DE102022203462B4 - Banknote foldable into a three-dimensional object - Google Patents

Abstract

Banknote (100) comprising a flat substrate element (120), characterized in that the substrate element (120) has several folds (200; 201-212) such that when the substrate element (120) is folded along the folds (200; 201-212) a three-dimensional body (500) can be created.

Description

The invention relates generally to banknotes.

Banknotes are financial documents that embody value. They are issued by banks, especially central banks, and serve as legal tender. The invention further relates to the production of a series of banknotes in which banknotes of the same value are identically designed.

Banknotes are made from a flat substrate and feature a graphic design on both surfaces, which is usually printed. To prevent or at least significantly hinder counterfeiting and/or imitation, banknotes are equipped with a variety of security features. These include, for example, security printing, such as in the form of one or more guilloches, or special printing processes, such as intaglio printing, or special inks, such as optically variable inks (OVI), which change their color appearance depending on the direction of illumination and/or viewing angle. The composition and design of the substrate, referred to as banknote paper, is also generally a security feature, even though the substrate is often not paper in the strict sense but a fibrous material or fiber composite, such as one based on cotton fibers. The substrate can be single- or multi-layered and made of various materials.

To make counterfeiting more difficult, the goal is to create increasingly complex security features that make banknotes distinguishable from known banknotes and counterfeits.

The invention is therefore based on the technical problem of creating banknotes that have novel security features that enable good distinguishability and at the same time also enable verification.

The problem is solved by a banknote with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

In particular, a banknote is created comprising a flat substrate element, wherein the substrate element has several folds, so that a three-dimensional body can be created when the substrate element is folded along the folds.

Such banknotes are produced in series, i.e., identical banknotes, which for example represent the same value, are designed in such a way that the formation of a three-dimensional body by means of folds leads to the same shape of the three-dimensional body.

In this context, a fold is a material narrowing or change that favors and facilitates folding of the substrate element along the fold compared to folding of the substrate element elsewhere.

This process creates banknotes with a flat substrate element, allowing users to fold this element for verification purposes, thereby forming a three-dimensional shape. If the folds are arranged such that a three-dimensional shape can be formed when folded along the creases, the banknote is verified as genuine. In their original manufacturing state, the banknotes are flat and stackable. The multiple folds are preferably created in the substrate material by pressing or embossing. In some embodiments, material removal may also occur during the formation of the folds.

In mass production, banknotes manufactured in series are identical with regard to their folded edges. The presence of these folds, as well as their precise arrangement and design, can therefore be used individually or in combination as a security feature for verification.

Production can be carried out in single-use or multiple-use configurations.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one fold is designed to be selective in terms of folding direction. This means that the fold favors folding in one direction over another. If one views a flat substrate, for example a sheet of paper, from one side, it is possible to fold the sides facing the viewer along a fold, which represents one folding direction, or to fold the sides facing away from the viewer along the fold, which represents the other folding direction. In some materials, such as paper, a fold can be designed to favor folding in one direction over the other, or vice versa.

To form a three-dimensional body from the flat substrate element, it can be advantageous to have direction-selective folds in the substrate element for one folding direction or for both different folding directions. In some embodiments, the multiple folds include fold-direction-selective folds for both folding directions. For example, the folds can be designed to form Platonic solids. These Platonic solids can be produced solely by folding a flat substrate element with a rectangular base. The surface elements of the three-dimensional Platonic solid itself have no fold edges. Furthermore, the three-dimensional Platonic solids are stable without the need for adhesives such as glue.

Surface elements are those parts of the substrate element that are delimited by folds and/or outer edges of the substrate element. Surface elements that form an outer surface of the three-dimensional body are called body surface elements. Each surface element has surface sections formed on its opposite surfaces, which are sections of the opposing surfaces of the substrate element. Surface elements that do not form an outer surface of the body are called stabilizing surface elements.

Preferred embodiments provide that the three-dimensional body completely encloses a volume, i.e., each surface of the three-dimensional body is at least partially formed by a surface element of the substrate element.

To improve verification and make counterfeiting more difficult, some embodiments provide that the substrate has a security print designed such that a pattern continues into the three-dimensional body across an edge that does not originate solely from one of the folds. This means that the surface elements abutting at the body edge are not separated in the substrate by a single fold. Precise printing is therefore required. The three-dimensional body thus gives the impression that it was externally printed with the pattern in its three-dimensional state.

