Drinking vessel

Abstract

A drinking vessel comprising a container having a mouth and an internal shoulder; a cap for closing the mouth of the container and having an outlet for liquid; and a valve unit removably mountable on the cap and arranged to control flow of liquid to the outlet; the valve unit being so arranged that the shoulder prevents the valve unit from being separated from the cap while the cap is mounted on the container. Also, a drinking vessel comprising a container having an outlet for liquid; and a receptacle removably attachable to an end of the container remote from the outlet of the container; wherein the receptacle comprises parts relatively movable between a substantially closed position and a position providing an orifice for releasing objects from within the receptacle; wherein the receptacle is arranged to be attached to the container in such a position that the container closes off the orifice.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to provisional patent application 60/619,643, filed on Oct. 18, 2005 and to provisional patent application 60/694,218, filed on Jun. 27, 2005, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a drinking vessel, and particularly to a cup with a lid to reduce the risk of spillage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Drinking cups for young children are sometimes provided with a lid having a spout through which the child can drink. The spout is sometimes provided with a valve that is intended to permit liquid to flow out of the cup only when the child sucks on the spout. This type construction is intended to reduce the risk of spillage or to reduce the volume of liquid spilt, if the cup falls or is knocked over. Similar cups are sometimes used by adults in circumstances where it is particularly important to minimize the risk of liquid spillage, for example, in libraries.

Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,621 to Bachman et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a drinking cup in which the suction valve also acts as a return valve, permitting air to enter the cup, and permitting any liquid left in the spout after the child drinks to drain back into the cup. The silicone rubber valve is carried in a valve unit that is a press fit in the cap. The valve is held in the unit by a snap fit retainer. Thus, the unit can easily be removed from the cap so that the valve, the unit, and the cap can be easily cleaned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the invention provides a drinking vessel comprising: a container for retaining a quantity of liquid, the container having a mouth and an internal shoulder; a cap for closing the mouth of the container and having an outlet for liquid; and a valve unit removably mountable on the cap and arranged to control flow of liquid to the outlet; the valve unit being so arranged that the shoulder prevents the valve unit from being separated from the cap while the cap is mounted on the container.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a drinking vessel comprising: a container for retaining a quantity of liquid, the container having an outlet for liquid; and a receptacle removably attachable to an end of the container remote from the outlet of the container; wherein the receptacle comprises parts relatively movable between a substantially closed position and a position providing an orifice for releasing objects from within the receptacle; wherein the receptacle is arranged to be attached to the container in such a position that the container closes off the orifice.

A further embodiment of the invention provides a storage container attached or attachable to the bottom of a drinking vessel, which storage container is attachable to the bottom of an identical storage container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms of the invention which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a drinking vessel according to the invention with an attached storage container.

FIG. 1a is an isometric view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 with the storage container detached from the drinking vessel.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the drinking vessel shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section similar to FIG. 2 of a second embodiment of a drinking vessel according to the invention with an attached standing base.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the detail 4 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a valve holder forming part of a valve unit seen in the cap of the drinking vessel in FIGS. 2 and 4.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the valve holder shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view through a valve retainer forming part of the valve unit seen in FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view through a valve member forming part of the valve unit seen in FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the valve member shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the cap and valve unit in exploded view.

FIG. 11 is a cross-section similar to part of FIGS. 2 and 3 showing a second embodiment of an attached storage container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the accompanying drawings, where like numerals identify like elements, and initially to FIGS. 1, 2, and 10, there is shown one form of a drinking vessel according to the present invention, in the form of a cup identified generally by reference numeral 20. The cup 20 has a body 22 and a cap 24 with a spout 26. A receptacle 28 for dry material is clipped onto the bottom of the cup.

Throughout this specification, terms such as “top”, “bottom,” and “vertical” are used in the interest of clarity with reference to an orientation of the cup 20 in a typical resting position, standing on a level surface with the spout 22 uppermost, as shown in FIG. 1. It is not required that the cup be maintained exactly in this orientation. In use, it will usually be necessary to tip the cup in order to drink from it. Also, when empty, the cup, or its separate parts if it is dismantled, may be stored and transported in any convenient orientation.

