JP6546662B2 - Beverage lid attached to food container - Google Patents

Description

Cross-reference to related applications

  This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62 / 105,256, filed Jan. 20, 2015, Ser. No. 14 / 986,701, filed Jan. 3, 2016, and Jan. 3, 2016. Claims the benefit of US application Ser. No. 14 / 986,703, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

  The present invention relates to drinking straws.

  The present application relates to Patent Document 1 issued on Dec. 3, 2013 under the name "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER", Patent Document 2 issued on Apr. 15, 2014 under the name "TOP MOUNTING CAN CONTAINER". Patent Document 3 issued on February 26, 2013 under the name "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER", Patent Document 4 issued on May 6, 2014 under the name "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER", "TOP Patent Document 5, issued on November 26, 2013 under the name MOUNTING CAN CONTAINER, named "LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER" Patent Document 6 issued on April 29, 2014, Patent Document 7 issued on April 22, 2014 under the name of "TWO-PART RECYCLABLE CUP", 2012 in the name of "TOP MOUNTING BOTTLE CONTAINER" Patent Document 8 filed on March 5, Patent Document 9 filed on November 17, 2012 under the name of "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER" November 2012, under the name of "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER" Patent Document 10 filed on the 17th, Patent Document 11 filed on Jan. 3, 2013 under the name "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER", "LID WITH INT Patent Document 12 filed on April 28, 2014 under the name of "EGRATED CONTAINER", Patent Document 13 filed on May 2, 2014 under the name of "A CONTAINER LID WITH ONE OR MORE CAVITIES", "A CONTAINER Patent Document 14 filed on May 9, 2014 under the name LID WITH A FOOD COMPARTMENT AND A SIP-HOLE, June 24, 2014 under the name "A CONTAINER LID SYSTEM WITH A LID PORTION AND FOOD CONTAINER PORTION" Patent Application 15, filed on the same day, “A CONTAINER LID SYSTEM WITH A LID PORTION A Patent document 16 filed on May 30, 2014 under the name of D FOOD CONTAINER PORTION, patent document 17 filed on August 15, 2014 under the name of "A CONTAINER LID SYSTEM WITH TAMPER INDICATOR", "BENDABLE Patent Document 18 filed on August 22, 2014 under the name DRINKING STRAW and Patent Document 19 filed on January 20, 2015 under the name "BENDABLE SAFETY STRAW AND LIDS WITH FOOD COMPARTMENT" And all by the same inventor as the present application. Each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference.

  The popularity of fast food restaurants has increased, and in conjunction with the popularity of eating and drinking while on the move, the need for more convenient and safe take-out packaging has become necessary.

  Currently, for consumers who want to drink from take-out beverage containers, it is common for hot beverages such as coffee, to drink the beverage through the mouth in the lid of the beverage container, and to drinks that are to be consumed cold, such as carbonated beverages There are two standard options that are common: sucking the beverage through the straw inserted into the beverage container. From the mouthpieces typically used for hot beverages, consumers need to skim a small amount to avoid burns. While many consumers will prefer warm beverages to be delivered controlled or regulated, standard straws do not allow the liquid to cool to a comfortable temperature before it reaches the consumer's mouth. May cause burns. Both the straw and the mouth can be dangerous during activities such as driving or walking, where the consumer needs to keep his gaze positive and look closely ahead of the road, and there may be a sudden stop . The consumer must turn down, look away from the road while drinking with a straw, or tilt the back of the beverage container and drinking forward through the mouth. The view of the may be blocked by the beverage container. For example, if the consumer's head suddenly decelerates with an unexpected brake while driving, the straw is also potentially dangerous. In that case, a straw may stick to the consumer's palate. Some straws incorporate a flexible part to allow the consumer to keep their eyes on the line, but even such straws do not eliminate the risk of sticking, and furthermore, especially the height of each beverage container It must be sized to fit.

  Existing take-out beverage food containers are also inconvenient, for example, consumers need to put sandwiches aside for drinks, or beverages with lids that accept snap-on food containers In the case of the container, the consumer must separate the food container in order to drink the hot beverage through the mouth.

  In addition, billions of disposable beverage cups are used each year. The cups are often part of a larger meal, and with current technology, the beverage cup is covered with a lid and the food will be packed in another detached container. This may be satisfactory for the consumers seated at the table. However, there are problems with the use of current technology if the consumer has to eat while active. For example, consider a consumer who wants to reach out to a breakfast sandwich in a take-out bag while drinking a beverage. The consumer places the beverage aside, then holds the bag with one hand, uses the opposite hand to access the sandwich, and then places the bag aside, packing the sandwich with both hands. You have to open it. As shown in this example, current technology can not conveniently eat and drink while doing activities. The standard cup lid is a simple cover that does not include an integral container. Rather, the known lid covers the contents of the cup and in combination with the cup forms a closed container.

  To solve some of these problems, the yogurt manufacturing company placed a small food container on the yogurt cup lid. The food container (which often holds nuts or granola) must be removed from the yoghurt cup, then turned over and opened and the contents poured into the yoghurt cup. Therefore, the contents of the yogurt cup and the contents of the food container can not be accessed at the same time, otherwise the food container is completely removed from the cup before either the contents of the yogurt cup or the contents of the food container You must have access to A food container attached upside down to a yogurt cup has a limited food volume capacity as the distance between the walls narrows towards the bottom of the upside down container. This gradual narrowing makes the yoghurt cup / food container complex heavy on top and unwieldy.

