DRINK LID TACTILE SPOUT LOCATOR

Abstract

The system of the preferred embodiments is a drink container lid, including: at least one of a permanent and a removable interface designed to attach the drink container lid to a drink container; a bulkhead attached to the at least one of a permanent and removable interface, and designed to keep liquid in the drink container; an opening in the top of the bulkhead adapted to allow fluid to flow into a user's mouth; at least one of a protrusion, a bump, a groove, an indentation, and a rough textured area on a generally vertical surface of the drink container lid, adjacent to the opening and aligned with the positioning of the opening, where the at least one of a protrusion, a bump, a groove, an indentation, and a rough textured area is capable of creating a tactile sensation on a user's lip. The drink container lid is preferably designed to allow a user to locate the opening in the drink container lid using their sense of feel with their bottom lip, allowing a user to drink liquid from a drink container with a lid more easily and potentially without having to look at the drink container, while at the same time allowing the user to properly align the opening in the drink container lid with their mouth to avoid spilling any of the contents of the container. The drink container lid may, however, be used for any suitable purpose.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments, shown from a three-quarter angle.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments, where two protrusions are included.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments, where a textured area is included.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments, where another variation of a rough textured area is included.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments, where a groove is included.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments, where the drink container is a non-disposable mug and the drinking container lid is a part of a drinking mug system.

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments, where the drink container lid is at least partially made of a polymer material, and is adapted to fit onto a disposable drink cup.

FIG. 9 is a schematic representation of the system of the first preferred embodiments, where an indentation is included.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is intended to enable someone skilled in the prior art to make and use this invention, but is not intended to limit the invention to these preferred embodiments.

1. First Preferred Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 1, the system of the preferred embodiments is a drink container lid, including: at least one of a permanent and a removable interface 2 designed to attach the drink container lid to a drink container; a bulkhead 3 attached to the at least one of a permanent and removable interface 2, and designed to keep liquid in the drink container; an opening 4 in the top of the bulkhead 3 adapted to allow fluid to flow into a user's mouth; at least one of a protrusion 5, a bump 5, a groove 5, an indentation 5, and a rough textured area 5 on a generally vertical surface of the drink container lid, adjacent to the opening 4 and aligned with the positioning of the opening 4, where the at least one of a protrusion 5, a bump 5, a groove 5, an indentation 5, and a rough textured area 5 is capable of creating a tactile sensation on a user's lip. The drink container lid is preferably designed to allow a user to locate the opening 4 in the drink container lid using their sense of feel with their bottom lip, allowing a user to drink liquid from a drink container with a lid more easily and potentially without having to look at the drink container, while at the same time allowing the user to properly align the opening 4 in the drink container lid with their mouth to avoid spilling any of the contents of the container. The drink container lid may, however, be used for any suitable purpose.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drink container lid includes an interface 2 that allows the drink container lid to attach at least one of removably, and permanently to a drink container. In a preferred variation, the interface 2 is adapted to friction fit to the rim of a drink container. In another preferred variation, the interface 2 is adapted to connected via threads to a drink container. In another preferred variation, the interface 2 is adapted to attach via adhesive to a drink container. There may, however, be any suitable interface 2 design for attaching the drink container lid to a drink container. Preferably the interface 2 creates a sealed attachment to the drink container that prevents the leakage of fluids.

As shown in FIG. 7, in a preferred variation the drink container lid is designed to attach to a non-disposable mug and the drink container lid is a part of a drinking mug system. In one variation of this variation, the drinking container is a mug that comprises a metal outer surface and an inner surface of at least one of metal and polymer, with at least one of an air gap and insulating foam in between. In another variation, the drinking container is a mug that comprises a ceramic material. In another variation, the drinking container is a mug in the form of a thermos. As shown in FIG. 8, the drinking container is disposable and the drinking container lid 1 is at least partially constructed of a polymer material. In a variation of this variation, the drinking container lid 1 is intended to be recyclable. In a variation of this variation, the interface 2 attaches to a rounded lip on the drinking container with at least one of friction and a mechanical interface 2 using the elasticity of the material the interface 2 on the drinking lid container is made of. In a variation of this variation, the drinking container is a paper cup, and the drinking container lid 1 is a lid designed to attach to the rim of the paper cup. The drinking container may, however, have any suitable design, characteristics, and intended use. The drinking container lid 1 may, however, have any suitable design for use with any suitable drinking container.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drinking container lid 1 includes at least one opening 4 in the bulkhead 3 to allow fluid to flow through the opening 4. This opening 4 is preferably designed to allow a user to pour fluid from the drinking container into the user's mouth. The bulkhead 3 is preferably the top surface of the drinking container lid 1, and the opening 4 is preferably an opening 4 through the top surface of the bulkhead 3. In a preferred variation, the opening 4 preferably faces generally upward, and in some variations upward at an angle. The bulkhead 3 is the closure surface of the drinking container lid 1 and is attached to the interface 2. The bulkhead 3 is designed to largely prevent fluid from passing out of the drinking container in any location other than through the opening 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1-9, at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is included on a generally vertical surface of the drinking container lid 1 adjacent to the opening 4, and with a position aligned with the opening 4. The opening 4 is generally near the outer circumference of the drinking container lid 1, and the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is generally positioned on the generally vertical side surface of the drinking container lid 1 adjacent to the opening 4 and above the interface 2. In a preferred variation, the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is capable of creating a tactile sensation that a user can feel with their lip. In a preferred variation, the user can utilize the tactile sensation on their lip created by the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 to align the opening 4 with their mouth. In a preferred variation, the user utilizes the tactile sensation to align the opening 4 with their mouth before taking a drink from the drinking container, which prevents the user from tilting the drinking container and allowing fluid to flow from the opening 4 while the opening 4 is not properly aligned with their mouth, which could result in spilling the liquid from the drinking container. The at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 may, however, be used for any suitable purpose. The at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is preferably aligned so that the center of the tactile sensation created on the user's lip aligns with the center of the opening 4. In another preferred variation, the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is designed to produce a sensation that aligns with the boundaries of the opening 4, enabling the user to find the boundaries of the opening 4 by way of the tactile sensation in their lower lip. The at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 may, however, have any suitable location for enabling the user to find the location of the opening 4 with their lip. As shown in FIG. 1, in a preferred variation the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is a protrusion. As shown in FIG. 2 the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is a bump. As shown in FIG. 2, in a preferred variation the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is a bump. As shown in FIG. 3, in a preferred variation the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is at least two protrusions. As shown in FIG. 4, in a preferred variation the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is a rough textured area made of a patterned surface of at least one of grooves, etchings, and linear indentations. As shown in FIG. 5, in a preferred variation the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is a rough textured area comprising a plurality of at least one of small protrusions and small raised portions of material. In a variation of this variation, a particulate material is adhered to the drinking container lid 1 using at least one of adhesive, the thermoplastic nature of the material, and a molding process to create the rough textured area. As shown in FIG. 6, in a preferred variation the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is a groove. As shown in FIG. 9, in a preferred variation the at least one of a protrusion 5, bump 5, indentation 5, groove 5, and a rough textured area 5 is an indentation.

As a person skilled in the art is aware, users drinking from a drinking container fitted with a drinking container lid 1 often drink from the drinking container without looking at the container to locate the opening 4 in the drinking container lid 1, which often results in the user not properly aligning the opening 4 with their mouth and spilling the liquid in the drinking container. In some scenarios users drink beverages such as coffee from drinking containers such as paper cups fitted with drinking container lid 1s, and spilling the liquid from the drinking container can be any of painful, distracting, dangerous, and damaging to the user's clothing and surroundings. Frequently users attempt to drink beverages such as coffee from paper cups fitted with drinking container lid is while driving an automobile, a scenario where the user cannot safely look at the drinking container lid 1 to properly align the opening 4 before attempting to drink their beverage, which may result in the user spilling their beverage while drinking which may be inconvenient and potentially dangerous. There exists a clear and long-standing need for a way for users to align the opening 4 of a drinking container lid 1 with their mouth without looking at the drinking container in order to avoid these scenarios and other similar scenarios, however despite a number of prior art drinking lid container designs there has never been a design that allows a user to locate the drinking container lid 1 opening 4 utilizing a tactile sensation on their lower lip created by the surface of the drinking container lid 1 adjacent to the opening 4. The user generally puts their lower lip onto the generally vertical surface nearer the outside of the circumference of the drinking lid container from the opening 4, so this is the preferable location to adapt the drinking lid container to create a tactile sensation. The system of the preferred embodiments may, however, be used to create any suitable benefits for any suitable reason.

As a person skilled in the art will recognize from the previous detailed description and from the figures and claims, modifications and changes can be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of this invention defined in the following claims.

Claims

1) A drink container lid comprising: at least one of a permanent and a removable interface adapted to attach the drink container lid to a drink container; a bulkhead attached to the at least one of a permanent and removable interface and adapted to keep liquid in the drink container; an opening in the top of the bulkhead adapted to allow fluid to flow into a user's mouth; at least one of a protrusion, a bump, a groove, an indentation, and a rough textured area on a generally vertical surface of the drink container lid adjacent to the opening and aligned with the positioning of the opening, wherein the at least one of a protrusion, a bump, a groove, an indentation, and a rough textured area is capable of creating a tactile sensation on a user's lip.

2) The drink container lid of claim 1, wherein the tactile sensation created by the at least one of a protrusion, a bump, an indent, and a rough textured area allows a user to locate the opening in the drink container lid without looking at the lid.

3) The drink container lid of claim 1, wherein a plastic molding process is used to manufacture the at least one of a protrusion, a bump, an indent, and a rough textured area.

4) The drink container lid of claim 2, wherein a plastic molding process is used to manufacture the at least one of a protrusion, a bump, an indent, and a rough textured area.

5) The drink container lid of claim 1, wherein a stamping process is used to manufacture the at least one of a protrusion, a bump, an indent, and a rough textured area.

6) The drink container lid of claim 2, wherein a stamping process is used to manufacture the at least one of a protrusion, a bump, an indent, and a rough textured area.

7) The drink container lid of claim 1, wherein the drink container lid comprises a polymer material and is adapted to fit onto a disposable drink cup.

8) The drink container lid of claim 1, wherein the drink container is a non-disposable mug and the drink container lid is a component of a drinking mug system.

9) The drink container lid of claim 2, wherein the drink container lid comprises a polymer material and is adapted to fit onto a disposable drink cup.

10) The drink container lid of claim 2, wherein the drink container is a non-disposable mug and the drink container lid is a component of a drinking mug system.

11) The drink container lid of claim 4, wherein the drink container lid comprises a polymer material and is adapted to fit onto a disposable drink cup.

12) The drink container lid of claim 4, wherein the drink container is a non-disposable mug and the drink container lid is a component of a drinking mug system.

13) The drink container lid of claim 5, wherein the drink container lid comprises a polymer material and is adapted to fit onto a disposable drink cup.

14) The drink container lid of claim 5, wherein the drink container is a non-disposable mug and the drink container lid is a component of a drinking mug system.