US3813801A

US3813801A - Advertising or novelty device

Info

Publication number: US3813801A
Application number: US00001517A
Authority: US
Inventors: C Schaaf
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-01-08
Filing date: 1970-01-08
Publication date: 1974-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-04

Abstract

A device for use in the field of advertising or as a novelty. The device comprises a rolled strip of plastic or the like that is preshaped to wrap around a can, such as a soft drink can. The exposed surface thereof would be printed with advertising matter or something novel. The unexposed surface which contacts the can would have at least a portion thereof coated with a plastic foam which serves as an insulator against heat transfer and reduces the formation of condensation.

Description

United States Patent Vander Schaaf ADVERTISING OR NOVELTY DEVICE [76] Inventor: Clair D. Vander Schaaf, 4019 S. Lakewood Dr., Memphis, Tenn. 38128 [221 Filed: Jan. 8, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 1,517

52 us. Cl. 40/306 [51] Int. Cl. G09f 3/00 [58] Field of Search 40/306, 316

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 1,295,300 2/1919 Gaiibert 40/306 1,756,944 5/1930 Gorton 2,929,161 3/1960 Kuyk 3,401,475 9/1968 Morehouse et a1. 40/306 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 683,012 2/1930 France 40/21 R 1 June 4, 1974 1,347,102 11/1963 France ,.40/306 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Attorney, Agent, or Firm-John R. Walker, 111

57 ABSTRACT A device for use in the field of advertising or as a novcity. The device comprises a rolled strip of plastic or the like that is preshaped to wrap around a can, such as a soft drink can. The exposed surface thereof would be printed with advertising matter or something novel. The unexposed surface which contacts the can would have at least a portion thereof coated with a plastic foam which serves as an insulator against heat transfer and reduces the formation of condensation.

" 1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures BQlQBOl PATENTED 4 INVENTOR. CLAIR D. VANDER SCHAAF ADVERTISING OR NOVELTY DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention: This invention relates to a device made use of for advertising purposes or as a novelty.

2. Description of the Prior Art: There are many advertising or novelty devices being marketed today. Some in the form of mugs, such as a mug having the cylindrical exterior resembling a can of nationally known soup, or a can of nationally known coffee. etc. The

Rush U.S. Pat. No. 2,081,409 is a beverage bottle SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed towards providing a rolled strip of plastic or the like that is preshaped to wrap around a can such as a soft drink can. The plastic strip having coiled resiliency is self-holding when placed around the cylindrical exterior of a soft drink can or the like. When it is installed on a can, it has an authentic appearance so that no one notices that it isnt the original label. A feature of the invention is that it may be removed and used on other cans, e.g., the device having the outward appearances of the advertising matter appearing on a nationally known beer label could he removed from the beer can and placed on a soft drink can; the soft drink can now having the outward appearances of a can of beer. There are no limits to the variety of matter which may be superimposed on the device. A few general groupings are l advertising of all forms; (2) decorative matter which may be used to cover a seemingly obnoxious can to be later displayed prominently; (3) it may be used as a novelty whereon something comical or risque may appear; (4) it may be used when provided in sets to distinguish one can from another, e.g., a group of people all drinking beverages from cans such as at a picnic or patio party, each person would have a device of the present invention wrapped around his beverage can which would distinguish it from any of the others. This may be in the form of different colors or numbers or both distinguishing colors and numbers combined.

Another feature of the present invention is that plastic foam strips, such as polyurethane, are adhered to the back side of the device. These plastic foam strips prevent the back side of the device from making total surface to surface contact with the can, thuscreating an air pocketwhich serves as an insulator against heat transfer and reduces the amount of condensation which normally forms on a cold surface.

Another embodiment of the device would include having substantially the entire back side covered with a thin film of foam plastic such as polyurethane and which accomplishes the same purpose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view of the device depicting the shape it assumes when placed around a can, the can having been removed for clarity.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a side elevation of the device, the can being phantomized to show certain relationships.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device as it would appear when forced to lay flat, and with the exterior surface facing up.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken as on line lV-IV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken as on line Vl\/l of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken as on line VII-VII of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the device showing the shape which the resiliency causes the device to assume when at rest and displaced from a can.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view similar to the upper right hand portion of FIG. 2, but showing another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The advertising or novelty device 11 of the present invention has a body portion 12 which is formed of rolled strip plastic, such as polyethelene or thelike, and is intended to be wrapped around a typical beverage can 13 or the like. The body 12 has an inherent inward urging resiliency which causes it to assume a voluted shape when disassocated from a can 13 and at rest, as best viewed in FIG. 8. Body portion 12 is relatively thin, and has an inner surface 15 and an outer surface 17. The outer surface 17 is intended to have permanently superimposed thereon certain indicia or matter such as decorative, advertising, novelty or other distinguishing matter, one form of which is indicated as at 18. The decorative matter may be elaborate or simply colorful, in which case it would preferably be used to cover a can which, in its'prior appearance was seemingly offensive but may now be displayed with pride, e.g., cleanser cans in the bathroom or Parmesan cheese cans for the dinner table. The advertising matter may be a replica of a typical label used on any commodity packaged in cans for marketing, e.g., a nationally known beer can, soft drink can, soup can or the like. The device 11 could be included as an additional label by the company concerned as a promotional item, in which case it would be the desire of the company concerned that the device 11 would be removed and used to cover other cans, i.e., placing the device 11 having a well known beer label thereon around a soft drink can. The device 11 may be used as a novelty by being superimposed with a clever image, a comical saying, risque phrase or a witty combination thereof. The device ll could be used as a distinguishing feature by having a set comprising a plurality with each having distinguishing features, i.e., at a picnic or patio party where several people are drinking beverages from cans, each being wrapped with a different colored and/or numbered device 11 as an identifying feature.

