Patent Application
20100133128
The present invention relates generally to a package containing a gift card and, more particularly, to a package with a concealed gift card that can be scanned and activated at retail without removing the card from the packaging.
Various types of items may be packaged with the package. For example, a media disc, an electronic module or game, or a memory card, are among the items that may be held within the package. It may be useful to contain or conceal within the package a gift card, for example as an incentive to return to the same retailer, or to provide the recipient of the package with funds by which to purchase related equipment, or download additional software through the internet.
As used herein, the terms media disc, compact disc, CD or disc are intended to encompass all such discs, whatever their size, for all known or proposed uses.
In order to deter theft, gift cards may be packaged and displayed having no real value until they are “activated”, that is, until a validating transaction is completed, typically at a point-of-sale such as a checkout lane, whereby the card is activated by an authorized party. Typically this activation may be accomplished at the cash register when payment is made. Each gift card may have a unique identifier to help with this validating transaction. Usually this identifier is printed on the card or stored on a magnetic or electronic memory on the card. If the gift card is contained or concealed within a package, some access may be required in order to determine the identifier. For example, an identifier printed on the card may be made visible by providing a window or cutout in the package. Alternately a magnetic or electronic identifier might be read by a contact or proximity reader able to read through a layer of paper or paperboard. However, in many instances, data acquisition by a point of sale terminal may be limited to an optical barcode scanner. In such instances a gift card concealed within a package may not be accessible for validation unless the package is first opened.
There remains a need for a simple, attractive, and inexpensive package that may contain a concealed gift card and yet allow the gift card to be activated without opening the package.
The present disclosure is directed to a package for housing a concealed gift card while providing a method for activating the gift card without opening the package. Variations of the illustrative embodiments are also within the contemplation of the present disclosure, including variations in the size, shape, material, and the nature of any content items within the package in addition to the gift card.
It should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented and utilized in numerous ways, including without limitation as a process, an apparatus, a system, a device, and a method for applications and from other suitable materials now known and later developed. These and other unique features of the system disclosed herein will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
So that those having ordinary skill in the art to which the disclosed system appertains will more readily understand how to make and use the same, reference may be had to the following drawings.
The present disclosure is for a book-like or sleeve-like package for optical media or other items. The advantages, and other features of the package disclosed herein, will become more readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of certain exemplary embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings which set forth representative embodiments of the present invention and wherein like reference numerals identify similar structural elements whenever possible.
All relative descriptions herein such as left, right, up, down, topside, underside and the like are with reference to the Figures, and not meant in a limiting sense. The illustrated embodiments can be understood as providing exemplary features of varying detail of certain embodiments, and therefore, unless otherwise specified, features, components, modules, elements, and/or aspects of the illustrations can be otherwise combined, interconnected, sequenced, separated, interchanged, positioned, and/or rearranged without materially departing from the disclosed systems or methods. Additionally, the shapes and sizes of components are also exemplary and unless otherwise specified, can be altered without materially affecting or limiting the disclosed technology to holding discs exclusively.
The invention provides a method of concealing a gift card within a package that may be scanned and activated at a retail location without removing the gift card from the package. The package may be pre-loaded with the card before it goes to a processing step such as being loaded with an optical media at a replicator.
In an exemplary embodiment the package may be of a book or sleeve style, optionally with a closure (such as a Velcro dot) and may have a perforated or otherwise defined panel on the inside of the book flap. The perforated panel may be removed by the end consumer to access the gift card. The gift card in this embodiment may be concealed within the package, with no ready access for reading its activation code (which may be a barcode). Thus it may be advantageous to have a method to capture the activation code at retail without removing the gift card.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in
Along the fold line between outer flap panel 20 and inner flap panel 30 may be an aperture 22, such as a circular cutout. On the inner flap panel 30 may be provided perforations 32 and cut lines 34 generally defining a removable door whose use will be described in the following figures.
It is often advantageous to ship partially completed packages in a flattened configuration, such as is generally shown in
Because the gift card barcode 114 and number 115 are also printed on the outside of the package as barcode 14 and number 15, it is not necessary to remove the gift card from the package in order to activate it. Instead, barcode 14 may be scanned at the point of purchase, and the gift card thereby activated.
One exemplary method of practicing the invention is to provide a package blank 1 and a gift card 100 to an assembly process. The barcode 114 and/or associated number 115 may be read, preferably by an automated process, and the same (or uniquely related) barcode 14 and/or associated number 15 printed onto the back panel 10 (either in the form of a blank or a partly assembled package. Gift card 100 may then be placed upon blank 1 or within the resulting package, optionally attached thereto by glue or adhesive. The outer flap panel 20 may be folded upon the gift card 100 and adhered or glued to the inner flap panel 30, thus securely trapping gift card 100. At this point, the partially finished blank, may be shipped elsewhere (or processed locally) for loading with product, for example loading an item into the O-Sleeve.
The package may contain items other than media discs. Although in some embodiments the packages may be made from paperboard having a thickness of about 0.036″, other types and thicknesses of materials may be utilized as are known in the packaging arts. The package may have a form other than an O-Sleeve, for example any type of structure suitable for housing an item or items.
The door 35 may be rectangular as shown in the Figures, or it may have other shapes that are suitable to accommodate a gift card.
Other than using a door to hold or conceal the gift card, the gift card may be held in a slit in the package structure, or may simply be adhered to an internal surface of the package, for example by tacky glue. Alternately the gift card may simply be placed loose within the package
Instead of the gift card being invisible from outside the closed package, there may be provided an opening in the package through which a portion of the card may be seen. For example, a corner of the card, or a portion showing a company logo, bank logo, or brand symbol (such as VISA, MASTERCARD, etc) may be visible through an opening in the package. This may help advertise the fact that a gift card is enclosed.
As noted above, the package can be formed using a variety of materials or substrates. For example, PRINTKOTE EAGLE®, which is composed of at least 10% post consumer recycled material, can be used. Moreover, a polymeric substrate such as calendered POLYLITH® GC-3 can be used. POLYLITH® substrate is manufactured by Nanya Plastics of Taiwan and is distributed in the U.S. by Granwell Products, Inc. POLYLITH® substrate is primarily formed using polypropylene resin and minerals comprising inert calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide and the resulting substrate is strengthened by calendaring.
While the invention has been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various changes and/or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 34 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/119,573, filed on Dec. 3, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61119573 | Dec 2008 | US |
