US20060108373A1

US20060108373A1 - Spill-proof training cup

Info

Publication number: US20060108373A1
Application number: US10/992,294
Authority: US
Inventors: Kuang-Neng Cheng
Original assignee: Link Treasure Ltd
Current assignee: Link Treasure Ltd
Priority date: 2004-11-19
Filing date: 2004-11-19
Publication date: 2006-05-25

Abstract

A spill-proof training cup includes a lid with a passage housing a valve. The valve has a valve plane parallel to or forming a selected angle with the passage. The valve plane has a port and a stopping flap attached outside the port to block the port and stop liquid from flowing out. When the cup is sucked on, a pressure difference is generated to overcome the blocking force of the stopping flap and a gap is generated between the stopping flap and the port so that the liquid contained in the cup body may pass through the port. The port and the passage form an angle so that when the training cup is inverted, the liquid contained in the cup does not directly hit the stopping flap and the barrier plane of the valve can block the liquid so that the liquid does not flow out improperly.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a spill-proof training cup that has a valve with a valve plane parallel to or forming an angle with the passage (or a port on the valve plane blocked by a barrier plane) so that when the training cup is inverted, liquid contained in the cup does not directly hit the valve plane or port and does not flow out improperly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The milk bottle is an indispensable item used by babies every day. It is used to contain milk or water for a baby to consume by sucking. The milk bottle usually has a teat on the front end for the baby to suck. The teat generally is made from a pliable plastic such as silicon rubber and has a vent formed in a cross slit to prevent spillage in the event that the milk bottle is toppled. When the baby grows up and becomes a young child, a training cup 10 such as the one shown in FIG. 1 is generally used to enable the child to practice drinking. The conventional training cup 10 generally includes a lid 11 to close a cup body 12, and a spout 13 integrally formed on the lid 11. The spout 13 has a vent 14 to dispense milk or water for the child to drink.
The conventional training cup aims to enable young children to practice drinking before using a regular cup. However, the conventional training cup still tends to spill liquid through the vent when inverted, which is troublesome. There are designs to remedy this problem, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,890,621, 6,321,931, and 5,186,347. They mainly have a valve to block the liquid from flowing out improperly when not being sucked on by the child. They have a common feature of providing a means parallel to the liquid contained in the training cup and a valve diaphragm (generally a pliable plastic) with a slit to control the liquid from flowing out improperly. As the valve diaphragm is parallel to the liquid, when the cup is inverted, the liquid hits the valve diaphragm directly, and the slit in the center of the valve diaphragm can be opened and result in improper spilling of the liquid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is therefore to provide a novel spill-proof training cup to prevent liquid from flowing out through the valve improperly. The invention mainly has a valve located in a passage of a lid. The valve has a valve plane forming an angle with the passage. The valve plane has a port blocked by a stopping flap on the outer side to prevent the liquid from flowing out. When a child sucks the spout, a pressure difference is generated to overcome the blocking force of the stopping flap so that a gap is formed between the stopping flap and the valve to allow the liquid contained in the cup to flow out through the port. As the port and the passage form an angle, when the training cup is inverted and the liquid in the cup flows to the passage, the liquid does not directly hit the stopping flap but is blocked by the barrier plane of the valve, hence the liquid in the cup does not flow out improperly.
The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. The descriptions and drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and are not limitative of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional training cup.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the valve and the stopping flap of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the invention in a use condition.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the valve of the invention.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the valve in a use condition.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the valve of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the invention in a use condition.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the valve and the stopping flap of the invention.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the third embodiment of the valve of the invention.
FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the third embodiment of the invention in a use condition.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiment 1

