Abstract:
This disclosure relates generally to holders for scoops, spoons, ladles, or other bulk good moving tools (generally, “scoops”). In particular, this disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for retaining a scoop in the lid of a container.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application, Ser. No. 61/754,206, filed Jan. 18, 2013, and titled “Lid Scooper,” which is also fully incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates generally to holders for scoops, spoons, ladles, or other bulk good moving tools (generally, “scoops”). In particular, this disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for retaining a scoop in the lid of a container. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    There are many products which are sold in large and small volume containers in which the product is a bulk, free-flowing, powder, liquid, or other fluid substance. These containers often have scoops so that the measured portion of the bulk or powdered substance can be scooped out. The product can include items such as dietary supplements, chocolate milk, powdered milk, Ovaltine®, powdered juice (e.g., lemonade), dietary additives (e.g., bulk fiber), flour, sugar, or non-food items such as swimming pool chlorine, bird seed, gun powder, or other relatively free flowing and fluid bulk products. Furthermore, while this disclosure primarily discloses applications pertaining to free flowing powdered or granular products, the invention is not so limited and can be applied in any application or environment where it is desirable to secure a scoop within a container. 
         [0004]    One problem with having a scoop loose in the container is that the scoop can be buried in the product, and it can also be dusty from product being rolled around the scoop. 
         [0005]    In addition, some products, such as swimming pool chlorine, or powdered laundry bleach, are harmful to the skin and contact with the product should be limited. Therefore, if the scoop is stored in the container, the user may have to contact the potentially harmful substance to retrieve the scoop. Likewise, some products may become spoiled or contaminated by repeated contact with the user&#39;s hands. Furthermore, it is often inconvenient to have to store the scoop in a different location than the product. 
         [0006]    Other drawbacks and disadvantages of current bulk product dispensing apparatus also exist. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    Accordingly, the presently disclosed apparatus and methods alleviate or substantially solve the above-noted drawbacks of existing apparatus and methods. 
         [0008]    For example, in some disclosed embodiments having the scoop attached to the underside of the container lid makes the scoop readily findable and in a cleaner condition for dispensing product. 
         [0009]    Another disclosed embodiment may comprise a bulk product container lid liner or lid liner attachment in which a scoop is attachable to the underside of the lid liner. 
         [0010]    As disclosed herein, there are several ways which are practical to attach a scoop to a container lid. One way is to provide a tab or clip on the underside of the lid, and in which part of the scoop, such as part of the scoop handle or the cup part of the scoop can be secured. In some embodiments, the clip or tab may take the form of a lip, a ledge, a slot, or other physical structure in which part of the scoop can fit and be held in place. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments an insert may be placed on the inside of the container lid and may have sufficient resiliency to it so that a tab in this material would effectively grip the edge of the scoop, or in which the end of the handle can fit inside and be held in place. Accordingly, the disclosed apparatus and methods allow for a scoop to be readily findable, and allows for easy access and usability of the scoop. 
         [0012]    Furthermore, while the disclosed embodiments comprise a clip or tab that is designed to be sturdy, the tab or clip is also designed to not damage any manufacturer&#39;s seal covering the bulk product under the lid (e.g., the safety seal). 
         [0013]    As should be apparent, disclosed embodiments may include lids which have integrally incorporated the disclosed tab or clip. In addition, disclosed embodiments may also comprise lid liners or inserts which snap into place into different sizes of bulk product container lids. 
         [0014]    As should also be apparent, the tab or clip can be any suitable shape, such as triangular, square, rectangular, circular, oval, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal, parallelograms, trapezoid, rectangular with a rounded end, or the like. In addition, the tab or clip may have rib layering, texture, or semi-adhesive (i.e., “tacky”) material on the tab to help secure the scoop. 
         [0015]    The product can be a generally circular container closure body with an upper surface and a underside surface and a side wall which would typically have threads on the interior of the side wall and a closure body retaining structure on the underside of the lid surface. On the underside of the lid surface, a scoop fastening structure is provided to which a product scoop is attachable and detachable. The product scoop has a scoop end and a handle end, with the scoop being retained in a position with the scoop end close to the underside of the lid. This tends to keep the handle of the scoop free of contamination from product, and the product free from contamination of the user&#39;s fingers. 
         [0016]    Accordingly disclosed embodiments include a scoop holder comprising an insert portion configured to fit inside a lid of a container, a tab portion, connected to the insert portion and configured to receive and retain at least a portion of a scoop that is usable to retrieve contents from within the container, and a flexible attachment portion connecting the tab portion to the insert portion. 
         [0017]    Additional embodiments include an attachment layer located on an upper surface of the insert and configured to attach the insert to an underside of the lid. 
         [0018]    Additional embodiments include an aid portion configured to facilitate the attachment or removal of the insert portion from an underside of the lid. 
         [0019]    Additional embodiments include an insert portion sized to substantially engage the lid via frictional engagement. 
         [0020]    Additional embodiments include a rim portion located substantially at an outer edge of the insert portion. Furthermore, embodiments include a threaded portion located substantially at the rim portion and configured to engage comparable threading on the lid. 
         [0021]    Additional embodiments include a first mating portion located substantially on the tab portion, a second mating portion located substantially on a scoop useable to retrieve contents from the container, and wherein the first mating portion and the second mating portion are configured to substantially mate with one another and retain the scoop in a position substantially underneath the lid. 
         [0022]    Additional embodiments include an insert portion further that comprises a logo, picture, text, or mark intended to advertise a product or service. 
