Cone cozy

Abstract

A moisture resistant, biodegradable, corrugated device is described for use on containers or foods such as ice cream cones where there is a tendency for the viscous contents inside the container to drip, melt, or otherwise fall onto its container, creating an untidy concern for consumers, and leading to excesses in cost, clean up, and waste. In use, the package protector (Cone Cozy) is positioned near the top of the container to catch the dripping contents, sparing the consumer and the container the distastefulness of untidiness, costliness, and waste.

Description

PATENT DESCRIPTION: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a package protector (dohnut) or device for improving the cleanliness and tidiness of packages or products designed to contain substances, especially liquid, which might spill and/or coat said container creating excessive waste and greatly reducing the efficacy or enjoyment of said product. More particularly, the invention relates to such a package protector (dohnut) comprising a corrugated discoid member comprising horizontal corrugated fluting means for catching and trapping viscous liquid-said corrugation means comprising a liner adhesively attached on both sides to the fluting with a recyclable adhesive-to have minimal, size, weight, cost, and waste, and which is suitable for preventing or minimizing spillage of their contents onto packages and containers, such as ice cream spillage onto hands and ice cream cones. The biodegradable discoid corrugated protector (dohnut) is positioned centrally around the container or cone to shield said container from spillage.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The package protector (dohnut) is useful in connection with the consumption of products distributed in conical or cylindrical containers (though a slight alteration to the design of said protector would certainly render it useful for objects of other three-dimensional shapes), in which the aforementioned generally viscous substances have the tendency to drip, spill, thaw, overflow, melt, etc., but the containers of which do not inherently possess the capacity to prevent overage, spillage, etc., causing added waste of said substances as well as additional time and cost assigned to the clean-up of said spillage.

Due to the viscosity of certain substances (such as scoops of ice cream stacked high or low) that are prone to melting, spilling, etc., there is a propensity for said substances to become messy on the hands and/or containers of the consumer.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an easily manufactured, relatively inexpensive, biodegradable, lightweight article, which is slid/wrapped around the package to catch unwanted drips, spills, etc., before they end up on the hands of the consumer or coating the sides of the containers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for protecting containers such as ice cream cones, cups, and jars from spills when interior contents are accessed, poured, licked, etc.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive device for protecting containers such as ice cream cones, cups, and jars from spills when interior contents are accessed, poured, licked, etc.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight device for protecting containers such as ice cream cones, cups, and jars from spills when interior contents are accessed, poured, licked, etc.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a waste-saving device for protecting containers such as ice cream cones, cups, and jars from spills when interior contents are accessed, poured, licked, etc., as fewer napkins, sponges, cups, spoons, soaps, and waters will be required to keep said containers clean.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cost-saving device for protecting containers such as ice cream cones, cups, and jars from spills when interior contents are accessed, poured, licked, etc., as fewer napkins, sponges, cups, spoons, soaps, and waters will be required to keep said containers clean.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a time-saving device for protecting containers such as ice cream cones, cups, and jars from spills when interior contents are accessed, poured, licked, etc., as less time will be spent in cleaning the interior substances from said containers and from consumer' hands.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1: A head-on view of the protector with its shield open to its functioning width/angle. The internal corrugated fluting is visible, as the hole on top is wider than the hole on the bottom.

FIG. 2: An angled sidelong view of the invention with the shield laid flat. Inside the hole at the center is the corrugated fluting, revealed at an angle.

FIG. 3: A head-on view of the invention with the shield folded closed.

FIG. 4: A sidelong view of the invention exposing the internal corrugated fluting. The shield is positioned at its functioning angle.

FIG. 5: The protector is situated on a container (ice cream cone) that is being held in a person's hand/fist. The ice cream is dripping and the protector is shielding the hand and container from those spills.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In order to provide a lightweight, inexpensive, and effective device for the purposes described above, the protector (dohnut) is preferably cut from one of the cardboards that are corrugated in nature, which allows for the “trapping” of substances inside its fluting.

In its preferred form, as illustrated, the protector (dohnut) 1 has a hole 2 cut out through the top surface 6, and a slightly smaller hole 3 cut out through the bottom surface 8. Thus, the aggregate hole in the protector forms an angle (of roughly 30°), allowing the corrugated fluting 4 inside the protector 1 also to be revealed at an angle (of roughly 30°).

When a substance, such as ice cream 9 spills onto the protector 1, it either lands on the top surface 6, or on the top of the bottom surface 8, as the bottom surface fits snugly around the container 10, while the top surface is slightly wider and relaxed. Once said substance 9 lands, it either remains on the top surface 6, or slips down inside the protector 1, getting caught or distracted by the corrugated fluting 4. The spaces and ridges inside the corrugated fluting 4 entice the liquid substance 9 inside them, rather than down the sides of the container 10. Whenever said substance 9 lands on the bottom surface 8, it too finds its way inside the corrugated fluting 4 (a maze of pathways), rather than down the sides of the container 10.

A positive addition to the protector (dohnut) 1, in its preferred form, is a thin layer of paper or another biodegradable substance called a shield 7 that is adhesively attached only to the bottom surface 8 with a recyclable adhesive (or is, in fact, an extension of the bottom surface 8), that, when in position, is angled to be slightly higher than the protector 1 itself, and runs along the circumference of the protector 1, still allowing air to escape from the fluting 4, yet shielding the container 10 from the viscous substance 9 should it reach the edges of the protector 1, creating a reservoir to catch the substance 9. Thus, when a substance 9 lands on the protector 1, it cannot escape either from the edges of the protector 1 through the corrugated fluting 4, or spill from the top surface 6 of the protector, as this shield 7 would prohibit its escape. In its open position, the shield resembles a blooming flower. (When lain flat, it is a circle proportioned to be slightly larger in diameter 5 than the protector 1 itself.) In its closed position, it is folded upon itself, resembling a closing porthole or an overlapping floral petal pattern, making it compact and easily portable.

The construction of this protector 1 from an inexpensive, recyclable, biodegradable material such as corrugated cardboard provides suitable broad and stable protection for the container 10 and for the consumer 11. (The size of the protector 1 in this version exceeds the average size of a human fist 11: 3½″ in diameter.) Thus, a disposable protector 1 is provided which may be distributed with containers 10 without damage to said containers 10, and which can rest lightly on the consumer's fist 11, actually facilitating the transportation of said container 10 as well as enhancing its cleanliness. In a cost-saving sense, fewer waster products (napkins, spoons, sponges) will be needed to enjoy substances 9 and their containers 10, as there will be no-to-minimal need for their usage.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the invention and without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and without sacrificing any of it advantages, it is to be understood that all matters herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims

1. In combination a container whose purpose is the confinement of some substance, a substance-usually liquid-subject to spillage, a unitary corrugated discoid protecting device for positioning towards the top of the container close to the substance, thereby preventing spillage onto said container or objects nearby, said device comprising the combination of a spacing at its center to house the container with an entrance hole on the top (slightly larger in diameter than a chosen location on the container) and bottom (identical in diameter to that same location), inside of which exists corrugated fluting running the length of the device from its core/center to its outer edge.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device possesses an aggregate opening at its center with the top opening and bottom opening being of differing widths/diameters, thus creating a slope between them.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device contains at its heart corrugated fluting running throughout from the core to the edges.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device is formed of a biodegradable and moisture-resistant, leak-proof material such as corrugated cardboard.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said device possesses a foldable base or shield that's slightly larger in diameter than the adhesively joined top surface and interior corrugated fluting, which, when folded, creates an overlapping floral petal pattern.