions of the cutouts8and this is in each case visible through the material of the plastic layer3(the plastic layer is composed of a transparent or translucent material). This is indicated here with the wording “PUBLIC” but can also be digital information in the form of a barcode or a QR code for example. This public information7is in register with the cutouts8so that it is only the public information that is visible through the windows. The public information is individualized, i.e. different and uniquely identifying for each document. The same applies to the hidden information.

The print carrier9is specially cut in such a way that at least one of the windows8effectively passes through the edge, and therefore at least one exposed window14is provided at the edge. The production process normally ensures, as shown, that the windows are edge-cut from two opposite edges. Such edge-cut windows preferably do not have any public information. The tear film strip5is then easy to grip and tear out of the print carrier in this edge-cut window region.

FIG.1b) shows the situation in a view from the other side where such a strip of tear film5has been partially torn out of the print carrier by gripping in region14. The tear film5is effectively tom out through the bottom surface16, i.e. through the second paper layer2to form a strip in it, so that the hidden information6“PRIVATE” which is in this case likewise arranged on the tear film5now becomes visible in each case between the public information7. This occurs according toFIG.1b) effectively on the turned-over bottom surface of the strip11. In order to ensure that this hidden information or private information6also cannot under any circumstances be detected in the intact carrier9in transmitted light, a cover layer4or an opaque layer is arranged on the inside of the first paper layer1in each case in register between the windows. This may also be a hologram which is then applied for example before the windows are formed and then stamped out in sections with the windows.FIG.1c) shows the section along XX inFIG.1a). It is apparent here how a single plastic layer3is arranged between the first paper layer1and the second paper layer2and the tear film strip5is arranged on the second paper layer2. The tear film strip5is typically secured or bonded to this second paper layer2in a hot stamping process.

The public information7is shown on the side facing away from the second paper layer, in the region of the window cutout8shown here.

FIG.1d) shows the section along Y-Y inFIG.1a). However, what is shown here is not the exemplary embodiment according toFIG.1b) but rather an exemplary embodiment where the hidden information is provided not on the tear strip5but rather on the region of the cover layer4. If this exemplary embodiment were effectively to be tom out as shown inFIG.1b) the wording “PRIVATE” would become visible not on the security strip but rather in the region of the cover layer4still in the print carrier.

The variant according toFIG.1b) in a section along Y-Y is shown inFIG.1e). The hidden information6is likewise arranged on the tear film5but in this case in the region where no cutouts are provided and is then made visible on the tear film upon tearing-out of said film as shown inFIG.1b).

Finally,FIG.1f) shows in schematic form for this exemplary embodiment how the tom-out tear film11is tom out of the second paper layer2together with a paper strip and how this forms an irregular torn edge13. The tearing-out damages the second paper layer2to such an extent that reconstitution is impossible without it being immediately detectable that manipulation has occurred and the hidden information has been read.

As shown inFIG.2, polymer pellets are melted and conveyed in an extruder and via a wide-slot die40extruded directly onto or between the paper plies supplied, for example, from a roll in the molten phase as polymer melt30. This forms a multilayer substrate60based on a first paper ply10and a second paper ply20and polymer80, wherein the polymer is introduced already in molten form as polymer melt30.

The strip-shaped tear film5can be introduced directly into the roller nip from roller17, preferably in such a way that it is passed onto the future inner surface of the second paper ply20before supplying of the polymer melt30. To ensure even better adhesion the tear film5′ may also be bonded or sealed (hot stamping process) onto the future inner surface of the second paper ply20earlier in the process. It is possible for example to provide the tear film with an adhesive layer and to tear off a cover film shortly before supplying so that this adhesive layer subsequently serves as an adhesion promoter layer to the second paper web20. In the case of window-shaped cutouts in the first paper web the supplying of the strip-shaped tear film is typically carried out in register therewith.

The recited cover layer or hologram film4can also be provided on the other paper web10before combination.

In this context the term “molten phase” is to be understood as meaning a state of the polymer characterized by increased deformability or reduced viscosity. The viscosity is in a range suitable for polymer processing, in particular flat film production, of between 20 and 2000 Pa s, preferably in the range from 50 to 1000 Pa s, in particular between 75 and 500 Pa s. It is immaterial whether the polymer melt is a polymer with a defined melting point Tm or a defined melting interval Tm±ΔT at a temperature above the melting temperature or whether it is a polymer without a defined melting point that has been heated far enough above the glass transition temperature Tg that the viscosity of the material is reduced to such an extent that processing in the suggested fashion is possible. Polymers that fall into the first class are, for example, microcrystalline polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide 6 (PA6), polyamide 12 (PA12), microcrystalline co-polyamides and microcrystalline co-polyesters. Polymers that fall into the second class are, for example, amorphous polymers such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), but also amorphous co-polyamides (for example based on PA12 and/or MACM or PACM) and amorphous co-polyesters, such as are produced for example by Ems (EMS Chemie, Domat-Ems, Switzerland).

