Abstract:
The lottery scratch ticket container provides a surface on which to scratch lottery tickets and a receiver for holding the shavings from the scratched tickets. The lottery scratch ticket container is also able to hold a variety of lottery tickets within the container. The lottery scratch ticket container is a hinged container, connecting a lid portion to a container base portion. The lid portion allows a user to wipe scratchings through apertures defined between a base surface of the lid portion and the sidewalls of the lid portion and into gutters within the container base portion. Also, the container base portion includes several ticket holders to hold lottery tickets of varying sizes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/689,077, filed Jun. 10, 2005. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to containers, and particularly to a lottery scratch ticket container for holding a lottery scratch ticket.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     After an individual buys a lottery scratch-off ticket, it is necessary for the individual to scratch the surface of the ticket, thereby revealing whether the individual has purchased a winning ticket or not. The problem faced by the lottery player is that to effectively scratch the surface of a scratch ticket, the ticket must be placed on a flat surface. The layer of film on the surface of the ticket is then scratched off by the individual, generally using a coin or other scratch-off device. The residual scratchings, i.e., the shards or fragments made as a result of scratching the lottery ticket, are left scattered over the surface on which the ticket was placed.  
         [0006]     The individual is then left with the residual scratchings, which are difficult to clean from the surface upon which the ticket was placed, and the scratchings are typically simply scattered by the user into the environment. It is often difficult for the lottery player to find an available hard, flat surface and a coin, or other scratching device, when the individual wants to scratch off the ticket. Some lottery ticket devices provide a surface on which to scratch the ticket and an implement to use to scratch the film off the ticket, but often lack a place in which to easily clean off the residual scratchings.  
         [0007]     In addition, those who often buy and play lottery scratch-off tickets may not always be able to immediately redeem the tickets and may be left with numerous scratched tickets. These tickets often are lost because there is no particular place to store them, and the lottery player ends up missing out on redeemable winnings. There are some lottery ticket containers available that provide a space in which to store the lottery tickets. However, these containers may not distinguish between larger and smaller tickets, which results in decreased organization. Further, these containers do not incorporate a scratch-off surface, a scratching implement and a place in which to store residual scratchings.  
         [0008]     Accordingly, there is a need for a lottery scratch ticket container that is able to store lottery tickets of varying sizes, that provides a surface on which to scratch the ticket, and that allows an individual to easily and effectively clean the film scratchings left over after the ticket is scratched.  
         [0009]     Further, typical surfaces utilized for the scratching of lottery tickets do not offer any sort of receptacle or holder for receiving the coin or other scratching implement, thus requiring the user to carry the implement separately. It would be desirable to provide a lottery scratch ticket container that includes a coin holder. Further such surfaces, and containers for cards, such as lottery tickets, are typically not well adapted for transport or display purposes. It would be desirable to provide such a system that may be easily suspended within a vehicle, on a display rack or on a hanger.  
         [0010]     Thus a lottery scratch ticket container solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     The lottery scratch ticket container provides a surface upon which to scratch lottery tickets and hold the scratchings, or shavings, from the scratched tickets. The lottery scratch ticket container is also able to hold a variety of lottery tickets within the container, including daily tickets, lotto tickets and betting slips, as well as scratch tickets. The lottery scratch ticket container is a hinged container, connecting a lid portion to a container base portion.  
         [0012]     The lid portion has a top portion, a bottom end wall, and opposing sidewalls that connect the top portion and the bottom end wall. The lid portion also includes a base surface onto which a lottery ticket may be placed and the top coating scratched off. The base surface is attached to the top portion and the bottom end wall and is recessed between the top portion, bottom end wall and opposing sidewalls. The bottom end wall and opposing sidewalls each have a raised, rounded overhang that extends over the base surface, upon which the user may rest the user&#39;s hand or wrist while scratching off the lottery tickets. Apertures are formed between the base surface and the overhang of the opposing sidewalls. Apertures along the bottom end wall are also formed between the base surface and the overhang of the bottom end wall where the bottom end wall is not attached to the base surface.  
         [0013]     The container base portion includes a top portion, a bottom end wall and a pair of opposing sidewalls that connect the top portion and the bottom end wall. The top portion, the bottom end wall and the opposing sidewalls of the container base portion define a recess therein in which tickets may be placed. A large ticket holder and a small ticket holder may both be situated within the recess. The bottom end wall and the opposing sidewalls each have a gutter defined therein.  
