WO2023204975A2 - Degradable accessory for a container - Google Patents

Abstract

An accessory for use with a food container having a flexible body that is antimicrobial and that degrades completely when exposed to sanitizing conditions. The flexible body is self-adhering and manufactured from food grade material. The accessory may be customized with various food grade additives, decorative content, and informative content. One or more accessories may be hermetically sealed individually or together within food grade packaging.

Description

DEGRADABLE ACCESSORY FOR A CONTAINER

Robert Newton Tara Newton

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 63/307,030, filed February 5, 2022, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to an accessory, more specifically, to a food grade degradable accessory that is typically affixed to a container.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Hospitality and related industries such as restaurants, event hosting facilities, hotels, cruise ships, resorts, and bars frequently offer reusable or disposable food containers for personal use by guests. Although these industries are held to various regulatory and societal obligations regarding cleanliness, patrons are typically forced to blindly trust that sanitization and cleanliness requirements are properly followed. As used herein, “sanitizing conditions” can mean at or above the minimum industry-standard temperature required to sanitize reusable food containers for public use and/or exposure to industry-standard solvents required to sanitize reusable food containers for public use. As used herein, “food” can mean any substance that can be eaten, drunk, and/or otherwise taken into the human body, and “food grade” can mean safe for human consumption, safe for contact with food products, no risk to food products when used according to manufacturer direction, and/or any combination thereof. [0004] Furthermore, dirt and disease-bearing microbials can be transferred to a food container during storage, after cleaning, and during handling, for example, by food preparers, bartenders, and servers. The handling of food containers affords an opportunity for microbials and other contaminants to be readily transferred from the handler to the container, including, for example, the lip area of a container, and then from the lip area to a guest. Additionally, confusing one food container for another, especially as between multiple guests, can render sanitization or cleanliness efforts meaningless.

[0005] Lip guards used on reusable food containers generally require manual removal after each use, costing time and money. Reusable guards typically require extensive sanitizing procedures and are subject to the same sanitization challenges presented by reusable food containers in general.

[0006] No satisfactory solution has been developed to allow users to easily identify and enhance the cleanliness of containers using a customizable and cost-effective accessory that is degradable, low maintenance, and easily distributable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed toward an accessory that can be affixed to containers. The accessory is manufactured from a material that is food grade, degradable, and customizable.

[0008] The preferred embodiment is manufactured from a water-soluble, inherently adhesive material with a melting point at or above the minimum industry-standard temperature required to sanitize reusable food containers for public use. Upon sufficient sanitization, the accessory of the preferred embodiment will fully degrade, thereby providing a visual indicator that the container has been sufficiently cleaned and sanitized. [0009] The accessory further allows a manufacturer to optionally deliver one or any combination of flavoring, drug testing, microbe protection, and emollients to a user by incorporating additives suitable for such a purpose. Upon affixing an embodiment of the accessory having antimicrobial properties to a food container at the lip contact area, a user can, for example, reduce or eliminate contaminate transfer from the food container to the user’s lips. Additional benefits offered by various embodiments of the accessory include use of the accessory as a container identifier, form of personal expression, and form of creative advertising.

[0010] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the accessory.

[0012] FIGS. 2A-B illustrate an exemplary method for affixing the accessory of FIG. 1 to a container.

[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary method of packaging the accessory of FIG. 2A for distribution.

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method of packaging multiple accessories for distribution.

[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary method of packaging multiple accessories for distribution. [0016] FIGS. 6A-E illustrate an exemplary method for affixing the accessory of FIG. 3 to a container.

[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary method for distributing multiple accessories of FIG. 2A from a roll.

[0018] FIG. 8A-D illustrate exemplary embodiments of the accessory affixed to containers.

[0019] FIG 9 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the accessory having an asymmetrical body comprising a premeasured amount of unshaped, moldable material.

[0020] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary method by which the moldable accessory of FIG. 9 is affixed to a container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The present invention relates to a food grade, degradable accessory comprising a flexible body manufactured from a material and having a size suitable for the purposes described herein. The accessory can have a defined shape or no defined shape, and is distributed to users in a hermetically sealed package that may be, for example, carried with a user and/or offered directly at locations where the accessory might be used.

[0022] A user may affix the typically self-adhering accessory to any area of a container. Once a user removes the accessory from its packaging and affixes the accessory to a container, the accessory reasonably withstands handling and saliva exposure during use. Use typically includes a single sitting or event. Once used, the preferred embodiment of the accessory will degrade upon exposure to the accessory manufacturer’s desired sanitizing protocol, providing a visual cue to the next user of the same container as to the state of cleanliness of the container and also bypassing a need for the accessory to be manually removed. Alternatively, the accessory may be discarded along with a single use container to which it has been affixed.

