FLOW CONTROL ASSEMBLY AND CUP
The present invention provides a flow control assembly for a cup, comprising: a flow regulator located inside the cup, configured to cooperate with an outlet pipe of the cup, wherein the flow regulator is movable relative to the outlet pipe, and water quantity corresponding to the outlet pipe can be adjusted by changing relative position of the flow regulator and the outlet pipe; and a handle connected with the flow regulator, wherein the handle comprises a gripping portion located outside a cover of the cup and a shaft connected at one end with the gripping portion and at the other end with the flow regulator, and wherein the gripping portion is configured to control movement of the flow regulator via the shaft under external force. By providing a handle on the cover, the quantity of water at the water outlet can be easily adjusted without opening the cup body.
The present invention relates to the field of drinking cups, in particular to the field of cups for children use, and more specifically, to a flow control assembly and a cup comprising the flow control assembly.
BACKGROUNDWater cups in daily life can be a plastic cup, a glass cup, a ceramic cup, or a thermos cup made of a special material. Although they have brought us many choices, children generally prefer to use a feeding bottle since it can overcome the shortcoming of children's inadequate control in drinking water, prevent children from being choked during drinking, and avoid rapid flow of hot water during drinking which scalds children.
Most of existing water cups for infants and young children are straw cups. However, such cups have a water outlet with a single diameter and therefore cannot meet the drinking needs of infants and young children of various ages. In particular, for a baby over 12-month old having experienced the transition from breastfeeding to natural drinking, a long time use of straw cups may lead to poor development of his oral teeth. In the other hand, traditional water cups easily cause children to choke because the water flow cannot be controlled.
For example, Chinese patent application CN201822070084.2 discloses a flow control assembly and a cup comprising the flow control assembly, in which the flow control assembly comprises a first assembly comprising a first partition and a first hollow portion, and a second assembly comprising a second partition, wherein the second assembly is connected with the first assembly by a pivot so that the second assembly is rotatable around the pivot, and wherein during rotation of the second assembly around the pivot, the size of the intersection of the second partition and the first hollow portion is variable.
With the flow control assembly provided in the above-mentioned patent application, water flow can be adjusted. However, the operation is not particularly convenient during the water flow adjusting process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a flow control assembly and a cup comprising the flow control assembly, which can solve the technical problem in the prior art that it is inconvenient to adjust the water quantity flowing out of the cup. By providing a handle on the cover of the cup, the water quantity at the outlet of the cup can be easily adjusted without opening the cup body, providing a very convenient operation.
In order to achieve the above objectives, in one aspect, the present invention provides a flow control assembly, comprising: a flow regulator located inside the cup, configured to cooperate with an outlet pipe of the cup, wherein the flow regulator is movable relative to the outlet pipe, and water quantity corresponding to the outlet pipe can be adjusted by changing relative position of the flow regulator and the outlet pipe; and a handle connected with the flow regulator, wherein the handle comprises a gripping portion located outside a cover of the cup and a shaft connected at one end with the gripping portion and at the other end with the flow regulator, and wherein the gripping portion is configured to control movement of the flow regulator via the shaft under external force.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulator comprises a partition fixedly connected with the shaft and configured to cooperate with the outlet pipe, and wherein the partition comprises a through portion and a blocking portion, and during rotation of the partition about the shaft, the cooperation of the through portion and blocking portion with the outlet pipe can be adjusted.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outlet pipe comprises a hollow extension extending from a water outlet of the cup to the inside of the cup, and an end of the hollow extension is engaged with the partition.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the through portion comprises a through hole in the partition and/or a gap in an edge of the partition, and the blocking portion comprises a blocking board in the partition that can block water flow.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the partition comprises a plurality of through holes of different sizes, and each of the through holes can be rotated to a position below an end of the outlet pipe.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulator comprises a partition, wherein the partition is configured to have different radial dimensions in directions perpendicular to the shaft, and wherein an end of the outlet pipe is provided with a deformable hose, the deformation of which can be adjusted by moving the partition along a radial direction of the shaft, so as to adjust the water quantity corresponding to the outlet pipe.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulator comprises a membrane valve located in the outlet pipe, and the membrane valve is configured to cooperate with the shaft, such that the size of an opening of the membrane valve that allows water flow can be adjusted by the shaft.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a side wall of the outlet pipe is provided with an opening, the flow regulator comprises a sealing portion connected with the shaft, and the size of the opening that allows water flow can be controlled by changing relative position of the sealing portion and the opening.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flow regulator is provided with a non-circular through hole, the shaft is provided with an axial extension having a shape corresponding to that of the through hole, and the flow regulator is fixedly connected with the axial extension of the shaft via the through hole.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flow control assembly further comprises an anti-detaching member, wherein the anti-detaching member is engaged with the shaft, and the flow regulator is located between the gripping portion and anti-detaching member.
