Pop Top Disposable Creamer Container

Abstract

A disposable creamer container for holding and storing an adequate amount of liquid in a container which is easy to open and stack. The disposable creamer container includes a base, a sidewall extending upwardly therefrom, and an open upper end defining an interior volume configured to store a volume of liquid therein, wherein the sidewall includes a notched interior section defining a pour spout. A perimeter flange extends outwardly and perpendicularly from an upper perimeter edge of the sidewall. A first group of ridges is disposed on a bottom surface of the base to facilitate end-to-end stacking of multiple containers. A lid is removably secured to the perimeter flange of the sidewall, which forms an airtight seal until the container is opened. The container can be adapted to provide creamer in 0.75 ounce and one ounce sizes in order to satisfy consumer needs and reduce overall landfill waste.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 29/663,246 filed on Sep. 13, 2018 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/681,747 filed on Jun. 7, 2018. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to disposable liquid containers. More specifically, the present invention provides a disposable creamer container having a ridges on its bottom surface for convenient stacking, as well as an interior pour spout to facilitate pouring of creamer therefrom.

Traditional disposable creamer containers tend to have many problems for users when attempting to provide creamer to their coffees while at restaurants, diners, or their workplace. Traditional creamer cups tend to be small and only hold 0.375 ounces of creamer, which requires consumers to typically use between two and five disposable containers per cup of coffee or tea. This can be time consuming and annoying for consumers that need to open multiple containers to obtain an adequate amount of creamer. It also takes valuable time for staff to clean and stock the greater number of traditional 0.375 ounce creamer containers. Since each consumer must use multiple individual creamer containers and then throw them away, traditional creamer containers are exceedingly wasteful. The amount of waste contributed to landfills can be up to a staggering 37 billion creamer cups per year. Existing disposable creamer cups also tend to be constructed out of plastic, which is not biodegradable within landfills but instead will linger for centuries under the surface. With the growing environmental problem facing the world, new and more biodegradable as well as renewable sources are needed for the production of single use disposable containers, so that less overall material is consumed and thrown away. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a container that can hold greater amounts of creamer for consumer convenience, while also being easy to open and environmentally friendly.

In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing pop top disposable creamer containers. In this regard, the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of disposable serving containers now present in the known art, the present invention provides a disposable creamer container wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user by providing greater amounts of creamer in a single container, which also will reduce landfill waste due to the reduce amount of material needed to construct a single container versus multiple containers.

In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention comprises a container body having a base, a sidewall extending upwardly from an outer perimeter of the base, and an open upper end defining an interior volume configured to store a volume of liquid therein, wherein the sidewall includes a notched interior section defining a pour spout. A perimeter flange extends outwardly and perpendicularly from an upper perimeter edge of the sidewall. A first group of ridges is disposed on a bottom surface of the base, and a lid is removably secured to the perimeter flange of the sidewall.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new, improved, easy to grip disposable creamer container that has all of the advantages of the devices in the known art and none of the disadvantages.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a disposable creamer container that can be adapted to hold 0.75 fluid ounces or one fluid ounce of creamer in order to satisfy consumer needs and reduce landfill waste.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a disposable creamer container including ridges on the bottom surface of the base adapted to correspond with the base of similar containers to allow for easy end-to-end stacking with added stability.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an easy to grip disposable creamer container wherein a perforated section of the removably affixed lid is disposed over the notched portion of the rim and configured to be used as a pull tab when detached from the rim.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a front elevation view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container.

FIG. 2 shows a lower perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container showing the ridge on the base.

FIG. 3 shows a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container showing multiple containers arranged in a stacked configuration.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container with the lid sealed.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container with the lid opened.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the disposable creamer container. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, exemplary embodiments of the invention will be discussed as used for providing disposable creamer container which provides a larger volume of creamer in order to satisfy consumer needs and reduce landfill waste and overall environmental impact. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container showing overall structure. The disposable creamer container 11 comprises a container body having a base 12 and a sidewall 13 extending upwardly from an outer perimeter of the base 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the sidewall 13 of the container body is of a unitary construction and has a substantially circular cross-sectional area. The sidewall 13 extends orthogonally from the perimeter of the base 12 on a first end while the second end of the sidewall terminates in an upper end 14. In the shown embodiment, the upper end 14 and the base 12 are substantially circular, and the diameter of the base 12 is smaller than the diameter of the upper end 14.

The upper end 14 of the sidewall 13 includes a flange 15 which extends perpendicularly outward from the upper end 14 of the sidewall 13. A lid 16 is removably secured over the upper end 14 along the flange 15, which encloses the interior volume of the container body and forms an airtight seal. The interior volume is configured to hold liquid or solid material, such as milk, cream, powered creamer substitute, non-dairy creamer, or any other suitable additive that is typically added to coffee, tea, or other beverages for enhanced flavor and enjoyment. In the illustrated embodiment, the interior volume of the container body is adapted to hold and store liquid creamer for individual use, and may include sizes of 0.75 ounces and one (1.0) ounce for consumer convenience.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown a lower perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container showing the ridges on the base and a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container showing multiple containers arranged in a stacked configuration, respectively. In some embodiments, a portion of the lid 16 includes a perforation 21 that allows the lid 16 to break away from the flange 24 when a sufficient amount of force is applied thereto. In the shown embodiment, the container 11 further includes a plurality of parallel-arranged ridges 17 on the sidewall 13, which extend from the base 12 toward the upper end of the sidewall. Further, in the shown embodiment, the ridges 17 terminate beneath the lid 16, providing a planar upper section of the sidewall 13.

