WO1999036899A1 - Printed product such as an atlas - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns a product containing a plurality of plates, one of said plates including a graphic representation of the complete set and, superposed, a frame (1-2) delimiting, independently of any natural or artificial division, fractions of the whole set according to regular geometrical figures (3) which do not mutually overlap and which are homothetic with the other plates and whose dimensions are multiplied by an enlargement coefficient such that each of said other plates has three concentric zones, namely: a central zone (5) reproducing on a larger scale the corresponding fraction (3) of the representation of the entire set in greater detail than said representation; a neutral peripheral margin (6) not containing any element of the entire represented set; an intermediate connecting strip (7) between said central zone (5) and said peripheral margin (6) and containing elements of the set belonging to neighbouring fractions of the set and connecting the elements of the central zone (5), said connecting strip being regular and having constant dimensions for all the plates, each plate being cut out according to a greater format than that of the peripheral margin (6) such that each plate has an even edge (10) external to said peripheral margin (6).

Description

 PRINTED PRODUCT SUCH AS AN ATLAS

There are very many variants of representations of physical assemblies in works bringing together different plates.

The most common application of such works is that which relates to geographic areas: city maps, road maps, etc. but there are many other applications such as anatomical plates, separate views of complex assemblies (ships, planes, etc.).

The different known realizations are distinguished from each other, for a given application, only by a greater or lesser precision which is due to the art or the talent of the designer but which has no consequence on the structure itself of the product other than its dimensions necessarily coordinated with the scale of reduction or enlargement.

The present invention, on the contrary, makes it possible to produce works whose very structure is specific and therefore makes it possible to characterize an industrial product regardless of what it may contain, in addition, of aesthetic creation.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a printed product such as an atlas, containing graphical representations on a different scale of at least one real physical assembly, in particular geographical, of the type comprising a plurality of plates which are assembled in a any unit constituting the complete industrial product, which each represent a fraction of the whole and which include landmarks, explanatory and / or identifying symbols and symbols, characterized in that one of the plates includes a graphic representation of the complete set and, in superposition, a frame which delimits, independently of any possible natural or artificial division, fractions of the set according to regular geometrical figures which do not overlap between them and which are homothetic to the other boards, namely according to regular geometric figures without overlap between them, whose shapes and proportions are the same as the s shapes and proportions of the other boards and the dimensions of which are multiplied by an enlargement coefficient such that each of the said other boards has three concentric zones, namely: • a central zone which reproduces on a larger scale the corresponding fraction of the

representation of the complete set with more details than said representation and

in the same orientation,

• a neutral peripheral margin which contains no element of the set represented,

(5),

• an intermediate connecting strip between said central area and said margin

peripheral and containing elements of the set which belong to fractions

of the neighboring set and which are connected to elements of the central zone, this

connection strip being regular and having the same dimensions for all

boards,

each board being cut in a format larger than that of the peripheral margin

so that each board has a united edge outside said peripheral margin.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

• the peripheral margin contains markers; • the same central area represents elements of the real set on scales larger than the representation of the set but slightly different from each other, depending on the readability of the explanatory and / or identifying marks, indications or symbols;

• elements of the central zone each contain, in total, identification indications of dimensions large enough to be read with the naked eye, including when said elements are proportionally too small to contain said indications, in which case these elements are represented on a slightly larger scale than that of other elements in the same central area, while being located in their actual location; • elements visible on the overall representation and on at least one of the central areas have the same appearance, in particular the same color, both on the overall representation and, on a larger scale, on the corresponding central zones; • the printed product being of the type according to which the real set is a geographical area, the reproduction of the complete set being a plan, or map, and the fractions of this set representing traffic routes and bordering areas, some at fewer of the lanes shown contain identification markings that can be read with the naked eye and these lanes have an area such that each contains all of the said identification markings which are necessary for it, without any overflow of these markings on the adjacent areas , this area being, if necessary, on a slightly larger scale than the rest of the central area, restricting one or more adjacent areas accordingly; • some of the traffic lanes of the real set being one-way, their reproduction contains at least one arrow whose point is placed in the same place as where, in reality, a road sign says "direction" prohibited ”, that is to say at each intersection of the one-way street with other tracks; • lanes of traffic of the real set being bordered by buildings identified by numbers distributed on the two sides of the lane, the even numbers on one side and the odd numbers on the opposite side, the lanes shown represent only two numbers for each section located between two intersections of the track with other tracks, one of them being even in the vicinity of an intersection and the other odd in the vicinity of the other intersection;

