Banknote

Abstract

The invention relates to a banknote which comprises an imprint of the nominal value in the respective currency unit, additional inscriptions, one or more representations of special motifs from the respective area of validity, and / or security features and which is characterized in that the banknote additionally has, on at least one of the two sides, regularly spaced images of graduation lines which form a) a scale for measuring section lengths and / or b) a scale for measuring angles, a corresponding scale designation being imaged at least next to some of the graduation lines, and optionally the unit corresponding to the respective scale also being specified. The invention also relates to the use of the banknote for measuring section lengths and / or angles.

Description

[0001] banknote

[0002] The present invention relates to a novel banknote and its use for measuring distances and / or angles.

[0003] STATE OF THE ART

[0004] Currencies are means of exchange used to simplify the exchange of goods and services in the economy. They serve as units of account and stores of value and are usually issued and supported by a central authority, such as a government or a central bank. The use of currency enables the efficient and convenient exchange of goods and services and is an essential component of economic systems. On the other hand, measurements are indispensable for trade and commerce. They allow for the description, quantification, and comparison of goods in a standardized manner. Accurate measurements are necessary to ensure that a product meets the specifications required by the buyer and seller, such as having a specific length or weight.Measurements are also used to determine the value of goods, as prices are often based on the quantity or quality of the goods traded. Furthermore, measurements are used to establish standards to ensure that certain products are safe and suitable for their intended purpose.

[0005] For a long time, goods and services have been primarily paid for in cash, in the form of banknotes and coins. Despite the steady increase in cashless payments via credit or debit cards and internet transfers in recent years, these remain the main means of payment in private business transactions. Nevertheless, no banknotes or coins are currently known that are suitable for the precise measurement of physical quantities of objects, such as lengths, weights, or angles – regardless of whether these are properties of purchased goods or other items or objects encountered in everyday life.In the field of numismatics, several coins are known to feature scale markings, but these are all commemorative coins that are not actually used in commerce and consequently were not designed for practical measurements in everyday use. For example, the Austrian Mint issued a commemorative series of four 20-euro silver coins entitled "Towards the Sky" (2019: "The Dream of Flying," "The Era of Powered Flight"; 2020: "Journey Above the Clouds," "Faster Than the Sound"), each depicting sections of an angular scale or a compass rose. Only the fourth coin in this series, shown in Fig. 1A, will be discussed in detail here, as it is the only one to feature an angular scale marked in 10° increments, described as a "stylized section of a radar display."However, the depictions of the Concorde and the Eiffel Tower completely obscure a good part of the scale and its origin, making angle measurements practically impossible with these coins.

[0006] The coin "Terra 2023" from the Pressburg Mint (Bratislava), shown in Fig. 1B, features an uninterrupted and even numbered 360° angle scale as an artistic element. However, this coin is completely impractical as a measuring instrument because the numbers are illegibly small and the scale's divisions are extremely short, placing them far from both the edge and the coin's center. Even if an object smaller than the scale were placed on the coin, angles could not be read accurately. The same problem would arise if the coin were placed on a larger object to determine the angle: due to the distance between the scale and the edge, the very small size of the divisions, and the numbering, no values ​​could be read correctly.

[0007] And in Latvia, a 1-lats commemorative coin, shown in Fig. 1C, was issued in 2012 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Riga Technical University. It features a length and an angle scale, both of which are unnumbered, and whose markings, similar to those on the four Austrian commemorative coins, are positioned so far from the edge that no even approximately accurate measurements are possible – especially not of angles. Banknotes depicting measuring scales are completely unknown to the inventor.

[0008] Against this background, the aim of the invention was therefore to develop means of payment that are indeed suitable for measuring physical quantities of objects and with which simple and precise measurements are also possible.

[0009] REVELATION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention achieves this objective by providing i) a newly designed banknote and ii) its use for measuring distances and / or angles, wherein the new banknote, as is currently customary, comprises a printed nominal value in the respective currency unit as well as further inscriptions, one or more depictions of special motifs from the respective scope of application and / or security features, but is further characterized in that it also comprises, on at least one of the two sides, regularly spaced illustrations of graduations which form a) a scale for measuring distances and / or b) a scale for measuring angles, wherein at least next to some of the graduations a corresponding scale numbering is shown and, if necessary, the unit corresponding to the respective scale is also indicated.

[0011] As mentioned at the outset, unlike a few coins on which such scales are imprinted as references to specific technical features or historical events, banknotes that feature scales formed by regular depictions of graduations for measuring distances or angles, and are thus suitable for and actually usable for such measurements, are completely unknown. In its simplest embodiment, a banknote according to the present invention therefore comprises an image of such a scale, which, however, includes corresponding scale numbers, preferably also indicating the unit corresponding to the respective scale. Such a banknote according to the present invention can thus readily be used as a substitute for a ruler and / or a protractor and yields identical measurement results.