         [0023]    Other configurations and alternative embodiments are also possible. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a schematic top view of a scoop holder in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a schematic front view of a scoop holder in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a schematic side view of a scoop holder in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a schematic side view of a scoop holder in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a schematic top view of another scoop holder in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a schematic side view of a mating scoop holder in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. 
       
    
    
       [0030]    While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]    As discussed above, many products are available in containers and comprise some sort of powdered, granular, liquid, or otherwise fluid product (herein generally, “bulk product”). These bulk products often include, or require the user to use, a scoop, ladle, spoon, shovel, cup, or other scooping tool (herein generally, “scoop”) to dispense the bulk product. 
         [0032]    As disclosed herein, a tongue, lip, hook, ledge, tab, clip or slot (herein generally a “tab” or “clip”) may be included on the underside (i.e., “inside”) of a container lid in order to secure the scoop in place generally above the bulk product. 
         [0033]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a scoop holder  10  in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. As shown, the scoop holder  10  may comprise an insert  20  (shown as generally circular in  FIG. 1 ) that is configured to be placed within a container lid. As used herein, the term lid may comprise a separate structure or a portion of the container that closes (e.g., a portion of a bag or the like that closes the container). The scoop holder  10  may also comprise a tap or clip  30  that is configured to hold a portion of a scoop  70 . Some embodiments of the scoop holder  10  may also comprise a hinge, perforation, fold-line, weld-line, adhesive connection, or other flexible attachment as indicated at  40  in order to allow the tab  30  to flex enough to accept the scoop and still exert enough force to hold the scoop  70  in place. 
         [0034]    Some embodiments of the scoop holder  10  may also comprise a rim or edge  50  that facilitates attachment of the scoop holder  10  inside the container. For example, for containers with threaded lids, rim  50  may include appropriate threading to secure the scoop holder  10  within the lid. Other embodiments may forego rim  50  and, instead, insert  20  may be sized to frictionally fit within the lid. In still other embodiments a permanent, semi-permanent, or re-usable adhesive may be applied to the upper surface of the insert  20  in order to secure the insert  20  within the lid. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a scoop holder  10  in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. As shown in this view, the scoop holder  10  is fixed within a container lid  60  and a scoop  70  is held in place beneath the lid  60  by retaining with tab  30  the product holder portion  74  of the scoop  70 .  FIG. 3  is a side view of a scoop holder  10  in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. Of course, it is also possible to retain the scoop  70  by retaining the scoop handle  72  with tab  30 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a scoop holder  10  in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. As shown for this embodiment, the insert  20  may comprise a shape and size less than the size of the container lid  60 . In some embodiments, the scoop holder  10  may also comprise an attachment portion  80  to facilitate connection of the scoop holder  10  to a container lid  60 . Attachment portion  80  may comprise any suitable attachment mechanism, such as an adhesive, or semi-adhesive, layer, a friction fit (e.g., tongue-and-groove) arrangement configured to mate with another portion mounted in the lid  60 , or the like. 
         [0037]      FIG. 5  is a top view of another scoop holder  10  in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. As shown in this embodiment, the scoop holder  10  may comprise a reduced size insert  20  configured to fit within a container lid  60 . The reduced sized insert  20 , among other things, provides a manufacturing advantage by using less material, but is still sized to frictionally, threadedly, adhesively, or otherwise secure to the inside of the lid  60 . Some embodiments may also include an attachment or removal aid  90  to facilitate the attachment or removal of the scoop holder  10  inside the lid  60 . For example, attachment or removal aid  90  may comprise a hole, ridge, knob, or the like that the user can grasp or insert a finger into and remove the scoop holder  10 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 6  is a schematic side view of a mating scoop holder  10  in accordance with some disclosed embodiments. As shown in this embodiment, the scoop holder  10  may comprise an tab or clip  30  that makes up a portion of the attachment mechanism for the scoop holder  10  and mating portion  32  or  34  on the scoop  70  is configured to mate with the tab or clip  30  in a releasable manner. For example, tab  30  may comprise a hook and mating portion  32  may comprise a loop that engage to secure the scoop  70 . In other embodiments, tab  30  may comprise a “North” polarity magnet and mating portion  34  may comprise a “South” polarity magnet that secure the scoop  70  in place when the magnets come into contact. In still other embodiments, tab  30  and mating portions  32 ,  34  may comprise threaded portions, tongue-and-groove portions, snaps, inter-engaging slots, or the like. Other configurations, reversals of parts, or the like, may also be included in some embodiments. 
         [0039]    As should also be apparent, the scoop holder  10  may be made of any suitable material. For example, scoop holder  10  may comprise, metal, plastics, resins, rubber, combinations of the same, or the like. 
         [0040]    Another aspect of the scoop holder  10  is, if the scoop holder is distributed with certain types of bulk products, it can be used to a marketing advantage, and can even become part of the marketing of the product. For example, a toxic or potentially harmful product with such a scoop holder will allow the manufacturer to differentiate from other similar products as having greater safety attributes. Similarly, food products will also gain a better reputation and recognizability in the marketplace because the food products will tend to be less contaminated by user&#39;s fingers in the products. To further facilitate marketing or brand recognition, some embodiments of the scoop holder  10  may include a logo or advertising portion  100 . 
         [0041]    Although various embodiments have been shown and described, the present disclosure is not so limited and will be understood to include all such modifications and variations are would be apparent to one skilled in the art.