FIG.3shows in schematic form a line which produces a multilayer substrate according to the invention consisting of a first ply of watermark paper214having full-depth cutouts coordinated with the watermarks and of a ply of paper202having cutouts coordinated with the cutouts of the first ply and of an inner polymer layer which is extruded in molten form between the two paper plies which are provided with full-depth cutouts and combined in register. Solid arrows denote material transport, dashed arrows denote data flow.

The paper web202made of conventional paper is in this case supplied from an unwinder201and led first through a tension controller203and a web edge controller204. The cutouts are then produced in a stamping unit205and the stamped-out portions are removed in an extractor206.

The paper web214made of watermarked paper in turn is supplied via an unwinder212and introduced into the process via a web edge controller204. Downstream thereof is a watermark reader213and in turn a stamping unit205for producing the cutouts in a manner in register with the watermarks.

Simultaneously therewith the plastic layer or the material used therefor is prepared in that material is supplied from a metering means208and a dryer207and optionally blended with a further material, for example a masterbatch, from a metering means208and passed to a slot die211via an extruder209.

The two paper webs202/214are rolled into the roller nip between the two rollers50while simultaneously supplying the plastic from the slot die211. Before combination the webs and/or strips provided thereon may be printed with hidden information, public information or else with cover layers4using printers210, preferably inkjet printers. The resulting multilayer laminate is subsequently checked in a web inspection final checking means215and marked with an optionally present inkjet marking means216and passed through a web accumulator/cutting table217and rewound at the end of the apparatus218.

In a preferred form the molten polymer supplied is a multilayer melt curtain composed of different polymers. The structure of such a multilayer melt curtain is preferably symmetrical, for example with an inner layer of a first polymer and two respective outer layers of a second polymer. It is preferable when the softening temperature of the outer polymer is below that of the inner polymer or the outer polymer has a lower melt viscosity than the inner polymer at the prevailing processing conditions. This makes it possible, through suitable choice of the outer polymer, to optimize the bond to the paper plies or the chemical resistance while a material for optimized formation of the windows may be selected as the inner polymer ply. Such a multilayer polymer ply is preferably made up of largely compatible polymers such as for example different types of polyamides or different types of polyesters. However, multilayer polymer plies composed of different polymer classes that are not necessarily compatible are also feasible, such as for example a polymer ply having an inner core of a polyamide and outer plies of polyolefins, for example polyethylene or polypropylene.

It may generally prove to be advantageous to pass the multilayer composite as tangentially as possible to the roller nip over a certain distance following introduction of the polymer, or at least to pass it away from the curved roller surfaces before complete cooling and lead it onward over a certain distance in a straight line, i.e. not curved around a radius, in order to allow the most complete solidification of the polymer layer possible in the finally desired position of the multilayer composite and to improve the planarity of the substrate.

At least one layer of the optionally multilayered polymer ply may have additives, for example marking substances, dyes, IR dyes, UV dyes, fluorescent dyes, substances with an anti-Stokes shift, security pigments, effect pigments, interference pigments, metal pigments etc., added to it.

The polymer layer can also be made thicker in certain regions. This may be achieved in particularly simple fashion with a segmented wide-slot die by opening individual lip segments somewhat more widely. This makes it possible to increase the application rate of the polymer in the region of the windows for example in order to obtain more stable windows. In addition, in the strip region in which a watermark may be located, it can also prove advantageous make the intermediate layer of polymer somewhat thicker than in adjacent regions in order to compensate for the thickness differences in the paper caused by the watermark and at the same time to maintain the contrast richness of the watermark. This also makes possible to easily achieve a tactile feature since the polymer layer, made thicker in some regions, results in a noticeable thickening and stiffening of the substrate in this region. It can also prove useful to make the zones in which the edges of the security document will later lie somewhat thicker, since these edges in particular are susceptible to wear and tear, which can be favorably influenced by increased polymer introduction.

