Abstract:
A system having a spacer device for supporting the lid of a pizza box having an indicia such as a QR code. The system including a scanner for scanning the indicia and a communicating device delivering the information to a site. Awards may be delivered to a PDA for use by the consumer.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application 62/293,947 filed Feb. 11, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to pizza box lid support devices, and more particularly, to a pizza box lid support device for use as a medium for advertisement and promotion and a method of use of the lid support device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Pizza is a popular food item often ordered for delivery and takeout for social gatherings and sporting events, for example, during sporting events such as football, hockey, soccer and baseball. Advertisers pay significant sums of money for television advertisements during many such events and for banner advertisements visible at the periphery of an arena during play. 
         [0004]    A pizza box spacer is typically a small plastic piece of varying shapes with at least three legs standing about 2 to 4 centimeters tall and having a perimeter of 5 to 10 centimeters. 
         [0005]    The pizza box spacer is placed in the center of the pizza after the pizza is removed from the oven and placed in a box for takeout or delivery. Its primary purpose is to support the lid of the pizza box to prevent it from coming into contact with the pizza, for example, when multiple boxes are stacked for pickup or delivery. 
         [0006]    This centrally located pizza box spacer offers an excellent medium for advertising, and promotional logos, especially considering that an unlimited number of shapes are available to conform with the shape of an advertisement or logo. 
         [0007]    Promotional codes or lottery numbers printed on the pizza box spacer logo may be used by an advertiser as a means to entice consumers to register to win cash and prizes in exchange for providing consumer data. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The invention relates to a spacer device for supporting a pizza box and a system and a method of use. The spacer device includes a plurality of legs each having a predetermined length generally equal to the distance between the underside of the lid and a pizza, and a planar portion connected to each of the legs, the planar portion having a top surface and an indicia formed on the top surface planar portion. The system includes the spacer with indicia, a scanner for reading the indicia, a device for communicating between the scanner and site. The system can also include a display and the communication device is a two-way communication device providing information about the product to the display. The method of using the pizza box spacer includes the steps of placing an indicia on the top surface of the spacer, scanning the indicia with an electronic device, and accessing a site with the electronic device. The method may also include uploading information regarding the pizza from the site to the electronic device and displaying information on the electronic device. Information displayed may be a coupon for redemption on purchases, or information regarding the consumer may be gathered through the website for measuring consumer response. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a pizza box, pizza and spacer device; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a system having a pizza box lid spacer with indicia and a scanner; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a pizza box lid spacer having indicia of a barcode in accordance with the invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart showing the method of use in accordance with the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    The invention relates to a pizza box spacer device and a system using the spacer device and a method of use. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a pizza box spacer device  100  is placed on a pizza  102  within a pizza box  104  to prevent the underside  106  of the lid  108  of the pizza box  104  from contacting the pizza  102 . As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the pizza box spacer device  100  includes four legs  114  and a top portion  110  having a top surface  112 . The top portion  110  is shown as having a generally square profile that may be any shape such as a circular profile or a profile in the shape of a logo. Although shown with four legs  114 , the spacer device may have any number of legs sufficient to support the lid  104  of the pizza box. Each of the legs  114  is formed such that there is a distance “(d)” between the bottom end of the leg  116  and the top surface  112  of the top portion  110 . The distance “(d)” is generally equal to the distance between the underside  106  of the lid  108  of the pizza box  104  and the top of the pizza  102 . The top surface  112  has an indicia  118 . The indicia may be an advertisement, a logo, bar code, quick response QR code or near field communication tag (NFC). As shown in  FIG. 2 , the indicia is a quick response or QR code. The QR code  118  permits the user to scan the QR code with a smart device  122  having scanner or a QR code reader  124  to obtain additional information from a site  126  as more fully discussed below. As shown in  FIG. 3 , an alternative embodiment of the invention includes an indicia which is a barcode. 
         [0014]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the system  200  includes the spacer device  100 , the scanner  124  and the site  126 . The scanner  124  may be in a smart phone  122  or cash register or other suitable device. An application software  128  is connected by a communication device  130  to the site  126 . The communication device  130  may be a one way communication device to permit gathering of information about a sale or a two way communication device that will allow the site to deliver information about the product to a display  134 . The information could be a coupon or a consumer survey where the consumer indicated perferences. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the method of use include the steps of forming  150  the spacer device  100  with a top surface and affixing  152  an indicia to the top surface of the spacer device. As mentioned above, the indicia may be a QR code, barcode, NFC Tag advertising, or a logo. The method also includes scanning  154  of the indicia with the scanner and communicating  156  the information by an application contained on a smart device to a site. The software application may be a web browser. Once connected to the site, information from the site may be uploaded to the software application and displayed on the user&#39;s device. The information may include product information such as nutritional information, information on the pizza maker, promotional information such as coupons or redemption certificates, and the like. The information may also include location, date and time which are provided by the smart device. The website may also be interactive with a smart device to permit the consumer to provide information about the consumer or an opinion about the quality of the product or services rendered. The information can be used to quantify the number of consumers and when and where they responded from. 
         [0016]    The spacer devices can be distributed to pizza vendors under a license agreement for royalties. Alternatively the spaces can be distributed free on the expense covered by revenue from advertisers whose logo or information may be displayed through access to the website. 
         [0017]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other variations will be within the scope of the invention as defined by the attached claims.