Patent Publication Number: US-5896990-A

Title: Container with consumption indicator

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a container assembly for holding liquids and for monitoring an amount of liquid consumed. 
     It has been widely accepted that drinking adequate amounts of water each day may be a health benefit for individuals. This is particularly true for overweight persons. Studies have shown that most overweight people don&#39;t drink enough water each day. A dietary program should include not only a monitored daily food consumption but also a program for monitoring daily water consumption. The standard contemporary formula for water consumption is that a dieting person, and indeed every person, should drink at least eight, eight-ounce glasses of water each day. 
     Dieters or others who practice this formula generally measure eight ounces of water in a measuring cup and pour the measured amount of water into a drinking glass, consume the water and then record the event on paper or the like. Others may simply estimate the volume of water in a conventional glass, drink the water from the glass and then record the event on paper, or rely on memory, to record how many glasses of water were consumed that day. These practices allow for possibilities of mistake and are also inconvenient and time-consuming. 
     Drinking vessels have been provided which also monitor the amount of water consumed each day. One such vessel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,192 to Hosking. Hosking discloses a beaker having a groove in a top portion thereof. A collar is fitted within the groove for manual rotation relative to the beaker. The collar includes a window which aligns over numbers on the beaker to sequentially indicate a number of consumptive uses of the beaker through the window. A drawback of this device is that the collar may rotate with respect to the beaker in either direction. Thus, a user may inadvertently move the collar to an inaccurate consumption number or to a location between two adjacent consumption numbers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a container assembly which employs indicator structure to monitor the number of consumptive uses of the container assembly. The indicator structure may be moved sequentially in only one direction to a number indicative of a consumptive use and is thus prevented from moving inadvertently in the opposite direction to a position which indicates a previously recorded consumption number. 
     In accordance with the principles of the present invention, this objective is obtained by providing a container assembly for use in monitoring the consumption of a liquid from the container assembly. The container assembly includes a body constructed and arranged to hold a liquid. The body has a base portion and an opposing top portion. The top portion permits liquid to be supplied into and to be removed from the body. The base portion has a skirt member. 
     Indicator structure is mounted with respect to the skirt member for rotational motion relative to the body into a plurality of different positions. 
     Indicia is disposed on the body to indicate consumptive uses of the container assembly. 
     Complementary engaging structure is on the skirt member and on the indicator structure for mounting the indicator structure with respect to the skirt member in such a manner that rotation of the indicator structure is possible in one direction and rotation of the indicator structure is prevented in the opposite direction. The engaging structure includes at least one protrusion on one of the indicator structure and the skirt member and a series of spaced recesses in the other of the indicator structure and the skirt member. Each of the recesses corresponds to a particular indicia, allowing the user with each consumption use, to rotate the indicator structure with respect to the body in the one direction to engage the protrusion with a recess, thereby monitoring consumptive uses of the container assembly. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of a container assembly provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container assembly of FIG. 1, shown with the indicator ring structure removed from a body of the container assembly; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of a skirt member of the body of the container assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the body of the container assembly of the invention showing the location of the recesses and indicator; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a recess of the skirt member encircled at B in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a plan view of the indicator ring structure of the container assembly of the invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a front view of the indicator ring structure of the container assembly of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8--8 in FIG. 6; and 
     FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9--9 in FIG. 6. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a container assembly, generally indicated at 10, includes a generally cylindrical body 12 and an indicator ring structure 13 coupled to lower portion of the body 12 for rotational movement with respect to the body 12. The body 12 and indicator ring structure 13 are each preferably molded from a plastic material. 
     As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the body 12 has a continuous sidewall 14, a base portion 16 including a bottom 17, and an open top portion 18 in opposing relation to the base portion 16. Thus, the body 12 defines a cup portion, generally indicated at 19, with a closed bottom and an open top portion to permit liquid to be poured into and removed from the body 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the cup portion 19 has a volume of approximately ten ounces with an indicator line 21 disposed at an eight ounce level. The top portion 18 may be covered with a lid (not shown). It can be appreciated that the cup portion 19 may be of configurations other than a cylindrical volume, such as, for example, an octagonal or a square volume. 
     The base portion 16 includes a generally cylindrical skirt member 20 extending from the body 12 generally adjacent to the bottom 17. As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the skirt member 20 is a generally cylindrically-shaped member extending from the base portion 16. A pair of axially spaced grooves 22&#39; and 22&#34; are defined in the circumferential surface of the skirt member 20. A plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses 24, defining engaging structure, are provided within one of the grooves, in particular, groove 22&#34;. Each of the recesses 24 is generally of &#34;D-shape&#34; configuration defining a stopping surface 26, a receiving portion 28, and a camming surface 30 (FIGS. 3-5). The camming surface 30 is a tapered surface tapering from the receiving portion 28 to the juncture with the surface defining groove 22&#34;, as best shown in FIG. 5. The function of the camming surface 30 will become apparent below. 
     Indicia, generally indicated at 32, in the form of consecutive numbers are provided on the body 12 such that one number is associated with one recess 24 to indicate a number of consumptive uses of the container assembly 10. In the illustrative embodiment, there are nine recesses 24 corresponding to consecutive numbers &#34;0&#34; to &#34;8&#34; so that a user may be able to monitor the consumption of eight glasses of water per day, as will be explained more fully below. Of course, more or less consecutive numbers indicating consumptive uses may be provided on the body 12, together with a corresponding number of recesses 24 in the skirt member 20. Further, instead of providing numbers &#34;0&#34; to &#34;8&#34; to indicate consumptive uses, the indicia may be the successive volume consumed, for example, &#34;8 ounces&#34;, &#34;16 ounces&#34;, etc. Thus, the term &#34;consumptive uses&#34; as used herein refers to numbers of uses of the container assembly 10 or to volumes of liquid consumed from the container assembly 10. 
