Patent Publication Number: US-10759565-B2

Title: Beverage container

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Taiwanese Invention Patent Application No. 107130268, filed on Aug. 30, 2018. 
     FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to a container, and more particularly to a beverage container. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional beverage container  61  includes a drinking straw  63  that is packaged in a straw wrapper  62  and that is used to perforate through the beverage container  61  for accessing and drinking beverage therein. The straw wrapper  62  is conveniently glued to an outer surface of the beverage container  61 , thereby alleviating a need to seek out the drinking straw  63  when needed for accessing and drinking the beverage. However, the straw wrapper  62  is undesirable as it contributes to natural resource consumption (such as plastic or paper), and becomes garbage after use. Although the beverage container  61 , the straw wrapper  62  and the drinking straw  63  can be recycled after use, they need to be separated from one another beforehand, resulting in a relatively complicated recycling process. Sometimes, the drinking straw  63 , together with the straw wrapper  62 , may be accidentally torn apart from the beverage container  61  and be lost during transportation. Under this situation, the beverage container  61  needs to be cut or be pierced to enable a person to access and drink the beverage contained therein. Moreover, in the case in which the beverage container  61  is pierced, it would be difficult to suck up the portion of beverage at the bottom of the beverage container  61  for drinking. 
     SUMMARY 
     Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a beverage container which enables sucking up the beverage at the bottom of the beverage container without the need of a drinking straw. 
     Accordingly, the beverage container of the disclosure comprises a main body, a cover, and a sucking unit. The main body includes a bottom wall, a surrounding wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, atop wall connected to the surrounding wall, and an interior space for containing the beverage. The top wall has an inner rim which defines an opening communicated with the interior space. The cover removably seals the opening. The sucking unit is mounted within the main body adjacent to the opening and includes a partition wall extending into the interior space to define a channel which fluidly communicates the opening with the interior space. The sucking unit is configured to enable a person to suck up the beverage contained in the interior space through the channel and the opening after removal of the cover. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments and variations with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional beverage container; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a beverage container according to a first embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 3  is a side sectional view of the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a side sectional view of the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is another side sectional view of the second embodiment, illustrating a drinking straw extending outwardly from an opening of the beverage container when a cover thereof is lifted; 
         FIG. 7  is a side sectional view of a third embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is another side sectional view of the third embodiment, illustrating the drinking straw extending outwardly from the opening of the beverage container when the cover is lifted; 
         FIG. 9  is a side sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 10  is a side sectional view of a fifth embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before the disclosure is described in greater detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the beverage container according to the first embodiment of the disclosure includes a main body  1 , a cover  2 , and a sucking unit  3 . The main body  1  includes a bottom wall  12 , a surrounding wall  13  extending upwardly from the bottom wall  12 , a top wall  14  connected to a top end of the surrounding wall  13 , and an interior space  11  for containing the beverage  5 . The top wall  14  has an inner rim  141  defining an opening  142  communicated with the interior space  11 . The cover  2  removably seals the opening  142 . The sucking unit  3  is mounted within the main body  1  adjacent to the opening  142  and includes a partition wall  30  extending from the inner rim  141  into the interior space  11  to define a channel  31  which fluidly communicates the opening  142  and the interior space  11 . The sucking unit  3  is configured to enable a person to suck up the beverage  5  contained in the interior space  11  through the channel  31  and the opening  142  after removal of the cover  2 . The partition wall  30  has an upper section  32  connected integrally to the top wall  14 , a lower section  33  extending from the upper section  32  toward the bottom wall  12 , and a curved bottom edge  332  which defines a passage hole  35  with the bottom wall  12 . The passage hole  35  fluidly communicates the interior space  11  with the channel  31 . 
     In this embodiment, the cover  2  is disposed inside the opening  142  and is connected detachably to the inner rim  141  to seal the opening  142 . To drink the beverage  5  contained in the beverage container, a person only needs to apply a pressing force on the cover  2  such that the cover  2  breaks apart from the inner rim  141 , thereby uncovering the opening  142 . The beverage  5  can then be sucked up directly through the opening  142  without the need for a drinking straw. 
     Further, in this embodiment, the partition wall  30  is integrally connected to two adjacent sides of the surrounding wall  13  and cooperates with the surrounding wall  13  to define the channel  31 . In other embodiments, the surrounding wall  13  may be tubular in shape to define the channel  31  therein. 
     In this embodiment, the bottom edge  332  of the partition wall  30  includes opposite first and second ends  311 ,  312  connected to the surrounding wall  13  and disposed proximate to the bottom wall  12 , and a middle portion  313  between the first end  311  and the second end  312  and spaced apart from the bottom wall  12 , thus facilitating sucking up the portion of beverage  5  at the bottom of the main body  1 . The bottom edge  332  is curved downwardly from the middle portion  313  to the first end  311  and the second end  312 , respectively. In other embodiments, the bottom edge  332  may include linear sections extending obliquely from the middle portion  313  to the first and second ends  311 ,  312 , respectively. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 6 , in the beverage container according to the second embodiment of the disclosure, the sucking unit  3  further includes a drinking straw  34  received in the channel  31  and disposed adjacent to the opening  142  to be concealed by the cover  2 . The drinking straw  34  has an upper section  341  and a telescopic lower section  342  connected to the upper section  341 . A lower end  343  of the drinking straw  34  is fixedly secured in the channel  31 , such as by gluing to the partition wall  30 . The telescopic lower section  342  of the drinking straw  34  is compressible to retract the drinking straw  34  in the channel  31  before the cover  2  is removed, and is expandable to permit extension of the upper section  341  of the drinking straw  34  out of the opening  142  when the cover  2  is removed from the opening  142 . The cover  2  is attached to the top wall  14  of the main body  1  to sealingly cover the opening  142 , and includes a lifting tab end  22  extending to the surrounding wall  13  and operable to lift the cover  2  so as to expose the opening  142 , and a fixing end  21  opposite to the lifting tab end  22  and secured to the top wall  14 . The drinking straw  34  has an upper end  344  adhered mildly and detachably to the cover  2  at several adhering points (P) using a weak adhesive in such a manner that when the cover  2  is being lifted to expose the opening  142 , the upper section  341  of the drinking straw  34  would be pulled upwardly by the cover  2  to enable extension of the upper section  341  of the drinking straw  34  out of the opening  142 . The upper end  344  of the drinking straw  34  would then be detached from the cover  2  when the lifting operation continues and the cover  2  is bent to fully expose the opening  142 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, before the beverage container is opened, the telescopic lower section  342  of the drinking straw  34  is in a compressed state such that the drinking straw  34  is entirely received within the channel  31  and concealed by the cover  2 . 
     To drink the beverage  5  contained in the beverage container, a person only needs to lift the lifting tab end  22  toward the fixing end  21  of the cover  2 . At this time, due to the presence of the adhering points (P), the upper section  341  of the drinking straw  34  will be pulled upwardly by the cover  2  to extend out of the opening  142 , with the telescopic lower section  342  expanding and the lower end  343  of the drinking straw  34  fixed to the partition wall  30 . Manual operation for pulling out the drinking straw  34  is not necessary, thus providing enhanced convenience and sanitation in serving the beverage  5 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , in the beverage container according to the third embodiment of the disclosure, the partition wall  30  does not extend to the top wall  14 , and the drinking straw  34  is disposed between the partition wall  30  and the opening  142  to fluidly communicate the channel  31  with the opening  142 . The lower end  343  of the drinking straw  34  is disposed on and secured to a top edge  322  of the partition wall  30 . The telescopic lower section  342  of the drinking straw  34  is retracted before the cover  2  is removed and is extendible to permit extension of the upper section  341  of the drinking straw  34  out of the opening  142  when the cover  2  is lifted or removed to expose the opening  142 . As with the previous embodiment, when the lifting tab end  22  of the cover  2  is being lifted away from the surrounding wall  13  and toward the fixing end  21 , the upper section  341  of the drinking straw  34  would be pulled upwardly by the cover  2 , due to the presence of the adhering points (P), to enable extension of the upper section  341  of the drinking straw  34  out of the opening  142 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , in the beverage container according to the fourth embodiment of the disclosure, the opening  142  is formed substantially at a central portion of the top wall  14 . The partition wall  30  extends integrally from the inner rim  141  of the top wall  14  toward the bottom wall  12  and is tubular in shape to define the channel  31  therein. Furthermore, the bottom edge  332  of the partition wall  30  extends in a plane parallel to the bottom wall  12  and is spaced apart from the bottom wall  12 . In addition, the fixing end  21  and the lifting tab end  22  of the cover  2  are both attached to the top wall  14  to sealingly cover the opening  142 . The drinking straw  34 , with its lower end  343  secured to the partition wall  30  and upper end  344  mildly and detachably adhered to the cover  2  at the adhering points (P), can be pulled out of the channel  31  by the cover  2  before detaching from the cover  2  when the lifting tab end  22  of the cover  2  is being lifted to expose the opening  142 , thus providing enhanced convenience for a person to drink the beverage  5  contained in the beverage container. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , in the beverage container according to the fifth embodiment of the disclosure, the drinking straw  34  is obviated and the cover  2  is disposed inside the opening  142  and is connected detachably to the inner rim  141  to seal the opening  142 . 
     Accordingly, with the sucking unit  3  mounted inside the main body  1 , a person needs only remove the cover  2  to drink the beverage  5  contained in the beverage container without the need for inserting a drinking straw, thus providing enhanced convenience in drinking, producing reduced amount of garbage and facilitating the recycling process. 
     In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment and variation. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure. 
     While the disclosure has been described in connection with what are considered the exemplary embodiment and variation, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment and variation but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.