Background Art The piece confectionery products such as candies, sweets, chocolate in bars, chocolate in pieces, chewing gum plates or slices, and similar products are the widelv widespread and common goods.

Such confectionery products come to retail trade in pieces (for example, chocolate in bars), in various amounts by weiglit (for example, candies and sweets) or in packs containing several commodity units (for example. block of chewing gum plates).

The piece confectionery products have in retail trade, at least, one envelope protecting these products fi-om pollution and contact to an environment.

These envelopes can be made of various materials permitted for use in the food-processing industrv, basicallv of a paper of special grades or of polvmeric materials.

Images such as texts and pictures are placed on external surfaces of such envelopes. The images are peculiar to a concrete kind and grade of a product and serve for distinguishing the product from ones of other kinds and grades.

Thus. the texts contain the minimally necessary information on the given goods, including the name of the given product information on a manufacturer. and sometimes an additional information on the goods.

Pictures mav be a trade mark of the fini-,-manufacturer. works of decorative art, ornaments, patterns, geometrical figures and so on.

The piece confectionery products have two envelopes in most cases : one, external. which bear the images with the minimally necessary information on the goods. and other. internal, which is directly adjacent to the confectionery product.

The internal envelope does not bear anv images on its surface. It is made of a paper or foil.

Some grades of candies and sweets have three envelopes : the external one with the images on its surface, the internal of a foil, and an intermediate one of a paper.

The presence of the intermediate and internal envelopes raises safety of confectionery products and protects them from damage.

Elements of outer appearance of a chewing gum are more various. The chewing gum is known which is covered by a layer of an edible material. Such material plays a role of a protective envelope which allows to keep stable humidity of the product for longer time. The edible material can be made, for example, of cellulose derivatives, dextrin, gelatin etc. The chewing gum in such envelope is placed in the external envelope which is not a foil. Paper, cellulose acetate, polymeric materials, or cellophane may be used as a packing material.

(See USA patent US 5376388, IPC A 23 G 3/30. 1994).

Chewing gum is described which is placed in an envelope of a paper covered from both sides with a layer of wax containing antioxidant. Such type of packing prevents process of oxidation and increases term of a chewing gum storaoe. (See USA patent US 5362500, IPC A 3 L 3/3454, 1994).

Chez-in gum is patente which is placed in an envelope of a paper. The paper surface near to chewing gum is covered with wax and the opposite surface bears picture which is a transfer. The transfer is made by an ink of vegetative paints and polyvinyl spirit. (See USA patent US 5601859. IPC B 65 D 85i60, 1997).

Standard method of piece confectionery products packing provides for placing of each product in one or in several individual envelopes. Identical

images including the minimally necessary standardized information about the goods are placed on surfaces of external envelope of one and the same grade of products.

A chewing gum. which looks like slices placed in an envelope with images on its surface. is present in everyday trade. The images include a minimal information on the goods. There is a stitch inside the envelope. The stitch bears on its surface images of entertaining character, in particular, entertaining pictures.

A method of this chewing gum packing provides for partial wrapping up this chewing gum by the stitch. which is a multiple-folded sheet of a special paper. The images of entertaining nature are placed on the stitch surface. Then the wrapped slices are placed in an envelope which surface bears the images with a minimal information about the goods.

The necessity of the multiple folding of the stitch is caused by the fact that portions of chewing gum slices are small and the space inside its packing is insignificant.

A relative disadvantage of such commodity form of a chewing gum lies in the fact that the stitch really is not a functional element of packing of the product : it serves as a carrier of information only. The necessity of multiple folding of the stitch for its placing in a packing is a disadvantage also : it requires the use for manufacturing the stitch of a special strong material and creates for a consumer the necessitv of unfolding the stitch for to review images placed on its surface.

The general approach is widely known to use the surfaces of packing or elements of packing of daily demand goods as carriers of an information. mains of advertising nature.

