Sippy cup with snack receptacle in lid

Abstract

The invention is a sippy lid for a beverage cup for a toddler which cup lid has a drinking orifice and a downwardly placed hollow. The downwardly placed hollow has a hinged cover. The cup lid is removably affixed to a beverage cup. In operation the downwardly placed hollow contains a snack such as a cereal. The snack can be accessed when hinged cover is open. Beverage cup can receive a beverage such as milk. The beverage is drunk through drinking orifice. The drinking orifice is a sippy tongue or a straw. The hinged cover may attached directly to the lid. Alternatively, the cover may be a cap with an attached frame. The cap is attached with a hinge to the frame. The cap with attached frame is removably affixed to the lid.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The invention is concerned with providing food and beverages to toddlers. Toddlers are no longer totally nursed or spoon fed; they are learning to eat and drink on their own. At this stage they commonly use high chairs and other special equipment that is designed for toddlers. A well-known and commonly used article for these young children is called “sippy cups.” A sippy cup has a cover upper surface with a protruding thin tongue with holes that a young child or toddler uses to drink. The sippy cup provides a bridge from breast or bottle to regular drinking from cups. The present invention is concerned with modified sippy cups wherein the sippy cup lids or covers have a receptacle for food so that the infant can both drink and snack from the same combination food/drink container.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention combines known elements from three different arts. First, is the “sippy cup” with the protruding drinking spout. There are many such examples in the patent and commercial art. U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,784 to Connors et. al. and Design Pat. No. D559,622 to Carreno are but two recent examples. Second, is U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,296 to Spence which describes the use of a lid with a hollow to receive a liquid or solid. A third art is U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,586 to Hanneman which describes a lid with a sippy spout and a hinged lid to access the food from a second chamber created by a cup divided into a liquid side and a dry food side. U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,299 to Westerhof et. al. teaches a lid with an inner cup for cereal and an outer cup for milk. This invention did not teach a sippy spout. These patents are all concerned with the use of liquids and solid within a single container. However, these do not address the use of a sippy spout with a lid with a hollow which hollow has a cover or cap. The present inventive lid is useful for toddlers learning to eat and drink.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention is a sippy lid for a beverage cup for a toddler which cup lid has a drinking orifice and a downwardly placed hollow. The downwardly placed hollow has a hinged cover. The cup lid is removably affixed to a beverage cup. In operation the downwardly placed hollow contains a snack such as a cereal. The snack can be accessed when hinged cover is open. Beverage cup can receive a beverage such as milk. The beverage is drunk through drinking orifice. The drinking orifice is a sippy tongue or a straw. The hinged cover may attached directly to the lid. Alternatively, the cover may be a cap with an attached frame. The cap is attached with a hinge to the frame. The cap with attached frame is removably affixed to the lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows the sippy lid with a hollow containing cereal such as Cheerios®. FIG. 2 shows inventive cup lid of FIG. 1 with cup lid cover closed. FIG. 3 shows second embodiment of sippy lid with a hollow. FIG. 4 shows second embodiment of sippy lid with hollow with food access cap FIG. 5 shows third embodiment with an alternative drinking orifice. FIG. 6 shows fourth embodiment of sippy lid with a hollow.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 A shows the sippy lid 101 with a hollow, containing cereal such as Cheerios®. FIG. 1 B shows a cut through section of FIG. 1 A. FIG. 1 A shows the inventive cup lid 101. Inventive cup lid 101 has a rim 103. Sippy spout (tongue) 125 is shown protruding from lid upper surface 131. Along rim 103 is finger access depression 111. Rim 103 affixes lid 101 to container 109. Within rim 103 is a hollow 105. In FIG. 1 A, hollow 105 is shown filled with a snack such as Cheerios ®107. Cover 113 has a border 115 and hinges 117. Rim 103 is removably affixed to top of container 109. Note, container 109 has a waist 119 to aid the toddler handling container 109 with inventive sippy cup lid 101.

FIG. 1 B shows a cut through of inventive cup lid 101. Inventive cup lid 101 has a rim 103. Along rim 103 is finger access 111. Rim 103 affixes the lid 101 to container 109. Within rim 103 is a hollow 105. Bottom 121 and sides 129 of hollow 105 are shown in outline. Cover 113 has a border 115. Sippy spout 125, a drinking orifice, is shown in outline. Rim 103 is removably affixed to top 116 of container 109. Note container 109 has a waist 119 to aid the toddler handling container 109 with inventive cup lid 101. Two way arrow C shows cover 113 closed (in solid) and open (in outline).

