Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MULTIPLE PURPOSE CONTAINER AND DECORATIVE ITEM
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[0001] A
portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material, which is
subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the
facsimile
reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it
appears in the
United States Patent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise
reserves all copyright
rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This
invention relates generally to a multiple purpose container having a
resealable cap such that the container may be displayed as a decorative item
on a table, shelf or
the like surface. The container includes an interior cavity accessible when
the cap is removed. In
one embodiment, the cavity is configured to accommodate a product or article
of interest therein.
In one embodiment, the cap includes a selectively deployable fastener such
that the container may
be displayed as a decorative item hung from a surface such as a limb of a tree
or plant as an
ornament.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0003] Concerns
grow daily over the storage and treatment of waste products such as, for
example, plastic and glass bottles and other containers. So called "green"
solutions for handling
waste products include recycling, cleaning and reuse, or adapting the waste
product to a new use
to avoid its disposal within landfills and the like.
[0004] The
inventor has recognized that a green solution for certain containers may
include making the containers useful for multiple purposes such as, for
example, being used as a
container for an article or product of interest as well as used as a display
or decorative item.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The
present invention resides in one aspect in a multiple purpose container and
decorative item including a container portion having an interior cavity and a
cap portion
selectively affixed to the container portion to open and close the interior
cavity. In one
embodiment, the cavity is configured to accommodate a product or article of
interest disposed
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within the interior cavity. The product or article of interest is accessible
when the cap portion is
removed from the container portion. The container portion is configured of a
desired color,
shape, size and/or combinations thereof to achieve multiple functions to
contain the product or
article of interest within the interior cavity and to provide an aesthetic,
decorative and/or
ornamental feature.
[0006] In one
aspect of the invention, the product or article of interest is one of a
liquid, a
cream, or a powder. In one embodiment, the product or article of interest is
one of a relatively
high quality perfume, cologne, and cosmetic preparation. In another
embodiment, the product or
article of interest is a food stuff including, but not limited to, one of a
maple syrup, honey,
pancake syrup, salt and/or pepper, or the like.
[0007] In one
aspect of the invention, the cap portion includes a fastener selectively
deployable between an open and a closed position. When the fastener is in the
open position, the
container portion may be hung from a surface such as, for example, a branch of
a tree. In one
embodiment, the selectively deployable fastener is affixed to the cap portion
by a hinge rotatable
about an axis between the closed position and the open position. In one
embodiment, when in
the closed position the selectively deployable fastener is disposed in a
recess in a surface of the
cap portion. In one embodiment, the selectively deployable fastener includes
at least one of a
ring, a hook and an arm member.
[0008] In one
aspect of the invention, the container portion is comprised of one or more
colored, treated and/or textured surfaces to achieve the aesthetic, decorative
and/or ornamental
feature. In one embodiment, the container portion is configured as one of an
item of scenery such
as a fireplace, holiday scene, a figurine depicting a fictional or real
person, a character, an animal,
a tree, plant, a waterfall, a structure of interest such as a cabin, a house,
bridge, and a feature such
as a statue, fountain or monument.
[0009] In one
embodiment, the container portion includes a base portion having a base
plate selectively attachable to the base portion to selectively seal and
unseal the interior cavity. In
one embodiment, the container portion further includes an exterior surface and
decorative indicia
is applied to the exterior surface to achieve the aesthetic, decorative and/or
ornamental feature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The
features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood
when the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments given below is
considered in
conjunction with the figures provided, wherein:
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[0011] FIG 1 is
a partial cross sectional view of a multiple purpose container and
decorative item according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIGS. 2A
to 2E illustrate exemplary embodiments of the multiple purpose
container and decorative item according to the present invention;
[0013] FIGS. 3A
to 3F illustrate exemplary embodiments of a cap portion of the multiple
purpose container and decorative item according to the present invention;
[0014] FIG 4 is
a partial cross sectional view of the multiple purpose container and
decorative item according to one embodiment of the present invention; and
[0015] FIGS. 5A
to 5D illustrate exemplary embodiments of the multiple purpose
container and decorative item according to the present invention.
[0016] In these
figures like structures are assigned like reference numerals, but may not
be referenced in the description of all figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0017] While
this invention may be embodied in many forms, there is shown in the
drawings and will herein be described in detail one or more preferred
embodiments. It should be
appreciated that this disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of
principles of the
invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the illustrated
embodiments.