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, the spill-proof training cup 2 of the invention mainly aims for young children to practice drinking and to prevent liquid from spilling improperly when inverted. The spill-proof training cup 2 includes a cup body 3, a lid 4, a valve 5, and a stopping flap 6.
The cup body 3 has a housing compartment 31 for holding the liquid and an opening 32. The perimeter of the opening 32 has a fastening section 33 to couple with a lid 4. In this embodiment, the fastening section 33 is a screw thread. The opening 32 also may have a flange (not shown in the drawings) on the outer periphery to couple with the lid 4. The lid 4 mainly aims to cover the opening 32 and confine the liquid in the housing compartment 31. The lid further has a suction spout 41 extended upwards for a child to suck with his or her mouth. Beneath the suction spout 41, there is a passage 42 to allow the liquid contained in the housing compartment 31 to flow out through the suction spout 41. The lid 4 also has an air vent 43 to allow the air in the cup body 3 to communicate with the external atmosphere.
The valve 5 is located in the passage 42 of the lid 4 to block the liquid from flowing through. It has a cross section substantially formed in a Z-shape and includes an upper barrier plane 51 and a lower barrier plane 52 that can stop the liquid from flowing to the passage 42 and withstand the impact of the liquid when the training cup 2 is inverted. The impact is generated because the horizontal surface 50 of the liquid is spaced from the passage 42 at a distance. In addition, the valve 5 has a valve plane 53 parallel to or forming a selected angle with the passage 42. The valve plane divides the passage into a barrier section 54 and a flowing section 55 so that the liquid does not directly hit the valve plane 53. The valve plane 53 has a port 56 to allow the liquid to pass through. In this embodiment, the valve 5 may be formed in various styles, such as a L-shape (referring to FIGS. 6 and 7). The main consideration is to prevent the liquid from directly hitting the port 56 or the stopping flap 6 while the training cup 2 is inverted and to reduce the impact of the liquid to prevent spillage.
the stopping flap 6 is partially connected to one side of the valve 5 where the port 56 is formed. In this embodiment, the stopping flap 6 is made from a pliable plastic such as silicon rubber. The stopping flap 6 is resilient enough to close the port 56. Thus when the cup body 3 is accidentally toppled, the liquid contained inside does not flow out through the port 56 freely. However, when a child sucks the suction spout 41, the suction force overcomes the blocking resilience of the stopping flap 6 and a gap is generated between the stopping flap 6 and the port 56 to allow the liquid in the cup body 3 to flow out through the passage to be consumed by the child.

Embodiment 2

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the spill-proof training cup 2 of the invention mainly aims for young children to practice drinking and to prevent liquid from spilling improperly when inverted. The main feature of the invention is to provide a valve plane 72 of a valve 7 to form a selected angle with a passage to buffer the impact of the flowing liquid. The valve 7 is located in the passage of the lid 4 to prevent the liquid from passing through. The valve 7 has a barrier plane 71 and a valve plane 72. The barrier plane 71, aside from blocking the liquid from flowing to the passage 42, can also withstand the impact of the liquid when the training cup 2 is inverted. The impact is generated because the horizontal surface of the liquid is spaced from the passage at a distance. The valve plane 72 is made from a pliable material (such as silicon rubber) and is parallel to or forms a selected angle with the passage 42 to divide the passage 42 into a barrier section 54 and a flowing section 55 so that the liquid does not directly hit the valve plane 72. The valve plane 72 has a through slit 73 so that when the cup body is accidentally toppled, the liquid contained inside does not flow out through the slit 73 freely. However, when a child sucks the suction spout 41, the suction force generates a gap on the slit 73 to allow the liquid in the cup body 3 to flow out through the slit 73 and the passage 42 to be consumed by the child.

Embodiment 3

Referring to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, the spill-proof training cup 2 of the invention mainly aims for young children to practice drinking and to prevent liquid from spilling improperly when inverted. The main feature of the invention is to provide a barrier plane on a valve to buffer the impact of the flowing liquid. It includes a valve 8 located in the passage of the lid 4 to prevent the liquid from passing through. The valve 8 has an upper barrier plane 81 and a lower barrier plane 82. There is a port 83 corresponding to the lower barrier plane 82. The port 83 is covered by a stopping flap 9, which is attached by latching or bonding a portion thereof. The stopping flap 9 closes the port 83 when there is normal pressure to block the fluid from flowing improperly into the passage 42. As the horizontal surface of the liquid is spaced from the passage 42 at a distance, when the training cup is inverted, an impact is generated when the liquid flows to the passage 42. The upper barrier plane 81 and the lower barrier plane 82 withstand the impact so that the liquid does not directly hit the stopping flap 9 on the port 83. Thus the liquid is prevented from flowing out freely. However, when a child sucks the suction spout 41 of the lid 4, a pressure difference is generated to bend and deform one side of the stopping flap 9 and form a gap 80 between the stopping flap 9 and the valve 8 to allow the liquid to flow out and to allow the liquid to be consumed by the child.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A spill-proof training cup for stopping a liquid contained in the cup from flowing out freely when the cup is toppled and for allowing the liquid to flow out relying on a suction force when the cup is sucked on, comprising:

