Container for displaying contents

A bowl includes an upper part having a cylindrical shape and having an opening. The bowl also includes a middle part located adjacent the upper part, wherein the opening extends into at least a portion of the middle part. The bowl further includes a lower part having a lower surface, wherein the lower surface includes a first portion that extends across a portion of the lower part and a second portion that extends across another portion of the lower part, wherein the second portion is angled with respect to the first portion.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Conventional containers for displaying items typically must be viewed from above. For example, a bowl used to display items, such as polished stones, candies, spices, etc., must be viewed from essentially directly above the bowl in order for the viewer to see a significant portion of the contents of the bowl.

In a commercial setting, such as when a container is located on a shelf, it is often impossible for a customer to view the contents of the container. In addition, in a home setting, such as when the bowl is on a shelf or in a display cabinet, the user must remove the bowl from the shelf or open the display cabinet to view the contents of the bowl.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Implementations described herein relate to a container, such as a bowl for displaying items. The container (also referred to herein as a bowl) may include an upper portion that is cylindrical in shape and includes an opening to hold items of interest. The container also includes a lower portion in which the conventional cylindrical portion has been cut or formed to create an additional surface that is angled with respect to the bottom surface of the bowl. For example, the cut may be made from a middle of the lower surface extending to the outside surface of the bowl, creating an inclined surface with respect to the bottom surface. The bowl may then rest on the inclined surface when the inner portion of the bowl is filled or partially filled with items. In some implementations, the bowl may rest on the inclined surface when the inner portion of the bowl is empty. In each case, the open portion of the bowl may be angled with respect to a surface on which the bowl rests, thereby enabling all or substantially all of the inner surface of the bowl to be viewable by a person positioned in front of the bowl. This alleviates problems associated with a user having to get an overhead view of the bowl or remove the bowl from a shelf or display case in order to view the contents of the bowl.

FIG. 1is a front view of a bowl100in accordance with an exemplary implementation. Referring toFIG. 1, bowl100includes top portion110with an opening105, a middle portion120and a lower portion130. In an exemplary implementation, the top and middle portions110and120are generally cylindrical and include opening105that extends down through the middle portion120to hold items (e.g., decorative items such as polished stones, food times, such as candies or herbs, trinkets, etc.). Dotted line140represents the bottom or lower surface of opening105. Lower portion130includes a flat lower surface134and a surface132that is inclined with respect to flat lower surface134, as described in more detail below. The inclined surface132may also be inclined with respect to surface150on which bowl100rests when bowl100is empty, as illustrated inFIG. 1.

FIG. 2is an isometric top view of bowl100. As illustrated, opening105extends down through a portion of the middle portion120of bowl100, such that opening105extends below top surface/rim112of top portion110to lower surface140of opening105. A user may place contents on lower surface140, which are clearly visible to a user standing in front of bowl100without the user having to lean over the top of opening105. In this manner, when surface132rests on a table, shelf or other flat surface, the contents of bowl100are easily visible to a person standing in front of bowl100.

FIGS. 3A and 3Bare side views of bowl100. Referring toFIG. 3A, lower portion130includes inclined surface132and flat surface134. Surface134may rest on surface150(e.g., a table, shelf, etc.) when bowl100is empty. Inclined surface132may extend from lower surface134and may be formed by cutting the lower portion of bowl100to remove a wedge-shaped portion of lower portion130and middle portion120. Alternatively, inclined surface132may be formed integrally with respect to top portion110and middle portion120. According to one implementation, inclined surface132may begin at point136on the lower surface134of bowl100and extend up to the middle portion120of bowl100to point122. The angle of surface132with respect to surface134, illustrated as A inFIG. 3A, may vary based on the particular implementation. For example, the angle A may range from about 15 degrees to about 75 degrees (e.g., 20 degrees to 45 degrees). The angle A may also vary based on the height, width and weight of bowl100, the materials used to fabricate bowl100(e.g., plastic, wood, composite, etc.), as well as other factors such as the desired display angle with respect to displaying contents of bowl100. For example, if bowl100is going to be viewed from a distance (e.g., greater than five feet), angle A may be greater to allow for easier viewing.FIG. 3Billustrates a side view of bowl100with bowl100rotated 180 degrees with respect toFIG. 3A.

As described above, in accordance with one implementation, bowl100may configured to rest on bottom surface134when bowl100is not filled with items, as illustrated inFIGS. 3A and 3B. That is, surface134contacts/rests on surface150when bowl100is empty. When bowl100is filled or partially filled with items (e.g., placed in opening105), bowl100is configured to tilt such that surface132rests on a flat surface that is parallel to the floor, such as surface150(e.g., a table, shelf, etc.), as illustrated inFIG. 4. In other implementations, bowl100may be configured to rest on surface132when bowl100is empty.

FIG. 4illustrates bowl100with surface132contacting or being supported by surface150(e.g., a table, shelf, etc.). As illustrated, surface134no longer rests on surface150and forms an angle (labeled400inFIG. 4) with respect to surface150. In an exemplary implementation, angle400may range from about 15 degrees to above 75 degrees and may be the same as angle A inFIG. 3A. That is, when the front of bowl100tilts forward, the rear side of bowl (e.g., surface134) raises by the same angular amount. In this manner, when bowl100is filled or partially filled, the weight of the contents creates a moment that causes surface132to move downwardly such that surface132rests on surface150, as illustrated inFIG. 4. Alternatively, a user may simply touch the front of top portion110to apply a small amount of force to cause the front of bowl100to move downwardly such that surface132rests on surface150. In still other implementations and as discussed above, bowl100may be configured to rest on surface132when bowl100is empty.

