TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The embodiments herein relate generally to consumer products, and more particularly, to a water soluble, biodegradable beverage container that dissolves in water over time.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Recyclable containers made from plastic, paper, or Styrofoam exist. However, conventional disposable, biodegradable beverage containers create waste and are costly to recycle.

[0003] Therefore, what is needed is a biodegradable, eco-friendly, beverage container that mostly (up to about 90%) dissolves in water after a predetermined, but relatively short, period of time and minimizes recycling costs.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a biodegradable and dissolvable container. The container may comprise a biodegradable and water soluble shell defining the container sized to accommodate a volume of a liquid, the shell having walls extending upward from a closed bottom; an exterior water insoluble layer coating an exterior surface of the walls of the shell; and an inner water insoluble layer coating an interior of the shell, wherein the container may completely dissolve in water over a predetermined period of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0005] The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the figures.

[0006] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0007] Fig. 2 is an exploded section view of one embodiment of the present disclosure. [0008] Fig. 3 is a section view of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Fig. 4 is a section view of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] Fig. 5 is a cutaway view of one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] Fig. 6 is a section detail view of one embodiment of the present disclosure, taken along line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION

[0012] In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the invention are described. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth and that the invention can be adapted for any of several applications.

[0013] The device of the present disclosure may be used as a beverage container that biodegrades and dissolves completely in water and may comprise the following elements. This list of possible constituent elements is intended to be exemplary only, and it is not intended that this list be used to limit the device of the present application to just these elements. Persons having ordinary skill in the art relevant to the present disclosure may understand there to be equivalent elements that may be substituted within the present disclosure without changing the essential function or operation of the device.

1. Biodegradable Water Insoluble Coating

2. Water Soluble and Biodegradable Substrate Layer

3. Optional Biodegradable Water Soluble Pigment

[0014] The various elements of the device of the present disclosure may be related in the following exemplary fashion. It is not intended to limit the scope or nature of the relationships between the various elements and the following examples are presented as illustrative examples only.

[0015] By way of example, and referring to Figs. 1 -6, some embodiments of the present disclosure include a container 10 that dissolves in water and whose remnants are biodegradable, the container 10 comprising a biodegradable and water soluble shell 14 defining the container 10 sized to accommodate a volume of a liquid, the shell 14 comprising walls extending upward from a closed bottom; an exterior water insoluble layer 16 coating an exterior surface of the walls of the shell 14; and an inner water insoluble layer 12 coating an interior of the shell 14. Thus, the exterior surface of the bottom of the shell 14 may not be coated with the exterior water insoluble layer 16. In some embodiments, the container 10 may be designed to dissolve in water 18 over a predetermined period of time, resulting in a mixture 20 of water 18 and biodegradable materials.

[0016] The container 10 of the present disclosure may be made of any suitable materials. In some embodiments, the biodegradable and dissolvable shell 14 may comprise an eco-friendly, biodegradable and water soluble material, such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, and dissolvable paper, such as SMARTSOLVE brand dissolvable paper.

[0017] In embodiments, the exterior water insoluble layer 16 and the interior water insoluble layer 12 may comprise the same or different materials. For example, the water insoluble layers 12, 16 may each independently comprise a com based sealant, such as FloChemical Zein; a sealant, such as ZINSSER brand Sealcoat; or shellac. The exterior water insoluble layer 16 may be mixed with a water soluble pigment, such as a vegetable oil or cornstarch based pigment. Alternatively, a layer of a biodegradable, water insoluble pigment may be sandwiched between the exterior water insoluble layer 16 and the shell 14. In any case, the pigment and the interior and exterior layers may comprise materials that do not initiate the dissolution of the shell 14.

