Abstract:
A container configuration having two and three-dimensional characteristics on a single multiple dimensional surface that define a portion of the container. The combination of certain three-dimensional surface areas with two-dimensional graphic indicia overlay wherein indicia impart enhanced dimensional characteristics to actual multi-dimensional surfaces not having the physical characteristics imparted by the surface themselves.

Description:
This is a continuation in part application of Ser. No. 09/633,736, filed Aug. 7, 2000 now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates to containers having the appearance of realistic or whimsical representations by molding the container shape to impart that representation. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art devices of this type have generally relied on molding the surface of the container to mimic a naturalistic shape or fanciful image to be depicted. Typically a container is formed in the overall shape of the entity such as an animal or a human head, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 151,802 and 5,419,447. 
     Other examples of prior art entail a relief representation of figures such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. D259,247, D321,825 and D250,320. Some prior art attempts to combine general body shape on a container with graphic representation, see for example U.S. Pat. No. D355,592 in which a rabbit representation is illustrated on a molded shape presumably a confectionery packaging of this type. 
     A publication “Packaging Digest” 1989 ISSN: 0030-9117, pages 26, 76, 71, 73 and 74, search summary printout refers to pressure sensitive label equipment on a 3-D figure (the raisin people) with sunglasses, hands and shoes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A fanciful container configuration and method in which three-dimensional characteristics are represented by combining a two and three-dimensional process that imparts characteristics of both to a single distinguishable bottle configuration. Certain three-dimensional features are emphasized and enhanced by conforming a two-dimensional surface overlay with indicia thereon that registers on portions of the corresponding and underlying dimensional features imparting enhanced physical properties of the container itself. Remaining indicia portions extending beyond the dimensional features to impart extended transitional feature embellishments to enhance the multiple dimensional qualities of the container beyond that of simple registration overlays that conform to the original 3-D features only. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the completed dimensional container of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the container only; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded side-elevational view of the container and graphic overlay of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a completed composite container with a two-dimensional overlay attached emphasizing selected features enhancement of the container; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the container on lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a front plan view of the two-dimensional overlay with indicia representations thereon; 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the graphic sleeve overlay; and 
     FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the container with the graphic sleeve overlay positioned thereon before being affixed to the container. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-3 of the drawings, a container  10  can be seen having a main body member  11  with an integral tapered neck portion  12  with a threaded spout extending therefrom. In this example chosen for illustration, the spout  13  is oriented at the “base” of the container on which a closure cap  14  is threadably engaged as illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The container has a front display surface area  15  and a rear surface area  16  of the main body member  11 . A top portion  17  is in oppositely disposed relation to the hereinbefore-described threaded spout  13 . The top portion  17  has an undulating surface  18  defining multiple raised contoured areas  19  thereacross. 
     A pair of opposing sidewall portions  20  and  21  define an integral transitition between the respective front display surface  15  and the rear surface  16 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, it will be seen that the front display surface  15  has a raised contoured area  22  generally indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The raised contoured area  22  is comprised of multiple interdependent portions of differing surface elevations at  23 - 27 . Each of the surface elevation portions  23 - 27  define specific dimensional characteristics of the container front display surface  15 . Secondary surface elevations  28  and  29  extend from the respective side portions  20  and  21  adjacent the raised contoured area  22 . 
     A flat overlay sheet  30 , best seen in FIGS. 3,  4 ,  6  and  7  of the drawings having two-dimensional indicia  30 A printed thereon is formed into a cylindrical sleeve S for being registerably positioned over the from display surface  15  around the container as best seen in FIGS. 3,  4 ,  7  and  8  of the drawings. It should be noted that portions of the indicia  30 A are visually distorted beyond that of the final viewable indicia illustrated by light lines in FIG. 6 of the drawings so that once applied to the raised surface elevations  22  they will impart a the three dimensionality to the container  10 . The overlay sheet  30  has a contoured upper perimeter edge pattern  31  that is typically die cut from a printed rectangular stock bland  32  represented by broken lines in FIG. 6 of the drawings that is formed into the sleeve S as hereinbefore described. The contoured top edge  31  of the overlay sheet  30  is registerable generally with the hereinbefore-described undulated top surface elements  19  of the container  10 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings, it will be seen that some areas of the indicia  30 A on the overlay sheet  30  will register generally with the corresponding surface elevations  23 - 27 . Perimeter edge portions  30 B and  30 C of the indicia  30 A extend beyond the corresponding surface elevation  27  and define transitional areas indicated at  31 A and  31 B therebetween. Other perimeter edge portions  32 A and  32 B of the indicia  30 A will register exactly with the corresponding transition edges of the surface elevations  24  and  23 . Indicia representation areas  33 A,  33 B,  33 C and  33 D are positioned well within the corresponding surface elevations  23 - 27 . It will be apparent from the above description that by combining different areas of visually distorted  30 A and non-distorted indicia  33 A to overlap, fall within and align with the respective surface elevations  23 - 27  that the three-dimensional aspect of both the raised elevation areas of the container&#39;s front display surface  15  and that of the imprinted overlay sheet  30  will be enhanced imparting a more life-like visualization to the container configuration of the invention. 
     Additionally, the secondary side surface elevations  28  and  29  of the representative sides  20  and  21  will impart additional 3-D characteristics to the container composite surface as is best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2  and  4  of the drawings, the transition areas  31 A and  31  B can be seen wherein the indicia portion  30 B and  30 C extend over and beyond to a generally flat area  34  of the front display surface  15 . It is this area that best illustrated the transitional enhanced nature of combining the distorted two-dimensional indicia  30 A of the overlay sheet  30  on portions of a container that are both raised as in the surface area  27  and flat as at  34 . This transitional continuation aspect is evident at each surface height transition and the corresponding overlying indicia representation  30 A defining the enhanced three-dimensional aspects of the container  10 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, the two-dimensional overlay sleeve S can be seen as to be applied over the container  10  and registerably bonded thereto as seen in thermal application process. Such thermal application process is well known in the art in which heat is applied to the sleeve S which is made of a synthetic resin material that is responsive to heat shrinking uniformly up to 25% of its original surface dimension. In FIG. 8 of the drawings, the sleeve S is illustrated by a broken line around the container  10  before the application of heat, as seen in the finished bottle configuration illustrated in FIG.  1 . 
     It will thus be seen that a new and novel three-dimensional container configuration has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.