TRAVEL MUG

This application claims the benefit of U S Provisional Patent Application No 60/913,209, filed April 20, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to travel mugs used to transport hot beverages

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Travel mugs are frequently used by coffee or other hot beverage consumers to transport such bevetages while driving, walking or otherwise engaged in activities outside of the coffee shop oi other beverage source

A difficulty with prior art travel mugs is that they fail to inform the user of the current temperature of the beverage Thus a user may suffer the poor taste of cold coffee, or may bum their lips or tongues on coffee that is too hot to drink comfortably

Another difficulty with prior art travel mugs is that, while they are typically branded by a provider (for example a particular trade-mark associated with a coffee shop), but are not typically otherwise branded (i e only one brand is typically available per cup)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The travel mug, according to the invention includes a mug having electronic temperature sensing and electronic as well as passive advertising display means Such a mug allows an advertiser to create advertising that is only visible when a warm beverage is within the mug Signals are used to indicate to the user the temperature of the beverage withm the mug

A travel mug is provided including means for measuring a temperature of a beverage within said travel mug, and means for signalling said temperature to a user by using an illuminated advertisement

A travel mug is also provided, including: a container configured to contain a beverage; a temperature sensor capable of determining the temperature of the beverage; a light positioned such that, when the light is on, an advertisement on the mug is illuminated; a controller in communication with said temperature sensor, the controller causing the light to turn on when the beverage exceeds a predetermined temperature.

The light and the controller may be powered by batteries positioned within a base of the mug. The controller may alternate between turning the light on and off when the beverage exceeds a predetermined temperature, and may increase a pause between turning the light on and turning the light off as the beverage cools.

The travel mug may include an inner case and an outer case, the outer case having a display cover, the advertisement printed on the display cover. The mug may further include a cover, the cover having a slider moveable to a first position whereby the beverage is secured within the mug, and a second position whereby the beverage is accessible via an aperture within the cover.

The light may be off if the temperature is approximately 70° or less, and may remain on when the temperature is greater than 80° C. Furthermore, the light may be intermittently on and off when the temperature is between 70° C and 80° C.

The travel mug may have a second advertisement printed on the outer casing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the components of a travel mug according to the invention; and

Figure 2 is a side view thereof;

Figure 3 is a cutaway side view thereof, taken along line A-A; and

Figure 4 is a top view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As seen in Figure 2, the travel mug 10 according to the invention allows advertisers to show an advertisement 30 within a display area 20 on travel mug 10 that is only visible when LED lights 40 within mug 10 are on. LED lights 40 may flash to inform the user, and the speed of the flashing may be used as an indicator of the temperature of the beverage. For example, when the beverage is first served at a high temperature, for example 80-100° C, LED lights 40 may remain on, and as the temperature cools to a comfortable drinking temperature, such as 80° C, LED lights 40 begin flashing. As the beverage cools to 70° C, LED lights 40 are not illuminated at all, and advertisement 30 is not visible. Other temperatures may also be selected to trigger illumination, flashing or turning off of LED lights 40, for example LED lights 40 may remain on until the beverages reaches 70° C, then they may flash from 60-70° C, and turn off below 70° C. In another embodiment of the invention, the flashing step may be omitted and LED lights 40 will be on when the temperature is over a certain predetermined level, for example a temperature between 60-100° C.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2, a conventional advertisement 45, in the example shown for "Cherry Hill Coffee", is printed on mug 10 in a conventional manner. Advertisement 30, represented in Figure 2 as the words "Travel Mug" in display area 20, are visible only when hot or warm beverage is poured into travel mug 10. The wanner the beverage, the faster the words "Travel Mug" will flash, or the words may remain visible, until the beverage cools to a certain temperature.