[0018] FIG 1
shows one embodiment of a multiple purpose container and decorative item
10. The multiple purpose container and decorative item 10 includes a container
portion 20 and a
cap portion 40. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the multiple purpose
container and
decorative item 10 is configured as a decorative bell that is usable and
reusable to contain a
product or article of interest and to act as an ornament, as described herein.
The container portion
20 may be configured of any desired color, shape, size and/or combinations
thereof, to achieve
multiple functions such as, for example, to contain within an interior cavity
22 a predetermined
volume of a flowable liquid, cream, powder or other product or article of
interest 24 therein, as
well as to achieve an aesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental function such as
to act as a holiday
ornament or an ornament and/or decoration for another event or occasion. In
one exemplary
embodiment, the product of interest 24 may be a relatively high quality
flowable liquid, powder,
granule, crystal, or cream including by way of example and not limitation, a
perfume, cologne,
cosmetic preparation or the like, or a food stuff including by way of example
and not limitation, a
maple, pancake and/or other syrup, honey, salt and/or pepper, herb and/or
seasoning, or the like,
or combination thereof. In one embodiment, the flowable liquid, powder or
cream may be a
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relatively inexpensive household item such as, for example, liquid soap,
shampoo, baby powder,
hand cream or the like. It should be appreciated that in one embodiment, the
multiple purpose
container and decorative item 10, including the container portion 20 and the
cap portion 40, may
be distributed without a product or article of interest disposed in the
interior cavity 22. As such,
the container portion 20 would be useful as a general purpose storage
container that is fillable and
refillable by a user thereof. As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2E, exemplary
embodiments of the
container portion 20 may be configured as a fireplace 20A (FIG 2A), a globe
20B (FIG 2B), a
candy cane 20C (FIG. 2C), a die 20D (FIG. 2D), a ball 20E (FIG 2E) such as a
football, baseball,
basketball, soccer ball, golf ball or the like. In one embodiment, the
container portion 20 may be
comprised of, for example, plastic or other polymer, glass, paper, and the
like.
[0019] In one
embodiment, the container portion 20 may be comprised of one or more
colored, treated and/or textured surfaces to achieve a preferred aesthetic,
decorative and/or
ornamental appearance. In one embodiment, an exterior surface 21 of the
container portion 20
may include decorative indicia 23 painted or otherwise applied to the exterior
surface 21 to
achieve a decorative or festive effect. In one embodiment, the surface 21 may
be wrapped in a
film or the like, to achieve the decorative or festive effect. It should be
appreciated that in
addition to the above, the container portion 20 may be configured in other
desired color (e.g., red,
green, blue, silver), treatment (e.g., gloss or polish), texture, shape, size
and/or combinations
thereof such as, for example, an item of scenery such as a fireplace, holiday
scene (e.g.,
snowman, holiday carolers), as well as a figurine depicting a fictional or
real person, a character,
an animal (e.g., a domesticated animal or pet like a dog, cat, bunny, or the
like, or a wild animal
like a lion, a monkey, an elephant or the like), a tree, plant, a waterfall,
or the like, or a structure
of interest such as a cabin, a house, bridge, or other architectural
components or features such as
a statue, fountain, or monument.
[0020] As shown
in FIGS. 1, 2A to 2E and 3A to 3F, the cap portion 40 is selectively
affixed to the container portion 20 to open and close the interior cavity 22
of the container
portion 20 as may be desired to provide access to the interior cavity 22 and
the volume of the
flowable liquid, cream, powder, granule, crystal, or other product of interest
24 stored within the
container portion 20. In one embodiment, the cap portion 40 includes internal
female threads to
receive mating male threads disposed on an exterior of the container portion
20 (e.g., FIG 5A,
described below) such that the cap portion 40 is removable to seal and unseal
the interior cavity
22 of the container portion 20. It should be appreciated that it is also
within the scope of the
present invention to selectively open and close the interior cavity 22 with
the cap portion 40 by
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means of a conventional "snap closing" or "flip top" arrangement such as, for
example, a plug or
plugs configured to open and close one or more openings in the container
portion 20. As shown
in FIGS. 3A to 3F, the cap portion 40 includes a selectively deployable
fastener 42. In one
embodiment the selectively deployable fastener 42 includes a ring 42A (as best
illustrated in
FIGS. 3B and 3D), a hook 42B (FIG 3E), or arm member 42C (FIG 3F). The
selectively
deployable fastener 42 is rotatably coupled to the cap portion 40 by coupling
means 46, for
example, a hinge or a shaft, rod or protrusion inserted in an opening and
rotatable about an axis
between a closed or stored position (FIG 3A) and an open or deployed position
(FIGS. 3D, 3E,
3F). In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, when in the closed or
stored position,
the selectively deployable fastener 42 may be disposed in a recess 44 in a
surface of the cap
portion 40.
