Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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VARIABLE IMAGED BREAK-OPEN TICKET
The present invention relates generally to the field of lottery tickets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lottery tickets are well known and widely sold and typically comprise a
sheet material of paper or card stock on which is printed lottery information
and
various indicia for the playing of one or more games. Many such games are
instant
win type games where the player can play the game or games by carrying out
various functions, for example, opening pull tabs on a break-open ticket. Such
tickets are also known variously as pull-tabs, pickle cards, jar tickets, hard
cards and
charitable gaming tickets.
Break-open tickets are typically constructed by printing a sheet
containing multiple combinations of lottery indicia thereon. This sheet is
then cut
into sections. The opposite side of this sheet includes prize categories,
serial
number etc. A second sheet contains removable tabs or break-open windows is
then mounted onto the card stock such that the break-open windows overlap the
lottery indicia. However, break-opens prepared in this manner have the
disadvantages that they are cumbersome to prepare, have a limited set of
winning
symbols and require manually checking at the time of redemption.
US Patent 4,174,857 (Koza) and US Patent 5,253,899 (Greenwood)
each disclose a combined ticket construction in which a second layer is
applied or
folded over the basic ticket to improve security. US Patent 5,562,284
discloses a
break-open ticket with a second level of break-open. US Patent 5,217,258
(Sanderson) discloses a two sided break-open ticket where the windows are
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arranged back to back opening onto a single center sheet carrying the game
data.
As shown in published PCT International application No. WO 98/57715
published 23~d December 1998 of the present applicants there is provided a
pouched
lottery ticket which is supplied in a fan folded continuous strip arrangement
for
separating each ticket from the next at a dispensing station. The disclosure
of this
publication may be referred to for further information.
Also in the prior art is a sample of a game ticket manufactured by
Scientific Games and known under the trademark "Zip-Tix". This comprises a
ticket
formed of a paper back sheet with a foil or metalized front sheet. The front
sheet
has a single break-open window which can be torn open to reveal a black
printed
image of game indicia printed onto a grey security coating. The printed image
includes a validation number printed under the break-open window so that it is
revealed when the window is opened. The game indicia appear to be printed
using
an ink jet system. What appears to be a validation number is printed below the
game data.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is one object of the present invention to provide a break-open ticket
having improved validation and security features and ergonomically improved
construction.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method
of preparing a lottery ticket comprising:
providing a first continuous substrate sheet material in a first strip
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having a front surface and a rear surface;
providing a second continuous substrate sheet material in a second
strip having a front surface and a rear surface;
printing promotional graphics onto said front surface of each of the first
and second strips;
printing lottery game indicia onto said rear surface of said first strip
wherein the lottery game indicia are applied by variable image printing;
connecting the rear surface of the first strip to the rear surface of the
second strip to form a row of connected tickets;
providing between each ticket and the next a line of weakness for
separation of each ticket from the next;
and providing a plurality of openable windows on the second strip so
that each ticket has at least one window for exposing the second lottery game
indicia
on the rear surface of the first strip.
Preferably the lottery game indicia are applied by variable image
printing onto a white lily pad.
Preferably the lottery game indicia are applied by variable image
printing using two or more colors.
Preferably the lottery tickets are fan folded along each junction with the
fold at the front edge of each lottery ticket construction being in a
direction opposite
to the fold at the rear edge of each lottery ticket construction so that the
lottery ticket
constructions lie each on top of and parallel to the next.
