Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02383193 2002-04-23
SPECIFICATION
TITLE
"PACKAGE INCLUDING PROMOTION OR CONTEST INFORMATION"
S BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to packaging. More particularly, the
present invention relates to packaging for storing and dispensing consumable
products.
The packaging for consumable or confectionery products is very important to
the
look, marketing and storage of the product. There are practical facets to
packaging
consumable products, namely, keeping the products from being damaged during
shipping, keeping the products fresh, and in certain instances providing a
reusable
package. Very often, in addition to text on the packaging, the packaging also
attempts
to visually convey a message about the type of product, the taste of the
product or the
purpose of the product. In marketing the product, packaging can convey other
1 S information. For instance, marketing consumable products sometimes
includes ancillary
items, such as prize giveaways, sweepstakes and the like.
It has been known to provide packaging that provides a promotion material,
prize, or giveaway. For example, cereal boxes have for quite some time
contained small
prizes. The prize induces some people to purchase and/or more quickly consume
the
product. Other consumable products come with coupons for the associated
product.
Coupons also induce the customer to buy the product and to repurchase the
product at
a later time using the coupon. Consumable products can also come with cash
rebates,
which induce purchasing. The prizes, coupons and rebates typically include a
separate
package or leaflet that inserts into a box with the product or between the box
and an
2S outer layer of packaging.
Soft drink packaging has also made use of the bottle cap to provide
information
about prizes and giveaways. Bottled soft drinks are sold through a variety of
marketing
channels including supermarket stares, convenience stores and vending
machines. Not
all of these channels use the same packaging. For instance, convenience stores
and
especially supermarkets package bottled soft drinks in twelve packs and cases,
while
vending machines dispense only single units of bottled soft drinks. To run a
contest or
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sweepstakes including all bottled soft drinks, the bottles must themselves
include the
contest or sweepstakes infarmation. That is, placing the information inside
the 12-pack
or case container would exclude vending machine sales.
Confectionery products, such as gum ar candy, are likewise sold in various
marketing channels including supermarket stores, convenience stores and
vending
machines. It would be desirable to have giveaways, sweepstakes, contests, etc.
for
confectionery products.
While bottled soft drinks have made use of the bottle cap for providing
giveaway
or sweepstakes infon~nation, confectionery packaging typically has not
provided a viable
technique for providing giveaway or sweepstakes infomlation. One of the
problems
with providing a confectionery package, e.g., a chewing gum product having a
foil
wrapper, is that the foil is used to store the sticks of chewing gum until all
of the product
is consumed. Thus, if the giveaway information is contained on the inner body
of the
wrapper, the eager consumer is encouraged to destroy the housing to see the
prize
information and at the same time destroy the housing for the confectionery
products,
e.g., the sticks of chewing gum.
It is therefore desirable to provide a package for a confectionery product,
such
as a gum product, that includes information concerning giveaways, sweepstakes,
contests, etc, wherein the package can be distributed through each of the
product's
marketing channels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved product holding and dispensing
package. More specifically, the present invention provides a package and
method by
which a gum product can include information concerning giveaways, sweepstakes,
contests, etc.
To this end, in an embodiment, a gum package having giveaway information is
provided. The gum package includes a body defining an interior for housing
product.
The body defines opposing end walls. A member is attached to the body, whereby
a
consumer can grasp the member to remove one of the end walls. The removable
end
wall allows the consumer to remove a gum product from the body. The removable
end
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wall has an inner surface. The consumer can see the giveaway information by
viewing
the inner surface.
In an embodiment, the body includes a pair of opposing side walls in addition
to the opposing end walls.
In an embodiment, the member is a tab.
In an embodiment, the tab attaches to a ribbon of material that extends around
the body. When the consumer moves the tab, the ribbon tears the body to remove
the
removable end wall.
In an embodiment, the body is a thin sheet folded to produce the opposing end
walls.
In an embodiment, the package is constructed, at least in part, from a metal
foil.
In an embodiment, the giveaway information informs the consumer whether or
not the consumer has wo:n a prize.
In an embodiment, the giveaway information includes information concerning
I 5 a sweepstakes, a raffle, a contest, a coupon or a rebate.
In an embodiment, the giveaway information is printed onto an inner surface
of the removable end wall of the body.
In an embodiment, the giveaway information is stamped onto an inner surface
of the removable end wall of the body.
