Abstract:
A packaged adhesive tape product comprising a roll of tape with a decorative multi-color pattern printed thereon, a dispenser at least partially surrounding the roll of tape and a label bearing retailing information and at least a portion of the decorative multi-color pattern carried on the label is described. A display rack for the products is also described.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/410,605, filed Nov. 5, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to adhesive tape sold on adhesive tape dispensers as a single product. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Adhesive tape is used by consumers and businesses in many applications. One application is packaging. For consumers, packaging tape is frequently sold on a dispenser. The packaging tape is often a long strip of backing having adhesive on one side rolled upon a cylindrical core. This roll of adhesive tape is often sold on a dispenser. The tape is often about 2 inches wide and is sold on the rolls containing several yards of tape. The roll of tape is contained on a dispenser having two side walls with hubs which rotatably support the roll of tape between the side walls. An interconnecting wall between the two side walls supports a cutter for separating lengths of tape from the roll of tape. Frequently, a hole through the inner connecting wall is provided between the roll of tape and the cutter. This hole allows the product consisting of the roll of tape and the dispenser to be mounted on a peg at retail stores. 
         [0004]    The interconnecting wall often includes a tongue shaped portion extending away from the cutter and which overlays, but does not contact, a portion of the roll of tape. This tongue shaped portion protects a user&#39;s hand when applying a length of tape to a substrate. The tongue protects the portion of the hand over the roll of tape from the rotating roll of tape. 
         [0005]    Retail labeling is often applied to the interconnecting wall. The roll of tape and the tape dispenser is then hung on a hook with the retail labeling facing outward so that a consumer may see it and select a roll of tape. This arrangement presents the roll of tape on its dispenser with the retail labeling most conspicuously displayed. The dispenser and the roll of tape itself are somewhat obscured by the labeling, the interconnecting wall and the tongue portion of the interconnecting wall in this display mode. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0006]    The present disclosure contemplates an improved packaged adhesive tape product comprising a roll of adhesive tape having an adhesive face and a non-adhesive face with a multiple color design displayed on the non-adhesive face, the roll of tape held on a dispenser with two side walls and an interconnecting wall, and, labeling applied to the dispenser displaying a multiple color design representative or identical to the multiple color design on the adhesive tape. 
         [0007]    Further in accordance with the disclosure, the tape dispenser comprises two side walls interconnected by an interconnecting wall and the labeling is applied to the interconnecting wall. 
         [0008]    Yet further in accordance with the disclosure, the interconnecting wall has a hole adapted to support the packaged adhesive tape product on a peg allowing the tape product to be displayed at retail with the label and its multiple color design facing outwardly away from a support, that is, toward the consumer. 
         [0009]    Further in accordance with the disclosure, two or more groups of tape dispensers displaying several different multiple color designs are presented on a display rack in groups and adjacent headers displaying a multiple color design representative or identical to the multiple color design on the adhesive tape. 
         [0010]    It is a principle object of the disclosure to provide a packaged adhesive tape product for adhesive tape having a multiple color design with the design presented prominently on the label visible to consumers at retail. It is yet another object of the present disclosure to present a packaged adhesive tape product bearing a multiple color design in an attractive package having required retail information and the multiple color design presented on the label prominently for visual inspection by the consumer. 
         [0011]    The disclosure may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is front view of a packaged adhesive tape product in accordance with the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a front view similar to  FIG. 1  showing a second embodiment of the disclosure illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; and, 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a retail display of the adhesive tape products seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    Referring now to the drawings where in the showings are for the purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the disclosure only and not for the purposes of limiting same,  FIG. 1  shows a packaged adhesive tape product  10  comprised of a dispenser  12 , a roll of tape  14 , and a label  16 . The dispenser  12  is conventional in design. The dispenser comprises two side walls  20 ,  22  and an interconnecting wall  24 . The two side walls  20 ,  22  are generally parallel to one another and are mirror images of one another. The side walls have hub portions which support the roll of tape  14 . An interconnecting wall  24  extends between the two side walls and supports a tape cutter  26  remote from the roll of tape. The interconnecting wall also has a curved tongue  32  portion extending over the volume between the two side walls adjacent the hubs. The interconnecting wall  24  also has a hole  30  through it allowing the entire ensemble to be hung from a peg at retail. Dispensers and rolls of tape forming a product such as that described have been available and are described in patents including D591,354 and D588,646. 
         [0016]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the tongue  32  extending over the volume between the hub portions of the side walls  20 ,  22  covers portions of the roll of tape  14 . This is desirable and protects the hand of the user from contact with the roll of tape when the dispenser is used to dispenser a length of tape onto a substrate. However, the tongue  32  and the rest of the dispenser obscure the roll of tape from view by a consumer when displayed at retail. With reference again to  FIG. 1 , it is seen that a consumer can see the general fact that a roll of tape is on the dispenser. However, the design on the roll of tape, that is multi-colored patterns provided for decorative purposes or otherwise, are significantly obscured to the consumer. 
         [0017]    “Multi-colored” is used herein to mean having areas of visually distinct shades, colors or hues. Thus, a tape having a blue background with red and white circles in the background is multi-colored. A tape having parallel stripes of visually perceptible different shades of blue is also multi-colored. A tape having a transparent background and symbols in black is also multi-colored. 
         [0018]    A label  16  is applied to the packaged adhesive tape product  10  covering substantially all of the interconnecting wall  24  including the tongue  32 . Consumer products sold at retail in the United States, and in many other countries, must carry information such as the size of the product, product identity, and the identity of a distributor. In addition, trademarks identifying the source of a particular product are desirably displayed where consumers can readily see the mark. All of these items are necessary or advantageous in the sale of a product at retail. These items consume space and require a label of sufficient size to display them in a readable form. Thus, the concealment or obscuring of the actual appearance of the tape is a function of proper presentation of necessary information to consumers. 