In each case, opening105of bowl100is inclined with respect to surface150and most or all of the inside of opening105is viewable to a person standing in front of bowl100. This enables a user to place items in his/her bowl100and be able to easily see the contents of bowl100without having to remove bowl100from a shelf, remove bowl100from a display cabinet, etc.

FIG. 5is a top view of bowl100andFIG. 6is a bottom view of bowl100in accordance with an exemplary implementation. Referring toFIG. 5, opening105may be filled or partially filled by a user with items of interest, such as decorative items, food, candies, herbs, etc. (not shown). Referring toFIG. 6, bottom surface of bowl100includes flat surface134and inclined or slanted surface132. As discussed previously, inclined surface132may slope or angle upwardly toward the middle portion of bowl120to point122(FIG. 4). As also described previously, in one implementation, a manufacturer may cut a cylindrical bowl after forming the bowl to remove a wedge-shaped portion to create inclined surface132. In other implementations, such as when bowl100is made of a plastic or composite material, bowl100may be manufactured using a mold having the desired shape illustrated inFIGS. 3A, 3B and 4.

FIGS. 7-14are diagrams of bowl100in accordance with an exemplary implementation. More particularly,FIG. 7illustrates a top view of bowl100with opening105and lower portion140of opening105shown. Items to be displayed may be placed on lower surface140of opening105.FIG. 8is a diagram of a side view of bowl100. As illustrated, lower portion130includes flat surface134and inclined surface132. While bowl100is empty (e.g., no items placed inside opening105), flat surface134of bowl100may rest on a flat surface, such as table150illustrated inFIG. 8.

Referring toFIG. 9, when items are placed in opening105, bowl100tips such that surface134becomes elevated above table150and surface132rests on table150. In this situation, the opening105of bowl100may be visible to a view standing in front of bowl100to allow the viewer to see all or nearly all of the contents of bowl100.

FIG. 10is a diagram of the bottom surface of bowl100. The flat surface134contacts a surface (e.g., table150) on which bowl100rests when bowl100is empty, as shown inFIG. 8. The inclined surface132contacts a surface (e.g., table150) on which bowl100rests when bowl100is filled or partially filled, as shown inFIG. 9.

FIG. 11is a diagram of a front view of bowl100with surface132contacting table150. In this diagram, although bowl100is empty, bowl100has been tilted such that surface132rests on table150to illustrate that a front view of bowl100exposes all or nearly all of the interior opening105of bowl100. In this manner, if bowl100were filled or partially filled, a viewer could see the contents from the front, without having to remove bowl100from table150.FIG. 12is a diagram of a front view of bowl100with inclined surface132visible. In this diagram, surface134contacts or rests on table150.

FIG. 13illustrates a diagram of a front view of bowl100with contents1300(e.g., candy in this example) being visible from the front when bowl110is placed on a shelf1310. In this diagram, surface132contacts or rests on shelf1310.FIG. 14illustrates another diagram of a front view of bowl100with contents1400(e.g., golf balls in this example) being visible from the front of bowl100when bowl is place on a table1410. Similar toFIG. 13, in this diagram, surface132contacts or rests on table1410.

As described above, bowl100provides a viewer standing in front of bowl100with the ability to view all or most of the contents of bowl100. Each bowl formed in accordance with implementations described herein includes a bottom surface that includes a flat surface and an inclined surface. The particular dimensions of each of these surfaces may be based on the size of the bowl (height, width, weight, etc.), the type of material with which the bowl is made, the type of items to be displayed in bowl100, the weight of items to be displayed in bowl100, etc. In each case, bowl100may be engineered to rest on surface134when unfilled (or be tilted to rest on surface132when bowl100is empty/includes no items), and to rest on surface132to display the interior of bowl100when bowl100is filled or partially filled with items. For example, bowl100may be engineered such that that sum of the moments with respect to point122is zero when bowl100is empty (i.e., no items are within opening105), so that bowl100may be stable and rest on surface134when bowl100is empty. In other implementations, as discussed above, bowl100may be engineered to rest on surface132when bowl100is empty (e.g., includes no items in opening105).

In one exemplary implementation, bowl100may be approximately 2⅝ inches tall and have an outer circumference at top portion110of approximately 5¼ inches. In this example, lower surface132may be approximately 2½ inches in length and flat surface134may be approximately 2½ inches in length. In this example, point136at which inclined surface132starts is approximately the middle of bowl100(e.g., aligned with the middle of opening105). However, it should be understood that in other implementations, inclined surface132may have a steeper angle or shallower angle with respect to flat surface134. For example, inclined surface132may begin its upward slope closer to the outer rim of the lower portion130of bowl100adjacent flat surface134(e.g., to provide a greater/steeper angle), or begin its upward slope further away from the outer rim of the lower portion130adjacent flat surface130(e.g., to provide a smaller/shallower angle). That is, the angle of inclination may determine the location of demarcation point136at which inclined surface132begins.

Implementations described herein provide a container in which the inside portion of the container is easily viewable from the front. This enables a user to display items of interest without having to pick up the container, remove the container from a shelf, lean over the top of the container, etc.

For example, aspects have been described with respect to bowl having a particular shape, such as generally cylindrical. In other implementations, bowl100or a container may have other shapes, such as generally rectangular, hexagonal, ovoid, etc.