Security element as well as value document having such a security element

Abstract

A security element for a security paper, value document or the like, having a carrier which has a motif region that includes a visually perceptible motif with a first and a second motif part, wherein the motif region includes a first micro-optic representation arrangement which presents at least two different images in viewing angle-dependent fashion as a first motif part, and a second micro-optic representation arrangement which presents a reflective surface as a second motif part, which surface appears bulged relative to the actual macroscopic spatial form of the second micro-optic representation arrangement.

Claims

1. A security element for a security paper or value document comprising: a carrier comprising a motif region which provides a visually perceptible motif having a first and a second motif part, wherein the motif region comprises a first micro-optic representation arrangement which presents at least two different images in viewing angle-dependent fashion as a first motif part, and a second micro-optic representation arrangement which presents a reflective surface as the second motif part, said reflective surface imitating a bulge relative to the actual macroscopic spatial form of the second micro-optic representation arrangement, wherein the second micro-optic representation arrangement has embossed microscopic structures which are furnished with a reflection enhancing coating, and wherein the first micro-optic representation arrangement comprises microstructures and micro-imaging elements to image the microstructures in magnified form, the microstructures being provided both in a region of the first motif part and in a region of the second motif part.

2. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the two motif parts are arranged to be contiguous.

3. The security element according to claim 1, wherein one of the two motif parts at least partly surrounds the other of the two motif parts.

4. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the two motif parts either or both at least partly overlap and are at least in certain regions nested into each other.

5. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the first micro-optic representation arrangement presents the at least two different images such that the images at least in certain regions either or both overlap and are nested into each other.

6. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the first micro-optic representation arrangement presents different views of the same object as the at least two different images.

7. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the first micro-optic representation arrangement presents the at least two different images such that for a viewer there results a stereographic representation of an object with absolute depth information.

8. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the first micro-optic representation arrangement is configured as a hologram.

9. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the first micro-optic representation arrangement produces an orthoparallactic representation.

10. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the second micro-optic representation arrangement presents the reflective surface in a reliefed impression.

11. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the second micro-optic representation arrangement has a multiplicity of reflective facets that have different orientations with respect to each other.

12. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the second micro-optic representation arrangement has a reflective Fresnel structure with varying grating period.

13. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the second micro-optic representation arrangement has asymmetric diffraction structures or matt-structure grating images.

14. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the micro-imaging elements of the first micro-optic representation arrangement and the microscopic structures of the second micro-optic representation arrangement are embossed in a same embossing lacquer layer.

15. The security element according to claim 1, wherein the security element is configured as a multilayer layered composite.

16. A value document comprising the security element as recited in claim 1.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Hereinafter the invention will be explained more closely by way of example with reference to the attached drawings, which also disclose features essential to the invention. For more clarity, the Figures do without a representation that is true to scale and to proportion. There are shown:

(2) FIG. 1 a plan view of a bank note having a security element according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 a magnified plan view of the security element of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 a cross-sectional view of the security element of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4 a schematic view for explanation of the mode of functioning of the first micro-optic representation arrangement;

(6) FIG. 5 a schematic view for explanation of the mode of functioning of the second micro-optic representation arrangement;

(7) FIGS. 6A-6C representations of the security element of the invention from different viewing directions;

(8) FIGS. 7A-7C views of the security element of the invention from the same viewing angle but with different illumination devices;

(9) FIG. 8 a sectional view of a further embodiment of the security element of the invention;

(10) FIG. 9 a sectional view of a still further embodiment of the security element of the invention;

(11) FIG. 10 a sectional view of a different embodiment of the security element of the invention;

(12) FIG. 11 a front view of a further embodiment of the security element of the invention; and

(13) FIG. 12 a back view of the security element of the invention of FIG. 11;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(14) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the security element 1 of the invention is integrated in a bank note 2 such that the security element 1 is visible from the front side of the bank note 2 shown in FIG. 1.

(15) The security element 1 is configured as a reflective security element 1 with a rectangular motif region 3 which is divided into a first motif part 4 and a second motif part 5.

