Identification assembly for an identity document

Abstract

An identification assembly for an identity document (10) includes a substrate (12) with a substantially planar configuration, and an adjacent surface (13, 14) hingeably attached to the substrate (12) and provided adjacent to the substrate (12). The substrate (12) includes at least two image areas (18, 20), a first image area (18) having a first image (19), and wherein the substrate includes a second image area (20) including a second laser produced image (21), and a third image (22) corresponding to the second image (21) is provided through the second image area (20) onto the adjacent surface (13, 14), the third image (22) being visible for a user by hinging the substrate away from the adjacent surface (14).

Claims

1. A method for producing an identification assembly, wherein the method comprises the following steps: providing a substrate (12) comprising at least two image areas (18, 20); providing an adjacent surface (13, 14) to said substrate (12), attaching the substrate (12) to the adjacent surface (13, 14) in a hinging manner, laser producing a first image (19) in a first image area (18) without laser energy being transferred to the adjacent surface (13, 14); laser producing a second image (21) onto a second image area (20) while allowing part of the laser energy to penetrate through the substrate (12) and to form a third image (22) in the adjacent surface (13, 14), wherein the third image is (20) opaque and the second image is (20) transparent.

2. Method according to claim 1, providing a laser-sensitive material onto the adjacent surface (14) providing a visible coloration when imprinted by laser energy.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the laser energy is adapted as to provide a visible image in the second image area (20) and onto the adjacent surface (13, 14) without pyrolysis gases forming in a third image area.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Other aspects, features and details of the present invention will be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the drawings.

(2) In the appended drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically an identity document according to the prior art,

(4) FIG. 2a shows diagrammatically an identity document according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 2b shows diagrammatically an identity document according to a further embodiment of the invention,

(6) FIG. 3 shows a front view of a substrate of the identity document according to the invention including a hinged part,

(7) FIG. 4 shows a transverse cross section of the substrate showing a second image area and an adjacent surface of FIG. 3 along the line IV-IV, and

(8) FIG. 5 shows a transverse cross section of the substrate showing a second image area and an adjacent surface of FIG. 3 along the line IV-IV of a different embodiment of the identity document according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(9) FIG. 1 shows an identity document, in a form of a book-like construction such as a passport according to the prior art, as indicated by 1 in FIG. 1. This construction is composed of a cover 9 in which a number of visa pages 3 are accommodated. A substrate, or so-called holder page 2 made of a relatively stiff, non-deformable polycarbonate material is also included. An example of such a non-deformable polycarbonate material is a polycarbonate material with a thickness between 300 and 900 m. A number of security features are provided, including a first image area comprising an image 4 of a face of the passport holder, as well as data 6 and a transparent window 7. In the most adjacent of the visa pages 3, a mark 8 is provided and which can be seen through the transparent window 7 when the holder page 2 is hinged close as to overlap the visa pages 3.

(10) Moreover, a hinged part 5 is fixed to the holder page 2, as can be seen from FIG. 1. This hinged part 5 can be connected both to the cover 9 and to the visa pages 3. The connecting technique can comprise sewing, stapling, gluing and the like.

(11) FIG. 2a shows an identity document 10 according to the invention, in a form of a book-like construction such as a passport. The passport 10 comprises a substrate 12, hereafter referred as holder page, made of a relatively stiff, non-deformable material such as polycarbonate material. Moreover, the passport 10 comprises an adjacent surface 13, hereafter referred as a cover, and subsequent pages 14 on the opposite side of the cover page 13, hereafter referred as visa pages. A hinged part 16 is fixed to the holder page 12 and can be also connected both to the cover 13 and to the visa pages 14.

(12) The holder page 12 comprises a first image area 18 having a first image 19 of a face of the passport holder. The holder page further comprises data 24 corresponding to personal data of passport holder, and a second transparent image area 20 having a second laser produced image 21.

(13) It should be noted that the second image area 20 is a transparent area or window and allows viewing of the underlying surface 13 through the window 20. The cover page 13 as here represented is provided with a third image 22 which overlaps with the second produced image 21 when the holder page 12 is hinged close as to overlap the cover page 13. The third image 22 is visible to the inspecting person by lifting the holder page 12 away from said cover page 13, as clearly seen in FIG. 2a.

(14) It will be appreciated that the first image 19 is an image of the face of the passport holder. Thus, it should be noted that the second laser produced image 21 corresponds to the same image as the first image 19. Moreover, the third image 22 is provided through the second image area 20 as it will be explained in detail here below.

(15) FIG. 2b shows a different embodiment of the invention where the most adjacent surface 14 and subsequent pages are the visa pages. The second image area 20 is the transparent area or window and allows viewing of the underlying surface 14 through the window 20. The most adjacent of the visa pages 14 is provided with the third image 22 which overlaps with the second image 21 when the holder page 12 is hinged close as to overlap the visa pages 14. The third image 22 is visible to the inspecting person by lifting the holder page 12 away from said adjacent visa pages 14, as here illustrated.

(16) In FIG. 3 a front view of the holder page of the identity document according to the invention including a hinged part is shown. It can be seen that the second laser produced image 21 is the same image as the first 19, which correspond to a portrait of a human face. The hinged part 16 is preferably attached to the holder page 12 by fusing or any other suitable technique. It should be understood that the hinged part 16 can be made of a different material than the holder page 12.

(17) The second image 21 is located at the transparent area 20 as it can be clearly seen in FIG. 3. The transparent area 20 allows the user to partially see the cover page 13, and that this will prompt the user to check the cover page 13.

(18) It should be noted that the second image area 20 could further comprise laser engraved digits and/or letters (not illustrated). Moreover, the holder page 12 could also comprise under a series of cylindrical lenses forming a lens array, a further image based on the first image 19 (not illustrated).

(19) FIG. 4 illustrates a transverse cross section of the holder page 12 showing the second image area 20 and the adjacent cover page 13 of FIG. 3 along the line IV-IV, wherein the second image 21 is applied onto the second image area 20 by laser engraving in said area by a laser beam 30. The laser beam 30 irradiates and passes through the inside of the second image area 20 while providing blackened regions that form the second image 21 is said area 20. Moreover, the laser beam 30 irradiates the adjacent cover page 13 as to activate a laser sensitive material 26 which is applied on or contained by the adjacent cover page 13. In this way, the third image 22 in the adjacent visa page 14 is provided.

(20) When the laser beam 30 irradiates the second image area 20, a number of lines m lines or dots per cm is engraved as to create the second image 21. The number of m lines or dots per cm may be between 40 and 600 lines or about 200-250 dots/cm. By laser engraving the second image 21, the third image 22 is simultaneously engraved onto the adjacent cover page 13, by the laser beam 30, upon touching the surface of the adjacent cover page 13 containing the laser sensitive material 26. This energy is delivered by the laser beam 30 changes the surface of the material 26 under the focal point. The surface of the adjacent cover page 13 and consequently the material 26 may heat up and subsequently vaporize the material 26 in those points where the laser beam 30 irradiates. This is undesired and may lead to the formation of pyrolysis gaseous products. Special laser sensitive material incorporating optically variable silicate or other materials which change their optically effect may be used to create an image corresponding to the third image 22. An example of the material 26 applied onto one of the surfaces of the second image area 20 of the substrate 12 or alternatively to the adjacent surface 13, 14 is an optically variable ink on a black ink layer.

(21) It should be noted that depending on the nature of the laser sensitive material 26, the image created when the laser beam 30 irradiates this material will be a single or multicolour coloured imaged, but can also be a positive or negative image.

(22) Moreover, it will be appreciated that the laser beam 30 irradiates the holder page very efficiently because the laser beam can be designed to deliver energy to the holder page in a manner which converts a high percentage of the light energy into heat. This could lead to gases forming between the lower surface of the second image area 20 and the adjacent visa page 14 where the third image 22 will be provided. In order to avoid such gases from forming, the laser energy is adapted to avoid formation of gases that could difficult the formation of the third image 22. Additionally, the formulation of the substrate material can be adapted in order to avoid the formation of such gases, by adding a stable (non-flammable) material, such as silicates.

(23) FIG. 5 illustrates a different embodiment of the identity document according to the present invention wherein the second image area 20 further comprises a laser meltable material 28, such as a metal layer. The metal layer 28 is melted where the laser beam 30 irradiates the second image area 20. The melted metal forms into small globules that causes transparency in openings 29 in the metal layer 28. This provides a further feature on the holder page 12, for making more difficult the fraudulent used and copy of the passport.

(24) As it will be appreciated from FIG. 5, the metal layer 28 has been partially melted in those parts of the second image area 20 surface into which the laser beam 30 have penetrated said image area 20. In this way, a pattern is created in a form of an image of the passport holder. This means that the metal layer 28 is selectively melted leaving transparent areas. The resulting image in the second image area 20 can be seen in the transmitted light as a positive or negative half-tone picture.

(25) The metal layer 28 as seen in FIG. 5 is positioned in the substrate, crossing the entire area of the second image area 20. It should be noted that the metal layer 28 can also be provided on the surface of the substrate 12 second image area, thus when the laser beam 30 irradiates the second image area 20, the metal layer 28 is partially removed in those parts of the surface of the second image area 20 into which the laser beam 30 irradiates.

(26) In the light of the above, variants will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art that are obvious in the light of he above description and fall within the scope of the appended claims.