SECURITY ELEMENT HAVING REFLECTIVE AND STATIC FEATURES

Abstract

A security element for securities or security papers has at least one first region having first structures, which first structures reflect a first piece of information into different spatial regions, so that a movement image is created for a viewer with corresponding movement of a light source and/or a change in the viewing angle. When the light source and/or when the viewing angle is changed, a movement of the first piece of information is simultaneously created. The security element is thereby formed with at least one second region having second structures, which second structures reproduce a static and/or viewing angle-independent second piece of information. In addition, a process manufactures a security element.

Claims

1. A security element (1) for securities or security papers, wherein the security element (1) is formed with at least a first region (2) having first structures (3), which first structures (3) reflect a first piece of information into different spatial regions, so that a movement image is created for a viewer with corresponding movement of a light source (8) and/or when a viewing angle is changed, wherein a movement of the first piece of information is simultaneously created upon movement of the light source (8) and/or a change in the viewing angle, wherein the security element (1) is formed with at least one second region (4) having second structures (5), which second structures (5) reproduce a static and/or viewing angle-independent second piece of information.

2. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first structures (3) are formed as diffractive structures, as micromirrors, as beam-optically effective facets or as achromatic, reflective structures.

3. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the second structures (5) are formed by diffusely scattering structures, preferably formed by diffusely scattering structures with a size of 1 ?m to 100 ?m.

4. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first region (2) surrounds the second region (4) at least in sections.

5. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first piece of information and/or the second piece of information is formed as a letter, number, character, symbol or part of an image or pattern.

6. The security element (1) according to claim 1, comprising a carrier layer (6) made of plastic, in particular of a translucent and/or thermoplastic plastic, the carrier layer (6) preferably comprising at least one of the materials selected from the group consisting of polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), monoaxially oriented polypropylene (MOPP), biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyethylene (PE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone, (PEEK) polyetherketone (PEK), polyethyleneimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), liquid-crystalline polymers (LCP), polyester, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), cycloolefin copolymers (COC), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-fluoropolymer (EFEP) and/or mixtures and/or copolymers of these materials, or is made from at least one of these materials.

7. The security element (1) according to claim 6, wherein the carrier layer (6) has a thickness (7) of 5 ?m to 1000 ?m, particularly preferably a thickness (7) of 10 ?m to 50 ?m.

8. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said first structures (3) form a group whose orientations are matched to one another in such a way that they map a point of the first piece of information in an observation space, the first piece of information being composed of the sum of all the points represented by the group, and a movement of the point in the observation space being generated by changing a direction of incidence of the light emitted by the light source (8) and/or changing the viewing angle.

9. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the security element (1) is formed with at least one third region (9) having third structures (10), which third structures (10) are formed by a layer with color-tipping pigments, in particular interference pigments, pigments with a color-tipping thin-film structure (11) or liquid-crystal pigments, or by a layer with a color-tipping thin-film structure (11), and/or in that wherein the third structures (10) are formed by at least one liquid-crystal layer, in particular a cholesteric liquid-crystal layer, and/or wherein the third structures (10) are formed on a side faced away from a visible side (23) with at least one layer which enhances a color tilt effect, and/or wherein the third structures (10) contain metallic pigments and/or magnetic pigments and/or color pigments and/or dyes, and which third structures (10) reproduce a third piece of information, wherein the first region (2) and the third region (9) and/or the second region (4) and the third region (9) overlay each other at least partially.

10. The security element (1) according to claim 9, wherein the third structures (10) formed with a layer containing color-tipping pigments or with a color-tipping thin-film structure (11) comprise at least one absorber layer (18) and at least one distance layer (19).

11. The security element (1) according to claim 10, wherein the color-tipping thin-film structure (11) comprises at least one reflective layer (20), the distance layer (19) being arranged between the reflective layer (20) and the absorber layer (18).

12. The security element (1) according to claim 6, wherein the first structures (3) and/or the second structures (5) are inserted into the carrier layer (6) by means of a shaping device (12), in particular by means of an embossing roller (13).

13. The security element (1) according to claim 6, wherein the first structures (3) and/or the second structures (5) are applied directly to the carrier layer (6) or with the arrangement of a further intermediate layer, layer (14), in particular an embossing lacquer layer, by means of a shaping device (12), in particular by means of an embossing roller (13).

