Title: "Method for the protection of data included on

paper or plastic substrates by transfer of a transparent protection layer"

Field of the invention

The present invention refers to a method for the protection of data or information included on paper

or plastic substrates constituting, for example, the pages of personal identification documents, such as passports for travel abroad or national identifica- tion use.

Summary

The present invention is aimed to improve the se¬

curity level of paper or plastic documents including data or information liable to forgery or alteration, by applying a protection on said data or information, such as variable identification data, i.e. photos, personal identification data, fingerprints and other data or information applied and/or printed on the

carrier to be protected. In particular, the anti-forgery security level of data or information is improved by means of a trans¬

parent chemical protection layer fixed upon data included on the substrate, which layer, becoming integral with the substrate, does not allow any subse-

quent alteration of the data included on the carrier

without altering the latter.

Moreover, the method which is the object of the

present invention and the multilayered element com¬

prised in it, which is also an object of the present

invention, represent an improvement in security against alteration of information or data, allowing

the easy and safe application and release of the protection layer without altering the substrate bearing data or information. Description of drawings

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of the cross section of a multilayered element according to

the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a schematic, representation of an elevation view of a preferred representation of the multilayered element according to the present inven¬

tion;

Figure 3 shows a representation of a preferred

pattern of the multilayered element according to the present invention seamed with the substrate, a passport page, on which identification data or informa¬

tion to be protected are printed before the phase of

application, thermal treatment transfer and removal of the multilayered element on the page in compliance

with the method according to the present invention.

Figures 4 and 4a show two schematic representations of the top view of two preferred embodiments,

i.e., respectively, the multilayered element repre¬

sentative forms III and III' according to the present invention.

Figures 5 and 5a show two schematic representa¬

tions of the top view of two preferred embodiments, i.e., respectively, the multilayered element representative forms IV and IV according to the present

invention.

Figures 6 and 6a show two schematic representations of the top view of two preferred embodiments,

i.e., respectively, the multilayered element representative forms V and V according to the present in-

vention.

Figure 7 shows a further perspective view of an embodiment of the method for the protection of data or information included on a paper or plastic sub¬

strate • according to the present invention, wherein a preferred embodiment of the multilayered element according to the present invention is seamed with the

substrate to be protected, which is represented by

one or more pages of a passport, thus alternating to

each page to be protected the relevant multilayered

element before the phase of application, transfer by

thermal treatment and removal of the multilayered element from the page, in compliance with the method

according to the present invention.

Detailed description

Therefore, an object of the present invention is a method for the protection of data or information

included on a paper or plastic substrate, comprising the phases of :

1) applying a multilayered element on said sub-

strate surface including data or information, which multilayered element comprises a support layer made of heat-resistant material, an adhesive layer, a

plastic support layer, a release layer, a transparent chemical protection layer, a hot-melt adhesive, the

latter ^■ being placed into immediate contact with the surface of the substrate to be protected, wherein the dimensions or area of said multilayered element are lower than the dimensions or area of the substrate;

2) transferring the transparent chemical protec-

tion layer to the substrate to be protected after the

thermal treatment to melt the adhesive layer placed

into immediate contact with the substrate;

3) removing the heat-resistant support layers,

the adhesive layer and the plastic layer,

making the transparent chemical protection layer in-

tegral with the substrate.

The separation between the transparent chemical protection layer and the upper layers is promoted by

the polymeric release layer.

At the end of the protection method or treatment, an unprotected region, preferably not including in¬

formation or data, remains, which region constitutes a further security element.

In a preferred embodiment of the present inven-

tion, during the phase of transferring the transparent chemical protection layer to the substrate to be protected, the thermal treatment comprises hot roll¬

ing the multilayered element applied to the substrate to be protected, and more particularly, duritig said hot rolling, a heated punch or roll is pressed

against the multilayered element applied to the substrate to be protected, so that the heat, flowing from the heat-resistant support layer through succes¬

sive layers to the ho.t-melt adhesive layer, melts

said adhesive causing the transfer of the transparent chemical protection layer to the substrate including

data or information to be protected.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, during the ^• phase of transferring the transparent

chemical protection layer to the substrate to be pro-

tected after the thermal treatment to melt the adhesive layer, if said substrate comprises a number of

pages of an identification document such as a passport all the pages to be protected and to which a

multilayered element is singularly applied are sub¬

jected at the same time to the thermal treatment to

melt the adhesive layer.

