DISPOSABLE LINER SYSTEM FOR CUP

Abstract

A shaker cup with a main cup body, a disposable cup liner, a disposable mixing grid, a disposable lid member and a lid retaining ring. The disposable cup liner is inserted into the main cup body and has flange that fits over the top of the main cup body lip. The disposable mixing grid fits within the top area of the main cup body. The disposable lid member has a flange that matches the diameter of the disposable liner flange. The lid retaining ring capable screws onto the main cup body, and in the process, capturing the inner liner flange, the mixing grid flange and the lid member flange to hold them in a liquid retaining manner. A preferred embodiment includes the disposable cup liner, the disposable mixing grid, the disposable lid member and the disposable spout cap member are all made of biodegradable molded plastic.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED

Not applicable.

RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

THE NAMES OR PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not applicable.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of drinking cups and more specifically to a shaker cup and lid used for mixing powdered contents with liquid contents.

Drinking cups that include removable water tight lids are well known in the marketplace. They are used to hold sports drinks, or baby formula, coffee drinks or any other liquid drink that needs to be carried from one place to another. One specific category of cups with lids is the powdered supplement market, where a specific amount of powdered supplement and a prescribed amount of liquid, such as water, is added to a cup. In some cases, a secondary device is included within the cup to help break up clumps of powder as the user shakes the ingredients up and down within the lid covered cup.

One such configuration can be seen in S. Sorensen's U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,032 which shows a wire type coiled wire form ball that is inserted into a bottle and breaks up powder as the bottle is shaken by the user. Other drinking cup devices include liners, such as baby bottles that have liners that are inserted into the bottle which are mainly used to reduce the introduction of air into the milk formula, but which also speed up the bottle cleaning process, since the liners are disposable.

However there are some deficiencies in the prior technology. In bottles that use liners, the cap portion still needs to be cleaned after each use. In cups that are meant to be shaken to disperse powdered supplements into liquid, the cup, lid and clump removal device all have to be cleaned after each use. This can be time consuming and in some cases inconvenient if the user is not near a clean water source at the time of cleaning. Additionally, normal liners that are used in conjunction with baby bottles and the like are not made of biodegradable material and therefore pose a threat to the long term health of the environment.

The foregoing patents reflect the current state of the art of which the present inventors are aware. Reference to, and discussion of, these patents is intended to aid in discharging Applicants' acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be relevant to the examination of claims to the present invention. However, it is respectfully submitted that none of the above-indicated patents disclose, teach, suggest, show, or otherwise render obvious, either singly or when considered in combination, the invention described and claimed herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a shaker cup for mixing ingredients in a covered cup where an internal liner, cap, and grid member are disposable so that the cup itself does not need to be cleaned after each use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shaker cup whose disposable parts are made of biodegradable materials.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a shaker cup comprising: a main cup body made of rigid material and having an external threaded portion molded into its upper wall surface , a disposable cup liner, a disposable mixing grid, a disposable lid member including a drinking spout portion , a disposable spout cap member, a lid retaining ring having a threaded portion molded into its inner wall surface, said disposable cup liner capable of insertion into said main cup body where the outside wall of said liner maintains close proximity to the inside wall of said main cup body, said disposable cup liner having an outwardly disposed flange at its upper most perimeter that fits over the top of said main cup body lip, said disposable mixing grid capable of fitting within the top area of said main cup body and said disposable liner and having a flange that matches the said flange of said disposable liner, said disposable lid member having a flange that matches the diameter of said disposable liner flange, said lid retaining ring capable of being screwed onto said main cup body, and in the process, capturing said inner liner flange, said mixing grid flange and said lid member flange and holding them in a liquid retaining manner, and said disposable spout cap member capable of removably engaging said lid spout in a liquid retaining fashion.

The foregoing summary broadly sets out the more important features of the present invention so that the detailed description that follows may be better understood, and so that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

Accordingly, before explaining the preferred embodiment of the disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventive apparatus described herein is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.

Also, it is to be understood that the terminology and phraseology employed herein are for descriptive purposes only, and not limitation. Where specific dimensional and material specifications have been included or omitted from the specification or the claims, or both, it is to be understood that the same are not to be incorporated into the appended claims.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based may readily be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims are regarded as including such equivalent constructions as far as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Rather, the fundamental aspects of the invention, along with the various features and structures that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the present invention, its advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated the preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view in elevation thereof.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a side view in elevation thereof.

FIG. 5 is a detailed partial cross-sectional side view in elevation showing the flanges of the lid, mixing grid and liner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a perspective view of the invention 100. A main cup 2 is capped by lid 18 which is held in place by lid retaining ring 4. The lid 18 has a spout 8 which is covered by spout cover 6.

