Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CONSUMER PRODUCT WITH SECONDARY ITEM STORAGE COMPARTMENT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to combination containers for consumer
products, such as beverage bottles and, more specifically, to a combination
container
forming a primary product compartment and having a secondary item storage
compartment for storing a secondary Item such as a promotional product.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Promotional products are commonly used by businesses to increase public
awareness
of their goods and services. In respect to packaged foods, such as cereals and
potato
chips, manufacturers can easily include the promotional products within the
packaging
at the tine of manufacture. Following the purchase of such packaged foods, the
user
may open the packaging and remove the promotional product for their use and
enjoyment. Thus far, manufacturers have net been provided with a suitable
approach
for providing combination containers having secondary exterior compartments
for
secondary products which accompany a primary product package. An existing
approach is to secure a secondary product to a hang tag around the neck of the
primary
container, such as a beverage bottle. Manufacturers have discovered that this
approach is problematic for the reason that consumers may easily remove the
secondary product from the primary container without having to purchase the
associated primary product.
Secondary products are increasingly used at sporting and entertainment events
to
encourage spectators to attend and support the participants in the subject
event. in
view of the increased security conditions at most public sporting and
entertainment
events, spectators are routinely not permitted to bring banners and other
novelty
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secondary products to the events. Without banners or novelty secondary
products,
spectators are often unable to fully enjoy and participate in the excitement
of an event.
Similar situations arise with many other cases where consumers may be
purchasing a
primary product, and require a secondary product to be supplied which
accompanies
the primary product. For example, take out foods, as primary products,
supplied in
primary containers, may require secondary products such as cutlery,
condiments,
cleansing cloths and the like.
In the past, these secondary items are often available only at a service
counter, or may
require extra handling by staff at the cash register.
This will slow up the handling of customers, and require service personnel to
be
occupied in clearing service counters, restocking with secondary items and the
like.
One form of secondary item package is shown in US patent 5351851 inventor D A
Powell granted Oct 4 1994. In that patent the intent was, apparently to
provide a
combination package, with a recess for a secondary item, and a clear film
covering the
recess and holding the item in the recess.
However, It is also necessary that the entire package can be produced,
assembled and
labeled in an efficient and repeatable fashion, without downtime on the
production line.
Where a secondary item is simply placed in the recess, it is found that the
item can slip
around and move during handling. The item may be moved in such a way that it
can no
longer be identified by the consumer.
It is found desirable that the item may be placed in the recess and that this
placement
will remain unchanged during the remaining packaging operations, and
thereafter during
subsequent handling, until it reaches the hands of the consumer.
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It is also found that, during the movement along the packaging line, the rapid
movement
of such packages, particularly containers for beverages, is such that the
secondary item
readily becomes displaced from the recess. This results in failure of the
packaging
process, and downtime on the line, while the problem is resolved.
A further problem with the marketing of bottles or packages with exterior
depressions, is
in the labeling of the product. Typically such products will be labeled with a
label made
of paper or thin thermoplastic printed with logos and names of the product and
contents.
Where the bottle provides a firm exterior profile, the label is simply wrapped
around the
bottle and adhered to it. However where there is a depression on the exterior
of the
bottle, then the label will not be supported in the area of the depression,
consequently it
will be flexible, and being of thin material is easily damaged.
Products with damaged labels will not be acceptable to consumers, since they
appear
to have been damaged.
Accordingly this problem must be addressed in order to provide an acceptable
beverage
container with a secondary item package in the exterior.
These problems are not addressed in US patent 5351 851, which may account for
its
apparent lack of commercial success.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved combination
container, such as
a beverage bottle for example, having a storage compartment for storing one or
more
secondary products. The combination container of the present invention may be
offered
by manufacturers and other businesses to enable users, such as spectators, to
utilize
the one or more secondary products and to actively participate in the sporting
or
entertainment event, for example. The combination container of the present
invention
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may also be used by a user in a conventional manner to quench their thirst and
thereby
further enhance their enjoyment of the sporting or entertainment event.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a combination container having a primary
compartment for a primary product, which, may for example be a food, a
beverage, or
any other such product that may be sold to consumers, which in this case is
shown and
described as a beverage bottle, and a secondary compartment, formed as a
depression in the exterior which is depressed inwardly, to provide an
outwardly open
cavity and one or more secondary items, stored within the cavity of the
secondary
compartment. The secondary compartment has a cavity wall extending into the
body,
the cavity wall defining the cavity for storing the one or more secondary
products.
Preferably the secondary item is secured in position in the recess or
compartment by
an adhesive compound.
The adhesive is a release type material, such that the adhesive holds the item
in the
cavity to enable packaging operations to proceed smoothly, and to hold the
item
during handling so that it can be identified by a consumer.
