Disposable containers and insert rim therefore

A thin walled, plastic bottle or other container having a high rupture strength comprises a length L having a top and a bottom, and width W. The integrity of the bottle or container is compromised by a post manufacture, complete transverse cut made parallel to the width W. The top is completely severed from the bottom at a point along the length L. The top may be discarded. The bottom is comprised of, in part, collapsible side walls. A generally annular insert rim is pressure fitted onto the top-cut member of the bottom, which is formed at the cut line, thus rigidly securing the side walls and preventing any collapse thereby. A cap or closure means is matably engagable with the insert rim to seal the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an improved container. More specifically, the 
invention comprises a new insert rim and cap for an existing disposable, 
thin walled, plastic bottle having a transverse cut therethrough. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Plastic, thin and collapsible-walled bottles are a common type of container 
for beverages. These bottles are generally used for carbonated beverages 
such as carbonated sodas, and specialty waters. Once a consumer empties 
the contents of this type of bottle packaging, he or she disposes of it, 
or may cause it to be recycled. In either event, the consumer no longer 
has use for the bottle as a container. 
The bottle of this discussion is manufactured of a thin walled plastic 
material. It generally has a round or annular cross section when a 
transverse cut is made through the width of the bottle. The plastic 
material used in the manufacturing of this bottle type is lightweight and 
has a high rupture strength. Furthermore, due to the manufacturing 
material coupled with the thinness of the bottle's walls, the walls are 
easily collapsible. Also, many manufacturers make this bottle in clear 
plastic. While the bottles discussed herein are used for liquid beverages 
such as two-liter sized soda beverages, they, or similarly situated 
bottles, may be used for other commodities such as cleaning chemicals or 
solids. 
In order to utilize these mentioned bottles after the initial commodities 
are displaced therefrom, the present invention contemplates transversely 
severing the bottle into top and bottom members and inserting a rim 
thereon the bottom member to support the otherwise collapsible thin wall. 
In this regard, others have addressed the use of rims for containers. For 
example, the reader is directed to Great Britain Pat. No. 782,591; Belgian 
Pat. No. 539,920; French Pat. No. 1,149,828; U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,657, and; 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,501. While these references address the particular 
designs therein, they do not approach the present invention in terms of 
structure, function or purpose. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention addresses the need to utilize an otherwise disposable 
thin walled container once its original contents are depleted therefrom. A 
thin walled, plastic bottle or other container having a high rupture 
strength comprises a length L having a top and a bottom, and width W. The 
integrity of the bottle or container is compromised by a post manufacture, 
complete transverse cut made parallel to the width W. The top is 
completely severed from the bottom at a point along the length L. The top 
may be discarded. The bottom is comprised of, in part, collapsible side 
walls. A generally annular insert rim is pressure fitted onto the top-cut 
member of the bottom, which is formed at the cut line, thus rigidly 
securing the side walls and preventing any collapse thereby. A cap or 
closure means is matably engagable with the insert rim to seal the 
container. The matable insert rim and cap may be manufactured of any 
suitable material, preferably some plastic synthetic or rubber and can be 
formed to provide a watertight and/or airtight container once fitted 
thereon. 
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to convert an empty bottle 
or other container into a reusable storage container. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a reusable, 
ecologically friendly container to prevent the unnecessary discarding of 
an original, ecologically destructive container. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an insert rim 
for a thin walled, collapsible plastic container having a transverse cut 
completely therethrough. 
It is still another object of the present invention to create an airtight 
or water tight container from an original thin walled, plastic bottle once 
its original contents are removed or discarded.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 shows a detailed depiction of a preferred embodiment of the insert 
rim 10 of the present invention. Therein, a container or bottle insert rim 
10 is shown. The insert rim 10 comprises a flanged top portion forming a 
lip 12 and a lower collar 14. The shape of the insert rim 10 is variable 
to conform to the shape of a bottle or container 16. For purposes of 
example, the insert rim 10 is shown in the drawings as having a generally 
round or annular shape to conform to a container having a width W 
comprising a round cross section as seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. 
The collar 14 of insert rim 10 has a middle section 18, an upper section 20 
and a lower section 22. From the middle section 18, the upper section 
tapers inwardly so that the innermost portion of the taper of upper 
section 20 terminates at the underside 24 of lip 12. The purpose of the 
taper of upper section 20 is to create the lip 12 which covers the top-cut 
member of the container bottom as hereinbelow described. Also from the 
middle section 18, the lower section 22 tapers inwardly similar to the 
upper section 20. The taper created on the lower section 22 permits the 
insert rim 10 to be matably fitted with the container 16. 
Container 16 as shown in FIG. 3 has a top 30, a bottom 40 and side walls 50 
along its length L, and also has a width W. The container is manufactured 
of a high rupture strength plastic conventionally employed to manufacture 
bottles such as two-liter sized soda bottles. The side walls 50 are thin 
and are generally collapsible. A transverse cut made parallel to the width 
W and at a position along the length L of the container 16 is complete, 
severing the top 30 from the bottom 40 of container 16. The top 30 may be 
discarded. The bottom 40 now is provided with a new top-cut member 60 
created by the transverse cut. 
The insert rim 10 is manufactured to conform and mate with the bottom 40 of 
container 16. The insert rim 10 is matably fitted onto the top-cut member 
60 of container 16. In this regard, the diameter of the lower section 22 
taper of insert rim 10 is smaller than the diameter of the cross section 
of bottom 40 of container 16. When the insert rim 10 is fitted onto the 
top-cut member 60 of bottom 40, the underside 24 of the top lip 12 of 
insert rim 10 rests on the top-cut member 60 of container 16. It is 
preferred when mating the insert rim 10 with the bottom 40 of container 
16, that insert rim 10 be manually pressed onto the top-cut member 60 
forming a tight pressure fit between the middle section 18 of insert rim 
10 and the side walls 50 of bottom 40 of container 16. The tight pressure 
fit results in either an airtight and/or a water tight fit, depending upon 
the diameter sizing of the respective insert rim 10 and top-cut member 60. 
Furthermore, the insert rim 10 provides a rigid structure to support the 
otherwise collapsible side walls 50 at the top-cut member 60 area to 
maintain the container in a structurally acceptable manner capable of 
holding contents placed therein without spillage. 
As stated above, once the insert rim 10 is pressure fitted onto the top-cut 
member 60 of bottom 40 of container 16, insert rim 10 is pressed until its 
underside 24 of top lip 12 rests upon the actual cut line of top-cut 
member 60 of container 16. Cap 26 is matable with the insert rim 10 to 
seal the opening of the container 16 (FIG. 4). A cap 26 having a 
watertight rubber gasket (not shown) may also be provided with insert rim 
10 to result in a watertight seal between the insert rim 10 and cap 26. 
The top of the cap 26 has a knob 28 or other means to aid in manual 
manipulation to engage and disengage the cap 26 from the insert rim 10 as 
shown in FIG. 4. 
It is intended that the description of the preferred embodiments of this 
invention is illustrative only. Other embodiments of the invention that 
are within the scope and concept of this invention are herein included 
within this application.