(16) The first motif part 4 here surrounds the second motif part 5, as to be inferred from the magnified representation in FIG. 2.

(17) As shown in particular in the schematic sectional view of the motif region 3 in FIG. 3, the motif region 3 has a carrier foil 6 (which can be for example a PET foil) as well as an upper and lower embossing lacquer layer 7, 8. In the lower embossing lacquer layer 8 there are arranged microstructures 9, which can be filled in particular with ink, in a plane perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 3 in a grid with fixed geometry (here for example a hexagonal grid) and thus areally in a first microstructure pattern. Alternatively to production in an embossing lacquer layer, the microstructures 9 can also be realized in a different way on the carrier foil 6. In particular, also printed microstructures are conceivable. Besides, the microstructures 9 can also be formed, as stated in WO 2009/083151 A1, by metallized subwavelength structures, in particular subwavelength gratings or moth-eye structures or produced by transfer of metallic structures, as this is described for example in the German patent application DE 102010019766.1.

(18) The upper embossing lacquer layer 7 is so configured that it has a multiplicity of microlenses 10 in the first motif part 4. The microlenses 10 are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG. 3 in a grid with fixed geometry (here for example a hexagonal grid) and thus areally in a first pattern, the first pattern in the embodiment being so adjusted to the first microstructure pattern and the two patterns being so aligned with each other that upon viewing of the security element 1 the microlenses 10 form together with the microstructures 9 a moir magnification arrangement. The basic principle of a moir magnification arrangement is described for example in WO 2007/076952 A2, whose total content is hereby incorporated.

(19) The moir magnification arrangement in the region of the first motif part 4 forms a first micro-optic representation arrangement 11, with which, as to be described in detail hereinafter, the number 105 is so represented to the viewer in multiple fashion here that it appears behind the plane of the bank note 2. This is obtained by the viewer's left and right eyes LA and RA being presented different views of the object to be represented (here the number 105) which respectively show the object viewed from the corresponding direction. In FIG. 4, for simplifying the representation, the object is drawn in as a point, the user's right eye RA seeing the object at the position 12 and the user's left eye LA seeing the object at the position 13. Thus, the viewer sees the object with his two eyes from the different directions 14, 15 which intersect at the position 16, so that for the viewer the object is located at the position 16 and hence at distance d1 behind the bank note 2. For the viewer there thus results absolute depth information for the object.

(20) In the region of the second motif part 5 there is formed a second micro-optic representation arrangement 17, which in the embodiment has a multiplicity of mirror-coated facets 18 in the upper embossing lacquer layer 7. Instead of mirror-coated facets 18, the embossing lacquer layer can also contain other embossed structures, in particular reflective Fresnel structures with varying grating period, asymmetric diffraction structures or matt-structure grating images of bulged appearance. With the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 the viewer is presented with a reflective surface, which appears bulged relative to the actual macroscopic spatial form of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17. As to be inferred from the schematic representation in FIG. 5 for explanation of the principle of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17, incident light is reflected at the facets 18 in the same directions in which a bulged surface 19 would reflect the light.

(21) Thus, the incident light beam 20 is reflected in the direction 21, which is parallel to the direction 21, which corresponds to the direction upon reflection on the surface 19. The same holds for the light beams 22 and 24 which are reflected in the directions 23 and 25. These directions 23 and 25 are parallel to the directions 23 and 25, which are the reflection directions upon reflection at the surface 19.

(22) The facets 18 are dimensioned such that an observer cannot resolve them without aids. Thus, the facets 18 can have dimensions, in the direction perpendicular to the drawing plane, of for example 15 m and a height of for example 5 m.

(23) From the reflection behavior of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 a viewer concludes that in the second motif part 5 the bulged surface 19 is present with the depth d2. Thus, for example in the case of the light beam 20, the reflective behavior indicates that the local surface normal points in the direction 26, which is clearly different from the macroscopic surface normal (arrow 27) of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 in this region. By means of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 there is hence imitated a bulge by directional reflection, thereby resulting only indirectly a depth impression or a 3D impression. This impression can also be designated 2-dimensional representation or reliefed representation.

(24) In particular, by means of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 no parallax is produced, so that the depth impression is substantially based on the experience of the viewer, which depth impression implicitly presupposes more information. If to a viewer an area appears to be bulged toward the front, the viewer concludes therefrom that the center region of the bulged area, from his perspective, must lie further toward the front than the edge area.

(25) In the embodiment described herein by means of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 a head of a woman is represented.

(26) In the FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C, the security element 1 is shown as it appears to a viewer from different viewing angles, provided that the security element 1 is illuminated such that the viewer stands respectively in the mirror reflection of the light source. On this assumption, the view of the female portrait in the second motif part 5 always remains the same, while the representation of the numbers 105 lying in the depth is shifted horizontally from the left to the right due to the parallax. Thus, in the view from the left according to FIG. 6A, the number 105 designated with arrow P1 is located to the left of the neck of the female portrait. In the central view according to FIG. 6B, the number 105 is just beginning to disappear behind the female portrait. In the view from the right according to FIG. 6C, the digit 5 of the number 105 is no longer visible now.

(27) The first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 hence yields different images in dependence on the viewing angle, while the representation of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 regarding its spatial effect does not depend on the viewing angle. The first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 yields more than two different views of the numbers 105 in the way that the described motion of the numbers 105 relative to the female portrait arises upon change of the viewing direction. Thus a parallax is present.

(28) In FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C the security element 1 according to the invention is respectively shown in the same viewing direction from the front, the position of the light source and thus the illumination direction, however, varies. In FIG. 7A the security element 1 is illuminated from the left. In FIG. 7B the security element 1 is illuminated from the front, and in FIG. 7C the security element 1 is illuminated from the right. From the representations of FIGS. 7A-7C it is clearly apparent that the female portrait and thus the second motif part 5 reflects the light corresponding to the bulge of the simulated head. The positions of the numbers 105 (arrow P1) lying in the depth, however, do not change, since the viewing direction and thus the viewing angle were not changed. In practice, the position of the light source is firm, and an observer concludes from the position of the light reflexes and the motion thereof upon tilting of the security element the form of the simulated bulge.

(29) The first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 thus yields in this embodiment at a constant viewing angle a representation independent of the illumination direction, while the representation of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 varies in accordance with the imitated reflective and reliefed formation of the female portrait.

(30) In the described embodiment there is thus obtained through the moir magnification arrangement 11 an absolute depth effect by which the periodically recurring number 105 located at the depth d1 is represented to the viewer. The microstructures 9 can, as already mentioned, preferably be filled with ink, so that the numbers 105, on the one hand, and the remaining region of the first motif part 4, on the other hand, appear matt but of different color. In front of this first motif part 4 there is located the second motif part 5, in which the metallically lustrous female portrait of bulged appearance is shown via an arrangement of metallized microscopic sawtooth gratings.

(31) The first micro-optic magnification arrangement 11 can be configured not only as a moir magnification arrangement, but also for example as a modulo magnification arrangement, as it is described e.g. in WO 2009/000528 A1. The content with regard to the formation of a modulo magnification arrangement of WO 2009/000528 A1 is hereby incorporated into the present application. With a modulo magnification arrangement the image to be represented need not necessarily be composed of a grating of periodically repeating single motifs, in contrast to a moir magnification arrangement. A complex single image with high resolution can be represented. In the moir magnification arrangement, the image to be represented normally consists of single motifs (here microstructures 9) which are arranged periodically in a grating and which are represented in magnified form by the lenses 10, the area associated with each single motif maximally corresponding approximately to the area of the corresponding lens cell.

(32) In the described embodiment, the microlenses 10 as well as the sawtooth structure for the reflective facets can be manufactured simultaneously side by side by means of only a single embossing of the embossed layer 7.

(33) Subsequently, the facets only need to be metallized in order that they act reflectively. The construction according to FIG. 3 is hence quick to manufacture.

(34) Instead of the described sawtooth arrangement, in the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 there can also be used Fresnel structures or relief simulations by diffractive structures or matt-structure grating images.

