U.S. patent application number 16/271858 was filed with the patent office on 2020-08-13 for sippy cup replacement.
The applicant listed for this patent is Lily Ann Born Born. Invention is credited to Joseph Born, Lily Ann Born.
Application Number | 20200253400 16/271858 |
Document ID | 20200253400 / US20200253400 |
Family ID | 1000004167642 |
Filed Date | 2020-08-13 |
Patent Application | download [pdf] |
United States Patent
Application |
20200253400 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Born; Lily Ann ; et
al. |
August 13, 2020 |
Sippy Cup Replacement
Abstract
a regular, spoutless cup that provides more of the convenience
of bottles and sippy cups to parents looking to wean their children
off or avoid spouts from bottles and sippy cups. The cup has a lid,
a body and optional legs. The lid has squeeze tabs that allow
removal from the body portion. The lid and the body cooperate to
provide flow control through at least one hole in the lid leading
to the spout and at least one hole in a cover over the body. By
rotating the lid and either alighing or not aligning the holes, the
user can achieve flow control. The optional legs are attached to a
ring that fits on the body. The legs can be laterally concave to
provide superior properties that prevent tipping.
Inventors: |
Born; Lily Ann; (Skokie,
IL) ; Born; Joseph; (Lincolnwood, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Born; Lily Ann
Born; Joseph |
Skokie
Lincolnwood |
IL
IL |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000004167642 |
Appl. No.: |
16/271858 |
Filed: |
February 10, 2019 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/2261 20130101;
A47G 19/2272 20130101; B65D 25/24 20130101; B65D 43/022
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/22 20060101
A47G019/22; B65D 25/24 20060101 B65D025/24; B65D 43/02 20060101
B65D043/02 |
Claims
1. A child's cup comprising a lid and a body portion; the lid
having a rim and a base, with at least one lowered spout location
on said rim, the rim having a plurality of first holes constructed
to mate with protrusions on the body portion; the base of the lid
also having at least one through-hole, the through-hole providing a
liquid flow path from the body portion; the lid also having a
plurality of flexible finger tabs; the body portion including a
cavity for holding liquid and a lip, the lip having the plurality
of protrusions constructed to mate with the first holes in the rim;
the body portion also having a closed cover with at least one flow
hole in said closed cover; the lid and the body portion constructed
so that when the flexible finger tabs on the lid are squeezed, the
first holes on the lid separate from the protrusions on the body
portion allowing the lid to be removed, and when the lid is placed
on the body portion, and the flexible finger tabs are released, the
lid mates to the body portion forming a liquid seal; the lid and
body portion being constructed so that when the lid is rotated with
respect the body portion, the through-hole on the lid either aligns
or fails to align with the flow hole in the closed cover of the
body portion therein allowing flow control by rotating said
lid.
2. The child's cup of claim 1 further comprising a legs portion,
the legs portion including an upper ring with at least three
downward pointing legs attached to the ring, the legs portion
having a plurality of tabs that mate with a plurality of second
holes in the body portion allowing the legs to be attached to the
body portion.
3. The child's cup of claim 2 wherein each downward pointing leg is
laterally concave.
4. The child's cup of claim 1 further comprising the lid having a
plurality of through holes.
5. The child's cup of claim 4 further comprising the closed cover
having a plurality of flow holes.
6. The child's cup of claim 1 wherein the spout is silicon
rubber.
7. The child's cup of claim 6 wherein the rim is flexible
plastic.
8. The child's cup of claim 1 wherein the body portion is rigid
plastic.
9. The child's cup of claim 2 wherein the legs portion is rigid
plastic.
10. A child's cup comprising a lid, a legs portion, and a body
portion; the lid having a rim and, a base, with at least one
lowered spout location on said rim, the rim having a plurality of
first holes constructed to mate with protrusions on the body
portion; the base of the lid portion also having at least one
through-hole, the through-hole providing a liquid flow path from
the body portion; the lid also having a plurality of flexible
finger tabs; the body portion including a cavity for holding
liquid, the body portion also have a lip, the lip including the
plurality of protrusions constructed to mate with the first holes
in the rim; the body portion also having a cover with at least one
flow hole in said cover; the lid and the body portion constructed
so that when the flexible finger tabs on the lid are squeezed, the
first holes on the lid separate from the protrusions on the body
portion allowing the lid to be removed, and when the lid is placed
on the body portion and the flexible finger tabs are released, the
lid mates to the body portion forming a liquid seal; the legs
portion including an upper ring with at least three downward
pointing legs attached to the ring, the legs portion having a
plurality of tabs that mate with a plurality of second holes in the
body portion allowing the legs to be attached to the body portion;
the lid and body portion being constructed so that when the lid is
rotated with respect the body portion, the through-hole on the lid
either aligns or fails to align with the flow hole in the cover of
the body portion therein allowing flow control by rotating said
lid.
11. The child's cup of claim 10 further comprising the lid having a
plurality of through holes.
12. The child's cup of claim 10 further comprising the closed cover
having a plurality of flow holes.
13. The child's cup of claim 10 wherein the spout is silicon
rubber.
14. The child's cup of claim 10 wherein the rim is flexible
plastic.
15. The child's cup of claim 10 wherein the body portion is rigid
plastic.
16. The child's cup of claim 10 wherein the legs portion is rigid
plastic.
17. A method for providing a child's cup comprising: providing a
cup having a lid and a body portion; constructing the lid to have a
rim and a base with at least one lowered spout location on the rim;
also constructing the rim to have a plurality of first holes that
mate with protrusions on the body portion; constructing the base of
the lid portion to have at least one through-hole, the through-hole
providing a liquid flow path from the body portion, and
constructing the lid to have a plurality of flexible finger tabs;
constructing the body portion to include a cavity for holding
liquid and constructing the lip to have the plurality of
protrusions that mate with the first holes in the rim, also
constructing the body portion to have a cover with at least one
flow hole in said cover; constructing the lid and the body portion
so that when the flexible finger tabs on the lid are squeezed, the
first holes on the lid separate from the protrusions on the body
portion allowing the lid to be removed, and when the lid is placed
on the body portion and the flexible finger tabs are released, the
lid mates to the body portion forming a liquid seal; constructing
the lid and body portion so that when the lid is rotated with
respect the body portion, the through-hole on the lid either aligns
or fails to align with the flow hole in the cover of the body
portion therein allowing flow control by rotating said lid.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing a legs
portion, the legs portion including an upper ring with at least
three downward pointing legs attached to the ring, the legs portion
having a plurality of tabs that mate with a plurality of second
holes in the body portion allowing the legs to be attached to the
body portion;
19. The method of claim 17 wherein, the lid has a plurality of
through holes.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein, the closed cover has a
plurality of flow holes.
Description
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates generally to cups for children
and more particularly to a child's cup that replaces sippy
cups.
Description of the Problem Solved
[0002] A myriad of health problems are associated with bottles and
sippy cups. First is the interference with infant swallow
maturation. Swallow maturation from the infant suckle-swallow
pattern requires the tongue tip to rise to the alveolar ridge, the
overuse of hard nipples can impede the tongues ability to rise.
Impeding the swallow maturation can also promote a tongue that
rests low and forward in the mouth can have an impact on speech,
promote mouth breathing and even affect palette development.
[0003] Both the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommend that
children be transitioned to regular, lidless cups at 12 months of
age. It would be advantageous to have a regular, spoutless cup that
provides more of the convenience of bottles and sippy cups to
parents looking to wean their children off or avoid spouts from
bottles and sippy cups.
[0004] While some practitioners have advocated using very small
cups (1 to 2 oz capacity) for children: "a normal sized cup is akin
to an adult drinking from a pail"; the present invention uses a
larger cup which not only provides more capacity but is also easier
to handle by providing at least on spout.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention relates to a cup that provides more of
the convenience of bottles and sippy cups to parents looking to
wean their children off or avoid spouts from bottles and sippy
cups.