In an embodiment, the removable end wall of the body includes a separate
insert having the giveaway information.
In an embodiment, the giveaway information in combination with other
giveaway information from at least one other package yields a prize for the
consumer.
In an embodiment, the body houses a plurality of the gum products.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a flexible package including a
foil wrapper having giveaway information for a confectionery product is
provided.
The package includes a bottom end, a removable end, and side walls that define
an
interior. A consumable product is located within the package. Giveaway
information
is visible by viewing a surface of a removable end. Means rrre provided to
allow a
consumer to grasp and remove the end wall and view the giveaway information.
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1n an embodiment, the tab is integral to the sheet.
In an embodiment, the surface is an inner surface of the body. The tab enables
the consumer to grasp the tab and remove the end wall from the body to view
the
giveaway information on the inner surface.
S In an embodiment, the giveaway information is printed onto the surface of
the
end wall.
In an embodiment the body includes a plurality of side walls.
In an embodiment, the sheet includes a paper layer.
1n an embodiment, the end wall includes folds and the giveaway information is
disposed on the folds.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing a gum
package having giveaway information is provided. The method includes providing
a
package including a body defining an interior and a removable end to allow a
consumer
to access a product contained within the package. The method includes
providing
giveaway information on an inner surface of the removable wall.
In an embodiment, the method includes providing a means for removing the
end wall portion having the giveaway information.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide an improved gum package
having giveaway information.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide an improved giveaway
information device.
Further, an advantage of the present invention is to provide an improved
method
for making a confectionery package having giveaway information.
Moreover, an advantage of the present invention is to provide an improved
package having giveaway information and method therefore, which is cost
effective and
easy to implement with existing packaging systems.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be described
in
and apparent from the detailed description of the presently preferred
embodiments.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a package
having a removable end wall that contains giveaway information.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment for the end wall
of
the present invention.
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the package of the present
invention
showing the end wall removed an one embodiment of the giveaway information.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings and in particular to Figure 1, an embodiment of
the package 10 of the present invention is illustrated. The gum package 10
includes a
body 12. The body 12 in an embodiment is a thin sheet that includes one or
more layers.
The one or more layers may be a thin paper product and may include a thin
metal or
plastic foil adhered to the paper product. The foil provides a barrier against
liquids or
gases that could otherwise come into harmful contact with the consumable or
confectionery products housed within the package 10. In an embodiment, the
thin sheet
folds together to fornn the shape of the body 12.
In an embodiment, the body 12 has a rectangular shape. The rectangular shape
includes a top wall 14, a bottom wall 16, side walls 18 and 20 and end walls
22 and 24.
Although a rectangular shape is preferred, in alternative embodiments the body
12 can
be cylindrical, triangular or have any other shape. In each of the
embodiments, the body
12 includes at least one of the end walls 22 and 24.
As illustrated in Figure I, the thin sheet that folds to produce the body 12
yields
overlapping folds as seen on the end wall 24. The body I 2 includes a tab or
member 28
that enables a consumer to grasp and pull the tab 28 to tear open the walls of
the body
12 and remove the end wall 24 or an end wall portion 24 from the body I 2.
Thus, in one embodiment, the end wall 24 includes overlapping folds as
illustrated in Figure 1. Other walls such as the bottom wall 16 or the side
walls I Z and
18 can also include overlapping folds of the sheet that makes up the body 12.
In an
embodiment, the folds also include a suitable adhesive that maintains the body
12 in the
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desired shape until the consumer opens the gum package 10. The gum package 10
also
includes a plurality of gum products 26 that reside within. The body 12 and
the package
in a preferred embodiment are flexible and strong enough to house the gum
products
26 until the consumer consumes each of the same. The gum products 26 can be
sticks
5 of gum as illustrated or can be blocks of gum or have any desired shape. The
gum
products 26 are also in a preferred embodiment individually packaged in
separate
wrappers.
Referring now to Figure 2, an alternative embodiment of the end wall 24 is
illustrated. The body 12 is again formed by folding a thin paper or multiple
layer sheet
10 to form a desired shape. The body 12 again includes the top wall 14, the
bottom wall
16, the side walls 18 and 20, the end wall 24 and the member or tab 28. In
this
alternative embodiment, however, the end wall does not include folds or folded
layers
of the sheet comprising the body 12. The sheet may in fact be folded but the
folds occur
along other walls of the body 12, wherein the end wall 24 is smooth and
uninterrupted.
