US20170181556A1 - Snack and beverage container set - Google Patents

Abstract

A snack and beverage container set is revealed. The snack and beverage container set includes a first container for receiving beverage therein, a second container mounted in the first container and used for mounting snacks, a first cover covered over the first and second containers and a second cover rotatably disposed over the first cover. The first cover includes a circular shade and a wide opening penetrating the circular shade. The second cover includes a circular shell and a wide opening penetrating the circular shell. A straw is passed through a vertical slot of the first cover into the inner space of the first container for users to drink beverage. The second cover is also rotated to make the wide opening of the second cover align with or move away from the wide opening of the first cover for taking snacks or closing the second container.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to a snack and beverage container set, especially to a snack and beverage container set that includes a first cover and a second cover covered over openings on an upper part thereof. The second cover is rotatable in relation to the first cover so that a wide opening of the second cover is aligned or not aligned with a wide opening of the first cover. Thus users can get snacks in the snack and beverage container set through the wide openings or close a snack container.
• There are certain products of snack and beverage container sets available on the market for users to carry snacks and beverages, as revealed in US D608,147S, US D723,871S, etc. A snack and beverage container set includes a beverage container (first container), a snack container (second container) and a flip cover. The beverage container includes a deeper inner space for mounting beverages while the snack container has a smaller inner space for mounting snacks. The snack container is arranged over the beverage container. A vertical channel separated from the inner space of the snack container is arranged at an inner surface of an edge around an opening of the snack container and is communicated with the inner space of the beverage container. The flip cover is pivotally connected to a pivot shaft on the edge around the opening of the snack container and is pivotally rotated for opening or closing the snack container. While in use, a user inserts a straw through the vertical channel of the snack container into the inner space of the beverage container for drinking the beverage therein. At the same time, the flip cover is opened for the users to take snacks from the inner space of the snack container or closed to close the snack container.
• However, the conventional snack and beverage container set mentioned above has the following shortcomings while in use. When the flip cover is pivotally rotated to open the inner space of the snack container, the flip cover is rotated from a horizontal closed position (0 degree) to an open position with the angle of no less than 90 degrees (such as 180 degrees shown in FIG. 1 of US D608,147S). The pivotally rotated flip cover is moved upward or outward and a certain space for operation is required. This causes users inconvenience. Moreover, after being rotated pivotally, the flip cover is stayed at that angle and is supported by the pivot shaft. Whether the flip cover is stable depends on the structural strength of the pivot shaft disposed between the flip cover and the snack container. Once the structural strength of the pivot shaft is insufficient, the flip cover is easy to get loose and become unstable after being used for a long time. The device is inconvenient in use. In order to increase the structural strength of the pivot shaft for satisfying users' requirements, the production and assembly costs of the flip cover and the snack container produced by plastic injection molding, are increased. This has negative effect on mass production and market competitiveness of the snack and beverage container set. Thus there is room for improvement and a need to provide a snack and beverage container set with novel design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• Therefore it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a snack and beverage container set that includes a first container for receiving beverage, a second container for mounting snacks, a first cover and a second cover. The first cover movably fitted on and stopped by an upper edge of the first container and an upper flange of the second container by a flange thereof so that the first container, the second container and first cover are connected to form one part. The first cover is disposed with a circular shade extended upward. A wide opening is arranged at the circular shade and a vertical slot is arranged at the surface of the circular shade. The wide opening is penetrating the circular shade and communicated with the inner space of the second container while the vertical slot is separated from the inner space of the second container and is aligned with the vertical channel of the second container to be communicated with the inner space of the first container. The second cover is rotatably fitted on the first cover by a bottom edge and is further including a circular shell extended upward therefrom. A penetrating wide opening is arranged at the surface of the circular shell, aligned and communicated with the wide opening of the first cover. A user passes a straw through the first cover into the inner space of the first container so as to drink the beverage while in use. At the same time, the second cover is rotated to make the wide opening of the second cover align with or not align with the wide opening of the first cover. Thus the user can get access to the snacks in the second container through the wide openings communicated with each other or close the second container. Therefore users can get access to the beverage and the snacks conveniently.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment in which a snack container is a closed state according to the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment in which a snack container is an open state according to the present invention;
• FIG. 3 is a rear view of the embodiment inFIG. 1 according to the present invention;
• FIG. 4 is a rear view of the embodiment inFIG. 2 according to the present invention;
• FIG. 5 is an explosive view of the embodiment inFIG. 1 according to the present invention;
• FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing a first cover and a second cover of an embodiment according to the present invention;
• FIG. 7 is the embodiment inFIG. 6 viewed from another angle;
• FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing showing a longitudinal section of an embodiment (without the second cover) according to the present invention; pFIG. 9 is a schematic drawing showing a longitudinal section of an embodiment (with the second cover) according to the present invention;
• FIG. 10 is another embodiment according to the present invention;
• FIG. 11 is a further embodiment according to the present invention;
• FIG. 12 is a further embodiment according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
• Refer fromFIG. 1 toFIG. 5, a snack and beverage container set1 of the present invention of the present invention mainly includes afirst container10, asecond container20, afirst cover30 and asecond cover40, each of which is, but not limited to, formed integrally by plastic injection molding.
• Thefirst container10 consists of a larger inner space for receiving beverage therein and anupper edge12 around an opening on an upper part.
• Thesecond container20 is composed of a smallerinner space21 for mounting snacks, anupper flange22 around an opening and avertical channel23 disposed on an inner side of theupper flange22. Thesecond container20 is a snack container. Theinner space21 of thesecond container20 is fitted on theupper edge12 of thefirst container10 and theupper flange22 of thesecond container20 is stopped by theupper edge12 of thefirst container10. Thus theinner space21 is mounted into an upper part of theinner space11 of thefirst container10. Thevertical channel23 is separated from theinner space21 and communicated with theinner space11 of thefirst container10. Thevertical channel23 is used for astraw50 to pass through.
• Thefirst cover30 is movably fitted on theupper edge12 of thefirst container10 and theupper flange22 of thesecond container20 by aflange31 extended downward therefrom. Thus thefirst container10, thesecond container20 andfirst cover30 are connected by theflange31 of thefirst cover30 to form one part. Thefirst cover30 further includes acircular shade32 extended upward therefrom. The shape of thecircular shade32 can be a hemisphere (as shown inFIG. 1 toFIG. 5), a cone (FIG. 10), a truncated cone (FIG. 11), or a peach shape (FIG. 12).
• Awide opening33 is arranged at thecircular shade32 and is penetrating thecircular shade32 to be communicated with theinner space21 of thesecond container20. Take the hemisphericalcircular shape32 shown inFIGS. 1-5 as an example. The area of thewide opening33 is a bit smaller than half of the area of the hemisphericalcircular shade32. That's about a quarter of the area of the sphere. Avertical slot34 is arranged at the surface of thecircular shade32 and is separated from the inner space of thecircular shade32. That means thevertical slot34 is also separated from theinner space21 of thesecond container20. Thevertical slot34 is aligned with thevertical channel23 of thesecond container20 to be communicated with theinner space11 of thefirst container10.
• Thesecond cover40 includes abottom edge41, acircular shell42 extended upward, and awide opening43 penetrating thecircular shell42. Thesecond cover40 is rotatably disposed over thefirst cover30 by thebottom edge41. The shape of thecircular shell42 is, but not limited to, matched with the shape of thecircular shade32 of thefirst cover30. Thecircular shell42 of thesecond cover40 is located outside thecircular shade32 of thefirst cover30 and is rotatable in relation to thecircular shade32, as indicated by the arrow A inFIG. 1. The innercircular shade32 and the outercircular shell42 are rotatable in relation to each other. Thewide opening43 arranged at the surface of thecircular shell42 is aligned with and communicated with thewide opening33 on thecircular shade32 of thefirst cover30 for being further communicated with theinner space21 of thesecond container20. Moreover, the area ratio of thewide opening43 to the second over40 is preferred to be equal to the area ratio of thewide opening33 to the first over30. Take the hemisphericalcircular shape32 shown inFIGS. 1-5 as an example. The area of thewide opening33 is a bit smaller than half of the area of the hemisphericalcircular shade32. That's about a quarter of the area of the sphere. As to thewide opening43, it is also a bit smaller than half of the area of the hemisphericalcircular shell42. Yet thecircular shell42 is located outside thecircular shade32 so that the area of thewide opening43 of thecircular shell42 is a bit larger than the area of thewide opening33 of thefirst cover30. Except thewide opening43, the rest part of thecircular shell42 of thesecond cover40 can completely cover thewide opening33 of thefirst cover30 after being rotated.