[0012] In preferred embodiments, the banknote according to the invention has at least one scale (a) for measuring distances, which, to further simplify length measurement—assuming the most common rectangular shape of banknotes worldwide—is depicted on one of the banknote's long edges or a long margin. This means that the regularly spaced graduations extend at right angles to the edge or margin (these terms are used synonymously here; the term "margin" is primarily used to describe the figures), so that when using the banknote according to the invention, a user can simply place it against the distance to be measured and read its length on the scale. If the distance is greater than the length of the banknote, two or more banknotes can simply be placed adjacent to each other against the distance to be measured.

[0013] In preferred embodiments, the zero point of scale a) is depicted either in one of the corners or at mid-length of the banknote. The first variant is particularly preferred if another length scale a) is depicted on the same side of the note but along the transverse edge, so that the zero points of both scales can coincide in the same corner. In this way, both the length and the width of an object placed on a banknote (or on several banknotes placed side by side) can be measured simultaneously.Zero points of the length scale located at mid-length of the banknote are preferable, for example, if an additional angular scale is depicted on the same side of the banknote, the origin of which can coincide with the zero point of the length scale at this point, or if the lengths of two objects, especially those smaller than the length of the banknote, can be easily compared by placing them adjacent to each other on the banknote at the zero point. Furthermore, according to the invention, it is preferable that the graduations of the length scale are depicted at regular intervals of 1 mm, 5 mm, and / or 1 cm, if measurements are to be taken in meters. Alternatively, integer fractions or multiples of 1 inch (1 in) can, of course, also be depicted, which may be particularly desirable in the USA or the United Kingdom (and in some former colonies).In any case, preferably at least some of the graduations are numbered accordingly to simplify reading, and usually the corresponding unit of measurement will also be indicated.

[0014] Specifically with regard to measuring distances greater than the length of the banknote by placing two or more banknotes according to the invention side by side along the distance to be measured, the length and width of the banknote are particularly preferably an integer multiple, in particular five or ten times, of the unit indicated by numerals. For example, a banknote according to the invention, which has graduations at intervals of 1 mm and centimeter markings, can in particularly preferred embodiments be 10 cm long and 5 cm wide.

[0015] In further preferred embodiments, the banknote may, as already mentioned, optionally have in addition to at least one length scale a), at least one scale b) for measuring angles, the graduations of which are depicted on at least one longitudinal edge and at least one transverse edge in order to keep the measurable angle relatively large.

[0016] Analogous to the length scale a), the graduations of the angle scale b) are depicted at regular intervals of 1°, 5°, 10°, and / or 20°, corresponding to the most common angular unit in everyday life, i.e., degrees (°). Alternatively, integer quotients of 2TT, or optionally integer multiples of the radius (rad), can be depicted for measurements in radians or arcseconds, with at least some of these being appropriately numbered in each case. In preferred embodiments, the origin of the angle scale b) can also be located on a longitudinal edge, for example, at the midpoint of the banknote's length, resulting in a measurable angle range of 180° or TT rad. If the origin were located in one of the corners, only measurements of 90° or TT / 2 rad would be possible. In any case, the origin of scale b) is preferably indicated by an arrow, which would thus point, for example, towards the longitudinal edge or the corner.And in any case, the origin of the angular scale b) can also coincide with the zero point of a length scale a), as mentioned above.

[0017] Alternatively or additionally, in preferred embodiments of the invention, the banknote includes at least one transparent window, which can simultaneously serve as a security feature and therefore optionally comprises a dielectric substrate, as is now common with such banknotes, so that a viewer can see a holographic image, e.g., a portrait as on some euro banknotes, when tilting the banknote. The zero point of a scale (a) and / or the origin of a scale (b) are depicted in at least one transparent window. The advantage of having the zero point of a length scale and / or the origin of an angle scale in such a transparent window is, of course, that the banknote can be positioned precisely for the corresponding measurement—especially for angle measurements.

[0018] In preferred embodiments, the at least one transparent window can be provided either on a longitudinal or transverse edge of the banknote or in the middle of the banknote, whereby "in the middle" here does not mean located at the edge. In the latter case, the origin of an angle scale b) is depicted in the window, thereby enabling (at least theoretically) full-circle angle measurements (360° or 2 TT rad). For this purpose, in these embodiments, the origin of the scale b) is even more preferably located at half the width of the banknote in a region of 20-30% of the banknote's length.This ensures sufficient distance to all edges, including the nearest transverse edge, but simplifies readings of angles on the opposite transverse edge and the two longitudinal edges, since at least some of the graduations, provided they are depicted on at least a large part of the distance from the edge to the origin of the scale, can be relatively long in order to simplify mental extrapolation of the graduations to the two points between which the angle is to be determined.

