Abstract:
There is a problem: At a gathering, individual identical pieces of drinkware of different users are indistinguishable from each other. Consequently, they are misidentified and one person mistakenly picks up the drinkware of someone else. Band devices, each with a unique aspect that distinguishes an individual piece of drinkware, are wrapped around a portion of individual pieces of drinkware. The individual pieces of drinkware so identified with a band device are each unique, and thus the individual pieces of identical drinkware are distinguished.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a utility patent application based on U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/213,007, filed Jun. 21, 2000, entitled Method And Device For Identifying Drinkware, which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this application. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Frequently at parties and other social gatherings, people move about and carry with them beverages in drinkware. This drinkware may be, for example, water glasses, wine glasses, mugs, steins, bottles, cans, etc. Often at such a gathering, the individual pieces of drinkware of different users are placed on coffee tables or other locations along side each other. The individual pieces of drinkware are often identical, and cannot be distinguished from one another. And beverages within the individual pieces may be the same color. Consequently, there is a problem: At a gathering, the individual identical pieces of drinkware of different users are frequently indistinguishable from each other. Therefore, they are often misidentified and one person mistakenly imbibes from the drinkware of someone else.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    This invention provides a simple, convenient, and, in many cases, a low cost solution to this problem (Expensive, up-scale identifying means including precious or costume jewelry also come within the scope of this invention). Namely, band devices, each with a unique aspect that distinguishes an individual piece of drinkware, are wrapped around a portion of individual pieces of drinkware used at a gathering. The individual pieces of drinkware, otherwise indistinguishable from each other, are identified with a unique band device, and thus, the individual pieces of identical drinkware are distinguished from each other.  
           [0004]    Moreover, at the same time, the drinkware may be decorated in a fashion that enhances through decoration the festive atmosphere of the party, supports the theme of the party, provides advertisement, or in other ways contributes to the occasion. These bands may also be used as an advertising medium.  
           [0005]    According to this invention, a method is provided of identifying drinkware. This method comprises wrapping around a portion of an individual piece of drinkware a band device having a unique aspect that distinguishes the individual piece of drinkware so identified with the band device from other individual pieces of identical drinkware. The unique aspect of the band device may be its shape, its color, its size, or an object, such as a charm or a bead or other sculptural work in the form of a corporate logo, hanging from it, or incorporated within the band device. The band device may or may not be removable, but expensive band devices would be removed and re-used.  
           [0006]    This invention also provides novel band devices: a strap-on version and a snap-on version. The strap-on version comes in two forms: The first form comprises a sheet of elastic material, preferably a foam polyurethane, having a length sufficient to wrap around the circumference of a portion of an individual piece of drinkware. This elastic sheet has opposed ends, an inside surface, and an outside surface with a unique aspect capable of distinguishing different individual pieces of identical drinkware. The inside surface has thereon an adhesive that enables the opposed ends to be bonded to each other or to the container to form the sheet into a loop that at least partially wraps around the drinkware. Instead of an adhesive, a hook and pile fastener such as a Velcro® fastener, may be used to attached the opposed ends.  
           [0007]    The second form also comprises a sheet of material having a length sufficient to wrap around the circumference of a portion of a n individual piece of drinkware. The sheet need not be elastic, but like the first form, the outside surface of the sheet has a unique aspect capable of distinguishing different individual pieces of identical drinkware. In the second form, the inelastic sheet may be made, for example, of an inexpensive material such as paper or cloth. The opposed ends of the sheet have one component of a two component interlocking fastener. Consequently, the opposed ends are adapted t o be attached to form the sheet into a loop that at least partially wraps around the drinkware. A low cost way to provide such a two-component interlocking fastener is to form a tab at one end that fits into a slit in the other end.  
           [0008]    The unique aspect of the outside surface of both these forms may be its shape, its color, or its size. Moreover, the outside surface may be imprinted or otherwise marked with advertisements or band logos. The strap-on band device ranges from about ½ to about 6 inches in width and from about 9 to 13 inches in overall length.  