• traffic lanes of the real complex being bordered by buildings comprising a room accessible to the public, such as a store, a parking lot, a post office, a theater or others, at least some of these rooms are represented by an identification mark entirely located on a bordering area and placed in such a way that it is tangent to the side of the track, at the place where its entry into the real set is effectively, whatever the orientation on said side of the track;

• the identification mark is a reproduction of a standardized sign, a trademark or a sign of the local operator;

• traffic lanes of the real complex being bordered by sidewalks on which there are elements of urban furniture, in particular telephone booths, symbols of at least some of the represented elements of this urban furniture are placed at the corresponding place in the central area, partly on a traffic lane and partly on an adjacent area;

• the real complex being a city with a metro, the central area presents an identification sign of the stations of this metro but not the lines of this metro which connect these stations;

• the peripheral margin contains at least two orthogonal identification scales, one alphabetical and the other numerical, each composed of two categories of distinct and contiguous boxes, any grid on the central area being excluded;

• the width of the boxes considered perpendicular to the central area corresponds substantially to the end of a human finger;

• the alphabetical scale does not include the letters I, O, P and Q;

• the board which includes a graphic representation of the complete set is part of a larger structure subdivided into separate sets, of the same shape and dimensions, organized in a dextrorotatory spiral from a central set and identified in the following order : first in the center, second on the right side, third in the lower right corner, fourth on the lower side, fifth in the lower left corner, sixth on the left side, seventh in the upper left corner, eighth on the upper side and ninth in the upper right corner, each of these sets having, like the first, in superposition, a frame which delimits, independently of any possible natural or artificial division, fractions of each set considered according to regular geometric figures without overlap between them, whose shapes and proportions are the same as the shapes and proportions of other boards on which the representations have dimensions which are multiplied by an enlargement coefficient; • each set is designated by a number;

• the fractions of a given set are identified in the following order from a fraction considered to be the first located in the center: the second on the right side of the central fraction, the third in the lower right corner of the fraction central, the fourth on the lower side, the fifth in the lower left corner, the sixth on the left side, the seventh in the upper left corner, the eighth on the upper side, the ninth in the upper right corner, and so on by creating a module completely surrounding the previous assembly; • in each of the eight radial directions from the center: right, left, top, bottom and oblique intermediaries, the fractions follow each other in logical order and are identified by numbers which have a common root and which are of progressive rank from the center towards the periphery; • two concentric modules include representations at two different scales;

• the marks of the fractions correspond to the marks of the plates;

• each board has its own mark as well as the markers corresponding to the boards close to its edges and angles; “At least on certain plates the telephone number of a supplier of services and / or products appears, at the same place where said supplier is located;

• the printed product includes at least a nomenclature of the significant elements of the central area, either of each board individually, or of all the boards, each element being followed by the reference of the board on which it is located and indications of its location on said board;

• the printed product includes at least one nomenclature of the categories of significant elements in the central area, either of each board individually, or of all the boards, each element of the nomenclature being associated with its identification mark followed by the mark of the board on which it is located and indications of its location on said board.

The invention will be better understood from the detailed description below made with reference to the accompanying drawing. Of course, the description and the drawing are given only by way of an indicative and nonlimiting example.

Figure 1 is a schematic view of an overall plan of the City of Paris and its immediate suburbs according to the invention and carrying a frame which delimit fractions each bearing a number corresponding to that of the page of the work according to the invention where the plan on a larger scale of this fraction is located.

Figure 2 is a schematic view illustrating a method of locating pages according to the invention. Figure 3 is a schematic view of a page of the book according to the invention, corresponding to one of the fractions of the overall plan. Figures 4 and 5 are two partial schematic views taken from Figure 3 and showing the use of an independent strip for easy identification, especially in the central part of a page.

