GB2438042A

GB2438042A - A promotional confectionery stick

Info

Publication number: GB2438042A
Application number: GB0707650A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Hughes
Original assignee: Rothco Ltd
Current assignee: Droga5 Ireland Ltd
Priority date: 2006-05-10
Filing date: 2007-04-20
Publication date: 2007-11-14
Also published as: ITMI20070838A1; GB0707650D0

Abstract

A stick arranged to support a confectionery item is disclosed. The stick comprises an elongated housing 12 which is arranged to be at least partially immersed within the confectionery and is arranged to accommodate a prize 22. The stick may further comprise a seal arranged to seal an open end of the housing. A handle 16 may be detachably connected to an open end of the housing to form the seal. Also disclosed is a replica confectionary item (30, Fig 4) that comprises a housing (32, Fig 4) formed in the shape of a confectionery item and is arranged to accommodate a prize (22, Fig 4). A handle (34, Fig 4) may be connected to the replica confectionery item.

Description

A Promotional Confectionary Stick The present invention relates to a

promotional stick suitable for use with confectionary, and in particular an ice cream stick.

Conventional sticks for confectionery, such as ice cream are composed of wood or plastics material and support the confectionery to enable a person to hold and eat the confectionery causing minimal mess without the need for crockery or cutlery.

Lollypops and other confectionary types also rely on the use of a stick to facilitate holding and eating of the confectionary.

Often, many such confectionary types offer promotional prizes. In one case, prize information is printed on the inner surface of the confectionary wrapper. In another case, such information is printed on the actual stick supporting the confectionary.

In both cases, a consumer must then contact the confectionary company or promotional company with the prize information. The prize information may mean the consumer has won a prize or alternatively it may mean that the consumer has won the right to be entered in a raffle to win a prize.

In either case, the contact information can be a premium rate telephone number.

Promotional offers of these kinds are not very effective as the consumer is generally reluctant to contact the company in order to determine what they may have won and as such do not provide very much enticement for the consumer to purchase the confect ionary.

It is an object of the present invention to mitigate

the problems associated with the prior art.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a stick arranged to support a confectionary item, said stick comprising an elongated housing wherein said housing is arranged to be at least partially immersed within a confectionary and is arranged to accommodate a prize.

Preferably said stick further comprises a seal arranged to seal an open end of said housing.

Alternatively, said stick comprises a handle detachably connected to an open end of said housing and forming said seal.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a replica confectionary item comprising a housing formed in a shape of a confectionary item and arranged to accommodate a prize.

Preferably, said replica confectionary item further comprises a handle connected thereto.

The present invention has the advantage of providing the consumer with an instant prize.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a front view of a promotional stick according to the preferred embodiment of a first aspect of the present invention within an ice cream; Figure 2 illustrates a side view of the promotional stick of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of a promotional stick according to an alternative embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention; Figure 4 illustrates a front view of a replica confectionary item according to a further aspect of the present invention; and Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the replica confectionary item of Figure 4.

Referring now to Figure 1 and Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings, there is provided a promotional stick 10 suitable for use with confectionary according to a first aspect of the present invention.

The stick 10 comprises an elongated housing 12 having a tapered and slotted end 14. The open end 14 is arranged to connect to a handle 16. The handle 16 extends within the slotted portion of the housing 12 to facilitate the holding of a confectionary 20. In production, the housing and an upper portion 18 of the handle 16 are immersed within a liquid confectionery mold before the confectionery is allowed to set. Where the item is an ice cream, setting involves freezing the product, whereas for other items, the confectionery may solidify at ambient or indeed elevated temperatures.

It will however be appreciated that the housing 12 and the handle 16 may be connected in any suitable manner or indeed the housing and handle may be integrally molded.

At the end opposite the handle, the housing 12 is provided with a cap 15, which snap fits onto the housing to seal the housing.

In an alternative embodiment, the housing is open at the end engaging the stick and closed at the remote end, and when the housing is fixed to the handle, it closes the end of the housing.

An example of such an alternative embodiment is illustrated in Figure 3. Here, the stick 10' comprises an elongated cylindrical housing 12' having a closed end 40 and an engaging end 44 and formed of a transparent plastics material. The housing 12' comprises internal threads 42 at the engaging end 44.

The threads 42 are arranged to cooperate with corresponding external threads 46 provided on a handle 16' such that the handle may be screwed to the housing 12' thereby closing the engaging end 44 of the housing 12'. The handle is again formed of plastics material and the handle is preferably coloured and comprises a grip portion contoured to simulate the appearance of a conventional wooden handle.

It will be appreciated however that the housing 12' may comprise external threads at its engaging end which are arranged to cooperate with internal threads provided on the handle 16'.

In either case, it will be seen that the housing 12 is suitable for accommodating a promotional prize 22, for example money or tickets.

The prize can be located within a selected housing during the production process, either manually or automatically, as or before the prize-winning housings are immersed in the confectionery. The sealed housing protects the prize 22 from contact with the confectionary 20 and preferably the prize itself may be further sealed to avoid contamination of the confectionery.

A consumer, having bought and eaten the confectioriary can then detach the cap 15 from the housing 12; or the housing 12' from the handle 16' to check or obtain any prize that may lie therein.

Referring now to Figure 4 and Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, there is provided a replica confectionery item 30 according to a second aspect of the present invention.

The replica 30 comprises a housing 32 connected to a handle 34 shaped to mimic a genuine confectionery item.

In one embodiment, the handle is connected to the housing 32 in an easily detachable manner, whereas in alternative implementations the handle and housing are integrally formed. In any case, the replica is formed to replicate the size, texture and weight of a genuine article.

The housing 32 is suitable for accommodating a promotional prize 22, for example money or tickets. In one embodiment, the prize is inserted into the housing through an open end and the housing is sealed by attaching the handle to the open end 36.

However, it will be appreciated that the prize may be inserted into the housing in any suitable manner, so for example, the housing can comprise a split shell having a lid 32 which pivots; or, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, snaps open from the body and handle 36/34 to receive the prize and which then snaps closed.

In any case, the replica 30 must correspond with the genuine article to the extent that a consumer purchasing the confectionery will be unaware of whether they are purchasing genuine confectionery or the promotional replica.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, which may be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims: 1. A stick arranged to support a confectionary item, said stick

comprising an elongated housing wherein said housing is arranged to be at least partially immersed within a confectionary and is arranged to accommodate a prize.

2. The stick according to claim 1 further comprising a seal arranged to seal an open end of said housing.

3. The stick according to claim 1 further comprising a handle detachably connected to an open end of said housing and forming said seal.

4. A replica confectionary item comprising a housing formed in a shape of a confectionary item and arranged to accommodate a prize.

5. The replica confectionary item according to claim 4 further comprising a handle connected thereto.