Container identification band

Abstract

A reusable container identification band for enabling a user to visually identify a personal container when it is intermingled with identical containers in use by other consumers is provided. The identification band of the present invention includes a tubular body, an upper edge, a lower edge, an inner surface, an outer surface, and a central aperture defined by the inner surface, and the upper and lower edges. Upper and lower edges are continuous curves, of substantially the same length when the tubular body is in a contracted, resting position during non-use. The outer surface of the identification band includes images or other indicia for visually distinguishing between a plurality of bands when used by multiple consumers at the same event. Users of the container identification band may conveniently wear the band on their person such as on their wrist as a fashion accessory when not in use on a container.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a means for identifying one container among a group of similar containers. More particularly, the present invention is an identification band that enables the user of a specific container to readily locate and retrieve the container from a group of similar or identical containers.

(2) Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

Prepackaged beverages such as water, juice and soda are popular items for individuals to consume while participating in group activities or public functions. Whether attending a school event, participating on an athletic team, exercising at a gymnasium, or merely gathering with friends and family at home or in a park, users of beverage containers will set their drink down for a moment before it is completely consumed. Often, the users of these products will reach for their personal beverage container only to discover that it is virtually indistinguishable from the multiple containers being used by others nearby. Inevitably, containers are swapped and the user's risk of contracting a communicable disease from the previous user increases.

Understandably, when a consumer is participating in events where there are other consumers of beverages and snacks, the opportunity to intermingle prepackaged, personal containers exists. For example, during athletic practices and games, groups of athletes and spectators often congregate in a defined area, bringing prepackaged bottles and snacks for all to share. At these events, the athletes will partially consume the beverages and snacks during breaks and set the remaining product down for later use. Upon returning from the practice or game, the athletes will notice the beverage containers and snacks are intermingled on the ground with no means of identifying which bottle belongs to which athlete. This is particularly the case with young athletes. Clearly, there would be a health benefit to visually identifying which common beverage or snack container belongs to which athlete.

In an effort to decrease the inadvertent intermingling of beverage containers, consumers are seeking means to uniquely identify their container before setting it down. One common method of marking similar containers includes carrying a permanent marker to write the user's name on a disposable container. The use of a permanent marker, however, is not always effective on cooled beverage containers where the surface area is damp from condensation.

Another common method of visually distinguishing a personal beverage container from those nearby is to carry and use an insulating wrap or sleeve. Examples of insulating wraps and sleeves known in the art are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,655,543; 6,286,709; 6,059,140; 5,667,135; D383,947; 5,259,529; 5,222,656; 5,205,473; 4,989,418; 4,514,995; D286,606; 4,268,567; and 4,181,765.

Insulating products however, are not widely used for the additional purpose of container identification because these products are typically limited to one style and size of container such as a beverage can, bottle, or disposable cup. Therefore, these products do not easily adapt or expand for use on multiple containers in a variety of types, shapes and sizes. In addition, many insulating products and designs are bulky, not collapsible, and impractical to tote.

An additional type of container cover known in the art is the decorative bottle wrap or band such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,250,005; D515,365; D440,828; D423,299; and D446,454. As stated above with regard to the insulating covers, decorative covers have not caught on as identification products because these too are typically bulky and impractical to carry along in a pocket or purse. Furthermore, the decorative cover designs disclosed in the patents listed herein lack practical design elements that would make the product attractive to the consumer seeking an easy, convenient and inexpensive means to distinguish a variety of common containers from others in a group.

Several identification products have been developed in response to the consumer's need for a means to uniquely identify personal containers. These include products disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,028,424; 6,082,030; 5,799,815; 5,704,144; and 4,941,573 for can identification, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,745,505 and D434,655 for bottle identification, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,034 for wine bottle and stemware identification. Although each of these patents disclose container identification devices, they fail to teach a single product suitable for quick and easy use on a variety of multiple container types, styles and sizes.

Specifically, the disclosures detailed in '424 to Arroyo, '030 to Kesselring et. al., and '815 to Lang, are devices attached by the consumer to beverage cans with or without a lever tab at the circular top. The devices clip or slide onto either the tabs or rims of the cans, and are therefore not readily adaptable to other containers such as beverage bottles, juice boxes or disposable snack packs.

In D434,655, to Haugh et al., a bottle identification belt is disclosed which includes an image on a thick, circular band which encircles a beverage bottle. As shown in the figures, the design of '655 to Haugh does not show a flexible, non-bulky, stretchable band adaptable for use on a plurality of container sizes and styles. There is no disclosure teaching how the Haugh '655 design can be adapted for use on cylindrical containers available in the marketplace with a wide range of circumferences, as well as how to adapt the product for use on non-cylindrical containers.

One thematic idea which arises in the package identification art is to have the manufacturer of products sold in groups of identical containers include a marking means in the original packaging. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,505 to Moran, a set of color-coded replacement bottle caps may be sold with a package of identical beverage bottles having screw top lids. The replacement caps in each package are each a different color so that the original user of a beverage bottle may replace the original cap with the unique color-coded cap. In another embodiment, the color-coded caps are sold separately from the beverage bottles. In '505 to Moran, however, there is no teaching or appreciation in the disclosure of how to adapt the color-coded caps to use on a variety of non-capped container styles such as cans, beverage boxes and snack packs.

Similarly, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,573 to Fuerstman, a pre-consumer package identification system is disclosed. In '573 to Fuerstman, the disclosure details an identification system that includes the use of unique identifying indicia on a visible surface area of each container in the original package. This identification system, however, is neither reusable nor adaptable to products not sold with the system intact.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,702 to Rea, a method for personalizing a beverage container is disclosed. This method includes the use of identifying labels sold either with the beverage bottles, or packaged and sold separately. These labels are individually arranged by the consumer to spell an identifying term unique to the user, such as a name or initials. Although this method does provide for nearby positive identification of the container, it requires an effort by the consumer to reposition multiple labels into a unique arrangement. As such, this product is cumbersome to use, especially by young children without parental or other adult assistance.

Another method for identifying beverage containers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,144 to Groth. In this method, an adhesive sheeting label is marked with identifying indicia by the consumer, and placed around the beverage container. This label may be reused if not damaged during removal, but, like '702 to Roth, it requires an effort by the consumer to separately mark each label for use.

The individual marking and customization of each '144 Groth beverage label is similar to the “Bottle Bandies™” consumer product found in the marketplace. The Bottle Bandies™ is a narrow piece of elastic embroidered by the manufacturer with an identifying word or words such as a child's name on one portion of the band. Although these monogrammed elastic bands are used on beverage containers, these are specialty products individually customized for each consumer. As such, they are not feasible or practical for the average consumer seeking an economical and easily replaceable product to quickly and accurately identify personal containers.

As shown in the review above, there still remains a need in the art for a washable, reusable container identification product that can be easily used by child and adult consumers alike to readily distinguish personal beverage and snack containers from identical containers used by others nearby. In addition, the product needs to be convenient to carry and store, and inexpensive to replace so a consumer will be motivated to take it along without the fear of losing it when used at a public event. The present invention meets these needs.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a container identification band for enabling a user to quickly visually distinguish one container from other similar or identical containers. The identification band includes an expansible tubular body section having an upper edge, a lower edge, an inner surface, and an outer surface. The inner surface of the tubular body section defines an aperture between the continuous curves of the upper and lower edges. The outer surface includes a means for visually distinguishing said outer surface from the outer surface of another band. The visual indicia cover the entire outer surface of the band so the container is readily identifiable from a distance without the need for touching or rotating the product to locate the identifying means. When the tubular body is stretched, the diameter of the aperture expands to permit the insertion of a container through the aperture so that the tubular body partially covers the container. When released, the identification band contracts and conforms to the shape of the container.

