Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BEVERAGE LID THAT ATTACHES TO FOOD CONTAINER
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of United States Provisional
Application No. 62/105,256 filed January 20, 2015, and to United States Patent
Application No. 14/986,701, filed January 3, 2016, and to United States Patent
Application No. 14/986,703, filed January 3, 2016, all of which are hereby
incorporated
by reference in their entirety.
1.0 TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to drinking straws.
2.0 RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0003] This application is also related to US Patent 8596491 entitled "CUP LID
WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER" issued on December 3, 2013; US Patent 8695845
entitled "TOP MOUNTING CAN CONTAINER" issued on April 15, 2014; US Patent
8381935 entitled "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER" issued on February
26, 2013; US Patent 8714393 entitled "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER"
issued on May 6, 2014; US Patent 8590730 entitled "TOP MOUNTING CAN
CONTAINER" issued on November 26, 2013; US Patent 8708181 entitled "LID WITH
INTEGRATED CONTAINER" issued on April 29, 2014; US Patent 8701914 entitled
"TWO-PART RECYCLABLE CUP- issued on April 22, 2014; US Patent Application
SN 13/412602 entitled "TOP MOUNTING BOTTLE CONTAINER" filed on March 5,
2012; US Patent Application SN 13/680011 entitled "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED
CONTAINER" filed on November 17, 2012; US Patent Application SN 13/680049
entitled "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER" filed on November 17, 2012;
US Patent Application SN 13/733153 entitled "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED
CONTAINER" filed on January 3, 2013; US Patent Application SN 14/263993
entitled
"LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER" filed on April 28, 2014; US Patent
Application SN 14/269016 entitled "A CONTAINER LID WITH ONE OR MORE
CAVITIES" filed on May 2, 2014; US Patent Application SN 14/274576 entitled "A
CONTAINER LID WITH A FOOD COMPARTMENT AND A SIP-HOLE" filed on
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May 9, 2014; US Patent Application SN 14/313907 entitled "A CONTAINER LID
SYSTEM WITH A LID PORTION AND FOOD CONTAINER PORTION" filed on
June 24, 2014; US Patent Application SN 62/005862 entitled "A CONTAINER LID
SYSTEM WITH A LID PORTION AND FOOD CONTAINER PORTION" filed on
May 30, 2014; US Patent Application 62/038199 entitled "A CONTAINER LID
SYSTEM WITH TAMPER INDICATOR" filed on August 15, 2014; US Patent
Application 29/500266 entitled "BENDABLE DRINKING STRAW" filed on August 22,
2014; and US Patent Application 62/105256 entitled "BENDABLE SAFETY STRAW
AND LIDS WITH FOOD COMPARTMENT" filed on January 20, 2015; all of which are
by the same inventor of the present application. Each of these applications is
incorporated
herein by reference.
3.0 BACKGROUND
[00041 The increased popularity of fast-food establishments, coupled with the
popularity of consumption of food and beverages on the go, have led to the
need for more
convenient and safer takeout packaging.
[00051 Currently, a consumer wishing to drink from a takeout beverage
container
has two standard options: sipping the beverage through a sip hole in the lid
of the
beverage container, as is common for hot drinks such as coffee; or sucking the
beverage
through a straw placed into the beverage container, as is common for drinks
consumed
cold, such as sodas. Sip holes, typically used for hot beverages, require the
consumer to
take small sips to avoid scalding. While many consumers would prefer a
controlled or
regulated delivery of their hot beverage, standard straws do not allow for the
liquid to
cool to a comfortable temperature before reaching the consumer's mouth and
thus have
the potential to cause burns. Both straws and sip holes can be hazardous when
the
consumer is engaged in an activity, such as driving or walking, that requires
maintaining
eyes forward to watch the path ahead, and which may involve sudden stops. The
consumer may have to look down and away from the road while drinking from a
straw or
may have forward vision obstructed by the beverage container while tipping it
back to
drink via a sip hole. Straws are also potentially dangerous if the consumer's
head
decelerates quickly while drinking, for example when braking unexpectedly
during a
drive. In that case, the straw may stab the consumer in the roof of her or his
mouth.
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While some straws incorporate a flexible portion to allow the consumer to keep
eyes
forward, they do not eliminate this risk of stabbing, and further must be
sized particularly
for each height of beverage container.
[0006] Existing takeout beverage and food containers are also inconvenient,
requiring the consumer to set aside a sandwich to take a drink, for example;
or, in the case
of a beverage container with a lid that accepts a snap-on food container, the
food
container must be decoupled in order for the consumer to sip a hot drink
through a sip
hole.
[0007] Moreover, billions of disposable beverage cups arc used every year.
Often
those cups are part of a larger meal, and current technology dictates placing
a lid on the
beverage cup, and packing the food in a separate and detached container. This
may be
satisfactory for a consumer seated at a table. However, when the consumer must
eat on
the go, use of the current technology is problematic. Consider, for example, a
consumer
who is drinking a beverage and would like to access a breakfast sandwich in a
takeout
bag. The consumer must set aside the beverage, and then use one hand to hold
the bag
and the other hand to access the sandwich, then set aside the bag and use both
hands to
open the sandwich packaging. As shown in this example, current technology does
not
allow for convenient on-the-go consumption. Standard cup lids are simple
covers that do
not include an integrated container. Rather, known lids cover the contents of
a cup which
forms a closed container in combination with the cup itself
[0008] To address some of these problems, yogurt manufacturers have placed a
small food container on the lid of a yogurt cup. The food container (often
holding nuts or
granola) must be removed from the yogurt cup and then flipped over and opened,
then the
contents are poured into the yogurt cup. It is therefore not possible to
simultaneously
access the contents of the yogurt cup and the contents of the food container;
rather, the
food container must be completely disengaged from the cup to access either the
contents
of the yogurt cup or the contents of the food container. The food container
that attaches to
the yogurt cup in an upside-down position has a limited food-volume capacity
because its
walls taper as they proceed upward toward the bottom of the upside-down
container.