The bottom surface of the base 12 includes a plurality of parallel-arranged ridges 27 thereon. The ridges 27 give the base additional surface area and a gripping texture to allow the base 12 to have added frictional contact with surfaces such as tables and countertops. The ridges 27 also provide additional stability when multiple containers are arranged in a stacked configuration. Traditional single-use disposable containers are often stacked vertically lid-to-lid on top of base-to-base for compact storage, as shown in FIG. 3. The ridges 27 are configured to align with a complimentary base 12 of another disposable creamer container 11 in a toothed configuration to prevent lateral movement. This configuration, wherein the ridges 27 of one base fit between the ridges 27 of another, prevents the bases 12 from slipping off one another when lateral force is applied by providing a frictional fit engagement.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container with the lid sealed and a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable creamer container with the lid opened, respectively. In the shown embodiment, the pull tab 18 extends outwardly over the sidewall 13 to provide a gripping location for the user, allowing the lid 16 to be easily removed from the flange 24 to provide access to the interior volume 25. In the shown embodiment, the pull tab 18 is disposed on a lower side of the lid 16. Further, the pull tab 18 extends over the interior pour spout 23, which indicates to the user the general orientation in which the container should be used.

In the illustrated embodiment, the lid 16 is affixed to the flange 24 of the sidewall 13 using an adhesive such that the lid 16 creates an airtight seal for the contents stored within the interior volume 25 of the container body. The adhesive needs to be of a strength sufficient to maintain the seal to preserve the contents within the pop top disposable creamer container 11, yet still allow a user to remove the lid 16 with minimal shear force when peeling off the lid 16 to expose the contents of the container.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the pop top disposable creamer container in use. In the illustrated embodiment, the sidewall 13 of the container body comprises a semi-pliable construction, allowing for deformation under light pressure while maintaining overall structural integrity and shape. In an exemplary embodiment, the interior volume of the container body is configured to hold at least 0.75 fluid ounces of creamer or the chosen liquid. This amount will allow for a user to get a larger volume of creamer for use in coffee, tea, etc. A larger volume per container will mean less containers will be used to get the appropriate amount of creamer desired, which will translate into less waste, ensure customer satisfaction, and reduce clean-up time for staff.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base 12 and sidewall 13 are constructed of a thin plastic material which may allow the user to squeeze the sides such that they will compress while also maintaining the overall structure and shape of the container body. The container body and other components may also be constructed of biodegradable material for an even more environmentally friendly design having a lower carbon footprint. In this way, the present invention provides for an improved creamer container that can be utilized to provide consumers with their desired amount of creamer while simultaneously benefiting the environment by reducing overall landfill waste.

It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1) A disposable creamer container, comprising:

a container body having a base, a sidewall extending upwardly from an outer perimeter of the base, and an open upper end defining an interior volume configured to store a volume of liquid therein, wherein the sidewall includes a notched interior section defining a pour spout;

a perimeter flange extending outwardly and perpendicularly from an upper perimeter edge of the sidewall;

a first group of ridges disposed on a bottom surface of the base;

a lid removably secured to the perimeter flange of the sidewall.

2) The disposable creamer container of claim 1, wherein the sidewall comprises a unitary construction having tubular dimensions.

3) The disposable creamer container of claim 1, wherein the first group of ridges comprises a plurality of ridges disposed parallel to each other, each individual ridge defining a space between itself an adjacent ridge.

4) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 3, wherein the first group of ridges is configured to allow for the base of a first creamer container to be securely stacked on the base of a second creamer container.

5) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 1, wherein the lid is removably secured to the perimeter flange of the sidewall via an adhesive.

6) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 1, wherein the lid is configured to maintain an airtight seal while secured to the perimeter flange of the sidewall.

7) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a pull tab disposed on an underside thereof, wherein the pull tab extends outwardly past the sidewall above the pour spout when the lid is secured to the perimeter flange.

8) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 1, wherein the sidewall comprises semi-pliable construction allowing for deformation under light pressure while maintaining overall structure shape.

9) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 1, wherein the interior volume of the container body is configured to hold 0.75 fluid ounces of liquid.

10) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 1, wherein the interior volume of the container body is configured to hold 1.0 fluid ounces of liquid.

11) A disposable creamer container, comprising:

a container body having a base, a sidewall extending upwardly from an outer perimeter of the base, and an open upper end defining an interior volume configured to store a volume of liquid therein, wherein the sidewall includes a notched interior section defining a pour spout;

a perimeter flange extending outwardly and perpendicularly from an upper perimeter edge of the sidewall;

a first group of ridges disposed on a bottom surface of the base;

a second group of ridges disposed on an exterior side of the sidewall, the second group of ridges including individual ridges disposed in a parallel arrangement and extending between the base and the upper end of the sidewall;

a lid removably secured to the perimeter flange of the sidewall.

12) The disposable creamer container of claim 11, wherein the sidewall comprises a unitary construction having tubular dimensions.

13) The disposable creamer container of claim 11, wherein the first group of ridges comprises a plurality of ridges disposed parallel to each other, each individual ridge defining a space between itself an adjacent ridge.

14) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 13, wherein the first group of ridges is configured to allow for the base of a first creamer container to be securely stacked on the base of a second creamer container.

15) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 11, wherein the lid is removably secured to the perimeter flange of the sidewall via an adhesive.

16) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 11, wherein the lid is configured to maintain an airtight seal while secured to the perimeter flange of the sidewall.

17) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 11, wherein the lid comprises a pull tab disposed on an underside thereof, wherein the pull tab extends outwardly past the sidewall above the pour spout when the lid is secured to the perimeter flange.

18) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 11, wherein the sidewall comprises semi-pliable construction allowing for deformation under light pressure while maintaining overall structure shape.

19) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 11, wherein the interior volume of the container body is configured to hold 0.75 fluid ounces of liquid.

20) The pop top disposable creamer container of claim 11, wherein the interior volume of the container body is configured to hold 1.0 fluid ounces of liquid.