Further, more complex features can be implemented and verified in embodiments where one of the surface elements has a transparent window area. This makes it possible to see inside the three-dimensional body and to verify features on surface sections located within the interior of the three-dimensional body.

An object or material is considered transparent if it allows an image to pass through it for at least one wavelength or wavelength range of visible light, according to the laws of geometric optics. If light of one wavelength or wavelength range can pass through an object or material, but is diffusely or stochastically scattered upon passing through, the object or material is described as translucent.

A transparent window area in a surface element of the substrate element can, for example, be formed by a punched-out recess. Preferably, however, a transparent window area in a surface element of the substrate element is formed by means of a transparent element, for example, a transparent plastic material. For example, an area of the substrate element can consist of a transparent plastic material or several interconnected transparent layers of plastic material. The transparent material can be colored so that imaging according to geometric optics is only possible for individual wavelengths or wavelength ranges of visible light.

In one embodiment, the window area is therefore formed by a transparent plastic element.

In addition to the possibility of looking into the interior of the three-dimensional body through the window area, the possibility is also created to illuminate the three-dimensional body from the inside through the window area.

In a preferred embodiment, the plastic element has a light-refracting property, for example in the form of a magnifying glass, and information on a surface section located inside the three-dimensional body can be detected through the plastic element, information which is not detectable on the surface section in the flat state of the substrate element. This creates a hidden security feature that can only be verified without aids when the three-dimensional body is produced from the substrate element by folding.

Additionally or alternatively, in other embodiments, it may be provided that information is encoded in the plastic element which, when light is irradiated onto the plastic element from outside the three-dimensional body, is projected onto at least one internal surface section of one of the surface elements, so that this information is transmitted through the surface element from the outside or through the plastic element inside the three-dimensional body. The information is perceivable. If at least the surface element onto which the information is projected is translucent, the information can generally be observed or captured from the outside. Verification can be or include checking the existence of projected information. This can additionally involve checking whether the projection is observed on the surface element where it was expected. However, it can also involve a content-based check of the information against specifications that originate from outside the banknote or are contained within the banknote.

In another embodiment, a light-deflecting optical security element is formed on a surface section located inside the three-dimensional body opposite the window area. When light shines through the window area onto the security element, this element deflects the light so that it is at least partially deflected away from the security element onto one surface section or another surface section located inside, making it perceptible through the window section or from the outside by a surface element, particularly the surface element on which the one surface section or the other surface section is formed. This creates a security element that is difficult or impossible to verify in its flat state, but is easily verifiable when the substrate element is folded.

In Platonic solids, the substrate element can have a rectangular shape in its flat state. Other embodiments can feature simpler folding patterns, such as a folded net, as the substrate element. In these cases, the substrate element often has a polygonal rather than a rectangular outline.

To still be able to use, for example, rectangular banknotes during issuance and production, some designs provide that the banknote has a flat edge area in addition to the substrate element, and that the substrate element is separated from the edge area by a material weakening, such as a perforation, so that the substrate element can be separated from the edge element along the material weakening (e.g., the perforation) without tools. Preferably, the edge element without the substrate element has no value. That is, the substrate element alone without the edge element is the fully circulating banknote.

In such embodiments, but also in Platonic folded bodies, the substrate element can comprise body surface elements and stabilizing surface elements, wherein the stabilizing surface elements are arranged inside the three-dimensional body in the folded three-dimensional state or body surface elements partially overlap.

In some embodiments, the substrate element may have incisions for forming plug connections or perforations for forming such incisions.

• 1 eine Banknote mit einem Randelement und einem Substratelement;
• 2 eine schematische Ansicht des zum dreidimensionalen Körper gefalteten Substratelements der Banknote nach 1;
• 3 eine weitere Banknote im flachen Zustand ohne Randelement;
• 4 eine schematische Ansicht des zum dreidimensionalen Körper gefalteten Substratelements der Banknote nach 3;
• 5 eine weitere Banknote im flachen Zustand;
• 6 eine schematische Ansicht des zum dreidimensionalen Körper gefalteten Substratelements der Banknote nach 5;
• 7 eine schematische Ansicht einer Banknote mit den Falzen zum Ausbilden eines Tetraeders als platonischer Körper;
• 8 eine schematische Ansicht nach 7 der Banknote im dreidimensional gefalteten Zustand
• 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 bis 18 weitere Banknoten abwechselnd zunächst im flachen (ungerade Figuren) und anschließend im zugehörigen dreidimensionalen Zustand (gerade Figuren).

