Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
  • B65D51/24—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes
  • B65D51/28—Closures not otherwise provided for combined or co-operating with auxiliary devices for non-closing purposes with auxiliary containers for additional articles or materials
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D11/00—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material
  • B65D11/02—Containers having bodies formed by interconnecting or uniting two or more rigid, or substantially rigid, components made wholly or mainly of plastics material of curved cross-section
  • B65D11/04—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures designed for pouring contents
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/36—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
  • B65D81/365—Containers, or parts thereof, simulating or being incorporated into other items, e.g. puppet, animal, vehicle, building, dumb bells

Definitions

• This invention relates to a novelty article and to a method of promoting a product using the novelty article as a dummy product.
• the present invention aims to provide an alternative construction for a prize- containing simulated bottle for use in promotions.
• a container for a prize said container having an exterior appearance which simulates an exterior appearance of a bottle for a liquid product and including first and second components which are separably attached to each other, wherein: the first and second components together defining a substantially closed inner prize chamber within the container, the prize chamber being adapted to contain said the first and second components together defining a substantially closed inner prize chamber within the container, the prize chamber being adapted to contain said prize and being configured to be opened when the components are separated from each other; each of the first and second components has an exterior wall and a peripheral space separate from and surrounding the prize chamber; each of the first and second components is adapted to contain a liquid in the peripheral space of that component; each of the first and second components has a transparent exterior wall through which the liquid in the respective component is visible; the article being configured such that the first and second components together appear substantially as a single component having an exterior appearance which simulates the exterior appearance of a bottle and the liquid in the two components simulates a single body of said liquid product.
• the container has a first upper component which simulates a top portion of said bottle and said second component which simulates a base portion of said bottle, the upper component simulating shoulder, neck and cap portions of the bottle.
• said liquid in said upper component partly fills said peripheral space in the upper component such that there is a headspace visible through the transparent exterior wall of said upper component, and said peripheral space of lower component is substantially wholly filled with said liquid.
• the upper and lower components may join at along a circumferential seam, said container further comprising a label covering said seam.
• the is substantially identical to a label of said bottle being simulated, and may be a band about a circumference of said container.
• the cap portion of said upper component may be removable to provide access to a further chamber of the upper component separated from said peripheral space containing said liquid.
• the further chamber is adapted to contain a prize notification.
• the liquid in said peripheral spaces of said first and second components is sufficiently opaque to prevent visible detection of said inner chamber through said transparent exterior walls of said components.
• the container includes a prize article, preferably a mobile communications device such as a mobile telephone, located in said inner chamber.
• a mobile communications device such as a mobile telephone
• a further form of the invention provides a method of promoting, to consumers, a bottled liquid, having an exterior appearance, the method including the steps of: providing a prize container according to the invention, having an exterior appearance substantially corresponding to the exterior appearance of said bottled liquid product, providing a prize item for a consumer within the prize chamber of said prize container; and positioning the prize container amongst a plurality of said bottled liquid products such that the novelty article appears as a said product and thereby constitutes a dummy product, for chance selection by a particular said consumer.
• the prize located in the inner chamber of the container includes a mobile telecommunications device which is pre-programmed to contact a prize allocation station.
• Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of a novelty article in accordance with an embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2 is a schematic exploded partly sectioned view, from the side, of the novelty article of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a schematic exploded sectioned perspective view of the novelty article of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of parts of components of the novelty article of Figure 1;
• Figure 5 is a schematic exploded perspective view of parts corresponding to those of Figure 4, but according to another embodiment, with the components shown alongside each other;
• Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the encircled detail of Figure 1, shown partly cut away; and
• Figure 7 is a schematic exploded sectioned view, similar to that of Figure 2, with the lid of the novelty article removed, and with a communication system in the chamber of the article.
• FIG. 1 to 3 there is shown a novelty article 10 which is shaped in the form of a bottle.
• the article 10 includes a first, upper component 12 and a second, lower component 14, these components, in a preferred embodiment, being of plastic.
• the upper component 12 and the lower component 14 have inner walls 16 and 18, respectively.
