U.S. patent application number 11/642080 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-26 for hygiene cup barrier.
Invention is credited to Stanley Kim.
Application Number | 20080149650 11/642080 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39541384 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080149650 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Stanley |
June 26, 2008 |
Hygiene cup barrier
Abstract
A cup accessory ("A Hygiene Cup Barrier") (FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8) that is placed between the rim of a cup and the mouth.
This device blocks the direct contact between the cup and the mouth
to prevent cup-to-mouth transfer of potential contaminants, thus
providing better hygiene for an individual and the public. The cup
barrier has various kinds of size, shape, design, materials, and
consistency. It can be colorless transparent or colored. It can be
disposable or reusable. It is packed in a clean or sterile manner
so that the user can place the cup barrier over the cup without
contaminating it before using.
Inventors: |
Kim; Stanley; (Upland,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Stanley Kim
421 East 25th Street
Upland
CA
91784
US
|
Family ID: |
39541384 |
Appl. No.: |
11/642080 |
Filed: |
December 20, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/716 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/2216
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/716 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/22 20060101
A47G019/22 |
Claims
1. A cup barrier device that is placed over an area of a container,
such as the rim of a cup, that can block the direct contact between
said container and the lip or mouth, thus improving hygiene of an
individual person and the public.
2. A cup barrier device of claim 1, wherein said device is made of
various size, shape, design, and materials with various
consistency. It can be colorless transparent, or colorful. It can
be disposable or reusable. The shape and design of the barrier has
ability to be securely placed on the rim of a cup, and to prevent
chocking when accidentally swallowed. The shape can be designed to
mimic the human lip so that the person feels like kissing someone
when he or she uses the barrier. It may provide psychological
benefit. The materials of the barrier can be various kinds of
various consistency, such as soft silicone, rubber, plastic, or
other non-toxic safe materials. An elastic material can adjust and
fit the container more easily.
3. A cup barrier device of claim 1, further including means for
packaging said cup barrier in a clean or sterile manner that allows
the user to place said cup barrier over the rim of the cup without
contaminating said cup barrier before using said cup barrier.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] None.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH
[0002] None.
SEQUENCE LISTING
[0003] None.
BACKGROUND
[0004] 1. Field of Invention
[0005] This invention relates to a cup accessory device to improve
people's hygiene by being placed between the cup and the mouth.
[0006] 2. Prior Art
[0007] As more people dine out nowadays, assurance of cleanness of
a cup free of contamination becomes important public issue.
[0008] At a restaurant, people use the cups for drinking that have
been used many times by many different people. Some of the
restaurant customers may harbor a communicable disease. Although
the restaurants use the dishwashers or other cleaning methods, a
customer often discovers a cup not well cleaned or even stained
with the lipstick marks.
[0009] Therefore, repetitive usage of the cups that are not
properly cleaned in a public restaurant can be hazardous for the
public health. In addition, patients in a hospital or inmates in a
correction facility are more vulnerable to this problem.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION--OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
[0010] By placing a barrier on the rim of a cup where the lip is in
contact with, the direct exposure to human mouth by potential
contaminants on the cup can be avoided. The size of the barrier
needs to be large enough to block the direct contact between the
rim of the cup and the lip.
[0011] The barrier can be shaped and designed in various ways to be
securely placed on the rim of the cup, and to prevent chocking when
accidentally swallowed. By designing the barrier mimicking human
lip, the user feels like he or she kisses the loved one when
drinking, thus providing potential psychological benefit.
[0012] The material of the barrier can be made from many different
kinds, such as silicone rubber, plastic, or other non-toxic
materials. Elastic materials are more useful because those are
better adjusted and fit in a different shapes and size of cups.
[0013] The barrier can be disposable after single use in order to
maximize person's hygiene. By wrapping the barrier with paper,
vinyl or plastic, the cleanness and sterility can be further
ensured.
[0014] In addition, the barrier can be covered by a piece of clean
paper or vinyl that is removable after having been placed by the
hand, but before placing the lip for drinking. The barrier can be
re-usable as a personal possession if it is made of more durable
materials and it can be cleaned repeatedly.