[0006] A goal of the present invention is to provide a cup that is
less likely to spill, tip or dribble, is easier for children to
drink from, and easier for children and parents to hold.
[0007] It is also a goal of the invention to provide a cup that is
sealable so that it can be transported or stored full without
spilling or leaking. The present invention provides a soft surface
proximate to the baby's face that reduces the danger from a fall or
impact with the cup.
[0008] It is a goal of the invention to reduce the number of tight
crevices or nooks which are hard to clean and thus can accumulate
mold or bacteria, a known hazard with other designs.
[0009] Another goal of the invention is to avoid a vacuum system so
that it can allow use by all children (many infants have not yet
mastered the motor controls necessary to use "360 degree" vacuum
lids)
[0010] Another goal of the invention is to reduce the number of
user parts to 2-3 to facilitate operation and cleaning
[0011] Another goal of the invention is to provide adjustable flow
control making it easier for both parents to feed as well as
toddlers to feed themselves without being overwhelmed by the
excessive flow from open topped cups, requiring less dexterity from
both caregivers and children alike
[0012] Another goal of the invention to provide legs that reduce
tipping and spilling that can also be used as handles.
[0013] Finally, it is a goal of the invention that the legs can be
removable for the purpose of making the cup usable in situation
where the legs may interfere the use of the cup, such as in cup
holders in strollers or in close quarters where protruding legs may
get in the way of infant feeding.
[0014] The present invention addresses many of the problems young
children have with open-topped cups, and as a result, gives a more
viable option for minimizing or eliminating artificial nipples. For
those parents who require greater spill proofing (for "on the go"
and the like) the present invention allows the top to be placed in
a fully closed position, so that the cup can be transported in a
bag or the like without spilling.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0015] Attention is now directed to several drawings that
illustrate features of the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a close-in view of the interface between the legs
and the cup body.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a close-in view of the interface between the cup
body and the lid.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a top-down view showing the relationship of holes
for flow control.
[0020] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of an alternate embodiment of the
present invention
[0021] FIG. 6 shows the lid holes and the flow control cap.
[0022] FIG. 7 is a top-down view of the various positions of the
flow control cap.
[0023] Several figures and illustrations have been provided to aid
in understanding the present invention. The scope of the present
invention is not limited to what is shown in the figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] In a first embodiment, a cup 20 is supplied with a removable
lid 1 and a set of legs 21. The cup body 20 is removable from the
legs 21. The lid 1 is a soft material such as silicone rubber. The
lid 1 has a number of holes 2 that allow adjustment for flow
control. The lid 1 has a plate 3 that flexes to allow insertion and
removal of the lid 1 from the cup body 20. There is a protrusion 4
attached to the plate 3 that allows locking under a mating cup lip
5 on the cup body 20. The cup lip 5 is undercut so that it locks
over the protrusion 4 in the lid 1.
[0025] The cup body 20 has protrusions 6 that interface with the
holes 2 in the lid 1. These protrusions 6 allow the lid to control
flow rate. Cavities 7 on the cup portion 20 allows tabs 10 on the
legs 21 to lock to hold them in place. There may also be an
optional concave cut-out 8 on the cup portion 20 that allows easy
gripping. The legs 21 can have a band 9 that receives the cup body
20. A tab 10 on each leg 21 mates with the cavities 7 in the cup
body. This is shown in detail in FIG. 2.
[0026] Turning to FIG. 3, a detail is shown of the mating cup lip 5
on the cup body 20 and how it mates with the plate 3. The plate 3
has finger tabs 12 that allow deforming the plate 3 slightly. FIG.
3 shows the nature of the flexing of the plate 3 when a user
presses on the finger tabs 12 bowing the plate 3 to allow the tabs
on the plate to move inward towards the center of the cup and free
of the cup lip 5.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows the lid holes 2 in three positions relative to
the protrusions 6 on the cup body. In position A, the hole 2 is
offset from the protrusion and allows full, unimpeded flow through
the lid hole. In position B, the hole 2 is partially obstructed by
the protrusion 6 and in position C, the hole 2 is fully obstructed,
and the cup is sealed allowing no liquid to flow.
[0028] As viewed in FIG. 4, it can be see that it is advantageous
that the protrusion 6 should not be centered between the legs 21,
since it is preferable that the user drinks from the cup with the
spout section as close to the center between the legs. When the
spout is directly over the protrusion however, it will be in the
fully blocked or closed position for carrying or transport. When
the spout is in the closed position, the spout can be closer to one
of the legs. Therefore the protrusion 6 should be offset to be
closer to one of the legs, and not centered directly between
them.
[0029] As illustrated, the present invention includes three
separate parts: a lid 1, a cup body 20 and a leg assembly 21.
[0030] The lid is has a lip 1 with inward curved sections and a
lowered section that may be curved outward for drinking. The body
of the lid 1 may be made from a soft material such as a silicon
material, overmolded over a flexing plate. The flexing plate 3
provides greater rigidity over the silicon body, but allows for
flexing to allow the insertion and removal of the lid. The flexing
is facilitated by the user pressing the finger tabs 12, which are
proximate to the protrusions 4 in the lid 1 that serve as
interlocking tabs in conjunction with the internal cup lip 5 (which
protrudes into the interior of the cup for the purpose of
interfacing with the interlocking tabs). As the user presses
inward, this causes the flex plate to bow allowing the tabs to move
towards the center of the cup and out of the way of the rim, thus
allowing the lid to be removed from the cup.
[0031] The cup body protrusions 6 are designed to interface with
the holes in lid 2 to provide flow control in the following manner:
By positioning the holes 2 relative to the body protrusions 6, the
user can select the amount of flow allowed. If the holes are
positioned directly on top of the protrusions the flow is
altogether stopped, and such a position seals the lid and cup,
allowing the cup to be transported or stored without spilling. If
the holes are positioned partially on top of the protrusions, and
partially offset, then the holes are partially blocked, and the
flow control is reduced, but not stopped altogether providing an
effectively smaller hole for liquid to flow through. By varying the
offset of the holes and protrusions the caregiver can modify the
effective size of the hole to provide the desired orifice size to
provide the optimal amount of liquid flow. Finally, the holes can
be offset entirely from the protrusions, where the protrusions do
not cover the hole at all, thus allowing the maximum liquid
flow.
[0032] In FIG. 1, three finger tabs 12 are shown. These finger tabs
are typically located between the lowered section of the lid 1 so
that the user presses in areas that are away from the lower
drinking areas of the cup, and hence, they do not have to press
locations that the infant drinks from. It should be appreciated
that instead of three locations, two (or another number of) finger
tabs could be used.
[0033] FIGS. 5-6 show an alternate embodiment of the present
invention. There is a lid 1, a cup body 20 and a set of lets 21. In
this embodiment, a flow control cap 13 with a post 14 is employed
to provide flow control in conjunction with the lid 1. The lid 1,
in this embodiment, is a plastic cap with internal threads that
screws on top of the external threads of a blow molded (or
injection molded) cup body 20. Over molded on top of that cap is a
soft lip and spout structure that has holes 2 in lid for flow
control. In addition, the lid 1 has a keyed opening 15 that allows
a flow control cap 13 to be inserted (and locked in place by
rotating the cap and thereby moving the posts 14 away from the keys
and under the lid 1). As shown in FIG. 7, the flow control cap 13
can further be rotated into three positions to control the aperture
of the holes in lid to allow them to be fully open, fully closed or
sealed (for transport or storage) or to be partially closed,
further restriction the flow of liquid. In this embodiment, the
band connecting the legs is captured between the threaded lid 1 and
cup body 20 when they are screwed together. The user can thread the
lid and cup body without including the legs if so desired.
[0034] Several descriptions and illustrations have been presented
to aid in understanding the present invention. One with skill in
the art will realize that numerous changes and variations may be
made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Each of
these changes and variations is within the scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *