Abstract:
An automotive buyer guide comprises a front side having a central portion and an outer portion. The central portion and the outer portion are separated by a perforated border. The guide includes a back side which has an adhesive area that generally corresponds to the outer portion. At least part of the adhesive area comprises adhesive. A liner generally corresponding to the adhesive area is removably affixed to it. The adhesive area is configured to allow for securement of the back side to a window of the vehicle. The central portion can be detached from the outer portion along the perforated border after the automotive buyer guide is secured to the window.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.: 61/606,765 filed Mar. 5, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates generally to the field of documents that may be secured to windows of vehicles, such as trucks, cars, and the like. More specifically, the invention relates to the field of automotive buyer guides. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Automotive buyer guides and methods for making and using same are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, an automotive buyer guide comprises a dealer page having a first front side and a first back side. The automotive buyer guide further comprises a buyer page having a second front side and a second back side. The second front side has a central portion and an adhesive portion surrounding the central portion. At least part of the adhesive portion comprises an adhesive. The central portion and the adhesive portion are separated by a perforated boundary. A liner generally corresponding to the adhesive portion is removably affixed to the adhesive portion. A carbon copy sheet is disposed between the dealer page and the buyer page. The carbon copy sheet is adjacent the first back side and the second front side. The guide further includes an instruction area, and the dealer page, the carbon copy sheet, and the buyer page are each removably secured to the instruction area at a first perforated border, a second perforated border, and a third perforated border, respectively. The adhesive portion is configured to allow for securement of the buyer page to an inside of a window of a vehicle after the buyer page is detached from the instruction area. The central portion can be detached from the adhesive portion along the perforated boundary after the buyer page is secured to the window. 
         [0004]    According to another embodiment, a method for a seller to convey information about a vehicle for sale to a buyer comprises the step of providing an automotive buyer guide. The guide comprises a seller page having a first front side and a first back side. The guide further comprises a buyer page having a second front side and a second back side. The second front side has a central portion and an adhesive portion that surrounds the central portion. At least part of the adhesive portion comprises an adhesive. The central portion and the adhesive portion are separated by a perforated boundary. A liner generally corresponding to the adhesive portion is removably affixed to the adhesive portion. A carbon copy sheet is disposed between the seller page and the buyer page such that it is adjacent the first back side and the second front side. The carbon copy sheet is configured to duplicate indicia placed on the first front side onto the second front side. The guide further comprises an instruction area and the seller page is removably secured to the instruction area at a first perforated border. The carbon copy sheet is removably secured to the instruction area at a second perforated border, and the buyer page is removably secured to the instruction area at a third perforated border. The adhesive portion is configured to allow for securement of the buyer page to a window of a vehicle after the buyer page is detached from the instruction area. The central portion can be detached from the adhesive portion along the perforated boundary after the buyer page is secured to the window. The method further comprises the steps of placing indicia on the front side and detaching the buyer page from the instruction area. The liner is removed from the adhesive portion. The buyer page is secured to an inside of the window such that the adhesive portion is in contact with the window. 
         [0005]    According to yet another embodiment, an automotive buyer guide comprises a front side having a central portion and an outer portion. The central portion and the outer portion are separated by a perforated border. The guide includes a back side which has an adhesive area that generally corresponds to the outer portion. At least part of the adhesive area comprises adhesive. A liner generally corresponding to the adhesive area is removably affixed to the adhesive area. The adhesive area is configured to allow for securement of the back side to a window of the vehicle. The central portion can be detached from the outer portion along the perforated border after the automotive buyer guide is secured to the window. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures and wherein: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a front side of an automotive buyer guide in accordance with one embodiment of the current invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a back side of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows a liner being removed from the back side of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  shows the liner of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 1  after it has been removed; 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows the back side of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 1  after the liner has been removed; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  shows an adhesive placed on the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 1  according to an alternate arrangement; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7(   a ) shows a central portion of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 1  being removed with the use of a pencil; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7(   b ) shows an outer portion of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 1  secured to a window of a vehicle after the central portion has been removed; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7(   c ) shows an alternate embodiment of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 1  wherein a tab secured to the central portion can be pulled to detach the central portion; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  shows an automotive buyer guide in accordance with another embodiment of the current invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  shows a back side of a dealer page of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  shows a front side of a buyer page of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  shows the buyer page of the embodiment of  FIG. 8  after the dealer page and a carbon copy sheet have been removed; 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  shows a liner being removed from a front side of the buyer page of the embodiment of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 13  shows a back side of the buyer page of the embodiment of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 14  shows an outer area of the buyer page of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 8  after a central area has been removed; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 15  shows an alternate embodiment of the automotive buyer guide of  FIG. 8  wherein a tab secured to the central area can be pulled to detach the central area. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    Embodiments of the present invention provide automotive buyer guides and methods for making automotive buyer guides. In this document, references are made to directions such as front, back, left, right, and the like. These references are exemplary only and are used to describe the disclosed invention in a typical orientation or operation, but are not independently limiting. 
         [0025]    The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) requires dealers to post a buyer guide on every used car that the dealer offers for sale. Instances of non-compliance with this requirement may be punishable by fines of up to $11,000.00, per violation. Unsurprisingly, there is a large demand for automotive buyer guides that can be securely and conveniently posted on used vehicles that are offered for sale by dealers. Private sellers may also post such automotive buyer guides on vehicles they offer for sale to convey information about these vehicles to prospective buyers. Such automotive buyer guides may also be posted on new vehicles, such as new trucks, cars, minivans, and the like. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  shows a front side  101  of an automotive buyer guide  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. When viewed from the front  101 , the guide  100  has a central portion  102  and an outer portion  104 . The central portion  102  may include a text box  106 , and a definitions column  108 . The text box  106  may include information  110  that the FTC requires dealers to post on the used vehicles. The definitions column  108  may include definitions  112  of the various terms used in the text box  106 . As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the information  110  in the text box  106  and the definitions  112  in the definitions column  108  may vary from one automotive buyer guide  100  to another automotive buyer guide  100 , to reflect the varying requirements of different states and the particular preferences of dealers. As such, the information  110  in the text box  106  and the definitions  112  in the definitions column  108  in the figures are exemplary only. The text box  106  and the definitions column  108  are themselves also exemplary, and an automotive buyer guide  100  may include a plurality of text boxes  106  and/or definition columns  108 , or no text boxes  106  and/or definition columns  108 . The automotive buyer guide  100  may be rectangular (e.g., 8.5×11 inches) or square-shaped, or of other regular or irregular sizes and shapes. A perforated border  114  may separate the central portion  102  from the outer portion  104 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  shows the buyer guide  100  as viewed from a back side  115 . While not specifically shown in the figures, the back side  115  may contain additional information about the vehicle (for e.g., its odometer reading, its engine size, et cetera). A liner  116  may surround the perforated border  114  on the back side  115 . As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the liner  116  may be pulled off the buyer guide  100  to expose an adhesive area  118 . The liner  116  ( FIG. 4 ) may then be disposed or recycled.  FIG. 5  shows the back side  115  of the automotive buyer guide  100  after the liner  116  has been removed. 
         [0028]    The adhesive area  118 , which may surround the perforated border  114  on the back side  115 , and which may generally correspond to the outer portion  104  on the front side  101 , may have a top side  118 T, a bottom side  118 B, a left side  118 L, and a right side  118 R ( FIG. 5 ). The adhesive area  118  may contain an adhesive  120 , which may be a water soluble acrylic adhesive, or some other suitable adhesive that is preferably (but not necessarily) water soluble. The adhesive  120  may be applied to each of the top ( 118 T), bottom ( 118 B), left ( 118 L), and right ( 118 R) sides of the adhesive area  118  in a continuous pattern. For example, a flexographic printing plate  122 , not shown in the figures, may be used to apply the adhesive  120  to the adhesive area  118  in a dot pattern, as it has been found that an adhesive  120  applied in this manner works well for the end use of the automotive buyer guide  100 . Embodiments where only two sides (e.g., the top side  118 T and the bottom side  118 B) or three sides (e.g., the top side  118 T, the bottom side  118 B, and the left side  118 L) of the adhesive area  118  contain the adhesive  120  are also contemplated. Further, it is possible to impart the adhesive  120  to only part of one or all the sides  118 T,  118 B,  118 L,  118 R of the adhesive area  118 ; for example,  FIG. 6  shows the automotive buyer guide  100  having only part of all the sides  118 T,  118 B,  118 L, and  118 R covered with the adhesive  120 . Such selective application of the adhesive  120  may be more efficient as compared to applying the adhesive  120  fully on all the sides  118 T,  118 B,  118 L,  118 R, and may still allow for the automotive buyer guide  100  to be firmly adhered to a window of a vehicle. Once the liner  116  is removed to expose the adhesive area  118 , the back side  115  of the automotive buyer guide  100  is adhered to a window of a vehicle from the outside, such that the front side  101  of the automotive buyer guide  100  is clearly visible when facing the window. Strategic placement of the adhesive  120  on the adhesive area  118  ensures that the automotive buyer guide  100  rolls up and down along the window without damaging the guide  100 . 
