Patent Application
20090084701
The invention relates to the field of the identification of individual beverage containers.
The present invention relates to the differentiating of beverage containers in order to differentiate users' drinks. Many social situations involve the serving of beverages in glasses, cups, bottles, cans, boxes or pouches. Typically the glasses, bottles, cans, boxes or pouches in a set will be of the same pattern, making it difficult for different users to determine which drink is theirs once the containers are set down.
This can lead to negative consequences, for instance, the spread of disease when someone drinks from the container that a sick person has been using. Another negative consequence can be an allergic reaction in a person who unwittingly consumes a drink containing a substance to which they're allergic. In a setting where people are gathered and alcohol is served, some patrons may argue or physically fight over a perceived theft of their drink. In an event with children involved, not only are there typically many germs to be spread, but children may get very angry and act inappropriately if another child takes their drink. Additionally, many people are just queasy about sharing germs with anyone. There are attempts to remedy this situation in the prior art, which are listed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,622 teaches a name identifying drink mixer, comprising an elongated flush member, its ends having broadening base and top portions, contoured to form decorative matching objects, the base portion functioning as a mixing implement, while the top portion thereof extends right angularly rearward into a platelet for imprinting of a name thereon and terminates downwardly therefrom in two legs, disposed spatially apart, for attachment to the rim of a drinking glass.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,444 teaches a stirring implement designed for use in stirring beverages such as coffee or tea, and has an elongated shaft connected to a thin flat blade which has parallel side walls connected by radiused corners to a straight bottom edge. The straight bottom edge affords maximum engagement with the bottom surface of a beverage container for maximum stirring efficiency. A hook member may be provided with intermediate end portions of the shaft for engagement with a top side wall edge of a beverage container. The stirring blade may be provided with a serrated cutting edge for utility food uses and with a scraping blade for spreading condiments such as jellies or butter upon pastry items.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,664 teaches a beverage stirrer having a pop out item such as figurine, logo or product replica. The stirrer includes a hollow, tubular casing with a sliding mechanism formed therein. The sliding mechanism can comprise a buoyant member actuated by fluid pressure from a beverage being stirred. Alternately, the sliding mechanism can comprise a temperature sensitive spring actuated by a temperature differential created by the beverage. The pop out item can be mounted to an end of the sliding mechanism and can be configured to extend out of an open end of the casing as the beverage is stirred. The stirrer can also include a handle/display member wherein indicia such as advertising or a logo can be printed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,832 teaches a stirrer that includes a rod for stirring a drink, a head secured onto the rod, a battery received in the head and having two electrodes. A light device has two prongs for coupling to the electrodes of the battery. One of the prongs may be selectively coupled to the battery and for selectively energizing the light device. The light emitted by the light device may be seen through the rod or the head. The head includes two casings secured together for retaining the battery or the light device within the head. The light device may be selectively actuated or energized by a switch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,377 teaches a disposable beverage stirrer for coffee, tea, soups and the like comprising a flat elongate wooden or composite stick having thermoplastic material imbedded therein for detecting the temperature of a beverage so that the user can be made aware whether or not the beverage or substance in question is suitable to consume without causing the burning or scalding of an individual's mouth. The thermoreactive material is not readily visible when at room temperature because it is inactive. However, it reacts to and is activated by the temperature of the beverage when inserted therein. Two messages are imbedded thereon, one to notify that the beverage is safe to drink and another informing the user that a high risk of scalding exists.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,712 teaches a multi-color luminous stirrer including a handle housing therein a battery and a shank composed of two tubular-shaped electrodes coupled together mechanically through an insulating ring. When the tubular-shaped electrodes are submerged in a drink, a switching circuit is actuated and in accordance with the movement of an electroconductive ball placed freely on a flat electrode that is connected to the battery and encircled by curved electrodes which are electrically connected to a plurality of illuminants housed at the tip of the shank by transparent or translucent cap, ON and OFF states are created between the electrodes. Thus, the illuminants emit light at random. The tubular-shaped shank may alternately be formed of a highly heat conductive material, with a bimetal housed therein so that when the tubular-shaped shank is dipped in a drink which is different in temperature from that of the ambient air, the switching circuit is actuated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,973 teaches that an antifoaming agent is deposited on a stirring or straw element to be placed in a beverage receptacle. The disposition of this material on the element speeds up the pouring process and is useful in high volume environments, such as airliners, convenience stores, and college bars. The preferred material for the antifoam coating is Dow Corning® Antifoam FG-10, which is a ten percent active, food grade silicone emulsion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,819 teaches a combination chip counter and swizzle stick apparatus for enabling a player in a casino environment to quickly measure the monetary value of stacked gambling chips and to mix beverages, comprising an axially elongated member having at least one graduated surface extending along the axial elongation thereof, the elongated member being sized and arranged for mixing beverages, the at least one graduated surface containing indicia identifying a progressive monetary amount proportional to the height of a stack of gambling chips when said apparatus is placed next to the stack to enable the player to read the value from the surface of the elongated member, the apparatus further including color coded surfaces corresponding to the colors of chips of different denominations to enable the player to quickly select the proper graduated surface for the chips to be counted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,471,391 teaches a drink stirring device for providing a decorative and entertaining conversation piece. The drink stirring device includes a swizzle stick member being essentially hollow and having an upper portion and an elongate lower portion; and also includes a light-emitting member securely and removably disposed within the swizzle stick member; and further includes a power source assembly for energizing the light-emitting member.
U.S. Patent App. No. 20050249031 teaches a color-coded flavored stirrer used to add condiments to and to stir a beverage. The color-coded stirrer has a hollow, cylindrical and elongated body with a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the hollow, cylindrical and elongated body being sealed closed, to hold the condiments within the hollow, cylindrical and elongated body. There is also a removable tip provided at the proximal end of the hollow, cylindrical and elongated body to allow for dispensing the condiments from the proximal end of the hollow, cylindrical and elongated body. The hollow, cylindrical and elongated body can be a specific color indicating the condiments being held within the hollow, cylindrical and elongated body.
U.S. Patent App. No. 20040062139 teaches a soluble stir stick composed of an edible material that is soluble in a beverage. The soluble stir stick is especially useful with hot beverages such as coffee or tea. The consumer stirs their hot beverage with the soluble stir stick and the soluble stir stick dissolves into the beverage, resulting in no waste. The soluble stir stick can be a solid stick made from one main soluble material. The soluble stir stick can be flavored or unflavored. For example, such flavorings could be chocolate or vanilla. The main soluble material of the soluble stir stick can also encapsulate columns of additives for the beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,524 teaches a safety blanket for a baby bottle formed from two very thin flat layers of a liquid impervious material. The two layers of material are sealed around the periphery with the central body portion not attached so as to form a dead air space there between. The two layers are in the general shape of a rectangle with the shorter surface sufficiently sized to reach from top bottom of the bottle height, and the longer dimension sufficient to surround the circumference of the bottle reservoir. A fastening method for attaching the safety blanket around the bottle is provided as is an envelope associated with the fastening method for inserting a substrate with indica thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,632 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,361 teach a personal identification method and system for improving personal hygiene in which provision is made for identifying a beverage, food product, or the like, with a particular person so that another person does not inadvertently access the identified item unintentionally. Identifying indicia such as numbers or alphabetical letters are selectable and conditioned by the user to be prominently displayed on the item so as to identify it with the individual involved. For necked beverage containers, in one embodiment, a re-usable snap-on display device, or assembly, is configured to snap onto the neck of the container; in another embodiment, the existing conventional cap-attaching ring is modified to include alpha-numeric indicia and/or to receive a cooperating indicia-indicating display element. For beverage cans, a wand-like element portraying selectable alpha-numeric indicia is attached to the conventional snap ring opener; and for boxed beverages, a plurality of selectable identifying apertures are provided so that the user can personally distinguish his or her beverage from those of others.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,361 teaches a personal identification method and system for improving personal hygiene in which provision is made for identifying a beverage, food product, or the like, with a particular person so that another person does not inadvertently access the identified item unintentionally. Identifying indicia such as numbers or alphabetical letters are selectable and conditioned by the user to be prominently displayed on the item so as to identify it with the individual involved. For necked beverage containers, in one embodiment, a re-usable snap-on display device, or assembly, is configured to snap onto the neck of the container, in another embodiment, the existing conventional cap-attaching ring is modified to include alpha-numeric indicia and/or to receive a cooperating indicia-indicating display element. For beverage cans, a wand-like element portraying selectable alpha-numeric indicia is attached to the conventional snap ring opener; and for boxed beverages, a plurality of selectable identifying apertures are provided so that the user can personally distinguish his or her beverage from those of others.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,795 teaches an identification system that distinguishes among a set of individual containers. The identification system has an identifier member associated with each of the containers in the set for facilitating visual discrimination of each of the containers from the others of the set. The identifier member of each container in the set has distinct and visibly different printed identifying indicia positioned over a surface portion of the container, and an opaque covering material covering the printed identifying indicia. The opaque covering material is removable to selectively expose a preselected one of the printed identifying indicia so that during consumption of the contents of the container a user may readily distinguish his container from the other containers in the set by visual inspection of the exposed printed identifying indicia.