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Preferably the lottery indicia includes a variable image bar code for
validating the lottery ticket.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a
lottery ticket construction comprising:
a first continuous substrate sheet material in a first strip having a front
surface and a rear surface;
a second continuous substrate sheet material in a second strip having
a front surface and a rear surface;
promotional graphics on said front surface of each of the first and
second strips;
lottery game indicia printed by variable image printing onto said rear
surface of said first strip;
the rear surface of the first strip being connected to the rear surface of
the second strip to form a row of connected tickets;
a line of weakness between each ticket and the next for separation of
each ticket from the next;
and a plurality of openable windows on the second strip so that each
ticket has at least one ticket for exposing the second lottery game indicia on
the rear
surface of the first strip.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided lottery
ticket construction comprising:
a first substrate sheet material having a front surface and a rear
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surface;
a second substrate sheet material having a front surface and a rear
surface;
promotional graphics on said front surface of each of the first and
5 second sheets;
lottery game indicia printed by variable image printing onto said rear
surface of said first sheet;
the rear surface of the first sheet being connected to the rear surface
of the second sheet to form a ticket;
at least one openable window on the second sheet for exposing the
second lottery game indicia on the rear surface of the first sheet;
wherein the lottery game indicia includes a variable image bar code for
validating the lottery ticket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a front view of the lottery ticket.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the lottery ticket.
Figure 3. is a rear view of the lottery ticket with the break-open windows
opened to expose the game indicia.
Figure 4 is a side view of a lottery ticket construction including a strip of
the tickets of Figure 1.
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Figure 5 is a front view of the first strip of the lottery ticket
construction.
Figure 6 is a rear view of the first strip of the lottery ticket construction.
Figure 7 is a rear view of the second strip of the lottery ticket
construction.
Figure 8 is a schematic side elevational view of a process for forming
the ticket assembly of Figure 4.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in the different figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figures 1-3, a lottery ticket 1 comprises a first ticket
portion 10 and a second ticket portion 12.
The first ticket portion 10 is formed by substantially flat substrate sheet
material and has a front surface 14, a rear surface 16, side edges 18, a top
edge 20
and a bottom edge :?2 as shown in Figures 1 and 3. The front surface 14 has
promotional graphics and lottery information 24 printed thereon as shown in
Figure
1. In some embodiments, the front surface 14 includes a bar code 38 for
identification and redemption of the lottery ticket 1 as described below. The
rear
surface 16 has lottery indicia 25 variable image printed thereon as shown in
Figure
3. It is of note that the bar code 38 is related to and provides information
on the
lottery indicia 25 printed on the rear surface 16. Alternatively, a variable
imaged bar
code 38 may be printed on rear surface 16 which is related to game indicia 25.
The
bar code 38 may also include a human readable portion. A human readable
portion
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of the bar code is indicated at 27A. Because the bar code is printed by
variable
image printing techniques, it is unique to the specific ticket and is not
merely a
number identifying particular winning indicia.
The second ticket portion 12 is formed by substantially flat substrate
sheet material and has a front surface 26, a rear surface (not shown), side
edges 30,
as shown in Figure 2. In some embodiments, the front surface 26 has
promotional
graphics or lottery information 24 printed thereon.
The lottery ticket 1 is formed by connecting the rear surface 16 of the
first ticket portion 10 to the rear surface of the second ticket portion 12.
In some
embodiments, the rear surface 16 of the first ticket portion 10 is connected
to the
rear surface of the second ticket portion 12 by an adhesive along side edges
18, 30,
top and bottom edges 20, 22 and between the windows.
The front surface 26 of the second ticket portion 12 includes lines of
weakness 40 inside the side edges 30 of the second ticket portion 12.
Specifically,
the lines of weakness are arranged to form a plurality of break-open windows
42
positioned on the front surface 26 of the second ticket portion 12 opposite
the lottery
indicia 25 on the rear surface 16 of the first ticket portion such that
opening the
break-open windows 42 allows viewing of the lottery indicia 25, as described
below.
In some embodiments, the line of weakness 40 is introduced onto the front
surface
26 of the second ticket portion 12 by die-cutting.
In use, the user purchases a lottery ticket 1. It is of note that as
discussed above, the lottery ticket 1 is arranged such that the lottery
information 24
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is printed on one side of the lottery ticket 1 while the break-open windows
are printed
on the other side. In other embodiments, lottery information may be included
on the
same side of the lottery ticket 1 as the break-open windows. Following
purchase,
the user tears open the break-open windows 42 and views the lottery indicia 25
on
the rear surface of the first ticket portion 10. The user then consults the
lottery
information 24 to determine if the tottery ticket 1 is a winner.
