CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to Chinese Invention Patent Application No. 201811221430.0, filed in the State Intellectual Property Office of China on 19 Oct. 2018, the entirely of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure generally relates to a container with a built-in channel, which is particularly useful for consuming beverages that may or may not contain solids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Against a backdrop of increasing environmental awareness that is gaining momentum around the world, countries, numerous cities and major corporations have announced complete bans on the use of single-use detachable plastic straws. Single-use detachable plastic straws have been shown to cause extensive damage to the environment and marine wildlife. Both pictures and videos of such harm have helped spur the growing consensus that single-use detachable plastic straws should be banned.
For most drinks, such a ban would not pose a problem. However, for many specialty Asian drinks that contain solids within it, this poses a major problem. Drinks containing jellies, starches, fruit, blended ice etc. cannot be optimally enjoyed without a straw to help create a vacuum that can deliver such solids from the bottom of a beverage container to the top of the container and into a consumer's mouth without substantially tilting the container and effectively pouring such contents out of the container.
Various alternatives such as straws made of various biodegradable or compostable materials have been developed, but are generally uneconomical due to, e.g., higher manufacturing costs or not easily biodegradable. Thus, there is a market need for an economical yet practical solution to the ban on single-use detachable plastic straws.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Provided herein is a container for a beverage, the container comprises a body and a lid, the body comprises a bottom wall and a sidewall defining an internal volume for storing the beverage, the body further comprises a built-in channel in fluid communication with the internal volume, the built-in channel extends substantially along the entire height of the body and comprises an upper portion having an upper opening, and a lower portion having a lower opening; and the lid is configured to be attached to the body to seal the internal volume, the lid comprises a projection, wherein the built-in channel extends beyond an upper rim of the body and is partly received within the projection of the lid, and the projection comprises a downward extending groove conforming to the upper portion of the built-in channel.
According to certain aspects, the built-in channel is provided within or outside the internal volume.
According to certain aspects, the built-in channel is provided within the sidewall of the body.
According to certain aspects, the upper portion of the built-in channel is fit into the downward extending groove.
According to certain aspects, the downward extending groove is fit into the upper portion of the built-in channel.
According to certain aspects, the body comprises a divider for partitioning the internal volume into an upper volume and a lower volume, such that ice cubes are contained in the upper volume. The divider is a sieve-like screen filter comprising a plurality of holes.
According to certain aspects, the body comprises a channel wall, the channel wall forms the built-in channel and the built-in channel is at least partially attached to the sidewall of the body.
According to certain aspects, the body comprises a channel wall, the channel wall and part of the sidewall together form the built-in channel.
According to certain aspects, the lower opening comprises one or more side openings.
According to certain aspects, the projection comprises a weakened line pre-fabricated around the projection that is breakable.
According to certain aspects, the built-in channel comprises a bellow tube section configured to be lined up with or slightly lower than the upper rim of the sidewall of the body when the built-in channel is not in use.
According to certain aspects, the upper portion of the built-in channel is spaced from the sidewall of the body.
According to certain aspects, the beverage comprises a liquid and a solid.
According to certain aspects, the body has a tapering shape from top to bottom, and the sidewall of the body has a spiral cross-section with two ends, wherein one end of the sidewall connects to one edge of the built-in channel, and the other end of the sidewall connects to the opposing edge of the built-in channel.
Provided herein is a stack of containers, wherein the stack comprises a plurality of containers according to the previous aspect.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The appended drawings contain figures to further illustrate and clarify the above and other aspects, advantages and features of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that these drawings depict only certain embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit its scope. It will also be appreciated that these drawings are not necessarily depicted to scale. The present disclosure will now be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the container with a built-in channel and a divider in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a lid of the container in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIGS. 4A-4D are enlarged views of the lower portion of the built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel and a divider in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 8C is a top view of the container of FIG. 8A;
FIG. 8D is a top view of three containers of FIG. 8A stacked together;
FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view of another container with a built-in channel and a seal opening in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a container 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. The container 1 comprises a body 2 and a lid 3. The container 1 is used to store a beverage. The container 1 can be made of any food grade material, such as metal (for example, stainless steel), plastic (for example, PET, HDPE, PVC, LDPE, PP, PS and PC), paper (for example, waxed paper), glass, wood, ceramic or a combination thereof. The method of manufacturing the container can vary depending on the material used, such as molding, casting, machining, forging, stamping and welding. Such methods are within the capability of a skilled person and will not be discussed in further detail herein. The container 1 can be reusable or disposable. The container 1 can take any suitable form, such as a cup, a bottle, a can, a pouch, a cartridge or a capsule.
