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Title:
A BARRIER FOR USE WITH A DRINKING VESSEL
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2018/138474
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A barrier (10) comprising a main body portion (12) configured to locate within an interior of a drinking vessel, at least one arm (26,28) extending from the main body portion, having a retaining portion (32,34) configured to extend over and contact a rim of the drinking vessel to allow the main body portion to hang within the interior of the drinking vessel, the barrier having a perimeter profile, in which, with the retaining portion extending over and contacting the rim of the drinking vessel, the main body portion tilts relative to the rim such that there is at least one discrete single contact point between the perimeter and an inner side wall of the drinking vessel below the rim, the perimeter profile configured so as to create at least one gap between the perimeter and the inner side wall of the drinking vessel to allow the free flow of liquid therethrough.

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Inventors:
POTTER ADRIAN (GB)
Application Number:
PCT/GB2018/000017
Publication Date:
August 02, 2018
Filing Date:
January 29, 2018
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
POTTER ADRIAN (GB)
International Classes:
A47G19/22
Foreign References:
US20050072787A12005-04-07
GB2405077A2005-02-23
GB2539682A2016-12-28
Other References:
None
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
OLLILA LAW LTD (GB)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1. A barrier for use with a drinking vessel, the barrier comprising a main body portion configured to locate within an interior of a drinking vessel, at least one arm extending from the main body portion, the at least one arm having a retaining portion configured to, in use, extend over and contact a rim of the drinking vessel to allow the main body portion to hang within the interior of the drinking vessel, the barrier having a perimeter profile, in which, in use, with the retaining portion extending over and contacting the rim of the drinking vessel, the main body portion tilts relative to the rim such that there is at least one discrete single contact point between the perimeter and an inner side wall of the drinking vessel below the rim, the perimeter profile configured so as to create at least one gap between the perimeter and the inner side wall of the drinking vessel to allow the free flow of liquid therethrough.

2. A barrier according to claim 1 , in which the at least one discrete single point is a main body portion first contact point, the at least one arm is a first arm with a first retaining portion contacting the rim at a first outer end contact point, and a second arm with a second retaining portion contacting the rim at a second outer end contact point, the perimeter profile comprising a first profile between the main body portion first contact point and the first retaining portion contact point configured to create a first gap between the main body portion first contact point, the first retaining portion contact point and the inner wall of the drinking vessel, and a second perimeter profile between the main body portion first contact point and the second retaining portion contact point configured to create a second gap between the main body portion first contact point, the second retaining portion contact point and the inner wall of the drinking vessel, the first and second gaps allowing the free flow of liquid therethrough.

3. A barrier according to claim 1 or 2 in which the at least one discrete single contact point is only one discrete single contact point.

4. A barrier according to claim 1 in which the at least one discrete single contact point is a main body portion first contact point and a main body second contact point, the at least one arm is a first arm with a first retaining portion contacting the rim at a first outer end contact point, and a second arm with a second retaining portion contacting the rim at a second outer end contact point, the perimeter profile comprising a first profile between the main body portion first contact point and the first retaining portion contact point configured to create a first gap between the main body portion first contact point, the first retaining portion contact point and the inner wall of the drinking vessel, and a second perimeter profile between the main body portion second contact point and the second retaining portion contact point configured to create a second gap between the main body portion second contact point, the second retaining portion contact point and the inner wall of the drinking vessel, the first and second gaps allowing the free flow of liquid therethrough.

5. A barrier according to claim 4, the perimeter profile comprising a third profile between the main body portion first contact point and the main body portion second contact point configured to create a third gap between the main body portion first contact point, the main body portion second contact point, and the inner wall of the drinking vessel, the third gap allowing the free flow of liquid therethrough.

6. A barrier according to any one of claims 2 to 5 in which the first and/or second perimeter profile is substantially straight.

7. A barrier according to claim 5 or claim 6 when dependent on claim 5 in which the third perimeter profile is upwardly curved.

8. A barrier according to any one of claims 2 to 7 in which the main body portion first contact point and the main body portion second contact point are positioned on the perimeter in a lower portion of the main body portion.

9. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the barrier is curved in a vertical plane.

10. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the retaining portion includes a recess configured to allow the barrier to rotate in a plane defined by the rim of the drinking vessel.

1 1. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the at least one arm and the retaining portion are substantially flat and lie substantially in the same plane.

12. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the at least one arm is a first arm with a first retaining portion and a second arm with a second retaining portion, the retaining portions being substantially flat and lying in substantially the same plane as each other.

13. A barrier according to any one of claims 1 to 1 1 in which the at least one arm is a first arm with a first retaining portion and a second arm with a second retaining portion, the retaining portions being substantially flat and lying in substantially different planes to each other.

14. A barrier according to claim 12 or 13 in which the first and second arms extend from opposite sides of the main body portion.

15. A barrier according to any one of claims 12 to 14 in which the first and second arms extend upwards from the main body portion.

16. A barrier according to any of claims 12 to 15 in which the first and second arms have a length which is at least approximately a third of a height of the main body portion.

17. A barrier according to claim 16 in which the length is at least approximately a half of the height of the main body portion.

18. A barrier according to any of claims 13 to 17 in which the first and second arms extend from an upper edge of the main body portion.

19. A barrier according to any of claims 12 to 17 in which the first and second arms follow a curve profile of the main body portion.

20. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the retaining portion comprises an outwardly-curving portion configured to contact the rim of the drinking vessel.

21. A barrier according to claim 20 in which the retaining portion further comprises a downwardly extending portion congruent with and in the same plane as the outwardly-curving portion to urge the main body portion towards the inner side wall of the drinking vessel below the rim such that the at least one portion of the perimeter contacts the inner side wall of the drinking vessel below the rim.

22. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the at least one gap is created by an indent in the perimeter of the main body portion.

23. A barrier according to claim 22 in which the indent is a single indent.

24. A barrier according to claim 23 in which the single indent is a shallow curved indent.

25. A barrier according to any preceding claim formed as a unitary body.

26. A barrier according to any preceding claim formed from one of plastic, metal, or waxed cardboard.

27. barrier according to any preceding claim in which at least part of a top edge of the barrier is downwardly curved.

28. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the main body portion tapers outwardly towards the rim of the drinking vessel from a lower portion.

29. A barrier according to any preceding claim in which the main body portion is substantially unbroken.

30. A barrier for use with a drinking vessel according to any preceding claim in which the at least one discrete single contact point is a plurality of discrete single contact points.

Description:
A Barrier for use with a Drinking Vessel

The present invention relates to a barrier for use with a drinking vessel.

Chilled or cool drinks are very popular, especially during hot weather. One common and popular way to cool drinks is to add ice cubes to a drink in a drinking vessel such as a glass. Adding the ice has an immediate cooling or chilling effect on the drink, and the ice keeps the drink cool as it melts. Although the chilling effect is appreciated by drinkers, the solid ice blocks or ice cubes in the glass can come into contact with the lips or teeth of a drinker as they raise and tilt the glass to their mouth. Drinkers can find this annoying or even painful, spoiling their enjoyment of a refreshing beverage. Drinkers can use a straw to avoid this problem, however, when drinking a carbonated or fizzy drink, a straw can concentrate bubbles in the mouth and change the flavour and/or mouth feel which is not desirable for many users.

A further problem with straws is that they are often considered to be a single- use item. It is estimated that over 500 million plastic straws are consumed globally every day, with a significant number ending up as waste, and therefore damaging to the environment.

USD686877 attempts to solve this problem by providing an alternative to straws in the form of an ice cube barrier or restrainer which attaches to a drinking vessel, the restrainer being shaped such that it forms a tight fit against the inside of the drinking vessel, and having a number of large apertures to allow fluid to flow through.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved barrier for use with a drinking vessel, in particular, a barrier offering a more satisfying drinking experience, as well as being more sustainable.

Thus, according to the present invention there is provided a barrier for use with a drinking vessel, the barrier comprising a main body portion configured l to locate within an interior of a drinking vessel, at least one arm extending from the main body portion, the at least one arm having a retaining portion configured to, in use, extend over and contact a rim of the drinking vessel to allow the main body portion to hang within the interior of the drinking vessel, the barrier having a perimeter profile, in which, in use, with the retaining portion extending over and contacting the rim of the drinking vessel, the main body portion tilts relative to the rim such that there is at least one discrete single contact point between the perimeter and an inner side wall of the drinking vessel below the rim, the perimeter profile configured so as to create at least one gap between the perimeter and the inner side wall of the drinking vessel to allow the free flow of liquid therethrough.

