Cup assembly with retaining mechanism

• US 20020033399A1
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Egdewell Personal Care Brands LLC
• Original Assignee: Playtex Products Incorporated (Edgewell Personal Care Company)
• Inventors: Manganiello, Francis, Randolph, Ross Steven
• Granted Patent: US 6,607,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/714
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2272 from drinking glasses or cups comprising lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2031 the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure B65D47/2025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/165 formed by a slit or narrow opening

Abstract

A drinking cup assembly having a cup having an open end, a cap adapted to enclose the open end, the cap having a drinking spout and an air vent and a pair of mating surfaces that align with the drinking spout and the air vent, and a removable flow control valve adapted to engage the mating surfaces. The cap has a retaining mechanism that in conjunction with one mating surface secures in place the flow control element when not in use.

Claims

1. A drinking cup assembly comprising:

a cup having an open end;

a cap adapted to enclose the open end, the cap having a drinking spout, the cap having a bottom surface with a pair of sleeves extending therefrom, one of said pair of sleeves being aligned with the drinking spout; and

a removable flow control valve including two valve portions, each valve portion being adapted to engage a different one of said pair of sleeves, wherein the valve portion aligned with the spout is positioned close to the spout to minimize the amount of residual liquid in the cup.

2. The drinking cup assembly of claim 1, wherein the sleeve that engages the valve portion that is aligned with the spout is recessed into the cap to enable removal of substantially all of liquid in the cup.

3. The drinking cup assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap includes a step recessing said pair of sleeves into the cap.

4. The drinking cup assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said pair of sleeves is cylindrical.

5. The drinking cup assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap further includes a vent.

6. The drinking cup assembly of claim 1, wherein the other one of said pair sleeves is aligned with the vent.

7. A drinking assembly comprising:

a container having an open end and adapted to hold a liquid;

a cap adapted to be removably positioned on said open end, the cap having a bottom surface with a valve sleeve extending therefrom; and

a flow control element having a first valve portion,

the improvement comprising;

a mechanism formed on the bottom surface of the cap, wherein the mechanism cooperates with the valve sleeve to hold the flow control element in a non-use position.

8. The drinking assembly of claim 7, wherein the mechanism and the valve sleeve form a space therebetween.

9. The drinking assembly of claim 8, wherein the flow control element can be positioned in the space.

10. The drinking assembly of claim 7, wherein the mechanism and the valve sleeve engage the flow control element to hold the flow control element in the non-use position.

11. The drinking assembly of claim 8, wherein the mechanism and the valve sleeve frictionally engage the flow control element in the non-use position.

12. The drinking assembly of claim 7, wherein the mechanism is a protrusion extending downward from the bottom surface of the cap.

13. The drinking assembly of claim 12, wherein the protrusion is a shape selected from the group consisting of a square, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, a cylinder, a pin, and an arcuate surface.

14. The drinking assembly of claim 12, wherein the protrusion has a vertical extent that is almost the same as a width of the flow control element.

15. The drinking assembly of claim 12, wherein the protrusion has a vertical extent that is the same as a width of the flow control element.

16. The drinking assembly of claim 12, wherein the protrusion has a vertical extent that is slightly larger that a width of the flow control element.

17. The drinking assembly of claim 12, wherein the protrusion is a pair of protrusions.

18. The drinking assembly of claim 7, wherein the valve sleeve is a pair of valve sleeves.

20. The drinking assembly of claim 19, wherein the mechanism is a protrusion extending downward from the bottom surface of the cap.

19. A drinking assembly comprising:

a container having an open end and adapted to hold a liquid;

a cap adapted to be removably positioned on said open end, the cap having a bottom surface with a pair of valve sleeves extending therefrom; and

a flow control element having a first valve portion and a second valve portion,

the improvement comprising;

a mechanism formed on the bottom surface of the cap, wherein the mechanism cooperates with one of said pair of valve sleeves to hold the flow control element in a non-use position.