Referring to Figures 4 to 7, a method of preparing a lottery ticket
construction 100 comprised of a plurality of lottery tickets 101 comprises
providing a
first strip 102 composed of a plurality of first ticket portions 103 each
composed of a
substantially flat sheet material and having a front surface 104, a rear
surface 106,
side edges 108, top 110 and bottom 112 as shown in Figures 5 and 6 and
providing
a second strip 114 composed of a plurality of second ticket portions 115 each
composed of a substantially flat sheet material and having a front surface
116, a rear
surface (not shown), side edges 120, top 122 and bottom 124. A plurality of
lottery
indicia 126 are variable image printed at regular intervals on the rear
surface 106 of
the first strip 102 and promotional graphics and/or lottery information 127
are printed
on the front surface 104 of the first strip 102. Specifically, the plurality
of lottery
indicia 126 and the lottery information 127 are printed onto the first strip
102 such
that a representativE: one of the plurality of lottery indicia 126 and the
lottery
information 127 is between the top 110 and the bottom 112 of a representative
one
of the plurality of first ticket portions 103. In some embodiments,
promotional
graphics and/or lottery information are printed on the front surface 116 of
the second
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strip 114. It is of note that the lottery information 127 may include a bar
code 129 for
identification. Specifically, the bar code 129 on the front surface 104 of a
representative one of the plurality of lottery tickets 101 is related to and
dependent
upon the representative one of the lottery indicia 126 printed on the rear
surface
106. Next, the rear surface 106 of the first strip 102 is placed in contact
with the rear
surface 118 of the second strip 114 and the first strip 102 and the second
strip 114
are positioned relative to one another such that a representative one of the
first
ticket portions 103 is aligned with a representative one of the second ticket
portions
115. In some embodiments, the rear surface of the second ticket portion 115
includes markings or the like for facilitating alignment. In some embodiments,
the
proper alignment of the first strip 102 to the second strip 114 may be
confirmed
manually. The secand strip 114 is separated from the first strip 102 such that
alignment is maintained and an adhesive is applied to the rear surfaces 106,
118
along the side edges 108, 120, top and bottom edges and between the windows.
The rear surface 106 of the first strip 102 is then brought into contact with
the rear
surface 118 of the second strip 114 and the first strip 102 is connected to
the second
strip 114. A plurality of lines of weakness 130 are then introduced into the
front
surface 116 of the econd strip 114 at regular intervals such that each line of
weakness 130 extends around one of the lottery indicia 126 on the rear surface
106
of the first strip 102, thereby forming a plurality of break-open windows 131
for
viewing the lottery indicia 126. The lines of weakness 130 may be introduced
for
example by die-cutting. In an alternative embodiment, the break-open windows
131
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may be introduced into the front surface 116 prior to connecting the first
ticket
portion 103 to the second ticket portion 115.
A plurality of rows of perforations 132 are then introduced into the
lottery ticket construcaion 100 at junctions between the top of a
representative one of
5 the plurality of lottery tickets 101 and the bottom of an adjacent one of
the plurality of
lottery tickets 101. As a result of this arrangement, the plurality of lottery
tickets 101
can be separated into individual lottery tickets by tearing along a
representative one
of the plurality of rows of perforations 132. The plurality of lottery tickets
101 are fan
folded and if desired the folds can be arranged along each of the plurality of
rows of
10 perforations 132 with the fold at the front edge of each lottery ticket
being in a
direction opposite to the fold at the rear edge of each lottery ticket so that
the lottery
tickets lie each on top of and parallel to the next, as shown in Figure 4.
Alternatively,
the folds can be spaced along a number of tickets so that for each strip
between two
folds contains more than one ticket for example five such tickets.
In Figure 8 is shown schematically the process described above. The
process is shown in a number of discreet steps but it will be appreciated that
the
process can be integrated into a single continuous production line without the
necessity for unrolling and re-rolling the strip in the separate steps as
shown.
Thus in a first step of the process, an initial strip of blank paper stock is
unrolled from a supply roll 50 and is rewound onto a rewind roll 51. As the
strip is
forwarded, graphics and base printing is applied onto the strip from a series
of colour
printing presses so as to provide preferably a full colour printing of both
sides of the
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strip.
In the second step, the re-rolled roll is used as a supply as indicated at
51A and the strip passes through a coating station including a plurality of
coating
elements before being rewound at a rewind station 52. The coating elements
provide a series of layers or lily pads over sections of the strip at which
the lottery
games are to be applied. This provides a security layer or coating for the
strip which
enhances security to prevent chemical, light or other attack onto the base
paper
stock to avoid improper examination of the tickets revealing the winning
ticket
without the necessity for scratching the scratch off layers. Various
arrangements of
security coating are known in the industry and thus this aspect is well known
to one
skilled in the art and further detail will not be described in detail herein.
In some
arrangements, the indicia can be printed directly onto the substrate.
The resultant or final layer of the security coating is generally a white
lily pad so that the white layer does not interfere with or detract from the
brightness
of subsequent application of coloured printed materials or layers.
The re-rolled roll 52 is applied at a supply station 52A for a third step in
the process where the strip is unrolled and re-rolled at a station 53. In the
third step,
the lottery indicia are applied to the white lily pad over the security layers
previously
described to provide the game data. The lottery indicia are applied by
variable
image printing techniques as opposed to use of fixed printing presses.
It will be appreciated that a printing press can apply only
predetermined arrangements of characters which are set up in the printing
press and
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cannot be readily or' quickly varied. The variable image printing process to
the
contrary uses a computer controlled system to control conventional printing
elements such as ink jet, bubble jet or laser so that the image applied can be
varied
to any particular requirement allowing each ticket to be entirely different
from others.
This technique can generate one color images, but more preferably two colors
such
as red and black or more color images
The use of variable image printing techniques allows also the following
advantages:
It avoids the use of a limited number of combinations of symbols in the
game data which is otherwise available by conventional printing press.
The prize parameters, that is the arrangement and numbers of winning
tickets relative to losing tickets, can be tailored to suit particular
circumstances,
customers or games and is not limited to the fixed arrangements available with
the
conventional printing press.
As the strip is continuous and is not cut from a press printed sheet,
there are no markings or patterning of the substrate caused by mechanically
cutting
substrate pieces from a larger printed sheet, thus avoiding the possibility
that the
markings or patterning could be used to locate and identify winning tickets.
The application of a bar code (including machine and/or human
readable portions) which is unique to the ticket and is applied directly with
and at the
same time as the game indicia to allow identification and validation of
individual
tickets.
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Strips thus formed with the graphics printing, security coatings and
game data are thus formed and available at the station 53. One of these strips
is
then used in a lamination process at laminating and calendaring rolls 54
together
with a strip taken from station 51 which has only graphics and base printing.
The
laminated strips are then passed through a die cut roller system 55 and a kiss
cut
roller system 56 to apply the lines of weakness and perforations as previously
described. The strip is then folded back and forth in a fan folding
arrangement 57 to
form a fan folded stack 58 of the finished tickets in the ticket assembly. The
laminated tickets in the fan folded stack are also shown on larger scale in
figure 8.
In use, the user purchases a lottery ticket and a representative one of
the plurality of lottery tickets 101 is removed from the lottery ticket
construction 100
from a dispensing system in which the fan folded stack is stored by tearing
along the
row of perforations 132. It is of note the representative one of the plurality
of lottery
tickets 101 is now functionally identical to lottery ticket 1 described above
and can
be used in a similar manner as described above. The above referenced PCT
Application provides further detail of the fan folded construction and the
dispensing
thereof. While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described
above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be
made
therein, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications
which
may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