Advantageously, the barrier, once inserted into the drinking vessel, adopts a stable position due to the contact between the retaining portion(s) on the rim of the vessel, and contact between the inner side wall of the drinking vessel and the at least single discrete contact point on the perimeter of the main body portion. Once in the stable position, the at least one gap between the main body portion and the inner wall of the drinking vessel allows the free flow of liquid and particulates to pass therethrough and be consumed by the drinker, whereas the solid ice being used to cool the liquid in the drinking vessel is retained behind the main body portion, and will not come into contact with the drinker.

This is a significant advantage over known ice barriers which rely on the perimeter of the main body portion being in contact with the inner wall of the drinking vessel, with holes in the main body portion, and alternatively or additionally a number of slots in the perimeter of the main body portion to allow liquid to flow through to be consumed by the drinker. Such holes or slots can easily become blocked with particulates such as crushed ice, and due to their finite number, can prevent the flow of liquid to the drinker. Another advantage of the barrier of the present invention is the fact that the barrier adopts the stable position, whereas the prior art ice barriers rely on a tight fit over the rim of the glass to attempt, often unsuccessfully, to hold the barrier in a stable position. The stable position of the ice barrier of the present invention avoids placing significant strain on the retaining portion which enables the barrier to perform consistently, that is, be regularly removed from the drinking vessel and washed at high temperatures without any reduction in the ability of the retaining portion to retain the barrier in the drinking vessel. This contrasts with the tight-fitting retaining portions of the prior art ice barriers which not only do not hold the barrier in stable position, but will potentially degrade over time, and therefore will not be re-usable.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompany drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a barrier for use with a drinking vessel according to one embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a front view of an alternative barrier for use with a drinking vessel,

Figure 3 is a side view of the barrier of Figure 1 ,

Figure 4 is a top view of the barrier of Figure 1 ,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the barrier of Figure 1 in use on a drinking vessel,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the barrier of Figure 1 in use on the drinking vessel of Figure 5, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the barrier of Figure 1 in use on an alternative drinking vessel,

Figure 8 is a plan view of the barrier of Figure 1 in use on the alternative drinking vessel of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the barrier in use on a drinking vessel,

Figure 8 shows an isometric picture view of the barrier in use in a half pint glass, tilted in the glass for drinking.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an alternative barrier for use with a drinking vessel,

Figure 1 1 is a front view of the barrier of Figure 10,

Figure 12 is a side view of the barrier of Figure 10,

Figure 13 is a plan view of the barrier of Figure 10,

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the barrier of Figure 10 in use on a drinking vessel,

Figure 15 is a plan view of the barrier of Figure 10 in use on the drinking vessel of Figure 14, Figures 16 and 17 are perspective views of the barrier of Figure 10 in use on a drinking vessel,

Figure 18 is a schematic view showing the point contact between the barrier of the embodiments of Figures 1 to 17 and a drinking vessel,

Figure 19 is a perspective view of an alternative barrier for use with a drinking vessel,

Figure 20 is a perspective view of an alternative barrier for use with a drinking vessel, and

Figure 21 is a schematic view showing the point contact between the barrier of the embodiments of Figures 9 and 20 and a drinking vessel,

In Figure 1 , a barrier 10 has a main body portion 12 that in this embodiment comprises a thin curved panel that in use locates within an interior I (best shown in Figures 5 to 8) of a drinking vessel such as glasses 50,150. The barrier 10 is defined by an external perimeter 24.

The barrier 10 is a unitary or single component made from a bio-degradable, recyclable, or re-usable plastic, although other materials such as metal and waxed cardboard are envisaged depending on the requirement.

As can be seen in Figures 5 to 8, barrier 10 of this embodiment is being used with the straight-sided pint glass 50 (Figures 5 and 6) or smaller glass 150 (Figures 7 and 8), and with the smaller glass (Figures 7 and 8). However, it is suitable for use with any type of open-topped drinking vessel such as for example a pint glass, a highball or tall glass, or any other glass where ice is required to be kept away from a drinker (not shown).

In this embodiment, the thin curved panel that forms the main body portion 12 is substantially unbroken, that is, it has no apertures or other holes across its surface. 'Substantially unbroken' as used in this specification should be taken to mean that the panel is formed in such a way that text or similar can be added to the surface, and remain readable or legible even when viewed from an angle (i.e. not just straight-on or dead-on). Small apertures could be formed across the surface, or larger apertures towards the edges, without departing from the meaning of 'substantially unbroken' as used in this specification.

The main body portion 12 appears tapered or V-shaped when viewed from the front, that is, it tapers outwardly towards a rim 60,160 of the glass 50,150 from a lower portion 20 of the main body portion (Figures 1 and 7). It can be seen that the barrier is wider at a top portion 39 compared to the lower portion 20.

The barrier 10 includes at least one arm, in the form of a first arm 26 and a second arm 28 which extend one each from each of upper corners 23,25 of the main body 12, the arms 26,28 extending upwards and outwards from the main body 12. The arms 26,28 are formed integrally with the main body 12 in this embodiment. It can be seen that the perimeter 24 is defined by outer edges of the arms 26,28 and the main body portion 12 which are common. It will be understood that both the main body portion 12 and the arms 26,28 follow the same curved profile.

A top edge 31 of the main body 12 and the inner edges of the arms 26,28 are common, with the top edge 31 of the barrier 12 downwardly curved when viewed from the front as shown in Figure 1. The arms 26,28 typically have a length greater than a third of the height of the main body portion. In this embodiment, the arms 26,28 have a length approximately half the height of the main body portion 12.

Each of the first and second arms 26,28 include retaining portions 32,34 to define their free ends. The retaining portions 32,34 are outwardly and slightly downwardly curved an incorporate a recess 37. In use, the retaining portions 32,34 extend loosely over the rim 60, 160 of the glass 50,150 so that the main body portion 12 hangs within an upper section 36 of the interior I of the glass.

The barrier 10 is vertically curved - that is, if standing fully upright the barrier 10 would be curved around a vertical axis VP. As outlined above, the main body portion 12 and the arms 26,28 are formed as a unitary or integral body, with the arms 26,28 curved to follow the curve of the main body portion 12.

The arms 26,28 and the main body portion 12 are, in this embodiment, around 0.5mm to 2mm thick.

The barrier 12 has four discrete contact points in the form of a first outer end contact point 36 on an inside surface of the first retaining portion 32, a second outer end contact point 38 on an inside surface of the second retaining portion 34, a main body portion first contact point 40 on the lower edge 26 of the lower portion 20 of main body portion 20 and a main body portion second contact point 42 on the lower edge 26 of lower portion 20 of the main body portion 10.

The perimeter 24 has a first and second perimeter profile 43, in the embodiment of Figure 1 , a substantially straight line, to create, once the barrier 10 is inserted into the glass, a first gap 44 between an inner wall 51 of the glass, the main body portion first contact point 40 and the first retaining portion contact point 36, and a second gap 46 between the inner wall 51 of the glass, the main body portion second contact point 42 and the second retaining portion contact point 38.

An alternative barrier 110 is shown in Figure 2 which is identical to the barrier of Figure 1 except the perimeter 124 has a slight or shallow curved profile 143 to define the first and second gaps.

In both the embodiments of Figures 1 and 2, the perimeter 24 has a single indent defined by an upwardly curved shallow profile on its lower edge 26 to create, once the barrier is inserted into the glass, a third gap 48 between the main body portion first contact point 40 and the main body portion second contact point 42.

An alternative barrier 210 is shown in Figures 10 to 17. Barrier 210 is identical to the barrier of Figure 1 , except the retaining portions 232,234 are an extension of the retaining portions 32,34 and further include downwardly extending portions 260,262 which are congruent with and in the same plane as the retaining portions 32,34.

The barrier 10,110,210 operates as follows:

In use, the barrier 10,110,210 is placed in the glass 50,150, with the arms 26,28 extending loosely over the rim 60, 160 of the glass so that the main body portion 12 hangs in the glass 50,150. This loose engagement allows the barrier 12 (which is of fixed size and shape) to be used with drinking vessels or glasses of different sizes as the barrier can slide or be positioned so that it extends all the way across and it does not have to be located at a fixed position such as for example extending across the diameter. It will be appreciated that the barrier can be placed on glasses of different diameters to extend between two points on the rim circumference. The total distance along the circumference between the two arms 26,28 will always be the same, but this distance will change as a proportion of the total circumference, depending on the size of the drinking vessel. This arrangement allows the barrier 10 to move freely and adapt to glasses of different sizes. The retaining portion 32,132,232,34,134,234 is sized to allow the barrier to rotate on the rim of the glass and be easily removed from the glass. This, coupled with the discrete contact points between the lower portion of barrier and the inner surface of the drinking vessel, ensures the barrier remains on the drinking vessel. Simply providing a loose fitting retaining portion would allow easy removal, but would not keep the barrier in a stable position in use.