In one embodiment, the body 22 is asymmetrical in plan view. As best seen in FIG. 2, the body 22 has a rounded bottom 30 bounded by a groove 32 that serves for the receptacle 28 to clip onto, and has a main side wall that narrows gradually towards the top, ending in a neck or inwardly-projecting shoulder 36 above which the body 22 widens to an externally screw-threaded mouth 38.

The cap 24 has an internally screw-threaded skirt 40 that threads onto the mouth 38 of the cup body 22. The spout 26 has one or more holes or other openings 42 in its tip through which a user can drink liquid from the cup 20. Below the spout, there is a tubular seat 44. The interior of the tubular seat 44 is substantially cylindrical.

A valve unit indicated generally by the reference numeral 50 consists of a valve holder 52, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a valve retainer 54, shown in FIG. 7, and a valve member 56, shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The valve holder 52 has a base plate 60, which in the position shown in FIG. 1 is generally horizontal, and a downwardly projecting grip 62. Projecting upwards from the base plate 60 is a tube 64, the inside of which opens through the base plate 60 and the outside of which is inserted, when the cup is assembled, into the seat 44. As best seen in FIG. 4, the outside surface of the tube 64 is a gently tapering truncated conical surface, narrowest at the open top end, and widest at the bottom end, where it joins the base plate 60. The tube 64 and the seat 44 are dimensioned to produce a snug, stable fit between the outside of the tube and the inside of the seat.

The upper end of the tube 64 has an internal seat 66 for the valve member 56, and above the internal seat an internal groove 68 into which the retaining ring 54 is a snap fit. The retaining ring 54 has an undersurface 70 that cooperates with the seat 66 to hold the valve member 56, an external rib 72 that is a snap fit into the groove 68 and, above the rib 72, a shoulder 74 that seats onto the upper rim of the tube 64. As may be seen from FIG. 4, the outside diameter of the retaining ring 54 is less than that of the tube 64, so that the retaining ring 54 does not foul the seat 44. In one embodiment, retaining ring 54 is sonic welded to tube 64. Sonic welding can be done so that the retaining ring 54 and valve member 56 are not removable from the valve unit 50 in normal use.

The valve member 56 consists of a soft, flexible material such as silicone rubber, with one or more slits or holes 58 that open or close as the valve member 56 is distorted by external forces. The valve member 56 may be of any suitable design that will permit liquid to drain from the spout 26 back into the cup body 22 when the cup is standing upright, will not leak to any appreciable extent if the cup is overturned, and will permit liquid to be sucked from the cup without great effort. Thus, the valve member 56 has an opening force of at least 6″ (15 cm) water gauge, but preferably not much more, for flow towards the spout 26, but leaks slightly for even minimal head of liquid in the opposite direction.

A suitable design of valve member 56 is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,409,144 (Brown) and 5,439,143 (Brown et al.), both assigned to Liquid Molding Systems, Inc., of Midland, Mich., which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

As is best seen in FIG. 4, the valve holder 52 is dimensioned so that, with the tube 64 inserted into the seat 44 and the cap 24 screwed onto the body 22, the edge 76 of the base plate 60 lies just above the internal shoulder 36 on the cup body 22, at least at the part of the edge 76 that is nearest to the tube 64. In this position, the shoulder 36 prevents the valve unit 50 from moving downwards far enough for the tube 64 to disengage from the seat 44. The risk that the unit 50 will separate from the cap 24, leaving the spout 26 unprotected against spillage, is thus greatly reduced.

The shoulder 36 and the neck below it also make the cup 20 easier for a child to grip securely, because even if the child's grip is loose, the shoulder can rest on the child's hand or hands and prevent the cup from slipping out of the child's grasp.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the receptacle 28 comprises a lid 80 and a base 82. The lid 80 has a downward skirt 84, with an internal screw thread, and an upward skirt 86. The upward skirt 86 is shaped to fit closely round the curved bottom 30 of the cup body 22, and has at its rim an internal bead 88 that snaps into the groove 32. Inwardly of the skirts 84 and 86, the lid 80 has an opening 89 that can be closed by a shutter 90 that rotates about a pivot 92 that snaps into a hole at the center of the lid.

The base 82 of the receptacle 28, which serves as a base for the cup 20 to stand on, has an external screw threaded mouth 94, which screws into the downward skirt 84 of the lid 80, and has a bottom 96 that is slightly concave, to reduce the risk of the cup 20 wobbling when resting on the bottom 96.

If the receptacle 28 is removed, the cup 20 may rest on the bottom 30 of the cup body 22, which is also slightly concave. Referring to FIG. 3, alternatively, a separate standing base 100 may be clipped on in place of the receptacle 28. The base 100 shown in FIG. 3 has an upper part 102 similar in shape to the upper part of the upward skirt 86 of the lid 80 shown in FIG. 2, including a bead 88 that snaps into the groove 32 in the body 22 of the cup 20. A lower part 104 of the base 100 follows loosely the shape of the bottom 30 of the cup body 22. The lower part 104 has downward bulges 106 that act as feet when the cup 20 is standing on the base 100. There may be four bulges 106 evenly spaced round the base 100. The right half of FIG. 3 shows a section through a bulge 106. The left half of FIG. 3 shows a section between bulges 106. The standing base 100 may be of soft, rubbery material, with less tendency to slide on smooth surfaces than the bottom 30, which may be fairly hard and stiff for the structural integrity of the cup body 22. Drainage holes 108 may be provided in the bottoms of the bulges 106.

As is also shown in FIG. 3, the externally screw-threaded mouth 38 of the cup body 22 may be tilted relative to the bottom 30, 96, or 100 on which the cup 20 stands. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, the screw threads on the mouth 38 and the skirt 40 of the cap 24 are single-start threads, aligned so that with the lid 24 screwed tightly onto the body 22 the spout 26 is at the highest point of the mouth 38. This may improve the drinking function of the cup 20, because with the spout 26 at a convenient angle for drinking from the cup body 22 is then tipped higher.

Referring now to FIG. 11, an alternative form of the receptacle 128 comprises a lid 80 and a base 130. The lid 80 of the receptacle 128 may be identical to the lid 80 of the receptacle 28 shown in FIG. 2 and, in the interests of conciseness, description of the lid is not repeated.

The base 130 of the receptacle 128 has an externally screw threaded mouth 94, which screws into the downward skirt 84 of the lid 80, and has a bottom 132 that is similar in shape to the bottom 30 of the cup body 22, bounded by a groove 134 similar to the groove 32. Thus, the lid 80 of the receptacle 128 may clip either onto the bottom 30 of the body 22 of the cup 20, or onto the bottom 132 of another similar receptacle 128. The cup 20 may have a neck 36 and mouth 38 (not shown in FIG. 11) as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3. Onto the bottom 132 of the receptacle 128 may be clipped either the standing base 100 shown in FIG. 3 or the lid 80 of another similar receptacle 128.

As shown in FIG. 11, a stack may be formed by clipping together a cup 20, one or more containers 128, and a standing base 100. Alternatively, a stack of containers 128 without a cup 20 and/or without a standing base 100 may be formed, or a single receptacle 128 may be stacked with a cup 20 and/or with a standing base 100. However, because the bottom 132 of the receptacle 128 is more rounded than the bottom 30 of the receptacle 28, it may be preferred to use a standing base 100 to increase the stability of tall stacks. Alternatively, the bottom of a stack may be a container lid 80 that does not have a container body screwed into it, or a container body 82.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention. Other variations are contemplated and will be understood by those in the art.

Claims

1. A drinking vessel comprising:

a container for retaining a quantity of liquid, the container having a mouth and an internal shoulder;

a cap for closing the mouth of the container and having an outlet for liquid; and

a valve unit removably mountable on the cap and arranged to control flow of liquid to the outlet;

the valve unit being so arranged that the shoulder prevents the valve unit from being separated from the cap while the cap is mounted on the container.

