Abstract:
A game ticket construction is formed by laminating two substrate sheets by a band of adhesive between the sheets across a center line so as to form an initially flat construction which can be folded into a four page eight surface booklet. A plurality of different games, each defined by game indicia some or all of which are covered by a scratch-off layer are printed, one onto each of the six surfaces except the first and last which carry promotional material.

Description:
[0001]     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/736,228, filed Dec. 16, 2003 which is presently pending. 
     
    
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to the field of game or lottery tickets and more particularly to a combined ticket assembly which is formed in two laminated sections which can be opened to form a series of surfaces for receiving game indicia.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Lottery tickets are well known and widely sold and typically comprised of a sheet material of paper or card stock on which is printed lottery information and various indicia for the playing of one or more games. Many such games are instant win type games where the player can play the game or games by carrying out various functions, for example, opening pull tabs on a break-open ticket. Such tickets are also known variously as pull-tabs, pickle cards, jar tickets, hard cards and charitable gaming tickets.  
         [0004]     Break-open tickets are typically constructed by printing a sheet containing multiple combinations of lottery indicia thereon. This sheet is then cut into sections. The opposite side of this sheet includes prize categories, serial number etc. A second sheet which contains removable tabs or break-open windows is then mounted onto the card stock such that the break-open windows overlap the lottery indicia. However, break-opens prepared in this manner have the disadvantages that they are cumbersome to prepare, have a limited set of winning symbols and require manually checking at the time of redemption.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,857 (Koza) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,899 (Greenwood) each disclose a combined ticket construction in which a second layer is applied or folded over the basic ticket to improve security. U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,284 discloses a break-open ticket with a second level of break-open. U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,258 (Sanderson) discloses a two sided break-open ticket where the windows are arranged back to back opening onto a single center sheet carrying the game data.  
         [0006]     As shown in published PCT International application No. WO 98/57715 published 23 rd  Dec. 1998 of the present applicants there is provided a pouched lottery ticket which is supplied in a fan folded continuous strip arrangement for separating each ticket from the next at a dispensing station. The disclosure of this publication may be referred to for further information.  
         [0007]     In U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,477 assigned to the present assignee and issued May 22 nd  2001 is disclosed a construction of lottery ticket which utilizes variable image printing techniques in combination with lamination of two substrate sheets together to form what is initially a common pouch construction with the game indicia on the inside surface where the sheets can be separated, each from the other, to form in effect two separate tickets.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is one object of the present invention to provide a lottery ticket construction which provides a larger surface area on which a larger and/or more complex game or games can be applied.  
         [0009]     According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a game ticket construction for playing of one or more games by a player comprising: 
        a first substrate sheet material having a front surface and a rear surface;     a second substrate sheet material having a front surface and a rear surface;     the first substrate sheet being arranged with the rear surface thereof overlying the front surface of the second substrate sheet;     and fastening material fastening the overlying first and second substrate sheets together along a line extending thereacross;     such that the first substrate sheet can be folded about the line to bring two parts of the front surface thereof together;     and the second substrate sheet can be folded around the first substrate sheet to bring the front surface of two parts of the second substrate sheet into contact with the rear surface of respective ones of the parts of the first substrate sheet;     so as to form a booklet of four sheets and eight surfaces defined by the two parts of the first substrate sheet and the two parts of the second substrate sheet;     with the two parts of the rear surface of the second substrate sheet exposed as outside surfaces of the booklet;     promotional graphics printed on at least one part of said rear surface of the second substrate sheet;     game information printed on at least some of the eight surfaces;     and game indicia printed by variable image printing onto at least some of the eight surfaces, some or all of the game indicia being covered by a layer of scratch-off material removable by the player.        
 
         [0021]     While the construction defined above is stated to have four parts and eight surfaces, it will be appreciated that a third substrate sheet, or more, could be included and laminated by a fastening material to the front of the second, to form a construction of six parts and twelve surfaces.  
         [0022]     It is preferred that the first and second substrates are coextensive since this construction best utilizes the materials available and forms a construction which can be easily handled, but it is not essential that the sheets be coextensive and they can be of different sizes or offset.  