When the drinker tilts the glass, contact is made between the main body portion first contact point 40 and the main body portion second contact point 42 and the inner wall 51. This contact is due to the fact that the barrier freely hangs on the rim, the tilting of the glass, and the ice (not shown) in the glass acting on the barrier. For larger diameter glasses, the main body first contact point 40 and the main body portion second contact point 42 will automatically contact the inner wall 51 without the need to tilt the glass or have ice act on the barrier. For smaller diameter glasses, such contact may require tilting of the glass and ice acting on the barrier 10,1 10.

As the drinker brings the glass 50,150 to their mouth to drink, the main body portion 12 forms a partial barrier on the lower side of the glass, with the gaps 44,46,48 between the perimeter 24 of the main body and the inner side wall 51 of the glass sufficient to allow the free flow of liquids and smaller particulate matter, but to prevent the passage of larger items such as ice cubes or a semi-solid mass such as crushed ice.

As described above, the barrier hangs from the rim 60,160. This allows the barrier 10 to be quickly and easily positioned on glasses or drinking vessels of different sizes. As the top edge 31 of the main body 12 slopes downwards, with the arms 26,28 extending upwards, the lips/mouth of a drinker will not contact the barrier when they are drinking from the glass.

Barrier 210 operates exactly the same way as barrier 10,110 except that contact is made between the main body portion first contact point 240 and the main body portion second contact point 242 and the inner wall 51 automatically without the need to tilt the glass, or have ice acting on the barrier, independently of the diameter of the glass, and this is due to the arrangements of the retaining portions 232.

The above principle of operation is shown schematically in Figure 18 which identifies contact points 36,136,226,38,138,238 in the retaining portions 32, 132,232 and contact points 40,140,240,42, 142,242 in the main body portion 12, 1 12,212, as well as gaps 44,144,244,46,146,246,48,148,248 which allow the liquid to pass through whilst the barrier 10,110,210 is in a stable position during drinking, and easily removable from and re-attachable to the glass.

In the embodiments described above, two discrete single point contacts are provided on the main body portion to provide stability to the barrier in combination with the first and second arms, that is, four contact points in total. It will be understood that by 'discrete single point contact' it is meant the contact with the inner wall of the glass is not continuous around the perimeter. It will be further understood that ice barriers with grooves or slots in the perimeter cannot be considered as discrete single contact points as the perimeter is effectively in contact with the entire inner wall of the drinking vessel.

In the embodiments described above, two discrete single point contacts are provided on the main body portion to provide stability to the barrier in combination with the first and second arms. In Figure 19, an alternative barrier 310 is shown which is identical to the embodiment of Figure 2, except the at least one discrete single contact point is one discrete single contact point 340 on the main body portion instead of the two contact points on the main body portion, providing stability to the barrier in combination with the first and second arms, that is, three contact points in total.

In Figure 20, an alternative barrier 410 is shown which is identical to the embodiment of Figures 1 and 3 to 19, except the at least one discrete single contact point is one discrete single contact point 440 on the main body portion instead of the two contact points on the main body portion, providing stability to the barrier in combination with the first and second arms, that is, three contact points in total

The above described barriers are simple and easy to manufacture, and allow a user to drink a cooled beverage in the manner it was intended to be drunk without needing to use a straw or similar. Although as described above the barrier is used with cooled drinks to prevent ice such as solid ice or a mass of crushed ice from contacting the mouth/lips of a drinker, the barrier could be used with hot drinks or non-iced drinks that contain larger solid matter that a drinker wishes to keep away from their lips/mouth, such as for example ginger tea, or miso soup containing fish bones or chunks, or similar beverages.

Another advantage of the substantially unbroken main body portion is that this can be used for branding or similar promotions. Drinks companies, bars or similar can place logo branding on the surface of the main body of the barrier. This would enable a drinks company, venue, or similar to place their logo onto the main body of the barrier.