  Other known devices having a container or shelf combined with a lid have limitations which make their use impractical. One category of devices includes a container in combination with a cup, but utilizes a central hole in the lid. This makes it impossible to store relatively circular items, for example hamburgers, cookies or muffins, that is to say non-annular or non-annular items without a central hole in the container. Other categories of devices include the container in combination with the lid, but simultaneous access to the contents of the cup and the container, resealing the container or removing the drop-off container from the container I can not do it. Other devices that include a drop feature require that the container be removed prior to accessing the contents of the cup. Other devices have relatively small peel containers for grains such as mint and are not suitable for larger food items. Another category of devices utilizes partitions within the cup with access from each side of the cup. None of the known devices have a non-permanent or male and female, bottom-to-bottom connection system for connecting the container with the lid.

  Furthermore, in the prior art, flask-type containers with small compartments for the granules are known. This design is not suitable for the storage of more beverages and more substantial snacks / food as consumed by take-out customers, and the simultaneous access to them, as well as for the cup holder of the armrest It does not have a conforming shape.

  Thus, it is not possible to simultaneously or intermittently access the contents of the known cup and the contents of the attached container. This makes it difficult to consume coffee, sodas, snacks, popcorn, etc. in malls, fast food stores, theatres, amusement parks, sports stadiums, or any other location. For example, this makes eating and drinking difficult in theaters or stadiums where a cup holder is provided for each seat.

U.S. Patent No. 8,596,491 U.S. Patent No. 8,695,845 U.S. Patent No. 8,381,935 U.S. Patent No. 8,714,393 U.S. Patent No. 8,590,730 U.S. Patent No. 8,708,181 U.S. Patent No. 8,701,914 US Patent Application No. 13 / 412,602 US Patent Application No. 13 / 680,011 US Patent Application No. 13 / 680,049 US Patent Application No. 13 / 733,153 US Patent Application No. 14 / 263,993 US Patent Application No. 14 / 269,016 US Patent Application No. 14 / 274,576 US Patent Application No. 14 / 313,907 US Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 005,862 US Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 038,199 U.S. Patent Application No. 29 / 500,266 US Provisional Patent Application 62 / 105,256

  Therefore, there is a need for a straw and cup lid that overcomes these drawbacks and encourages convenient drinking while drinking.

  The present invention provides a precise solution to the needs as described above, and provides a number of additional benefits and advantages that will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

  One aspect provides a container lid connectable to a food container, the lid including a continuous outer connecting groove surrounding the occupied area of the container lid for attachment to the open top of the beverage container. A straw hole plane is disposed in the occupied area, adjacent to the outer connecting groove, and a hole for drinking liquid in the container extends through the straw hole plane. A rising wall extends away from the straw hole plane and defines a first plane above the straw hole plane. A mouthpiece extends through the first surface. A food container connection wall is connected to the first plane and extends from the first plane to a position lower than the first plane and a food container connection bottom connected to the food container connection wall.

  In another aspect, a cup lid having an integral container, which can be coupled to a beverage cup, comprises a continuous outer connecting ring portion surrounding the occupied area of the lid, and a drinking hole in the occupied area of the lid above the connecting ring portion And a plane. Above the connecting ring part, an annular surface which is in the occupied area of the lid and which is non-concentric with the occupied area of the lid is connected to the drinking hole plane. The food container has a container inner wall extending downwardly from the annular surface and a bottom surface connected to the container inner wall flush with or below the connection ring to prevent spillage. A drinking hole for drinking liquid in the cup extends through the drinking hole plane at a position outside the annular surface. The drinking hole may be a straw hole or a burr hole. A cover is removably attached to the annular surface and seals the food container. The cover may be a sealing / peeling membrane, and may be sealed on the lid in any rotational orientation due to the circular shape of the food container.

  In one embodiment, the drinking hole plane is connected to the annular surface by a container outer wall that is substantially coplanar with the coupling ring and extends upwardly from the drinking hole plane to the annular surface. In another embodiment, the drinking hole plane is connected to the connecting ring by an outer wall which is above the connecting ring and extends upwardly from the connecting ring to the drinking hole plane and upward from the drinking hole plane to the annular surface It is connected to the annular surface by an extending container outer wall. In another embodiment, the drinking hole plane is connected to the connecting ring by an outer wall which is above the connecting ring and extends upwardly from the connecting ring to the drinking hole plane. In this embodiment, the drinking hole plane is adjacent to the annular surface.

  Also disclosed is a rack for holding the lid in a compact arrangement for sale. For displays on this rack, to allow the lid to hang in a substantially vertical orientation when suspended from a horizontal post through the drinking hole, when the container is filled with food In addition, the drinking hole plane may be arranged at an optimum distance from the coupling ring and the annular surface.

  The above points are merely illustrative and are not meant to be exhaustive. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon review of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims.

  The invention will be further understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating exemplary embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings, corresponding parts are indicated with like reference numerals throughout the different drawings and / or embodiments. It will be appreciated that certain components and details may not be present in the drawings in order to help describe the invention more clearly.

Showing consumers using new straws without turning their eyes off. It shows the consumer using a traditional straw, looking away. Figure 2 shows the straw of Figure 1 used with a low height beverage container. Fig. 4 shows the straw of Fig. 1 used with the beverage container being taller than the beverage container of Fig. 3A. Fig. 4 shows the straw of Fig. 1 used with the beverage container being taller than the beverage container of Fig. 3B. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the straw of FIG. 1 used with a beverage container having a food compartment at the top. FIG. 2 is a side view of the straw of FIG. 1 used with a beverage container having a food compartment at the top. Fig. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a straw having a large opening. 7 illustrates one embodiment of a straw having a narrow opening. Figure 2 is an isometric view of the straw of Figure 1; It is a side view of the straw of FIG. Fig. 2 shows the straw of Fig. 1 deformed into a beverage container. Conventional straws show how they can pierce the mouth of the consumer. The general parameters for flow analysis of the new straw are shown. Flow analysis of four straw configurations is shown. FIG. 12B is an isometric view of the straw of FIG. 12B. It is a side view when the arbitrary straws of FIG. 12B are bent. It is a front view when the arbitrary straws of FIG. 12B are bent. FIG. 12B is an isometric view of the optional straw of FIG. 12B bent. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a beverage container with a lid having a food container fitted or connected to the lid, the straw of FIG. 1 being provided. FIG. 13C is a side view of the beverage container / lid complex of FIG. 13A. FIG. 13C is an isometric view of the beverage container / lid complex of FIG. 13A. FIG. 13C is an isometric view of the beverage container / lid complex of FIG. 13A with the food container removed from the beverage container lid. FIG. 13C is an isometric view of the beverage container / lid complex of FIG. 13A with the food container removed from the beverage container lid and rotated to reveal the face to be connected. FIG. 13C is an isometric view of the beverage container / lid complex of FIG. 13A with the food container removed from the beverage container lid. FIG. 13B is an isometric view of the beverage container lid of FIG. 13A with the food container removed and without the beverage container and straw, detailing the straw hole. FIG. 14 is a top view of the lid of FIG. 13G. FIG. 13G is a side view of the lid of FIG. 13G. FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a lid for a beverage cup, the lid having compartments that may hold food, the compartments being sealed by a sealing / peeling membrane, the straw hole being in a low position. FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a lid for a beverage cup, the lid having compartments that may hold food, the compartments being sealed by a sealing / peeling membrane, with straw holes in an intermediate position. Figure 10 is an isometric view of a lid for a beverage cup, wherein the lid has a compartment that may hold food, the compartment being sealed by a sealing / peeling membrane, the straw hole being in a high position. Fig. 14C shows the lid of Fig. 14A with the sealing / peeling membrane removed. Fig. 14C shows the lid of Fig. 14B with the sealing / peeling membrane removed. Fig. 14C shows the lid of Fig. 14C with the sealing / peeling membrane removed. FIG. 14B is a side view of the lid of FIG. 14A, provided with a conventional straw. Fig. 14B is a side view of the lid of Fig. 14B, provided with a conventional straw. Fig. 14C is a side view of the lid of Fig. 14C, provided with a conventional straw. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 14A on a beverage cup, provided with a conventional straw. FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 14B on a beverage cup, provided with a conventional straw. FIG. 14C is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 14C on a beverage cup, provided with a conventional straw. FIG. 14B is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 14A hanging on a rack. FIG. 14C is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 14B hanging on a rack. FIG. 14B is an isometric view of a rack holding the lids of FIG. 14A. FIG. 14B is an exploded view of the lid of FIG. 14A, shown with the attachment of the seal / release film. FIG. 14D is a side view of the device of FIG. 14P with the lid fully depressed. FIG. 14P is a side view of the device of FIG. 14P with the lid partially removed. FIG. 10 is an isometric view of a lid for a beverage cup, the lid having a compartment that may hold food, which compartment may have one or more removable shelves, on the beverage cup , Shown with a traditional straw. FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 15A. FIG. 15B is a side view of the lid of FIG. 15A with the food compartment separated from the lid. FIG. 15B is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 15A with the food compartment separated from the lid and rotated to show the faces to be connected. FIG. 15B is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 15A with the food compartment open and showing the top shelf. FIG. 2B is an isometric view of the lid of FIG. 2A with the food compartment open and the shelf removed. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention configured to be accessible to the contents of the cup through a straw, coupled with the cup and equipped with a sealing / peeling cover. Fig. 17 shows a cross-sectional view of Fig. 16; FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 16; FIG. 17 is a top view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 16; FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 16; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view from the side of one embodiment of the present invention, shown with two or more connecting elements configured to be connected with cups of different sizes Fig. 7 illustrates different embodiments of a coupling element that may be utilized to attach the top container to the edge of the cup. An exploded view of an embodiment of a cup lid having an integral container is shown with food and cover above the cup Fig. 2 shows a bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention with vertical dimensions extending to the cup opening plane. Fig. 4 shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention with vertical dimensions extending downwards to the bottom of the cup opening plane.

