UNIVERSAL BEVERAGE CONTAINER COVER
A universal cover for covering all types of beverage containers and an associated carrying case is disclosed. When placed over any beverage container, the universal cover disclosed uses decorative weights made with acrylic plastic gems, crystals or metal, to keep the cover secured in place as well as for keeping it well stretched and snugly placed over the rim of beverage container. The universal cover also includes a central opening for inserting a straw or a sipping device there-through. The universal beverage cover offers the functionality of creating a cover for containers where typically no lid or cover typically exists as is the case for non-portable beverage containers such as wine glasses, beer or juice mugs, and other crystal-ware used at a restaurant, banquet hall, or another indoor setting. The universal cover disclosed provides a level of protection against pathogens and other contaminants while maintaining the necessary decor and formality of the setting. Embodiments of the invention provide the additional functionality of maintaining beverage temperature for longer periods. The universal cover can be made with fabrics, or faux leather or vinyl type fabric for based on the degree of insulation or durability desired.
The application claims the benefits of provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/637,408, filed on Mar. 2, 2018, by the present inventors and is incorporated herewith by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention generally relates to covers for drinking containers for beverages and more particularly a cover that can be universally used on a variety of beverage containers having different sizes and brim shapes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMost beverage containers come with their unique covers adapted to fit the container. Generally, plastic snaps are used for all types of paper or plastic cups. Each type of container comes with a its characteristic cover. Further, most of applications of beverage covers are used in conjunction with beverage containers that are meant for outdoor or usage related to travel. What is needed is a universal type cover that is not depend on the type of beverage container.
Often disposable cups use disposable plastic lids designed for use in connection with paper or plastic containers of various types such as beverage cups. Many such closures have been provided by the prior art with a wide variety of techniques for effecting engagement of the lid with the container.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the prior art, there remains a need for an apparatus that can serve as a cover for non-disposable beverage containers, such as beer mugs, wine glasses, soda cups, for which a complementary cover or a lid is generally not provided. Often there is a need for ladies to cover their drinks as they are slowly nursed so as to keep them free of undesirable contaminants and prevent miscreants from slipping in undesirable chemicals or sedatives into their drinks.
In recent years, there has been a rapid rise in drug induced date-rapes. If a person has had too much to drink or is on drugs they can not consent to sex and having sex with them is legally rape. There are certain date rape drugs that render the victim unconscious and limit memory. Rohypnol, GHB, ActiveSeX, Roofies, Ruffles, Roche, R-2, Rib and Rope are all names describing a date rape drug. These drugs are odorless and tasteless and difficult to detect when in drinks or mixed with other drugs. Date rape is the most common form of rape (78%) with 1 in 4 girls expected to fall victim to rape or attempted rape before they reach 25. Although girls are more often victims of rape, guys are not safe—they can be raped too.
What is needed is a barrier or a cover that prevents the drink from getting compromised as the victim looks away, is distracted, or takes a phone call. Furthermore, what is needed is that cover be decorative, having an ostentatious appeal, and further may have an inscription, or a pithy adage, famous quote, or the mascot of sports team, transcribed on the cover. What is needed is a type of beverage cover that can be easily carried in a ladies' purse and used readily and for covering any type of beverage container so that no matter the setting the universal cover can be pulled out and used to cover the beverage container. What is needed is a beverage cover that allows for the drink to be sipped with a straw without the need for removing the cover.
The design of the universal beverage cover functional and decorative and as such appealing to taste of women. Furthermore, the beverage cover may include team logos, inspirational quotes, or other transcriptions that further enhance their utility and appeal. Additional details are put forth in the next sections.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objects of the InventionIt is an object of this invention to provide a universal cover that can be used to cover all types of beverage containers regardless of their shapes and size. The invention is particularly targeted for non-disposable beverage containers, such as beer mugs and wine and juice glasses, or soda cups used inside a restaurant or a bar. Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification and drawings.
Summary of the InventionThe present invention is directed to embodiments of the universal beverage cover shown in
By the present invention, a beverage container cover is disclosed and taught whereby the brim of the container is covered by universal cover provided that is held in place by a multiplicity of decorative weights that keep it stretched so as to prevent the cover from falling into the container. Moreover, the weights also help create a tight seal with the brim of the container so as to help maintain the temperature of the beverage in the container by preventing heat exchange through convection. The type of material utilized for making the container further prevents other types of heat exchange through radiation or conduction and therefore maintains the beverage at a desired temperature for longer periods of time. An embodiment of the invention encloses the material in close contact with the container surface through stretchable bands and maintains temperature by creating an insulation layer.