14. The security element (1) according to claim 13, wherein the layer (14), in particular the embossing lacquer layer, with the first structures (3) and/or second structures (5) formed therein has a thickness (15) of 0.5 ?m to 300 ?m, in particular of 0.8 ?m to 50 ?m, preferably of 1 ?m to 10 ?m.

15. The security element (1) according to claim 6, wherein the security element (1) has at least one reflective layer (16) on a side of the carrier layer (6) facing away from the first structures (3) and the second structures (5) and/or has a reflective layer (16) arranged between the carrier layer (6) and the first structures (3), and/or has a reflective layer (16) arranged between the carrier layer (6) and the second structures (5) and/or the first structures (3) are coated with at least one reflective layer (16) and/or the second structures (5) are coated with at least one reflective layer (16), wherein the at least one reflective layer (16) preferably comprises a metallic material, in particular selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, aluminum, gold, platinum, niobium, tin, or of nickel, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt and palladium or alloys of these materials, in particular cobalt-nickel alloys, or at least one high refractive dielectric material having a refractive index greater than 1.65, in particular selected from the group zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2), carbon (C), indium oxide (In.sub.2O.sub.3), indium tin oxide (ITO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta.sub.2O.sub.5), cerium oxide (CeO.sub.2), yttrium oxide (Y.sub.2O.sub.3), europium oxide (Eu.sub.2O.sub.3), iron oxides such as iron(II,III) oxide (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4) and iron(III) oxide (Fe.sub.2O.sub.3), hafnium nitride (HfN), hafnium carbide (HfC), hafnium oxide (HfO.sub.2), lanthanum oxide (La.sub.2O.sub.3), magnesium oxide (MgO), neodymium oxide (Nd.sub.2O.sub.3), praseodymium oxide (Pr.sub.6O.sub.11), samarium oxide (Sm.sub.2O.sub.3), antimony trioxide (Sb.sub.2O.sub.3), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), silicon monoxide (SiO), selenium trioxide (Se.sub.2O.sub.3), tin oxide (SnO.sub.2), tungsten trioxide (WO.sub.3), high refractive index organic monomers and/or high refractive index organic polymers, or is made from at least one of these materials.

16. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the second structures (5) are inserted into the first structures (3), in particular embossed or engraved into the first structures (3), at least in sections.

17. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the security element (1) is provided with machine-readable features, the machine-readable features being, in particular, magnetic encodings, electrically conductive layers, electromagnetic wave-absorbing and/or re-emitting substances.

18. The security element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the security element (1) comprises additional layers (21), which additional layers (21) comprise in particular protective lacquers, heat-sealing lacquers, adhesives, primers and/or films.

19. A process of manufacturing the security element (1) for securities or security papers according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: providing at least one shaping element (17) or at least one shaping device (12) comprising first structures (3) and second structures (5), wherein the first structures (3) reflect a first piece of information into different spatial regions, so that a movement image is created for a viewer with a corresponding movement of a light source (8) and/or a change in a viewing angle, wherein a movement of the first piece of information is simultaneously created upon the movement of the light source (8) and/or change in the viewing angle, and wherein the second structures (5) reproduce a static and/or viewing angle-independent second piece of information, providing a carrier layer (6), or providing a carrier layer (6) with a layer (14), in particular with an embossing lacquer layer, shaping the first structures (3) and the second structures (5) into the carrier layer (6) or into the layer (14).

Description

[0043] For a better understanding of the invention, it is explained in more detail with reference to the following figures.

[0044] They show in each case in highly simplified, schematic representation:

[0045] FIG. 1 a security element in supervision,

[0046] FIG. 2 a section through an embodiment of a security element,

[0047] FIG. 3 a section through a further embodiment of a security element,

[0048] FIG. 4 a section through another embodiment of a security element comprising a security or security paper,

[0049] FIG. 5 a section through another embodiment of a security element with a security or security paper,

[0050] FIG. 6 a roughly schematic process flow for the production of a security element,

[0051] FIG. 7 sections through two further embodiments of a security element.

[0052] By way of introduction, it should be noted that in the differently described embodiments, the same parts are provided with the same reference signs or the same component designations, whereby the disclosures contained in the entire description can be transferred mutatis mutandis to the same parts with the same reference signs or the same component designations. Also, the positional indications selected in the description, such as top, bottom, side, etc., are related to the directly described as well as depicted figure, and these positional indications are to be transferred mutatis mutandis to the new position in the event of a change of position.

