Support member with a visual message thereon

Roll or spool having a support member with a visual message thereon.

Patent number for the United States : 6,089,483

The present invention pertains to improvements in the field of marketing. More particularly, the invention relates to a roll or spool having a support member with a visual message thereon. Rolls of sheet-like material such as bathroom tissue, also known as toilet paper, paper towels, wrapping film, facsimile paper, aluminium foil, plastic wrapping film, etc., are used every day by millions of people throughout the world.

These rolls comprise an elongated support member about which the sheet-like material is rolled. Once the sheet-like material has been completely removed from the support member for use, the support member is generally thrown away as garbage since it no longer has any utility. It is therefore an object of the present invention to render support members of the type described above commercially attractive.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided in a roll of sheet-like material comprising an elongated support member and a sheet-like material rolled about the support member and adapted to be removed therefrom, the improvement wherein the support member has on an outer surface thereof a visual message hidden from view by the sheet-like material and adapted to be exposed to viewing upon sufficient removal of the sheet-like material. Thus, for example, in the case a support member for toilet paper or paper towels, the visual message thereon can be one which incites the consumer to return the support member to a store for refund so that the store may send it back to the manufacturer or distributor of the rolls of toilet paper or paper towels, for recycling. The visual message can also be one which incites the consumer to select a particular brand, for example, by providing a chance to win a particular object or prize.