Abstract:
Cards and tickets with scratch-off or other removable material present on both faces, as well as methods of making such cards and tickets, are detailed. The cards and tickets, when used as game cards, are designed to provide extended-play games without requiring additional paper or storage space beyond that presently required for single-play games.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to game cards and more particularly, although not exclusively, to cards and lottery tickets having scratch-off or other removable material on multiple faces.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Numerous types of card games and lottery tickets have been developed for use. One such type of lottery ticket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,860 to Holman, et al., whose contents are incorporated herein in their entirety by this reference. Detailed in the Holman patent is a ticket having two transparent layers atop one face of a substrate, one layer being colored and not adapted to be scratched-off and the other layer being clear and adapted to be scratched-off so as to remove both layers. According to the Holman patent, use of the dual layers provides visual indication as to which numbers of a “Bingo” game are being played and which are not.  
           [0003]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,881 to Rua, Jr., et al., also incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, illustrates another type of lottery ticket principally for use as part of a “Bingo” game. Included on one face of a substrate of the Rua, Jr. patent are coatings that may be marked either with “common writing instruments” or “merely by rubbing with ordinary U.S. coins.” Such coatings additionally may allow markings to be erased. See Rua, Jr., col. 2, 11. 42-45 and 62-66.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,887,906, 6,270,406, and 6,273,817 to Sultan, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference, disclose additional types of lottery games or tickets. Contained on a face of these types of tickets are both scratch-off material and security codes, the latter present in a bar code format or a magnetic strip. The security codes themselves optionally may be covered with a scratch-off coating.  
           [0005]    Yet other types of game cards with scratch-off materials are disclosed in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,440 to Farag, et al., whose contents also are incorporated herein in their entirety. Included on a face of a substrate of the Farag patent are both scratch-off material and a selectively-employed release coating. Because the scratch-off material adheres directly to the substrate in areas lacking release coating, scratching the card may create either symbols or the background for symbols.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,794 to Scrymgeour, et al., finally, describes additional types of lottery tickets. Like the tickets described earlier, one face of each ticket of the Scrymgeour patent contains indicia covered by scratch-off material. However, rather than having blank reverses or printing mere rules-oriented textual information thereon, the reverses of the two-ply tickets of the Scrymgeour patent include “openable windows.” Opening such windows permits viewing of indicia printed on rear surfaces of upper portions of the tickets, providing additional information used to determine whether particular tickets are “winners” or otherwise associated with awards. The Scrymgeour patent likewise is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.  
           [0007]    Lacking from existing commercial game cards and tickets is any contemplation of including scratch-off or other removable material on both faces of the cards and tickets. Indeed, prior attempts at creating “extended play” tickets with two scratch-off games typically were twice as large as regular tickets, as both games were presented on the same face of the tickets. This resulted from the configurations of printing units presently employed, in which scratch-off coatings are available for only one face of the tickets. Because these extended-play tickets were twice as large as regular tickets, they required twice the amount of paper (or other substrate) to be used and twice the amount of dispenser or storage space prior to being dispensed to consumers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The present invention, by contrast, provides game cards and tickets with scratch-off (or other removable) materials printed on both faces of the cards and tickets. Games associated with the scratch-off materials may be related or independent; regardless, however, the amount of paper or other substrate needed to create such games is approximately the same as that needed to create existing non-extended play tickets. Cards and tickets of the present invention thus need not require additional paper or dispenser or storage space, unlike conventional extended-play games.  
           [0009]    Processing of cards and tickets of the present invention likewise proceeds differently than does processing of conventional tickets. Conventional printing processes for these tickets use three principal sets of print stations: one for the release coatings, one for the scratch-off materials, and one for any overprinting. The present invention, by contrast, uses six principal sets of stations as well as a web-turning device. After printing and coatings are applied to one face of the web using the initial sets of print stations, the web is turned or otherwise appropriately positioned and printing and coatings are applied to the opposite face of the web using the remaining sets of print stations.  
           [0010]    Although preferred embodiments of cards and tickets of the present invention include both release coatings (between scratch-off materials and the substrates) and overprinting (atop any of the scratch-off materials, release coatings, or substrate), either or both may be omitted if desired. Similarly, even if used neither the release coatings nor the overprinting need be present on both faces of the cards. Generally, however, scratch-off or other removable material will be present on both faces.  
           [0011]    It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide innovative cards and tickets.  
           [0012]    It is also an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide cards and tickets containing multiple scratch-off materials.  
           [0013]    It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide cards and tickets in which scratch-off material appears on each opposed face of the cards and tickets.  
           [0014]    It further is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide multi-play game cards and tickets that require no more substrate or storage or dispensing space than do conventional single-play cards and tickets.  
           [0015]    It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide methods for producing cards and tickets with scratch-off material present on opposed faces.  