[0053] The term in particular is understood in the following to mean a possible more specific design or more detailed specification of an object or a process step, but does not necessarily have to represent a mandatory, preferred embodiment of the same or a mandatory procedure. Further, the term layer is generally used to refer to a multi-layer, interconnected composite of components. Thus, each of the layers described below may also comprise multiple, preferably interconnected or adherent layers. To avoid unnecessary repetition, FIGS. 1 to 7 are described at least in part as comprehensive.

[0054] In FIG. 1, an example of a possible embodiment of a security element 1 for securities or security papers 22 is shown in a top view. The security element 1 is provided with at least a first region 2 having first structures 3 which first structures 3 reflect a first piece of information into different spatial regions, so that a movement image is created for a viewer with corresponding movement of a light source 8 and/or when an angle of observation is changed, whereby a movement of the first piece of information is simultaneously created upon movement of the light source 8 and/or a change in the viewing angle. Thereby, the first region 2 may comprise the first structures 3 or be formed by them. In addition, the security element 1 with at least one second region 4 having second structures 5 which second structures 5 reflect a static and/or viewing angle-independent second piece of information. The second region 4 can represent the second structures 5 or be formed by them.

[0055] The first structures 3 can be formed as diffractive structures, as micromirrors, as facets with optical radiation effect or as achromatic, reflecting structures. The second structures 5 can be formed by diffusely scattering structures, preferably diffusely scattering structures with a size of 1 ?m to 100 ?m. It is possible that the second region 4 overlays or surrounds the first region 2 at least in sections or partially. It should be emphasized that the first structures 3 and second structures 5 can be both partial and full-surface.

[0056] The first piece of information and/or the second piece of information can be a letter, a number, a character, a symbol or a part of an image or pattern. The first piece of information in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is optically variable structures 3 such as micromirrors, which are visible to a viewer when a light source 8 is moved and/or by changing a viewing angle, while the second piece of information is formed as an image or a portrait. In FIG. 1 it is also shown that the first region 2 overlays or surrounds the second region 4 at least in sections.

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a section through a conceivable embodiment of a security element 1. The security element 1 is provided with at least one first region 2 having first structures 3 which first structures 3 are formed by optically variable structures such as micromirrors, and which first structures 3 reflect a first piece of information. The security element 1 is provided with at least one second region 4 having second structures 5 which second structures 5 are formed by static and/or viewing angle-independent structures and which second structures 5 reproduce a second piece of information. Thereby, the second region 4 is at least partially surrounded by the first region 2.

[0058] The security element 1 can have a carrier layer 6 made of plastic, in particular of a translucent and/or thermoplastic plastic, wherein the carrier layer 6 preferably comprises at least one of the materials from the group consisting of polyimide (PI), polypropylene (PP), monoaxially oriented polypropylene (MOPP), biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP), polyethylene (PE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyetheretherketone, (PEEK) polyetherketone (PEK), polyethyleneimide (PEI), polysulfone (PSU), polyaryletherketone (PAEK), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), liquid-crystalline polymers (LCP), polyester, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), cycloolefin copolymers (COC), polyoxymethylene (POM), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene-fluoropolymer (EFEP) and/or blends and/or copolymers of these materials, or may be made from at least one of these materials. The carrier layer 6 may have a thickness 7 of 5 ?m to 1000 ?m, particularly preferably a thickness 7 of 10 ?m to 50 ?m.

[0059] The first structures 3 can reflect the first piece of information into different spatial regions, so that a movement image is created for the viewer when a light source 8 is moved accordingly and/or when an angle of observation is changed. Thereby, a plurality of the first structures 3 form a group, the orientations of which can be coordinated with one another in such a way that they represent a point of the first piece of information in an observation space, wherein the first piece of information is composed of the sum of all the points represented by the group and wherein, by changing a direction of incidence of the light emitted by the light source 8 and/or when the viewing angle is changed, a movement of the point in the observation space is created. The first piece of information may be, for example, an image motif or a pattern.

