Patent Publication Number: US-2012043334-A1

Title: Container with cap and item compartment

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The Invention relates to a container having a cap provided with a compartment for storing a promotional/novelty item or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     At various sporting events, and other public events, and other venues and retail locations, products, for example products such as foods or beverages are provided to the customers and spectators. In many such cases, these consumers may wish to be provided with a promotional/novelty item or a memento of the event. In many cases such an item may for example be a pennant, or a picture of a participant or some article such as a badge, or a wet wipe, or compressed towel, these being merely a few typical examples of such items , promotional/novelties or mementos, referred to collectively herein as “items”. 
     It is considered desirable to provide a product container such as a beverage container, food product or the like, which incorporates a compartment for carrying such a item. In this way, when the consumer buys a product the item can be withdrawn from the compartment and either used as part of the customer activity at the event or can be retained as a memento. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     With a view to providing an article which achieves these various objectives, the invention provides a product container, a removable cap for removably closing the container, an item compartment integrally formed with the cap, an opening for said compartment, and a closure integrally formed with the compartment for closing the compartment, the closure being releasable to remove the item. 
     Preferably the invention provides such a product container in which the cap is formed of thermo plastic material, and in which the product container cap and item compartment portion are moulded integrally with a closure for the item compartment, all being integrally moulded in one piece. 
     The product container may be a bottle, and the cap may be a screw on cap which screws onto the top of the bottle. 
     Preferably the exterior item compartment located on the cap outside the container. Alternately the container will have a cap, and having a tube forming central axial recess formed integrally in the cap, functioning as the item compartment, in such a way that the item compartment is stored inside the container, until the cap is removed. 
     The various features of item which characterize the invention are pointed out with more particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       IN THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective illustration of a container with a cap, incorporating an integral item compartment and closure, and showing a product container partially cut away; 
         FIG. 2  is a section along the line of  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective illustration of an alternate form of cap, in which the item compartment is formed as an integral recess extending into the cap, and being normally retained within the container until it is opened to consume the contents; and, 
         FIG. 4  is a section along  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT 
     As already explained above, the invention relates generally to a product container which incorporates a cap and a compartment in the cap for storing an item item. The compartment can in fact be relatively small since the typical item will be given away free. 
     As will appear from the following description, the compartment for the item is incorporated in the preferred embodiment as an integral one piece moulded construction, integral with the cap or product closure itself. In one case the item compartment can be located outside the product container as it were on top of the cap and in an alternate case, the item compartment may be located recessed in wardly into the cap so that when the cap is in position on the product container, the item compartment extends down into the product container. 
     Referring first of all to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , it will be seen that the invention is shown there for illustrative purposes only, in the form of a product container ( 10 ), in this case a typical bottle, and a product container cap ( 12 ). The container ( 10 ) in this case is provided with a threaded neck ( 14 ) and the product container cap ( 12 ) is provided with interior threads ( 16 ). In this way the cap can be screwed onto the neck to provide a secure closure and seal. If necessary a sealing ring (not shown) may be provided within the cap for security against leakage. The bottle can contain any sort of beverage such as a soft drink, or indeed an alcoholic beverage such as beer, or even simply water. 
     The bottle is shown simply be y way of illustration and example. A wide variety of containers may be provide with caps having these features. 
     In this embodiment the cap ( 12 ) for the product container has a top panel ( 18 ). The item compartment comprises in this particular example, a cylindrical wall ( 20 ) extending up from the panel ( 18 ). The cylindrical wall ( 20 ) defines an open top ( 22 ). 
     A closure ( 24 ) is connected integrally with a self hinge ( 26 ) to the cylindrical wall ( 20 ). The closure ( 24 ) has a fastening tag ( 28 ) , which may simply be adhesively bonded or make frictional engagement with the cylindrical wall ( 20 ) in known manner. 
     An item is shown generally as N. In phantom, nested in the cylindrical wall ( 20 ) of the item compartment. 
     Another embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . In this embodiment the container ( 10 ) is provided with a neck, and a cap ( 40 ). The cap ( 40 ) has a top ring ( 42 ). The top ring ( 42 ) is formed with a central axial recess compartment ( 44 ). The recess ( 44 ) is in the form of an integral sleeve or tube, which is formed integral with ring ( 42 ) and is closed at its lower or inner end as at ( 46 ). A hinged lid ( 48 ) is integrally connected to the top panel by a self hinge formed integrally of plastic, shown as ( 50 ). 
     An item (N) is shown in phantom within the sleeve or tube. 
     In use in this embodiment, the sleeve or tube will extend down into the interior of the container ( 10 ) and may in fact displace some of the contents. 
     It will of course be appreciated that various forms of containers and various forms of closures may be employed with the invention. The container can be made of plastic, glass or the like. The top can be provided with threads or any other form of attachment such as a simple ring. The closure can be a crown closure, which may either snap off or be screwed off, or maybe any other form of closure. 
     The reference in the present application to threads and a bottle with a neck is therefore without limitation and purely for the sake of illustrating the invention. 
     The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is given here by way of example only. The invention is not to be taken as limited to any of the specific features as described, but comprehends all such variations thereof as come within the scope of the appended claims.