• the article 10 is configured such that when the upper component 12 and the lower component 14 are attached to each other, as described in more detail below, and as shown in Figure 1, the inner walls 16 and 18 together form a substantially closed inner chamber 20 of the article, indicated as hidden detail by the broken line 21 in Figure 1.
• the upper component 12 and lower component 14 also have exterior walls 22 and 24, respectively. Additionally, the upper component 12 has a transverse wall 26 which interconnects the inner wall 16 and exterior wall 22 of the upper component.
• the lower component 14 has a transverse wall 28 which interconnects the inner wall 18 and exterior wall 24 of the lower component 14.
• the transverse wall 28 defines part of the chamber 20.
• the exterior walls 22 and 24 are transparent, while in a preferred embodiment, the inner walls 16 and 18, and transverse walls 26 and 28, are not transparent.
• the inner wall 16 of the upper component 12 projects downward beyond the transverse wall 26, and hence beyond the exterior wall 22, to form an extension wall portion 30, which has an external screw thread 32.
• the exterior wall 24 of the lower component 14 extends upward beyond the transverse wall 28 and hence beyond the inner wall 18, to form an extension wall portion 34 which has an internal screw thread 36.
• the exterior wall 22 of the upper component 12 extends upwardly from the transverse wall 26, to a shoulder portion 38, and then to a neck portion 40, above the shoulder portion.
• the neck portion 40 has an external screw thread 42 which is engaged with a complimentarily, internally threaded lid 44.
• a blanking wall 46 (see Figures 3 and 6) which extends across the neck portion 40, approximately at the intersection between the neck portion and the shoulder portion 48.
• the neck portion 40 and the blanking wall 46 together define a small cavity 48 at the top of the upper component 12 beneath the lid 44, which opens through an opening 50 defined by the uppermost edge, or rim, 52 of the neck portion 40 (see Figure 6).
• the inner wall 16, exterior wall 22, transverse wall 26, and blanking wall 46 of the upper component 12 define a fully enclosed space 54 of the upper component, with a lower part 54.1 of the space being disposed between the exterior wall 22 and the chamber 20.
• the exterior wall 24 extends inwardly at the bottom of the lower component, to form a base 56.
• the inner wall 18, exterior wall 24, transverse wall 28 and base 56 define a fully enclosed space 58 of the lower component 14, with an upper portion 58.1 of the space being disposed between the exterior wall 24 and the chamber 20.
• a coloured liquid 59 is provided in the space 54 of the upper component 12, and in the space 58 of the lower component 14.
• the liquid 59 in the space 58 of the lower component 14 substantially completely fills that space while the liquid in the space 54 of the upper component 12 does not quite fill that space so that there is a small volume 60 within the upper component 12, when the article 10 is in an upright orientation as shown in Figure 2, in which there is no liquid.
• the liquid 59 in the space 58 of the lower component 14 is poured into this space through an aperture 62 which is closed by suitable means after this liquid has been poured.
• the liquid 59 in the space 54 of the upper component 12 may be poured into that space through a similar aperture (not shown) which is also closed by suitable means after pouring of this liquid, or through the neck portion 40 prior to the provision of the blanking wall 46.
• the blanking wall 46 is inserted into the neck portion 40 and secured thereto in a suitable manner, as will be understood by those skilled in the relevant art, so as to form a liquid-proof seal.
• the upper component 12 and the lower component 14 are attached to each other by the screw threads 32 and 36, and can therefore be separated by unscrewing the upper component from the lower component. It will be appreciated that unscrewing the components in this way separates the inner wall 16 from the transverse wall 28, thus opening the chamber 20 and allowing any contents thereof (as described further, below) to be removed.
• FIG. 5 there is shown a detail of another embodiment of the article 10, which, instead of having screw threads 32 and 36 to attach the upper component 12 to the lower component 14, has a "bayonet" fitting.
• the bayonet fitting includes a dog- legged slot which comprises a vertical slot portion 70 and a horizontal slot portion 72 within the extension wall portion 34 of the lower component, and a radially outwardly extending stud 74 on the extension wall portion 30 of the upper component.