FIG. 2 shows a section view that vertically bisects the invention 100. A liner 10 is insertable and removable from cup 2. The liner 10 has an outwardly facing flange 20 that is trapped between the lip of the cup 2 and the lid retaining ring 4. The lid 18 also includes a flange 22 that is also trapped between the lip of cup 2 and the lid retaining ring 4. A mixing grid member 16 also includes a flange 24 that is also trapped by the lip of cup 2 and lid retaining ring 4. The partial section view shown in FIG. 5 shows the flanges 20, 22, 24 as they are trapped in a water tight manner between the lip of cup 2 and the lid retaining ring 4. Removable spout cover 6 is a onetime use removable membrane in the preferred embodiment, however the spout cover 6 can also be a reusable and replaceable cover made of biodegradable material that engages the spout opening 8 either frictionally or by mating threads. The lid 18, mixing grid 16 and liner 10 are trapped between the lip of cup 2 and retaining ring 4 in a water tight manner when threads 14 and 14A are fully engaged.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the invention 100. Liner 10, mixing grid member 16 and lid 18 are made of biodegradable plastic such as biodegradable polyethylene that includes a biodegradable additive such as the one supplied by Biosphere Plastic LLC of Portland Oreg. A biodegradable polyethylene is used to enhance biodegradation of plastic by adding hydrophilic parameters to the polymer chain. Polyethylene itself can be consumed by microorganisms, however the additive enhances the reaction time in the biodegradation process and allow for these and other microbes to consume the polymer at a much faster rate. The liner 2 preferably is made of flexible low density polyethylene. The lid 8 and mixing grid 16 are preferably made of rigid hi density polyethylene. The mixing grid 16 has a plurality of apertures that help break up clumps of powdered material commonly found in drink supplements and liquid as the user shakes the cup assembly 100. When the user finishes the drink, he or she can discard the disposable and biodegradable liner 10, grid member 16, lid 18 and spout cover 6 and reuse the cup 2 and ring 4 without the need for cleaning the cup 2 or ring 4. The user is supplied with a plurality of replacement packages of lids 18 grid members 16 and liners 10 to use along with reusable main cup 2 and lid retaining ring 4. As an added benefit, the air tight construction of the trapped liner 10 in the use position means that the liner 10 will stay in close proximity to the inside of walls of cup 2 and will not shrivel up as the liquid inside the cup is consumed by the user.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the invention 100 clearly showing the relationship of cup 2, ring 4 and lid 18 when in the use position.

The present invention 100 is ideal for mixing protean drinks, but can also be used in the kitchen for blending cake batter, dressings, sauces, eggs and the like.

Additionally, although the preferred embodiment specifies that the parts are made of biodegradable material, it can also be made of non-biodegradable materials.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

The above disclosure is sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention, and provides the best mode of practicing the invention presently contemplated by the inventor. While there is provided herein a full and complete disclosure of the preferred embodiments of this invention, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction, dimensional relationships, and operation shown and described. Various modifications, alternative constructions, changes and equivalents will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be employed, as suitable, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. Such changes might involve alternative materials, components, structural arrangements, sizes, shapes, forms, functions, operational features or the like.

Therefore, the above description and illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A shaker cup comprising: a main cup body made of rigid material and having an external threaded portion molded into its upper wall surface ;a disposable cup liner;a disposable mixing grid;a disposable lid member including a drinking spout portion ;a disposable spout cap member;a lid retaining ring having a threaded portion molded into its inner wall surface;said disposable cup liner capable of insertion into said main cup body where the outside wall of said liner maintains close proximity to the inside wall of said main cup body;said disposable cup liner having an outwardly disposed flange at its upper most perimeter that fits over the top of said main cup body lip;said disposable mixing grid capable of fitting within the top area of said main cup body and said disposable liner and having a flange that matches the said flange of said disposable liner;said disposable lid member having a flange that matches the diameter of said disposable liner flange;said lid retaining ring capable of being screwed onto said main cup body, and in the process, capturing said inner liner flange, said mixing grid flange and said lid member flange and holding them in a liquid retaining manner; andsaid disposable spout cap member capable of removably engaging said lid spout in a liquid retaining fashion.

2. The shaker cup of claim 1, wherein said disposable cup liner, said disposable mixing grid, said disposable lid member, and said disposable spout cap member are all made of biodegradable molded plastic.

3. The shaker cup of claim 2, wherein said biodegradable plastic is polyethylene and includes an additive that makes it biodegradable.

4. The shaker cup of claim 3, wherein said cup liner is made of low density polyethylene and said mixing grid and said lid are molded of high density polyethylene.

5. The shaker cup of claim 1, wherein said mixing grid includes a plurality of apertures capable of breaking up clumps of powdered material suspended in a liquid when said shaker cup is shaken by a user.