Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02572464 2006-12-28
Background of the Invention.
This invention is directed toward packs, pads, rolls, or sheets, of sticky
notes that are pre-printed with one
or more themes, thereby enabling a user of the invention to decorate a home,
office, or other structure or
object with the sticky notes to convey a message or expression, such as "Happy
Birthday",
"Congratulations", "Get Well," "Happy Holidays," "Thank You," etc, pictures,
numbers, symbols, etc. The
sticky notes are compiled in the traditional fashion, with each note having a
thin portion near the top, side
or sides, center or bottom, or all over if on a roll or sheet, which has a
removable, semi-sticky glue which
allows it to stick to a wall or other object (or to the note directly behind
it in the pack), but also allows a
user to remove it without removing paint from the wall or leaving behind any
undesirable glue residue.
Because the notes are all printed with messages, a user of the invention can
easily and rapidly place one,
some or many such notes on the wall or object so as to decorate it, thereby
sending a "loud" message or
expression to the intended recipient. The user can also use a single sticky
note, or larger amounts of the
pre-printed sticky notes, to convey a message in a greeting card, letter,
scrapbook, photo album, etc.
The history of sticky notes goes back to 1974, when 3M engineer Art Fry
invented the Post-It Note. Fry
combined an adhesive invented years earlier by another engineer at 3M with a
standard piece of paper, in
a shape and size useful for being a note. The adhesive, invented by a 3M
chemist named Spencer Silver
was a mixture of some simple organic molecules which, when combined in a
manner which remains a
trade secret, produced an adhesive described as "inherently tacky elastomeric
copolymer microspheres",
which, in plain English, means that the adhesive had an irregular surface
texture with peaks and valleys,
somewhat resembling the surface of a basketball. While the peaks stuck to
whatever they came into
contact with, the valleys prevented a complete seal, allowing it to stick
fairly well, but not very strongly,
thereby allowing for it to be removed. Fry then added a primer to the paper
which caused the adhesive
to stick more firmly to the paper than to the wa!l or other object to which
the note was affixed, thereby
creating the commercially successful Post-It Note that has become as much a
mainstay of the average
office as staplers and paperclips.
Once 3M's patent on the Post-It Note expired, numerous competitors began
producing similar products,
to the point where presently there are a number of companies producing sticky
notes of all shapes, colors,
and sizes. These products, however, sti!l require a user of them to write a
message on the sticky note
before using the note to convey a message. For example, in a patent office
setting, it would be
convenient for a person reviewing a patent application to be able to take
sticky notes with messages such
a"103 problem", "Re-write this section", "Are you sure there is no prior art
on this aspect?", from a stack
of sticky notes and affix the proper note on the application. As another
example, a secretary sorting mail
away from the mailboxes in an office could affix sticky notes with various
employees' names, and
messages such as "Greg" "bill", Important!", "Payment" on each piece of mail.
The inventor has also determined that placing sticky notes with pre-printed
messages on a mirror or wall
is an effective, and easily removed, method of sending a message. Since prior
to this invention, a user
needs to write a message on each sticky note, it would be very time consuming
for a user to prepare
enough sticky notes to use the sticky notes in large quantities to loudly
proclaim a message, expression,
or celebration, or to decorate (albeit probably temporarily) a room, office,
etc.. Because the sticky notes
lend themselves so readily to being stuck on a wa!l quickly and removably, the
inventor has discovered
that a large number of these sticky notes placed on a wall or mirror makes a
very effective means of
conveying a message, expression or celebration.
Thus there has existed a long-felt need for packs of sticky notes with pre-
printed messages on them,
which can be used for both quickly attaching a message to an item and
decorating a wall or other
structure with the desired message or expression.
The prior art has a number of inventions that sticky notes in various
configurations. Obviously, the sticky
note itself is well known in the art, but a substantial number of variations
on that basic theme have been
proposed. For example, US Patent No. 5,332,265 to Groess, et. al., teaches an
advertising assembly
which uses a plurality of advertising indicia arranged on an insert or as a
trade show handout. US Patent
CA 02572464 2006-12-28
No. 6,526,906 to Bidanset, et. al., and US Patent Application No. 2003/0178840
to Bidanset, et. al, teach a
page marking device with removable tabs which can be affixed to an
advertisement for a certain type of
gift. US Patent Application No. 2005/0110267 to Stewart, et. al., provides a
bookmark with a plurality of
self-stick notes attached thereto.
There also exist a number of inventions dealing with methods of making various
types of sticky notes. For
example, US Patent No. 6,268,032 to Mertens, et. al., which describes a web
sheet of material, whereas
US Patent No. 6,773,539 to Mertens, et. al., provides a method for cutting
sticky notes from a roll of
starting material. US Patent No. 5,782,494 to Crandall allows a user of a
basic personal computer to
make his or her own sticky notes.
