Universal product code scannable coupon

• US 4,540,880 A
• Filed: 07/11/1983
• Issued: 09/10/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Webcraft Direct Marketing (Quad Graphics, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Beatrice Foods Company (Conagra Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hipko, George P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US06/512,658
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/493, 283/56, 283/81, 283/85
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/04 characterised by the shape
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0297 including a machine-readable marking, e.g. a bar code digitally marked record carriers in general G06K19/00

Abstract

A consumer attachable pre-oriented scannable coupon for use in combination with an article and an optical scanner system, comprising a generally planar member having a front and rear surface; said member including a stub portion and a dealer redemption return portion; force responsive separation means disposed between said stub portion and said dealer redemption return portion; said stub portion rear surface having adhesive means generally adjacent to the separation means for securing said stub portion to said article and for permitting ease in separation of said dealer redemption return portion from said stub portion once said stub portion is secured to an article; said stub portion front surface having optically scannable indicia means thereon for being scanned by said scanner system for transmitting data thereto; said stub portion front surface having premium information printed thereon spaced from an optically scannable indicia means; said dealer redemption return portion of front surface having printed information thereon; and, said dealer redemption return portion being separatable from said stub portion generally subsequent to said optically scannable indicia means being scanned by said scanner system and whereby said adhesive means secures said stub portion to said article while sufficient force is applied to said dealer redemption return portion for causing separation of said dealer redemption return portion from said stub portion as disclosed.

Claims

1. A consumer attachable pre-oriented scannable coupon for use in combination with an article and an optical scanning system, comprising:

a. a generally planar member having front and rear surfaces;

b. said member including a stub portion and a dealer redemption return portion;

c. force responsive separation means disposed between said stub portion and said dealer redemption return portion;

d. said stub portion rear surface having adhesive means generally adjacent said separation means for securing said stub portion to said article and for permitting ease in separation of said dealer redemption return portion from said stub portion when said stub portion is secured to an article;

e. said stub portion front surface having optically scannable indicia means thereon for being scanned by said scanner system and for transmitting data thereto;

f. said stub portion front surface having premium information printed thereon spaced from said optically scannable indicia means;

g. said dealer redemption return portion front surface having printed information thereon; and

,

h. said dealer redemption return portion being separatable from said stub portion generally subsequent to said optically scannable indicia means being scanned by said scanner system and whereby said adhesive means secures said stub portion to said article while sufficient force is applied to said dealer redemption return portion for causing separation of said dealer redemption return portion from said stub portion.

2. A coupon as in claim 1, wherein:

a. said member having a pair of generally parallel side edges, one of said side edges being associated with said dealer redemption return portion and the other one of said side edges being associated with said stub portion, and

b. said force responsive separation means including a series of perforations being generally parallel to said pair of side edges.

3. A coupon as in claim 2, wherein:

a. said adhesive means being generally parallel to said perforations.

4. A coupon as in claim 3, wherein:

a. said adhesive means including water activated glue.

5. A coupon as in claim 3, wherein:

a. said adhesive means including pressure sensitive glue means; and

,

b. a removable release strip associated with said pressure sensitive glue means and adapted for being removed therefrom for exposing said adhesive means.

6. A coupon as in claim 3, wherein:

a. dealer redemption return portion having a length substantially exceeding said stub portion length.

7. A coupon as in claim 3, wherein:

a. said optically scannable indicia means being generally parallel to said stub portion side edge and spaced therefrom.

8. A coupon as in claim 7, further comprising:

a. said member having a top edge and a bottom edge; and

,

b. a plurality of said members being interconnected whereby a top edge of a first member is connected to a bottom edge of a second member.

9. A coupon as in claim 8, wherein:

a. second force responsive separation means disposed between each of said plurality of members for ease of separation of said members.

10. A coupon as in claim 9, wherein:

a. said second force responsive separation means including a series of perforations.

11. A coupon as in claim 9, wherein:

a. said adhesive means of each of said members being aligned with said adhesive means of said other members.

12. A coupon as in claim 8, wherein:

a. said plurality of members being integral with each other.