[0021] In
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the deployable
fastener 42 and the coupling means 46 cooperate such that the fastener 42
freely rotates for
selective storage and deployment. In one embodiment, the fastener 42 is
fixedly positioned in the
deployed position. It should also be appreciated that the deployable fastener
42 and the coupling
means 46 are constructed of relatively sufficient material to permit not only
repeated, free
rotation between the closed and open positions but also allow the deployable
fastener 42 and
coupling means 46 to accommodate a weight of the container portion 20 and the
cap portion 40.
As such, the multiple purpose container and decorative item 10 can be repeated
hung from a limb
of a tree or the like when the container portion 20 is fully loaded with the
volume of the product
of interest 24, when the container portion 20 is fully empty of the volume,
and volumes between
the fully loaded and fully empty conditions.
[0022] As can
be appreciated, in a first mode of operation or use, the container portion 20
and the cap portion 40 cooperate to provide storage and repeatable access to
the flowable liquid,
cream, powder or other product of interest 24 stored within the interior
cavity 22 of the container
portion 20. In this first mode of operation, the container portion 20 and the
cap portion 40 also
cooperate to provide a function of a decorative item that can be displayed on
a surface such as,
for example, a table, desk, shelf or the like, or, by selectively deploying
the deployable fastener
42, hung from a surface such as, for example, a branch of a tree, plant or the
like. As such, the
container portion 20 and the cap portion 40 cooperate to provide the described
multiple purpose
container and decorative item 10. Similarly, in a second mode of operation or
use, when the
flowable liquid, cream, powder, granule, crystal, or other product of interest
24 is exhausted,
rather than discarding the container portion 20 and the cap portion 40, the
aesthetic, decorative
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and/or ornamental nature of the multiple purpose container and decorative item
10 is still
functional, such that the multiple purpose container and decorative item 10 is
still useful and is
not discarded. Since the multiple purpose container and decorative item 10
remains useful, it
does not become a waste product bound for a landfill.
[0023] In one
embodiment, illustrated in FIG 4, a portion 26A of a surface 26 of the
container portion 20 is selectively removable by, for example, being comprised
of a base 28
having external threads 29 that are received by threads 25 within walls of the
container portion
20. In this embodiment, removal of the base 28 from the container portion 20
provides access to
the interior cavity 22 and the product of interest 24 stored therein. In one
embodiment, the
product of interest 24 may include candy such as, for example, candy kisses,
jelly beans, and the
like, as well as small games, costume jewelry or other articles of amusements
for children, adults,
pets and the like.
[0024] As shown
in FIGS. 5A to 5D, exemplary embodiments of a container portion 120
(similar to the container portion 20) configured as a decorative ball 120A
(FIG 5A), a bell 120B
(FIG 5B), a heart shape 120C including a stand 150 (FIG 5C), a pumpkin 120D
(FIG 5D), or a
miniature tree. In one embodiment, as with the container portion 20, the
container portion 120
may be comprised of, for example, one or more colored, treated and/or textured
surfaces to
achieve a preferred aesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental appearance. For
example, it should
be appreciated that in addition to the above, the container portion 120 may be
configured in other
desired color (e.g., red, green, blue, silver), treatment (e.g., gloss or
polish), texture, shape, size
and/or combinations thereof such as, for example, an item of scenery such as a
fireplace, holiday
scene (e.g., snowman, holiday carolers), as well as a figurine depicting a
fictional or real person,
a character, an animal (e.g., a domesticated animal or pet like a dog, cat,
bunny, or the like, or a
wild animal like a lion, a monkey, an elephant or the like), a tree, plant, a
waterfall, or the like, or
a structure of interest such as a cabin, a house, bridge, or other
architectural components or
features such as a statue, fountain, or monument.
[0025] One or
more embodiments of the present invention have been described.
Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made
without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, many construction
techniques and
materials may be utilized. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope
of the following
claims.
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