WO2010089784A1

WO2010089784A1 - Pieces of cutlery bearing a message, particularly an advertising message

Info

Publication number: WO2010089784A1
Application number: PCT/IT2009/000041
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nevi Ugo; Pastena Amalia
Original assignee: Nevi Ugo; Pastena Amalia
Priority date: 2009-02-06
Filing date: 2009-02-06
Publication date: 2010-08-12

Abstract

Piece of cutlery or kitchen or work tool (1), bearing a visual message, including a wording, a figure or a symbol in planar shape or in three-dimensional shape. Particularly, disposable piece of cutlery (1) bearing an advertising message.

Description

PIECES OF CUTLERY BEARING A MESSAGE, PARTICULARLY AN

ADVERTISING MESSAGE

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to pieces of cutlery and to kitchen and professional tools. PRIOR ART

The present invention takes its steps, according to a first aspect, from considering that advertising is al- ways in the search for new communication channels that allow a very large number of consumers to be reached in an easy, effective and cheap way. Presently known communication channels are the Internet, televisions and newspapers, as well as other ones of a lesser importance and diffusion. The concept at the basis of the present invention is that of finding novel means for carrying advertising messages toward the consumer. The present invention also takes its steps from considering that pieces of cutlery and various work tools, which do not carry any type of message at present, are articles of a very large diffusion. Particularly, for both reasons of practicality and of hygiene and safety, disposable cutlery is very largely widespread and has a primary interest for the aforesaid object. Notwithstanding the very large diffusion of dispos- able cutlery, there has been no concept heretofore of utilizing it to carry messages of any type, particularly of advertising type.

Therefore, in view of such considerations, the pre- sent invention puts itself the main object of making pieces of cutlery, including kitchen pieces of cutlery, and particularly disposable pieces of cutlery, an advertising medium.

Moreover, as professional tools are also very wide- spread, characterized by having a grip handle like pieces of cutlery, such as for instance pliers, ice-cream vendor slices and the like, the present invention poses itself the general object of not only making pieces of cutlery, but also all work tools an advertising medium. According to another aspect, the present invention takes its steps from considering that there is also the exigency of denoting foodstuffs inside containers in commercial shops, such as for instance ice-cream parlours.

Therefore, the present invention also poses itself the object of providing means wherewhich to indicate a foodstuff that can be easily seen and that does not come in contact with the foodstuff, and is therefore hygienic.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The aforesaid objects are reached by the present in- vention with kitchen or professional pieces of cutlery, particularly disposable cutlery, bearing a visual message, particularly an advertising message.

Particularly, it is envisaged that the visual message can be emphasized by providing magnifying lens means in correspondence with it to make it more easily visible. By Visual message' it is be understood herein any visual sign in its function of carrying a meaning. The visual message, particularly, can be an advertising visual message, i.e. a visual message the meaning of which refers to a product or a service, so constituting an indication and a stimulus for the consumer to use that product or service.

By ^λbearing' it is to be meant herein that the piece of cutlery or work tool in a portion thereof is worked by any available technical means, so as to provide a visual sign, such as for instance impression, engraving, colouring (with non-toxic inks) and other ones. The possibilities of laser techniques are also included. Englobing is also included of visual signs provided on a separate sup- port inside a portion of the piece of cutlery or work tool (which, apparently, in this case is to be in a transparent material, at least in correspondence with the visual sign) .

The visual message may be a verbal wording, or a figurative element, including symbols, or a combination - A - of a verbal wording and of a figurative element.

As cited, the figurative element may a be a planar figure, as can be provided for instance by laser means, but also a three-dimensional figure, englobed into the piece of cutlery or work tool, for instance an englobed three-dimensional handwork.

A planar figure may also be provided on another separate support subsequently englobed into the piece of cutlery or work tool. It is envisaged that the piece of cutlery or work tool of the present invention is made in a plastic material, including methacrylate and other transparent polymers .

The visual message according to the present inven- tion may be of any nature and provided with any available technical means. For instance the visual message may be provided in the interior of the handle of the piece of cutlery or of the work tool, ^sculpted' by means of a laser; or by realizing a removable plug, of the type of a key-ring with its respective label-holder; or, even better, by englobing a label in the die casting of the piece of cutlery or work tool or by providing a mono- polychromatic message in the casting directly by the die.

Therefore, not only pieces of cutlery, but also other work tools, such as for instance pliers, slices, ~" O ~ carving forks and the like, on the basis of the inventive concept may bear respective different connotations. So, for instance, in ice-cream parlours, instead of sticking markers to indicate the various ice-cream flavours, these ones may be referred in the handles of the respective slices .