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing. The drawing shows:

• 1 a banknote with a border element and a substrate element;
• 2 a schematic view of the substrate element of the banknote folded into a three-dimensional body 1 ;
• 3 another banknote in a flat state without an edge element;
• 4 a schematic view of the substrate element of the banknote folded into a three-dimensional body 3 ;
• 5 another banknote in its flat state;
• 6 a schematic view of the substrate element of the banknote folded into a three-dimensional body 5 ;
• 7 a schematic view of a banknote with the folds to form a tetrahedron as a Platonic solid;
• 8 a schematic view according to 7 the banknote in its three-dimensionally folded state
• 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 until 18 further banknotes alternately first in the flat state (odd figures) and then in the corresponding three-dimensional state (even figures).

In 1 A banknote 100 is shown schematically. The banknote 100 has a border area 110 and a substrate element 120. Both are flat. This means that the material thickness perpendicular to the plane of the drawing is significantly less than the thickness within the plane of the drawing. The border area 110 and the substrate element 120 are preferably made of the same substrate material. This can be any material commonly used for banknotes. For example, it could be banknote paper made from cotton fibers. It is also possible that the substrate material is a composite material made up of several layers.

The banknote 100 is preferably provided with a security print on a top surface 101 and a bottom surface 102, which correspond to the top and bottom surfaces 111, 121, 112, 122 of the edge area 110 and substrate element 120. Furthermore, the banknote has a number of security features, as are common in banknotes. For the sake of simplicity, these are neither shown nor explicitly described. However, it is apparent to a person skilled in the art that these features are present in the banknote 100 as described in 1 The banknote shown, as well as the other banknotes described here, can be designed in any combination. In particular, optically variable colors, security prints, various printing techniques, watermarks, hologram patches, see-through elements, etc., can be implemented in the banknote.

In the depicted banknote 100, the substrate element 120 is separated from the edge region 110 by a material weakening in the form of a perforation 130, which is formed around the entire perimeter of the substrate element 120. The perforation 130 can be formed in any shape, as long as it allows the substrate element 120 to be separated from the edge region 110 without any additional aids. In the illustrated embodiment, the perforation is shown by a dotted line.

The substrate element 120 also has folds 200, which facilitate folding of the substrate element 120, particularly after separation of the substrate element 120 from the edge region 110, along the folds 200. In order to be able to refer to individual folds 200, these are numbered 201-212 in the illustrated embodiment.

The folds 200 and the outline edges 140 of the substrate element 120 together define surface elements 300. Some of these form solid surface elements 310, which form surfaces of a three-dimensional body 500, which is in 2 is shown schematically. Other surface elements 300 form stabilizing surface elements 320, which are usually arranged inside the three-dimensional body 500 after folding.
The folds 200 are generally designed with a selective folding direction. A fold 200 represented by a dashed line favors a folding direction in which the surface sections facing away from the viewer are folded towards each other. This is also referred to here as folding outwards.

Folds indicated by a solid line promote a folding direction or fold in which the surface sections facing the viewer are folded on top of each other. This is also referred to as folding inwards.

In 1 The outer surface sections 430 of the body surface elements 310 are recognizable. Schematically, a safety print 600 comprising a triangle is formed on the surface sections 430, which ends at an upper outline edge 141 of the outer surface section 431 and continues from the fold 212 into the outer surface section 434.

In the three-dimensional folded state of the banknote or substrate element 120, this banknote/substrate element 120 is a three-dimensional body 500 of the shape of a cube 501. This folded three-dimensional state is in 2 schematically represented.

Identical technical features are indicated in all figures with the same reference symbols.

The outer surface section 431 of the body surface element 311 borders directly on the surface section 434 of the body surface element 314, so that the safety print 600 appears to continue seamlessly over the front upper edge 511 of the cube 501.