The body 2 of the container 1 can take different shapes or configurations. The body 2 can have a regular or irregular shape. In certain embodiments, the body 2 can have a substantially cylindrical shape, a truncated conical shape, a cubic shape or any other desirable shape.
The lid 3 of the container 1 can take different shapes or configurations, so long as it effectively seals the body 2 and at least partially or completely prevents any leakage of the beverage therefrom.
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the container 1. The body 2 comprises a sidewall 22 and a bottom wall 23, which together define an internal volume within the body 2 for storing beverage. The beverage can be in the form of a liquid (for example, milk, tea, wine, water, juice, and combinations thereof), a mixture of a liquid and a gas (for example, carbonated beverages, such as soda or beer), a mixture of a liquid and a solid (for example, drinks with boba, jellies, fruits, smoothies, blended ice, garnishes or drink condiments), or a liquid with a viscous consistency (for example, milkshake and yogurt). As will be apparent from the instant disclosure, the container 1 of the present disclosure is particularly suitable for beverages comprising a liquid and a solid, such as bubble tea.
In certain embodiments, the upper rim of the sidewall 22 of the body 2 is received within a circumferential notch defined by an outer rim 32 of the lid 3, thereby securing the lid 3 to the body 2. Other forms for securing the lid 3 to the body 2 are also possible and within the scope of this disclosure. For instance, the lid 3 can be attached to the body 2 by means of snap-fit, lock catch, screw connection, or other means known in the art provided at the upper rim of the body 2 and/or the outer rim 32 of the lid 3. The tight coupling between the upper rim of the sidewall 22 and the outer rim 32 of the lid 3 effects a seal between the lid 3 and the body 2 to prevent or at least limit leakage of the beverage from the internal volume of the body 2. Alternative or additional sealing means known in the art are also possible.
In certain embodiments, a channel wall 21 is provided within the body 2. The channel wall 21 alone, or in combination with part of the sidewall 22 of the body 2, defines a built-in channel 20 within and in fluid communication with the internal volume of the body 2. In certain embodiments, the channel wall 21 can be welded, glued or otherwise attached to the sidewall 22 of the body 2 permanently. In certain embodiments, the channel wall 21 can be formed together with the body 2 as one integral piece. The built-in channel 20 has an upper portion with an upper opening 24 and a lower portion with a lower opening 25. The built-in channel 20 enables a consumer to create a vacuum within the channel to draw the liquid beverage and any solids it may contain through the built-in channel 20 so that the consumer can enjoy the beverage drink within the internal volume of the body 2 of the container 1 without the need of a detachable plastic straw. The built-in channel 20 extends substantially along the entire height of the body 2 from bottom to top of the body 2.
