Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a unique sanitary closure system for liquor bottles wherein the capping technology incorporates a standard volume shot glass without screw threads. Furthermore, the system optionally includes a secondary sealing component enabling presentation of novelty shapes visible through the transparent body of the shot glass for marketing purposes.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is a novel closure system for liquor and other type bottles containing liquid. It features a unique bottle neck design incorporating a recessed seat with a sanitary gasket which accommodates the extended lip of a unique shot glass design inserted upside down. A threaded screw cap of unique design applies pressure to seal the liquid contents of the bottle by pressing the shot glass lip into the bottle neck recess thereby compressing the sanitary gasket, creating a sanitary seal. 
         [0003]    The invention resolves the problem of other approaches to incorporating a shot glass as the sealing component of a bottle. Other approaches cannot claim to provide secure, sanitary closure of a bottle containing liquid. For example, provisional patent applications have attempted to incorporate a shot glass per the following:
       1. US20080011710, Shot Glass Bottle Cap, wherein a threaded shot glass base is intended to engage with the standard threads of a bottle neck. This is an unviable design because glass-on-glass threads are known to cause fracture of the threads during tightening.   2. US20080116164, Shot Top, wherein a threaded lip is intended to engage with the standard threads of a bottle neck. This is also an unviable design and furthermore would render the shot glass unsanitary because the internal threads would accumulate bacteria.   3. US20120292283, Drinking Vessel Configured for Removable Engagement with a Capped Bottle, wherein an O-ring mounted in the shot glass base is intended to engage in a corresponding groove in a bottle neck. This is an unviable design because it does not provide a positive, secure closure for the liquid in the bottle.       
 
         [0007]    No existing United States patents have been found to claim a secure, sanitary mechanism for incorporating a shot glass in the closure mechanism for a bottle containing liquid. 
         [0008]    Additionally, this invention incorporates a separate sealing device which may be inserted between the lip of the shot glass and the bottle neck sanitary gasket. This sealing device is typically fabricated of molded plastic and may be either a basic disk with a finger tab or a molded novelty shape visible through the transparent shot glass body. 
         [0009]    This invention is intended to serve as a configurable combination of bottle, shot glass, and novelty shapes enabling a liquor distributor to market its wares in a continuous stream of compelling options for consumers. The novelty shapes may be enclosed under the shot glass in three ways: a) lying loose, b) retained by a base slot which matches the cross section profile of the finger tab on the basic secondary seal, or c) molded integral with the secondary seal. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention is directed to a unique sanitary closure system for liquor bottles wherein the capping technology incorporates a standard volume shot glass without screw threads. Furthermore, the system optionally includes a secondary sealing component enabling presentation of novelty shapes visible through the transparent body of the shot glass for marketing purposes. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the unique shot glass of standard 1½ fluid ounce capacity. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view representing one of many possible bottle closure configurations. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded isometric view of one of many possible bottle closure configurations. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  presents isometric views of possible alternate cap configurations. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  presents isometric views of possible alternate novelty bottle seal configurations. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is an isometric view of a possible alternative bottle design. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the unique threadless shot glass. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a side view detail of the shot glass lip. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a side view of a possible bottle design with a cutaway view of the unique recessed bottle neck. 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a side view detail of the bottle neck. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a section view of one possible closure configuration with shot glass, open-top cap option, and novelty seal. 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  is a section view detail of the shot glass and open-top cap closure with novelty seal. 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  is a section view of another possible closure configuration with shot glass and basic closed-top cap option without novelty seal. 
           [0024]      FIG. 14  is a section view detail with shot glass and basic closed-top option without novelty seal. 
           [0025]      FIG. 15  is a section view of another possible closure configuration with open-top cap option and basic seal but no shot glass. 
           [0026]      FIG. 16  is a section view detail with open-top cap option and basic seal but no shot glass. 
           [0027]      FIG. 17  is a side view of a basic closure seal with protruding finger tab which anchors a separate novelty shape via its base slot. 