In the production process of a multilayer substrate the strip-shaped tear film is incorporated between the plies here. As described above, said film is introduced into the roller nip and it is conceivable for example to additionally feed a security thread into the roller nip which is thus also securely incorporated between the individual plies. Ideally, the strip is provided with an adhesive, as is not unusual for security threads, and is guided over the temperature-controlled roller in such a way that it is already bonded to one paper layer by an adhesive bond, thus minimize the risk of the thread tearing off upon entering the polymer melt. Surprisingly, tear threads may be processed at the same by running them into the roller nip, even in cases where the melting point of the thread material is below the melt temperature of the polymer upon exiting slot die. It has been shown that the threads do not melt if the contact time is sufficiently short, which is the case with the desired production speeds of over 25 m/min. For example, security threads made of polyester and security threads made of monoaxially oriented polypropylene (MOPP) were successfully co-processed at speeds of 30 m/min and melt temperatures of 325° C. at the slot die.

In a preferred embodiment the thread is introduced over the window position so that the thread is visible in the window in the finished product. The window may be a transparent window formed from two openings superposed in register but may also be a semi-transparent window which is covered by paper on one side and has been formed from an opening in only a single paper ply. In the first case the security thread is directly visible in the window from both sides of the document while in the second case it is directly visible from only one side of the document and only visible in transmitted light from the opposite side. It it goes without saying that a plurality of windows may be accommodated in one document; in the case of semitransparent windows the coverings may be present on either side. In the latter case, using a security thread that is passed through a series of semi-transparent windows where the transparent sides alternate provides the possibility of obtaining a window thread in the document which has segments visible from either side of the document. By contrast, the papermaking method of introducing a window thread only allows segments of the thread to be visible from one side of the document but not the other. Furthermore, the paper plies may be printed, for example using the inkjet method, with the hidden information on the inside of the multilayer laminate during or before processing, optionally after the abovementioned cover layer has been applied in the relevant areas. This affords a a print, for example an individual print, hidden in the document which is not detectable even in transmitted light. It goes without saying that other printing methods applying a non-individual or else individual print that may be altered during the process are also conceivable. Alternatively or in addition the printing may also be applied to the outer paper surface. It is preferable to use offset printing units or flexo printing units which are easy to synchronize with the stamping units205.

It is also possible to scatter, spray or blow in substances such as for example mottled fibers, planchettes, pigments, dyes, metal fibers, metal flakes, etc. in the vicinity of the roller nip during processing. This can be done either for one or for both paper layers but, alternatively or in addition, can also be done on the melt tail.

It is also possible during processing to apply objects onto the paper web or to supply them applied a carrier, for example tuned electronic circuits, transponders, electronic chips, RFID chips, electrically conductive structures, for example printed, etched or deposited coils or antennae, metal platelets, magnetic particles, etc.

In a preferred process the introduction of the molten polymer ply is effected via a melt curtain which is extruded from a slot die which is arranged at a certain distance from from the paper surface. This preferably brings about a physicochemical bond between the polymer ply and the paper plies without the use of a further adhesion promoter layer.

In an alternative production variant the introduction of the molten polymer ply is effected via a slot die which is in direct contact with the paper ply. This ideally makes it possible to achieve complete filling of the full-depth openings in the paper ply with polymer while the application rate on the rest of the paper ply is reduced.

In a further production variant the introduction of the molten polymer ply is effected via an application roller, for example using a three-roller unit, such as are known from coatings technology. In an alternative production variant the introduction of the molten polymer ply is effected via a gravure roller, such as are known from coatings technology. In a further production variant the introduction of the molten polymer ply is effected via a screenprinting roller, such as are known from coatings technology.

The molten polymer layer may be interrupted at least in regions.

The molten polymer layer may be a prepolymer, a polymer dispersion or a polymer solution which undergoes chemical or physical hardening and/or reaction and/or drying during or after bonding to the paper ply.

Example 1

A hologram film is applied to a first paper ply in a hot stamping process. As is known the hologram is applied to the paper ply by means of pressure and temperature and the carrier film is peeled off using a release layer between the carrier film and the hologram. The transferred hologram consists of a layer packet which would not be self-supporting without this carrier film.

A so-called laminating film is applied to a second paper ply using the hot stamping process. As is known this is a hologram film which does not include a release layer and wherein the carrier is not peeled off. As the tear film this film serves as a tear-open aid in the later inventive multilayer substrate.

The first and second paper plies are combined on an extrusion coating line, so that the two hologram films end up superposed substantially in register. This employs a process such as that described in EP 2 153 988 A1. A plastic melt is extruded between the two paper plies and the two ties bonded thereto. Beforehand a piece is cut out of at least the first paper ply (for example stamped out or cut out by laser cutting), namely such that the hologram film on the second paper ply becomes visible through the polymer ply due to the resulting opening in the later composite. Also beforehand at precisely this site the public key is printed onto the hologram film in the second paper ply using the ink jet method for example. The private key is printed at a different site on the hologram film of the second paper ply, namely at a site that will later be covered by the hologram film of the first paper ply, also using the inkjet method for example. The public key and/or the private key may alternatively be introduced with a marketing laser.

