Patent Publication Number: US-2012032398-A1

Title: Game Piece Having A Pealable Overlay

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/411,580, filed on Mar. 26, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FILED OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to promotional or gambling game pieces having a hidden or concealed message, and more particularly, relating to a novel game piece overlay structure for adhering to a surface of a game piece to conceal a message printed thereon, and a novel game piece using the same. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Promotional game pieces or gambling game pieces routinely comprise a sheet of card stock having printed thereon various advertising, promotional or decorative designs relating to the goods or services being promoted or relating the gambling game being played. In addition, there is one or more hidden messages, codes or designs printed, imprinted or otherwise provided on the game piece that a user must reveal in order to play the game presented by the game piece. There exists several different game piece constructions and methods which permit the concealing and then the revealing of a hidden message. 
     One existing construction and method provides an overlay of a material applied to the game piece to cover the message, which can later be scratched off to reveal the underlying message, this type of game piece is typically referred to as a scratch-off game piece. Drawbacks to scratch-off game pieces include requiring the user to have a suitable rigid object to scratch off the covering material, and the mess made by the covering material once it has been removed. 
     Another existing construction and method provides a two sheets of material of the same dimensions releasably laminated together. The first sheet of material or the bottom layer of the laminate has printed thereon any combination of advertising, promotional or decorative designs, and the message to be concealed and later revealed. The second of material or top layer also has printed thereon any combination of advertising, promotional or decorative designs. The second sheet of material is removed by a user to reveal the underlying bottom layer and the printed matter thereon, including the hidden message. This construction is typically referred to as a pull-sheet or a pull-tab game piece. Drawbacks to pull-sheet game pieces include the time consuming and expensive manufacturing process including the requirement to print two separate sheets of material that must be accurately registered together for laminating. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for new game piece overlay construction and game piece using the same that overcomes the above described and other drawbacks inherent with existing promotional or gambling game pieces having a hidden or concealed message. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention addresses this need by providing a novel game piece overlay construction that is adhesively attachable to a pre-printed game piece to cover a message that is to be revealed by peeling back a strip portion of the game piece overlay, and by providing a game piece using the same. 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention also provide a game piece overlay including a transparent sheet that is adhesively attachable to a pre-printed game piece to cover and protect a message that is to be revealed from tampering and unauthorized modification. 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention further provide a game piece overlay construction that is easily manufactured using existing label manufacturing equipment. 
     The preferred embodiments of the present invention further provide a multiple game piece overlays on a wound carrier strip suitable for storage and easy dispensing of the game piece overlays. 
     To achieve these and other advantages, in general, in one aspect, an adhesive overlay for printed material is provided. The adhesive overlay includes a release layer having an adhesive release surface and a transparent base sheet having an upper surface and a lower surface coated with a transparent pressure sensitive adhesive. The transparent pressure sensitive adhesive releasably adheres the lower surface of the transparent base sheet to the release surface of the release layer. A top sheet coextensive with the transparent base sheet includes an upper surface, a lower surface, a peel portion and a non-peel portion. The non-peel portion being non-releasably adhered to the base sheet. A transparent dry residue adhesive releasably adheres the lower surface of the top sheet along the peel portion to the upper surface of the transparent base sheet. Wherein the transparent base sheet having the top sheet attached thereto is removable from the release layer and non-releasably attachable to an article thereon by the transparent pressure sensitive adhesive to at least partially conceal indicia printed on the article, and further wherein the concealed indicia is viewable through the transparent base sheet upon removal of the peel portion of the top sheet from the transparent base sheet. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
     Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a game piece incorporating the game piece overlay constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with the peel portion adhered to the transparent base sheet concealing an underlying message; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 , illustrating the laminated construction of the game piece overlay, and the game piece overlay adhered to the game piece by the transparent pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the bottom surface of the transparent base sheet. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a game piece incorporating the game piece overlay of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the peel portion peeled away and revealing the underlying message that was previously concealed; and 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a partial section of a carrier strip having adhered thereto a series of game piece overlays in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a game piece overlay that is adhesively attachable to an article to cover or conceal a code or message printed on the article, which can later be revealed by peeling a portion of the game piece overlay away. The game piece overlay is particularly useful in the manufacture of peel and win type game pieces, and as such reduces the complexity and cost of manufacturing peel and win game pieces. 
     Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1-3 , there is shown an article such as game piece card  10  having adhered to surface  12  thereof a game piece overlay  14  constructed in accordance with the principals of the present invention. Game piece overlay  14  is positioned on game piece card  10  to cover or conceal a message  13  or code printed on surface  12  that is to be later revealed, as best seen in  FIG. 3 . The game piece overlay includes a base sheet  16  having an upper surface  18  and a lower surface  20 . The base sheet  16  is made of a transparent material such as, but not limited to clear acetate sheet material. The lower surface  20  of the base sheet  16  is substantially non-releasably adhered to surface  12  of the card  10  by an adhesive layer  22 . The adhesive layer  22  is of transparent pressure sensitive adhesive that has been applied to the lower surface  20  of the base sheet  16 . Preferably, the base sheet  16  is adhered to surface  12  with sufficient strength that the base sheet will remain attached to the surface during customary use, storage and transport of the game piece card  10 . 
