Personal identification for improved hygiene

Abstract

A personal identification method and system for improving personal hygiene in which provision is made for identifying a beverage, food product, or the like, with a particular person so that another person does not inadvertently access the identified item unintentionally. Identifying indicia such as numbers or alphabetical letters are selectable and conditioned by the user to be prominently displayed on the item so as to identify it with the individual involved. For necked beverage containers, in one embodiment, a re-usable snap-on display device, or assembly, is configured to snap onto the neck of the container; in another embodiment, the existing conventional cap-attaching ring is modified to include alpha-numeric indicia and/or to receive a cooperating indicia-indicating display element. For beverage cans, a wandl-like element portraying selectable alpha-numeric indicia is attached to the conventional snap ring opener; and for boxed beverages, a plurality of selectable identifying apertures are provided so that the user can personally distinguish his or her beverage from those of others.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for improving personal hygiene through personally identifying a container having an annular neck and containing a product adapted for human consumption comprising: 
 (a) an annular region on an exterior annular surface of said neck of said container, said annular region having identity-indicating alpha-numeric indicia circumferentially disposed within said annular region;    (b) a turnable member mounted on said annular region; said turnable member having selection display means including a window in a surface thereof for selectively and progressively displaying said alpha-numeric indicia as said member is turned; said turnable member including a pair of resilient regions responsive to pressure applied thereto for releasing said position-retaining means thereby to permit turning of said turnable member to a selected position.    (c) means including said resilient regions for controllably turning said turnable member to a selected position to display a selected one of said alpha-numeric indicia; and    (d) position-retaining means for retaining said turnable member is said selected position.    
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said position-retaining means includes frictionally engaging surfaces of said neck and said turnable member.  
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1  wherein said position-retaining means includes a plurality of spaced-apart indentations in said annular region and spaced-apart protrusions on an inner surface of said turnable member, said spaced-apart protrusions being adapted for engagement with ones of said spaced-apart indentations.  
     
     
         4 . A system for improving personal hygiene through personally identifying a container having an annular neck and containing a product adapted for human consumption comprising: 
 (a) an annular ring about said neck of said container, said annular ring having a pair of spaced parallel lips and identity-indicating alpha-numeric indicia circumferentially disposed around said ring between said lips;    (b) a turnable member mounted on said annular ring between said lips; said turnable member having selectable display means including a window in a surface thereof for selectively and progressively displaying said alpha-numeric indicia as said member is turned;    (c) means for controllably turning said turnable member to a selected position to display a selected one of said alpha-numeric indicia; and    (d) position-retaining means for retaining said turnable member is said selected position.    
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein said container is a beverage container.  
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein said position-retaining means includes an exterior surface of said annular ring and a corresponding interior surface of said turnable member.  
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein said position-retaining means includes a plurality of spaced-apart indentations in said annular ring and spaced-apart protrusions on an inner surface of said turnable member, said spaced-apart protrusions being adapted for engagement with ones of said spaced-apart indentations.  
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 7  wherein said position-retaining means further includes frictionally engaging surfaces of said annular ring and said turnable member.  
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein said annular ring is part of a screw-top bottle cap remaining after said screw-top is unscrewed to open said container.  
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein said annular ring is resilient and is forced onto said neck of said container.  
     
     
         11  A system according to  claim 4  wherein said turnable member includes a pair of resilient regions, and means including said resilient regions responsive to pressure applied thereto for releasing said position-retaining means thereby to permit turning of said turnable member to a selected position.  
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 4  wherein said lips are positioned at opposite extremities of said ring.  
     
     
         13 . A system for improving personal hygiene through personally identifying a container having an annular neck and containing a product adapted for human consumption comprising: 
 (a) an annular ring about said neck of said container, said annular ring having a plurality of identity-indicating alpha-numeric indicia circumferentially disposed around said ring;    (b) privacy means including a plurality of individually actuable privacy flaps, a different one for each one of said plurality of identity-indicating alpha-numeric indicia; said privacy flaps being normally closed but actuable into open positions selectively to reveal different ones of said identity-indicating indicia;    (c) means for selectively actuating said privacy flaps thereby to individually display said identity-indicating indicia; and    (d) position-retaining means for retaining said privacy flaps in selected positions.    
     
     
         14 . A system for improving personal hygiene according to  claim 13  wherein said means for selectively actuating said privacy flaps includes grooves adapted for engagement with fingernails.  
     
     
         15 . A system for improving personal hygiene through personally identifying a container having a major exposed surface and containing a beverage adapted for human consumption comprising 
 (a) an array of normally closed apertures positioned on said major surface, said apertures individually identifying corresponding ones of a plurality of alpha-numeric symbols; and    (b) means including a selected one of said normally closed apertures responsive to puncture thereof to identify said container.    
     
     
         16 . A system for improving personal hygiene through personally identifying a beverage container having a conventional pop-top opening mechanism on an upper surface comprising: 
 (a) a semi-circular array of indicating alpha-numeric symbols positioned on said upper surface of said container,    (b) a swivelable identification arm on said pop-top opening mechanism;    (c) rotating means for swiveling said identification arm to point to a selected one of said alpha-numeric symbols; and    (d) retaining means for retaining said identification arm in pointing to said selected one of said alpha-numeric symbols.    
     
     
         17 . A method of improving personal hygiene through personally identifying a bottle having a neck and containing a beverage adapted for human consumption comprising: 
 (a) mounting an annular ring about said neck of said bottle    (b) including on said annular ring a pair of spaced parallel retaining lips;    (c) including on said annular ring a plurality of identity-indicating alpha-numeric indicia;    (d) mounting on said annular ring between said parallel retaining lips a turnable member;    (e) providing in said turnable member a window for individually exposing said identity-indicating alpha-numeric indicia;    (f) providing engagement between an interior part of said turnable member and an exterior surface of said annular ring thereby normally preventing said turnable member from turning;    (g) turning said turnable member to selectively expose through said window said identity-indicating alpha-numeric indicia; and    (h) completing an identification of said bottle by stopping turning of said turnable member when a selected one of said indicating alpha-numeric indicia is exposed through said window.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further including a step of disposing said selectable indicia in a circumferential array about said neck of said bottle.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  further including 
 (a) providing on an exterior surface of said annular ring a plurality of circumferentially disposed, spaced indentations; and  
 (b) providing on an interior surface of said turnable member a plurality of spaced protuberances for selectively engaging said spaced indentations.  
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further including conditioning said turnable member to exhibit a pair of resilient regions.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further including pressing on said pair of resilient regions and thereby disengaging said protuberances from said spaced indentations.  
     
     
         22 . A method of improving personal hygiene through personally identifying a pop-top beverage can having an upper surface with a conventional pop-top opening mechanism and containing a beverage adapted for human consumption comprising: 
 (a) disposing a semi-circular array of indicating alpha-numeric symbols on said upper surface of said can;    (b) mounting a swivelable identification arm on said pop-top opening mechanism;    (c) rotating said swivelable identification arm to point to a selected one of said alpha-numeric symbols; and    (d) retaining said identification arm in pointing to said selected one of said alpha-numeric symbols.    
     
     
         23 . A method of improving personal hygiene through personally identifying beverages in a container having a major exposed surface comprising: 
 (a) disposing on said major surface an array of normally closed apertures severally identified with corresponding ones of a plurality of alpha-numeric symbols; and    (b) identifying said-container by puncturing a selected one of said closed apertures.    
     
     
         24  The method of  claim 23  further including: 
 (a) mounting a rotatable dial on a major surface of said container; and  
 (b) and rotating said dial to point to a selected identification indicator.