Child play pitcher-container set

Abstract

A child play pitcher-container set includes a pitcher and a container that defines an interior volume and an upper rim. The pitcher includes a base upon which the pitcher is supportable, a side wall, and a handle. The side wall extends from the base and forms a spout extending outwardly to a spout tip at an upper edge of the side wall, the spout having an outer surface defining in side view a slope. The handle is secured to the side wall opposite the spout. The outer surface of the spout defines a notch extending across the spout at an elevation along the slope. The notch is configured to interface with the upper rim of the container during pouring of liquid from the pitcher to the container. The interior volume is sufficient to receive all liquid volume containable in the pitcher with the pitcher upright on a horizontal surface.

1 . A child play pitcher-container set, comprising:
 a container defining an interior volume and having an upper rim; and   a pitcher comprising,
 a base upon which the pitcher is supportable on a horizontal surface, 
 a side wall extending from the base and forming a spout extending outwardly from a surface of the side wall to a spout tip at an upper edge of the side wall, the spout having an outer surface defining in side view a slope, and 
 a handle secured to the side wall opposite the spout, the handle defining an opening sized to receive a portion of a hand of a child for lifting the pitcher; 
   wherein the outer surface of the spout defines a notch extending across the spout at an elevation along the slope between the surface of the side wall and the spot tip, the notch positioned and configured to interface with the upper rim of the container during pouring of liquid from the pitcher to the container; and   wherein the interior volume is sufficient to contain all liquid volume containable in the pitcher with the pitcher upright on a horizontal surface.   
     
     
         2 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 1 , wherein the interior volume is configured to be filled with all of the liquid volume containable in the pitcher. 
     
     
         3 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 1 , wherein the pitcher further comprises a rim comprising the tip of the spout and a handle-side end opposite the tip of the spout, the rim defining in side view a slope between the tip of the spout and the handle-side end such that the tip of the spout is vertically closer to a horizontal surface supporting the pitcher than the handle-side end of the rim. 
     
     
         4 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 3 , wherein the slope between the tip of the spout and the handle-side end forms an angle of between 10 and 15 degrees with the horizontal surface supporting the pitcher. 
     
     
         5 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 3 , wherein the rim of the pitcher is in top view a teardrop-shaped rim with the tip comprising an elongated corner extending away from the handle side end of the rim. 
     
     
         6 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 1 , wherein the notch comprises one of an L-shaped cross section or a C-shaped cross-section, extending laterally across a portion of the spout. 
     
     
         7 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 6 , wherein the notch comprises a C-shaped cross section and the container comprises a container wall extending from a base of the container to the upper rim, and wherein the C-shaped cross-section of the notch defines a concavity comprising a radius larger than a thickness of the container wall. 
     
     
         8 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 1 , wherein the notch is configured to engage the upper rim of the container during pouring of liquid from the pitcher to the container to allow the pitcher to sit on the upper rim, the pitcher configured to rotate generally about the engaged notch to pour liquid from the pitcher to the container. 
     
     
         9 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 1 , wherein the notch defines an arc as viewed from in front of the spout, the arc connecting two opposite corners of the notch. 
     
     
         10 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 9 , wherein at least one edge of the notch is curved to generally follow a radius of the upper rim of the container as a portion of the upper rim is received in the notch. 
     
     
         11 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 1 , wherein the handle is bonded to the surface of the side wall. 
     
     
         12 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 1 , wherein the handle is an O-shape handle arranged to extend away from the side wall, and wherein the opening is configured to receive at least four fingers of the hand of the child. 
     
     
         13 . The child play pitcher-container set of  claim 1 , wherein the container comprises a container wall comprising a wall thickness substantially equal to a wall thickness of the side wall of the pitcher. 
     
     
         14 . A method of child-play using a pitcher-container set, the method comprising:
 pouring a liquid volume into a pitcher until the pitcher overflows, the pitcher supported upright on a horizontal surface, the pitcher comprising:
 a base upon which the pitcher is supportable on the horizontal surface, 
 a side wall extending from the base and forming a spout extending outwardly to a spout tip at an upper edge of the side wall, the spout having an outer surface defining in side view a slope, the outer surface of the spout defining a notch extending across the spout at an elevation along the slope, the notch positioned and configured to interface with an upper rim of a container during pouring of liquid from the pitcher to the container, and 
 a handle secured to the side wall opposite the spout, the handle defining an opening sized to receive a portion of a hand of a child for lifting the pitcher; 
   lifting the pitcher from the horizontal surface;   engaging the notch of the pitcher with the upper rim of the container, the container comprising an interior volume sufficient to receive all liquid volume containable in the pitcher with the pitcher upright on the horizontal surface; and   rotating the pitcher about the upper rim with the notch engaged to pour the liquid volume contained in the pitcher to the interior volume of the container.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the pitcher further comprises a rim comprising the tip of the spout and a handle-side end opposite the tip of the spout, the rim defining in side view a slope between the tip of the spout and the handle-side end such that the tip of the spout is vertically closer to a horizontal surface supporting the pitcher than the handle-side end of the rim, and wherein pouring the liquid into the pitcher until the pitcher overflows comprises pouring the liquid until liquid overflows from the tip of the spout. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein rotating the pitcher comprises rotating the pitcher about the upper rim to pour the liquid volume contained in the pitcher to the interior volume of the container to fill up the entire interior volume of the container. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the container comprises a container wall extending from a base of the container to the upper rim and wherein the notch comprises a C-shaped cross section extending laterally across a portion of the spout, the C-shaped cross-section of the notch defining a concavity comprising a radius larger than a thickness of the container wall, and wherein rotating the pitcher comprises rotating the pitcher as the upper rim of the container contacts a vertex of the concavity of the notch. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the handle is an O-shape handle arranged to extend away from the outer wall, wherein the opening is configured to receive at least four fingers of the hand of the child, and wherein lifting the pitcher from the horizontal surface comprises grasping the pitcher by the handle. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the notch defines an arc as viewed from in front of the spout, the arc connecting two opposite corners of the notch, at least one edge of the notch curved to follow a radius of the upper rim of the container as a portion of the upper rim is received in the notch, and wherein rotating the pitcher comprises rotating the pitcher with the notch receiving a portion of the upper rim of the container. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein engaging the notch comprises moving the spout of the pitcher toward the upper rim until the outer surface of the spout contacts the upper rim, then sliding the outer surface of the spout about the upper rim until the notch receives the upper rim.