Cup

Abstract

A cup for a user to directly drink the beverage in the cup. The cup includes a main body and an isolating member disposed in the main body for dividing the interior of the cup into two isolated spaces. The isolating member serves to stop the beverage material, while permitting the beverage to flow through the isolating member from one isolated space to the other.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to an improved cup, and more particularly to a cup in which tea or coffee powder can be placed. The cup has an isolating member longitudinally disposed in the cup for isolating the soaked tea or coffee powder on one side of the cup. A user can drink the beverage from the other side of the cup.

FIG. 7 shows a conventional cup 6 without any filtering or isolating device. Tea 61 can be placed in the cup and soaked in water to make tea. When drinking the tea, the tea refuses 61 will be entrained by the tea to cause inconvenience.

FIG. 8 shows a cup 7 equipped with an isolating device 71 for partitioning the cup 7 into an upper layer 72 and a lower layer 73. The tea refuses 74 are isolated from the upper layer 72 by a mesh-like isolating plate 75. The isolating plate 75 is connected with a control bar 76 which upward extends out of the opening of the cup.

FIG. 9 shows another type of cup 8 having an isolating device 81 made as a basket. The isolating device 81 is bridged over the opening 82 of the cup 8. The tea 83 is placed in the mesh-like basket 84.

The above two kinds of isolating devices are applicable to a glass or ceramic or porcelain cup. However, such complicated isolating devices can be hardly trans-used in a simple plastic cup or paper cup.

Besides, in the case that the tea is placed under the isolating plate 75, it is necessary to first take out the isolating plate and then place the tea on the bottom of the cup and then replace the isolating plate into the cup. Moreover, the control bar 76 extends out of the opening of the cup so that when drinking the tea, a user's nose tends to touch the control bar 76. Therefore, the tea is often first poured out from the cup into another cup and then drunk. This is quite inconvenient. In the case that the tea is filled in the isolating basket 84, when drinking the tea, it is necessary to previously remove the isolating basket 84. Obviously, it is inconvenient to use the above two types of isolating devices for the cups.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved cup in which an isolating member is disposed for dividing the interior of the cup into two spaces. A material such as tea can be placed in one space of the cup and soaked in water. The isolating member serves to isolate the material from the other space, while permitting the beverage to flow therethrough. Therefore, the material will not be entrained by the beverage so that it is ensured that a user can purely drink the beverage.

According to the above object, the cup of the present invention includes a main body and an isolating member fixedly disposed in the main body. The isolating member includes a frame section and a mesh-like stop section connected with the frame section. The frame section divides the interior of the main body into two isolated spaces. The mesh-like stop section serves to stop the beverage material, while permitting the beverage to flow through the isolating member from one isolated space to the other.

The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows that the material refuses are isolated from the other space of the main body of the cup of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional cup;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a conventional cup equipped with an isolating device; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of another type of conventional cup equipped with an isolating device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 4. According to a first embodiment, the cup of the present invention includes a main body 1 and an isolating member 11. In this embodiment, the main body is a disposable cup for a user to directly drink the beverage in the cup. The isolating member 11 includes a frame section 111 and a mesh-like stop section 112. When the frame section 111 is molten and molded, the mesh-like stop section 112 is connected with the frame section 111. The beverage can filter through the mesh-like stop section 112, while the material 12 is stopped by the mesh-like stop section 112. In this embodiment, the material 12 is tea. The frame section 111 divides the main body 1 into a first isolated space 13 and a second isolated space 14. A certain portion of the frame section 111 is formed with a bending line 113, whereby the frame section 111 can be easily bent about the bending line 113. Above the binding line 113, the frame section 111 has a semicircular transverse section 114. Below the binding line 113, the frame section 111 has two longitudinal sections 115.

The main body 1 is a cylindrical body. Two opposite inner sides 15 of the main body 1 are respectively formed with two longitudinal rails 16 each of which is formed of two parallel ribs 161. The ribs 161 are integrally connected with the inner circumference 15 of the cup. The two ribs 161 define there between a gap 162 in which the frame section 111 of the isolating member 11 can be inserted and located. In addition, an engaging section 17 is formed on the inner circumference 15 of the main body 1 and spaced from the top end of the main body 1 by a certain distance. The engaging section 17 is formed of a shoulder section 171 and a stop block 172 inward extending from the inner circumference 15 of the main body 1. After bent, the isolating member 11 can be fixedly engaged in the engaging section 17. Accordingly, the isolating member 11 divides the interior of the main body 11 into the first isolated space 13 in which the tea is accommodated and the second isolated space 14 which the tea cannot get in.

If the embodiment invention is designed for a disposable mode, therefore a worker in the factory can previously insert and locate the longitudinal section 115 of the frame section 111 of the isolating member 11 in the longitudinal rails 16 of the main body 1 to divide the interior of the main body 1 into two isolated spaces 13, 14. Then the tea 121 is placed into the first isolated space 13. Then the frame section 111 is easily bent about the bending line 113 of the frame section 111. Then the semicircular transverse section 114 of the frame section 111 is engaged in the engaging section 17 of the inner circumference 15 of the main body 1. Accordingly, the two spaces 13, 14 are isolated. Certainly, the main body 1 can be sealed and packed with a thermo-contractive plastic film.

