Patent Application
20170320643
The invention relates generally to the field of drinking assemblies, and more particularly to easily cleanable drinking assemblies, such as those found in CPC Class A45F (Traveling and Camp Equipment), Subclasses 3/16 (Water Bottles; Mess-tins; Cups) and 2200/0583 (Beverage Vessels).
A wide variety of drinking assemblies have been available for many years. Such products typically include a container body, such as a cup or bottle, and often include a lid to provide a spill-proof seal when properly fastened. These products come in a variety of materials, including various plastics and stainless steel.
Some products provide a mechanism for controlling the passage of fluid through the lid for drinking purposes. Some examples include valve mechanisms that seal the opening unless drinking suction is applied by the user, mechanical lever systems actuated by manual application of a force to a button or switch, and lids with reversibly openable sections, whether by lifting a tab, twisting a cover, or sliding back a movable section of the lid. Other products require removal of the lid entirely to drink from the container.
Each of these assemblies, however, possess a number of edges, grooves, and crevices where fluid tends to collect and remain, making it difficult to thoroughly clean the product as desired. As a result, the leftover particles contaminate whatever fluid the user intends to drink next, often ruining the flavor or providing a place where bacteria or fungus may lodge and grow. The leftover fluid can also result in unpleasant odors and microbial growth that can be detrimental to the health of the user. There is therefore a need for a drinking assembly that can be thoroughly cleaned in a simple manner, through conventional means and without need for special equipment or materials.
What is needed is an easily cleanable drinking assembly that can be thoroughly cleaned by conventional cleaning methods.
The drinking assembly includes geometrical features and the use of a specialized coating allows for thorough cleaning by conventional cleaning methods.
An easily cleanable drinking assembly according to a first aspect of the illustrated embodiments of the invention includes a receptacle with an inner surface having a curved geometry without edges, corners, or distinctly angled connections between sections. This includes, but is not limited to, inner surfaces that are completely rounded, spherical, and/or bulbous in nature. This also includes, but is not limited to, an inner surface created out of multiple rounded inner sections joined together by any number of rounded or smooth connection or transition sections.
An easily cleanable drinking assembly according to a second aspect of the illustrated embodiments of the invention similarly includes a lid with an interior curved surface without edges, corners, or distinctly angled connections or transitions between interior sections as well. Once again, this includes, but is not limited to, interior surfaces that are completely rounded, spherical, and/or bulbous in nature. This also includes, but is not limited to, an interior surface created out of multiple rounded sections joined together by any number of rounded connection sections. Alternatively, the lid can be a more conventional lid with edges that are easily reachable with conventional cleaning tools.
An easily cleanable drinking assembly according to a third aspect of the illustrated embodiments of the invention includes an opening into the receptacle portion of the assembly, which allows for cleaning apparatus to be comfortably inserted and used inside the receptacle. The inner surface may be constructed to be broader at the opening and narrower at the base.
An easily cleanable drinking assembly according to a fourth aspect of the illustrated embodiments of the invention includes a coating with hydrophobic, oleophobic and antimicrobial properties. The coating may be applied to the entire inside of the assembly or may be selectively applied to any critical surface of the assembly, such as the inner surface of the receptacle or the interior surface of the lid.
It can now be summarized that the illustrated embodiments of the invention are directed to an easily cleanable drinking assembly including: a receptacle having an inner surface, a closed end and an open end, where the inner surface of the receptacle with a curved lower base without any edge; an attachable and detachable lid having an inner surface which is cured without any edge, where the inner surface of the drinking assembly is comprised of the inner surfaces of the receptacle and the lid, the inner surface of the drinking assembly being without any edge when the lid is attached to the receptacle; and a single coating that has hydrophobic, oleophobic and antimicrobial properties on the inner surface of the receptacle.
The single coating has hydrophobic, oleophobic and antimicrobial properties is also on the inner surface of the lid and may also be on the interior surface of the lid.