  In the following, exemplary embodiments illustrating the various aspects of the present invention will be described without limitation. These examples are provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the full scope of the invention without undue experimentation. As is apparent to those skilled in the art, further modifications and adaptations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the claims. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some or all of such features or specific details. In other instances, components well known to those skilled in the art have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a straw 10 used in a beverage container 20. The straw is similar to the straw disclosed in US patent application Ser. No. 29 / 500,266 filed on Aug. 22, 2014 under the name "BENDABLE DRINKING STRAW", the application of which is the same as the present application. By the inventor and is incorporated herein by reference. The straw 10 may optionally be pre-formed to have an arc shape, and is flexible as described in more detail with reference to FIG. The straw 10 may be semi-rigid, such that it returns to its original shape when no bending force is applied. As described in further detail with reference to FIG. 10, the straw 10 may be made of a pliable material, such as a plastic or a composite, so as to be reversibly bendable. Since the straw 10 may be pre-formed to have an arc shape, the consumer can drink from the natural horizontal position with the straw, and the line of sight 30 remains forward. This is important if the consumer can not turn their eyes off, for example, when they are driving a car and want to drink with a straw without looking away from the road ahead. As shown in FIG. 2, with the conventional straw 40, the consumer distracts the gaze 50 when drinking.

  Traditional straw designs have addressed this problem with a short portion of the straw that is accordable and bendable with an accordion-like structure. The portions of the straw at both ends of the accordion-like structure were straight, and bending the accordion-like structure was able to create a 90 degree bend so that the user could access the end of the straw in a horizontal position. However, if such an accordion-like bendable straw is used with a snap-on food container mounted on top, which may be larger than the beverage container lid as described below, the straw Since the size of each particular type of beverage container must be sized according to the height, practicability is reduced.

  Figures 3A, 3B, 3C show the same straw 10 placed in three beverage containers of different depths 20A, 20B, 20C. The straw 10 exits the beverage container with approximately the same amount of vertical clearance. This becomes even more important if the beverage container has only a limited vertical clearance. For example, in FIG. 4, the beverage container 20D has a food container 60 disposed at the top. Such food containers are disclosed in the patent applications mentioned at the beginning of the specification, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference. However, as shown at position 70, the food container 60 limits the amount of vertical clearance of the straw 10. Conventional accordion-like bendable straws need to be manufactured specifically to the exact depth of the container 20D. If the food container 60 is placed in a lower height beverage container (e.g., container 20A of FIG. 3A), other shorter straws 10 may need to be manufactured further. Due to the bendable nature of the straw 10, which may optionally be arc-shaped (shown in more detail in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C), a single straw may be used with beverage containers of various heights.

  6 and 7 show two cross-sectional shapes of the straw 10, FIG. 6 has a larger opening 80 for thick beverages such as milk shakes, and FIG. 7 for hot beverages such as coffee It has a narrower opening 90. It will be apparent that other cross-sectional shapes are also possible.

  FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the straw 10 intended to show an arc shape. FIG. 9 is a side view showing an arc shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the straw has an arc greater than 20 degrees, and the length is about 12 inches (about 30.48 cm). It will be apparent that arcs of other angles and lengths are also possible.

  In addition to the safety that consumers can drink in a natural, horizontal position without distraction, the straw is also flexible so as to minimize the sting that often occurs with conventional straws . FIG. 10 shows that the consumer is drinking from the straw 10 even under the force of pushing the head forward in the direction of the arrow 100. The straw 10 is bendably deformed from position 120 to position 110. In the same situation, the conventional straw 40 shown in FIG. 11 will pierce the consumer. For example, while the consumer is driving, as shown in FIG. 11, the beverage container is held in a certain direction and the line of sight is kept forward, and the consumer arrow 130 the head of the consumer such as a strong brake. The straw 40 will stick into the interior of the consumer's mouth 140 without bending, under the force of pushing it forward. Furthermore, when the straw 10 bends, the cross-sectional area of the straw does not collapse or fold. The straw 10 is configured such that the magnitude of the force required to bend the straw does not cause discomfort to the user's mouth. In one embodiment, a bending force between 0.02 N and 0.2 N is required. The straw 10 may be more rigid, in which case the bending force may also increase and may cause discomfort to the user's mouth.

  A further property of the straw relates to the ability to adjust or cool the warm fluid during use to prevent burns. 12A-12F show a straight and bendable straw 10 for use in a beverage container. As shown in FIGS. 12D and 12F, the bendable drinking straw is designed to bend at least 180 degrees. The straw may optionally be preformed in an arc shape.

  Currently, warm liquid is delivered from the beverage container to the consumer via a spout through which the user can tilt the container to pump the warm liquid. By cooling, the liquid is cooled to prevent burns. Because bendable straws can also be used for hot beverages, it is beneficial that the length and inner area of the straw can cool the liquid while it travels from the beverage container to the consumer's mouth . A conventional round straw (round means a cross section) can be safely bent, bent to avoid the topmost food container, or well conditioned or cooled with warm fluid , Not considered. For this reason, consumers do not use conventional round straws to drink hot beverages. Rather, the bending straw of the present disclosure may be used with a cross-sectional area and length of a suitable size to properly adjust or cool the amount of liquid entering the consumer's mouth and will not burn the user. right. This is particularly useful when the user is doing other work while drinking a beverage. For example, a driving user uses a straw to drink hot beverages so that the user does not get distracted or distracted by having to tilt the beverage container in order to access the liquid through the mouth. I would like to

12A, 12B show flow analysis of the four bendable straw configurations shown in FIG. 12C. The OH parameter (or system rating index) is a qualitative measure of the amount of water head by straw and is calculated by the following equation:
OH = (friction loss coefficient × (L / hydraulic diameter)) × ((speed ² ) / (2 × gravity acceleration)).

