Abstract:
The invention provides a beverage container which can be readily handled by a child, and which is spill-proof, sterile and can be pre-filled for use as a single-use beverage container. The beverage container can be mass-produced inexpensively, pre-filled and disposable. A top portion and spout are constructed to be spill resistant and sealable for ease of manufacture and use by a toddler learning to drink from a cup.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    Co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/335,328, filed on Nov. 2, 2001, under the Attorney Docket No. 13331US01.  
       FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]    Not Applicable  
       MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE  
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    Pre-filled beverage containers come in all shapes and sizes. More particularly, disposable beverage containers come in various forms, from glass bottles to aluminum cans to paper and plastic cups. These disposable beverage containers provide a great deal of convenience in that they never require cleaning and are readily available for consumption. However, a large segment of the population is currently unable to take advantage of the convenience of pre-filled disposable beverage containers. For children making the transition from bottle to cup, a suitable pre-filled disposable beverage container is not currently available.  
           [0005]    Every child between the infant and preschool stages makes the transition from bottle to cup. Commonly, children during this stage use “sippy cups” in order to gain a feel for drinking from a regular cup. These “sippy cups” generally use a top with a restricted flow mouthpiece in order to prevent large spills while a child learns to hold and maneuver a regular cup.  
           [0006]    While “sippy cups” have become widely popular, they suffer from several disadvantages. First, they require advanced planning and preparation on the part of parents, since “sippy cups” do not come pre-filled with a beverage product. Since “sippy cups” are generally not disposable, they are not as sanitary as a fresh, disposable cup, and empty or partially unused cups must be retained for cleaning and re-use. Also, replacing lost or worn out cups can be costly.  
           [0007]    Several pre-filled disposable products are available for children, but each of these has certain drawbacks associated with it. Disposable juice boxes and bags employ a straw to provide access to the beverage product stored inside. Children making the transition from bottle to cup likely have not yet learned to use a straw, and thus a straw may present a hazard to children of this age group. Also, these beverage products are prone to leaks and spills due to the soft structure of the boxes and bags and the lack of a seal around the straw.  
           [0008]    Therefore, a substantial need exists for a pre-filled disposable beverage container suitable for use by children making the transition from bottle to cup.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention generally relates to disposable beverage containers and, more particularly, relates to a disposable children&#39;s cup which is pre-filled with a beverage and marketed as a ready-to-drink product.  
           [0010]    According to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, pre-filled disposable beverage containers are provided which are suitable for use by children making the transition from bottle to cup. The disposable beverage containers use a top with a mouthpiece which provides a restricted liquid flow in order to prevent excess spillage while allowing a child to gain a feel for drinking from a standard cup. These containers are pre-filled with an appropriate beverage product in order to provide a complete, ready-to-drink product which children can consume and then discard.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the first embodiment with a snap-in turret mouthpiece in the up position.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top portion with the mouthpiece folded down and a safety seal over the mouthpiece.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a top plan view.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a side partially cutaway view of the top and including the depending straw portion, and the fill section.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a broken away perspective view of the first embodiment with the mouthpiece in the down position.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a side, partially cutaway view of the bottom of the embodiment showing how the cup may be pre-filled.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 illustrates a second embodiment with the mouthpiece in the up position.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 illustrates a second embodiment in an expanded view of the top, the mouthpiece and the straw portion.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the integrated straw mouthpiece of the second embodiment along the line  9 - 9  of FIG. 7. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 illustrates the first embodiment of the present invention with the mouthpiece  105  in the up position. The pre-filled disposable beverage container  101  consists of a liquid housing  102  and a top  104 . The beverage container  101  would be molded so that the liquid housing  102  and top  104  form one single piece. The mouthpiece  105  is a snap-in turret style mouthpiece with an integrated straw that can flip up for restricted flow drinking or down to keep the liquid inside. The liquid is filled through the bottom  103  of the container.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 2 which is a broken away perspective view of the top  104  of the first embodiment container with the mouthpiece  105  in the recessed position and with a safety seal  106 . This seal protects tampering with the contents and keeps the mouthpiece  105  sanitary. Such safety seals are well known, and will be recognized by those having ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 illustrates a plan view of the top of the first embodiment with the integrated straw mouthpiece  105  in the up position and attached to the top  104 . It is noted that the mouthpiece  105  is shown with one large hole  109  in which the liquid passes through. There is the possibility of a variety of hole sizes or even a series of small holes that may be more preferable to a particular manufacturer.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 illustrates a cut away view of the inner components of the first embodiment of beverage container  101 . The housing  102  is pre-filled with liquid through a hole in the bottom  103 . A plastic cover is then sealed over the bottom  103  to keep the liquid inside housing  102 . As the beverage container is disposable, it is not necessary to fill it again. The top  104  of the beverage container  101  is molded to the housing  102 . A snap-in turret style mouthpiece  105  contains an integrated straw feature  108  which allows for restricted flow of liquid through the liquid housing  102 . When the mouthpiece  105  is in the up position the integrated straw  108  allows for easy flow of liquid. An additional hole  107  is needed to allow for the free flow of liquid through the straw  108 .  
