Dual-use customizable messaging item
The dual-use customizable messaging item, featuring a removable cover and customizable messaging area, addresses the issue of limited utility in existing messaging items by allowing repurposing as a coaster or other items, enhancing both practicality and environmental sustainability.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/US2024/059086
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-12-11
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-08
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing customizable messaging items, such as personalized greeting cards, often have limited utility beyond their initial use as gifts, leading to unnecessary discard and waste.
A dual-use customizable messaging item comprising a carrier with a removable cover and a customizable messaging area, allowing the item to be initially used as a greeting message attached to another item and subsequently repurposed as a coaster, photo frame, or pendant.
The dual-use design extends the utility of the messaging item beyond its initial use, providing a practical and eco-friendly solution by allowing the item to be reused and recycled, while maintaining the personal touch of customization.
Smart Images

Figure US2024059086_19062025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Docket Number: ZDR-1-PCT TITLE DUAL-USE CUSTOMIZABLE MESSAGING ITEMBACKGROUND
[0001] Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection withcustomizable messaging items and personalized greeting items such as cards, notes, gifts, etc.More particularly, the invention describes a dual-use customizable messaging item that can firstserve as a greeting message attached to another item, such as a bottle of wine, which is followed by a second use as a coaster, picture frame, or pendant once detached from the bottle.
[0002] A customizable messaging item, such as a personalized greeting card, attached to a bottleof wine is a thoughtful and elegant gift idea that combines the warmth of a personal message with the sophistication of a fine beverage. This type of gift is particularly popular for occasions such asbirthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or even as corporate or promotional gifts or giveaways. Thepersonalized card allows the giver to express sentiments, congratulations, or appreciation in a way that is unique to the relationship with the recipient. This personal touch adds a layer of intimacy and thoughtfulness to the gift.
[0003] Attaching the card to the bottle can be done in various creative ways, such as using adecorative ribbon or a specially designed tag, which further enhances the presentation of the gift.This method of gifting is visually appealing and immediately captures the recipient's attention,making the unboxing experience special.
[0004] Moreover, this type of gift or messaging item is versatile and suitable for a wide range ofrecipients, making it a go-to choice for many people. It is appropriate for personal occasions as well as professional settings, offering a balance of personalization and formality. The combinationof a personalized greeting card with a bottle of wine or some other beverage is a classic, yetcustomizable gift choice that conveys thoughtfulness, sophistication, and a personal touch.
[0005] However, in most cases, once the gift is received, the greeting item itself is no longer usefuland is usually discarded despite thoughtful efforts spent for its creation. There is a need to preservethe personalized greeting item itself and provide an environment where it can still be used anddisplayed beyond the initial occasion.
[0006] Individualized coasters are also generally known in the art. A personalized coaster is acustom-designed item used to protect surfaces from the moisture and heat of drinks, while also serving as a decorative or meaningful piece. Typically made from materials like cork, wood, plastic, or ceramic, these coasters can be personalized with individualized images, text, logos, or unique designs, making them suitable for both personal and commercial use.
[0007] For personal use, a personalized coaster can be a thoughtful gift, reflecting the recipient'sinterests, memories, or relationships. For example, a set of coasters could feature family photos, favorite quotes, or artwork, making them not just functional, but also a conversation starter and a cherished keepsake. In a commercial setting, personalized coasters can be an effective marketing tool, displaying a company's logo or branding, and they are often used in restaurants, bars, or at corporate events.
[0008] The advantages of customized coasters include their practicality in protecting surfacesfrom damage caused by drinks, their ability to be customized to suit any occasion or purpose, and their potential as unique gifts or promotional items. They are usually durable, easy to clean, and reusable, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable coasters. On the other hand, not many people go through the expense and effort to design and produce such items.
[0009] There is a need to simplify that process and make it easy to create and protect anindividualized item in the form of a greeting or a personalized gift by adapting the item for a second purpose or use, for example, as a drink coaster.
[0010] There are many other situations in which a customizable messaging item may be used,which is likely discarded after the first use despite a lot of residual value in the item itself. Preservation of this item via adapting it for another use may be a welcomed improvement to its utility. SUMMARY
[0011] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other drawbacksof the prior art by providing a novel customizable messaging or greeting item that may be repurposed after the first use into a second and longer-lasting utility.
