A children's drinking vessel for mounting on a fixed member in a vehicle and including a container to which a flexible drinking straw is disconnectably mounted thereon, the drinking straw being stored in a non-use position in encircling relation around the container and being movable to an extended position relative to the container, wherein the outer end of the straw is free for being received in the mouth of a child user, the container being prevented from tipping as mounted on the fixed member in the vehicle, while the child user drinks the fluid in the container through the extended drinking straw.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a children's drinking vessel that is 
primarily for use in a vehicle, so that a child user may drink liquid 
contents from the vessel through a flexible straw without the vessel being 
tipped and spilling liquid contained in the vessel during movement of the 
vehicle. 
The drinking of liquids from a cup or container by children in a moving 
vehicle has always been somewhat of a hazard, since children have a 
tendency to spill the contents of the container while the vehicle is in 
motion, and on occasion when the vehicle encounters bumps or ruts in the 
road over which the vehicle is traveling, the tendency for spilling the 
contents of the liquid as held by the child riding in the vehicle 
increases. Some attempts have been made to solve the problem by providing 
the container with a cap or a lid through which a straw is inserted. 
Having a cap or lid on a container does tend to reduce the tendency to 
spill the liquid therefrom, although tipping of the container or actually 
dropping it on the floor of the vehicle still occurs due to the very 
nature of the manner in which young chidren handle cups and containers in 
moving vehicles. 
Some efforts have also been made to provide special kinds of containers 
having permanent straws inserted therein, although such articles have 
never actually solved the problem that is inherent in the handling of a 
container by a child in a moving vehicle. Other kinds of special 
containers have also been used for aiding in drinking therefrom, but have 
not found favor in the trade. The most pertinent prior art known to 
applicant and that pertain to the invention embodied herein, are ALLEN 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,132; SCHWARTZ, No. 3,172,561; ROGERS, No. 3,406,868; 
SWEET et al No. 3,445,033; LEEDS, No. 3,558,033; HOMORODEAN, Jr., et al 
No. 3,606,156; WALSH No. 4,252,256; and HOLLOWAY No. 4,428,490. As will be 
evident from a study of these patents, none of the disclosures as 
illustrated therein either show or suggest the concept of avoiding the 
spilling of liquid from a container in a moving vehicle as solved by 
applicant in the subject invention, as will be hereinafter described. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a children's drinking vessel for 
mounting on a fixed member in a vehicle and includes a container on which 
a flexible drinking straw is disconnectably secured and that has an inner 
end that communicates with liquid located within the container. The straw 
is constructed and arranged such that the outer end thereof is free and is 
extendable substantially beyond the container for being received in the 
mouth of a child user. A bracket is fixed to the outersurface of the 
container and is mountable on the fixed member in the vehicle to secure 
the container therein in a substantially rigid upright position. The 
container as mounted is thus prevented from tipping in the vehicle, while 
the child user drinks the liquid in the container through the straw as 
extended. The straw is also movable from the extended position of use to a 
position of non-use, wherein it encircles the container. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a 
children's drinking vessel for mounting on a fixed member in a moving 
vehicle and that includes a flexible straw that is located in encircling 
relation around the container in the position of non-use, and that is 
movable to an extended position for use by a child in drinking the liquid 
from the container. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become 
apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection 
with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to the drawing, and particularly, to FIG. 1, the drinking 
vessel embodied in the present invention is illustrated and is generally 
indicated at 10. The drinking vessel 10 includes a container generally 
indicated at 12 which, as shown more clearly in FIG. 2, includes a bottom 
wall 14, a cylindrical body portion 16 that has an upwardly tapered 
configuration that terminates at the upper end thereof in a lip 18. Joined 
integrally to the inner wall of the body portion 16 of the container 12 is 
a tube 20 in which a passageway 22 is formed, the tube 20 and passageway 
22 as formed therein extending in a generally vertical direction and being 
located in parallel relation with respect to the adjacent wall of the body 
portion 16. The lowermost end of the tube 20 is spaced upwardly with 
respect to the bottom wall 14 of the container 12 which provides for 
communication of the passageway 22 with the interior of the container. The 
uppermost end of the tube 20 extends somewhat above the lip 18, the 
passageway 22 thus extending above the lip 18 and being exposed to provide 
for drinking the liquid from the container or for receiving a drinking 
straw thereon as will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a lid 24 is 
mountable on the uppermost end of the container in snap fitting relation 
over the lip 18 and is formed with an appropriate opening through which 
the upper end of the tube 20 extends. As will be described, the lid 24 
aids in preventing the spilling of the contents of the container 12 when 
the vessel is in a position of use and particularly during movement of the 
vehicle in which the vessel is mounted. 
