US20040250567A1

US20040250567A1 - Drinking cup

Info

Publication number: US20040250567A1
Application number: US10/445,720
Authority: US
Inventors: Vivienne Jagger; Robin Jagger; William Thorpe
Original assignee: Little People Ltd
Current assignee: Little People Ltd
Priority date: 2003-05-27
Filing date: 2003-05-27
Publication date: 2004-12-16

Abstract

A drinking cup includes a drink chamber defined between a cup element 1 and a body member 3. The body member includes a food compartment 13, having a lid 5. Thus, a user is able to use the cup to carry a drink in the drink chamber and food in the food compartment 13.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a drinking cup.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention aims to provide an new and useful drinking cup, and in particular one which may be used to store both a drink and food.

In general terms, the invention proposes that a drinking cup should include a compartment with a closable lid for storing food.

Specifically, an expression of the invention is a cup device, the cup device comprising:

a drink chamber for holding liquid, the drink chamber communicating with a drinking spout; and

a food compartment for holding food material and having an opening, the food compartment having a lid which is movable while still attached to the rest of the cup device between a closed position in which it blocks the opening, and an open position in which it does not block the opening and the food compartment is accessible.

The invention makes it possible for a user (typically a small child) to store small items of food, such as raisins, in the food compartment, while still accessing drinks stored in the drink chamber.

The drinking spout is preferably closable. For example, it may include a mouthpiece element which can be moved between a first position in which the user can use the mouthpiece element to drink liquid from the drink chamber, and a second position in which the mouthpiece does not pass the liquid. Preferably, in the second position a drinking hole in the mouthpiece is covered, reducing the risk that in use it may become contaminated. Optionally, the mouthpiece may be pivotable between these positions.

The lid is preferably connected to the cup device by connection means which are releasable, so as to permit release the lid from the rest of the cup device, for example so that the food compartment may be more easily cleaned. The connection means preferably connect the lid to the cup device by a pivotal connection. The cup device preferably includes detent means, such as a snap fitting, for releasably maintaining the lid in the position in which it closes the food compartment, so that the food is stored more securely.

The device may comprise an upper portion including the mouthpiece, and a cup member, with the drink chamber defined between them. The upper portion and cup member are connected releasably, so that the drink chamber can be accessed, for example for filling or cleaning. The cup member may have a base at one end.

In this case, the food compartment, is preferably located in the upper portion of the cup device. In any case, it is preferably located above the cup member, when the cup device is resting on its base. The opening of the food compartment may face upwards.

The cup device preferably includes a “freezer stick” element, that is an element having a high specific heat which is separable from the rest of the cup device and can be inserted into a freezer, and then, once reduced to a low temperature, reattached to the cup. Preferably, the freezer stick is attached to the cup extending into, or at least close to, the drink chamber, to chill the contents of the drink chamber, and into, or adjacent to, the food compartment, so as to cool food stored in the food compartment.

The mouthpiece is preferably in communication with a tube extending into the drink chamber, so that a user can suck liquid from the drink chamber through the tube and out of the cup device through the mouthpiece. Due to the tube, drink can be sucked from the cup device when the cup device is substantially vertical. This means that there is reduced risk of the cup device being tipped and thus of the lid of the food compartment falling open.