Hot rolling occurs by means of a rolling machine which thermally transfers the transparent chemical

protection layer on the paper or plastic substrate constituting the document to be protected. Said machine is provided with an automatic temperature and

pressure control system. The thermal treatment running times are of 5-60 seconds at a temperature rang-

ing from 70 to 150 ⁰ C.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the phase of removing the plastic and

heat-resistant support layers, as well as the adhesive layer, is performed by mechanical tearing-off

action.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present

invention, the dimensions or area of at least the

heat-resistant support layer of the multilayered element are greater than the dimensions or area of the

other layers • included in the multilayered element .

Said dimensions of the heat-resistant support layer can be equal or greater than the dimensions of the substrate to be protected.

Even more preferred is the embodiment of the in-

vention wherein at least the heat-resistant, support layer is bonded, preferably seamed, along a smaller

portion of its own area, to the substrate to be protected (a portion thereof in which there is not any data or information) , promoting its mechanical tear-

ing-off ^' removal during said layer removal phase, the other ^' layers included into the multilayered element being on the greater portion of the heat-resistant

support layer area. According to this embodiment, in a further possible case, the other layers included into the multilayered element extend to the edges of

the greater portion of the heat-resistant support

layer area.

In compliance with these embodiments, more preferably the smaller portion of the heat-resistant sup-

port layer area which is bonded, preferably seamed, to the substrate, is delimited by a transversal mi¬

cro-perforation on said support layer, in order to

promote the mechanical tearing-off removal during said layer removal phase, leaving said portion, which

can be continuous or discontinuous, seamed to the

substrate, or subsequently removing it by ^• tearing.

According to said embodiment, more preferably said support layer, in the greater portion of its area

near the micro-perforation, includes a heat-resistant tongue made of paper, polyester or the like which to¬

tally or partially follows said micro-perforation and

promotes the mechanical tearing-off removal of the

support layer.

Moreover, according to the present invention, the

smaller portion of the heat-resistant support layer area, which is preferably made of paper and is seamed to the substrate to be protected, such as for example the page of an identity document as a passport, can be continuous or discontinuous and can be also remov- able by tearing during the phase of removing the

heat-resistant support layer.

The substrate seamed to the multilayered element by means of at least the heat-resistant support layer can already bear or not data or information to be

protected.

Figure 1 shows by way of example a schematic rep¬

resentation of the multilayered element according to the present invention, marked by the reference number I. The multilayered element comprises a heat-

resistant support layer, marked by way of example by

number 1 in figure 1, having a variable size accord¬

ing to the different ISO formats of the substrate to

be protected. In a preferred embodiment of the pre¬

sent invention, the format is the one typical of

passports, ID cards and other identification documents, more preferably, typically 95 mm x 125 mm or

87 mm x 125 mm. More preferably, said support is made of paper, with a thickness/grammage ranging from 30 to 300 g/m ² , preferably from 50 to 100 g/m ² , more

preferably from 60 to 90 g/m ² , typically of 80 g/m ² .

The adhesive layer, marked by way of example with number 2 in figure 1, preferably includes a two-

component adhesive and has a thickness ranging from 2 to 30 microns, preferably from 5 to 10 microns. According to the present invention, "two-

component adhesive" means two-component adhesives well known in the art, such as those having polyure-

thane or biepoxy nature, suited for the rolling treatment according to the present invention,!

The plastic support material, marked by way of example with number 3 in figure 1, is made of materi¬

als such as polyester resins, polypropylene (PP) , polyvinylchloride (PVC) , polycarbonate, more prefera¬

bly polyester resins, particularly bi-oriented PET

(polyethylene terephthalate) , said layer having a

thickness ranging from 8 to 150 microns, preferably from 19 to 50 microns, more preferably from 19 to 23

microns .

The release layer, marked by way of example with number 4 in figure 1, comprises polymers having dif¬

ferent nature (for example natural and/or synthetic waxes, thermosetting or thermoplastic acryl ^Jϊ polyure-

thane polymers or others) which provide a controllable inter-adhesion between adjacent layers with a

thickness of 1 micron to the utmost, typically 0,1 micron, and promote, in this case, the release or separation between the transparent chemical protec¬

tion layer and the upper layers, if mechanically stressed for separation according to the present in-

vention.

