Abstract:
A system for managing the fluid intake of a person is disclosed. The system consists of multiple containers of various volumes, a common lid configured to incorporate a flow control valve, multiple flow control valves having varying flow rates, a date indicator ring incorporated circumferentially on said containers, a content indicator disposed on said lid, a chiller insert, and an optional slip on handle. The user selects a container based on the fluid needs of a person and a flow control valve based on the drinking ability of the person. The user fills the container with a drinkable fluid, and indicates the nature of the contents with the content indicator and the date of filling with the date indicator ring. The chiller insert allows the user to cool the contents without the possibility of dilution as with standard ice cubes.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a system for managing the fluid intake of a person. The system consists of multiple containers of various volumes, a common lid that fits all of the containers where the lid configured for the attachment of a removable flow control valve, multiple flow control valves having varying flow rates, a date indicator ring incorporated on the containers, a content indicator incorporated on the lid, a chiller insert, and an optional slip on handle. In the system, the user selects a container based on the fluid needs of a person (infant or infirm patient) and selects a flow control valve based on the drinking ability of the person. The user fills the container with a drinkable fluid, and indicates the nature of the contents with the content indicator and the date of filling with the date indicator ring. This allows subsequent identification of the type and age of the contents. The chiller insert allows the user to cool the contents without the possibility of dilution. The system also includes an optional slip on handle which allows the container to be easily held by a person with limited dexterity. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     There are numerous prior art spill proof drinking cups. These cups are designed to be used by very young children who have been weaned from a baby bottle or from breast feeding, but do not yet have the ability to drink from a standard cup without spilling. It is also common for these cups to be used by the infirm: people who have been injured and have reduced dexterity and the elderly with limited dexterity. These cups are often referred to as “sippy cups.” Standard sippy cups are a cup with a lid that has a spout that is designed to be held in the child&#39;s mouth. The spout generally has a small hole to prevent a rapid flow of liquid. This serves two purposes. First it prevents a rapid flow of liquid into the child&#39;s mouth while drinking, but it also prevents excess spilling of the contents of the cup and prevents a mess in the very common event that the child drops or knocks over the sippy cup. Examples of prior art spill proof cups are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,876,772; 3,967,748; 4,135,513; 4,836,404; 4,946,062; 5,050,758; 5,079,013; 5,186,347; 5,339,982; 5,542,670; 5,607,073; 5,706,973; and 5,890,621. 
     Standard sippy cups are not, however, completely spill-proof. It is common for small children, or people with limited dexterity, to knock over the cup or lose their grip and allow the cup to fall. It is also not uncommon for small children to simply turn the cup upside down to see what will happen. With standard sippy cups, liquid will flow from the small drinking hole in the spout. To help minimize these spills a one way hydrophobic diaphragm is often incorporated into the drinking hole. There are a number of prior art patents describing various diaphragms or membranes to prevent inadvertent liquid flow from sippy cups, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,890,620 and 6,568,557. The diaphragm prevents liquid from flowing through the drinking hole without some pressure, and the pressure is provided by the child during drinking. These cups typically include diaphragms with varying sized openings to allow different rates of flow. As the child ages he or she is able to drink with less suction, and larger diaphragms can be used. 
     One problem encountered by parents of small children, or care takers of the infirm, is the need for a variety of different sized cups. As a child ages, he or she is able to drink more liquid. so it is very common for a parent to purchase small cups for infants, and then as the child ages the parent needs to buy cups of increasing capacity. Typically a parent will begin with a 4 oz cup, then move up to a 6 oz cup, and finally an 8 oz cup. Typically each sippy cup comes with its own lid, and it is common for the lids from one size cup to not fit larger cups. Cups from different manufacturers virtually never fit the same lid, and it is often common for different sized cups from the same manufacture to have different sized lids. This means that parents (or other caregivers) are required to buy not only a new larger capacity cup, but also new lids for each cup. There is a need, therefore, for a cup system with varying size cups and a single spill proof lid that fits all sized cups. 
     It is very common for a parent to fill a sippy cup with a liquid for a child to drink and for the child to not finish the drink, and then for the parent to place the sippy cup into the refrigerator to prevent the contents of the cup from spoiling. This is also common in the case of the ill and elderly. It is not uncommon for a parent, or a caregiver, to have multiple sippy cups in the refrigerator at any one time. In those situations it is often difficult to determine when which cup was filled or last used. There is a need, therefore, for a system to indicate when a sippy cup has been filled. Most sippy cups are made from an opaque material, so it is often difficult to determine the contents of the sippy cup without removing the lid, which can cause spilling. There is a need, therefore, for a system to indicate the contents of the sippy cup. 
     The most common contents of a sippy cup are milk or juice, and milk and juice can quickly spoil particularly when it is hot outside. Parents will typically refrigerate the sippy cup after filling it with a drinkable liquid, or will fill it with the cooled liquid just before use. However if a child is outside on a warm day for any length of time there is always the possibility that the milk will become warm and may spoil. It is not uncommon to use ice cubes to cool juice, but the ice will dilute the juice, and it is not uncommon for children to refuse to drink diluted juice. There is the need, therefore, for a device to ensure the continued cooling of the sippy cup contents without the possibility of diluting the contents. 
     Most sippy cups are roughly cylindrical or have a beveled cylindrical or frustoconical shape, with a diameter of approximately three inches. While this is the size of a standard drinking cup and is quite easy for an adult to hold, it is often quite difficult for very small children to hold the standard sippy cup with one hand. It can also be quite difficult for the infirm or those with limited dexterity to hold a cup with one hand. Most children, and many infirm patients, hold the cup with two hands, but often attempt to hold the cup with one hand, causing frequent drops and spills. There are numerous prior art sippy cups with handles, but these handles are often fixedly attached and in only one position. There is the need, therefore for a removably attachable handle that can be attached with the handles extending either upward or downward. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is a system for managing the fluid intake of a person. The invention includes a spill proof cup with an incorporated date indicator ring to show the date that the contents were added to the cup, and with a content indicator to show the nature of the contents. The invention also includes a series of removable and replaceable flow control valves to allow different flow rates. The invention further includes a screw in chiller insert that can be removably attached to the underside of the lid to provide cooling to the contents of the cup. The invention additionally includes a handle that is attachable to the cup. 
     The date indicator ring of the present invention allows the parent or care giver to indicate the day of the week that the cup was filled so that it will be easy to later determine how long the contents have been in the cup. The content indicator will indicate the nature of the contents, whether milk, juice, or other type of drink. The screw in chiller insert provides additional cooling to prevent spoiling of the contents of the cup, without the possibility of dilution. 
     The invention further includes a series of different sized cups with a uniform sized lid, and with multiple, interchangeable flow control valves. The system allows a care giver to use a single system as the child ages and as the child&#39;s drinking capacity and ability increases. With this system the parent can start the child with the smallest sized cup and lowest flow rate flow control valve, and as the child ages and matures and as the child&#39;s drinking capacity increases the parent can move up to a larger sized cup, and as the child&#39;s drinking skills improve the parent can switch to a flow control valve with an increased flow capacity. The system similarly allows the care-taker of an infirm person to manage their fluid intake based on their drinking ability. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of the date and content indicator cup with the date indicator ring. 
         FIG. 2  is a exploded front view showing the main components of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the date indicator ring. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross section view of the date indicator ring. 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the date indicator ring. 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of the lid showing the content indicator. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross section view of the workings of the content indicator. 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the lid showing the collars and the chiller insert attachment. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross section view of the lid showing the flow control assembly inserted into the collars. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross section view of the flow control assembly. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of multiple flow control assemblies with diaphragms having variable flow rates. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross section view of the cup with the chiller insert. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective of the chiller insert. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the handle. 
         FIG. 15  is a front explodes view of the handle and the container. 
         FIG. 16  is a view of the elements of the drink control system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein. It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, and that there may be a variety of other alternate embodiments. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specified structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the varying embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of the date and content indicator cup  10 .  FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing the date and content indicator cup  10  which is comprised of a container  100 , a date indicator ring  200 , a lid  300  with a spout  310 , a flow control assembly  400  that controls the flow of liquids through the spout  310 , an optional chiller insert  600 , and an optional handle  500 . The date indicator ring  200  is a cylindrical ring with the same circumference as the top of the container  100 , and that is attached to the container  100 . The lid  300  is sized to attach to the date indicator ring  200 . In one embodiment the date indicator ring  200  is molded contiguous with the container  100  as a single piece of molded plastic. In an alternate embodiment the date indicator ring  200  is attached to the container  100  by means of standard threading. In this configuration the container  100  includes internal threading  103  on the top inside of the container  100 , and the indicator ring  200  has an extended threaded ring  201  that corresponds to the internal threading  103 , such that the two components screw together in the conventional manner. In this configuration the indicator ring  200  has internal threads  203  on the top inside, and the lid  300  has external threads  302  on the bottom outside such that the two components screw together in the conventional manner. It is within the conception of the invention for the components to be removably attached in any other conventional manner, such as by a tight friction fit or standard bayonet joint. It is also within the conception of the invention for the date indicator ring  200  to be integrally incorporated into the lid  300 , such as by molding. The container  100 , date indicator ring  200  and lid  300  can be made of any appropriate material. Similar spill proof cups are made from polypropylene, or other similarly moldable plastic materials. 
     The container  100  is similar to a typical child&#39;s cup, having a base and cylindrical walls to form a vessel capable of retaining liquids. The container  100  can be a vessel of any volume. The diameter of the top of the container  100  is the same regardless of the content size of the container  100 , so that a uniform lid  300  will fit any sized container  100 . The volume of the container  100  is varied by adjusting the height of the container  100 . In the disclosed invention there are multiple interchangeable containers  100  having different volumes. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention there are three separate interchangeable containers  100  capable of containing four ounces (4 oz), six ounces (6 oz), and eight ounces (8 oz) if liquid. This allows the date and content indicator cup  10  to be used with containers  100  of varying sizes, which allows the invention to be used as the child grows and requires increasing amounts of liquid. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4  &amp;  5 , the date indicator ring  200  consists of a slip ring  210  mounted within a ring holder  220 . The ring holder is an open ring having the same circumference as the top of the container  100 . The ring holder  220  has a circumferential groove  225  that as sized to accommodate the slip ring  210 . The slip ring  210  and the ring holder  220  are made of plastic or other suitable material. The slip ring  210  has a series of small ridges  211 , and the ring holder  220  has a series of corresponding indents  222  such that the slip ring  210  is held into place, but can be moved around the ring holder  220 . The material of the slip ring  210  is flexible enough to allow the slip ring  210  to flex which allows the ridges  211  to slid out of the indents  222 , and then slide back in to “click” the slip ring  210  into place. There are a series of date indicators  205  spaced evenly around the outer circumference of the slip ring  210 . In the preferred embodiment the date indicators  205  are the seven days of the week, abbreviated (M, Tu, W, Th, F, Sa, Su), set out sequentially Monday through Sunday, and spaced evenly around the slip ring  210 . There is an indicator arrow  230  mounted on the ring holder  220  to point at the date indicator  205  by turning the slip ring  210  to align the selected date to the indicator arrow  230  so that the user can note the day that the contents were introduced into the container cup  100 . The indicator arrow  230  can be positioned either above or below the slip ring,  210 . There is a circumferential lip with external threads  201  around the bottom of the date indicator ring  200 . The external threads  201  are configured to attach to the internal threads  103  of the container  100 , so that the date indicator ring  200  can be screwed into place on the container. Both the container  100  and the date indicator ring  200  are made from molded plastic, and the threading creates a water tight seal. In an alternate embodiment the date indicator ring  200  can be molded to, or permanently attached by other means to, the container  100 . 
     There is a content indicator  360  mounted on the top of the lid  300 , as depicted in  FIGS. 6 &amp; 7 . In the preferred embodiment the content indicator  360  includes a slip lever  365  that slides from one position to another. As shown in the cross section view of  FIG. 7 , there is a groove  306  molded into the lid  300 , with an elongated opening  307 , and the slip lever  365  is mounted into the groove  306 . The slip lever  365  is held into place by slide plate  366  that slides into the groove  306 . The slip lever  365  is an extending tab mounted on the slide plate  366 , and the slide plate  366  is held within the groove  306 . The slip lever  365  slides in the elongated opening  307 . In one embodiment there are tabs and detents in the groove  306  to temporarily hold the slip lever  365  in place in various positions within the elongated opening  307 . There are indicator letters  370  to indicate the contents of the container  100 . In the preferred embodiment there is an “M” (to indicate milk) on one side of the content indicator  360 , and a “J” (to indicate juice) on the other side of the indicator  360 . This allows the user to indicate if the contents of the container is milk or juice by sliding the slip lever  365  to one side of the content indicator  360  or the other. In other embodiments the indicator letter can be “M” (for Milk) and “O” (for other). In an alternate embodiment there is a third indicator letter  370  located in the middle of the content indicator  360 . In this embodiment “M” is on one side, “O” is in the middle, and “J” is on the other end. Other letters can be used to indicate contents in different or specialized situations, for example with foreign languages. It is within the conception of the invention to include more possible letters to indicate other possible contents. It is also within the conception of the invention for the content indicator to be a dial, a lever or push buttons. 
     As seen in detail in  FIGS. 6 ,  8  &amp;  9 , the lid  300  has a spout  310  molded as an integral part of the lid  300 , which is formed from a rigid plastic material such as polypropylene or other suitable material. The spout  310  has a passage  315  formed on the underside  350  of the lid  300  that allows liquid to be drawn from the container  100  into the mouth of the toddler drinking from the cup. The lid  300  also has a vent opening  309  spaced away from the spout  310 , through which air can flow into the container  100  to equalize pressures inside and outside the cup assembly  10  so that liquid can be readily drawn from it through the spout  310 . There are a number of apertures  305  in the top of the spout  310  to allow liquid to flow from the passage  315  into the mouth of the child drinking from the cup. In the preferred embodiment there are three small apertures  305 , but it is possible, and within the conception of the invention to have one larger aperture  305 , or have a number of smaller apertures  305  with as few as two and as many as four or more. In the preferred embodiment the spout  310  protrudes up from the top of the lid  300 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 &amp; 9 , so that it provides a mouth piece that is easy for small children to use. But it is possible, and within the conception of the invention, for the spout  310  to be level with the top of the lid  300 , much like the familiar coffee cup lids, and which approximates the configuration of a standard drinking glass so that older children can drink from the cup  10  in much the same manner as if drinking from a standard cup. The lid  300  has an externally threaded lower lip  302  that is configured to be attached to the internal threads  203  or  103  of either the date indicator ring  200  or the container  100 . This allows the lid  300  to be attached either directly to the lid  100 , or in the preferred embodiment, to the date indicator ring  200 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 8 &amp; 9 , the passage  315  on the underside  350  of the lid  300  terminates in a passage collar  340  that receives the flow control assembly  400  that prevents the liquid in the container  100  from flowing out of it through the passage  315  and apertures  305  unless a child is sucking on the spout  310  so as to produce a low pressure region on the outlet side of the passage  315  downstream of the assembly. A vent collar  342  is formed on the inner surface of the lid  300  as an integral part thereof and surrounds the vent opening  309 . The vent collar  342  also receives the flow control assembly  400  as described below. The passage collar  340  and vent collar  32  are cylindrical recesses formed of the same molded material as the lid  300 , and have the same diameter and depth. 
     The flow control assembly  400 , shown in cross section in  FIG. 10  and in perspective view in  FIG. 11 , in the preferred embodiment of this invention is a hydrophobic membrane that is sized to be removably attached to the lid  300  immediately below the vent hole  309  and the passage  315  to cover them and restrict the flow of liquid. As is well known in the art, the hydrophobic membrane allows air to pass through, but prevents the flow of liquid. As a result, there is constant air communication between the exterior and interior of the cup  10  so as to prevent a low pressure region (partial vacuum) from forming in it that would retard or prevent liquid from being drawn from the container  100  through the spout  310 . However, the flow control assembly  400  will prevent liquid in the container  100  from spilling out through the vent opening  309  or through the passage  315  and through the spout  310  should the cup  10  be turned over or otherwise assume a position that causes the liquid to flow toward the openings. 