As seen in Figure 1, travel mug 10 includes an outer case 50 and inner case 60. Outer case 50 may be made of stainless steel and/or plastic and is shaped to allow users to hold it comfortably (as shown in Figure 1, outer case 50 may include indents 57 for ease of gripping mug 10). Outer case 50 is generally cylindrical with an opening at the tope end thereof for receiving lid 150. Outer case 50 also has an indent for positioning LED lights 40 within display cover 120. The circumference of mug 10 may decrease towards the bottom end of mug 10 for ease of gripping mug 10. Mug 10 may have a handle (not shown) also for ease of gripping and may have a plastic insulative layer cover part of the outer surface of mug 10.

The beverage is stored within inner case 60, which is sized to fit securely within outer case 50. Inner case 60 may be made of stainless steel, for its insulative properties. Typically inner case 60 is also generally cylindrical with a shape corresponding to outer case 50. Inner case 60 also has an open top end configured to fit with lid 140 to prevent the beverage from passing through the top end of inner case 60. Temperature sensor 70 is located at the bottom end 65 of inner case 60 and is in communication with control module 80, possibly via wires 85. Temperature sensor 70 should be configured to determine the temperature of the beverage within inner case 60. If the insulative properties of inner case 60 prevent temperature sensor 70 from accurately reading the temperature of the beverage, an "error" factor may be determined, for example if the temperature measured by temperature sensor 70 is always 2° C less than the actual temperature of the beverage, this can be corrected by setting control module 80 to add 2° C to the measured temperature. Control module 80 may be a printed circuit board (PCB), powered by batteries 90, which may be nickel cadmium or lithium ion batteries. Temperature sensor 70, control module 80 and batteries 90 may be positioned between bottom end 65 of inner case 60 and mug base 100, which is securable to the bottom 55 of outer case 50, however other locations may be used, for example temperature sensor 70 may be placed anywhere between inner case 60 and outer case 50. Base 100 may include projections 1 10 to support batteries 90, and batteries 90 can be replaced by unsecuring base 100 from outer case 50 and removing batteries 90.

Display cover 120 and flash control module 130 are positioned on outer case 50 within the indent coverable by display cover 120. Display cover 120 covers LED lights 40 so that LED lights 40 are not exposed to outside elements. Flash control module 130 is powered by batteries 90. In an embodiment of the invention, flash control module 130, as instructed by control module 80, sets the rate at which LED lights 40 flash based on input received by control module 80 from temperature sensor 70. Control module 80 receives either real time information about the temperature of the beverage from temperature sensor 70 or receives temperature information at certain intervals, e.g. once every half second, from temperature sensor 70. In an embodiment of the invention, the greater the temperature of the beverage, the faster flash control module 130 causes LED lights 40 to flash, i.e. alternate on and off. LED lights 40, when on, illuminate advertisement 30 printed on display cover 120. As the beverage cools, the time between flashes increases (or alternatively, decreases), until at a certain preset temperature, for example at 70° C, the LED lights 40 remain off and

advertisement 30 will not be visible. Alternatively, the flashing LED lights 40 complete two cycles as LED lights 40 blink twice, following which steps of two cycles of two flashes followed by a pause, is repeated at a slower pace as the temperature decreases.

In alternative embodiment of then invention, the temperature of the beverage, as determined by temperature sensor 70, may be displayed digitally instead of advertisement 30, rather than signalled via the flashing LED lights 40. Advertisement 30 may printed on a lexan material and inserted between the display cover 120, which is made of translucent plastic, and LED lights 40, which may be diffused lights.

As shown in Figure 3, mug 10 may include strainer 135 positionable within inner case 60, for the placement of tea bags, coffee bags, or the like. Strainer 135 is supported within inner case 60 by lip 140 which prevents strainer 135 from slipping downward. Lid 150 is configured to fit snugly within inner case 60 to prevent leakage of the beverage from mug 10 when lid 150 is on.

Lid 150 is shown in Figure 4. Slider 160 is positioned to move from a first position wherein the beverage cannot pass through lid 150, and a second position wherein a user can drink through an aperture in lid 150.

Although the particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus lie within the scope of the present invention.