The combination of the two paper layers, which preferably have a basis weight of 30-40 g/m2 and at least one security feature, with the plastic layer which preferably has a thickness of 30-40 micrometers results in a multilayer composite which, in terms of its haptic properties, is closely related to traditional banknotes in terms of printability and anti-counterfeiting properties.

Example 2

A multilayer print substrate is produced analogously to Example 1, with the exception that an opaque coating is applied to the first paper ply instead of a hologram strip. This can be done, for example, using the screen printing method, gravure printing method, flexo printing method or by a doctor coating method. The opaque coating may be a color layer which is enriched for example with white pigments (for example titanium oxide, barium oxide), color pigments, metal pigments (for example aluminum pigments), black pigments (for example carbon black, carbon, iron oxide), magnetic pigments (for example iron oxide).

Example 3

A multilayer print substrate is produced analogously to Example 1, with the exception that only the public key is printed on the laminating film of the second paper by while the private key is printed on the hologram film of the first paper ply.

Example 4

A multilayer print substrate is produced analogously to any of Examples 1-3, with the exception that a hologram film or an opaque coating is applied to the first paper ply instead of a laminating film. When bonding the paper plies in the extrusion coating process a tear-open aid is additionally introduced between the first paper ply and the plastic ply or between the second paper ply and the plastic ply, for example in the form of a polyester strip or security thread.

Example 5

A multilayer print substrate analogous to Example 4, wherein at least one of the codes is applied to the tear-open aid.

Further Specific Exemplary Embodiment

A first paper ply having a grammage of 35 g/m2 is produced on a cylinder mold paper machine. This paper ply is a watermark paper which has at least one watermark per application (wherein an application is to be understood as meaning the later document). The watermarks are spaced apart longitudinally along the paper web at a distance corresponding to the application length and transversely to the paper web at a distant corresponding to the application width. This results in rows of watermarks on the paper web both in the longitudinal and the transverse direction. The paper ply also contains other security features such as mottled fibers and machine-readable pigments, for example up-converters. A second paper ply having a grammage of 35 g/m2 is also produced on a cylinder mold paper machine. This second paper ply does not contain any watermarks but does also contains security features such as mottled fibers and machine-readable pigments.

Hologram strips of 11 mm in width are applied to the first paper ply on a roll-on hot stamping line (for example, Steuer FoilJet, Kurz MHS-840 or Diavy DMB900). One hologram strip is applied per watermark row. Said strength can run over the watermarks but preferably runs parallel to the watermarks. The hologram strip is a hot stamped hologram where a layer packet consisting of an embossed hologram, a metallization and a heat seal lacquer as well as various additional functional layers is supplied on a carrier film (typically a polyester carrier) and applied to the paper layer by means of pressure and temperature to melt the hot seal lacquer and produce a bond with the paper ply and the carrier film is peeled off. This is accomplished as a result of the carrier film having a release layer opposite the layer packet.

A laminating film of 11 mm in width is applied to the second paper ply, also by the hot stamping process. This differs from the hologram film in that the carrier film does not have a release layer and is not peeled off after the hot stamping application. In the subject matter of the invention this carrier film serves as a tear-open aid or tear film. The laminating film is ideally at least as wide as the hologram film, in fact the laminating film is preferably at least 2 mm wider than the hologram film. The hologram film is at least as wide as the height of the private key later printed on the laminating film so that said key is in each case completely covered by the hologram film.

Hologram films and laminating films as described are available, for example, from Hueck Folien GmbH, Baumgartenberg, Austria, or Leonhard Kurz Stiftung & Co. KG, Fürth, Germany.

In a prior art extrusion coating line as described in EP 2 153 988 A1 the first paper layer is first stamped and then supplied to the roller nip in which a polymer melt is extruded onto the second paper ply from a slot die. The polymer used is preferably a poly(amide), in particular a poly(amide)-12 or a poly(amide)-6. The layer thickness in the composite is preferably 35 micrometers. The stampings are introduced in register with the watermarks and are introduced over the hologram film so that each stamping stamps out both the paper and the hologram film applied to it. The stamping may be wider than the hologram film, narrower than the hologram film or the same width as the hologram film and may overlap the hologram film on one side, on both sides, or may lie completely within the hologram film. The stamping is preferably wider than the hologram film. The same applies analogously to the width ratios and positioning of the stamping in the first paper ply relative to the laminating film on the second paper ply.