     In the preferred embodiment the flow control assembly  400  is formed from a single piece of elastomeric material, which facilitates the easy insertion of the flow control assembly  400  into and removal from corresponding passage collar  340  and vent collar  342 . The elastomeric material used is most preferably silicone, but other similar materials may also be used, such as TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), natural rubber, and synthetic rubbers such as isoprene. The flow control assembly  400  is configured to fit snuggly, as shown in  FIG. 9 , within the passage collar  340  and vent collar  324  to create a nearly spill proof cup  10 . The flow control assembly  400  has a first cylindrical stack  410  and a second cylindrical stack  420  that are sized and spaced to be received securely into the passage collar  340  and the vent collar  342 . The first stack  410  and second stack  420  are hollow, with an internal passage  430  to allow the flow of air and liquid, and are the same configuration (height and diameter) except for the size of the diaphragm valve  470  in the top  450  of the stacks. The passage collar  340  and the vent collar  342  are similarly shaped, and the first stack  410  and second stack  420  are shaped to be snugly fit within either the passage collar  340  or the vent collar  342 . In other words, the first and second stacks  410  &amp;  420  are interchangeable within the passage collar  340  and the vent collar  324 . The different sized diaphragms  470  allow the care giver to change the flow rate of the cup  10  by simply reversing the flow control assembly  400 . 
     The size of the diaphragm  470 , which is a slit in the elastomeric material on the top of the protrusions  410  and  420 , will control the flow rate of liquid through the passageway  315  and the drinking rate for the child. As described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,445, a small slit will result in a low flow rate, and as the length of the slit increases the flow rate will increase. A cross slit will increase the flow rate significantly, as will multiple cross slits. As seen in  FIG. 11 , the invention includes at least two flow control valves  400  &amp;  400 A. These multiple flow control valves  400  are identical in every regard except for the size, and hence the flow rate, of the diaphragm valve  470  on the top  450 . The smallest diaphragm  470   a  has the lowest flow rate, and is appropriate for small children who have been recently weaned and have a limited drinking capacity. As the child grows and his or her drinking ability improves, the child can drink at a faster rate, and as a result a diaphragm  470  with a larger slit can be used. The diaphragms  470   a  &amp;  470   b  are paired on the flow control valve  400  so that the next sized diaphragm  470   b  can be easily switched with the smallest diaphragm  470   a . The second flow control valve  400 A has the next two sized diaphragms, an intermediate sized diaphragm  470   c  and the largest diaphragm  470   d . As the child ages it is easy for the parent to switch to the next sized diaphragm  470 . Each sized diaphragm  470  allows sufficient air flow through the vent hole  309  to prevent the build up of pressure in the container  100 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 12 , in at least one embodiment the lid  300  is configured to accommodate a chiller insert  600 . The chiller insert  600 , as shown in  FIG. 13 , is a hollow tube made of plastic or other suitable material and that can accommodate a heat transfer medium, such as chilled or frozen water, or other suitable refrigerant materials, for chilling the liquid contents of the container  100 . (In the technical thermodynamic process the chiller insert  600  absorbs heat from the liquid.) In the preferred embodiment the chiller insert has a threaded portion  630  located on the top of the chiller insert  600 . The threaded portion  630  attaches to a threaded attachment  312  located on the underside  350  of the lid  300 . The threaded attachment  312  is a squat raised bolt molded from the same material as the lid  300 , and in most cases molded in the same process as the lid  300 . As seen in  FIG. 8 , the threaded attachment  312  is offset from the center of the lid  300  so that it does not conflict with the flow control assembly  400  when it is inserted into the collars  340  and  342 . The connection between the threaded portion  630  and the threaded attachment  312  creates an essentially water tight seal, and prevents the liquid in the chiller insert  600  from leaking into the container  100 . In this configuration the chiller insert  600  will extend down and into the container  100  such that it will be placed in the liquid held within the container  100 . This will allow the contents of the container  100  to be cooled, and in those cases where the contents are a perishable liquid such as milk, will allow the contents to remain fresh for an extended length of time. In the preferred embodiment the chiller insert  300  is a hollow tube, and the care giver can fill the chiller insert  600  with water and store it in the freezer to allow the water to freeze. In an alternate embodiment the chiller insert  600  can have a prefilled endothermic material within the chiller insert  600  such as a glycol-water mixture, or other endotherm producing chemicals. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , a handle  500  can be incorporated with the cup  10 . The handle  500  consists of an attachment band  510 , and two hand grips  520  attached to the band  510 . The band  510  is made from an elastomeric material such as rubber or other suitable material with good stretch properties. The band  510  is a loop with a circumference just slightly smaller than the circumference of the container  100  which allows the band  510  to be stretched and attached around the container  100  and remain in place with the natural tension of the band  510 . As is well know when dealing with stretchable rubber bands, the band has a natural circumference and when stretched to a greater degree tension is created. The band  510  has a natural circumference smaller than the circumference of the container. This allows the handle  500  to be easily attached to the container  100  and easily removed, but held in place through the stretched tension of the band  510 . The two hand grips  520  are attached to the band  510  on opposite sides such that they are on opposite sides of the container  100  when the band  510  is in place on the container  100 . The hand grips  520  are made from a hard rubberized material, and in the preferred embodiment are covered with a softer material such as neoprene, to make the grips  520  easy to hold. The hand grips  520  are curved and can have small ridges to allow for easy gripping. The handle  500  is designed so that the two hand grips  520  can be disposed upward, or downward, depending upon the preference of the person holding the cup  10 . In one embodiment the band  510  can be made from a material that can be written on. This will allow the parent or care giver to use multiple cups  10  and with multiple individuals. So, for example, the parent can write the name of one child on one handle  500 , and another child on another handle  500 , and place those on two cups  10 , and then, as described above, denote when liquids were place into each cup  10  and also indicate the type of liquid in the cup 
       FIG. 16  depicts the elements of the system of managing fluid intake through use of the spill proof cup  10 . The fluid intake system consists of three container cups  100  and two flow control valves  400  having four different flow rate diaphragm valves  470 . In the preferred embodiment the three container cups will come in volumes of 4 oz, 6 oz, and 8 oz. This allows the user, typically a parent of other care giver, to adjust the size of the container to the needs of the child or patient, as well as adjust the flow rate through the diaphragm valve  470  to the drinking ability of the user. So, for example, an infant just past the bottle stage (generally at about six months), will only be able to drink a small amount of fluid at any one time, and so will need a smaller sized container  100 . The child just past bottle stage will also have a limited ability to suck from a drinking vessel, and so the flow control valve  400  with the smallest diaphragm valve  470  will be used. As the child grows, he or she will require larger amounts of liquid, and so the parent or caregiver can simply and conveniently switch to a larger sized container cup  100 . This eliminates the need to purchase multiple “sippy cups” and avoids the problem of having multiple cups with multiple lids, most of which do not fit one another. In a similar manner, as the child&#39;s drinking ability improves the parent or caregiver can simply and conveniently adjust the size of the flow control valve  400  to the drinking ability of the child. Finally, when the child is able to drink directly from a cup the lid  300  can be removed and the container  12  can serve as a standard drinking cup. 
     The child drinking cup system contains two flow control valves  400 , with four separate sized diaphragm valves  470 . The diaphragm valve  470  is a slit in the stack top  450 . As is well known, the larger the slit of the diaphragm  470  the greater the amount of flow of a liquid through the valve. Each flow control valve  400  has two paired stacks  410  &amp;  420 , and in each pair there are diaphragm valves  470  of different sizes. With two flow control valves  400  there will be four different diaphragms  470  to allow a child to progress to a greater degree of flow and to allow a child to improve his or her ability to drink liquids. The smallest diaphragm  470   a  will be a small slit that will only allow a small amount of liquid to flow. The first flow control valve  400  will have a beginners, or low flow rate, diaphragm  470   a , and an first intermediate, or medium low flow rate diaphragm  470   b . The second flow control valve  400 A will have a second intermediate, or medium high, flow rate diaphragm  470   c , and an advanced, or high flow rate, diaphragm  470   d . This will allow the parent or care giver to begin the child with a very slow flow rate valve, and then as the child ages, and as the child&#39;s drinking capacity and ability increase, the parent can increase the flow rate of the cup  10 . When the child has grown sufficiently and acquired acceptable drinking skills, the flow control valve  400  can be removed completely. And when the child no longer needs the Sippy cup, the lid  300  can be removed, and because the threads  103  are inside rather than outside the top lip, the container  100  can be used as a standard cup. 
     The present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and attain both the ends and the advantages mentioned, as well as other benefits inherent therein. While the present invention has been depicted, described, and is defined by reference to particular embodiments of the invention, such reference does not imply a limitation to the invention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The depicted and described embodiments of the invention are exemplary only, and are not exhaustive of the scope of the invention. Consequently, the present invention is intended to be limited only be the spirit and scope of the claims, giving full cognizance to equivalents in all respects.