U.S. patent application number 11/275316 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-29 for portable toilet unit with advertising.
Invention is credited to James C. Paar.
Application Number | 20060137086 11/275316 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36609654 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060137086 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Paar; James C. |
June 29, 2006 |
Portable toilet unit with advertising
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a portable toilet unit
including a portable restroom, and advertising media that covers a
significant portion of the outer surface area defined by the sides
of the portable restroom. The advertising media can be adhered to
the portable restroom by removable adhesive.
Inventors: |
Paar; James C.; (Forest
Lake, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MERCHANT & GOULD PC
P.O. BOX 2903
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-0903
US
|
Family ID: |
36609654 |
Appl. No.: |
11/275316 |
Filed: |
December 22, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60646944 |
Jan 25, 2005 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
4/476 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09F 7/12 20130101; E04H
1/1216 20130101; G09F 19/22 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
004/476 |
International
Class: |
A47K 11/04 20060101
A47K011/04 |
Claims
1. A portable toilet unit comprising: a portable restroom enclosing
a toilet; and advertising media that covers at least 12:5 percent
of a total upright outer surface area defined by the portable
restroom, the advertising media being adhered to the portable
restroom by removable adhesive.
2. The portable toilet unit of claim 1, wherein the advertising
media covers at least 25 percent of a total upright outer surface
area defined by the portable restroom.
3. The portable toilet unit of claim 1, wherein the advertising
media covers at least 50 percent of a total upright outer surface
area defined by the portable restroom.
4. The portable toilet unit of claim 1, wherein the advertising
media covers at least 75 percent of a total upright outer surface
area defined by the portable restroom.
5. The portable toilet unit of claim 1, the advertising media
covers substantially all of a total upright outer surface area
defined by the portable restroom.
6. The portable toilet unit of claim 1, wherein the advertising
media includes a panel having a height and a width, the width being
sized to extend only partially around a perimeter of the portable
toilet unit.
7. The portable toilet unit of claim 6, wherein the restroom has a
width, and wherein the panel has a width that generally coincides
with the width of the first side.
8. The portable toilet unit of claim 1, wherein the restroom has
molded plastic walls defining the upright outer surface area, and
wherein the outer surface of the first side of the portable toilet
unit includes texturing, and wherein the advertising media is
adhered over the texturing.
9. The portable toilet unit of claim 1, wherein the advertising
media includes a flexible film having an outwardly facing side at
which advertising indicia is printed, and an inwardly facing side
at which the removable adhesive is located.
10. The portable toilet of claim 9, wherein the removable adhesive
covers a majority of the inwardly facing side of the film.
11. The portable toilet of claim 10, wherein the flexible film is
plastic or vinyl.
12. The portable toilet of claim 11, wherein the film has a
thickness in the range of 0.002-0.005 inches
13. The portable toilet of claim 11, wherein the film has a
thickness of 0.003-0.004 inches.
14. A portable toilet unit comprising: a generally rectangular
portable restroom having a front side, a back side, a left side and
a right side; and advertising media that covers at least 75 percent
of at least one of the sides of the portable restroom, the
advertising media being adhered to the portable restroom by
removable adhesive.
15. The portable toilet unit of claim 14, wherein the advertising
media covers at least 75 percent of the front side of the portable
restroom, wherein the front side includes a door, and wherein the
advertising media has been cut to allow the door to open and
close.
16. The portable toilet unit of claim 14, wherein a roof of the
portable restroom is arched, and wherein a top edge of the
advertising media is curved to generally match the arch of the
roof.
17. The portable toilet unit f of claim 14, wherein the advertising
media includes first, second, third and fourth separate panels of
film that are respectively adhesively adhered with removable
adhesive to the front side, the back side, the left side and the
right side of the portable toilet unit, the panels being sized to
generally coincide with the sides of the portable toilet unit to
which they are adhered.
18. An advertising medium comprising: a plurality of generally
rectangular portable toilet units positioned side-by-side relative
to one another in a row; and advertising media adhered to the
portable toilet units, the advertising media covering a majority of
front or back sides of the portable toilet units so as to define a
mural type display.
19. The advertising medium of claim 18, wherein the advertising
media defines a single image having portions provided on at least
two of the portable toilet units.
20. The advertising medium of claim 19, wherein the single image
has portions provided on at least three of the portable toilet
units.