The receptacle has a diameter that decreases from the open end of the receptacle toward the closed end of the receptacle.
The receptacle has an exterior surface of the receptacle with at least one raised ridge.
The drinking assembly further includes a removable grip sleeve with at least one slot defined therethrough matching the at least one raised ridge on the exterior surface of the receptacle.
The inner surface of the receptacle defines a conical shape with a smooth rounded apex.
The illustrated embodiments can also be characterized as an easily cleanable drinking assembly including a receptacle having a closed end and an open end with an inner surface of the receptacle with a completely rounded lower base portion of the inner surface; a removable lid; and a hydrophobic, oleophibic and antimicrobial coating on the inner surface of the receptacle and an interior surface of the lid.
Still further the illustrated embodiments include an easily cleanable drinking assembly, comprising: a receptacle having a closed end, an open end, and an exterior surface, wherein the exterior surface has at least one raised ridge, where the receptacle has an inner surface, wherein the inner surface has a completely rounded lower base, and is coated with a single hydrophobic, oleophobic and antimicrobial coating; a removable lid, wherein an interior surface of the lid is completely rounded; and a second single hydrophobic, oleophobic and antimicrobial coating disposed on the inner surface of the receptacle and removable lid.
While the apparatus and method has been described for the sake of grammatical fluidity with functional explanations, it is to be expressly understood that the claims, unless expressly formulated under 35 USC 112, are not to be construed as necessarily limited in any way by the construction of “means” or “steps” limitations, but are to be accorded the full scope of the meaning and equivalents of the definition provided by the claims under the judicial doctrine of equivalents, and in the case where the claims are expressly formulated under 35 USC 112 are to be accorded full statutory equivalents under 35 USC 112. The disclosure can be better visualized by turning now to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals.
The disclosure and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are presented as illustrated examples of the embodiments defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the embodiments as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below.
Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar components or steps, with reference to the following figures, wherein:
Particular embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the figures.
The receptacle 10 also has an inner surface 15 with a lower base portion 16 on the inside of the narrower closed end 17, opposite the central opening 14a. The inner surface 15 and lower interior base portion 16 are constructed to have a curvature, with no edges, corners, or distinctly angled connections between segments. The interior lower base portion 16 may be completely rounded as shown in
Lid 30 may be constructed as a completely solid piece without any internal compartments. Alternatively, lid 30 may be constructed to have at least one chamber 39 within the lid 30. The chamber 39 may be hollow or may be filled with any material, which may or may not affect the thermal insulation abilities of the lid 30.
The lid 30 may also have a drinking channel 31 that goes through the entirety of the lid allowing fluid to travel from the inside of the assembly 100 to the outside without having to remove the lid 30 as best seen in
Lid flap 33 is pivotally attached to the lid 30 and can pivot between an open position shown in
In the open position as depicted in
In the closed position as depicted in
The lid 30 may further have an interior surface 38 constructed to have substantial curvature, as to have no edges, corners, or distinctly angled connections between segments, as shown in
Furthermore, the inner surface 15 and lower base portion 16 of the receptacle and the interior surface 38 of the lid 30 may both be coated with a coating 40 with hydrophobic, oleophobic, and antimicrobial properties. The coating may be a nano-ceramic based coating, an SiO2 based nano-coating, or an alcohol based coating, such as an isopropanol coating combine with an organosilane derivative. The antimicrobial properties may come from an antimicrobial additive, such as a silver glass antimicrobial powder. Application of such the coating 40 to such surfaces allows for increased hygienic conditions and ease of cleaning.
Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following embodiments and its various embodiments.
Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the embodiments includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations. A teaching that two elements are combined in a claimed combination is further to be understood as also allowing for a claimed combination in which the two elements are not combined with each other, but may be used alone or combined in other combinations. The excision of any disclosed element of the embodiments is explicitly contemplated as within the scope of the embodiments.
The words used in this specification to describe the various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself.
The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.
The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptionally equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the embodiments.