         [0023]     It is also preferred that the joining or fold line is arranged along a mid line of the first and second substrate sheets such that the two parts of each of the first and second substrate sheets are of the same dimensions and coextensive. However again ticket constructions of different shape and character can be formed by offsetting the line to one side or at an angle. However it is not intended nor included that the joining line be at one edge since this would prevent the folding action which is important in this construction.  
         [0024]     Yet further, the first and second substrate sheets are preferably rectangular, but other shapes including circular, polygonal may be used to generate ticket constructions of a more unusual character.  
         [0025]     Preferably, as commonly used in the ticket printing industry, the fastening material comprises a band of adhesive. However other fastening techniques such as stitching may be used.  
         [0026]     Where adhesive is used, this is preferably located solely between the first and second substrate sheets so that the front surface of the first substrate sheet is free from adhesive. This allows the construction to remain flat before folding. The band of adhesive is preferably continuous.  
         [0027]     In order to maximize the appearance or image to the customer of a booklet, each surface which has a game indicia printed thereon has the game indicia unrelated to those game indicia on each of the other surfaces so as to form a booklet of different games. However this is not essential and the game indicia on associated or adjacent pages may be used to provide a larger surface for a common game.  
         [0028]     Preferably each part of the rear surface of the second substrate sheet which forms the front and rear respectively of the booklet when folded is free from game indicia.  
         [0029]     In order to maximize the use of the surface area, preferably at least the first substrate sheet has game indicia on each of the four surfaces defined by the two parts thereof and more preferably each of the surfaces of the parts of the first and second substrate sheets has game indicia thereon with the exception of the rear surface of the second substrate sheet defining the first and last surfaces of the booklet.  
         [0030]     Preferably the first and second substrate sheets are supplied in an initial condition for dispensing in a flat unfolded condition. This allows the tickets to be handled in conventional packaging and dispensing systems used for single ply or other laminated constructions.  
         [0031]     Preferably the game ticket constructions are connected each to the next to form a continuous row of the game ticket constructions with a transverse row of perforations dividing each from the next for separation by tearing of the tickets for dispensing.  
         [0032]     Preferably the connected game ticket constructions are fan folded with a fold at a front edge of each game ticket construction being in a direction opposite to a fold at a rear edge of each game ticket construction so that the game tickets constructions lie with the first and second substrates flat and each on top of and parallel to the next for dispensing.  
         [0033]     The game provided on each substrate sheet may be for prizes both monetary and product related or may be merely for entertainment where no gambling or prize is involved. The type and value of any prizes can vary widely. The games may be pre-determined, otherwise known as “instant win” tickets or may include elements of skill or chance. The games may include a scratch-off-coating which is convenient and effective particularly for instant win type game tickets, but other types of games which do not include scratch-off may be used.  
         [0034]     The games concerned are preferably instant win type games where the result is entirely predetermined, since such games are generally preferred in a lottery situation in order to ensure that the total winnings is predetermined. However the present invention is not limited to the type of game to be played and can include probability or other games which include game indicia covered by a scratch-off coating.  
         [0035]     The construction may also be used in situations where the main objective is for other purposes than gambling such as in promotional games or games of fun for children or others where no gambling or prizes are involved.  
         [0036]     Many such tickets are used directly in a lottery situation so that the tickets have no other relevance other than the playing of the lottery or game by which the player may win monetary or other prizes as part of the lottery or gaming situation.  
         [0037]     However more attention has been recently given to the use of such tickets as promotional items used by manufacturers of other products to enhance the sale of the product. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0038]     One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0039]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of one example of lottery ticket construction according to the present invention showing the ticket construction in an initial flat condition as formed and supplied for dispensing.  
         [0040]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the lottery ticket of  FIG. 1  showing the construction in the folded condition for the player.  
         [0041]      FIG. 3  is a front view of the lottery ticket construction of  FIG. 1  showing the ticket in the opened condition.  
         [0042]      FIG. 4  is a rear elevational view of lottery ticket construction. 
     
    
       [0043]     In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0044]     The ticket construction shown in the Figures comprises a first substrate sheet  10  and a second substrate sheet  11 . The substrate sheets are coextensive and overlying. In the example shown the co-substrate sheets are rectangular. The substrate sheets thus define top edges  12  and side edges  13  and  14  together with a bottom edge  15 . These edges are directly overlying. A band  16  of an adhesive material is located between the two substrate sheets along a line joining the top edge  12  to the bottom edge  15  and spaced from both the side edges  13  and  14  so as to connect the substrate sheets together at the band of adhesive, leaving the substrate sheets unconnected at other areas outside the band of adhesive.  