[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the accessory comprising a substantially flat, symmetrical body 1 with a midline 2 that corresponds to a line of symmetry across the body 1. A midline 2 can be located between any two symmetrical halves of an embodiment of the accessory comprising a symmetrical shape. In another embodiment, the body 1 comprises a non-symmetrical shape and does not have a midline 2. In yet another embodiment, the body 1 comprises a premeasured amount of material that a user may mold into a customized shape upon affixing the accessory to a container.

[0024] The body of the accessory can be manufactured from a single material or from a combination of multiple, suitable materials. The preferred embodiment is manufactured to be food grade, flexible, degradable, disposable, water soluble, and antimicrobial. The materials from which the body of the preferred embodiment of the accessory is to be manufactured will cause the accessory to have a melting point at or above the minimum industry-standard temperature required to sanitize reusable food containers for public use. In another exemplary embodiment, materials from which the body of the accessory is to be manufactured will cause the accessory to degrade upon exposure to industry-standard solvents required to sanitize reusable food containers for public use.

[0025] Suitable materials for manufacture of the accessory include hydrocolloids such as, for example, gelatin, collagens, and agars; and water soluble synthetic polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH, PVA). These materials, particularly when combined with each other and water by way of industry standard methods are typically moist upon creation, with an inherent tacky consistency due to surface tension properties. The tacky surface of the resulting combination is typically suitable to enable the accessory to removably self-adhere to a variety of surfaces. Additional, non-exhaustive examples of suitable materials and material types include heteropolysaccharides (heteroglycans), cashew gum polysaccharides, biopolymers, bioplastics, bioelastomers, thermoplastic starches, waxes, and wax esters such as paraffin and beeswax. [0026] Exemplary embodiments such as the accessory illustrated in FIG. 1 can be extracted in multiples from sheets of prepared material using one or more extraction methods such as, for example, cutting out desired shapes with a knife or blade, die cutting, stamping, and any other suitable extraction method. In one exemplary method of extraction, once defined shapes are extracted from a sheet of prepared material, remaining prepared material can be separated, measured, and distributed as unshaped, moldable accessories.

[0027] An exemplary embodiment of the accessory is manufactured in a size sufficient to cover the surface area of a food container that could be in contact with a user's lips while the user’s lips are applied to the container. It is contemplated that an accessory configured to cover a surface area of approximately 3 to 3 inches in width and 3 inches in height would be suitable, but it should be recognized that other sizes could suit the same. The preferred thickness of an exemplary embodiment of an accessory intended for use between a container and a user’s mouth is typically a thickness between .25 to 2 mm, which can enhance user comfort.

[0028] The accessory typically has a thickness of 0.01 to 5 mm at the time of initial use, but is not limited to that range. Some embodiments are not uniform in thickness, especially when distributed as a moldable accessory to be molded by the user to fit a container. Preferred embodiments are manufactured at a size and thickness that allow the accessory to completely degrade upon exposure to sufficient cleaning and sanitization methods generally required of public hospitality industries in providing reusable food containers.

[0029] The body of the accessory can be transparent, translucent, opaque, or manufactured to have one or more colors or combinations of colors and shades of color. Decorative and informative content, including images, can be added to an exemplary embodiment of the accessory using any suitable method, for example, stamping, image transferring, printing, and any combination thereof. Content can comprise food grade coloring including color additives, pigments, dyes, minerals, and inks.

[0030] FIG. 2A illustrates the accessory of FIG. 1 having an image 5 printed thereon and partially affixed to a container 4 such that midline 2 is generally aligned with rim 3. The directional arrow in FIG. 2A represents the direction of force applied by a user to fold the body 1 over the rim 3 of the container 4 at midline 2.

[0031] FIG. 2B illustrates the accessory of FIG. 2A folded over the rim 3 of a container 4 along the midline 2 on the body 1.

[0032] To retain moisture content of certain exemplary embodiments, the accessory can be distributed in any type of hermetically sealed packaging. Packaging material is manufactured from flexible or rigid food grade compositions. In the preferred embodiment, the accessory is deposited within an individually sized, non-edible, translucent or transparent packaging that can be easily peeled away from the accessory. Packaging edges may be sealed together using adhesive, heat, other suitable methods, and/or any combination thereof. Once packaged, the accessory is then ready for storage, transportation, distribution, display, and/or use.

