US20040124192A1

US20040124192A1 - Disposable bottle insert system

Info

Publication number: US20040124192A1
Application number: US10/334,471
Authority: US
Inventors: David Teller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-12-31
Filing date: 2002-12-31
Publication date: 2004-07-01

Abstract

Disposable Bottle Insert System with a bottle enclosure having an open bottom. The enclosure is generally cylindrical in shape and has an external threaded portion at the lower end of the cylinder. The outer bottle is meant to be a high quality permanent housing and not meant to be discarded. A molded plastic bottle base having internal threads mates with the external threads of the enclosure body to form the bottom surface of the enclosure. The molded bottle bottom may have a recessed portion allowing the insertion of a transmitting device that keeps track of drinks poured. A disposable thin walled bottle is capable of slidably fitting into the outer bottle shape. The disposable bottle has an externally threaded neck. A top cap screws onto mating threads on the disposable plastic bottle neck.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of beverage enclosures and more specifically to a disposable bottle insert system. Liquor products have been sold in bottles for hundreds of years. Liquor bottles are traditionally made of glass and can be very expensive to produce because they traditionally are made with expensive design configurations, graphics and colored glass. Additionally, new laws require that liquor bottles be recycled thereby causing a restaurant owner to store the empty bottles to later be picked up by a recycler. Liquor producers have not embraced the idea of bottling their product in inexpensive disposable plastic bottles because the plastic bottles would give a low quality look and feel to their high quality product.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a disposable bottle insert system that allows a person to insert an inexpensive thin walled plastic bottle into a more expensive glass bottle or other durable retainer such as metal or wood or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable bottle insert system that allows the user to reuse expensive bottle retaining enclosures.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed disposable bottle insert system comprising: a glass or metal or other rigid bottle enclosure shape having an open bottom, said bottle enclosure being generally cylindrical in shape and having an external threaded portion at the lower end of said cylinder. A molded bottle enclosure bottom having internal threads mate with said external threads of said bottle enclosure. A disposable thin walled bottle is capable of slidably fitting into said rigid bottle enclosure shape. The disposable bottle has an externally threaded neck. A top cap screws onto mating threads on said disposable plastic bottle neck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention. [0009]
FIG. 1 is a side section view of the invention. [0010]
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention. [0011]
FIG. 3 is a side view of the present invention. [0012]
FIG. 4 is an alternate side section of the present invention [0013]
FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the alternate embodiment of the present invention. [0014]
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of a second alternate embodiment of the present invention. [0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner. [0016]
Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a side section of the [0017] present invention 100. External bottle enclosure 4 is the shape of a traditional liquor bottle. The enclosure 4 can be made of glass, metal, plastic, wood or other rigid material. The main body of enclosure 4 is cylindrical in shape. The bottle enclosure 4 has an open bottom that includes an external treaded portion 14. A thin walled disposable plastic bottle 6 can be slid into the bottle enclosure 4 through the open bottom portion. The disposable bottle 6 is retained by base portion 10 which has mating internal threads that correspond with the external threads 14 of glass bottle 4. Disposable bottle 6 terminates at its upper most surface in external threads 16 that interface with internally threads located in top cap 2.
FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the [0018] present invention 100. Disposable plastic bottle 6 can be made of thin wall PET or polyethylene or other inexpensive, recyclable material. Disposable bottle 6 slides into enclosure bottle 4 from the underside as shown. FIG. 3 shows the present invention 100 in its use position. The final configuration looks like a standard high quality liquor bottle. The quality of the outer bottle 4 may be even of greater quality than a standard liquor bottle since the outer bottle 4 does not need to be discarded.
FIG. 4 shows an alternate embodiment of the [0019] present invention 200 where external threads 210 in disposable bottle 204 mate with internal threads 212 inside outer enclosure bottle 206 thereby eliminating the need for a bottom cap. The bottom of disposable bottle 204 is concave 214. A rib 216 acts as a tightening and loosening member for screwing in or out the disposable bottle 204. FIG. 4 shows a clear representation of tightening rib 216. FIG. 6 shows another alternated embodiment 300 where bottle enclosure 306 and base cap 306 are molded of rigid plastic. The bottle enclosure 306 and base cap 307 have a square cross section, but can also be rectangular, elliptical or other shape. The enclosure 306 includes snap tabs 308, 309 that mate with recessed portions 310, 311 thereby retaining disposable bottle 304. An expensive looking label 312 may be added to enclosure 306 to further increase the perceived value of the contents of the enclosure 306. Cap 366 mates with disposable bottle top 367.
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. [0020]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. Disposable Bottle Insert System comprising:

a liquor bottle having an open top and open bottom:

a container capable of fitting into said liquor bottle;

a means of securing said container to said liquor bottle

2. An alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said Disposable Bottle Insert System comprises:

a brand name liquor bottle having an open top and open bottom:

a container capable of fitting into said brand name liquor bottle;

a means of securing said container to said brand name liquor bottle

3. A second alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said Disposable Bottle Insert System comprises:

a brand name liquor bottle having an open top and an open bottom where the bottom opening is larger than the top opening

a container capable of fitting into said brand name liquor bottle;

a means of securing said container to said brand name liquor bottle

4. A third alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said Disposable Bottle Insert System comprises:

a brand name liquor bottle having an open top and an open bottom where the bottom opening is smaller than the inside wall of the bottom of the liquor bottle

a container capable of fitting into said brand name liquor bottle;

a means of securing said container to said brand name liquor bottle

5. A fourth embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said Disposable Bottle Insert System comprises:

a rigid bottle enclosure having an open top and open bottom:

a disposable thin walled bottle capable of slidably fitting into said bottle enclosure;

a means of securing said thin walled bottle to said bottle enclosure

6. A fifth alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said disposable bottle includes an external thread that mates with an internal thread of said outer bottle.

7. A sixth alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said disposable bottle includes an attachment means, that mates with a structure, such as a clip, that is part of said outer bottle.

8. A seventh alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said disposable bottle is shaped so that it is secured inside the outer bottle by friction.

9. An eighth alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said disposable bottle has a tongue that fits with a groove in the outer bottle.

10. A ninth alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said outer bottle and inner bottle are removably attached by means of a third element that is part of each bottle, such as snap clip or other standard attachment means.

11. A tenth alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said outer bottle and inner bottle are removably attached by means of a third element that is part of at least one of each bottle, such as a molded ring on the circumference of the outer bottle's bottom, or other standard attachment means.

12. An eleventh alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said outer bottle and inner bottle are removably attached by means of a third element that is a separate element from both the inner and outer bottle

13. A twelfth alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said outer bottle and inner bottle are removably attached by means of a third element that is separate from each body, such as a lid or other standard attachment means.

14. A thirteenth alternate embodiment of said disposable bottle system wherein said outer bottle and inner bottle are removably attached by means of a third element that is separate from each body, such as a ring attached to the circumference of the outer bottle.

15. Disposable Bottle Insert System comprising:

a rigid bottle enclosure made of glass, metal, plastic or other rigid material having an open top and open bottom:

said bottle enclosure having an external threaded portion or other attachment means at the lower end of said bottle enclosure;

a rigid molded enclosure base having internal threads or other standard attachment means that mate with said external threads or attachment means of said bottle enclosure

a disposable thin walled bottle capable of slidably fitting into said outer enclosure;

said disposable bottle having an externally threaded neck and a top cap having internal threads that can mate with threads on said disposable plastic bottle neck