U.S. Patent App. No. 2007/0068944 teaches a method of personalizing a beverage bottle which comprises providing a bottle assembly with a side wall having an exterior surface. An array of selectable sleeve wraps are provided, each configured to fit on the side wall of the bottle assembly. Each sleeve wrap has at least one characteristic that is visibly different from the other sleeve wraps of the array. One of the sleeve wraps is selected from the array and attached on the side wall of the bottle assembly.
U.S. Patent App. No. 2005/0223642 teaches a sleeve comprising a lower portion preferably having a base portion and a skirt portion for packaging a floral grouping or plant. The sleeve may have an upper portion which can be detached from the lower portion of the sleeve once the function of the upper portion has been completed. The sleeve has a plurality of horizontally and diagonally positioned expansion elements.
U.S. Patent App. No. 2006/0186129 teaches a storable, reusable-insulating sleeve for a beverage container that provides insulation to the user from hot or cold beverages. The improved sleeve maintains insulation of hot temperatures approximately five and ten degrees higher for a thirty-minute interval, than, for example, cardboard counterpart sleeves. The improved sleeve comprises an integral storage-securing mechanism for storing the sleeve in a compact form. The compact form can easily fit into a pocket, purse, car glove compartment or desk drawer. The sleeve is made of various fabrics and is therefore reusable. Further, a pocket contained in the sleeve will accommodate a prepaid card or a key, for storage, transport and gift giving.
U.S. Patent App. No. 2006/0207132 teaches a system for identifying a specific beverage container among a group of beverage containers. The system can include an elastic band sized for elastically engaging an outer surface of an individual beverage container, and a tag secured to the elastic band. The tag can be removably secured to the elastic band by a clip. The tag can include at least one surface for displaying identifying indicia thereon in such a way as to permit the identifying indicia to be repeatedly changed or altered by a user.
U.S. Patent App. No. 2004/0195254 teaches a flexible composite band to identify an individual drinking container with at least two layers of material and method of manufacture and use are disclosed. The first layer is a flexible layer generally constructed from elastic. The second layer is a decorative layer that can be customized to suit one's tastes and is attached directly to the elastic layer. Once this composite flexible identification band is formed it can be placed around drinking containers of various sizes and shapes and allow for easy identification of a drinking container due to the unique decorative layer.
The present invention has advantages that the prior art lacks. In the case of the stirrer, the present invention is much simpler in design and therefore less expensive to manufacture than other art cited, making it more readily disposable. In addition, much of the prior art focuses on other uses for the stirrer than the primary use in the present invention, which is to differentiate drinks. In the case of the band, again, the prior art cites inventions which are more difficult to make and subsequently increasing the cost to the consumer. In the case of patent 2004/0195254, for instance, the band has multiple layers which must be fused together, making the process more expensive than the present invention, which discloses one integral layer for band manufacture. In addition, some inventions cited have uses other than drink differentiation.
One possible solution outside of the present invention and prior art would be to write on the outside of the beverage containers, but this is not generally feasible. In the case of a cocktail party a hostess would not want her glasses defaced, nor would the bar or club owner in their establishment. In the case of disposable containers, many beverage cans and pouches are made from metal or foil, which is difficult to write on. Plastic bottles may weep and erase writing or be difficult to write on initially, and their labels are difficult to write on either because of the material from which they are made or because they are so covered in color and writing that it is difficult to find a place where the writing will show. Glass bottles are difficult to write on as well, and individual beverage boxes are coated with a wax. Finding a writing utensil that may work on any of these surfaces is not always possible, and may not be desirable if young children can access it and write on other surfaces, such as sofas or walls. Writing utensils also are easily misplaced at a party and may be difficult to find, especially in a social situation.