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary method for distributing the accessory of FIG. 2A by depositing the body 1 of an accessory onto a single sheet of translucent and substantially flat packaging 6 that is folded over the accessory at fold 7. The resulting overlapping layers of packaging 6 are sealed together around the perimeter of the enclosed accessory at a seal 8. Image 5 printed on body 1 of the accessory remains readily visible through the packaging 6. A peel corner 9 is created where the seal 8 is set back from the edges of the packaging 6 so that overlapping layers of packaging 6 may be displaced independently from each other. The peel corner 9 allows a user to more easily open the packaging 6 and can be defined by a crease 10 so that it is readily identifiable by a user. The fold 7 can be perforated so that the packaging 6 may be easily separated when peeled away from the accessory. In another exemplary method, the accessory is deposited between two sheets of packaging 6.

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary method for packaging multiple accessories for distribution by depositing the body 1 of each accessory onto a single sheet of translucent and substantially flat packaging 6 that is folded over the accessories at fold 7 and sealed together at seal 8. Seal 8 in this embodiment is located along the perimeter of the resulting overlapping layers of packaging 6. In another exemplary method of packaging, the accessories of the method illustrated in FIG. 4 are deposited between two sheets of packaging 6. In the method of packaging illustrated in FIG. 4, each accessory has a uniquely shaped body 1, but it should be understood that each accessory body 1 in this example could be identical.

[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary method for packaging multiple accessories for distribution by depositing the body 1 of each accessory onto a single sheet of translucent and substantially flat packaging 6 that is folded over the accessories at fold 7. The resulting overlapping layers of packaging 6 are sealed together around the perimeter of each of the enclosed accessories at seal 8 so that each accessory is individually sealed. Perforations 11 penetrate through seal 8 to allow a user to separate individual or multiples of accessories while maintaining seal 8 around each accessory. In another exemplary method of packaging, the accessories of the method illustrated in FIG. 5 are deposited between two sheets of packaging 6. In the method of packaging illustrated in FIG. 5, each accessory has an identically shaped body 1 , but it should be understood that each accessory body 1 in this example could be unique.

[0036] In particular exemplary embodiments, the materials used for the flexible body of the accessory can be supplemented with one or more various additives to enhance the purposes, features, and utility of the present invention. Additives used in embodiments of the accessory include antimicrobials, emollients, contaminant indicators, flavoring, and ornamental embellishments, for example, coloring, edible glitter, sprinkles, mica-based pearlescent pigments, and other confectionery. [0037] Antimicrobials can include food safe and edible antimicrobials such as FDA approved antimicrobial agents, chemical antimicrobials, natural antimicrobials, synthetic antimicrobials, and biotechnology produced antimicrobials. More specifically, the antimicrobials may be selected from any biocidal or biostatic agent, silver, silver ion, copper, copper ion, zinc or zinc ion compatible with the accessory material. The materials from which the body of an accessory is manufactured may inherently possess antimicrobial capability and/or be treated with an antimicrobial agent by any one or more of imbibing, impregnating, coating, and absorbing the antimicrobial agent on the surface of the material. Antimicrobials used in association with the accessory are used to kill germs, and prohibit or limit the spread of germs and other contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses, fungus, dirt, or heavy metals.

[0038] FIG. 6A illustrates the packaging 6 of the packaging method of FIG. 3 being unsealed at peel corner 9 to reveal body 1 of the accessory. The directional arrow in FIG. 6A represents the direction of force applied by a user to peel apart packaging 6. The previously overlapping layers of packaging 6 are then separated at perforated fold 7 and the separated layer of packaging 6 having no accessory adhered to it is then discarded.

[0039] FIG. 6B illustrates the remaining packaging 6 of FIG. 6A having the body 1 of the accessory still adhered to it. The now exposed face of the body 1 is then partially affixed to the container 4 of FIG. 6A such that the midline 2 of the body 1 is generally aligned along the rim 3 of the container 4. The directional arrow in FIG. 6B represents the direction of force applied by a user to fold the body 1 and remaining packaging 6 over the rim 3 of the container 4 at the midline 2.

[0040] FIG. 6C illustrates the previously exposed face of the accessory of FIG. 6B now fully adhered to the container 4 of FIG. 6B after being folded over the rim 3 of the container 4 along the midline 2. The accessory in FIG. 6C also remains adhered to the packaging 6 of FIG. 6B. [0041] FIG. 6D illustrates removal of the remaining packaging 6 of FIG. 6C from the accessory of FIG. 6C using peel corner 9. Once removed, the remaining packaging 6 may be discarded.

[0042] FIG. 6E illustrates the accessory of FIG. 6D fully adhered to the container 4 after being folded over the rim 3 of the container 4 along the midline 2 on the body 1 and after the remaining packaging 6 of FIG. 6D has been completely removed.

