FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to beverage containers, and, more specifically, to making a convenient, multifunctional cap that can accommodate both a sipper and straw.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As people get busier, they want to bring their favorite drink when they are commuting. Carrying liquid while moving, however, poses several challenges. For examples, first, drinkers want to keep their beverages warmer or colder longer so they can get the best tastes. Second, drinkers are concerned about spillage while they are traveling. These challenges have been overcome with a vacuum mug, or thermal mug, that insulates the beverage inside from the temperature outside, and has become a modern convenience that busy people and commuters cannot function without. Spillage is alleviated by mug or cup caps that are spill-proof. However, it seems the better the spill-proof function is, the harder it is to remove the cap to drink.
Since a vacuum mug can keep both cold and hot beverage colder or warmer, respectively, longer than without one, a user can perhaps use it for hot coffee or tea in the morning and cold soda in the afternoon. In this use scenario, however, the user needs a versatile mug cap that lets her sip the hot coffee or tea, and gulp cold beverage without removing the cap. Currently, few mug caps on the market offer this versatility. A user can only buy a mug for sipping hot coffee or tea, and another mug for gulping cold beverage. Alternatively, she has to remove the cap for gulping cold beverage, giving up the insulation benefits of the vacuum mug, and also risking a spillage.
The current caps on the market provide either a sipper or a straw to ease the frequent drinking from the mug while still providing the spill-proof function. However, all current caps on the market for beverage containers are made for either straw or sipper drinking, but not both. If few caps do provide for both ways of drinking, they are made based entirely on flipping between the two ways of drinking. The flipping design poses a safety issue when a user drinks carbonated drinks. The flipping components might pop out with force, and, thus, can be a hazard.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a spill-proof, safe, and versatile cap to increase the utility of a vacuum mug.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to create a mug cap that is spill-proof, versatile, multi-functional, and, thus, increases its utility.
It is the object of this invention to create a cap that lets the user sip hot beverage without removing the cap.
It is the object of this invention to create a cap that lets the user gulp cold beverage without removing the cap.
It is an object of the invention to create a cap that can be disassembled for easy cleaning.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
A convenient mug cap apparatus comprises a base cylindrical body having a primary base hallow opening in the center and one secondary base hallow opening situated along the perimeter of the cylindrical body opposite to the primary base hallow opening, a top cylindrical body attached to the base cylindrical body having a primary top hallow opening and one top secondary hallow opening situated along the perimeter of the top cylindrical body. The top cylindrical body is rotational against the base cylindrical body. When the primary base hallow opening is aligned to the primary top hallow opening, the secondary base hallow opening is not aligned to the top secondary hallow opening.
In one embodiment, the primary base hallow opening and primary top hallow opening provide sufficient clearance for the insertion of a straw.
In another embodiment, the secondary base hallow opening and secondary top hallow opening provide sufficient clearance for a user's sipping.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features and advantages of the invention will not be described with reference to the drawings of certain preferred embodiments, which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the invention, and in which
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multifunctional cap in one of its closed position.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a multifunctional cap with its sipper opening opened.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a multifunctional cap with the straw opening opened.
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an exemplary multifunctional mug cap.
FIGS. 5A-5D are the top-down views of a multifunctional cap in a different transition positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Some embodiments are described in detail with reference to the related drawings. Additional embodiments, features, and/or advantages will become apparent from the ensuing description or may be learned by practicing the invention. The following description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The steps described herein for performing methods form one embodiment of the invention, and, unless otherwise indicated, not all of the steps must necessarily be performed to practice the invention, nor must the steps necessarily be performed in the order listed. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” or “some” embodiment(s) in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
The present invention has been conceived with the aim of addressing one or more of the current vacuum mug caps' limitations. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a multifunctional mug cap that is spill-proof, versatile, and multi-functional to solve the current limitations.
Referring to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a perspective view of a mug cap 100 is shown in its closed position. The cap 100 comprises few concentric hollow cylindrical sections 110 with gradually smaller radiuses toward the top of the cap. At the top, the cap 100 further comprises an annular rim 120 that is thick enough to accommodate a sipper opening 130. This opening has a general oval shape to better accommodate the usual shape of a mouth. About the center of the cap's top, the cap further comprises a sunken cup 140. Inside the sunken cup 140, at the bottom, the cap 100 further comprises an opening 150 to receive a straw. This opening 150 is only open and allow straw drinking when a user turns the upper part of the cap to a preconfigured position. This innovative feature will be disclosed fully in the subsequent figures and description. At the bottom of the sunken cup 140, there is also a smaller vent hole 160, that is only open when the sipper opening 130 is open to allow airflow and a smooth liquid outflow. In this position, all openings, sipper, draw, and vent hole, are closed.
Referring to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a perspective view of a mug cap 200 is shown with its sipper opening opened. As foregoing disclosed, the cap 200 comprises few concentric hollow cylindrical sections 210 with gradually smaller radiuses toward the top of the cap. At the top, the cap 200 further comprises an annular rim 220, a sipper opening 230, a sunken cup 240, a straw opening 250, and a vent hole 260. When a user rotates the upper part of the cap 200 clockwise, and, thus, the base part counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow, she transitions the cap 200 from the closed position, as foregoing disclosed in FIG. 1, to the current position where the sipper opening 230 is open, and the vent hole 260 is also open.
Referring to FIG. 3, in this embodiment, a perspective view of a mug cap 300 is shown and used with a straw. Similar to the foregoing disclosed embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cap 300 comprises few concentric cylindrical sections 310, top annular rim 320, sipper opening 330, straw opening 340, and vent hole 350. In this embodiment, a user uses a straw 360 to drink the beverage. The straw 360 is put through the straw opening 340, and submerges in the beverage inside the mug or cup. Where the cap is in the straw drinking position, the sipper opening 330 and the vent hole 350 are closed and sealed.
Referring to FIG. 4, in this embodiment, an exploded view of a mug cap 400 is shown. The cap 400 comprises top part 410 and bottom part 460. As foregoing disclosed, top and bottom part, 410 and 460, respectively, are concentric cylindrical sections. The top of the top part 410 comprises a sunken cup 415, a sipper opening 420, a vent hole 425, and an opening 430 for a straw as foregoing disclosed. The top part 410 further comprises an even number of tabs 435 on the inside wall of the cylindrical section of the top part 410. These tabs 435 latch the top and bottom parts once they are in positions. The top part 410 further comprises an even number of sets of ribs 440 that are spring loaded. These ribs have matching sets of grooves 475 on the inside wall of the cylindrical section of the bottom part 460. Together, they help the opening bores of the top and bottom parts aligned, and temporarily lock the top and bottom parts in the desired opening positions. The top part further comprises a stop tab 445, that stops the top part from rotating further than the last groove 475.
Still referring to FIG. 4, a user puts the top part 410 over the bottom part 460 such that the foregoing disclosed tabs 435 fit in and received by an even number of counterpart gaps 465. Below the gaps 465 is a groove 470 on the outside wall of the cylindrical section of the bottom part 460. The groove 470 acts as a rail for the tabs 435 as the top part 410 rotates on top of the bottom part 460. This system of tabs, 435, and groove, 470, also latch the top and bottom parts together. Once the tabs 435 are received by the gaps 465, a user turns the top part 410 clockwise against the bottom part 460, she would hear the first click sound where the first rib 440 and groove 475 engage. The cap is in the closed position; all the openings are closed and sealed. To open the sipper opening, a user must apply a rotational force clockwise to simultaneously suppress the springs behind the ribs 440, rotate the top part 410 clockwise until she hears a click sound, and, so, the ribs can move clockwise to the next grooves. In this position, the sipper opening 420 of the top part 410 will align with a sipper opening (not shown in this figure) of the bottom part 460. The vent hole 425 of the top part 410 will also align with a vent hole 480 on the bottom of the sunken cup of the bottom part 460. As foregoing disclosed, the vent hole is needed to allow a smooth flow of beverage though the sipper opening. To open the opening for a straw, the user apply similar rotational force clockwise to rotate the top part 410 against the bottom part 460, and rotate it over by one groove. When the user hears a click sound, the cap is in the second opening position. In this position, the opening 430 of the top part 410 aligns with a opening 485 on the bottom of the sunken cup of the bottom part 460. In this position, the sipper openings and vent holes are closed because they are out of alignment. If the user rotate the top part 410 one more time clockwise until hearing a click sound, she closes all openings. This position is the furthest position the top part 410 can be rotated. Further rotation is prevented by the stop tab 445, as foregoing disclosed. In this embodiment, the cap 400 further comprises a female thread on the inside wall to the cylindrical section of the bottom part 460. This female thread will engage with a matching male thread on the outside wall of a mug or cup.
Referring to FIGS. 5A-5D, a top-down view of an exemplary mug cap 500 of the current invention is shown. These views further illustrate the working mechanism of the cap of the current invention. FIG. 5A illustrates the closed position of the cap, where sipper opening 530, vent hole 550, and straw opening 510 are all closed. FIG. 5B illustrates the cap 500 in an open position where the sipper opening 510 and vent hole 550 are open, and the straw opening 530 is closed. FIG. 5C illustrates a transition state between the sipper opening in FIG. 5B to the straw opening SD. Moving clockwise, the sipper opening 510 of the top part is shown leaving the sipper opening 520 of the bottom part. At the same time, the straw opening 530 of the top part is entering the opening space of the straw opening 540 of the bottom part. As foregoing disclosed, the vent hole 550 is needed for the sipper opening 510, but not needed for the straw opening 530 is also being closed. FIG. 5D illustrates another opening state of the cap 500, where the straw opening 530 is open, and the sipper opening 510 and vent hole 550 are closed.
Patent Application
20210267392