Further information that can be provided by the visual messages may be the prices of the products and other compulsory information. So such information can be pro- vided on the handles or in the interior of the handles. To this end the handles themselves may assume suitable shapes: shapes studied for the object, fundamentally aimed at imparting visibility to the message, though maintaining ergonomic shapes at the same time, suitable for the intended use of the piece of cutlery or of the work tool. So, olive ladles, the handles of points, charterhouse knives and the like may purposely remain in the respective products.

But one has a utility also at a home level, one be- ing able to arrange the names in the pieces of cutlery of each member and decorative patterns in the pieces of cutlery for guests. Moreover, one can also provide the indication on the pieces of cutlery of the content of respective containers of foodstuffs, such as for instamce salt, sugar and the like. So one has the advantage that the product in the container can be read on the piece of cutlery to take the product instead of on the container, it being advantageous that this one does not have to bear indications if for instance it is a work of art or an an- tique.

In this spirit, the manufacturer of an inventive piece of cutlery or work tool may provide the latter with lids and/or caps of various sizes and materials, preferably transparent, suitable for engaging with all sizes of the handles of the pieces of cutlery and work tools.

In the case of an advertising message in this case it can be dealt with for instance a slice or ice-cream vendor walnut pliers, in the interior of the handle of which there may be a logo or a slogan, for instance the advertising of a chocolate such as for instance Perugina® or Caffarel®. Through these indications the trademarks of products and/or services can have more commercial openings .

The visual message can also be relevant to games and draws and/or lotteries. The visual message itself may constitute the bet of a lottery, when an erasable covering is provided thereupon to conceal the data of the bet, a covering that includes paint or a plug wrapping in the case of a message provided on a plug. The bet can be e.g. a simple or complex code diver- sified in the packages - e.g. of multiple disposable pieces of cutlery - for manufacture lot in each product typology.

Therefore, it is the subject matter of the present invention a piece of cutlery or kitchen or work tool according to annexed Claim 1.

Preferred embodiments are set forth in dependent Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be fully understood based on the following description of absolutely not limiting embodiments thereof, referring to the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1, FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3 represent examples of pieces of cutlery bearing foodstuff- advertising messages;

FIGURE 4 represents a hammer having its handle that englobes a nail and bearing an advertising message relevant thereto; - FIGURE 5 represents an ice-cream vendor slice bearing indications about the product for sale; FIGURE 6 represents a delicatessen point bearing indications on the product for sale; FIGURE 7A and FIGURE 7B respectively depict later- ally and from above a lid coordinated with an ad- vertising piece of cutlery according to the present invention;

FIGURE 8 represents an example of a piece of cutlery bearing a lottery bet; - FIGURE 9A and FIGURE 9B represent cards bearing prize wordings, coordinated with the piece of cutlery of FIGURE 8, and

FIGURE 9A and FIGURE 9B represent cards bearing prize indications, coordinated with the piece of cutlery of FIGURE 8, and

FIGURE 10 represents examples of messages relevant to prize/forfeit games reported on the handles of respective pieces of cutlery. BEST WAY FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION As represented in FIGURE 1, a piece of cutlery according to the present invention can be e.g. a disposable knife 1, bearing an advertising message e.g. for a wine. The message may be e.g. a hot engraving, with a layer of non-toxic paint that fills the hollow zones thereof. As shown in FIGURE 2, a piece of cutlery according to the present invention may be a spoon or a wooden spoon 2 bearing an advertising message for a soap cube.

The message may be engraved on the wood by pyrogra- phy and/or hot-pressing. As represented in FIGURE 3, a piece of cutlery ac- cording to the present invention can be a steel fork or a carving fork 3 bearing an advertising message for pasta. The message may be laser-etched on the steel.

As represented in FIGURE 4, a work tool according to the present invention may be a hammer 4 having its handle

4A in a transparent polymeric material, in which a true nail 5 is englobed and upon which an advertising message is engraved for the brand of the nail 104. Generally, a work tool handle according to the present invention may englobe small objects such as reductions of handworks, small coats of arms etc.

As represented in FUGURE 5, within the scope of the inventive concept an ice-cream vendor slice 6 may report an indication on the chocolate flavour of a Swiss brand 106. In this case too the message can be provided in the interior of the handle in a permanent form.

As represented in FIGURE 6, a piece of professional cutlery for a shop according to the present invention may be a delicatessen point 7, having its knob in transparent methacrylate 7A, having a price tag englobed in its interior provided under a removable plug 8, which allows its substitution if needed.

