Patent · US Expired

Planar patterns with superimposed diffraction gratings

US6324004A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
6References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 27, 2000
Grant dateNov 27, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 27, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S428/916
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A surface pattern (1) is composed of elements (2 to 5) which are arranged in a mosaic-like fashion and of which at least one pattern is formed from a background element (4) and a pixel (2) with microscopically fine relief structures diffracting visible light. The surface elements (3) and the element portions (5) either contain the microscopically fine relief structures diffracting visible light or they comprise reflecting or scattering surfaces. Arranged in the pixel (2) is a first diffraction grating B.sub.1 and arranged in the background element (4) is a second diffraction grating B.sub.2, wherein the first diffraction grating B.sub.1 and the second diffraction grating B.sub.2 are a superimposition of at least two different, microscopically fine relief structures F.sub.1 and F.sub.2 diffracting visible light. The first diffraction grating B.sub.1 and the second diffraction grating B.sub.2 differ only by virtue of a relative phase shift .DELTA..phi. between the relief structure F.sub.1 and the relief structure F.sub.2. Upon illumination with polychromatic light the pattern is of a single color which has brightness differences in zones involving different values of the phase shift …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.