In one preferred embodiment, the tubular body of the identification band may be stretched over a container holding a consumable product regardless of the type, style, shape, or size of the container. In the preferred embodiment, the tubular body of the identification band may be stretched over multiple-sizes and shapes of containers. Suitable containers for use with the invention include snack containers such as boxes and storage cups, and beverage containers such as bottles, cans and drink boxes. In one embodiment of the invention, the tubular body of the band may be stretched over a substantially cylindrical container, substantially rectangular container, or a substantially conical container. In this embodiment, the perimeter of the band conforms to the container's shape, securing it evenly around the container to eliminate slippage during use.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a container identification system is disclosed providing a plurality of identification bands for use on a plurality of similar or identical containers. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for visually distinguishing the outer surface of a band includes an image, print or pattern covering the entire outer surface of the band. In another embodiment, the means for visually distinguishing the outer surface of the band from another band is the color of the band. In yet another embodiment, the means for visually distinguishing the outer surface of one band from another is the presence of different patterns or prints on the outer surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an identification band that is easy and economical to manufacture. The tubular body may be constructed of a thin, flexible, stretchable material or fabric such as an elastic, spandex, nylon or lycra. In one embodiment, the upper and lower edges of the body section are non-fraying. In another embodiment, the upper and lower edges are hemmed. In still another embodiment the tubular body is formed from a continuous loop material. In yet another embodiment, the tubular body is formed from a single panel, having a first and second edge wherein said edges are sewn together. In yet another embodiment, the tubular body is formed from a plurality of panels sewn together along the edges.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a reusable container identification band easily transportable and usable by adults and children. In one embodiment, the identification band forms a small, flat, square when placed in a folded, resting position. In one embodiment, the identification band may be stored in a pocket, purse, backpack, gym bag or similar tote bag until used. It is an object of the present invention to enable the user to fold, scrunch, stuff or otherwise place the band into a pocket, purse or other tote, as well as to wear it, such as on the wrist, and still be able to use the invention as a container identification band when needed. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an identification band that is washable, reusable, and convenient to carry and store.

In another embodiment, the container identification band may be worn as a fashion accessory until needed. In yet another embodiment, the identification band is worn on the user's wrist or ankle. In still another embodiment, the identification band is worn in the user's hair.

Additional uses of the present invention will be more clearly apparent from the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction with the accompanying specification, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the upper edge of an embodiment of the present invention, the lower edge being an identical image of the upper edge;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the present invention as used on a beverage bottle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the present invention as used on a beverage box;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the present invention depicting a generic visual image on the outer surface;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a variety of bottles suitable for use with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a variety of bottles shown in FIG. 5, wherein each bottle is inserted through the identification bands of the instant invention, each depicting unique visual indicia.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 worn on a user's wrist.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 worn in a user's hair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a reusable container identification band that enables a user to visually identify a personal container when it is intermingled with identical containers in use by other consumers. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the identification band 10 of the present invention includes a tubular body 12, an upper edge 14, a lower edge 16, an inner surface 18, an outer surface 20, a height 13, a perimeter 15, and a central aperture 25. Central aperture 25 is defined by the inner surface 18, and the upper and lower edges 14, 16. Upper and lower edges 14, 16, are continuous curves, of substantially the same length when the tubular body 12 is in a contracted, resting position during non-use. When tubular body 12 is contracted during non-use, perimeter 15 is at its minimum length, and height 13 is at its maximum length.

Identification band 10 may be stretched around the outer surface area of a personal container such as a beverage bottle, can, beverage box, or snack pack. As shown in FIG. 3, the perimeter 15 of identification band 10 is stretched to widen aperture 25 for receiving beverage bottle 50 through said aperture 25. The identification band 10 is then released and contracts. While in use as an identification device, inner surface 18 adheres to exterior surface 55 of bottle 50, conforming band 10 to the cylindrical shape of bottle 50. This property of having band 10 cleave to the surface 55 of the container prevents the band 10 from slipping off the container during use.

Alternatively, identification band 10 may be used on a beverage box as shown in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 4, identification band 10 is again stretched to widen aperture 25 for receiving beverage box 60 through said aperture 25. The identification band 10 is then released and contracts. Again, inner surface 18 adheres to outer surface 65 of beverage box 60, conforming band 10 and its perimeter 15 to the rectangular shape of box 60. It will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art that identification band 10 may be used on a variety of containers in many shapes such as conical and rectangular snack packs, beverage cans, sturdy cups, and similar containers known in the art.

As shown in FIG. 5, the outer surface 120 of identification band 110 contains an image, solid color, or other visual indicia 127, such a geometric pattern or color variation, to enable it to be visually distinguishable from other identification bands in use on similar containers. Specifically, the visual indicia 127 covers the entire outer surface 120 of the band 110, thereby enabling the user to identify the band from a distance, regardless of the position the container is resting in.

The instant invention may be used on a variety of types, styles, shapes, and sizes of containers commonly used in the marketplace today. With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, in a preferred embodiment, the height 13 of identification band 10 measures approximately 3 inches, the approximate height of labels found on standard beverage bottles. In the collapsed, non-use position, the perimeter 15, including the continuous curve of upper and lower edges 14, 16, of tubular body 12, measures approximately six inches. The collapsed identification band 10 as shown in FIG. 5 is an approximate square. During use, the tubular body 12 may be stretched thereby widening the aperture 25 to the limits of the material used in the construction of identification band 12. In the preferred embodiment, the perimeter 15 expands to about sixteen inches, thereby easily encircling the circumference of popular beverage containers holding up to approximately thirty-two ounces of liquid.

Materials and fabrics suitable for construction of the instant invention include elastics and stretchable materials such as spandex, lycra, nylon, and other two and four-way stretch fabrics. In its preferred embodiment, the material of the present invention is machine or hand washable. In addition, non-fraying fabrics preclude the need for the expense of manufacturing identification band 10 with hems along edges 14, 16. Tubular body 12 may be formed from continuous loop material, or one or more panels of material joined at the edges without departing from the spirit or scope of the instant invention disclosed herein.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a container identification system 200 is disclosed comprising a plurality of identification bands. As represented in FIG. 6, consumers of beverages in prepackaged containers often find that at least one other person nearby is using a similar or identical beverage container. In FIG. 6, bottles 210 and 220 are identical, whereas similar bottles 230, 240, and 250 are identical. In the system of the present invention, a means for visually distinguishing bottles 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 from each other is provided. As shown in FIG. 7, identification bands 212, 222, 232, 242, and 252 are inserted over bottles 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 respectively, each said band having a unique visual indicia 214, 224, 234, 244, and 254 on its outer surface. As shown in FIG. 7, the visual indicia on each band covers the entire outer surface of each band making it visible to the user without the need to touch, move or rotate the container.

Identification band 10 includes the dual utility of being a fashion accessory, attractive especially to children and teens who typically do not carry purses, bags or totes, nor regularly keep track of items placed in pockets. With reference to FIG. 8, identification band 80 may be worn in a smooth or scrunched position as shown on wrist 85. Additionally, some users may prefer to use the band in alternative fashion, such as a hair accessory. Referring to FIG. 9, identification band 90 is shown wound into a consumer's hair 95. Flattening, twisting, or otherwise stretching the identification bands disclosed herein does not affect its ability to properly function as an identification band on a container such as a water bottle when needed. In addition, wearability of the instant invention improves its convenience and portability of use over the prior art, thereby increasing its utility for the consumer.

The instant invention provides the consumer with a container identification band that is convenient to transport on the person during athletic and school activities so it's readily available when needed to uniquely identify a personal use container when the need arises.

It will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be changed or modified for use on additional containers or devices not shown herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A container identification band, comprising:

a tubular body section having an upper edge, a lower edge, a perimeter, an inner surface, an outer surface, and a central aperture between said upper and lower edge defined by said inner surface.

2. The container identification band of claim 1, further comprising:

a visual indicia on the outer surface of said tubular body.

3. The container identification band of claim 2, wherein the visual indicia covers the entire outer surface of said tubular body.

4. The container identification band of claim 1, wherein said tubular body of said band stretches to receive a container through said aperture, said container having an exterior surface and a shape.

5. The container identification band of claim 4, wherein said band cleaves to said exterior surface of said container.

6. The container identification band of claim 4, wherein said perimeter conforms to the shape of said container.

7. The container identification band of claim 4, wherein said container is a beverage container.

8. The container identification band of claim 4, wherein said container is a snack container.

9. The container identification band of claim 1, wherein said tubular body of said band stretches to receive a user's wrist within said aperture.

10. A container identification system, comprising:

a plurality of identification bands, each said identification band having a tubular body, wherein said tubular body includes an upper edge, a lower edge, a perimeter, an inner surface, an outer surface, and a central aperture between said upper and lower edge defined by said inner surface.

11. The container identification system of claim 10, further comprising:

a means for visually distinguishing between said plurality of identification bands.

12. The container identification system of claim 11, wherein the means for visually distinguishing between said plurality of identification bands is unique visual indicia on each said identification band.

13. The container identification system of claim 12, wherein the visual indicia covers the entire outer surface of each said tubular body.

14. A container identification band and fashion accessory comprising:

a tubular body having an upper edge, a lower edge, an inner surface, an outer surface, and a central aperture between said upper and lower edge defined by said inner surface, wherein said tubular body expands for receiving an item through said aperture.

15. The container identification band and fashion accessory of claim 14 wherein said item is a container.

16. The container identification band and fashion accessory of claim 15 wherein said container is a beverage container.

17. The container identification band and fashion accessory of claim 14, wherein said item is a user's wrist.

18. The container identification band and fashion accessory of claim 14, wherein said item is a user's hair.