         [0014]     A user is able to clear residual scratchings made from rubbing the top layer of film off of the lottery ticket into the apertures defined between the overhangs and the base surface of the lid portion. The scratchings are wiped through the apertures and fall into the gutters, which are designed to receive the scratchings.  
         [0015]     The lottery scratch ticket container includes a coin holder affixed to the lid portion and a tab affixed to the container base portion for suspending the container within a car or on a hanger.  
         [0016]     These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lottery scratch ticket container according to the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the lottery scratch ticket container according to the present invention in an open position.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the lottery scratch ticket container according to the present invention in an open position with scratchings.  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of the lottery scratch ticket container according to the present invention in an open position.  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the lottery scratch ticket container according to the present invention in an open position. 
     
    
       [0022]     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]     The present invention is a lottery scratch ticket container that provides a surface on which to scratch lottery tickets and hold the shavings from the scratched tickets. The lottery scratch ticket container, designated generally as  10  in the drawings, is also able to hold a variety of lottery tickets within the container.  
         [0024]     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , the lottery scratch ticket container  10  has a lid portion  12  and a container base portion  14 . The lid portion  12  and the base portion  14  are pivotally joined together so that the lid portion  12  may be selectively opened or closed, depending upon the needs of the user. In the closed configuration, the lid portion  12  and the base portion  14  define an interior space in which lottery tickets may be stored.  
         [0025]     The lid portion  12  includes a base surface  20  onto which a lottery ticket  100  may be placed and the top coating thereof scratched off. The lid portion  12  also has a top portion  22 , a bottom end wall  24 , and opposing sidewalls  26  defining a generally rectangular frame (although the top portion  22  may be arched, as shown in the drawings). The sidewalls  26  connect the top portion  22  and the bottom end wall  24 . The base surface  20  is attached to the top portion  22  and the bottom end wall  24 . The base surface  20  may be affixed to the entire length of the top portion  22 , to the bottom end wall  24  only, or may only be affixed at various attachment points along the top portion  22  or bottom end wall  24 , thereby allowing for a plurality of apertures to be defined between the attachment points and the opposing sidewalls  26 .  
         [0026]     The base surface  20  is recessed between the top portion  22  and bottom end wall  24  and the opposing sidewalls  26 . The bottom end wall  24  and opposing sidewalls  26  each have a raised, rounded overhang or lip  28  that extends above the base surface  20 . An aperture  29  extending along the length of each of the opposing sidewalls  26  is formed between the base surface  20  and the overhang  28  of the opposing sidewalls  26 . The apertures along the bottom end wall  24  are also formed between the base surface  20  and the overhang  28  of the bottom end wall  24  where the bottom end wall is not attached to the base surface.  
         [0027]     While the base surface  20  is attached to the top portion  22  and the bottom end wall  24 , the base surface  20  may optionally also be attached at various attachment points along the opposing sidewalls  26 . If attached to the opposing sidewalls  26  at these attachment points, a plurality of apertures will be defined between the attachment points and the top portion  22  and bottom end walls  24 . A user is then able to clear residual scratchings  104  (seen more clearly in  FIG. 3 ) made from rubbing the top layer of film off of the lottery ticket into the apertures  29  defined between the overhang  28  of the bottom end wall  24  or the opposing sidewalls  26  and the base surface  20 . The scratchings  104  are wiped through the apertures  29  and into gutters (seen more clearly in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , and described in further detail below) in the container base portion  14 .  
         [0028]     The top portion  22  of the lid portion  12  preferably includes a platform  30  to which the base surface  20  is attached. The platform  30  has a coin holder  32  attached thereto that is able to hold a coin  34  or any other suitable disc for scratching off the surface of the scratch lottery ticket  100 . The coin holder  32  generally comprises and arcuate or substantially semicircular wall with an inwardly extending top flange defining a slot adapted for receiving an edge of the coin. Preferably, a frictional element  114  is mounted to surface  30  within the arc of coin holder  32 . Frictional element  114  frictionally engages coin  34  to releasably secure coin  34  within holder  32 . Further, a recess  116  may be formed in platform  30  positioned substantially adjacent the open end of coin holder  32 , allowing the user to grasp coin  34  for removal from holder  32 .  