[0043] In an alternative embodiment, multiple accessories can be quickly dispensed from rolled packaging. FIG. 7 illustrates multiple accessories of FIG. 2A deposited between two narrow, long, and substantially flat sheets of packaging 6 that are sealed together around the perimeter of each of the accessories at seal 8 so that each accessory is individually sealed. Perforations 11 penetrate both sheets of packaging 6 between each accessory through seal 8 to allow a user an option to separate individual accessories or multiples of accessories. The sealed packaging 6 is rolled onto itself to form a roll 12. Accessories are distributed from the roll 12 by pulling the distal end of the two sheets of packaging 6 away from the roll 12 along the directional arrow A. A user can apply force to the outermost sheet of packaging 6 along the direction of arrow B to peel apart the two sheets of packaging 6 and reveal the accessories. Packaging 6 may be translucent or transparent so that an image 5 on the body 1 of an accessory can remain visible on the outer layer of the roll 12. In an alternative embodiment, there is no seal 8 between the two sheets of packaging 6 and roll 12 may be hermetically sealed by an outer package. In yet another embodiment, the accessories are deposited onto a single sheet of packaging 6 rolled against itself.

[0044] Because exemplary embodiments of the accessory can comprise various images, colors, shapes, and sizes, the accessory can be used to identify a user’s specific container, facilitate self expression, or advertise. [0045] FIG. 8A-D illustrates various exemplary embodiments of the accessory affixed to various containers 4, with each accessory having a unique shape and content.

[0046] FIG 9 illustrates an embodiment of the accessory having an asymmetrical body 1 comprising a premeasured amount of unshaped, moldable material. The body 1 of this embodiment may be molded by a user, for example, using the heat of one's fingers, to customize application, shape, and thickness of the accessory.

[0047] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary method by which the moldable accessory of FIG. 9 is affixed to the rim 3 of a container 4 with manipulation by a user’s finger 13.

[0048] The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of principles of construction and operation of the invention. Such reference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that other various modifications to the specific structure and functional details may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

Claim 1 : An accessory comprising: a flexible body having a size suitable for use with a food container made for use by an individual; wherein said flexible body is self-adhering; wherein said flexible body is manufactured from one or more food grade materials; wherein said flexible body degrades completely when exposed to sanitizing conditions; and a food grade antimicrobial agent.

Claim 2: The accessory as in claim 1 wherein the flexible body is substantially flat.

Claim 3: The accessory as in claim 1 wherein the flexible body is symmetrical.

Claim 4: The accessory as in claim 1 wherein the thickness of the flexible body is uniform.

Claim 5: The accessory as in claim 1 wherein the flexible body is water-soluble.

Claim 6: The accessory as in claim 1 further comprising food grade additives.

Claim 7: The accessory as in claim 1 further comprising food grade packaging;

Claim 8: The accessory as in claim 1 further comprising food grade packaging; wherein said flexible body is hermetically sealed within said food grade packaging.

Claim 9: A method for affixing an accessory of claim 8 to a food container comprising: unsealing said flexible body; peeling a portion of said packaging away from said flexible body, wherein a portion of the self-adhering flexible body is exposed from the packaging; affixing said exposed portion of said self-adhering flexible body to a food container; and peeling away remaining said packaging.

Claim 10: A method for transporting more than one accessory of claim 7 comprising hermetically sealing each of said flexible bodies individually within said food grade packaging.

Claim 11 : A method for transporting more than one accessory of claim 7 comprising: hermetically sealing each of said flexible bodies individually within said food grade packaging;

Perforating said packaging between said flexible bodies.

Claim 12: A method for transporting more than one accessory of claim 7 comprising: hermetically sealing each of said flexible bodies individually within said food grade packaging;

Perforating said packaging between said flexible bodies; and rolling said packaging onto itself to form a roll.

Claim 13: A method for transporting more than one accessory of claim 7 comprising hermetically sealing said flexible bodies within said food grade packaging.

Claim 14: The accessory as in claim 6 wherein said food grade additives are emollients.

Claim 15: The accessory as in claim 6 wherein said food grade additives are contaminant indicators.

Claim 16: The accessory as in claim 6 wherein said food grade additives are ornamental embellishments. Claim 17: The accessory as in claim 6 wherein said food grade additives are color additives.

Claim 18: The accessory as in claim 6 wherein said food grade additives are flavorings.

Claim 19: The accessory as in claim 6 wherein said food grade additives are flavorings.

Claim 20: The accessory as in claim 1 further comprising decorative content.

Claim 21 : The accessory as in claim 1 further comprising informative content.

Claim 22: A method for customizing the accessory of claim 1 comprising applying decorative content.

Claim 21 : A method for customizing the accessory of claim 1 comprising applying informative content.