Referring now to Figure 3, the package 10 of Figures 1 and 2 is shown with the
end wall 24 removed from the remainder of the body 12. A ribbon of preferably
strong
tensile material 30 attaches to an inner surface of the body 12 and aligns
with the
member or tab 28. The ribbon 30 extends substantially around or all the way
around the
body 12. When the consumer pulls the tab 28, the ribbon 30 tears a strip 32
from the
body 12 of the package 10.
The removed strip 32 separates the end wall 24 from the remainder of the body
12. It should be appreciated that the ribbon 30 is one known way in which the
end wall
24 can separate from the body 12. The present invention includes any known
method
for opening a gum package 10. Preferably, however, the method employed
produces an
end wall 24 or end wall portion 24 separate from the body 12 and the products
26.
As illustrated in Figure 3, the end wall 24 can include a portion of the top
wall
14, the bottom wall 16 and the side walls 18 and 20 of the body 12. In other
embodiments, the end wall 24 may simply include a flat inner surface 34 and an
outer
surface. In either case the giveaway information or indicia 36 in a preferred
embodiment
appears on the inner surface 34 of the end wall 24. When the end wall has
folds as
illustrated in Figure 1, the giveaway information or indicia 36 can be
preprinted,
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stamped or etched onto one of the folds or the indicia can be printed, stamped
or etched
onto a plurality of folds that form the end wall 24. When the end wall 24
includes a
smooth and uninterrupted surface as illustrated in Figure 2, the indicia 36 is
preprinted
onto the inner surface 34 in a preferred embodiment.
The member or tab 28 in one embodiment is integral to one of the sides of the
body 12. Depending on the amount of the top and bottom walls and side walls of
the
body that the manufacturer wishes to incorporate into the end wall 24, the tab
28, ribbon
30 and accompanying strip 32 can be placed closer to the end wall 24 as
desired. In
another alternative embodiment, the end wall 24 is perforated or otherwise
predisposed
to tear away from the remainder of the body 12. Here, the consumer may be able
to
remove the end wall without the need for a member or tab 28.
The member 28 includes any means known to those of skill in the art for
enabling the consumer to tear open the package 10. For instance, the member 28
alternatively includes only the ribbon 30, which enables the consumer to
remove the end
wall 24. The member 28 can also include an external ribbon material that
extends
around the body 12 of the package 10.
Further alternatively, the end wall 24 removably attaches to the body 12,
wherein
a separate layer of packaging (not illustrated) holds the end wall 24 to the
remainder of
the body 12. When the extra layer of packaging, which in an embodiment is a
thin clear
layer of plastic, is permanently removed from the body 12, the consumer can
remove the
end wall 24 and view the indicia 36 on the inner wall 34 of the end wall 24.
Still further,
the extra wrapper can be colored or otherwise opaque and hide giveaway
information
or indicia 36 that appears on an outer surface of the end wall 24 or on any
outer surface
of the body 12 including the top wall 14, bottom wall 16, side walls I 8 and
20 or end
wall 22.
The end wall 24 defines the inner surface 34. In a preferred embodiment the
inner surface includes the giveaway information 36. As used herein, "giveaway
information" includes any indicia or symbols that indicate or provide
information about
a contest, sweepstakes, coupon, raffle, rebate or any other type of monetary
giveaway
or provision of prizes. The giveaway information 36 can also combine with
other
information from end walls 24 of other one or more packages 10 to provide a
prize, e.g.,
CA 02383193 2002-04-23
for a contest or other type of game. In the illustrated embodiment, the
indicia 36 is the
word; "WINNER." In an embodiment, the information 36 informs the consumer
whether the consumer has won or not won a prize or giveaway.
In an embodiment, the giveaway information 36 is printed onto the inner
surface
5 34 of the end wall 24. Alternatively, the giveaway information 36 is stamped
or etched
onto the inner surface 34 of the end wall 24. Still further, a separate insert
(not
illustrated) having printed or stamped giveaway information 36 can be placed
inside the
package 10 at or near the removable end wall 24. When the consumer opens the
package 10 and removes the end wall 24, the separate insert comes free from
the body
12 with the end wall 24.
It should be understood that various changes and modifications to the
presently
prefen:ed embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in
the art.
Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit
and
scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant
advantages.
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