Each of these parameters is calculated and is shown in FIG. 12B. The higher the OH parameter (i.e., the water head), the more the straw can dissipate heat, which lowers the temperature of the beverage as it travels through the straw. Other elements shown in FIG. 12B are cross-sectional area and velocity, the product of which is the volume of liquid delivered to the user. System 1 has low OH, meaning that the straw has less heat to escape from the liquid, and the volume of liquid delivered to the user is about 0.0473 inches ³ / s (about 0.1201 cm ³ / s) ). Thus, while the straw dissipates less heat from the liquid, the amount of liquid actually delivered is so small that it reduces the possibility of burns. Users may not like to be delivered in such small volumes. System 4 has a higher OH, which means that the straw can be cooled more, the volume of liquid delivered to the user is much larger (10 times) about 0.537 inches ³ / s ( About 1.364 cm ³ / sec). The user may prefer such an increased volume, but this OH value suggests that the delivered liquid may be too hot. The combination of large volumes and high temperatures creates the risk of burns. Systems 2 and 3 have 0.23 inches (about 0.58 cm) and 0.19 inches (about 0.48 cm) of OH, respectively, and the delivery volume is 0.297 inches ³ / sec (about 0. 754 cm ³ / sec). This combination of OH value and volume is a "sweet spot" where a comfortable amount of hot beverage is delivered to the user while reducing the chance of causing burns. Thus, systems 2, 3 dimensioned in FIGS. 12A-12C show the optimal straw design. It will be apparent that various parameters may be altered to provide an optimal volume / temperature profile for the straw without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These parameters may include, but are not limited to, the physical dimensions of the straw, the material of the straw, and the roughness of the straw. (The higher the internal roughness of the straw, the more OH will increase and the lower the temperature.) Furthermore, the dimensions are chosen such that the straw can be easily bent without collapsing the flow and limiting it excessively It is also good. The bending of the straw (systems 1-4) is shown in FIGS. 12D-12F.

  13A-13I illustrate a lid 200 of a beverage container 215 that can be removably connected to the food container 205. FIG. The bendable straw described with reference to FIGS. 12A-12F may be inserted into the punched straw hole 225. The lid 200 has a continuous outer connecting groove 210 for attachment to the open top of the beverage container 215. The lid 200 also has a straw hole plane 220 adjacent to the outer connecting groove 210. A hole 225 for drinking liquid in the container extends through the straw hole plane 220. The rising wall 230 extends away from the straw hole plane 220 and defines a first plane 235 above the straw hole plane 220. A spout 240 for drinking liquid also extends through the first flat surface 235. In order to connect the lid 200 to the food container 205, the lid 200 extends the food container connecting wall 245 connected to the first flat surface 235, which extends from the first flat surface 235 to a position lower than the first flat surface 235. You may have. The food container connection wall 245 may also have a pressure structure 270 that applies pressure to the food container 205 when the food container 205 is connected to the lid 200. The pressure applied by the pressure structure 270 is selected so that the food container 205 can be securely coupled to the lid 200 and the food container 205 can be separated from the lid 200. The lid 200 may also have vents 275 to release the pressure build up by the hot beverage.

  The food container connection bottom 250 is connected to the food container connection wall. The straw hole plane 220 may also have a straw hole cover 255 and a hinge 260, and when the straw is pushed into the hole 225, the straw hole cover rotates about the hinge to expose the hole 225. The straw hole cover 255 may have a catch 265 connecting the straw hole cover 255 to the straw hole plane 220 to prevent it from being opened accidentally. The straw hole 220 may have a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners 280 for receiving the disclosed straw 10 described above.

  One of the benefits of having the straw hole cover 255 is that the user may prefer the use of the spout 240. If the straw hole 225 does not have the cover 255, but rather is an open hole, the user may accidentally spill the hot beverage when tilting the beverage cup and spitting it from the spout 240. The straw hole cover 255 thus prevents spills. In addition, retailers will be able to use one hot beverage lid for many different users. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 13B, when the food container 205 is connected to the lid 200, the straw hole 225 is not covered by the food container 205, but the mouth 240 by the food container 205 Almost covered. Thus, if the user prefers to use a straw and eat food from the food container 205, the beverage will not spill out of the spout 240 if the food container 205 is connected.

  One embodiment of a cup lid having an integral container 1300b is shown in FIG. 16 connected with the cup 1330, having a sealing / peeling film 1310b, and the contents of the cup are accessible via the straw 1301a There is. FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view of FIG. As shown, the cup may be, for example, a cup of carbonated beverage, lemonade, coffee or beer, limited to cups with rounded edges as exemplarily shown here. I will not. The first solid or liquid 1320 is a cookie, chocolate, potato chips, crackers, nuts, popcorn, candy, ice cream, frozen yogurt, pieces of fruit, burgers, fries, sandwiches, milk, cream or any other Among the items, one or more arbitrary combinations may be included. The second liquid or solid in cup 1330 is ice cream, milk shake, ice, iced coffee, milk, lemonade, water, carbonated drinks, coffee, beer, mixed drinks with alcohol, or any other item , And any combination may be included.

