Beaker

The invention concerns a beaker in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. Such a beaker is known from WO 2005115204. The disadvantage of the known beaker is that the handle that operates the valve plate is for a part located inside the beaker, which makes cleaning the inside of the beaker difficult.

In order to overcome this disadvantage the beaker according the invention is in accordance with the charac- teπzing part of claim 1. By locating the handle completely outside the beaker only the inside surface of the cup and the cover and one side of the valve plate are in contact with the fluid inside the beaker. The handle and its associated hinge are outside the beaker. This makes cleaning the beaker easy and reduces the risk that food particles are exposed to surfaces that are not cleaned properly.

In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is designed in accordance with claim 2. By making the handle and the valve plate as a single part a hinge connection is avoided, so that the area where food particles flow has no nooks or ridges that can give cause for bacterial growth if not cleaned properly.

In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is de- signed in accordance with claim 3. In this way, the handle is over a considerable distance at the side of the cup, so that a person that grips his hands around the cup can activate the handle in the same grip.

In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is de- signed in accordance with claim 4. In this way activating the handle at the side of the cup is more effective for lowering the valve plate from the sealing surface. This

is especially useful for users who are not able to or less inclined to press the handle on top of the cover. A further advantage is that it is easier to tilt the beaker more without the need to tilt one's head as the top sur- face of the cover is now inclined so that one's nose does not get in the way. This is advantageous for users for whom it is difficult to tilt one's head backwards, such as for older or infirm people.

In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is de- signed in accordance with claim 5. In this way, the valve plate closes the opening watertight in an easy way. By letting the resilient lip extend from the sealing surface or the valve plate for some distance it is easer to clean the lip, for instance in a dishwasher. In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is designed in accordance with claim 6. In this way, fluid outside the opening generally flows back into the cup, when the beaker is tilted back to its vertical position. Downward flowing of fluid is thereby limited as much as possible.

In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is de ^¬ signed in accordance with claim 7. In this way, the drinking ridge can rest properly against the user's lips.

In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is de- signed in accordance with claim 8. In this way assembling and disassembling the handle and the cover is easy.

In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is designed in accordance with claim 9. In this way the opening is always closed when the cover is on the cup and the valve plate is loose from the opening when the cover is removed from the cup and is then in a position to be cleaned.

In accordance with one embodiment, the beaker is de ^¬ signed in accordance with claim 10. In this way the aeration opening is opened first before opening the opening from which the fluid is drunk. This is advantageous in situations whereby there are carbonated drinks in the beaker that create a pressure inside the beaker. This pressure causes that opening the valve plate needs a higher force. For opening the aeration opening there is less force needed when there is a pressure inside the beaker so that infirm hands can open the valve as well.

Hereafter the invention is explained showing two em ^¬ bodiments with the aid of a drawing. In the drawing Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a beaker, Figure 2 shows a top view of the beaker of figure 1, Figure 3 shows a cross section of a cover of the beaker of figure 1 with a valve in open position, and Figure 4 shows the cross section of figure 3 with the cover placed on top of a cup, Figure 5 shows a detail of figure 4 with the valve slightly open, and

Figure 6 shows a second embodiment of the valve of figure 5.

Figures 1 and 2 show a beaker with a cup 1 with a longitudinal axis L and cover 2. The cover 2 fits with a rim 14 around an upper ridge of the cup 1. Above the rim 14 the cover 2 has a cylindrical side surface 3 and an oblique top surface 4. The top surface 4 has an opening 20 with a seal 6 against which a valve plate 7 can close the opening 20. In the shown embodiment the valve plate 7 is a fixed part of a handle 8. In another embodiment there can be a flexible connection such as a hinge between the handle 8 and the valve plate 7. In that case it might be possible to have a less flexible seal 6.

The handle 8 can rotate around a hinge pin 21 that is indicated in figure 1 in interrupted lines. The hinge pin 21 is located at the side of the cup 1 for instance between half and three quarters of the diameter of the cup 1 below the upper ridge of the cup 1. A side part 11 of the handle 8 is more or less parallel to the sidewall of the cup 1 and the handle 8 follows the oblique top surface 4 towards the valve plate 7. The handle 8 is at both sides protected from in advertent moving by a top ridge 9 on the oblique top surface 4. The top ridges 9 have notches 10 in order to make actuating the handle 8 easier. The handle 8 has a raise 22 near or at the same location as the notch 10 against which the finger of a user can rest and push, so improving the ease of use. A side ridge 12 protects the side part 11 of the handle 8 at both sides, a stiffener 13 strengthens the side ridge 12 and the hinge pin 21 is fitted between both side ridges 12.

The cover 2 has in the oblique surface 4 a drinking ridge 5 against which the user can position his lips while drinking. This drinking ridge 5 surrounds the opening 20 and the drinking ridge 5 runs into the top ridges 9. Between the top ridges 9 and near the lower side of the opening 20 under the handle 8 there is a leakage ridge 15 to prevent fluid from flowing from the opening 20 over the oblique surface 4 downwards to between the top ridges 9. Preferably, the opening 20 has a more or less oval shape, or at least a shape with a longer and a shorter dimension, so that the valve plate 7 can be threaded through the opening 20 or at least such a width that the width of the handle 8 can be threaded through the opening 20.

Figure 3 shows a section of the cover 2 whereby the valve plate 7 is at a distance of the seal 6 and the

opening 20 is open. The handle 8 can rotate around the hinge pin 21 and has near the hinge pin 21 a tensioner 17. This tensioner 17 can move between the side ridges 12, in the situation that the cover 2 is not mounted on a cup 1 (as shown in figure 3) the handle 8 can rotate freely around the hinge pin 21. For assembling the handle 8 on the cover 2, the valve plate 7 is threaded through opening 20 and the handle 8 is then clamped around the hinge pin 21. The oblique surface 4 makes an angle α with the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L of the cup. Preferably the angle α has a value between 30 and 60 degrees. If the angle α has a value of more than 20 degrees it is easier to drink from the beaker and to empty the cup 1 as the user needs to tilt his head with the cup 1 over this angle α less than usual than he has to tilt his head with a cup with a flat covering. This reduced requirement for tilting is an advantage for users who have trouble tilting their head, such as elderly persons. In addition, by placing the seal 6 under the angle α, the movement of the handle 8 creates a larger opening between the seal 6 and the valve plate 7, especially when the user pushes against the side part 11 of the handle 8. This improves the ease of use for users who prefer to grip the beaker around the cup 1 and who have trouble pushing the handle 8 on top.

In the shown embodiment, the seal 6 is attached to or part of the inclined surface 4. In another embodiment, the seal 6 can be fixed on the valve plate 7. Figure 4 shows the beaker whereby the cover 2 is fastened on the cup 1. In the inside of the rim 14 there are three grooves 16 whereby in each groove 16 a latch 18 of the cup 1 can be inserted when the cup 1 is fitted in-

side the rim 14. By slightly turning the cup 1 relative to the cover 2 the latches 18 lock into the grooves 16 and the cover 2 is locked on the cup 1.

When the cup 1 is inserted into the rim 14 the out- side circumference of the cup 1 pushes against the ten- sioner 17 and so rotates the handle 8 around the hinge pin 21 until the valve plate 7 presses against the seal 6 and closes the opening 20. The tensioner 17 and the han ^¬ dle 8 are elastically deformable so that the valve plate 7 presses with a certain force against the seal 6.

Figure 5 shows the seal 6 in more detail and shows that the seal 6 has a lip 19 that can deform easily and so ensures that the seal 6 fully closes the opening 20. This means that when the cover 2 is placed on a cup 1 filled with fluid, that then the fluid cannot spill or flow out of the beaker unless the handle 8 is operated. Even when the beaker falls, the handle 8 is protected by the top ridges 9 and the side ridges 12 against undesired movement and the tensioner 17 presses the valve plate 7 into its closed position against the seal 6.

Figure 6 shows a different embodiment for closing the opening 20 in the same view as in figure 5. In this embodiment a valve plate 26, which is similar to the earlier described valve plate 7, closes against the seal 6 that is fastened in the oblique surface 4. A handle 27, which is similar to the earlier described handle 8, has at its end a plug 24 that is fastened to it with a ridge 23. The circumference of the plug 24 fastens the valve plate 26 to the handle 27 where there is an aeration opening 25 between the plug 24 and the valve plate 26.

The aeration opening 25 is not cylindrical but elliptical or any other shape that positions the valve plate 26 in a fixed rotational position relative to the handle 27. This

way the valve plate 26 has fixed rotational position relative to the seal 6, so that it can close the opening 20.

In normal use, the handle 27 pulls the valve plate 26 via the plug 24 and the valve plate 26 closes against the seal 6. When the user pushes against the handle 27 the handle 27 pushes the plug 24 free of the valve plate 26 there is an aeration opening 25. In a situation where there is a gaseous fluid in the cup 1, the pressure that might be in the closed beaker pushes the valve plate 26 against the seal 6 and the plug 24 against the valve plate 26. When pushing the handle 27 only the force of the pressure against the plug 24 must be overcome for opening the aeration opening 25. After the pressure is released from this opening 25 and the handle 27 pushes against the valve plate 26 it is easy to move the valve plate 26 and create the opening 20 for drinking out of the beaker. When drinking out of the beaker air can flow into the beaker through the aeration opening 25 so that the fluid flow is more even.