SUMMARY
[0015] A barrier placed on the rim of a cup that is used
repetitively in a restaurant, hospital, or other public places by
many different people can prevent direct contact of the mouth with
the potential contaminants on the rim of the cup, thus improving
hygiene of an individual person and the public.
[0016] The barrier has a size to completely block the contact
between the cup and the lip of the mouth.
[0017] The shape and design of the barrier have an ability to be
securely placed on the rim of a cup, and to prevent chocking when
accidentally swallowed. The shape can be designed to mimic the
human lip so that the person feels like kissing someone when he or
she uses the barrier when drinking. It may provide psychological
benefit.
[0018] The materials of the barrier can be various kinds, such as
soft silicone, rubber, plastic, or others that can be safely
contacted with the mouth. Materials having elasticity may be more
useful to be adjusted and fit in the various shapes and sizes of
the cups.
DRAWINGS--FIGURES
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective anterior view of a cup barrier
placed on the rim of a cup.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cup barrier placed on the
rim of a cup.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective close-up view of a cup barrier
placed on the rim of a cup.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective anterior view of a cup barrier.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a perspective posterior view of a cup barrier.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a perspective lateral view of a cup barrier.
[0025] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cup barrier designed to
mimic human lip.
[0026] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a cup barrier designed to
mimic human lip placed on the rim of a cup.
DRAWINGS--REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0027] 9. A cup barrier.
[0028] 10. A cup.
[0029] 11. The rim of a cup.
[0030] 12. The upper part of a cup barrier having a shape of a
circle to be placed securely on the rim of a cup.
[0031] 13. Anterior part of a cup barrier.
[0032] 14. A cup barrier designed to mimic human lip.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] FIG. 1 is a perspective anterior view of a cup barrier (9)
placed on the rim of a cup (11).
[0034] The cup barrier of this embodiment has a rectangular shape
that is folded to be placed over the rim of a cup.
[0035] FIG. 2 is a perspective posterior view of a cup barrier
placed on the rim of a cup (11).
[0036] FIG. 3 is a close-up view of a cup barrier placed on the rim
of a cup (11).
[0037] FIG. 4 is a perspective anterior view of a cup barrier.
[0038] FIG. 5 is a perspective posterior view of a cup barrier.
[0039] FIG. 6 is a perspective lateral view of a cup barrier. The
upper part (12) of the cup barrier has circular shape so that it
can grip the rim of the cup (11) securely. By tightly holding the
rim of the cup, the liquids filled in the cup will flow toward the
mouth easily. The anterior part (13) of the cup barrier has a shape
of apron that covers the surface area of the mouth in contact with
the cup.
[0040] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cup barrier to be designed
mimicking human lip. The user feels like kissing someone when
drinking. This design may provide psychological benefit when using
this cup barrier.
[0041] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a barrier mimicking human
lip that is placed on the cup.
[0042] Although the description above contains many specificities,
these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the
invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the
presently preferred embodiments of this invention. The scope of
this invention should be determined by the appended claims and
their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
OPERATION
[0043] The cup barrier is packed in a concealed plastic bag in a
clean and sterile condition. The user open the pack and take out
the cup barrier carefully not to touch the barrier itself by the
hand to avoid contamination. The package can be designed such that
the apron-shaped anterior part of the cup barrier (13) is taken out
first and placed over the rim of a cup without being touched by the
fingers while the upper part of the cup barrier (12) inside the
package is held by the fingers. The user can adjust the cup barrier
to fit on the rim of the cup and to place it in a desirable area.
Once the anterior part (13) has been placed, the rest of package is
removed completely. Then whole part of the cup barrier can be
placed over the rim without being directly touched by the fingers.
Another method is to cover the exposed area of the cup barrier with
a piece of a sterile paper, vinyl, or plastic. Once the barrier is
placed on the desirable area of the rim of the cup, the cover is
removed.
[0044] Then the user places his or her lip on the cup barrier to
drink.
[0045] In a restaurant setting, a waiter or waitress can place the
cup barrier over the rim of a cup before filling the cup with
liquids.
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