Since the drinking vessel 10 has particular application for use in a moving 
vehicle, it is desirable to provide for the mounting thereof in a fixed 
position in the vehicle. For this purpose, a bracket handle 26 is 
provided, and has a shape and configuration that enables the bracket to 
fit over the inside portion 28 of a door generally indicated at 30 and 
into which a window 32 extends. Thus, the bracket handle 26 is located 
interiorly of the window 32 and is received in snug fitting relation 
around the upper end of the portion 28 of the door 30, and in engaging 
relation with the interior surface of the window 32. The vessel 10 is thus 
mounted in firm relation on the door of the vehicle in the position of 
use. It is also apparent that the bracket handle 26 may be used as a 
handle to grip the container when it is used apart from the mounted 
position thereof. 
The purpose of the vessel 10 of the subject invention is to enable a child 
user to have access to the liquid contained therein without having to 
actually tilt the vessel for removing the liquid therefrom. For this 
purpose, a flexible straw 34 is provided and is formed with a continuous 
series of bellows-like pleats throughout substantially the length thereof 
that enables the straw to be easily bent to a variety of positions. As 
shown in FIG. 1, the straw 34 includes an inner end 36 that is mounted on 
the upper end 23 of the tube 20 and also includes an outer free end 38 
that in the position of use is extended substantially beyond the confines 
of the container 12. In the position of non-use, the flexibility of the 
straw 34 enables it to be moved into encircling relation around the 
exterior surface of the container 12, the free end 38 being received in a 
clip 40 that is secured to the exterior surface of the body portion 16 of 
the container 12 in vertically spaced relation with respect to the bracket 
26. 
In order to prevent dripping of liquid from the drinking and 38 of the 
straw after use thereof, the outermost or free end 38 of the straw is 
provided with a valve indicated at 42 in FIG. 3. The valve 42 is formed 
with a plurality of slits 44 therein that cause the valve 42 to open in 
response to suction pressure by the user of the vessel to provide for free 
passage of the liquid therethrough. Thus when a child user applies suction 
pressure to the free end of the drinking straw 34, the valve 42 opens to 
permit the passage of fluid therethrough. Upon release of the suction 
pressure, the valve 42 closes to prevent dripping of liquid through the 
free end 38 of the straw 34. 
In use of the device, the vessel 10 is mounted in a fixed position in the 
interior of the vehicle by placing the bracket handle 26 on the inside 
portion 28 of the door 30 and in contact with the window 32. With the 
liquid having aleady been introduced into the interior of the container 
12, the flexible straw 34 is removed from the non-use position illustrated 
in FIG. 2 by withdrawing the free end 38 from the clip 40 and extending 
the straw to the desired location. The lid 24 is also located in place on 
the lip 18 of the container 12 and the child user can then move the straw 
34 to a desired position for withdrawing the liquid from the container 
through the straw. Suction pressure exerted on the free end 38 of the 
straw 34 will cause the liquid to be removed from the container through 
the passageway 22 and the straw 34. As suction pressure is applied to the 
free end of the straw 34, the valve 42 is opened to allow the liquid to 
pass therethrough. When the liquid is depleted from the container or if 
the straw 34 is to move to the non-use position, it is wrapped in 
encircling relation around the outside surface of the body portion 16 of 
the container 12 as illustrated in FIG. 2 and the free end 38 replaced in 
the clip 40. 
It is seen that the drinking vessel of the subject invention provides a 
unique and safe manner of dispensing liquid from a container in a moving 
vehicle, and has paricular application as a children's drinking vessel 
since the construction of the vessel, including the container 12 and 
drinking straw 34, ensures that the container 12 will not be tipped in use 
and that the liquid can be safely withdrawn from the container without 
spilling. 
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure 
embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art 
that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive 
concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein 
shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the 
appended claims.