21. The advertising medium of claim 18, wherein the mural type
display is defined by separate panels adhered to each of the
portable toilet units.
22. The advertising medium of claim 18, wherein the mural type
display coincides generally with at least three of the portable
toilet units in the row.
23. The advertising medium of claim 18, wherein the mural type
display coincides generally with all of the portable toilet units
in the row.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/646,944, filed Jan. 25,
2005, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The principles disclosed herein relate generally to a method
of advertising. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a
method of advertising using outdoor signage.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Advertising is a multi-billion dollar business. In the world
of marketing, to supplement advertising channels such as the
television, the radio, the internet, the newspaper, and billboards,
companies are continuously searching for new and creative ways to
advertise their products and services to reach as many consumers as
possible.
[0004] Portable toilet units can be found at almost every high
traffic event or area, serving the needs of a large number of
people. Portable toilet units come in a wide variety of shapes and
sizes. Portable toilet units are normally rented out or distributed
by portable toilet unit companies under a contract for a specified
period of time or for a given event. Generally, the portable toilet
units found in the market are of a single, uniform color, such as
brown or gray to camouflage dirt or soiling, giving them an
unpleasing appearance. Once rented, the units are usually placed in
a group, making them even more of an eyesore.
[0005] What is needed in the field of marketing is a method of
advertising that utilizes portable toilet units as an advertising
medium given their extensive use and visibility in high traffic
events and areas. What is needed is an advertising method that
preserves the temporary nature of the portable toilet unit rental
business. What is needed is an advertising method that can be
implemented universally on a wide variety of differently shaped and
sized portable toilet units. What is also needed is an advertising
method that improves the overall appearance of portable toilet
units to make them more attractive facilities for the public.
SUMMARY
[0006] The present disclosure relates to a portable toilet that has
been converted into an effective advertising medium.
[0007] According to another aspect of the disclosure, a portable
toilet is at least partially covered with a panel having
advertising indicia printed on one side and a removable adhesive
provided on the opposite side. The removable adhesive is designed
to leave the outside surface of the portable toilet with little to
no residue when the panel is removed.
[0008] Examples representative of a variety of inventive aspects
are set forth in the description that follows. The inventive
aspects relate to individual features as well as combinations of
features. It is to be understood that both the forgoing general
description and the following detailed description merely provide
examples of how the inventive aspects may be put into practice, and
are not intended to limit the broad spirit and scope of the
inventive aspects.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional portable
toilet unit;
[0010] FIG. 1A is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 1
schematically showing surface texturing of the portable toilet
unit;
[0011] FIG. 2 shows the portable toilet unit of FIG. 1 after having
been converted into an advertising medium in accordance with the
principles of the present disclosure;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a front view of the portable toilet unit of FIG.
2;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the portable toilet unit of FIG.
2;
[0014] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along section line
4A-4A of FIG. 4 showing the panel covering reinforcing ribs and
channels at the outer surface of the rear wall of the portable
toilet unit;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a left side view of the portable toilet unit of
FIG. 2;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a right side view of the portable toilet unit of
FIG. 2;
[0017] FIG. 7 shows printed advertising panels prior to be being
affixed to the portable toilet unit of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line
8-8 of FIG. 7;
[0019] FIG. 9 shows an elongated, continuous panel adapted to be
wrapped completely around a portable toilet unit;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another conventional
portable toilet unit;
[0021] FIG. 111 shows the portable toilet unit of FIG. 10 after
having been converted into an advertising medium;
[0022] FIG. 12 shows a bank of portable toilet units having front
sides converted into an advertising mural; and
[0023] FIG. 13 shows separate advertising panels used to form the
mural of FIG. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The present invention is a system for non-permanently
converting the outside surfaces of any portable toilet unit into an
advertising medium, regardless of the shape of the portable toilet
unit. According to the present invention, a self-adhesive decal or
media printed with advertising indicia is applied to the outside
surfaces of the portable toilet unit. The media may be removed at
the time the portable toilet unit is returned to the rental agency
or when the advertising contract expires. The removal process does
not result in any remaining adhesive residue or any other physical
damage to the unit.
[0025] The media is preferably a flexible material, such as vinyl,
thin plastic film, fabric, or paper and includes a self-adhesive
backing on a first side. A wide variety of media textures are
possible, including glossy, semi-gloss, matte, or transparent. A
large format plotter or other printing mechanism may be used to
print the desired adverting indicia on a second side of the media.
