FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to cup handles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a detachable cup handle adapted for securing to a hot disposable cup so that a user can conveniently carry the disposable cup by hand. The clipper detachable handle for a disposable cup containing a hot liquid provides the user with a stable grip while the disposable cup is held in the user's hand, thus preventing undesirable heat transfer to the hand of the user. The clipper detachable handle can help people with hand arthritis holding a paper cup or any insulated cup with liquid in it. Further, the detachable handle of the present invention is reusable so that the user can detach it from a used cup and attach to a new cup for use again.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Every year thousands of people are burned by hot coffee, tea and water. Nowadays, most hot drinks, especially those drinks served to go, are often served in disposable insulated cups. Normally, these cups do not have handles. They may have insulating sleeves made of cardboard paper, or other materials. One problem associated with these cups is that the hot liquid may cause up to third degree burns when spilled onto a user's hand, arm, or skins of other body parts. Another problem has always existed in that hot or cold drinks are uncomfortable to the touch even with some type of additional insulator. The insulating sleeves that a lot of commercial coffee/tea houses offer are not totally effective since extreme temperatures of the liquids contained in these cups can still migrate through the insulation. What is needed is a handle that keeps the user's hand from being in direct contact with the hot surface of the disposable cup.
Generally, a handle is part of a container such as a cup, a mug, or a bottle, in the form of a protrusion. The protrusion may be a loop or an integral member of the container for the user to grasp with the user's hand. The handle being an integral part of the container normally cannot be removed or reused for another container. Thus, the handle is disposed of along with the container. The hot or cold drinks served to go by most commercial coffee/tea houses do not justify the added cost for the handle even in a simplest form. Additionally, the integral handle of a container usually has a predetermined shape and size configured for an average sized hand. Thus, the handle may not be comfortable or convenient for the user with hands that are either larger than average or smaller than average. Furthermore, many handles are either too heavy and may bend or cause damage to the disposable cup, or too light and flexible for the user to securely hold the disposable cup.
An objective of the present invention is to provide the user with a comfortable and efficient handle to grasp when holding an insulated cup containing a liquid of extreme temperature. The handle, also named “Clipper Detachable Handle” offers a clip that allows the user to securely hold all types of insulated cups with a lip at the opening. More specifically, the clipper detachable handle is configured generally in the shape of a loop with a protrusion that hooks onto the inside edge of the disposable cup while the clip presses against the outside edge of the disposable cup opening to retain the handle on the disposable cup. The clipper detachable handle can be easily removed by the user, reused on other cups with a lip, or stored away conveniently. Specifically, the clipper detachable handle is light-weighted and compact, thereby allowing the user to save space whether in use or storage and ensuring against toppling of the disposable cup being held when the disposable cup is placed atop a surface. Additionally, the clipper detachable handle has a shape designed for the comfort of the user and can be made in various sizes to fit different sizes of hands. The clipper detachable handle can help people with hand arthritis holding a paper cup or any insulated cup with liquid in it. Furthermore, the clipper detachable handle provides any commercial coffee/tea house an economical and convenient add-on offering to their customers when purchasing beverages of extreme temperatures being contained in insulated disposable cups. Thus, the clipper detachable handle, as an add-on, enhances the user's safety, significantly minimizes burning injuries, and reduces the liability of the commercial coffee/tea houses.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A detachable cup handle apparatus is adapted for securing to a hot disposable cup so that a user can conveniently carry the disposable cup by hand without touching the cup. The apparatus provides the user with a stable grip while the disposable cup is held in the user's hand, thus preventing undesirable heat transfer to the hand of the user. The apparatus offers a clip that allows the user to securely hold all types of insulated cups with a lip at the opening. The apparatus is configured generally in the shape of a loop with a protrusion that hooks onto the inside edge of the disposable cup while the clip presses against the outside edge of the disposable cup opening to retain the handle on the disposable cup. The apparatus can be easily removed by the user, reused on other cups with a lip, or stored away conveniently. Additionally, the apparatus is light-weighted and compact, thereby allowing the user to save space whether in use or storage and ensuring against toppling of the disposable cup being held when the disposable cup is placed atop a surface. The apparatus can be made in one or more materials and has a shape designed for the comfort of the user. The apparatus can be made in various sizes to fit different sizes of hands. The clipper detachable handle can help people with hand arthritis holding a paper cup or any insulated cup with liquid in it. Furthermore, the apparatus provides any commercial coffee/tea house an economical and convenient add-on offering to their customers when purchasing beverages of extreme temperatures being contained in insulated disposable cups. Thus, the apparatus, as an add-on to a cup, enhances the user's safety, significantly minimizes burning injuries, and reduces the liability of the commercial coffee/tea houses.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an isometric perspective view of the present invention being attached to a disposable cup.
FIG. 3 is a top view of the present invention indicating the direction of section cut A.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention being attached to the disposable cup taken along line A-A in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a right-side view of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a top view of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a front view of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an isometric perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is an isometric perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an isometric perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the present invention.
DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
As can be seen in FIG. 1 to FIG. 10, the present invention, named Clipper Detachable Handle 10, offers a user a comfortable and efficient handle to grasp when holding an insulated, disposable cup 90 containing a liquid, which can be of an extreme temperature. The clipper detachable handle 10 of the present invention provides a clip that allows the user to securely hold all types of insulated cup with a lip at the opening. More specifically, the clipper detachable handle 10 is configured generally in the shape of a loop with a protrusion that hooks onto the inside edge of the disposable cup 90 while the clip presses against the outside edge of the disposable cup 90 to retain the clipper detachable handle 10 on the disposable cup 90. The clipper detachable handle 10 can be easily removed by the user, reused on any other cup with a lip, or stored away conveniently. Additionally, the clipper detachable handle 10 is light-weighted and compact, thereby allowing the user to save space whether in use or storage and ensuring against toppling of the disposable cup 90 being held when the disposable cup 90 is placed atop a surface. The clipper detachable handle 10 has a shape designed for the comfort of the user and can be made in various sizes to fit different sizes of hands. The clipper detachable handle 10 can help people with hand arthritis holding a paper cup or any insulated cup with liquid in it. Furthermore, the clipper detachable handle 10 provides any commercial coffee/tea house an economical and convenient add-on offering to their customers when purchasing beverages of extreme temperatures being contained in insulated disposable cups. Thus, the clipper detachable handle 10, as an add-on, enhances the user's safety, significantly minimizes burning injuries, and reduces the liability of the commercial coffee/tea houses.
As seen in FIG. 1 to FIG. 2, the clipper detachable handle 10 of the present invention comprises a cup support 20, a grip 30, a retainer 40, while the disposable cup 90 comprises a rim 91, a protruding lip 92, and a cup wall 93. The grip 30, the retainer 40 and the cup support 20 of the clipper detachable handle 10 of the present invention can be integrally formed of at least one material including, but not limited to, plastic, polymer, composite material, metal, steel, stainless-steel, or any other suitable material. More specifically, the grip 30 comprises a first grip 31, a grip connector 32, a side grip 33, an arched grip 34, and a grip loop 35. The side grip 33 is positioned between the first grip 31 and the arched grip 34. The retainer 40 is terminally positioned on the first grip 31 opposite the side grip 33 of the grip 30. Further, the retainer 40 comprises an upper clip 43, a lower clip 45, and a rim hook 51 for detachably securing the present invention to the rim 91 of the disposable cup 90. The rim hook 51 is terminally positioned on the first grip 31 opposite the side grip 33 of the grip 30. The upper clip 43 is perpendicularly attached to the first grip 31 adjacent the rim hook 51, and the lower clip 45 is terminally and perpendicularly attached to the arched grip 34 of the grip 40. The cup support 20 is terminally positioned on the arched grip 34 opposite the lower clip 45 of the retainer 40. The cup support 20 provides support to the clipper detachable handle 10 when the clipper detachable handle 10 is clipped on the outer wall of the disposable cup 90. The cup support 20 is positioned against the cup wall 93 of the disposable cup 90 when the present invention is in use with the disposable cup 90 and is terminally and colinearly connected to the retainer 40.
As seen in FIG. 6 to FIG. 7, the first grip 31 is terminally connected and positioned perpendicular to the front retainer wall 41 and terminally connected to the side grip 32 through the grip connector 32. The side grip 33 terminally connects the grip connector 32 and the arched grip 34. The arched grip 34 is terminally connected to the cup support 20. The first grip 31, grip connector 32, side grip 33, arched grip 34, and the lower clip 45 form the grip loop 35, which is closed loop and allows the user to securely and firmly hold the disposable cup 90 to attach the clipper detachable handle 10 on to the disposable cup 90 through the front retainer wall 41, the rim hook 51, the upper clip 43, and the lower clip 45. Additionally, the arched grip 34 includes, but is not limited to, a curved shape, to further provide a convenient grasp for the user to efficiently hold the clipper detachable handle 10 and the disposable cup 90. The loop shape of the clipper detachable handle 10 also separates the user's hand from the surface of the disposable cup 90, thus providing protection of the user from burning and any uncomfortable touch of the temperature extreme of the liquid inside the disposable cup 90 that the user is holding.
As can be seen in FIG. 4 to FIG. 5, the lower clip 45 of the retainer 40 is resilient so that the lower clip 45 is configured to be able to move so as to enable lower clip 45 to engage and disengage with the upper clip 43. Thus, the retainer 40 is securely attached to the rim 91 of the disposable cup 90 when the lower clip 45 is engaged with the upper clip 43. Additionally, the upper clip 43 of the retainer 40 comprises an upper clip hook 44, which is terminally positioned on the upper clip 43. The upper clip 43 includes, but is not limited to, a triangular shape. The lower clip 45 comprises a lower clip tab 46 and a lip retainer 47. More specifically, the lip retainer 47 is terminally positioned on the lower clip 45 opposite the cup support 20 across the lower clip 45 for engaging the protruding lip 92 of the disposable cup 90. The lower clip tab 46 is terminally positioned on the lower clip 45 adjacent the lip retainer 47 and the lower clip tab 46 is movable between an engaging position and a disengaging position with the upper clip hook 44. Further, the lower clip 45 of the retainer 40 comprises a release slot 49 for the user to move the lower clip 45 between an engaging and a disengaging position thus engaging or disengaging the lower clip 45 onto the upper clip 43, respectively. The release slot 49 is positioned on the lower clip 45 opposite the lip retainer 47. The lip retainer 47 engages the lower edge of the protruding lip 92 on the rim 91 of the disposable cup 90 when the lower clip 45 is engaged onto the upper clip 43 as seen in FIG. 4. When the clipper detachable handle 10 is attached to the disposable cup 90, the present invention enables the user to detach the clipper detachable handle 10 from the disposable cup 90 by holding the present invention while pushing the resilient lower clip 45 at the release slot 49 of the retainer 40 towards the side grip 33 of the grip 30 using a finger. The lip retainer 47 disengages the protruding lip 92 on the rim 91 of the disposable cup 90 and the user can easily remove the present invention out of the disposable cup 90.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 to FIG. 7, the retainer 40 comprises a front retainer wall 41 and an end rib 42. More specifically, the front retainer wall 41 is terminally positioned on the first grip 31 of the grip 30 and oriented perpendicular to the first grip 31. The end rib 42 is a portion of the first grip 31. The end rib 42 is positioned between the front retainer wall 41 and the upper clip 43. Additionally, the front retainer wall 41, the end rib 42, the upper clip 43, and the lower clip 45 form the rim hook 51 for removably securing the retainer 50 on to the rim 91 of the disposable cup 90. The rim hook 51 provides space for the protruding lip 92 of the disposable cup 90 onto which the user chooses to hold. The front retainer wall 41 hooks to the inside edge of the disposable cup 90 when the clipper detachable handle 10 clips to the disposable cup 90, when the lower clip 45 is biased away from the front retainer wall 41 but stopped by the upper clip 43. The clipper detachable handle 10 presses against the outer edge of the disposable cup 90 thus allowing the user to securely hold the disposable cup 90 without touching the disposable cup 90. The clipper detachable handle 10 securely attaches to the disposable cup 90 with four locking mechanisms. Firstly, the rim hook 51 of the retainer 40 is engaging the top surface of the rim 91 of the disposable cup 90. Secondly, the front retainer wall 41 engages the interior surface of the disposable cup 90. Thirdly, the lip retainer 47 engages the lower surface of the protruding lip 92 of the disposable cup 90. Fourthly, the lower clip tab 46 of the lower clip 45 engages the upper clip hook 44 of the upper clip 43 to provide support of the retainer 40, as seen in FIG. 4 to FIG. 5.
As can be seen in FIG. 1 to FIG. 7, the cup support 20 comprises a linear support 21 and a peripheral support 22. More specifically, the linear support 21 is terminally positioned on the cup support 20 opposite the lower clip 45 of the retainer 40 for linearly supporting an exterior side of the disposable cup 90. The peripheral support 22 is terminally positioned on the cup support 20 adjacent the linear support 21. Additionally, the peripheral support 22 is oriented perpendicular to the linear support 21 for supporting a circular/cylindrical surface of the disposable cup 90. Together, the linear support 21 and the peripheral support 22 extends the clipper detachable handle 10 linearly and circularly/cylindrically on the exterior body of the disposable cup 90, as seen in FIG. 2. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the linear support 21 and the peripheral support 22 of the cup support 20 are of curved shape to not only effectively support the clipper detachable handle 10 and the disposable cup 90 when being held by the user, but also protect the body of the disposable cup 90 from any unintended damage, such as poking, piercing, pinching, etc.
As can be seen in FIG. 8 to FIG. 9, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, the cup support 20 comprises the linear support 21 and the peripheral support 22, wherein the peripheral support 22 is sized substantially larger than the linear support to provide further strength of support to the disposable cup 90. More specifically, the peripheral support 22 substantially extends the cup support 20 from the linear support 21 for strong, linearly and cylindrically supporting the exterior side of the disposable cup 90. The shape of the peripheral support 22 may include, but is not limited to, square, rectangle, diamond, oval, circle, dovetail, etc.
As can be seen in FIG. 10, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the front retainer wall 41 and the end rib 42 are laterally curved to fit the cylindrical/circular surface of the disposable cup 90. More specifically, the front retainer wall 41 together with the edge of the end rib 42, which forms the edge of the front retainer wall 41 adjacent the first grip 31, are circularly and cylindrically shaped to fit the body surface of the disposable cup 90 when the present invention is securely attached to the disposable cup 90.
To use the present invention, the user acquires the clipper detachable handle 10 and clips it onto the disposable cup 90 that the user chooses, as seen in FIG. 4, Firstly, the user holds the disposable cup 90 in one hand, and the clipper detachable handle 10 in another. The user pulls the lower clip 45 away from the front retainer wall 41 by inserting a finger into the release slot 49 and pulling the lower clip 45 towards the upper clip 43 on the clipper detachable handle 10 while holding the clipper detachable handle 10. Secondly, the user inserts the front retainer wall 41 of the clipper detachable handle 10 along the inside edge into the disposable cup 90. Once the protruding lip 92 of the disposable cup 90 is positioned into the rim hook 51 against the end rib 42 and the upper clip 43, the user releases the lower clip 45 to let the lower clip 45 to press against the outer surface of the disposable cup 90 and engage the lip retainer 47 of the clipper detachable handle 10 onto the protruding lip 92 of the disposable cup 90. Thirdly, the user releases the hand from holding the disposable cup 90 while still holding the clipper detachable handle 10 with the other hand. Now the clipper detachable handle 10 is securely attached to the disposable cup 90. Additionally, the user can conveniently move the clipper detachable handle 10 along the protruding lip 92 of the disposable cup 90. By holding the disposable cup 90 in one hand, the user can hold and maneuver the clipper detachable handle 10 along the protruding lip 92 of the disposable cup 90 to the desired location using the other hand. Furthermore, the user can remove the clipper detachable handle 10 when it is no longer needed. To remove the clipper detachable handle 10, the user pulls the lower clip 45 at the release slot 49 away from the outer surface of the disposable cup 90 using a finger while holding the disposable cup 90 using the other hand. Once the lower clip 45 is pulled away from the disposable cup 90, the user can slide the clipper detachable handle 10 along the rim 91 out of the disposable cup 90. The clipper detachable handle 10 can now be cleaned and used for another cup or stored away per the user's desire.
The clipper detachable handle 10 may be designed and manufactured in various shapes and sizes to comfortably fit hands of different sizes and for different sizes of insulated disposable cups.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Patent Application
20200087033