         [0019]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the roll of tape  14  has a multi-color design on its outwardly facing, non-adhesive, face. However, this multi-color design  42  is only visible on the edges of the roll of tape. Referring to the top of  FIG. 1 , a multi-color design  44  is presented over a significant portion of the label  16  and much more easily seen by a consumer than the multi-color design  42  on the roll of tape. The multi-color design  44  is identical to at least a portion of the multi-color design  42  seen on the roll of tape. Thus, a consumer, presented with this packaged adhesive tape product  10  is informed of the decorative design on the roll of tape  14  because the consumer can see the design on the label. The design  44  shown on the label  16  is a full scale replication of the design  42  of the roll of tape  14  in the illustrated embodiment. The design  44  on the label  16  can, alternatively, be the same as the design  42  on the roll of tape but at a different scale. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a packaged adhesive tape product  10   b  is presented. The dispenser  12  is identical in all respects to the dispenser  12  seen in  FIG. 1 . The roll of tape  14   b  is identical to the roll of tape  14  seen in  FIG. 1  except that the roll of tape  14   b  carries a different multi-color design  42   b  when compared to the multi-color design seen in  FIG. 1 . The label  16   b  seen in  FIG. 2  is identical to the label  16  seen in  FIG. 1  except for the multi-color design  44   b  which is identical to at least a portion of the multi-color design  42   b  of the roll of tape. As with the package tape product seen in  FIG. 1 , the packaged tape product  10 B seen in  FIG. 2  carries a roll of tape  10   b  which is at least partially obscured from visual inspection by the consumer at retail. However, the consumer can see the multi-color design  42   b  of the roll of tape  10   b  easily by viewing the multi-color design portion  44   b  of the label  40   b.  Thus, consumers are presented with a packaged adhesive tape product having a decorative design in a conventional dispenser with enhanced visibility of the decorative design. 
         [0021]    Additionally, when the consumer is presented with multiple products  10 ,  10   b  arranged close to one another with different designs, the consumer is informed that many multi-colored design tape products are available from which to select. 
         [0022]    The package adhesive tape products  10 ,  10   b  seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2  show packaging tape on packaging tape dispensers. Such products are frequently purchased by consumers for use in sealing boxes, large mailing envelopes and the like. In the past, the tape forming a portion of these package was often plain, unicolor tape. A tan color resembling cardboard was often the color used. The present invention supports the sale and use of decorative packaging tape both for conventional sealing of packages for shipping and storage and also for gift wrapping. In the past, tape was often a non-contributing accessory to the appearance of gift wrapping. With the present invention, consumers can purchase decorative package sealing tape and other kinds of tape and use them in creatively enhancing gift packages, mailing packages and the like. 
         [0023]    The packaging illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  allows the presentation of a variety of decorative packaged adhesive tape products,  10 ,  10   b  at retail in a manner in which a consumer can see the decorative aspects of the product and select according to the consumer&#39;s desire. Other tape products such as duct tape and stationery tape may also be made decorative and retailed in accordance with this disclosure. 
         [0024]    In some situations it may be appropriate to use a design in the label similar to or representative of the design on the tape. For instance, if the tape has transparent portions and colored elements, the label may use white or another color similar to or representative of the transparent portions of the tape. In other situations reflectivity or difficult shades or shapes on the tape may be shown approximately or by representative image on the label and/or package. 
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows a retail display of packaged adhesive tape products  50  with packaged adhesive products  10 ,  10   b,    10   c  and  10   d  mounted on the display. Vertical support elements  52  form a framework for the display  50 . The vertical support elements can be wire frame elements or slats or other well-known retail display back panel structures. The vertical support elements  52  support generally horizontally extending rods or hooks  54 . These rods or hooks  54  can be permanently mounted to the vertical supports  52  or can be removably mounted in a conventional manner. The rods  54  extend generally horizontally away from the vertical supports  52  and have upturned ends  56  at their distal ends. The rods  54  are long enough to support several packaged adhesive tape products on each rod. In the illustrated embodiment, each rod supports four tape products. In the illustrated embodiment, four tiers of rods are used and each tier consists of four rods, one next to the other horizontally. A header support  58  is associated with each tier of rods. The header support  58  in the illustrated embodiment is a U-shaped wire element fixed to the vertical supports  52 . Channels  60  are mounted on the portions of the header support  58  remote from the vertical supports  52 . The channels  60  are at a distance from the vertical support similar to the distance between the vertical supports  52  and the upturned ends  56  of the rods  54 . The channels  60  in turn support channel fillers or headers  62 ,  62   b,    62   c  and  62   d.  The channel fillers or header display a multiple color design representative or identical to the multiple color design on the packaged adhesive tape product with which they are associated. Thus, the channel filler  62   d  displays a design representative of or identical to the multiple color design of the tape in the associated packaged adhesive tape product  10   d.  Similarly, the header or channel filler  62   b  displays a multiple color design representative of or identical to the multiple color design displayed on the tape in the packaged adhesive tape product  10   b . In the embodiment illustrated, the header or channel filler  62  displays only the multi-color design representative of the tape with which it is associated. However, the header or channel filler  62  may also display printed material overlaid on the design. Such printed material may include pricing, UPC information, or other marketing messages. Additionally, a top header  66  is provided for identifying a product or carrying other marketing information useful at retail. 
         [0026]    As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the retail display  50  compactly displays multiple groups of identical decorative tape products in association with a header displaying the decorative design of each group prominently and in a manner easily perceived by the consumer. Products are displayed in a manner which emphasizes their attractive characteristics and makes selection and purchase of the product easy. 
         [0027]    The disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.