         [0024]    One drawback of “sippy cups” noted earlier is the tendency for the cups to leak. FIG. 5 illustrates a cut away view of the integrated straw  108  of the mouthpiece  105  crimped shut as to keep the liquid from leaking through the mouthpiece  105 .  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional, partially cutaway view of a bottom portion  114  of container  101 . In the center thereof is a cylindrical shoulder  115  with a hole  114  in the center thereof. Though this hole  114  container  101  can be pre-filled with a liquid, as shown in FIG. 6. Once filled, hole  114  can be sealed by heat-sealing shoulder  115 . By this method, or others known to those of skill in the art, a pre-filled, sanitary disposable cup can be provided.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 illustrates a second embodiment of the pre-filled disposable beverage container  101  with the integrated straw mouthpiece  105  in the up position. The liquid housing  102  is separate from the top  104 . The top  104  is constructed as to include the integrated straw mouthpiece  105 . The top  104  is attached to the liquid housing  102  by a snap on cap  112 . The mouthpiece  105  would allow for restricted flow of beverage from the liquid housing  102 . While the shape of the second embodiment of the beverage container is wide at the bottom and thinner at the top, it is noted that any variety of shapes may be employed. The exact shape of the beverage container  101  is not essential to the invention, and will purely be a choice of the particular manufacturer. Similarly, the size of the liquid housing  102  in relation to top  104  is simply a choice of the particular manufacturer and not essential to the invention. The top is thinner in this second embodiment beverage container  101  only for the ease of filling during manufacturing.  
         [0027]    It is noted that a safety seal in the second embodiment would be the same as the safety seal  106  in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment. All that would seem necessary is a peel away seal at the top of the mouthpiece  105 . However, any additional safety seals or variations therein would be determined by the manufacturer.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 8 shows the second embodiment of beverage container  101  broken into components. The snap-on cap  112  has a rim  109  around the top  104  which would mate with and snap over circumferential shoulder  110  of the housing unit  102 . This would create a seal between the top  104  and the housing unit  102  to keep the liquid inside the beverage container  101 . This figure also illustrates the components of the integrated straw mouthpiece  105 . The straw  108  is integrated into the mouthpiece  105  so liquid flows through the straw  108  only. Therefore, if the mouthpiece  105  is up or down determines the flow of liquid.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 9 illustrates an up close view of the top  104  of the second embodiment of the beverage container  101 . The mouthpiece  105  is a turret style mouthpiece which snaps in to the top of the cup  104 . The integrated straw  108  rests inside the mouthpiece  105 .  
         [0030]    Both disposable beverage containers herein described may be formed of a variety of materials. Plastic provides several advantages, since it is readily available, easy to shape and recyclable if the proper grade is selected. Plastic would also allow for the heat seal over the bottom where the liquid is filled in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6.  
         [0031]    In a preferred embodiment, container  101  is pre-filled with a beverage, preferably for use by a child. In mass-producing the containers, each can be filled and sealed, for example, as described above with respect to FIG. 6. The container  101  may be a single piece as shown with reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, or may be two-piece as shown in FIG. 8. If a one-piece construction, container  101  may be blow-molded or otherwise formed as is known by those of skill in the art. If container  101  is of a multi-piece construction, it is preferably comprised of base  102  having a rim  110  which is designed to matingly engage a lip  109  of a top portion  104 . As shown in FIG. 8, the container  101  is completed by press fitting top  104  over rim  110  to form a permanent and liquid-tight seal which may not be broken unless destroyed. In this manner, an inexpensive, easily made and pre-filled container  101  may be manufactured.  
         [0032]    While the first embodiment beverage container  101  is shown in a specific cylindrical shape, it is noted that the beverage container  101  could take on any variety of shapes or sizes. The exact shape of the beverage container  101  is not essential to the invention, and will be purely a choice of a particular manufacturer. Similarly, the size of the liquid housing  102  in relation to the top  104  is simply a choice of a particular manufacturer.  
         [0033]    While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.