[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel customizable messagingitem that allows rapid personalization prior to presenting to another person, while also facilitating preservation of the messaging item for further use.
[0013] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel customizable messagingitem that is easy to produce, utilize, and recycle - all with a minimal environmental impact.
[0014] It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel customizable messagingitem that can be universally and easily affixed to a broad range of other items that are used forgifting, decorating, and / or greeting purposes.
[0015] The dual-use customizable messaging item of the present invention may generally includea carrier and a removable cover or case. The carrier may be made from any type of paper stock orother suitable planar material. It may be divided into a first portion and a second portion. The firstportion may be configured to removably affix the entire messaging item to another item, such asa bottle of wine or other beverage, a coffee mug, a bag, a box, a hanger, a display rack, etc. Thesecond portion may be configured to be detachable from the first portion, for example, byproviding a scoring or perforation line separating the first portion from the second portion. Thesecond portion may contain a customizable messaging area, configured to write a greeting message or affix a greeting image thereto.
[0016] The removable cover may be first provided as a stand-alone item and be configured toenclose or envelop only the second portion of the carrier. The cover may be configured for displaying the customizable messaging area, for example, by being entirely or partially transparent, or by having a viewing window made to allow displaying of the customizable messaging or greeting area.
[0017] The present invention may be provided in a dual-use configuration: when the first portionis attached to the second portion, the messaging item may be configured for a first use, for exampleas a greeting use of displaying the customizable messaging area while being affixed to anotheritem. Once the first use is accomplished, the first portion of the carrier may be manually removed and discarded, while the second portion may be configured for a second use when the messaging item is no longer affixed to another item. Such second use may include that of a coaster, photo frame, pendant, etc., as described below in greater detail.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Subject matter is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portionof the specification. The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0019] FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of the steps to prepare the customized messaging item ofone embodiment of the present invention,
[0020] FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the entire item,
[0021] FIGURE 3 is a perspective exploded view of the same,
[0022] FIGURE 4 is a front view of the same,
[0023] FIGURE 5 is the side view of the same,
[0024] FIGURE 6 is a first side view of the cover of the present invention,
[0025] FIGURE 7 is a front view of the same,
[0026] FIGURE 8 is a second side view of the same,
[0027] FIGURE 9 is a third side view of the same,
[0028] FIGURE 10 is first side view of a first or second half of the cover,
[0029] FIGURE 11 is a front view of the same,
[0030] FIGURE 12 is a second side view of the same,
[0031] FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of the same,
[0032] FIGURE 14 is a perspective enlarged view of the first attachment part of the cover,
[0033] FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of the second attachment part of the cover,
[0034] FIGURE 16 is a front view of the carrier of the present invention,
[0035] FIGURES 17a and 17b show an alternative carrier in the attached and detached form,
[0036] FIGURES 18a and 18b show another alternative carrier in the attached and detached form,and
[0037] FIGURES 19a and 19b show another yet alternative carrier and cover in the attached anddetached form.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0038] The following description sets forth various examples along with specific details to providea thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that claimed subject matter may be practiced without one or more of the specific details disclosed herein. Further, in some circumstances, well-known methods, procedures, systems, components and / or circuits have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the claimed subject matter. In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated and make part of this disclosure.
[0039] Fig. 1 illustrates a general schematic approach of the dual-use customizable messagingitem 100 of the present invention. A carrier 102 is seen from the first side on the left part of thetop portion in Fig. 1. It generally consists of a first portion 110 and a second portion 140. The second portion 140 may contain an illustration or a greeting image on the first side thereof. Theright top corner of Fig. 1 shows the opposite side of the carrier 102 comprising the other side 112of the first portion 110 and the other side 142 of the second portion 140. The one or, in other embodiments, both sides of the second portion 140 may contain a customizable messaging area,which may occupy a portion of or the entire area of the second portion 140. A user may, in some examples, write a greeting message or another customized note on one or both sides of the second portion.
[0040] In further embodiments, the image, message, or another customized note on one or bothsides of the second portion of the carrier may be preprinted and not modified by the user, as the invention is not limited in this regard.
[0041] Once the user is satisfied with the appearance of the second portion, the cover 170 may beplaced over the second portion 140 of the carrier 102 such that it may protect at least thecustomizable messaging area or the entire second portion 140. The cover 170 may be attached to one or both sides of the second portion and envelop it in a partial or complete manner. The cover170 may be made at least translucent or transparent in some portions of the cover or in its entirety.In other embodiments, the cover 170 may contain a viewing window over at least the customizable messaging area and be configured to facilitate the displaying thereof such that the message or greeting is visible when the cover is attached to the second portion 140.
[0042] Once attached, the cover 170 may be secured to prevent unexpected opening thereof. Insome embodiments, the attachment may be made permanent, for example, with the help of an adhesive, released prior to the attachment (not shown in the drawings). In other embodiments, the closing of the cover over the second portion 140 may be reversible, allowing the user or another person to have access to the second portion 140.
[0043] Once the cover 170 is assembled over the second portion 140, the entire dual-usecustomizable messaging item 100 may be removably affixed to another item for the purposes ofdecorating or identifying the other item or to provide it with a custom message intended for aparticular one or several recipients.
[0044] One example of such circumstance in which the messaging item 100 of the presentinvention may be used is to decorate another item or gift. In some embodiments, such other itemor gift may be a bottle of wine, as seen in the lower portion of Fig. 1. A conventional wine bottle10 may contain an elongated neck 12 with a spout to access the wine or another liquid insidethereof. The first portion 110 may contain a suitably sized opening allowing the first portion tohang over the neck 12, as seen in Fig. 1. Positioning the messaging item of the invention in such a manner will facilitate the displaying of the customizable messaging area of the second portion and will provide a tactful and personalized decoration for the bottle 12. This constitutes the firstuse of the messaging item of the invention.
[0045] After the gift is presented to its recipient, the first portion may be taken off the bottle anddetached from the second portion, for example, by tearing off along a scoring or perforation lineseparating the first portion from the second portion. The first portion 110 may be removed and discarded, while the second portion and the cover assembly 190 may be used for a second purpose, such as a custom coaster, in one example. In this case, the second use of assembly 190 will still allow the displaying of the customized messaging area and preserve the memory of receiving the gift for its recipient.
[0046] A coaster integrated into a note hanging on a wine bottle with a personalized greetingpresents a unique and multifunctional product with several advantages. Primarily, this design serves the dual purpose of being a thoughtful greeting and a practical coaster. The greeting item 100, attached to the bottle 12, immediately draws attention, making it an excellent tool for personal messages or branding for corporate gifts. This integration of a greeting with a bottle makes the gesture more memorable and impactful, especially if the note is tailored for specific occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or promotional events.
[0047] The coaster assembly 190, once detached from the bottle, becomes a useful householditem. This feature adds value to the gift, extending its utility beyond a single use. The recipientcan use the coaster to protect surfaces from heat or moisture, making it a practical addition to anyhome or office. The design of the coaster can be stylish and complementary to various decor styles, enhancing its appeal.
[0048] Additionally, the integration of a coaster with a personalized note ensures that the messageand the gift remain together, reducing the likelihood of the message getting lost or separated from the bottle 12. This design is also eco-friendly, as it encourages the reuse of the coaster, reducing waste. It's a creative way to combine sentiment with functionality, making the overall gift both meaningful and practical.
[0049] The details of the key elements and components of the customizable messaging item ofthe present invention are now described with reference to Figs. 2-15. Fig. 2 presents a general view of the messaging item 100 with the first portion 110 attached to the assembly 190 of thesecond portion 140 and cover 170. The cover 170, in turn, comprises two identical half-cover parts172, as seen in the exploded view in Fig. 3. Figs. 4 and 5 show the front and side views of thecustomizable messaging item 100 with the first portion 110 attached to the assembly 190 of thesecond portion 140 and cover 170.
[0050] While a design of cover 170 in the form of two removably attached half-cover parts 172may be advantageous, as described below in greater detail, the present invention may not be limited in this regard. Other designs of cover 170 are also contemplated to be within the scope ofthe claims, for example, a two-part plastic cover with a living hinge on one side thereof, or twoseparate cover parts that may be connected via adhesive, clamped together, or fused together byother known means, as may be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
[0051] Returning now to the design shown in Figs.2-15, the assembled cover 170 comprising twohalf-cover parts 172 attached to each other is shown in different projections in Figs. 6-9. Each individual part 172 is illustrated in greater detail in Figs.10-13, with close-ups of the details seenin Figs.14 and 15. To illustrate producing the part 172 from a transparent material, these drawingsshow every edge of every part, and for that reason, they are provided in a “wireframe” view mode.
[0052] The half-cover part 172 may be made in a generally square or rectangular shape. Otheroptional shapes suitable for the purposes of the present invention are described in greater detail infurther parts of this description below. The half-cover part 172 may have a central area 180surrounded by a border 186. At least the central area 180 or the entire part 172 may be made from at least a translucent, or, in other embodiments, a transparent material. Examples of appropriate materials include acrylic, polypropylene, polycarbonate, or other plastic or polymer-basedmaterials known to be suitable for this purpose. In other embodiments, various metal materials oreven organic materials like cork or wood can be used. In other embodiments, the half-cover part 172 may be made from an opaque plastic and the central area 180 may have a cut-out viewing window to allow displaying the customizable messaging area of the second portion 140 of the carrier 102 therethrough. The thickness of the central area 180 may be suitable to rigidize the carrier 102 and may depend on a particular choice of polymer. In some examples, the thicknessof this portion of the part 172 may range from about 0.003 inches to about 0.5 inches. In otherembodiments, a choice to make this portion thicker may be made to better protect the content inside the cover 170 if necessary, as the invention is not limited in this regard.
[0053] The border 186 surrounding the central area 180 may be made thicker to accommodate theattachment elements required to secure one part 172 to the other, thereby forming the entire cover 170. The border 186 may have a sufficient thickness to form a pocket inside the cover 170 to accommodate the carrier 102, and, optionally, a cavity or space for an additional mementopositioned along with the second portion 140. Examples of such additional mementos, which insome cases may necessitate an increase in the size of the border 186 or entire cover 170, mayinclude a key, a pin, a coin, a cork, a wine label, a medal, a card, a photograph, and a computer memory stick. Such items may be placed inside the cover 170 either along with the second portion or in a cavity specially formed for that purpose in the half-cover part 172 (not shown in the drawings).
[0054] Furthermore, the half-cover 172 may have a cutout 174 of suitable thickness toaccommodate the first portion of the carrier protruding out of at least on one side of the cover 170,as seen in Figs.3, 11, and 13.
[0055] Attachment elements required to assemble the parts 172 together are now described. Theymay consist of a pair of raised elements 182 and a pair of corresponding cavities 184. The raisedelements 182 may be located on adjacent corners of the part 172, while the two cavities 184 maybe located on the remaining two corners of the part 172 – as best seen in Figs. 11 and 13. Eachraised element 182 may have a foot 181 and a head 188 located above the adjacent surface of theborder 186 – as seen in Fig. 15.
[0056] Each cavity 184 (see Fig. 14) may be formed to be flush with the surrounding surface ofthe border 186. The cavity 184 may include a well 185 sized to accept the foot 181 and the head 188 inside thereof. The cavity 184 may further include one or a pair of elongated protrusions 187 defining the elongated space 183 at the bottom of the cavity 184. The distance between the protrusions 187 may be the same as the width of the foot 181, while the width of the elongated space 183 may correspond to accept the head 188 inside thereof. In further embodiments, at least one or both protrusions 187 may include a detent 189 sized to restrict but still allow the movement of the foot 181 across thereof with an additional effort.
[0057] The size and location of the raised elements 182 and the corresponding cavities 184 maybe selected such that when the two parts 172 are positioned to have their respective raised elements 182 facing the cavities 184, the parts 172 may be brought together and engaged by a slight rotation of one part of 172 relative to another, whereby the raised elements 182 are cooperating with the cavities 184 to hold the cover 170 together. One advantage of this design is that only one part 172 needs to be produced, and the use of two identical half-cover parts 172 may be sufficient to form the entire cover 170.
[0058] The carrier 102 is now described in greater detail with reference to Fig. 16. The carriermay be made from a planar paper-based, fabric-based, or polymer-based stock material, forexample, a stock paper used to produce conventional greeting cards. In some embodiments, the carrier may have a thickness ranging from 0.001 inches to 0.50 inches, such as at least 0.001 inches, at least 0.003 inches, at least 0.005 inches, at least 0.01 inches, at least 0.02 inches, at least 0.03 inches, at least 0.05 inches, at least 0.1 inches, at least 0.2 inches or up to 0.5 inches. Thicker stock may also be used in some special cases, as the invention is not limited in this regard.
[0059] The carrier 102 comprises a first portion 110 delineated from the second portion 140 by aline 120, which, in some embodiments, may have perforations or scoring to facilitate manualdetachment of the first portion 110 from the second portion 140. In other embodiments, the rigid side of the cover 170 may be sufficient to tear away the first portion 110 from the second portion140. In some embodiments, the line 120 may be straight, as seen in Fig.16. In other embodiments,the line 120 may be curved or have another suitable shape, as seen in Figs.17-19.
[0060] The first portion 110 of the carrier 102 may be suitably shaped for removably affixing theitem 100 to another item. To accomplish this, an opening or a cut-out 112 may be provided, optionally accompanied by at least one or a plurality of expandable slits 114 configured toremovably affix the first portion 110 to another item 10 with a retention force defined by theexpanded at least one slit 114 of the cut-out 112.
[0061] In further embodiments, the first portion 110 may include at least one ribbon, string, orother part capable of being tied configured to facilitate the first portion 110 and the entire item 100 to be removably affixed to another item 10.
[0062] The second portion 140 may be sized to fit inside the cover 170 and facilitate writing,printing, drawing, or otherwise producing a predetermined or customized message or image on one or both sides thereof. In the example seen in Fig. 16, the second part 140 may be sized to fit over the central area 180 inside the border 186 of the cover 170.
[0063] The customizable messaging item 100 may be made in other shapes and designs ascompared to the previously described square embodiments. Just some examples of alternative shapes for the cover 170 and the corresponding second portion 140 include as follows: a triangle, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, an octagon, a circle, an oval, a star, a heart (seeFigs. 17a and 17b), a skull (see Figs. 18a and 18b), a head of or a part of or an entire animal, apiece of or an entire food item, a ball, a basketball, a baseball, a football, a brand logo, a cup, a glass for drinking fluid, a beer can, a beer mug, or a combination thereof.
[0064] In further embodiments, the first portion 110 may be shaped and configured toremovably affix the item 100 to a variety of items, such as those selected from the group consisting of a bottle, a mug, a cup, a glass for drinking fluid, a box, a bag, a pack of beer, a coffee mug, a coffee bag, a coffee accessory or tool, a thermos, a door handle, a hanger, a hanger rack, a merchandise rack, or a display rack.
[0065] The cover 170 and the full assembly 190 may also have a second use other than that ofa drink coaster. Further embodiments of the invention may be configured for a second use as adisplay frame (Figs. 19a and 19b), a display stand, a piece of jewelry, a receptacle (for examplea vase or a pot), or combinations thereof. In the case of using the assembly 190 as a display stand, an extendable stand may be provided on one side of the cover 170, which facilitates displaying the customizable messaging area in an elevated manner when the stand portion is extended from the cover 170 (not shown in the drawings).
[0066] It is contemplated that any embodiment discussed in this specification can be implementedwith respect to any method of the invention, and vice versa. It will be also understood thatparticular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitationsof the invention. The principal features of this invention can be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
[0067] All publications and patent applications mentioned in the specification are indicative ofthe level of skill of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. All publications andpatent applications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individualpublication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated byreference. Incorporation by reference is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated thatis contrary to the explicit disclosure herein, no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein, and any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.
[0068] The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term “comprising” inthe claims and / or the specification may mean “one,” but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,” and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claimsis used to mean “and / or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “and / or.” Throughout this application, the term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for the device, the method being employed to determine the value, or the variation that exists among the study subjects.
[0069] As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (and any form ofcomprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having” (and any form of having, such as“have” and “has”), “including” (and any form of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or“containing” (and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) are inclusive or open- ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. In embodiments of any of the compositions and methods provided herein, “comprising” may be replaced with “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of”. As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of” requires the specified integer(s) or steps as well as those that do not materially affect the character or function of the claimed invention. As used herein, the term “consisting” is used to indicate the presence of the recited integer (e.g., a feature, an element, a characteristic, a property, a method / process step or a limitation) or group of integers (e.g., feature(s), element(s), characteristic(s), propertie(s), method / process steps or limitation(s)) only.
[0070] The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to all permutations andcombinations of the listed items preceding the term. For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to include at least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is important in a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB. Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations that contain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, AB, BBC, AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan will understand that typically there is no limit on the number of items or terms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.
