US20040056037A1

US20040056037A1 - Drinking cup with storage compartment

Info

Publication number: US20040056037A1
Application number: US10/251,767
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert Gluck
Original assignee: GORDON INDUSTRIES Ltd
Current assignee: GORDON INDUSTRIES Ltd
Priority date: 2002-09-23
Filing date: 2002-09-23
Publication date: 2004-03-25

Abstract

A drinking cup which includes a wall portion which forms a recess for containing liquid and a storage compartment located below the recess. The storage compartment includes a cover which is threaded into a lower portion of the wall. The cover is recessed below the lower surface of the drinking cup and is not visible when installed.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of drinking cups and more particularly, to a drinking cup with a storage compartment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The prior art related to drinking cups includes a broad range of devices including a large variety of overall configurations, materials of construction, covers and handles. Recent advances in the fields of metal fabrication and plastic fabrication have led to a range of cups having varying degrees of thermal insulating properties. Thermal insulating caps have found use in automobiles where they are typically proportioned for resting in cup holders as well as use at various outdoor activities.

Despite the various developments in the field of drinking cups, there remains a need for a drinking cup, the structure of which includes a compartment which can be used for the storage of small items such as keys or pills.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a drinking cup with an integral storage compartment

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drinking cup with a storage compartment which is hidden from view during normal use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drinking cup with a storage compartment which is capable of storing keys, pills or other small objects.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a drinking cup with a storage compartment which includes a relatively small number of component parts which can be manufactured economically in volume resulting is a relatively low unit cost

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer hereinafter.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a drinking cup with a storage compartment which includes a wall portion which forms a recess for storage of liquids. A storage compartment is formed by the wall below the recess. The storage compartment includes a threaded portion and a threaded cover which closes the storage compartment. The threaded cover, when closed, is recessed below the lower surface of the wall portion and the storage compartment is thus completely hidden from view during the normal use of the cap.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the cover of the storage compartment has an internally threaded portion which engages an externally threaded portion formed on the lower portion of the drinking cup. The outer contour of the cover closely matches the outer contour of the drinking cup so that when the cover is installed the presence of the cover is difficult to notice.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: [0011]
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a drinking cup with a storage compartment made according to the present invention; [0012]
FIG. 2 is a top view of the drinking cup of FIG. 1; [0013]
FIG. 3 is a side view of the drinking cup of FIG. 1; [0014]
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the drinking cup of FIG. 1, [0015]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line [0016] 5-5 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the drinking cup of FIG. 1; [0017]
FIG. 7 is a top view of the drinking cup of FIG. 6; [0018]
FIG. 8 is a side view of the drinking cup of FIG. 6; [0019]
FIG. 9 is a bottom view o the drinking cup of FIG. 6; and [0020]
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line [0021] 10-10 of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, in which like reference numbers designate like or corresponding parts throughout, there is shown in FIG. 1 a drinking cup with a storage compartment, generally designated by [0022] reference number 10, made in accordance with the present invention, which includes a body member 12 and an optional cap member 14 which is shown in broken lines.
The [0023] body member 12 is formed by a generally cylindrical wall portion 16 which forms a cup-shaped recess 18. The outer surface 20 of the wall portion 16 has a pair of generally convex portions 22, 24 which are separated by a centrally located generally concave portion 26
The [0024] concave portion 26 includes a thin band of elastomeric material 28, the surface 30 of which aids a user in grasping the cup 10. The wall portion 16 includes a lip 32 which engages the optional cap member 14 which has been shown in broken lines in FIG. 1.
As is best shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and [0025] 5, the recess 18 is defined by the wall surface 34 and a bottom portion 36.
A [0026] storage compartment 38, which forms a key feature of the present invention, is located directly below the bottom portion 36. The storage compartment 38 is defined by a wall portion 40 which may be generally cylindrical in configuration as is shown in FIG. 5 and a top portion 42. The lower portion 44 of the storage compartment 38 has a threaded portion 46
A threaded [0027] cover 48 includes a threaded portion 50 which engages the threaded portion 46 of the storage compartment 38 and removably closes the storage compartment 38. As is shown in FIG. 5, the cover 48 abuts the shoulder portion 52 which is formed in the wall portion 16 and enables the cover 48 to form a tight closure The cover 48 includes an integrally formed bar 54 which extends across the diameter of the cover 48 thereby enabling a user to easily open and close the cover 48 The storage compartment 38 and the cover 48 are proportioned to ensure that the cover 48 is recessed below the lower surface 56 of the wall portion 16.
During use, the [0028] cover 48 of the storage compartment 38 is recessed below the lower surface of the drinking cup 10 and is thus completely hidden from view. Only by inverting the drinking cup 10 is the storage compartment 38 brought into view. The storage compartment 38 can thus be used for the convenient storage of keys, jewelry, pills or other small items.
In an alternative embodiment of the [0029] invention 100, which is shown in FIGS. 6-10, the drinking cup 102 includes a recess portion 104 which is formed by the wall portion 106 and the bottom portion 108.
The [0030] outer surface 110 of the drinking cup 100 is similar to the outer surface 20 of the drinking cup 10 which has been previously described and includes a pair of generally convex portions 112, 114, a concave portion 116 and an elastomeric band 118. The lower portion 120 of the outer surface 110 has a threaded portion 122 onto which a bottom cover 124 is threaded.
The [0031] outer surface 126 of the bottom cover 124 closely matches the outer contour of the drinking cup 102 thereby forming the appearance of a single continuous surface.
The [0032] bottom cover 124 is proportioned to about the step portion 128 formed in the wall portion 106, leaving a slight space 130 between the bottom 132 of the wall portion 106 and the inner surface 134 of the bottom cover 124. This construction allows the bottom cover 124 to tightly abut the step portion 128 leaving visible only a thin line 136 which is the boundary between the outer surface 110 of the wall portion 106 of the cup 100 and the bottom cover 124.
The [0033] bottom surface 138 of the bottom cover 124 includes a thin elastomeric layer 140 which provides a slip resistant surface.
The [0034] bottom cover 124 thus closes the storage compartment 142 which is formed by the bottom portion 108 and the lower portion 144 of the wall portion 106.
The [0035] drinking cups 10, 100, according to the present invention, may be manufactured of a range of moldable plastic or metal materials While the walls of the drinking cups have been shown as being solid, the walls, alternatively, may be hollow or filled with foam material to impart increased thermal insulating properties. Likewise, the outer surface of the drinking cup 10, 100 may be modified in a known manner as desired to include non-cylindrical configurations or the addition of handles as desired while still providing the storage compartments 38, 142 of the present invention.
The foregoing specific embodiments of the present invention as set forth in the specification herein are for illustrative purposes only. Various deviations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention without departing from the main theme thereof. [0036]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A drinking cup with storage compartment comprising:

a member having an upper portion and a lower portion;

a cavity portion formed in said upper portion;

a storage cavity formed in said lower portion with said storage cavity disposed below said cavity portion, and

closure means for reversibly closing said storage cavity.

2. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closure means comprises threaded closure means.

3. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closure means comprises a male threaded closure.

4. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closure means comprises a female threaded closure.

5. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein said member comprises a generally cylindrical member.

6 A drinking cup with storage compartment comprising

a member having a continuous wall with said member having a height dimension;

a bottom portion disposed in an orientation generally transverse relative to said continuous wall, with said continuous wall and said bottom portion defining a first cavity and a second cavity, with said first cavity disposed in a concave upward orientation, and with said second cavity disposed in a concave downward orientation,

closure means for reversibly closing said second cavity.

7. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 3 in which said member further comprises:

a lower edge, with said male threaded closure disposed recessed below said lower edge.

8. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a projecting portion formed on said threaded closure.

9. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 8 in which said projecting portion is disposed in a generally transverse orientation relative to said threaded closure

10. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 1 in which said member and said closure means are each made of a plastic material.

11. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 1 in which said member and said closure means are each made of metal.

12. The drinking cup as claimed in claim 1 wherein said member comprises a non-cylindrical member