Figure 6 is a schematic view illustrating a frame according to the invention, using two different scales for the same set.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a frame according to the invention, using three different scales for the same set, as a function of a difference in the number of details to be represented, in particular as a function of their density. FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustrating another frame according to the invention using two scales distributed differently than in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a detailed partial view of the frame of FIG. 8.

Figure 10 is a partial schematic view showing a general nomenclature of significant elements of all the boards of a structure according to the invention. Figure 11 is a partial schematic view showing a partial nomenclature of significant elements of one of the plates of a work according to the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, we see that a printed product according to the invention consists of a work formed of assembled pages containing graphic representations, like an atlas. Here, to illustrate the invention, the example of a geographic atlas has been chosen, but the invention also has other applications, in particular anatomical plates.

Figure 1 shows a map of Paris and its surrounding suburbs on a very small scale in order to offer a representation of the entire geographic area. On the plan itself is a frame of horizontal 1 and vertical lines 2 determining equal rectangles 3 on each of which is a number preceded by the letter "P", which means that the whole is divided into equal fractions each to a rectangle 3 and found on the page of the book corresponding to the number. The numbering of the pages is determined starting from a central fraction, here P 11 and following the logical order according to a dextrorotatory spiral, which makes it possible to advance the graphic representations concentrically from the center. This arrangement is visible in Figure 1 and is schematized more simply in Figure 2, where we see that the central fraction is numbered 11 and that the following fractions are numbered successively in the direction indicated by arrows, in a spiral which 'wraps from left to right, in concentric turns, around the central fraction 11. Each page of the book is homothetic to a rectangle of the frame.

But, referring to Figure 3, we see that the fraction corresponding to a rectangle does not occupy the entire surface of the page.

The example shown in FIG. 3 is page 18 which therefore corresponds to the fraction P 18 of the assembly in FIG. 1. The precise contour of the fraction P 18 occupies, in fact, only the central part on page 18. In fact, each page includes three distinct areas:

A large central area 5 which corresponds exactly to the rectangle of the frame,

• a neutral peripheral margin 6,

• a connecting strip 7 located between the central zone 5 and the margin 6. The central zone 5 represents on a larger scale the fraction of the complete assembly and may therefore include many more details than the overall representation .

The peripheral margin 6 does not carry any element of the complete set or of the corresponding fraction, which is why it is called "neutral". The upper and lower horizontal segments of the margin 6 are marked here consisting of numbers while the left and right vertical segments are marked here consisting of letters.

The connecting strip 7 is regular, that is to say that it is determined by two parallel straight lines whose spacing is constant for all the boards. In other words, the connecting strips 7 of all the boards are equal.

The marks, numbers and letters, are printed on boxes 8 and 9 alternately of two different aspects, in particular of two alternating colors. For numbers, this has the consequence that here the odd numbers are on boxes 8 of light color while the even numbers are on boxes 9 of darker color. The boxes are placed against each other, and their individual width is roughly equal to that of the end of a human finger. It is observed, on the other hand, that there is no grid on the central zone 5 which is therefore not cluttered with any parasitic element.

This is possible for two complementary reasons:

• the width of boxes 8 and 9 is very small, • the reference scales are on the four sides of the central area 5.

Thus, it is easy for the user to find the coordinates of a point in the central zone 5 by following one of the references to the other with a finger. The user can start from either the left scale or the right scale depending on whether the number is closer to

"1" or on the contrary closer to "37". An additional means will further be described which will further facilitate the location of a point in zone 5 from its alphanumeric number-letter coordinates.

To avoid confusion, the letters "I", "O", "P", "Q" are not used.

"I" to avoid confusion with the number "1", "O" with zero, "P" with the abbreviation

P of "page" and "Q" with "O" and zero. It should be noted that the structure according to the invention lends itself particularly well to the addressing of items by post or by courier because the identification of a recipient, in particular by his telephone number, requires for its location only logically assigned numbers:

• the number of the country according to the international classification of telecommunications (France: “33”, Germany “49”, United Kingdom “44”, etc.),

• Postal code,

• the page number of the plan,

• alphanumeric coordinates.

If the box (of small dimensions, remember) corresponding to these coordinates contains a crossroads, we can provide a sign indicating that the box in question is assigned to one channel only and not to the other or others (for example in printing in bold one several characters of the name of the way).

The connecting strip 7 is intermediate between the central zone 5 and the peripheral margin 6 and contains elements of the complete assembly belonging to the four neighboring fractions, on this overall plan. In other words, the four sides of the connecting strip 7 are parts of the neighboring central zones and not of the neighboring pages. The connecting strip 7 contains at least once on each side and once at each corner the number of the page on which the corresponding central area is located. On the sides, these numbers are in a rectangular box 11 extended by an arrow 12. In the corners, these numbers are in a trapezoidal box 13 extended by an arrow 14.

In accordance with the distribution shown in FIG. 1 and shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, the pages adjacent to page P 18 are:

• at the bottom, page P 11, • in the lower left corner, page P 16,

• on the left, page P 17,

• in the upper left corner, page P 32,

• at the top, page P 33,

• in the upper right corner, page P 34, • on the right, page P 19,

• in the lower right corner, page P 12.

It is noted that the scales of markers of the peripheral margin 6 only concern the central area 5 and not the connection strip 7 because this only has the function of making it easier for the user to pass through an area central 5 to another neighboring central zone 5.

The pages of the book can advantageously be cut out so that their edges coincide exactly with the outer limit of the neutral margin 6 to avoid any loss of space and, therefore, to take advantage of as large a scale as possible. But it is also possible to cut the pages of the book a little beyond the margin 6 to create an outer edge 10 left white, without printing, the edges 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the page then being away from the peripheral margin of the width of the selvedge 10.

Of course, the selvedge 10 may not be present on the four sides of the sheet. This selvedge 10 can also have a different width depending on whether it is along a horizontal side 15-17 or a vertical side 16-18. A structure which proves practical is to provide each page P 11 and following in a format double that of the normal pages of the book, which means that each page representing a fraction of the complete set is folded in half according to the line x - y of figure 3, the binding being practiced on the side of the left edge of the pages. The work is then presented in the form of a book whose format is close to that of a half-page of Figure 3, each plate corresponding to a fraction and called "page" being of substantially double format and having to be unfolded to be used. The example used here to illustrate the invention being a city map, the central zone 5 represents traffic lanes bordered by areas constructed of buildings, the whole being on a larger scale than the complete set of FIG. 1 .

The identification information, in the case of a plan, concerns the name of the traffic lanes and, in accordance with the invention, this name is printed in dimensions such that it is always legible with the naked eye of an average user so that it does not in any case overflow onto a built-up area. When the actual dimensions of the traffic lanes, reduced to the global scale of a central area, are too small to fully contain the name of each lane in a legible manner, the surface (width and / or length) of the lane is enlarged by taking one or more of the neighboring built areas because these do not matter for the user, it does not matter that they are not rigorously represented on the right scale.

In the central zone 5 of FIG. 3, we see for example that at the coordinates M 7 is Place Edouard Nil, the dimensions of which are much greater than those it actually has, reduced to the scale of zone 5 whole, thanks to which its name is clearly legible while being entirely included in the represented area of this square. In other words, clear accuracy is preferred to confused precision. This imprecision is also imperceptible even for someone familiar with the district of Paris where this Place Edouard VII is located because, although a little too large, this place is correctly positioned in relation to the neighboring traffic lanes and no error can be made. committed by the user who would in reality seek to reach Place Edouard Nil with the help of the plan on page P 18. The choice of scale must also make it possible to place most (if not all) of the identification signs that are actually found when you are in an actual traffic lane.

In reality, the user essentially has: • the name of the route,

• the number of the buildings,

• the possible prohibited direction for the movement of vehicles and, by deduction, the opposite opposite direction,

• access to the metro, • bus stops,

• taxi stands,

• vehicle park entrances,

• monuments,

• public places (post offices, town halls, police stations and police stations, etc.), • shop signs, shops, restaurants, banks, etc.,

• telephone boxes.

As we have just described, the name of the tracks is entirely located in their outline.