In certain embodiments, the lower opening 25 of the built-in channel 20 is spaced a distance d from the bottom wall 23 of the body 2, such that the beverage, particularly the solid particles of the beverage can flow into the built-in channel 20. In certain embodiments, the distance d can be 0.1-2.5 cm, 0.5-2.0 cm, 0.7-1.5 cm, or 0.9-1.2 cm. In certain embodiments, the upper opening 24 of the built-in channel 20 is lined up with or slightly lower than the upper rim of the sidewall 22 of the body 2. In certain embodiments, the upper portion of the built-in channel 20 comprises a bellow tube section (FIG. 7A). The upper opening 24 of the built-in channel 20 is lined up with or slightly lower than the upper rim of the sidewall 22 of the body 2 when the built-in channel 20 is not in use. The bellow tube section can be extended so that the upper opening 24 can project beyond the upper rim of the sidewall 22 of the body 2 by a distance D when in use. Alternatively, the upper opening 24 can project beyond the upper rim of the sidewall 22 by a distance D. In certain embodiments, the distance D can be 0-4 cm, 1-3 cm, or 1.5-2.5c m. The projecting arrangement allows the built-in channel 20 to more closely resemble a traditional straw, thereby making the built-in channel more accessible for use by a consumer. In certain embodiments, the upper portion of the built-in channel 20 is spaced from the sidewall 22 of the body 2, such that the upper portion of the built-in channel 20 can be easily surrounded by the lips of a consumer. A vacuum can then be created inside the built-in channel 20 by applying suction. The cross-sectional dimension of the built-in channel 20 is so defined to enable easy suction of beverage, particularly the solid particles of beverage, at a suitable flow rate. The selection of the cross-sectional dimension is well within the skill of a person of ordinary skill in the art and can be selected in part on the dimension and hardness of any solids present in the beverage. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 has a cross-sectional dimension of 0.1 to 2.5 cm, 0.5-2.0 cm, 0.7-1.5 cm, or 0.9-1.2 cm.
In certain embodiments, a divider 27 is provided within the body 2, as shown in FIG. 2B. The divider 27 is a sieve-like screen filter with a plurality of holes thereon. The holes can be sized to permit the liquid and small solid to pass through, and to prevent the ice cubes and solid with a substantially larger size from passing through. The internal volume within the body 2 is partitioned into an upper volume 28 and a lower volume 29 by the divider 27. Particularly for some beverage drinks containing solids at the bottom of the container 1 and ice cubes floating in the beverage, the solids and the ice cubes are mixed together so that if a consumer drinks the beverage too quickly, the consumer may have difficulties in sucking the solids through the ice cubes as there is not enough liquid to separate the solids from the ice cubes. Therefore, the divider 27 can advantageously keep the ice cubes in the upper volume 28 and prevent the solids and ice cubes from mixing in a manner that inconveniences the consumer. The divider 27 can be a detachable screen filter, and the position may be adjustable along the entire height of the container 1. The divider 27 is not limited to be a straight and flat screen filter. A screen filter having other shapes and curvatures, such as in a concave or convex shape, may be used without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2C shows a cross-sectional view of another container 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. In these embodiments, rather than permanently attaching the built-in channel 20 to the body 2 of the container 1, the built-in channel 20 is projected down as a separated channel, or a channel partially attached to the body 2 of the container 1. The built-in channel 20 extends substantially along the entire height of the body 2 from bottom to top of the body 2. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 may extend to the bottom wall 23 or the sidewall 22. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 within and in fluid communication with the internal volume of the body 2. The built-in channel 20 has an upper portion with an upper opening 24 and a lower portion with a lower opening 25. The built-in channel 20 enables a consumer to create a vacuum within the channel to draw the liquid beverage and any solids it may contain through the built-in channel 20 so that the consumer can enjoy the beverage drink within the internal volume of the body 2 of the container 1 without the need of a detachable plastic straw.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the lid 3 which comprises an outer rim 32, a projection 31 near the outer rim 32, and a planar surface 33 connecting the projection 31 and the outer rim 32. The projection 31 is an integral part of the lid 3. The projection 31 is hollow to receive the upper portion of the built-in channel 20 to help create a substantially air-tight environment within the container and lid. In certain embodiments, the projection 31 comprises a downward extending groove 34 conforming to the profile of the upper portion of the built-in channel 20. The upper portion of the built-in channel 20 can be fit into the groove 34, thereby facilitating the coupling of the lid 3 to the body 2. In case the built-in channel 20 extends beyond the upper rim of the body 2, the projection 31 provides protection to the upper portion of the built-in channel 20 from external contamination. It also reduces the risk of physical damage of the built-in channel 20 during transportation, storage and use by providing additional mechanical support.
