ATTACHMENT FOR CONTAINERS FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to attachments for containers and, more particularly, to attachments for food/beverage containers such as cans or bottles
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is well known in the art to imprint the external surfaces of food and/or beverage containers, such as bottles and cans, with advertisement and/or consumer information.
It is also known in the art to attach various objects to food/beverage containers For example, there are beverage containers, such as milk or fruit juice cartons, having drinking straws attached thereto by removable means such as an adhesive tape
Most liquid container, particularly containers of pressurized liquids such as carbonated beverages, have a generally cylindrical shape Means for opening the container, such as a cap or a removable flap, are provided at the top of the beverage container The bottom of the beverage container, is typically indented inwardly to provide a desired strength to the beverage container
The inwardly indented bottom structure has become a standard structure for aluminum beverage cans, but is also found in many plastic and glass container When such containers are placed on a generally flat surface, an empty volume is defined between the indented bottom and the generally flat surface In practice, the exterior volume defined at the bottom of the container remains empty during the entire lifetime of the container
SUMMARY OF THE NVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to utilize an exterior, open, volume which is defined at the bottom of a container To achieve this goal, the present invention provides a filler member adapted to be removably mounted in the exterior volume at the bottom of the container Upon purchase ofthe container, the filler member may be removed from the exterior bottom volume and used for other applications The filler member may be imprinted with preselected information and/or ornamental designs Additionally or alternatively, the filler member may include a hollow interior volume in which ornamental and/or functional items may be hidden or stored The present invention is particularly suitable for liquid containers, preferably beverage containers such as cans and bottles
There is thus provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a filler member adapted to be removably mounted in an exterior volume defined at
the bottom of a container Preferably, the container includes a liquid container More preferably, the liquid container includes a beverage container
According to one preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, the container includes a can, preferably an aluminum can According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container includes a bottle
In a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, the filler member is fully contained in the exterior volume
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container is a generally cylindrical container In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the filler member has a generally circular shape
In some preferred embodiments ofthe present invention, the filler member is adapted to be fitted circumferentially in the exterior volume In these preferred embodiments, the filler member preferably includes a generally circumferential fitting adapted to engage a circumferential surface at the bottom the container. Preferably, the fitting includes a resilient fitting
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the filler member includes a magnet
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the filler member includes a hollow interior volume Preferably, the hollow interior volume accommodates at least one item The at least one item may include an ornamental item Additionally or alternatively, the at least one item includes a magnet
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the filler member includes a body portion and a removable cover portion. Preferably, in this embodiment, the shape ofthe body portion is generally complementary to the shape of the exterior volume Additionally or alternatively, the removable cover portion is generally flat
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments ofthe invention, taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic, side view, cross-sectional illustration of a beverage can accommodating a filler member constructed and operative in accordance with one preferred embodiment ofthe present invention;
Figs. 2A and 2B are respective side and bottom view, enlarged, cross-sectional illustrations ofthe filler member of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a schematic, side view, cross-sectional, illustration of a bottle accommodating a filler member in accordance with another preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which schematically illustrates a beverage container
16 accommodating a filler member 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Container 16, which is preferably a liquid container, for example a beverage can, includes an inwardly indented bottom 18 which defines an exterior volume thereunder.
According to the present invention, filler member 10 is removably mounted in the exterior volume defined under bottom 18, as described below. In a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, a circumferential grip of filler member 10, by an inner rim 19 of bottom 18, prevents filler member 10 from being inadvertently removed from the exterior volume under bottom 18.
It should be appreciated, however, that any other suitable means, as are known in the art, may be additionally or alternatively employed to secure filler member 10 in the exterior volume. For example a body portion 20 of filler member 10 may be attached to bottom 18 by applying an appropriate adhesive therebetween. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, filler member 10 is removably mounted in the exterior volume, to enable manual removal of filler member 10 from the exterior volume by a subsequent user. Filler member 10 is preferably removed from the exterior volume by a customer purchasing container 16.
Reference is now made also to Figs. 2A and 2B which respectively illustrate a cross- sectional side view and a cross sectional bottom view of filler member 10. Filler member 10 preferably includes a generally flat base portion 22 and body portion 20 as described above. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, body portion 20 has a generally curved shape, preferably complementary to that of bottom 18, such that filler member 10 utilizes most of the exterior volume. Filler member 10 is preferably provided with a circumferential fitting 12
which engages inner rim 19 to secure filler member 10 in the exterior volume as described above. Circumferential fitting 12 is preferably formed of a resilient material, for example a rubber material, a silicone based material or a plastic material, which provides a desired grip between inner rim 19 and filler member 10. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, filler member 10 includes a magnet 14, which is preferably attached to flat base portion 22. By virtue of magnet 14, filler member 10 may be attached to a metallic object after being removed from the exterior volume In these preferred embodiments of the invention, the upper surface of body portion 20 is preferably imprinted with a preselected text and/or design to be displayed by attachment of base 22, bearing magnet 14, to the metallic object. Alternatively, member 10 may be formed of a magnetic material or a material, such as plastic, containing magnetic particles.
It should be noted that the information and/or design imprinted on surface 20 is hidden from sight prior to the removal of filler member 10 from the exterior volume. Thus, 20 may be utilized to store variable information, for example a number or design used in a product- promoting lottery game. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, additional, unhidden, information and/or designs may be imprinted on the external, i.e. bottom, surface of base 22
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, base portion 22 is separable from body portion 20, for example by removal of fitting 12, to provide access to the preferably hollow interior of filler member 10. In these preferred embodiments of the present invention, a miniature item 24 may be enclosed in the hollow interior of filler member 10 Miniature item 24 may include a product-promoting object, such as a miniature ornamental design or a useful item, such as a can opener.
Reference is now made to Fig. 3, which schematically illustrates a bottle 26 accommodating filler member 10 in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. Bottle 26 includes an inwardly indented bottom 28 which defines an exterior volume thereunder, in analogy to the exterior volume under container 16 in Fig. 1. Filler 10 is preferably removably mounted in the exterior volume defined under bottom 18 of container 16, as described above with reference to Figs. 1, 2A and 2B. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the grip between circumferential fitting 12 and an inner rim 29 of bottom 28 prevents filler member 10 from being inadvertently removed from the exterior volume under bottom 18. Additionally or alternatively, other suitable means as are known in the art may be
employed to secure member 10 in the exterior volume. For example, body portion 20 of filler member 10 may be attached to bottom 28 by an appropriate adhesive, as described above.
Although the present invention has been described above in conjunction with a the container of Fig. 1 and the bottle of Fig. 3, it should be appreciated that a suitable filler member 10 may be adapted, with appropriate changes, to most containers having an unutilized exterior volume as described above.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been thus far described. Rather, the scope of the present invention is limited only by the following claims: