Bottle Cap for Individualized Identification

Abstract

Personally identifiable closures for a beverage container and methods for the use of such closures with a variety of beverage containers (particularly those with a threaded neck region) are provided, in order to allow users to alleviate potential individual confusion over beverage container identity. The personally identifiable closure includes a substantially circular cover; a skirt region depending from the periphery of the cover and extending to a circumferential flange spaced opposite the cover; and, a region on the cover, skirt, or both the cover and the skirt that is customizable with individual user personal identification indicia. User-selectable indicia include letters, numbers, colors, images or graphics, and logos, which the user can use in order to associate the closure, or cap, with their individual beverage container.

1 . A cap for use with a container having a threaded neck region, the cap comprising:
 a substantially circular cover;   a skirt region depending from the periphery of the cover and extending to a circumferential flange spaced opposite the cover, the skirt including an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the interior surface has an engagement means formed therein; and   a region on the cover, skirt, or both the cover and the skirt that is customizable with individual user personal identification indicia.   
     
     
         2 . The cap of  claim 1 , wherein the cap is colored. 
     
     
         3 . The cap of  claim 1 , wherein the personal identification indicia that can be included in the customizable region of the cap include words, images, logos, letters, numbers, colors, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A personal identification device for attachment to a beverage container having a neck region with an opening at the upper end of the neck, the device comprising:
 a cap comprising:
 a circular cover; 
 a skirt region depending from the periphery of the cover and terminating at a circumferential flange spaced opposite the cover, the skirt including an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the interior surface has an engagement means formed therein; and 
 a region that is customizable with identifying indicia, 
   wherein the cap is dimensioned such that the engagement means on the interior surface of the cap can sealingly engage a second engagement means formed on an exterior surface of the neck region of the beverage container when the cap is screwed onto the container neck.   
     
     
         5 . The cap of  claim 4 , wherein the customizable, identifying indicia comprises words, images, logos, letters, numbers, colors, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . In combination, a container neck and a container closure, the neck having an upper opening, a downward extending neck stretch portion below the opening; and
 a container closure, the closure comprising:
 a circular cover; 
 a skirt region depending from the periphery of the cover and terminating at a circumferential flange spaced opposite the cover, the skirt including an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the interior surface has an engagement means formed therein; and 
 a region that is customizable with identifying indicia, 
   wherein when the closure is attached to the upper opening of the container neck, the closure provides a personally identifiable closure that identifies that the individual container belongs to a specific user.   
     
     
         7 . The combination of  claim 6 , wherein the customizable, identifying indicia comprises words, images, logos, letters, numbers, colors, and combinations thereof.