JP2009149539A - Color marking method and sugar-coated products formed with color marks - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of forming a color mark that can be used as a security mark is provided.
The tablet on which a plurality of sugar coating layers 32 to 35 having different colors are formed is irradiated with an ultrashort pulse laser to form a depression in which the color of the selected sugar coating layer in the stack is exposed. By the non-thermal processing of the ultrashort pulse laser, the depth of the depression formed in the lamination of the sugar coating layer can be controlled in submicron units, and the desired color of the sugar coating layer can be exposed. It is possible to form a full-color color mark for differentiating from other products for marking objects such as tablets and sugar-coated confectionery. This color mark can also be used as a security mark, which can be applied to a tablet to prevent forgery of the tablet.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of forming a color mark on an object to be marked, and tablets and sugar-coated confectionery with a color mark, and in particular, by giving marks of various colors, differentiation from other products is possible. It is a thing.

It has been conventionally performed to draw identification information such as a trade name or a trademark directly on a tablet or confectionery using a laser.
For example, Patent Document 1 below describes that capsule preparations, tablets, sugar-coated tablets, granular foods, and the like are irradiated with a laser so that letters, numbers, identification codes, etc. are imprinted (groove formation).
Patent Document 2 below discloses a method in which a substance that changes color by laser irradiation is coated on tablets, foods, confectionery, etc., and a lot number, a quality guarantee period, and the like are drawn in monochrome using a laser.
JP 2003-144063 A JP 2004-524188 A

The marking of the identification information on the product enables differentiation from other products. In particular, when advanced technology and know-how are required to form the identification information, other people cannot imitate the identification information, and thus can function as a security mark.
In recent years, counterfeits of pharmaceuticals have been flooded in Asian countries and anti-counterfeiting measures are required, but it is now easy to imitate identification information with a laser or to form a monochrome mark, Even if the tablets are processed, anti-counterfeiting effects cannot be expected.

  The present invention was devised in view of such circumstances, provides a method for forming a color mark that can be differentiated from other products and can also be used as a security mark, The purpose is to provide tablets and sugar-coated confectionery with this color mark.

In the color marking method of the present invention, the marking object on which a stack of a plurality of organic layers having different colors is formed is irradiated with an ultrashort pulse laser so that the color of the selected organic layer in the stack is exposed. A plurality of depressions are formed.
Since an ultrashort pulse laser has an extremely short irradiation time of one pulse, processing (non-thermal processing) that does not affect the heat other than the laser focusing position is possible. By this non-thermal processing, the depth (processing depth) of the depression formed in the organic layer stack can be controlled in submicron (1 / 10,000 mm) units, and the desired organic layer color is exposed from the depression. Can be made.

In the color marking method of the present invention, the stack formed on the marking object includes organic layers of the three primary colors, and color marks of various colors are formed by combinations of the three primary colors exposed from the depressions. And
In this method, a full-color color mark can be formed in the same manner as color printing in which various colors are displayed by gathering small dots of the three primary colors.

In the color marking method of the present invention, the color exposed from the depression is selected by controlling the number of times the ultrashort pulse laser is irradiated to the depression.
The processing depth for stacking the organic layers varies depending on the number of times of irradiation with the ultrashort pulse laser. Therefore, the color exposed from the depression can be changed by controlling the number of times of irradiation with the ultrashort pulse laser.

  The color marking method of the present invention can also be applied to the case where the organic layer is composed of a sugar coating layer.

The tablet with a color mark of the present invention is covered with a stack of a plurality of sugar coating layers having different colors, and has one or more recesses formed by irradiating the stack with an ultrashort pulse laser. A color mark is formed by the color of any sugar coating layer exposed.
The color mark formed on the tablet can be used as a security mark, and forgery of the tablet can be prevented.

Moreover, the tablet with a color mark of this invention can set the color mark of various colors by the combination of the three primary colors exposed from the said hollow by including the sugar-coating layer of each primary color in the said lamination | stacking.
Security will be further enhanced by full color marking.