           [0009]    One embodiment of the snap-on version comprises a ring member having an outside diameter of from approximately ⅞ to approximately 2 inches and an inside diameter of from approximately ⅝ to approximately {fraction (13/4)} inch. This ring member has a narrow slot therein having a width of from approximately 0.03 to approximately 0.5 inch. It is made of a resilient, flexible material that enables the ring member to be attached and detached to a structural portion of an individual piece of drinkware by passing this structural portion through the slot. The ring member flexes to allow the structural portion to pass through the slot and then contracts so that the ring stays attached to the structural portion until removed.  
           [0010]    Another embodiment of the snap-on version comprises a ring-type member formed from a flexible, resilient, looped wire defining an open ring with a restricted diameter that allows this device to b e attached to a structural portion of an individual piece of drinkware such as a stem or like drinkware structure. The looped wire carries jewelry elements, for example, pearls, or crystal or glass beads, strung along the looped wire. Spacer elements may be dispersed between the jewelry elements to create different band devices, each with a unique aspect based on the arrangement of jewelry elements and spacer elements. For example, different types and number may be used, including objects displaying advertisements that may be the same o r different. The combinations are infinite. The wire has opposed ends that are unattached to each other and provide an open space through which the structural portion of the drinkware passes to inside the looped wire. Stops at these ends prevent the jewelry elements from sliding off the wire. The stops may, for example, be either jewelry elements or spacer elements. The looped wire has memory and it springs back into its original position but opens to allow passage through the open space of a structural portion of the drinkware to which the band device is attached and detached.  
           [0011]    In one configuration of the snap-on version using the looped wire, the ends are spaced apart. In another configuration, the ends overlap. In the configuration with the overlapping ends, these ends are manually moveable away from each other onto a position were these opposed ends are more opened to allow the structural portion of the drinkware to pass there between to inside the looped wire. For example, the user may pull the overlapping ends apart laterally, or twist the looped wire, or simply press the structural portion against the overlapping ends to part these ends and create the open space, forcing the structural portion through the open space and inside the looped wire.  
           [0012]    This invention also includes the manner in which the strap-on and snap-on are packaged and sold. A package is provided containing a plurality of band devices, individual band devices within the package being different than at least some of the other band devices in the package. These band devices are capable when attached to an individual piece of drinkware to identify this individual piece of drinkware and distinguish it from other individual pieces of identical drinkware having other different band devices from the same package attached thereto.  
           [0013]    This invention also includes a novel method of advertising where the trademarks such as logos of advertisers are attached to the band devices or the band devices themselves have imprinted thereon o r otherwise carry advertisements. The jewelry and spacer elements may be formed of precious metals such as gold and silver and/or of semi-precious stones, plastic, glass, and/or crystal beads, and can be charms with advertiser or corporate names embossed thereon. The jewelry-advertising elements are strung on the looped wire to create the unique aspect of each individual band device. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0014]    The preferred embodiments of this invention, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. These embodiments depict the novel and non-obvious band devices of this invention for identifying drinkware and methods of their use as shown in the accompanying drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only. This drawing includes the following figures (FIGS.), with like numerals indicating like parts:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the drinkware identifying strap-on band device (first form) of this invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the strap-on band device shown in FIG. 1 wrapped around a can of beverage.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3A is a plan view showing the inside surface of the strap-on band device shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line  3 B- 3 B of FIG. 3A.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a collection of charms symbolic of different festive occasions that may be attached to the drinkware identifying device of this invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 perspective view of the second embodiment of the drinkware identifying snap-on band device of this invention showing a pair of different colored snap-on band devices especially adapted to be placed on the stem of a wine glass as shown in FIG. 6A.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6A is a perspective view of one of the colored snap-on band devices shown in FIG. 5 placed on the stem of a wine glass.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 6B is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the snap-on band device with interlocking male and female components at the ends of the device.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 7 is a package containing a plurality of the snap-on band devices shown in FIG. 5, such individual devices being different than at least some of the other devices in the same package.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 8 is a package containing a plurality of the strap-on band devices shown in FIG. 1, such individual devices being different than at least some of the other devices in the same package.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 9 is a plan view an alternate embodiment of the drinkware identifying strap-on band device (second form) of this invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another alternate form of the snap-on band device of this invention simulating a pearl necklace.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 11A is a perspective view of still another alternate form of the snap-on band device of this invention shown in a closed position and employing jewelry beads and spacers strung on an overlapping loop of wire.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 11B is a perspective view of the snap-on band device of FIG. 11A shown in an open position FIG. 12 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 11A. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     First Embodiment  
       [0029]    The strap-on version has two forms. The first form is shown in FIGS. 1 through 3A and  3 B and the second form is shown in FIG. 9,  
       First Form of Strap-on Version  
       [0030]    Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3A and  3 B, the first form of a strap-on band device  10  is adapted to be wrapped around the exterior of a drink container  12  such as, for example, a beer can.  