         [0029]    When a vehicle is sold, the dealer may be required to take the automotive buyer guide  100  off the vehicle&#39;s window before delivering the vehicle to the buyer. However, the buyer (or the dealer) may desire to retain the central portion  102 , which may include important information  110  about the vehicle. For example, the buyer may wish to retain the central portion  102  in case he resells the vehicle, so as to convey the information  110  about the vehicle to the subsequent buyer. The automotive buyer guide  100  allows for convenient removal of the central portion  102  for retention. Specifically, the dealer (or the buyer) may use a sharp object to lift the central portion  102  off the automotive buyer guide  100  from the front side  101 ; for example, as shown in  FIG. 7(   a ), the dealer may use a pencil  124  or some other sharp object to conveniently detach the central portion  102  along the perforated border  114  from the outer portion  104 . The central portion  102  can thus be safely removed and retained, while the outer portion  104  remains adhered to the window (e.g., window  121  in  FIG. 7(   b )). The dealer may then simply wash off the outer portion  104  (which, as discussed, may be adhered using a water soluble adhesive  120 ) from the window  121  by using water, soap, a window cleaner, et cetera. The outer portion  104  may contain an instruction set  126  ( FIG. 7(   a )) that outlines the steps that can be performed to detach the central portion  102  and wipe away the outer portion  104 . While not required, the back side  115  may include additional indicia outlining information about the vehicle. Various known technologies (e.g., standard barcodes, matrix (2D) bar codes, RFID scanners) and future technologies may be incorporated with the automotive buyer guide  100 . 
         [0030]    In some embodiments, a tab  128  may be secured to or formed integrally with the central portion  102  (see  FIG. 7(   c )). The central portion  102  may be conveniently detached along the perforated border  114  by pulling the tab  128 . While the tab  128  may be located at a corner of the central portion  102  as in  FIG. 7(   c ), people of skill in the art will appreciate that the tab  128  may also be located elsewhere (e.g., at an edge of the central portion  102 ). 
         [0031]      FIGS. 8 to 14  disclose an alternate embodiment  200  of the automotive buyer guide. The automotive buyer guide  200 , like the automotive buyer guide  100 , may be rectangular (e.g., 12×9.5 inches) or square shaped, or of other regular or irregular shapes and sizes. The automotive buyer guide  200  may include a dealer page  202 , a buyer page  204 , and a carbon copy sheet  206  disposed therebetween. The dealer page  202  may have a front side  202   f  ( FIG. 8 ) and a back side  202   b  ( FIG. 9 ). As can be seen in  FIG. 9 , the back side  202   b  of the dealer page  202  of the automotive buyer guide  200  may include information  208  and definitions  210  similar to the information  110  and the definitions  112  respectively on the front side  101  of the automotive buyer guide  100 . The front side  202   f  of the dealer page  202  ( FIG. 8 ), may include vehicle specific information  212 , and may have blanks  214  and checkmark boxes  216  that are to be filled out by the dealer. For example, the vehicle specific information  212  may include blanks  214  for a particular vehicle&#39;s odometer reading and its vehicle identification number, and checkmark boxes  216  to convey the condition of that vehicle&#39;s drive train and engine. 
