U.S. patent application number 12/494562 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-31 for child drinking vessel.
Invention is credited to Holly E. Blair, Lisa A. Passarelli.
Application Number | 20090321458 12/494562 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41446172 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090321458 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Blair; Holly E. ; et
al. |
December 31, 2009 |
Child Drinking Vessel
Abstract
A non-spillable drinking vessel is disclosed that includes a
detachable lid assembly with an anti-spill tip or a detachable
spill stopper, a body with an interior for containing liquid, and a
detachable base. The detachable base of the vessel is a sealed
compartment containing LED lights and/or sound and associated
circuitry.
Inventors: |
Blair; Holly E.;
(Indianapolis, IN) ; Passarelli; Lisa A.; (Carmel,
IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BAKER & DANIELS LLP
300 NORTH MERIDIAN STREET, SUITE 2700
INDIANAPOLIS
IN
46204
US
|
Family ID: |
41446172 |
Appl. No.: |
12/494562 |
Filed: |
June 30, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61133467 |
Jun 30, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/709 ;
220/713; 220/719 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 2019/2238 20130101;
A47G 2019/2244 20130101; A47G 19/2227 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/709 ;
220/719; 220/713 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/22 20060101
A47G019/22 |
Claims
1. A child drinking vessel including a body defining an interior
region configured to contain a beverage to be consumed by a child;
a lid coupled to a top end of the body to provide an anti-spill
seal with the container to avoid the beverage draining from between
the body and the lid; the lid including an opening to allow the
beverage to be consumed by the child; a base coupled to a bottom
end of the body; and electronics positioned in the base and
including a plurality of light emitting devices configured to emit
light into body or emitting sounds.
2. The child drinking vessel of claim 1, further including a
locking feature between the body and the base to prevent accidental
removal of the base from the body.
3. The child drinking vessel of claim 1, wherein the lid includes a
tip including the opening sized to be sucked by the child.
4. The child drinking vessel of claim 1, further including a straw
extending through the opening to allow a child to consume the
beverage through the straw.
5. The child drinking vessel of claim 1, wherein the base is
detachable and re-attachable from the bottom of the body to allow
the electronics to be removed and returned to a fixed relationship
with the body.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/133,467, filed Jun. 30, 2008, titled
"Drinking Vessel," to Holly E. Blair, the entire disclosure of
which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to drinking vessels in
general, specifically to drinking vessels intended for use by
babies and/or toddlers having an anti-spilling function.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Children are often given spill proof cups, such as sippy
cups, until they are old enough to avoid spilling liquid from adult
cups. Such cups often have valves or are otherwise designed to
prevent liquids from leaving the cup to avoid messes associated
with cups being dropped or knocked over.
[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a child
drinking vessel is provided including a body defining an interior
region configured to contain a beverage to be consumed by a child;
a lid coupled to a top end of the body to provide an anti-spill
seal with the container to avoid the beverage draining from between
the body and the lid; the lid including an opening to allow the
beverage to be consumed by the child; a base coupled to a bottom
end of the body; and electronics positioned in the base and
including a plurality of light emitting devices configured to emit
light into body or emitting sounds.
[0005] Additional features and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration
of the following detailed description of the illustrative
embodiment exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention
as presently perceived.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The detailed description of the drawings particularly refers
to the accompanying figures in which:
[0007] FIG. 1A is a front view of a sippy cup according to the
present disclosure with portions shown in phantom;
[0008] FIG. 1B is a side view of the sippy cup of FIG. 1A;
[0009] FIG. 1C is a top view of the sippy cup of FIG. 1A;
[0010] FIG. 2A is front view of the present sippy cup of FIG. 1A
showing handles formed on a lid of the sippy cup;
[0011] FIG. 2B is a front view of an alternative embodiment sippy
cup showing handles formed on a body of the sippy cup;
[0012] FIG. 2C is a front view of another alternative embodiment
sippy cup showing the handles form on a base of the sippy cup;
[0013] FIG. 2D is a front view of another alternative embodiment
sippy cup showing the sippy cup without handles;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the sippy cup of FIG. 1A
showing the sippy cup includes a lid assembly, a body, and a base
removed from the body;
[0015] FIG. 4A is an exploded front view of the lid assembly
including a lid base with handles and threads for attachment to the
body of the sippy cup and an insert having a tip with small holes
and a vent in the insert to allow air into cup when liquid is
withdrawn;
[0016] FIG. 4B is an exploded side view of the lid assembly of FIG.