Without this tapering, the yogurt cup/food container complex would become top-
heavy
and cumbersome.
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[0009] Other known devices having a container or shelf combined with a lid
have
limitations which makes these devices impractical to use. One category of
devices
includes a container combined with a cup, but utilizes a hole in the middle of
the lid. This
makes it impossible to store relatively circular items, i.e., non-ring or non-
annular items
having no central hole, in the container, such as hamburgers, cookies or
muffins, for
example. Another category of devices includes a container combined with a lid,
but does
not allow for simultaneous access to the contents of the cup and the
container, nor for the
container to be resealed or a drop-in container to be removed from the
container. Other
devices that include drop-in functionality require removal of the container
before
accessing the contents of the cup. Other devices have relatively small peel
containers for
pills such as mints and are not suitable for larger food items. Another
category of devices
utilizes dividers in the cup with access on each side of the cup. No known
devices have a
non-permanent or male/female bottom oriented coupling system for coupling a
container
with the lid.
[0010] Also known in the art is a flask-type container with a small
compartment
for a pill or pills. This design is unsuitable for storage of and simultaneous
access to
larger volumes of beverages and more substantial snacks/food items such as
would be
consumed by a take-out customer, and does not have a shape compatible with
armrest
cup-holders.
[00111 Thus simultaneous or intermittent access to the contents of known cups
and the contents of an attached container is not possible. This makes for
difficult
consumption of coffee, soda, snacks, popcorn, etc., in malls, fast food
restaurants,
theaters, amusement parks, sports stadiums or in any other venue. For example,
this
makes it difficult to eat and drink food in a theater or stadium with one cup-
holder per
seat.
[0012] What is therefore needed is a straw and cup lids that overcome these
drawbacks and fosters convenient on-the-go drinking.
4.0 SUMMARY
[0013] The present invention provides an elegant solution to the needs
described
above and provides numerous additional benefits and advantages as will be
apparent to
persons of skill in the art.
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[0014] One aspect provides a container lid that can be coupled to a food
container,
wherein the lid includes a continuous outer coupling trough for attachment to
the open top
of a beverage container and where the trough circumscribes a footprint of the
container
lid. A straw-hole planar surface is disposed within the footprint, the straw-
hole planar
surface is adjacent to the outer coupling trough and a hole for drinking a
liquid in the
container extends through the straw-hole planar surface. A riser wall extends
away from
the straw-hole planar surface and defines a first planar surface above the
straw-hole
planar surface. A sip hole extends through the first planar surface. A food
container
coupling wall connects to the first planar surface and extends from the first
planar surface
to a position lower than the first planar surface and a food container
coupling bottom
connected to the food container coupling wall.
[0015] In another aspect, a cup lid with an integrated container that can be
coupled to a beverage cup has a continuous outer coupling ring which
circumscribes a
footprint of the lid, and a drink-hole planar surface above the coupling ring
and within the
lid footprint. An annular surface above the coupling ring, within and non-
concentric with
the lid footprint, is connected to the drink-hole planar surface. A food
container has a
container inner wall extending downward from the annular surface, and a bottom
connected to the container inner wall and coplanar with or below the coupling
ring to
avoid spillage. A drink hole for drinking a liquid in the cup extends through
the drink-
hole surface at a position outside of the annular surface. The drink hole may
be a straw
hole or a sip hole. A cover is removably attached to the annular surface and
encloses the
food container. The cover may be a seal-on/peel-off membrane, and may be
sealed on the
lid in any rotational orientation due to the circular shape of the food
container.
[0016] In one embodiment, the drink-hole planar surface is approximately co-
planar with the coupling ring and connected to the annular surface by a
container outer
wall extending upward from the drink-hole planar surface to the annular
surface. In
another embodiment, the drink-hole planar surface is above the coupling ring
and
connected to the coupling ring by an exterior wall extending upward from the
coupling
ring to the drink-hole planar surface, and connected to the annular surface by
a container
outer wall extending upward from the drink-hole planar surface to the annular
surface. In
another embodiment, the drink-hole planar surface is above the coupling ring
and
connected to the coupling ring by an exterior wall extending upward from the
coupling
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ring to the drink-hole planar surface. In this embodiment, the drink-hole
planar surface is
contiguous with the annular surface.
[0017] Also disclosed is a rack for holding the lids in a compact arrangement
as
for sale. For display on a rack, the drink-hole planar surface may be
positioned at an
optimal distance between the coupling ring and the annular ring that allows
the lid to
hang in a substantially vertical orientation when suspended via a horizontal
post through
the drink hole, when the container is filled with a food item.
[0018] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not meant to be
exhaustive. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of this invention will be
apparent to
those of skill in the art upon reviewing the drawings, the disclosure, and the
appended
claims.
5.0 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The invention can be better understood with reference to the following
figures. The components within the figures are not necessarily to scale,
emphasis instead
being placed on clearly illustrating example aspects of the invention. In the
figures, like
reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different
views and/or
embodiments. It will be understood that certain components and details may not
appear in
the figures to assist in more clearly describing the invention.
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a consumer using a novel straw, without diverting
the
consumer's gaze.
[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates a consumer using a conventional straw with the
consumer's gaze diverted.
[0022] FIG. 3A shows the straw of FIG. I used with a short beverage container.
[0023] FIG. 3B shows the straw of FIG. 1 used with a beverage container that
is
taller than the beverage container of FIG. 3A.
[0024] FIG. 3C shows the straw of FIG. 1 used with a beverage container that
is
taller than the beverage container of FIG. 3B.
[0025] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the straw of FIG. 1 used with a beverage
container that has a food compartment on top.
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[0026] FIG. 5 is a side view of the straw of FIG. 1 used with a beverage
container
that has a food compartment on top.
(0027] FIG. 6 is an embodiment of the straw with a large opening.
[0028] FIG. 7 is an embodiment of the straw with a narrow opening.
[0029] FIG. 8 is an isotnetric view of the straw of FIG. 1.
[0030] FIG. 9 is a side view of the straw of FIG. 1.
[0031] FIG. 10 illustrates the straw of FIG. 1 deforming into the beverage
container.
[0032] FIG. 11 illustrates how a conventional straw can stab the inside of a
consumer's mouth.
[0033] FIG. 12A depicts the general parameters for flow analysis of a novel
straw.
[0034] FIG. 12B depicts the flow analysis of four straw configurations.
[0035] FIG. 12C is an isometric view of the straws of FIG. 12B.
[0036] FIG. 12D is a side illustration of any of the straws of FIG. 12B in
bending.
[0037] FIG. 12E is a front illustration of any of the straws of FIG. 12B in
bending.
[0038] FIG. 12F is an isometric illustration of any of the straws of FIG. 12B
in
bending.
[0039] FIG. 13A is an isometric view of a beverage container with a lid that
has a
food container snapped or coupled to the lid, with the straw of FIG. 1.
[0040] FIG. 13B is a side view of the beverage container/lid complex of FIG
13A.
[0041] FIG. 13C is an isometric view of the beverage container/lid complex of
FIG 13A.
[0042] FIG. 13D is an isometric view of the beverage container/lid complex of
FIG 13A, with the food container detached from the lid of the beverage
container.
[0043] FIG. 13E is an isometric view of the beverage container/lid complex of
FIG 13A, with the food container detached from the lid beverage container and
rotated to
show the mating surfaces.
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[0044] FIG. 13F is an isometric view of the beverage container/lid complex of
FIG 13A, with the food container detached from the lid of the beverage
container.
100451 FIG. 13G is an isometric view of the beverage container lid of FIG 13A,
with the food container removed and without the beverage container and straw,
showing
detail of the straw hole.
[0046] FIG. 13H is a top view of the lid of FIG 13G.
[0047] FIG. 131 is a side view of the lid of FIG 13G.
[0048] FIG. 14A is an isometric view of a lid for a beverage cup, wherein the
lid
has a compartment that may hold food, and wherein the compartment is sealed by
a seal-
on/peel-off membrane, with a straw hole in a lower position.
[0049] FIG. 14B is an isometric view of a lid for a beverage cup, wherein the
lid
has a compartment that may hold food, and wherein the compartment is scaled by
a seal-
on/peel-off membrane, with a straw hole in a middle position.
[0050] FIG. 14C is an isometric view of a lid for a beverage cup, wherein the
lid
has a compartment that may hold food, and wherein the compartment is sealed by
a seal-
on/peel-off membrane, with a straw hole in an upper position.
[0051] FIG. 14D shows the lid of FIG. 14A with the seal-on/peel-off membrane
removed.
[0052] FIG. 14E shows the lid of FIG. 14B with the seal-on/peel-off membrane
removed.
[0053] FIG. 14F shows the lid of FIG. 14C with the seal-on/peel-off membrane
removed.
[0054] FIG. 14G is a side view of the lid of FIG. 14A with a conventional
straw.
[0055] FIG. 14H is a side view of the lid of FIG. 14B with a conventional
straw.
[0056] FIG. 141 is a side view of the lid of FIG. 14C with a conventional
straw.
[0057] FIG. 14J is a section view of the lid of FIG. 14A on a beverage cup and
with a conventional straw.
[0058] FIG. 14K is a section view of the lid of FIG. 14B on a beverage cup and
with a conventional straw.
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[0059] FIG. 14L is a section view of the lid of FIG. 14C on a beverage cup and
with a conventional straw.
[0060] FIG. 14M is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 14A hanging from a
rack.
[0061] FIG. 14N is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 14B hanging from a
rack.
[0062] FIG. 140 is an isometric view of a rack holding a plurality of FIG. 14A
lids.
[0063] FIG. 14P is an exploded view of the lid of FIG. 14A with a tool for
installing the seal-on/peel-off membrane.
[0064] FIG. 14Q is a side view of the tool of FIG. 14P with the lid fully
seated.
[0065] FIG. 14R is a side view of the tool of FIG. 14P with the lid partially
removed.
[0066] FIG. 15A is an isometric view of a lid for a beverage cup, wherein the
lid
has a compartment that may hold food and which may have one or more removable
shelves, shown on a beverage cup and with a conventional straw.
[0067] FIG. 15B is a section view of the lid of FIG. 15A.
[0068] FIG. 15C is a side view of the lid of FIG. 15A with the food
compartment
detached from the lid.
[0069] FIG. 15D is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 15A, with the food
compartment detached from the lid and rotated to show the mating surfaces.
[0070] FIG. 15E is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 15A with the food
compartment open to reveal the top shelf.
[0071] FIG. 15F is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 2A with the food
compartment open and the shelves removed.