[0071] As used herein, words of approximation such as, without limitation, “about”, "substantial"or "substantially" refers to a condition that when so modified is understood to not necessarily be absolute or perfect but would be considered close enough to those of ordinary skill in the art to warrant designating the condition as being present. The extent to which the description may vary will depend on how great a change can be instituted and still have one of ordinary skilled in the art recognize the modified feature as still having the required characteristics and capabilities of the unmodified feature. In general, but subject to the preceding discussion, a numerical valueherein that is modified by a word of approximation such as “about” may vary from the stated value by at least ±1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 or 25%.
[0072] All of the devices and / or methods disclosed and claimed herein can be made and executedwithout undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the devices and methods of this invention have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the devices and / or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A dual-use customizable messaging item comprising:a carrier having a first portion configured to removably affix the entire customizable messaging item to another item, and a second portion detachable from the first portion, the second portion containing a customizable messaging area, and a removable cover configured to enclose only the second portion of the carrier, the cover is configured for displaying the customizable messaging area, wherein when the first portion is attached to the second portion, the dual-use customizablemessaging item is configured for a first use of displaying the customizable messaging areawhile being affixed to another item, and wherein when the first portion is manually detached from the second portion, the cover and the second portion are configured for a second use while no longer being affixed to another item.2 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises aplanar sheet of paper-based or polymer-based material with a thickness ranging from 0.001inches to 0.50 inches.3 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein the carrier comprises aperforation line or a scoring line separating the first portion from the second portion to facilitate manual detachment thereof.4 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein the cover is configured torigidize and protect the second portion and the customizable messaging area thereof.5 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein at least a part of the coveris at least translucent, transparent, or contains a window for displaying the customizable messaging area of the second portion.6 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a firsthalf-cover part and a second half-cover part configured to attach to each other and envelop thesecond portion of the carrier in between thereof, wherein the first portion is exposed andavailable for a manual removal from the cover, while leaving the second portion in placebetween the first half-cover part and the second half-cover part.
7. The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 6, wherein the first half-cover part isidentical to the second half-cover part and configured to removably attach thereto in asymmetrically opposite orientation.8 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein upon detachment from thefirst portion, the cover and the second portion are configured for the second use as a drink coaster, a display frame, a display stand, a piece of jewelry, a receptacle, or combinations thereof.9 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein the cover is planar and isshaped as a triangle, a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, an octagon, a circle, an oval, a star, a heart, a skull, a head of or a part of or an entire animal, a piece of or an entire food item, a ball, a basketball, a baseball, a football, a brand logo, a cup, a glass for drinking fluid,a beer can, a beer mug, or a combination thereof.10 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein the first portion isconfigured to removably affix thereof to another item selected from the group consisting of a bottle, a mug, a cup, a glass for drinking fluid, a box, a bag, a pack of beer, a coffee mug, a coffee bag, a coffee accessory or tool, a thermos, a door handle, a hanger, a hanger rack, a merchandise rack, or a display rack.11 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 10, wherein the first portion has a cut-out configured to facilitate the first portion to removably attach to another item.12 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 11, wherein the cut-out of the firstportion comprises at least one expandable slit configured to removably affix the first portion to another item with a retention force defined by the expanded at least one slit of the cut-out.13 The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 10, wherein the first portion comprisesan adhesive section with a layer of adhesive configured to be exposed when the first portion is being affixed to another item.
14. The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 10, wherein the first portion comprisesat least one ribbon or string configured to facilitate the first portion to be removably affixed to another item.
15. The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 1, wherein the cover further comprisesa cavity or space to position a memento item within thereof in addition to the second portion of the carrier.
16. The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 15, wherein the memento item isselected from a group consisting of a key, a pin, a coin, a cork, a wine label, a medal, a card, a photograph, and a computer memory stick.
17. The dual-use customizable messaging item, as in claim 8, wherein the cover further comprisesan extendable stand portion which facilitates displaying the customizable messaging area in anelevated manner when the stand portion is extended from the cover.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Shrink label with accessory generating function
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Label supporting frame device, for pictures, for cards and the like, to be applied to bottles and vessels
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Beverage Label System and Dispenser
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Drip Catcher And Method
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Audio gift tag for container attachment
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