Patent Application
20220039573
The present invention relates generally to the field of accessories for beverage containers, such as cups, glasses, mugs, or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a container accessory device which provides a user with a protective barrier for the rim of his or her glass, mug, cup, etc. The protective barrier is capable of protecting the user from any contaminants present on the surface of the container that contacts the user's mouth when consuming a beverage, as well as to potentially prevent the individual from chipping his or her teeth on the edge of the glass, mug, or cup. More particularly, the device is comprised of a relatively small lip-contacting film that fits over and adheres to the edge portion of the beverage container, thereby ensuring that the device remains secured to the beverage container while in use. The invention also allows users to choose between a reusable or a disposable version of the device to accommodate all needs and preferences when consuming beverages at home, at a restaurant, or other location. To use the protective barrier, the user simply presses and seals the device against the glass at an appropriate location and can then safely consume the beverage without having to worry about being exposed to unsanitary particles, germs, microbes, viruses, etc. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, various beverage containers, such as cups, glasses, mugs, bottles, and the like are used to consume beverages or drinks. More specifically, a user utilizes these types of containers by accessing the rim of the glass or cup with his or her mouth to consume a beverage, such as tea, coffee, milk, juice, shakes, smoothies, cocktails, beer, soft drinks or the like. Further, such containers are used in many different settings, such as in restaurants, offices, schools, hospitals, airports, homes, medical facilities, hotels, or the like, as well as on trains, airplanes, buses, or the like.
Unfortunately, public places, such as restaurants, offices, schools, hospitals, airports, hotels and the like, are ridden with all kinds of virus, bacteria, germs, harmful particles and the like, with frequently touched items typically being the most common germ hotspots. Also, items such as beverage containers typically come into direct contact with the user as the user's mouth contacts the rim of the container as a beverage is being consumed, thereby placing the user at risk of contamination from harmful particles that are present on the surface of the container and that may have not been successfully removed during dishwashing or cleaning. More specifically, many different types of germs, viruses, bacteria, etc. can be present on the rim of the container, which can then be inadvertently transmitted to the user drinking a beverage from the container.
In times of pandemic, the spread of germs can occur quickly and lead to dangerous consequences. By way of background, a pandemic is an epidemic of any disease that has spread across a large region, such as multiple continents or worldwide, and that affects a substantial number of individuals. In the past, there have been a number of pandemics, such as smallpox, tuberculosis, the plague, Spanish Flu and others. Current pandemics include the coronavirus disease (i.e., COVID-19). Such pandemics are typically caused by the exponential spread of viruses, bacteria or pathogens causing the infectious disease, wherein the pathogens, viruses or bacteria may be spread through frequently touched items, surfaces or the like including, without limitation, the rim of a beverage container. In fact, the rim of a beverage container is particularly effective in transmitting germs, bacteria, viruses and the like because it not only comes into contact with the user's skin (e.g., lips), but also an ingestion pathway (i.e., the open mouth, saliva, etc.).
Many precautions are taken by people in their day-to-day lives to prevent the transmission of harmful germs, bacteria and the like. Also, instilling good personal hygiene habits in one's daily routine is one of the most effective methods to stay safe during a pandemic. For example, people should wash their hands frequently and sanitize surfaces in public before contacting the same, particularly those items that will come into contact with the user's mouth, such as a cup, glass, plate, utensil or the like. Unfortunately, people oftentimes lack the means to properly clean their cup or glass each time the user uses the same.
Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for a guard or other accessory for use with a beverage container, such as a cup, mug, glass, etc., which protects the user from coming into contact with germs, bacteria, viruses or the like that may be present on the rim of the cup, mug or glass. There is also a long felt need in the art for a beverage container solution that prevents the transmission of disease through cross contamination. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for an accessory that acts as a barrier between the rim of the glass, mug or cup and the mouth of the user, and that is capable of dispensing a primary or complimentary flavor to the beverage being consumed as it passes over the barrier. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a universal lip guarding device which can be easily fitted onto a cup, glass, or mug, or any other beverage holding device. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a protective barrier for a cup, glass or mug that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and both safe and easy to use.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a temporary guard or barrier device for easy and convenient placement on the rim of a glass, mug, cup or other beverage container. The protective barrier prevents the user's mouth from coming into contact with any germs, bacteria, viruses, etc. that may otherwise be present on the rim of the beverage container, particularly those that are used in a public place such as a restaurant, bar, cafeteria, etc. In this manner, the novel protective guard of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives, and provides a relatively safe, easy, convenient and cost-effective solution for preventing the transmission of disease.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview, and it is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope thereof. Its sole purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a protective cover for a rim of a beverage holding container or vessel. The protective cover has a clip shaped structure that easily fits onto the rim of any beverage holding container or vessel, such as a cup, mug, glass, bottle, or the like. The protective cover further comprises a generally rectangular shaped structure that is folded along a line and is comprised of a temporary adhesive. More specifically, the folding line divides the structure into a longer portion and a shorter portion, and fits on a rim of a beverage container, wherein the shorter portion is clipped onto the interior surface of the beverage holder and the longer portion is positioned on an exterior surface of the beverage holder. The adhesive allows the protective cover to temporarily adhere to the beverage holder during use, but is easily removable following use.