Patent Abstract:
The present invention provides a cap for covering the open top of a drinking vessel. The cap includes a substantially rigid cover disk assembly dimensioned to span across and substantially cover the open top of the drinking vessel, and a flexible tubular membrane that extends from a bottom side of the cover disk assembly. The membrane is adapted to be rolled down a side wall of the drinking vessel to thereby removably secure the cap thereto. Identifying indicia can be printed on the top side of the cover disk assembly. The beverage within the drinking vessel can be consumed using a drinking straw. When properly deployed, the cap inhibits the introduction of unwanted matter into the drinking vessel.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of application Ser. No. 60/889,098, filed Feb. 9, 2007, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e). 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to caps for drinking vessels. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Alcoholic beverages, and particularly mixed beverages, are often served in public restaurants, nightclubs, taverns and bars in open top drinking vessels (e.g., bar glasses and stemware). The uncovered opening of such drinking vessels makes it easy for the bar tender to prepare the beverage. However, the uncovered opening also makes it possible for depraved individuals to add an incapacitating substance such as Rohypnol, for example, to a patron&#39;s beverage when they are not closely guarding the drinking vessel (e.g., while conversing with another, dancing etc.). 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the foregoing, the present invention is directed to a cap for covering the open top of a drinking vessel. The cap according to the invention comprises a substantially rigid cover disk assembly dimensioned to span across and substantially cover the open top of the drinking vessel, and a flexible tubular membrane that extends from a bottom side of the cover disk assembly. The membrane is adapted to be rolled down a side wall of the drinking vessel to thereby removably secure the cap thereto. Identifying indicia can be printed on the top side of the cover disk assembly. The beverage within the drinking vessel can be consumed using a drinking straw. When properly deployed, the cap inhibits the introduction of unwanted matter into the drinking vessel. 
     The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top plan view of a cap for a drinking vessel according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view of the cap shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side section view of the cap shown in  FIG. 1  taken along the line  3 - 3 . 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the cap shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the cap shown in  FIG. 1  deployed on a drinking vessel. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a package containing a cap such as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side section view of a cap in which the upper disk portion and the lower disk portion have co-extensive perimeter edges. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the accompanying figures, a cap  10  according to the invention comprises a substantially rigid cover disk assembly  20  having a flexible tubular membrane  30  secured thereto and extending therefrom. The tubular membrane  30  is adapted to be stretched so as to extend around and thus entirely surround and envelope an open-top portion of a drinking vessel  40  such as, for example, a pilsner glass, a pint glass, a cocktail glass, a highball glass or other tumbler, a wine glass or other stemware, or a “pop-top” beverage can. The tubular membrane  30  is also adapted to be unrolled down an outer side wall  50  of the drinking vessel  40  such that the cover disk assembly  20  substantially covers the open top of the drinking vessel  40 . 
     The cover disk assembly  20  is preferably formed of an upper disk portion  60  and a lower disk portion  70 , which are joined together with a first end portion  80  of the tubular membrane  30  captured therebetween. The upper disk portion  60  and the lower disk portion  70  are preferably joined together using a suitable adhesive. Alternatively, and less desirably, mechanical fasteners such as staples can be used to join the upper disk portion  60  and the lower disk portion  70  together. 
     The upper disk portion  60  is preferably formed of a compressed cellulosic material such as paperboard, which may be faced with a thin layer or film of paper or plastic. A top side  90  of the upper disk portion  60  can be printed with decorative and/or informative indicia  100  such as, for example, advertising for products and/or services. The indicia can also be provided on the upper disk portion  60  through the use of adhesive stickers. Preferably, markings can easily be applied to the top side  90  of the upper disk portion  60  using an ink pen or pencil, which allows a patron to further personalize and uniquely identify their beverage. 
     The lower disk portion  70  is preferably formed of a moisture resistant material such as plastic. Moisture resistant materials are preferred because beverage contents can splash upwardly against the bottom side  110  of the lower disk portion  70 . It will be appreciated that the upper disk portion  60  and/or the lower disk portion  70  could be formed of a variety of different materials (e.g., paperboard, light metals, plastics, wood and/or laminates comprising two or more thereof) to form a substantially rigid cover disk assembly  20 . 
     The thickness of the cover disk assembly  20  is not critical, but a thickness within the range of from about 1/16″ (˜1.6 mm) to about ¼″ (˜6.5 mm) is generally believed to be sufficient. In the presently most preferred embodiment of the invention, the cover disk assembly  20  is formed of a flat paperboard upper disk portion  60  having a thickness of about 3/32″ (˜2.4 mm) that is joined to a flat plastic lower disk portion  70  having a thickness of about 1/16″ (˜1.6 mm) using an adhesive. 
     The upper disk portion  60  is provided with a first opening  120  through which an end of a drinking straw  130  can be inserted. The first opening  120  is preferably circular in shape and has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the drinking straw  130 . It will be appreciated that the shape of the first opening  120  is not critical. 
     The lower disk portion  70  is provided with a second opening  140  through which the end of the drinking straw  130  can be inserted. The second opening  140  preferably comprises a plurality of intersecting slits  150 , which thus form flaps  160  that bias against the drinking straw  130  when the drinking straw  130  is inserted through the second opening  140 . The flaps  160  allow the lower disk portion  70  to remain in contact with the drinking straw  130  after the drinking straw  130  has been inserted through the second opening  140 , which minimizes any open area between the drinking straw  130  and the lower disk portion  70 . It will be appreciated that the number of slits and corresponding flaps is not per se critical. 
     In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the second opening  140  through the lower disk portion  70  comprises a pair of intersecting slits  150 , which intersect at about a 90° angle and thus form four flaps  160  that bias against the drinking straw  130  when the drinking straw passes through the second opening  140 . In this embodiment, the slits are provided in a circular recessed area  170 . The recessed area  170  reduces the thickness of the lower disk portion  70 , which allows the flaps  160  to flex more than if the flaps  160  were thicker, and also helps prevent the slits  150  from tearing beyond the area defined by the recessed area  170 . The recessed area  170  also facilitates proper alignment of the upper disk portion  60  with the lower disk portion  70  when the same are joined together. It will be appreciated that an inverse arrangement could be utilized for the first opening and the second opening (i.e., the first opening would include intersecting slits whereas the second opening would be dimensioned sufficiently large enough to allow a drinking straw to pass therethrough). 
     The upper disk portion  60  has a first perimeter edge portion  180 . In the embodiment shown in the accompanying figures, the first perimeter edge portion  180  defines a circle. However, it will be appreciated that the shape defined by the first perimeter edge portion  180  is not critical, and that shapes other than circles can be used. For example, the first perimeter edge portion  180  may be adapted to define a polygon, the border of one or more US States, the border of one or more countries, animal and plant shapes or the shape of advertising logos. Although the shape defined by the first perimeter edge portion  180  is not critical, the first perimeter edge portion  180  of the upper disk portion should define a shape sufficiently large to substantially cover the entire opening of a drinking vessel  40  on which the cap  10  is deployed. 
     The lower disk portion  70  has a second perimeter edge portion  190 . Preferably, the second perimeter edge portion  190  does not include any points or angles that could pierce or cut the tubular membrane  30  that extends around the second perimeter edge portion  190 . Thus, the second perimeter edge portion  190  preferably defines a circle, an oval or some other shape having rounded corners. In the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the second perimeter edge portion  190  of the lower disk portion  70  defines a shape that is just slightly larger than the shape of the open-top portion of the drinking vessel  40  onto which the cap  10  is to be deployed. As used in this context, the term “slightly larger” means that the second perimeter edge portion  190  of the lower disk portion  70  extends no more than about ¼″ (˜6.4 mm) beyond the rim or top edge of the drinking vessel  40 . 
     It will be appreciated that the upper disk portion  60  needs to be at least the same size as the lower disk portion  70 .  FIG. 7  shows a section view of a cap  10  wherein the upper disk portion  60  has a first perimeter edge  180 , wherein the lower disk portion  70  has a second perimeter edge  190 , and wherein the first perimeter edge  180  is co-extensive with the second perimeter edge  190 . More preferably, the upper disk portion  60  is larger than the lower disk portion  70 , meaning that the first perimeter edge portion  180  of the upper disk portion  60  is spaced apart from the second perimeter edge portion  190  of the lower disk portion  70 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the first perimeter edge portion  180  of the upper disk portion  60  is spaced apart about ¼″ (˜6.4 mm) from the second perimeter edge portion  190  of the lower disk portion  70 . 
     The tubular membrane  30  is preferably formed of a stretchy, resilient, flexible material such as a thin film of natural latex rubber, silicone or a polyurethane elastomer. In the preferred embodiment, the membrane  30  is fluid impermeable. Natural latex rubber having a thickness similar to that used in the manufacture of surgical gloves is particularly preferred. 
     As noted, the first end portion  80  of the tubular membrane  30  is captured between the upper disk portion  60  and the lower disk portion  70 . Preferably, the adhesive used to join the upper disk portion  60  and the lower disk portion  70  together also helps secure the first end portion  80  of the tubular membrane  30  to the cover disk assembly  20 . The second end portion  200  of the tubular membrane  30  preferably defines a ring, which facilitates rolling the tubular membrane  30  upwardly toward the lower disk portion  70 . 
     The tubular membrane  30  is selectively displaceable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, which is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the tubular membrane  30  is rolled about the ring disposed at the second end portion  200  upwardly toward the lower disk portion  70 . In the second position, which is shown in  FIG. 5 , the tubular membrane  30  is unrolled to cover and surround the outer side wall  50  of a drinking vessel  40  and thereby form skirting  210 . The flexible, elastic properties of the tubular membrane  30  cause the skirting  210  to conform to and closely surround the outer side wall  50  of the drinking vessel  40 . When completely unrolled, the skirting  210  preferable has a height “H” of about 2.5″ (˜6.4 cm) to about 4.5″ (˜11.4 cm). 
     The cap  10  according to the invention can be packaged in a pouch  220  or other suitable protective enclosure prior to use. Optionally, the pouch can further contain a drinking straw  130 , which may be a telescoping drinking straw. The tubular membrane  30  should be in the first position when placed in the pouch  220 . The pouch  220  containing the cap  10  according to the invention can be kept in a pocketbook or garment pocket until needed. It will be appreciated that the pouch  220  can be imprinted with advertising indicia, making it particularly suitable for use as a promotional product. A variety of sizes of caps  10  can be produced and inventoried for use with drinking vessels having openings of varying size. 
     To use the cap according to the invention, a patron or beverage preparer first removes the cap from its protective pouch. The cap is placed onto a drinking vessel containing the beverage. With the tubular membrane in the first position, the cap is placed onto the open-top portion of the drinking vessel such that the lower disk portion is in contact with or nearly in contact with the top portion of the drinking vessel (e.g., the rim or the top of a beverage can). The rolled-up tubular membrane is then grasped and stretched and pulled down around the outer perimeter of the drinking vessel until the lower disk portion of the cover disk assembly adequately covers the open top portion of the drinking vessel. Next, the tubular membrane is unrolled down around the outer side wall of the drinking vessel, thereby surrounding the outer side wall of the drinking vessel with the skirt portion of the tubular membrane as shown in  FIG. 5 . If desired, an easy-to-tear, tamper-evident adhesive label  230  can be applied to secure the second end portion of the tubular membrane to the outer side wall of the drinking vessel. A drinking straw is then inserted through the first opening through the upper disk portion and the second opening through the lower disk portion of the cover disk assembly. 
     Once deployed, the cap prevents unwanted matter (e.g., insects and drugs) from entering the drinking vessel. The cap inhibits would-be criminals and others from adding unwanted substances to the beverage contained within the drinking vessel. It takes time for a person to unroll, remove, and then redeploy the cap onto a drinking vessel. Furthermore, removing the cap from a drink is a conspicuous act. Finally, in the event that a tamper-proof label has been applied to secure the tubular membrane to the outer side wall of the drinking vessel, removal of the cap from the drinking vessel will be evident. 
     It will be appreciated that the deployed cap also helps to minimize spills and broken glassware. The skirt portion of the membrane provides a comfortable non-slip gripping surface. 
     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1