Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to label structures and more particularly to labels, principally (although not exclusively) in the form of game pieces in which prize-validity information is contained on the rails of the game pieces.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,355 to Rich, et al., hereby incorporated in its entirety by this reference, discloses embodiments of multi-ply promotional labels. At least one such label structure contains three plies: a base ply typically designed to be attached to a substrate, a second ply coupled to the base ply, and a third ply coupled to the second ply. As depicted in FIGS.  1 A- 1 B of the Rich patent, each ply optionally may be divided into a central section separating two rails, with perforations defining the boundaries of the central section and each rail adjacent thereto. Although preferably the components of the base ply are never separated, those of the second and third plies advantageously are separated by consumers; to do so, they need merely grasp the (overlaid) central sections of the second and third plies and pull them away from the substrate, thus rupturing the perforations. Following this action, typically remaining on the substrate is the entirety of the base ply plus all rails of the second and third plies.  
           [0003]    These versions of labels illustrated in the Rich patent often contain game indicia printed on the undersides of the second plies. Non-limiting examples of such indicia may include phrases such as “You Have Won” (some sort of prize) or a game piece for use on a board. Those skilled in the relevant art will, of course, recognize that the types of game indicia available to be included on the second plies is effectively unlimited. External faces of the third plies often contain promotional or game-related information (e.g. “Play and Win”), although they need not necessarily do so, nor need they necessarily contain any particular such information. Likewise, undersides of the third plies and faces of the second plies may contain either legitimate (game-related) information or, if desired, any of various types of confusion patterns designed to reduce visibility (or intelligibility) of the game indicia, through candling or other techniques, after application of the labels to a substrate but prior to separation of the plies by consumers.  
           [0004]    Because the central sections of the second and third plies are designed to be separable from both each other and the base ply, coupling of plies of the labels of the Rich patent usually occurs through application of adhesive to the rails. Hence, existing commercial products do not include any printed information or material in the areas of the rails, as the plies are not intended to be separable in these regions. No useful information is printed on the rails also because of the possibility that candling would permit discovery of that information.  
           [0005]    However, tampering with labels may occur prior to their application to substrates or, if thereafter, prior to distribution of substrates to retail establishments or to consumers. In some circumstances, hence, there may be need to ascertain the validity of a game piece prior to separation of the plies of the piece by a consumer. Indeed, in some circumstances, validity of a game piece (particularly a winning one) might need to be determined prior to application of the piece on a substrate.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention provides information assisting a determination of validity of certain multi-ply labels prior to separation of the plies (either by a consumer or otherwise). Such information preferably is included in the area of the rails of one or more plies, notwithstanding that adhesive might also be contained in these areas. Further, the validity information beneficially is viewable—rather than hidden or wholly confused—when the labels are candled, facilitating determination of validity without separating or destroying the plies. Some confusion bits or noise could, however, be included as well to diminish the likelihood that laymen would understand the validity information.  
           [0007]    A preferred embodiment of the invention includes information printed onto a rail of the intermediate of three plies utilized in a label. Such ply may correspond generally with the “second” ply of the labels of the Rich patent and preferably contains the principal game indicia associated with the label. Knowledge of the validity information, perhaps combined with other closely-held information, could be used to ascertain whether the corresponding game indicia on the ply is that of a winning game piece (and if so, what type of award is to be won).  
           [0008]    Alternatively or additionally, validity information may be included elsewhere in the labels. Typically, however, it will be contained on the underside of the intermediate ply, where the principal game indicia also resides. The validity information may be as simple as one or more letters, numbers, or symbols (or a combination thereof), encoded or uncoded, although it may be a complex representation instead. Extraneous information (i.e. confusion-type noise) likewise may either be interspersed with the validity information or placed in corresponding rails of other plies of the labels.  
           [0009]    In addition to game indicia and validity information, labels of the present invention may include additional graphics or text (or both). These graphics or text may be produced in any suitable manner, including via static or variable printing techniques. They may convey promotional information, explain game play or redemption rules, or entertain consumers, for example, or perform some other function as necessary or desired.  
           [0010]    It thus is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide labels having two or more plies.  