In addition, the sugar-coated confectionery with a color mark of the present invention is covered with a laminate of a plurality of sugar-coating layers having different colors, and has one or more indentations formed by irradiating the laminate with an ultrashort pulse laser. A color mark is formed by the color of any of the sugar coating layers exposed from the surface.
The color mark formed on the sugar-coated confectionery makes the difference from other confections stand out and gives consumers an impression of luxury. In addition, the present invention can also be used in a sales method in which a certain privilege is given when a sugar-coated confection with a color mark is found among a large number of packaged sugar-coated confectionery.

In addition, in the sugar-coated confectionery with color marks of the present invention, the color mark of various colors can be set according to the combination of the three primary colors exposed from the depression by including a sugar-coated layer of each of the three primary colors in the stack.
This sugar-coated confectionery can be displayed in full color with only three primary colors without using many pigments, so it is safe to put in your mouth.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to form a color mark for differentiating a marking object such as a tablet or a sugar-coated confectionery from other products. This color mark can also be used as a security mark, which can be applied to a tablet or the like to prevent forgery.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a femtosecond laser used in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 schematically shows a depression in which the color of the sugar coating is exposed. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the sugar coating layer of the sugar-coated tablet. FIG. 4 shows a laser scanning trajectory for forming a depression in the sugar coating, and FIG. 5 shows a relationship between the processing depth of the depression and the number of times of laser irradiation. FIG. 6 shows a change in the color exposed from the depression depending on the number of times of laser irradiation, and FIG. 7 shows a cross section of the depression formed by laser irradiation. Further, FIG. 8 shows a recess in which two colors are exposed, and FIGS. 9 and 10 show an example in which a color mark is constituted by a large number of recesses.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the femtosecond laser reflects incident light through a laser output device 10 that repeatedly outputs laser light having a pulse width of 200 fs (femtosecond), a λ / 2 plate 11, and the same optical path. A Glan laser prism 12, an ND filter 13 for adjusting the amount of light, a shutter 14, mirrors 15 and 16, a CCD camera 19 for photographing, an imaging lens 18 for focusing on the camera position, and visible light Automatic triaxial stage 21 that can move in the X, Y, and Z directions with a dichroic mirror 17 that branches the BRG component of the lens, a condensing lens 20 that condenses the laser, and a sugar-coated tablet 30 that is a marking object. And a controller 22 for controlling the shutter 14 and the automatic three-axis stage 21. The laser output device 10 repeatedly outputs laser light at a repetition frequency of 1 kHz.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the sugar-coated tablet 30 to be marked is covered with a plurality of sugar-coated layers 32, 33, 34, and 35 around the contents 31.
As shown in FIG. 3, the color of each sugar coating layer is set to yellow sugar coating 32, red sugar coating 33, blue sugar coating 34, and brown sugar coating 35 from the side close to the contents 31. These colors are the same as the (primary color + black) color set used in color printing. Each of these sugar-coating layers contains a coloring agent that exhibits each color. The outermost surface of the sugar-coated tablet 30 is covered with a transparent coat so as to withstand moisture.
As shown in FIG. 2 (b), fine depressions 36, 37, and 38 are formed by irradiating a femtosecond laser to the laminate composed of the four-color sugar coating layers.

The femtosecond laser capable of non-thermal processing does not affect the surroundings when removing the sugar coating layer at the irradiation position. Therefore, so-called heat sagging does not occur on the wall surface of the depression, the bottom of the depression is clearly exposed, and the color of the sugar coating layer on the bottom appears clearly.
In order to set this recess to a size of 0.5 mm × 0.5 mm, the spot diameter of the femtosecond laser is adjusted to 10 μm or more with the condenser lens 20, and the relative position of the automatic triaxial stage 21 is adjusted as shown in FIG. The movement was controlled, and laser scanning was performed on a 0.5 mm × 0.5 mm region at a pitch of 10 μm. Therefore, this region is all irradiated with laser light. The scanning speed at this time was set to 1 mm / second. The laser output was changed within a range of 10 to 40 mW, and the number of times of irradiation (the number of times the laser beam was scanned over the entire area of 0.5 mm × 0.5 mm) was performed up to 5 times.