Another invention is described by US Patent No. 6,379,764 to Pusateri, et.
al., which teaches a method
and apparatus for securing a sticky note onto an advertisement. Finally, US
Patent No. 5,705,244 to Lee
covers a composite note pad assembly.
While these inventions all provide improvements to the existing technology,
none of them teach the idea
of mass-produced sticky notes with a certain message, expression or
celebration, nor do these patents
and applications describe a manner of using the message-containing sticky
notes for use in efficiently
designating or categorizing items by the individual messages contained on the
pad of sticky notes.
Additionally, there is no hint of the use of any of these sticky notes and
close approximations thereof for
temporarily decorating a mirror or wall, object, scrapbook, photo album, etc.
as a means of decorating,
celebrating or communicating.
The idea of a sticky note with pre-printed indicia is also known. For example,
3M offers a number of sticky
notes with pre-printed logos. However, the examples found in the prior art
search date from after the date
of applicant's provisional patent, and also supply only identifying
information such as a name or "From the
Desk of _". The prior art does not disclose a sticky note with a pre-printed
message - as opposed to
identifying information - which would allow a user to quickly affix a sticky
note with the proper message to
an item. The prior art also does not teach a sticky note with a message proper
for decorating a wall or
other structure with many such sticky notes, nor do the sellers of any of the
pre-printed sticky notes
suggest the use of their sticky notes in mass quantities as a decorative means
to send a message,
expression or celebration.
The current invention provides just such a solution by having a pre-printed
pack of sticky notes with one or
more themes printed on each sticky note, thereby enabling a user of the
invention to decorate a home,
office, or other structure with the sticky notes to convey a message or
expression, such as "Happy
Birthday", "Congratulations", "Get Well," "Thank You" & "Happy Holidays," etc.
The sticky notes are
compiled in the traditional fashion, with each note having a thin portion near
the top, side, center or bottom
or all over if on a roll or sheet, which has a removable, semi-sticky glue
which allows it to stick to a wall or
other object, (or to the note directly behind it in the pack), but also allows
a user to remove it without
removing paint from the wall or other object or leaving behind any undesirable
glue residue. Because the
sticky notes are easily removed from the pack, and are pre-printed with the
desired message, they are
easily (easy) to place in large or small quantities on a mirror or wall (or
even a floor, ceiling, car, seat,
scrapbook, photo album or other hard or soft surface) in a decorative manner
to send a forceful (bold)
message. Thus, the inventor has invented not only a new product but also a new
way of using sticky
notes to send a message in a manner not seen to date.
Summary of the Invention
It is a principal object of the invention to provide a sticky note with a pre-
printed message, expression or
celebration.
It is another object of the invention to provide packs, pads or sheets, of
sticky notes with pre-printed
messages on them where the packs can be of different designs, shapes, sizes,
scents and colors, and
CA 02572464 2006-12-28
there can be a wide variety of messages.
It is an additional object of the invention that the packs of sticky notes can
have either one message in one
or more colors and/or designs, and a variety of "themed" messages in one or
more colors and/or designs.
It is a further object of the invention that the sticky notes can be quickly
and easily removed from the pack
and adhered to a wall, desk, table, chair, mirror, seat, car, scrapbook, card,
letter or other hard or soft
object including people and pets.
It is also an object of this invention that a user of the invention can
decorate a desired surface with the
notes quickly, easily, and in an eye-pleasing manner, such that the notes can
be easily and cleanly
removed once the user of the invention wishes to remove the notes.
It is a final object of this invention that the use of pre-printed sticky
notes can save a user time in sending
a frequently-sent message, and allows him/her to use large or small quantities
of sticky notes to send a
bold message by affixing the large or small quantities of sticky notes to the
desired surface.
It should be understood that while the preferred embodiments of the invention
are described in some
detail herein, the present disclosure is made by way of example only and that
variations and changes
thereto are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within
the scope of the following
claims, and a reasonable equivalency thereof, which claims I regard as my
invention.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The invention involved pre-printing sticky notes and assembling them into
packs, pads, rolls or sheets. To
produce the invention, it is necessary to print the desired message on a piece
of paper of the desired color
and in the desired size. A primer is laid on the paper which is intended to be
"sticky', after which the
adhesive is laid over the primer. Groups of sticky notes are then compiled
into stacks, sheets, rolls, or
pads. While the chemical composition and method of adhesion remains trade
secrets, the general
principle is well known and practiced by a substantial number of companies in
the tape and general office
supply fields. Thus, the process is mentioned not as a part of the actual
invention but rather to illustrate
how a company already in the field of sticky notes could begin producing the
invention.