• the upper component 12 is shown rotated relative to the lower component 14 so that the stud 74 is visible.
• the upper component is positioned for the stud to be received in the slot portions 72 and 74.
• the components are mated such that the stud 74 slides into the vertical slot portion 70, whereafter the upper component can be rotated relative to the lower component to allow the stud to slide into the horizontal slot portion 72 to prevent separation of the upper and lower components.
• a reverse process is used to separate the components 12 and 14 from each other. It will be appreciated that an additional, similar arrangement of slot portions 70 and 72, and stud 74, can be provided on a diametrically opposite side of the article 10.
• the article 10 may be used in promoting, for sale, a product of a particular type to consumers.
• the method may, for example, be performed by a person or entity such as a promotion coordinator or a supplier of the products.
• the particular embodiment of the article 10 which is used is such that the exterior appearance thereof is substantially the same as that of each product of the type in question.
• the method involves positioning the novelty article 10 amongst a number of the products in question, such that the novelty article looks substantially the same as each of the products, whereby the novelty article constitutes a dummy product.
• An example of where this method may be employed is where each product is a bottle containing a soft drink, where the products are placed on display in a retail outlet, in a commercial refrigerator.
• the liquid within the dummy product may selected so as to have an appearance substantially identical to that of the relevant soft drink, and may indeed be that type of soft drink liquid itself.
• the performance of the method relies on the chance selection of the novelty article 10 by a particular consumer, in which the consumer believes that he or she is selecting, for purchase, an actual item of the product.
• the method relies on a prize being provided, within the chamber 20 of the novelty article 10.
• the consumer After the consumer has selected the novelty article 10, believing it to be an item of the product, the consumer removes the lid 44 in an attempt to access the contents of what the consumer believes (in the present example) to be a bottle of soft drink. Once having removed the lid 44, the consumer will realise that the novelty article 10 is a dummy product rather than a genuine item of the product, and will observe the sheet of paper 82 within the cavity 48, and will thus be prompted to remove the sheet through the opening 50 and to read the instructions on the sheet.
• the instructions include that the consumer should remove the label 66 on the article 10 thus exposing the seam 64, and to separate the upper and lower components 12 and 14, respectively, from each other.
• the manner of separation of the components 12 and 14 will, of course, depend on whether the article 10 is the embodiment having screw threads 32 and 36, or the bayonet configuration described above with reference to Figure 5.
• the prize may be of any suitable form to attract the interest of consumers, such as cash money, a ticket for an event such as a sporting event, a gift- or similar- voucher, a toy or trinket, jewellery, and so on.
• a two-way communication system 76 which includes a navigation satellite system tracking device 78, for example a global positioning system (GPS) It will be appreciated that other satellite navigation tracking systems, such as the European Galileo system, may also be suitable.
• the communication system 76 is in the form of a mobile (cellular) telephone and is referred as such, below.
• the telephone 76 includes an actuation means in the form of a press-button 80.
• the piece of paper 82 with instructions is removed from the cavity 48 in the manner described above.
• the instructions may require the consumer to remove the telephone 76 from the chamber 20 once the chamber has been opened on separation of the components 12 and 14.
• the instructions may also require the consumer to move to a location at which a suitably strong signal can be received by the telephone 76, such as a location remote from tall buildings.
• the instructions may also be to the effect that the consumer should actuate the telephone 76 by depression of the button 80.
• the telephone 76 emits a suitable outgoing signal.
• This signal is received by relevant receiver means which, in a preferred embodiment, is a receiving station.
• relevant receiver means which, in a preferred embodiment, is a receiving station.
• the GPS device 78 is activated, and "locks onto" remote location- identifying means in the form of GPS navigation system satellites orbiting the globe. From signals emanating from the satellites, the GPS device 78 determines an estimate of its location. Once this estimation of location is determined, the telephone 76 emits a location signal, to the receiving station.
• the location signal contains information as to the estimated location of the GPS device 78, so that the estimated location, and hence that of the telephone 76 and of the consumer, can be determined.
• the step of receiving the location signal by the receiving station, and the determination thereby of the estimated location also form part of the method.