     A top sheet  24  coextensive with the base sheet  16  has an upper surface  26  and a lower surface  28 , and is divided into a non-peel portion  30  and a peel portion  32  by die cut  36 . The lower surface  28  of the top sheet  24  along the non-peel portion is non-releasably adhered to the upper surface  18  of the base sheet  16  by adhesive  34  or by other bonding methods. The lower surface  28  of the top sheet along the peel portion  32  is releasably adhered to the upper surface  18  of the base sheet  16  by a layer  38  of a transparent clean release adhesive having a selected adhesive strength. Layer  38  can be a water base clean release adhesive having a selected adhesive strength. 
     The term “clean release adhesive” as used herein shall refer to an adhesive that is residue free, dry and non-tacky when exposed by peeling away the peel portion  32 . The phrases “clean release adhesive” and “dry residue adhesive” may be used herein interchangeably. The pressure sensitive adhesive  22 , clean release adhesive  38 , adhesive  34 , base sheet  16 , and top sheet  24  are so selected that the adhesion of the base sheet to the surface  12 , and the adhesion of the non-peel portion  30  of the top sheet to the base sheet is greater than the adhesion of the peel portion  32  of the top sheet to the base sheet. Consequently, the peel portion  32  of the top sheet  24  may be removed from the base sheet  16  without tearing or otherwise destroying either sheet and without removing the base sheet from the surface  12 . 
     As best seen in  FIG. 1 , the non-peel portion  30  spans continuously around and between the peripheral edge  42  of the top sheet  24  and an interior edge  50  of the non-peel portion and forms a border or frame around the peel portion  32 . The non-peel portion  30  protects the edges of the peel portion  32  from undesired contact and being inadvertently peeled from the base sheet  16 . Protecting the peel portion  32  is particularly important in the situation when a promotional piece or game piece is distributed with the game piece overlay  14  exposed to physical contact with the surroundings and/or other material being distributed with the game piece, for example, by mail. 
     In one embodiment, the peel portion  32  is free from connection with the non-peel portion  30 , and can be completely separated from the game piece overlay  14  when peeled away from the base sheet  16 , as best seen in  FIG. 3 . The top sheet  24  can be separated or divided into the non-peel portion  30  and the peel portion  32  by a cut pattern  36  made centrally on the top sheet, for example by a die cutting machine during manufacture. 
     The game piece overlay  14  can be provided with the upper surface  26  of the top sheet  24  including an identify message or indicia  48  providing instruction to a user to peel back peel portion  32  to reveal the underlying hidden message or code. 
     The top sheet  24  of the game piece overlay  14  is made of an opaque material. Thus, when the game piece overlay  14  is placed on a game piece to conceal indicia on the game piece, the indicia is not visible through the top sheet  24 . Most preferably, the top sheet  24  is made of an opaque and non-translucent material such backlight of the game piece will not reveal or make the concealed indicia underlying the game piece overlay readily visible through the top sheet. 
     Alternatively, the top sheet  24  can include a coating or other application which prevents viewing of the underlying indicia until the peel portion  32  is removed. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a partial section of a release layer or carrier strip  44  having an adhesive release surface  46 , and bearing a series of game piece overlays  14  removably adhered to the release surface by adhesive layer  22 . The release surface  46  is such that the adhesive layer  22  adheres to the web  44  less strongly than the lower surface  20  of the base sheet  16 , thereby permitting a game piece overlay  14  to be easily peeled from the web and applied to a game piece. Multiple game piece overlays  14  can be constructed and provided on web  44  using conventional and known label laminating and die cutting methods and machines. It is to be understood, while it is shown, as several game piece overlays  14  attached to a single release surface of carrier strip  44 , a game piece overlay  14  can be provided separately with a release layer. 
     In use, it can now be understood, a plurality of game pieces for a particular game can be preprinted with codes or messages thereon to be concealed for future game play using conventional methods known in the art. The codes or message printed on each game piece are easily concealed by peeling a game piece overlay  14  from the carrier strip  44  and positioning the game piece overlay over the code or message to be covered. Sufficient pressure is then applied to the game piece overlay  14  to adhere pressure sensitive adhesive  22  to the surface of the game piece. Thereafter, the game pieces can be distributed to end users. The end user can then reveal the hidden message or code by peeling the peel portion  32  of the top sheet  24  from the base sheet  16  and viewing the hidden message of code through the transparent base sheet. 
     A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.