The advantages of this invention are detailed above in the Summary of the
Invention. Basically, the
invention consists of a pre-printed pack of sticky notes with one more themes
printed on each sticky note,
thereby enabling a user of the invention to decorate a home, office, or other
structure or object, person or
animal with the sticky notes to convey a message or expression, such as "Happy
Birthday",
"Congratulations", "Get Well," "Thank You," "Happy Holidays," etc. The sticky
notes are compiled in the
traditional fashion, with each note having a thin portion near the top, side
or sides, center or bottom or all
over if on a roll or sheet, which has a removable, semi-sticky glue which
allows it to stick to a wall or object
(or to the note directly behind it in the pack), but also allows a user to
remove it without removing paint
from the wall or object or leaving behind any undesirable glue residue or to
most surfaces. Because the
sticky notes are easily removed from the pack, and are pre-printed with the
desired message, they are
easily (easy) to place in large or small quantities on a mirror or wall (or
even a floor, ceiling, car seat,
scrapbook or other hard or soft surface) in a decorative manner to send a
forceful (bold) message. Thus,
the inventor has invented not only a new product but also a new way of using
sticky notes to send a
message in a manner not seen to date.
The printed material on the face of the sticky notes can range to include
words, expressions, pictures,
famous sayings, quotes, verses, common phrases, numbers, letters of
exclamations, celebration,
inspiration, encouragement or other statements printed on each sheet. The
sticky notes can also be
customized in terms of having a texture added to the surface, being made in a
specific color, or with an
item of artwork ordered or created by the customer who orders the sticky
notes. There are two main
CA 02572464 2006-12-28
purposes of the invention. First, there are frequently sent messages, whereby
a user of the invention
would merely need to affix the proper sticky note in the proper location. For
example, a professional
reviewing the work of an assistant could slap sticky notes with sayings such
as "Yes", "No", "See Me",
"Send to Typing", or "Greg" on the file rather then writing it by hand. While
the savings in time on an
individual case would be small, the cumulative savings of time over the course
of a year would be
substantial. The second and preferred iteration of the invention would be to
use large or small quantities
of sticky notes with messages pre-printed on them to decorate the home,
office, school, transportation,
etc. as a means of expression, communication, celebration, encouragement,
education or entertainment.
It is also envisioned that a variety of colors, shapes, scents, designs,
embellishments, (glitter, glow in the
dark, etc.) and messages could be incorporated into the notes such that a user
of the invention could
create a wide range of responses. Among the locations at which these notes
could be used are homes,
businesses, offices, classrooms, lockers, hospital rooms, wedding locations,
bridal and baby showers,
scrapbooks (photo albums), greeting cards, letters, parties & events of all
sorts, in cars, on bicycles, on
people, pets, etc.
There are several specific uses of the notes that are contemplated in addition
to the uses described
heretofore. For example, a travel pack of notes could describe or have
pictures of objects commonly
seen while riding in a car or bus, such as stop signs, railroad crossing
signals, trains, motorcycles, etc.,
and could be used to educate or entertain children (as making a game of it)
during the trip. A color pack
with the color and name printed on it could allow a parent to teach a child
about colors, allowing the child
to find an object of a specific color and stick on the appropriate sticky note
to that object (and learn to spell
the name of the color at the same time).
Other educational packs of notes could include names of household objects,
where a sheet could be
given to the child and he/she must stick the sheet on the correct item. A
multi-lingual household pack
could have the names of household objects or everyday phrases in various
languages.
Another specific use would be a pack of 365 (plus extra for leap years) sticky
notes where each
successive sticky note in the pack of 365 sticky notes has an ascending number
to signify the day of the
year a user of the invention is currently living and would also include a
space upon which a user of the
invention could write down things specific to that day, such that a user of
the invention could compile a
year's worth of sticky notes and store them as a journal of that year or place
individual sticky notes in a
scrapbook or other type of inemorabilia. This way, a user of the invention
could keep the sticky note
which corresponded to a particularly important day. A further iteration of
this invention would have
successive sticky note additionally comprising one or more sections, where
each section had a heading
indicating the type of thing that should be written in the section, such as
"Things I Did Today', "Special
Event of the Day", "Lesson for the Day", "Rate the Day or Value of the Day" or
a similar type of heading.
An additional option would be to have each pack of 365 sticky notes be
identified as relating to a particular
year of a person's life - such as year 20, and where each pack of 365 sticky
notes would have a first
sticky note, and the first sticky note would be numbered the day of a person's
life corresponding to the
particular year of a person's life In the example of a pack of sticky notes
for a person is his/her 20th year
of life, a person celebrating their 20th birthday would be living his or her
7305th day of life (adding in the
leap year days). The number on the first page of the pack would be 7306, the
second page = 7307, third
page 7308, etc. It would be somewhat like a Calendar of the year but would not
reference an actual date.
The user could stick the sticky note to anything for the day as a reminder of
something to do or as a
remembrance of the day and place it in a card, scrap book, photo album,
mirror, etc.
A set of notes for a wedding could include color-coded seating designations.
Notes with various
messages could also be used for ice-breakers and introductions: A person
planning a party could give the
attendees various pre-printed sticky notes which are either color coded or
state the interests, background,
etc. of the various attendees. These sticky notes could be a great way to
"break the ice" and make
introductions.