In particular, the images were placed on the surfaces of a toilet paper (see French patent application FR 2172929, IPC G 09 F 23/00, 1973), of table napkins (see USA patent US 5573830, IPC D 04 H 1 64. 1996) of single cloths (see French utility certificate FR 2095115. IPC G 09 F 23 ! 00. 1972), of lottery tickets (see Russian patent RU 2093903, IPC G 09 F 3i 14, 1997). of post envelopes (see

Russian patcnt RU 2099798, IPC G 09 F 23/10, 1997), of cigarette packing (see European patent EP 0646531, IPC B 65 D 85/10, 1997, European patent 0665174, IPC B 65 D 85/10, 1997, or European patent 0476882, IPC B 65 D 85/10, 1992), of packing of foodstuff (see USA patent US 5094. 863 IPC B 43 M 7/00, 1992).

There is no information known to the applicant about the use of packing or elements of packing of piece confectionery products as carriers of advertising or other information.

Thus, -known piece confectionecy products are traditionally the products themselves placed in one or in several individual envelopes. An external surface of an external envelope bears images which include the minimally necessary information on the goods ; -known method of piece confectionery products packing provides traditionally for placing of each individual product in one or several envelopes.

An external surface of an external envelope of the product of one kind and grade bears completely identical images which include the minimally necessary information on the goods.

Brief Description of the Invention Main aim of the present invention is to increase attractiveness of piece confectionery products, such as candies, sweets, chocolate in bars. chocolate in pieces, chewing gum plates or slices, and of similar products, each of which is the minimal commodity unit, and, accordingly, to improve competitiveness of such products and to increase consumer demand for them.

Such result is achieved because : -each proposed piece confectionery product is the product itself, covered, at least with one individual envelope. which surface bears images in the form of texts and/or pictures of educational. entertaining, instructive or other nature attractive to a consumer ;

-proposed method of piece confectionery products packing provides that the images placed on surfaces of the individual envelopes eoverine individual products, are not identical, and the degree of their inequality is such that, at least, the image on a surface c. 1- an individual envelope of one piece confectionery product in a set of products normally purchased in one time by one consumer, does not repeat.

The essence of the present invention consists in that each separate piece confectionery product is placed, first, in an individual envelope bearing on its surface all image in the form of te kts andíor pictures of educational, entertaining, instructive or other character attractive to a consumer. Then it is placed in an external envelope, which surface bears an image in the form of texts and/or pictures including the standardized and minimally necessary information about the given goods. The image which is placed on surfaces of the piece confectionery products individual envelopes shall be not identical, and the degree of their inequality is such, that, at least, the image on the surface of the individual envelope of one piece confectionery product in a set of the goods normally purchased in one time by one consumer. does not repeat.

In framework of this invention, the"piece confectionery products"mean individual products such as candies, sweets, chocolate in pieces, chocolate in bars. chewing gum plates or slices, and similar products, which are traditionally covered bv the individual envelopes. Such products are minimal commodity units which may be on sale separately.

The"texts"mean independent images bearing the readable information and occupying, at least, a part of the envelope surface. The"pictures"mean all other independent images occupyin, at least a part of the envelope surface, except for te, cftial ones.

The external envelope of the proposed piece confectionery products bears on the external side an image simultaneously including texts and pictures inherent in a concrete given kind and grade of products, which allow to distinguish the confectionery product grade from other ones.

An individual envelope bearing on its surface images in the form of texts and/or pictures of entertaining.. educational. instructive, or other nature attractive to a consumer. shall be placed directly under the external envelope.

Both texts and pictures should be the images completed on sense. Their contents and form should attract attention and interest of a consumer.

The texts may, for example, be riddles. proverbs, charades, sayings, aphorisms, signs, parting words, wishes, short poems, fragments of poems and prose, and may also carry other useful and interesting information.

The pictures may, for example, be puzzles, rebuses, chess tasks and etudes, or conundrums.

