Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Normally noningestible chewable material or process of...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-01
2001-07-31
Corbin, Arthur L. (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Normally noningestible chewable material or process of...
C426S005000, C426S383000, C426S660000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267997
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of confectionery products. More specifically, the present invention relates to printing indicia on confectionery, including chewing gum.
To promote its marketability, confectionery products have been molded, extruded and otherwise shaped into various forms over the years. For example, bubble gum has been formed into shapes such as flat sheets, cylinders, cubes, cigars, shredded chew, and the like. Providing a confectionery product, such as bubble gum, in novel shapes or forms enhances the marketability of such a product, particularly with younger customers.
Likewise, providing bubble gum in unique containers and packages enhances the marketability of the bubble gum product. In fact, bubble gum products and containers designed for children now comprise a substantial portion of the gum industry. Naturally, the more fun and exciting the packaging is for the bubble gum or other confectionery, the more a younger customer will want such products.
One unique aspect that has previously not been explored is the printing of indicia directly on chewing gum or other confectionery products, particularly to make the products simulate a known article.
Small, hard articles, such as pharmaceutical capsules, tablets and candies, often are marked with indicia, such as trademarks, lot numbers and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,904 details a printing apparatus for such purposes, as well as various printing machines that have been utilized in the past to print indicia on such small, hard articles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,589 discloses an apparatus for ink-jet marking of pellet-shaped articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,552 discloses a process of printing on the surface of confection items such as chewing gum using relief, offset and gravure printing methods. However, the patent does not specify whether any indicia, or simply stripes or other continuous areas, can be printed on the gum, although one of the purposes of the invention is stated to be printing at high speeds without smudging.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,536 discloses an improved ink for printing on chewing gum, and states that “It has been proposed that various printing designs, such as numerals, letters, words, phrases, and the like be imprinted on the surface of the slab gum sticks.” This patent discloses the use of a conventional Harley Proving Press machine, but again does not disclose the actual printing of any specific indicia. Further, no commercial products made by such a process are commercially available today. It may be that these prior proposals were never commercially successful because the printing operation added a high cost to the product, did not have a good print quality, or both.
Thus it is believed that no commercial printing of any indicia onto chewing gum was accomplished heretofore, particularly with any high degree of resolution, which is difficult but which would make for a more desirable product. Further, there is no disclosure of printing on confectionery products with more than one color of ink, with the multiple colors of printing in register with one another, which would provide even a more desirable product.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and apparatus for printing indicia on chewing gum or other confectionery products, particularly at high resolution, at a high speed, and in a cost efficient manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for printing indicia on chewing gum and other confectionery products. The preferred method includes the following steps. Initially, a sheet of chewing gum is provided. The sheet is preferably cooled to allow for hardening or tempering of the chewing gum. Preferably the sheet is divided into individual sheets that are cooled so that the sheets can be fed to a printing operation by an indexed printer. Then the chewing gum is passed through a suitable printing press to print indicia on the sheet of chewing gum. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet is formed on a machine separate from that used for printing on the sheets.
The present invention also provides an apparatus for printing indicia on soft confectionery products such as chewing gum. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes means for delivering gum sheets to the printing operation which prints indicia on the sheets of chewing gum.
Moreover, the present invention provides a printed product comprising a chewing gum piece or other confectionery product with indicia printed thereon. Pursuant to the present invention, the indicia can be in many forms and colors. The indicia printed on the chewing gum pieces or other confectionery pieces comprises an edible ink.
In an embodiment, the confectionery product incorporates at least two different colors of indicia that are printed on pieces of confectionery. Preferably the multiple colors are in registration with one another.
In an embodiment, the confectionery is a chewing gum product, such as bubble gum pieces. The bubble gum may be printed to look like a check (bank draft), and preferably packaged to simulate a checkbook. Other embodiments include traffic citations, sports trading cards and even a “magic eye” puzzle printed on chewing gum.
The present invention offers a practical means for printing indicia on confectionery products such as chewing gum and provides a printed product, preferably with a high degree of resolution. The preferred embodiment, with printed chewing gum pieces that simulate known printed articles, are fun to look at and chew. Packaging which simulates a holder for the known articles adds to the play value of the products.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, as well as the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2102808 (1937-12-01), Piperoux
patent: 2682253 (1954-06-01), Scherer et al.
patent: 2785786 (1957-03-01), Bartlett
patent: 2825278 (1958-03-01), Schwisow
patent: 2929320 (1960-03-01), Hansen et al.
patent: 3052552 (1962-09-01), Koerner et al.
patent: 3215536 (1965-11-01), Simeone et al.
patent: 3570417 (1971-03-01), Herrmann et al.
patent: 3601041 (1971-08-01), Perra, Jr. et al.
patent: 3868902 (1975-03-01), Bradshaw et al.
patent: 3884143 (1975-05-01), Ackley
patent: 4308942 (1982-01-01), Ackley
patent: 4397871 (1983-08-01), Meyer et al.
patent: 4479429 (1984-10-01), Haryu
patent: 4528904 (1985-07-01), Ackley
patent: 4672892 (1987-06-01), Ackley
patent: 4855146 (1989-08-01), Murakami et al.
patent: 4905589 (1990-03-01), Ackley
patent: 5376388 (1994-12-01), Meyers
patent: 5433146 (1995-07-01), Ackley
patent: 5534281 (1996-07-01), Pappas et al.
patent: 5655453 (1997-08-01), Ackley
patent: 5768996 (1998-06-01), Ackley
patent: 5800601 (1998-09-01), Zou et al.
patent: 5878658 (1999-03-01), Ackley
patent: 0 734 655 A1 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 0 919 377 A1 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 0 739 957 A1 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 22140 (1912-06-01), None
patent: 21221 (1914-09-01), None
patent: 1007705 (1965-10-01), None
patent: 1119302 (1968-07-01), None
patent: 2186782 (1987-08-01), None
patent: 2230686 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 48-103787 (1973-12-01), None
patent: 49-52009 (1974-05-01), None
patent: 49-73223 (1974-07-01), None
patent: 49-80219 (1974-08-01), None
patent: 49-46848 (1974-12-01), None
patent: 50-76905 (1975-07-01), None
patent: 54-70417 (1979-06-01), None
patent: 55-23955 (1980-02-01), None
patent: 55-164164 (1980-12-01), None
patent: 56-82255 (1981-07-01), None
patent: 57-88850 (1982-04-01), None
patent: 57-100071 (1982-06-01), None
patent: 58-5285 (1983-01-01), None
patent: 59-145184 (1984-09-01), None
patent: 60-5250 (1985-02-01), None
patent: 60-192537 (1985-10-01), None
patent: 60-182143 (1985-12-01), None
patent: 61-279556 (1986-12-01), None
patent: 62-138279 (1987-06-01), None
patent: 62-119232 (1987-07-01), None
patent: 63-198533 (1988-12-01), None
patent: 64-16678 (1989-01-01), None
patent: 2-122975 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 2-239972 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 2-220881 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 3-16
Ackley, Jr. E. Michael
Burin Ralph R.
Cahill S. Kristine
Corriveau Christine L.
Hassler Donald C.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Corbin Arthur L.
Shurtz Steven P.
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
LandOfFree
Method for producing printed confectionery products does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method for producing printed confectionery products, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method for producing printed confectionery products will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2553827