         [0045]     In the example shown the band of adhesive is located along a centre line of the top and bottom edges so that it divides the two substrate sheets into two separate halves or parts.  
         [0046]     It will be appreciated that other shapes of substrate sheet can be used other than rectangular. It will be appreciated that the substrate sheets do not need to be directly overlying so that one may be a different shape or different size from the other. It will be appreciated that the band of adhesive does not need to be located directly along the centre line but can be offset from that centre line so that one part of the sheet so formed on one side of the band of adhesive is a different size from that on the other size.  
         [0047]     The band of adhesive is relatively narrow and is in effect as narrow as possible so as to avoid interfering with the area of the substrate sheets which is free from the adhesive and thus exposed to the user.  
         [0048]     The substrate sheets are supplied in a flat condition. The adhesive band is as thin as possible so that it allows the substrate sheets to lie directly on one on top of the next. Thus in the flat condition, the substrate sheets form in effect a single ticket construction defined by two laminated sheets which is thus a little different from conventional lottery ticket constructions in is ability to be handled and supplied in the flat condition. The two substrate sheets form part of a continuous strip of the substrate sheets separated at transverse perforation lines  20  so as to form, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a first ticket construction  21  followed by a second ticket construction  22  divided by the perforation line  20 . The ticket constructions as is conventional, can be supplied in fan-folded condition with the folds being located at the perforation lines  20 . The fact that the ticket is formed by two overlying sheets does not interfere with the fan folding action or the supply of the tickets using conventional dispensing systems. The ticket may be wider than many conventional tickets but it will be appreciated that conventional tickets vary in width of a large range.  
         [0049]     The complete construction as shown in  FIG. 1  therefore provides four separate sheet parts  30 ,  31 ,  32  and  33  each of which has two surfaces defined by a rear surface and a front surface. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the flat construction can be folded into a folded condition along a centre line  16 A by folding at the band of adhesive  16 . This arranges the sheet parts in stacked condition as shown in  FIG. 2 . The construction therefore forms a booklet of four sheet parts defining eight separate surfaces or pages onto which indicia are printed.  
         [0050]     Prior to the assembly of substrate sheets into the flat condition shown in  FIG. 1 , the sheets are printed with the necessary game information and game indicia for the playing of games printed onto the selected surfaces of the sheet parts. Thus as shown in the Figures, each of the surfaces with the exception of the front surface F and the rear surface R of the booklet carries game information  40  and game indicia  41  where the game indicia are covered by a scratch-off coating  42  shown schematically and partly removed. The game information provides data relating to the game for the player. The game indicia provides actual playing game indicia by which the player can play the particular game using the game information as rules or other data necessary for the playing of the game. Many different types of games can be formed using this construction of game information and game indicia together with the scratch-off coating as is well known to one skilled in the art.  
         [0051]     The front and rear pages shown in  FIG. 4  contain promotional information  50  together with a logo  51 .  
         [0052]     Thus the construction provides in effect a booklet which has the appearance to the player of a booklet of a series of games. The theme of the booklet can be varied in accordance with the intentions of the game designer so that all of the games have some connected theme. This arrangement therefore provides at least six and possible eight surfaces on which different games can be provided. Some of the games can be connected one with the next to provide in effect a common game for example on the surfaces  31  and  33  shown in  FIG. 3 , the two games shown on those surfaces may be a common game having game information wholly on one surface and the game indicia wholly on the other surface or some part of each on both of the surfaces.  
         [0053]     Alternatively each of the individual games on each of the surfaces may be separate from the others.  
         [0054]     In  FIG. 4 , there is shown a printed validation number  52  and a bar code  53  which can be used for validating the ticket construction. In the example shown there is only one validation number and one bar code for the whole of the ticket construction but it will be appreciated that each individual ticket part may have its own individual bar code and validation number for the purposes of validating that particular element, should the player or the lottery require that one particular part or one of the substrate sheets be separated if that part is a winning ticket element.  
         [0055]     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein, and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.