Patent Publication Number: US-6209737-B1

Title: Cup assembly for bottle with attachment mechanism

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     The present application claims priority from provisional application Ser. No. 60/099,386, filed Sep. 8, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to bottles and, more particularly, to a cup assembly for a bottle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is known to provide a bottle for containing liquids. Typically, the bottle is generally cylindrical with a closed end and an open end. When liquid is poured through the open end into a cup, the liquid may be spilled. Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a cup assembly for a bottle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a cup assembly for a bottle. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a cup assembly which is attached to an open end of a bottle. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cup assembly to be integral with a bottle to prevent spilling of liquid therefrom. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cup assembly which is removably attached to a bottle. 
     To achieve the foregoing object, the present invention is a cup assembly for a bottle. The cup assembly includes a body having a closed end with an aperture extending therethrough and an open end and a wall tapering from the closed end to the open end. The cup assembly includes an attachment mechanism to attach the body to an open end of the bottle to allow a user to drink from the open end of the body while attached to the bottle. 
     One advantage of the present invention is that a cup assembly is provided for a bottle. Another advantage of the present invention is that the cup assembly is integral with the bottle to prevent spilling of liquid therefrom. Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the cup assembly is removably attached to a bottle to allow a user to drink therefrom while attached to the bottle. 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 a perspective exploded view of a cup assembly, according to the present invention, for a bottle. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the cup assembly and bottle of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring to the drawings and in particular FIG. 1, one embodiment of a cup assembly  10 , according to the present invention, is shown for a bottle, generally indicated at  12 . The bottle  12  has a side wall  14  which is generally annular and extends axially. The bottle  12  has a closed end (not shown) at a lower end of the side wall  14  and an open end  18  at an upper end of the side wall  14 . The upper end of the side wall  14  also includes a lip  20  disposed about the open end  18  having a plurality of external threads  21 . It should be appreciated that the bottle  12  is conventional and known in the art. 
     The cup assembly  10  includes a body  22  which is annular and extends axially. The body  22  has a closed end  24  at one end and an open end  26  at the other end. The body  22  tapers from the closed end  24  to the open end  26 . The closed end  24  has a diameter less than the open end  26 . The body  22  is made of a rigid material such as plastic. The closed end has an aperture  28  extending therethrough. 
     The cup assembly  10  also includes an attachment mechanism  30  to attach the body  22  to the bottle  12 . The attachment mechanism  30  may include a wall  32  extending axially and is annular. The wall  32  includes a groove  34  extending annularly and a seal  36  disposed in the groove. The seal  36  is preferably made of an elastomeric material. The wall  32  has a plurality of internal threads  38  for threading the body  22  onto the lip  20 . Alternatively, the wall  32  may include a plurality of fingers (not shown) formed by slots (not shown) extending axially therein. It should be appreciated that the fingers deflect radially. 
     In operation, the cup assembly  10  is attached to the bottle  12  by disposing the attachment mechanism  30  over the open end of the bottle  12 . The body  22  is rotated to allow the threads  38  to engage the threads  21  such that the lip  20  is extended through the aperture  28  in the closed end  24 . The seal  36  contacts the bottle  12  to prevent liquid from passing therethrough. The user then tips the bottle  12  when the open end  26  of the cup assembly  10  is adjacent the user=s lip to allow liquid to pass from the bottle  12  to the body  22 . 
     The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
     Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.