[0060] By means of a shaping device 12 in particular by means of an embossing roller 13, the first structures 3 and/or the second structures 5 canas shownbe integrated directly onto the layer 14 applied onto the carrier layer 6 or, alternatively, with the arrangement of a further intermediate layer onto layer 14 applied onto the carrier layer 6, the layer 14 being in particular an embossing lacquer layer. The layer 14, in particular the embossing lacquer layer, with the first structures 3 and/or second structures 5 formed therein can have a thickness 15 of 0.5 ?m to 300 ?m, in particular 0.8 ?m to 50 ?m, preferably 1 ?m to 10 ?m. In FIG. 2 it is shown that, on a visible side 23 of the security element 1, a reflective layer 16 overlaying layer 14 can be formed, with the first structures 3 and/or second structures 5 formed therein. This reflective layer 16 can be full-surface as shown in FIG. 2, but can also be partially formed. In particular, it may be expedient if the reflective layer 16 follows the contours of the first structures 3 and/or the second structures 5. However, it could also be that the security element 1 has at least one reflective layer 16 at a side of the carrier layer 6 facing away from one of the first structures 3 and the second structures 5 and/or between the carrier layer 6 and the first structures 3 and/or the second structures 5. The at least one reflective layer 16 can preferably be a metallic material, in particular selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, aluminum, gold, platinum, niobium, tin, or from nickel, titanium, vanadium, chromium, cobalt and palladium or alloys of these materials, in particular cobalt-nickel alloys, or at least one highly refractive dielectric material having a refractive index greater than 1.65, in particular selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfide (ZnS), zinc oxide (ZnO), titanium dioxide (TiO.sub.2), carbon (C), indium oxide (In.sub.2O.sub.3), indium tin oxide (ITO), tantalum pentoxide (Ta.sub.2O.sub.5), cerium oxide (CeO.sub.2), yttrium oxide (Y.sub.2O.sub.3), europium oxide (Eu.sub.2O.sub.3), iron oxides such as iron(II,III) oxide (Fe.sub.3O.sub.4) and iron(III) oxide (Fe.sub.2O.sub.3), hafnium nitride (HfN), hafnium carbide (HfC), hafnium oxide (HfO.sub.2), lanthanum oxide (La.sub.2O.sub.3), magnesium oxide (MgO), neodymium oxide (Nd.sub.2O.sub.3), praseodymium oxide (Pr.sub.6O.sub.11), samarium oxide (Sm.sub.2O.sub.3), antimony trioxide (Sb.sub.2O.sub.3), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), silicon monoxide (SiO), selenium trioxide (Se.sub.2O.sub.3), tin oxide (SnO.sub.2), tungsten trioxide (WO.sub.3), high refractive index organic monomers, and/or high refractive index organic polymers, or be made from at least one of these materials. Reflective coatings 16 which have a high refractive index are also known in the art as HRI materials (HRI=High Refractive Index).

[0061] The second structures 5 can be diffusely scattering. Advantageously, the second structures 5 are introduced at least partially into the first structures 3 in particular embossed or engraved into the first structures 3.

[0062] It may also be the case that the security element 1 is equipped with machine-readable features. The machine-readable features may in particular be magnetic encodings, electrically conductive layers, electromagnetic wave absorbing and/or re-emitting substances.

[0063] In FIGS. 3 to 5, as well as in FIG. 7, further and possibly independent embodiments of the security element are shown, again using the same reference signs or component designations for the same parts as in the preceding FIGS. 1 and 2. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, reference is made to the detailed description in the preceding figures.

[0064] In FIG. 3, a security element 1 is shown which is provided with at least one third region 9 having third structures 10 which third structures 10 being formed by a layer with color-tipping pigments, in particular interference pigments, pigments with a color-tipping thin-film structure 11 or liquid-crystal pigments, or by a layer with a color-tipping thin-film structure 11 and/or in that the third structures 10 are formed by at least one liquid-crystal layer, in particular a cholesteric liquid-crystal layer, and/or in that the third structures 10 are formed on one side facing away from the visible side 23 with at least one layer which enhances a color tipping effect, and/or in that the third structures 10 contain metallic pigments and/or magnetic pigments and/or color pigments and/or dyes, and which third structures 10 reproduce a third piece of information, wherein the first region 2 and the third region 9 and/or the second region 4 and the third region 9 at least partially overlay each other. The arrangement or application of the third structures 10 or of components or partial layers of the third structures 10 onto the security element 1 or onto the first structures 3 and/or second structures 5 can be carried out, for example, by a printing process and/or a vapor deposition process or by several of these.

