This invention relates to beverage containers. More particularly, this invention relates to a drinking cup from which two or more beverages can be drawn through separate straws.
A market exists for novelty drinks where two or more beverages can be served in a common container having separate receptacles for each beverage. The beverages may be of different flavors and/or viscosities. For example, a drinking cup having two receptacles might contain a vanilla shake in one receptacle and orange soda in the other receptacle. The viscosities are different but the volumes of the two beverages may be the same. Another example would be gin and tonic, which have relatively equal viscosities but would typically be supplied in significantly different volumes. There are innumerable combinations of beverages which might advantageously be served together from a single container.
As used herein, the term “cup” is intended to refer to a container of any type which is capable of holding a beverage, without limitation regarding size, shape or material.
Cups already exist which include dividers separating the cup into two (or more) receptacles so that different liquids can be consumed simultaneously through straws extending into the separate receptacles. These known cups are unable to supply equal amounts of two beverages which differ considerably in viscosity; moreover, because the cups include a permanent divider, they are relatively expensive to manufacture and impossible to stack, adding to the costs of packing and storage.
It is an object of this invention to provide a cup having separate receptacles for serving two or more beverages through straws wherein beverages of different viscosities can be delivered to the user at approximately the same rate or, conversely, beverages of the same viscosity can be delivered at different rates.
A further object of the invention is to provide a drinking cup having two or more receptacles for holding different beverages which is relatively easy to manufacture and which is stackable.
A beverage cup, according to the invention, includes at least two separate receptacles for containing liquids of different viscosities, a lid for covering the top of the cup, and two straws passing through holes in the lid into respective receptacles. Straws are joined at their upper ends and are of different diameters so that beverages of different viscosities can be drawn through the two straws at approximately the same rate.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a cup for holding two or more beverages comprises two receptacles having mating faces, means for holding the two receptacles together, a lid for engaging the open ends of the two receptacles, and two straws extending through the lid into respective ones of the receptacles. The straws may have different diameters if the viscosities of the beverages within the receptacles differ. In order to ensure proper placement of the straws, the size and/or shape of the straws may be made to correspond to the size and/or shape of the holes in the lid.
Two straws 20 and 22 extend into the respective compartments 14 and 16 through suitably sized and shaped holes (not numbered) in lid 18. The straws have different diameters and are twisted together. When the beverages in the two receptacles are of different colors, the twisted straws provide a striking visual effect as the beverages are pulled through the straws.
In the preferred embodiment, liquids of different viscosities are provided in the separate receptacles 14 and 16. For example, a cola beverage may be provided in receptacle 14 and an ice cream milk shake in receptacle 16. In order for the two beverages to be supplied to the user's mouth in approximately equal amounts, the inner diameters of the straws 20 and 22 are selected so that the more viscous beverage is drawn through a wider diameter straw.
The plastic straws may be made of a thermoformable material. If such straws are slightly heated and twisted together, they remained intertwined after they have cooled. As indicated above, the twisting of the straws provides a striking visual effect but it is not necessary that the straws be twisted. For example, two straws of unequal diameters may be extruded as a single piece such that the two straws can be easily separated for insertion through the holes in the cup lid 18. Conversely, two or more independent straws may be fused together with heat or by means of an adhesive.
The cup and straw arrangement of
A second embodiment of a cup in accordance with the invention is shown in
A lid 29 having holes 29A and 29B for receiving two straws as illustrated in
Although a round cup is shown in
The two cup halves 24A and 24B may be injection molded from conventional plastic material of the type used for drinking containers. It is also possible, however, to make the two halves from different materials; for example, one of the halves could be made of a foamed plastic with insulating qualities so that it could be used to hold hot beverages.
In this and all other embodiments, the overall shape of the cup or the shape of the cup rim may be molded with a protrusion (or recess) to accommodate a mating recess (or protrusion) on the lid. This would ensure that the lid is always applied in the same orientation to the cup thereby matching the holes of different diameters (or shapes) in the lid to the receptacle of the matching beverage viscosity. For example, cup halves may be color coded clear and light blue—the blue half designated as the half with the higher viscosity liquid. The blue cup half and the lid half with the larger diameter straw hole would contain mating recesses and protrusions so that the lid would not fit if the small hole were oriented to the blue half.
Another embodiment of a two compartment drinking cup in accordance with the invention is shown in
By varying the diameters of the inner and outer receptacles, the volumes of the two receptacles can be equalized or differentiated as desired. An advantage of the design shown in
As in all other cases, the shapes of the receptacles may be varied as desired. The heights of the two receptacles can be the same or unequal as illustrated.
In the embodiment of
In the embodiment shown in
The illustrated embodiments show cups that can hold two different beverages; however, the principles of the invention could be applied to three or even more beverages by relatively simple modifications of the design.
The volumes of the individual cup halves or receptacles may be the same or they may differ. It is contemplated, that the volumes will be equal in most cases; however, there are situations where different volumes will be appropriate. For example, one receptacle may have a small volume of a strong alcoholic beverage (e.g. gin) while the other has a larger volume of a mixer (e.g. tonic). By varying the diameters of the respective straws, beverages of equal viscosity but different volumes can mix to a proper proportion, just as equal volumes of beverages of different viscosities can be mixed.
Preferably, the cups are made by injection molding but other methods such as thermoforming or casting can be used. Moreover, other materials such a paper and metal may be used instead of plastics.
In the preferred embodiment, the lids are designed to ensure that the different diameter straws are automatically inserted into the proper receptacle. For this purpose, the holes in the lid may be sized and/or shaped to accept only one of the two straws. Furthermore, the lid may contain specially shaped flanges which engage complementary flanges on the cup with the arrangement being different for the two cup halves so that the lid can only be applied to the cup with the straws properly oriented. There are a number of different ways to achieve this result. One way would be to provide notches in the flange on the top of the cup and molding complementary tabs on the cup lid (or vice versa).
Under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), this application claims the benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/381,657, filed May 17, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/US03/15522 | 5/15/2003 | WO | 11/14/2005 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60381657 | May 2002 | US |