The transparent chemical protection layer accord¬

ing to the present invention, marked by way of example with number 5 in figure 1, is preferably made of

polymeric material. The transparent chemical protec- tion layer according to the present invention can be shaped as a film. More preferably, the transparent

chemical protection layer bears security » elements, such as holographic grating, organic or inorganic pigments that can be decoded by different wavelength

readers, fluorescent, iridescent pigments or pigments

visible only through a Wood lamp, mechanical or optical refractive or diftractive elements, lenticular

elements, or combinations thereof.

According to the present invention, a transparent chemical protection layer can mean to include an an¬

ti-scratch layer and/or a chemically resistant dura¬

ble layer and/or a layer suited for holographic de- bossing, or combinations thereof.

Generally, the transparent chemical protection layer according to the present invention has,' a thickness ranging from 1 to 10 microns, preferably from 1,5 to 5 microns, more preferably from 1,5 to 2 mi¬

crons .

In a further preferred embodiment of the present

invention, when the transparent chemical protection layer bears the holographic grinding application, the latter is protected by a transparent metallization

layer made of materials chosen from the group con¬

sisting of ZnS, ZrS, SiOx, TiOx or a mixed multilay- ered composition of said materials, said protection

having a thickness typically of 400 angstrong.

The hot-melt adhesive layer according to the pre¬

sent invention, marked by way of example with number 6 in fig. I ₁ has a thickness ranging from 5 to 25 mi-

crons, preferably from 9 to 10 microns, said layer

41

12

preferably comprising polymers having a melting point ranging from 80 to 150 ⁰ C.

In a further embodiment of the present invention,

the multilayered element also comprises as optional

layer (s) not shown in figure 1, a paper layer having

a thickness/grammage ranging from 30 to 300 g/m ² , preferably from 50 to 100 g/m ² , and more preferably from 60 to 90 g/m ² , typically of 80 g/m ² between the

heat-resistant support layer and the adhesive layer, and/or an intercoat adhesion layer between the transparent chemical protection layer and the hot-melt adhesive layer.

Further objects of the present invention are a j ¹ paper or plastic substrate bearing data or informa-

tion protected by the ^• method according to the present invention, as well as a document comprising a paper or plastic substrate bearing data or information protected by the method according to the present inven¬

tion-. More particularly, "paper or plastic substrate

bearing data or information to be protected" means,

according to the present invention, portions or components or all personal identification documents,

such as passports for travel abroad or for national

identification use, also comprising visas for travel

abroad typically applied in the internal pages of documents .

Particularly, when the paper or plastic substrate

bearing data or information to be protected is made

of paper, said substrate has a thickness/grammage ranging from 60 to 300 g/m ² . If the substrate is made

of a plastic material, it has a thickness ranging from 23 to 250 microns. More specifically, said plastic material is polycarbonate, polyester OP- polypro-

pylene.

More particularly, "data or information to be protected" according to the present invention means data or information "liable to forgery or altera¬

tion", specifically variable identification data, such as personal identification data, fingerprints, visas for travel abroad, and "information" means information whose alteration or forgery causes serious

legal consequences or economical damage.

The data or information to be protected are in-

eluded on the substrate in form of text and/or photo and/or black and white or coloured pictures, also by

means of printing techniques such as ink-jet technique, D2T2 (Dye Diffusion Thermal Transfer) , toner, photographic techniques, wax printing (TTR) ,1 or laser

etching.

In a further particularly preferred embodiment of

the protection method according to the present invention, the substrate bearing data or information to be

protected is made of paper bearing variable personal

identification data in the shape of one or more pages

forming an identity document in which, on every sin¬

gle page or some of the pages constituting as a whole the identity document, passport, identity card or other document for national or foreign identification

use, the multilayered element according to the present invention, marked by way of example with number II in figure 2, is applied.

The multilayered element comprises: an heat- resistant support layer, preferably made of paper, marked by way of example with number Ia in figure 2 ,

which bears a transversal micro-perforation, marked by way of example with number Ia' in figure 2, delimiting said layer in a greater portion, marked by way

of example with number Ia' ' and including subsequent layers, and a smaller portion, marked by way of exam¬

ple with number Ia' ' ' , an adhesive layer, marked by

way of example with number 2a in figure 2, a plastic support layer, marked by way of example with number