Preferably the shape of the universal cover component is a square since it allows for the decorative weights to be tied to the four corners of a square. However, other shapes are possible as well. Covers can take the shape of a star, a circle, pentagon, a hexagon, or even an arbitrarily shaped mascot. Hooks are provided along the periphery of the cover where the stabilizing weights are detachably or permanently attached. These weights are distributed approximately uniformly along the boundary of the cover so that when the cover is placed on the beverage container the cover will not get pulled to a particular side.
Another object of the invention is to allow the beverage to be sipped without the need to remove the cover. Therefore a central opening is provided in the cover wherein a straw or another sipping device may be inserted to facilitate the consumption of the beverage without the need to remove the cover. The opening can further include gripping tabs to prevent the straw from moving around in the opening. It is preferable that the straw grippers not be too tight since inserting the straw would otherwise cause the stabilizing weights to move and the cover to get undulated.
The universal beverage cover can also include inscriptions including text and graphical logos, or other pithy sayings which can serve as a conversation starters or help in marketing a product or an idea. It is an object of the invention to enable dangling weights to also be in the shape of a mascot or similar shapes used for conveying a marketing theme, such as helmet bearing a logo of a sports team. Hanging weights design to be detachable and decorative, or designed to match the decor of an occasion or dress. Logos and inscriptions may also be placed upon the cover itself. Further, the shape of the cover can be made to represent an article, a symbol or a trademark.
The universality of the beverage cover and its decorative and marketing aspects makes it a unique object that individuals may own and carry with them to benefit from the protection of the beverage as well as to communicate their position or endorsement. Therefore, a carrying case is integral to the invention since there are somewhat delicate parts and fasteners involved in its construction that would have a tendency of getting entangled when the universal beverage cover is placed in a bag or a purse for example. The carrying pouch matches with the decorative aspects of the beverage cover and includes a drawstring type closing mechanism with the string running through the neck of the pouch.
The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relation of one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and the apparatus embodying features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts that are adapted to affect such steps, all is exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:
- Cover 20
- Hanger Hoop 22
- Weight 24
- Decorative Weight 28
- Straw Hole 30
- Straw Gripper 32
- Logo or Decorative Design 40
- Carry Pouch 50
- Draw String 52
- Universal Container Cover 100
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It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, because certain changes may be made in carrying out the above method and in the construction(s) set forth without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between.
Claims
1. A universal cover for a container comprising:
- a covering component having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a boundary wherein the lower surface is adapted for placement over a mouth of the container, and the upper and the lower surface connect to each other at the boundary;
- a plurality of symmetrically placed hoops along the boundary such that a distance measured along the boundary between any hoop and its neighbors is substantially equal;
- a plurality of weight components with each weight component having a weight measure wherein the weight measure for each of the plurality of weights is substantially equal, where each of the weight component further includes a hook adapted for insertion into the any of the plurality of hoops.
2. A universal cover of claim 1 wherein the covering component has a shape where the shape is that of a square having four vertexes and four hoops where placement of each of the hoops coincides with each of the vertex.
3. A universal cover of claim 1 wherein the covering component has a shape selected from a group consisting of a star, a circle, pentagon, a hexagon, or an arbitrarily shaped mascot.
4. A universal cover of claim 1 wherein the plurality of weights are detachably attached to the plurality of hoops.
5. A universal cover of claim 1 further comprising
- a message, including but not limited to a text or an image, inscribed on the upper surface of the covering component.
6. A universal cover of claim 1 wherein the covering component includes an opening adapted to allow an insertion of a straw or another sipping device to pass therethrough.
7. A universal cover of claim 6 wherein the opening further includes gripping tabs adapted to prevent the straw or another sipping device from moving around in the opening.
8. A universal cover of claim 1 where the covering component is selected from a group consisting of fabric, faux leather, and vinyl.
9. A universal cover of claim 1 where the plurality of weight components are made with plastic gem weights, crystal beads and metallic beads.
10. A universal cover of claim 9 where the plurality of weight components use hard acrylic type plastic beads.
11. A universal cover of claim 9 where the plurality of weight components are replaced by stretchable bands.
12. A pouch adapted to accommodate a universal beverage cover of claim 1 comprising
- an upper surface bounded by upper surface edges wherein the upper surface edges contains an upper edge opening;
- a lower surface bounded by lower surface edges wherein the lower surface edges contains an lower edge opening; and wherein
- the upper surface and the lower surface are fixedly attached to each other along the upper surface edges and the lower surface edges except no attachment exists between the upper surface and the lower surface along the upper edge opening and the lower edge opening.
13. A pouch of claim 12 further comprising
- an upper surface conduit included within the upper surface;
- a lower surface conduit included within the lower surface; and
- a drawstring passing through the upper surface conduit and through the lower surface conduit.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 28, 2019
Publication Date: Sep 5, 2019
Inventors: ROSALYN SMITH-PHILLIPS (BELLEVILLE, IL), AREATHA R. POLK (LOGANVILLE, GA)
Application Number: 16/288,103