GB2313340A - A foldable machine readable retail card - Google Patents

Abstract

The plastic card includes two portions 10a, 10b foldable about crease or hinge line 10c. Portion 10b includes a printed bar code 16 and portion 10a includes an integral tongue 14 for releasably retaining portion 10b in the folded position. Folding the card so that the code lies against portion 10a prevents the code being rubbed out. A hole 12 enables attachment to a key ring.

Description

Machine Readable Identification Tag The present invention relates to a machine readable identification tag.

Retailer chains have in the past used various schemes to encourage customers to shop in their retail outlets by rewarding customers in some way. For example, stamps have been given to customers that could be exchanged for gifts.

More recently, customers have been issued with a machine readable identification card, resembling a conventional credit card that is presented to the teller at the check out. This card allows a computer to keep track of all the amounts spent by a customer and to award that customer loyalty points accordingly.

It is desirable when using this method to attract shoppers to allow the loyalty points resulting from the purchases of more than one person to be credited to the same account.

For example, it is desirable to issue members of the same family with plastics tags carrying the same identification code.

Issuing several plastics tags with the same identification code does however present a problem. If the tags are preprinted or recorded and subsequently mounted on a paper carrier for mailing to the customer, then there is a danger that the tags may not be collated correctly during mailing and that the different tags may have different codes entered on them. To avoid this difficulty, it has been suggested to mount blank tags on a paper carrier and to record the identification code by printing a machine readable code, such as a bar code, on them at the same time as printing the customer's details, for example the name and address.

When printing the identification code in this manner, there is a problem that the code could be rubbed off the plastics tag especially if the tag is intended to be carried in the pocket or mounted on a key ring where it will frequently rub against the metal keys. It is not easily possible to apply a protective coating over the machine readable code once it has been mounted in the paper carrier that is used for mailing.

Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide a plastics tag onto which an identification code may be printed while the tag is mounted on a paper carrier, but in which the printed code is protected against erasure while the tag is carried by a user.

According to the present invention, there is provided a plastics tag comprising a first portion, a flap formed integrally with the first portion and connected to the first portion along a fold line, a machine readable code printed onto one side of the flap, and means formed integrally with the tag for releasably retaining the flap in a folded position with the side of the flap carrying the code lying against the first portion.

Preferably, the tag is formed with a hole to enable the tag to be fitted to a key ring. It is convenient for the hole to be formed in the first portion so that the machine readable code on the flap should be distant from the key ring when the flap is opened.

Advantageously, the means for retaining the flap in its folded position in relation to the first portion may comprise a tongue defined by a slit in the plastics material of the tag enabling the tongue to be pressed out of the plane of the first portion, the flap being retained between the tongue and the first portion when in its folded position.

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of an identification tag of the invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view showing the tag of Figure 1 when the flap carrying the machine readable code is folded over.

Figure 1 shows a tag 10 that is intended for mounting on a key ring. The tag 10 has a first portion 10a that is formed with a hole 12 to enable it to be fitted to a key ring. A flap lob is formed integrally with the first portion 10a and is connected to it by a fold line lOc. The tag 10 is preferably made of a material such as polypropylene that can be bent without fatiguing in which case the fold line lOc may be formed simply by pressing a crease into the tag 10.

It is alternatively possible, if desired, to form the tag 10 from an extrusion, in which case the fold line lOc may be a film hinge formed of a different plastics material from the remainder of the tag 10.

The flap lOb has printed on one side a machine readable code 16, for example a bar code as illustrated. Additionally, an identification number is printed on the tag to allow a teller the alternative of manually entering a code identifying the customer.

An arcuate slit centred on the hole 12 defines a tongue 14 that can be pressed out of the plane of the first portion 10a. This tongue 14 acts as a catch for holding the flap lOb in the folded position shown in Figure 2. When the flap lOb is folded over and slipped under the tongue 14, it is safely retained in this position allowing the tag to be carried with the printed code 16 protected against being rubbed out by lying against the first portion 10a.

When issuing tags to a customer, a folded paper carrier on which the tags are mounted is passed through a printer. The printer prints the codes 16 on the various tags while they are on the carrier and it is thereby ensured that all the tags sent by letter to a customer will carry the same identification code.

On receipt of the letter, the customer will remove the tag 10, fold over the flap 10b and slip its edge under the tongue 14 to protect the code 16. The tag is then fitted to a key ring, if desired, or carried in a pocket or a handbag.

At a retailer check out counter, the flap 10b is unfolded and its machine readable code 16 is presented to a reader which will automatically identify the customer and ensure that loyalty points earned through purchases are credited to the correct account. The flap 10b carrying the code 16 will be distant from the key ring and therefore the keys will not interfere with correct automatic reading of the code 16.

Claims (7)

1. A plastics tag comprising a first portion, a flap formed integrally with the first portion and connected to the first portion along a fold line, a machine readable code printed onto one side of the flap, and means formed integrally with the tag for releasably retaining the flap in a folded position with the side of the flap carrying the code lying against the first portion.

2. A tag as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tag is formed with a hole to enable the tag to be fitted to a key ring.

3. A tag as claimed in claim 2, wherein the hole is formed in the first portion so that the machine readable code on the flap should be distant from the key ring when the flap is opened.

4. A tag as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the means for retaining the flap in its folded position in relation to the first portion comprise a tongue defined by a slit in the plastics material of the tag enabling the tongue to be pressed out of the plane of the first portion, the flap being retained between the tongue and the first portion when in its folded position.

5. A tag as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the tag is formed of polypropylene and the fold line is formed by a crease in the material of the tag.

6. A tag as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tag is made from an extrusion and the fold line is formed by a film hinge made of a different material from the first portion and the flap.

7. A tag constructed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.