Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02719415 2010-11-02
MULTI-FUNCTIONAL BABY TRAINING CUP
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to containers for pourable substances
(e.g. fluids) as well
as containers for semi-solid and solid foods (e.g. yogourt, cereals, chopped
fruits). The invention
relates to containers useful as a so called "baby cup" having two separate
compartments each of
which has its own opening (mouth) that which can inter-change the lid with
spout/handles and
the base portion.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Conventional "baby cups" are known comprising a container and a lid with
spout/handles
affixing to the container's mouth. The container typically has a single
vertical chamber so that it
only serves to store a pourable substance therein e.g. juice in quantities
usually ranging from 6
oz. to 9 oz. Pourable substance in this quantity is somewhat heavy for a baby
to lift by their own
hands, especially when they are starting and that the recommended daily intake
for juice is 4 oz.
The container having a single and long vertical chamber forces the baby to
lift the cup higher as
they want to drink the liquid which recedes deeper and deeper within the
compartment as the
baby drinks.
It would be extremely desirable however, if the compartment could be shorter
(horizontally
shaped instead of vertically shaped) and if the handles on the lid would be
slightly angled
towards the spout to facilitate the flow of the liquid, preventing the baby
from having to
unnecessarily lift the cup higher to drink the liquid.
It would further be desirable if there were two compartments to a single cup,
the first being of
smaller size (e.g. 2 oz) for when a baby first starts to drink from a cup and
a larger size (e.g. 4
oz) for when the baby needs to drink larger quantities of fluids, thus
removing the onus on the
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parents to monitor how much liquid the baby is drinking when serving in
traditional 6+ oz. baby
cups.
Furthermore, it would be desirable if by having two compartments that they be
used for
additional functionality: e.g. a) fill bottom compartment with water, freeze
to ice, which could
then keep the liquid in the upper compartment cool when on the go, b) fill the
bottom
compartment with semi-solid or solid foods such as yogurt or cereals so the
baby can drink from
the upper compartment and eat the food from the bottom compartment.
In at least the foregoing respects, the apparatus according to the present
invention is believed to
substantially depart from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior
art, and in so doing
provides an important contribution to the art of portable containers in
general, and to the art of
"baby cups" having dual multifunctional compartments, each of which has its
own opening
(mouth) for which the spout and base portion are interchangeable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the present invention relates to a container having a
hollow interior that is
divided into two separate compartments by a common horizontal partition. Each
compartment is
adapted to be filled with a liquid of differing character, e.g. milk, fruit
juice, water or the like.
Having a wide enough opening, each compartment can also be filled with semi-
solid and solid
foods of differing character, e.g. yogurt, cereals, chopped fruits and
vegetables or the like. A lid
with spout and handles is attachable to the opening of either compartment. A
base portion is
attachable to the opening of either compartment. The lid with spout/handles
and base portion are
therefore interchangeable. The removable base portion is cone shaped to
provide stability to the
cup. The compartments are shaped horizontally instead of being shaped
vertically in order to
help flow the liquid through the spout as well as to store other types of
foods (yogurt, chopped
fruits, cereals). Being shaped horizontally, the compartments are of a shallow
form and allow
easy access to the food that they store by either hand or using a utensil such
as a spoon or fork,
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The lid with spout has two handles, one on each of its sides. The handles are
slightly angled
towards the spout in order to slightly reduce the lift required to flow the
liquid through the spout.
As the baby drinks the liquid, the left over liquid further recesses deeper
within the compartment
requiring higher lift from the baby. With angled handles, the left over liquid
is much more easily
accessible.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to
the details of
construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the
description or illustrated
in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being
practised and
carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology
and terminology
employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded
as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon
which this disclosure is
based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other
structures, methods and
systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is
important therefore,
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar
as they do not
depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and
improved multifunctional
container apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none
of the
disadvantages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional
container that is easy to
fabricate, relatively inexpensive to produce and purchase, easy to maintain
and simple to use.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved
multifunctional
container for both pourable and solid substances, by having shorter
compartments with wide
openings making them usable for solid substances.
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It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved
multifunctional
container especially useful as a training baby cup.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved
multifunctional
container especially useful as a baby cup and which includes a lid with
spout/handles and base
portion which can be inter-changeable between both openings of the container.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a lid with spout which has
handles which are
slightly angled towards the spout, which further improves the use of the
container.
It is yet still a further object of the present invention to provide a baby
training cup comprising: a
container divided into two sections; a common horizontal partition between
said two sections; a
fastening lid incorporating a spill-proof spout; a base removeably attachable
to either end of said
container; at least one handle wherein said cup results in a container having
two compartments of
differing size separated on a horizontal plane.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various
features of novelty and
construction which characterize the invention, are pointed out with
particularity in the claims
annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding
of the invention, its
operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference
should be had to the
accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated
preferred
embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth
above will become
apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description
thereof. Such
description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
FIGURE I is a perspective view of the invention for a multifunctional baby
training cup.
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FIGURE 2 is a front view of the invention with the lid and base removed,
showing the smaller
compartment (e.g. 2 oz.) at the top and larger compartment (e.g. 4 oz) at the
bottom.
FIGURE 3 is a front view of the invention with the base removed.
DESCRIP'T'ION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference now to the annexed drawings, and in particular to FIGURES 1-3
thereof, a new
multifunctional training baby cup embodying the principles and concepts of the
present
invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be
described.
FIGURE 1 shows the assembled multifunctional training baby cup 10 comprising
the container
II divided into two main sections, the common horizontal partition 12, the
fastening lid 13,
which incorporates a spill-proof spout 14 and at least one slightly angled
handle 15 on both
sides. The base 16 can be fastened on either side of the cup, thus creating
the bottom of the cup
and is shaped somewhat like a cone, providing additional stability to the cup
10.
As shown in FIGURE 2, the container 11, has a smaller compartment 17 and a
larger
compartment 18 which are separated by a common horizontal partition 12. The
smaller
compartment opening 19 and the larger compartment opening 20 can both be used
to either
fasten the lid 13 or fasten the base 16 as both are of the same diameter and
share the same
fastening features.
FIGURE 3 shows the multifunctional training baby cup 10 held upside down, with
the larger
compartment I8 filled with cereal, and the smaller compartment 17 filled with
liquid. Both
compartments are separated by a common horizontal partition 12. The liquid is
retained by using
a spill-proof spout 14. For purposes of illustration, the base portion 16 has
been unfastened from
the larger compartment opening 20 to show how easy it is to access the food
within the
compartment.
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It is possible to achieve the same result using two separate horizontal
partitions 12, although this
would not be ideal as it would increase the size of the cup 10.
As designed, the cup 10 of the present invention provides for easier access to
liquid contained
therein as there is no need for lifting said cup 10 higher up and in the
process avoid the
possibility of a further than needed intake of liquid.
Furthermore, the slightly angled handles 15, shown in FIGURE 1, would further
help the baby
access the liquid by reducing the lift required. For example, the container I
I could be at a 45
degree angle while the baby is truly holding the cup at a 38 degree angle,
where as with a prior
art container, the baby is holding the cup at a 45 degree angle and no liquid
can further flow
from the cup. The handles 15 attach to the lid 13 for proper spout/handle
alignment, which helps
promote independent drinking.
The constituent parts according to the present invention may preferably be
fabricated from
known durable and heat-resistant synthetic polymeric materials which are BPA-
free and
Phthalate-free. The Multifunctional Training Baby Cup would therefore be
labelled "Microwave
& Dishwasher Safe" along with " BP.A-free and Phthalate-free". The handles
would be made so
that they are soft, non slip, yet still be microwave and dishwasher safe.
As to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention, the same is
apparent from the
above disclosure, no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and
operation need be
provided.
The foregoing detailed description is considered as illustrative only of the
principles of the
invention. Numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those
skilled in the art and
therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction
and operation shown
and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be
resorted to, falling
within the scope of the invention as defined only in the appended claims.
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