1A;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a side view of the body of the sippy cup of FIG.
1A showing the body including an open top, lid attachment threads,
base attachment threads and locking detail, and a closed bottom;
and
[0018] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken through the base of
the sippy cup of FIG. 1A showing the base including an open top for
access to the electronics with space above for light show to shine
up toward the base, threads and locking detail for the base
attachment threads of the body, electronics for providing lights
and/or sound, and a closed bottom.
[0019] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out
herein illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and such
exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of
the invention in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] According to the present disclosure, a sippy cup 2 is
provided that includes a lid assembly 4, a body 20, and a base 30.
Lid assembly 4 includes a sippy cup lid 10 and an insert 12. Lid
10, as seen in FIG. 4, includes threads 14 for attaching to body 20
and cooperates with insert 12 to seal with body 20 and create a
liquid-tight volume. Insert 12 is made of resilient or flexible
material. As seen in FIG. 4, has an anti-spill tip 16 with cuts or
slits 6 such that deforming tip 16 and sucking on tip 16 allow
liquid to be withdrawn but otherwise prevents liquid from freely
leaking out. Insert 12 also has a vent 18 that allows air to enter
the cup as liquid is withdrawn, and in similar fashion to the
anti-spill tip 16 has cuts or slits 8 that prevent liquid from
freely leaking out. An upper portion 19 of tip 16, or final
delivery portion of lid 12, where the child sucks, may be shaped
such that it is orthopedically friendly in the child's mouth and
provides an effective shape and size to deliver the liquid
contained in the liquid-tight volume. Tip 16 may be tubular or
generally spherical in shape and/or tilted for orthopedic comfort
and design. Handles 17 may or may not be incorporated into lid 10
as shown in FIGS. 2A-2D. Handles 17 may be incorporated into lid
10, body 20 or base 30, or with no handles as shown. Handles 17 may
be designed such that they are suitable for a child's small hand,
designed to enhance gripping. Cup 2 is shown as a sippy cup.
According to alternative embodiments, cup 2 may be other types of
children's cups, such as a tumbler, wherein lid 10 and insert 12
are preferably one-piece and made of a harder plastic, or a straw
cup having an opening 21 sized to receive straw 23 as shown in
phantom in FIG. 4B.
[0021] Body 20, as seen in FIG. 5, is generally cylindrical in
shape, with a closed bottom 28. Preferably, only top 22 is open.
Open top 22 of body 20 may have threads 24 that mate with threads
14 in lid 10. When assembled, lid 10 and insert 12 and body 20 then
form a liquid-tight volume except for the ability for the child to
extract liquid through anti-spill tip. Body 20 has threads 39 and
locking detail 41 at bottom 26 for attaching base 30, which include
electronics 34. Preferably, the shape of bottom 26 of body 20 does
not create a concave shape or cavity when the base 30 is detached
in order to prevent standing water when dishwashing upside-down.
The closed bottom face 35 may have a textured finish to serve two
purposes: diffuse light rays and prevent user from directly viewing
electronics 34.
[0022] The base 30, as seen in FIG. 6, contains electronics 34 and
is isolated from the internal liquid-tight area contained within
the assembly including lid 10, insert 12 and body 20 as stated
above. Base 30 should have a complementary shape that is attached
with threads 36 and locking detail 43 or other connection feature
to threads 39 and locking detail 41 of body 20, creating an
attachment such that an adult with common strength and dexterity
may remove it and such that an infant or toddler with common
strength and dexterity may not remove it. For example, locking
detail 41 may be a detent and locking detail 43 may be a recess to
receive detent 41 to that removal base 30 from body 20 requires
enough strength to snap or otherwise remove detent 41 from recess
43 so that base 20 is child-proof. Additional details of other
suitable child-proof configurations are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos.
