EP4108139A1 - Beverage container - Google Patents

Abstract

A beverage container (2) is specified which has: - a cup (4) with a wall (6) which delimits a receiving space (8) for liquid which is open on an upper side (O) of the cup (4), and Lid (10) which is arranged on the upper side (O) of the cup (4) so that it can be removed in such a way that it closes a receiving space opening (12) of the receiving space (8) in a fluid-tight manner, with a sensor unit (14) in the cover (10) is arranged to detect a quantity of liquid removed from the cup (4) by a user, - the lid (10) has a lighting element (40) which is set up to light up in different colors depending on the quantity of liquid removed by the user, and - the lid (10) also has a wireless communication unit (20) which is set up in such a way that it forms a data connection with a mobile terminal device of the user and transmits the detected amount of liquid to the mobile terminal device of the user for evaluation.

Description

The invention relates to a beverage container.

Beverage containers, particularly reusable beverage containers, are becoming increasingly popular.

Nowadays such beverage containers are available and can be used in many configurations, in many colors and also personalized. They also make it possible to take both hot drinks, such as coffee or tea, and cold drinks, such as water or soft drinks, leak-proof and consume them almost anywhere.

Such a beverage container usually has a cup with a wall that delimits an interior space. The interior is used to hold the drink. Furthermore, known beverage containers have a lid that is removably arranged on an opening of the cup.

Due to the age of so-called fitness health apps and so-called sports tracking, there is an increasing need for collected fitness or "health" data in order to enable users of such apps to carry out a detailed evaluation of their lifestyle, in particular their diet . Fitness data can be used in addition to vital signs such as Heart rate, blood pressure or oxygen saturation can also be an amount of liquid consumed over a certain period of time.

With regard to the last-mentioned aspect in particular, it is often necessary for the user to enter the amount of liquid drunk manually before the applications determine whether enough or too little liquid has been consumed.

Proceeding from this, the invention is based on the object of specifying a beverage container with the aid of which a user is able to record the amount of liquid consumed in a simple and, in particular, automated manner.

The object is achieved according to the invention by a beverage container having the features of claim 1. Advantageous refinements, developments and variants are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

Specifically, the task is solved by a beverage container that has a cup and a lid. In this case, the cup has a wall which delimits a receiving space for liquid which is open on an upper side of the cup.

The lid is arranged on the upper side of the cup so that it can be removed in such a way that it seals a receiving space opening in the receiving space in a fluid-tight manner, so that no liquid can escape during transport or if the filled beverage container falls over.

In the context of this application, the term “liquid” can be understood to mean beverages in general and, for example, but not restrictively, the hot or cold beverages mentioned at the outset.

According to the invention, a sensor unit is arranged in the cover. The sensor unit is used to record the amount of liquid removed from the cup by a user. In other words, the sensor unit detects the amount of liquid drunk by the user.

Furthermore, the cover has a lighting element which is set up in such a way that it lights up in different colors depending on the amount of liquid removed by the user. This serves in particular to indicate to the user in a simple manner whether a predetermined amount of liquid has already been drunk. Thus, the light element can shine red, for example, if a specified amount of liquid has not yet been taken, i.e. has been drunk, and light up green, for example, when the specified amount of liquid has been reached. However, other color and/or light combinations are also conceivable.

Furthermore, according to the invention, the beverage container has a wireless communication unit which is set up in such a way that it forms a data connection with a mobile terminal device of the user and transmits the detected amount of liquid to the mobile terminal device of the user for evaluation.

In this context, the mobile terminal can generally be understood to mean an electronic communication device or a (portable) computer. Specifically, the mobile end device is, for example, a mobile phone (smartphone), a tablet, a smart watch or a personal digital assistant (PDA). The data connection can be, for example, a known short-range data connection, such as Bluetooth. This enables the greatest possible compatibility of the beverage container and the user's mobile end devices. Alternatively, however, the mobile terminal device can also be an analysis device belonging to a doctor, who can use the recorded values for a diagnosis in this context. It is also conceivable to use several mobile terminals to record the vital signs. For example, a headphone connected wirelessly or wired to the user's mobile phone can record the user's body temperature and transmit this information to the aforementioned health app for further processing.

Furthermore, as an alternative or in addition, the established data connection can also be visualized by the light-emitting element, ie when the beverage container has been successfully connected to the mobile terminal device. For this purpose, the light-emitting element can light up in another color, for example blue.

The evaluation can be carried out, for example, by a fitness or health app, which puts the recorded value in relation to a recommended amount of liquid and informs the user accordingly whether and/or if he has drunk enough. The user thus always knows how much liquid he already has per unit of time, for example per day, has eaten and how much he should eat if necessary. Furthermore, the evaluation can also be designed in such a way that the user is reminded to drink by notification. This detection and evaluation takes place fully automatically while the user is drinking from the beverage container, since the amount of liquid drunk previously flows through the sensor unit. The user therefore does not have to record or enter the amount drunk manually.

