Drinking container

• US 20020070225A1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wedge Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Bryan Bergeron
• Inventors: Bergeron, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 7,080,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/710.5
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2266 Means for facilitating drinking, e.g. for infants or invalids

Abstract

A drinking container for assisting a disabled person in drinking a fluid by reducing the degree of tilt necessary to drain the fluid from the container into the person'"'"'s mouth comprising a fluid holding vessel having an upper rim and a closed bottom, the upper rim having an opening through at least a sipping region thereof, and a fluid diverter member contiguous with an inner surface and the bottom of the vessel. The diverter member slopes downward substantially from the sipping region of the rim toward an opposing side of the vessel such that when the bottom of the vessel is pivoted upward about the sipping region of the rim, the diverter member compels fluid through the sipping region. The fluid diverter member is preferably wedge shaped. A flow channel preferably extends lengthwise along an outer surface of the fluid diverter member.

Claims

1. A drinking container for assisting a disabled person in drinking a fluid by reducing the degree of tilt necessary to drain the fluid from the container into the person'"'"'s mouth comprising:

a fluid holding vessel having an upper rim and a closed bottom, said upper rim having an opening through at least a sipping region thereof,

a fluid diverter member contiguous with an inner surface and said bottom of said vessel, said diverter member sloping downward substantially from said sipping region of said rim toward an opposing side of said vessel such that when said bottom of said vessel is pivoted upward about said sipping region of said rim, said diverter member compels fluid through said sipping region.

2. The drinking container of claim 1, wherein said fluid diverter member is wedge shaped.

3. The drinking container of claim 1, further comprising a flow channel extending lengthwise along an outer surface of said fluid diverter member, said flow channel positioned and configured to assist said fluid diverter member in compelling fluid through said sipping region.

4. The drinking container of claim 1, further comprising a handle on an outer surface of said vessel, said handle positioned at about ninety degrees relative to said sipping region.

5. The drinking container of claim 1, further comprising a pair of handles on an outer surface of said vessel, one of said handles positioned at about 90 degrees relative to said sipping region, and the other of said handles positioned at about 270 degrees relative to said sipping region.

6. The drinking container of claim 1, wherein said sipping region comprises an extension spout extending upward and outward from said upper rim, said extension spout contiguous with said fluid diverter member to thereby assist said fluid diverter member in compelling fluid through said sipping region.

7. The drinking container of claim 1, further comprising a lid configured to removably seal said upper rim, said lid having an extension spout configured to extend said fluid diverter member upward and outward to thereby assist said fluid diverter member in compelling fluid through said sipping region.

11. A method of assisting a disabled user in drinking fluids from a drinking container without requiring tilting of the user'"'"'s head, comprising,

providing a drinking container according to claim 1,

filling said container with a drinking fluid,

placing said sipping region of said drinking container on a lower lip of a mouth of the user,

maintaining the user'"'"'s head in a substantially fixed orientation,

rotating said bottom of said container about the lower lip of the user to thereby compel said fluid to flow through said sipping region, whereby said fluid diverter member decreases the degree of tilt required to drain said fluid from said container into the user'"'"'s mouth.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said fluid diverter member is wedge shaped.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising a flow channel extending lengthwise along an outer surface of said fluid diverter member, said flow channel positioned and configured to assist said fluid diverter member in compelling fluid through said sipping region.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising a handle on an outer surface of said vessel, said handle positioned at about ninety degrees relative to said sipping region.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising a pair of handles on an outer surface of said vessel, one of said handles positioned at about 90 degrees relative to said sipping region, and the other of said handles positioned at about 270 degrees relative to said sipping region.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said sipping region comprises an extension spout extending upward and outward from said upper rim, said extension spout contiguous with said fluid diverter member to thereby assist said fluid diverter member in compelling fluid through said sipping region.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising a lid configured to removably seal said upper rim, said lid having an extension spout configured to extend said fluid diverter member upward and outward to thereby assist said fluid diverter member in compelling fluid through said sipping region.

8. A drinking container for assisting a disabled person in drinking a fluid by reducing the degree of tilt necessary to drain the fluid from the container into the person'"'"'s mouth comprising:

a fluid holding vessel having an open upper rim and a closed bottom,

an extension spout extending upward and outward from said upper rim, an upper portion of said extension spout forming a sipping region,

a wedge-shaped fluid diverter member contiguous with an inner surface and said bottom of said vessel, said fluid diverter member sloping downward from said sipping region of said extension spout toward an opposing side of said vessel such that when said bottom of said vessel is pivoted upward about said sipping region, said diverter member compels fluid through said sipping region, and

a flow channel extending lengthwise along said outer surface of said fluid diverter member, said flow channel positioned and configured to assist said fluid diverter member in compelling fluid through said sipping region.

9. The drinking container of claim 8, further comprising a handle on an outer surface of said vessel, said handle positioned at about ninety degrees relative to said sipping region.

10. The drinking container of claim 8, further comprising a pair of handles on an outer surface of said vessel, one of said handles positioned at about 90 degrees relative to said sipping region, and the other of said handles positioned at about 270 degrees relative to said sipping region.