(35) In FIG. 8 there is shown a modification of the security element 1 of the invention wherein the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 has, instead of the microlenses 10, concave mirrors 28 which are formed by embossing of the lower embossing lacquer layer 8 and application of a specular coating.

(36) Also the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17, in the embodiment formed as facets 18, is formed on the lower embossing lacquer layer 8. The facets 18 can be formed in the same way as the micro-concave mirrors 28 by embossing and mirror-coating.

(37) The microstructures 9 can be provided not only in the region of the first motif part 4, but also in the region of the second motif part 5 and thus above the facets 18. This facilitates the manufacture of the security element 1.

(38) If the microstructures 9 are provided in the region of the second motif part 5 and filled with an ink, the bulged specular surface, which is simulated by the facets 18, likewise appears slightly colored. If the coloring of the bulged specular surfaces is not desired, the microstructures 9 in this region, however, can also be omitted.

(39) In FIG. 9 there is shown a construction of the security element 1 wherein the micro-concave mirrors 28, the microstructures 9 and the facets 18 are respectively embossed separately in their own embossing lacquer layers 8, 7 and 29. Between the embossing lacquer layers 8 and 7 there is provided a first carrier foil 6 and between the embossing lacquer layers 7 and 29 a second carrier foil 30.

(40) This construction requires more working steps for manufacture in comparison to the variants according to FIGS. 3 and 8, but offers the advantage that the origination of the micro-concave mirrors 28 and of the facets 18 can be effected separately from each other. The micro-concave mirrors 28 can even be the same in different designs, because there is always only required a homogeneous area covered with micro-concave mirrors 28. Once an original with very good imaging properties has been manufactured, it can be utilized for manufacturing many different security elements 1. In addition, for the manufacture of corresponding security elements with different motifs in the respectively first and second micro-optic representation arrangements 11, 17 the same embossing tool can be used for embossing the micro-concave mirrors 28, so that this, too, must be manufactured only once. Further, the micro-concave mirrors 28 and the facets 18 can be metallized differently, for example with different metals or coatings with color-shifting effects (e.g. thin-film systems in which the color varies in dependence on the viewing angle).

(41) A particular advantage of the construction of FIG. 8 is that both the micro-concave mirrors 28 as well as the facets 18 are mirror-coated, while for example in the construction shown in FIG. 9 a demetallization is necessary in certain regions of the regions bordering the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17. The sharpness of the border between the two motif parts 4, 5 is then given by the corresponding tolerances of the demetallization. This limitation is not present in the construction according to FIG. 8, so that the bulged surface in the second motif part 5 can appear with particularly filigree contour against the background of the moir or modulo magnification arrangement in the first motif part 4.

(42) In the variants according to FIGS. 8 and 9 with micro-concave mirrors, a further protective lacquer layer (not shown) can further advantageously be provided on the upper side and/or underside of the security element 1, so that the resistance as well as the protection from molding by forgers can be increased.

(43) In particular upon the viewing of the security element 1 in transmitted light against a bright light source, the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 can also have, instead of a microfocusing element grid (grid of the microlenses 10 or grid of the micro-concave mirrors 28), only a hole grid 31, as shown in FIG. 10. Such a hole grid 31 can be realized for example by periodically arranged holes or slots in an opaque, for example specularly metallized, layer. The holes here can be small gaps. In this case, the holes can be designated positive holes. There can also be provided so-called negative holes, the holes here being small, non-transparent or non-specular regions.

(44) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the hole grid also extends into the second motif region 5, so that a superimposition of the representations results in the second motif region. The security element can of course also be configured such that no hole grid is present in the second motif region 5.

(45) Further, in the security element 1 of the invention, both the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 and the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 can be realized by means of diffractive structures. Thus, there can be provided in the first motif part 4 for example a hologram with a stereographic 3D representation which is constructed from microscopically small sine gratings. In the second motif part 5 preferably asymmetric diffraction gratings are arranged such that the reflection behavior of a bulged surface (where possible) is simulated achromatically, as this is described e.g. in WO 2006/013215 A1, whose disclosure in this regard is incorporated herewith.