In this case, the centre of mass of the assembled drinking cup device is preferably disposed oppositely, relative to a central vertical axis of the cup, from the opening of the tube into the drink chamber. Thus, if the cup device overbalances it will tend to fall in the direction such that the opening of the tube is raised. This reduces the risk of liquid within the drink chamber exiting the cup device via the tube, or at least reduces the amount of liquid which will exit the cup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Preferred features of the invention will now be described, for the sake of illustration only, with reference to the following figures in which: [0015]
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the cup device which is an embodiment of the invention; [0016]
FIG. 2, which is composed of FIGS. [0017] 2(a) and 2(b), is two perspective views of a cup device of FIG. 1, in a configuration with the food compartment lid and the mouthpiece both closed;
FIG. 3, which is composed of FIGS. [0018] 3(a) and 3(b), is two perspective views of a cup device of FIG. 1, in a configuration with the food compartment lid and the mouthpiece both open;
FIG. 4, which is composed of FIGS. [0019] 4(a) and 4(b), is a view of the cup device of FIG. 1 in a configuration with the food compartment lid closed and the mouthpiece respectively open and closed;
FIG. 5, which is composed of FIGS. [0020] 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c), is three views of a cup device which is a second embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Referring firstly to FIG. 1, the cup device which is an embodiment of the invention includes an upper section and a [0021] cup member 1. The upper section comprises a body member 3, which can be connected to the cup member 1 defining a drink chamber between them. The body member 3 is pivotally connected to a lid element 5, and a mouthpiece 7. It is releasably connected to a freezer stick 9. The mouthpiece 7 is connected to a tube 11 which extends into the drink chamber. In FIGS. 2 to 4 are illustrated as if the cup member 1 were partially transparent, but the embodiment is not limited in this respect.
The [0022] lid element 5 can be moved pivotally between an closed configuration, shown in FIGS. 2(a), 2(b), 4(a), 4(b), in which the food compartment is closed, and a closed configuration, shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), in which a food compartment 13 can be accessed through an opening which faces upward. The device includes a snap connector which retains the lid element 5 in the closed configuration until a user opens it by operating the lip 19.
The pivotal connection between the [0023] lid element 5 and the body member 3 allows the lid element 5 to be separated from the body member 3, to allow the food compartment 13 to be cleaned. Subsequently, the lid element 5 can be reconnected to the body member 3.
The [0024] mouthpiece 7 has an aperture 15 at its tip, visible in FIGS. 3(b) and 4(a). The mouthpiece 7 can be moved pivotally between an closed position, shown in FIGS. 2(a), 2(b) and 4(b), in which the aperture lies against a surface 21 so that drink cannot be extracted through it from the drink chamber, and an open position, shown in FIGS. 3(a), 3(b), and 4(a), in which the mouthpiece 7 is open and drink can be extracted through it from the drink chamber through the aperture 15.
The [0025] freezer stick 9 is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 connected to the body member 3, extending close to the food compartment 13 and extending into the drink chamber. However, the freezer stick 9 can be disconnected from the body member 3 when the body member 3 and cup member 1 are separated. The freezer stick 9 can then be placed into a freezer to cool it. When the freezer stick 9 is put back into the configuration shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, it cools any food stored in the food compartment 13 and any drink in the drink chamber. Considering the vertical central axis 23 shown dashed in FIG. 4(b), and considering the cup device from the direction shown in FIG. 4(b), the centre of mass of the cup device is on the right of the axis 23. This means that, if the cup device overbalances, it is likely to fall in the clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 4(b). This in turn means that the lower end 27 of the straw 11, will tend to rise. This will tend to reduce the amount of liquid which is below the lower end 27 of the straw, thus reducing the amount of liquid which is liable to spill out of the cup device.
Turning now to FIG. 5, a second embodiment of the invention is shown in top view (FIG. 5([0026] a)), cross-sectional view (FIG. 5(b)) and side view (FIG. 5(c)). The embodiment includes a cup member 31, and an upper portion including a snack tray 33, a handle member 35, a cover member 37, and a lid 39. The cover member 37 includes a mouthpiece which is a nozzle 41. The snack tray 33 and cover member 37 can be attached together, defining a food compartment 43 between them, as shown in FIG. 5(b), and entrapping a loop 45 of the handle member 35 between them. The lid 39 is pivotally connected to the cover member 37 (as in the first embodiment), and detent means 49 are provided to retain it in a closed configuration, as shown in FIG. 5, in which it closes an upper opening of the food compartment 43.
A drink chamber [0027] 51 is defined between the cup member 31 and the snack tray 33. As shown in FIG. 5(b), when the cup device is tipped in the clockwise direction, it comes to rest on the two arms 47 of the handle member 35, so that the nozzle 41 is maintained at a certain distance above the surface 53 on which the cup device is supported. This minimises the amount of the drink 55 in the drink chamber 51 which is above the level of the nozzle 41, and thus reduces the risk of liquid being leaking from the drink chamber 51, or at least reduces the amount of liquid which may leak.
Although only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated, many variations are possible within the scope of the invention as will be clear to a skilled reader. For example, the [0028] nozzle 41 of the second embodiment may be replaced in other embodiments by a solid spout directly communicating (rather than via a tube) with the drink chamber, or indeed replaced by any other form of drinking spout conventional in cup devices.

Claims

1. A cup device, the cup device comprising:

2. A cup device according to claim 1 in which the drinking spout includes a mouthpiece element which is movable between a first position in which the user can use the mouthpiece element to drink liquid from the drink chamber, and a second position in which the mouthpiece does not transmit liquid from the drink chamber.

3. A cup device according to claim 2 in which, in the second position a drinking hole in the mouthpiece is covered.

4. A cup device according to claim 2 in which the mouthpiece is in communication with a tube extending into the drink chamber.

5. A cup device according to claim 4 in which the centre of mass of the device is preferably disposed oppositely, relative to a central vertical axis of the cup, from the opening of the tube into the drink chamber.

6. A cup device according to claim 1 which includes detent means for releasably maintaining the lid in the closed position, whereby food is stored more securely in the food compartment.

7. A cup device according to claim 1 in which the lid is releasably connected to the rest of the cup device.

8. A cup device according to claim 1 comprising an upper portion releasably connected to a cup member, the drink chamber being defined between them.

9. A cup device according to claim 1 further comprising a freezer stick element, which is separable from the rest of the cup device for insertion into a freezer, and then, once reduced to a low temperature, reattachable to the rest of the cup device, so as to cool drink stored in the drink chamber and food stored in the food compartment.