Patent Publication Number: US-2016244225-A1

Title: Color matching receptacle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/837,010 filed on Jun. 19, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a receptacle. More specifically, the present invention is a color matching receptacle. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
     Millions of women use a range of flexible plastic containers for storing food or TUPPERWARE® with plastic tops and corresponding clear bottom receptacles. The clear bottoms may be stored in a user&#39;s kitchen drawer but do not match the tops that may also be colored and have different sizes as well. The result is that it takes unnecessary time to dig through the stored bottom receptacles to find the bottom receptacle that will match and seal against a proper corresponding top. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The color matching receptacle includes a base receptacle having an open top, a colored top edge, a bottom and a colored top having an outer edge. The colored top is removably disposed on the colored top edge and over the open top of the base receptacle, the colored top forms a seal on the top edge of the base receptacle to keep a food stored in the base receptacle from spoiling. The color of the top edge matches the color of the colored top to allow a user to distinguish, locate and match the colored top with the base receptacle from one or more other tops and one or more other base receptacles. The shape of the open top of the base receptacle and the colored top are identical and the shape of the open top of the base receptacle and the colored top is disposed on a centered portion of the bottom of the base receptacle and a centered portion of the colored top with a geometric indicia of the shape. The geometric indicia also has coloring that is identical to the color of the top edge and the color of the colored top to allow the user to further distinguish, locate and match the colored top with the base receptacle from one or more other tops and one or more other base receptacles. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a color matching receptacle that includes a colored ring or a colored strip disposed around a receptacle top edge that has a color that matches a color of an area disposed on a corresponding top. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a color matching receptacle that includes a shape of a corresponding top that is disposed on a concave bottom of a receptacle. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a color matching receptacle that includes a numerical indicia of a corresponding top that is disposed on a concave bottom of a receptacle. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a color matching receptacle that is transparent to have a capability to see one or more indicia through a pile of containers. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described by way of exemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an overhead view of a receptacle, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of a plurality of color matching receptacles, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. In other instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments. 
     Various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations, in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention however the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. In particular, these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation. 
     The phrase “in one embodiment” is used repeatedly. The phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment, however, it may. The terms “comprising”, “having” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an overhead view of a receptacle  100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     The receptacle  100  may include a base receptacle  110  and a colored top  120 . The base receptacle  110  may include an open top  112 , a top edge  114  and a bottom  116 . The colored top  120  may include an outer edge  122 . The colored top  120  may form a seal on the top edge  114  of the base receptacle  110  to keep a food  124  or other suitable object stored in the base receptacle  110  from spoiling. The base receptacle  110  may have a concave bottom  116 A. 
     Prior to Jun. 19, 2013, Glad Manufacturing produced the “designer series” where sides had multiple colors that did not match the color of the top. Sales were poor and consumers had trouble matching the sides to the top. Glad Manufacturing recognized the importance of matching colors on the bottom and the top of the container. The color, number or symbol on the top matches the color, number or symbol on the bottom container. The matching color number and/or symbol on the bottom may be placed on the butt of the bottom or the sides of the bottom. It is usual and customary that at least part of the sides of the bottom or top are transparent so that contents may be seen without opening the container. In October 2013 Glad began marketing stackable food containers or MATCHWARE® with matching easy match color match side to top match color top. This is an obvious take off of a color match system. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of a plurality of receptacles  200 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     The receptacles  200  may each include a base receptacle  210  and a colored top  220 . The receptacles  200  may be a colored matching receptacle  200 A or other suitable receptacle. The base receptacle  210  may have an open top  212 , a colored top edge  214  and a bottom  216 . The bottom  216  may be a transparent bottom  216 A. The colored top  220  may have an outer edge  222 . The colored top  220  may be removably disposed on the colored top edge  222  and over the open top  212  of the base receptacle  210 . The colored top  220  may be coupled to the open top  212  of the base receptacle  210 , wherein the transparent bottom  216 A may be colored with a first color  220 A that matches a second color  220 B disposed on the colored top  220 . 
     The colored top  220  may form a seal on the top edge  214  of the base receptacle  210  to keep a food ( FIG. 1, 124 ) or other suitable object stored in the base receptacle  210  from spoiling. The color of the top edge  214  may match the color of the colored top  220  to allow a user to distinguish, locate and match the colored top  220  with the base receptacle  210  from one or more other colored tops  220  and one or more other base receptacles  210 . A shape  212 A of the open top  212  of the base receptacle  210  and a shape  220 A the colored top  220  may be identical, the shape  212 A of the open top  212  of the base receptacle  210  and the colored top  220  may be disposed on a centered portion  216 C of the bottom  216  of the base receptacle  210  and a centered portion  220 B of the colored top  220  with a geometric indicia  230  of the shapes. The geometric indicia  230  may also have coloring that is identical to the color of the top edge  222  and the color of the colored top  220  to allow the user to further distinguish, locate and match the colored top  220  with the base receptacle  210  from one or more other colored tops  220  and one or more other base receptacles  210  and a numerical indicia  240  may be disposed in a centered portion  230 A of the geometric indicia  230  to indicate a dimension of the geometric indicia  230 . 
     The color matching receptacle includes placement of a colored ring or a strip around the top of a clear bottom. The colored ring or the strip must match the color of the top. An approximate one inch round area with color matching the color of the top placed on the bottom of a clear concave bottom if the concave bottom matches a concave top or a one inch square area with color matching the color of the top placed on a clear concave bottom if the top is a square or oblong top. Placement of a cut-out number for a size of a container is disposed in the center of the square. The round red circle placed on the bottom of the container had a clear number“3” on it because it belonged with a three inch top. The clear number indicates the size of the top it matches to. The top has a matching number on it. If the containers are not clear they cannot be seen as far through a pile of containers. This effectively means that the colored areas must be kept small but easily identifiable. 
     A colored ring on top of the clear bottom colored square or round area or any colored ring around the butt or seal area of the clear bottom or with a red round four inch top look for bottom with red round circle number “4” cut-out of a color pattern on it and a red seal near top of seal line for a five inch blue square top look for square bottom with a blue number “5” and the number “5” is hollowed-out in color to be seen from both sides disposed on a blue square. 
     While the present invention has been related in terms of the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described. The present invention can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Thus, the description is to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on the present invention.