Abstract:
A drinking vessel comprising a container having a mouth and an internal shoulder; a cap for closing the mouth of the container and having an outlet for liquid; and a valve unit removably mountable on the cap and arranged to control flow of liquid to the outlet; the valve unit being so arranged that the shoulder prevents the valve unit from being separated from the cap while the cap is mounted on the container. Also, a drinking vessel comprising a container having an outlet for liquid; and a receptacle removably attachable to an end of the container remote from the outlet of the container; wherein the receptacle comprises parts relatively movable between a substantially closed position and a position providing an orifice for releasing objects from within the receptacle; wherein the receptacle is arranged to be attached to the container in such a position that the container closes off the orifice.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority to provisional patent application 60/619,643, filed on Oct. 18, 2005 and to provisional patent application 60/694,218, filed on Jun. 27, 2005, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a drinking vessel, and particularly to a cup with a lid to reduce the risk of spillage.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Drinking cups for young children are sometimes provided with a lid having a spout through which the child can drink. The spout is sometimes provided with a valve that is intended to permit liquid to flow out of the cup only when the child sucks on the spout. This type construction is intended to reduce the risk of spillage or to reduce the volume of liquid spilt, if the cup falls or is knocked over. Similar cups are sometimes used by adults in circumstances where it is particularly important to minimize the risk of liquid spillage, for example, in libraries.  
         [0004]     Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,621 to Bachman et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a drinking cup in which the suction valve also acts as a return valve, permitting air to enter the cup, and permitting any liquid left in the spout after the child drinks to drain back into the cup. The silicone rubber valve is carried in a valve unit that is a press fit in the cap. The valve is held in the unit by a snap fit retainer. Thus, the unit can easily be removed from the cap so that the valve, the unit, and the cap can be easily cleaned.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     One embodiment of the invention provides a drinking vessel comprising: a container for retaining a quantity of liquid, the container having a mouth and an internal shoulder; a cap for closing the mouth of the container and having an outlet for liquid; and a valve unit removably mountable on the cap and arranged to control flow of liquid to the outlet; the valve unit being so arranged that the shoulder prevents the valve unit from being separated from the cap while the cap is mounted on the container.  
         [0006]     Another embodiment of the invention provides a drinking vessel comprising: a container for retaining a quantity of liquid, the container having an outlet for liquid; and a receptacle removably attachable to an end of the container remote from the outlet of the container; wherein the receptacle comprises parts relatively movable between a substantially closed position and a position providing an orifice for releasing objects from within the receptacle; wherein the receptacle is arranged to be attached to the container in such a position that the container closes off the orifice.  
         [0007]     A further embodiment of the invention provides a storage container attached or attachable to the bottom of a drinking vessel, which storage container is attachable to the bottom of an identical storage container. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms of the invention which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of one embodiment of a drinking vessel according to the invention with an attached storage container.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1   a  is an isometric view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  with the storage container detached from the drinking vessel.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a vertical cross-sectional view through the drinking vessel shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a cross-section similar to  FIG. 2  of a second embodiment of a drinking vessel according to the invention with an attached standing base.  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional view of the detail  4  in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a valve holder forming part of a valve unit seen in the cap of the drinking vessel in  FIGS. 2 and 4 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a longitudinal sectional view through the valve holder shown in  FIG. 5 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged sectional view through a valve retainer forming part of the valve unit seen in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged sectional view through a valve member forming part of the valve unit seen in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is an isometric view of the valve member shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , showing the cap and valve unit in exploded view.  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a cross-section similar to part of  FIGS. 2 and 3  showing a second embodiment of an attached storage container. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0021]     Referring to the accompanying drawings, where like numerals identify like elements, and initially to  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  10 , there is shown one form of a drinking vessel according to the present invention, in the form of a cup identified generally by reference numeral  20 . The cup  20  has a body  22  and a cap  24  with a spout  26 . A receptacle  28  for dry material is clipped onto the bottom of the cup.  
         [0022]     Throughout this specification, terms such as “top”, “bottom,” and “vertical” are used in the interest of clarity with reference to an orientation of the cup  20  in a typical resting position, standing on a level surface with the spout  22  uppermost, as shown in  FIG. 1 . It is not required that the cup be maintained exactly in this orientation. In use, it will usually be necessary to tip the cup in order to drink from it. Also, when empty, the cup, or its separate parts if it is dismantled, may be stored and transported in any convenient orientation.  
         [0023]     In one embodiment, the body  22  is asymmetrical in plan view. As best seen in  FIG. 2 , the body  22  has a rounded bottom  30  bounded by a groove  32  that serves for the receptacle  28  to clip onto, and has a main side wall that narrows gradually towards the top, ending in a neck or inwardly-projecting shoulder  36  above which the body  22  widens to an externally screw-threaded mouth  38 .  
         [0024]     The cap  24  has an internally screw-threaded skirt  40  that threads onto the mouth  38  of the cup body  22 . The spout  26  has one or more holes or other openings  42  in its tip through which a user can drink liquid from the cup  20 . Below the spout, there is a tubular seat  44 . The interior of the tubular seat  44  is substantially cylindrical.  
         [0025]     A valve unit indicated generally by the reference numeral  50  consists of a valve holder  52 , shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a valve retainer  54 , shown in  FIG. 7 , and a valve member  56 , shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 . The valve holder  52  has a base plate  60 , which in the position shown in  FIG. 1  is generally horizontal, and a downwardly projecting grip  62 . Projecting upwards from the base plate  60  is a tube  64 , the inside of which opens through the base plate  60  and the outside of which is inserted, when the cup is assembled, into the seat  44 . As best seen in  FIG. 4 , the outside surface of the tube  64  is a gently tapering truncated conical surface, narrowest at the open top end, and widest at the bottom end, where it joins the base plate  60 . The tube  64  and the seat  44  are dimensioned to produce a snug, stable fit between the outside of the tube and the inside of the seat.  
         [0026]     The upper end of the tube  64  has an internal seat  66  for the valve member  56 , and above the internal seat an internal groove  68  into which the retaining ring  54  is a snap fit. The retaining ring  54  has an undersurface  70  that cooperates with the seat  66  to hold the valve member  56 , an external rib  72  that is a snap fit into the groove  68  and, above the rib  72 , a shoulder  74  that seats onto the upper rim of the tube  64 . As may be seen from  FIG. 4 , the outside diameter of the retaining ring  54  is less than that of the tube  64 , so that the retaining ring  54  does not foul the seat  44 . In one embodiment, retaining ring  54  is sonic welded to tube  64 . Sonic welding can be done so that the retaining ring  54  and valve member  56  are not removable from the valve unit  50  in normal use.  
         [0027]     The valve member  56  consists of a soft, flexible material such as silicone rubber, with one or more slits or holes  58  that open or close as the valve member  56  is distorted by external forces. The valve member  56  may be of any suitable design that will permit liquid to drain from the spout  26  back into the cup body  22  when the cup is standing upright, will not leak to any appreciable extent if the cup is overturned, and will permit liquid to be sucked from the cup without great effort. Thus, the valve member  56  has an opening force of at least 6″ (15 cm) water gauge, but preferably not much more, for flow towards the spout  26 , but leaks slightly for even minimal head of liquid in the opposite direction.  
         [0028]     A suitable design of valve member  56  is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,409,144 (Brown) and 5,439,143 (Brown et al.), both assigned to Liquid Molding Systems, Inc., of Midland, Mich., which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.  
         [0029]     As is best seen in  FIG. 4 , the valve holder  52  is dimensioned so that, with the tube  64  inserted into the seat  44  and the cap  24  screwed onto the body  22 , the edge  76  of the base plate  60  lies just above the internal shoulder  36  on the cup body  22 , at least at the part of the edge  76  that is nearest to the tube  64 . In this position, the shoulder  36  prevents the valve unit  50  from moving downwards far enough for the tube  64  to disengage from the seat  44 . The risk that the unit  50  will separate from the cap  24 , leaving the spout  26  unprotected against spillage, is thus greatly reduced.  
         [0030]     The shoulder  36  and the neck below it also make the cup  20  easier for a child to grip securely, because even if the child&#39;s grip is loose, the shoulder can rest on the child&#39;s hand or hands and prevent the cup from slipping out of the child&#39;s grasp.  
         [0031]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the receptacle  28  comprises a lid  80  and a base  82 . The lid  80  has a downward skirt  84 , with an internal screw thread, and an upward skirt  86 . The upward skirt  86  is shaped to fit closely round the curved bottom  30  of the cup body  22 , and has at its rim an internal bead  88  that snaps into the groove  32 . Inwardly of the skirts  84  and  86 , the lid  80  has an opening  89  that can be closed by a shutter  90  that rotates about a pivot  92  that snaps into a hole at the center of the lid.  
         [0032]     The base  82  of the receptacle  28 , which serves as a base for the cup  20  to stand on, has an external screw threaded mouth  94 , which screws into the downward skirt  84  of the lid  80 , and has a bottom  96  that is slightly concave, to reduce the risk of the cup  20  wobbling when resting on the bottom  96 .  
         [0033]     If the receptacle  28  is removed, the cup  20  may rest on the bottom  30  of the cup body  22 , which is also slightly concave. Referring to  FIG. 3 , alternatively, a separate standing base  100  may be clipped on in place of the receptacle  28 . The base  100  shown in  FIG. 3  has an upper part  102  similar in shape to the upper part of the upward skirt  86  of the lid  80  shown in  FIG. 2 , including a bead  88  that snaps into the groove  32  in the body  22  of the cup  20 . A lower part  104  of the base  100  follows loosely the shape of the bottom  30  of the cup body  22 . The lower part  104  has downward bulges  106  that act as feet when the cup  20  is standing on the base  100 . There may be four bulges  106  evenly spaced round the base  100 . The right half of  FIG. 3  shows a section through a bulge  106 . The left half of  FIG. 3  shows a section between bulges  106 . The standing base  100  may be of soft, rubbery material, with less tendency to slide on smooth surfaces than the bottom  30 , which may be fairly hard and stiff for the structural integrity of the cup body  22 . Drainage holes  108  may be provided in the bottoms of the bulges  106 .  
         [0034]     As is also shown in  FIG. 3 , the externally screw-threaded mouth  38  of the cup body  22  may be tilted relative to the bottom  30 ,  96 , or  100  on which the cup  20  stands. In the arrangement shown in  FIG. 3 , the screw threads on the mouth  38  and the skirt  40  of the cap  24  are single-start threads, aligned so that with the lid  24  screwed tightly onto the body  22  the spout  26  is at the highest point of the mouth  38 . This may improve the drinking function of the cup  20 , because with the spout  26  at a convenient angle for drinking from the cup body  22  is then tipped higher.  
         [0035]     Referring now to  FIG. 11 , an alternative form of the receptacle  128  comprises a lid  80  and a base  130 . The lid  80  of the receptacle  128  may be identical to the lid  80  of the receptacle  28  shown in  FIG. 2  and, in the interests of conciseness, description of the lid is not repeated.  
         [0036]     The base  130  of the receptacle  128  has an externally screw threaded mouth  94 , which screws into the downward skirt  84  of the lid  80 , and has a bottom  132  that is similar in shape to the bottom  30  of the cup body  22 , bounded by a groove  134  similar to the groove  32 . Thus, the lid  80  of the receptacle  128  may clip either onto the bottom  30  of the body  22  of the cup  20 , or onto the bottom  132  of another similar receptacle  128 . The cup  20  may have a neck  36  and mouth  38  (not shown in  FIG. 11 ) as shown in  FIG. 2  or  FIG. 3 . Onto the bottom  132  of the receptacle  128  may be clipped either the standing base  100  shown in  FIG. 3  or the lid  80  of another similar receptacle  128 .  
         [0037]     As shown in  FIG. 11 , a stack may be formed by clipping together a cup  20 , one or more containers  128 , and a standing base  100 . Alternatively, a stack of containers  128  without a cup  20  and/or without a standing base  100  may be formed, or a single receptacle  128  may be stacked with a cup  20  and/or with a standing base  100 . However, because the bottom  132  of the receptacle  128  is more rounded than the bottom  30  of the receptacle  28 , it may be preferred to use a standing base  100  to increase the stability of tall stacks. Alternatively, the bottom of a stack may be a container lid  80  that does not have a container body screwed into it, or a container body  82 .  
         [0038]     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention. Other variations are contemplated and will be understood by those in the art.