           [0016]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the remaining text and drawings of this application. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    FIGS.  1 A-B are plan views of opposite faces of an exemplary card or ticket of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is an edge view of an exemplary card or ticket structured similar to that of FIG. 1, with aspects of the card or ticket exaggerated for clarity.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of part of an exemplary process and equipment used to make the cards or tickets of FIGS.  1 - 2 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]    FIGS.  1 A-B detail ticket or card  10  of the present invention. Throughout this description, the terms “ticket” and “card” may be used interchangeably. The invention is sufficiently broad to cover both “tickets” and “cards,” as well as similar objects however characterized.  
         [0021]    As depicted in FIGS.  1 A-B, card  10  may include opposite faces  14  and  18  of a substrate  20  (see FIG. 2). In the illustrated embodiment, face  14  contains removable portion  22  and other portion  26 . Face  18 , likewise, contains a removable portion  30  and may include another portion  34  as well. Hence, unlike analogous conventional cards, card  10  includes two scratch-off (or other removable) portions notwithstanding that its size is equivalent to those of cards currently incorporating only a single scratch-off portion on one face. Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that more than one removable portion may appear on each of faces  14  and  18  if desired, although beneficially at least one such removable portion is included on each face  14  and  18 .  
         [0022]    In preferred embodiments of the invention, removable portions  22  and  30  constitute games played by scratching off, or otherwise removing, material to reveal previously-hidden information. Alternatively, they could comprise coupons, for example, or other devices as appropriate or desired. Games or other devices embodied in portions  22  and  30  need not be related in any way and indeed may be of different types. By contrast, games or devices embodied in portions  22  and  30  could be associated or related in some manner or share some characteristics of their structure or play.  
         [0023]    As shown in FIGS.  1 A-B, removable portions  22  and  30  need not be positioned identically on their respective faces  14  and  18 . Removable portion  22 , for example, is illustrated as positioned toward the left-hand edge  38  of face  14 , while removable portion  30  is more centrally located on face  18 . Those skilled in the art will, of course, recognize that portions  22  and  30  may be positioned on faces  14  and  18  in locations other than as shown in FIGS.  1 A-B.  
         [0024]    Also detailed in FIGS.  1 A-B is optional overprinting  42  and  46 . In the exemplary version of face  14  shown in FIG. 1A, overprinting  42  comprises the phrase “SCRATCH AND WIN!” printed in removable portion  22  together with a series of “GAME RULES” printed in other portion  26 . Overprinting  46  (FIG. 1B) likewise comprises the phrase “SCRATCH AND WIN!,” albeit printed in removable portion  30 , together with a series of “GAME RULES” and “PROMOTIONAL INFORMATION” printed in other portion  34 . Overprinting  42  or  46  may, however, by modified or omitted in whole or in part.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 illustrates, in exaggerated form, components of an exemplary card  10 . Detailed as present in removable portion  22  are release coating  50 , on which removable material  54  is coated, printed, or otherwise placed, and overprinting  42  printed atop removable material  54 . Shown in dotted lines in other portion  26  are release coating  50  and overprinting  42  which, as noted above, optionally may be omitted. Removable material  54  preferably is a latex or similar material conventionally used for scratch-off purposes. It could, however, be any removable ink or other suitable material.  
         [0026]    Similarly, FIG. 2 discloses presence in removable area  30  of release coating  58 , removable material  62 , and overprinting  46 . Removable material  62  is atop release coating  58 , while overprinting  46  is atop the removable material  62 . Again, shown in dotted lines in other portion  34  are release coating  58  and overprinting  46 . Removable portions  22  and  30  of card  10  need not be configured identically as shown in FIG. 2, though, as either or both of release coatings  50  and  58 , and either or both of overprinting  42  and  46 , may be omitted. Likewise, even if present, either or both of release coatings  50  and  58 , and either or both of overprinting  42  and  46 , may be positioned on faces  14  and  18  other than as depicted in FIG. 2.  
         [0027]    Alternatively, card  10  could comprise two substrates with their faces  18  attached (i.e. so that faces  14  would form the opposite sides of the card  10 ). Such card thus could include removable material  54  on both external faces  14 . Nevertheless, this alternative version of card  10  is not preferred, as the amount of substrate required is twice that of the embodiment of card  10  illustrated in FIGS.  1 - 2 .  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3 shows, in schematicized form, some of the operations and equipment that could be used for forming card  10 . Consistent with FIG. 3, a paper or other web W of substrate  20  may be fed into a series of print stations (denominated “A,” “B,” and “C”), one set each to supply any release coating  50 , removable material  54 , and overprinting  46  for face  14 . Thereafter web W may be repositioned, using rollers or otherwise, so that the positions of faces  14  and  18  are reversed. Web W thereafter is fed into a second series of print stations (“D,” “E,” and “F” in FIG. 3), one set each to supply any release coating  58 , removable material  62 , and overprinting  46  to face  18 . Web W may then be fed to suitable perforating and finishing equipment for demarcation of cards  10 . Web W typically remains as an integral web and is rolled for storage and subsequent dispersal of cards  10  to retail consumers. Alternatively, however, web  10  may be cut into cards  10 , or sets of cards  10 , prior to distribution to intermediaries or consumers.  
         [0029]    The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Further modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.