This feature can be used to verify whether it is a genuine 100 banknote or not.

In the surface element 300, which forms the body surface element 312 in the cube 501 and constitutes the rear side facing away from the viewer, a transparent window area 700 is formed by means of a transparent window element 701. This can, for example, be made of a transparent clear plastic. In the embodiment shown here, the transparent window element 701 contains a volume transmission hologram 711, which, for example, diffracts light of a narrowly defined wavelength range of visible light, for example in the green wavelength range, in such a way that information stored in the volume transmission hologram 711 in the form of the lettering 721 "HOLO" is projected onto the inner surface section 444 of the body surface element 314 when white light 800 is shone through the window element 701. The projection occurs in such a way that when viewing the projection through the window element 701, the lettering is perceived as a mirror image. The material of the substrate layer element 120 in the area of the However, body surface element 314 is translucent, so that the inscription "HOLO" 721 is visible from the outside as green lettering. This feature can also be used to verify banknote 100.

In another embodiment, the window element 701 is formed by a lens embedded in a plastic film, which makes it possible to detect information (not shown) on the inner surface section 444 of the body surface element 314 opposite the window element 701, for example as microtext, through the lens of the window element 701, which acts as a magnifying glass. The fact that this microtext becomes legible, and/or the fact that the microtext is present, and/or the content encoded therein, can be used for verification decision-making.

In 3 and 4 is another version of a 100 banknote, this time in its unfolded flat form ( 3 ) and once in its three-dimensional folded state. In this embodiment, the banknote 100 does not include a border area. For the sake of clarity, not all features have been re-labeled. However, these can be referenced analogously to 1 and 2 except for the aforementioned changes.

Furthermore, this embodiment differs from the embodiment according to 1 and 2 by having further stabilizing surface elements 371-377 and further folds 213-219. Furthermore, cuts 271-277 are made in the folds 212, 208, 201, 211, 204, 205, 210, through which the further stabilizing elements 371-377 are received in the folded state.

Furthermore, an optical element 780 is formed on the inner surface section 441 of the finished folded cube, which is facing away from the viewer. This optical element deflects light 800 entering the cube 501 through the window element 701, which is formed from a transparent clear film, in such a way that the incident light cone 810 is deflected into two reflected light cones 791, 792, which strike the inner surface sections 441 and 446 and can be perceived from the outside as bright circles by the corresponding body surface elements 311 and 315 on the outer surface sections 431 and 436.

In 5 and 6 The images show a flat state and a folded state of another 100-euro banknote, whose three-dimensional body has the shape of a tetrahedron. Within this, the other features related to the 1-4 or as explained elsewhere in the description, can be implemented in any combination.

• (1) Die rechte untere Ecke (N, T und U) wird eingeschlagen.
• (2) Dann wird die rechte Viertelseite (von O bis T) nach innen geschlagen.
• (3) Nun wird auch die linke Seite (von A bis H) nach innen eingeschlagen.
• (4) Nun werden die beiden schmalen Seiten zusammengeführt, dabei entsteht die Grobform des Tetraeders. Auf der rechten Seite wird S auf P gelegt und der obere Zipfel O zwischen T und U gesteckt und gut festgekniffen.
• (5) Auf der linken Seite wird G auf D gelegt und der untere Zipfel H zwischen B und C gesteckt. Anschließend wird noch die von A und I gebildete Lasche unter das Dreieck M gesteckt.

In 7 and 8 The figures show a 100 banknote in both its flat and folded states, with the 200 folds of the 100 banknote, which are in 7 The diagrams show how to fold a so-called Platonic solid, which also has the shape of a tetrahedron. The letters A to U, shown in the 300 surface elements, serve to identify the surface elements for the folding instructions below. To fold this 100 euro banknote into a tetrahedron, the following steps are necessary:

• (1) The lower right corner (N, T and U) is punched in.
• (2) Then the right quarter side (from O to T) is folded inwards.
• (3) Now fold the left side (from A to H) inwards as well.
• (4) Now the two narrow sides are brought together, forming the basic shape of the tetrahedron. On the right side, S is placed on P and the upper point O is inserted between T and U and pinched tightly.
• (5) On the left side, G is placed on top of D and the lower point H is tucked between B and C. Then the tab formed by A and I is tucked under triangle M.

