Abstract:
A beverage utensil for enhancing the enjoyment of a multiple phase beverage includes a bowl portion and a handle portion extending upwardly away from a section of a rim of the bowl portion. The beverage utensil may be used in combination with a beverage container having a diameter only slightly larger than the diameter of the bowl portion of the utensil to facilitate collection and consumption of non-liquid materials of a multiple phase beverage.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to the field of food and beverage utensils and more particularly to utensils used for separating foams, solids, semi-solids and other non-liquid or partially liquid materials from a multiple phase beverage for consumption separate from a liquid phase of the beverage. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Beverages are typically served from open containers, such as glassware, cups, mugs, bottles, cans, tumblers and the like, that allow the beverage to be poured over a lip or rim of the container and into the mouth of a consumer. Beverages are sometimes served from containers having a straw, either loosely disposed in the beverage, or affixed to a lid on the beverage container. In the case of beverages having a thick consistency, a high viscosity, and/or containing solids, semi-solids, foam or other spoonable materials that are not comprised of only liquid, it is common to serve and consume the beverage with a spoon. Examples of such beverages that may be better enjoyed with a spoon include beverages containing ice cream or made of ice cream, such as milk shakes, sippable sundaes; foamy drinks, such as cappuccinos; thick drinks containing suspended solids, such as pieces of candy; and crushed ice beverages. There are numerous patents describing and claiming utensils that incorporate both spoon and straw functionalities into a single device. These utensils generally comprise a handle portion defining a conduit that extends along substantially the entire length of the handle portion and which is open at each end, and a bowl or scoop portion integral with the distal end of the handle portion. The bowl or scoop allows a person using the utensil to scoop up solid, semi-solid, foam or other material (including liquids) and deposit the material in the user&#39;s mouth, while the conduit allows the person using the utensil to draw fluids (e.g., liquid) from a beverage container into the user&#39;s mouth. 
         [0003]    While the combination spoon and straw utensil has undoubtedly provided enhanced enjoyment of beverages containing or consisting of solids, semi-solids, foams, highly viscous fluids or other materials that are spoonable or scoopable, there remains a need for improved beverage utensils that further raise the enjoyment level for consumers of thick, frothy, foamy, creamy and/or other beverages comprising non-liquid components. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention provides a utensil that enables enhanced enjoyment of beverages containing spoonable and/or scoopable non-liquid materials such as solids, semi-solids, foams, viscous or gooey syrup-like materials, and other materials that constitute a phase separate from the liquid phase of the beverage. 
         [0005]    In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, there is provided a utensil for collecting and extracting non-liquid material from a beverage held in a beverage container, wherein the utensil includes a bowl portion and an elongate handle portion extending upwardly away from a section of a rim of the bowl portion. 
         [0006]    In certain other aspects of the invention there is provided a combination beverage container and utensil for collecting and extracting non-liquid material from a beverage held in a beverage container, wherein the combination includes a frustoconical or cylindrical container, and a utensil having a bowl portion and an elongate handle portion extending upwardly away from a section of a rim of the bowl portion. 
         [0007]    These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a utensil for collecting and extracting non-liquid material from a beverage held in a beverage container. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the utensil shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the utensil shown in  FIG. 1  positioned in a transparent beverage container. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the utensil and beverage container of  FIG. 3 , with an end of the handle portion of the utensil folded over to allow a lid to be positioned on the rim of the beverage container. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the beverage container and utensil with folded handle portion shown in  FIG. 4  with a beverage having non-liquid phase material suspended therein deposited in the beverage container. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a front perspective view of the utensil and beverage container of  FIG. 5  in which the beverage has been consumed and wherein the suspended non-liquid materials have been collected on a bowl portion of the utensil. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the utensil shown in  FIG. 6  with non-liquid materials on the bowl portion of the utensil being poured or otherwise introduced to the mouth of a person consuming the beverage. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    In accordance with certain embodiments of the invention, a utensil  10  for collecting and extracting non-liquid material from a beverage held in a beverage container includes a bowl portion  12  and a handle portion  14 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The bowl portion preferably has a spheroidal cap shell structure. 