[0072] FIG. 16 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of the
invention,
coupled with a cup, a seal-on/peel-off cover and configured to allow access to
the
contents of the cup via a straw.
[0073] FIG. 17 illustrates a cross sectional view of FIG. 16.
[0074] FIG. 18 illustrates a top perspective view of the embodiment shown in
FIG. 16.
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[0075] FIG. 19 illustrates a top view of the embodiment of the invention shown
in
FIG. 16.
[0076] FIG. 20A illustrates a side cross sectional view of the embodiment of
the
invention shown in FIG. 16.
[0077] FIG. 20B illustrates a side cross sectional view of an embodiment of
the
invention, shown having two or more coupling elements configured to couple
with cups
of different sizes.
[0078] FIG. 20C illustrates different embodiments of coupling elements that
may
be utilized to attach the top container to the cup rim.
[0079] FIG. 21 illustrates an exploded view of an embodiment of the cup lid
with
integrated container, above a cup, along with a food item and a cover.
[0080] FIG. 22A illustrates a bottom view of an embodiment of the invention.
[0081] FIG. 22B shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention, having a
vertical dimension that extends to the plane of the cup opening.
[0082] FIG. 22C shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention, having a
vertical dimension that extends down into the plane of the cup opening.
6.0 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0083] Following is a non-limiting written description of example embodiments
illustrating various aspects of the invention. These examples are provided to
enable a
person of ordinary skill in the art to practice the full scope of the
invention without having
to engage in an undue amount of experimentation. As will be apparent to
persons skilled
in the art, further modifications and adaptations can be made without
departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention, which is limited only by the claims. In the
following
description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a
thorough
understanding of the present invention. Particular example embodiments of the
present
invention may be implemented without some or all of these features or specific
details. In
other instances, components well known to persons of skill in the art have not
been
described in detail in order not to obscure unnecessarily the present
invention.
[0084] FIG. 1 illustrates the straw 10 used in a beverage container 20. The
straw
is similar to the one disclosed in US Patent Application 29/500266 entitled
"BENDABLE
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DRINKING STRAW" filed on August 22, 2014, which is by the same inventor of the
present application and is incorporated herein by reference. The straw 10 may
optionally
be pre-shaped with an arc shape, and is flexible as described in more detail
with reference
to FIG. 10. The straw 10 may also be semi-rigid such that it returns to its
original shape
when it is not under a bending force. The straw 10 may be made of a compliant
material
such as plastic or composite, to allow it to reversibly deflect as described
in more detail
with reference to FIG. 10. Because the straw 10 may be pre-formed with an arc
shape,
the consumer can drink from the straw from a natural horizontal position,
keeping her or
his gaze 30 forward. This is important when the consumer's gaze cannot be
diverted, for
example when the consumer is driving a vehicle and would like to take a sip
through the
straw without looking away from the road ahead. As shown in FIG. 2, with a
conventional straw 40, the consumer's gaze 50 is diverted when drinking.
[0085] Previous straw designs addressed this problem with a short section of
the
straw that was bendable with an accordion-like structure. The portion of the
straw on
either end of the accordion-like structure was straight, and bending the
accordion-like
structure could create a 90-degree turn such that the user would access the
end of the
straw in the horizontal position. But as discussed below, when these accordion-
like
bendable straws are used with a top-mounted snap-on food container that may be
larger
than the beverage container lid, the straw must be sized in relation to the
height of each
particular type of beverage container, thereby reducing their utility.
[0086] FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C illustrate the same straw 10 placed into three
beverage containers of different depths 20A, 20B, 20C. The straw 10 exits the
beverage
container with about the same amount of vertical clearance. This takes on more
importance when the beverage container only has limited vertical clearance.
For
example, in FIG. 4, the beverage container 20D has a food container 60 placed
on top it.
Such a food container is disclosed in the applications listed at the beginning
of this
application, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein by
reference. But as
shown at position 70, the food container 60 restricts the amount of vertical
clearance of a
straw 10. A conventional accordion-like bendable straw would need to be
specifically
manufactured for the precise depth of the container 20D. If the food container
60 were
placed on a shorter beverage container (for example container 20A of FIG. 3A),
yet
another straw would need to be manufactured that was shorter. Because of the
bendable
characteristics of the straw 10, which may optionally be arc-shaped, (shown in
more
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detail in FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C), a single straw can be used with various
heights of
beverage containers.
[0087] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate two cross sectional shapes of the straw 10,
with
FIG. 6 having a larger opening 80 for thicker beverages such as milkshakes and
FIG. 7
having a narrower opening 90 for hot beverages such as coffee. It would be
apparent that
other cross sectional shapes are possible.
[0088] FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the straw 10 intended to show the arc-
shape.
FIG. 9 is a side view showing the arc-shape. In the embodiments shown, the
straw has
more than a 20-degree arc and is approximately 12 inches long. It would be
apparent that
other arc angles and lengths are possible.
[0089] In addition to the safety feature of allowing a consumer to drink in a
natural horizontal position without diverting her or his gaze, the straw also
is compliant
so as to minimize stabbing that is common with a conventional straw. FIG. 10
illustrates
a consumer drinking from the straw 10 even when experiencing a force that
propels the
consumer's head forward in the direction of arrow 100. The straw 10 bendably
deforms
to position 110 from position 120. A convention straw 40, shown in in FIG. 11,
would
stab the consumer in the same situation. If, for example, a consumer was
driving and
held the beverage container in an orientation to maintain a forward gaze as in
FIG. 11,
and that consumer experienced a force such as hard braking that propelled the
consumer's
head forward in the direction of arrow 130, the straw 40 would not bend and
would stab
the inner portion of the consumer's mouth 140. Also, when the straw 40 bends,
the cross-
sectional area of the straw does not collapse or crimp. The straw 10 is
constructed such
that the amount of force necessary to bend the straw does not cause discomfort
to the
user's mouth. In one embodiment, the amount of bending force necessary is
between
0.02 N and 0.2 N. The straw 10 may be made more rigid, but the bending force
would
then also increase, possibly causing discomfort to the user's mouth.
[0090] A further feature of the straw concerns its ability to regulate or cool
hot
liquids during use to prevent burns. FIGS. 12A-12F illustrate a straight and
bendable
straw 10 used in a beverage container. The bendable drinking straw is designed
such that
it can bend at least 180 degrees as shown in FIGS. 12D and 12F. The straw may
also be
optionally pre-formed in an arc-shape.
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[0091] Currently, hot liquids are delivered from a beverage container to the
consumer via a sip hole that allows a user to tip the container and sip the
hot liquid. It is
the sipping that allows the liquid to cool, preventing scalding. Because the
bendable straw
can be used for hot beverages, it is helpful that the length and internal
surface area of the
straw allows the liquid to cool when it travels from the beverage container to
the
consumer's mouth. Conventional circular straws (by circular, it is meant the
cross
section) do not allow for safely bending or deflecting off a top mounted food
container,
nor do they sufficiently regulate or cool a hot liquid. For this reason,
consumers do not
use a conventional circular straw for consuming hot beverages. Rather, the
bendable
straw disclosed herein may be used to have a properly sized cross-sectional
area and
length such that the amount of liquid entering the consumer's mouth is
properly regulated
or cooled, and therefore will not scald the user. This is especially helpful
when the user is
performing some other task while consuming the beverage. For example, a user
who is
driving would prefer to use a straw to consume the hot beverage such that his
or her gaze
is not diverted or obstructed by having to tilt the beverage container to
access the liquid
from the sip hole.
[0092] FIGS. 12A and 12B depict the flow analysis of four bendable straw
configurations shown in FIG. 12C. The OH parameter (or the system rating
number) is a
qualitative measure of the amount of head caused by the straw and is
calculated by the
following equation:
OH= (Friction Factor X (L/Hydraulic Diameter)) X
((Velocity^2)/(2*Gravimetric Acceleration))
[0093] Each of these parameters is calculated and presented in FIG. 12B. The
higher OH parameter (i.e., the head) the more the straw is able to dissipate
heat so as to
reduce the temperature of the beverage as it moves through the straw. Another
factor
shown in FIG. 12B is the cross-sectional area and the velocity, the product of
which is the
volume of liquid delivered to the user. System 1 has a low OH, meaning that
the straw
allows less heat to escape from the liquid and the volume of liquid delivered
to the user is
about .0473 inA3/s. So while the straw allows less heat to escape from the
liquid, the
amount of liquid actually delivered is very small and reduces the possibility
of scalding.
A user may not prefer such low volume delivery. System 4 has a higher OH,
meaning that
the straw will allow more cooling, and the volume of liquid delivered to the
user is much
higher (10x) at about 0.537 inA3/s. While the user would like the additional
volume, the
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OH value suggests that the liquid delivered may be too hot. The combination of
high
volume and high temperature runs the risk of scaling. Systems 2 and 3 have OH
values of
0.23 and 0.19 inches respectively, with a volume delivery of 0.297 inA3/s.
This
combination of OH value and volume is the "sweet spot" where a user is
delivered a
pleasant amount of warm beverage, while reducing the possibility of scalding.
The
optimal straw design is therefore shown by system 2 and 3, with the dimensions
provided
in FIGS 12A-12C. It would be apparent that the various parameters could be
varied to
reach an optimal volume/temperature profile for the straw without departing
from the
spirit of this invention. Those parameters may include but are not limited to
the physical
dimensions of the straw, the straw material, and the roughness of the straw.
(A straw that
has more internal roughness would increase the OH and reduce the temperature).
Further,
the dimensions may be chosen such that the straw can easily bend without
causing the
straw to collapse and thereby unreasonably restrict flow. The bending of the
straws
(systems 1-4) is shown in FIGS. 12D-12F.
[0094] FIGS. 13A-13I illustrate a lid 200 for a beverage container 215, than
can
be detachably connected to a food container 205. A bendable straw, as
discussed with
reference to FIGS. 12A-12F, may be inserted into a punch-out straw hole 225. A
lid 200
has a continuous outer coupling trough 210 for attachment to the open top of
the beverage
container 215. The lid 200 also has a straw-hole planar surface 220 that is
adjacent to the
outer coupling trough 210. A hole 225 for drinking the liquid in the container
extends
through the straw-hole planar surface 220. Riser wall 230 extends away from
the straw-
hole planar surface 220 and defines a first planar surface 235 above the straw-
hole planar
surface 220. A sip hole 240 for drinking the liquid also extends through the
first planar
surface 235. To connect the lid 200 to the food container 205, the lid 200 may
have a
food container coupling wall 245 connected to the first planar surface 235
that extends
down from the first planar surface 235 to a position lower than the first
planar surface
235. The food container coupling wall 245 may also include a pressure
structure 270 that
places pressure against the food container 205 when a food container 205 is
coupled to
the lid 200. The pressure exerted by the pressure structure 270 is selected so
as to allow
the secure coupling of the food container 205 to the lid 200, and allow the
decoupling of
the food container 205 from the lid 200. The lid 200 may also have a vent hole
275 to
relive pressure buildup caused by hot beverages.
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[0095] A food container coupling bottom 250 is connected to the food container
coupling wall. The straw hole planar surface 220 may also have a straw hole
cover 255
and a hinge 260, wherein the straw hole cover rotates about the hinge and
exposes the
hole 225 when a straw is punched through the hole 225. To prevent the straw
hole cover
255 from inadvertently opening, it may have a tick 265 that connects it to the
straw hole
planar surface 220. The straw hole 220 may have a substantially rectangular
shape with
rounded comers 280, which would accommodate the straw 10 disclosed above.
[0096] One benefit of having the straw hole cover 255 is that a user may
prefer to
use the sip hole 240. If the straw hole 225 does not have a cover 255, rather
it is an open
hole, the user may inadvertently spill the hot beverage while tilting the
beverage cup
during sipping from the sip hole 240. The straw hole cover 255 prevents this
spillage. It
further allows a retailer to use a single hot beverage lid for multiple users.
Likewise as
shown in FIG. 13B, when the food container 205 is coupled to the lid 200, the
sip hole
240 is substantially covered by the food container 205, while the straw hole
225 is not
covered by the food container 205. Thus if the user prefers to use a straw and
consume
the food from the food container 205, the beverage will not spill from the sip
240 when
the food container 205 is coupled.
[0097] An embodiment of a cup lid with integrated container 1300b is shown in
FIG. 16, coupled with a cup 1330, with a seal-on/peel-off membrane 1310b and
configured to allow access to the contents of the cup via a straw 1301a. FIG.
17 illustrates
a cross sectional view of FIG. 16. As shown, the cup may be a soda, lemonade,
coffee, or
beer cup, for example, and is not limited to cups with a rolled rim, which are
shown
herein in an exemplary manner. A first solid or liquid 1320 may include any
combination
of one or more cookies, chocolates, chips, crackers, nuts, popcorn, candies,
ice cream,
frozen yogurt, fruit pieces, burgers, French fries, sandwiches, milk, cream or
any other
item. A second liquid or solid in cup 1330 may include any combination of ice
cream,
milkshake, frozen ice, ice coffee, milk, lemonade, water, soda, coffee, beer,
mixed
alcoholic beverage, or any other item.
[0098] FIG. 18 illustrates a top perspective view of the embodiment of the
invention shown in FIG. 16. The planar, horizontal area on top of the
embodiment shown
includes a hole 1305a, which may be a straw hole or sip hole, to allow access
to the
second liquid or solid, i.e., the contents of the cup. Without removing the
cup lid, a person
may also access the contents of the container on top of the cup. FIG. 19
illustrates a top
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view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 16. The peel-off tab is
shown at
the bottom of the figure and allows for the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1310b to
be
removed from the cup lid.
[0099] FIG. 20A illustrates a side cross-sectional view of the embodiment of
the
invention shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 20B illustrates a side cross-sectional view
of the
embodiment of the invention shown having two or more coupling elements
configured to
couple with cups of different sizes. In this figure, more than one coupling
element, here
1307, having different diameters are employed so that embodiments of the
invention may
fit different sized cups. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 20B may be
sized to
couple with large or small coffee cups or large or small soda cups. In
addition, three or
more coupling elements 1307 may also be employed having three or more
differing
diameters, so that embodiments of the invention may couple with small, medium
and
large cups as one skilled in the art will appreciate. In this manner, only one
size of cup
lid, albeit with as many diameter coupling elements as desired, may be
utilized to
accommodate the different sized cups utilized. Although the embodiment shown
has
vertically offset coupling elements, other embodiments may utilize coupling
elements that
are horizontally offset without a vertical offset, as one skilled in the art
will appreciate.
FIG. 20C illustrates different embodiments of coupling elements that may be
utilized with
embodiments of the cup lid. The cross section of a coupling element 1307a is
similar to
the coupling element 1307, and may be easier to &couple from the cup lid based
on the
large angle at the bend 1377a. The cross section of a coupling element 1307b
is a harder-
to-remove version of the coupling element 1307 based on the smaller angle at
the bend
1377b, which requires more force to remove from the rolled edge of a cup, for
example.
The cross section of a coupling element 1307c shows a semi-permanent or
permanent
coupling element based on the hook-like sharp angle at the bend 1377c.
Depending on the
stiffness of the material utilized in construction of the cup lid, the sharp
angle at the bend
1377c may allow for the entire cup, even if full of liquid, to be lifted by
the cup lid. This
prevents spills by keeping the cup lid and cup attached even with large forces
involved.
As one skilled in the art will appreciate, multiple diameter coupling elements
(as shown
in FIG. 20B) on one cup lid may utilize any combination of the coupling
elements 1307a,
1307b or 1307c in any embodiment of the invention. For example, in one
embodiment,
the smallest diameter coupling element on the top portion of FIG. 20B may
utilize the
coupling element 1307a or 1307b while the lower coupling element on the bottom
portion
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of FIG. 20B may utilize the coupling element 1307b or 1307c, for example to
allow for
more strength for large cups that may weigh more. Any number of different
diameters
may be utilized with any embodiment of the coupling element and any other
coupling
element known in the art may be utilized if desired and based on the
application, as one
skilled in the art will appreciate.
[00100] FIG. 21 illustrates an exploded view of an embodiment of a cup lid
1300a with an integrated container or cavity 1301a shown above the cup 1330,
along with
any solid/liquid 1320 or food item such as a cookie, for example, that fits
into the cavity
1301a, and a cover 1310a that covers the food item while the food item is in
the container
1301a. The cup lid 1300a includes a coupling element 1307 that allows the cup
lid to
couple with the cup, and includes at least one wall 1302 that leads to a
container bottom
1303, which may also be considered part of the wall 1302. As used herein, the
term
"wall" is not limited to a surface of any shape, but rather refers to the
separation between
the container 1301a and the contents of the cup 1330. Specifically,
embodiments of the
invention include at least one wall that defines the container 1301a that is
configured to
store a first solid or a liquid separate from a second solid or liquid stored
in the cup 1330
wherein the cup 1330 generally includes an annular opening that lies in a
plane on top of
the cup. The cup as shown also includes a rolled rim 1331 that a coupling
element 1307 is
configured to couple with to hold the cup lid 1300a onto cup 1330.
Specifically, the
coupling element 1307 is configured to couple at least one wall to the annular
opening on
top of the cup, for example by stretching over the smaller diameter portion of
the
coupling element to allow the rolled edge of the cup to fit into the slightly
larger diameter
portion of the cup lid. The coupling element 1307 is an exemplary form of
attachment and
any form of attachment may be utilized to couple the cup lid 1300a to the cup
1330, as
one skilled in the art will appreciate, including a coupling element that
includes a more
difficult type of coupling to remove or even a permanent coupling. The
container cover
1310a is optionally configured to couple via a coupling element 1322 to a
coupling
element 1321 of the cup lid 1300a. An alternative is to extend the vertical
sidewall of
1310a such that the coupling element 1322 is configured to couple to the
coupling
element 1307 of cup lid 1300a. The horizontal area 1304 includes a hole 1305a
for a
straw or sip hole and optional indented cut-outs 1306. At least one wall is
configured to
enable access of the first solid or liquid and the second solid or liquid
without
disengagement of the coupling element. For example, the contents of both the
integrated
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container 1301a and the cup 1330 are accessible without removing the cup lid.
The cover
13I0a as shown is configured as an external wall friction press-on cover, but
may also be
configured as a seal-on/peel-off membrane, press-on friction dome, press-on
friction
dome with hole, internal and external wall friction press-on, internal wall
friction press-
on, hinge or rotational cover, so long as the cover is configured to at least
partially
enclose the container and retain the contents of the container when the cover
is coupled
with a corresponding version of the cup lid.
[00101] FIG. 21A illustrates a bottom view of an embodiment of the
invention. At least one wall 1302 includes a vertical dimension that extends
to, into, out
of, or both into and out of the plane defined by the annular opening of the
cup. FIG. 21B
shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention having a vertical
dimension that
extends down to the plane of the cup opening. FIG. 21C shows a side view of an
embodiment of the lid container with a cup shown in dashed lines, having a
vertical
dimension that extends into the plane of the cup opening; this vertical
dimension may be
of any size. Furthermore, at least one wall 1302 includes a horizontal
dimension, for
example across the diameter of the container, having a width less than, equal
to, or greater
than a width measured across the annular opening of the cup. The embodiment
shown in
FIG. 21C may itself hold popcorn and fit into a standard popcorn cup that is
then utilized
for soda, and/or may fit into a cup that has a narrower, or stepped
configuration on the
bottom half of the cup so as to fit into a standard stadium or movie theater
seat cup holder
for example. Any type of cup that allows for an embodiment of the invention to
be
utilized in conjunction with a cup holder for an automobile, or stadium seat,
movie theater
seat or any other type of cup holder is in keeping with the spirit of the
invention.
[00102] FIGS. 14A-14P illustrate another embodiment of the invention in
which the food container is circular and off-center. A lid 1100 for a beverage
cup has a
container portion 1110 that may hold food which is sealed by a seal/peel-off
membrane
1104. This press-fit seal is disclosed in US Patent 8596491 entitled "CUP LID
WITH
INTEGRATED CONTAINER" issued on December 3, 2013, by the same inventor of the
present application. This patent is incorporated herein by reference.
[00103] FIG. 14A illustrates an embodiment of the cup lid with integrated
container, where a straw hole 1106 passes through a horizontal area or straw-
hole surface
1102a. The straw-hole surface is approximately co-planar with a coupling ring
1108 used
to mate the lid 1100 with a beverage cup. The coupling ring 1108 circumscribes
a
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footprint of the lid 1100. Although a circular straw hole is shown, the hole
could be of
another suitable shape, such as a rounded rectangular sip hole for drinking
without a
straw. The coupling ring 1108 may be a coupling element as discussed above
with
reference to US Patent Application SN 13/680011.
[00104] FIG. 14B illustrates another embodiment where the straw hole
1106 is through a shelf 1102b between the plane defined by the coupling ring
1108 and
the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104. FIG. 14C illustrates an embodiment where
the straw
hole 1106 is through a shelf 1102c approximately co-planar with the seal-
on/peel-off
membrane 1104.
[00105] FIG. 14D shows the embodiment of the cup lid where the straw
hole is in the lower position, with the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104
removed. The
seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104 attaches releasably to the annular surface 1118
which is
connected to the straw-hole surface 1102a via an outer food container wall
1112. The
cavity or food container 1111 is further defined by an inner container wall
1114 which
descends from the annular surface 1118 to a substantially flat bottom 1116,
which is at or
below the level of the coupling ring 108 to avoid spillage of the contents of
the container.
The inner container wall 1114 defines a second footprint, which forms a nested
circle
within the footprint of the lid 1100. As shown in FIG. 14D, the second
footprint defined
by the inner container wall 1114 is non-concentric to the larger footprint of
the lid 1100.