           [0028]      FIG. 18  is a section view detail of a basic closure seal&#39;s protruding finger tab engaged with a separate novelty shape&#39;s base slot. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    The following is a listing of reference numbers corresponding to a particular element referred to herein:
     10  bottle neck with gasket seat     20  sanitary gasket     30  closure seal with novelty shape option     31  closure seal with pour spout option     32  basic closure seal     33  novelty item with base groove     40  shot glass with gasket pressure lip     50  cap with open-top option     51  cap with closed-top basic option     52  cap with closed-top novelty shape option     55  cap vertical wall mating with shot glass lip     60  shot glass seal pressure lip     61  shot glass lip outer rim     70  bottle neck gasket seat     80  bottle neck containment lip     90  bottle neck gasket recess     100  closure seal finger tab and shape anchor     110  cap security ring     120  novelty shape base slot   
 
         [0049]    The present invention features a unique method for incorporating a standard-volume shot glass as shown in  FIG. 1  as the primary sanitary sealing device for a liquor bottle. One possible bottle closure configuration is illustrated in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 3  is an exploded assembly of the design elements of  FIG. 2  wherein a bottle with upper neck design  10  contains a compressible sanitary gasket  20 . Resting directly on sanitary gasket  20  is one possible design of a secondary sealing device  30 . The lip of unique shot glass  40  rests on the sealing device  30  and is compressed for full closure by the interior vertical wall  55  on the threaded open-top cap  50  by twist engagement with the threads on the bottle neck. Alternative options for cap configurations are illustrated in  FIG. 4 , with a simple closed cap  51  or a novelty shaped cap  52 . Alternative options for sealing device configurations are illustrated in  FIG. 5  with pouring spout  31  or basic seal  32 . The basic seal  32  bears a protruding finger tab  100  which may also be used to anchor any novelty shape  33  such as a chess piece which bears a slot  120  in its base matching the profile of the finger tab  100  as illustrated in  FIGS. 17 and 18 . 
         [0050]    The uniqueness of the present invention is demonstrated in the design of the shot glass shown in  FIG. 7  with detailed enlargement in  FIG. 8  where the lip of the shot glass is extended radially outward as a flange with parallel flat surfaces. When inverted and inserted in the uniquely designed bottle neck  10 , the shot glass upper flange surface  60  rests on the sanitary gasket  20  or the outer edge of an optional sealing device such as novelty shape  30  and the lip&#39;s lower flange surface is pressed downward with the cap&#39;s inner flange under screw compression, thus sealing the bottle&#39;s contents. 
         [0051]    The unique design of the bottle neck is illustrated in  FIG. 9  with enlarged detail in  FIG. 10  wherein the surfaces of gasket seat  70  and shoulder  80  intersect with a recess  90  that retains the outer diameter of the sanitary gasket  20  with a slight radial compression fit. The diameter of shoulder  80  is sized with sufficient clearance to accommodate the outer rim  61  of the shot glass lip during closure assembly. 
         [0052]    Virtually infinite variations in the component details of this innovative bottle closure system are possible and are considered covered by this patent application. Section  FIG. 11  illustrates a configuration of the unique shot glass  40  seated on the flange of novelty seal  30  which in turn is seated on the sanitary gasket  20  with compression by threaded engagement of open-top cap  50  with unique bottle neck  100 . The enlarged detail of  FIG. 12  shows the sanitary gasket  20  retained by bottle neck recess  90  with the novelty seal  30  and the shot glass  40  lip rim  61  confined within bottle neck shoulder  80 . Section  FIG. 13  illustrates another configuration amplified in detail  FIG. 14  showing the unique shot glass  40  seated directly on the sanitary gasket  20  without a sealing device, wherein the basic closed-top cap  51  compresses the shot glass lip  60  against the sanitary gasket  20  under threaded engagement with bottle neck  10 . Yet another configuration is presented in  FIG. 15  to demonstrate how the liquor bottle may be sealed after removal of the shot glass  40 . Detail  FIG. 16  illustrates the combination of a simple sealing device  32  compressed against the sanitary gasket  20  by the open-top cap  50  in threaded engagement with bottle neck  10 .