So one exhibits an advertised pool price, referred to the kilogram, that can be bifacial and indicate dif- ferent products or firms also in conjunction with slogans and indications diversified on the opposite faces.

The exemplifying removable plug 8 has a rounded face to realize a ^Λlens' effect, i.e. of magnifying the message it bears. Referring to FIGURE 7A and to FIGURE 7B, a lid 9 is illustrated coordinated with an inventive piece of cutlery, in turn bearing an advertising message 109. It has a body 9A fit for projecting from the aperture into the inside of a container e.g. for sugar and a rim 9B fit for resting on the border of the aperture of the container itself. Lid 9 is affected on the periphery thereof by an indentation 9' , which when the lid plugs the container for a product, is fit for receiving the handle of a piece of cutlery that dips in the product in the container. Within the scope of the inventive concept a piece of cutlery can also carry the data of a lottery bet.

FIGURE 8 represents a disposable spoon on the handle of which an alphanumeric code is printed that has to turn out to be identical e.g. with the winning one concealed on a suitable check piece, on a fit support, e.g. a board or card, provided in the package of the piece of cutlery itself, illustrated in FIGURE 9A. The lucky owner wins or is selected in a coupled category. The prizegiving message in turn may also have an advertising content, re- porting a brand that puts the prize at disposal as indi- cated in FIGURE 9B.

The board can be of any shape or material, and can be concealed in a suitable way by a pre-marked opening, erasable paint, envelope tearing etc. The bet constituting the ^possibility' can be pro^¬ vided in an exposed position and the check piece can be in a concealed position, the latter being able to be relevant to prizes of various modalities (direct, subordinated modality, etc.) and of various levels (first, second prize etc.) .

The carried codes may refer to different degrees of interpretation, proceeding by an association of one or more images, as illustrated in FIGURE 10.

For instance in the case of aiming at a public of children, one may foresee a message reporting the figure of an animal HlA, of characters etc. In the case of adults and youths, the draw can be coupled to a message with alphanumeric code HlB, as represented. In a package of disposable pieces of cutlery an entire small lottery can be provided where more participants can take part to a draw.

The messages can also be messages referring to not only playful, but also ^Λerotic' HlB, lllC entertainments. Referring to adult public, also economic value prizes can be offered, the expense for buying a package of disposable pieces of cutlery being paltry.

This is advantageous for sponsoring brands that, prudently diversifying themselves in the typology of pub- lie, may make the advertising message more efficacious; but also for the manufacturer, the publicist, the wholesale trader etc.

The packages of pieces of cutlery or work tools in the scope of the inventive concept may be of one or more units in number and in work tool type.

The present invention has been disclosed and illustrated referring to specific embodiments thereof, but variations, additions and omissions can be made without so departing from the scope of protection defined by the enclosed claims.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. Piece of cutlery or kitchen or work tool, including disposable pieces of cutlery, bearing a visual mes- sage, including advertising messages, including a wording, a figure or a symbol in a planar shape or in a three-dimensional shape.

2. Piece of cutlery or tool according to Claim 1, wherein said visual message is provided on the sur- face of the piece of cutlery or tool.

3. Piece of cutlery or tool according to Claim 2, wherein said visual message is covered with a removable covering.

4. Piece of cutlery or tool according to Claim 1, wherein said visual message is provided in the interior of said piece of cutlery or tool.

5. Piece of cutlery or tool according to Claim 4, including image magnifying lens means in correspondence with said visual message to magnify the visual message itself.

6. Piece of cutlery or tool according to Claim 1, wherein said visual message is a planar figure or a three-dimensional figure englobed within the body of the piece of cutlery or tool.

7. Piece of cutlery or tool according to Claim 1, fur- ther including a hollow, wherein said visual message is provided in a separate plug, that can be inserted into said hollow of the piece of cutlery or tool itself.

8. Piece of cutlery or tool according to Claim 1, wherein said visual message is provided by laser- etching.

9. Kit of a piece of cutlery according to Claim 1 and of a container lid or plug, including a hollow suit- able for receiving the handle of the piece of cutlery itself, to allow the application of the piece of cutlery to the container itself.

10. Lid or plug including a hollow suitable for receiving the handle of a piece of cutlery and bearing a visual message, including an advertising visual message.

11. Disposable piece of cutlery according to Claim 1, wherein said visual message is concealed by a covering of removable material, and bears the data of a lottery or of a game.

12. Kit of a disposable piece of cutlery according to Claim 11 and of a lottery or game check piece, including a board, which check piece in turn bears a concealed visual message bearing the indication of the winning lottery or game data, i.e. the data which prizes are coupled to.