WO2001031266A1

WO2001031266A1 - Drinking vessel and attachment therefor

Info

Publication number: WO2001031266A1
Application number: PCT/GB2000/004176
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kei Man Stanley Kwok
Original assignee: Kei Man Stanley Kwok
Priority date: 1999-10-28
Filing date: 2000-10-30
Publication date: 2001-05-03
Also published as: GB2355644A; AU1154601A; GB9925567D0

Abstract

An attachment (302) for a drinking vessel for keeping a drink cool has an elongate bag (312) of flexible film material for containing ice. For attachment to the vessel it may be fast with a lid for the vessel or have a clip (346) for clipping over the vessel's rim. A sealed lower compartment (313) may contain a weight (314). The ice compartment (318) may have an access opening closable, e.g. by means of a lid or engagement elements (342, 344) on opposed inner face portions of the bag or by a resilient band.

Description

DRINKING VESSEL AND ATTACHMENT THEREFOR

Technical Field

The present invention relates to attachments for use with drinking vessels and to drinking vessels including such attachments.

Background Art There is often a desire to alter the temperature of a liquid in a drinking vessel. For instance, it may be desired to cool a drink, and it is common to achieve this by adding ice cubes to the liquid in the vessel.

However, this method of cooling drinks introduces the possible disadvantage that the ice cubes, as they melt, gradually dilute the drink, so weakening its flavour.

There may also be doubts about cleanliness of the ice cubes .

Similarly, where it is desired to heat a liquid in a drinking vessel, this can be achieved by adding hot water to the liquid in the vessel. Again, however, there will be a concomitant dilution of that liquid, which may not be desirable.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to avoid this potential problem by providing a device which enables the temperature of a liquid in a vessel to be altered without concomitantly affecting the taste of the drink itself.

Thus, in one aspect, there is provided an attachment for a drinking vessel comprising an elongate liquid- impermeable receptacle having coupling means for retaining the upper end at or adjacent the top of a drinking vessel with the lower portion of the receptacle extending within the vessel. There may be an access opening at the upper end for insertion of ice cubes or other temperature altering material. The receptacle may permanently contain temperature altering material which may be actuated by being placed in (e.g.) a freezer or a microwave oven.

The coupling means may be a clip or hook for engaging over the rim of a vessel. It may be associated with a stiffening annulus for holding the receptacle's access opening open. The receptacle may be sealed to the annulus .

Alternatively the attachment may include a lid for a drinking vessel, the lid constituting the coupling means. For a receptacle with an access opening, the lid may have a cover portion with a through hole which is in register with the access opening. The upper end of the receptacle may be sealed to the lid around the through hole.

The lid preferably includes a second through-hole, through which a drinking straw can be inserted.

The receptacle may have a weight, e.g. a glass marble, in a lower region. The weight may be in a sealed compartment . The receptacle preferably comprises an elongate bag or pocket of flexible film material, e.g. low density polythene (LDPE) , polypropylene (PP) or other suitable plastic. In this embodiment, the storage and handling of the lid is facilitated, since the bag will take up little space .

Preferably, the receptacle is of a length comparable to the depth of the drinking vessel.

In use, the receptacle can be filled with any of a variety of temperature altering substances, such as iced water, ice cubes, or boiling water. The material from which the receptacle is made can be chosen according to the type of substance to be used.

Preferably, the access opening (when present) is closable. It may have a removable cover such that, when the cooling or heating substance is inserted into the receptacle, it can be held there by the cover. The cover will thus serve to reduce spillage of the substance. Furthermore, the cover may be made of a thermally non- conductive material, so that heat transfer between the thermomodulatory substance in the receptacle and the ambient air is minimised. The cover will thence serve to reduce the rate at which the temperature of the substance in the receptacle equilibrates with the ambient air. The cover may be a secondary lid which fits over the through-hole. The perimeter of the through-hole may include a protruding lip onto which the secondary lid can fit. The secondary lid may be fully removable from the mouth of the through-hole, or it may be attached by a hinge connection to one side of the through-hole.

Alternatively, the cover may be a resealable label which can be peeled away from, and sealed back over, the through-hole. The label preferably has a pull-tab to facilitate the removal and replacement of the label over the through-hole.

Alternatively, closure may rely on the receptacle' s flexibility. In one type of embodiment, opposed upper inner wall portions have releasable engagement elements, e.g. pairs of ribs enabling the wall portions to be sealed together with a ^Λzipping' action, or a band of adhesive releasably engageable with an opposing wall portion. In another type of embodiment the receptacle has a channel in an upper region containing a resilient band or a drawstring, or a resilient band is otherwise attached.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a drinking vessel having an attachment as described herein. The vessel may be made of a thermally non-conductive material. The mouth of the vessel may include a protruding lip onto which an attachment including a lid snap-fits .

These, and other, aspects of the present invention will be understood better by reference to the accompanying figures, given only by way of example.

Brief Description of Drawings Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a drinking vessel and lid according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a drinking vessel and lid according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an attachment which is a third embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a beaker with the attachment shown in Fig 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an attachment which is a fourth embodiment; and

Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of a fifth embodiment in ^Λopen' and closed' configurations.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

Referring firstly to Figure 1, the drinking vessel (10) comprises a generally cup-shaped container as is common in everyday use. The vessel has, at its mouth (12) a radially outwardly protruding lip (not shown) . A lid (14) has the form of a shallow cup with a flat base 15 and a short depending peripheral wall 16 with an inturned lip for engaging beneath the lip of the vessel. The lid has a through-hole (17) approximately centrally- disposed in its base 15. A receptacle (18) is mounted to the base 15 around the hole 17 and extends downwardly into the vessel (10) . Typically the receptacle 18 is a plastic bag. It may extend most of the way to the bottom of the vessel. The lid (14) includes a smaller, secondary through-hole (20) in its base 15 through which a straw can be inserted.