In one embodiment, the media is then cut to the shape of the
portable toilet unit to be covered. In another embodiment, the
uncut media may be affixed to the portable toilet, as described
below, and then trimmed to the shape of the portable toilet
unit.
[0026] Once the advertising indicia is printed on the media and the
media has been cut to the desired shape, the media is applied to
the portable toilet unit by affixing the first side containing the
self-adhesive backing on the surface to be covered. The media may
then be smoothed out with an applicator tool. In this way, the
portable toilet unit is essentially wrapped with the advertising
media. The media can be applied as a single, continuous sheet or
can be applied in any number of panels. For example, when covering
a rectangular unit, four sheets of media can be printed with
advertising material; and one panel can be applied to each side of
the unit.
[0027] After the media is applied to the surfaces of the portable
toilet unit, the media is cut with a sharp blade as needed to allow
for the door to open and close freely. Slits may also be cut for
ventilation purposes. In one embodiment, when applying the media to
handicapped facilities, containing signage indicating such, the
portion of the media covering the sign designating the unit
handicapped accessible may be cut away. In another embodiment, the
media itself may be printed to include a handicap accessible
designation.
[0028] The media may be removed at anytime, such as when the
portable toilet is returned to the rental agency or when the
advertising contract expires. This is accomplished by peeling off
the media, such as with a scraping tool. The surfaces may then be
wiped down with a cleaning solvent, such as window cleaner, as
needed. The removal process does not result in any remaining
adhesive residue or any other physical damage to the unit, and new
media may be applied immediately afterwards.
[0029] In sum, the present invention introduces a system for
non-permanently converting the outside surfaces of a portable
toilet unit into an advertising medium without damaging the
portable toilet unit. Because portable toilet units are usually
rented and placed in a location for a temporary period of time, it
is beneficial that the advertising media applied to its surface be
non-permanent. This makes it possible to specifically tailor the
advertising indicia to a particular event, such as a beer
advertisement for a sporting event. The non-permanent aspect of the
system also gives portable toilet unit distribution companies the
option of selling an advertising contract for a specified period of
time. After the advertising contract has expired, the advertising
indicia can be removed and a contract can be entered into with a
different company. It is therefore possible to repeatedly change
the advertising display without damaging the portable toilet
unit.
[0030] The present invention also provides a system that allows the
outside surfaces of a portable toilet to be converted into an
advertising medium, regardless of the brand or shape of the
portable toilet unit. A number of companies manufacture portable
toilet units in a wide variety of shapes, such as rectangular,
cylindrical, and octagonal to name a few. The flexibility of the
advertising media used with the present invention makes it possible
to apply the system universally to differently shaped portable
toilet units with very few alterations.
[0031] In addition, the present invention allows the overall
appearance of portable toilet units to be more attractive.
Generally, the outside surfaces or housing of portable toilet units
currently on the market are a single, uniform color, which is often
a brown or gray to camouflage dirt and soiling. Once rented, the
units are usually placed in a group, which results in a necessary
eyesore. The present invention allows the outside surfaces of the
units to be covered in advertising material, which is designed to
be bright and eye catching. This results in the portable toilet
units making a much more attractive display at public events.
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a conventional portable toilet unit 20 suitable
for being used as an advertising medium in accordance with the
principles of the present disclosure. The portable toilet unit
includes a generally rectangular, portable restroom 21 (e.g., a
shelter or privacy enclosure) including four generally rectangular
sides (a front side 22, a rear side 23 (see FIG. 4), right side 24
(see FIG. 6), and left side 25). The sides 22-25 of the restroom
extend vertically between a bottom platform 26 and a top roof 28
(i.e., cover). The roof 28 is generally flat. The front, rear, left
and right sides of the restroom 21 include upright outer surfaces
that may be collectively referred to as the outer surfaces of the
portable toilet unit. The restroom 21 encloses a toilet 19 (shown
schematically at FIG. 5) and may also enclose other structures such
as a hand washing station or sink.
[0033] Referring still to FIG. 1, the front side 22 of the restroom
21 includes a door 30 for accessing the interior of the restroom
21. The outer surface of the front side 22 of the restroom 21
includes a first portion 27a provided on the door 30, and a second
portion 27b that at least partially surrounds the door 30. A hinge
32 allows the door 30 to swing between open and closed positions. A
handle 33 controls a latch for holding the door 30 in the closed
position. The door includes a top edge 34, a bottom edge 36, a side
edge 38 positioned adjacent the handle 33, and a side edge 40
positioned adjacent the hinge 32. No smoking signage 44 is also
provided at the front side 22 of the restroom 21. A venting
structure 42 is provided at the left side 25 of the restroom 21
adjacent the roof 28 of the restroom 21.
[0034] In certain embodiments, the sides 22-25 of the restroom 21
can be formed by molded, plastic walls. As shown at FIG. 1A, the
outer surfaces of the walls are textured with an arrangement of
bumps or other visible surface elevation variations adapted to hide
dirt. The texturing can be formed into the outer surfaces of the
walls at the time the walls are molded. FIG. 1A is a magnified view
that schematically shows a portion of the texturing. To further
hide dirt, the outer surfaces of the walls can be earth-toned
(e.g., green, brown, gray, etc.) in color. While the outer sides of
the restroom 21 have been depicted in FIG. 1 as being generally
planar, in other embodiments, the sides can include ribs, channels
or other surface discontinuities adapted to stiffen or otherwise
reinforce the walls of the restroom.
[0035] Portable toilet units such as the one illustrated in FIG. 1
and described herein are generally known in the art. Such
conventional portable toilet units come in a variety of shapes and
sizes (e.g., cylindrical, octagonal, etc.). Conventional portable
toilet units can be non-trailer mounted (as depicted) or trailer
mounted. Trailer mounted portable toilet units typically include
one, two, three or more restrooms carried by a trailer. It should
be understood that the portable toilet units illustrated and
described herein are simply a few of the example conventional units
that can be used with methods of advertising according to the
present disclosure and the inventive aspects disclosed herein are
not limited to the illustrated examples of portable toilet units.
Instead, aspects according to the present disclosure are applicable
to any type of portable toilet unit regardless of shape or
style.
[0036] FIGS. 2-6 show the portable toilet unit 20 of FIG. 1 after
having been converted into an advertising medium in accordance with
the principles of the present disclosure. As depicted, advertising
media 50 (depicted with stipple shading) has been non-permanently
attached to the outer surfaces of the front side 22, the rear side
23, the right side 24 and the left side 25 of the restroom. As
depicted, the advertising media 50 covers substantially all the
outer surfaces of the sides 22-25. In other embodiments, the
advertising media may be sized and shaped to cover at least a
majority (i.e., at least 50 percent) of each of the outer surfaces
of the sides 22-25, or may be sized to cover at least 75 percent of
each of the outer surfaces of the sides 22-25.
[0037] In the depicted embodiment, all four of the sides 22-25 are
covered with advertising media. In other embodiments, it may be
desirable to cover only, one, two or three of the sides. Once
again, for each individual side, the advertising media may be sized
to cover a majority of the side. In other embodiments, the
advertising media may be sized to cover at least 75 percent of the
side, or may be sized to cover substantially all of the side.
Because the front side of a portable toilet unit is typically most
visible, the front side is the most likely side to be covered with
advertising media. This is particularly true when portable toilet
units are arranged side-by-side in a bank (see FIG. 12), since the
left and right sides of at least some of the portable toilet units
are not visible when the portable toilet units are arranged in such
a configuration.
[0038] In one embodiment, the advertising is applied to the outer
side surfaces of the portable toilet unit 20 by using four separate
rectangular panels 51-54 (see FIG. 7) of advertising media. In such
an embodiment, panel 51 corresponds to the front side 22, panel 52
corresponds to the rear side 23, panel 53 corresponds to the right
side 24, and panel 54 corresponds to the left side 25. To promote
manufacturing efficiency, a standard sized panel can be used for
each of the sides. In one embodiment, the standard size is 4 foot
by 7 foot. Advertising can be printed on the panels with lengths
and widths sized to generally match the lengths (e.g., heights) and
widths of the portable toilet sides desired to be covered with
advertising. For example, panels 51, 52 can be printed with lengths
L1 and widths W1 sized to match the lengths and widths of the front
and rear sides 22, 23 of the portable toilet unit 20, and the
panels 53, 54 can be printed with lengths L2 and widths W2 to match
the lengths and widths of the right and left sides 24, 25 of the
portable toilet unit 20. In other embodiments, the widths of the
printing can be slightly larger that the widths of the
corresponding sides of the portable toilet unit. This allows the
panels to be wrapped slightly around the corners of the toilet unit
so that no gaps are provided between the panels. For the purposes
of the is disclosure, a panel having a width sized to wrap around
the corners as described above is considered to generally coincide
with the width of the side to which the panel is adhered.
[0039] It will be appreciated that excess material 55 from the
panels 51-54 can be trimmed either before or after the panels have
been applied to the portable toilet unit. In other embodiments, the
panels can also be preformed or shaped to fit a certain style or
shape of a housing rather than being provided as standard
rectangular sheets and trimmed later to shape.
[0040] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an example layer
construction for the panels 51-54. As shown at FIG. 8, panel 51
includes a carrier layer 60 having an outwardly facing side 61 and
an inwardly facing side 62 (i.e., the side adapted to face toward
the portable toilet unit when the panel is applied to a portable
toilet unit). Advertising indicia 67 (e.g., graphic, pictorial,
text, etc.) is provided (e.g., printed) at the outwardly facing
side 61 of the carrier layer 60. Adhesive backing 63 is located at
the inwardly facing side 62 of the carrier layer 60. In certain
embodiments, the adhesive backing can cover the entire inwardly
facing side 62 of the carrier layer 60. Alternatively, the adhesive
may be provided at specific/discrete locations on the carrier
layer. A removable protective liner 65 is used to cover the
adhesive backing 63. During installation of the panel on the
portable toilet, the liner 65 is removed to expose the adhesive
backing 63 and to allow the adhesive backing to be affixed to the
outer surface of the portable toilet.
[0041] The carrier layer 60 is preferably a flexible film. For
example, the carrier layer can be a vinyl film (e.g., polyvinyl
chloride), a plastic film (e.g., polycarbonate, polyester), or
other types of films. The carrier layer can also include other
types of materials such as paper or fabrics. In one embodiment, the
carrier layer has a thickness in the range of 0.002-0.005 inches.
In another embodiment, the carrier layer has a thickness of
0.003-0.004 inches.
[0042] The adhesive backing 63 is preferably a removable, pressure
sensitive adhesive. As used herein, the term "removable adhesive"
means an adhesive that allows the carrier layer to be peeled from a
substrate such as the outer surface of a portable toilet unit while
leaving little to no adhesive residue behind on the substrate.
Because most or all of the adhesive is removed with the carrier
layer, subsequent cleaning of the outer surface (e.g., with
solvents) of the portable toilet unit is typically not needed. In a
preferred embodiment, the adhesive allows the carrier to be peeled
from the outer surface of the portable toilet without requiring
scraping, without tearing the carrier layer and without damaging
the portable toilet.
[0043] The advertising media can be applied to the sides 22-25 of
the portable toilet 20 by separately adhering panel 51 to front
side 22, adhering panel 52 to rear side 23, adhering panel 53 to
right side 24 and adhering panel 54 to left side 25. Each panel can
be applied by first aligning the panel with its corresponding side,
and then peeling back a portion of the removable liner to expose
the adhesive backing. The exposed adhesive backing is then pressed
against the outer surface of the portable toilet unit to affix the
panel to the surface. Once the exposed portion of adhesive backing
is adhered, more of the liner is peeled back to expose more
adhesive, which is then pressed against the portable toilet unit.
This process is continued until the entire panel is adhered to the
side of the portable toilet unit. In one embodiment, the panel is
initially aligned with the top of the side of the portable toilet
unit. An upper portion of the removable liner is then peeled
downwardly to expose an upper region of the adhesive backing. The
exposed upper region of adhesive backing is then pressed against
the portion of the portable toilet unit with which the upper region
is aligned. Thereafter, the liner is peeled further downwardly to
expose additional adhesive backing, which then is pressed against
the portion of the portable toilet unit sidewall with which the
panel is aligned. This process is continued from top to bottom
until the entire liner has been removed and the panel is adhered to
the side of the portable toilet unit from top to bottom. During the
installation process, an applicator tool such as a roller can be
used to smooth wrinkles, to improve adhesion with the textured
outer surface of the portable toilet unit, and to remove air
pockets from beneath the panel. The panels may also be trimmed to
size either before or after the panels have been adhered to the
portable toilet unit. Additionally, to improve adhesion, the outer
surface of the portable toilet unit can be cleaned (e.g., with
cleaning solution/solvent such as a diluted alcohol cleaner) to
remove dirt prior to applying the panels.