• the telephone 76 must be equipped with suitable means for doing so, which are referred to herein as location-transmission means, and which may form part of the GPS device 78.
• Suitable conditions and a suitable GPS device 78 can assist in enabling the location of the GPS device to be estimated, in terms of relevant latitude- and longitude-coordinates, and possibly also altitude, to within about 1 to 5 metres.
• a suitable communication device is a Track One GPS-enabled mobile telephone, by Benefon of Finland.
• the telephone 76 may be configured to automatically transmit a signal to the receiver station indicating the status of the process of "locking onto" the satellites by the GPS device 78, so that it can be determined once this has occurred.
• the relevant information about this process may be presented at the receiver station on a screen, such as a web-viewer screen.
• the outgoing signal described above is the location signal itself, so that the steps of receiving the outgoing signal and receiving the location signal by the receiver station is the same step.
• the method involves transmitting a reply signal from the receiver station, to the telephone 76, and hence to the consumer.
• the reply signal represents a message to the consumer.
• the telephone 76 is configured to receive this reply signal and to present it to the consumer in a form that the consumer can comprehend.
• the message is in the form of an SMS message received on an SMS display of the telephone 76, or in the form of a telephone call placed from the receiver station to the consumer.
• the telephone call may be a person-to-person call, or may be in the form of an automated audio message transmitted from the receiver station to the telephone 76, for receipt by the consumer.
• a preferred embodiment of the invention involves a prize being given to the consumer.
• the message sent to the consumer advises the consumer that the estimated location of the telephone 76, and hence of the consumer, has been determined, and that the consumer should await the approach of a prize bearer who will hand the prize to the consumer.
• the message may instead contain different information or instructions for the consumer. For example, it might request the consumer to go to another particular location to claim the prize, or to perform further activities before the prize may be claimed.
• the article 10 may be configured to automatically emit the outgoing signal when the upper component 12 is removed from the lower component 14 and the chamber 20 is opened to expose the telephone 76.
• the article 10 might also be configured to transmit the above-mentioned location signal automatically, so that a prize bearer may locate, and hand a prize to, the consumer, without the consumer even knowing that his or her location has been determined, so that the approach of the prize bearer is a complete surprise to the consumer.
• the ability of the telephone 76 to receive a human-comprehensible message is advantageous as it allows the consumer, virtually instantly, to be informed that knowledge of the selection of the dummy product constituted by the article 10 has been gleaned, for example, by the person or entity performing the promotional method. It also enables the consumer to be informed of the nature of the reward that will be provided. In addition, it allows arrangements, if required, to be made to facilitate the provision of the prize to the consumer, or for the consumer to be advised of what further steps may be necessary to satisfy any further conditions for receiving the prize.
• the nature of the novelty article 10, and the promotional methods described provide useful means for promoting the products in question, by encouraging consumers to purchase items of the product in the hope that they will select a dummy product and derive any benefits, rewards or prizes that may be forthcoming.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Details Of Rigid Or Semi-Rigid Containers (AREA)
• Packages (AREA)
• Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)
• Wrappers (AREA)
• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (4)

Family

ID=31501270

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (12)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (5)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2003
  • 2003-05-19 AU AU2003902403A patent/AU2003902403A0/en not_active Abandoned
• 2004
  • 2004-05-19 CA CA002526064A patent/CA2526064A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-05-19 EP EP04733734A patent/EP1628885B8/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-05-19 ES ES04733734T patent/ES2363427T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-05-19 AT AT04733734T patent/ATE503692T1/de active
  • 2004-05-19 PL PL04733734T patent/PL1628885T3/pl unknown
  • 2004-05-19 WO PCT/AU2004/000658 patent/WO2004101377A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2004-05-19 CN CNA2004800193901A patent/CN1819951A/zh active Pending
  • 2004-05-19 SI SI200431675T patent/SI1628885T1/sl unknown
  • 2004-05-19 DK DK04733734.0T patent/DK1628885T3/da active
  • 2004-05-19 DE DE602004032022T patent/DE602004032022D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2004-05-19 PT PT04733734T patent/PT1628885E/pt unknown

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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