In a printed article, pigment flakes are magnetically aligned so as to form curved patterns in a plurality of cross-sections normal a continuous imaginary line, wherein radii of the curved patterns increase along the imaginary line from the first point to the second point. When light is incident upon the aligned pigment flakes from a light source, light reflected from the aligned pattern forms a bright image which appears to gradually change its shape and move from one side of the continuous imaginary line to another side of the continuous imaginary line when the substrate is tilted with respect to the light source.

An optical article printed on a substrate may include an organic binder; and a plurality of reflective magnetic platelets provided in the organic binder, wherein the plurality of reflective magnetic platelets are substantially aligned in accordance with at least part of a surface of revolution, and wherein the plurality of reflective magnetic platelets are aligned to cause a first reflective effect of the optical article when the substrate is rotated around a first axis and to cause a second reflective effect of the optical article when the substrate is rotated around a second axis, wherein the first reflective effect is different from the second reflective effect.

A method for forming a CNT coating on a substrate, including the steps of: dispensing CNT particles to the substrate to form the CNT coating; applying a magnetic field to the CNT coating; heating the CNT coating; biasing the CNT particles to a first voltage and biasing the substrate to a second voltage.

The present invention relates to the field of the protection of value documents and value commercial goods. In particular, the invention relates to printing devices and processes for producing optical effect layers (OEL) comprising magnetically oriented magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles. In particular, the present invention provides processes for producing said OELs as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes. The printing devices comprise a) an orienting device comprising an orientation means, said orientation means being either a magnetic field generating belt or a non-magnetic belt comprising magnetic field generating elements, said belt being driven by at least two rollers, and b) a hardening unit.

A scanning laser having a wavelength compatible with a coating binder so as to cure it as the laser scans and irradiates the coating on a moving web. A system and method for curing flakes by providing a scanning laser which scans across a moving coated substrate in a magnetic field allows images to be formed as magnetically aligned flakes are cured into a fixed position. The images have regions of cured aligned flakes. The scanning laser cures the magnetically aligned flakes within it region it irradiates. Alternatively an array of lasers can be used wherein individual lasers can be switched on and off to fix irradiated coating as a moving web is moved at a high speed.

There is provided an apparatus for forming a magnetic pigment pattern on an article. The apparatus includes: a magnetic pattern mold having nonmagnetic pattern grooves engraved in a predetermined pattern and providing predetermined magnetic field lines on a pattern-forming object surface of an article by generating magnetism in areas outside the nonmagnetic pattern grooves; and a spray unit spraying an adhesive resin composite containing a ferromagnetic pigment onto the pattern-forming object surface of the article. A predetermined magnetic pigment pattern is formed while the magnetic pigment of the adhesive resin composite that is applied to the pattern-forming object surface of the article is rearranged along magnetic field lines generated by the magnetic pattern mold.

A scanning laser having a wavelength compatible with a coating binder so as to cure it as the laser scans and irradiates the coating on a moving web. A system and method for curing flakes by providing a scanning laser which scans across a moving coated substrate in a magnetic field allows images to be formed as magnetically aligned flakes are cured into a fixed position. The images have regions of cured aligned flakes. The scanning laser cures the magnetically aligned flakes within it region it irradiates. Alternatively an array of lasers can be used wherein individual lasers can be switched on and off to fix irradiated coating as a moving web is moved at a high speed.

The invention relates to the field of the protection of security documents such as for example banknotes and identity documents against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention provides processes for magnetically transferring one or more indicia into a not yet hardened coating layer made of a coating composition comprising platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles so as to produce optical effect layers (OELs) as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes.

A method of manufacturing an arrangement for transferring energy from a primary unit conductor arrangement by a magnetic or an electromagnetic field to a secondary unit conductor arrangement in which the field induces an electric voltage, wherein the method comprises the steps: arranging a conductor arrangement selected from the primary unit conductor arrangement and the secondary unit conductor arrangement in a first layer of the arrangement and providing a second layer, so that the second layer is located on a back side of the first layer opposite to a front side of the first layer on which the magnetic or electromagnetic field is transferred or received during operation, wherein the second layer is made of a constituent material, comprising magnetic and/or magnetizable particles dispersed within the constituent material and wherein the magnetic or magnetizable particles are moved with respect to their positions and/or orientations within the constituent material before the constituent material is hard and the movement is caused by a magnetic field.

A cooktop heating element includes a helix shaped induction coil. The helix shaped induction coil includes a first array of parallel current-carrying wires and a second array of return current carrying wires. A magnetic shielding sheet is placed between the first array of parallel current-carrying wires and the second array of return current carrying wires. The magnetic shield sheet magnetically shields the first array of parallel current-carrying wires from the second array of return current carrying wires.