[0065] In particular, the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3 is formed with a color-tipping thin-film structure 11. For example, the color-tipping thin-film structure 11 can have at least one absorber layer 18 and at least one distance layer 19 made of a dielectric material. In addition, it is conceivable that the thin-film structure comprises at least one reflective layer 20 wherein the distance layer 19 between reflection layer 20 and absorber layer 18 can be arranged. The reflective layer 20 can overlay partially or over the entire surface the carrier layer 6. Thus, it is possible that the reflective layer 20 is also formed as a reflective layer 16 between the carrier layer 6 and the first structures 3 and second structures 5, respectively between the carrier layer 6 and the layer 14 with the first structures 3 and/or second structures 5 formed therein.

[0066] However, it is also possible that a color-tipping thin-film structure 11 at least partially overlays the first structures 3 and/or the second structures 5. A possible embodiment is shown by way of example in FIGS. 7a and 7b. Here, both the first structures 3 as well as the second structures 5 are partially covered by the thin-film structure 11. Depending on which side of the security element 1 is considered or used as the visible side 23, different sequences of layers are conceivable or expedient. For example, as shown in FIG. 7a, a structure with a sequence described from bottom to top layer 14 having embossed therein first 3 and/or second structure 5reflective layer 20distance layer 19absorber layer 18 can be provided. Alternatively, a structure according to the example in FIG. 7b would also be conceivable, in which, viewed from bottom to top, a sequence of layer 14 having first 3 and/or second structure 5absorber layer 18distance layer 19reflective layer 20 is shown. The visible side 23 is always that side from which a viewer of the absorber layer 18 looks towards the reflective layer 20.

[0067] As an alternative to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the security element 1 in FIG. 3 does not have an additional layer 14 applied to the carrier layer 6, into which additional layer 14 the first structures 3 and second structures 5 are inserted. The first structures 3 and second structures 5 in FIG. 3 are directly inserted into the carrier layer 6 and embossed therein, respectively.

[0068] The security element 1 can also have additional layers 21 which additional layers 21 particularly include protective lacquers, heat-seal lacquers, adhesives, primers and/or films. For example, a layer 21 can be formed as a top layer on a visible side 23 of the security element 1.

[0069] FIGS. 4 and 5 each show a section through two further exemplary embodiments of security elements 1 with a security or a security paper 22.

[0070] FIG. 4 shows that the security element 1 is arranged with its side of the carrier layer 6 facing away from the visible side 23 on a security or a security paper 22. An additional layer 21 is formed on the side of the carrier layer 6 facing away from the visible side 23, which additional layer 21 can be formed as an adhesion layer or adhesive layer, respectively. Furthermore, a reflective layer 16 is formed on the visible side 23 of the security element 1, the first structures 3 and the second structures 5 being coated with the reflective layer 16.

[0071] The uppermost layer, i.e. the outermost layer as viewed from the visible side 23, can be a layer 21 as a protective layer which protects the entire layer structure and/or ply structure from mechanical damage such as scratches, scores or the like. However, it may also be the case that a layer 21 formed as a protective layer does not form the outermost layer of the layer structure, but that this is surrounded by a layer 21 in the form of an adhesive layer or glue layer. Preferably, a flat surface of the security element 1 can be achieved by means of the layer 21 formed as a protective layer, as shown by way of example in FIGS. 3 and 4. However, it may also be expedient if a layer 21 formed as a protective layer follows a contour of the structures 3, 5, 10. This is shown in FIG. 7.

[0072] As an alternative to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4, it is also possible, as shown in FIG. 5, that the carrier layer 6 of the security element 1 is formed as a removable or peelable transfer film 24. It is of course also conceivable that the carrier layer 6, if it is arranged facing the visible side 23 of the security element 1, is transparent or at least translucent. Advantageously, the carrier layer 6 can also perform the functions of a layer 21 formed as a protective layer. However, as shown in FIG. 5, a layer 21 formed as a protective layer can also be additionally provided between the first and second structures 3, 5 and the carrier layer 6 or between the layer 16 and the carrier layer 6, respectively. Thus, according to FIG. 5, the security element 1 can be applied on the security or security paper 22 with its side facing away from the visible side 23. For this purpose, if necessary, an additional layer 21 can be formed, which additional layer 21 can be formed as an adhesion layer or adhesive layer.