         [0031]    This band device  10  is made from a sheet  11  of plastic material that is elastic and has a central portion  14  with a unique identifying shape, such as for example, a heart. From this central portion  14  are a pair of opposed and aligned outwardly extending straps  16  and  18 . Preferably, the central portion  14  is enlarged relative to the straps  16  and  18 . The inside surface  20  (FIG. 3) of the band device  10  is covered with an adhesive coating. Preferably, double sided tape  21  is used to provide the adhesive surface  20 . One adhesive side  21   a  of the tape  21  bears against an inside of the sheet  11  and the other side  21   b  of the tape is covered with a protective cover  20   a  that is removed when the device  10  is to be used. The cover  20   a  is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B as partially removed. Typically, the band device  10  that is used with  12  ounce cans or bottle has a length I of from approximately 9 to approximately 13 inches and an overall thickness t of approximately {fraction (1/30)} to approximately ⅛ inch, and its straps  16  and  18  have equal heights x of approximately ½ to approximately 2 inches.  
         [0032]    To manufacture the band device  10 , the tape  21  is first placed over the surface of a large piece of plastic material from which the devices are to be made. This assembly of double sided tape  21  and plastic material, which has a thickness of from approximately {fraction (1/20)} to approximately ¼ inch, is then cut like a cookie is cut using a number of dies having different distinguishing shapes. A preferred type of tape  21  may be purchased from Commercial Office Supply of 3M Corporation and the preferred plastic sheet material is, for example, high resiliency (hr) polyurethane foam purchased from Foam Molders &amp; Specialties of Cerritos, Calif. or cross-linked polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate. The central portion  14  is cut into a variety of different shapes, for example, a square and diamond i n addition to the heart. Also, charms  22  shown in FIG. 4 may be attached by hooks (not shown) to the band device  10 . These charms  22  may depict different holidays or may be the logos of different advertisers and used as promotional items. Alternately, the central portion  14  may be cut into the shape of some or all of the shapes of the charms  22  or imprinted with the logo of an advertiser. As shown in FIG. 8, the band devices  10 ,  10   a , and  10   b  of different shapes are placed into a package  24 , such as, for example, a transparent plastic bag and sold to consumers.  
         [0033]    To use the band device  10 , the straps  16  and  18  are manually wrapped around the drink container  12  as shown in FIG. 2 and affixed to each other or to the exterior of the drink container. At the occasion where they are to be used, each individual container  12  that is indistinguishable from other like containers would have a differently shaped band device  10  wrapped around it. Consequently, individual users would be able to identify their beverage container from containers of others. The containers  12  could be discarded after the beverage is consumed and the band device not removed or removed and reused.  
         [0034]    The band devices  10  are mainly used with six packs of 12 ounce canned drinks or bottled drinks, and conveniently could be sold as part of the six pack where there would be six individual band devices, each with a different uniquely shaped central portion  14 . They may also be used on plastic water bottles, drinking glasses, and mugs. In addition to decorating and identifying the drink containers, these band devices  10  also assist the user avoiding getting his or her hands wet when holding a “sweating” or “wet” drink container holding a cold liquid, because the foam sheet  11  acts as an insulator.  
