Patent Publication Number: US-2015076104-A1

Title: Accessory and spill-proof cap for bottled beverage

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to a bottle cap accessory for use with any bottled beverage. 
     Some commercial water bottles come with a flip top, and still need to be tilted to drink therefrom. Also, if the bottle falls down or tips over, it leaks or the contents can spill. There are some standing-straw caps in the market, but they come fitted to an accompanying bottle that needs to be refilled. There is nothing that is simply a retrofitable accessory device that converts any mass-market, commercial bottled beverage into a spill-proof bottle. 
     Other solutions attempt to make drinking out of commercial beverage bottles easier with different types of flip-top or pull-up “sport” style caps that come with a short, straw-like mouthpiece. However, these solutions are similarly unable to meet the needs of the consumer because they do not have an extended straw attachment that inserts into the bottle, and therefore, there is no way to drink the contents of the bottle without tilting your head back. 
     There is a need to provide spill-proofing for children, who may struggle to tip a bottle to drink from it or to handle a smoothie/juice bottle with too large an opening to drink from, therefore causing them to splash themselves or even drop the bottle and spill its contents. 
     There is a need to provide convenience for parents and caregivers, who can buy fresh water/beverages rather than bringing a faulty sippy cup that can spill in the bag or gets warm (and potentially unsafe to drink). It would be desirable to have a device or accessory that can be used on most standard sized beverage bottles in convenience stores. Furthermore, it would also be desirable to have a device/accessory that allows a user to add a straw to any bottle while still protecting the opening from germs and the contents from spilling. 
     There is also a need to provide safety features for adults while driving, since with the SipSmart™ accessory, there&#39;s no need to tip a bottle or fumble with removing a cap. There are a couple of replacement water bottle caps on the market, but one is a flip-top and the other is a pull-up top. Since they only come in one size, the drinker is forced to buy a certain brand of water, which he may not like. Both require the drinker to tilt the bottle or to fumble with the cap adjustments, which means more potential spills, less safety, and doesn&#39;t offer the convenience for drivers or bikers who need to keep their eyes on the road rather than tilting their heads back to drink. The device is also convenient for people exercising (say, someone on a treadmill or biking who wants a quick sip of water) or dressed in business attire, who may be concerned about staining their garments if they spill dark-colored soda or mass-market juice/smoothie on themselves. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention advantageously fills the aforementioned deficiencies by providing, in one example embodiment, a spill-proof bottle cap accessory with an extendable straw attachment that can turn any commercial water, soda, drinking, juice or smoothie bottle into a convenient, anti-spill sipping bottle which provides more convenient drinking for children and adults, as well as a lightweight solution for people on the go, who only need to bring the accessory along, and can purchase their beverages at any shop. It is also handy for airline travelers, especially parents flying with young children, who are restricted from bringing liquid through security clearance. The SipSmart™ cap is structured to allow people to drink without having to tilt their heads back or obstruct their vision with a bottle (especially while driving), and also to provide anti-spill ease for people of all ages. Among other things, it is advantageous to provide a bottle cap with extendable straw attachment that does not suffer from any of the problems or deficiencies associated with prior solutions. 
     In another example embodiment, the spill-proof device provides the convenience of being able to choose your own beverage and turn it into an anti-spill item, thereby providing a functional sipping bottle, which will be useful to everyone from athletes to drivers to travelers to children to parents/caregivers. There&#39;s also no need to tote around heavy bottles of water or liquid, which can spill in people&#39;s bags—an increasing concern now that so many people carry costly smartphones, laptops, tablets and mobile devices with them. Now, people only need to bring a package of SipSmart™ caps, and they can buy their drinks on location, lightening their load, especially for families who have planned a long outing with children. 
     The invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are intended to be read in conjunction with both this summer, the detailed description and any preferred and/or particular embodiments specifically discussed or otherwise disclosed. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and will fully convey the full scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION ON THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of one embodiment of straw cap. 
         FIG. 2  shows the top view of the straw cap. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention in various embodiments described herein is directed to bottle cap accessory with extendable straw attachment that can turn any commercial water, soda, drinking, juice or smoothie bottle into a convenient, anti-spill sipping bottle. 
     In one example embodiment, a bottle cap assembly  5 , as shown in  FIG. 1  generally comprises a universal cap  10  that fits on most commercial beverage bottles along with a straw  15  integrally related to cap  10 . In this example embodiment, straw  15  is disposed through cap  10 . In a related embodiment, straw  15  includes a ring or wide end stop to prevent the straw from being pulled out. 
     In one particular embodiment, cap  10  is shaped in a generally circular shape to mate with a bottle. Although not wanting to be bound by any particular theory, a round cap will be a particularly useful shape to conform with the typical shape of many water and juice bottle openings. Cap  10  may also come in various sized to fit different standard commercial bottle sizes. In a related embodiment, cap  10  also has an outer edge that is a variety of shapes and designs, so long as cap  10  can be placed over and securely fixed to a bottle to prevent leaking and seepage along the bottle and cap  10 . In yet another related embodiment, although not shown, the inner surface of the edge of cap  10  includes a diameter-reducing surface as it approaches the top of sipping part of the straw to accommodate bottles of different openings. 
     Straw  15  is generally cylindrical shaped along the inner lumen of straw  15 . Straw  15  has a first end  20  and a second end  25  directed to the bottom of the bottle. First end  20  allows for a user to draw fluid from the bottle for consumption. Conversely, second end  25  is placed within the inner portion of a bottle. Although straw  15  may also include a variety of lengths and widths, a length that provides for a means of extracting a substantial amount of liquid from the bottle is preferred. In a related embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1 , straw  15  may also include flex portion  30  ridges. Flex portion  30  provides the user with a straw length that can provide greater flexibility to a variety of bottle heights. Although no one material is required, straw  15  should be made of an FDA-approved silicone material that is resilient and can withstand multiple uses. In a related embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , straw  15  is made from a dishwasher-safe material, such as silicone. Straw  15  may also include an anti-spill membrane  35  in the lumen of the straw  15  to provide a further spill-resistant means for the user. 
     While the invention has been described above in terms of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments. Upon reading the teachings of this disclosure, many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and which are intended to be and are covered by both this disclosure and the appended claims. It is indeed intended that the scope of the invention should be determined by proper interpretation and construction of the appended claims and their legal equivalents, as understood by those of skill in the art relying upon disclosure in this specification and the attached drawings.