Patent Application
20070131700
The present invention relates generally to a reusable container that is adapted for use as a point-of-sale display and advertisement of beverages in a retail store environment and for multiple subsequent uses thereafter as a drinking glass.
Beverages are typically packaged in a number of ways for retail sale and consumption, such as in aluminum cans, paper cartons or boxes, glass bottles, and plastic (PET) bottles. For example, soda, beer, fruit juices, and iced tea are typically packaged in pull-tab aluminum cans, glass bottles, and/or plastic bottles, while milk is often packaged in paper containers or boxes. Water is almost always packaged in plastic bottles.
Regardless of the material used, beverage containers are typically intended for a single use. Once the beverage container is opened and the beverage consumed, the container is usually discarded. Mass consumption of beverages in single-use containers has resulted in significantly increased waste resulting from discarded beverage containers. Because landfill space is limited, there is a great need to reduce the amount of waste generated.
One solution is to recycle beverage containers. Since many beverage containers are made from materials, such as aluminum, paper, glass, and plastic, they may be recycled after the beverage is consumed. Another solution is to save beverage containers for multiple subsequent uses.
The problem with reusing beverage containers, however, is that most beverage containers are not designed to permit repeated use after the beverage is consumed. For example, once the aluminum can is opened by the pull-tab, it cannot be resealed. Moreover, aluminum cans are not sturdy enough to withstand repeated washing and reuse. Although plastic and glass bottles have reclosable screw caps, these bottles usually have narrow openings or mouthpieces, making it very difficult to manually wash the interior of the bottles for subsequent reuse.
Accordingly, what is desirable is a container that is used not only for packaging beverages for retail sale and consumption, but used also for multiple subsequent uses thereafter as a drinking glass at home. Widespread use of such beverage containers in place of single-use beverage containers would significantly reduce the amount of waste generated.
The reusable beverage containers disclosed herein provide methods and systems for the display and advertisement of beverages at retail point-of-sale locations. The reusable beverage containers are also suitable for subsequent re-use of the beverage container at home as a drinking glass.
In accordance to one preferred embodiment, a container is disclosed. The container comprises an open end, a lip disposed around the open end, and a covering adapted to fit substantially around the lip. The lip is characterized as having a top side defined by a first arc length and a vertical side defined by a second arc length, in which the first arc length is greater than the second arc length.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment, a vessel is disclosed. The vessel comprises a base and walls coupled to the base, wherein the walls have an open top end. The walls and the base define an interior space that contains a liquid. A rounded protrusion is formed along the open top end of the walls and substantially outside of the interior space of the container. The rounded protrusion defines horizontal and vertical surfaces having first and second curvature values, respectively. The first curvature value is of lesser magnitude than the second curvature value. A lid is also provided and is adapted to at least partially mate with the rounded protrusion and to seal the open top end.
In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment, a system for displaying and advertising a beverage in a reusable container is provided. The system comprises an enclosure having an open top end and containing a beverage. A lip portion is formed along the periphery of the open top end of the enclosure, wherein the lip portion has a maximum height and a maximum width. The maximum height of the lip portion is less than the maximum width of the lip portion. A lid is adapted to at least partially engage the lip portion and substantially cover the open top end. Instructions are provided that the container is reusable as a drinking glass.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, a pomegranate juice product is disclosed. The pomegranate juice product comprises a container having a lip configured for a snap cap and also configured to be comfortable for drinking, a cap for the container, and a beverage containing pomegranate juice.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, methods for advertising and for providing a point-of-sale display for a beverage are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a container having an open end and a lip disposed around the open end, adding a beverage to the container, providing a covering that encloses the open end of the container by forming a seal with the lip, displaying the container at the point-of-sale, and providing instructions that the container is reusable after the beverage is consumed.
In accordance with yet a further preferred embodiment, a method for displaying a beverage is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a container having the attributes of a jar and a glass, adding a liquid to the container, adding a cap to the container, displaying the container in a point-of-sale location for purchase by consumers, and providing instructions to consumers that the container can be taken home and reused as a glass.
In accordance with still a further embodiment, a method for marketing beverages is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a vessel having an outer surface and a lip that is acceptable for drinking, adding a company logo to the outer surface of the vessel, adding a beverage to the vessel, enclosing the vessel with a cap, and displaying the vessel in retail stores with instructions that the vessel may be reused as a drinking glass after the beverage is consumed
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It is to be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.
The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:
Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
With reference generally to
With particular reference to
In one aspect of the preferred embodiment depicted in
In accordance with one aspect of the preferred embodiment depicted in
In accordance with another aspect of the preferred embodiment, a lid (20) is a covering that is adapted to fit substantially around the lip (16). The lid (20) may at least partially engage the lip (16) and substantially cover the open top end (17). In yet another aspect of this preferred embodiment, the lid (20) provides a seal to prevent the beverage from leaking out of the container (10).
Instructions may be provided with the container (10) that the container (10) is reusable as a drinking glass at home (not shown in the Figures). The instructions may be printed on the container wall (12), the base (14), lid (20), or a combination of any one or more of the foregoing. The instructions may also be printed on a separate substrate, such as paper, cardboard, or plastic, that is removably affixed to the container wall (12) and/or lid (20).
Accordingly, where a curve is nearly straight, the curvature will be close to zero, and where the curve undergoes a tight turn, the curvature will be large in magnitude. As shown in
The reusable container disclosed herein may be used in connection with methods for advertising and for providing a point-of-sale display for a beverage. In one preferred embodiment, the method comprises the steps of providing a container having an open end and a lip disposed around the open end, adding a beverage to the container, providing a covering that encloses the open end of the container by forming a seal with the lip, displaying the container at the point-of-sale, and providing instructions that the container is reusable after the beverage is consumed.
In one aspect of this preferred embodiment, graphic art is provided on the container. The graphic art may be an advertisement for the beverage. In another aspect of this preferred embodiment, the beverage is fruit juice, pomegranate juice, tea, iced tea, or a combination of juice and tea. In yet another aspect of this preferred embodiment, the covering is a snap-on lid that mates and creates a leak-proof seal with the lip of the container.
The reusable containers disclosed herein may also be used in connection methods for displaying a beverage is disclosed. In accordance with one preferred embodiment, the method comprises the steps of providing a container having the attributes of a jar and a glass, adding a liquid to the container, adding a cap to the container, displaying the container in a point-of-sale location for purchase by consumers, and providing instructions to consumers that the container can be taken home and reused as a glass. In one aspect of this preferred embodiment, the container displays printed advertisement.
The reusable containers disclosed herein may also be used in connection with methods for marketing beverages. In one preferred embodiment, the method comprises the steps of providing a vessel having an outer surface and a lip that is acceptable for drinking, adding a company logo to the outer surface of the vessel, enclosing the vessel with a cap, and displaying the vessel in retail stores with instructions that the vessel may be reused as a drinking glass.
The invention described and claimed herein is not to be limited in scope by the specific preferred embodiments herein disclosed, since these embodiments are intended as illustrations of several aspects of the invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.