• Refer fromFIG. 5 toFIG. 9, a user passes astraw50 through thevertical slot34 of thefirst cover30 and thevertical channel23 of thesecond container20 to reach theinner space11 of thefirst container10 while in use. Thus the user can drink the beverage inside theinner space11. Moreover, thesecond cover40 can be operated and rotated in relation to thefirst cover30 by the user to make thewide opening43 of the outersecond cover40 align with or not align with thewide opening33 of the innerfirst cover30, as indicated by the arrow A inFIG. 1. When thewide opening43 is rotated to be aligned with thewide opening33, the user can access and take the snacks from theinner space21 of thesecond container20. When thewide opening43 is rotated to be not aligned with thewide opening33, the rest part of thecircular shell42 of thesecond cover40 can completely cover thewide opening33 of thefirst cover30. Thewide opening33 of thefirst cover30 is closed by thecircular shell42 thecircular shell42 so that the user can't get access to the snacks in theinner space21 of thesecond container20.
• Thecircular shell42 of thesecond cover40 is located outside thecircular shade32 of thefirst cover30 and is rotated horizontally in relation to thecircular shade32. Thus the movement of thecircular shell42 is relation to thecircular shade32 is horizontal rotation. As to the conventional beverage container, the lid is pivotally connected to the beverage container and is lifted by the user. Compared with the conventional beverage container, the horizontal rotation of the present invention is more stable. Moreover, the pivot shaft used for connecting the lid to the beverage container is easy to loosen or damage after being used for a long time. The design of the present invention is more durable.
• Refer toFIG. 5, a plurality of locking pins13 is disposed outside and under theupper edge12 of thefirst container10 with the same interval. As shown inFIG. 1, there are, but not limited to, three lockingparts13. Refer toFIG. 7, a plurality of protrudingfasteners36 is arranged at the inner surface of theflange31 of thefirst cover30 with the same interval. As shown inFIG. 3, there are three protrudingfasteners36 corresponding to the locking pins13 of thefirst container10 respectively. Thereby the protrudingfasteners36 of thefirst cover30 can be stopped by and fastened on the locking pins13 of thefirst container10 tightly, as shown inFIG. 9. Thefirst container10 and thesecond container20 are connected and integrated firmly by theflange31 of thefirst cover30, without separated from each other.
• Furthermore, a plurality ofindentations24 is set on theupper flange22 of thesecond container20. Each protrudingfastener36 of thefirst cover30 is firstly aligned with and passed through theindentation24 of thesecond container20 and then stopped by and locked with the lockingpin13 of thefirst container10 tightly, as shown inFIG. 5 andFIG. 9.
• Refer toFIG. 6 andFIG. 7, a plurality of guide tracks45 is disposed on an inner surface of thebottom edge41 of thesecond cover40 with the same interval. There are3, but not limited to, guidetracks45 shown inFIG. 6 andFIG. 7. Acircular guide groove35 is arranged between theflange31 and thecircular shade32. Thecircular guide groove35 is corresponding to the threeguide tracks45 of thesecond cover40. Thereby eachguide track45 of thesecond cover40 is sliding stably in theguide groove35 of thefirst cover30 when thesecond cover40 is rotatably fitted on thefirst cover30 by thebottom edge41. Thus thecircular shell42 of thesecond cover40 located outside thecircular shade32 of thefirst cover30 is rotated stably in relation to thecircular shade32, as indicated by the arrow A inFIG. 1. The rotation of thecircular shell42 in relation to thecircular shade32 is stable.
• Refer fromFIG. 1 toFIG. 5, alug44 extended outward is arranged beside thewide opening43 of thesecond cover40 for users to rotate thesecond cover40 in relation to thefirst cover30 more conveniently. The user can drive (push or pull) thelug44 for rotating thesecond cover40 to move along the direction as indicated by the arrow A inFIG. 1. Thus thewide opening33 of thefirst cover30 originally covered and closed by thewide opening43 of the second cover40 (as shown inFIG. 1 andFIG. 3) is changed into an open state (shown inFIG. 2 andFIG. 4). Moreover, thelug44 is stopped beside thevertical slot34 of the first cover30 (or the straw50) when thewide opening33 of thefirst cover30 is in the closed state, as shown inFIG. 1 andFIG. 3.
• Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, and representative devices shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims (8)

