Abstract:
A drinking cup which includes a wall portion which forms a recess for containing liquid and a storage compartment located below the recess. The storage compartment includes a cover which is threaded into a lower portion of the wall. The cover is recessed below the lower surface of the drinking cup and is not visible when installed.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to the field of drinking cups and more particularly, to a drinking cup with a storage compartment.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The prior art related to drinking cups includes a broad range of devices including a large variety of overall configurations, materials of construction, covers and handles. Recent advances in the fields of metal fabrication and plastic fabrication have led to a range of cups having varying degrees of thermal insulating properties. Thermal insulating caps have found use in automobiles where they are typically proportioned for resting in cup holders as well as use at various outdoor activities.  
           [0003]    Despite the various developments in the field of drinking cups, there remains a need for a drinking cup, the structure of which includes a compartment which can be used for the storage of small items such as keys or pills.  
         OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a drinking cup with an integral storage compartment  
           [0005]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a drinking cup with a storage compartment which is hidden from view during normal use.  
           [0006]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a drinking cup with a storage compartment which is capable of storing keys, pills or other small objects.  
           [0007]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a drinking cup with a storage compartment which includes a relatively small number of component parts which can be manufactured economically in volume resulting is a relatively low unit cost  
           [0008]    Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer hereinafter.  
           [0009]    In accordance with the present invention there is provided a drinking cup with a storage compartment which includes a wall portion which forms a recess for storage of liquids. A storage compartment is formed by the wall below the recess. The storage compartment includes a threaded portion and a threaded cover which closes the storage compartment. The threaded cover, when closed, is recessed below the lower surface of the wall portion and the storage compartment is thus completely hidden from view during the normal use of the cap.  
           [0010]    In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the cover of the storage compartment has an internally threaded portion which engages an externally threaded portion formed on the lower portion of the drinking cup. The outer contour of the cover closely matches the outer contour of the drinking cup so that when the cover is installed the presence of the cover is difficult to notice. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a drinking cup with a storage compartment made according to the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a top view of the drinking cup of FIG. 1;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a side view of the drinking cup of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the drinking cup of FIG. 1,  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  5 - 5  of FIG. 1;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the drinking cup of FIG. 1;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a top view of the drinking cup of FIG. 6;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a side view of the drinking cup of FIG. 6;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 is a bottom view o the drinking cup of FIG. 6; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line  10 - 10  of FIG. 6. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]    With reference to the drawings, in which like reference numbers designate like or corresponding parts throughout, there is shown in FIG. 1 a drinking cup with a storage compartment, generally designated by reference number  10 , made in accordance with the present invention, which includes a body member  12  and an optional cap member  14  which is shown in broken lines.  
         [0023]    The body member  12  is formed by a generally cylindrical wall portion  16  which forms a cup-shaped recess  18 . The outer surface  20  of the wall portion  16  has a pair of generally convex portions  22 ,  24  which are separated by a centrally located generally concave portion  26   
         [0024]    The concave portion  26  includes a thin band of elastomeric material  28 , the surface  30  of which aids a user in grasping the cup  10 . The wall portion  16  includes a lip  32  which engages the optional cap member  14  which has been shown in broken lines in FIG. 1.  
         [0025]    As is best shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and  5 , the recess  18  is defined by the wall surface  34  and a bottom portion  36 .  
         [0026]    A storage compartment  38 , which forms a key feature of the present invention, is located directly below the bottom portion  36 . The storage compartment  38  is defined by a wall portion  40  which may be generally cylindrical in configuration as is shown in FIG. 5 and a top portion  42 . The lower portion  44  of the storage compartment  38  has a threaded portion  46   
         [0027]    A threaded cover  48  includes a threaded portion  50  which engages the threaded portion  46  of the storage compartment  38  and removably closes the storage compartment  38 . As is shown in FIG. 5, the cover  48  abuts the shoulder portion  52  which is formed in the wall portion  16  and enables the cover  48  to form a tight closure The cover  48  includes an integrally formed bar  54  which extends across the diameter of the cover  48  thereby enabling a user to easily open and close the cover  48  The storage compartment  38  and the cover  48  are proportioned to ensure that the cover  48  is recessed below the lower surface  56  of the wall portion  16 .  
         [0028]    During use, the cover  48  of the storage compartment  38  is recessed below the lower surface of the drinking cup  10  and is thus completely hidden from view. Only by inverting the drinking cup  10  is the storage compartment  38  brought into view. The storage compartment  38  can thus be used for the convenient storage of keys, jewelry, pills or other small items.  
         [0029]    In an alternative embodiment of the invention  100 , which is shown in FIGS.  6 - 10 , the drinking cup  102  includes a recess portion  104  which is formed by the wall portion  106  and the bottom portion  108 .  
         [0030]    The outer surface  110  of the drinking cup  100  is similar to the outer surface  20  of the drinking cup  10  which has been previously described and includes a pair of generally convex portions  112 ,  114 , a concave portion  116  and an elastomeric band  118 . The lower portion  120  of the outer surface  110  has a threaded portion  122  onto which a bottom cover  124  is threaded.  
         [0031]    The outer surface  126  of the bottom cover  124  closely matches the outer contour of the drinking cup  102  thereby forming the appearance of a single continuous surface.  
         [0032]    The bottom cover  124  is proportioned to about the step portion  128  formed in the wall portion  106 , leaving a slight space  130  between the bottom  132  of the wall portion  106  and the inner surface  134  of the bottom cover  124 . This construction allows the bottom cover  124  to tightly abut the step portion  128  leaving visible only a thin line  136  which is the boundary between the outer surface  110  of the wall portion  106  of the cup  100  and the bottom cover  124 .  
         [0033]    The bottom surface  138  of the bottom cover  124  includes a thin elastomeric layer  140  which provides a slip resistant surface.  
         [0034]    The bottom cover  124  thus closes the storage compartment  142  which is formed by the bottom portion  108  and the lower portion  144  of the wall portion  106 .  
         [0035]    The drinking cups  10 ,  100 , according to the present invention, may be manufactured of a range of moldable plastic or metal materials While the walls of the drinking cups have been shown as being solid, the walls, alternatively, may be hollow or filled with foam material to impart increased thermal insulating properties. Likewise, the outer surface of the drinking cup  10 ,  100  may be modified in a known manner as desired to include non-cylindrical configurations or the addition of handles as desired while still providing the storage compartments  38 ,  142  of the present invention.  
         [0036]    The foregoing specific embodiments of the present invention as set forth in the specification herein are for illustrative purposes only. Various deviations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention without departing from the main theme thereof.