The large through-hole (16) is covered by a resealable label (22) which has a pull-tab (24) . The label (22) is slightly larger in diameter than the through-hole (17), so providing complete cover for the through-hole .

In use, a substance such as iced water or ice cubes is inserted into the receptacle (18), and the cover (22) is placed over the through-hole (17) . With the lid (14) in place on the vessel (10) , the receptacle containing the chosen substance is suspended in the core of the vessel. The vessel (10) can be filled with liquid for drinking, and the temperature of that liquid is affected by heat exchange with the contents of the receptacle suspended from the lid. A straw may be inserted through the second, smaller through-hole (20) , so allowing the liquid in the vessel (10) to be easily drunk. Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a vessel and lid according to the present invention. The vessel (110) is generally the same as that of Figure 1, but the lid (114) has an upstanding peripheral wall 126 surrounding the main hole 117. This has a radially outward lip 127. A secondary lid structure (122) for covering the through- hole (116), in place of the label (22) of Figure 1, has the form of a shallow cup whose peripheral wall includes a radially inward lip such that it can snap-fit over the lip 127 of the main lid 114.

Figs 3 to 7 show embodiments of the invention which are not lids and are suitable for use with an ordinary glass or tumbler 200 as shown in Fig 4. The attachment 202 shown in Figs. 3 and 4 has an upper stiffening ring 204, suitably of plastics, integral with a downturned arm or clip 206 for engaging over the rim of a glass 200. The outer face of the arm 206 has a protrusion 208 with an enlarged head 210. An elongate plastics bag 212 is sealed around its mouth to the ring 204. At the bottom of the bag there is a weight such as a glass marble 214 retained in a chamber delimited by a heat seal 216. In use, the rest of the bag 212 contains ice 218. A flexible cover flap 220 is connected to a part of the ring 204 opposite the arm 206. It has a tongue portion 222 with an aperture 224 such that the cover can be held down to close the mouth of the bag by forcing the head 210 of the protrusion 208 through the aperture 224. Fig. 5 shows an attachment 302 which has a main body which is an elongate bag 312 of plastics film material. A bottom compartment 313 containing weights 314 is delimited by a heat seal 316. A main compartment 318 for ice is defined between the heat seal 316 and an openable/reclosable seal 340. This is provided by a zip- type closure. A first pair of lips or ribs 342 extends halfway around the bag 312 and a complementary second pair 344 extends around the rest of the circumference. They are staggered so that, if the bag is flattened, the two pairs can be pressed together with one lip of each pair engaging in the channel defined between the lips of the other pair. The closure can be opened by gently pulling apart the sides of the bag above the closure.

When the compartment has been filled with ice, the bag is placed in a glass, and the top is folded over the edge of the glass. It can be retained there by a clip 346, conveniently attached to the bag by an integral thread 348.

Figs. 6 and 7 show an attachment 402 which differs in its upper region from that shown in Fig. 5. Adjacent the mouth 450, the material of the bag 412 has been folded over and sealed to itself to define an annular channel 452 containing a resilient band 454. Its resilience allows the mouth 450 to be held open as shown in Fig. 6, to permit the insertion of ice. When the mouth 450 is released, the band pulls it closed, as shown in Fig. 7. A holder 460 of rigid plastic is attached adjacent the mouth. This is shaped so that it can clip over the rim of a glass.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. An attachment for a drinking vessel comprising an elongate liquid-impermeable receptacle comprising an elongate bag of flexible film material having coupling means for retaining the upper end at or adjacent the top of a drinking vessel with the lower portion of the receptacle extending within the vessel.

2. An attachment according to claim 1 wherein the receptacle has an access opening at the upper end for insertion of ice cubes or other temperature altering material .

3. An attachment according to claim 2 wherein the access opening is closable.

4. An attachment according to claim 3 wherein, in an upper region of the receptacle, there are releasable mutual engagement elements for closing the access opening.

5. An attachment according to claim 3 having means for drawing together an annular region of the bag to close the access opening.

6. An attachment according to claim 5 wherein the means for drawing together comprises a resilient band.

7. An attachment according to claim 3 including a reclosable cover for the access opening.

8. An attachment according to claim 1 wherein the receptacle permanently contains temperature altering material .

9. An attachment according to any preceding claim wherein the coupling means comprises a clip or hook for engaging over the rim of a vessel.

10. An attachment according to claim 9 wherein the receptacle has an access opening at the upper end for insertion of ice cubes or other temperature altering material and the clip or hook is associated with a stiffening annulus for holding the receptacle's access opening open.

11. An attachment according to claim 6 wherein the receptacle is sealed to the annulus.

12. An attachment according to any of claims 1 to 8 which includes a lid for a drinking vessel, the lid constituting the coupling means.

13. An attachment according to claim 12 wherein the receptacle has an access opening at the upper end for insertion of temperature-altering material, and the lid has a cover portion with a through hole which is in register with the access opening.

14. An attachment according to claim 13 wherein the upper end of the receptacle is sealed to the lid around the through hole.

15. An attachment according to claim 12, 13 or 14 wherein the lid has a through-hole, through which a drinking straw can be inserted for drinking the contents of the drinking vessel.

16. An attachment according to any preceding claim wherein the receptacle has a weight in a lower region.

17. An attachment according to claim 16 wherein the weight is in a sealed compartment.

18. A drinking vessel having an attachment as defined in any preceding claim.