FIG. 5 shows the results of measurement of the relationship between the number of laser irradiations and the depth of the dent (processing depth). Here, the measurement was performed with the laser output size set to 10 mW, 20 mW, 30 mW, and 40 mW.
When the laser output was set to 20 mW, the black sugar coating layer 35 was removed and the blue sugar coating layer 34 was exposed by one irradiation (number of irradiations: 1) to the lamination of the sugar coating layers. This state is shown as a dent 36 in FIG. 2 (b), and the actually formed dent is shown in FIG. 6 (a).
In addition, the blue sugar coating layer 34 was removed by two irradiations (number of irradiations: 2), and the red sugar coating layer 33 was exposed. This state is shown as a dent 37 in FIG. 2B, and the actual dent is shown in FIG. 6B.

In addition, the red sugar coating layer 33 was removed by three irradiations (number of irradiations: 3), and the yellow sugar coating layer 32 was exposed. This state is shown as a depression 38 in FIG. 2 (b), and the actual depression is shown in FIG. 6 (c).
In the fourth and subsequent irradiations, the depth of processing became deeper than the lamination of the sugar coating layers, and the contents 31 were dug.
From the graph of FIG. 5, in the range where the laser processing depth does not reach the contents 31, it can be seen that the processing depth tends to be deeper as the laser output is larger and the processing depth is deeper as the number of irradiations is increased. .
FIG. 7 shows a cross section of a recess 39 formed by irradiating a layer of sugar coating layer with femtosecond laser. In this figure, although the sugar coating 40 that could not be scattered is shown in the depression 39, it can be seen that the side wall of the depression 39 is formed substantially vertically.

In this way, by controlling the output of the femtosecond laser and the number of times of irradiation, the processing depth for the lamination of the sugar coating layer can be controlled in submicron units, and by this control, the sugar coating layer exposed to the bottom of the depression can be controlled. Any color can be selected.
FIG. 8 shows a recess 39 in which a blue sugar coating 34 and a red sugar coating 33 are exposed in a 0.5 mm × 0.5 mm region. When a large number of the depressions 39 are arranged two-dimensionally, the human eye appears as a mixed color of the three primary colors red and blue, as in the case of color printing. Further, when the area ratio of red and blue is changed, the mixed color changes.

FIG. 9 shows an example in which the character of the color mark “A” is constituted by the array of the depressions 39 exposing such multiple colors.
Since the sugar coating layer includes sugar coatings of the three primary colors, it is possible to form a full-color color mark by changing the combination of exposed colors and the area ratio.
In addition, as the depth of the dent increases, the color exposed at the bottom of the dent becomes difficult to see, but here, the three primary color sugar coats, with the conspicuous yellow as the lowest layer, the next conspicuous red is superimposed on it, In addition, the three primary colors are clearly visible because they are layered in the order of blue and black.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, as in the case of color printing dots, a large number of small-area depressions 39 exposing a single primary color are formed, and the combination of the colors and the area of the depressions 39 are changed. It is also possible to form a full color mark.
The figure of the mark can be set as appropriate, and the manufacture month and rod number of the sugar-coated tablet, the type of tablet, the manufacturing location, etc. can be displayed with color letters or numbers, or a colored logo mark can be formed . Further, only one or a plurality of depressions can be formed, and identification information such as the month of manufacture, the rod number, the type of tablet, the manufacturing location, etc. can be expressed by their color or combination of colors.

Such full-color identification information cannot be imitated in countries that do not have advanced technology or know-how, so it can be used as a security mark and can be a means to prevent counterfeiting of tablets.
In addition, since this tablet displays a full color using sugar coatings of three primary colors, it is not necessary to use a large number of colorants and is highly safe for the human body.

The identification information by the color mark can also be used to differentiate the sugar-coated confectionery from the products of other companies.
Sugar-coated confectionery with color marks by this method can give consumers a sense of luxury and sales can be expected.
In addition, by mixing several sugar-coated confectionery with this identification information in a number of packaged sugar-coated confectionery, it gives consumers interest in finding sugar-coated confectionery with color marks, or with colored marks. It is also possible to promote sales by a sales strategy that gives benefits to consumers who find sugar-coated confectionery.

In any case, this color marking method is hygienic because the color mark can be formed on the marking object in a non-contact manner. In addition, since the full color is displayed using the three primary colors of sugar coating, it is not necessary to use a large number of coloring agents, and safety is high.
Here, the femtosecond laser is used for forming the color mark, but a picosecond laser classified as an ultrashort pulse laser may be used together with the femtosecond laser. However, if a general-purpose laser is used, the sugar coating melts or burns, so that the color mark cannot be finely processed.
In addition, when the marking object is a product that is not taken orally, another organic layer can be used instead of the sugar coating layer.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely used in the field of manufacturing various products such as pharmaceuticals and foods when identifying information is directly given to the products.

The figure which shows the structure of the femtosecond laser used in embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the sugar-coated tablet which formed the hollow which the color exposed by the method of embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the color change of the sugar coating of the sugar-coated tablet in embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the scanning trace of the laser at the time of forming a hollow with the method of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the relationship between the laser irradiation and the processing depth in the method of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the color of the hollow formed with the method of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the cross section of the hollow formed with the method of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the hollow which the two colors formed by the method of embodiment of this invention exposed The figure which shows the color mark which consists of a collection of the multicolor hollow formed with the method of embodiment of this invention The figure which shows the color mark which consists of an aggregate | assembly of the hollow of a single color formed with the method of embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Laser output device 11 (lambda) / 2 board 12 Glan laser prism 13 ND filter 14 Shutter 15 Mirror 16 Mirror 17 Dichroic mirror 18 Imaging lens 19 CCD camera 20 Condensing lens 21 Automatic 3 axis stage 22 Controller 30 Dragee 31 Contents 32 Yellow Sugar coating 33 Red sugar coating 34 Blue sugar coating 35 Brown sugar coating 36 Dimple 37 Dimple 38 Dimple 39 Dimple 40 Sugar coat that could not be scattered

Claims (8)

  Irradiating a marking object on which a stack of a plurality of organic layers of different colors is formed with an ultrashort pulse laser to form one or a plurality of depressions in which the color of the selected organic layer in the stack is exposed. Characteristic color marking method.   The color marking method according to claim 1, wherein an organic layer of each of the three primary colors is included in the stack formed on the marking object, and color marks of various colors are formed by a combination of the three primary colors exposed from the depression. A color marking method characterized by that.   3. The color marking method according to claim 1, wherein a color exposed from the depression is selected by controlling the number of times of irradiation of the ultrashort pulse laser to the depression. 4.   4. The color marking method according to claim 1, wherein the organic material layer is a sugar coating layer.   Depending on the color of any one of the sugar-coating layers that are coated with a stack of a plurality of sugar-coating layers of different colors and that have one or a plurality of indentations formed by irradiating the ultra-short pulse laser on the laminate A tablet with a color mark, characterized by comprising a color mark.   The tablet with a color mark according to claim 5, wherein a sugar coating layer of each of the three primary colors is included in the stack, and the color of the color mark is set by a combination of the three primary colors exposed from the depression.   Depending on the color of any one of the sugar-coating layers that are coated with a stack of a plurality of sugar-coating layers of different colors and that have one or a plurality of indentations formed by irradiating the ultra-short pulse laser on the laminate A sugar-coated confectionery with a color mark, characterized by comprising a color mark.   8. The sugar-coated confectionery with color marks according to claim 7, wherein a sugar-coating layer of each of the three primary colors is included in the stack, and the color mark color is set by a combination of the three primary colors exposed from the depressions. .