In one embodiment, the sensor unit is also set up to detect organic pollutants, in particular bacteria and/or viruses and/or at least one vital value that can be derived from the user's saliva. In this context, the wireless communication unit is also set up to transmit this recorded data to the user's mobile terminal device for evaluation.

The idea behind the detection of such organic pollutants is to warn the user if their saliva contains an increased level of pollutants (e.g. an increased number of bacteria and/or viruses). This can, for example, be a sign of an imminent illness and/or infection. Furthermore, a blood sugar level of the user can be determined in this way, for example. The user can be evaluated and warned, for example, by means of and through the above-mentioned fitness health app, which is stored on the user's mobile device.

The at least one vital sign can, for example, not be limited to the (blood) sugar level, the detection and evaluation of which is very relevant for diabetics in particular. Rather, however, other similarly derivable vital values can also be recorded.

The advantage of this refinement lies in the expanded detection of parameters that enable the user to obtain information about his state of health and/or his diet in a simple manner.

In a further embodiment, the cup and/or the lid has an electrical energy store. The electrical energy store, which is preferably in the form of a rechargeable battery, is used to supply the sensor unit and/or the wireless communication unit with electrical energy.

Alternatively or additionally, the light-emitting element can also be used to display a state of charge, so that it lights up green, for example, when the state of charge of the electrical energy store is still sufficient. For example, if the light element lights up red, this is an indication of a weak charging status and the beverage container should be charged.

Alternatively or additionally, the state of charge of the electrical energy store can also be transmitted by the wireless communication unit to the user's mobile device, so that the user can check the state of charge of the electrical energy store on the mobile device.

According to a further embodiment, the cup and/or the lid has a charging element for wired and/or wireless charging of the electrical energy store. In this context, the term “wireless charging” can be understood to mean, for example, inductive charging. The charging element can be arranged in the bottom of the cup, for example, so that the beverage container is placed on an inductive charging station for charging, similar to the inductive charging of today's smartphones. If the charging element is arranged in the lid, this can be removed from the cup (e.g. unscrewed) to charge the energy storage device and placed on an inductive charging station in a manner analogous to the example described above.

As an alternative or in addition to this, the charging element is designed for wired charging of the electrical energy store.

This enables the electrical energy store to be charged easily.

In one embodiment, the sensor unit is arranged in the cover. In a development, the cover has a tubular mouthpiece in which the sensor unit is arranged. The mouthpiece makes it easier to drink from the beverage container and to record the amount of liquid drunk.

In one embodiment, the lighting element is designed as a lighting ring, in particular as an LED lighting ring, which is arranged on an upper side of the cover. The light ring is on the outside of the Lid, in other words "from the outside" arranged completely visible on the top of the lid. This ensures that the luminous element and in particular the color in which the luminous element shines is easily and quickly visible.

Furthermore, in a further embodiment, the cover has a cover flap and a folding mechanism. In the simplest configuration, the folding mechanism is a hinge. The cover flap is pivotally mounted on the folding mechanism from a closed position to an open position and vice versa. By “folding up” the cover flap, the mouthpiece becomes accessible, for example, so that the user can drink through it. Furthermore, the mouthpiece is protected from dirt by the folded-down cover flap, e.g. when transporting the beverage container.

In one embodiment, the cover has a locking unit for locking the folding mechanism, which has a locking element for locking the folding mechanism and an unlocking element for unlocking the locking element. In this case, the locking element is arranged on the cover flap, which enters into a locking connection with a corresponding element on the cover in order to lock the cover. This latching connection can be released by means of the unlocking element in order to open the cover flap.

In a development, the unlocking element is held in a locking position by means of at least one pair of magnets. Here, the term “locking position” can be understood to mean a setting or position of the unlocking element in which locking of the cover flap is made possible by the latching elements already mentioned. For this purpose, the first magnet of the at least one pair of magnets is arranged in the unlocking element and the second magnet of the at least one pair of magnets is arranged on or in the cover. Reliable positioning of the unlocking element is achieved by the application of magnetic force, so that reliable latching and thus locking of the cover is made possible. Furthermore, the unlocking element has a threshold safety device. The term "threshold protection" can be understood in the context of this application that to unlock the cover flap, the unlocking either one after the other or simultaneously in the direction two axes must be moved relative to the beverage container. For example, the unlocking element must be moved "obliquely upwards" (ie along a longitudinal and a transverse axis of the container) in order to release the snap-in connection between the cover flap and the cover. This prevents, for example, accidental “pressing” of the unlocking element from opening the cover. The threshold protection described above ensures that simply "pressing" the unlocking element is not sufficient to release the lock. Rather, the unlocking element must still be moved in a further direction, that is to say along a further axis relative to the beverage container.

