Abstract:
A container for storing a liquid includes at least one translucent or transparent side wall with a first image formed on an interior surface thereof and a second image formed on an exterior surface thereof. The first image is formed in a manner such that it is not visible when the container is filled with the liquid. When the container is substantially empty of the liquid, the first and second images become visible to form a composite image.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefits of Provisional U.S. Patent Application No. 60/354,273, filed Feb. 6, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to a translucent or transparent container, preferably a glass bottle, for containing a liquid beverage or the like, which has an internal surface containing an embossed or debossed design and an external design on the outer surface of the bottle that consists of a label, painting, coating or the like, including etching or debossing. Preferably, these designs are positioned in predetermined registration to form a composite design or image.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    It has been found that glass bottles, and other containers, can be formed with an embossed or debossed inner surface design which will be invisible when the container is filled with a liquid, including transparent liquid water. These inner surfaces can be embossed or debossed by known techniques. For example, in the formation of a glass bottle, a glass preform or parison (similar in shape to a test tube with a threaded neck) is formed by injecting molten glass into a hollow mold. The mold surfaces forming the exterior of the preform can be carved or etched so that external embossments are molded on the preform. The preform is then removed from the small mold and placed in a larger mold. The larger mold will have, for example, flat or smoothly curved surfaces located to engage the embossments molded on the hot exterior surface of the preform. As a result, when air is blown into the preform, the outer surface thereof is pressed against the flat surfaces of the finished bottle mold. This forces the embossments to the interior of the preform, i.e., thereby reversing the embossment to the interior of the bottle. Filling the bottle with a liquid will cause the interior embossments to become invisible. When the liquid is dispensed from the bottle, the interior embossments become visible.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention can provide a container for a product in which the overall image of the container changes from its full state to its empty state.  
           [0007]    In one aspect, the present invention relates to a container for storing a liquid including at least one translucent or transparent side wall, means for forming a first image on an interior surface of the side wall, the first image not being visible when the container is filled with the liquid, and means for forming a second image on an exterior surface of the side wall. When the container is substantially empty of the liquid, the first and second images are visible to form a composite image.  
           [0008]    According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for forming a container for storing a liquid. The method includes the steps of providing at least one translucent or transparent side wall, forming a first image on an interior surface of the side wall such that the first image is not visible when the container is filled with the liquid, and forming a second image on an exterior surface of the side wall such that when the container is substantially empty of the liquid, the first and second images are visible to form a composite image.  
           [0009]    According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the present invention relates to a container for storing a liquid including at least one translucent or transparent side wall having structure on an interior surface thereof forming a partial design, the structure forming the partial design not being visible when the container is filled with the liquid, and structure forming a complementary design provided on an exterior surface of the side wall. When the container is substantially empty of the liquid, the partial and complementary designs are visible to form a complete design.  
           [0010]    The above, and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments thereof which are to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    FIGS.  1 - 4  depict a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an empty container according to the first embodiment, showing interior and exterior features, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along section line  2 - 2  in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container taken along section line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2, showing only the interior features of the container, and FIG. 4 is an elevational view showing only the exterior features of the container of FIG. 1, i.e., showing the container when filled with liquid.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIGS. 5A, 5B,  6  and  7  depict a container of a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A is an elevational view of the empty container, showing interior and exterior features, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along section line  5 B- 5 B of FIG. 5A, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation view taken along section line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5B, showing only the interior features and FIG. 7 is an elevational view of the container when filled, showing only the exterior features.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIGS. 8, 9 and  10  depict a container of the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the empty container, showing interior and exterior features, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing only the interior features thereof, and FIG. 10 is an elevational view of the filled container showing only the exterior features.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIGS. 11, 12 and  13  depict a container of a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the container when empty, showing interior and exterior features, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the container showing only the interior features thereof, and FIG. 13 is an elevational view of the filled container, showing only the exterior features.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIGS. 14, 15 and  16  depict a container according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is an elevational view of the empty container, showing interior and exterior features, FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the container showing only the interior features, and FIG. 16 is an elevational view of the filled container, showing only the exterior features.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 17, 18 and  19  depict a container according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is an elevational view of the empty container, showing interior and exterior features, FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the container showing only the interior features, and FIG. 19 is an elevational view of the filled container, showing only the exterior features.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIGS. 20, 21 and  22  depict a container according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is an elevational view of the empty container, showing interior and exterior features, FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the container showing only the interior features, and FIG. 22 is an elevational view of the empty container, showing only the exterior features. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]    A method of forming the containers and details of examples of the containers themselves will now be described. Each container is designed with an interior surface design or image which registers with or complements an exterior surface design or image to form a composite design or image. Preferably, the interior image and the exterior image are partial images that complement one another. When viewed as a whole, the images will combine to give the appearance of a complete, composite image.  
         [0019]    The interior surface design is intended to be invisible when the container with filled with a liquid, such as a beverage including water. In order to accomplish this, the interior surface is embossed or debossed by known techniques to form the interior image. In an ejection molding technique, a glass preform or parison is formed by injecting molten glass into a first, smaller, hollow mold. The mold surfaces forming the exterior of the preform can be carved or etched so that external embossments are molded on the preform. The preform is then removed from the first mold and placed in a larger, second mold. The second mold will have, for example, flat or smoothly curved surfaces located at positions so as to engage the embossed images molded onto the hot exterior surface of the preform by the first mold. When air is blown into the preform, the outer surface thereof is pressed against the flat or smoothly curved surfaces of the second mold. This forces the embossments into the interior of the preform, thereby reversing the embossments to the interior of the container or bottle. When the container is filled with a liquid, the interior embossments become substantially invisible. It is believed that this invisibility occurs as a result of diffraction of light through the liquid and the curved surfaces of the container or bottle, which causes the embossed edges of the interior image to visually disappear. Of course, the internal embossments can be formed by any other suitable method.  
