Abstract:
A cap cover made of a folded fiberboard material adhesively held together in a configuration to fit over an existing bottle cap. The cap cover is formed of a die cut pattern which is folded to provide a peripheral band surrounding a vertically extending edge of a bottle cap and which has a height to extend downwardly to engage the bottle shoulder. The cover has a top extending horizontally across the top of the bottle cap. Brightly colored cap colors can be provided for drawing attention to the product and provide additional surface area for printed information, graphics, and the like which identify the product and/or provide eye-appeal and draw attention to the product.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a cap cover and particularly a folded fiberboard cap cover for extending over a bottle cap and neck.  
           [0002]    The packaging of over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, and other products frequently includes a labeled bottle which is placed on the shelf without an accompanying carton or additional printed information. The caps of such bottles typically are functional and may provide child-resistant protection, depending on the nature of the product. Labels of such bottles have a relatively limited area for providing eye-catching graphics and/or information regarding the product. Since the caps are molded, bottle caps frequently contain no information or, at best, may have a circular label applied to the top surface, such label frequently bearing the price tag. Additionally, the neck of the bottle extending above the bottle shoulder and the lower edge of the cap is frequently exposed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In order to provide the consumer with eye-catching identification of a product, the cap cover of the present invention provides a slip-on cap cover for consumer products packaged in bottles, such products including, for example, over-the-counter analgesics, dietary supplements, cough/cold remedies, and the like.  
           [0004]    The cap cover can be made of a folded fiberboard material adhesively held together in a configuration to fit over an existing bottle cap. Brightly colored cap colors can be provided for drawing attention to the product and provide additional surface area for printed information, graphics, and the like which identify the product and/or provide eye-appeal and draw attention to the product.  
           [0005]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the cap cover is formed of a die cut pattern which can be folded to provide a peripheral band surrounding the vertically extending edge of a bottle cap and which has a height to extend downwardly to engage the bottle shoulder. The cover has a top extending horizontally across the top of the bottle cap. An inexpensive die cut pattern defining the cap cover is folded and adhesively held in a configuration to define the completed cap cover. The exposed surface of such a cap cover can be brightly colored and contain printed indicia for providing product identification and the like. Thus, with the cap cover of the present invention, the retailer has the option of adding a brightly colored informational cap cover over an otherwise prosaic cap to improve the product packaging appearance and provide additional area for consumer information regarding the product.  
           [0006]    These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a bottle having a cap cover of the present invention;  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1A is a plan view of the die cut pattern of material defining the cap cover of FIG. 1;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap cover of FIG. 1;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 3, it being understood that the rear view is the same;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a cap cover of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5A is a plan view of the die cut pattern of material defining the cap cover of FIG. 5;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 5;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the cap cover of FIG. 5;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 6, it being understood that the rear view is the same;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a cap cover of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 9;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 11 is a bottom plan view of the cap cover of FIG. 9;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 10;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 13 is a rear elevational view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 10;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a cap cover of the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 14;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view of the cap cover of FIG. 14;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 17 is a front elevational view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 15;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 18 is a rear elevational view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 15;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a cap cover of the present invention;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 20 is a top plan view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 19;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 21 is a bottom plan view of the cap cover of FIG. 20;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 22 is a front elevational view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 20, it being understood that the rear view is the same;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a cap cover of the present invention;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 24 is a top plan view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 23;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 25 is a bottom plan view of the cap cover of FIG. 23; and  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 26 is a front elevational view of the cap cover shown in FIG. 24, it being understood that the rear view is substantially the same. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0035]    Referring initially to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown a preferred embodiment of a cap cover  10  embodying the present invention, which fits over a conventional cap  11  covering a bottle  12 . Bottle  12  may be of a generally cylindrical shape as is typical or any conventional shape or size and normally has a screw-on or child-resistant cap  11  for enclosing the contents of the bottle  12 . Bottle  12  would typically include a label identifying the source of the product, the nature of the product, use instructions, and the like. Caps for such bottles typically, however, contain no information and are frequently the same color of the bottle. Also, such caps frequently do not extend to the shoulder  13  of the bottle, thereby leaving a gap between the lower edge of cap  11  and shoulder  13 . In order to provide additional eye-catching appeal and provide further information regarding the product for the consumer, a folded cap cover  10  of the present invention is made to snuggly fit over the cap so it can be removed and discarded by the consumer when the product is purchased and taken home.  
