NZ505366A - Vegetable identification tag - Google Patents

Abstract

The tag (1) is suitable for use in relation to a produce item (30) such as broccoli. It firstly includes a body (2) having a display surface (7) for the display of graphics or indicia. There is also an engagement means (5) including a biasing means (6) to bias the tag into engagement with the stem of the produce item when the tag is in use.

Description

Patents Form No. 4 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 1953 PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION IDENTIFICATION TAG l| '' PnOPERP/ QprifV'r 'rf :L" HZ ' I 2 2 JUN 2000 R,ECEIVFn We, LeaderBrand Produce Limited, a New Zealand company of 352 Lytton Road, Gisborne, New Zealand, do hereby declare this invention to be described in the following statement: 1 IDENTIFICATION TAG TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to identification tags for produce and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Traditionally many vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and the like are harvested and prepared for shipment to market and for retail sale without any form of identification or product information.

As a consequence of increasing levels of competition amongst growers and suppliers of produce, branding and promotional programs to build market share and consumer awareness are becoming important marketing tools. To that end a mechanism must be used to enable consumers to associate particular produce as coming from one source, and to distinguish that produce from 15 produce from other suppliers. Clearly this requires some form of labelling or tagging of produce for the purposes of identification.

To date most forms of produce labelling have either involved use of an adhesive label or the like directly on the produce, placing the produce in plastic bags 20 having identification and other information thereon; or use of labels attached to rubber bands. All of these methods have their particular disadvantages. For example, adhesive labels applied directly to produce may easily slip there from. Further, such labels are generally not of a size to carry sufficient graphics or indicia on the label so that it performs an effective point of sale function. 25 Similarly, rubber bands break, in which case all labelling is lost, and plastic packaging tears when the label is removed making the packaging less effective for the consumer's purposes.

In addition to a pure brand identification function suppliers of produce may 30 desire to "add value" to their products by communicating recipes and other product information to the consumer. Bar coding to facilitate pricing control for supermarkets is also an increasingly important consideration. 2 It is an object of the subject invention to provide a produce tag which overcomes at least some of the above noted problems, or which at least provides the public with a useful choice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to its broadest aspect the invention provides a tag, suitable for use in relation to a produce item, the tag including a body having a display surface adapted to display graphics or other indicia, and engagement means engageable, in use, with a stem of the said produce item.

Preferably the engagement means includes biasing means to, in use, bias the tag into engagement with the said stem of the said produce item.

Desirably the engagement means is configured and arranged to facilitate 15 engagement of the tag with a said produce item, but to discourage disengagement of the said tag from the said produce item.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a plan view of a preferred embodiment of a tag, or produce 20 label, according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the tag of figure 1 attached to a head of Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the tag of figure 1 attached to a head DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, a tag according to the invention is generally indicated 30 at 1. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the tag 1 mounted on a typical head of broccoli 20. broccoli; and of broccoli. 3 The tag 1 illustrated is shown as having a body 2 in the form of a circular planar disk. While in its preferred form the disk is circular, any shape, whether a polygon, a circle, or having a periphery made up of any number of curve sectors 5 and/or straight lines, is within the contemplation of the invention. At the centre of the disk 2 there is an aperture 3 through which, as illustrated in figures 2 and 3, the stem 31 of a produce item such as a head of broccoli 30 can be received.

The disk 2 is formed from a semi rigid material, such as a plastics material. 10 Alternatively cardboard, a resin impregnated paper, or laminate can be used.

The aperture 3 is shaped as a central circular part 4, outwardly from which radiate a series of equi-spaced fingers 5. Between adjacent fingers 5 the disk 2 forms a spike 6. In its preferred form the invention includes six fingers, 15 however, any number from three or more are within the contemplation of the invention.

The disk 2 has an upper surface 7 and a lower surface 8. Either or both of the surfaces 7,8 can be adapted to carry indicia and graphs, such as bar code 20 information, and grower/supplier/ brand identification. Further, depending on the size and shape of the disk 2, information such as recipes and product nutrition details may be displayed.

As illustrated in the drawings, the part 4 of the aperture 3 is of smaller 25 dimensions that the stem 31 of a typical head of broccoli 30. Consequently in use when the tag 1 is brought into engagement with the stem 31 the stem 31 comes into contact with the spikes 6. The material of the disk 2, being semirigid, allows the spikes 6 to deflect away from the stem 31, with the result that the central part 4 of the aperture 3 increases in dimension allowing the stem 31 30 to pass there through. 4 Optionally, and in the invention's preferred form, the spikes 6 deflect from their base 9, being the point of termination of adjacent fingers 5, at an increasing rate moving from the base 9 to the tip 10 of the spike 6 (that part of the spike 6 closest to the central part 4 of the aperture 3). Alternatively, the spike 6 may be 5 weakened along a line (not shown) defining the base 8 so the deflection occurs substantially at the weakened line rather than being spread along the spike 6.