a cup body, having a housing compartment to contain the liquid;

a lid, for covering an opening of the cup body, having a suction spout to be sucked on, the suction spout having a passage located on a lower portion to communicate the suction spout with the interior of the cup body;

a valve, located in the passage and having a valve plane parallel to or forming an acute angle with the passage, and the valve plane having a port; and

a stopping flap, having a portion connecting to the valve adjacent to the port and being made from a pliable material, which has resilience, to block the port such that the liquid contained in the cup body does not flow out freely when the cup body is toppled accidentally and a pressure difference is generated to overcome the blocking force of the stopping flap when the suction spout is sucked on and the stopping flap is bent to form a gap with the valve so that the liquid in the cup body flows out through the passage and the port to the suction spout.

2. The spill-proof training cup of claim 1, wherein the valve further has an upper barrier plane and a lower plane to cooperate with the valve plane to divide the passage into a barrier section and a flowing section.

3. The spill-proof training cup of claim 1, wherein the stopping flap is made from a pliable plastic.

4. The spill-proof training cup of claim 3, wherein the pliable plastic is silicon rubber.

5. The spill-proof training cup of claim 1, wherein the lid has an air vent to allow air in the cup body to communicate with the ambience when the cup is sucked on.

6. The spill-proof training cup of claim 1, wherein the valve is formed substantially in a Z-shape.

7. The spill-proof training cup of claim 1, wherein the valve is formed substantially in a L-shape.

8. A spill-proof training cup for stopping a liquid contained in the cup from flowing out freely when the cup is toppled and for allowing the liquid to flow out relying on a suction force when the cup is sucked on, comprising:

a cup body, having a housing compartment to contain the liquid;

a lid, for covering an opening of the cup body, having a suction spout to be sucked on, the suction spout having a passage located on a lower portion to communicate the suction spout with the interior of the cup body; and

a valve, located in the passage and having a valve plane parallel to or forming an acute angle with the passage, the valve plane having a through slit which is closed when not being sucked on and which is opened to form a gap by the suction force generated by suction when the suction spout is sucked on so that the liquid flows out through the gap and the passage to the suction spout.

9. The spill-proof training cup of claim 8, wherein the valve is formed substantially in a Z-shape.

10. The spill-proof training cup of claim 8, wherein the valve is formed substantially in a L-shape.

11. The spill-proof training cup of claim 8, wherein the valve plane is made from a pliable plastic.

12. The spill-proof training cup of claim 11, wherein the pliable plastic is silicon rubber.

13. The spill-proof training cup of claim 8, wherein the through slit is formed in a l-shape.

14. The spill-proof training cup of claim 8, wherein the through slit is formed in an arched shape.

15. The spill-proof training cup of claim 8, wherein the through slit is formed in an irregular shape.

16. A spill-proof training cup for stopping a liquid contained in the cup from flowing out freely when the cup is toppled and for allowing the liquid to flow out relying on a suction force when the cup is sucked on, comprising:

a cup body, having a housing compartment to contain the liquid;

a valve, located in the passage and having a barrier plane and a port opposite to the barrier plane; and

a stopping flap, having a portion connecting to the valve adjacent to the port and being made from a pliable material, which has resilience, to block the port such that the liquid contained in the cup body does not flow out freely through the port and the barrier plane withstand the impact of the liquid when the cup body is toppled accidentally and the blocking force of the stopping flap is overcame by a pressure difference generated by suction when the suction spout is sucked on and a gap is formed between the stopping flap and the valve to allow the liquid in the cup body flows out through the port and the passage to the suction spout.

17. The spill-proof training cup of claim 16, wherein the barrier plane includes an upper barrier plane and a lower barrier plane.

18. The spill-proof training cup of claim 17, wherein the port is opposing the lower barrier plane.

19. The spill-proof training cup of claim 17, wherein the stopping flap is located on the upper barrier plane.