3a in figure 2, a polymeric release layer, marked by

way of example with number 4a in figure 2, a trans-

parent chemical protection layer, marked by way of example with number 5a in figure 2, a hot-melt adhe¬

sive, marked by way of example with number 6a in fig¬

ure 2, wherein the area of the paper support material

is greater than the area of the other layers, said

layers having being previously die cut in the form of

the area of the designed page to be protected, wherein, in making the identity document, said multi- layered element is seamed with the page to be pro- tected along the smaller portion delimited by the transversal micro-perforation on the first support heat-resistant layer, preferably made of paper, and wherein, when transferring the holographic film, every single page to be protected on which the multi-

layered element is applied is subjected to the thermal treatment to melt the adhesive layer, or during said phase of transferring the holographic film, all pages to be protected and to which the multilayered

element is applied are subjected to the thermal treatment to melt the adhesive layer. It follows the

phase of removing the paper or plastic support layers and the two-component adhesive layer, wherein said

F layers are removed from the document pages by a tear- ing-off action along the transversal micro-

perforation on the first support layer, leaving the

smaller portion of the heat-resistant support layer, preferably made of paper, seamed with the document pages. Moreover, said smaller portion of the heat-

resistant support layer, which is preferably made of

paper and is seamed, can be continuous or discontinuous and can also be removable by tearing after the

seaming.

Figure 3 shows in particular the multilayered

element according to the present invention, in which the heat-resistant support layer (A) , having dimensions or format greater than the dimensions ^" 'or format of the other layers (B) and bearing as preferred op¬

tion a transversal micro-perforation (C) , is seamed (seaming D) with substrate (F) , such as a passport page, on which identification data or information to

be protected (E) are included. The multilayered element is applied on the passport page, the transparent

chemical protection layer is transferred by thermal

treatment, and the upper layers with respect to the release layer are removed by a tearing-off mechanical action promoted by the seam or micro-perforation of

the support layer (A) .

In a further preferred embodiment of the method object of the present invention, the multilayered

element according to the present invention, marked by

way of example with numbers III and III' in figures 4

and 4A, respectively, comprises: a heat-resistant

support layer, preferably made of paper, marked by

way of example with number Ia in figures 4 and 4A, which bears a transversal micro-perforation, marked

by way of example with number Ia' in figures 4 and

4A, delimiting said layer in a greater portion, marked by way of example with number Ia' ' ' and including subsequent layers, and a smaller portion,

marked by way of example with number Ia' ', an adhesive layer, marked by way of example with number 2a in figures 4 and 4A, a plastic support layer, marked

by way of example with number 3a in figures 4 and 4A, a polymeric release layer, marked by way of example with number 4a in figures 4 and 4A, a transparent chemical protection layer, marked by way of example with number 5a in figures 4 and 4A, a hot-melt adhesive,' marked by way of example with number 6a in fig¬

ures 4 and 4a, wherein the area of the paper support material is greater than the area of the other lay¬

ers, but they, as in representative form III, can ex-

tend to the edges of the heat-resistant support layer greater portion Ia, said support layer including, in the greater portion of its area near the micro-

perforation, a heat-resistant tongue IA' made of pa-

per, polyester or the like which totally or partially follows said micro-perforation, and said layers hav¬

ing being previously die cut in the form of the area

of the designed page to be protected, wherein, in

making the identity document, said multilayered element is seamed, by means of the seaming marked by way

of example with number IA in figures 4 and 4A, with the page to be protected along the smaller ^' portion delimited by the transversal micro-perforation on the

first support heat-resistant layer, preferably made of paper, and wherein, when transferring the holographic film, every single page to be protected on

which the multilayered element is applied is subjected to the thermal treatment to melt the adhesive layer, followed by the phase of removing the paper or plastic support layers and the two-component adhesive layer, wherein said layers are removed from; the docu¬

ment pages by tearing the tongue IA' along the trans¬

versal micro-perforation on the first support layer, leaving the smaller portion of the heat-resistant support layer, preferably made of paper, seamed with

the document pages. Moreover, said smaller portion of

the heat-resistant support layer, which is preferably made of paper and is seamed, can be continuous or

discontinuous and can also be removable by tearing

IT2005/000441

19

after the seaming.

