Patent Application
20050242166
The present invention relates generally to product and service promotion and, more particularly, to the promotion of healthcare-related products and services.
The use of promotional items has proliferated in today's increasingly competitive marketplace, where companies are constantly seeking new and more effective ways to market their products and services. In the healthcare industry, physicians and other healthcare providers often receive promotional articles from vendors of healthcare-related products, such as pharmaceutical products. These promotional articles often include “everyday” items, such as writing pads, calendars, and pens, and typically have promotional information (indicia) printed thereon. For example, pharmaceutical companies often provide physicians with writing pens and pads having the name of a particular pharmaceutical product printed thereon with the hopes that the pens and pads, when used, will help remind physicians to prescribe the pharmaceutical product.
Unfortunately, often because of lack of distinctiveness, many promotional articles provided to healthcare providers become “lost-in-the-shuffle” with other promotional articles. Thus, there is a need for distinctive, more effective promotional products directed to physicians and other healthcare providers.
In view of the above discussion, a promotional apparatus for use in determining a characteristic of a person or other subject, such as a body mass index number, according to embodiments of the present invention, includes a housing having a panel with an edge portion, an intermediate portion, and a window formed in the intermediate portion. A member is movably secured to the housing such that a peripheral portion of the member extends from the housing adjacent the panel edge portion as the member is moved relative to the housing. Indicia that indicates incremental units of a first characteristic is disposed on either the panel edge portion or the member peripheral portion. Indicia that indicates incremental units of a second characteristic is disposed on the other one of the panel edge portion or the member peripheral portion. For example, if the apparatus is used to determine body mass index numbers for a person, indicia that indicates units of incremental weight is disposed on either the panel edge portion or the member peripheral portion. Indicia that indicates units of incremental height is disposed on the other one of the panel edge portion or the member peripheral portion.
The panel edge portion and member are configured such that the indicia of the respective first and second characteristics maintain an adjacent relationship as the member is moved relative to the housing by a user. Indicia that indicates incremental units of a third characteristic is disposed on the member and is viewable through the window. Movement of the member by a user to align an incremental first indicia unit with an incremental second indicia unit causes display of a third indicia unit via the window. For example, in the body mass index embodiment, movement of the member by a user to align an incremental weight indicia with an incremental height indicia causes display of a body mass index number via the window.
According to other embodiments of the present invention, a promotional apparatus includes a clam-shell housing having opposite, spaced-apart first and second panels. The first panel includes an arcuate edge portion, an intermediate portion, and a window formed in the intermediate portion. A wheel is disposed between the first and second panels and is rotatably secured to the housing such that a peripheral portion of the wheel extends from the housing adjacent the first panel arcuate edge portion. Indicia that indicates incremental units of a first characteristic (e.g., weight, etc.) is disposed on either the wheel peripheral portion or the first panel arcuate edge portion. Indicia that indicates incremental units of a second characteristic (e.g., height, etc.) is disposed on the other one of the first panel arcuate edge portion or wheel peripheral edge portion. The wheel is rotatably secured to the housing such that the first and second respective indicia maintain an adjacent relationship as the wheel is rotated relative to the housing by a user. Indicia that indicates incremental units of a third characteristic (e.g., body mass index numbers, etc.) is disposed on the wheel and is viewable through the window. Rotation of the wheel by a user to align an incremental first indicia unit (e.g., height, etc.) with an incremental second indicia unit (e.g., weight, etc.) causes the display of a third indicia unit (e.g., body mass index number, etc.) via the window.
Embodiments of the present invention can serve as promotional devices directed to the marketing of various pharmaceuticals and healthcare products and services, as well as various other products and services. For example, promotional indicia directed to weight loss products and services may be displayed on embodiments of the present invention.
The accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification, illustrate key embodiments of the present invention. The drawings and description together serve to fully explain the invention.
The present invention now is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
In the drawings, the thickness of lines, layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “attached” to another element, it can be directly connected or attached to the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly attached” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.
The terms “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and the like are used herein for the purpose of explanation only.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
In the illustrated embodiments, the promotional apparatus described below is directed to a body mass index calculator. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to body mass index calculators. Embodiments of the present invention may be utilized to calculate any characteristic based on the alignment of adjacent scales of two variables. In addition to height and weight, other exemplary scales may include, but are not limited to, age, time, gestation periods, blood pressure, pulse rate, cholesterol, and various other vital signs and measurements of characteristics of a subject, without limitation.
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The illustrated first panel 14 has a generally ovate shape with a generally planar surface 14a. Also, the panel arcuate edge portion 18 has a beveled configuration. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the illustrated configuration of the housing 12 and first panel 14. The first panel 14 may have various shapes and the surface 14a (or portions thereof) may have non-planar configurations.
Promotional indicia 21 is disposed on the first panel 14, as illustrated. Various types of promotional indicia including, but not limited to, lettering, designs, characters, logos and other symbols, may be utilized in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The term “lettering” as used herein includes, but is not limited to, alphabetical characters and alphanumeric characters. Moreover, promotional indicia may be utilized virtually anywhere on the housing 12 and the wheel 24. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the illustrated location and configuration of indicia 21.
The window 22 formed in the first panel 14 has an arcuate configuration in the illustrated embodiment. In addition, an edge portion 22a of the window 22 has a beveled configuration. However, window 22 may have various shapes, sizes and configurations according to embodiments of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, an arrow 23 is disposed on the window edge portion 22a and is used to facilitate indication of a body mass index number displayed via the window 22, as will be described below.
In the illustrated embodiment, indicia 30 that indicates units of incremental weight is disposed on the wheel peripheral portion 26, and indicia 32 that indicates units of incremental height is disposed on the first panel arcuate edge portion 18. However, weight indicia 30 and height indicia 32 may be reversed according to other embodiments of the present invention. That is, weight indicia 30 may be disposed on the first panel arcuate edge portion 18, and height indicia 32 may be disposed on the wheel peripheral portion 26. The wheel 24 is rotatably secured to the housing such that the incremental weight indicia 30 and incremental height indicia 32 maintain an adjacent relationship as the wheel is rotated relative to the housing by a user;
In the illustrated embodiment, the portion of the panel arcuate edge portion 18 displaying the height indicia 32 and the wheel 24 have substantially the same radius of curvature. This allows the weight indicia 30 and height indicia 32 to maintain the illustrated adjacent relationship as the wheel 24 is rotated relative to the housing 12 by a user.
Indicia 40 that indicates incremental body mass index numbers is disposed on the wheel 24 and is viewable through the window 22, as illustrated. Rotation of the wheel 24 by a user to align a particular weight (indicia 30) with a particular height (indicia 32) causes the display of a body mass index number via the window 22. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a user has aligned a weight of 120 lbs (indicia 30) with a height of 5′ (indicia 32) and the body mass index number 23.5 is displayed via window 22.
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The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.