         [0036]    The first embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4, in which a hexagonal cap cover  10  is shown. Cap cover  10  is die cut in the pattern  14  shown in FIG. 1A from approximately  16  point solid bleach sulfate (SBS) fiberboard having an exposed exterior surface  15  with printed indicia  16  at various locations on the panels forming the cap cover  10 . Pattern  14  (FIG. 1A) for the hexagonal cap cover includes a generally circular center area  17  with a fold-down glue flap or panel  18  integrally extending from one end. Extending from the opposite end is an integral band  19 , which includes sections  20 ,  21 ,  22 ,  23 ,  25 A, and  25 B defining the six sides of the cap cover when assembled.  
         [0037]    The cap cover is assembled by folding panel  18  downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 1A, along fold line  26  and band  19  downwardly on fold line  27 . Subsequently, the fold lines  28 ,  29 ,  30 ,  31 ,  32 , and  33  are folded inwardly at angles of approximately 60° to form the hexagonal shaped sides of the cap cover  10 . The fold lines are formed in the pattern  14  during the die cutting of the pattern in a conventional matter to provide ease of folding of the pattern into the cap cover shape. Bands  25 A and  25 B slightly overlap and an adhesive material, such as a hot melt glue, is applied to the outer surfaces of panels  25 A and  25 B with flap  18  extending over and adhesively securing the cap cover  10  in the assembled position shown in FIGS. 1-4. The printed indicia  16  is printed on the pattern  14  prior to folding and can be located on any of the panels  17 ,  18  and  20 - 24  which provides information with significant additional printing area for presenting the product. The diameter of the cap cover (i.e., the spacing between opposed surfaces) is selected for a given cap diameter such that the cap cover snuggly fits over the cap  11  of bottle  12  and is held in place by the frictional engagement between the inner surfaces of band  19  and the outer surface of the bottle cap itself.  
         [0038]    In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-8, a cap cover  110  is provided which has the same general construction as cap cover  10  except that it includes a center area  117  which is a rectangular band as opposed to the generally circular band. The cap cover  110  is formed from a pattern  114 , shown in FIG. 5A, which includes the center band  117 , a flap  118  which is folded downwardly at fold line  126 , and an integral panel  122  forming part of band  119  which is folded at fold lines  126 ,  133  to define the hexagonal side of the cap cover  110 , as in the first embodiment. End sections  125 A and  125 B are adhesively held to panel  118  together in the same manner as the first embodiment to form the cap cover  110 . As can be appreciated, the patterns shown in FIGS. 1A and 5A can be varied with different fold lines to provide a pentagon cap cover  210  (FIGS. 9-13), a heptagon cap cover  310  (FIGS. 14-18), an octagon cap cover  410  (FIGS. 19-22), or a round cap cover  510 , as illustrated in FIGS. 23-26 to provide the desired appearance of the cap cover while still presenting a top surface which can have a significant amount of indicia printed thereon and a side panel or panels which also may have printed indicia thereon for providing information to the purchaser. The cap covers can be dimensioned to provide a taller appearance, i.e., the height of the sidewalls formed by bands  19 ,  119  and the corresponding bands in the remaining embodiments increased, such that the cap cover is significantly taller than the cap itself to present additional surface area for printed indicia.  
         [0039]    In one embodiment, the cap cover was formed for a cap having a diameter of about 2″ and a height of about 0.75″. The sidewall or peripheral band  19  of the cap cover had a height of from about 0.75″ to about 0.9″ to cover the cap. The height can be varied as desired to extend to the shoulder of the bottle and may even be higher, such that the top of the cap cover is above the top of the cap. The distance between opposed panels of the cap cover was about 2″, such that the cap cover fit snuggly over the cap but could be removed. As can be appreciated with the various shapes, the length of the bands  19 ,  119 , etc. are selected to approximate the circumference of a cap to provide such a fit between the cap cover and an associated cap. The cap cover is preferably made of a glossy, colored surface fiberboard with printed indicia thereon. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to manufacture the cap covers of a polymeric material, such as 5-10 mil polypropylene or the like and, in such case, the patterns can be identical to those made of the foldable fiberboard panels with the folding being provided by the heat and bending process and the bonding of opposed ends of the panels achieved by ultrasonic welding or by a polymeric adhesive.  
         [0040]    In the embodiments of the cap cover made of a fiberboard, preformed creases can be stamped in the pattern when the die cut pattern is made to facilitate folding preferably by machine, although they can be manually folded and glued. Thus, the cap covers of the present invention provide a variety of geometric shapes which can be employed to cover caps and provide additional surface area for presenting an eye-catching package or printed indicia for information to the consumer. Although a few illustrative regular polygon shapes are shown, it will be appreciated that the cap covers can be folded into any desired shape as long as it engages and covers the associated container cap.  
         [0041]    It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.