     As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the skirt member 20 includes a plurality of longitudinally disposed slots 34 therein. In the illustrated embodiment, there are three slots 34, evenly spaced about the skirt member 20 and extending the height of the skirt member 20. The purpose of the slots is to locate the indicator ring structure 13 of the container assembly 10 with respect to the skirt member 20 during assembly, as will become apparent below. 
     With reference to FIGS. 6-9, the indicator ring structure 13 is of ring shape having an inner circumferential surface 36 and an outer circumferential surface 38. The inner diameter of the indicator ring structure 13 is sized to be received on the skirt member 20 of the body 12. The outer diameter of the indicator ring structure 13 is generally equal in size to the outer diameter of the cup portion 19 so that when the indicator ring structure 13 is mounted on the skirt member 20, the cup portion 19 of the body 12 and the indicator ring structure 13 form a generally continuous cylindrical container assembly 10. 
     The indicator ring structure 13 has projections 40, 42 and 44 extending from the inner circumferential surface 36 thereof. These projections may be made in the form of one continuous annular projection, but, in the illustrated embodiment the projections 40, 42 and 44 are separated for ease of manufacture. The location of the projections 40, 42 and 44 on the indicator ring structure 13 is such that the projections may be received in the lower groove 22&#39; in the skirt member 20 when assembled therewith. 
     Three protrusions 46, 48 and 50 are evenly spaced on the inner circumferential surface 36 of the indicator ring structure 13. Protrusions 46 and 48 are generally half-spheres and are sized to be received into slots 34&#39; and 34&#34;, respectively, to locate the indicator ring structure 13 with respect to the skirt member 20 during assembly thereof. The protrusions 46 and 48 are also sized to be receive in the upper groove 22&#34; in the skirt member and to slide in the groove 22&#34; upon rotation of the indicator ring structure 13 relative to the body 12. A locking protrusion 50 (FIGS. 6 and 8) is of quarter-sphere or is &#34;D-shaped&#34; and thus has as stop surface 52 and a cam surface 54. The locking protrusion is also located to be received in slot 34&#39;&#34; upon assembly and then to be received in groove 22&#34;. It can be appreciated that the indicator ring structure 13 may be removed from the skirt member when each protrusion 46, 48 and 50 is aligned with an associated slot 34 and the indicator ring structure 13 is moved axially away from the skirt member 20. 
     The indicator ring structure 13 is assembled fully with the skirt member 20 of the body 12 when the protrusions 46, 48 and 50 are disposed in the upper groove 22&#34; for sliding movement therein and the projections 40, 42 and 44 are disposed in the lower groove 22&#39; for sliding movement therein. Thus, when assembled, the indicator ring structure 13 may be rotated manually with respect to the body 12. 
     With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 6 the operation of the container assembly 10 will be appreciated. First, the user rotates the indicator ring structure 13 clockwise with respect to the body 12 such that an arrow or marker 56, disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the indicator ring structure 13, is aligned with the number &#34;0&#34; on the body 12. The location of arrow 56 corresponds to the location of the locking protrusion 50. Thus, in this position, the locking protrusion is disposed in the receiving portion 28 of the recess 24 corresponding to the &#34;0&#34; consumption number. The user then fills the cup portion 19 up to at least the 8-ounce level with water and consumes the water. Thereafter, the user rotates the indicator ring structure 13 clockwise until the arrow 56 aligns with the number &#34;1&#34; on the body 12 to indicate that the user had consumed at least one 8-ounce cup of water. This process is repeated until eight, eight or more ounce cups of water have been consumed. 
     It can be appreciated that when the indicator ring structure 13 is rotated counter-clockwise and the locking protrusion 50 enters a recess 24, rotation of the indicator ring structure 13 in the counter-clockwise direction is prevented since stop surface 52 of the locking protrusion 50 engages stopping surface 26 of the associated recess 24. Thus, inadvertent movement of the indicator ring structure 13 in the counter-clockwise direction is prevented. 
     When the locking protrusion 50 is disposed in a recess 24 and the indicator ring structure 13 is rotated further clockwise to the next consumption indication number, the cam surface 54 of the locking protrusion 50 engages or rides on camming surface 30 of the recess 24 permitting the locking protrusion 50 to exit the recess and to move to the next, adjacent recess 24. 
     When the indicator ring structure 13 is rotated to the number &#34;8&#34; indicating that all eight cups of water had been consumed, the user knows the proper amount of water had been consumed that day. The user may then rotate the indicator ring structure 13 in the clockwise direction until the arrow 56 aligns with &#34;0&#34; once again to reset the indicator ring structure 13 for monitoring water consumption for the next day. 
     Although, in the illustrative embodiment, the recesses are provided in the skirt member of the body and the protrusion is provided in the indicator ring structure, it can be appreciated that the indicator ring structure may include the recesses while the skirt member includes the protrusion, with the indicia being disposed on the indicator ring structure. 
     It has thus been seen that the object of this invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing preferred embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the structural and functional principles of the present invention, as well as illustrating the methods of employing the preferred embodiments and are subject to change without departing from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit of the following claims.