Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to field of cups and mugs suitable for transportation and for dispensing liquid and other flowable materials whenever and wherever needed. In particular, the present invention relates to travelling cups or mugs having a top or cap with a closable opening for dispensing beverages such as cappuccinos, milky coffees, cafe latte and macchiato, chocolate and other hot or cold beverages including soups and liquid baby food.

Background Art

Travelling cups or mugs for drinking with a dispensing cap, are well known in the art. Typically, such a cap has a cover extending over the mug's or cup' s mouth with an opening allowing the passage of liquid when a user wants to drink. When the travelling cup or mug is not being used to drink, this opening can be obturated by a movable lid connected to the cover.

Examples of covers with a movable lid for dispensing liquid from a container are disclosed in US

5,950,848, US 5,551,607, US 5,865,353, US 5,495,015, US 5,417,350, US 5,348,201, US 5,251,793, US 4,911,337, US

4,899,902, US 4,887,747, US 4,742,928, US 4,703,873, US

4, 632, 266, US 4, 625, 898, US 4, 399, 928, US 4,124,151, EP 0 078 322 and WO 2010/133654.

In particular, US 5,551,607 discloses a container with a dispensing cap. The dispensing cap is pivotally mounted on a base attached to the container, the base having an outflow through-opening that can be opened and closed by the dispensing cap. The pivotal rotation of the dispensing cap is controlled by a trigger and regulated by a guide wall member, which are arranged to retain the pivotable cap in an open position until a user manually moves the cap into the closed position. US 4,899,902 discloses a lid for a liquid container that has a liquid spout with a cover adapted to fit over the spout in friction fit relationship that can be removed and refitted single-handed. It is inter-alia mentioned that the lid may further include a small aperture or hole to release built-up air pressure.

WO 2010/133654 discloses a mug with a cover having a peripheral liquid out-flow trough-opening, an air inflow through-opening and a lid for covering and uncovering the through-openings.

There is still a need to provide a simple and reliable system for carrying a beverage and handy and reliable for drinking.

Summary of the Invention

Therefore, the invention relates to drinking device that comprises: a cup or mug having a cavity for containing flowable substance, such as a liquid e.g. a drink, and a mouth; and a cover that covers the mouth and that has a through-opening. The cover has an open configuration for allowing an outflow of the flowable substance from the cavity through the through-opening and a closed configuration for inhibiting such outflow from the cavity, in particular through the through- opening.

The cup or mug may be of any kind, for example with an insulation, typically of the thermos type. In a preferred embodiment, the mug or cup typically has a bottom, a generally upright sidewall and a generally circular mouth that is fit to be covered by the cover. The cup or mug may have a circular or polygonal base.

Typically a cup or mug for drinking has a capacity in the range of 50 to 1000 ml, e.g. 150 to 500 ml, and an upper diameter, e.g. the mouth of the cup or mug, in the range of 3 to 15 cm, in particular 5 to 10 cm.

In accordance with the invention, the cover is movable relative to the mouth from the open configuration in which the through-opening is located on the mouth to the closed configuration in which the through-opening is located away from the mouth.

Normally, when the through-opening is located away from the mouth, an entirely closed portion of the cover covers the mouth entirely.

Hence, a very simple device for safely containing a flowable material, such as a drink, is disclosed, which may even be operated single-handed by a user. The cover may be in particular made movable by a finger of the user's hand that holds the cup or mug.

The through-opening can be located on a portion of the cover that hangs over off the mouth in the closed configuration and that is located on the mouth in the open configuration. The cover may comprise a closed portion that hangs over off the mouth in the open configuration and that is located on the mouth in the closed configuration.

In a particular embodiment, the cover can be slidable relative to the mouth between the open and the closed configurations, in particular slidable in a plane that is generally parallel to the mouth. The cup or mug may have a protruding part, such as a rim, in particular an outwardly protruding part, cooperating with a slide of the cover, such as a peripheral slide, in particular an inwardly oriented slide to guide the sliding cover relative to the mouth between the open and the closed configurations. It is of course possible to provide a slide on the cup and a protruding part on the cover or combine both. Typically, the cover and mug or cup have a pair of cooperating slides and protruding parts facing each other generally across the mouth. At least one of these protruding part and slide may have a reinforced portion for maintaining the cover against the mouth in at least one of the closed and open configurations .

The reinforcement is useful for the open configuration when the user tilts the cup or mug for pouring the liquid out thereof whereby the cover is tilted with the cup or mug and may additionally be exposed to a liquid pressure. A reinforcement for the closed configuration can be provided to safely contain the liquid within the covered mug or cup, e.g. when the cup or mug is filled with liquid and carried or otherwise shaken.

