Patent Application
20230039739
The present invention is in the technical field of accessories for drinkware and other vessels. More particularly, the present invention is an absorbent collar capable of doubling as a marketing tool.
When pouring out of a bottle, carafe or other vessel, frequently droplets of fluid, condensate or beverage accumulate at the neck or narrowest part of the vessel or the mouth of the container. Following Murphy's Law, these droplets typically run down the side of the bottle and become deposited on other surfaces and people's hands. This is particularly an issue with respect to beverages such as wine or fruit juice that tend to stain both cloth and skin. As a result, the beverage industry has produced a number of devices that are designed to catch wine or other liquids as they drip down the side of a container such as a bottle, carafe or other fluid containing vessel.
For example, servers have for years tied a napkin or towel around the neck or body of the bottle to catch excess beverage drippage. However, napkins are not specifically designed with this purpose in mind and usually do not stay in place on the bottle even if left largely undisturbed. Moreover, as additional people manipulate the bottle to pour more wine, there is a large potential for the napkin to become dislodged, untied or otherwise loosened in which case it will not stay in place.
As a result, the beverage industry has developed a number of devices designed to adhere to the outside of a wine bottle, wine glass, carafe or other fluid containing vessel such that it can "catch" liquid as it flows down the side of the bottle. For example, some inventors have fashioned a solid, ring-shaped object to the neck of the bottle or the stem of the glass. This device is supposed to act to stop liquid from flowing down the side of the bottle, but because the device is a nonporous object, it does not stop liquid from flowing over it and down the rest of the vessel. Some of these devices are meant to be dual use devices. For example, one such device doubles as a business card holder once it is removed from the bottle. However, even if these devices were made of an absorbent material, these devices do not have enough surface area to catch or absorb very much liquid. To the extent they also double as marketing displays, again, they do not have enough surface area to adequately display very much information.
U.S. Pat. Application Publication Number 2014/0014610 describes a band of material, preferably made of elastic terry-cloth, that is stretched to fit over the mouth of a bottle and is made of material that is absorbent enough to catch liquid running down the side of a bottle. However, this device does not cover the same amount of surface area that the traditional napkin does and as a result does a poorer job of catching dripping liquid. Moreover, over time, elastic materials stretch and lose their elasticity causing devices such as this one to form a poor fit over the mouth of the bottle. In addition, devices such as this one are not versatile in that they are shaped and sized to fit one device, such as a wine bottle. They are not designed to fit a variety of sizes of containers and glasses. Other inventors have tried similar means to solve the same problem including using a sponge like material.
Others have invented a yoke or other device that is attached to the outside of a wine glass below the bowl where the bowl and the stem of the glass meet. These devices are cup-shaped in that they have an upward facing curved or concave surface that is meant to catch any liquid that escapes the bowl of the glass. Some versions even have small banners clipped to the outside of the yoke that feature advertisements or other promotional markings. These structures are cumbersome, customized to be used with wine glasses only and must be made of elastic material such as rubber in order to be fit onto the stem of a wine glass. Unsuitable for use on a vessel such as a wine bottle, the device is large and cumbersome enough to interfere with pouring liquid from a bottle. In addition, elastic materials lose their elasticity over time and as a result, the fit between the glass and the device will become worse over time. If the fit between the yoke and the glass is not tight enough, then the yoke will not work to catch dripping beverage. Last but not least, these devices are cumbersome and interfere with the user's ability to see and manipulate the glass.
Other inventors have simply recreated the folded napkin and use conventional fasteners to hold a piece of cloth in place on the outside of the bottle. For example, U.S. Design Pat. Number 751900S1 discloses a rectangular piece of cloth with pointed ends that is fastened to a wine bottle.
The purpose of the presently disclosed device is to combine a simple absorbent device capable of (1) catching liquid running down the side of the container, (2) being used on a variety of containers such as wine bottles, carafes, and glasses and (3) functioning as a decorative device that can feature information such as an advertisement. A skilled artisan can appreciate that the device can be utilized in both home and or commercial settings.
In its most basic form, the device is a length of absorbent material that forms a loop at one end and is configured to fit around a container. The loop can be formed by attaching and securing an end of the length of material to another portion of the same length of material through any number of conventional means including pressure fusing of the loophole, stitching or through the use of an adhesive. The loop is formed at one end of the length of material. The device is wrapped around the neck of a bottle, the stem of a glass or another fluid containing vessel and the end that does not feature a loop is inserted through the loop thereby securing the device loosely to the container such that the fit around the container can be adjusted. This configuration allows the device to be easily put in place and does not depend on elastic materials that will wear out over time to attach the device. In addition, the user can adjust the fit of the device around the vessel simply by pulling on the end of the device that does not feature a loop. In addition, the device can be made of nearly any absorbent and pliable material. The size of the device can be varied to suit the user, the container and to allow for enough space to feature an informational message or other marketing information. Moreover, the device is visually appealing even when not decorated.
In the above-described embodiments of the wrapper or collar, the wrapper or collar is made of an elongated, substantially flat, strip of material. In this context, substantially flat means that the width of the material is at least twice the thickness of the same strip of material. A second embodiment of this device incudes a cord of absorbent material that is wrapped or tied around a vessel. In this case, the cord is not substantially flat but rather is rounded, i.e. the cross section of the cord is either circular or oval-shaped. Other shapes are possible including cords with square or rectangular cross-sections, but the inventor has concluded that the rounded cord is more aesthetically pleasing. The inventor anticipates that the corded version of the device can be tied as a knot or slip knot or the two ends can be cinched together with a fastener or separate strip of material, either connected to the cord or not, into which the first and second ends of the collar can be inserted. In one embodiment, the loop is formed by tying the second end of the elongated strip of material or cord around the first end of the same strip of material. The width, length, and choice of material can be selectively customized to the individual needs of a particular consumer.
Furthermore, the inventor anticipates that the collar or wrapper will be used as a vehicle for advertising and can feature printed material or other advertising on a surface of the wrapper or collar.
The advantages of the present invention include, without limitation, the ability to catch dripping liquid from a vessel while at the same time providing an attractive conversation piece with the vessel that doubles as a marketing tool. In broad embodiment, the present invention is a universal absorbent beverage collar for use with a variety of containers.
Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above-described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
