초록 ▼

A drinking aid adapted to engage, and facilitate drinking by a user from, a liquid container having a rim and an opening. The drinking aid has a body at least a portion of which defines a U-shaped groove adapted to receive the rim of the container when the rim slips into the groove and to create a m

A drinking aid adapted to engage, and facilitate drinking by a user from, a liquid container having a rim and an opening. The drinking aid has a body at least a portion of which defines a U-shaped groove adapted to receive the rim of the container when the rim slips into the groove and to create a mechanical engagement between the rim and the drinking aid. The body also engages the container to create a frictional fit between the drinking aid and the container. At least one of a column or angled arms disposed on the body form a V-shaped or U-shaped funnel directing and centering fluid from the container to an orifice either formed in the column or defined by the angled arms. The drinking aid prevents spillage of the liquid from the container when the user tilts the container to pour liquid through the orifice.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed: 1. An apparatus to facilitate drinking consisting essentially of: a container holding an edible liquid and having a rim defining a substantially horizontal plane and an opening, the container selected from the group consisting of a bowl, cup, and beverage container; and, a drinking

What is claimed: 1. An apparatus to facilitate drinking consisting essentially of: a container holding an edible liquid and having a rim defining a substantially horizontal plane and an opening, the container selected from the group consisting of a bowl, cup, and beverage container; and, a drinking aid having a body with a height of at least 0.25 inches, wherein at least a portion of the body defines a U-shaped groove adapted to receive the rim of the container when the rim slips into the groove, with the top of the body engaging the top of the rim, and to create a mechanical engagement between the rim and the drinking aid, the body also engaging the container to create a frictional fit between the drinking aid and the container; at least one of a column or angled arms disposed on the body to form a V-shaped or U-shaped funnel directing and centering liquid from the container to an orifice either formed in the column or defined by the angled arms; and means to prevent spillage of the liquid from the container when the user tilts the container to pour liquid through the orifice, the drinking aid having a height that extends above the plane of the rim by at least 0.375 inches. 2. The drinking aid according to claim 1 wherein the drinking aid is a single, integral, monolithic unit. 3. The drinking aid according to claim 1 wherein the drinking aid is manufactured from a resilient, flexible, non-toxic material. 4. The drinking aid according to claim 3 wherein the material is polyethylene. 5. The drinking aid according to claim 1 wherein the drinking aid can be removed from the container, cleaned, and reused. 6. The drinking aid according to claim 1 wherein the drinking aid has an annular shape adapted to correspond to that of the container. 7. The drinking aid according to claim 6 wherein the drinking aid extends only partially around the circumference of the container. 8. The drinking aid according to claim 1 wherein the orifice has a width of between one-half and one inch. 9. The drinking aid according to claim 1 wherein the drinking aid is bilaterally symmetrical about the center of the orifice of the drinking aid. 10. An apparatus to facilitate drinking consisting essentially of: a container holding an edible liquid and having a rim defining a substantially horizontal plane and an opening, selected from the group consisting of a bowl, cup, and beverage container; a drinking aid having a body with a height of at least 0.25 inches and defining a U-shaped groove adapted to receive the rim of the container when the rim slips into the groove, with the top of the body engaging the top of the rim, and to create a mechanical engagement between the rim and the drinking aid, the body also engaging the container to create a frictional fit between the drinking aid and the container; a leg extending downward from the body and adapted to engage the outside wall of the container to stabilize the drinking aid on the container; a neck having a height and extending upward from the body and transitioning to a column that has a height and forms a V-shaped or U-shaped funnel, above the plane defined by the rim, the funnel directing and centering fluid from the container to an orifice centrally formed by angled sides in the column; and a curved lip disposed on the end of the column opposite the neck, the lip having a height and helping to prevent spillage of the liquid from the container when the user tilts the container to pour liquid out the opening and through the orifice, the combined heights of the neck, column, and lip extending above the body by an amount at least 1.5 times the height of the body. 11. The drinking aid according to claim 10 wherein each of the column and lip have a beveled edge. 12. The drinking aid according to claim 10 wherein the drinking aid is a single, integral, monolithic unit. 13. The drinking aid according to claim 10 wherein the drinking aid is manufactured from a resilient, flexible, non-toxic material. 14. The drinking aid according to claim 13 wherein the material is polyethylene. 15. The drinking aid according to claim 10 wherein the drinking aid can be removed from the container, cleaned, and reused. 16. The drinking aid according to claim 10 wherein the drinking aid has an annular shape adapted to correspond to that of the container. 17. The drinking aid according to claim 16 wherein the drinking aid extends only partially around the circumference of the container. 18. The drinking aid according to claim 10 wherein the orifice has a width of between one-half and one inch. 19. The drinking aid according to claim 10 wherein the drinking aid is bilaterally symmetrical about the center of the orifice of the drinking aid.