         [0029]     A locking tab  118  may be mounted to the lower edge of lid portion  12  for releasable locking engagement with a recess  120  (shown in  FIG. 3 ), allowing the user to selectively lock lid portion  12  to container base portion  14 . It should be understood that any suitable releasable fastener may be utilized for releasably securing lid portion  12  to base portion  14 .  
         [0030]     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , a top view of the lottery ticket scratch container  10  is shown with the container  10  in the open configuration. The lid portion  12  is attached to the container base portion  14  by a hinge  36 . The container base portion  14  includes a base surface and a generally rectangular frame normal to the base surface defined by a top portion  40 , a bottom end wall  42  and a pair of opposing sidewalls  44  that connect the top portion  40  and the bottom end wall  42  of the container base portion  14 . The top portion  40 , the bottom end wall  42  and the opposing sidewalls  44  of the container base portion  14  define a recess  46  therein. The bottom end wall  42  and the opposing sidewalls  44  each have a gutter  48  defined therein. The gutters  48  of the sidewalls  44  extend from the top portion  40  of the base portion  14  to the bottom end wall  42 . The gutter  48  of the bottom end wall  42  extends from one of the opposing sidewalls  44  to the other opposing sidewall  44 . While the bottom end wall  42  is shown having a gutter  48  defined therein and the top portion  40  is not shown having a gutter defined therein, the bottom end wall  42  may optionally omit the gutter  48  and the top portion  40  may optionally include a gutter defined therein. The gutters  48  are designed to receive the residual scratchings that are wiped through the apertures  29  defined between the base surface  20  and the overhangs  28  of the bottom end wall  24  and the opposing sidewalls  26  of the lid portion  12 .  
         [0031]     Mounted within the recess  46  are a first ticket holder  50 , which is able to hold smaller lottery tickets  100 , and a second ticket holder  52 , which is able to hold larger lottery tickets  102 . Also, a break-off tab  60  is affixed to the top portion  40  of the container base portion  14  to hang the lottery scratch ticket container  10  onto a hook or the like.  
         [0032]     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a perspective view of the lottery scratch ticket container  10  is shown open and with scratchings  104  within the container  10 . Once the ticket  100  is scratched, the scratchings  104  left on the base surface  20  of the lid portion  12  are wiped through the apertures  29  defined between the base surface  20  and the overhangs  28 . The scratchings  104  fall into the gutters  48  defined along the opposing sidewalls  44  and bottom end wall  42  of the container base portion  14 . Once the user has finished scratching off the ticket  100  and wiping the residual scratchings  104  into the gutters  48 , the lid portion  12  may be opened away from the base portion  14  and the scratchings  104  may be shaken out of the container  10 .  
         [0033]     In the alternative embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the lower corners of container  10  are shown as having more of an arcuate contour than that of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1-3 . Further, in the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , lid portion  12  is joined to base portion  14  by a piano hinge  122  or door hinge, rather than the continuous living hinge shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . It should be understood that lid portion  12  is preferably pivotally joined to base portion  14  by any suitable hinge or pivotal fastener, although discrete lid portions  12  that are removably attached to base portions  14  are also within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0034]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the tab  60  (of  FIG. 2 ) has been removed and replaced with a slot  112  formed through the rear wall of base portion  14 , as shown. Slot  112  may receive a removable tab, a hook, or any other support member, in a manner similar to that described above with respect to tab  60 . Further, in the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the second ticket holder  52  has been removed and the first ticket holder  50  has been positioned so that its lower edge is adjacent the inner face of gutter  48 . It should be understood that the ticket holder  50  may be positioned in any suitable location within recess  46 .  
         [0035]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 5 , a plurality of reinforcing ribs  110  are mounted on the rear face of lid portion  12  so that, when in the closed position, ribs  110  will be positioned above, and extend across, gutters  48 . Reinforcing ribs  110  provide for enhanced structural stability, particularly during the application of pressure while scratching the lottery ticket. Further, as shown, a side edge of the first ticket holder  50  is pivotally joined to an inner face  49  of one of gutters  48  by a hinge  124 . It should be understood that any suitable hinge may be utilized. The opposite side edge of first ticket holder  50  is releasably supported on stopper member  126 , mounted within recess  46 , as shown.  
         [0036]     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.