The present invention relates to bottle packaging and, more specifically, to bottle packaging that is convertible into coasters.
Most beverage bottles are transported in cardboard boxes that include cardboard or paperboard dividers placed in the boxes. The dividers define square prismatic volumes into which bottles are placed and provide impact absorption between the bottles during handling. Generally, the boxes and dividers are disposable.
Disposable drink coasters, such as beer mats, have been used at bars and pubs to absorb condensation from glasses containing cold drinks since they were first made in 1880. Such drink coasters protect tables impact and water damage. Most of the commonly used drink coasters are discarded after a single use. Many such coasters include advertising (usually for brands of beer or other beverages) printed thereon. Also, they are usually provided free to bar and pub owners by the brand suppliers because of the advertising printed on them. Some people even collect such drink coasters as souvenirs of their travels.
At typical high volume restaurant, bar or catering service can discard hundreds of boxes and dividers per week. While the boxes and dividers are usually recyclable, many hospitality establishment owners do not exert the extra effort necessary to recycle them. Given the substantial numbers of restaurants, bars, catering services and the like that purchase boxes of bottled drinks, the discarding of boxes and dividers can add substantial pressure on landfills.
Therefore, there is a need for a box system that facilitates reuse of components of boxes used to transport bottled beverages.
The disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention which, in one aspect, is a box system for storing bottles therein that includes a box, at least one longitudinal divider sheet and at least one latitudinal divider sheet. The at least one longitudinal divider sheet is disposed within the box and is divided into a plurality of coaster units. Each coaster unit is adjacent to at least two other coaster units and is separated therefrom by a visually perceptible separation line so that when the coaster units are separated at the separation line each coaster unit is usable as a drink coaster. The at least one longitudinal divider sheet has a top edge, a height and defines at least one elongated vertical opening extending downwardly from the top edge to at least half the height of the longitudinal divider sheet. The at least one latitudinal divider sheet is disposed within the box and is divided into a plurality of coaster units. Each coaster unit is adjacent to at least two other coaster units and is separated therefrom by a visually perceptible separation line so that when the coaster units are separated at the separation line each coaster unit is usable as a drink coaster. The at least one latitudinal divider sheet has a bottom edge, a height and defines at least one elongated vertical opening extending upwardly from the bottom edge to at least half the height of the latitudinal divider sheet. The elongated vertical opening defined by the at least one latitudinal divider sheet is slid about the at least one corresponding longitudinal divider sheet and the elongated vertical opening defined by the at least one longitudinal divider sheet is slid about the at least one corresponding latitudinal divider sheet so that the at least one longitudinal divider sheet and the at least one latitudinal divider sheet are interleaved so as to define an array of prismatic voids configured to receive bottles therein.
In another aspect, the invention is a bottle storage box system that includes a box, a plurality of longitudinal divider sheets and a plurality of latitudinal divider sheets. The box includes a bottom, a top and at least four vertical walls. At least one of the vertical walls is divided into a plurality of coaster units. Each coaster unit is adjacent to at least two other coaster units and is separated therefrom by a visually perceptible separation line so that when the coaster units are separated at the separation line each coaster unit is usable as a drink coaster. The plurality of longitudinal divider sheets is disposed within the box and each longitudinal divider sheet is divided into a plurality of coaster units. Each coaster unit is adjacent to at least two other coaster units and separated therefrom by a visually perceptible separation line so that when the coaster units are separated at the separation line each coaster unit is usable as a drink coaster. Each longitudinal divider sheet has a top edge, a height and defines at least one elongated vertical opening extending downwardly from the top edge to at least half the height of the longitudinal divider sheet. The plurality of latitudinal divider sheets is disposed within the box and each latitudinal divider sheet is divided into a plurality of coaster units. Each coaster unit is adjacent to at least two other coaster units and is separated therefrom by a visually perceptible separation line so that when the coaster units are separated at the separation line each coaster unit is usable as a drink coaster. Each latitudinal divider sheet has a bottom edge, a height and defining at least one elongated vertical opening extending upwardly from the bottom edge to at least half the height of the latitudinal divider sheet. The elongated vertical openings defined by each latitudinal divider sheet are slid about corresponding longitudinal divider sheets and the elongated vertical openings defined by each longitudinal divider sheet are slid about corresponding latitudinal divider sheets so that the longitudinal divider sheets and the latitudinal divider sheets are interleaved so as to define an array of prismatic voids configured to receive bottles therein.
In yet another aspect, the invention is a method of making reusable box components in which a plurality of coaster unit indicia is printed on box divider sheets. Visually perceptible separation lines are placed on each box divider sheet to facilitate separation of portions of the divider sheets into coaster units. Vertical openings are cut in the divider sheets to facilitate interleaving of divider sheets such that the divider sheets define prismatic voids configured to receive bottles therein when the divider sheets are interleaved. The divider sheets are placed in a box in an interleaved arrangement.
These and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings. As would be obvious to one skilled in the art, many variations and modifications of the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like parts throughout the views. Unless otherwise specifically indicated in the disclosure that follows, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. The present disclosure should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations and techniques illustrated in the drawings and described below. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise: the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”
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In other embodiments the box 102 and the divider sheets 110 and 120 can be printed with subsequent-use collateral materials. For example, one of the divider sheets 110 or 120 could be printed with an advertising sign promoting the brand of beverage shipped in the box 102. Similarly, a divider sheet could be printed with a board game (which can also advertise the brand) that can be used by patrons at a bar. In one embodiment, a divider sheet can be printed with collateral material on one side and coaster units on the other side, so that the proprietor of the retail establishment can decide the secondary use of the dividers.
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Although specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated advantages. Other technical advantages may become readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after review of the following figures and description. It is understood that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to the systems, apparatuses, and methods described herein without departing from the scope of the invention. The components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated. The operations of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, steps may be performed in any suitable order. As used in this document, “each” refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set. It is intended that the claims and claim elements recited below do not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim. The above described embodiments, while including the preferred embodiment and the best mode of the invention known to the inventor at the time of filing, are given as illustrative examples only. It will be readily appreciated that many deviations may be made from the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the claims below rather than being limited to the specifically described embodiments above.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/776,136, filed Dec. 6, 2018, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62776136 | Dec 2018 | US |