Product identification system for persons with limited vision

• US 8,944,823 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2009
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: George Kasboske
• Original Assignee: George Kasboske
• Inventors: Kasboske, George
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US12/322,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20100200449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 434112-116, 116/DIG.17, 220/670, 220/671, 206/549.5
• US Class Current: 434/112
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/286 Show stands having sampling means, e.g. colour, taste, perfume
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/02 Labels
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/003 using tactile presentation of the information, e.g. Braille displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 23/00 Advertising on or in specific articles, e.g. ashtrays, letter-boxes on or in vehicles G09F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps

Abstract

A method of facilitating the identification of portable consumer articles at a point of purchase display, the method including the steps of: providing a plurality of portable consumer articles each with tactilely sensible information thereon that identifies at least one of: a) a general nature of the article and/or its contents; and b) a provider of the article; and displaying the plurality of articles at the point of purchase display in a manner that allows potential consumers to lift and handle each of the plurality of articles so as to thereby readily determine through tactile sensing of the information at least one of: a) the general nature of the handled article and/or its contents; and b) the provider of the handled article.

Claims

1. A portable consumer article comprising:

a container;

a product in the container; and

tactilely sensible information upon the container that identifies at least one of;

a) a general nature of the container;

b) a general nature of the product; and

c) a provider of the product,

the tactilely sensible information comprising protrusions and a discrete label over the protrusions through which the protrusions can be sensed by a user,

wherein the container has a discrete depression within which the tactilely sensible information resides,

the discrete depression having a lengthwise dimension,

the discrete label having a substantially flat shape between spaced ends with a length between the spaced ends that spans the lengthwise dimension of the depression,

the protrusions each having a tapered body that terminates at a sharp distal end that is detectable by deforming the label against the protrusions, the protrusions arranged in a fixed pattern to provide the tactilely sensible information upon the container.

2. The portable consumer article according to claim 1 wherein the product in the container is an edible product.

3. The portable consumer article according to claim 1 wherein the container has a volume for the product and is reconfigurable to change the volume of the container.

4. The portable consumer article according to claim 3 wherein the container has accordion folds that are reconfigurable to change the volume of the container.

5. The portable consumer article according to claim 3 wherein the tactilely sensible information is in the form of Braille.

6. The portable consumer article according to claim 3 wherein the container is configured to be held in a hand of a user and squeezed to change the volume of the container.

7. The portable consumer article according to claim 3 wherein the container has a wall with a surface and a raised rim extending outwardly from the wall surface and around a space within which the tactilely sensible information resides.

8. The portable consumer article according to claim 1 wherein the tactilely sensible information is not in the form of Braille.

9. The portable consumer article according to claim 1 wherein the length of the discrete label between the spaced ends is only slightly greater than the lengthwise dimension of the depression.

10. The portable consumer article according to claim 1 wherein the protrusions are formed integrally with the container.

11. The portable consumer article according to claim 1 wherein the protrusions are formed as part of a sub-assembly that is attached to the container.

12. The portable consumer article according to claim 1 wherein the protrusions each has a tapered body that terminates at a sharp distal end that is sensed through the discrete label.

13. The portable consumer article according to claim 12 wherein the label is spaced from the sharp distal ends so that a user is required to locally deform the label to move against the sharp distal ends to sense the sharp distal ends.

14. A portable consumer article comprising:

a container;

a product in the container; and

tactilely sensible information upon the container that identifies at least one of;

a) a general nature of the container;

b) a general nature of the product; and

c) a provider of the product,

the tactilely sensible information comprising protrusions and a label over the protrusions through which the protrusions can be sensed by a user,

wherein the container has a wall with an exposed outer surface and a raised rim extending outwardly from the exposed outer wall surface and around a space within which the tactilely sensible information resides,

the tactilely sensible information comprising fixed protrusions each with a fixed tapered body that terminates at a sharp distal end that is detectable by deforming the label against the protrusions.

15. The portable consumer article according to claim 14 wherein the tactilely sensible information is in the form of Braille.

16. The portable consumer article according to claim 14 wherein the raised rim extends outwardly from the exposed outer wall surface fully around the space.