Patent Publication Number: US-2010116705-A1

Title: Rotating Identification Container Band (RICB)

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a cross-reference to related Australian innovation patent number 2008101088, filed with the Commonwealth of Australia Patent Office on 7 Nov. 2008, and claims the benefit of priority there from. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     “Not Applicable” 
     REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM 
     “Not Applicable” 
     LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX 
     “Not Applicable” 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The household drinking cup is a very useful product with a very simple design. It has been used for years with variations in shape, colour, size, lids, temperature sensitive parts, and elaborate identification systems. But there is no simple way of identifying the user of the cup. 
     There have been several patents issued that involve elaborate identification systems for different purposes but none that offer an simple way to identify the user of a cup. U.S. Pat. No. 20,040,060,212 issued 1 Apr. 2004 by S. Murphy and C. Murphy is a drinking cup system that provides a unique identifier for each cup which is used to monitor and track all cups within the set to determine missing cups. U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,176 issued 16 Nov. 1993 to David et al, uses identification tags that are applied to the cup to distinguish the type of beverage within the cup. U.S. Pat. No. 06,212,803 issued 10 Apr. 2001 is a rotatable label system on a drinking vessel. It claims an association of indicia to second indicia for the purpose of providing more information pertaining to the first indicia. This application differs from these innovations in that there is a defined set of indicia on each container which are identical for all containers within a set and are associated with the individuals so that they are able to identify themselves with every container within the set. 
     The following two patents are specifically claimed for disposable cups. U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,979 issued 9 Mar. 1993 to Nemeroff uses a series of labels, with each cup having an identifying label to identify each cup from another. The second label, which corresponds to the first label, is used to identify the individual having a particular cup. U.S. Pat. No. 20,080,217,198 issued 11 Sep. 2008 to Doeden, Kiel, &amp; Coon uses a identification system with each cup being identified by selecting from a plurality of indicia, with said indicia being a plurality of distinct areas (depressible dimples, blisters, or other raised surfaces) associated with said cup. 
     What this application claims is a repeatable, dynamic way to identified the user of a container, that is intrinsic to a container. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The Rotating Identification Container Band (RICB) invention offers a repeatable, dynamic way to identify the user of a container (i.e. cup) within a small group of people (i.e. the family, daycare group, etc). This is accomplished by a rotating band that is intrinsic to a cup. A simple twist of the band displays one of the defined users colour/name indicia in the bands window opening. All cups within a set are identical, which allows each and every cup to be dynamically identified by a user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       The invention may be better understood with a reference to the illustrations of parts of the invention which are; 
         FIG. 1  shows the circular band with an opening and corrugations, within the inside of the band. The band is unassembled from a container. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevation of the RICB with the circular band separate from the container, which shows the containers indentation, identification label, and corrugations. The identification label encircles the whole container; the figure shows 3 of the 6 colour/name indicia. 
         FIG. 3  is the RICB fully assembled with a cup as the container and the indicia # 1  showing in the bands window opening. 
     
    
    
     The container shown is a cup  7  with an indentation  8 , which is the area where the band  4  is assembled. The band  4  rotates around the cup  7  displaying one of the defined set of colour/name indicia  9  in the bands window opening  5 . 
     In the inside wall of the band  4  and within the cups indentation  8  there are complementarily positioned co-acting outward or inward corrugations  6  which will engage one with the other when the band  4  is rotated around the cup  7 . This allows the bands window opening  5  to align with one of the defined set of colour/name indicia  9 . 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The Rotating Identification Container Band (RICB) in accordance with this innovative step comprises a circular band with an opening in its wall. The band is intrinsic and revolves around a container (i.e. cup, sports bottle, toddler cup, baby bottle) displaying one of the defined set of colour/name indicia in the bands window opening. The RICB can take on different forms depending on the container, but the use of the RICB is the same, aiding in the task of identification of a containers user. 
     The RICB when configured with a drinking cup allows each and every cup within a set of cups to be identified by the user of the cup. This is done by the simple twist of the rotating band; no apparatus has to be applied. 
     This innovation was designed with the family in mind but can have several other use groups (sports team, daycare, multiple birth families). In the example of the family there would be a set of cups all having the same label. The label would contain a set of different colour sections with the names of the family members associated with a colour. When a family member selects a cup they would twist the band until their colour/name displays in the bands window opening. The family member could do this with every cup in the set. 
     We believe this product will help a family manage; abandoned cups, unwanted cups, washing of clean cups, increase hygiene standards and hopefully diminish cup arguments. When an individual uses a cup and later can&#39;t identify his/her cup that usually results in the individual abandoning the cup or possibly taking another individual&#39;s cup.