         [0020]    The exterior surface design can take any suitable form. In a preferred embodiment, the exterior image can also take the form of embossments or debossments. The second mold can be formed with cavities or recesses carved or etched into its surface to form the exterior design. At the time the preform is “inflated”, the hot glass may enter the cavities or recesses in the surface of the second mold, so as to form the exterior design. When the container is completed and cooled, it will have molded designs on both its interior and exterior surfaces. These interior and exterior designs preferably register with or complement one another. It is preferred that the exterior design be formed directly opposed to the interior design so that they are only separated by the thickness of the container. For example, the interior and exterior images can be provided on either surface of the front of the container. Thus, the interior and exterior images will more readily be perceived as a single composite image when the container is empty.  
         [0021]    When the completed bottle is filled with a liquid, the interior embossments forming the interior design become invisible. When the liquid is dispensed from the container, the interior embossments become visible and, with the exterior embossments on the bottle, will form a complete and pleasing composite design.  
         [0022]    The exterior design need not be embossed on the container. Rather, the exterior design may be formed by etching, labels, printing with ink, application of paint or the like.  
         [0023]    Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an empty bottle  10  constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. As seen therein, the bottle has two sets of circle patterns. An internal set  12  is formed on the inner surface  14  of the bottle, and an external set  16  of smaller circles is formed on the outer surface of the bottle. The sets of circles may be randomly related or, preferably, positioned in a predetermined relation to one another or in registration with respect to each other to form a complete predetermined pattern, i.e., a composite image, as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0024]    As seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, the internal set of circles  12  is formed as internal embossments on the inside surface of the bottle, while the external circles  16  are embossments on the outer surface of the bottle. These embossments are formed by the creation of a parison or preform, as described above.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2, and shows the interior of the front face of the bottle, as viewed in FIG. 1, with the set of embossments  12  thereon.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 4 is an elevational view with the bottle filled, showing that the inner embossments  12  are invisible and only the external embossments  16  may be seen.  
         [0027]    FIGS.  5 A- 7  are similar to FIGS.  1 - 4 , and disclose another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0028]    Again, FIG. 5A shows a bottle constructed in accordance with the present invention which is empty. In this case, the bottle has an external wave pattern  18  embossed thereon near its neck  20 , and an internal pattern embossed on the inside of the bottle in the shape of a dolphin  22  (see FIG. 5B). When the bottle is empty, both designs can be seen as in FIG. 5A.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5B, and shows the embossment  22  on the interior surface of the bottle.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 7 is an elevational view showing the bottle when filled. In this condition, as described above, the interior design becomes invisible as a result of the liquid in the bottle and only the external wave pattern  18  is visible.  
         [0031]    FIGS.  8 - 10  are similar to FIGS.  5 - 7 , showing yet another design in accordance with the present invention. In this case, the empty bottle depicts a complete design of a snake, including a head  26  and a body  28 . The body  28  is embossed on the inside of the bottle, as shown in the sectional view of FIG. 9, while the head  26  is on the outer surface of the bottle, near the neck, and is the only thing that is visible when the bottle is full, as shown in FIG. 10. As with the previously described embodiments, the head  26  can be embossed or molded into the surface of the bottle during the blow molding process. Alternatively, it may be printed or painted onto the bottle, or may simply be an adhesive label. The key point is that it is located on the bottle in registration with the interior embossment so that the completed bottle forms a finished, composite design.  
         [0032]    FIGS.  11 - 13  show yet another design formed on the bottle by an exterior embossment  30  on the head and neck of the bottle, which creates the image of a helmet. The internal design  32  is formed by internal embossing on the inside of the bottle in the form of a face (FIG. 12). Thus, in the empty bottle the two images in registration form the image of a face with a helmet (FIG. 11), while when the bottle is full only the helmet is visible (FIG. 13).  
         [0033]    FIGS.  14 - 16  show yet another design having an embossed outer surface  40  in the general form of a mountain (FIG. 16), and an inner design  42  on the inside surface of the bottle creating a partial image of a volcano, including smoke escaping from its vent (FIG. 15). The combined designs are in registry and appear as a composite image as in FIG. 14 when the bottle is empty.  
         [0034]    FIGS.  17 - 19  show the components of yet another registered design on a bottle in accordance with the present invention. In this case, a series of animals  52  are embossed on the inside surface of the bottle (FIG. 18), while branches or trees are either embossed or debossed, printed or painted on the exterior surface of the bottle (FIG. 19). Those elements  50  are visible when the bottle is full, but the animals  52  embossed on the inside surface are not. When the bottle is empty the registered designs form a montage of animals within or about the tree branches (FIG. 17).  
         [0035]    FIGS.  20 - 22  show yet another bottle in accordance with the present invention, wherein a circular window type design  60  is embossed on the outer surface of the bottle (FIG. 22), and an internal design (in this case consisting of FIG. 62) is formed on the inner surface of the bottle (FIG. 21). Thus, when the bottle is empty, the inner design registers with the window and the design appears as in FIG. 20. Again, as noted above, the exterior design elements are positioned on the bottle in registration with the interior design elements and may be formed in any of a number of different ways.  
         [0036]    It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that the designs to be used in accordance with the present invention can take any of a myriad of forms, and that the shape of the container itself is not limited to the particular shapes illustrated in the drawings.  
         [0037]    While the present invention has been described as to what is currently considered to be the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to them. To the contrary, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.