Patent Publication Number: US-2010116779-A1

Title: Container having a concave circumferential collector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to containers in general and to containers having a collector to collect spills in particular. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     Most known containers, such as bottles, glasses and other containers for storage of liquids or fluids have flat bottom. As a result, when a portion of the liquid is spilt off the container, it causes contamination and sometimes stains. 
     Further, in some cases, the liquid spilt off the container is wasted and cannot be reused, for example in case the fluid is any kind of soap or oil squeezed from a squeezable dispenser. 
     Many solutions address the spill problem by adding an extra layer of material to the container to absorb the spillage. Such extra layer does not collect the spillage and does not allow reuse of the same. Further, such extra layer as disclosed in US patent application no. 2006/0368762 of Novak, covers at least some of the content of the container at its external walls, and cannot be produced as one piece with the container because of the absorbing characteristics of the extra layer, as opposed to glass, plastics and ceramics. 
     Other solutions prevent spillage using lids or covers to be provided on top of the containers. Such lids are cumbersome and not allow free and intuitive use of the container when pouring and drinking by providing a barrier at the inlet or outlet of the vessel of the container. 
     A container that prevents spill of liquid off the container, allows reuse of the spilt liquid and does not change shape and functionality of the inlet or the vessel of the container is a long felt need. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     It is an object of the subject matter to disclose a container, comprising a vessel for storing a content to be stored in the container, said vessel has an outlet, a circumferential collector to collect the content drifting from the vessel wherein a lower most point of the circumferential collector is located under the outlet of the vessel. 
     In some embodiments, the circumferential collector is connected to a leg of the container. In some embodiments, the circumferential collector is mounted on top of a base of the container. 
     In some embodiments, the size of the circumferential collector is smaller than the size of the base of the container. The container may be a cup, a bottle, a plate, a dispenser having a squeezable outlet and the like. 
     In some embodiments, the container further comprises a secondary wall, such that the circumferential collector provides walls of more than 90 degrees. 
     In some embodiments, the circumferential collector cannot be removed from the container without destructing the container. In some embodiments, the upper end of the circumferential collector is located below the outlet of the container. In some embodiments, the circumferential collector is capable of containing food or accessories. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary non-limited embodiments of the disclosed subject matter will be described, with reference to the following description of the embodiments, in conjunction with the figures. The figures are generally not shown to scale and any sizes are only meant to be exemplary and not necessarily limiting. Corresponding or like elements are optionally designated by the same numerals or letters. 
         FIG. 1A  shows two-dimensional outline of a container having a circumferential collector, according to exemplary embodiments of the subject matter; 
         FIG. 1B  shows a three-dimensional outline of a container having a circumferential collector, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter; 
         FIG. 2  shows a three-dimensional outline of a bottle having a circumferential collector, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter; and, 
         FIG. 3  shows a three-dimensional outline of a dispenser comprising a squeeze pump having a circumferential collector, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     One technical problem addressed by the subject matter is that content poured into a vessel of a container drift at the external wall of the container to the bottom, and from there to an object holding the container, such as a table, a map and a like. This causes dirt, stains and sometimes prevents reuse of the content, especially in case the content is in contact with non-sterile surface such as the table. 
     One technical solution is a container having a circumferential collector residing under the outlet of the vessel of the container, to collect content of the vessel that leaks from the inlet or the outlet of the vessel. In many embodiments, such as wine glass, cup, bottle, pitcher and the like, the inlet is in fact the outlet of the vessel. 
       FIG. 1A  shows a two-dimensional outline of a container having a circumferential collector, according to exemplary embodiments of the subject matter. The container of  FIG. 1A  is a wine glass  100  comprises a base  130 , a vessel  115  and a leg  120  connecting the vessel  115  to the base  130 . The content of the wine glass  100  is poured into the vessel  115  via an inlet  110 . In some cases, a portion of the content may be spilt along an external wall  110  of the vessel  115 , flow downwards via the leg  120  and the base  130  to an object located beneath the container, such as a table, a map and the like. As a result, a circumferential collector  150  is provided at the bottom section of the wine glass  100  to collect the material that was not properly poured into the vessel  115 . The circumferential collector  150  is provided to collect the content of the wine glass  100  when received to a section of the wine glass  100  located under the inlet of the vessel  115 . Such circumferential collector  150  may be connected to the leg  120 , the external wall  110  and other components of the wine glass  100  as desired by the person skilled in the art. The circumferential collector  150  contains walls such as  140 ,  141  that are higher than the lowest point  135  of the upper portion of the base  130 . The walls  140 ,  141  may be provided to the entire perimeter, or at only a portion of the perimeter, and are capable of collecting the content spilled to the upper portion of the base  130 , adjacent to point  135 . The angle between the walls  140 ,  141  and the base  130  may be a sharp angle, an obtuse angle or a right angle. In some cases, one portion of the circumferential collector  150  may be at one angle off the base  130 , and another portion of the circumferential collector  150  may be at another angle off the base  130 . 
     The content of the vessel  115  may be liquid, fluid, paste, powder, oil, soap, beverages, detergents and any other content that is likely to be poured into a container such as the wine glass  100 , or other containers disclosed in other embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. The uppermost portion of the walls  140 ,  141  may be at the external portion of the circumferential collector  150 , for example at the perimeter of the base  130 . In other exemplary embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, the uppermost portion of the walls  140 ,  141  may be closer to the center of the base  130  such that the size of the inlet of the circumferential collector  150  is smaller than the size of the base  130 . In some cases, the circumferential collector  150  has a non-circular shape, such as oval or polygonal shape, or a combination of the above. 