In certain embodiments, the lid 3 is removably attached to the body 2 after the body 2 is filled with beverage. In certain embodiments, the lid 3 can be permanently attached to the body 2 after the body 2 is filled with beverage. In these embodiments, the coupling between the projection 31 and the built-in channel 20 will be substantially airtight, and the projection 31 of the lid 3 can be made breakable. In certain embodiments, a weakened line 35 is pre-fabricated around the projection 31 of the lid 3, as shown in FIG. 3. For instance, the weakened line 35 can be fabricated by reduction of material, use of a weaker material, provision of a pull tab, or other means known in the art without deterioration of the sealing and/or vacuum function. With the weakened line 35, the upper portion of the projection 31 can be torn away from the rest of the projection 31 by applying a suitable force. As such, the rest of the projection 31 together with the built-in channel 20 of the body 2 serves as a straw. In certain embodiments, the projection 31 comprises a detachable cap. The open or removal of the cap allows the remaining portion of the projection 31 and the built-in channel 20 of the body 2 to serve as a straw. One or more vent holes (not shown) can be provided in the planar surface 33 of the lid 3. The vent holes can be produced by piercing the planar surface 33, by removing a small portion of the lid 3, or by providing crossing slits in the planar surface 33.
FIGS. 4A-4D show variants of the lower opening 25 of the built-in channel 20 in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. Besides an opening 251 at the bottom of the built-in channel 20, one or more side openings 252 are further provided at the lower portion of the built-in channel 20. FIG. 4A shows one side opening 252 adjacent to the bottom opening 251; FIG. 4B shows two opposing side openings 252 adjacent to the bottom opening 251; and FIG. 4C shows three circumstantially arranged side openings 252 adjacent to the bottom opening 251. FIG. 4D shows three side openings 251 that are isolated from the bottom opening 251. The side openings 252 are particularly useful when the beverage in the container 1 comprises a liquid and a solid. The solid particles may be of varying sizes. Solid particles having a size larger than the cross-sectional dimension of the built-in channel 20 may exist and partially block or block the bottom opening 251 of the built-in channel 20 when suction is applied by a consumer. Under such circumstance, the side openings 252 ensure the liquid can still be sucked along the built-in channel 20. It is not intended by the present disclosure to impose any restrictions on the number, shape or distribution of the side openings 252, so long as they can facilitate the drawing of liquids and/or solids from within the body 2 through the built-in channel 20.
FIG. 5 shows another built-in channel 20 in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. The channel wall 21 alone, or in combination with part of the sidewall 22 of the body 2, defines the built-in channel 20 within and in fluid communication with the internal volume of the body 2. In certain embodiments, the channel wall 21 can be welded, glued or otherwise attached to the sidewall 22 of the body 2 permanently. In certain embodiments, the channel wall 21 can be formed together with the body 2 as one integral piece. In these embodiments, the built-in channel 20 extends to the bottom wall 23 of the body. Therefore, only one or more side openings 252 are provided in the built-in channel 20. In certain embodiments, more than one side openings 252 of different sizes are provided along the built-in channel 20, or at the same longitudinal position but around the built-in channel 20.
FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of another container 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. In these embodiments, rather than providing the built-in channel 20 inside the body 2 of the container 1, the built-in channel 20 is provided outside the body 2 of the container 1 in fluid communication with the internal volume of the body 2. Likewise, the channel wall 21 alone, or in combination with part of the sidewall 22 of the body 2, defines the built-in channel 20 outside and in fluid communication with the internal volume of the body 2. In certain embodiments, the channel wall 21 can be welded, glued or otherwise attached to the sidewall 22 of the body 2 permanently. In certain embodiments, the channel wall 21 can be formed together with the body 2 as one integral piece. One or more lower openings 25 can be provided in the sidewall 22 of the body 2 in fluid communication with the built-in channel 20. The lid 3 is adapted accordingly. In particular, the projection 31 of the lid 3 is located outside the outer rim 32 of the lid 3. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 is arranged with an inside-out configuration with an indentation created by the length of the inside-out configuration. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 is wrapped around the body 2 of the container 1 or arranged with other aesthetic configurations.
