Flow control element and covered drinking cup

[0002] This invention relates to a covered drinking cup of the type often used by infants and children as a training cup because it safeguards against spills and provides liquid flow through a nipple-like spout. More specifically, this invention relates to covered drinking cups that provide a leak-proof flow of the liquid and venting of the head space as liquid is withdrawn.

[0003] In the past nursing bottles and cups for dispensing milk and other liquids to infants and children have often been in the form of vented covered containers. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 2,372,281 to Jordan, which issued on Mar. 27, 1945, has a cover that provides a nipple on one side having flow-regulating means and a vent on the other side also having flow-regulating means. By adjusting the two flow-regulating means, the user can comfortably draw liquid from the nipple. As the liquid is withdrawn, air moves in through the vent to replace the withdrawn liquid and prevent negative pressure build-up which in the extreme can stop liquid flow.

[0004] Another covered drinking cup is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,608,841 to Rice which issued on Sep. 2, 1952. As the venting means, the Rice cup provides a manually adjustable valve which controls the ease with which air is admitted into the cup for venting. It thereby regulates the flow of liquid.

[0005] With respect to the admission of air into nursing bottles and the like, check valves have often been used and are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,401,224 to Alonso which issued on Aug. 30, 1983; 4,545,491 to Bisgaard, et al. which issued on Oct. 8, 1985; 4,723,668 to Cheng which issued on Feb. 9, 1988; and 4,828,126 to Vincinguerra which issued on May 6, 1989.

[0006] Other vent means are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,207 to Joyner, et al. which issued on Sept. 12, 1989 in which a fabric hydrophobic filter passes air into the nurser.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,513 to Arisland, which issued on Jan. 23, 1979, discloses a drinking nozzle for a nursing bottle which incorporates air venting means, opening a valve when the pressure within the container is substantially less than atmospheric pressure to thereby vent the head space.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,013 to Belanger, which issued on Jan. 7, 1992, discloses a dripless liquid feeding/training container in which the cover is provided with two spring-biased check valves. One check valve is a spring biased ball check that permits inward air flow for venting and the other check valve is a spring-biased outlet valve that opens by the sucking action of the infant and springs closed when the sucking action relents. The container is described as “dripless”.

[0009] One of the shortcomings of some of the prior art is that the valves involved have metal parts. Further, the number of the parts involved makes such containers difficult to manufacture, assemble and clean. There is, hence, a need for a less complicated structure that eliminates the metal parts, and is readily washable. It is to such a need that the present invention is directed. In a preferred embodiment, the control element has additional means to retainer it in place in the cup even during impact.

[0010] The present invention is a control element for a drinking cup, and the drinking cup in which the cover has a drinking spout at one side and a vent at the other. Tubular elements extend down from under the spout and the vent. The flow control element of elastomeric material is provided having a pair of spaced cavities on one side, each cavity having a floor at the bottom thereof. In assembly, the cavities receive in frictional engagement the lower ends of the tubular elements. This engagement supports the flow control element with the floor of each cavity in sealed relation with respect to its tubular element. Each floor has a passage that is normally closed but opens on the occurrence of a pressure differential on opposite sides of the floor.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the control element includes a pair of shoulders that assist in maintaining the control element in place even during impact.

[0012] Further objects and features of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, all of which disclose a non-limiting embodiment of the invention. In the drawings:

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled drinking cup that embodies the invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a first embodiment of the flow control element of the invention;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the flow control element of FIG. 2;

[0016] FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4—4 of FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a second embodiment of the flow control element of the invention; and

[0018] FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4—4 of FIG. 1 of the flow control element of the second embodiment of FIG. 5.

[0019] Referring to the drawings and, in particular, FIG. 1, a drinking cup that embodies the invention is generally represented by reference numeral 10. The drinking cup 10 comprises a cup-shaped container 12 having a cover 14 that may be screwed on to the top of the container by cooperant threads shown in FIG. 4. The cover 14 comprises a top wall 16 and a depending downward or side wall 18 formed with interior threads that engage exterior threads about the mouth of the container 12 as described.

[0020] Just inside the downward wall 18, the cover 14 may be provided with a short annular wall 20. Also, an O-ring (not shown) may be disposed in between the annular wall 20 and the side wall 18 of the cover 14. The O-ring may be compressed to form a liquid sealing joint between the cover 14 and the container 12.

[0021] One side of the top wall 16 is provided with a drinking spout 22 which has dispensing openings 24 at its distal end. Formed unnaturally with the cover 14 and extending downward from the spout 22 inside the cover is an element 26. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the spout 22 and element 26 are tubular elements, however these elements can be any geometric shape. It is important that the spout 22 and element 26 communicate into liquid tight engagement. Therefore, the spout 22 and element 26 preferably have holes therethrough of the same shape.

[0022] At the opposite side of the top wall 16, the cover 14 is provided with a vent 28. Formed unnaturally with the cover 14 is a downward element 30 which communicates with the vent 28. In a preferred embodiment, element 30 is tubular in shape, however it can also be any shape. It is also preferable, that the since the vent 28 and element 30 have air tight communication between each other, that they have holes therethrough of the same shape.

[0023] Both elements 26 and 30 terminate downwardly at the same level in downwardly facing openings. In the preferred embodiment, both elements 26 and 30 are tubular or cylindrical. Since element 26 communicates with the spout 22, while the element 30 communicates with the vent 28, the diameter of element 26 is preferably larger than the diameter of element 30. However, it is understood that the diameter of the holes of each element 26, 30 can be any size and shape depending on the size and shape of the spout 22 and vent 28, respectively.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, there is provided a flow control element 40. It is preferably a single piece of elastomeric material, such as, for example, thermoplastic elastomer, silicone, or a soft rubber. The elastomeric material is resilient and flexible and does not have any separate parts, such as balls and springs. The control element 40 has a pair of spaced cavities 42, 44 formed in one side. The pair of spaced cavities 42, 44 are formed near opposite ends 41 of the control element 40. The cavities 42, 44 can have any shape, however they should have a shape that complements the shapes of elements 26, 30, respectively. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, cavities 42, 44 should have a tubular or circular shape. Each cavity 42, 44 has a one or any number more of ribs 50, 52, respectively. In the preferred embodiment, each cavity 42, 44 has two ribs. These ribs 50, 52 act to seal the cavity 42,44 to the respective element 26, 30.

[0025] Also, cavity 42 complements element 26 that communicates with spout 22, and cavity 44 complements element 30 that communicates with vent 28. Accordingly, in the preferred embodiment, the cavities 42, 44 are cylindrical. Furthermore, the diameter of cavity 42 is greater than the diameter of cavity 44 due to the difference in the diameters of the spout 22 and the vent 28. For example, in an embodiment in which the elements 26, 30 are cylindrical and with conventional, different diameters, cavity 42 has a rib diameter about 0.57 inches and a flat (the area between ribs) diameter about 0.63 inches, whereas cavity 44 has a rib diameter about 0.50 inches and a flat diameter about 0.55 inches.

[0026] In the preferred embodiment, the spout 22 is closer to side wall 18 than vent 28. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4, the cavity 42 is closed to edge 41 than cavity 44 is to respective edge 41. It should be understood, however, that if the relationship of the spout 22 and vent 28 to side wall 18 varies so does the relationship of the cavities 42, 44 to edge 41. Accordingly, cavities 42, 44 can be equidistant from respective edges 41, or cavity 44 can be closer than cavity 42 to respective edge 41.

[0027] The control element 40 is formed with floors 46, 48 at the bottom of each cavity 42, 44, respectively. As stated above, extending inward from the sides of each cavity 42, 44 are, in a preferred embodiment, a pair of spaced horizontal inward circumferential ribs 50, 52, respectively. In particular, cavity 44 has a pair of ribs 50, and cavity 44 has a pair of ribs 52. As also stated above, each cavity may have any number of ribs. The ribs 50, 52 secure the control element 40 onto elements 26, 30, respectively, by frictional engaging the exterior walls of the elements. It is preferred that the lowermost one of the pair of ribs 50 in cavity 46 not contact floor 46, and likewise the lowermost one of the pair of ribs 52 in cavity 44 not contact floor 48. By this feature, the least amount of tension is placed on the control element 40 during use. By minimizing this tension, the sealing characteristics of the slit is optimized.

[0028] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the floors 46, 48 are formed with slits 54, 56, respectively. The slits 54, 56 can have many forms, two of which are “Y”- or “X”-shaped slits for the passage of fluid. Preferably, one slit 54, 56 in each floor 46, 48, respectively, is sufficient to facilitate the passage of liquid in element 26 and the passage of air in element 30. However, multiple slits in each floor may be designed to provide the same function.

[0029] In the assembly shown in FIG. 4, the two cavities 42, 44 are aligned with the two, preferably tubular, elements 26, 30 and the control element 40 is raised. The elastomeric nature of the control element 40 is sufficient to flex as the control element is effected. The control element 40 is then shoved “home” on each element 26, 30 so that the lower ends of the elements abut against the floors 46, 48, respectively and effect therewith a snug contact that amounts to a seal, especially in view of ribs 50, 52 frictional contact on elements 26, 30, respectively. Slight imprecision in the dimensions of the cavities 42, 44 or of the control element 40 can be tolerated due to the soft resilient nature of the control element and, perhaps, the ribs 50, 52.

[0030] After the container 12 is filled with liquid, the cover 14 is screwed onto the container. As the infant tilts the container and sucks liquid through the openings 24, the slits 54 yield and part in the center of the slits. When the sucking pressure relents, the resilience of the cavity 42 causes the slit 54 to close once more so that were the cup 10 to be tipped over or to fall on the floor, no appreciable liquid would pass out the openings 24.

[0031] As the liquid is removed as by sucking on spout 22, a negative pressure builds up in the head space above the liquid. To avoid this pressure—pressure differential across the floor 48—becoming too great, the slits 56 yield, the centers moving downward to permit passage of atmosphere through the opening 28 and through the slits. When the pressure differential is substantially returned to zero, the resilience of the control element 40 causes the slits to close so that should an upset occur, no liquid could escape outwardly therefrom through vent opening 28, and a leak through that route is avoided.

[0032] Referring to the second embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the same elements recited above will bear the same reference numeral except with a prime. As shown in FIG. 5, the control element 40′ includes a pair of shoulders 62, 64 adjacent the opposite ends or edges 41′ of the control element, and extending in a direction opposite the opening of each cavity 42′, 44′. Each shoulder 62, 64 has a surface configuration analogous to that of the ends 41′.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6, in the most preferred embodiment, each shoulder 62, 64 has a portion 66 that may be either straight or chamfered and an inwardly chamfered or angled portion 67. The chamfered portion 67 is adapted to mate with the inside surface of the side walls 18′ of the container in order to prevent the control element from disengaging elements 26′ and 30′. In a preferred embodiment, the chamfered portion 67 may be at angle of about seventy-seven degrees with the vertical, straight portion.

[0034] In the most preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 6, each shoulder 62, 64 has a vertical extant of the valve and shoulder about 0.54 inches. The vertical extant of each shoulder 62, 64 is affected by its distance from edge 41, which as stated above is dictated by the position of spout 22′ and vent 28′ from the side wall 18′ of the container.

[0035] It is understood that the shoulders 62, 64 can consist solely of a straight portion, an outwardly angled, an inwardly angled portion or any combination of same depending on the angle of the walls of the container 12. In addition, the shoulders 62, 64 can have any shape. The sole criteria is that is mates with the inside of the side walls 18′ of the container to help prevent the control element 40 from disengaging the elements 26′, 30′. The pressure for the control element 40′ to dislodge particularly occurs when the control element 40′ is forced away from the spout and vent of the cover upon impact.

[0036] In either embodiments, after use, the cup 10 of the invention may be readily disassembled. Referring to FIG. 1, the cover 14 may be removed and the control element 40 simply withdrawn off the elements 26, 30. All of the components are readily washable.

[0037] It will be seen that the invention provides a training cup of three simple parts which is inexpensively and readily made and assembled and works effectively to avoid spills and drips.

[0038] The invention described here may take a number of forms. It is not limited to the embodiment disclosed but is of a scope defined by the following claim language which may be broadened by an extension of the right of exclude others from making, using or selling the invention as is appropriate under the doctrine of equivalents.