In another aspect, the present invention further provides a cup, comprising: anyone flow control assembly as provided above; and a cover comprising a water outlet and a member for installing the flow control assembly, wherein the member for installing the flow control assembly comprises a portion for connecting with the shaft.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup further comprises: an indicating member located on the cover, wherein the indicating member is configured to correspond to the position of the handle for indicating water quantity at the water outlet.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an outlet pipe is located below the water outlet and comprises a hollow pipe extending from the water outlet to the inside of the cup, at least part of the hollow pipe is located inside the cover, and water inside the cup is directed to flow through the outlet pipe to the water outlet.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water outlet is surrounded by a curved surface made of a hard material.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a curved sealing portion is formed by surrounding of the curved surface and is configured to contact with the inside of oral cavity, the curved sealing portion is configured as a water flow blocking portion, and water in the cup is directed to flow into the oral cavity only through the water outlet.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup further comprises: a sealing cover for sealing the water outlet in the cover, wherein the sealing cover is provided with a sealing member that is engagable with the water outlet.
Using the above technical solution provided by the present application, by providing a handle on the outer side of the cover, the movement (or rotation) of the handle on the outer side of the cover can be adjusted without opening the cup body, thereby the relative position of the flow regulator and the outlet pipe can be adjusted by the handle via its linkage with the shaft, so as to easily adjust the quantity of water at the water outlet of the cup. Further, the gripping portion of the cup is not in direct contact with drinking water, and thus can be kept clean. Moreover, the flow control assembly itself, and the flow control assembly and the cover of the cup can be assembled simply, and also can be easily disassembled and cleaned.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be explained in the subsequent description, and partly become obvious from the description, or be understood by implementing the technical solutions of the present invention. The objects and other advantages of the present invention can be achieved and obtained through the structures and/or processes specifically pointed out in the description, claims, and drawings.
In the following, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples, so as to understand how the present invention uses technical means to solve technical problems and achieve the technical effect. The implementation process can be fully understood and implemented accordingly. It should be noted that these specific descriptions are only for those skilled in the art to more easily and clearly understand the present invention, rather than a limited interpretation of the present invention; and as long as there is no conflict, the various embodiments of the present invention and the features in the various embodiments can be combined with each other, and the resulting technical solutions are within the scope of the present invention.
It should be understood that, although terms first, second, and the like may be used to describe components in the embodiments of the present invention, these components should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish components from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present invention, “first” may also be referred to as “second”, and similarly, “second” may also be referred to as “first”, such as first protrusion and second protrusion, first handle and second handle. It is similar for the limitations to other components. The components restricted by these different limitations can be configured to have the same structure or different structures according to actual requirements in the embodiments.
The technical solutions of the present invention are described in detail below through the drawings and specific embodiments.
As shown in
A cover 170 comprising a water outlet 174 and a member for installing the flow control assembly is also provided. The member for installing the flow control assembly comprises a portion for connecting with a shaft, which facilitates the assembling of the flow control assembly with the cover 170.
In a preferred embodiment of the present application, the flow control assembly is detachably assembled with the cover 170, and the cover 170 and the main body 110 of the water cup are generally fitted with threads or snaps. In this way, after opening the cover 170, the flow control assembly can be easily taken out for cleaning. It is obvious that this application is not limited to this embodiment.