According to one development, the folding mechanism and the communication unit are designed in such a way that the data connection with the user's mobile terminal device is established when the cover flap is pivoted from the closed position into the open position. As a result, on the one hand, the data connection is only established when it is also intended to transmit recorded values and, on the other hand, the service life per charging of the electrical energy store is extended, since the data connection is not permanently active.

In one embodiment, the sensor unit has a turbine sensor or a laser sensor or an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the amount of liquid removed. With a turbine sensor, the liquid flows through a turbine-like component that is rotatably mounted. As the liquid flows through, the turbine-like component rotates and activates a counter that uses the number of revolutions to determine the amount of liquid that has flowed through the sensor. With the laser sensor, the current fill level in the cup is determined after a liquid has been removed in order to deduce the amount of liquid removed. Flow sensor types of this type for detecting amounts of liquid are available on the open market in various variants and configurations, which simplifies the construction or configuration of the beverage container.

In order to reuse the beverage container and to be able to transport it more easily, the cup and/or the lid has a plastic or the cup and/or the lid is made of a plastic educated. This can be a plastic that is customary in the beverage industry and specifically in the production of beverage containers. The use of plastic also means that the beverage container is better protected against damage (e.g. by hitting the ground) than fragile materials such as porcelain.

In order to be able to transport the beverage container more easily and in a more manageable manner, the cup has a volume with a value in the range from 0.2 l to 1.5 l, preferably in the range between 0.5 l and 1 l and in particular with a value of 0.75 l.

According to one embodiment, a carrying loop is arranged on the cover. The carrying loop is used for easy gripping and carrying of the beverage container and can be individualized by the respective user, in particular in terms of color. Alternatively, the carrying loop is reversible, that is to say detachable, on the cover and can thereby be exchanged, for example, for other carrying loops of a different color.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Getränkebehälters bei geöffneter Deckelklappe;

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Darstellung des erfindungsgemäßen Getränkebehälters bei geschlossener Deckelklappe sowie

Fig. 3

eine skizzierte Draufsicht auf den erfindungsgemäßen Getränkebehälter bei geöffneter Deckelklappe.

An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. These show in a partially greatly simplified representation:

1

a perspective view of a beverage container according to the invention with the cover flap open;

2

a perspective view of the beverage container according to the invention with the lid closed and

3

a sketched plan view of the beverage container according to the invention with the cover flap open.

Components with the same effect are always shown with the same reference symbols in the figures.

In 1 a perspective view of an embodiment of a beverage container 2 according to the invention is shown. The beverage container 2 has a cup 4 with a wall 6 . The wall 6 delimits a receiving space 8 that is open on an upper side O of the cup 4 (see FIG 3 ) for liquid.

Furthermore, the beverage container 2 has a lid 10 which is arranged on the upper side O of the cup 4 such that it can be removed in such a way that it closes a receiving space opening 12 (covered by the arranged cover) of the receiving space 8 . For example, the lid 10 is screwed onto the top O of the cup 4 for this purpose.

A sensor unit 14 is arranged in the cover 10 for detecting the amount of liquid removed from the cup 4 by a user.

In 1 the lid 10 is also shown in an open position. For closing and opening, i.e. transferring the cover 10 from a closed position to an open position, the cover 10 has a cover flap 16 and a folding mechanism 18, the cover flap 16 being pivotably mounted on the folding mechanism 18 in order to assume the aforementioned positions to be able to The sensor unit 14 is in accordance with the embodiment 1 arranged in the cover flap 16.

Furthermore, the cover 10 has a wireless communication unit 20 . The wireless communication unit 20 is set up in such a way that it forms a data connection with a mobile terminal device (not shown) of the user. The wireless communication unit 20 and the data connection formed by it are also used to transmit the recorded, withdrawn amount of liquid to the mobile terminal device of the user for evaluation.

In the embodiment according to 1 the cover 10 also has an electrical energy store 22, which for the sake of simplicity is only shown as a rectangle. The electrical energy store 22 serves to supply the sensor unit 14 and/or the wireless communication unit 20 with electrical energy.

In order to charge the electrical energy store 22, the cover 10 has a charging element 24, which in this exemplary embodiment is also only shown as a rectangle. The charging element 24 can be embodied as a wireless charging element for inductive charging of the electrical energy store 22 . In addition or as an alternative to this, the lid 10 or the cup 4 can also have a charging element 24 for wired charging of the electrical energy store 22 .

The beverage container 2 also has a carrying loop 28 which has a silicone and is in particular made of silicone.

