Patent Publication Number: US-2019191903-A1

Title: Utensil and method of manufacture thereof

Description:
TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD 
     The presently disclosed subject matter is directed toward utensils and/or containers for holding foodstuff. In particular, it is directed toward containers comprising a decorative and/or functional element incorporated therewithin. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Drinking cups and bottles are provided not only for their utilitarian purposes of containing and serving drinks, but may also be used, for example by beverage manufacturers and the food service industry (restaurants, bars, cafeterias, etc.) as a promotional tool. For example, logos are often provided on drinking cups, especially those used in the food service industry, to promote a brand of beverage, and beverage manufacturers make use of the designs of their bottles to distinguish their products. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a container comprising:
         an upper portion comprising a circumferential sidewall defining therewithin a liquid-containing space;   a base made of a non-opaque material, the base being disposed below the upper portion and comprising an inner surface defining a downwardly-facing concavity;   a plug disposed within the concavity and sealingly contacting at least a portion of the inner surface; and   an article distinct from the plug and disposed within the concavity such that it is encased by the plug;   wherein the article is visible through at least the plug and/or the base.       

     The plug may be made of a material having one or more optical properties substantially similar to that of the base. 
     The container may be a drinking cup or a bottle. 
     According to another aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a utensil comprising:
         an upper portion defining an upwardly-facing functional area;   a base made of a non-opaque material, the base being disposed below the upper portion and comprising an inner surface defining a downwardly-facing concavity;   a plug disposed within the concavity and sealingly contacting at least a portion of the inner surface; and   an article distinct from the plug and disposed within the concavity such that it is encased by the plug;
 
wherein the article is visible through at least the plug and/or the base.
       

     The plug may be made of a material having one or more optical properties substantially similar to that of the base. 
     The upwardly-facing functional area may comprise a circumferential sidewall defining therein a liquid-containing space, i.e., wherein the utensil is a container. 
     According to a further aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a method for manufacturing a container, the method comprising:
         providing a basic utensil structure comprising an upper portion defining an upwardly-facing functional area, and a base made of a non-opaque material, the base being disposed below the upper portion and comprising an inner surface defining a downwardly-facing concavity;   providing an article within the concavity; and   molding a plug, from a material having one or more optical properties substantially similar to that of the base, within the concavity, such that it sealingly contacts at least a portion of the inner surface;
 
wherein the article is visible through at least the plug and/or the base.
       