The present invention is quick, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive. It can also add to the festivity of a party in a number of ways, a few of which are listed here. Upon arriving at an event where the device is available, attendees could pick a pattern of their choice, or patterns could be tailored to their professions or other attributes and presented to them at the party. The device could also be identified with a photo that has some meaning to an attendee. The invention could be personalized, so that each person at an event would feel welcomed by finding devices with their name or other meaningful identifier. The invention could contain a joke, so strangers at a gathering could use it as an icebreaker when wishing to speak to someone. A company desiring to host an event and promote its services could use the invention to advertise in a subtle manner. The invention could be used in a game, such that the person with the device containing a certain pattern wins a prize.
The present invention has uses in many different types of social situations. One venue in which the invention is particularly useful is at cocktail parties, where people are drinking alcoholic beverages (many times out of glasses) and may need a reminder which drink is theirs, especially if they set it down next to other drinks. Another situation that would benefit from the invention is a crowded bar or club, where people may put their glasses down in order to dance or mingle, and would not want to pick up the wrong glass.
Another venue that would profit from the current invention would be any gathering of children, particularly a play group or birthday party. Children forget about their drinks in the excitement of play, then want them again when they get thirsty. The invention would help hosts or care givers determine which drink belongs to which child. Caregivers at a daycare could easily identify a child's bottle, sippy cup or beverage by the band including having the child's name or identifying insignia on the band. School children could easily identify their own bottle of water or beverage by using the band.
Other venues include sporting events and practices, where the athletes are repeatedly setting down and retrieving their drinks. This is particularly true for younger players in community or school leagues who have to supply their own drinks and often do so in disposable beverage containers. People exercising at a gym could easily identify their own bottle of water or beverage by having placed their preferred band on their beverage. Children participating in sports or recreation such as baseball, karate or ballet could easily identify their own beverage.
A family who buys beverages and has members who don't finish an entire drink could benefit as well, by using the device to label the beverage to save for later use. This would save money and shopping trips. The family could also use the device when going on trips, to keep drinks from being confused in the car or on the train or plane, and to try to avoid arguments during the trip.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below.
The invention is an article of manufacture comprising a unique identifying device capable of identifying a user's beverage container.
The invention solves the problem of users' being unable to distinguish their beverage from other users' beverages in a situation where more than one person is or has been present, or where opened beverages are stored for later use. The invention consists of unique stirrers for use in glasses, cups, cans, bottles or other beverage containers, and unique bands for use on the outside of glasses, cups, cans, bottles, boxes, cartons or other beverage containers. The uniqueness of the stirrers and bands is obtained either by manufacturing them with different patterns or writing, including one of each unique pattern or writing per set of devices sold to the consumer, or making them in a set of varying colors, including one of each unique color per set of devices. While the stirrers can be made from any suitable material, it is preferred to construct them from plastic. While the bands can be made from any material, it is preferred to construct them from stretchable material and to manufacture them inexpensively enough that they can be disposable.
It is an object of the invention to differentiate otherwise identical or similar beverage containers.
It is an object of the invention to promote better health by aiding the prevention of the spreading of germs and diseases through inadvertently shared beverages.
It is an object of the invention to provide an easy, quick, and inexpensive method of differentiating beverage containers.
It is an object of the invention to add a festive atmosphere to a social situation by providing designs for beverage containers.
It is an object of the invention to be able to personalize and/or accessorize beverage containers.
It is an object of the invention to promote sponsorship and advertising by allowing the placement of a logo, advertisement, photo or other promotional item on a band on the outside of a beverage container or on a stirrer to be used in a beverage container.
It is an object of the invention to allow later identification after storage of partially consumed beverages in their original containers.
It is an object of the invention to help a parent or caregiver differentiate their child's juice or beverage box, pouch, bottle or sippy cup from those of other children in any setting where children are grouped together, such as a party, play group or daycare.
It is an object of the invention to avoid quarrels over ownership of a beverage, particularly in situations with children, or with adults who have been consuming alcohol.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to
The invention includes identifiers for both re-usable containers such as glasses and cups, and disposable containers such as bottles, cans, cartons, boxes and pouches. Containers are differentiated with an identifying component that is added to the container at the time of use and, in the case of disposable containers, may be disposed of with the container. The identifying component can be retained or disposed of when used with re-usable containers, depending on the user's desire. More specifically, multiple uniquely designed stirrers are employed for differentiating between multiple non-disposable containers, and multiple uniquely designed bands are used for differentiating between multiple disposable containers.
The embodiments shown in
The band may be any width or length, with a preferred width of 1 inch and a preferred length of 7 inches, and may wrap around the bottle any number of times or any fraction of one time. It is preferred to be constructed to slip over the bottle as one continuous loop or to be wrapped around and fastened to itself or to the bottle by an adhesive or other closure method. It may also be of any geometrical shape, including a rectangular strip as shown, rectangular with the top or bottom or both edges serrated, or any geometric shape including but not limited to a triangle, star, square, polygon, circle or combination thereof, including multiple repeats of shapes. The band may be disposable or re-useable.
The placement of designs, wherein the term “designs” means patterns, photos, personalizations, logos, jokes, or any writing, on the band may employ, but is not limited to, the following methods: having designs printed on the band, having bands made with the designs as an integral part of the manufacture process, hand-drawing designs on the band, having the designs cut out of the band by die-cutting or other cutting methods, or having design stickers placed on the band. The designs may be placed on any fraction of the band or on the entire band. In a preferred embodiment, the designs may be placed on the outside of the band. Also, designs may be placed on the inside of the band, either alternatively or in conjunction with designs on the outside of the band. For instance, in the case of a joke or trivia question, the question may be printed on the outside of the band and the answer on the inside of the band.
The band is preferably stretchable material, such as the elastane lycra®, but may be made of any suitable material, including but not limited to elastic, paper, plastic, spandex, elastane, rubber, vinyl, cellophane, cloth, animal skin, cardstock, cardboard, wood, metal, wax, foil, or food.
The bands may be differentiated from each other by using different patterns, logos, photos, jokes, personalizations or writings in a set of bands, or by using different colors for otherwise identical bands in a set. Especially preferred are designs promoting or advertising products or companies.
One additional use for the invention could be to incorporate it into the manufacture of bottles or cans, to label them as well as or in addition to any other distinct identifying marks on the bottle, can, beverage container, label, cap, or opening tab to be able to distinguish any item or items from another item of the same type. This could be done by making the manufacturer's label different colors for bottles or cans of the same beverage bought in a case. For instance, a soft drink manufacturer could make a case of 24 water bottles which would be identical except for the colors of the labels. For example, four bottles could have a green manufacturer's label, four bottles could have a red manufacturer's label, four bottles could have a yellow manufacturer's label, four bottles could have a blue manufacturer's label, four bottles could have an orange manufacturer's label, and four bottles could have a pink manufacturer's label.
The stirrer contains two parts, the head and the body. The head and body both may be any of length, width or thickness, with a preferred length of 7 inches, a preferred shaft thickness of 3/16 inch, a head diameter of 1 inch, and a head thickness of 1/16 inch. The stirrer head may be of any geometric shape, including but not limited to a circle, square, triangle, star, or polygon. Other possible shapes include but are not limited to animals, body parts such as a hand, various foods, vehicles, household items, or any other shape desired. The stirrer head can be of any thickness to favor either a two dimensional appearance such as a square, or a three dimensional appearance such as a cube. The stirrer body may be any configuration, including but not limited to a rectangular stick, a whisk, a serrated blade, any geometric shape or series of geometric shapes joined together.
The stirrer may be of any color, with different colors differentiating stirrers in a set. The stirrer may also be manufactured to contain different colored stems inside the body or head, or even to contain different colored liquids inside the stirrer body or head.
The stirrers in a set may also be differentiated from each other by employing different designs on the head, the body, or both parts of the stirrer. Designs, wherein the term “designs” means patterns, photos, personalizations, logos, jokes, or any writing, can be on the outside or the inside of the stirrer, or distributed throughout any part or parts of the stirrer or the entire stirrer. Especially preferred are commercial designs or advertising. Patterns are shown on the face of the stirrer heads in
The stirrer may be manufactured from a variety of materials, including but not limited to plastic, food, metal, wood, glass, rubber, wax, ceramic, a composite material, or any combination of materials. It may be disposable or re-useable.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