(46) As already described in connection with FIG. 10, the two motif parts 4 and 5 can at least partly overlap. Alternatively or additionally, the two motif parts 4 and 5 can also be nested in each other in certain regions. In this case, the areas of the two motif parts 4, 5 can be split up for example into complementary areal elements and then joined to an overall motif. In so doing, each motif part loses a part of its image information, which in the areal elements in question is replaced by the image information of the respective other areal element. If the dimensions of the areal elements are below the resolving power of the eye, the viewer perceives the individual impressions of the two motif parts simultaneously and processes them to an overall motif. The area proportions of the areal elements stemming from the two motif parts can here be distributed locally and/or globally equally or differently. If there is an imbalance, the motif part with the larger area proportion may visually dominate relative to the motif part with the smaller proportion. Generally, it is also possible, however, to employ areal elements which are above the resolving power of the eye. In this case, the viewer can perceive the individual motif parts locally separated.

(47) In an embodiment in which the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 is configured as a moir magnification arrangement with microlenses 10 and the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 has the reflective facets 18, e.g. in the nested region every second microlens 10 of the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 can be replaced by one or several reflective facets 18 of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17.

(48) The motif region 3 of the security element 1 can further be divided e.g. into small tiles or thin strips, which are respectively occupied by elements of the first or second micro-optic representation arrangement 11, 17. Thus, there results an interesting effect, since the representation of the second motif part 5 is no longer purely metallically specular, but partly transparent, so that one sees through the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 an image of the first motif part 4 for example located in depth. Alternatively, it is also possible that the object represented by means of the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 seems to lie or float in front of the surface of the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17, which surface has a bulged appearance.

(49) Depending on the area proportion of the first and second micro-optic representation arrangements 11, 17 one can continuously change from a metallically lustrous opaque bulge to a representation becoming ever more see-through transparent and ultimately appearing rather glassy.

(50) The first and/or second micro-optic representation arrangement(s) 11, 17 can be furnished wholly or partly with a color-shifting coating, in particular a thin-film system with reflector/dielectric/absorber. This makes it possible to further enhance the optical attractiveness and further increase the forgery resistance.

(51) The security element 1 of the invention can be arranged on the bank note 2 such that it is visible not only from the front side shown in FIG. 1, but also from the back side of the bank note. Not necessarily all of the generated bulge or depth effects here must be visible from both sides, however.

(52) An advantageous embodiment is represented in FIGS. 11 (front view) and 12 (back view). The security element 1 has in the first motif part 4 a first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 according to FIG. 8, which here periodically repeatingly represents in depth the number 105. In the second motif part 5 there is visible a representation, of bulged appearance, of a portrait, the representation appearing bulged from both sides (thus also from the back side according to FIG. 12). This can be realized e.g. by means of facets 18 according to FIG. 8. From the back side, in the region of the first motif part 4 the viewer looks, however, at the back side of the micro-concave mirrors 28 of the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11, so that he can perceive there only a matt metallized region (in FIG. 12 in the first motif part 4 the numbers 105 are therefore not drawn in).

(53) In order to make the security element 1 according to the invention, viewed from the back side, more attractive, for example in a second motif region 32 adjoining the motif region 3 a further bulged representation (here the number 1452) can therefore be realized by means of reflective facets in the same way as in FIG. 8. The second motif region 32 and thus the number 1452 is visible here only from the back side (from the front side the number would appear laterally reversed). This can be achieved in particular by the security element 1 being arranged in a window region of the bank note, which is only as large as the motif region 3, so that the second motif region 32 is hidden and can therefore be seen only from the back side.

(54) Advantageously, selectively only certain regions in the first and second motif region 3 and 32 can be coated with a color-shifting thin-film system. Thus, e.g. the second motif part 5 as well as the motif region 32 can be coated on the back side (FIG. 12) with a color-shifting thin-film system, so that these elements then appear with changing color before the metallically matt and colorless background of the back sides of the micro-concave mirrors in the first motif region 4.

(55) Of course, the security element 1 according to the invention can be so developed that both the bulge effect and the depth effect can be seen from both sides of the security element 1.

