Condiment package with advertising for others

Abstract

A condiment package includes a front panel and a rear panel in facing relation to the front panel. Side seals are used to seal the front and rear panels to each other along sides thereof and top and bottom seals are used to seal the front and rear panels to each other a top of the package and at a bottom of the package. Indicia printed on the front or rear panel indicates, at a minimum, the contents of the package and advertising indicia on other of the front or rear panel represents a person or entity other than that represented by the contents indicia. An advertising medium is also disclosed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a condiment package. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a condiment package that is used as an advertising medium for other.

All manner of condiments, such as ketchup, mustard, soy and duck sauces, and wasabi are packaged in individual serving packages. A large proportion of these packages are of the soft-sided, flexible-type packaging. This packaging can be plastic (such as polyethylene), laminates of foil and plastics and the like.

In a typical package, the front and rear panels are sealed to one another along the side edges and along the top and bottom. The printing or indicia on the front of the package includes the nature of the contents (e.g., soy sauce, ketchup), and may include a list of the ingredients or any other regulatory required notices. Some packages may include certain information on the rear of the package.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a condiment package that includes all of the required information as well as additional advertising information. Importantly, such a package includes advertising for another.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A condiment package includes a front panel and a rear panel in facing relation to the front panel. Side seals are used to seal the front and rear panels to each other along sides thereof and top and bottom seals are used to seal the front and rear panels to each other a top of the package and at a bottom of the package.

Indicia is printed on the front or rear panel and indicates, at a minimum, the contents of the package. Advertising indicia is printed on other panel that represents a person or entity other than that represented by the contents indicia.

The panels can be formed from a polymeric material, a foil, or a combination or laminate of both. One or both of the panels can be formed so as to be transparent.

In a most preferred form of the condiment package the indicia on the front (or rear) panel includes indicia representing the entity that packaged the contents of the package, and the advertising indicia (on the rear panel) represents an entity other than the entity that packaged the contents of the package. An advertising medium is also disclosed.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The benefits and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is front view of a condiment package embodying the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is rear view of the condiment package

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiment illustrated.

It should be further understood that the title of this section of this specification, namely, “Detailed Description Of The Invention”, relates to a requirement of the United States Patent Office, and does not imply, nor should be inferred to limit the subject matter disclosed herein.

Referring to the figures, there is shown a condiment package 10 with advertising for others. The package 10 includes a front panel or face 12 and a rear panel or face 14. The front and rear panels 12, 14 are sealed to one another along the side edges that define side seals 16, at the top and at the bottom that define top and bottom seals 18, 20, respectively. Typically, the top or bottom 22, 24 includes a device to facilitate opening the package, such as a serrated edge (as indicated at 26) and/or a partial slit (as indicated at 28) into the seal 18, 20.

The package 10 can be formed from a wide variety of materials, such as a polyethylene, a polyethylene laminate with, for example, foil. Those skilled in the art will recognize the various materials that can be used to manufacture the package. One or both of the panels 12, 14 can be transparent or they can be formed from opaque materials (as they may be if they are a foil laminate).

The package 10 includes, on the front panel, indicia 30 that represents or indicates the contents of the package 10. Indicia 32 also includes the ingredients, which can be shown on the front 12 or rear 14 panel. Often, nutritional information is indicated on one of the panels 12, 14 as well. The indicia 30, 32 can be printed by any of a number of known methods and processes.

The present package 10 also includes advertising indicia 34 for another printed on the rear panel 14 of the package 10. Such advertising indicia 34 can include logos, slogans, designs, trademarks, or any other advertising vehicle. The advertising indicia 34, however, is for another rather than the manufacturer or the person or entity for whom the condiment package is manufactured (e.g., the packager). For example, a condiment package for a large fast-food manufacturer may include the name, logo or mark of the fast-food manufacturer as well as the contents (e.g., ketchup) and the ingredients. This type of package marking is known.

However, a soy sauce manufacturer can include the name of the manufacturer, the package contents and ingredients on the front panel 12 (representing the indicia 30, 32), and can include completely unrelated advertising indicia 34 (for example advertising for an airline) on the rear panel 14 of the package 10. This type of unrelated advertising for another has not been known prior to the present package 10. The advertising indicia 34 can also be printed by any of a number of known methods or processes that may be the same as that used to print the front panel 12 indicia 30, 32, or may be different from that used to print the front panel 12 indicia 30, 32. This may be the case where the printings 30, 32 and the printing 34 are done at different times or even at different facilities from one another.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the advertising indicia 34 for another can be provided on film-type (transparent) packaging, as well as on foil and foil laminate packaging (that may be opaque), and combinations of these package types.

All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, whether or not specifically do so within the text of this disclosure.

In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular.

From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A condiment package comprising:

a front panel;

a rear panel in facing relation to the front panel;

side seals to seal the front and rear panels to each other along sides thereof;

top and bottom seals to seal the front and rear panels to each other a top of the package and at a bottom of the package, the sealed panels defining a condiment storage region;

indicia printed on the front or rear panel indicating, at a minimum, the contents of the package; and

advertising indicia on other of the front or rear panel, the advertising indicia being for a person or entity other than that represented by the contents indicia.

2. The condiment package in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of the front and rear panels is formed from a polymeric material.

3. The condiment package in accordance with claim 2 wherein both the front and rear panels are formed from a polymeric material.

4. The condiment package in accordance with claim 1 wherein the front and rear panels are formed from a flexible material.

5. The condiment package in accordance with claim 2 wherein the polymeric material is a transparent material.

6. The condiment package in accordance with claim 3 wherein the polymeric material is a transparent material.

7. The condiment package in accordance with claim 1 wherein the indicia on the front or rear panel includes indicia representing an entity that packaged the contents of the package.

8. The condiment package in accordance with claim 7 wherein the advertising indicia is on the rear panel and wherein the advertising indicia represents an entity other than the entity that packaged the contents of the package.

9. An advertising medium comprising:

a condiment package having a front panel and a rear panel in facing relation to one another, the front and rear panels being sealed to one another along sides thereof and at a top and at a bottom thereof, the sealed front and rear panels defining a condiment storage region, indicia on the front panel indicating, at a minimum, the contents of the package and advertising indicia on rear panel, the advertising indicia being for a person or entity other than that represented by the contents indicia.

10. The advertising medium in accordance with claim 9 wherein the indicia on the front panel includes indicia representing an entity that packaged the contents of the package.

11. The advertising medium in accordance with claim 10 wherein the advertising indicia represents an entity other than the entity that packaged the contents of the package.