US2622420A - Drinking cup - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 23, 1952 w, Wl -Ruini 2,622,420

DRINKING 'CUE Y Filed .July fr.' 1949 UIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIHIIIIIIHHlj-lHIMIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE INVENTOR.

631 Na/Mam@ Patented Dec. 23,h 1952 Y f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRINKING CUP William W. Rice, Chicago,y Ill. Application-July v, 1949, serial No. 103,447

(c1. fis- 13)- 1 Claim.

Thisv invention relates to certain, new and useful improvements, in av drinking cup provided with one or. more drinking nipples and anl object of this. invention is to provide a1 simple and. improvedv arrangement for controlling the ow of uid from the cup through either of the nipples.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drinking cup of the character hereinafter described which may be manufactured at, an eco'- nomical cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drinking cup especially adapted for use by infants, and one which is provided with a simple and improved arrangement permitting the inrant to receive the fluid from the cup without danger of theY infants spilling the same or receiving an excessive amount.v In this respect the cup isv exceptionally useful'4 during the teething period of the infant, this by reason of the fact that the infant can use the drinking or feeding nipple as a teething element.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cup of this character which will be especially useful to bedridden patients, the. cup being provided with a simple and improved arrangement whereby the patient or attendant may control or regulate the flow of the uid from the cup through the drinking nipple while the patient is at rest either in. a sitting or lying position in the bed or chair.

Another and equally important object of the invention is the provision of a drinking cup of the character hereinafter described which comprises parts readily and easily removed for cleansing purposes.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 2--2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the same;

Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 3, but illustrating the regulator in position for removal;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the regulator employed in the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished. by' the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawing. In these drawings the cup is indicated at It. This cup may be formed of any suitable material. Such cup comprises a cup section II and a cover I2 telescopically arranged together as shown. This is accomplished by providing on the cover I 2 a depending flange I 3 which is adapted to snugly t within the peripheral edge portion I4 of the cup section I I.

Thisv cup section IIv is provided with one or more handles I5 of any approved shape or construction.

The cover provides a top wall I6 disposed in a plane below the wall I'I.

Formed preferably as an integral part of the cover I2 is a drinking or feeding nipple I8. Such nipple provides an upwardly and outwardly inclined passage I9 through which the fluid from the cup section I0 may flow.

OppositeA this nipple I8 and preferably likewise formed as an integral part of this cover I 2 is a second drinking or feeding nipple 20. This second nipple 20 like the nipple I3 has an upwardly' and outwardly extending passage 2I formed therein and like the passage I9 com municates with the cup section II.

Formed in this nipple 20 and extending in a horizontal plane and at an angle with respect to the passage 2l is an opening 22. This opening 22 is adapted to be closed by a flexible valve 23 formed as an integral part of a regulator 24,

Such regulator 24 is in the form of an elongated rod land provides at its end opposite the valve 23 a knurled finger knob 25 to facilitate moving the rod longitudinally of its length as well as to rotate the same. Between the knob 25 and the enlarged shank 26, from which shank extends the valve 23, the regulator is of reduced diameter to provide an intermediate central portion 24 adapted for slidable movement through a guide opening 21 formed in a bridge bar 28. Entrance to the opening 21 in a vertical direction is had through a slot 29 formed in the bar 28. The central portion 24 is provided with oppositely disposed fiat surfaces 3i] which reduce the diameter of the central portion 24 between these flat 'surfaces to a size such that will permit that portion of the central portion 24 to be freely passed through the slot 29, thereby to remove the regulator from the cover I2. However, when the regulator is rotated relative to the bridge bar 28, to a position to dispose these dat surfaces in a horizontal plane, the regulator can only be moved transversely of the bar 28 for purposes of disposing the valve 23 into and from valve closing position with respect to the passage 2 I.

To limit the sliding movement of the regulator relative to the bar 28 in its movement to remove the valve 23 from valve closing position with respect to the opening 2l, I provide on the central portion 24' a stop lug 3 l.

The valve 23 may have a counterbore 32 formed in its end portion to increase its flexibility thereby to effectively seal the passage 2l when the valve 23 is disposed in valve closing portion with respect to such passage.

When my improved drinking cup is used by a baby or infant the nipple I8 is employed for drinking or feeding purposes. The child will extract the contents from the cup by sucking the same through the nipple as it would do in the case if a nursing bottle were employed. However, in order to reduce the efforts of the child during drinking or feeding, the mother may adjust the regulator 24 relative to the bridge bar 28 to such position as will permit the flow of the fluid in such a manner as the mother deems best.

It is intended that the nipple i8 be formed of semi-hard rubber or such material as may be used for teething purposes.

When my improved cup is used by bedridden patients or by patients whose physical condition will not permit them to sit or stand upright while drinking, either nipple may be employed but preierably it is recommended that the nipple 29 be employed because the passage 2i is of a larger diameter than the passage i8 of the nipple IS. By the use of the regulator 2t the patient may regulate the ilow of uid from the cup in such volume as is most desirable for the patient.

On the other hand, the patient may close the passage i9 by pressing his finger over the outer end thereof and, when the valve 23 is moved from valve closing position with respect to the passage 2l, control the ilow of the uid from the cup through the passage 2 l. This is accomplished by removing the nger from over the passage i9 to permit a steady flow of the fluid through the passage 2l in such volume as the patient may desire.

The usefulness and simplicity of the construction of my improved drinking cup is apparent from the foregoing.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into eiect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A drinking cup comprising a cup section, a cover therefor having a reduced portion frictionally insertable in the open top of the cup section, nip-ples formed integral with said cover at opposite corresponding sides thereof, with each nipple projecting upwardly and outwardly from the side walls of said cover and each having a passage therethroug-h communicating with the cup section whereby the contents of the cup section may be drunk from either side of said cover, a second passage formed in one of said nipples and bisecting said rst mentioned passage in said nipple, and a regulator carried by the top Wall of said cover between said nipples and provided with slidable valve means adapted to project through said second `passage into said first mentioned nipple passage to control passage therethrough.

WILLIAM W. RICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 489,923 Bouiter Jan. 17, 1893 639,881 Bailey Dec. 26, 1899 1,072,588 Duncan Sept. 9, 1913 1,348,211 Cross Aug. 3, 1920 1,380,481 Jennings June 7, 1921 1,509,734 Langley Sept. 23, 1924 1,584,864 Kadavy May 18, 1926` 2,150,975 Mirati June 6, 1939 2,306,550 Mailey Dec. 29, 1942 2,330,019 Vaughn et al Sept. 21, 1943 2,372,281 Jordan Mar. 27, 1945 2,437,784 Laskin Mar. 16, 1948 2,533,726 Floyd Dec. l2, 1950

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