Technique of forming a separate information bearing printed pattern on replicas of a hologram or other surface relief diffraction pattern

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 which additionally comprises the step of coating at least a portion of adjacent regions of the surface relief pattern and cured liquid printing material with a reflective layer, whereby light diffracted by the surface relief pattern can be viewed through the substrate with the information bearing pattern superimposed thereon.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 1 which comprises an additional step of subsequently coating the replica with a layer of adhesive on a side of the substrate carrying the printing material, whereby said replica may be secured to a surface of an article by said adhesive layer.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 2 which comprises an additional step of subsequently coating the reflective layer with an adhesive, whereby said replica may be secured to a surface of an article by said adhesive layer.

Claim 10

A hologram structure, comprising: a substantially optically clear substrate sheet having a surface relief hologram pattern on one side thereof, a printing layer attached to and filling in the surface relief pattern in an information bearing pattern across said substrate sheet, said printing layer including material having substantially the same refractive index at said substrate and thereby substantially eliminating a diffractive effect of the surface relief pattern over the regions where it exists but leaving the diffractive effect of the surface relief pattern in other regions, and a layer of reflective material extending across said other regions of the surface relief pattern and a side of the printing layer opposite the surface relief pattern, thereby allowing simultaneous viewing through the substrate of an image reconstructed from the surface relief hologram in said other regions and the information bearing pattern.

Claim 11

A hologram structure, comprising: a substantially optically clear substrate sheet having a surface relief hologram pattern on one side thereof, a printing layer attached to and filling in the surface relief pattern in an information bearing pattern across said substrate sheet, said printing layer including material having substantially the same refractive index at said substrate and thereby substantially eliminating a diffractive effect of the surface relief pattern over the regions where it exists but leaving the diffractive effect of the surface relief pattern in other regions, and a layer of reflective material extending across said other regions of the surface relief pattern and a side of the printing layer opposite the surface relief pattern, thereby allowing simultaneous viewing through the substrate of an image reconstructed from the surface relief hologram in said other regions and the information bearing pattern.

Claim 12

The hologram structure of claim 9 which additionally comprises a layer of adhesive material on an opposite side of the reflective layer from the substrate and printing layer, whereby said structure may be secured to a surface of an article.

Claim 13

The hologram structure of claim 9 wherein said printing layer includes a color dye that makes said printing layer have a contrasting color to said reflective layer, whereby said information bearing pattern is easily viewable through said substrate.

Claim 14

The hologram structure of any one of claims 9, 10 or 11 wherein at least one area of said reflective layer is totally reflective and extends substantially continuously over at least two opposing areas of said information bearing pattern and areas of said other surface relief regions therebetween.

Claim 15

The hologram structure of any one of claims 9, 10 and 11 wherein said printing layer is further characterized by a substantial absence of any light diffracting structure in the regions of the surface relief pattern to which the printing layer is attached.

Claim 16

In a combination of an article having a hologram or diffraction grating device attached to a surface thereof, said device including a substantially transparent substrate having a relief pattern formed on a surface thereof facing said article, said surface relief pattern being characterized by diffracting light reflected therefrom through said substrate to form an image or other light pattern recorded therein, the improvement wherein a graphical pattern is attached to only a portion of the substrate surface containing the surface relief pattern and in shape that conveys visual information independent of said image or other light pattern, said graphical pattern including a material having substantially the same refractive index as said substrate surface portion to substantially eliminate the effect of the surface relief pattern to diffract incident light in said portion, whereby said graphical pattern may be viewed simultaneously with the image or other light pattern formed in light reflected from the surface relief pattern in other portions of the substrate surface.

Claim 17

In a combination of an article having a hologram or diffraction grating device attached to a surface thereof, said device including a substantially transparent substrate having a relief pattern formed on a surface thereof facing said article, said surface relief pattern being characterized by diffracting light reflected therefrom through said substrate to form an image or other light pattern recorded therein, the improvement wherein a graphical pattern is attached to only a portion of the substrate surface containing the surface relief pattern and in shape that conveys visual information independent of said image or other light pattern, said graphical pattern including a material having substantially the same refractive index as said substrate surface portion to substantially eliminate the effect of the surface relief pattern to diffract incident light in said portion, whereby said graphical pattern may be viewed simultaneously with the image or other light pattern formed in light reflected from the surface relief pattern in other portions of the substrate surface.

Claim 18

The article according to claim 14 wherein the graphical pattern is formed of material including colored ink.

Claim 19

The article according to either of claims 14 or 15 wherein a layer of reflective material is formed across said substantially transparent substrate on its side carrying the surface relief pattern and the graphical composition, thereby aiding in reflection of incident light from said other portions thereof not occupied by the graphical composition to form the image or other light pattern.

Claim 20

A hologram or diffraction grating device, comprising: a substantially transparent sheet of material containing on one side thereof a surface relief pattern that is continuous over at least a portion of the area thereof and which is in the form of a hologram or diffraction pattern from which a light image or pattern can be reconstructed upon illumination, a discontinuous pattern of material conforming to said surface relief pattern in a manner to form a graphical composition independent of said image or pattern, said graphical pattern including a material having substantially the same refractive index as said substrate and filling in the surface relief pattern in said substrate surface portion to substantially eliminate the effect of the surface relief pattern to diffract the incident light in said portion, thereby allowing simultaneous viewing through the sheet of an image or pattern reconstructed from the surface relief pattern and the graphical composition, and an adhesive layer carried by said device on a side of said discontinuous pattern opposite said transparent sheet surface relief pattern, thereby providing for attaching the device to a substrate.

Claim 21

A hologram or diffraction grating device, comprising: a substantially transparent sheet of material containing on one side thereof a surface relief pattern that is continuous over at least a portion of the area thereof and which is in the form of a hologram or diffraction pattern from which a light image or pattern can be reconstructed upon illumination, a discontinuous pattern of material conforming to said surface relief pattern in a manner to form a graphical composition independent of said image or pattern, said graphical pattern including a material having substantially the same refractive index as said substrate and filling in the surface relief pattern in said substrate surface portion to substantially eliminate the effect of the surface relief pattern to diffract the incident light in said portion, thereby allowing simultaneous viewing through the sheet of an image or pattern reconstructed from the surface relief pattern and the graphical composition, and an adhesive layer carried by said device on a side of said discontinuous pattern opposite said transparent sheet surface relief pattern, thereby providing for attaching the device to a substrate.

Claim 22

The device according to claim 17 wherein the graphical pattern is formed of colored ink.