[00106] FIG. 14E shows the embodiment of the cup lid where the straw
hole 1106 is in the middle position, and FIG. 14F shows the embodiment where
the straw
hole 1106 is in the upper position, with the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104
lifted off. For
both of these embodiments, an exterior wall 1117 extends from the coupling
ring 1108 to
the straw-hole plane 1102b, 1102c. The exact position of the straw hole in
this last
embodiment may be optimized as discussed below.
[00107] FIGS. 14D, 14E and 14F further show that the design of the lid
1100 is such that the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104 can be sealed on the lid
1100 in any
rotational orientation. As shown, the food container 1111 is circular, thus
making the
manufacture of the lid 1100 much easier because when food is placed in the
container
1111 the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104 need not be oriented in a certain
direction prior
to installation.
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[00108] FIGS. 14G, 14H and 141 illustrate the lid 1100 with a typical
straw
1107 inserted through the straw hole 1106 in the straw hole plane 1102a (lower
position),
1102b (middle position), and 1102c (upper position). FIGS. 14J, 14K and 14L
are
cutaway views of these three lid embodiments with the straw and a cup 1120.
[00109] Further disclosed is a rack 1150 designed to be used with the
lids
100. As shown in FIGS. 14M and 14N, the rack 1150, which may be made of metal,
plastic or another suitable material, has a base 1152 so that the rack may
stand upright on
a countertop or other horizontal surface. Vertical supports 1154 rise from the
base 1152
and are connected by horizontal supports 1156 from which extend posts 1158.
The lids
1100 can be suspended from the posts 1158 in a compact display for sale, for
example. In
FIG. 1M, the first embodiment of the lid 1100 is shown which has the straw
hole 1106
approximately co-planar with the coupling ring 1108 used to mate the lid 1100
with the
beverage cup (FIG. 14A, 14D, 14G, 14J). The problem with this embodiment is
that when
the container 1111 is filled with food (for example, nuts or candy), gravity
(shown by
arrow 1160) will cause the lid 1100 to rotate about the straw hole 1106 in the
direction of
arrow 1165. Thus when the lids 1100 are displayed on the rack 1150, they will
be tilted,
unless a secondary support 1157 is added to the rack 1150 to prevent such
rotation. In
FIG. 14N, the straw hole 1106 is between the plane defined by the coupling
ring 1108 and
the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104 (FIG. 14B, 14E, 14H, 14K). The exact
position is
selected such that the lid 1100, when filled with food, has a weight
distribution which
causes it to dangle on the rack 1150 in a substantially vertical orientation
(arrow 1175), as
may be seen also in FIG. 140.
[00110] FIGS. 14P, 14Q and 14R illustrate tooling to allow the quick
and
easy installation of the seal-on/peel-off membrane. A support structure 1180
has a shape
complementary to the container portion 1110, such that the container portion
1110 fits
over the support structure 180 which reinforces the container portion 1110.
This
reinforcement allows the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104 to be installed during
manufacture by a press fit, without damaging the container portion 1110. As
shown in
FIG. 14P, the support structure 1180 has a base 1182 and a cavity 1189 defined
by an
inner wall 1184 connected by an annular upper surface 1188 to an outer wall
1186. As
shown in FIGS. 14Q and 14R, when the container portion 1110 is placed over the
support
structure 1180, the coupling ring 1108 rests against the base 1182 and the
annular surface
1118 is supported by the upper surface 1188, while the container inner wall
1114 and
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outer wall 1112 touch the tooling inner wall 1184 and outer wall 1186,
respectively. This
allows the seal-on/peel-off membrane 1104 to be sealed over the food container
1111
without risk of damage to the container portion 1110 when pressure is applied
to create
the seal.
[00111] FIGS. 15A-15F illustrate another lid for a beverage cup, wherein
the container lid 2200 has a compartment 2211 that may hold food. As shown in
FIG.
15A, the container lid 2200 attaches to a cup lid 2201 on a cup 2220, and a
straw 2207
may be used to access a drink in the cup 2220 while the container lid 2200 is
attached.
The compartment 2211 may have one or more removable shelves 2202 as shown in
FIG.
15B, to contain multiple food items. As shown in FIG. 15E, a cover 2250 pivots
about a
hinge 2255 to allow access to the compartment 2211, and the shelves 2202 may
have a
hole 2216 to allow the user to easily remove a shelf 2202 to access food
contained on a
lower shelf. The food compartment 2211 of the lid 2200 may have one or more
ledges
2205, 2210 upon which the shelves 2202 rest (see FIG. 15F). As illustrated in
FIGS. 15C
and 15D, the container lid 2200 has a coupling element 2230 which attaches to
a
corresponding coupling element 2240 on the cup lid 2201.
[00112] The straw may be constructed out of plastics, composites or other
suitable materials. The straw may also be semi-rigid such that it returns to
its original
shape when it is not under a bending force.
[001131 The invention has been described in connection with specific
embodiments that illustrate examples of the invention but do not limit its
scope. Various
example systems have been shown and described having various aspects and
elements.
Unless indicated otherwise, any feature, aspect or element of any of these
systems may be
removed from, added to, combined with or modified by any other feature, aspect
or
element of any of the systems. As will be apparent to persons skilled in the
art,
modifications and adaptations to the above-described systems and methods can
be made
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is defined
only by the
following claims. Moreover, the applicant expressly does not intend the
following claims
"and the embodiments in the specification to be strictly coextensive."
Phillips v. AliW
Corp., 415 F.3d 1303, 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (en bane).
21