(56) In the embodiments hitherto described, the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 in the first motif part 4 was respectively configured so as to obtain a stereographic representation with depth information. This is understood here to mean representations in which a three-dimensional effect is generated by the security element 1 providing the viewer's left and right eyes with different views of an object which respectively show the object viewed from the corresponding direction. From these different views there then arises absolute depth information for a viewer, resulting altogether in a three-dimensional impression. The employed representations in this class can often have more than only two different views, which usually also results in a parallax (i.e. upon rotation or east-west tilt the image components in the foreground move relative to the image components in the image background). In some cases one can for example, by rotation, also look behind an object that is in the foreground.

(57) This can be realized technically by three-dimensional holograms, for example directly exposed holograms or computer-generated stereograms. Further examples are microlens tilt images and moir magnification arrangements with depth effect and/or kinetic effect, as described e.g. in WO 2007/076952 A2 or WO 2009/000527 A1.

(58) In the second micro-optic representation arrangement 17 in the second motif part 5 by directional reflection a bulge is imitated, from which results only indirectly a depth effect or a three-dimensional effect. In these kinds of representations no parallax is shown, so that a representation in front of or behind a reference plane is not readily possible. This class of representation type includes for example reflective Fresnel structures having a lens-like bulged appearance (e.g. EP 1 570 422 B1, EP 1 562 758 B1), diffractive achromatic elements with bulge effect (e.g. WO 2006/013215 A1), matt-structure grating images having a bulged appearance (e.g. WO 2010/034420 A1) or in particular also security elements, having a reliefed appearance, based on micro-optic sawtooth gratings, as described in connection with FIG. 5 for example in the present application. All of these embodiments have in common that an at least partly mirror-coated surface, which is virtually plane on a larger length scale, infringes on a larger length scale the law implicitly taken for granted by the viewer that angle of incidence is equal to angle of emergence upon reflections, by for example the orientation of the respective surface normal locally deviating from the security element's reference plane, which is visible to the viewer, with the help of micromirrors not recognizable with the naked eye, and/or the incident light being diffracted by diffraction effects in directions unexpected by the viewer.

(59) In a further embodiment, the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 can now be configured such that in the first motif part 4 the parallax does not correspond exactly to the parallax of an object located in depth. This can be realized for example by moir magnification arrangements or modulo magnification arrangements. It can thereby be achieved that upon tilting or rotation of the security element 1 an additional kinetic effect occurs in the first motif part 4. This may be an orthoparallactic motion, as described e.g. in WO 2007/076952 A2, wherein the representations for the viewer's left and right eyes permit no assignment of a depth, strictly speaking, because the viewing directions from which the viewer sees the object with his left and right eyes do not intersect. In a preferred variant, only a relatively small error of the parallax is present, so that the viewing directions (14 and 15 in FIG. 4) almost intersect and the viewer sees an object that moves upon tilting or rotation of the security element 1, but which he, despite the parallax error, ranges clearly e.g. at a depth located behind the plane of the security element 1.

(60) In the A matrix formalism of the application WO 2009/000528 A1, a representation with correct parallax corresponds to a representation with an A matrix which is only populated on the main diagonal. In an orthoparallactic representation the A matrix is only populated at the places not located on the main diagonal. A small parallax error within the meaning of the present invention is present when the A matrix is populated on the main diagonal as well as therebeside.

(61) Similarly to the above-described special embodiments of moir or modulo magnification arrangements where the parallax does not exactly correspond to the parallax of an object located in depth so that in extreme cases an orthoparallactic motion arises, also the second micro-optic representation arrangement can have errors in the orientations of the microscopic structures in comparison to the orientation of the simulated surface. Such an effect is present for example with a so-called imaginary area. This is understood here to be the formation of a reflection or transmission behavior which cannot be produced with a real bulged reflective or transmissive surface. If for example the azimuth angles of all facets are rotated by 90 to the right, a relief illuminated from the top looks like it is illuminated from the right. Furthermore, upon tilting, the light reflexes in this case do not move as expected with the simulated relief, but likewise orthoparallactic which can be a very surprising effect. To a viewer, however, such representations also appear bulged on the first glance. For the bulge impression according to the invention it is thus not important here that the orientation of the microstructures necessarily actually reproduces exactly the reflection behavior of a real bulged surface.