[0019] In embodiments where the origin of the angular scale b) is located at an edge or corner of the banknote and optionally coincides with the zero point of a length scale a), it can also be marked by an arrow pointing towards the edge. If it is located in a transparent window in the center of the banknote, it can be indicated, for example, by a dot or crosshair (preferably colored), or by several segments of graduations extending directly to the origin or to just before it. In these latter embodiments, the banknote can also have, in addition to the at least one scale b), at least one scale a) for measuring distances, the zero point of which is preferably indicated at the same location in the transparent window as the origin of scale b). The scales can be depicted on the same side and / or on opposite sides of the banknote.

[0020] In particularly preferred embodiments, the banknote has a scale a) for measuring distances and a scale b) for measuring angles, which are either i) depicted on the same side of the banknote, with the graduations of the corresponding scale depicted on one longitudinal and one transverse edge; or ii) located on opposite sides, with the graduations of the corresponding scale depicted on at least one longitudinal and at least one transverse edge.

[0021] If the banknote has at least one scale (a) for measuring distances, this scale is particularly preferably located on a longitudinal or transverse edge, and at least some of the graduations of the scale extend as a thin line, preferably a dashed or dotted line, across the entire width and / or length of the banknote, which, for example, allows the comparison of distances on opposite sides of the note. Similarly, in banknotes according to the invention that include at least one scale (b) for measuring angles, a thin line, preferably a dashed or dotted line, extends from the origin of the scale to at least some of the graduations at the edges, which again facilitates extrapolation.In addition, the respective measurement deviation (measurement inaccuracy, measurement uncertainty) of the scales can be indicated on banknotes according to the invention, which may be, for example, 1% of the respective length, such as ± 1 mm or ± 0.5 mm for preferred dimensions of the notes of 10 x 5 cm.

[0022] The material from which the banknotes according to the invention are made, as well as the method of production, are not specifically restricted, and, for example, all materials and methods conventionally used for the production of banknotes can be used, as long as the dimensional stability of the notes is ensured over wide ranges, in particular temperature ranges. Suitable materials include, for example, security paper reinforced with cotton fibers or various polymers.

[0023] Regardless of the exact material used for production, it is also possible to determine the circumference of (circular) objects with a banknote according to the invention, since a banknote can be wrapped around the object, which is not feasible with a standard ruler.

[0024] And regardless of the number and position of the scales on the banknotes according to the invention, these will, as mentioned above, generally include the security features that are almost indispensable today, such as holograms, watermarks, security threads, or machine-readable elements, as well as other imprints customary on banknotes. These include, in addition to the face value and the respective currency unit, various other inscriptions and depictions of special motifs from the respective area of ​​validity, e.g., images of buildings, landscapes, or portraits of prominent persons of the corresponding country or community of countries in which the banknotes are valid. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0025] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to preferred embodiments, which are not to be understood as limiting, and with reference to the accompanying figures, which illustrate the following:

[0026] Fig. 1 shows illustrations of the special coins mentioned in the introduction, which include scale markings; Figs. 2 to 5 are exemplary schematic representations of banknotes according to the invention with illustrations of length scales; Figs. 6 and 7 are exemplary schematic representations of banknotes with illustrations of angle scales; Figs. 8 to 11 are exemplary schematic representations of banknotes with length and angle scales on the same side of the note; and

[0027] Fig. 12 shows a photograph of a prototype of such a banknote.

[0028] EXAMPLES

[0029] In its simplest embodiments, the banknote according to the invention, as mentioned above, comprises only a scale for measuring either distances or angles, which, however, has scale numbers and preferably also an indication of the unit of measurement. This can be either a scale for measuring distances and / or a scale for measuring angles.

[0030] Figures 2 and 3 each schematically depict a banknote with a single length scale, which—like all other banknotes shown in the figures—has a preferred length of 10 cm and a width of 5 cm. As mentioned above, this offers the advantage that lengths greater than the length of the banknote can be determined simply by placing two or more banknotes according to the invention side by side. Alternatively, preferred embodiments of the banknote could, for example in the USA, also have dimensions of 5 x 2.5 or 5 x 3 inches.