     The upwardly-facing functional area may comprise a circumferential sidewall defining therein a liquid-containing space. 
     It will be appreciated that herein the specification and claims, terms indicating direction, such as up, down, and related terms, are used with reference to the container in a typical standing position, for example as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . It will be further appreciated that the term “facing,” when used referring to a concavity, indicated the direction toward which the opening thereof is directed. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the base and plug may be made of transparent materials. It will be appreciated that herein the specification and claims, the term “transparent” is used in the sense that light passes through it allowing for image formation, even if some light does not, e.g., due to scattering, diffusion, absorption, etc. Accordingly, materials through which an image is not significantly distorted, despite some wavelengths of light being scattered, diffused, absorbed, etc., thereby, including, but not limited to, colored glass, dichroic material, are considered for the purposes of this disclosure, including in the appended claims, as being “transparent,” unless otherwise apparent from the context. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the optical properties may comprise the refractive indices of the base and the plug. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the base and plug may be the same color. It will be appreciated that in this context, the term “color” includes colorless. 
     According to any of the above aspects, an upper surface of the plug may have a shape corresponding to that of the inner surface of base. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the plug may sealingly contact substantially the entire inner surface. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may contact a portion of the inner surface, the plug sealingly contacting substantially all portions of the inner surface not contacted by the article. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the inner surface of the base may be free of corners directed outwardly from the concavity. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the upper portion and the base may be formed as a unitary element. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may be disposed within the plug. According to any of the above aspects, the article may at least partially contact the inner surface of the base. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may be at least partially attached to the inner surface with a pressure-sensitive adhesive. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may be completely encased within the plug. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the base and plug may be made of different materials. The temperature required for molding the base may be higher (e.g., significantly higher) than the temperature required for molding the plug. 
     According to any of the above aspects, a bottom surface of the plug may be substantially coplanar with a bottom of the base. 
     According to any of the above aspects, a bottom surface of the container may comprise a downwardly projecting circular ridge, defining therein a depression. The ridge may be formed circumferentially on a bottom surface of the plug. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the liquid-containing space may be upwardly-facing. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the base may be made of glass. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the plug may be made of polyurethane. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may comprise an image printed thereon. The image may face downwardly. The image may be a barcode, e.g., a two dimensional bar code. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may comprise an element configured to alter its appearance correspondingly to a change in temperature. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may comprise a power supply. The power supply may comprise a wireless power receiver. The wireless power receiver may be selected from the group including an inductive receiver, a resonant inductive receiver, a capacitive receiver, and a magnetodynamic receiver. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may comprise a light source. The light source may comprise a light emitting diode and a controller. The controller may be configured to selectively control the color of light emitted by the light emitting diode. 
     According to any of the above aspects, the article may comprise an electronic component configured to facilitate detection by an external electronic circuit. The electronic component may comprise a radio frequency identification tag. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to better understand the subject matter that is disclosed herein and to exemplify how it may be carried out in practice, embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective side view of a container according to the presently disclosed subject matter; 
         FIG. 2A  is a perspective bottom exploded view of the container illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2B  is a sectional view of a bottom portion of the container, taken along line II-II in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the bottom portion of the container according to an example thereof; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a method for manufacturing a container, such as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , there is provided a container, which is generally indicated at  10 , for holding therein liquids. The container  10  comprises an upper portion  12  for holding the liquid therewithin, and a base  14  disposed therebelow (together constituting a basic container structure, and separated in  FIG. 1  with a broken line), on which the container stands when in an upright standing position. 
     The upper portion  12  may be of any suitable design, typically defining thereby the function of the container  10 . For example, in the example illustrated in and described with reference to  FIG. 1 , the upper portion  12  comprises a circumferential sidewall  16  defining a liquid-containing space  18 . It will be appreciated that even though a container according to the presently disclosed subject matter may be described as comprising several sidewalls, for example wherein the container has a square shape, the term “sidewall” is used herein to refer to all sidewalls collectively, unless otherwise clear from context. 
     The sidewall  16  may have a substantially cylindrical shape (as illustrated), or have any other suitable shape (e.g., having a square, hexagonal, etc., cross-section, being cylindrical, etc.), and are formed with an upper opening  20 . As the opening  20  of the container  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1  is similar in size to the cross-section of the sidewalls, the container may function as a cup. According to other examples, the sidewall  16  may, at an upper end thereof, narrow to form a neck, thereby defining an opening  20  which is small relative to the cross-sectional size of a lower portion of the sidewall, wherein the container may function as a bottle. 
     The base  14  is disposed below the upper portion  12 . It is made of a non-opaque, i.e., transparent (including colored, as described above) and/or translucent, material. It may be formed as a single, unitary element therewith. (Accordingly, it will be appreciated that references in this disclosure to features and/properties of the base  14  may similarly apply to the upper portion  12  of the container.) It may be made of any suitable material, including, but not limited to, glass, plastic, etc. An outer surface  22  thereof may be formed so as to smoothly merge with an outer surface  24  of the sidewall  16  of the upper portion  12 . As better illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , a bottom side  26  thereof is formed with an inner surface  28 , defining a downwardly-facing concavity  30  within the base  14 . The concavity  30  may be circularly symmetric. 