  FIG. 18 shows a top perspective view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. The upper flat horizontal area of the illustrated embodiment has holes 1305a, which may be straw holes or holes, to provide access to the second liquid or solid, ie, the contents of the cup. One may also access the contents of the container at the top of the cup without removing the cup lid. FIG. 19 shows a top view of the embodiment of the invention of FIG. At the bottom of the figure, a release tab is shown, enabling the sealing / peeling film 1310b to be removed from the cup lid.

  FIG. 20A shows a cross-sectional side view of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. FIG. 20B shows a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of the present invention, shown having two or more coupling elements configured to be coupled with cups of different sizes. In this figure, two or more connecting elements with different diameters, here 1307, are employed so that embodiments of the invention fit into cups of different sizes. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 20B may be sized to be coupled with a large or small coffee cup, or a large or small carbonated beverage cup. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will appreciate, three or more connecting elements 1307 having three or more different diameters may also be employed, as embodiments of the present invention may be connected with small, medium or large cups. It may be done. In this way, only one size cup lid with the desired number of diameter connecting elements may be utilized to receive different sized used cups. The illustrated embodiment has vertically stepped coupling elements, but as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in other embodiments not horizontally vertically stepped but horizontally offset coupling Elements may be used. FIG. 20C shows a different embodiment of the coupling element that may be utilized with the cup lid embodiment. The cross section of the coupling element 1307a is similar to that of the coupling element 1307, and the large angle at the bend 1377a may make separation from the cup lid easier. The cross-section of the connection element 1307b is a type of connection element 1307 that is more difficult to remove due to the smaller angle at the bend 1377b, for example a stronger force to remove from the rounded edge of the cup Need. The cross section of the connection element 1307c shows a semi-permanent or permanent connection element in that it has a wedge-like sharp angle at the bend 1377c. Depending on the stiffness of the material used to make the cup lid, the sharp angle at bend 1377c will allow the entire cup to be lifted by the cup lid even if the cup is filled with liquid. This prevents spilling by keeping the cup lid and cup attached, even when a large force is applied. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, in any of the embodiments of the present invention, connecting elements of various diameters (as shown in FIG. 20B) on one cup lid may be any of connecting elements 1307a, 1307b or 1307c. A combination of For example, in one embodiment, the uppermost minimum diameter coupling element of FIG. 20B may use coupling element 1307a or 1307b, while the lowermost coupling element of FIG. 20B is coupling element 1307b or 1307c. For example, for large cups that can be overwhelmed, strength can be considered. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, any number of different diameters may be utilized with any embodiment of the coupling element, as desired, and based on the utilization, any other known coupling elements. You may use

  Figure 21 shows an exploded view of the embodiment of the cup lid 1300a having an integral container or cavity 1301a shown above the cup 1330, a solid / liquid 1320 that fits into the cavity 1301a, or a food product such as a cookie And with the cover 1310a covering the food when the food is in the container 1301a. The cup lid 1300a includes a connecting element 1307 that allows the cup lid to be coupled to the cup and at least one wall 1302 leading to a container bottom 1303 which may be considered part of the wall 1302. As used herein, the term "wall" is not limited to surfaces of any shape, but rather refers to what separates the container 1301a from the contents of the cup 1330. Specifically, at least one embodiment of the present invention defines a container 1301a configured to store the first solid or liquid separately from the second solid or liquid stored in the cup 1330. And the cup 1330 generally includes an annular opening in the top most plane of the cup. The cup as shown also includes a rounded edge 1331 configured to connect the coupling element 1307 to hold the cup lid 1300a on the cup 1330. In particular, the connection element 1307 allows, for example, the rounded edge of the cup to be fitted to the slightly larger diameter portion of the cup lid, across the smaller diameter portion of the connection element The at least one wall is configured to be connected to the annular opening at the top of the cup. The coupling element 1307 is an exemplary shape of the attachment portion, and any shape of attachment portion may be used to couple the cup lid 1300a to the cup 1330, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and the removal is more Includes difficult types of connections, as well as permanent connections. The container cover 1310 a is optionally configured to be coupled to the coupling element 1321 of the cup lid 1300 a via the coupling element 1322. Alternatively, the vertical side of the container cover 1310a may be extended such that the connecting element 1322 is configured to connect to the connecting element 1307 of the cup lid 1300a. Horizontal area 1304 includes a straw hole 1305 a or a mouth and optionally recessed cutout 1306. The at least one wall is configured to provide access to the first solid or liquid and the second solid or liquid without disengaging the coupling element. For example, both the contents of the one-piece container 1301 a and the contents of the cup 1330 can be accessed without removing the cup lid. The cover 1310a as shown may be configured as an outer wall friction and pressure cover, but at least partially seals the container to retain the container contents when the cover is connected with a corresponding type of cup lid. As long as it is configured to do so, it may be configured as a sealing / releasing film, a pressing friction dome, a pressing friction dome with holes, an inner / outer wall friction pressing, an inner wall friction pressing, a hinge, or a rotating cover.

  FIG. 22A shows a bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention. The at least one wall 1302 has a vertical dimension that extends to, or from, or from the plane defined by the annular opening of the cup. FIG. 22B shows a side view of one embodiment of the present invention with vertical dimensions extending downward to the opening plane of the cup. FIG. 22C shows a side view of one embodiment of a container lid, with the cup shown in dashed lines, the container lid having a vertical dimension that extends deep into the cup opening plane. This vertical dimension may be of any size. Furthermore, the at least one wall 1302 comprises, for example, a horizontal dimension transverse to the diameter of the container and is less than, equal to or greater than the width measured transverse to the annular opening of the cup It has a width. The embodiment shown in FIG. 22C may, for example, itself hold the popcorn and be fitted into a standard popcorn cup next utilized for carbonated beverages and / or a stadium Or the lower half of the cup may be fitted in a cup having a narrow or stepped configuration so that it is fitted in a standard cup holder of a theater seat. Any type of cup considering that one embodiment of the present invention is used with a car, a stadium seat or a cup holder for a theater seat or any other type of cup holder It is with the spirit of invention.

  14A-14P illustrate another embodiment of the present invention in which the food container is circular and off-center. Beverage cup lid 1100 has a container portion 1110 that may hold food sealed by sealing / peeling membrane 1104. The press-in seal here is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,596,491 issued Dec. 3, 2013, entitled "CUP LID WITH INTEGRATED CONTAINER" by the same inventor as the present application. It is done. This patent is incorporated herein by reference.

  FIG. 14A shows an embodiment of a cup lid having an integral container, with straw holes 1106 passing through the horizontal area or straw hole surface 1102a. The straw hole surface is approximately coplanar with the connection ring 1108 used to connect the lid 1100 with the beverage cup. The coupling ring 1108 surrounds the occupied area of the lid 1100. Although circular straw holes are shown, the holes may be of any other suitable shape, such as a rectangular mouth with rounded corners for drinking without the use of a straw. Coupling ring 1108 may be a coupling element as described above with reference to US patent application Ser. No. 13 / 680,011.

  FIG. 14B shows another embodiment in which the straw holes 1106 pass through the ledge 1102 b between the plane defined by the connecting ring 1108 and the sealing / peeling membrane 1104. FIG. 14C shows an embodiment in which the straw hole 1106 passes through the shelf 1102c which is approximately coplanar with the sealing / peeling membrane 1104.

  FIG. 14D shows an embodiment of the cup lid with straw holes in a lower position with the sealing / peeling membrane 1104 removed. The seal / release film 1104 is releasably attached to the annular surface 1118 connected to the straw hole surface 1102a via the outer food container wall 1112. A cavity or food container 1111 is further defined by the inner container wall 1114 descending from the annular surface 1118 to the substantially flat bottom 1116, the bottom being high in the connecting ring 1108 to prevent the contents of the container from spilling The height is lower than that. The inner container wall 1114 defines a second occupied area forming a circle contained within the occupied area of the lid 1100. As shown in FIG. 14D, the second occupied area defined by the inner container wall 1114 is non-concentric with the occupied area of the lid 1100, which is larger than this.

  FIG. 14E shows an embodiment of a cup lid in which the straw hole 1106 is at an intermediate position, and FIG. 14F shows an embodiment in which the straw hole 1106 is at an upper position with the sealing / peeling film 1104 peeled off. It shows. For both of these embodiments, the outer wall 1117 extends from the connecting ring 1108 to the straw hole planes 1102b, 1102c. The exact position of the straw hole in this last embodiment may be optimized as follows.

  14D, 14E and 14F further show that the design of the lid 1100 can seal the sealing / peeling film 1104 on the lid 1100 in any rotational orientation. As shown, the food container 1111 is circular so that when the food is placed in the container 1111, the closure / release film 1104 does not need to be oriented in a particular direction prior to attachment, thus greatly reducing the production of the lid 1100. Make it easy.

  14G, 14H and 14I show the lid 1100 with the exemplary straw 1107 inserted through the straw hole 1106 in the straw hole plane 1102a (low position), 1102b (intermediate position) and 1102c (high position). It shows. 14J, 14K and 14L are cutaway views of these three lid embodiments and are shown with a straw and cup 1120.

  Further, a rack 1150 designed to be used with the lid 1100 is disclosed. As shown in FIGS. 14M and 14N, the rack 1150, which may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material, may be placed upright on a countertop or other horizontal surface As it is good, it has a base 1152. A vertical support 1154 extends upwardly from the base 1152 and is connected by a horizontal support 1156, and a post 1158 extends from the horizontal support 1156. The lid 1100 can, for example, be hung on a post 1158, in a compact display for sale. In FIG. 14M, the lid 1100 (FIGS. 14A, 14D, 14G, 14J) of the first embodiment has a connecting ring 1108 used to connect the lid 1100 with the beverage cup and a straw hole 1106 that is substantially coplanar. It is shown. The problem with this embodiment when used is that when container 1111 is filled with food (eg, nuts or candy), gravity (indicated by arrow 1160) centers lid 1100 and straw hole 1106. In the direction of arrow 1165. Therefore, unless the second support 1157 for preventing such rotation is added to the rack 1150, the lid is inclined when the lid 1100 is displayed on the rack 1150. In FIG. 14N, the straw hole 1106 is between the plane defined by the connecting ring 1108 and the sealing / peeling membrane 1104 (FIGS. 14B, 14E, 14H, 14K). As also shown in FIG. 14O, as the lid 1100 has a weight distribution that will hang from the rack 1150 in a substantially vertical orientation (arrow 1175) when the lid 1100 is filled with food, The exact position is chosen.