According to the invention, the cover 10 has a locking unit 30 . The locking unit 30 in turn has a locking element 32 for locking the folding mechanism 18 and an unlocking element 34 for unlocking the locking element 32 . The latching element 32 is in this case designed as a latching lug which latches into a retaining lug 36 of complementary design for closing the cover 10 . In order to release this locking, the unlocking element 34 is moved in two axes, for example "obliquely upwards" to press the locking lug out of the retaining lug 36 and thus release the lock. The unlocking element 34 thus forms a threshold safety device.

To ensure simple and reliable locking of the locking lug in the locking lug 36 when closing and the unlocking element 34 does not impede the formation of the locking connection, at least one pair of magnets 38, in 1 four pairs of magnets (only three visible) the unlocking element 34 in a locked position (position of the unlocking element 34 as in 1 shown). Here, the unlocking element 34 lies flat on a surface of the cover 10 .

In 2 is the beverage container 2 acc. 1 shown; however, with the lid 10 closed. Essentially, this representation corresponds to the figure already described above, so that in the following, to avoid repetition, reference is made only to the differences. In this view, a lighting element 40 embodied as an LED ring can be seen, which is arranged on an upper side of the cover 10 and in particular on an upper side of the cover flap 16 .

in the in 3 In the illustrated plan view of the beverage container 2 according to the invention with the cover flap 16 open, the receiving space 8 of the cup 4 indicated by a mouthpiece 42 can be seen in particular.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above. On the contrary, other variants of the invention can also be derived from this by a person skilled in the art without departing from the subject matter of the invention. In particular, all individual features described in connection with the exemplary embodiments are also included can be combined with one another in other ways without departing from the subject matter of the invention.

Reference List

2

beverage container

4

A cup

6

wall

8th

recording room

10

lid

12

recording room opening

14

sensor unit

16

cover flap

18

folding mechanism

20

wireless communication unit

22

electrical energy storage

24

loading element

26

wireless communication unit

28

wrist strap

30

locking unit

32

locking element

34

unlocking element

36

detent

38

pair of magnets

40

light element

42

mouthpiece

O

top

Claims (14)

Beverage container (2) having: - a cup (4) with a wall (6) which delimits a receiving space (8) for liquid which is open on an upper side (O) of the cup (4), and - a cover (10) which is arranged on the upper side (O) of the cup (4) so that it can be removed in such a way that it closes a receiving space opening (12) of the receiving space (8) in a fluid-tight manner, in which - A sensor unit (14) is arranged in the lid (10) for detecting a quantity of liquid removed from the cup (4) by a user, - The cover (10) has a lighting element (40) which is set up in such a way that it lights up in different colors depending on the amount of liquid removed by the user and - The lid (10) further has a wireless communication unit (20) which is set up in such a way to form a data connection with a mobile terminal device of the user and to transmit the detected amount of liquid to the mobile terminal device of the user for evaluation. Beverage cup (2) according to claim 1
wherein the sensor unit (14) is also set up to detect organic pollutants, in particular bacteria and/or viruses in the saliva of the user and/or at least one vital value that can be derived from the saliva of the user. Beverage container (2) according to claim 1 or 2,
wherein the cup (4) and/or the lid (10) has/has an electrical energy store (22). Beverage container (2) according to claim 3,
wherein the cup (4) and/or the lid (10) has/has a charging element (24) for wired and/or wireless charging of the electrical energy store (22). Beverage container (2) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the sensor unit (14) is arranged in the cover (10). Beverage container (2) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the luminous element (40) is designed as a luminous ring, in particular as an LED luminous ring, which is arranged on an upper side of the cover (10). Beverage container (2) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the cover (10) has a cover flap (16) and a folding mechanism (18) on which the cover flap (16) is pivotably mounted from a closed position to an open position and vice versa. Beverage container (2) according to claim 7,
wherein the cover (10) for locking the folding mechanism (18) has a locking unit (30) which has a locking element (32) for locking the folding mechanism (18) and an unlocking element (34) for unlocking the locking element (32). Beverage container (2) according to claim 8,
wherein the unlocking element (34) is held in a locking position by means of at least one pair of magnets (38). Beverage container (2) according to one of Claims 7 to 9,
wherein the folding mechanism (18) and the wireless communication unit (20) are designed in such a way that the data connection with the mobile terminal device is established when the cover flap (16) is pivoted from the closed position into the open position. Beverage container (2) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the sensor unit (14) has a turbine sensor or a laser sensor or an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the amount of liquid removed. Beverage container (2) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the cup (4) and/or the lid (10) have/have a plastic. Beverage container (2) according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the receiving space (8) has a volume with a value in the range from 0.2l to 1.5l, preferably in the range between 0.5l and 1l and in particular with a value of 0.75l. Beverage container (2) according to one of the preceding claims,
a carrying loop (28) being arranged on the cover (10).

Images