What is claimed is:

1. A snack and beverage container set comprising:

a first container having an upper edge around an opening and a larger inner space for receiving beverage therein;

a second container moveably fitted on the upper edge of the first container and having an inner space mounted into an upper part of the inner space of the first container, an upper flange around an opening, and a vertical channel disposed on an inner side of the upper flange; the vertical channel separated from the inner space of the second container and communicated with the inner space of the first container;

a first cover movably fitted on and stopped by the upper edge of the first container and the upper flange of the second container by a flange thereof so that the first container, the second container and first cover are connected; the first cover having a circular shade extended upward thereof, a wide opening arranged at the circular shade and penetrating the circular shade to be communicated with the inner space of the second container, and a vertical slot separated from the inner space of the second container and aligned with the vertical channel of the second container to be communicated with the inner space of the first container; and

a second cover that is rotatably disposed over the first cover by a bottom edge thereof and having a circular shell extended upward, and a wide opening that is arranged at a surface of the circular shell, penetrating the circular shell, and communicated with the wide opening of the circular shade of the first cover;

wherein a straw is passed through the vertical slot of the first cover, the vertical channel of the second container and reached the inner space of the first container; the second cover is also rotated so that the wide opening of the second cover is aligned or not aligned with the wide opening of the first cover;

wherein users get access to the snacks in the inner space of the second container through the wide opening of the second cover when the wide opening of the second cover is aligned with the wide opening of the first cover;

wherein the wide opening of the first cover and the inner space of the second container are closed when the wide opening of the second cover is not aligned with the wide opening of the first cover.

2. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the first container, the second container, the first cover and the second cover are formed integrally by plastic injection molding respectively.

3. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a shape of the circular shell of the second cover is matched with a shape of the circular shade of the first cover.

4. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a shape of the circular shade of the first cover is selected from the group consisting of a hemisphere, a cone, a truncated cone, or a peach shape.

5. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a plurality of locking pins is disposed outside and under the upper edge of the first container with the same interval; a plurality of protruding fasteners is arranged at an inner surface of the flange of the first cover with the same interval;

thereby the protruding fasteners of the first cover are stopped by and fastened on the locking pins of the first container tightly and correspondingly so that the first container, the second container and the first cover are connected and integrated firmly by the flange of the first cover when the first cover is movably fitted on the upper edge of the first container and the upper flange of the second container by the flange thereof.

6. The device as claimed inclaim 5, wherein a plurality of indentations is set on the upper flange of the second container; each of the protruding fasteners of the first cover is firstly aligned with and passed through the indentation of the second container and then stopped by and firmly locked with the locking pin of the first container correspondingly.

7. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a plurality of guide tracks is disposed on an inner surface of the bottom edge of the second cover with the same interval; a circular guide groove is arranged between the flange and the circular shade of the first cover, and is corresponding to the guide tracks of the second cover; each of the guide track of the second cover is sliding in the guide groove of the first cover so that the circular shell of the second cover located outside the circular shade of the first cover is rotated in relation to the circular shade when the second cover is rotatably fitted on the first cover by the bottom edge thereof.

8. The device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein a lug extended outward is arranged beside the wide opening of the second cover; the second cover is rotated when the lug is driven by the user.

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