Patent Publication Number: US-2005115996-A1

Title: Cup leash

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/526,142, filed Dec. 2, 2003. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to tethers, more particularly to a cup leash that tethers a drinking cup with a lid of the type commonly known as a “sippy cup” to a car seat, stroller, booster seat, or the like, so that the distance the cup can be thrown can be limited and the cup may be readily retrieved when dropped or thrown by a toddler. The cup leash may also be used with baby bottles, sports bottles, and other drink containers having a lid with a spout or nipple.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Children, whether in jest or in anger, or simply to get attention, are known to throw objects, such as a drinking containers, toys, etc., especially when they reach the “terrible two&#39;s.” Throwing objects is dangerous, but the danger increases when the object is thrown in a moving motor vehicle, as the driver may be distracted. If a drinking cup is thrown or dropped, the contents may spill if the container forcefully hits the floor. Sometimes the child does not throw the object but accidentally lets the cup slip out of their hands. In either case, a child may find it hard to regain the object if they are strapped into a car seat, high chair or stroller.  
      A cup leash that limits the distance an object can be thrown and that can be used to retrieve the dropped or thrown object is desirable. It is further desirable that such a leash be adapted for attachment to child seats, and be fastened thereto by childproof fasteners that are difficult for the child to open. It is also desirable that such a leash be stretchable, so that a parent or caregiver may pull the drink container away from the toddler for refilling the drink container without having to unfasten the leash.  
      A number of tethering devices have been developed that allow the user to carry bottles without encumbering ones hands. U.S. Patent Publication Number 2002/0046984, published Apr. 25, 2002, describes a two-ended bottle holder. The bottle holder is bottle and a metal spring clip at the opposite end for attaching the holder to a belt loop. The holder loop is adjustable to fit the top circumference of the bottle. The band is apparently inelastic, being made from rope or nylon.  
      U.S. Patent Publication Number 2002/0005418, published Jan. 17, 2002, describes a bottle connector for attaching a bottle to something or someone. The bottle connector has two “O” shaped-rings that are connected to a strap or a clip by way of a linking key ring. The “O” shaped-rings are adjustable and fit under a ridge disposed at the bottle&#39;s neck. The connector is especially suited for runners who do not want to hold things in their hands as they run. The connector can be attached to the individual, their backpack or clothing.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,261, issued to Wu on May 9, 1995, describes a detachable carrying band for a child&#39;s water bottle. The &#39;261 device comprises a strap that is worn around a person&#39;s neck and a ring that is secured under an annular ridge on the water bottle. The strap has pin projections that releasably attach to the ring. When extreme force is placed on the bottle the pins release from the ring loosening the bottle from the strap and thereby preventing the possibility of et al. on Sep. 21, 1999, describes a bottle holder comprising a cord and an elastic ring. The ring is secured to the underside of the annular flange of a bottle and suspends the bottle from a cord worn around a person&#39;s neck.  
      Numerous other bottle holders have also been developed that are worn from a user&#39;s neck and hold a drink container using an adjustable noose-like end. U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,066, issued to Giacona III on Mar. 14, 2000, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,338, issued to Giacona III on Sep. 3, 2002, describe a bottled drink carrier comprising a strap having an upper looped end and lower looped end. The upper end encircles a person&#39;s neck and the lower end holds the bottle. The lower end comprises an adjustable noose formed by a cable and a slide. The noose is placed over the neck of the bottle and is tightened by sliding the slide up the cable close to the bottle&#39;s neck.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,780, issued to Becker on Oct. 17, 2000, describes a bottle holding tote. The tote is a nylon belt having two ends. One end has an attachment means to hold onto an object and the second end is a noose that holds the bottle. The noose comprises a nylon cord and a spring-loaded clip. The noose is placed over the bottle&#39;s neck and tightened with the clip.  
      Some bottle holders have been designed specifically for children as part of a device or garment worn on the body. U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,977, issued to Barville et al. on Jun. 27, 1978, describes a bottle-anchoring device designed to hold a baby bottle directly on a harness worn by an infant. The anchoring end uses a number of different sized rings that can be selected to fit the circumference of a particular bottle&#39;s neck.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,957, issued to Scharf on Jan. 21, 1986, describes a baby bottle security garment. The &#39;957 device comprises a vest or garment worn on the upper half of the body, a sleeve for receiving the bottle and a strap for securing the sleeve to the garment. The sleeve is strapped to the center of the chest and holds the bottle upright.  
      Other bottle holders have been developed to encase the entire drink container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,841, issued to Johnson on Mar. 7, 2000, describes an article holder that encircles the article and a carrier on which the article is being carried, such as a bike. The holder comprises a flexible, resilient sheet that is wrapped around the article and the carrier. The holder has a layer of non-skid material on it to increase friction and prevent slippage.  
      U.S. Patent Publication Number 2001/0032867, published Oct. 25, 2001, describes a thermally insulated beverage bottle holder made from neoprene that encases the entire bottle. A zipper disposed vertically on the outside of the holder allows a user to easily insert and take out the bottle from within the holder. The holder acts as a carrying case and has a detachable strap to hang from a person&#39;s neck or shoulder.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,079, issued to Heather on Sep. 15, 1992, describes a container-carrying device. The device comprises a number of longitudinal straps and a number of circumferential straps that, in combination, surround and hold the container. One pair of longitudinal straps extends up over the bottle to form a shoulder strap. A buckle disposed at the straps ends make the shoulder strap adjustable. The straps are preferably made of high-tensile strength synthetic fiber material. French Patent Number 2,615,078 published on Nov. 18, 1998 shows a sack made up of a number of straps that surround the bottle to easily carry and transport a bottle.  
      Still other bottle carriers hold drink containers by providing a pouch or cavity for the drink container to rest in. U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,993, issued to Andrino on Jun. 11, 2002, describes a multi-purpose bottle holder. The holder comprises an elongate cylindrical body having a closed bottom and an open top that forms a cavity to receive and hold the bottle. A strap is attached to the top end of the cylindrical cavity to secure the holder to one&#39;s shoulder or waist. An O-ring attached to the holder encircles the neck of the bottle and secures the bottle in the cavity of the holder.  
      U.S. Pat. No. 5,397,039, issued to Parcelles on Mar. 14, 1995, describes a baby bottle holder comprising an elongate elastic strap having a pouch at one end and a removably attachable loop at the opposite end. The pouch receives the baby bottle and retains the bottle using an elastic band found at the opening of the pouch. The removably attachable looped end connects to itself by snaps, Velcro or buckles.  
      Other bottle holders are described or shown in U.S. Design Patent Number Des. 217,828, issued to Hilliard on Jun. 16, 1970 (displays an ornamental design for a beverage can holder); U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,183, issued to McConnell et al. on Nov. 7, 1995 (a drink holder having an annular support, vertical fingers attached to the end of the support and horizontal feet that extend from the end of the fingers to support the base of a container); U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,486, issued to Smith et al. on Oct. 20, 1998 (a flexible arm mountable to a surface such as a stroller having a engaging channel for holding a baby bottle or a cup); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,153, issued to Ragner et al. on Jul. 24, 2001 (easy mounting beverage holder having at least one support arm, a cup shaped body attached to the arm, a lid and a flexible straw).  
      None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a cup leash solving the aforementioned problems is desired.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The cup leash is an elastic strap having a first end and a second end and a childproof fastener at each end for forming each end into a loop. The leash is designed so that one end is attached to an anchor such as a frame of a toddler&#39;s seat, a car seat, a stroller, a highchair, or the like, and the opposite end is attached to a drinking container, such as a child&#39;s sippy cup, baby bottle, etc. Each end is secured around the anchor or container, respectively, by wrapping the each end portion of the strap around the anchor and the container and securing the strap in place with a fastener, preferably a childproof buckle. The buckle permits the size of the loop to be adjusted. The cup leash limits the distance the drink container can be thrown and permits easy retrieval of the container.  
      Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a cup leash that tethers a toddler&#39;s sippy cup or other drink container to a car seat, stroller, highchair, booster seat, or the like, in order to limit the distance the drink container can be thrown and to permit easy retrieval of the container when it is dropped or thrown by the toddler.  
      It is another object of the invention to provide a cup leash that having an adjustable anchor and drink container loops in order to tether different size toddler drink containers to any available child&#39;s seat.  
      It is a further object of the invention to provide a cup leash that provides an elastic tether for a toddler&#39;s drink container so that a parent or caregiver may pull the drinking container out of the child&#39;s reach when refilling the container without unfastening the leash.  
      Still another object of the invention is to provide a cup leash that uses a childproof fastener to secure the leash to the drink container so that the child is unable to release the cup from the leash, either intentionally or unintentionally.  
      It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.  
      These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an environmental, perspective view of a cup leash according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the cup leash of the present invention with both buckles in an open configuration.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the cup leash of the present invention with one buckle in a partially open configuration and one buckle in a closed configuration.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the cup leash of the present invention with one buckle in an open configuration and one buckle in a closed configuration.  
    
    
      Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      The present invention is a cup leash, designated generally as  10  in the drawings. The leash  10  is designed to tether a cup C, such as a toddler&#39;s sippy cup, baby bottle, sports bottle, or any other toddlers drink container having a lid with a spout, nipple, or the like, to an anchor, such as a child&#39;s car seat S, stroller, highchair, booster seat, or any other child equipment. The leash  10  may be attached to a belt B on the car seat S, or to any conveniently available post, leg divider, or other supporting part of the frame of the device upon which the child is seated. In the context of a car seat S, the leash  10  may be attached to a shoulder belt, a waist belt or an abdominal shield. The opposite end of the leash is designed to hold a cup C. Preferably the cup C is made of plastic or other unbreakable material and has a lid to prevent spills. A conventional “sippy cup”, for example, includes a cup, a lid that snaps onto the cup, and a spout attached to the lid that the child uses to sip the drink. Some containers may include a straw that extends to the bottom of the cup.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , the leash  10  is an elongated elastic strap  12  having two opposing ends  12   a ,  12   b  and a fastener disposed at each end  12   a ,  12   b  of the strap  12 . The fastener is of such a type that each end  12   a  and  12   b  can be formed into a loop, which is secured by the fastener. While snaps, hook and loop, and other such fasteners may be used, a toddler can easily unfasten snaps or hook and loop fasteners, which defeats the purpose of the leash.  
      Therefore, it is preferred that a relatively childproof fastener be disposed at each end  12   a  and  12   b  of the strap  12 , such as the buckles shown in the drawings.  FIG. 2  shows leash  10  with both buckles open. Each buckle comprises a male buckle portion  30 ,  40  and a female socket  20 ,  50 . Male buckle portion  30  has a rectangular frame  32  containing a vertical post  34  dividing an opening defined by frame  32 , through which the strap  12  is threaded in order to adjust the size of the loop in conventional manner. A tongue  36  extends from the frame and supports a resilient catch  38 . Catch  38  is a resilient piece of plastic having a wedge-like shape that is biased upwards. A lip  37  protrudes from the widest edge of the tongue  38  for cooperation with female socket  20 .  
      Female socket  20  is fixed to strap end  12   a  by looping strap  12  around post  26  and securing the strap  12  with stitching. Female socket  20  defines a slot  22  and a rectangular opening  24 , so that the buckle is fastened by sliding tongue  36  through slot  22  into socket  20  until catch  38  snaps up into opening  24 , and unfastened by pressing down on catch  38  and pulling tongue  36  out of the socket  20 . Typically more force and manual dexterity than a toddler is capable of are required to unfasten the buckle.  
      The vertical post  34  of the male buckle  30  is located in the center of the opening defined by rectangular frame  32 , permitting the strap  12  to loop around the post  34 . The position of the male buckle  30  on strap  12  is adjustable because it can slide along the strap  12  toward either looped end  12   a ,  12   b . To fix the male buckle  20  in a desired location, the strap  12  is lodged between the post  34  and rectangular frame  32 .  
      Male buckle portion  40  and female socket  50  are identical to male buckle portion  30  and female socket  20 , but are disposed at looped end  12   b . The male buckle  40  is adjustable and comprises a rectangular frame  42 , vertical post  44 , tongue  46 , catch  48 , and lip  47 . Female socket  50  comprises slot  52 , rectangular opening  54 , and post  56  disposed at the end opposite slot  52 .  
      The strap  12  of leash  10  is preferably made of elastic material. The elasticity of the leash  10  provides resilience when a user is trying to pull the cup C in any direction. Also, if the cup C is being held by leash  10 , the resilience of the strap  12  lessens the chance that cup C will be suddenly jerked, causing the lid on the cup C to fall off. A particular advantage of using the elastic leash  10  on a car seat S located in the rear of a car is that a parent can pull the cup C from the back seat to the front of the car to fill the cup C with liquid without having to move from the front seat. Though the leash  10  is preferably made with elastic material other non-elastic material could also be used.  
      The strap  12  may be encased in decorative fabric. The fabric serves a decorative effect. The fabric is either folded in half and sewn along one edge so that the strap  12  is inserted in the fabric, or the fabric can be sewn directly on the strap  12 .  
      The leash  10  is may be any width size that corresponds to the size of the fasteners used at the ends  12   a  and  12   b  of the strap  12 . Ideally one-inch fasteners are used at the ends  12   a  and  12   b  thus the width of the leash  10  would be one inch. The length of the leash  10  is about twenty to thirty inches long, with the preferred length being about thirty inches long when the fasteners  20 ,  30  and  40 ,  50  are unfastened; the leash  10  is about eighteen inches long when the fasteners  20 ,  30  and  40 ,  50  are fastened. The length of the strap  12  allows a child to pull the cup C up to their mouth and drink out of it without having to worry that the child will strangle itself with it. Also, the strap  12  is generally short enough that the cup C will not fall all the way to the car floor if the toddler drops the cup C.  
      It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.