[0031] The banknotes shown in Figures 2 and 3 have numbers but no indication of the unit of measurement. Nevertheless, it should be immediately clear to the vast majority of owners of such a banknote, for example in Europe, that these are graduations spaced 1 mm apart with numbers every 1 cm, as the resemblance to a ruler is striking. In these two embodiments, the scales are not shown at the edge, so to measure the length of an object, it will either have to be placed directly next to the scale on the banknote or the banknote will have to be folded for the measurement.

[0032] The arrangement of the scale in Fig. 3 parallel to the edge can offer advantages in determining the length of certain objects, such as flat ones, and likely creates a more direct association with a ruler. The oblique arrangement in Fig. 2, on the other hand, can leave a more original visual impression of the banknote on the viewer and be perceived as a stylistic element. Of course, all the scales depicted on the banknotes according to the invention can also each be part of a more comprehensive representation of certain motifs – similar to the aforementioned "stylized section of a radar display" on the commemorative coin shown in Fig. 1A, which is formed by a partially depicted angular scale. According to the present invention, it is essential that at least one of the scales is continuously depicted and numbered on each banknote.

[0033] For most of the other length scales shown in the figures (with the exception of the one in Fig. 11), both the numbered unit (here in each case in cm) and the measurement deviation are indicated, which in these cases is 1 % of the length of the scale, i.e. ± 1 mm for 10 cm length and ± 0.5 mm for 5 cm width.

[0034] The banknotes schematically depicted in Figures 4 and 5 are essentially identical and each has a length scale on all four edges, with the unit and measurement deviation indicated near a transverse edge. The difference between these two embodiments lies in a transparent window F, indicated by an arc, which in Figure 5 extends from one end to the other of one of the scales located on the longitudinal edge. Such a window F allows for more precise measurement in cases where the banknote is not placed against an object whose length is to be determined, but rather placed upon it, e.g., to measure the length of the inner edge of an angled workpiece.

[0035] As already mentioned, such a window F can simultaneously serve as a security feature of the banknote and therefore preferably comprises a dielectric substrate on which a holographic representation (or a kinegram) is visible when tilted. Furthermore, almost all the graduations and numerals of the corresponding scale are depicted on the window F of the embodiment of the banknote according to the invention shown in Fig. 5. The reason why the window F in Fig. 5 is curved and not rectangular, as in the other embodiments with windows shown in the figures, is again a stylistic one, i.e., to make the banknote appear more visually elegant to the viewer.

[0036] One advantage of depicting length scales on at least one longitudinal and at least one transverse edge is, for example, that the length and width of rectangular objects of suitable size can be measured simultaneously when they are placed on the banknote. Conversely, an advantage of depicting two scales on opposite edges is that two objects to be compared can be placed against both edges at the same time and their lengths determined.

[0037] Analogous to Figures 4 and 5, Figures 6 and 7 also show two nearly identical embodiments of the banknote according to the invention, which differ only by a transparent window F. In this case, this window is provided in the area of ​​the origin of the angle scales depicted thereon, which is located on one longitudinal edge and at mid-length of the banknote, while on the three remaining edges, the corresponding graduations are depicted at intervals of 1° and numbered every 10°, pointing towards the origin. Such embodiments enable angle measurements in a range of 180° (or alternatively TT radians). The window F offers the advantage that the origin, indicated by an arrow, can be positioned more precisely for measurement in certain cases. It is, of course, obvious to those skilled in the art that a scale according to one of the figures is provided on each side of a banknote according to the invention.2 to 7 can be depicted in order to allow both length and angle measurements with a single banknote in these cases of scale design.

[0038] The remaining figures, however, depict embodiments that include both an angle scale and at least one length scale. Figure 8 shows an angle scale whose origin is located on a longitudinal edge and at mid-length of the banknote, coinciding in this case with the zero point of a length scale. However, the graduations of the angle scale are shown only at 1° intervals for the first 10° and thereafter only every 10°, and only on one transverse and one longitudinal edge (and numbered every 10°). Another difference is that in this embodiment, the 10° graduations are shown by thin lines extending continuously from the respective edge to the origin, allowing for more precise extrapolation of the graduations to points outside the banknote.

[0039] The length scale along the long edge extends 5 cm in both directions from the central zero point (which also represents the origin of the angle scale) to the two transverse edges. On the transverse edge opposite the 1° graduations of the angle scale, another, albeit unnumbered, length scale is depicted, located within a transparent window F, which allows for more precise positioning during measurement.

