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Liquid container cap with integral steeper

Liquid container cap with integral steeper description/claims

The present invention generally relates to a liquid container cap with an integral steeper. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disposable hot drink cup lid having a multi-position integral steeper that adjustably immerses a teabag in a beverage solution.

Beverages such as coffee, cocoa, tea, or the like are typically placed in a cup and covered with a disposable lid. Cups are generally manufactured from Styrofoam or other comparable paper material. For hot drinks, especially, the cup may include an insulation material disposed therearound. The corresponding lid fits over the top of the cup and is effective to prevent spillage. But, after lid placement, users may endeavor to add additional liquids or sweeteners such as milk, cream, flavor extracts, sugar, or the like. Typically, it is necessary to remove the lid so that users may add these desired ingredients. After removing the lid with one hand, the user basically has two choices. In one instance, the user sets the cup down on a stable surface and adds the desired ingredients with the hand originally holding the cup. If the user is unable to free the hand holding the cup, the user must release the lid in order to add the requisite ingredients. These actions are inconvenient and difficult, especially for on-the-go users. Moreover, such actions are even unsanitary in the latter instance.

The aforementioned cups are especially unsatisfactory for use with flavored drinks that are prepared by immersing a porous bag, containing tea or another flavoring, in a liquid. Immersing a teabag, for example, in hot water allows soluble components from the tea to mix with the solution thereby producing the flavored beverage. This process is called steeping or brewing by infusion. Teabags absorb liquid and swell in size thereby increasing in weight during steeping. The longer the teabag remains in the hot water solution, the stronger the beverage tastes. Teabags remain in the hot water until the desired darkness and tea strength is achieved. Users must dispose of the teabag after removal.

Cups typically include a cover or lid to prevent the beverage from splashing, spilling, or becoming contaminated from external substances. The lids are sized and shaped to fit on and around the edge of a drink container. Most lids are specifically designed for consumption rather than beverage preparation. Some lids include an opening sealed by a depressible tab or hinged flap. Other lids incorporate a small opening therein to allow beverage consumption from the side wall or through a straw. Straw insertion areas are typically formed by cutting two symmetrical crossing incisions through the lid. Users force the straw tip through the incised area to access the beverage. The lids are also typically configured for use with multi-sized cups, like disposable cups commonly used at fast food restaurants. These disposable lids are manufactured from a disposable plastic or other comparable material. Drinking cups generally have a circular upper lip or rim with a bead to receive and secure the lid thereon. Still other lids function to moderate beverage temperature to prevent cooling of a hot liquid or to prevent warming of a cold liquid.

The aforementioned cups and lids generally do not anticipate use with a teabag. Tea is brewed by placing a teabag in hot water. The teabag is attached to a string that hangs over the outside edge of the cup. A finger tip sized tag is generally attached to the string at the opposite end of the teabag. These tabs frequently inadvertently fall into the cup when either pouring the hot water or stirring the beverage. The soggy string and tag are then fished out of the beverage in order to eventually remove the teabag.

Teabags are suspended within the liquid portion of the cup to avoid having the tags or string fall to the cup bottom. This allows the consumer to immerse a teabag within the hot water without touching the teabag or liquid. In one design, the string is attached to the cup edge or cup walls. When the tag and string are attached to the cup wall, the distance the teabag extends into the liquid is relatively fixed. Hence, beverages can only be brewed while the hot water is high enough to immerse the bag therein. Unfortunately, placing the teabag near the cup top increases the risk of liquid splashing. Hot water splashing out of the cup may injure the person preparing, serving, or consuming the beverage. Splashing may also stain surrounding objects such as clothing or a tablecloth. In some instances the cup may become top-heavy when the teabag is attached to an outward extending cup wall. Top-heavy cups are prone to tipping and spilling. In particular, these cups are not suitable for preparation or consumption for users on-the-go. The teabag is removed by pulling the string when the teabag is brewed to user satisfaction.

Prior art cup and lid combinations fail to address the growing need to accommodate tea drinkers unable to stop and wait for the steeping process. Current intricate cup and lid combinations designed to retain teabags are complicated in structure and are too costly to manufacture on a large scale. Hence, there are no practical disposable cup and lid combinations suitable for such use. Furthermore, the lids are not readily stackable and therefore cost more to ship and store. Other designs do not include a handle or other mechanism to retain the teabag tag. Users must manually dip the teabag in the hot water. This is particularly difficult for users on-the-go because users must hold the cup with one hand and manually dip the teabag with the other hand. These cups and lids do not provide a mechanism wherein the teabag is held in place during the steeping process or when the beverage is being consumed. Hence, many tea drinkers need two hands to support and manipulate the beverage cup, corresponding lid (if detached), and teabag. Users no longer have a free hand and must juggle the cup with other belongings. Furthermore, traditional teabag cups and lids are especially inconvenient for on-the-go users. Users with limited time are taxed by the extensive pre-use preparation process, especially when handling multiple items such as carry-out food, other beverages, a briefcase, or other work or travel related items. Manipulating and operating the cup, lid, and teabag is simply too much.

Accordingly, there is a need for a disposable drink cup lid with an integral steeper. Such a lid should be easily stackable and cost effective to manufacture. The lid should incorporate the steeper such that a teabag, for example, is substantially immersed in the liquid held within the corresponding cup. Such a steeper should be located concentric to the corresponding cup and have multiple configurations that enable users to continually immerse a corresponding teabag as the beverage is consumed. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.

The present invention is directed to a liquid container cap, preferably a disposable drinking cup cap generally including a lid and a steeper. The lid includes a cover portion extending substantially over an upper opening of the container. The lid may also include a peripheral lid retainer integrally formed from the cover portion and engageable with an upper lip of the container. A slit in the cover portion of the lid may be configured to selectively receive a straw. Alternatively, a drinking aperture in the lid is capable of dispensing the contents of the container (drinking cup) for consumption.

The steeper preferably comprises a slit, a hook or an angled slot and is integrally formed from the lid. Accordingly, the steeper is defined in the cover portion by a set of scorelines therein. The steeper is pivotable between a first position wherein the steeper and the lid cooperatively partially cover the upper opening of the drinking cup, and a second position wherein the steeper extends into the drinking cup from the lid. The steeper may include a first extension pivotable about a hinge for positioning the steeper within the drinking cup. In one embodiment, a portion of the first extension is selectively detachable from the lid. In another embodiment, the steeper further includes a second extension coupled to the first extension. In this embodiment, the first extension fully detaches from the lid and remains coupled to the second extension via a hinge. Accordingly, the second extension pivots about a second hinge coupled to the lid.

The disposable drinking cup cap of the present invention is preferably configured for nestable storage with other similar lids. The drinking cup cap may further include a flavoring agent selectively detachable from the steeper. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the flavoring agent comprises a tea bag. The steeper may also comprise a tab in place of the slit, hook or angled slot.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lid of the present invention having an integral hook steeper;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1, further illustrating the steeper depressed along a first section;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lid of FIGS. 1 and 2, further illustrating the steeper depressed along the first section and a second section;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lid in FIG. 1, taken along the line 4-4;

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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