FIG. 7A shows a cross-sectional view of another container 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. In these embodiments, rather than providing the built-in channel 20 inside or outside the internal volume of the container 1, the built-in channel 20 is provided within the sidewall 22 of the body 2, or at the perimeter of the body 2 of the container 1. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 can be welded, glued or otherwise attached to the body 2 permanently. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 can be formed together with the body 2 as one integral piece. In certain embodiments, the projection 31 on the lid 3 comprises a downward extending groove 34 conforming to the profile of the upper portion of the built-in channel 20. The upper portion of the built-in channel 20 can be fit into the groove 34, thereby facilitating the coupling of the lid 3 to the body 2. Alternatively, the downward extending groove 34 can be fit into the built-in channel 20, as shown in FIG. 7B, thereby facilitating the sealing of the lid 3 to the body 2 without spillage.
FIGS. 8A to 8D show another container 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. In these embodiments, the container 1 generally has, from top to bottom, a tapering shape as shown in FIG. 8A. The built-in channel 20 is provided at the perimeter of the body 2 of the container 1. In certain embodiments, a divider 27 is provided within the body 2, as shown in FIG. 8B. The internal volume within the body 2 is partitioned into an upper volume 28 and a lower volume 29 by the divider 27. As the container 1 has a tapering shape from top to bottom, the circumference of the divider 27 may have determined such that it can fit into a particular horizontal position along the height of the container 1.
FIG. 8C is a top view of the container 1. The sidewall 22 of the body 2 has a generally spiral cross-section with two ends 221, 222. The built-in channel 20 is arranged such that one edge (the top edge in FIG. 8C) of the built-in channel 20 connects one end 221 of the sidewall 22 and the opposing edge (the bottom edge in FIG. 8C) of the built-in channel 20 connects the other end 222 of the sidewall 22. This arrangement is particularly helpful for stacking the containers 1. Because when a container 1 sits atop another container 1, the internal volume of the lower container 1 can be fully utilized to hold or contain the top container 1. Therefore, the overall size of the stack of containers 1 is minimized.
As shown in FIG. 8D, an arrangement of stacking three containers 1A, 1B, 1C together. The first container 1A sits atop the second container 1B, which has an internal volume that can hold or contain the first container 1A. The second container 1B sits atop the third container 1C, which has an internal volume that can hold or contain the second container 1B. After stacking up the three containers 1A, 1B, 1C, the built-in channel 20A of the first container 1A is positioned next to the built-in channel 20B of the second container 1B, and in turn is positioned next to the built-in channel 20C of the third container 1C.
The lid 3 is not always necessary. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 does not project beyond the outer rim 32 of the body 2. Instead of a lid 3, a plastic sealing film 4 can be applied on top of the body 2 of the container 1 after the container 1 is filled with beverage, as shown in FIG. 9A. The application of the plastic sealing film 4 is well known in the art. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 comprises a bellow tube section 26. After the plastic sealing film 4 is peeled off, the built-in channel 20 can be extended to project outside the body 2 of the container 1. In certain embodiments, the built-in channel 20 is pre-bent or buckled inside the body 2 of the container 1. Once the plastic sealing film 4 is peeled off, the built-in channel 20 can restore its natural configuration, thereby projecting beyond the outer rim 32 of the body 2. Likewise, the body 2 of the container 1 can be used with an ordinary lid without a projection 31 of the present disclosure. In certain embodiments, the plastic sealing film 4 comprises a seal opening 41 pre-fabricated at a position above the built-in channel 20, as shown in FIG. 9B. The plastic sealing film 4 does not need to be peeled off, instead the seal opening 41 is peeled off or removed such that the built-in channel 20 can be extended to project outside the body 2 of the container 1 or to reveal an opening which a consumer may use to draw a beverage and solids out of the container 1.
One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate after reviewing this disclosure that the container may have other suitable parts, variations and arrangements. Although the present disclosure has been described in terms of certain embodiments, other embodiments apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by the claims that follow.
Patent Application
20200122912