         [0035]    Although the band devices  10  are illustrated as having different shapes, they could all have the same shape but be made of different colors.  
       Second Form of Strap-on Version  
       [0036]    As shown in FIG. 9, the second form of the strap on version, device  70 , includes a flexible, plastic sheet  72 , preferably made of polyurethane foam, with a tab  74  at one end and a series of parallel slits  76  that are at a right angle to the longitudinal axis x of the sheet. Like the first form of the strap-on version, the sheet  72  has a length sufficient to wrap around the circumference of a portion of an individual piece of drinkware and an outside surface with a unique aspect capable of distinguishing different individual pieces of identical drinkware, for example, the plastic sheet  72  may simply come in a variety of different colors. The opposed ends of the sheet  72  are attached to form the sheet into a loop that wraps around the drinkware by slipping the tab into one of the parallel slits  76 .  
       Second Embodiment  
       [0037]    As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6A and  6 B, the second embodiment of this invention is a snap-on band device  30  adapted to be placed around the stem  32   a  of a wine glass  32 , handle (not shown) of a cup, neck (not shown) of a bottle, or other structural portion of a beverage container, typically one is narrow or has a restricted diameter. Two band devices  30  and  31  are shown in FIG. 5. The only difference between them is their color. Band device  30  is red and band device  31  is green. These band devices  30  are made out of resilient, flexible material, for example, polyurethane, or a similar material, using conventional injection molding techniques. They may be round with a smooth o r beveled, etched or grooved surfaces, or with a flat top and bottom or wavy.  
         [0038]    Each of the preferred band devices  30  and  31  depicted have an annular or ring shaped body  36 , preferably configured like a torus, but with a narrow slot  38  therein to form opposed ends  36   a  and  36   b  in the body. The dimensions of the body  36  are critical in order that the band devices  30  and  31  may be snapped onto a vast number of containers. The inside diameter id of the body  36  is from ⅝ to {fraction (13/4)} inch. The outside diameter od of the body  36  is from ⅞ to 2 inch. The thickness s of the body  36  is from approximately ⅛ to approximately ½ inch. The width w of the slot  38  is from approximately 0.03 to 0.5 inch. Different sizes will be used t o accommodate different sized drink containers. As shown in FIG. 7, the band devices  30  and  31  of different colors are placed into a package  25 , such as, for example, a transparent plastic bag and sold t o consumers.  
         [0039]    These band devices  30  and  31  are mainly used with wine glasses or mugs, beer steins, or other beverage containers with open handles. The band device  30  is snapped onto the stem  32   a , handle, or other structural portion of drinkware by simply pushing the structural portion, for example, the stem  32   a , through the slot  38 . The body  36  flexes, so that the opposed ends  36   a  and  36   b  separate, and then return to an unflexed condition after the structural portion, for example the stem  32   a , passes through the slot  38 . The plastic comprising the body  36  is flexible and has a memory so the user can either pull the body to separate the ends  36   a  and  36   b , twist the body  35  in order to slip the band device around the stem, handle or neck of the drink container, or push the stem etc. through the slot  38  as discussed above.  
         [0040]    Once a band device  30  is placed on a beverage container, one of the charms  22  may be hung on the band device for purposes of advertising, identification, or further decorating the drink container. Instead of using charms  22 , the band device may be imprinted with logos or other advertisements. The charms  22  for an occasion party would be, for example: Thanksgiving using turkeys; Christmas using bells, stars, Christmas trees, etc. Also, all the band devices may be identical, and then the charms  22  would serve as the unique identifying aspect used to distinguish and differentiate identical containers.  
