All-dielectric optical diffractive pigments
AssigneeFlex Products, Inc.
InventorsAlberto Argoitia, Vladimir P. Raksha, Paul T. Kohlmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
All-dielectric diffractive pigment flakes can be applied to an object to impart a diffractive effect to the object without substantially changing the background color of the object. In one case, such diffractive pigment flakes can be applied to a white object to impart a white diffractive effect. The thickness of the dielectric layers in the diffractive pigment flakes can be chosen to provide thin-film interference, as well as diffraction from the interfaces between layers patterned with a diffraction grating. In some cases, the thin-film interference can provide color shifting in addition to the diffractive effect.
Claims25
An all-dielectric diffractive pigment flake comprising:
- an inorganic dielectric thin film layer including a surface having
- a diffraction grating pattern.
An all-dielectric diffractive pigment flake comprising:
- a plurality of dielectric thin film layers, at least one of the plurality of dielectric thin film layers including a diffraction grating pattern, the all-dielectric diffractive pigment flake having an average reflectivity in the visible spectrum between 20% and 90% measured in air.
An all-dielectric pigment flake comprising:
- a plurality of dielectric layers having a diffraction grating pattern replicated through the plurality of dielectric layers to form diffractive interfaces between adjacent dielectric layers.
A diffractive pigment composition comprising:
- a pigment medium and
- a plurality of all-dielectric diffractive pigment flakes dispersed in the pigment medium, the all-dielectric diffractive pigment flakes having:
- a first dielectric layer patterned with a diffractive grating pattern, and
- a second dielectric layer disposed on the diffractive grating pattern of the first dielectric layer to form a first diffractive interface and replicating the diffractive grating pattern to form a second diffractive interface at a surface of the second dielectric layer.
A method of imparting a diffractive effect to a surface of an article, the method comprising:
- providing an object having a background color, and
- applying all-dielectric diffractive pigment flakes to the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.