Patent ID: 7581640
Filing Date: 2009-09-01
Classification: A47G

Abstract:
1. A beverage cup comprising: a. a generally cylindrical body, the body comprising a top side, a base, an exterior surface and an interior surface, the top side comprising an opening and a rim, the rim comprising threads and being capable of receiving a lid, the base of the cup body comprising a molded stability rim; b. a lid, the lid comprising an outer side, an inner side, a raised outer circumference and a housing, the inner side being threaded and capable of firmly engaging the top side of the cup body, the raised outer circumference being raised above the level of the outer side of the lid in a non-contiguous fashion, the raised outer circumference comprising a gap, the raised outer circumference further comprising a horizontal slit that opens into the housing, the outer side of the lid comprising a window, the outer side of the lid further comprising a relieved area, the relieved area comprising a first end, a second end and two sides, the first end terminating in the gap of the raised circumference, the second end comprising a drinking port opposite to the position of the gap in the raised outer circumference, the drinking port comprising an opening from the inner side to the outer side of the lid of a size and shape appropriate for the passage of a beverage, each side of the relieved area comprising a press-fit hinge relief groove, the two grooves being opposite each other; c. a counter means capable of fitting within the lid's housing, the counter means comprising a disc, a retaining means and a click-in-place means, the disc comprising a serrated outer circumference and a center, the disc being capable of fitting into the housing located between the outer side and inner side of the lid with a portion of the outer circumference of the disc protruding through the horizontal slit, the disc further comprising a plurality of printed numbers or symbols printed between the outer circumference and the center in a location where one number or symbol at a time is visible through the window in the outer side of the lid and the other numbers or symbols can be moved into the window by the user as the disc is rotated where it projects through the protrusion, the disc's center comprising a hole, the retaining means comprising a molded male projection fixedly attached to the housing, the projection being capable of extending through the hole in the center of the disc in such a way that the disc can spin freely around the retaining means, the counter means further comprises a click-in-place means capable of preventing the disc from moving without directional pressure on its outer perimeter, the click-in-place means comprising a vertical arm fixedly attached to the housing, the vertical arm being placed in such a way that it protrudes into the serrations of the discs outer perimeter; and d. a hinged plug insert being capable of fully nesting in the relieved area of the outer side of the lid in both an open or closed position, the hinged plug insert comprising an interior end, a center, an exterior end, a top side and a bottom side, the interior end comprising a press-fit hinge and a rounded edge, the press-fit hinge comprising two projections sized to firmly snap into the press-fit hinge relief grooves, the press-fit hinge terminating in the rounded edge allowing the hinged plug insert to rotate axially about the exterior of the lid, the bottom side comprising a rubberized drinking port plug near the exterior end, the drinking port plug being shaped and located in such a way that it mates firmly with the drinking port, the drinking port plug being capable preventing a beverage from passing through the drinking port when mated with the drinking port, the exterior end comprising an arched section and an opening/closing flange, the arched section being shaped to lock onto the raised circumference of the lid and matching the specific arc degree of the gap of the raised circumference, the exterior end terminating in the opening/closing flange.