EP2006000A1

EP2006000A1 - Coupon, in particular for competitions

Info

Publication number: EP2006000A1
Application number: EP08151685A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alberto Frigoli
Original assignee: Poligrafica S Faustino SpA
Current assignee: Poligrafica S Faustino SpA
Priority date: 2007-06-07
Filing date: 2008-02-20
Publication date: 2008-12-24
Also published as: ITBS20070078A1

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention a coupon (1), in particular for competitions, comprising a base layer (2) having a first portion (16) provided with a first reticulation and a removable layer (4) with a second portion (18) provided with a second reticulation (18a). The reticulations are such that by overlapping at least partly the first and the second reticulation, a game information is determined suitable to make a user aware of a win.

Description

The present invention relates to a coupon for competitions.
Today, several coupons for competitions exist, usually distributed in supermarkets or shops in general, at the end of the shopping, or distributed in magazines or simply sold in tobacconist's shops or other sales points.
An example of coupon of this type generally exhibits a portion covered with a removable covering material, underneath which a wording, a symbol or a sequence of symbols is hidden, generally called game information, which can denote winning or not a prize. The covering material is easily removable, generally removing it with a coin.
This type of coupons is well known by the public and it requires removing the covering material in order to check the achievement of the win.
A further example of coupon comprises a base layer, on a face of which there is shown the game information, covered by a peel off layer, which hides it.
Also this type of coupons is well known by the public and moreover, from the production point of view, implies a series of problems related to the need of spreading a suitable non-permanent adhesive between the base layer and the peel off layer.
The object of the present invention is to make a coupon for competitions, innovative in the methods of use thereof, such as to attract the player's interest, and easy to produce.
Such coupon can be made according to the following claim 1. The dependent claims describe embodiment variations.
The features and advantages of the coupon according to the present invention will appear more clearly from the following description, made by way of an indicative and non-limiting example with reference to the following figures, wherein:
- figure 1 shows a coupon according to the present invention, whole;
- figure 2 shows the coupon of figure 1, with removable layer partly raised;
- figure 3 shows the coupon of figure 2, with detached removable layer;
- figures 4a and 4b show reticulation layouts;
- figure 5 shows an enlargement of a reticulation;
- figure 6 shows the operating diagram of the overlapping of the reticulations, which allows recognising the game information.
With reference to the annexed figures, reference numeral 1 globally denotes a coupon according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Coupon 1 comprises a base layer 2, generally made of a plastic material film, and a removable layer 4, arranged on a face of the base layer, when the coupon is still whole, to cover it at least partly.
The removable layer 4 is delimited by a peripheral edge 4a.
According to a preferred embodiment, when the coupon is whole, around the removable layer 4 there is a frame 6 of the base layer 2, to which the removable layer 6 is connected by a weakening line 8.
In other words, the removable layer 4 is connected to the base layer 2 at least along a portion of the peripheral edge 4° thereof, preferably in pieces, so that lifting the removable layer, it detaches from the base layer.
Preferably, moreover, the removable layer 4 comprises a gluing zone 10, for example close to a side of the peripheral edge 4a, glued to the base layer; such gluing in any case is such that pulling the removable layer 4 with a sufficient action, it detaches from the base layer 2 without causing tearing.
When the coupon is whole, the removable layer 4 covers a functional surface 12 of the base layer 2; on the other hand, an inner surface 14 of the removable layer is in contact with the functional surface 12.
The base layer 2 comprises a first portion 16, for example transparent to the naked eye, generally made of plastic material.
In other words, the first portion, even if coloured, makes a sort of window, through which it is possible to see an object located opposite the functional surface 12 relative to the observer.
The removable layer 4 on the other hand exhibits a second portion 18, for example opaque, and arranged on the inner surface 14 of the removable layer 4.
The first portion 16 and the second portion 18 exhibit respective reticulations 16a, 18a that when overlapped point out game information. In other words, the first portion 16 and the second portion 18 exhibit a series of dots or lines on the respective surfaces such that, when the first portion 16 is overlapped to the second portion 18, said lines are mutually overlapped only partially, outlining an image that forms game information, such as to make the observer understand whether or not a win has been obtained.
In yet other words, a reticulation consists of a set of opacifying elements (dots, lines or the like) separated from each other and scattered in a predetermined manner on the surface of the first portion 16 and of the second portion 18, so that by overlapping said reticulations, some opacifying elements of the first portion 16 are overlapped to some opacifying elements of the second portion, while the other opacifying elements of the second portion, not covered by those of the first portion, remain visible through said first portion (which in the example shown is transparent), forming game information.
By way of an example, said reticulations consist of a series of sided lines (figure 4a), for example parallel to one another, or by a series of dots (figure 4b).
For example, reticulation 18a of the second portion 18 consists of a series of bottom dots 22, generally arranged in the intersection points of an imaginary grating, and a series of image dots 24, arranged in the interstices of the imaginary grating (figure 5).
The overlapping, even partial, of reticulation 16a of the first portion 16, covers the bottom dots 22 of reticulation 18a of the second portion 18, while the image points 24 remain uncovered, so as to form the game information (figure 6).
In a variation of embodiment, the reticulation by dots is obtained on the first portion 16 of the base layer 2 and the reticulation by lines is obtained on the second portion 18 of the removable layer 4.
In a further variation, the second portion 18 of the removable layer 4 is transparent and the first portion 16 of the base layer 2 is opaque.
In an even further variation of embodiment, the second portion 18 of the removable layer 4 and the first portion 16 of the base layer 2 are transparent.
It is clear that a man skilled in the art can make several changes and variations to the coupon described above in order to meet specific and incidental needs.
For example, in an embodiment variation the removable layer 4 is glued to the base layer 2 by a non-permanent adhesive at least at the functional surface.
According to an even further variation of embodiment, the base layer 2 is made of paper and only the first portion 16 is made of a transparent plastic material.
Also such variations are comprised within the scope of protection as defined by the following claims.

Claims

A coupon (1), in particular for competitions, comprising:
- a base layer having a functional surface (12) that exhibits a first portion (16) provided with a first reticulation (16a);

- a removable layer (4), overlapped to the base layer so as to cover at least partly the functional surface (12), having a second portion (18) provided with a second reticulation (18a),
wherein at least one between the first or the second portion (16, 18) is transparent and wherein
said reticulations are such that by overlapping at least partly the first and the second portion, game information is determined.
Coupon according to claim 1, wherein said reticulations consist of a series of separate opacifying elements, scattered in a predetermined manner on the surface of said first and second portion (16, 18).
Coupon according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first or the second portion (16, 18) are made of transparent plastic material.
Coupon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein a reticulation consists of a series of bottom dots (22) arranged at the intersection of an imaginary grating and of a series of image dots (24) arranged in the interstices of the imaginary grating.
Coupon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein a reticulation consists of a series of dots.
Coupon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein a reticulation consists of a series of lines or line portions, sided and parallel.
Coupon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the removable layer (4) exhibits an inner surface (14), whereon said second portion (18) is arranged.
Coupon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the removable layer is connected in pieces to the base layer through a weakening line (8) that runs along at least one portion of the peripheral edge (4a) of said removable layer.
Coupon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the removable layer is glued to the base layer through a non-permanent adhesive.
Coupon according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the removable layer (4) and the base layer (2) are glued at a portion through a permanent adhesive.