In use, a user only needs to add water into the cup. When the tea is soaked in the water, a solution with higher concentration is produced in the first isolated space 13. According to principle of diffusion, the molecules in the solution with higher concentration will diffuse to the solution with lower concentration. Accordingly, the solution with higher concentration will pass through the mesh-like stop section 112 to even the concentration of the solution in the two isolated spaces 13, 14. The tea refuses are stopped by the mesh-like stop section 112 to remain in the first isolated space 13 as shown in FIG. 4.

Moreover, the semicircular transverse section 114 of the isolating member 11 is fixed in the engaging section 17 of the main body 1. The engaging section 17 is spaced from the top end of the main body 1 by a certain distance. Therefore, when the user drinks the tea, the user's nose will not touch the isolating member 11.

Besides, the isolating member 11 is vertically arranged so that the first and second isolated spaces 13, 14 are respectively positioned on left and right sides of the main body 1. Accordingly, the tea flowing from the first isolated space 13 to the second isolated space 14 will not concentrate in upper or lower portion of the main body 1. Therefore, the user can drink the tea with even concentration without shaking the cup.

According to the above arrangement, in condition of use of a disposable cup, a user can still enjoy the beverage with even concentration. Also, the refuses will not be entrained by the beverage so that the user can conveniently drink the beverage.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the inner circumference 21 of the main body 2 is formed with a projecting block 23 near bottom face 22 of the main body 2. The isolating member 24 includes a frame section 241 and a mesh-like stop section 242. The frame section 241 has an annular bottom end formed with a lug 243. When the frame section 241 is molten and molded, the mesh-like stop section 242 is connected with the frame section 241. The beverage can filter through the mesh-like stop section 242, while the tea refuses 25 are stopped by the mesh-like stop section 242.

The lug 243 of the isolating member 24 is fixedly engaged with the projecting block 23 of the inner circumference 21 of the main body 2, whereby the isolating member 24 divides the interior of the main body 2 into a central first isolated space 26 and a second isolated space 27 around the first isolated space 26. Therefore, the tea refuses 25 and the beverage can be separated without mixing with each other. In this embodiment, the isolating member 24 is also vertically arranged, whereby the two isolated spaces 26, 27 are respectively positioned at the center of the main body 2 and the circumference thereof. As in the first embodiment, the tea can be made with even concentration.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the isolating member 41 substantially has a shape of a plane board. The isolating member 41 includes an annular frame section 411 and a mesh-like stop section 412 located in the frame section 411. The inner circumference 42 of the main body 4 is formed with two projecting sections 43 longitudinally opposite to each other. The two projecting sections 43 define there between a groove 44. The frame section 411 of the isolating member 41 can be fixedly engaged in the groove 44. Accordingly, the isolating member 41 transversely divides the interior of the main body 4 into an upper half 45 and a lower half 46. The tea 47 is placed in the lower half 46 and stopped by the isolating member 41. After soaked in the water, the tea beverage can flow through the mesh-like stop section 412 into the upper half 46 to form an even tea beverage.

The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cup for a user to directly drink a beverage in the cup, the cup comprising an isolating member disposed in the cup for dividing an interior of the cup into two isolated spaces, the isolating member including a frame section for keeping the shape of the isolating member and a mesh-like stop section connected with the frame section, the mesh-like stop section serving to stop the beverage material, while permitting the beverage to flow through.

2. The cup as claimed in claim 1, wherein two opposite sides of inner circumference of the cup are respectively formed with two longitudinal rails for locating the isolating member.

3. The cup as claimed in claim 2, wherein each longitudinal rail of the cup is composed of two parallel ribs, the ribs being integrally connected with the inner circumference of the cup, the two ribs defining there between a gap, the frame section of the isolating member has two longitudinal sections which are respectively inserted and located in one gap, an engaging section being formed on the inner circumference of the cup and spaced from top end of the cup by a certain distance, the engaging section being composed of a shoulder section and a stop block inward extending from the inner circumference of the cup, the frame section of the isolating member having a transverse section located between the shoulder section and stop block of the engaging section of the cup.

4. The cup as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the frame section of the isolating member is molten and molded, the frame section is connected with the periphery of the mesh-like stop section.

5. The cup as claimed in claim 3, wherein between the longitudinal section and transverse section of the frame section is formed with a bending line, whereby the frame section can be easily bent about the bending line.

6. The cup as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner circumference of the cup is formed with a projecting block near bottom face of the cup, the isolating member including a frame section and a mesh-like stop section, the frame section having an annular bottom end formed with a lug, the lug being fixedly engaged with the projecting block.

7. The cup as claimed in claim 1, wherein the isolating member substantially having a shape of a plane board, the isolating member including an annular frame section and a mesh-like stop section located in the frame section, the inner circumference of the cup being formed with two projecting sections longitudinally opposite to each other, the two projecting sections defining there between a groove, the frame section of the isolating member being fixedly engaged and located in the groove.