  Figures 14P, 14Q and 14R show a tool that allows quick and easy attachment of the sealing / peeling membrane. The support structure 1180 strengthening the container portion 1110 is shaped to complement the container portion 1110 such that the container portion 1110 fits over the support structure 1180. This stiffening allows the seal / release film 1104 to be attached using a press-fit during manufacturing without damaging the container portion 1110. As shown in FIG. 14P, the support structure 1180 has a base 1182 and a cavity 1189 defined by an inner wall 1184 connected to the outer wall 1186 by an annular top surface 1188. As shown in FIGS. 14Q and 14R, the container portion 1110 is placed on the support structure 1180, the connection ring 1108 rests at the base 1182, and the annular surface 1118 is supported on the upper surface 1188, at the same time as the inner wall of the container. 1114 and the outer wall 1112 contact the tool inner wall 1184 and the outer wall 1186, respectively. This allows the seal / release film 1104 to be sealed to the food container 1111 without the risk of damaging the container portion 1110 when pressure is applied to create the seal.

  15A-15F illustrate another lid for a beverage cup, with container lid 2200 having compartments 2211 that may hold food. As shown in FIG. 15A, a straw 2207 is used to access the drink in the cup 2220 with the container lid 2200 attached to the cup lid 2201 on the cup 2220 and the container lid 2200 attached. It may be done. Section 2211 may have one or more removable shelves 2202, as shown in FIG. 15B, to hold various food items. As shown in FIG. 15E, the cover 2250 pivots about the hinge 2255 to allow access to the compartment 2211 and further shelf for the user to access the food placed on the lower shelf. Shelf 2202 may have holes 2216 so that 2202 can be easily removed. The food compartment 2211 of the lid 2200 may have one or more steps 2205, 2210 that support the shelf 2202 (see FIG. 15F). As shown in FIGS. 15C, 15D, the container lid 2200 has a connecting element 2230 attached to the corresponding connecting element 2240 on the cup lid 2201.

  The straw may be composed of plastic, composite or other suitable material. Furthermore, the straw may be semi-rigid, such that it returns to its original shape when no bending force is applied.

  Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, which illustrate examples of the invention, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Various exemplary systems have been shown and described with various aspects and components. Unless otherwise stated, any feature, aspect or component of any of these systems may be removed, added, combined with any other feature, aspect or component of any system, or You may change using them. As is apparent to those skilled in the art, modifications and adaptations to the above-described systems and methods are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, which is defined solely by the following claims. Furthermore, applicants claim that the following claims and "the embodiments in the specification are not intended to cover exactly the same scope". Phillips v. AHW Corp. , 415 F. 3d 1303, 1323 (US Federal Circuit Court of Appeals 2005) (Grand Court Decision).

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 10 straw 20 beverage container 60, 205 food container 200 lid 210 outer connecting groove 220 straw hole flat surface 225 straw hole 230 rising wall 235 first flat surface 240 round mouth 245 food container connecting wall 250 food container connecting bottom 255 straw hole cover 260 Hinge 265 Fastening 270 Pressure structure 275 Vent 1104, 1310 b Seal / release film

Claims (7)

In the container lid of the beverage container, which can be connected to the food container,
A continuous outer connecting groove surrounding the occupied area of the container lid for attachment to the open top of the beverage container;
A straw hole plane in the occupied area adjacent to the outer connection groove;
A hole extending through the straw hole plane for drinking liquid in the beverage container;
A rising wall extending away from the straw hole plane and defining a first plane above the straw hole plane in the occupied area;
A mouthpiece extending through the first plane for drinking the liquid;
A food container connecting wall connected to the first plane and extending from the first plane, wherein the food container connecting wall is lower than the first plane and connected to the food container connecting wall The food container connecting wall extending to the bottom;
A container closure with a
A beverage container, characterized in that when the food container is connected to the lid, the mouth is substantially covered by the food container, but the hole is not covered by the food container. Container lid .   The container lid according to claim 1, wherein the straw hole plane further comprises a straw hole cover and a hinge, and the straw hole cover rotates about the hinge to expose the hole.   The container lid according to claim 2, wherein the straw hole cover further comprises a fastening portion connected to the straw hole plane.   The container lid according to claim 1, wherein the food container connecting wall has a pressure structure adapted to apply pressure to the food container when the food container is connected to the lid.   5. The container lid according to claim 4, wherein the pressure is selected to allow a positive connection of the food container to the lid and to allow separation of the food container from the lid.   The container lid of claim 1 further comprising a vent. Before Kiana is one having a substantially rectangular shape with corners rounded, container closure of claim 1, wherein.

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