US20170071376A1

US20170071376A1 - Drinking Cup with Interchangeable Sleeve

Info

Publication number: US20170071376A1
Application number: US15/266,833
Authority: US
Inventors: Gary Vandenlangenberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-09-15
Filing date: 2016-09-15
Publication date: 2017-03-16

Abstract

A drinking cup with interchangeable sleeves for preventing condensation contains a cup, an interchangeable sleeve, and a base portion. The cup is removably attached to the base portion allowing the user to insert or remove the interchangeable sleeve as preferred.

A cup interlocking mechanism of the cup and a base interlocking mechanism of the base portion are used to attach the cup to the base portion. The interchangeable sleeve which provides the aesthetically pleasing appearance of the apparatus is pressed against a body portion of the cup. For the interchangeable sleeve to remain stationary for extended time periods, a first end of the interchangeable sleeve is positioned in between a neck portion of the cup and the body portion. Similarly, a second end of the interchangeable sleeve is positioned in between a top end of the base portion and the body portion.

Description

The current application claims a priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/218,993 filed on Sep. 15, 2015.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a drinking cup. More specifically, the present invention is a drinking cup with interchangeable sleeves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Portable drink containers such as travel cups, thermoses, tumblers, and so on, serve many purposes other than quenching thirst whenever that may be. Portable drink containers help reduce the carbon footprint of an individual. People do not have to buy multiple bottled beverages throughout the day if they would like to carry around a readily available drink. There is no mistake of throwing bottled beverages into the trash can instead of the recycling bin. And lastly, there is no or less concern about any carcinogens emitted from the portable drink container after reuse. Portable drink containers also allow individuals to customize their beverage containers unlike bottled beverages. Portable drink containers typically have a logo, design, a name among a variety of other decorative accents to fulfill the stylistic preferences of an individual. There are issues that portable drink containers have not been able to eliminate. Current portable drink containers have not been both decorative as they are functional and versatile.
The present invention serves to fulfill the limitations of current portable drink containers. The present invention comprises a drink container, a sleeve, and a detachable base. The sleeve surrounds the cup. A top edge and a bottom edge of the sleeve are encapsulated by the cup and the detachable base. The detachability allows the sleeve to be interchanged. The separable components of the drinking cup allow for true customization as the cover and base may be switched for a variety of other covers and bases that may comprise a variety of other functionalities the preferred embodiment of the present invention does not have.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cup.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the cup.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the cup.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the base portion.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the base portion.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the base portion.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention introduces a drinking cup with an interchangeable sleeve.
More specifically, the present invention introduces a wetsuit covered tumbler. By utilizing the present invention, the user can maintain a secure grip with the drinking cup. Additionally, issues such as condensation and sweating are also eliminated by utilizing the present invention.
The present invention comprises a cup 1, an interchangeable sleeve 8, and a base portion 12 which are used to address the issues prevalent with existing drinking cups. The cup 1 is removably attached to the base portion 12. This allows the interchangeable sleeve 8 to be changed according to user preference by detaching the base portion 12 from the cup 1.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A-5, the cup 1 comprises an opening 2, a body portion 5, a base plate 6, and a cup interlocking mechanism 7. The opening 2 is used to pour liquid into the cup 1 and also to draw liquid out of the cup 1. When considering the positioning, the opening 2 is positioned along the body portion 5. The body portion 5 provides the structural body of the cup 1. Depending on the size of the body portion 5, the present invention can be available in different sizes. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention is available in two different sizes. However, in other embodiments of the present invention the size of the cup 1 can vary. The base plate 6, which determines the bottom of the cup 1, is adjacently and concentrically connected to the body portion 5. As an example, if the cup 1 is filled with a certain liquid, the liquid occupies the space from the base plate 6 to the opening 2. In order to do so, the opening 2 is positioned opposite to the base plate 6. As mentioned earlier, the cup 1 can be attached to or detached from the base portion 12 according to user preference. The cup interlocking mechanism 7 is used in the process of attaching and detaching the cup 1 from the base portion 12. When considering the positioning, the cup interlocking mechanism 7 is connected to the base plate 6 opposite to the body portion 5 so that the cup interlocking mechanism 7 does not occupy any space between the opening 2 and the base plate 6. In order to engage with the cup interlocking mechanism 7, and also to attach the base portion 12 to the cup 1, the base portion 12 comprises a base interlocking mechanism 13. The base portion 12 is appropriately shaped to fit the circular shape of the cup 1. More specifically, the cup interlocking mechanism 7 is removably attached to the base interlocking mechanism 13 allowing the user to attach or separate the cup 1 from the base portion 12. The cup interlocking mechanism 7 and the base interlocking mechanism 13 can vary in different embodiments of the present invention. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cup interlocking mechanism 7 is a first threaded portion 17. On the other hand, the base interlocking mechanism 13 is a second threaded portion 18. Therefore, when the cup 1 is attached to the base portion 12, the first threaded portion 17 is engaged to the second threaded portion 18. When the interchangeable sleeve 8 is being used, the body portion 5 is removably positioned concentrically within the interchangeable sleeve 8. The interchangeable sleeve 8 is sufficiently sized so that the body portion 5 can be conveniently inserted into the interchangeable sleeve 8.
As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the cup 1 further comprises a rim 3 and a neck portion 4. The opening 2 perpendicularly traverses through the neck portion 4 and into the body portion 5. The neck portion 4 is used to hold the interchangeable sleeve 8 in position when used on the body portion 5. In order to do so, the neck portion 4 is concentrically connected to the body portion 5 and opposite to the base plate 6. The rim 3, which is the topmost edge of the cup 1, delineates the opening 2. When considering the positioning, the rim 3 is positioned perimetrically along the neck portion 4 and opposite the body portion 5. Therefore, the opening 2 perpendicularly traverses through the neck portion 4 and into the body portion 5 so that the opening 2 is accessible regardless of the positioning of the rim 3 and the neck portion 4. In order to effectively hold the interchangeable sleeve 8 stationary, the neck portion 4 is radially offset from the body portion 5 so that a gap is created between the body portion 5 and the neck portion 4. Resultantly, the interchangeable sleeve 8 can fit into the gap so that the interchangeable sleeve 8 is secured in place.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interchangeable sleeve 8 comprises a sleeve body 10, a first end 9, a second end 11, an inner grip layer 19, and an outer aesthetic layer 20. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interchangeable sleeve 8 is made of neoprene. However, other comparable material can be used to produce the interchangeable sleeve 8 in different embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, the interchangeable sleeve 8 is washable and dryable. The sleeve body 10 extends from the first end 9 to the second end 11. The length and shape of the sleeve body 10 varies according to the length and shape of the body portion 5. The thickness of the sleeve body 10 can vary according to need. As an example, if the sleeve body 10 is considerably thick, the heat transferred from the drink to the hand of the user is less than when a considerably thin sleeve body 10 is being used on the body portion 5. When the sleeve body 10 is positioned around the body portion 5, the first end 9 is positioned in between the body portion 5 and the neck portion 4. On the other hand, the second end 11 is positioned in between the body portion 5 and a top end 14 of the base portion 12. FIG. 1B shows the positioning of the first end 9 and the second end 11. The base portion 12 is appropriately sized to fit the second end 11 in between the top end 14 and the body portion 5. The positioning of the first end 9 and the second end 11 ensures that the sleeve body 10 is stationary around the body portion 5. In the resulting position, the inner grip layer 19 encircles the body portion 5. In other words, the inner grip layer 19 is pressed against the body portion 5. Therefore, the outer aesthetic layer 20 which encircles the inner grip layer 19 is visible on the exterior giving the present invention an aesthetically pleasing appearance. In order to have different appearances, the outer aesthetic layer 20 is available in multiple printed designs.
As shown in FIGS. 6-8, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base portion 12 comprises a bottom end 15 and a cavity 16 in addition to the top end 14 mentioned previously. The cavity 16 is used to position the base interlocking mechanism 13. In order to do so, the cavity 16 is sufficiently sized and traverses from the top end 14 towards the bottom end 15 allowing the base interlocking mechanism 13 to be centrally positioned within the cavity 16. The central positioning of the base interlocking mechanism 13 ensures that the base portion 12 is concentrically aligned with the cup 1 when attached via the cup interlocking mechanism 7.
In the process of utilizing the present invention, the following process flow is generally followed. Initially, the interchangeable sleeve 8 is positioned around the body portion 5 such that the first end 9 is positioned between the neck portion 4 and the body portion 5. Next, the base portion 12 is attached to the cup 1 via the cup interlocking mechanism 7 and the base interlocking mechanism 13. In doing so, the second end 11 is positioned in between the top end 14 and the body portion 5. As a result, the interchangeable sleeve 8 remains stationary. If the user wishes to switch the interchangeable sleeve 8, the base portion 12 is detached and the interchangeable sleeve 8 is removed. Subsequently, a preferred interchangeable sleeve 8 is positioned around the body portion 5 and the base portion 12 is reattached to the cup 1 as previously mentioned.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A drinking cup with an interchangeable sleeve comprises:

a cup;

an interchangeable sleeve;

a base portion;

the cup comprises an opening, a body portion, a base plate, and a cup interlocking mechanism;

the base portion comprises a base interlocking mechanism;

the base plate being adjacently and concentrically connected to the body portion;

the opening being positioned opposite the base plate along the body portion;

the body portion being removably positioned concentrically within the interchangeable sleeve;

the cup interlocking mechanism being connected to the base plate opposite to the body portion; and

the cup interlocking mechanism being removably attached to the base interlocking mechanism.

2. The drinking cup with an interchangeable sleeve as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:

the cup further comprises a rim and a neck portion;

the neck portion being concentrically connected to the body portion opposite the base plate;

the rim being positioned perimetrically along the neck portion opposite the body portion;

the opening being delineated by the rim;

the opening perpendicularly traversing through the neck portion and into the body portion; and

the neck portion being radially offset from the body portion.

3. The drinking cup with an interchangeable sleeve as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:

the interchangeable sleeve further comprises a sleeve body, a first end, a second end, an inner grip layer, and an outer aesthetic layer;

the sleeve body extending from the first end to the second end;

the inner grip layer encircling the body portion; and

the outer aesthetic layer encircling the inner grip layer.

4. The drinking cup with an interchangeable sleeve as claimed in claim 3 further comprises:

the first end being positioned between the body portion and a neck portion of the cup; and

the second end being positioned between the body portion and a top end of the base portion.

5. The drinking cup with an interchangeable sleeve as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:

the base portion further comprises a top end, a bottom end, and a cavity;

the cavity traversing from the top end towards the bottom end; and

the base interlocking mechanism being centrally positioned within the cavity.

6. The drinking cup with an interchangeable sleeve as claimed in claim 1 further comprises:

the cup interlocking mechanism being a first threaded portion;

the base interlocking mechanism being a second threaded portion; and

the first threaded portion being engaged to the second threaded portion.