[0073] FIG. 6 shows a rough schematic process flow for the production of a security element 1 for a security or security paper 22. The outlined process is particularly suitable for producing a security element according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

[0074] The process first provides that a shaping element 17 comprising first structures 3 and second structures 5 is provided. The first structures 3 are formed in such a way that they reflect a first piece of information into different spatial regions, so that a movement image is created for a viewer when there is corresponding movement of a light source 8 and/or when a viewing angle is changed, whereby a movement of the first piece of information is simultaneously created when there is a movement of the light source 8 and/or a change in the viewing angle.

[0075] The second structures 5 reproduce a static and/or viewing angle-independent second piece of information. Furthermore, a carrier layer 6 is provided. Alternatively, as shown in the figures, a carrier layer 6 can thereby be created comprising a layer 14 in particular an embossing lacquer layer. In accordance with the invention, the first structures 3 and the second structures 5 are also shaped into the carrier layer 6 or into the layer 14.

[0076] In a possible variation of the manufacturing process, it may be convenient that a shaping element 17 or master is formed having first structures 3 with movement effect, such as micromirrors, and that a second shaping element 17 or a second master having static and/or viewing angle-independent, in particular diffusely scattering, second structures 5 engraved by laser ablation is formed. These two masters can be copied and duplicated as often as desired and arranged next to each other in an expedient manner Thus an arrangement on a shaping device 12 such as an embossing roller 13 or a shim and subsequently embossing into a layer 14, in particular a UV-curable layer or embossing lacquer layer can take place.

[0077] In a further variant of the manufacturing process, it may also be that a shaping element 17 or master having first structures 3 is provided and that in or also next to these first structures 3 the second structures 5 are introduced, for example by means of laser ablation. A master created in this way can also be duplicated in one or more subsequent steps, the execution of such copying steps from the positive to the negative and vice versa being fundamentally familiar to those skilled in the art. The first and second structures 3, 5 can then be arranged on a shaping device 12, such as an embossing roller 13 or a shim, and embossed into a layer 14, in particular a UV-curable layer, or embossing lacquer layer.

[0078] It may also be appropriate if a finished shaping device 12 or embossing roller 13 or a finished shim is only described subsequently for the insertion of the second structures 5 by means of a laser. This can provide additional advantageous customization.

[0079] In the course of further process steps, various further processing steps can be provided on the security element 1. For example, further layers can be applied, as indicated by FIGS. 2 to 5. The exemplary embodiments show possible variants of embodiment, whereby it should be noted at this point that the invention is not restricted to the specifically illustrated variants of embodiment thereof, but rather various combinations of the individual variants of embodiment are also possible and this possibility of variation is within the ability of the skilled person working in the art due to the teaching for technical action by the present invention.

[0080] The scope of protection is determined by the claims. However, the description and the figures are to be consulted for the interpretation of the claims. Individual features or combinations of features from the different exemplary embodiments shown and described may constitute independent inventive solutions in their own right. The object underlying the independent inventive solutions can be taken from the description.

[0081] All indications of value ranges in the present description are to be understood as including any and all subranges thereof, e.g. the indication 1 to 10 is to be understood as including all subranges starting from the lower limit 1 and the upper limit 10, i.e. all subranges start with a lower limit of 1 or greater and end with an upper limit of 10 or less, e.g. 1 to 1.7, or 3.2 to 8.1, or 5.5 to 10.

[0082] Finally, for the sake of order, it should be noted that, for a better understanding of the configuration, elements have been shown partially out of scale and/or enlarged and/or reduced in size.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0083] 1 security element [0084] 2 first region [0085] 3 first structure [0086] 4 second region [0087] 5 second structure [0088] 6 carrier layer [0089] 7 thickness [0090] 8 light source [0091] 9 third region [0092] 10 third structure [0093] 11 thin-film structure [0094] 12 shaping device [0095] 13 embossing roller [0096] 14 layer [0097] 15 thickness [0098] 16 reflective layer [0099] 17 shaping element [0100] 18 absorber layer [0101] 19 Distance layer [0102] 20 reflective layer [0103] 21 layer [0104] 22 security or security paper [0105] 23 visible side [0106] 24 transfer film