[0001] The present invention relates to a document, such as a check and the like, with forgery
prevention means.
[0002] As is known, a problem which is currently strongly felt in various fields, and most
of all in the case of checks, is the one related to the possibility of preventing
the forgery of the document, i.e. the fraudulent alteration of the amounts written
on the check.
[0003] Currently, delible inks are used, for example, on checks in the region where the
digits related to the amount are written, in the region where the amount is written
in letters and in the region related to the payee, but these solutions have not always
proved themselves able to clearly indicate that forgery has occurred. In fact, not
infrequently, after fraudulently tampering with the writing present in these regions,
the forger "reconstructs" the region by applying color so as to conceal the tampering.
[0004] In this situation, it is therefore not possible to easily and rapidly make sure that
forgery has occurred; furthermore, currently there are no means which allow to clearly
point out that forgery has occurred.
[0005] Known from DE-A-2 801 015 is an identity card made of a synthetic sheet with a writing
zone, on said writing zone being applied a first layer of ink suitable for writing
on it, on said layer being printed a second layer of ink which is fluorescent when
it is illuminated with ultraviolet light, said second layer being printed with a third
layer of reactive ink.
[0006] From EP-A-0 176 403 is known an anti forgery method for a document consisting of
a P.V.C. substrate, on which a signature is to be applied, consisting in applying
a first layer of ink on a zone for applying a signature, said ink including a pigment
and a product which gives a certain porosity, applying on some zones of said first
layer a transparent porous color which allows to obtain a fluorescence when illuminated
with ultraviolet light, applying on said second layer a third layer of a second ink
which is a pigmented vinyl ink, and applying the signature on said third layer with
a indelible ink.
[0007] The aim of the present invention is indeed to solve the above described problem by
providing a document, such as a check and the like, with forgery prevention means
which allows to detect a forgery, even automatically, clearly pointing out even attempts
at concealing forgery.
[0008] Within the scope of the above aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide
a document wherein the forgery prevention means can be integrated in other elements
which are normally provided in a check, so that said means may not be immediately
detectable to the naked eye, making it even more difficult to reconstruct the region
tampered with.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a document, such as a check
or the like, which by virtue of its peculiar characteristics of execution is capable
of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.
[0010] Not least object of the present invention is to provide a document, such as a check
and the like, which can be obtained by using printing inks which are easily commercially
available.
[0011] This aim, the objects mentioned and others which will become apparent hereinafter
are achieved by a document, such as a check and the like, with forgery prevention
means, as described in claim 1.
[0012] Further characteristics and advantages will become apparent from the description
of some preferred but not exclusive embodiments of a document, such as a check and
the like, with forgery prevention means, illustrated only by way of non-limitative
example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a check upon which regions all with the
same color characteristic are printed;
figure 2 is a perspective view of a check upon which are provided regions alternated
with other regions having different characteristics;
figure 3 is a view of a document, such as a check, with mutually overlapping regions.
[0013] With reference to the above figures, and in particular to figure 1, the document,
such as a check and the like, with forgery prevention means, according to the invention,
comprises a sheet-like element, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, which
in the specific case of checks can be constituted by a paper sheet with or without
a watermark, which defines at least a first portion 2 for indicating the amount in
digits, a second portion 3 for indicating the amount in letters, and a third portion
4 for indicating the payee of the check.
[0014] An important peculiarity of the document according to the invention is constituted
by the fact that regions printed with an ink which can be erased by chemical and/or
mechanical action, designated by 10, are applied in said portions or in some of said
portions. Said ink is selected so as to have a preset color response when it is illuminated
by a light source of preset wavelength.
[0015] In this manner, even if tampering has been performed in order to change the digits
and/or the writing and the region has been subsequently reconstructed, by applying
colors or the like, so as to make the forgery not evident to the eye, it is instead
possible to clearly point out said forgery by means of a light source of a very specific
type, such as for example a particular wavelength, so that the regions which have
not been tampered with will have a certain color response which can be clearly pointed
out visually, whereas the forged region cannot have the same color response, since
the color does not have the same characteristics as the ink used originally.
[0016] According to what is shown in figure 2, the same manufacturing criterion can allow
to create a code which can be read, for example by means of a fiber-optics head or
similar elements; in this solution, first regions 20 and second regions 21 which have
mutually different color responses when illuminated with light sources having preset
wavelengths are provided; thus, essentially, when the first and second regions, which
appear to have the same color in normal light, are illuminated by a source having
a preset wavelength or two different wavelengths, said first and second regions appear
to have mutually different colors and it is possible to obtain such a difference that
the optical reading head can detect only the regions which respond to a certain wavelength,
thus allowing to create a code which can be read automatically by the machine.
[0017] Obviously, if tampering is performed, the detection of said code is no longer possible,
and in any case the different color response is immediately pointed out in the presence
of the light source at a preset wavelength.
[0018] According to what is shown in figure 3, it is possible to provide, in the portions
where for example the amounts in digits, the amounts in letters or the payee are indicated,
a lower region 30 and an upper region 31 which have the same color, with the difference
that the upper region 31 is produced with delible ink which responds to a preset wavelength
of the light source, whereas the lower region is produced with indelible ink.
[0019] In this embodiment, if forgery is attempted, the forger removes the upper layer,
without being immediately aware of the fact, so that upon subsequent verification
performed with a light source of preset wavelength, in the region where the upper
layer has been removed there will be a different color response which makes the forgery
in the preset region immediately evident and obvious.
[0020] As can be seen from the above description, it is thus possible, by applying regions
with an ink which can be erased by chemical and/or mechanical action and which, if
illuminated with a light source having a preset wavelength or wavelengths, has a different
color response, to immediately point out that tampering has occurred, since even reconstruction
of the region with other types of inks or dyes allows its detection.
[0021] It should also be added to the above that it is possible to provide the regions with
elements which are not immediately detectable as forgery prevention elements, since
said regions might be provided with a normal pattern which constitutes the background
of the entire document, so that said regions cannot be immediately distinguished from
the other ones.
[0022] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs,
those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility
of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect
on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
1. Document, with forgery prevention means, which comprises a paper sheet-like element
(1) having defined on a surface thereof at least one portion (2,3,4) for writing indications,
characterized in that regions (10,20,21,30,31) of said at least one portion for writing
indications of said paper sheet-like element are printed with an ink which can be
erased by chemical and/or mechanical action, said ink giving a preset color response
when said regions are illuminated by a light source of preset wavelength in order
to visually point out that tampering with parts of said regions has occurred.
2. Document according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises, in said at least
one portion for writing indications, a first region (20) printed with a first ink
which can be erased by chemical and/or mechanical action and a second region (21)
printed with a second ink which can be erased by chemical and/or mechanical action,
said first and second inks giving preset and mutually different color responses when
said first and second regions are illuminated by a light source of preset wavelength
or wavelengths in order to visually point out that tampering with parts of said regions
has occurred.
3. Document according to claim 2, characterized in that said first regions (20) and said
second regions (21) constitute a code which is detectable by a fiber-optics reading
head.
4. Document according to claim 1 characterized in that it comprises, in said at least
one portion for writing indications, at least one region is printed with a lower layer
(30) of a first indelible ink and at least one upper layer (31) of a second ink which
can be erased by chemical and/or mechanical action is printed on said lower layer,
said second ink giving a preset color response, which is different from the response
of said first ink, when it is illuminated by a light source of preset wavelength in
order to visually point out that tampering with at least parts of said upper layer
has occurred.
5. Document according to claims 4, characterized in that said lower layer has a coloring
which is substantially identical to the coloring of said upper layer.
1. Dokument mit mitteln zur Verhinderung von Fälschungen, welches ein papierbogenartiges
Element (1) umfaßt, wobei auf einer Oberfläche davon mindestens ein Abschnitt (2,3,4)
zum Schreiben von Angaben festgelegt ist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß Bereiche (10,20,21,30,31)
dieses mindestens einen Abschnitts zum Schreiben von Angaben des papierbogenartigen
Elements mit einer Farbe bedruckt sind, die durch einen chemischen und/oder mechanischen
Vorgang entfernt werden kann, wobei diese Farbe eine vorbestimmte Farbreaktion zeigt,
wenn diese Bereiche mit einer Lichtquelle mit einer vorher ausgewählten Wellenlänge
beleuchtet werden, um visuell darauf hinzuweisen, daß sich jemand an Teilen dieser
Bereiche zu schaffen gemacht hat.