     In some cases, the wall  140 ,  141  may be provided at an angle in a range of about 20 to 90 degrees from the surface of the base  130 . As a result, the content collected at the circumferential collector  150  may be spilt when the wine glass  100  is turned aside. A secondary wall  142  is then provided to extend from the walls  140 ,  141  to prevent leakage of the content from the circumferential collector  150 . Such secondary wall  142  is likely to point to the center of the wine glass  100  or to the base  130 , such that the secondary wall  142  blocks the content of the circumferential collector  150  from being spilt when the wine glass  100  is turned aside. The circumferential collector  150  may be provided at the entire perimeter of the wine glass  100 , or at only a portion of the perimeter. For example, the circumferential collector  150  may be provided only at one third of the perimeter at about 120 degrees of the perimeter. Thus, the circumferential collector  150  may be provided at a general direction of pouring the content to the vessel  115  of the wine glass  100 . The rules and characteristics of the circumferential collector  150  of  FIG. 1A  may apply to the circumferential collector of other embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. 
       FIG. 1B  shows a three-dimensional outline of a container having a circumferential collector, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter. The container of  FIG. 1B  is generally equivalent to the wine glass  100  of  FIG. 1A , and has equivalent characteristics. The wine glass  100  of  FIG. 1B  also contains an inlet  105 , through which content is provided into the vessel  115 , and a base  130 . The inlet  105  functions also as the outlet of the wine glass  100 . The circumferential collector  150  of the three-dimensional outline is located at the base portion of the wine glass. In other embodiments, the circumferential collector  150  may be located at the middle portion of the leg  120 . The circumferential collector  150  may surround the entire perimeter of the wine glass  100 . The vessel  115  and the base  130  of the wine glass  100  or of other container of the subject matter may be polygonal, elliptical or a combination of both. The circumferential collector may not reach the perimeter of the base  130 , and create a collector smaller than the base of the wine glass  100 . The collector of the subject matter may be the wine glass  100  or another kind of container such as for example a glass having a leg, a coffee cup, a mug glass, a cocktail glass, a snifter, a plate, a soup bowl, a flute, a highball glass, a low-ball glass, a shot glass and the like. 
     The circumferential collector  150  may also be used to contain food or accessory used by the user of the container such as the wine glass  100 . Such food may be cookies, in case the container is a coffee mug, or olives, in case the container is a cocktail glass. Alternatively, the circumferential collector  150  may contain accessories such as tooth stick, coins, napkins or other accessories desired by a person skilled in the art. The circumferential collector  150  may also function as an ashtray. Known containers, especially cups and glasses do not provide any sub-container that allows containing additional objects, besides the content of the vessel of the container. 
       FIG. 2  shows a three-dimensional outline of a bottle having a circumferential collector, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter. Such bottle  200  according to the subject matter may also be a pitcher or jag used for storing liquid to be poured into cups, as listed above. Bottle  200  comprises an inlet  210  for pouring the liquid into a container such as wine glass  100  of  FIG. 1A , and a body  220  in which the content of the bottle  200  is stored. The bottle  200  may comprise a first circumferential collector  232  located under the inlet  210  of the bottle  200 . The inlet  210  also functions as the outlet of the bottle  200 . Such first circumferential collector  232  creates a container under the inlet  210 , to collect the liquid spilled from the bottle  200 .  FIG. 2  shows two additional circumferential collectors that may be an alternative or added to the to first circumferential collector  232 . A second circumferential collector  234  may be located in the middle of the body  220  of the bottle  200 . Alternatively, a third circumferential collector  236  may be located adjacent to the bottom portion  222  of the bottle  200 . 
     In case any of the circumferential collectors is not provided at the entire perimeter of the bottle  200 , as sown in the second circumferential collector  234 , said circumferential collector  234  may be assembled of a semi circular shape, crescent, or semi elliptical shape attached to the external wall of the bottle  200 . In such exemplary case, two walls  242 ,  244  seal the missing portion of the second circumferential collector  234 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a three-dimensional outline of a dispenser comprising a squeeze pump having a circumferential collector, in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the subject matter. The container of  FIG. 3  is in fact a dispenser  300 . Dispenser  300  comprises a vessel  340  containing the content of the dispenser  300  and a dispensing unit  310  that functions as an outlet of the dispenser. The dispensing unit  310  is squeezable using a space  320  in the body of the dispenser  300 . When the dispensing unit  310  is moved downwards, the content of the vessel  340  exits the vessel  340  via the outlet of the dispensing unit  310 . A circumferential collector  330  is provided to collect spills from the outlet of the dispensing unit  310 , to prevent leakage towards to an external wall  350  of the dispenser  300 . The circumferential collector  330  may be oval, elliptical, circular, polygonal or a combination of the above, and is an integral portion of the container  300 . 
     The circumferential collector is likely to be formed of the same material as the other parts of the container. The circumferential collector is made of a rigid or semi rigid material, such as glass, plastics, cardboard, metal and the like. In some cases, the upper end of the circumferential collector is lower than the outlet of the container. 
     Various materials, such as glass, plastics, metals, ceramics, paper or a combination of the above, may be used to produce the container or the circumferential collector of the disclosed subject matter. Such container may be produced in any method desired for a person skilled in the art, such as molding and the like. One technical advantage of the subject matter is that the container is a one-piece container used for preventing spill of the inlet or the outlet of the container, in contrast with other solutions that provide the container with another disposable circumference to absorb the spilled fluid. Further, the circumferential object of the disclosed subject matter enables collection of the spilled fluid, not just absorption, such that the absorbing element is not disposed, the fluid is not contaminated and may be reused. Further, a one-piece container enables to view the content of the container, in case the container is transparent, unlike to the absorbing circumference portion that is opaque. 
     While the disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosed subject matter not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but only by the claims that follow.