[0044] For portable toilet units having walls with reinforcing
structures such projections and depressions (e.g., channels and
ribs), the panels can by adhered to the side walls so as to contact
the projections and to bridge or traverse the depressions. In this
way, the panels provide a generally planar display surface. FIG. 4A
shows a portion of a panel 52 that is bonded to reinforcing ribs 94
and that traverses channels 95 of a wall of a portable toilet
unit.
[0045] After the panels 51-54 have been affixed to the portable
toilet unit 20, portions of the panels can be cut and peeled away
from the portable toilet unit to expose underlying structures of
the portable toilet unit. For example, portion 70 of the panel 51
can be removed to expose the door handle 33. Also, portion 72 of
the panel 51 can be removed to expose the underlying permanent
signage 44. For example, the panels can be cut to expose signs such
as no smoking signs or handicapped accessible signs. These kinds of
signs can also be preprinted as a part of the printed indicia on
the front sides of the panels rather than cutting the panels around
such signs. Further, portion 74 of the panel 54 can be removed to
expose the venting structures 42. The panel 51 can also be cut/slit
to prevent the panel 51 from interfering with the opening and
closing of the door 30. For example, slits can be made along top
edge 34, bottom edge 36 and side edges 38, 40.
[0046] In other embodiments, the panels can be made large enough to
extend to more than one sidewall of the portable toilet unit. FIG.
9 shows a sheet 89 having four adjoined media panels 90-93. The
entire sheet may be printed at once, and the sheet may be wrapped
around the portable toilet unit in a single application. When
wrapping the entire portable toilet unit, the two ends of the sheet
may overlap each other to ensure complete coverage. Thus, the
panels can be applied as a larger continuous sheet that covers more
than one side of a portable toilet unit.
[0047] FIG. 10 shows another conventional portable toilet unit 120
suitable for being used as an advertising medium in accordance with
the principles of the present disclosure. The portable toilet unit
is labeled as being handicap accessible and includes a generally
rectangular restroom 121 including four generally rectangular sides
(a front side 122, rear side, right side, and left side 125). The
sides of the restroom extend vertically between a bottom base 126
and a top roof 128 (i.e., cover). Edges/transitions 127 between the
sides are rounded. The roof 128 is generally arched. FIG. 11 shows
the portable toilet unit 120 of FIG. 10 after having been converted
into an advertising medium in accordance with the principles of the
present disclosure. The advertising media at the front side 122 has
an upper edge 129 that is generally arched to conform to the shape
of the roof line. Also, the advertising media wraps around the
rounded edges 127 between the sides to provide more full coverage
of the unit.
[0048] FIG. 12 illustrates a plurality of adjacently positioned
portable toilet units 220-222 (i.e., a bank of portable toilet
units) converted into a mural-type advertising medium. As shown at
FIG. 12, the front sides of the portable toilet units 220-222 have
been non-permanently covered with advertising media panels 300-302.
The panels 300-302 each define separate portions of an image that
extends across the front of the plurality of adjacent portable
toilet units 220-222. Thus, the panels 300-302 display a generally
continuous, single image when aligned. The image may be a pictorial
image, a photographic image, a textual image or may include other
type of indicia. FIG. 13 shows the panels 300-302 prior to being
installed on the portable toilet units 220-222. To enhance the
mural appearance, the vertical side edges of the panels 300-302 can
overlap and be adhesively bonded to each other so that no gaps are
provided between the panels 300-302. In other embodiments, the
panels 300-302 may wrap around curved/rounded front corners of the
portable toilet units to minimize uncovered gaps between adjacent
portable toilet units. In still other embodiments, the various
panels can be printed on a single sheet that is mounted across the
front side of the bank of portable toilet units.
[0049] In FIG. 12, the panels cooperate to define portions of a
single, continuous image. In other embodiments, individual panels
can simply be used on adjacently positioned units to provide a
mural type display even if they are not printed to form a
continuous, single image. For example, panels can be applied to
adjacently positioned units to display a repetitive image.
[0050] The non-permanent aspect of the adhesive of the panels makes
it possible to specifically tailor the advertising indicia to a
particular event or a location and remove the advertising when the
rental period is over without leaving any permanent residue or
damage to the units. Preserving the outer surfaces of the restrooms
gives the portable toilet unit distribution companies the option of
selling temporary advertising contracts or advertising space on the
portable toilet units. The advertising media should be such that
the advertising displayed on the outer surfaces of the portable
toilet units can be repeatedly changed without damaging the
portable toilet units.
[0051] Advertising methods in accordance with the principles of the
present disclosure allow the previously unused advertising space to
be used to support outdoor signage. In practice, signage rights for
the advertising space provided at the sides of portable toilet
units can be sold for a predetermined time period. An example time
period includes the duration of an event at which the portable
toilet units will be in used. Another example time period includes
the duration of a series of events at which the portable toilet
units will be used. A further example time period includes a set
contract period (e.g., 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2
years, 3 years, etc.). Once the advertising space has been sold,
advertising media is non-permanently affixed to the outer sides of
the portable toilet units, and the advertising media is displayed
for the predetermined time period. After the predetermined time
period, the advertising media is removed from the portable toilet
units. Thereafter, the advertising space on the portable toilet
units can be sold for another predetermined time period, and the
process is repeated.
[0052] In the case where advertising space is sold for a single
event, the portable toilet unit rental company can deliver the
portable toilet units to the event location. At the event location,
the advertising media can be non-permanently applied to the
portable toilet units in a manner as described above. The
advertising media is then displayed on the portable toilet units
for the duration of the event. After the event has ended, the
advertising media is removed from the portable toilet units, and
the portable toilet units can be moved to a different location
(e.g., back to the portable toilet unit rental company or to a new
event location). Alternatively, the advertising media can be
removed and replaced with new advertising media to be displayed at
a subsequent event occurring at the same location.
[0053] Certain business methods can allow an advertising media
provider to fully develop the advertising potential afforded by
portable toilet units. For example, the advertising media provider
can acquire from portable toilet unit rental companies the right to
display advertising on the outside walls of their toilet units. For
example, this right can be leased or otherwise contractually
acquired for a predetermined term (e.g., 3 years). Preferably the
acquired right is an exclusive right. As part of the contract with
the toilet unit rental companies, the rental companies agree to
provide the advertising media provider with a list of all the
events to which the rental company will be providing toilet units
over the contract period.
[0054] Once the right to advertise on the outside surfaces of the
portable toilet units has been acquired by the advertising media
provider, the event holders for the events to be serviced by the
portable toilet units are approached by the advertising media
provider with different revenue options. For example, the event
holders can purchase the right to advertise on the portable toilet
units for their event from the advertising media provider, and then
sell the advertising space to companies that want to advertise at
their event. The rights can be sold on a per panel basis. With this
option, the event holders will also typically pay the advertising
media provider to provide advertising media having indicia of the
advertisers choice, and to install the advertising media on the
portable toilet units at the event.
[0055] Alternatively, rather than selling advertising space to the
event holder and having the event holders re-sell the space to
advertisers, the advertising media provider can itself sell the
advertising space on a per panel basis to companies that want to
advertise at the events. With such an option, a portion of the fees
collected by the advertising media provider for the advertising
space can be paid to the event holder. The advertising space can be
sold to companies either directly or through intermediate
advertising brokers that acquire advertising space on behalf of the
companies.
[0056] With the above-described contractual relationships in place,
non-permanent advertising media can be affixed to the portable
toilet units by the media provider at each event to which the
toilet units are provided. For example, when the toilet units are
delivered by the toilet unit rental company to a first event, the
advertising media provider can non-permanently apply advertising
media to the toilet units. The advertising media is then displayed
for the duration of the event, or for at least a portion of the
event. Typically, the advertising media provider will prepare
(e.g., print or have printed) the advertising media with
advertising indicia selected by the advertiser that has paid to use
the advertising space. After the event, the advertising media
provider removes the advertising media and the portable toilet
units are moved by the toilet unit rental company to the next
scheduled event. At the next event, the advertising media provider
can repeat the process on behalf of another advertiser. This
process can be continually repeated for each event for which the
portable toilet units have been rented.
[0057] The above specification provides examples of how certain
inventive aspects may be put into practice. It will be appreciated
that the inventive aspects can be practiced in other ways than
those specifically shown and described herein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the inventive aspects.
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