The second paper ply is processed simultaneously on the same extrusion coating line by initially printing a code onto the laminating film of the second paper ply using the inkjet method. A code pair consisting of a private key and a public key is printed per application.

The code may be an alphanumeric code but it is preferable to use machine-readable codes such as barcodes or QR codes.

The first paper ply (with the stampings) and the second paper ply (with the codes) are then combined in the roller nip and a polymer melt is extruded from a slot die (preferably onto the first paper ply) or between the first and the second paper ply. This polymer melt bonds the two paper webs together and forms a multilayer composite. The two paper plies are combined in such a way that the hologram film of the first paper ply and the laminating film of the second paper ply end up superposed inside the multiayer composite. The stamped-out regions of the first paper ply are completely covered by the polymer ply and the resulting window regions make the laminating film on the second paper ply visible. The window regions of the first paper ply are in register with the code of the second paper ply in such a way that in each case the public key on the laminating film of the second paper ply becomes visible through the window region but the private key remains hidden behind the hologram film of the first paper ply.

The resulting multilayer substrate is cut into print sheets on a cross cutter and further enhanced using various printing processes, in particular security printing processes such as are customary in banknote manufacturing. The individual documents are then cut out of the print sheets. In order to expose the private key of such a document, the cut edge over the laminating film is stretched to peel off the polymer ply from the laminating film. The laminating film can then be gripped and serves as a tear-open aid to tear open the second paper ply along the edges of the laminating film and separate the laminating film from the plastic ply. The private key on the laminating film is exposed but the document is irreversibly destroyed at the same time.

In order to facilitate tearing-open of the document a second window per document is preferably produced by stamping the first paper ply at a second site. This is also applied over the hologram film of the first paper ply but in a region which does not end up over a code on the laminating film of the second paper ply. The documents are then cut out of the sheets in such a way that this second window is cut through. This results in documents which each have a portion of such a second window at the upper edge and at the lower edge. The edges of the document are thus thinner at these sites over the laminating film since these comprise a superposition of only the second paper ply, the laminating film and the plastic ply, with the hologram film and the first paper ply missing. Stretching the plastic ply over the laminating film and thus separating the plastic ply from the laminating film is thus made easier, the laminating film is easier to grip and the tearing-open of the document using the laminating film as a tear-open aid is easier to accomplish.

Tearout Tests:

Samples having a width of 50 mm and a length of 140 mm are cut out of a multilayer substrate according to the above specific exemplary embodiment along the running direction of the introduced laminating film. The samples are cut out in such a way that the laminating film of 11 mm in width is centric to the transverse direction and is intersected by a window at the upper end and lower end in the longitudinal direction. At the upper end, the window region is manually stretched transversely to the running direction of the laminating film, thus making the laminating film grippable. Said film, together with the second paper ply, is manually tom out a little in the direction of the lower end and clamped into the one displaceable jaw of the tensile testing machine. The upper end of the sample (without the tom-out piece of the laminating film) is clamped in the other, static jaw of the tensile testing machine. The jaws are moved apart at a constant speed of 300 mm/min, so that the laminating film together with a piece of the second paper ply is tom out in the direction of the lower end of the sample (situation analogous toFIG.1b, lower end of sample in the figure above): the force necessary therefor is plotted in a force-displacement diagram. A distance of 70 mm is measured, the values of the first and last 10 mm are discarded and the force is averaged over the middle 50 mm. The average peel force thus determined on three samples is between 1.75 N and 2.0 N.

In a second step the partially tom-out packet of the laminating film and the second paper ply is completely tom out manually over the full length of 140 mm and stretched until breakage in a tensile testing machine. The average breaking force thus determined on three samples is 61.72 N.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS1first paper layer80polymer ply2second paper layer90opening3plastic layer91region where polymer ply is4cover layer/opaqueexposed on only one sidelayer/hologram film100window5laminating film strip/tear film110watermark6hidden information/privatekey201unwinder, non-stop7public information/public key202paper web8opening/window203tension controller9multilayer substrate/print204web edge controllercarrier205stamping unit10first paper ply206extractor11strip of the second paper they207dryerare with torn out tear film208metering means12schematic representation of209extrudercovered strip of tear film210(inkjet) printer13tear edge211slot die14exposed window on edge212unwinder/splicer15top surface213watermark reader16bottom surface214security paper web,17feed roll for teat film stripwatermark paper20second paper ply215web inspection final30polymer meltchecking means40wide-slot die216ink jet marking50roller pair217web60multilayer substrateaccumulator/cutting table218rewinder