         [0041]    Personal messages or advertising could be printed on the charms  22  and they would be attached to the body  36  in the same manner using hooks (not shown) as a charm bracelet. The charms  22  and band devices  30  and  31  come in a variety of colors and shapes so the user can identify their own drink container. The band devices  30  and  31  may be used with charms or without. Band devices  30  and  31  in different colors and different numbers may be used on one drink container in a unique color combination for purposes of identification and decoration of the drink container.  
         [0042]    The band devices  30  and  31  come in thousands of colors and cross-sectional shapes. The toroidal shape exemplified by the snap-on version illustrated in FIG. 5 is circular in cross-section, but these snap-on band devices may have cross-sectional configurations such as, for example, oval, square, rectangular, star shaped, tree shaped and the like.  
         [0043]    As shown in FIG. 6B, an alternate form of the snap-on version, the device  50 , is the same as the devices  30  and  31 , except that the opposed ends have interlocking components, a male component  5   1  that is inserted into a female component  52 . The male component  51  is simply force fitted into the female component  52 . The body  53  forming the ring structure is flexible to allow the male component  51  and female component  52  to be brought into engagement.  
       Additional Snap-On Embodiments  
       [0044]    The various band devices described above may be decorated with beads, sequins, or other type of jewelry glued or otherwise affixed thereto, or strung, to enhance their distinctiveness and appeal. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 10, a band device  61  has costume (or even precious) pearls  60 , or other type of beads, strung on a flexible and resilient jewelry wire  62  to form another snap-on version of this invention simulating a pearl necklace. There may dispersed between the pearls  60  individual or groups of spacers  65  to create a unique aspect of the band device  61 . There are stops  62   a  and  62   b , which may be jewelry elements or spacer elements, at the opposed ends  62   a ′ and  62   b ′ of the wire  62 . This snap-on band device  61  is similar to the band devices  30  and  31  shown in FIG. 5 and behaves in a like manner, having ends  62   a ′ and  62   b ′ that are spaced apart to provide a gap  63  there between for the stem  32   a  of the wine glass  32 . This enables the band device  61  to be attached and detached to the stem  32   a  by passing the stem through the slot with the band device  61  flexing to allow the stem to pass through the slot and then contracting so that band device  61  stays attached to the stem until removed.  
         [0045]    A further elaboration of the snap-on version shown in FIG. 10 is depicted in FIGS. 11 and 12, namely, a snap-on band device  80  for identifying, for example, the wine glass  32 . The band device  80  comprises a ring-type member  82  that snaps onto the stem  32   a  of the wine glass  32 . The ring-type member  82  is formed from a flexible, resilient, looped wire  84  having strung thereon jewelry elements such as, for example, beads  86  with interspersed spacers  86   a  to create a unique aspect for each individual ring-type member. The wire  84  has opposed ends  84   a  and  84   b  that are unattached to each other.  
         [0046]    As shown in FIG. 11A, in a first position, these opposed ends  84   a  and  84   b  overlap. In a second position, the ends  84   a  and  84   b  are opened manually to allow the stem  32   a  to pass between these parted opposed ends to inside of the looped wire  84 . The user may manually move the ends  84   a  and  84   b  away from each other onto the second position shown in FIG. 11B by a pulling action, or a twisting action, or a combination of both, so the opposed ends move apart to provide a narrow slot  88 , or simply press the stem  32   a  against the overlapping ends to flex the looped wire  84  and push the stem into the interior  87  of the looped wire. Reversing these procedures enables the ring-type member  82  to be removed from the stem  32   a .  
         [0047]    In both snap-on band devices  61  and  80 , the looped wire defines an open ring with a restricted diameter that allows these devices to be attached to a stem or another structural portion of drinkware. Typically, this restricted diameter is from ⅝ to {fraction (13/4)} inch, that is, the same as the other snap-on embodiments, the band devices  30  and  31 .  
       SCOPE OF THE INVENTION  
       [0048]    The above presents a description of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the present invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use this invention. This invention is, however, susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from that discussed above which are fully equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention to limit this invention to the particular embodiments disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming within the spirit and scope of the invention as generally expressed by the following claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of the invention: