Patent Application
20220184485
The present invention relates generally to the field of gaming accessories and scraping devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a handheld scratching device for scratch-off tickets to scrape opaque or film coatings and reveal hidden printed material thereunder without using a coin. The device includes a base that can have a keyhole and a thumb grip indentation for secure and comfortable gripping of the device. The device also includes a scratching edge, including a plurality of scratching/scraping teeth for scraping the opaque or film coatings easily and securely. The device can come in multiple shapes, colors and designs, and can have messages or quotations printed or engraved in the base. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
A scratch-off card is generally a paper or plastic-based card with a covering of an opaque substance or a film coating that covers a selected area of printed material thereunder. Scratch-off cards are so called because they are covered with a layer, or layers, of opaque or film materials that cover or hide text printed on the surface of the ticket, that once revealed, informs the buyer or player whether or not he or she has won. Scratch-off cards are commonly used in lottery contests. The scratch-off cards are also used in other marketing promotions, games and contests.
Typically, users use a coin or any other conventional pointed object, such as a knife, to scratch off the opaque surface covering of scratch-off cards in selected areas. Using coins to scratch off lottery tickets may be the most widely used method, however it's not necessarily easy or convenient, especially for individuals with limited dexterity. Further, using a coin also results in a dirty residue on the fingers and can also damage the ticket. Moreover, gripping a coin to scratch is awkward because of the reduced surface area of a coin, and may cause certain parts of the hand to become fatigued, especially since the pressure must be channeled through the limited area used to grasp the coin. Individuals thus desire a handheld tool that can easily and safely scratch the opaque or film coatings of the scratch-off cards, while being cost-effective and easily portable.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that can easily and securely scrape or scratch selected areas of a scratch-off ticket. There is also a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that is lightweight, cost-effective and portable. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that obviates the use of a coin or other conventional pointed and sharp object for scratching scratch-off tickets. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that does not damage a ticket. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that provides a large surface area and good gripping for a user. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that ensures individuals can quickly and easily reveal the hidden printed material under the opaque coatings of the scratch-off ticket without damaging the ticket.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a lottery or scratch-off ticket scratching or scraping tool. The tool includes a one-piece structure and can include a base. The base includes a trailing edge, a pair of side edges and a pair of arcuate edges; a neck extends from the base and a semi-circular end extends from the neck. The base includes a thumb grip indentation for gripping the tool and the semi-circular end includes a scraping edge, including a plurality of scraping teeth for scraping or scratching the lottery ticket or scratch-off ticket. The base further includes a thumb grip or fingerhold, and a keyhole for attaching the tool to a key ring or keepsake holder. The scraping tool can be sized similarly to charms, trinkets, or keychain tools typically worn from a bracelet, necklace or other keychain holder.
In this manner, the novel scratch-off ticket scratching device of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provides a relatively safe, easy and convenient solution to remove opaque or film coatings to reveal hidden printed material. The device/tool enables a user to use the handheld device with a secure and firm grip to scrape opaque or film coatings safely and securely, and obviates the use of coins for scraping.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a handheld scratching device for scraping coatings from a scratch-off ticket. The handheld scratching device is designed for removing coverings or films on a scratch-off ticket. The handheld scratching device further comprises: a base; a scraping edge including a plurality of scratching teeth; the base includes a thumb grip indentation for secure gripping of the device; and the scratching teeth include pointed/sharp ends to scrape coatings provided on scratch-off tickets without damaging the text underneath the coatings. The base can include one or more indicia such as a logo, a trademark, a message or the like. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the base includes a keyhole for attaching the base to a key ring or keepsake holder.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a lottery ticket scratching tool is disclosed. The tool includes: a base, the base including a trailing edge, a pair of side edges and a pair of arcuate edges; a neck extending from the base; and, a semi-circular end extending from the neck. The base includes a thumb grip indentation or fingerhold for gripping the tool and the semi-circular end includes a scraping edge including a plurality of scraping teeth for scraping the lottery ticket or scratch-off ticket. The base further includes a thumb grip with a keyhole for attaching the tool to a key ring or keepsake holder.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the lottery or scratch-off ticket scratching tool can include an oval-shaped proximal end, a rectangular middle portion and a distal curved end. The distal curved end can include the scratching teeth for scraping or scratching coatings or opaque films covering selected areas of the lottery or scratch-off ticket.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the scratching tool includes between three and fifteen scratching teeth per inch. Further, the teeth can be made of a metal, a steel or a plastic.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the tool can have indicia in the form of text such as, but not limited to Scratch Me, Good Luck, Winner, Have, a Great Day, Thumbs Up, or the like.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for scraping coatings of a scratch-off ticket is described. The method includes: providing a handheld scratch-off ticket scratching tool; gripping the tool using a thumb grip indentation provided on a base of the tool; and scratching or scraping the coatings of the scratch-off ticket by gently pressing and rubbing the scratching teeth of the tool to reveal the number or text underneath the coatings on the surface of the ticket.
The scratch-off ticket device or tool of the present invention enables a process of scratching a lottery or scratch-off ticket to easily and conveniently remove film coatings that cover text and numerals thereunder. The tool does not damage the ticket during scraping. More importantly, the scraping tool obviates the need of having or locating a coin to scratch tickets.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there exists a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that can easily and securely scrape or scratch selected areas of a scratch-off ticket. There is also a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that is lightweight, cost-effective, and portable. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that obviates the use of a coin or other conventional pointed and sharp objects for scratching scratch-off tickets. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that does not damage a ticket. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that provides a large surface area and good gripping for a user. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a scratching tool that ensures individuals can quickly and easily reveal the hidden printed material under the opaque coatings of the scratch-off ticket without damaging the ticket.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a handheld scratching device for scraping a scratch-off ticket. The handheld scratching device includes a base and a scraping edge including a plurality of scratching teeth. The base can include a thumb grip indentation for secure gripping of the device and the scratching teeth can include pointed/sharp ends to scrape coatings provided on scratch-off tickets without damaging the text underneath the coatings. The base can include one or more indicia such as a logo, a trademark, a message, or the like, and a keyhole.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The scratching tool 100 includes a neck 108 extending from the arcuate edges 1022, 1024 of the base 102 that culminates in a semi-circular end 110. The tool 100 includes a scratching edge 1100 along which a plurality of scratching teeth 112 can be attached, or integrated therewith, that are used for scratching off selected areas of a lottery ticket or similar. The scratching teeth 112 can be pointed or serrated for scratching off the film that covers numerals and text thereunder. Scratching the film reveals the numbers or text that determine, for example, whether a ticket includes winning numbers/letters from a traditional lottery/scratch-off ticket. The scratching tool 100 obviates the use of a coin for scratching off a lottery/scratch-off ticket while enabling the tool 100 to be readily available with selective attachment to a key chain.
The base 102 includes a keyhole 116, thereby enabling a user to hang the tool 100 and also enables attachment to a key holder or keychain. The scratching tool 100 can be made of a sturdy, durable and slightly flexible material that is firm enough to withstand the minimal force that may be applied by a user while scratching off a ticket. The base 102 of the tool 100 also includes a thumb grip indentation for easy and secure gripping of the tool 100 that is best shown in FIG.2.
It is to be appreciated that the scratching teeth 112 are sharp enough to scrape of selected opaque film coverings from a lottery ticket (or similar) easily without damaging the ticket. The teeth 112 are semi-rigid and do not tear or damage a pocket or any other fabric or storage area placed therein. Further, the tool 100 provides a better grip while scraping a ticket than a conventional coin. The indicia 114 can be illuminated and can illuminate in dark areas, thereby allowing a user to easily locate the tool 100. Further, the tool 100 can be made up of metal, plastic, wood or any other similar material.
In the present embodiment, the keyhole 116 includes a diameter from about 0.2 inches to about 0.8 inches. The scratching teeth 112 can include a length or height from about 0.100 inches to about 0.150 inches. Further, the dimensions of the base 102 can be generally about 2 inches by 2 inches. The neck 108 includes a longitudinal length from about 0.25 inches to about 0.75 inches and the dimensions of the semi-circular end can be generally about 0.75 inches by 2 inches.
In one potential embodiment, the length of the tool 300 can be about 3 inches and the width of the tool 300 can be about 1 inch. The oval shaped proximal end 302 can include a length from about 0.50 inches to about 1.00 inches and a width from about 0.75 inches to about 1.25 inches. The keyhole cutout 312 can include a diameter from about 0.25 inches to about 0.75 inches. The dimensions of the rectangular middle portion 304 can be generally about 2 inches by 0.75 inches and the distal curved end 306 can include a length generally about 0.75 inches and a width generally about 1 inch. Further, the height or length of the scratching/scraping teeth 308 can be generally from about 0.100 inches to about 0.150 inches. The dimensions described supra enable the tool 300 to be portable, fingerheld, lightweight, safe to use, easy to carry and easy to store.
The color of the proximal triangular portion 402 can be in any color including but not limited to black, red, green, yellow, orange, blue or any bright color. The color of the rectangular portion 404 can be in any color including but not limited to black, red, green, yellow, orange, blue or any bright color. The color of the curved end portion 406 can be in any color including but not limited to black, red, green, yellow, orange, blue or any bright color. The above-cited bright colors make the tool 400 attractive and easy to find. Further, the tool can come in a clear color variant as well.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “lottery ticket scratching tool”, “ticket scratching tool”, “scratching tool”, “coatings scraping tool”, and “tool”, are interchangeable and refer to the lottery ticket scratching tool 100, 300, 400, 500 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the lottery ticket scratching tool 100, 300, 400, 500 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the lottery ticket scratching tool 100, 300, 400, 500 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the lottery ticket scratching tool 100, 300, 400, 500 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the lottery ticket scratching tool 100, 300, 400, 500 are important design parameters for user convenience, the lottery ticket scratching tool 100, 300, 400, 500 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments including different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/125,063, which was filed on Dec. 14, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63125063 | Dec 2020 | US |