In 8 The schematic shape of the finished folded three-dimensional body 500 is shown. Here, too, a security feature is provided, for example, by a security print pattern 600 extending across the body's edges. This pattern is formed, for instance, on the reverse sides of the inner surface sections marked with the letters K and M, i.e., facing away from the drawing plane, and extends across the fold edges KD and MG. The outline of the pattern on the side facing away from the viewer is indicated by a dash-dot line.

In 9-18 Each of the 100 banknotes is shown schematically, once in a flat state and once in a folded three-dimensional state.

In preferred embodiments, the resulting three-dimensional shapes in a banknote series differ according to the values of the individual banknotes. Thus, the value of the banknote is linked to a geometric shape of the three-dimensionally folded banknote or of the substrate element of the banknote. For example, dice have a value of ten and tetrahedrons a value of five.

It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that only exemplary embodiments are described here. The embodiments described in the 3-18 The banknotes shown may, in their flat design, have an edge area from which the substrate layer element shown in the figures is separated by means of a perforation.

The related to 3 The cuts 271-276 mentioned can be preformed as perforations in one embodiment, which are then converted into the cuts when the three-dimensional body is folded.

Reference symbol list

100

banknote

101

Top

102

bottom

110

Edge area

111

Top

112

bottom

120

Substrate element

121

Top

122

bottom

130

perforation

140

Outline edges,

141

upper outline edge

200, 201-212

folds

271-276

Cuts

300

Surface elements

310, 311-316

Body surface elements

320

Stabilizing surface elements

431-436

outer surface sections

441-446

inner surface sections

371-376

Stabilizing surface elements

500

three-dimensional body

501

Cube

511

Body edge

600

Security print

700

window area

701

Window element

711

Volume transmission hologram

721

lettering ("HOLO")

780

optical element

791, 792

reflected light cones

800

Light

810

Light cone

A - U

Identification of the surface elements

Claims (10)

Banknote (100) comprising a flat substrate element (120), characterized in that the substrate element (120) has several folds (200; 201-212) such that when the substrate element (120) is folded along the folds (200; 201-212) a three-dimensional body (500) can be created. Banknote (100) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the three-dimensional body (500) completely encloses a volume, i.e., each surface of the three-dimensional body is at least partially formed by surface elements (311-316) of the substrate element (120). Banknote (100) according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the substrate element (120) has a safety print (600) designed such that a pattern continues in the three-dimensional body (500) over a body edge (511) which does not originate exclusively from one of the folds (200; 201-212). Banknote (100) after one of the Claims 2 or 3 , characterized in that one of the surface elements (311-316) has a transparent window area (701). Banknote (100) according to Claim 4 , characterized in that the transparent window area (701) is formed by a transparent plastic element. Banknote (100) according to Claim 5 , characterized in that the plastic element has light-refracting properties and information on a surface section (340) located inside the three-dimensional body (500) can be detected through the plastic element, which is not detectable on the surface section (340) in the planar state of the flat substrate element. Banknote (100) after one of the Claims 5 or 6 , characterized in that information is encoded in the plastic element which, when light (800) is irradiated onto the plastic element from outside the three-dimensional body (500), projects the information that this information can be detected by the surface element (311-316) from the outside or by the plastic element inside the three-dimensional body (500). Banknote (100) after one of the Claims 5 - 7 , characterized in that a light-deflecting optical safety element (780) is formed on a surface section (340) which is arranged in the interior of the three-dimensional body opposite the window area (700), which, when light (800) is irradiated through the window area (700) onto the light-deflecting optical safety element (780), deflects the light (800) in such a way that the light (800) is deflected at least partially at a distance from the safety element (780) onto one surface section (340) and/or another surface section (340) arranged inside, so that this deflected light is perceptible from the outside through the window section (701) or from the outside through the surface element (311-316) on which one surface section (340) or the other surface section (340) is formed. Banknote (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the banknote (100) additionally has a flat edge area (110) and the substrate element (120) is separated from the edge area (110) by a perforation (130), so that the substrate element can be separated from the edge element along the perforation (130) without aids. Banknote (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substrate element (120) has incisions (271-276) for forming plug connections or perforations for forming such incisions, which are in particular formed along a partial section of a fold (200; 201-212).