Toddler cup with angled partition

An improved spill-proof cup, such as a “sippy cup.” The sippy cup has an internal partition that is angled toward the mouth of the sippy cup to decrease the amount of tilt required to dispense the entirety of the liquid from the sippy cup, thus improving comfort for the infant using the sippy cup while also teaching good drinking habits that can be applied to an adult type cup.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention provides an improved spill-proof cup, commonly referred to as a “sippy cup.” More particularly, the present invention provides a sippy cup having an internal partition that is angled toward the mouth of the sippy cup to decrease the amount of tilt required to dispense the entirety of the liquid from the sippy cup.

2. Description of the Related Art

Sippy cups are used to help transition babies from bottles to regular cups. Typically, the biggest challenge in transitioning babies to regular cups is teaching them to not dump the fluid all over themselves by tipping the cup as far back as the bottle, to which they have come accustomed, to empty the cup.

Sippy cups usually come in two varieties, a cup with lid and spout (sippy cup) to drink while tilted towards the mouth, or a cup with lid and straw to drink by sucking through the straw. One problem with the straw cup is it does not train the baby's motor skill habits to handle a regular cup. On the other hand, with the lid and spout sippy cup, the baby will usually tip the cup almost completely upside down and thus need to tip his or her head back to finish the fluid. This creates discomfort for the baby, and also provides no training for transition to using regular adult type cups.

Accordingly, a need exists for an improved sippy cup.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-10illustrate an example of a sippy cup100according to an embodiment of the present invention. As with conventional sippy cups, the sippy cup100includes a cup102and a cap104. The cup102and cap104can be made of any suitable non-toxic, shatter-resistant material such as plastic, polycarbonate, polypropylene or the like, which can be clear, transparent or have any desired coloring.

The cap104can be snap-fit, screwed on, or removably coupled to the cup102over the top opening105in the cup102in any suitable manner. The cap104typically includes a mouthpiece106having one or more openings108therein which communicate with the interior chamber110of the cup102. The cap104can further include one or more openings112therein which are in communication with the chamber110and allow, for example, air to enter the chamber110as fluid flows out of the openings108, thus facilitating the flow of the fluid through the openings108. As can be understood, the fluid can be any type of liquid that is typically consumed by a baby or infant, such as formula, milk, water, juice and so on. As further shown, the cap104can include handles114to assist in the removal of the cap104or to assist with handling of the sippy cup100.

As shown in more detail in, for example,FIGS. 5,6and9, the cup102further includes an angled partition116can be made, for example, of the same material as the cup102. The angled partition116can be formed (e.g., molded) integral with the cup102, or can be removably installed in the cup102. The angled partition116has one end116-1that is integral with or connected to an inner bottom surface of the cup102and another end116-2that integral with or connected to an inner surface of the side wall of the cup102and is proximate to the top surface124of the cup102. In either event, the angled partition116divides the chamber110into a fluid housing chamber118and one or more isolated chambers120. The angled partition116can have, for example, one or more supports122as shown inFIG. 9which provides added rigidity to the partition116and, along with the inner surface of the wall of the cup102, define the isolated chambers120. The isolated chambers120can be enclosed within the wall of the cup102, or alternative can be open to the environment outside of the cup102. For example, the bottom of the cup102below the isolated chambers120can be open so that the isolated chambers120vent into the outside environment, while still being isolated from the fluid housing chamber118inside the cup102. Also, the isolated chambers120can be solid or substantially solid (e.g., completely or partially filled with the material with which the cup102is made).

Accordingly, when cap104is removed and fluid such as the type described above is placed (e.g., poured, taken from a faucet, etc.) into the chamber110, the fluid is contained in the fluid housing chamber118and does not enter the isolated chamber120. Hence, the isolated chamber120is isolated or substantially isolated from the fluid housing chamber118. The top surface117of the angled partition116can be planar or substantially planar (e.g., flat or substantially flat), or can have any other suitable shape (e.g., a trough or groove-like shape) to facilitate flow of the liquid.