(62) In a further embodiment of the security element 1, the representation by means of the first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 in the first motif part 4 can change from a first image to a second image upon an east-west tilting or rotation of the security element 1. Thus, for example an image, located in depth, of a first symbol A could tilt into at least one other representation, for example a symbol B, upon tilting of the security element 1.

(63) The first micro-optic representation arrangement 11 can also realize additional effects besides a three-dimensional effect, for example also kinematic effects (motions, pumping effect, etc.) besides the above-mentioned tilt images. In the above-mentioned modulo magnification arrangements, the three-dimensional representation in the first motif part 4 can move upon tilting of the security element 1. Alternatively, as of a certain tilting angle the representation could also tilt into the representation of a completely different object not necessarily likewise appearing three-dimensionally (for example a number located in depth can change to another representation, for example a symbol then moving upon further tilting).

(64) The quality or the appearance of the two micro-optic representation arrangements respectively can show a different dependence on the employed viewing or illumination situation. Thus, for example a stereogram realized by hologram gratings is well recognizable only in almost parallel illumination from the proper direction, while in diffuse illumination it is perceived blurredly or not at all. The second micro-optic representation arrangement of bulged appearance according to the invention, however, is also in diffuse illumination very well recognizable from a broad angular range. Other combinations can show in plan view or in transmission first and second micro-optic representation arrangements of varying recognizability. The first micro-optic representation arrangement may consist of for example a moir magnification arrangement on the basis of a microlens grid, which in plan view and in transmission for example shows a depth effect, while a second micro-optic representation arrangement formed by metallized sawtooth structures can show in plan view the desired bulge effect and in transmission can only appear opaque. The security element according to the invention can accordingly be configured such that depending on the viewing and/or illumination situation the representation of one of the two micro-optic representation arrangements dominates, while the representations in a different viewing or illumination situation supplement each other to an overall motif.

(65) The security element 1 according to the invention can also be configured e.g. as a security thread 33, as shown in FIG. 1. Further, the security element 1 can not only, as described, be formed on a carrier foil from which it can be transferred to the value document 2 in a known way. It is also possible to form the security element 1 directly on the value document. It is thus possible to carry out a direct printing onto a polymer substrate with subsequent embossing of the security element, in order to form a security element according to the invention on plastic bank notes for example. The security element of the invention can be formed in many different substrates. In particular, it can be formed in or on a paper substrate, a paper with synthetic fibers, i.e. paper with a content x of polymeric material in the range of 0<x<100 wt %, a plastic foil, e.g. a foil of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polypropylene (PP) or polyamide (PA), or a multilayer composite, in particular a composite of several different foils (compound composite) or a paper-foil composite (foil/paper/foil or paper/foil/paper), whereby the security element can be provided in or on or between each of the layers of such a multilayer composite.

(66) In the hitherto described embodiments it was tacitly assumed that the micro-representation arrangements are located on plane substrates. The designs according to the invention can also be advantageously used, however, with curved or flexible substrates, such as labels, value papers or bank notes.

(67) TABLE-US-00001 List of reference signs 1 Security element 2 Bank note 3 Motif region 4 First motif part 5 Second motif part 6 Carrier foil 7 Upper embossing lacquer layer 8 Lower embossing lacquer layer 9 Microstructures 10 Microlenses 11 First micro-optic representation 12 Position 13 Position 14 Direction 15 Direction 16 Position 17 Second micro-optic representation 18 Facets 19 Surface 20 Light beam 21 Direction 21 Direction 22 Light beam 23 Direction 23 Direction 24 Light beam 25 Direction 25 Direction 26 Local surface normal 27 Macroscopic surface normal 28 Micro-concave mirror 29 Embossing lacquer layer 30 Second carrier foil 31 Hole grid 32 Motif region 33 Security strips P1 Arrow d1 Distance d2 Distance