1.Elevator Pitch
The pull tab of most beverage or food containers is difficult to open. I have invented several concepts to make the pull tab “more user friendly”.
2.Key New Features
The most important improvements are simple changes in the shape of the pull tab and/or the containers lids, which make it easier to grab on to the tip of the tab, lift it and open the container. Please see the attached illustrations.
3.Benefits to Consumers
No more pinched finger tips. No more broken finger nails. No more special tools to open the containers.
4.Competitive Landscape.
Consumers will love the features and benefits of the new No-Ouch™ pull tabs [NOPTs™]. Any one of my proposed designs would draw a lot of attention in the market and would create a lot of consumer interest and demand. The NOPTs™ will increase the market share of any Licensed Beverage and Food Vendors [LB&FVs], and will give them a tremendous competitive advantage.
5.Patent Protection
I have received five US patents so far; one “Utility” and four “Design” Patents, covering several embodiments. More to come.
6.Market
6- 1.Beverage and food containers with pull tabs; Food Industry; Consumer Products.
6- 2.The market for such beverage and food containers is huge. I was told that over THREE BILLION Beverage containers, and tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of Food containers are sold every year.
6- 3.My ultimate customer is the end user/consumer, the average Jane and Joe in the market, who consumes any kind of drinks and/or food products that are packaged in containers with pull tabs.
6- 4.My direct customers are the Beverage and Food Vendors [LB&FVs], which sell beverage and food products in such containers. Examples: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Budweiser, Coors, Campbell Soup, and the like.
6- 5.My second tier customers are: a) the Suppliers of components to the above Vendor Companies, such as Silgan Containers Corporation, Ball Corporation, Crown Food Packaging, etc., who provide the container bodies and lids, and b) the tooling and machinery manufacturers, such as Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc., Pneumatic Scale/Angelus, Fleetwood Goldco Wyard, Dixie Canner Company, etc., who provide the tooling and machines, like the “double seamers” machines that join the lids to the bodies, and the automated lid baggers, feeding and line conveying, can and can end conveying, and the like.
7.Licensees and Decision Makers
The Vendor Companies are the major decision makers in selecting and adopting any one of my inventions. They in turn would ask their Suppliers if they could provide them with the appropriate components and tooling to make the inventions work.
8.Incremental Product Costs
No additional material costs.
No additional manufacturing costs.
Tooling costs, say approximately $20K per container size. Tooling life approximately 10 years. If amortized over 1 Million containers per year, then the burden would be $2 per 1,000 containers. If amortized over 100 Million containers per year, then the burden would be 2 cents per 1,000 containers.