     A plug  32 , having an upper surface  34  shaped correspondingly to the inner surface  28  of the base  14 , is provided, disposed within the concavity  30  and substantially filling it. It is made of a non-opaque, i.e., transparent and/or translucent, material, for example which may be molded at a temperature which is significantly lower than that at which the material of the base  14  may be molded. The material has optical properties which are substantially similar to the base  14 . For example, the refractive indices of the base  14  and the plug  32  may be substantially the same, such that when the plug is the same color as the base and is received within the concavity  30  (for example as described below), it appears to be constitute a unitary element of the base (e.g., at least when examined perfunctorily and/or from certain angles, such as from above, i.e., through the liquid-containing space  18 ), i.e., the base appears “solid,” i.e., to be formed without the concavity  30 . It will be appreciated that the optical properties may be considered to be substantially similar, for example if the appearance of the plug  32  within the base  14  is similar, e g, at least when examined perfunctorily, to that of a plug and base wherein the optical properties are exactly the same, even if there is a small measurable difference therebetween. 
     According to some examples, the plug  32  is made of a suitable material, for example an epoxy, an acrylic, a polymer such as polyester or polyurethane, or a combination of two or more of the above. The material of the plug  32  may be selected based its optical properties, e.g., its similarity to those of the material of the base  14 . 
     The upper surface  34  of the plug  32  sealingly contacts the inner surface  28  of the base  14 , i.e., it fully abuts it without leaving any visible gaps therebetween, at least along a portion of the interface between the two surfaces. According to some examples, the upper surface  34  of the plug  32  sealingly contacts the inner surface  28  of the base  14  along a majority of the interface therebetween. According to other examples, the upper surface  34  of the plug  32  sealingly contacts the inner surface  28  of the base  14  along substantially the entire interface therebetween. 
     According to some examples, e.g., as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a bottom surface  36  of the plug  32  is substantially coplanar with a bottom  38  of the base  14 , together constituting a uniform bottom of the container  10 . The container  10  may contain a downwardly-facing circular ridge  40 , defining therewithin a depression  42  on the bottom of the container. The ridge  40  may be formed on the plug  32  as illustrated, and/or on the base  14 . 
     The container  10  further comprises an article  44  disposed within the concavity  30  of the base  14 . Accordingly, it is visible through the plug  32  and/or base  14 , as seen in  FIG. 1 . The article  44  may be decorative and/or functional, for example as described below. 
     According to some examples, the article  44  is disposed within the plug such that it is encased therewithin. According to other examples, it is disposed at least partially between the inner surface  28  of the base  14  and the plug  32  (whereby the plug encases it within the concavity  30 ; in such a case, the upper surface  34  of the plug may sealingly contact all portions of the inner surface of the base not in contact with the article  44 ). The article  44  may comprise a pressure-sensitive adhesive, with which it is at least partially attached to the inner surface  28  of the base  14 . 
     According to some examples, e.g., as described above, wherein the refractive indices of the base  14  and plug  32  are substantially the same, the article appears to “float” within the “solid” base. Typically, the article  44  is made of a material which is likely to be damaged or destroyed at temperatures required for forming the base  14 , but not at temperatures required for forming the plug  32 . 
     Providing the base  14  and plug  32  as described above (e.g., different materials having similar optical properties) may facilitate providing the article  44  such that it appears to be encased within a solid base of a container. In addition, it facilitates providing the article  44  such that it is visible but not physically exposed, for example allowing the container  10  to be exposed to conditions (e.g., cleaning with hot water, soap, chemicals, etc.) unsuitable for the article  44 , without risk of damage to the article. 
     The article  44  may be provided with an image printed thereon. The image may face downwardly, for example allowing identification of the container  10  from the bottom, or upwardly, for example allowing viewing thereof via the liquid-containing space  18  of the upper portion  12  (for example when the container is a drinking cup). The image may comprise a barcode, which may be a one-dimensional barcode and/or a two-dimensional barcode. 
     The article  44  may comprise one or more elements which are configured to alter their appearance correspondingly to a change in temperature. For example, the article may be used to provide a visual indication of the temperature of a liquid within the liquid-containing space  18  of the upper portion  12 . 
     The article  44  may a power supply, which may comprise a power source and a wireless power receiver, for example an inductive receiver, a resonant inductive receiver, a capacitive receiver, or a magnetodynamic receiver, facilitating recharging of the power source while limiting the physical exposure thereof. The article  44  may further comprise a light source powered by the power supply, such as a light emitting diode (LED) and a controller, for example configured to selectively control the color of light emitted by the LED. 
     The article may comprise one or more electronic components configured to facilitate detection by an external electronic circuit. The component may comprise a radio frequency identification tag. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , there is provided a method, which is generally indicated at  100 , for manufacturing a container, for example as described above. In step  110 , a a basic container structure is provided. The basic container structure comprises an upper portion having a circumferential sidewall defining therewithin a liquid-containing space, and a base made of a non-opaque material. The base is disposed below the upper portion and comprises an inner surface defining a downwardly-facing concavity. In step  120 , an article is provided within the concavity. In step  130 , a plug is molded within the concavity. The plug is made from a material characterized by one or more optical properties which are substantially similar to that of the base. The molding of the plug within the concavity is such that it sealingly contacts at least a portion of the inner surface thereof. Such a method may be used to manufacture a container as described above, i.e., wherein the article is visible through the plug and the base. 
     It will be appreciated that while the foregoing description relates to a container for holding liquids, it is only presented as an example, and one skilled in the art will readily recognize that it may be applied to other utensils, even those not designed for holding liquids. For example, a utensil such as a plate having a flat surface not suitable for containing thereon a liquid, but otherwise as per the above description, may be provided without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter, mutatis mutandis. Additionally, a container and/or utensil designed for holding something other than foodstuff, e.g., a vase, may be provided without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter, mutatis mutandis. 
     Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readily appreciate that numerous changes, variations, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter, mutatis mutandis.