GB2371517A

GB2371517A - Book of banking stationery

Info

Publication number: GB2371517A
Application number: GB0102157A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Luke Barrow
Original assignee: ZURICH BANK PLC
Current assignee: ZURICH BANK PLC
Priority date: 2001-01-27
Filing date: 2001-01-27
Publication date: 2002-07-31
Also published as: GB0102157D0; GB2371517A8

Description

1 2371517

STATIONERY ITEM

This invention relates to a stationery item. In particular, it relates to an item of 5 stationery for use in banking.

As is well known, most bank account holders require pre-printed stationery forms for use in carrying out transactions relating to their bank account. Most typically, these forms include cheques and paying-in forms.

Traditionally, account holders were provided with a chequebook and a paying-in book, 10 each containing a plurality of items of just one type of stationery, bound together.

However, especially for personal banking customers, this provides an unnecessarily large volume of stationery. As a way of countering this, it is known for a bank to supply a customer with a cheque book that includes a smaller number of paying-in forms, either interspersed through the cheques or in a group at the back of the cheque 15 book. While this is more convenient than the traditional arrangement, users often find that they cannot readily locate the paying-in forms within their cheque book.

An aim of this invention is to provide a more convenient form of banking stationery.

The invention provides a book of banking stationery comprising a front cover and a rear cover and a plurality of printed stationery forms bound together, wherein the forms

include a first type of stationery bound to face the front cover and a second type of stationery bound to face the rear cover.

A user can therefore directly access the type of stationery form required by opening the front or rear cover as required.

5 Most preferably, the forms are bound such that the first and second types of form are bound to be inverted with respect to one another. This means that the user can access each type of form by opening the respective cover in a similar manner. Typically, the user will open each cover as they would normally open a book written in their natural language. Alternatively, the forms may be bound as required to ease access for a leR-

10 handed or a right-handed user.

Usually, banking stationery forms are shaped as elongate rectangles, and the a book of such stationery has a similar outline. In this case, a book embodying the invention is typically configured such that a user can select which type of form to use by rotating the book about its longer axis. It has been found that this is a configuration that users 15 consider to be convenient.

Advantageously, either or both of the front and the rear cover bears indicia to identify the type of stationery that it covers. Alternatively or additionally, either or both of the front and rear covers includes an aperture through which a part of the stationery can be seen and identified when the cover is closed. This can help a user identify which cover 20 should be opened to gain access to a particular type of form below.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a book of banking stationery illustrating a front cover in a closed condition; Figure 2 shows the book of banking stationery of Figure 1 illustrating a rear cover in a closed condition; 5 Figure 3 shows the book of banking stationery of Figure 1 showing the inside front cover in an open condition, and pre-printed cheques bound in the book; and Figure 4 shows the book of banking stationery of Figure 1 showing the inside back cover in an open condition, and pre-printed paying-in forms bound in the book.

With reference to the drawings, a book of banking stationery 10 embodying the 10 invention provides a user with pre-printed cheques and paying-in forms.

The book 10 comprises a front cover 12, a back cover 14 formed of thin card. Each of the front and rear cover are a similar shape and size, being elongate and rectangular in outline. A long axis A extends through the length of the book. Within the book 10, are a plurality of pre- printed stationery forms, all of a similar size and shape to the front and 15 rear covers. All of the covers and the stationery forms are bound together at an end portion 16 to form a book.

Within the book, there are two types of stationery form, namely cheques 20 and paying in forms 22.

The cheques are accessed by a user opening the front cover 12 of the book. The front 20 cover 12 and the cheques 20 are bound such that the user can open the front cover 12 from the right, towards the left over the bound portion 16 in the manner of a

conventional book. The front cover has one or more apertures 24 through which a portion of the cheques 20 beneath can be seen when the cover is in a closed condition (as shown in Figure l). The aperture is disposed to expose a distinctive part of the cheque form, such as a currency symbol 26, whereby a user can identify that it is a 5 cheque 20 that lies beneath the cover 12.

The front cover 12 may additionally bear indicia 28 that give information about the content of the book and may further indicate which of the front or rear cover a user is looking at.

The paying-in forms 22 are accessed by a user opening the rear cover 14 of the book.

10 Like the cheques 20, the rear cover 14 and the paying-in forms 22 are bound such that the user can open the rear cover 14 from the right, towards the left over the bound portion 16. The rear cover 14 has one or more apertures 30 through which a portion of the paying-in forms 22 beneath can be seen when the cover is in a closed condition (as shown in Figure 2). The aperture 30 is disposed to expose a distinctive part of the 15 paying-in form 22, such as a symbol 32, whereby a user can identify that it is a paying-

in form 22 (and not a cheque) that lies beneath the cover 14. It may be that the number of apertures 24,30 is different in the front and rear covers 12,14, or that apertures may be omitted from one or other cover to help a user distinguish between the covers (although it should be noted that it is not a requirement of the invention that any 20 aperture is provided in either cover).

The rear cover 14 may additionally bear indicia 34 that give information about the content of the book and help a user to distinguish one cover from the other.

s In order that the user is presented with the content of the book in a convenient format, and that the book can be opened naturally irrespective of which cover 12,14 is opened, the forms are bound such that the user can keep the bound portion 16 to their left hand, and rotate the book about its long axis A to select one or other ofthe forms contained in 5 the book. Thus, the forms are bound such that their front face (that is to say, the face upon which a user will write on the form for use) faces towards their respective cover when the book is closed. Moreover, the two forms (and any indicia on the covers) are disposed in an inverted condition with respect to each other.

The forms will typically be configured such that the bound portion 16 is to the left for 10 use by speakers of languages that are written left-toright. However, other embodiments of the invention can be configured such that the bound portion 16 is to the right, top or bottom in inventions destined for use by speakers of languages that are written in other directions.

Claims

1. A book of banking stationery comprising a front cover and a rear cover and a 5 plurality of printed stationery forms bound together, wherein the forms include a first type of stationery bound to face the front cover and a second type of stationery bound to face the rear cover.

2. A book according to claim 1 in which the forms are bound such that the first and second types of form are bound to be inverted with respect to one 10 another.

3. A book according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which a user can access each type of form by opening the respective cover in a similar manner.

4. A book according to any preceding claim which is configured such that the forms are presented for use to a user having opened each cover as they 15 would normally open a book written in their natural language.

5. A book according to any preceding claim having a profile shaped as an elongate rectangle.

6. A book according to claim 5 configured such that a user can select which type of form to use by rotating the book about its longer axis.

7. A book according to any preceding claim in which either or both of the front and the rear cover bears indicia to identify the type of stationery that it covers.

8. A book according to any preceding claim in which either or both ofthe front 5 and rear covers includes an aperture through which a part of the stationery can be seen and identified.

9. A book according to any preceding claim in which the forms include cheques and paying-in forms.

10. A book of banking stationery substantially as described herein with 10 reference to the accompanying drawings.