[0040] Figure 9 schematically depicts an embodiment with both an angle and a length scale. The latter, analogous to Figure 8, is located along a longitudinal edge and extends 5 cm from a central zero point to each transverse edge. However, in this case, the origin of the angle scale is located at half the width, in the center of the banknote, at 20% of its length. This allows for full-circle angle measurements over 360° or, as indicated herein, over 2 TT rad. The graduations are shown on the three edges without a length scale and are numbered at intervals of TT / 4 rad (from 0 to IT rad plus 7 TT / 4 rad), as well as integers at 1, 2, 3, and 6 rad, and are also shown extending continuously from the edge to the origin (plus one unnumbered graduation at 3 TT / 2 that does not extend to the edge). The direction of the numbering is indicated by a curved arrow.

[0041] Figure 10 shows essentially the same embodiment, but with the addition of a transparent window F around the origin, which naturally improves the positioning of the banknote for angle measurement. Figure 11 shows a similar embodiment with window F, but in this embodiment the length scale is not depicted on a longitudinal edge, but also at half its width, so that its zero point coincides with the origin of the angle scale. This allows the graduations of the angle scale to be shown on all four edges, thus extending the measuring range to the full circle, which in this embodiment is also expressed by additional and numbered continuous graduations at 5 TT / 4, 4, 3 TT / 2, and 5 rad.

[0042] Finally, Fig. 12 shows a photograph of a prototype of a banknote similar to the one in Fig. 10, but rotated 180° and with the zero point of the length scale in one of the corners. The transparent window F is clearly visible, as the grain of the underlying wooden panel can be seen through the window. The graduations running continuously from the edges to the origin are depicted on the window F.

[0043] In summary, it can be stated that the present invention enables, for the first time, measurements of distances and / or angles using a banknote, which can be easily carried out by any owner of such a banknote without having to have a ruler, protractor or the like at hand.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1. A banknote comprising a printed nominal value in the respective currency unit as well as further inscriptions, one or more depictions of special motifs from the respective area of ​​validity and / or security features, characterized in that it further comprises on at least one of the two sides regularly spaced illustrations of graduations which form a) a scale for measuring distances and / or b) a scale for measuring angles, wherein at least next to some of the graduations a corresponding scale numbering is shown and, if applicable, the unit corresponding to the respective scale is also indicated.

2. Banknote according to claim 1, characterized in that the banknote has at least one scale a) for measuring distances, which is depicted on one of the longitudinal edges.

3. Banknote according to claim 2, characterized in that the zero point of the scale a) is located in one of the corners or at half the length of the banknote.

4. Banknote according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the graduations are depicted at regular intervals of 1 mm, 5 mm and / or 1 cm, of which at least some may be numbered.

5. Banknote according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the banknote, optionally in addition to at least one scale a), has at least one scale b) for measuring angles, the graduations of which are depicted on at least one longitudinal edge and at least one transverse edge, wherein optionally the graduations are depicted at regular intervals of 1°, 5°, 10° and / or 20°, of which optionally at least some are numbered.

6. Banknote according to claim 5, characterized in that the origin of the scale b) is located on a longitudinal edge, for example at half the length of the banknote, wherein the origin of the scale b) is optionally indicated by means of an arrow pointing towards the longitudinal edge.

7. Banknote according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the banknote comprises at least one transparent window (F) which simultaneously serves as a security feature and optionally comprises a dielectric substrate, wherein the zero point of a scale a) and / or the origin of a scale b) are depicted in at least one transparent window (F).

8. Banknote according to claim 7 characterized in that at least one transparent window (F) is provided on a longitudinal edge and / or transverse edge of the banknote.

9. Banknote according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one transparent window (F) is provided in the middle of the banknote in which the origin of a scale b) is depicted, wherein optionally the origin of the scale b) is depicted at half the width of the banknote in an area of ​​20-30% of the length of the banknote.

10. Banknote according to claim 9, characterized in that the banknote, in addition to the at least one scale b), also has a scale a) for measuring distances, the zero point of which is indicated at the same place in the transparent window (F) as the origin of the scale b).

11. Banknote according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the banknote has both a scale a) for measuring distances and a scale b) for measuring angles, which are either i) depicted on the same side of the banknote, wherein the graduations of the corresponding scale are depicted on one longitudinal and one transverse edge respectively; or ii) lie on opposite sides, wherein the graduations of the corresponding scale are depicted on at least one longitudinal and at least one transverse edge.

12. Banknote according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the banknote comprises at least one scale a) for measuring lengths on at least one longitudinal or transverse edge, wherein at least some of the graduations of the scale a) extend in the form of a thin line, optionally a dashed or dotted line, across the entire width and / or length of the banknote.

13. Banknote according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the banknote comprises at least a scale b) for measuring angles, from the origin of which to at least some of the graduations a thin line, optionally a dashed or dotted line, is shown.

14. Use of a banknote according to any one of claims 1 to 37 for measuring distances and / or angles.

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