Heat sensitive system and use thereof

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein said document is a pharmaceutical prescription, negotiable instrument or a lottery ticket.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein said document is a pharmaceutical prescription.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 wherein said document is a negotiable instrument.

Claim 6

A negotiable instrument comprising a support bearing an information area including a visible principal image and an authentication area for verifying the authenticity of said document, said authentication area comprising a localized coating of a frictional heat activatable chromogenic composition for producing a visible colored image by application of frictional heat; said chromogenic composition comprising a solid chromogenic compound and solid color developing material.

Claim 7

A negotiable instrument comprising a support bearing an information area including a visible principal image and an authentication area for verifying the authenticity of said document, said authentication area comprising a localized coating of a frictional heat activatable chromogenic composition for producing a visible colored image by application of frictional heat; said chromogenic composition comprising a solid chromogenic compound and solid color developing material.

Claim 8

The negotiable instrument of claim 5, wherein said chromogenic composition is coextensive with said principal image.

Claim 9

The negotiable instrument of claim 5, wherein said visible colored image is a different color from said principal image.

Claim 10

The negotiable instrument of claim 5, wherein said visible colored image is the same color as said principal image.

Claim 11

A document comprising a support having a surface bearing an information area including a visible principal image, and at least one authentication area for verifying the authenticity of said document, said authentication area comprising a localized, substantially colorless coating of a heat activatable non-pressure sensitive chromogenic composition, said chromogenic composition comprising: a solid chromogenic material and a solid color developing material having a melting or softening point of about 40° C. to about 140° C., said solid chromogenic material and said solid color developing material being in physical contact prior to reaction; such that heat applied to said authentication area causes said chromogenic material to chemically react with said developer material to produce a visible colored image at temperatures above room temperature; said information area being free of chromogenic compounds, and free of color developers capable of reacting with chromogenic compounds to produce a visible image by application of heat.

Claim 12

A document comprising a support having a surface bearing an information area including a visible principal image, and at least one authentication area for verifying the authenticity of said document, said authentication area comprising a localized, substantially colorless coating of a heat activatable non-pressure sensitive chromogenic composition, said chromogenic composition comprising: a solid chromogenic material and a solid color developing material having a melting or softening point of about 40° C. to about 140° C., said solid chromogenic material and said solid color developing material being in physical contact prior to reaction; such that heat applied to said authentication area causes said chromogenic material to chemically react with said developer material to produce a visible colored image at temperatures above room temperature; said information area being free of chromogenic compounds, and free of color developers capable of reacting with chromogenic compounds to produce a visible image by application of heat.

Claim 13

The document of claim 9, wherein said authentication area is on a side of said document opposite said principal image.

Claim 14

A document which comprises: a support having at least one surface bearing an information area and a localized verification area; said information area having a visible principal image; and said localized verification area comprising a localized, substantially colorless coating of a heat activatable chromogenic composition, said heat activatable chromogenic composition comprising a chromogenic compound and a color developer, said chromogenic compound and said color developer substantially colorless solids in physical contact prior to reaction, but which can chemically react to produce a visible colored image by application of heat at temperatures above room temperature; said information area being free of chromogenic compounds, and free of color developers capable of reacting with chromogenic compounds to produce a visible image by application of heat.

Claim 15

A document which comprises: a support having at least one surface bearing an information area and a localized verification area; said information area having a visible principal image; and said localized verification area comprising a localized, substantially colorless coating of a heat activatable chromogenic composition, said heat activatable chromogenic composition comprising a chromogenic compound and a color developer, said chromogenic compound and said color developer substantially colorless solids in physical contact prior to reaction, but which can chemically react to produce a visible colored image by application of heat at temperatures above room temperature; said information area being free of chromogenic compounds, and free of color developers capable of reacting with chromogenic compounds to produce a visible image by application of heat.

Claim 16

The document of claim 11 wherein said document is a pharmaceutical prescription blank.

Claim 17

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said localized coating of a heat activatable chromogenic composition is frictional heat activatable.

Claim 18

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said chromogenic coating is on the opposite side of said support from said principal image.

Claim 19

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said heat activatable chromogenic composition is non-pressure sensitive.

Claim 20

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said localized coating of a heat activatable chromogenic component is coated to conceal its location.

Claim 21

The verification system of claim 12, wherein the color of said visible colored image developed by reaction between said chromogenic composition and color developer is different from and contrasts with the color of said principal image.

Claim 22

The verification system of claim 11, wherein the color of said visible colored image developed by reaction between said chromogenic composition and color developer is the same as said principal image.

Claim 23

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said localized chromogenic coating when developed is a solid, regular geometric visible image.

Claim 24

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said chromogenic compound is a member selected from the group consisting of a chromogenic compound convertible to a yellow color, a chromogenic compound convertible to a red color, a chromogenic compound convertible to an orange color and a chromogenic compound convertible to a green color.

Claim 25

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said document is a negotiable instrument and said principal image is a monetary amount.

Claim 26

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said color developer comprises an acidic organic compound.

Claim 27

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said chromogenic composition further comprises a binder material.

Claim 28

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said localized coating of a heat activatable chromogenic composition is heat activatable at a temperature in the range of between about 40° C. and about 200° C.

Claim 29

The verification system of claim 24, wherein said localized coating of a heat activatable chromogenic composition is heat activatable at a temperature in the range of between about 50° C. and about 80° C.

Claim 30

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said verification area is on the same side of said support as said visible principal image.

Claim 31

The verification system of claim 26, wherein said verification area is coextensive with at least a portion of said principal image.

Claim 32

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said support bears multiple localized coatings of said heat activatable chromogenic composition.

Claim 33

The verification system of claim 28, wherein at least two of said localized coatings are on opposite sides of said support from one another.

Claim 34

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said chromogenic composition further comprises an activation temperature suppressant material.

Claim 35

The verification system of claim 30, wherein said activation temperature suppressant material is selected from the group consisting of stearic acid amide, stearic acid methylene bisamide, oleic acid amide, palmitic acid amide, coconut fatty acid amide, dibenzylterephthalate, p-benzyl biphenyl, beta-naphthol benzyl ether, ethylene glycol-m-tolyl ether, di(p-chlorobenzyl)oxalate, and di(p-methylbenzyl)oxalate.

Claim 36

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said chromogenic compound and said color developer are solids, and said chromogenic composition is an intimate mixture thereof to provide an autogenous chromogenic composition.

Claim 37

The verification system of claim 32, wherein said chromogenic composition comprises about 1 to 50 parts by weight of said color developer per part by weight of said chromogenic compound.

Claim 38

The verification system of claim 32, wherein said chromogenic composition comprises about 1 to 10 parts by weight of said color developer per part by weight of said chromogenic compound.

Claim 39

The verification system of claim 11, wherein said chromogenic composition comprises a first coating comprising a chromogenic material and a second coating comprising a color developer, said first and second coatings being superposed on said support.

Claim 40

The verification system of claim 35, said first and second coatings are non-coextensive and the less extensive layer comprises a latent image of an alerting message.

Claim 41

The verification system of claim 36, wherein said localized chromogenic coating is covered with numerous dots printed over said chromogenic coating to conceal location of said latent image.

Claim 42

The verification system of claim 36, wherein said latent image comprises alphabetic letters, numbers or combinations thereof.

Claim 43

The verification system of claim 36, wherein said latent image comprises the word "ORIGINAL".