2. Dokument nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es in diesem mindestens einen
Abschnitt zum Schreiben von Angaben einen ersten Bereich (20), der mit einer ersten
Farbe bedruckt ist, die durch einen chemischen und/oder mechanischen Vorgang entfernt
werden kann, und einen zweiten Bereich (21) umfaßt, der mit einer zweiten Farbe bedruckt
ist, die mit einem chemischen und/oder mechanischen Vorgang entfernt werden kann,
wobei die ersten und zweiten Farben vorbestimmte und zueinander unterschiedliche Farbreaktionen
zeigen, wenn die ersten und zweiten Bereiche mit einer Lichtquelle mit einer vorher
ausgewählten Wellenlänge bzw. vorher ausgewählten Wellenlängen beleuchtet werden,
um visuell aufzuzeigen, daß sich jemand an Teilen dieser Bereiche zu schaffen gemacht
hat.
3. Dokument nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die ersten Bereiche (20) und
die zweiten Bereiche (21) einen Code darstellen, der mit einem Faseroptik-Lesekopf
erfaßt werden kann.
4. Dokument nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß es in dem mindestens einen Abschnitt
zum Schreiben von Angaben mindestens einen Bereich umfaßt, der mit einer unteren Schicht
(30) einer ersten dokumentenechten bzw. unlöschbaren Farbe bedruckt ist, und mindestens
eine obere Schicht (31) einer zweiten Farbe, die durch einen chemischen und/oder mechanischen
Vorgang entfernt werden kann, auf der unteren Schicht aufgedruckt ist, wobei die zweite
Farbe eine vorbestimmte Farbreaktion zeigt, die sich von der Reaktion der ersten Farbe
unterscheidet, wenn diese mit einer Lichtquelle einer vorbestimmten Wellenlänge beleuchtet
wird, um visuell darauf hinzuweisen, daß sich jemand zumindest an Teilen der oberen
Schicht zu schaffen gemacht hat.
5. Dokument nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die untere Schicht eine Färbung
aufweist, die im wesentlichen identisch zu der Färbung der oberen Schicht ist.
1. Document avec des moyens pour empêcher une falsification, qui comprend un élément
analogue à une feuille de papier (1) comportant, définie sur une de ses surfaces,
au moins une portion (2,3,4) pour écrire des signes, caractérisé en ce que des régions
(10,20,21,30,31) de la ou lesdites portions pour écrire des signes dudit élément analogue
à une feuille de papier sont imprimés à l'aide d'une encre qui peut être effacée par
une action chimique et/ou mécanique, ladite encre donnant une réponse colorée prédéterminée
lorsque lesdites régions sont éclairées par une source lumineuse d'une longueur d'onde
prédéterminée afin de mettre en évidence visuellement qu'une altération a eu lieu
dans des parties desdites régions.
2. Document selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend dans la ou lesdites
portions pour l'écriture de signes une première région (20) imprimée à l'aide d'une
première encre qui peut être effacée par une action chimique et/ou mécanique et une
seconde région (21) imprimée à l'aide d'une seconde encre qui peut être effacée par
une action chimique et/ou mécanique, lesdites première et seconde encres donnant des
réponses colorées prédéterminées mutuellement différentes lorsque lesdites première
et seconde régions sont éclairées par une source lumineuse d'une longueur d'onde ou
de longueurs d'ondes prédéterminées afin de mettre en évidence visuellement qu'une
altération a eu lieu dans des parties desdites régions.
3. Document selon la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que lesdites premières régions
(20) et lesdites secondes régions (21) constituent un code qui est détectable par
une tête de lecture à fibre optique.
4. Document selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce qu'il comprend dans la ou lesdites
portions pour écrire des signes au moins une région qui est imprimée avec une couche
inférieure (30) d'une première encre indélébile, et au moins une couche supérieure
(31) d'une seconde encre qui peut être effacée par une action chimique et/ou mécanique
est imprimée sur ladite couche inférieure, ladite seconde encre donnant une réponse
colorée prédéterminée qui est différente de la réponse de ladite première encre lorsqu'elle
est éclairée par une source lumineuse d'une longueur d'onde prédéterminée afin de
mettre en évidence visuellement qu'une altération a eu lieu dans des parties au moins
de ladite couche supérieure.
5. Document selon la revendication 4, caractérisé en ce que ladite couche inférieure
a une coloration qui est sensiblement identique à la coloration de ladite couche supérieure.