2. The drinking vessel of claim 1, wherein the valve unit is positioned within a seat formed in the cap, and the shoulder prevents movement of the valve unit away from the seat.

3. The drinking vessel of claim 2, wherein the valve unit is tapered, and the valve unit is a push fit into the seat.

4. The drinking vessel of claim 2, wherein the valve unit comprises a tubular part that fits into the seat and a base part extending away from the tubular part to engage the shoulder.

5. The drinking vessel of claim 1, wherein the mouth and the shoulder are circular and the shoulder is generally coaxial with the mouth.

6. The drinking vessel of claim 5, wherein the cap and the container have matching screw threads such that the cap may be screwed onto the mouth of the container.

7. The drinking vessel of claim 1, further comprising a receptacle removably attached to an end of the container remote from the mouth of the container.

8. The drinking vessel of claim 7, wherein said receptacle comprises a lid and a body, and the lid of said receptacle is removably attached to the container.

9. The drinking vessel of claim 7, wherein the container has a groove encircling it, and the receptacle has a lip with a bead engaging in the groove.

10. The drinking vessel of claim 1 further comprising:

a receptacle removably attachable to an end of the container remote from the outlet of the container;

wherein the receptacle comprises a first housing part having first and second peripheral skirts extending on opposite sides of a middle portion, a second housing part, and a third part;

said container and one of said skirts having first mating formations removably attaching said one skirt to said container;

said second housing part and the other of said skirts having second mating formations removably attaching said other skirt to said second housing part;

said first and second housing parts defining between them an interior space of said receptacle;

said first body part defining an orifice for releasing objects from within the receptacle;

said third part being rotatable relative to said first body part to open and close said orifice; and

said receptacle being arranged to be attached to the container in such a position that the container closes off the orifice.

11. A drinking vessel comprising:

a container for retaining a quantity of liquid, the container having an outlet for liquid; and

a receptacle removably attachable to an end of the container remote from the outlet of the container;

wherein the receptacle comprises parts relatively movable between a substantially closed position and a position providing an orifice for releasing objects from within the receptacle;

wherein the receptacle is arranged to be attached to the container in such a position that the container closes off the orifice.

12. The drinking vessel of claim 11, wherein the relatively movable parts are relatively rotatable between said position in which said orifice is open and said position in which said orifice is substantially closed.

13. The drinking vessel of claim 11, wherein:

the receptacle further comprises a first housing part having first and second peripheral skirts extending on opposite sides of a middle portion and a second housing part;

said container and one of said skirts having first mating formations removably attaching said one skirt to said container;

said second housing part and the other of said skirts having second mating formations removably attaching said other skirt to said second housing part;

said first and second housing parts defining between them an interior space of said receptacle.

14. The drinking vessel of claim 13, wherein at least one of said first mating formations and said second mating formations comprises mating screw threads.

15. The drinking vessel of claim 13, wherein at least one of said first mating formations and said second mating formations comprises a bead mating with a groove.

16. The drinking vessel of claim 11, wherein the container and the receptacle have first mating formations on the container and on the receptacle removably attaching said receptacle to said container, and said receptacle has a second mating formation on the receptacle corresponding to the first mating formation on the container, such that the first mating formation on an identical second receptacle is removably attachable to said second mating formation on said receptacle.

17. The drinking vessel of claim 16, further comprising a base having a mating formation removably attachable to said first mating formation on said receptacle or to said second mating formation on said receptacle.

18. The drinking vessel of claim 11, further comprising a valve unit removably mountable on the container and arranged to control flow of liquid to the outlet.

19. The drinking vessel of claim 18, wherein the container has a cap for closing the mouth of the container and an internal shoulder; wherein the outlet is on the cap; and wherein the valve unit is so arranged that the shoulder prevents the valve unit from being separated from the cap while the cap is mounted on the container.

20. The drinking vessel of claim 11 further comprising at least one additional receptacle removably attachable to an end of a previous receptacle.