4,225,050; 5,782,359; and 6,112,920, the disclosure of which are
hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
[0023] Electronics 34 contained within base 30 include, but are not
limited to; 1 a power source, such as battery or capacitor or some
other electrical potential energy storage device; 2 one or more
light emitting diodes LED in any color, intensity, shape, or size,
creating the visible light; 3 a device for emitting sound, 4 a
device for turning the LED's and/or sound on and off, either by a
manual switch, a motion-sensing apparatus, body-and-bottom-engaged
sensor/switch, or some other means of switching the circuit on and
off; 4 all associated circuitry including wiring, controls,
connectivity components, etc, and 5 mechanical mounting of all the
components described above. Electronics 34 are accessible for
battery replacement through the open top 32. Bottom 38 is closed
and creates a resting platform from placing sippy cup 10 on a
horizontal surface. Current market availability allows for a wide
variety of lighting options including color, flashing sequence,
intensity, shape, and quantity, and for a variety of means to
produce various sounds. Batteries are replaceable using common hand
tools and average skills. The base exterior is fully textured or
molded-in-color to diffuse light, conceal electronics, and provide
a non slip-surface for gripping.
[0024] During washing of sippy cup 10, base 30 is removed from body
20 to protect electronics 34 from water or heat damage. Once body
20 is down being washed and dried, base 30 is reattached to body
20. According to an alternative embodiment, electronics 34 may be
able to survive the harsh conditions of a dishwasher. According to
such an embodiment, base 30 may not be removable.
[0025] Lid 10 is preferably a molded colored, semi-rigid plastic
part, primarily designed for convenient opening of the liquid-tight
volume and ensuring insert 12 creates an effective seal with body
20. Specific design features are threads 14 to attach to body 20
and a detail to nest the insert 12 for effective sealing.
[0026] Insert 12 is preferably a molded, clear, flexible plastic
part, primarily designed to seal the liquid-tight volume and allow
the child to withdraw liquid from the cup through tip 16 while
preventing accidental spilling of the liquid contained in sippy cup
10. Specific design features are a sealing area that mates with
body 20 for a liquid-tight seal, slits or cuts 6 in tip 19 such
that a child may deform and suck tip 19 to withdraw liquid from cup
10, and slits or cuts 8 in vent 18 such that air may be allowed to
enter cup 10 as liquid is withdrawn.
[0027] Body 20 is preferably a molded, opaque, rigid plastic part,
primarily designed to create a liquid-tight volume in combination
with lid 10 and insert 12, and create an attachment means for the
base 30 to be attached. Specific design features are a sealing area
at the open top to create an effective seal with insert 12, threads
24 to attach lid 10, and threads 39 and locking feature 41 to
attach base 30.
[0028] Base 30 is preferably a molded, rigid plastic part,
primarily designed to carry and electronics 34. Specific design
features include threads 36 and locking feature 43 to attach to
body 20, electronics 34 for lighting and/or emitting sounds from
cup 10, and mechanical attachment of electronics 34. Base 30 is
typically molded in clear textured or colored rigid material.
Texture should be of such density to prevent direct viewing of
electronics 34 or light sources from the sides or bottom.
[0029] Electronics 34 preferably includes circuit-board mounted
components to create a light show through and/or sound from cup 10.
Components include, but are not limited to; 1 a power source
battery or capacitor or some other electrical potential energy
storage device; 2 one or more light emitting diodes LED in any
color, intensity, shape, or size, creating the visible light; 3 a
device for emitting sound, 4 a device for turning the circuit on
and off, either by a manual switch, a motion-sensing apparatus,
body-and-bottom-engaged sensor/switch, or some other means of
switching the circuit on and off; 4 all associated circuitry
including wiring, controls, connectivity components, etc, and 5
mechanical mounting of all the components described above. Specific
design features are circuitry that creates light patterns or
sequences and/or sounds that are entertaining to the child,
ruggedness for use by toddlers, access to replace batteries and a
means for mechanical attachment to the Base 30.
[0030] Although the invention has been described in detail with
reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and
modifications exist within the spirit and scope of the invention as
described and defined in the following claims.
* * * * *