[0018] The container 10 of the present disclosure may have any desired shape and size and, in some embodiments, may resemble a beverage container, such as a pint glass. The bottom surface of the container may comprise a raised center portion and a protruding circumference lip extending downward from the raised center portion, wherein the raised center portion may not be coated with the exterior water insoluble layer 16, but the protruding circumference lip may be coated with the exterior water insoluble layer 16. This lip may help prevent the container 10 from beginning to inadvertently biodegrade when the container 10 is placed on a moist or wet surface, such as a table. In a specific example, the lip may keep the raised center portion of the container 10 at least about 1/8" above a table surface. The thickness of the walls of the container 10 may vary, and in some embodiments, may be from about 0.010" to about 0.050", which may be enough to provide structural integrity.

[0019] The container 10 of the present disclosure may be manufactured using any suitable method. In some embodiments, such as when the container 10 comprises plastic, the container 10 may be 3D printed, which includes sterolithography, fused deposition modeling, selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, and the like. Alternatively, the container 10 may be molded using, for example, injection molding, vacuum molding, or any other suitable molding method to make a container. In embodiments in which the container 10 comprising the dissolvable paper, a conventional cutting and assembly, such as those used to make conventional paper cups, may be performed, wherein the seams may be sealed or adhered using a non-toxic, biodegradable adhesive, such as MASTERBOND food grade epoxy.

[0020] Once the shell 14 is formed into the desired size and shape, the interior water insoluble layer 12 may be coated onto the interior surface of the shell. The inner layer 12 may be applied using any method suitable for obtaining the desired thickness, including brushing, spraying, dipping, swirling, and the like. For example, a corn-based sealant, sealant, or shellac layer may be applied by pouring the coating on the interior of the container 10 and swirling until all of the interior surfaces are covered with a coating of approximately 0.001" in thickness. The coating may be allowed to air dry for several hours and then hot air may be applied to the interior of the container 10 at a temperature of from about 180°F to about 250°F for a duration of about 5 to 10 minutes (to denature the corn-based coating). These steps may be repeated several times until an overall thickness of about 0.005" is achieved uniformly. This thickness may correspond to approximately 2 hours of waterproof effectiveness.

[0021] Before the exterior layer 16 is applied, the bottom surface of the container 10 may be masked to prevent the exterior layer 16 from coating this area. Alternatively, another area of the exterior surface of the shell 14 may be masked and, thus, left uncoated. The exterior layer 16 may be applied until a minimum thickness of about 0.005" is achieved. The exterior layer 16 may be applied using any suitable method, such as brushing. Once the exterior layer 16 is applied, the masking may be removed from the shell 14.

[0022] To coat the exterior of a dissolvable paper shell 14 with a corn-based sealant, a plasticizer, such as any fatty oil like olive oil or canola oil, may be added to the corn-based sealant. The plasticizer may be added in an amount equal to the amount of Zein, by weight. For example, in a 10% zein/ethanol solution, 10% by weight of the plasticizer should be added.

[0023] To use the container 10 of the present disclosure as, for example, a beverage container, the user may pour liquids and ice into the container 10. The liquid may remain in the container 10 for approximately 2 hours before the container 10 starts dissolving or breaking down. Once the user has finished with the container 10, any remaining contents may be discarded and the container 10 may be placed in a bath of water 18. It may be preferred that the water 18 be warmer than about 20°C and that the volume of water be at least about 4 to 5 times greater than the volume of the container 10. Additionally heat and water agitation may decrease the time required to dissolve/degrade the container 10. As the container 10 reacts with the water, the uncoated surface of the container 10 starts to dissolve, usually in about 15 minutes to 1 hour. The bottom may detach from the remaining portion of the container, exposing an uncoated edge of the container. Water may then begin to travel between the interior layer 12 and exterior layer 16 through the shell 14, which will begin to dissolve. As the shell 14 dissolves, the structural integrity holding the interior layer 12 and exterior layer 16 together begins to degrade and the thin coating layers 12, 16 begin to fall off in pieces and continue to break down over time (months). The water 18 thus becomes a mixture 20 of water 18 and dissolved plastic or paper and the water insoluble coating remnants, which may be considered non-toxic, biodegradable, and eco-friendly. As a result, the entire mixture 20 may be discarded to the environment.

[0024] Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0025] Embodiments of the disclosed invention can be useful for making a biodegradable and dissolvable container.