Patent Application
20210321803
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The disclosure relates to consumption monitoring devices and more particularly pertains to a new consumption monitoring device for monitoring and encouraging consumption of a liquid.
The prior art relates to consumption monitoring device. Prior art consumption monitoring device may comprise a cap for a cup having an inclinometer engaged thereto, a device selectively and sequentially engageable to bottles to track a number of bottles consumed, and a cup having a weight sensor engaged thereto.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a cup and a lid. The cup is configured to position a liquid, such as water, juice, or other beverage. The lid, which has an opening positioned therein, is selectively engageable to the cup to close a top thereof. A rim of the lid proximate to the opening is configured to be positioned on a lower lip of a user. The user is positioned to tilt the cup to dispense the liquid from the cup through the opening into a mouth of the user. A flow meter is engaged to the cup proximate to the opening and is configured to measure a volume of the liquid passing through the opening. An interface is engaged to at least one of the cup and the lid and is operationally engaged to the flow meter. The interface is positioned to receive a signal from the flow meter when the liquid passes through the opening. The interface comprises at least one of a speaker and a bulb and is configured to selectively actuate the at least one of the speaker and the bulb, upon receipt of the signal from the flow meter, to provide a sensory reward to the user.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure 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:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The lid 14, which has an opening 18 positioned therein, is selectively engageable to the cup 12 to close a top 20 thereof. The lid 14 may be threadedly engageable to the cup 12, as shown in
A rim 24 of the lid 14 proximate to the opening 18 is configured to be positioned on a lower lip of the user. The user is positioned to tilt the cup 12 to dispense the liquid from the cup 12 through the opening 18 into a mouth of the user.
An upper face 26 of the lid 14 may have a pipe 28 engaged thereto and which extends from the opening 18. The pipe 28 is configured to position in the mouth of the user. The user is positioned to tilt the cup 12 to dispense the liquid from the cup 12 through the pipe 28 into the mouth.
A diaphragm 30 is engaged to the pipe 28 distal from the lid 14 to close the pipe 28. The diaphragm 30 is resiliently flexible and has a slit 32 positioned therein. The slit 32 is configured to separate upon application of suction to the pipe 28 applied by the mouth of the user. The liquid passes from the cup 12 through the pipe 28 and the slit 32 into the mouth of the user. The diaphragm 30 is configured to minimize leakage of the liquid through the pipe 28 should the cup 12 be tipped without application of suction to the pipe 28. The diaphragm 30 comprises at least one of rubber, silicone, and elastomer.
A straw 34 is engaged to a lower face 36 of the lid 14 and extends from the opening 18 to proximate to a bottom 84 of the cup 12, as shown in
The lower face 36 of the lid 14 has a recess 38 extending thereinto, which is complementary to the straw 34 as shown in
A flow meter 40 is engaged to the cup 12 proximate to the opening 18, as shown in
A first battery 48 is engaged to the lid 14 is operationally engaged to the flow meter 40. A transmitter 50 is engaged to the lid 14 and is operationally engaged to the flow meter 40 and the first battery 48.
The interface 42 comprises a housing 52, which is one embodiment is engaged to the cup 12. A receiver 54, a second battery 56, and a microprocessor 58 are coupled to the housing 52 and are positioned in an interior space 60 defined by the housing 52. The bulb 46 comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes 62, which is engaged to the housing 52 along with the speaker 44. The microprocessor 58 is operationally engaged to the plurality of light emitting diodes 62, the speaker 44, and the receiver 54. The transmitter 50 is positioned to communicate the signal from the flow meter 40 to the microprocessor 58 via the receiver 54. The microprocessor 58 is positioned to selectively actuate the speaker 44 and a respective one of the plurality of light emitting diodes 62 to reward or encourage the user.
The housing 52 may comprise a panel 64, which is coupled by a perimeter 66 thereof to the cup 12. The perimeter 66 of the panel 64 may be substantially tear drop shaped, as shown in
As shown in the embodiment depicted in
The microprocessor 58 is positioned to selectively actuate a respective one of the plurality of light emitting diodes 62 to reward or encourage the user by lighting of the panel 64. The plurality of light emitting diodes 62 may comprise three light emitting diodes 62, each of which is configured to emit a respective one of blue light, yellow light, and red light. The blue light, the yellow light, and the red light that can be emitted selectively signal the user of a current consumption level relative to a target consumption level of the liquid, corresponding to “on track to achieve target consumption level”, “tracking moderately short of target consumption level”, and “tracking severely short of target consumption level”, respectively. A broadcast from the speaker 44 may occur along with lighting of the panel, such as “Good Job”, “Keep on drinking”, “Drink up”, and the like.
A sensor 70 is engaged to the pipe 28 and is configured to detect placement of the pipe 28 into the mouth of the user. The sensor 70 is operationally engaged to the first battery 48 and the transmitter 50. The sensor 70 is configured to sense positioning of the pipe 28 into the mouth of the user and to selectively signal the transmitter 50 of a sipping event. The transmitter 50 is positioned to communicate the sipping event to the microprocessor 58 via the receiver 54. The microprocessor 58 is positioned to selectively actuate the speaker 44 and a respective one of the plurality of light emitting diodes 62 to reward or encourage the user.
The sensor 70 may comprise a button 72, which is depressible. The button 72 is configured to be depressed upon contact with a lip or tongue of the user, positioning the sensor 70 to signal the transmitter 50 of the sipping event.
The device 10 also may comprises an electronic device 74, such as a smartphone 76, as shown in
Target programming code 82, which is positioned on the electronic device 74, enables the parent or other responsible party to use the electronic device 74 to set the target consumption level.
In use, the cup 12 is filled with the liquid, in most cases water, and then is fitted with the lid 14. The cup 12 is supplied to the user for purposes of hydration. When the user drinks from the cup 12, they are rewarded or encouraged by the broadcast from the speaker 44 and a display of light from the respective light emitting diode 62. Depending on how the current consumption level is tracking the targeted consumption level, the color of light emitted by the light emitting diodes 62 and content of the broadcast from the speaker 44 will vary. The parent or other responsible party can monitor the current consumption level via the electronic device 74.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
