Cleaning device for infant and toddler drinking cups
A cleaning device for infant and toddler drinking cups. The device is configured in such a manner as to allow a thorough cleaning of “sippy cup” lids, including tiny apertures and hard to reach crevices which cannot be cleaned by ordinary brushes or sponges. The device is composed of two parts. On one end of the device is a flat, oblong tip on which a disposable sponge has been placed. The sponge can be used to clean the inside of a sippy cup lid, such as the mouthpiece. The other end consists of a flexible, curved tip with a pointed end, which can reach into and scrape clean small apertures and crevices, such as the inside of a flow intake valve of a sippy cup lid. The curved tip also includes as disposable sponge for additional cleaning. The cleaning device includes replacement sponges, allowing the device to be used on an ongoing basis.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONSippy cups have become immensely popular with parents and guardians of young children. They help infants learn how to drink out of a cup, rather than a bottle, but keep infants from spilling liquids on themselves or their surroundings. Sippy cups help to keep children's clothes from getting wet and dirty, and also protect carpets, furniture, and automobile interiors. Parents can use them indoors or outdoors, and children enjoy using them, as they usually come in bright colors. Sippy cups have become an indispensable part of any parent's home.
Sippy cups do, however, present a problem in terms of cleaning and maintenance. Though sippy cups vary in design, they all share similar features. They have a mouthpiece, which a child will use to drink the liquid in the sippy cup. They also have some form of fluid intake regulation, which will hold the fluid inside the cup until it is accessed through the mouthpiece. Because the sippy cup is designed to allow a child to drink slowly, the fluid intake valves and mouthpieces consists of small holes. While many fluid intake valves are removable, they cannot be completely disassembled. Therefore, once a sippy cup has been used by a child, it is difficult to remove any residual fluid from the mouthpiece or fluid intake valves. In the case of juice, even a small amount of pulp can clog the cup's holes. Milk can also congeal and form clumps inside of the mouthpiece or valves that can be almost impossible to remove. This is especially true if a sippy cup has been lost, or turned upside down for an extended period with milk inside. The entire inside of the lid can be coated with milk which has gone sour and hardened. Once a sippy cup has been retrieved, and the milk inside is discovered to have congealed, a parent will often throw it out to avoid trying to clean it.
The problem is that conventional scrub brushes and sponges are not designed to get into the tiny cracks and crevices that exist in a sippy cup. Even bottle brushes are not useful, as the abrasive bristles, which are designed for a baby bottle, cannot effectively scrub the inside portions of a sippy cup, such as the gaskets of a fluid intake valve. If a parent attempts to use a sippy cup which is not thoroughly clean, it can adversely affect the taste and smell of drinks subsequently placed in the cup; it can also adversely affect the child's health, as bacteria can begin to grow inside the cup lid. What is needed is a device that is specifically designed to clean sippy cups, to thoroughly clean both inside mouthpieces and fluid intake valves, removing any foreign matter and fluid residue. This device, of course, could be used to clean spill proof cups, or other d vessels for adults that include a lid, mouthpiece, or fluid intake valves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe first purpose of the invention is to provide a cleaning device which has been designed for cleaning infant's and toddler's cups, commonly known as sippy cups, and other drinking vessels which include lids or fluid intake mechanisms.
The second purpose of the invention is for the cleaning device to consist of a straight, cylindrical shaped shaft, on either end of which are cleaning instruments. The shaft will act as a handle, which a user would hold while using either end of the device for cleaning the cup.
The third purpose of the invention is for the first cleaning instrument to consist of a flat, roughly oblong shaped tip. The tip is flattened to allow it to fit inside the hole of a sippy cup mouthpiece, which will allow it to thoroughly clean the mouthpiece. The tip is oblong shaped so that the tip will be able to clean the sides of the mouthpiece.
The fourth purpose of the invention is for the first cleaning instrument to also consist of a sponge, which fits completely over the oblong tip. The edges of the tip closest to the shaft are at right angles to the shaft itself, allowing the sponge to fit snugly onto the tip without falling off. The sponge is thin enough to allow the tip to enter the mouthpiece of the sippy cup, but is thick and strong enough to clean the mouthpiece without tearing. The sponge is sturdy enough for multiple uses, and can be rinsed clean after use.
The fifth purpose of the invention is to provide replacement sponges after the original sponge wears out. While the sponge will last for multiple uses, it will eventually need changing. The user will simply slip off and discard the original sponge, and slip a new sponge onto the oblong shaped tip.
The sixth purpose of the invention is for the second cleaning instrument to consist of a curved tip, which tapers to a point at the very end. This tip is strong, but flexible. This pointed tip can reach into small mouthpiece holes and fluid intake valves, and extract foreign matter and liquid residue. This will allow the tip to thoroughly clean the sippy cup, as the tip is able to clean areas that are inaccessible to sponges, brushes, and bottles brushes, as well as areas with encrusted matter that will not become dislodged even with a hot water spray directed at it. The flexible nature of the tip allows the user to move the tip around inside the parts of the sippy cup, making sure that all areas have been cleansed.
The seventh purpose of the invention is for the second cleaning instrument to also consist of a fitted sponge, which fits over the curved tip. This allows the side of the tip to scrub crevices inside the sippy cup lid with soap, after the tip has been used to dislodge foreign matter. This allows the tip to initially remove any substances from the sippy cup, and then to sanitize it with soap and water, giving the sippy cup a thorough cleaning.
The eighth purpose of the invention is to provide replacement sponges for the second cleaning instrument. This sponge, like the sponge for the first cleaning instrument, will provide multiple uses, but it will need to be replaced. The user can simply remove the old sponge, discard it, and place a new sponge over the pointed tip.
The ninth purpose of the invention is to provide a method for the cleaning of sippy cups, through the methods previously mentioned.
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While the invention has been particularly described and illustrated with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A cleaning device for use in cleaning infant and toddler drinking cups, comprising essentially:
2. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, which is composed of a straight plastic cylindrical shaped shaft, with cleaning instruments on either end, the shaft being used as a handle for a user to hold while utilizing the cleaning instruments;
3. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, the first cleaning instrument consisting of a flattened oblong tip;
4. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, the first cleaning instrument further consisting of a removable fitted sponge, which is placed over the oblong tip during use;
5. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, which also includes replacement sponges for the first cleaning instrument;
6. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, the first cleaning instrument of which can be utilized to clean the inner apertures of lids of sippy cups, which are inaccessible to conventional sponges;
7. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, the second cleaning instrument consisting of a flexible curved tip;
8. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, the second cleaning instrument further consisting of a curved tip with a pointed end;
9. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, the second cleaning instrument being utilized as an abrasive device to clean apertures and crevices in sippy cup lids and fluid intake valves which are inaccessible to conventional cleaning devices, such as sponges and brushes;
10. The cleaning devices as defined in claim 1, the second cleaning instrument also consisting of a removable fitted sponge, which is fitted over the curved tip, and which is used to wash small crevices on the inside of sippy cup lids;
11. The cleaning device as defined in claim 1, which contains replacement sponges for the second cleaning instrument;
12. A method for cleaning infant and toddler cups, and other cups that use lids and/or fluid intake valves, through use of the device in the manner previously mentioned.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 19, 2006
Publication Date: Jul 19, 2007
Inventor: Dephne Wright (Houston, TX)
Application Number: 11/335,425
International Classification: A47L 25/00 (20060101);