FIG. 2 shows inventive cup lid of FIG. 1 with cup lid 101 cover 113 closed. Inventive cup lid 101 has a rim 103. Along rim 103 is finger access 111. Rim 103 affixes the lid 101 to container 109. Cover 113 has a border 115. Sippy spout 125 is shown protruding from lid upper surface 131. Rim 103 is removably affixed to top 118 of container 109. Note container 109 has a waist 119 to aid the toddler handling container 109 with inventive cup lid 101.

FIG. 3 A shows second embodiment of sippy lid 201 with a hollow 205. FIG. 3 B shows a cut through section of FIG. 3A. FIG. 3 A shows a second embodiment of sippy lid 201. Second inventive lid 201 has a rim 203. Sippy tongue 225, a drinking orifice, is shown protruding from lid upper surface 231. Rim 203 affixes the lid 201 to container 109. Within rim 203 is a hollow 205. Food access cap 213 has a frame 215 and living hinge 217. Frame 215 with food access cap 213 are removably affixed to lid upper surface 231 and hollow 205. Food access cap 213 has an opening tab 219 to aid the user to open food access cap. Food access cap 213 is shown open in FIGS. 3 A and 3 B.

FIG. 4 A shows the second embodiment of sippy lid 201 with a hollow 205 with food access cap 213 open allowing access to snack food in hollow 205. FIG. 4 B shows the second embodiment of sippy lid 201 with food access cap 213 closed. Sippy tongue 225 is shown. Rim 203 affixes the lid 201 to container 109. Within rim 203 is a hollow 205. Food access cap 213 has a frame 215 and living hinge 217. Frame 215 with food access cap 213 are removably affixed to top of hollow 205. Lid upper surface 131 has food access cap 213. Food access cap 213 has an opening tab 219 to aid the user to open food access cap 213, shown open in FIG. 4 A .

FIG. 5 A shows a third embodiment with an alternative drinking orifice. FIG. 5 B shows a cut through section of FIG. 5 A. Third embodiment cup lid 501 has a rim 103. Straw 525, an alternative drinking orifice, is shown protruding from lid upper surface131.

FIG. 5 A shows the sippy lid 501 with a hollow with cereal such as Cheerios® 131. Along rim 103 is finger access depression 111. Rim 103 affixes the lid 501 to container 109. Within rim 103 is a hollow 105. In FIG. 5 A, hollow 105 is shown filled with a snack such as Cheerios ®107. Cover 113 has a border 115 and hinges 117. Rim 103 is removably affixed to top of container 109. Note container 109 has a waist 119 to aid the toddler handling container 109 with inventive sippy cup lid 101.

FIG. 5 B shows a section through third embodiment of cup lid 501. Cup lid 501 has a rim 103. Rim 103 affixes the lid 501 to container 109. Within rim 103 is a hollow 105. Bottom 121 and sides 129 of hollow 105 are shown in outline. Cover 113 has a border 115. Straw 525, a drinking orifice, is shown in outline and extends as a straw 527 into container 109. Rim 103 is removably affixed to top 118 of container 109. Note container 109 has a waist 119 to aid the toddler handling container 109 with inventive cup lid 501. Two way arrow C shows cover 113 closed (in solid) and open (in outline).

FIG. 6 A shows fourth embodiment of sippy lid 601 with a hollow 605. FIG. 6 B shows a cut through section of FIG. 6 A. Second inventive lid 601 has a rim 203. Straw 625, an alternative drinking orifice, is shown protruding from lid upper surface 231 and extends as a straw 627 into container 109. Rim 203 affixes the lid 610 to container 109. Within rim 203 is a hollow 605. Food access cap 213 has a frame 215 and living hinge 217. Frame 215 with food access cap 213 are removable affixed to lid upper surface 231 and hollow 605. Food access cap 213 has an opening tab 219 to aid the user to open food access cap. Food access cap 213 is shown open in FIGS. 6 A and 6 B.

Claims

1) A sippy lid for a beverage cup for a toddler comprising:

a cup lid with a drinking orifice;

said cup lid has a downwardly placed hollow;

said downwardly placed hollow has a hinged cover;

said cup lid is removably affixed to a beverage cup;

wherein in operation said downwardly placed hollow contains a snack such as a cereal;

said snack can be accessed when said hinged cover is open;

and said beverage cup can receive a beverage such as milk;

said beverage is drunk through said drinking orifice.

2) A sippy lid for a beverage cup for a toddler as in claim 1) wherein said drinking orifice is a sippy tongue spout.

3) A sippy lid for a beverage cup for a toddler as in claim 1) wherein said drinking orifice is a straw.

4) A sippy lid for a beverage cup for a toddler as in claim 1) wherein said hinged cover is attached to said lid.

5) A sippy lid for a beverage cup for a toddler as in claim 1) wherein said cover is a cap with an attached frame;

said cap is attached with a hinge to said frame;

said cap with attached frame is removably affixed to said lid.