In a further preferred embodiment of the method object of the present invention, the multilayered element according to the present invention, marked by way of example with number IV, IV in figures 5 and 5A and V, V in figures 6 and 6A, respectively, comprises a greater portion, marked by way of example with number Ia' ' ' , including the subsequent layers comprised into the multilayered element, and a smaller portion, marked by way of example with number Ia' ', an adhesive layer, marked by way of example with number 2a in figures 5, 5A and 6, 6A, a plastic support layer, marked by way of example with number 3a in figures 5, 5A and 6, 6A, a polymeric release layer, marked by way of example with number 4a in figures 5, 5A and 6, 6A, a transparent chemical protection layer, marked by way of example with number 5a in -figures 5, 5A and 6, 6A, a hot-melt adhesive, marked by way of example with number 6a in figures 5, 5A and 6, 6A, wherein the area of the pape^r support material is greater than the area of the other layers, but they, as in representative forms IV and V, can extend to the edges of the heat-resistant support layer greater portion Ia, said layers having being previously die cut in the form of the area of the de-

signed page to be protected, wherein, in making the

identity" document, said multilayered element is seamed, by means of the seaming marked by way of ex¬

ample with number IA in figures 5, 5A and 6, 6A, with

the page to be protected, along the smaller portion

of the support heat-resistant layer, preferably made

of paper, which portion can be continuous or discontinuous, and wherein, when transferring fche holographic film, every single page to be protected on

which the multilayered element is applied is subjected to the thermal treatment to melt the adhesive layer, followed by the phase of removing the paper or plastic support layers and the two-component adhesive

layer, wherein said layers are removed from the docu- ment pages by tearing the greater and smaller portions of the support layer along the seaming.

An object of the present invention is also a multilayered element comprising a heat-resistant support

layer, an adhesive layer, a plastic support layer, a polymeric release layer, a transparent chemical pro¬

tection layer, a hot-melt adhesive layer, in compli¬

ance with what has been previously described accord¬

ing to the present invention.

In a further preferred embodiment according to

the present invention, the multilayered element com-

005/000441

21

prises: a heat-resistant support layer, preferably made of paper, having dimensions greater than those of the other layers a ^' nd preferably bearing a trans¬

versal micro-perforation, said layer being seamed

with the passport page to be protected, a further pa¬

per layer bonded to the previous one through adhe¬

sive, a two-component adhesive layer, a polyester layer, a release layer, an anti-scratch layer, a durable layer, a thermoplastic layer bearing the holo- graphic grating, a transparent metallization layer to

protect said grating, an intercoat adhesion layer, and a hot-melt adhesive layer.

A further object of the present invention is a plastic or paper substrate whose surface bearing data

or information is coated with a protection layer, comprising a transparent chemical protection layer and a hot-melt adhesive layer which is sandwiched between said holographic film and the surface to be

coated and, being into immediate contact with the latter, fixes the transparent chemical protection

layer to said surface, making it integral with the

substrate; the dimensions or area of said protection layer being lower than the dimensions or area of the substrate to be protected, in compliance with what

has been described above according to the present in-

vent ion .

When there is a holographic grating on the trans¬

parent chemical protection layer, preferably said

grating can be of a computer-originated type, such as dot-matrix or e-beam lithography (Kinegram, exelgram,

movigram, swissgram and so on) and/or a traditional

reflection/transmission hologram or a combination

thereof.

The present invention is subjected to many

changes and modifications, all included into the inventive concept pointed out in the claims enclosed, while technical details can change according to spe¬

cific requirements.

According to ^' the method and multilayered element

previously described by way of example only,, which are the objects of the present invention, said multi- layered element (I) comprises a support layer (1) made of heat-resistant material; an adhesive layer

(2) ; a plastic support layer (3) ; a release layer (4) ; a transparent chemical protection layer (5) ; a hot-melt adhesive (6) , the latter being placed into

immediate contact with the surface of the ^' substrate

to be protected, wherein the dimensions or area of said multilayered element are lower than the dimen- sions or area of the substrate, and wherein, prefera-

bly, as illustrated in representative form (II) , the

heat-resistant layer (Ia) has dimensions or area

greater than the dimensions or area of the other lay¬

ers comprised into the multilayered element (2a, 3a,

4a, 5a, 6a) , said layer being bonded, i.e. seamed, by means of a seaming IA along a smaller portion of its

area (Ia'') which can be continuous or discontinuous, the other layers comprised into the multilayered element being on the greater portion of its own area

(Ia'''); further layers which can extend to the edges of the greater portion of the heat-resistant layer

area .

Even more preferred is the case in which the smaller portion of the area (Ia' ' ) of the heat-

resistant support layer (Ia) is delimited by a transversal micro-perforation (Ia' ) on said support layer,

said support layer further comprising a heat- resistant tongue (IA') made of a heat-resistant mate¬

rial, which totally or partially follows said micro- perforation.