The inner surface 15 of the device 11 has two insulating strips of

plastic foam

19, 21, such as polyurethane,

bonded thereto. The one strip 19 is positioned adjacent the upper edge 23, and is spaced below the edge 23 by a dimension substantially equal to the thickness of the upper annular sealing crimp 25 of the can 13. The other strip 21 is positioned adjacent the lower edge 27 and is spaced above the edge 27 by a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the lower annular sealing crimp 29 of the can 13. If desired, the upper edge 23 of body portion 12 may terminate just below the crimp 25, as shown in FIG. 9, and similarly the lower edge 27 may terminate just above the lower edge 27, in which case the

strips

19, 21 would not be spaced from the

edges

23, 27 and would preferably be thinner, as shown by the strip 19 in FIG. 9.

The body 12 is provided with a marginal tab 31 which is integrally formed with body 12 and projects beyond the edge 32 of the body. The tab 31 is shorter in its vertical dimension than body 12 and is centered vertically relative to the body so that the upper edge 31 of tab 31 is spaced below the edge 23 by substantially the same amount that lower edge 31" of tab 31 is spaced above edge 27. Also, the vertical dimension of tab 31 is preferably slightly less than the distance between

strips

19, 21, for a purpose later to be described. The

ends

20, 22 of

strips

19, 21 are preferably flush with the margin or edge 32 of body 12 and the opposite ends 20, 22' of the strips are preferably flush with the outer limit of margin 33 of body 12. The

foam strips

19, 21 prevent the body 12 from making total surface to surface contact of the body 12 with the cylindrical surface of the can 13, thus, substantially trapping a pocket of dead air between the cylindrical surface of the can 13 and the inner surface of the body 12, which serves as an insulator against heat transfer and reduces the tendency for condensation to form on the surface 17 of the body 12. Accordingly, an iced drink tends to remain cold until consumed and the cylindrical gripping surface 17 of the body 12 is not unpleasantly cold to the users fingers. The portion of margin 33 between

strips

19, 21 overlaps tab 31 which preferably has an offset 35, the dimension of which corresponds to the thickness of the material forming the body 12 so that a smooth uninterrupted surface is presented to the users hands.

A second embodiment, depicted in FIG. 5, comprises identical structure as heretofore disclosed but with this difference: The

foam strips

19, 21 are replaced with an insulating foam backing 37 which substantially covers the surface 15 of the device 11. The plastic foam 37 is spaced inwardly from the outer limit or edge of margin 33 by an amount substantially equal to the width of the tab 31 so that foam 37 will not interfere with the positioning of tab 31 under margin 33. The bonded foam plastic 37 is set in from the upper and lower margins 23, 27 a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the upper and lower annular sealing crimps 25, 29 forming an upper and

lower edge

39, 41 having substantial identical relationship with the body portion 12 as does the corresponding edges of the upper and lower

plastic form strips

19, 21 with the body portion 12 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. However, if desired, the relationship of the foam to the upper and lower edges of the body 12 maybe as heretofore described relative to FIG. 9. The plastic foam 37, being formed of polyurethane or the like, substantially traps air within its numerous cells which provides an insulator between the cylindrical surface of the can 13 and the body 14. This minimizes heat transfer and reduces the tendency for condensation to form on the cylindrical surface 17 of the body 12. Accordingly, a cold drink tends to remain cold, and the cylindrical gripping surface 17 of the body 12 is not unpleasantly cold to the users fingers.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination; a can having an exterior cylindrical surface, an upper annular sealing crimp, and a lower annular sealing crimp; a device comprising a discontinuous body portion having opposite end margins, said body portion covering said exterior cylindrical surface with said margins being adjacent one another and said body portion extending from adjacent said upper sealing crimp to a place adjacent said lower sealing crimp, said body portion being formed of a resilient material of substantially rectangular configuration when held flat and having an inherent tendency to move to a convolute disposition when unrestrained whereby said body portion is urged in gripping relationship to said can to removably hold said body portion in place on said can, said body portion having indicia imposed on the exterior surface thereof, and said body portion including a tab projecting beyond one end margin of said body portion, said tab being offset a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said body portion, and removably fitting under the margin of said body portion at the opposite end thereof from said tab. l

Claims

1. In combination; a can having an exterior cylindrical surface, an upper annular sealing crimp, and a lower annular sealing crimp; a device comprising a discontinuous body portion having opposite end margins, said body portion covering said exterior cylindrical surface with said margins being adjacent one another and said body portion extending from adjacent said upper sealing crimp to a place adjacent said lower sealing crimp, said body portion being formed of a resilient material of substantially rectangular configuration when held flat and having an inherent tendency to move to a convoLute disposition when unrestrained whereby said body portion is urged in gripping relationship to said can to removably hold said body portion in place on said can, said body portion having indicia imposed on the exterior surface thereof, and said body portion including a tab projecting beyond one end margin of said body portion, said tab being offset a distance substantially equal to the thickness of said body portion, and removably fitting under the margin of said body portion at the opposite end thereof from said tab.