           [0011]    It also is an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide labels including validity information.  
           [0012]    It is a further optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide multi-ply labels having separable central portions and rails adhered together.  
           [0013]    It is another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide multi-ply labels having validity information presented in a rail portion of a ply.  
           [0014]    It is, moreover, an optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide labels having validity information presented on the same ply and face as is the principal game indicia.  
           [0015]    It is yet another optional, non-exclusive object of the present invention to provide multi-ply labels in which validity information is discernable (as, for example, by candling the labels) without separation of the plies.  
           [0016]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art with reference to the remaining text and drawings of this application. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    FIGS.  1 A-B provide exploded views of an exemplary three-ply label of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 provides a plan view of a ply of the label of FIG. 1. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]    FIGS.  1 A-B illustrate components of label  5  of the present invention. FIG. 1A presents the components of label  5  as viewed from above (and in front of) the label  5 , with FIG. 1B presenting the components as viewed from below (and behind) label  5 . In the exemplary version depicted in FIGS.  1 A-B, label  5  comprises three plies: first, or base, ply  10 , second, or game, ply  50 , and third, or cover, ply  100 . Each ply  10 ,  50 , and  100  preferably has the same shape as the other plies, although this characteristic is not mandatory. Similarly, although a three-ply label  5  is depicted in FIGS.  1 A-B, label  5  may have fewer (i.e. one or two) or more (i.e. four or more) plies than is shown in the drawings.  
         [0020]    Each of plies  10 ,  50 , and  100  additionally may define a face and an underside. Respective faces  12 ,  52 , and  102  of plies  10 ,  50 , and  100  are shown in FIG. 1A, for example, while corresponding undersides  13 ,  53 , and  103  are depicted in FIG. 1B. The plies  10 ,  50 , and  100  further may define respective central regions  10 A,  50 A, and  100 A and respective pairs of rails  10 B-C,  50 B-C, and  100 B-C.  
         [0021]    Perforations  14  mark a boundary between central region  10 A and rail  10 B, while perforations  15  separate central region  10 A from rail  10 C. Similarly, one or more slits or perforations  54  and  55  separate central region  50 A from, respectively, rails  50 B and  50 C. Boundaries between central region  100 A and rails  100 B and  100 C are provided by perforations  104  and  105 , respectively. As noted in the Rich patent, perforations  14  and  15  need not be present, as typically no separation of central region  10 A from rails  10 B-C need occur.  
         [0022]    Adhesive frequently is present in multiple areas of label  5 . Because base ply  10  is adapted to contact a substrate in use, its underside  13  may be provided with adhesive adequate to attach label  5  to the substrate. This is particularly true for underside  13  in the area of rails  10 B-C; otherwise, sides of label  5  would be loose from the substrate and potentially available to be snagged when the substrate is handled. Avoiding snagging of labels  5  in the environments of fast-food restaurants is especially important, as the substrates (e.g. soft-drink cups, food wrappers, French fry containers) may be subjected to significant handling before being presented to consumers.  
         [0023]    Adhesive likewise is present is the areas of rails  50 B-C and  100 B-C. To affix second ply  50  to base ply  10 , for example, adhesive is placed on either face  12  or underside  53  (or both) in the areas of aligned rails  10 B and  50 B and  10 C and  50 C. Doing so attaches second ply  50  to base ply  10  while permitting removal of central region  50 A, which is not itself affixed to central region  10 A of base ply  10 .  
         [0024]    Similarly, affixing third ply  100  to second ply  50  may occur through placing adhesive on either face  52  or underside  103 , or both, in the areas of aligned rails  50 B and  100 B and  50 C and  100 C. In some embodiments of label  5 , face  52  further may include adhesive in the area of central region  50  so as to allow central region  50 , after removal from the remainder of label  5 , to be affixed to a board or card, for example, as part of the game. In these embodiments underside  103  of third ply  100  should include a release coat in the area of central region  100 A. Regardless, however, because central regions  50 A and  100 A are aligned as part of label  5 , they may be grasped and removed together by rupturing aligned sets of perforations  54  and  104  and  55  and  105 .  
         [0025]    Game indicia  56  (see FIG. 2), or other information intended to be hidden from a consumer prior to removal of central regions  50 A and  100 A, often is printed onto underside  53  in central region  50 A. Any opacity or confusion information provided by the substrate and base ply  10  thus protect against premature viewing of the game indicia  56  from behind label  5 . Opacity or confusion patterns provided by third ply  100  and face  52  of second ply  50  similarly protect against premature viewing of the hidden information from in front of label  5 .  
         [0026]    Printed on face  102  of third ply  100  often is promotional information about the game or its sponsor (or both). One commercially-available game includes blue ink in most areas of face  102  together with the name of the game, the logo of its sponsor, and explanatory text such as “Pull Here,” “See Rules for Details,” and “No Purchase Necessary.” Persons skilled in the field will recognize that other, or different, information or graphics may be included on face  102  instead. (Although not preferred, face  102  alternatively may even consist of a single solid color or remain blank and unadorned.)  
         [0027]    Unlike existing labels, validity information  57  may be incorporated into label  5 . Such information  57  preferably is located on one or more of rails  50 B or  50 C on underside  53  and is printed using ink (or some other substance) adapted for use either atop adhesive present on rails  50 B or  50 C or notwithstanding later application of adhesive atop it. The information  57  similarly preferably is created simultaneously with printing of adjacent game indicia  56 . If information  57  is unique (either to a particular game piece, a particular group of game pieces, or a specific prize level or type, for example), knowledge of information  57  may assist in ascertaining the validity of the indicia  56 . In some cases, validity information  57  may be the only information needed to determine whether label  5  houses a particular set of game indicia  56 . In many circumstances, however, validity information  57  may be necessary, but not sufficient, to discern the contents of label  5  without removing central regions  100 A and  50 A.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 2 illustrates, as validity information  57 , the four-digit code “1045.” Such code is merely an example of information that may comprise validity information  57 , however. Indeed, validity information may include any number of letters, numbers, symbols, colors, or other discernable features instead. Alternatively or additionally, validity information  57  may be wholly or partly machine-readable only and thus not necessarily completely discernable to a person.  
         [0029]    Validity information  57  may be hidden from view in a manner similar to that used to hide game indicia  56 . Beneficially, however, validity information  57  is not so hidden, but rather is viewable when label  5  is candled (for example). Thus, in appropriate circumstances information needed to verify the contents of label  5  may be gleaned through examination of validity information  57  without rupturing any of perforations  54 ,  55 ,  104 , or  105 .  
         [0030]    Because preferably intelligible when label  5  is candled, validity information  57  usually will not be obscured significantly by confusion patterns or other confusion-type information potentially present on either underside  103  or face  52 . Nevertheless, confusion-type information may be included, if desired, in the areas of rails  100 B-C or  50 B-C on either underside  103  or face  52 . Any such included confusion-type information further may be decodable if desired, so that validity information  57  would be intelligible only through both candling and decoding.  
         [0031]    Like any other text or graphics incorporated into label  5 , validity information  57  may be imaged, printed, or otherwise placed on or engraved in ply  50  in any suitable manner. Validity information  57  alternatively or additionally may be incorporated into some portion of label  5  other than a rail  50 B or  50 C of second ply  50 . (Indeed, in some cases validity information could be located in a central region  10 A,  50 A, or  100 A or on a rail other than either of those associated with underside  53 .) However, the fact that rails  50 B and  50 C conventionally contain adhesive, and conventionally lack any information whatsoever, make placement of validity information  57  there counterintuitive, enhancing its verification assistance.  
         [0032]    The foregoing is thus provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing exemplary embodiments and certain benefits of the present invention. Modifications and adaptations to the illustrated and described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In particular, any of rails  10 B-C,  50 B-C, or  100 B-C need not necessarily be positioned at edges of respective plies  10 ,  50 , or  100 , but instead conceivably may be positioned elsewhere in some circumstances (in which event regions  10 A,  50 A, and  100 A might or might not be “centrally” located on respective plies  10 ,  50 , and  100 ). Validity information  57 , alternatively, might be fake and designed to mislead potential tamperers rather than identify any characteristic of game indicia  56 .

Technology Category: 3