         [0016]    The term “spheroidal” refers to a shape or structure that is not necessarily perfectly spherical, but may be ellipsoidal or some other shape that deviates slightly from the shape of a sphere. The term “spheroidal cap” refers to a region or portion of a sphere or spheroid which lies above a plane cutting through the sphere (i.e., the bowl portion  12  has a shape generally conforming to the shape of a section of a sphere or spheroid). The expression “spheroidal cap” is also meant to encompass spheroidal sections defined by a region between two planes (typically parallel planes) passing through a sphere or spheroid. The expression “shell” refers to the fact that a bowl is typically defined by a material located between two surfaces, an inner surface of the bowl and an outer surface of the bowl. 
         [0017]    Unlike most spoons, in which the handle portion extends laterally or horizontally away from the bowl when the bowl opening is facing upwardly, the utensil of this invention has an elongate handle portion  14  that extends upwardly away from a section of the rim  16  of the bowl portion when the bowl portion is arranged with the opening facing upwardly (with the rim of the bowl in a horizontal plane). However, it should be understood that the expression “upwardly away from a section of a rim of the bowl portion” also encompasses small angles (typically less than  10  degrees) from vertical, such as the angle that the walls of a container, such as a disposable beverage container, would have with a vertical surface upon which the beverage container is supported. 
         [0018]    Preferably, bowl portion  14  has a spherical cap shell structure, and the rim  16  of bowl portion  14  defines a circle. 
         [0019]    In certain preferred embodiments, the bowl portion may include one or more openings  17 , typically near the center or bottom of the bowl, to allow liquid to drain from the bowl portion as it is removed from a beverage, while non-liquid material is retained on the bowl portion. 
         [0020]    The expression “non-liquid material” is meant to generally refer to any material that exists in a different phase from the main liquid component of a multiple phase beverage. More specifically, non-liquid materials include, for example, solids (e.g., cookie pieces, candy pieces, etc.), gooey materials that exist in a phase that is distinct from the main liquid phase of the beverage (e.g., syrup-like materials), foams (which are a combination of air and liquid, such as a foam, cream or milk), crushed ice, semi-solids and the like. 
         [0021]    The utensils of this invention may be configured for use with a particular beverage container  22 , as shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , or they may be configured for use with any of a variety of different sized containers. In such case, it is desirable that the handle portion is provided with a plurality of scores  18  that allow handle portion  12  to be easily folded so that the utensil can be supported on the rim of a beverage container with the bowl portion  12  of utensil  10  being suspended above a bottom of a beverage container or on a bottom of a beverage container, while allowing a lid to be fitted on the rim of the beverage container over the folded section of the handle portion, as shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
         [0022]    Utensil  10  preferably includes gussets  20  ( FIG. 1 ) at the end of handle portion  14  that is connected with bowl portion  12  in order to strengthen the connection between the handle portion and bowl portion. 
         [0023]    In accordance with certain aspects of the invention, a combination beverage container and utensil for collecting and extracting non-liquid material from a beverage held in a beverage container is provided. The combination includes a frustoconical or cylindrical container  22  and a utensil  10  having a bowl portion  12  and an elongated handle portion  14  that extends upwardly away from a section of a rim  16  of bowl portion  12 , with handle portion  14  being bent to allow it to be supported on rim  16  of beverage container  22 . Desirably, bowl portion  12  has a diameter that is only slightly less than the minimum diameter of beverage container  22 . This allows a very substantial portion of the non-liquid materials in a beverage to be collected on bowl portion  12  if desired during consumption of a beverage. For example, bowl portion  12  will typically have a diameter that is at least about 90 percent of the minimum diameter of container  22 . 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , as the liquid portion of a beverage is consumed, solid material can be collected in the bowl  12  of utensil  10 , and subsequently transferred from the bowl to a mouth  28  of a person consuming the beverage, as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0025]    The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiments only. Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.