The cover and the cup or mug have at least one stopper for preventing a movement of the cover relative to the mouth beyond at least one of the open and the closed configurations. Hence, the cup or mug and the cover are inhibited from being separated by mistake due to an excessive movement by the user. Such stopper may comprise a portion of the slide, such slide portion intercepting the movement of the cover relative to the mouth in at least one of the open and the closed configurations. Other stopper configurations are of course possible, e.g. stoppers distinct of any slide.

The cover and the cup or mug may have at least one fastener for inhibiting a movement of the cover relative to the mouth from the open configuration to the closed configuration and/or vice versa. Hence, the cover may be secured in the open configuration and/or the closed configuration, to avoid unwanted movements of the cover between the configurations, e.g. when the cover is supposed to remain in the open or in the closed configuration.

In an advantageous embodiment, the cover has a seat for placing and positioning another cup or mug thereon, e.g. to store cups or mugs one above the other. The seat may comprise a support portion for supporting a foot of another cup or mug and a positioning portion for confining a bottom part of a sidewall of such cup or mug. The positioning portion may be shaped to surround at least partly such bottom part. The seat can be entirely located on the mouth when the cover is in the closed configuration. The seat may have a central part that is located vertically above a central part of a foot of the cup or mug when the cover is in the closed configuration. Optionally the seat and the foot have respective centres that are located on a central vertical axis of the cup or mug. By providing such a configuration of the seat on the cover, the stability of the cups or mugs storage can be optimised .

The cover may be formed of a single generally plate-like member extending generally flat over the mouth of the cup or mug, the through-opening being delimited by one or more edges of the plate-like member. Hence, a very simple one element cover construction can be provided. For instance, the cover is made of cardboard or plastic material, e.g. thermoformed material.

The through-opening may be confined within the cover (e.g. closed-edge through-opening). The through- opening can be shaped as a cut-out (e.g. open-edge through-opening) on a side of the cover, e.g. with (a) straight or curved edge(s), for example a generally arch-shaped, C-shaped or ω-shaped edge.

The cover may be movable in a straight direction between the open and the closed configurations or pivotable between the open and the closed configurations, or a combination thereof.

The invention also relates to a cover having a through-opening and configured to cover a mouth of a cup or mug of a device as described above.

Another aspect of the invention relates to the use of a cup or mug for a device as described above.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described with reference to the schematic drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a device according to the invention including a cup or mug and a cover in a separated configuration; Figures 2 and 3 show perspective views of this device in an closed configuration and open configuration, respectively;

Figures 4 and 5 show this device in cross-section; - Figure 6 shows the cover of the device from below; and

Figure 7 shows a variation in accordance with the invention of the cover of Fig. 6.

Detailed description

Figs 1 to 6 illustrate a cover 10 and a cup or mug 20 of a drinking device 1 in accordance with the invention .

Cup or mug 20 may be generally frusto-conical shaped and have a cavity 25 for containing flowable substance and a mouth 21 for filling or emptying cavity 25. Cup or mug 20 may be made of paper, cardboard, plastic, ceramic, glass or other materials, e.g. wood.

Cover 10 is arranged to be mounted onto cup or mug 20 and to cover mouth 21. Cover 10 has a through- opening 11. Cover 10 has an open configuration for allowing an outflow of flowable substance from cavity 25 through through-opening 11 and a closed configuration for inhibiting such outflow from cavity 25, in particular through through-opening 11.

Through-opening 11 may have any shape, e.g. circular, semi-circular, elliptic, rectangular, square, trapezoidal, triangular, etc... In particular, through- opening 11 may have an ergonomic shape adapted to the natural shape of a human mouth, e.g. generally like a bean or kidney in cross-section.

In the closed configuration, cover 10 may more or less seal-off cavity 25. In particular, cover 10 should at least contain within cavity 25 any liquid spills resulting from gentle shaking of device 1 when containing liquid, typically during walking while holding device 1. In an improved configuration, the sealing of cavity 25 by cover 10 may be improved, e.g. by appropriate seals and/or clamping arrangements of cover 10 on cup or mug 20, e.g. as known in the art of travel mugs.

In accordance with the invention, cover 10 is movable relative to mouth 21 from the open configuration (Fig. 3) in which through-opening 11 is located on mouth 21 to the closed configuration (Fig. 2) in which through-opening 11 is located away from mouth 21.

As illustrated in Figs 2 and 3, through-opening 11 may be located on a portion 15' of the cover 10 that hangs over off mouth 21 in the closed configuration (Fig. 2) and that is located on the mouth 21 in the open configuration (Fig. 3) . As equally illustrated in Figs 2 and 3, cover 10 may have a closed portion 15'' that hangs over off mouth 21 in the open configuration and that is located on mouth 21 in the closed configuration to cover mouth 21 entirely.

Cover 10 can be mounted onto cup or mug 20 slidable relative to mouth 21 between the open and the closed configurations. As generally depicted in Figs 2 and 3, cover 10 may be slidable in a plane that is generally parallel to mouth 21. If the mouth is non- planar but curved (not shown), the cover may follow that curve between the open and closed configurations.

Cup or mug 20 may have a protruding part 22, such as a rim, in particular an outwardly protruding part, cooperating with a slide of the cover 10, such as a peripheral slide 12, in particular an inwardly oriented slide, and/or vice versa, to guide sliding cover 10 relative to mouth 21 between the open and the closed configurations. As illustrated, cup or mug 20 can have protruding parts 22 on both sides of mouth 21 to cooperate with corresponding slides 12 of cover 10.

As illustrated in Figs 5 and 6, protruding part 22 has reinforced portions 123,124 for maintaining cover 10 against mouth 21 in the closed and open configurations. Therefore, pairs of facing reinforcing portions 123 are provided to maintain cover 10 via rim 12 in the closed configuration and pairs of facing reinforced portions 124 are provided to maintain cover 10 via rim 12 in the open configuration.

Cover 10 and cup or mug 20 may have at least one stopper 121,122 for preventing a movement of cover 10 relative to mouth 21 beyond at least one of the open and the closed configurations, e.g. to avoid unwanted separation of cover 10 and cup or mug 20. Typically, stoppers 121,122 are part of cover 10 and interfere with cup or mug 20 in the open and closed configurations. Stopper 121,122 may comprise a portion extending from slide 12, which portion intercepts the movement of cover 10 relative to mouth 21 in at least one of the open and the closed configurations.

As illustrated in Figs 5 and 6, cover 10 and cup or mug 20 may have at least one fastener 18,19 for inhibiting a movement of cover 10 relative to mouth 21 from the open configuration to the closed configuration and/or vice versa. For instance, the underside of cover 10 may have at least one protrusion 18,19 that interferes with rim 22 or sidewall 26 of cup or mug 20 in the open or closed configuration.

Advantageously, cover 10 has a seat 16,17 for placing and positioning another cup or mug thereon. For instance, the seat:

comprises a support portion 17 for supporting a foot 27 of another cup or mug (of the same type) and a positioning portion 16 for confining a bottom part

26' of a sidewall 26 of such cup or mug; and/or is entirely located on mouth 21 when cover 10 is in the closed configuration.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, seat 16,17 can have a central part 17' that is located vertically above a central part 27' of foot 27 of cup or mug 20 when cover 10 is in the closed configuration. Seat 16,17 and foot 27 may have respective centres that are located on a central vertical axis 28 of cup or mug 20 or of cavity 25. Such a configuration enhances the stability of cups or mugs 20 placed one above the other, i.e. when a cup or mug rests on cover 10 covering cup or mug 20 underneath.

Cover 10 may be formed of a single generally plate-like member 15 extending flat over mouth 21 of cup or mug 20, through-opening 11 being delimited by one or more edges of the plate-like member. Through- opening 11 can be confined within cover 10.

Cover 10 is typically movable in a straight direction from the open and the closed configurations. Alternatively, cover 10 may be pivotable or follow a different direction from the open to the closed position .

Fig. 7, in which the same numeric references generally designate the same elements, illustrates a variation in accordance with the invention. Cover 10' has a trough-opening 11' that is shaped as a cut-out one a side of the cover 10' . In other words, through- opening 11' is not entirely confined within cover 10'. Through-opening 11' may have any shape, e.g. generally arched, circular, u-shaped, square, kidney or bean - shaped, etc... In a variation (indicated as a dashed line in Fig. 7), the through-opening may be delimited by a straight edge 11' ' of cover 10' . Cover 10' includes two stop members 122' adjacent through opening 11', 11'' for stopping cover 10' in the open configuration .

The abo veme n t i o ne d orientations, e.g. above, upright, vertical, underside, etc... refer to the orientation of cup or mug 20 when resting with foot 27 on a horizontal table or other horizontal surface, unless otherwise specified.