As shown in
In a preferred implementation of this embodiment, a curved sealing portion is formed by surrounding of the curved surface 176 an is in contact with the inside of the oral cavity, and the curved sealing portion is configured as a water flow blocking portion, and the water in the cup flows into the oral cavity only through the water outlet. In this way, a fully surrounding “duckbill shape” is formed, which, compared with the prior art where only a part of the curved surface is formed as a “duckbill shape”, can prevent the water from being splashed to the un-surrounded portion when the water flows out of the cup. It can also make it easier for children to touch the curved surface with their upper forehead, which provides a better transition from the straw-type water cup, and promotes the perception of the upper forehead, which is more helpful for children's development.
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The following is a further explanation of the flow control assembly in conjunction with the following examples.
EXAMPLE 1As shown in
A first handle 140 connected with the flow regulator is provided. One end of the first handle 140 is provided with a gripping portion 146. The first handle 140 further comprises a shaft connected with the gripping portion. The shaft comprises an end portion 142, an engaging portion 143, a first protrusion 144, a cylindrical portion 148, and a second protrusion 149 as mentioned below. The gripping portion 146 is located outside the cover 170 of the cup, the flow regulator (for example, the partition mentioned below) is located inside the cup, and the shaft is connected with the flow regulator. The gripping portion 146 receives the action of external force, and through the shaft, controls the movement of the flow regulator. The first handle 140 mentioned in this example is not limited to have a “hand” shape, but can be provided with a structure that allows it to be more easily grasped by a hand. For example, the gripping portion 146 can be provided as a protrusion extending upward from a plane, so that the hand can easily grasp the protrusion and controls movement of the first handle 140, such as the rotation mentioned in this example. Other embodiments can also be configured to facilitate up-down movement.
In this way, during the process of the gripping portion 146 being rotated or pushed down, the force can be transmitted to the flow regulator connected to the shaft, such that the flow regulator can adjust the quantity of water allowed to flow through the outlet pipe, so as to adjust the water quantity corresponding to the outlet pipe.
As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
With the above structure, water in the cup flows to the water outlet only through the outlet pipe, so that water will not flow out directly from the handle that adjusts water flow, so as to avoid water from contacting with the gripping portion that is touched by the hand and keep the water clean. Further, water will not flow to the gripping portion of the handle during drinking.
In a preferred implementation of this example, the outlet pipe comprises a hollow extension extending from the water outlet 174 to the inside of the cup (for example, the hollow cylinder located below the water outlet 174 in
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Using the above technical solution provided by this example, by providing a handle on the outer side of the cover, the movement (or rotation) of the handle on the outer side of the cover can be adjusted without opening the cup body, thereby the relative position of the flow regulator and the outlet pipe can be adjusted by the handle via its linkage with the shaft, so as to easily adjust the quantity of water at the water outlet of the cup. Further, the gripping portion in the flow regulator is not in direct contact with drinking water, and thus can be kept clean. Moreover, the flow control assembly itself, and the flow control assembly and the cover of the cup can be assembled simply, and also can be easily disassembled and cleaned.
EXAMPLE 2In this example, the way to adjust water quantity by the flow control assembly is different from that in Example 1. The structures of the other parts of the cup may be the same and the details are not repeated here.
As shown in
An elastic member (such as a spring) 254 is provided below the membrane valve to allow the membrane valve 252 to keep open and facilitate the flow of water. However, by pressing down a second handle 240, the membrane valve 252 is sealed by the annular engaging member 242 (the solid black portion in
In this example, the way to adjust water quantity by the flow control assembly is different from that in Example 1. The structures of the other parts of the cup may be the same and the details are not repeated here.
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In this example, the way to adjust water quantity by the flow control assembly is different from that in Example 1. The structures of the other parts of the cup may be the same and the details are not repeated here.
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It is obvious that this example can also be configured to have a plurality of different deformable hoses respectively connected to the outlet pipe below the water outlet 174, in which whether it is allowed to supply water to the outlet pipe or the amount of water that it is allowed to supply can be respectively controlled for each deformable hose, thereby adjusting the water quantity at the water outlet 174 of the cup.
It should be noted that the various methods mentioned in the present application for adjusting water quantity can also be combined with each other to form more methods, and these new combinations also fall within the scope of the present application.
Finally, it should be noted that the above description only discloses the best embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any form. Any person skilled in the art can make many possible changes and simple replacements to the technical solution of the present invention using the methods and technical solution disclosed above without departing from the scope of the present invention, which fall in the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A flow control assembly for a cup, comprising:
- a flow regulator located inside the cup, configured to cooperate with an outlet pipe of the cup, wherein the flow regulator is movable relative to the outlet pipe, and water quantity corresponding to the outlet pipe can be adjusted by changing relative position of the flow regulator and the outlet pipe; and
- a handle connected with the flow regulator, wherein the handle comprises a gripping portion located outside a cover of the cup and a shaft connected at one end with the gripping portion and at the other end with the flow regulator, and wherein the gripping portion is configured to control movement of the flow regulator via the shaft under external force.
2. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a partition fixedly connected with the shaft and configured to cooperate with the outlet pipe, and wherein the partition comprises a through portion and a blocking portion, and during rotation of the partition about the shaft, the cooperation of the through portion and blocking portion with the outlet pipe can be adjusted.
3. The flow control assembly of claim 2, wherein the outlet pipe comprises a hollow extension extending from a water outlet of the cup to the inside of the cup, and an end of the hollow extension is engaged with the partition.
4. The flow control assembly of claim 2, wherein the through portion comprises a through hole in the partition and/or a gap in an edge of the partition, and the blocking portion comprises a blocking board in the partition that can block water flow.
5. The flow control assembly of claim 4, wherein the partition comprises a plurality of through holes of different sizes, and each of the through holes can be rotated to a position below an end of the outlet pipe.
6. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a partition, wherein the partition is configured to have different radial dimensions in directions perpendicular to the shaft, and wherein an end of the outlet pipe is provided with a deformable hose, the deformation of which can be adjusted by moving the partition along a radial direction of the shaft, so as to adjust the water quantity corresponding to the outlet pipe.
7. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein the flow regulator comprises a membrane valve located in the outlet pipe, and the membrane valve is configured to cooperate with the shaft, such that the size of an opening of the membrane valve that allows water flow can be adjusted by the shaft.
8. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein a side wall of the outlet pipe is provided with an opening, the flow regulator comprises a sealing portion connected with the shaft, and the size of the opening that allows water flow can be controlled by changing relative position of the sealing portion and the opening.
9. The flow control assembly of claim 1, wherein the flow regulator is provided with a non-circular through hole, the shaft is provided with an axial extension having a shape corresponding to that of the through hole, and the flow regulator is fixedly connected with the axial extension of the shaft via the through hole.
10. The flow control assembly of claim 1, further comprising an anti-detaching member, wherein the anti-detaching member is engaged with the shaft, and the flow regulator is located between the gripping portion and anti-detaching member.
11. A cup, comprising:
- the flow control assembly of claim 1; and
- a cover comprising a water outlet and a member for installing the flow control assembly, wherein the member for installing the flow control assembly comprises a portion for connecting with the shaft.
12. The cup of claim 11, further comprising: an indicating member located on the cover, wherein the indicating member is configured to correspond to the position of the handle for indicating water quantity at the water outlet.
13. The cup of claim 11, wherein an outlet pipe is located below the water outlet and comprises a hollow pipe extending from the water outlet to the inside of the cup, at least part of the hollow pipe is located inside the cover, and water inside the cup is directed to flow through the outlet pipe to the water outlet.
14. The cup of claim 11, wherein the water outlet is surrounded by a curved surface made of a hard material.
15. The cup of claim 14, wherein a curved sealing portion is formed by surrounding of the curved surface and is configured to contact with the inside of oral cavity, the curved sealing portion is configured as a water flow blocking portion, and water in the cup is directed to flow into the oral cavity only through the water outlet.
16. The cup of claim 14, further comprising: a sealing cover for sealing the water outlet in the cover, wherein the sealing cover is provided with a sealing member that is engagable with the water outlet.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 21, 2021
Publication Date: Jul 22, 2021
Inventor: Zhifeng LIAO (Guangzhou)
Application Number: 17/154,586