The numbers of the buildings are also provided in the contour of the traffic lanes but to avoid any annoying congestion, the numbers retained are only those of the buildings located at the intersections because by following a given way, it is very quickly located that the number sought is located on such and such a section of the track, between two given intersections.

In addition, buildings are often numbered with even or odd numbers depending on whether they are located on either side of the corresponding traffic lane. In this case, we alternate an even number and an odd number, so that we enrich the information without occupying more space since the user looking for an even number determines exactly in which section of the track he is because next to the neighboring odd number is another even number.

In Figure 3, we see for example that we find at the start of Boulevard Haussmann (K5) the following successive numbers:

[1 (only section number)] - [9 - 36] - [39 - 48] - [45 - 54] - [53 - 76] ... It is obvious that the odd number 43, for example, is in the section [39 - 48] since it is beyond the number 39 (first odd number in the section [39 - 48] and below the number 45 (first odd number of the following section [45 - 54]. To indicate on a map the single direction of circulation, that is to say also their prohibited direction, the best known symbol is an arrow directed in the authorized one-way direction.

In FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, it can be seen that arrows 19 are also provided, but, unlike what currently exists, arrows 19 are strictly located at the exact location where the corresponding panel in reality is located. prohibited direction, that is to say at the intersection of two traffic lanes, where precisely the motorist must be informed.

The user of the map can thus observe in reality, the presence of a direction sign prohibited exactly where there is, on the map, the tip of an arrow 19. The metro accesses 20 (the entrance only when it is distinct from the exit), are indicated in their approximate actual location on the traffic lanes themselves because they are generally clearly visible and constitute convenient landmarks for a user of the map, even if he is not also a metro user.

These ports 20 bear the name of the station and an indication of the network if there are several. For the city of Paris, access 20 may carry, for example, the letter "M" for the metro, "RER" for the Regional Express Network and "OR" for the Meteor network. In the contour of the traffic lanes, there are also the bus stops 21 located at their actual location. Each of them bears the number of the corresponding line. In order not to clutter the traffic lanes, we do not represent the lines which, on the plans, generally join the metro stations and the bus stops, because we deliberately choose a clear plan intended for a user who is looking for his way and not to a metro or bus user, being reminded that there are precisely plans specific to these means of transport.

In the traffic lanes, there are finally taxi stations 22, identified by the letter T followed by the telephone number of said station. Note that it is a feature of the invention to include one or more useful telephone numbers in its exact location on the plan. This is how we can predict telephone numbers not only of taxi stands but also of police stations, pharmacies and others. All these markers correspond to real elements which are effectively accessible to the public from the traffic lanes.

On the other hand, according to a characteristic of the invention, the elements accessible from the traffic lanes (roadways or sidewalks) but which are located in buildings include markers which are placed in the areas bordering the traffic lanes. These items can be stores, post offices, banks, gas stations, parking lots, museums, etc. They are identified by the same sign as in reality:

• traffic sign such as "P" or "H" white on a blue square for a parking lot or a hospital,

• a conventional sign such as a green cross for a pharmacy,

• a symbol such as a cross for a church, the Star of David for a synagogue, etc.

• a commercial sign for a store, restaurant, service station, etc. To facilitate access to these places, their mark on the plan is arranged parallel to the traffic lane by which one accesses them, their entrance being tangent either at the edge of a single lane when they have an entrance only on this track, either at two adjacent sides of two tracks when their only entry is at an angle or when they have entries on each of these tracks. In order for this arrangement to be clearly perceived, it is advantageous for their mark to be inscribed in a polygon, preferably a quadrilateral, so that they have at least one rectilinear side parallel and tangent to the edge of a traffic lane.

This has the consequence that the landmarks occupy all kinds of orientations which are those, more or less random, of the traffic lanes.

Since the monuments are generally large, it is possible to represent them in their entirety, in their more or less stylized real aspect. We have just shown that the benchmarks are either entirely on the tracks themselves, or entirely outside of these tracks, this for the sake of clarity, because this must correspond to reality: the name of a track is necessarily at outside while a post office is necessarily inside. But we can also provide elements positioned partly on the traffic lane and partly on a constructed area, if we wish to indicate that the element is covered but on the track, or is in a building but with free access , etc. To illustrate this variant, the telephone booths 23 are thus represented. Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, there is shown an embodiment of the invention according to which the work is associated with a movable strip 30, for example of cardboard, which carries on its two faces an identical scale of alphabetical marks to that of a vertical side of each page. In Figure 4, the strip 30 carries a scale 31 along its right edge and is therefore identical to that on the right side of the pages.

Near its upper right angle, the strip 30 carries an arrow 32 directed to the right as well as an indication 33 according to which the user who searches for a point on a page of the work is encouraged to place the arrow 32 on the numerical scale of the top 6 margin of the page, close to the number given for the point sought, this point being exactly opposite the letter of the scale.

This slider makes it easier to find points located in the center of zone 5, that is to say quite far from the lateral scales.

The example shown is the search for the Opera whose coordinates are K 11. By placing the arrow 32 in front of the number "11", we find the Opera at the height of the letter

"K".

On the left side, opposite the right side of the strip 30, there are divisions 34 of the scale of distances in meters and travel time in minutes for an average pedestrian. The strip 30 has a central space 35 which can be used either for advertising, or for indications, advice or instructions.

In Figure 5, there is shown the strip 30 seen by its face opposite to the previous one and we chose the same references to designate the same elements.

The difference between the two faces of the strip 30 comes from the fact that the face of FIG. 4 has an alphabetical scale 31 along its right side and divisions of distances and of time 34 on the left whereas the face of FIG. 5 symmetrically has the scale

31 along its left side and the divisions of distance and time 34 to the right.

This allows the user to choose one side or the other depending on whether he is looking for a point on the plane rather to the left of the center or rather to the right. Figure 5 illustrates the case where we are looking for the Stock Exchange, whose coordinates are U 29. By placing the arrow 32 in front of the number 29, we find the Stock Exchange next to the letter U of the scale 31. The example that we have just described of the city of Paris, provides a single scale for the fractions of the whole of figure 1. This one therefore carries a frame whose lines 1 on the one hand and the lines 2 on the other hand are equidistant from each other, so that the rectangles are all equal. The invention makes it possible to change scale, in particular to take account of differences in density of details, the pages of the book keeping dimensions unchanged. Referring to Figure 6, we see a set that corresponds to Paris and its close suburbs. The difference in density between intramural Paris and the near suburbs is real but small. Consequently, the pages of the book, all of the same dimensions, have zones on two scales only and little different from each other.

Pages 11 to 35 concern the center of the densest complex: Paris within the city walls. From page 36, we adopt a smaller scale, namely that the same page contains a larger fraction. To cover the same height as the five fractions 35, 20, 21, 22 and 23, only four larger fractions 36, 37, 38 and 39 are needed.

In FIG. 7, we see another example of a work comprising three different scales:

• a first scale corresponds to the fractions numbered 120, 130, 140, etc. around a central fraction named “PARIS” up to fraction 290; • a second scale higher than the first corresponds to the fractions numbered 315, 320, 325, etc. around the previous fractions, up to fraction 390;

• a third scale higher than the first two corresponds to the fractions numbered 415, 420, 425, etc. around previous fractions, up to fraction 490.

We observe that this arrangement and this numbering give a particularly homogeneous whole because all the upper fractions, called "NORTH" have a number which ends in "80" and range in progressive hundreds from "1" to

“4” suggestive of their radial distance from the center.

The same is true for the three other directions “EAST” (from 120 to 420), “SOUTH” (from 140 to 440) and “WEST” (160 to 460), as well as for the oblique directions “NORTHEAST” (from 190 to 490), “SUD-EST” (from 130 to 430), “SUD-OUEST” (from 150 to 450) and

"NORTHWEST" (from 170 to 470). In Figure 8, we see an example of numbering fractions for two scales: to cover the same distance as the three fractions 130, 140 and 150, we choose a larger scale which is divided into only two fractions, numbered 230 and 240 .

In FIG. 9, it can be seen that the division on a larger scale gives the number 230 to the fraction which corresponds to a large part of the fraction 130 and to a small part of the fraction 140, and the number 240 to the fraction which corresponds to a large part of fraction 150 and to a small part of fraction 140.

Thus, fraction 250 is aligned radially with fraction 150, thanks to which the homogeneous alignments described with regard to FIG. 7 are produced, in all radial directions coming from the center: "straight" (top, bottom, left and right) and oblique (top-right, bottom-right, bottom-left and top-left.

Given the diversity of useful information provided by the graphical representations in accordance with the invention, it is useful to provide a classification of the elements which are found on the various pages of the work in order to give their meaning. This same nomenclature can also give the list of pages on which each element is located as well as its coordinates. The classification can then be alphabetical.

The user thus knows all the elements of the complete work, as a partial representation is shown in FIG. 10.

It is also useful to provide a classification of these elements page by page, in which case some of these elements may not appear on all pages but on some of them only.

An example of such a nomenclature is shown in FIG. 11 which shows the back of a page, here page 34. The classification can also be alphabetical but only concerns the elements visible on the page considered.

Each element then only includes its coordinates since it is a single page.

Of course, we can, for each element or for some only, add additional information: telephone number for example.

Claims

1- Printed product such as an atlas, containing scaled graphic representations different from at least one real physical set, in particular geographical, of the type comprising a plurality of boards which are assembled into a unitary whole constituting the complete industrial product, which each represent a fraction of the whole and which contain markers, notices and explanatory and/or identification symbols, characterized in that one of the boards comprises a graphic representation of the complete set and, superimposed, a frame (1-2) which delimits, independently of any possible natural or artificial division, of the fractions of the whole according to regular geometric figures (3) which do not overlap with each other and which are homothetic to the other boards, namely according to regular geometric figures without overlap between them, whose shapes and proportions are the same as the shapes and proportions of other boards and whose dimensions are multiplied by one enlargement coefficient such that each of said other boards presents three concentric zones, namely: • a central zone (5) which reproduces on a larger scale the corresponding fraction (3) of the representation of the complete set with more details than said representation and according to the same orientation, • a neutral peripheral margin (6) which does not contain any element of the set represented, • a connecting strip (7) intermediate between said central zone (5) and said peripheral margin (6) and containing elements of the set which belong to neighboring fractions of the whole which connect to elements of the central zone (5), this connection strip being regular and having the same dimensions for all the boards, each board being cut according to a format greater than that of the peripheral margin (6) so that each board has a plain edge (10) outside said margin device (6). 2- Printed product according to claim 1, characterized in that the peripheral margin (6) contains marks (8-9). 3- Printed product according to claim 1, characterized in that the same central zone (5) represents elements of the real set at scales larger than the representation of the whole but slightly different from each other, depending on the readability of explanatory and/or identification marks, mentions or symbols. 4- Printed product according to claim 3, characterized in that elements of the zone central (5) each contain, in full, identification details of dimensions large enough to be read with the naked eye, including when said elements are proportionally too small to contain said mentions, in which case these elements are represented on a slightly larger scale than other elements of the same central area (5), while being located in their actual location. 5- Printed product according to claim 1, characterized in that elements visible on the overall representation and on at least one of the central zones (5) present the same appearance, in particular the same color, both on the overall representation and, on a larger scale, on the corresponding central zone(s) (5). - Printed product according to claim 1, of the type according to which the real assembly is a geographical area, the reproduction of the complete set being a plan, or map, and the fractions of this set representing traffic routes and bordering areas, characterized in that at least some of the traffic lanes represented contain identification information readable to the naked eye and these routes have a surface area such that each contains all of said identification information which are necessary, without any spillover of these mentions into neighboring areas, this area being, where applicable, on a slightly larger scale than the rest of the central zone by restricting one or more neighboring areas accordingly. - Printed product according to claim 6, characterized in that some of the channels of circulation of the real whole being one-way, their reproduction contains at least an arrow (19) whose tip is placed in the same place as that where is located, in the reality, a road sign says “no entry”, that is to say at each intersection of the one-way road with other roads. - Printed product according to claim 6, characterized in that traffic lanes of the real whole being bordered by buildings identified by numbers distributed over the two sides of the track, even numbers on one side and odd numbers on the side opposite, the traffic lanes shown contain only two numbers for each section located between two intersections of the track with other tracks, one of them being even in the vicinity of one intersection and the other odd in the vicinity of the other intersection. - Printed product according to claim 6, characterized in that traffic lanes of the real complex being bordered by buildings including a room accessible to the public, such as a store, parking lot, post office, theater or others, at least some of these premises are represented by an identification mark entirely located on an adjacent area and placed in such a way that it is tangent to the side of the track, at the place where its entrance into the real whole is actually located, whatever whatever the orientation of said side of the track. 0- Printed product according to claim 9, characterized in that the mark identification is a reproduction of a standardized sign, a mark commercial or a sign of the operator of the premises. 1- Printed product according to claim 6, characterized in that traffic lanes of the real whole being bordered by sidewalks on which there are elements of street furniture, notably telephone booths (23), symbols of certain people less of the represented elements of this urban furniture are placed in the right place corresponding to the central zone, partly on a traffic lane and partly on a neighboring area. 2- Printed product according to claim 6, characterized in that the real assembly being a city with a metro, the central zone (5) presents an identification sign of the stations of this metro (20) but not the lines of this metro which connect these stations. 3- Printed product according to claim 1, characterized in that the peripheral margin (6) contains at least two orthogonal reference scales, one alphabetical and the other digital, each composed of two categories of distinct boxes (8 and 9) and contiguous, any corrugation on the central zone (5) being excluded. - Printed product according to claim 13, characterized in that the width of the boxes (8 and 9) considered perpendicular to the central zone (5) corresponds substantially to the tip of a human finger. - Printed product according to claim 13, characterized in that the alphabetical scale does not understand the letters I, O, P and Q. - Printed product according to claim 1, characterized in that the board which includes a graphical representation of the complete assembly is part of a larger structure subdivided into distinct groups, of the same shapes and dimensions, organized in a dextrorotatory spiral from a central assembly (11) and identified in the following order: first (11) in the center, second (12) on the right side, third (13) in the lower right corner, fourth (14) on the lower side, fifth (15) in the lower left corner, sixth (16) on the left side, seventh (17) in the corner upper left, eighth (18) on the upper side and ninth (19) in the corner upper right, each of these sets (12-19) presenting, like the first (11), in superposition, a framework which delimits, independently of any natural division or possible artificial, fractions of each set (11-19) considered according to regular geometric figures without overlap between them, whose shapes and proportions are the same as the shapes and proportions of other boards on which representations have dimensions which are multiplied by a coefficient enlargement. - Printed product according to claim 16, characterized in that each set (11- 19) is designated by a number. - Printed product according to claim 16, characterized in that the fractions of a given set (11-19) are located in the following order starting from a fraction considered first (Pl i) located in the center: the second (PI 2) on the right side of the central fraction, the third (PI 3) in the lower right corner of the fraction central (PU), the fourth P14) on the lower side, the fifth (P15) in the corner lower left, the sixth (PI 6) on the left side, the seventh (PI 7) in the corner upper left, the eighth (PI 8) on the upper side, the ninth (PI 9) in the upper right corner, and so on, creating a module completely surrounding the previous set. - Printed product according to claim 18, characterized in that in each of the eight radial directions from the center: right, left, top, bottom and oblique intermediates, the fractions follow each other in a logical order and are identified by numbers which have a common root and which are of progressive rank from the center to the periphery. - Printed product according to claim 18, characterized in that two modules concentrics include representations at two different scales. - Printed product according to claim 18, characterized in that the markings of the fractions (P 11 -P 19) correspond to the marks on the boards. - Printed product according to claim 21, characterized in that each board carries its own marker as well as the markers corresponding to the neighboring boards of its edges and its corners. - Product according to claim 6, characterized in that on certain boards at least contains the telephone number of a service and/or product provider, in the place even where said supplier is located. - Printed product according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least a nomenclature of the significant elements of the central zone (5), i.e. of each board individually, or of all the boards, each element being followed the mark of the board on which it is located and indications of its location on said board. - Printed product according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least a nomenclature of the categories of significant elements of the central zone (5), i.e. each board individually, or of all the boards, each element of the nomenclature being associated with its identification mark followed by the mark of the board on which it is located and indications of its location on said board. ***