The leading principle to make the images on confectionery products individual envelopes and, accordingly, the products themselves, attractive to a consumer is to make these images entertaining, interesting and useful to the consumer thanks to the semantic contents of the images.

The images may be augmente additionally by decorative elements-by patterns, ornaments, vignettes, and bv other works of decorative art.

The individual envelopes may have various color, form and texture.

The proposed method of piece confectionery products packing consists in that each product is covered. at least) with external envelope, which bears on the external side images simultaneously including texts and pictures inherent in a concrete given grade of products and allowinsi to distinguish the product from ones of other grades. Each product shall be covered also with an individual envelope, which shall bear on its surface an image in the form of texts and/or pictures of entertaining, educational, instructive, or other nature attractive to a consumer. The images on surfaces of the individual envelopes of confectionery products of one and the same kind and grade shall be not identical.

The"images inequality"means the non-coincidence of the complete corresponding images, though separate elements of the images may coincide.

It is understood in the limits of this invention, that the requirement of the ''images inequality"-. minimalla satisfied if the image on a surface of the individual envelope of at least, one confectionery product of one grade in a set of products normally purchased in one time by one consumer, does not repeat.

A variety and non-repeatability of the information, attractive to an average consumer, placed on surfaces of individual envelopes of piece confectionery products, is essential stimulus for purchase of piece confectionery products which are made according to the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention Piece confectionery products of one grade and kind, such as candies, sweets, chocolate in bars, chocolate in pieces, chewing gum slices or plates, and similar products, traditionally have now an identical appearance, i. e., for example, each candy or sweet of one grade and kind by no means differs from any other candy or sweet of the same grade and kind.

The basic inventive idea which is the basis of this invention, is to preserve the identical quality of all piece confectionery products of one kind and grade, and to give, at least, parts of the confectionery products unequal appearance.

This idea is implemented in the piece confectionery products which are covered with individual envelopes bearing on their surfaces images in the form of te1-ts and% or pictures of the attractive to a consumer nature. These images should be not identical, and the degree of their inequality is such, that at least, the image on a surface of the individual envelope of one product in a set of products normally purchased in one time by one consumer, does not repeat.

The essence of this invention consists in the following. Each separate piece confectionery product is placed first in an individual envelope bearing on its surface an image in the form of texts ans ;'or pictures of educational, entertaining,

instructive or other nature attractive to a consumer. Then it is placed in an external envelope, which surface bears an image in the form of texts and/or picturcs containing the standardized and minimally necessary information on the given goods. The images on surfaces of individual envelopes of piece confectionery products shall be not identical and the degree of their inequality shall be such, that, at least, the image on a surface of the individual envelope of onc piece confectionery product in a set of the goods normally purchased in one time by one consumer, does not repeat.

The claimed piece confectionery products are individuai products covered, at least, with an external envelope, which external surface bears the images in the form of texts and pictures peculiar to the given concrete product kind and grade, and also covered by an individual envelope which is placed directly under the external envelope. Images in the form of texts and/or pictures of entertaining, educational, instructive or other nature attractive to a consumer are placed on the individual envelope surface.

The claimed method of piece confectionery products packing is characterized by the followin. Each piece confectionery product is placed previously in an individual envelope, which surface bears images in the form of texts andi or pictures of entertaining, educational. instructive or other nature attractive to a consumer. Then it is placed in an external envelope which surface bears images in the form of texts and pictures inherent in the given product kind and grade containing the minimally necessary information on the goods. The images on surfaces of individual envelopes shall be not identical, and the degree of their inequalitv is such, that the image on the envelope surface of at least one product in a set of products normally purchased in one time by one consumer, does not repeat.

Within the limits of this invention the"piece confectionery products"mean the individual products such as candies. sweets, chocolate in pieces, chocolate in bars, chewing gum plates and slices, and similar products. which traditionally are

wrapped in individual envelopes and may be offered for sale by pieces as a commodity product.