The adhesive is temporary, and the item is easily separable from the cavity by
the
consumer, after purchase.
A semi-rigid cover panel is formed and fitted within the mouth of the outer
edge of the
recess and provides a cover for the recess and will secure the item. The cover
may be
in the form of a panel formed for example, of card stock, or if desired, a
resilient
thermoplastic formed into an arcuate curve matching the profile of the bottle
itself.
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Preferably, the recess will be formed with a ledge along its outer edge
adjacent to the
periphery of the bottle. The panel will be cut and shaped so as to fit within
the open
side of the recess, and lie on the ledge.
The item may be anything from a snack, or a badge, or a simple alcohol-based
hand
cloth, for example.
In some cases there will be a re-sealable cover for such secondary
compartment. The
cover may be in the form of a partial cuff, typically of thermoplastic
material. The cuff
would be, in the case of a bottle, of generally semi-cylindrical shape.
The cuff would be resilient, and could be spread apart to fit over the bottle
and would
then make a friction fit on the exterior of the bottle.
This would permit the cuff to be moved, for example by rotation, so that the
recess
could be opened, for access to the secondary product, and the re-closed, by
rotation,
as desired.
The cuff could also be slid endwise over the bottle, if desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly
how it
may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to
the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG 1 is an exploded perspective illustration of a bottle, showing the recess,
secondary
item, adhesive, and cover panel;
FIG 2 is a section along the line of 2-2of Figure 1;
FIG 3 is a perspective of the Fig 1 embodiment as applied to a rectangular
container;
and,
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=
FIG 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment is shown in Figures 1 and 2 In this case, Figure 1 illustrates a
bottle
130, of a typical generally cylindrical shape having enlarged lower and upper
formations
132 and 134, and reinforcing ribs 136, leading to a neck 138. The neck 138 is
shown
cut away but would of course extend upwardly and provide an attachment for a
suitable
bottle cap (not shown). Within the cylindrical side wall of the bottle 130, a
depression
or cavity 140 is formed. The depression 140 is of generally rectangular shape
in this
example defining four side walls 142 indented inwardly into the interior of
the bottle.
The side walls 142 are formed with a ledge 144 extending inwardly around the
four side
walls 142 of the depression 140.
A semi-rigid cover panel 146 is shown. The panel 146 is dimensioned to fit
within the
open mouth of the depression 140 but lies on the ledge 144 extending around
the walls
142
Preferably, for ease of manipulation, the panel 146 is formed with a finger
opening 148.
This will facilitate the removal of the panel by a consumer.
A label 150 is shown in part. It will be seen that it will wrap around the
bottle, and
completely cover the depression 140 and panel 146.
Within the interior of the depression 140, a secondary item 152 is shown,
secured
temporarily by a relatively weak form of temporary adhesive 154, during
assembly.
Once the cover panel 146 has been inserted and is lying against the ledge 144,
the
label 150 is then wrapped around the entire bottle and covers the cover panel.
The
cover panel being of semi-rigid material will function to retain the item 152
and also to
support the label in the region of the depression, and thus ensure that the
bottle and
label arrives at the point of sale intact and having a good marketable
appearance.
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The cover panel may be formed simply of card stock. Alternatively it may be
made of
some thermoplastic material, which may be curved as at 156 (in phantom) to
conform to
the profile of the bottle.
For the sake of convenience and facilitating high speed handling on an
automated
packaging line, some form of contact adhesive may be applied to the ledges
144. This
will have the effect of retaining the cover panel 146 in position, as the
containers move
on down the production line for the application of labels.
Figure 3 shows a rectangular carton 160, typically of coated paper or card. It
has a
depression 162, similar to 140, for a secondary item 152 and adhesive 154. A
cover
panel 164 covers depression 162, resting on ledges 166 similar to 144, and
enclosed by
a label 168.
As shown in Figure 4 the depression 162 will preferably be formed separately
from the
carton 160. In the majority of cases, it will be convenient to form the
depression 162
from a thermo-plastic material, typically for example, by vacuum forming, or
the like.
The depression 162 is formed with side walls 170, formed to define ledges 166.
Around
the edges of the side walls, generally planar side flanges 172 are formed.
During the
manufacture of the rectangular carton 160, the carton 160 will be formed with
a
rectangular opening. The depression 162 will be bonded to the interior of the
carton
160, in registration with such opening. The side flanges 172 provide a secure
seal with
the interior of carton 160.
While what has been shown and described herein constitutes a preferred
embodiment
of the subject invention, it should be understood that various modifications
and
adaptations of such embodiment can be made without departing from the present
invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.
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