Once deflected by the stem 31 of the broccoli head 30 each spike 6 of the tag 1, because of the nature of the material of the disk 2, is biased back to its original 10 orientation (refer figure 1) coplanar with the surfaces 8,9. Consequently, to a degree the spikes 6 therefore "bite" into the stem 31 of the broccoli head 30 holding the tag 1 in place.

As a result of their deflection, coupled with the biasing of the spikes 6 into 15 engagement with the stem 31, the tag 1 is firmly prevented from inadvertent removal from the broccoli 30. In practise this means that to remove the tag 1 in its entirety from the broccoli 30 the stem 31 must be severed from the broccoli head 32. As the stem 31 is generally regarded as not from consumption this does not result in any wasted of valuable produce.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a simple and effective advancement in the art.

Where in the foregoing description reference has been made to integers or 25 components having known equivalents then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated that changes may be made to the above described embodiments of the invention without departing from the principles 30 taught herein. To that end, and for example, The aperture 3 need not be located centrally of the tag 1, and indeed in some circumstances it may be desirable for the aperture 3 to be offset from the centre.

Further, the tag 1 has been described as having a planar body with planar display surfaces 8,9. In more sophisticated embodiments of the invention the tag 1 may be cone or box shaped, with display surfaces located on the outside surfaces of 5 the box or cone.

Equally, the tag 1 may be formed in two or more parts, with the display surface adapted to display graphics or other indicia being on one part, and the engagement means engageable, in use, with a stem of the said produce item 10 on the, or an, other part. In that regard, the engagement means may comprise any mechanism which locates the tag in position in use on the stem of the produce item.

Additional advantages of the present invention will become apparent for those 15 skilled in the art after considering the principles in particular form as discussed and illustrated. Thus, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described or illustrated, but is intended to cover all alterations or modifications which are within the spirit or scope of the appended claims. 6

Claims (17)

1. A tag, suitable for use in relation to a produce item, the tag including a body having a display surface adapted to display graphics or other indicia, and engagement means characterised in that said engagement means including biasing means to, in use, bias the tag into engagement with a stem of the said produce item.
2. A tag according to claim 1 wherein the engagement means is configured and arranged to, in use, facilitate engagement of the tag with the said produce item, but to discourage disengagement of the said tag from the said produce item.
3. A tag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the body is substantially planar.
4. A tag according to claim 3 wherein the planar body is shaped as a polygon, a circle, or having a periphery made up of any number of curve sectors and/or straight lines.
5. A tag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the engagement means comprises an aperture in the body through which, in use, the stem of a said produce can be received, with resilient protrusions extending inwardly of the aperture to, in use, engage the said stem.
6. A tag according to claim 6 wherein the aperture is located centrally of the body. Intellectual Property Office of NZ 2 4 MAR 2003 7 RECE^ED
7. 7. A tag according to claim 5 wherein the aperture is located off centre of the body.
8. 58. A tag according to claim 6 or 7 wherein the protrusions are equi-spaced from one another.
9. 9. A tag according to any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the protrusions terminate in a spike. 10
10. 10. A tag according to claim 9 wherein there are at least three protrusions.
11. 11. A tag according to claim 10 wherein there are six protrusions. 15
12. 12. A tag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the body has an upper surface and a lower surface, one of which is the display surface.
13. 13. A tag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the display 20 surface carries indicia and wherein the Indicia is bar code information, or grower, supplier, and/or brand identification.
14. 14. A tag according to claim 12 wherein at least one of the surfaces carries information for consumers, such as recipes and product nutrition details 25
15. 15. A tag according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the body is formed from a semi rigid material.
16. 16. A tag according to claim 15 wherein the semi-rigid material is either a 30 plastics material, cardboard, a resin impregnated paper, or a composite laminate material. Intellectual Property Office of NZ 2 h MAR 2003 RECEIVED
17. 17. A tag substantially as herein described and exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings. LEADERBRAND PRODUCE LIMITED By its attorneys Peter Verboeket and Company Per: 9 2 4 MAR 2003 RECEIVED