Abstract:
A drinking adapter for juvenile use includes a closure member releasably engaged to a beverage container. The closure member comprises a cap, and a mouthpiece controls flow of fluid out of the container. A handle is supported to the closure member.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of priority of provisional patent application 60/353,462, filed Jan. 31, 2002. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an adapter for drinking from commercially available beverage containers for juvenile use and a system incorporating said adapter. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Juvenile drinking cups are well-known in the art. These cups comprise beverage containers and covers. The covers commonly comprise various sorts of mouthpieces formed in a top with the top comprising a valve. Such containers must be filled through one of a number of sources. The cup must be cleaned as well the rest of apparatus between uses. The cups may or may not have various forms of handles for facilitating manipulation by a user. 
   Use of such cups involves inconvenience when used away from home. The entire cup system must be transported and when the child is finished drinking, unless cleaning facilities are conveniently at hand the cup must be taken home dirty. 
   It would greatly simplify the task of providing for drinking on behalf of a child by providing a system which is engageable with a commercially available container such as a carbonated soft drink container or a spring water container. A system that does not include a cup with handles would also need to have a form of handle included in a drinking adapter so that a user such as a young child may conveniently hold the container and manipulate it for use. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore a general particular advantage of the present invention to provide a beverage container adapter for juvenile use which may be affixed to a container once the container closure has been removed. 
   It is another particular advantage of the present invention to provide a device of the type described in which a holder is combined with the drinking adapter for manipulation by a child. 
   It is a further specific particular advantage of the present invention in one form to provide a handle which is formable into a selected shape for amusement for the child and for use as licensed merchandise. 
   It is another specific particular advantage of the present invention to provide a handle of the type described shaped to allow teething and to avoid choking hazards. 
   It is a further particular advantage of the present invention to provide an integrated drinking system for use by a juvenile. 
   Briefly stated in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a drinking system including a cap suitable for engaging an open beverage container. The cap and a mouthpiece are incorporated in a closure member. Built into the cap is a valve which may be operated by sucking on the mouthpiece. The closure member is surrounded by a handle for manipulation of the assembly of the drinking container and the adapter by a user, such as a child. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention, both as to its matter and organization and manner of operation may be further understood by the following description taken in connection with the following drawings. 
     Of the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a axonometric view of a system according to the present invention integrated with a commercially available drinking container; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional elevation of the apparatus in  FIG. 1  taken along lines  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the valve means, cap and mouthpiece of one form of the apparatus; 
       FIG. 4  is an axonometric view of an alternative form of ring by which the user may manipulate the system of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional exploded view of a unitary embodiment; 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  are upper and lower axonometric views of a further unitary embodiment; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-section taken along lines  8 — 8  of  FIG. 6 ; and 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view similar to that of  FIG. 8  of a further embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate a drinking adapter  1  constructed in accordance with the present invention and a drinking system  2  comprising a drinking adapter  1  and commercially available beverage container  3  which may hold liquid  4 .  FIG. 1  is an axonometric view, and  FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 . The drinking system of  FIG. 1  comprises a closure member  10  having a mouthpiece  12  including an aperture  14  at an upper portion thereof and a member  16  at a lower end thereof. The mouthpiece  12  encloses a volume  15  exterior to the container  3 . The terms upper and lower are arbitrary. Upper as used here means away from a closed end of the beverage container  3 , and lower means toward the closed end. Radial and axial directions are with respect to a vertical axis  19  of the beverage container  3 . 
   An opening  20  is normally at an upper end of the beverage container  3  surrounded by a neck  22  having outer threads  24 . The cap portion  16  has an axial dimension which may approximate that of the neck  22 . It is desirable to provide a dimension that is easy for a user to handle. If the beverage container  3  is asymmetrical, then the axis  19  may be that of the opening  20 . 
   Many well-known shapes may be used for the mouthpiece  12 . The mouthpiece  12  can include a substantially axial extension around which a child can place both teeth and lips. The mouthpiece  12  could alternatively comprise a tube or other convenient shape. Affixed to the closure member  10  below the mouthpiece  12  is a cap  28  which among other things will serve as a cap to close and releasably engage the beverage container  3 . The cap  28  includes threads  30  for releasably engaging the threads  24  of the beverage container  3 . One or more forms of cap  28  maybe provided. The form depends on the sort of container  3  being utilized. 
   Among common soft drink containers, there is one generally standard thread of a selected pitch for plastic containers bearing plastic caps and a different thread for glass containers normally receiving “twist” off steel caps. Preferred forms of the invention will include the cap  28  having threads  30  suitable for meshing with a plastic container  3 . Normally plastic will be preferred to glass due to child safety issues. However, for applications in which the assembly  2  will be used only in the environment of deep pile carpeting, a glass beverage container  3  may be suitable for use. The threads  24  of the container  3  and threads  30  of the cap  28  could be replaced by other releasable engaging means, e.g., a bayonet connection. Threads  30  are preferred as a means of providing releasable engagement due to the prevalence of threads  24  on containers  3 . 
   As seen in  FIG. 2  and also as better seen in  FIG. 3 , which is an exploded view in axonometric form of the elements of  FIG. 2 , the cap  28  contains a valve  34  which closes an aperture  31  in an upper surface  32  of the cap  16 . The valve  34  is preferably made of an elastomer and has a slit  36  formed therein. The cap  16  communicates a volume inside the containers  3  with an exterior volume, e.g., the volume  15  in the mouthpiece  12 . When suction is applied to the mouthpiece  12 , the valve  34  deforms so that liquid  4  passes through the slit  36 . When no such suction is applied, the valve  34  remains closed. 
   In order to provide further functionality, the drinking adapter  1  further comprises a handle  40 . With the handle  40 , the system  2  may be grasped by a user whether or not the container  3  has a handle. Consequently, a juvenile user may support the system with one hand even if a user could not hold the container  3  with one hand. In the present invention, the handle  40  comprises a ring  42 . The ring  42  is a hollow, right, cylindrical solid having an inner diameter selected to mate with the cap member  16 . Specific dimensions of the ring  16  may be selected to correspond to the hand size of a user. The ring  42  provides for more surface area for a user to hold than the closure member  10  and allows a user greater freedom in manipulation of the system  2 . 
   The handle  40  need not be symmetrical, nor need it contact the closure member  10  around its entire periphery. A support member  46  supports the handle  40  to the closure member  10 . The handle  40  may be press fit over a leg member  47  extending axially from the support member  46 . Alternatively the handle  40  may be secured to the support member  46  by adhesive or may be manufactured unitarily with the closure member  10  and support member  46 . 
     FIG. 4  is an elevation of a further form of the handle  40 . Upper and lower peripheries of the handle  40  may be given ornamental shapes, either for greater ease of use by a child or simply for amusement. As illustrated in the present embodiment, axially displaced ends of the handle  40  have substantially sinusoidal borders. The handle  40  may also be shaped to display forms of animals or characters, making the drinking adapter  1  particularly suitable for use as licensed merchandise. Alternatively, the handle  40 , as indicated in  FIG. 4 , may simply be imprinted with indicia  50  such as promotional material. Consequently, the system could be branded with indicia of a theme park at which the drinking adapter  1  may be sold. The handle  40  may also be associated with movies, cartoons or theater productions. 
     FIG. 5  is an exploded cross sectional form of a further embodiment of the drinking adapter  1 . In this embodiment, the drinking adapter  1  has a substantially right cylindrical cap  60 , which may be threaded. The cap  60  has a top  62  through which a mouthpiece  68 , having an aperture  70  projects. The mouthpiece is preferably cylindrical, and tapered slightly to a smaller size as it approaches the aperture  70 . 
   Concentric with the mouthpiece  68  and radially inwardly thereof is an annular flange  72  projecting downwardly from a lower surface  74  of the top  62  of the cap  60 . An elastomeric valve  76  is received over the annular flange  72 . A retaining ring  79 , preferably of plastic fits over side walls of the valve  76  to retain the valve  76  on the annular flange  72 . 
   Also on the lower surface  74  is an annular boss  78 . The annular boss  78  cooperates with the neck  22  ( FIG. 2 ) of the beverage container  3  for aiding in sealing. Support member  80  projects radially from the cap  60 , terminating at a handle  82 . In this embodiment, components corresponding to the handle  40  and lower member of the cap member  16  ( FIG. 2 ) are unitary. 
     FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8  illustrate a further unitary embodiment. The same reference numerals are used to denote elements corresponding to those of  FIG. 5 .  FIGS. 6 and 7  are upper and lower axonometric views of a further unitary embodiment, and  FIG. 8  is a cross-section taken along lines  8 — 8  of  FIG. 6 . 
     FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional illustration of an embodiment using an alternative form of valve. In this embodiment, an elastomeric valve  90  comprises an outer cylindrical member  92 . The cap  16  includes a central cylindrical portion  94 , which may be coaxial with the cap  16 . The cylindrical portion  94  includes an annular recess  96  which is axially offset from and radially surrounds an aperture  98  in the upper surface  32  of the cap  16 . The valve  90  may take any number of known forms. The valve  90  could, for example, be constructed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,236. The drinking adapter  1  may be readily assembled by deforming a valve  90  to deform the outer cylindrical member to fit radially inwardly of the annual recess  96 . Then the valve  90  is released, and the outer cylindrical member  92  is fit into the annular recess  96 . Simplified assembly is achieved. 
   What is thus provided is a versatile highly manufacturable system which may be used in an assembly with prior art drink containers. Use of the system U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,236. The drinking adapter  1  may be readily assembled by deforming a valve  90  to deform the outer cylindrical member to fit radially inwardly of the annual recess  96 . Then the valve  90  is released, and the outer cylindrical member  92  is fit into the annular recess  96 . Simplified assembly is achieved. 
   What is thus provided is a versatile highly manufacturable system which may be used in an assembly with prior art drink containers. Use of the system eases the burden on a parent when taking a child out. The specification has been written with a view toward enabling those skilled in the art to provide many forms of drinking system and assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.