The"texts"mean the independent images bearing a readable information und occupying, at least, a part of the envelope surface. The"figures"mean all other independent images occupying, at least, a part of the envelope surface, except for textual ones.

The external side of the external envelope of the claimed piece confectionery product bears an image simultaneously including texts and pictures inherer t in a concrete given product kind and grade, which ai'. ow to distinguish grades of the confectionery products.

The images which are placed on the external envelope of piece confectionery products include such minimally necessary information on the goods, as the product kind and grade, manufacturer's name, indication of the product storage term, and so on.

It is obvious, that the images on external envelopes of all products of one set, grade and kind of the goods are completely identical.

The individual envelope shall be placed directly under the external one. Its surface shall bear images which contents essentially differs from the contents of the images placed on the external envelope surface.

The images on the individual envelopes surfaces shall be the texts and/or pictures of entertaining, educational. instructive or other nature which should be attractive to a consumer and cause his (hers) positive emotions.

The ? wading principle of attracting consumers to the images on individual envelopes of confectionery products and. accordingly, to the products themselves. is to make the images entertaining, interesting and useful from the point of view of the consumer. It can be achieved thanks to the images semantic contents.

Images of only decorative nature may be used as auxiliary elements of the design of the individual envelope surfaces.

both texts and pictures should be completed on sense and contents. They shall attract attention and interest of a consumer.

The texts may be, for example, riddles, proverbs, charades, sayings, aphorisms, signs, parting words, wishes. short poems, fragments of poems and prose, and also may be another useful and interesting information.

Pictures may be, for example, puzzle ones, rebuses, chess tasks and etudes, or conundrums.

The images bearing semantic meaning attractive to a consumer, may be co ; nplemented by images of decorative nature-by pattems, ornaments, vignettes, abstract and geometrical figures and by other works of decorative art.

The texts and/or pictures on surfaces of the individual envelopes of the piece confectionery products of one set should be, preferably, logically interconnected, for example, by a common idea, uniform subjects or in a similar way.

The individual envelope may have different color, form and texture.

The individual envelope, as well as the external one, should be made of a material which is permitted to the use in a food-processing industry.

The individual envelope may cover any confectionery product either completely, from all sides. or partially, not covering for example, face surfaces.

Thus. the individual envelope, besides it serves as the carrier of attractive images, executes also a protective function, protecting confectionery products from damages.

The protective function of the individual envelope can be increased, if it is made of special grades of a paper and of other materials, which shall be permitted for the use in the food-processing industry, in particular, of a waxy or parchment paper.

If some piece confectionery product was used to be covered not only by the external envelope with the minimally necessary information on the goods, but

also by some other envelopes, the individual envelope with the images, attractive to a consumer, may augment the existing envelopes or may replace one of them.

The proposed method of piece confectionery products packing consists in that each product is covered by, at least, with external envelope, which bears on the external side an image simultaneously including texts and pictures inherent in a concrete given product kid and grade, allowing to distinguish such product from products of other kinds and grades. It is covered also by an individual envelope, which bears on its surface images in the form of texts and/or pictures of entertaining, educational, instructive, or other nature attractive to a consumer.

The image on a surface of the individual envelopes of confectionery products of one grade and kind should be not identical.

The"images inequality"means the non-coincidence of the complete corresponding images, though separate elements of the images may coincide.

It is understood in the limits of this invention, that the requirement of the "images inequality"is satisfied equally under the following conditions : -at least, one image on a surface of the individual envelope of piece confectionery products of one kind and grade in a set of products normally purchased in one time by one consumer, does not repeat ; -the images on surfaces of individual envelopes of each piece confectionery product of one kind and grade in a set of products normally purchased in one time by one consumer, do not repeat.

The principle of inequality of the images on surfaces of the individual envelopes of piece confectionery products, which lies in the foundation of the proposed method, has, ideallv, the purpose, that a consumer, usina any confectionery product. will receive a various information placed on surfaces of individual envelopes. When the consumer byes the next set of such products, he (she) would receive the products which individual envelopes would bear images different from the images which were placed on surfaces of individual envelopes in the earlier acquired set of the products.