         [0032]    As can be seen in  FIG. 10 , a front side  204   f  of the buyer page  204  may include the same vehicle specific information  212  as the front side  202   f  of the dealer page  202 . The dealer may fill out the blanks  214  and checkmark boxes  216  (i.e., the vehicle specific information  212 ) on the front side  202   f  of the dealer page  202  in accordance with the particular vehicle&#39;s condition. This vehicle specific information  212 , by virtue of the carbon copy sheet  206 , may be automatically copied on the front side  204   f  of the buyer page  204 . The automotive buyer guide  200  may have a first perforated border  218  ( FIG. 8 ) defining an instruction area  220 , and each of the dealer page  202 , the buyer page  204 , and the carbon copy sheet  206  may be removably secured to the instruction area  220 . Specifically, the dealer page  202  may be removably secured to the instruction area  220  at the first perforated border  218  ( FIG. 8 ), the carbon copy sheet  206  may be removably secured to the instruction area  220  at a second perforated border  219  ( FIG. 9 ), and the buyer page  204  may be removably secured to the instruction area  220  at a third perforated border  221  ( FIG. 10 ). After filling out the vehicle specific information  212 , the dealer may tear off the instruction area  220  along the first perforated border  218 , the second perforated border  219 , and the third perforated border  221  to separate the dealer page  202 , the carbon copy sheet  206 , and the buyer page  204 , respectively. The instruction area  220  may include instructions  222  for the dealer to properly accomplish the steps disclosed herein. The dealer may retain the dealer page  202  for his records and recycle or dispose the carbon copy sheet  206 . 
         [0033]    The front side  204   f  of the buyer page  204  may have a central portion  224  (where the vehicle specific information  212  is included), and an adhesive portion  226  that surrounds the central portion  224  ( FIG. 10 ). The adhesive portion  226  may include an adhesive  227  (e.g., a water soluble adhesive applied in a continuous pattern via a flexographic printing plate), and a liner  228  may initially cover the adhesive portion  226 . As disclosed with respect to the automotive buyer guide  100 , the adhesive  227  need not be applied to the entire adhesive portion  226 , and may be selectively applied. After the dealer page  202  and the carbon copy sheet  206  have been detached ( FIG. 11 ), the dealer may remove the liner  228  ( FIG. 12 ) exposing the adhesive portion  226 . The dealer may then stick the buyer page  204  (i.e., the adhesive portion  226 ) to an inside of a vehicle&#39;s window (e.g., window  121  in  FIG. 7(   b )), such that the front side  204   f  of the buyer page  204  is visible when facing the window from the outside. The window may be rolled up and down without damaging the buyer page  204 . 
         [0034]    The back side  204   b  ( FIG. 13 ) of the buyer page  204  (which can be viewed when sitting inside the car or from the opposite window) may include the same information  208  and the definitions  210  as the back side  202   b  of the dealer page  202 . This information  208  and definitions  210  on the back side  204   b  of the buyer page may be provided in a central area  230  surrounded by a fourth perforated border  232  ( FIG. 13 ). An outer area  234  may surround the fourth perforated border  232 . When the dealer (or the buyer) wants to remove the buyer page  204  from the window, he may simply detach the central area  230  from the outer area  234  by using a sharp object (e.g., a pencil), leaving the outer area  234  on the window ( FIG. 14 , showing the outer area  234  left on a vehicle&#39;s window after the central area  230  has been removed). The outer area  234  may then be washed off using water, soap, a window cleaner, et cetera, whereas the central area  230  may be retained by the buyer. Additional instructions  236  may be provided on the outer area  234  (along with instructions  222  on the front side  202   f  of the dealer page  202 , as shown in  FIG. 8 ) to enable a user to accomplish the steps disclosed herein. 
         [0035]    While not required, in some embodiments, a tab  238  may be secured to or formed integrally with the central area  230  (see  FIG. 15 ). The central area  230  may be conveniently detached along the fourth perforated border  232  by pulling the tab  238 . While the tab  238  may be located at a corner of the central area  230  as shown in  FIG. 15 , people of skill in the art will appreciate that the tab  238  may also be located elsewhere (e.g., at an edge of the central area  230 ). 
         [0036]    Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims.