Patent Application
20070209246
An advertisement applied to the surface of a core element concealed by an amount of material wound about the surface of the core element such advertisement revealed as the amount of material unwinds from the surface of the core element.
There is a large commercial market for materials wound on tubes or spools such as paper towels, toilet paper, or the like. Typically, an amount of material is wound on the tube or spool and dispensed in portions until the amount of material wound about the tube or spool is consumed in the entirety and the remaining tube or spool is discarded. The discarded tube or spool is typically replaced by the consumer with another roll of material.
It appears to have been entirely overlooked that the surface of the tube, spool, or other core element about which such material (s) can be wound has a substantial surface area which presents itself to the consumer as the material is consumed and which may be a surface on which an advertisement can be applied.
Accordingly, a broad object of the invention can be to provide an advertisement applied to the surface of a tube, spool, or core element concealed by an amount of material wound about the surface of the core element such advertisement revealed as the amount of material unwinds from the surface of the core element.
A second broad object of the invention can be a method of making an advertisement by applying the advertisement to the surface of a tube, spool, or core element and concealing the advertisement by winding an amount of material wound about the core element.
A third broad object of the invention can be a method of advertising by which the consumer unwinds the amount of material wound about the tube, spool or core element to expose the surface of the core element and revealing the advertisement.
Naturally, further objects of the invention are disclosed throughout other areas of the specification, drawings, photographs, and claims.
An advertisement applied to the surface of a core element concealed by an amount of material wound about the surface of the core element and revealed as the amount of material is unwound from the surface of the core element.
First referring primarily to
The term advertisement as used herein refers to visually perceivable markings applied to the external surface of the core element intended to be revealed to the public to promote a business, service or product. The advertisement can be applied to the surface in any manner such as labels, print, impression, relief, cutout, or the like. For example, the advertisement can be retail product information imprinted on the external surface of the core element intended to induce the viewer to purchase the retail product, or the like. However, the term advertisement specifically excludes the constructional form or surface configuration of the core element as above-described. For example, advertisement does not include impressions, relief, or marks generated on the surface of the core element due to the joining of surfaces, inadvertent impact or marking, or intended imprinted serial or tracking numbers, identifiers of the manufacturer of the core element, or the like.
Again referring to
Now referring to
A method of making the invention can include the steps of obtaining a core element (1) having a surface about which an amount of material (4) can be wound. Obtaining the core element (1) means having sufficient control over the core element (1) to perform the further step of applying at least one advertisement to the surface (2) of the core element (1). As the term obtaining a core element (1) can encompass a step of a production process whether automated or manual which allocates a sufficient duration of time in which the step of applying at least one advertisement to said surface of said core element can be achieved. Applying at least one advertisement to said surface of said core element encompasses utilizing those processes which can generate the visually perceivable markings applied to the external surface of the core element intended to be revealed to the public to promote a business, service or product as above described. Winding an amount of a material (4) about the surface (2) of the core element (1) to conceal the advertisement (3) can be achieved by any material winding means whether automated or manual so long as the material winding means generates an amount of material (4) capable of unwinding from about the surface (2) of the core element (1) to reveal the advertisement (3).
Again referring to
The step of exposing the surface (2) of the core element (1) is not intended to be limited to those embodiments of the invention as shown by
As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts of the present invention may be embodied in a variety of ways. The invention involves numerous and varied embodiments of an advertisement system and methods of making and using such advertisement system.
As such, the particular embodiments or elements of the invention disclosed by the description or shown in the figures accompanying this application are not intended to be limiting, but rather exemplary of the numerous and varied embodiments generically encompassed by the invention or equivalents encompassed with respect to any particular element thereof. In addition, the specific description of a single embodiment or element of the invention may not explicitly describe all embodiments or elements possible; many alternatives are implicitly disclosed by the description and figures.
It should be understood that each element of an apparatus or each step of a method may be described by an apparatus term or method term. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all steps of a method may be disclosed as an action, a means for taking that action, or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each element of an apparatus may be disclosed as the physical element or the action which that physical element facilitates. As but one example, the disclosure of an “advertisement” should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of “advertising”—whether explicitly discussed or not—and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of “advertising”, such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of an “advertisement” and even a “means for advertising.” Such alternative terms for each element or step are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.
In addition, as to each term used it should be understood that unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with such interpretation, common dictionary definitions should be understood to included in the description for each term as contained in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition, each definition hereby incorporated by reference.
Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to claim at least: i) each of the advertisement systems herein disclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed and described, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative embodiments which accomplish each of the functions shown, disclosed, or described, v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by the various systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting products produced by such systems or components, ix) methods and apparatuses substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, x) the various combinations and permutations of each of the previous elements disclosed.
The claims set forth in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference as part of this description of the invention, and the applicant expressly reserves the right to use all of or a portion of such incorporated content of such claims as additional description to support any of or all of the claims or any element or component thereof, and the applicant further expressly reserves the right to move any portion of or all of the incorporated content of such claims or any element or component thereof from the description into the claims or vice-versa as necessary to define the matter for which protection is sought by this application or by any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof, or to obtain any benefit of, reduction in fees pursuant to, or to comply with the patent laws, rules, or regulations of any country or treaty, and such content incorporated by reference shall survive during the entire pendency of this application including any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof or any reissue or extension thereon.
The claims set forth below are intended describe the metes and bounds of a limited number of the preferred embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as the broadest embodiment of the invention or a complete listing of embodiments of the invention that may be claimed. The applicant does not waive any right to develop further claims based upon the description set forth above as a part of any continuation, division, or continuation-in-part, or similar application.