Really, it is possible only to minimize the probability of repeated purchase by one consumer of piece confectionery products with identical images on the individual envelopes surfaces.

It is possible. with this purpose, in particular, to limit the batch of the goods with identical sentes of the images on individual envelopes of piece confectionery products and periodically to update these images.

It may be assumed, conditionally, that an aérage consumer normally purchases in one time about 15-30 candies or sweets (approximately about 0, 3 kg), or one or two chocolate in bars.

It means, that the degree of variety of the images on surfaces of individual envelopes of candies or sweets should be much higher, than the degree of variety of the images on surfaces of individual envelopes of chocolate in bars. Well known techniques can be used for the calculation of such degree of variety.

The applicability of the proposed invention is illustrated by the following examples which are not having, however, any limiting character.

EXAMPLE 1.

Each of chocolate candy of the"Red Hat"grade was wrapped in an internal paper envelope which does not bear any image on its surface. It covers the candy from all sides, except for its face parts.

Then the candv was wrapped in a similar way by an individual paper envelope, which surface bears images in the form of texts, reproducing national signs about weather, and figures, illustrating the corresponding signs.

The images on surfaces of individual envelopes of separate candies were not identical : in a set of 100 candies each of 50 different images was repeated 2 times only.

Thus, the probability is insignificant of repeated purchase by one consumer of separate candies, which individual envelopes surfaces beard the identical images.

At last. each of the candies was covered from all sides with an external envelope. which surface beard completely identical images, including the name of the candy grade, information on the production manufacturer, and also picture traditionally peculiar to this grade which serves to distinguish the given grade of the candy from other grades.

EXAMPLE 2.

The chocolate in bars"Guard's"was wrapped in an internal envelope of a foil, which covers each product from all sides.

Then each chocolate in bars was additionally wrapped from all sides in an individual paper envelope. The individual envelopes surfaces beard images which were poems or fragments of poems about Moscow and pictures of Moscow's architectural monuments.

The images on surfaces of individual envelopes of chocolate in bars were not identical : in a set of 20 chocolate in bars each of 5 different images were repeated 4 times.

Thus. the probability is insignificant of repeated purchase by one consumer of the products which additional envelopes surfaces bear identical images.

Besides, each such chocolate in bars was covered with an external envelope, which surface beard completely identical images including the name of the chocolate grade, an information on the production manufacturer, and also picture traditionally peculiar to the given chocolate grade serving to distinguish it from other grades.

EXAMPLE 3.

Each of chewing gum plates was wrapped from all sides in an internal envelope of a foil, which surface does not bear any image.

Then each plate was similarly wrapped in an individual paper envelope which surface beard images in the form of texts reproducing familiar expressions and aphorisms, and pictures of decorative character such as ornaments.

The images on surfaces of individual envelopes of these products were rot identical : in a set of 100 products each of 25 different images were repeated 4 times.

The additional individual envelopes were made of a material of white or dark blue color.

At last, each of chewing gum plates was covered with an external envelope, which surface beard completely identical images including the name of the product grade, an information on the manufacturer of production, and also picture traditionally peculiar to this grade and serving to distinguish the given grade from other chewing gum grades.

Blocks of products were formed of the chewing gum plated thus prepared.

Each block of 5 plates was placed in common packing which external surface beard images including the minimally necessary information on the given goods.

Each block of chewing gum plates was formed in such a way, that the images on surfaces of individual envelopes, did not repeat.

Implementation of the present invention raises competitiveness of piece confectionery products which are made according to the invention, thanks to presence on their individual envelopes of interesting, various, not repeated, accessible and attractive information.

Besides, the attractiveness of the claimed products lies also in the fact that the information intended for a consumer, becomes accessible to him (her) after opening the product external envelope only, that alwavs brings an effect of pleasant non-expectance and some surprise.