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a beverage holder guard is disclosed. The guard includes a flavored substance on an exterior surface, a temporary adhesive on an interior surface, a longer portion, and a shorter portion, wherein the longer portion and the shorter portion are joined at a connecting edge. The connecting edge fits over a portion of the rim of a glass, wherein the longer portion is disposed over an exterior surface of the glass, and the shorter portion is provided over a corresponding interior surface of the glass. In use, the flavored substance contacts the user's lips and may release a flavor upon becoming wet with the beverage in the container as it is consumed.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, the drinking guard can be utilized with a variety of beverage holding containers such as a glass, mug, bottle, cup or other device. The protective drinking guard may be disposable or reusable, as per the preferences of the users. The guard device functions as a barrier between the beverage container and the user's mouth, thereby effectively preventing the transmission of harmful particles, such as germs, viruses, bacteria and the like, from the beverage container to the user. Following use, users can throw away the disposable version of the barrier, or simply wash and reuse the reusable version of the device.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a method for attaching a protective guard to a container having a beverage contained therein is described. The method comprises the initial step of tearing a pouch that has the protective cover inside. Next, removing the guard from the protective cover and from the pouch. A folding edge of the protective cover is then positioned over the rim of the container such that a longer portion of the protective cover is disposed over an exterior portion of the beverage container, and a shorter portion of the protective cover is provided over an interior portion of the beverage container.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of attaching a protective guard to a container having a beverage is described. The method includes the initial step of initially pulling an elongated piece of protective guard from a perforated roll of material. The piece of protective guard is then separated from the roll of material by tearing along a perforated line. Next, the separated piece of protective guard is folded along a folding line, and the folding edge of the protective guard is positioned over the rim of the container such that a longer portion of the protective guard is disposed over, and removably adheres to, an exterior portion of the beverage container and a shorter portion of the protective guard is disposed over, and removably adheres to, an interior portion of the beverage container.
In a yet still further embodiment, a drinking guard and container for holding a consumable product is presented, wherein the container comprises an upper end and a rim extending around a periphery of the upper end, and further wherein the rim has a width. The drinking guard is formed from a portion of material and is comprised of a first portion, a second portion, and a central portion. Each of the first and second portions are separated from one another by a fold line, and an area of the fold line defines the central portion. The central portion has a width that is at least equal to the width of the rim, and the first portion is longer than the second portion. The drinking guard is provided in a continuous roll format with a line of perforation defining individual drinking guard areas.
The disposable and reusable versions of the protective cover can be available in individual packages or torn from a perforated roll which contains a plurality of individual protective covers. The protective covers can be constructed using food grade flexible materials, such as silicone, plastic, rubber, or other materials, such as wax coated cardboard or paperboard, or the like. As previously stated, the protective covers may further comprise a temporary, food grade adhesive for removably attaching the cover to a beverage container, and/or a flavored substance such as, for example, peppermint, spearmint, mocha or any other user desired flavor for flavoring the beverage being consumed from the container as it flows over the protective cover and is consumed by the user. The exact size, measurement, construction, and design specifications of the protective cover may vary to suit user need or manufacturing parameters.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of using a protective guard to create a barrier between a user's mouth and the surface of a beverage container is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of initially attaching a protective guard over a portion of the rim of a beverage container by a clipping mechanism. The beverage is then consumed by the user, whose lips contact only the protective guard and not any portion of the container. In this manner, the protective guard acts a barrier between the user's mouth and the perimeter or rim of a glass, cup, mug, or the like, thereby protecting the user from the inadvertent transmission of disease, germs, bacteria, and the like.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there is a long felt need in the art for a guard or other accessory for use with a beverage container, such as a cup, mug, glass, etc., which protects the user from coming into contact with germs, bacteria, viruses or the like that may be present on the rim of the beverage container. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for an accessory that acts as a barrier between the rim of the glass, mug or cup and the mouth of the user, and that is capable of dispensing a primary or complimentary flavor to the beverage being consumed as it passes over the barrier. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for a universal lip guarding device which can be easily and removably fitted onto a cup, glass, or mug, or any other beverage holding device. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for a protective barrier for a cup, glass or mug that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and both safe and easy to use.
Referring initially to the drawings,
As explained more fully below, the protective barrier 100 of the present invention is designed to be mounted on a rim portion of a beverage container, such as a glass, cup, mug, or the like. In operation, the protective barrier 100 creates a barrier between the rim of the glass or drinking container and the user's mouth, as the barrier 100 covers a portion of glass on its exterior surface and a portion of rim, such that the user does not come in direct contact with any portion of the surface of the container while sipping or drinking the beverage held therein. The protective barrier 100 protects the user from any contaminants that may be present on the beverage container. The protective barrier 100 may be a reusable or a disposable device to accommodate the requirements of the users when consuming beverages at home, at a restaurant, and more. The disposable version of the protective barrier 100 may be a single use and throw away device, and can be discarded once the barrier 100 has been used. The reusable version of the protective barrier 100 may be used time and again, after it has been washed and/or otherwise sanitized.
The width of the protective barrier 100 (as measured along the rim of the beverage container is preferably from about 30 mm (1.2 inches) to about 80 mm (3.14 inches), with about 40 (1.6 inches) to 70 mm (2.8 inches) being preferred. By comparison, the length of the protective barrier 100 ranges from about 70 mm (2.8 inches) to 120 mm (4.7 inches). The length of the protective barrier 100 is preferably longer than the width so that the protective barrier 100 can extend from the outside surface of the beverage container to a sufficient distance inside the beverage container to provide a protective barrier, such that the user's lips or mouth region do not come into contact with any portion of the beverage container.
In one embodiment, the protective barrier 100 may be comprised of a food grade plastic material, such as polyethylene. In other embodiments, the protective barrier 100 may be comprised of any other suitable material, such as silicone, rubber, cardboard, paperboard, or the like. If paperboard or cardboard is used, the same may be coated with a wax or a plastic material to make the material waterproof. In fact, the protective barrier 100 is preferably water resistant or waterproof so that it does not dissolve or break down during use. The material used should also be flexible to accommodate beverage containers of different sizes and shapes, and may be transparent, translucent or opaque. The protective guard 100 may further comprise different indicia 203, such as designs, patterns, a company logo, personalized name, customized design, or the like as per the requirements of the user. The indicia 203 may also include instructions relating to the use of the protective barrier 100.
As best shown in
In operation, the protective cover or guard 100 sits securely on the rim 210 of the glass 200, thereby allowing the user to place his or her lips and mouth on the protective guard 100 rather than directly on the rim or edge of the glass 200. The drinking guard 100 covers both a portion of the exterior surface 201 and interior surface 202 of the glass 200, and functions as a barrier between the glass 200 and mouth, thereby effectively preventing the transmission of harmful particles, such as germs and viruses from the surface of the glass 200 to the user.
As clearly illustrated in
Notwithstanding, the packaging of the protective guard 100 is not so limited, and can be packaged in other variations and designs as per the preferences of a user. The user may easily tear the pouch 400 to access the guard 100 stored inside the pouch 400, and can use the cover 100 on a glass or container while sipping any beverage from the glass as required. The pouch 400 is a receptacle for storing the glass guard 100, and may contain one or more covers 100 as per the desires and requirements of the user. In an alternate embodiment, the user may tear off an individual cover 100 from a roll 412 having a series of covers separable by perforated lines. In use, the user may tear a single cover 100 from the perforated line, and use the cover on a glass while sipping any beverage from the glass as required. In this manner, the adhesive 136 on the interior surface 134 of the cover is also protected from drying out until needed.
Perforation lines 620 in the roll 412 as described can be produced using any art recognized in perforation systems. For example, perforation systems typically include one or more blades comprising a number of teeth. The teeth form the surface of the cutting blade that is used to cut the material of the roll 412, and form the cut portion of the perforation 620. The open areas between the teeth on the blade move over the protective barrier 600 surface, without causing damage to the surface, and thereby creates the bond portion of the perforation 620.
The tear strength can vary depending on the material used, and can range from 3 teeth per inch providing up to ten percent of the hold between successive sheets, and up to 17 teeth per inch which provides about 54% of hold strength between the sheets. The number of cuts, which are made by the teeth of a cutting wheel or perforation bar, to the number of ties, the material that is left between the cuts, varies depending on the particular need of the application. In the present situation, a preferred number of cuts is around 7 per inch up to 12 per inch giving a hold strength ranging from between about 20 percent to about 40 percent.
After an individual protective barrier 600 is torn from the roll 412, the barrier 600 is folded along a fold line 630 to create a clipping structure of barrier 600 that is, in turn, placed over a rim or edge portion of a glass, cup, mug, or other utensils. The fold line 630 creates a central portion of the barrier 600 that is sized and configured to fit on the rim of a drinking vessel.
The protective barrier/guard 100 may be made available in different sizes and colors to accommodate user need and/or preference, and the exact size, measurement, construction and design specifications of the guard 100 of the present invention may vary upon manufacturing or the particular material that is used. As previously stated, the guard 100 may further comprise logos, indicia 203, trademarks, geometric patterns, customizable colors and fonts, prints and/or images on its surface. Further, the guard 100 may be coated with anti-bacterial or anti-allergic material to provide enhanced protection against various germs, bacteria, virus, or the like.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “glass guard”, “protective barrier”, “protective glass guard”, “device” and “glass barrier” are interchangeable, and refer to the glass guard 100 of the present invention. Also, the glass guard 100 is not limited to use on glasses, and can be used with other beverage holding devices such as cups, mugs, tumblers, bowls or the like.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the glass guard 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration and material of the glass guard 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the glass guard 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the glass guard 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the glass guard 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof.
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/060,691, which was filed on Aug. 4, 2020 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63060691 | Aug 2020 | US |
