Interactive cup assembly

A cup assembly is provided. The cup assembly is interactive by providing stimuli when the cup body is pressed by a user. The cup can provide sound emitted from an electronics module in a bottom cap. The cup body can use conductive ink to create a circuit for actuation of the sound.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to infant feeding. More particularly, the present invention relates to a cup.

2. Description of Related Art

Most cups are not interactive at all. They may have graphics on the side and are just vessels for liquids. The spill-proof cups that are interactive only have lights that flash and require a pushbutton to press to make the lights go on. Pushbuttons are difficult to press for a young child.

The cups that are interactive with lights have the batteries and electronics that control the lighting integral to the cup. Batteries that are integrated with the main cup can be a problem. The cup vessel that holds the liquid will often be put into the dishwasher for cleaning or the microwave for heating. The dishwasher heat may degrade battery life and the water can short circuit electronics. The microwave may over-excite the electronics and can make batteries explode.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cup assembly that is interactive providing stimuli to the user.

It is another object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly that makes desired sounds.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a cup assembly where the desired sounds include speech.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are provided by a cup assembly having conductive ink lines that can be bridged or shorted by the touching of a user so that the lines complete a circuit and actuate a sound emitting device. The sound emitted is preferably speech that is an audio stimuli for the infant.

Other and further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be understood by reference to the following:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 through 11, an exemplary embodiment of an interactive cup is shown and generally referred to by reference numeral10. The lid100and valve200allow the cup to be spill proof, while facilitating drinking by an infant. The present invention contemplates the use of various shapes and sizes for the lid100, as well as various valving mechanisms (or no valving mechanism)200. The cup10is an interactive cup that creates s stimuli, preferably a sound, when you touch a point on the graphics50.

The graphics50are made with conductive ink incorporated into the design. The conductive ink provides an electrical circuit that conducts electricity. Various graphics can be used, such as, for example, the graphics shown inFIG. 2a.

Conductive ink lines are printed or otherwise connected to the side of the cup10. Preferably, there are two conductive ink lines. However, the present invention contemplates the use of any number of conductive ink lines, which can be configured to form various circuits. The conductive ink lines, which is two in the exemplary embodiment, run down the side of the cup and to the bottom of the cup to be connected to an electrical circuit board300(or other processing device), which is housed under the cup.

The circuit board300has a sound chip310and a speaker320. The present invention also contemplates the use of other sound emitting or creating devices, including devices that provide speech. The speech can also be a recording of the voice of someone that the infant is familiar with. When a person touches his or her finger to a specific point on the graphics50, the finger bridges or shorts the two conductive ink lines to complete the circuit. By completing the circuit, the circuit board300is activated and the sound chip emits a sound. The conductive ink lines are preferably spaced apart a distance that facilitates the bridging or shorting of the lines, such as, for example, smaller than the average size of the width of an infant's finger. The spacing of the lines can be varied.

The cup assembly10preferably has components: a cup body20, a bottom cap assembly30, the lid200and the silicone valve300(or other such valving mechanism). The bottom cap assembly30has an electronics module40housed therein, with the circuit board300, sound chip310, batteries and speaker320.

The cup body or main cup20is a vessel that holds the liquid. The cup body20also has printing50on the side of the cup that includes the conductive ink lines. As described above, any number of conductive ink lines can be utilized so as to form various configurations with one or more interactive circuits. The conductive ink lines are printed on the side and travel down to the bottom of the cup where they connect to the circuit board300.

The bottom cap assembly10(FIG. 6 through 8) stores the electronics module40and connects the electronics to the conductive ink. There is an on/Off button42on the bottom side of the electronics module40so the user can turn off the electronics when not in use. On the top side, there are a pair of contacts45and46that connect to the two conductive ink lines of the exemplary embodiment, but other numbers of lines and contacts are also contemplated. The bottom cap30is removably connected to the main cup using a bayonet thread22on the bottom of the cup20to mate with posts32on the inside of the bottom cap assembly30. However, the present invention contemplates the use of other connection structures or techniques, such as, for example, snap-fit or threads. The present invention contemplates the bottom cap assembly30being removable or permanently connected. In the exemplary embodiment, the bottom cap assembly30is removable to avoid people putting the electronics into the microwave or dishwasher.

The electronics module40(FIGS. 9 through 11) is a separate module that is secured inside the bottom cap assembly30. The electronics module40stores the circuit board300, speaker320, sound chip320, batteries, electrical contacts45,46, on/off button42and any other electronics components needed for producing the interactive sounds. The electronics module40is preferably made of a non-flammable material, such as, for example, ABS plastic, to prevent problems if, by chance, the user mistakenly puts it in the microwave.

The cup assembly10of the exemplary embodiment creates sound. The cup assembly10uses the graphics50on the side of the cup to actuate the sound emitting device and preferably uses conductive ink to actuate the sound emitting. The removable bottom cap30secures the electronics components in a separate piece away from the main cup vessel. Warning labels are preferably engraved into the plastic of the bottom cap30, and the bottom cap is removable to prevent people from placing it in the microwave or the dishwasher. This is a big advantage to keeping the product safe and long-lasting.

The cup assembly10makes an electrical connection using the conductive ink. The lines of conductive ink are printed in circular patterns57on the bottom of the cup20so they will always make a connection with the electrical contact points45and46on the top surface of the bottom cap assembly30regardless of orientation of the bottom cap. The main cup20and bottom cap assembly30are easily secured and removed with a bayonet22or a thread on the cup and a protrusion32on the inside of the bottom cap assembly.

The present invention contemplates the use of other stimuli and combinations of stimuli to be actuated by the graphics and preferably the conductive ink lines of the cup assembly, such as, for example, lights or vibration with or without the sound emitting device. The present invention also contemplates emitting different stimuli, such as, for example, different sounds or different words or sentences, depending upon the point of the graphics where the user presses. Also, the particular stimuli, such as, for example, words, can be alternated by the stimuli emitting devices, such as, for example, a sound chip that varies the sounds emitted. The speech emitted can be recorded. The electronics module can have recording components that facilitates input and storage of the particular speech to be used as stimuli for the infant.

The present invention having been thus described with particular reference to the preferred forms thereof, it will be obvious that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined herein.