As further shown inFIG. 5, the top surface117of the angled partition116is at an angle θ1with respect to the wall of the cup102, and thus is at an angle θ2with respect to the top surface124of the cup102which defines the opening105in the cup102. The angles θ1and θ2in this example are within any suitable ranges of degrees sufficient to enable the liquid in the fluid housing chamber118to flow along the top surface117of the angled partition116and out of the opening105in the cup102and ultimately out of the openings108in the mouthpiece106without having to tip the cup102upside-down, and more particularly, without having to tip the cup102much if any amount of degrees beyond the horizontal as shown inFIG. 10. For instance, the angle θ1and θ2each be at or about 45 degrees, or within any other suitable range of angles (e.g., θ1can be within at or about 30 degrees to 60 degrees with θ2being at a corresponding angle of at or about 90 degrees minus θ1). As can be appreciated, as the height of the cup102increases with respect to the diameter if the cup, a smaller angle for θ1may be sufficient to achieve the desired flow.

It also be should be noted that the wall of the cup102need not be normal (e.g., at or about 90 degrees) with respect to the top surface124of the cup102, but can be slanted or have curves or recesses for ease of handling or design. For instance, the cup102can have one or more flattened areas126, and the cap104can likewise have one or more flattened areas128, to insure that when the cap104is placed on the cup102, the mouthpiece106is positioned with respect to the angled partition116as shown in the figures so as to maximize the effectiveness of the angled partition116with regard to fluid flow as discussed above. For example, as shown inFIG. 1, the openings108are aligned such that a line passing through the center opening108in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cup passes through a central portion of the partition116when the cap104is coupled to the cup102.

Alternatively, the cup102can be cylindrical or substantially cylindrical, and the cap104can likewise be round or substantially round, in which even the cap104can have an alignment notch therein and the cup102can have an alignment groove therein, or vice-versa, to insure that when the cap104is placed on the cup102, the mouthpiece106is positioned with respect to the angled partition116as shown in the figures so as to maximize the effectiveness of the angled partition116with regard to fluid flow as discussed above. For example, as shown inFIG. 11, the one or more handles114-1(e.g., tabs) can be made present at the top of the cup102(instead of on the cap114as inFIG. 1) and thus one or more corresponding notches115can be in the cap104to insure that when the cap104is placed on the cup102, the mouthpiece106is positioned appropriately with respect to the angled partition116as discussed above. Alternatively, an area by the top surface124of the cup102can include threads, which can engage with threads inside the portion of the cap104that mates with the cup102, such that when the cap104is screwed completely or substantially completely onto the cup102, the mouthpiece is positioned appropriately with respect to the angled partition116as discussed above.

Accordingly, as can be appreciated from the above, when a baby, for example, tips the sippy cup100to drink from the sippy cup100, the surface117of the partition116will facilitate flow of the liquid to the mouthpiece116. Due to the presence of partition116, the sippy cup110can be emptied, or at least substantially emptied, when the sippy cup100is tilted so that the surface117of the partition116is at an angle θ3which can be substantially zero degrees with respect to the horizontal H or any suitable degree with respect to the horizontal H which is sufficient to enable the liquid in the fluid housing chamber118to flow along the top surface117of the angled partition116and out of the opening105in the cup102and ultimately out of the openings108in the mouthpiece106without having to tip the cup102upside-down, and more particularly, without having to tip the cup102much if any amount of degrees beyond the horizontal. Therefore, the baby need not tip the sippy cup100substantially vertical to empty the sippy cup100. Hence, the sippy cup100provides improved comfort for the baby since the baby need not tip his or head as far back as with a typical sippy cup to empty the sippy cup, and also help to teach the baby good drinking habits which can be applied to an adult type cup.

As can further be appreciated from the above, the sippy cup100can include additional features or enhancement that can improve its use. For instance, as shown inFIGS. 12 and 13, the cap104can include larger handles130that that baby can use to better handle the sippy cup100.

While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, the preferred embodiments described above are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.