초록 ▼

A collapsible drinking cup assembly having a plurality of annular ring segments each flexibly coupled together, end-to-end. An upper drinking lip segment of the ring segments includes an interior and exterior sidewall such that the drinking lip segment tapers inwardly from a lower base portion to an

A collapsible drinking cup assembly having a plurality of annular ring segments each flexibly coupled together, end-to-end. An upper drinking lip segment of the ring segments includes an interior and exterior sidewall such that the drinking lip segment tapers inwardly from a lower base portion to an annular upper distal edge thereof. A support floor of the cup apparatus includes an annular bottom flange extending radially beyond an exterior wall of the bottom ring segment. Atop lid member extends over an opening into the cup apparatus, and includes a pair of opposed, inner and outer contact walls that collectively define an annular receiving groove therebetween. The cup apparatus can be expanded from a collapsed position to an expanded position when both the annular bottom flange and the lid member are radially gripped and axially pulled apart longitudinally thereof before separation of the lid member from the drinking lip segment.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A collapsible drinking cup assembly comprising: a flexible cup apparatus manually movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, said cup apparatus including:a plurality of annular ring segments each flexibly coupled together, end-to-end, at a flexible, annular fold interface, and

1. A collapsible drinking cup assembly comprising: a flexible cup apparatus manually movable between a collapsed position and an expanded position, said cup apparatus including:a plurality of annular ring segments each flexibly coupled together, end-to-end, at a flexible, annular fold interface, and sequentially sized and dimensioned such that each respective adjacent lower ring segment is concentrically nested within each respective adjacent upper ring segment, when in the collapsed position, said plurality of annular ring segments includes an upper drinking lip segment having an interior sidewall and an exterior sidewall such that the drinking lip segment tapers inwardly from a lower base portion to an annular upper distal edge thereof, at least one of said interior sidewall and said exterior side wall of said drinking lip segment being concave, anda support floor extending over a bottom portion of a bottom ring segment of said plurality of annular ring segments, said support floor having an annular bottom flange extending radially beyond an exterior wall of said bottom ring segment; anda relatively rigid top lid member having a top lid portion formed and dimensioned to extend over an opening into said cup apparatus defined by said upper distal edge of said drinking lip segment, said top lid member having a pair of opposed, inner and outer contact walls downstanding from said top lid portion that collectively define an annular receiving groove therebetween formed and dimensioned for friction-fit receipt of the drinking lip segment therein, said lower base portion of said drinking lip segment includes an upward facing annular shoulder portion formed and dimensioned to seat against a lower annular edge of said exterior contact wall of said top lid member when said drinking lip segment is fully received within said receiving groove, forming an air-tight seal such that said cup apparatus can be expanded from the collapsed position to the expanded position when both the annular bottom flange and the lid member are radially gripped and axially pulled apart longitudinally thereof before separation of the lid member from the drinking lip segment. 2. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 1, wherein said exterior sidewall of said drinking lip segment is concave. 3. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cup apparatus is comprised of silicone rubber. 4. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 1, wherein said top lid member defines one or more communication apertures extending therethrough. 5. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 1, wherein said annular ring segments include alternating cylindrical ring segments and conical ring segments when oriented in the expanded position. 6. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 1, wherein said top lid member includes an annular, central container wall downwardly depending from said top lid portion, defining a primary container cavity; and said cup assembly further including:a relatively rigid container cover member having a container cover portion formed and dimensioned to extend over an opening into said primary container cavity, defined by a lower distal edge of said central container wall, said container cover member further includes an annular cover contact wall upstanding from said container cover portion, and formed and dimensioned to cooperate with said central container wall for mounting thereto. 7. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 6, wherein one of an outer facing surface of said central container wall and an inner facing surface of the cover contact wall defines an annular ledge portion, and the other of said inner facing surface of the cover contact wall and the outer facing surface of said central container wall defines at least one retaining nub formed and dimensioned to cooperate with said annular ledge portion for friction-fit engagement therebetween. 8. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 6, further including: a relatively rigid intermediary cover device having an intermediary cover portion formed and dimensioned to extend over said opening into said primary container cavity, said intermediary cover device having an annular upper contact wall upstanding from said intermediary cover portion and being formed and dimensioned for friction-fit association with said central container wall for mounting of said intermediary cover device thereto, andsaid intermediary cover device further including an annular lower contact wall downwardly depending from said intermediary cover portion and defining a secondary container cavity therein, said lower contact wall being formed and dimensioned for friction-fit association with the annular cover contact wall of said container cover portion for mounting thereto, enclosing the secondary container cavity. 9. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 8, wherein one of an outer facing surface of said central container wall and an inner facing surface of the upper contact wall of the intermediary cover device defines an annular upper ledge portion, and the other of said inner facing surface of the upper contact wall of the intermediary cover device and the outer facing surface of said central container wall defines at least one upper retaining nub formed and dimensioned to cooperate with said annular upper ledge portion for friction-fit engagement therebetween, andone of an outer facing surface of said annular lower contact wall of said intermediary cover device and central container wall and an inner facing surface of the cover contact wall defines an annular lower ledge portion, and the other of said inner facing surface of the cover contact wall and the outer facing surface of said lower contact wall of said intermediary cover device defines at least one lower retaining nub formed and dimensioned to cooperate with said lower ledge portion for friction-fit engagement therebetween. 10. A collapsible drinking cup assembly comprising: a flexible cup apparatus manually movable along a longitudinal axis thereof between a collapsed position and an expanded position, said cup apparatus including: a plurality of annular ring segments each flexibly coupled together, end-to-end, at a flexible, annular fold interface, and sequentially sized and dimensioned such that each respective adjacent lower ring segment is concentrically nested within each respective adjacent upper ring segment, when in the collapsed position, said plurality of annular ring segments includes an upper drinking lip segment and a bottom ring segment, said upper drinking lip segment having an annular upper distal edge thereof defining an opening into the cup apparatus, and an interior sidewall and an exterior sidewall such that the drinking lip segment tapers inwardly from a lower base portion thereof to said upper distal edge thereof, at least one of said interior sidewall and said exterior side wall of said drinking lip segment being concave, and said bottom ring segment having a support floor extending over a bottom portion of a bottom ring segment,wherein in said collapsed position, said cup apparatus having a collapsed height, along said longitudinal axis thereof, extending from said upper distal edge to an interior bottom surface of said support floor;a relatively rigid top lid member having a top lid portion formed and dimensioned to extend over said opening into said cup apparatus when removably mounted to said cup apparatus in a closed condition, said top lid member having a pair of opposed, inner and outer contact walls down standing from said top lid portion that collectively define an annular receiving groove therebetween formed and dimensioned for friction-fit receipt of the drinking lip segment therein, forming an air-tight seal, said top lid member further includes an annular, central container wall downwardly depending from said top lid portion, defining a primary container cavity; anda relatively rigid container cover member having a container cover portion formed and dimensioned to extend over an opening into said primary container cavity, defined by a lower distal edge of said central container wall, said container cover further includes an annular cover contact wall upstanding from said container cover portion, and formed and dimensioned to cooperate association with said central container wall for mounting thereto;said top lid member and said container cover member being formed and dimensioned such that when said container cover member is removably mounted to said top lid member, a longitudinal cover height extending from a top surface of the top lid member to a bottom surface of said container cover member is generally the same as said collapsed height of the cup apparatus, in said collapsed condition, when said cup apparatus and said top lid member are in the closed condition; andsaid lower base portion of said drinking lip segment includes an upward facing annular shoulder portion formed and dimensioned to seat against a lower annular edge of said exterior contact wall of said top lid member when said drinking lip segment is fully received within said receiving groove, forming said air-tight seal. 11. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 10, wherein said top lid member defines one or more communication apertures extending therethrough. 12. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 10, wherein one of an outer facing surface of said central container wall and an inner facing surface of the cover contact wall defines an annular ledge portion, and the other of said inner facing surface of the cover contact wall and the outer facing surface of said central container wall defines at least one retaining nub formed and dimensioned to cooperate with said annular ledge portion for friction-fit engagement therebetween. 13. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 10, wherein said exterior sidewall of said drinking lip segment is concave. 14. A collapsible drinking cup assembly comprising: a flexible cup apparatus manually movable along a longitudinal axis thereof between a collapsed position and an expanded position, said cup apparatus including:a plurality of annular ring segments each flexibly coupled together, end-to-end, at a flexible, annular fold interface, and sequentially sized and dimensioned such that each respective adjacent lower ring segment is concentrically nested within each respective adjacent upper ring segment, when in the collapsed position, said plurality of annular drinking lip ring segments includes an upper drinking lip segment and a bottom ring segment, said upper ring drinking lip segment having an annular upper distal edge thereof defining an opening into the cup apparatus, and an interior sidewall and an exterior sidewall such that the drinking lip segment tapers inwardly from a lower base portion thereof to said upper distal edge thereof, at least one of said interior sidewall and said exterior side wall of said drinking lip segment being concave, and said bottom ring segment having a support floor extending over a bottom portion of a bottom ring segment,wherein in said collapsed position, said cup apparatus having a collapsed height, along said longitudinal axis thereof, extending from said upper distal edge to an interior bottom surface of said support floor;a relatively rigid top lid member having a top lid portion formed and dimensioned to extend over said opening into said cup apparatus when removably mounted to said cup apparatus in a closed condition, said top lid member having a pair of opposed, inner and outer contact walls down standing from said top lid portion that collectively define an annular receiving groove therebetween formed and dimensioned for friction-fit receipt of the drinking lip segment therein, forming an air-tight seal, said top lid member further includes an annular, central container wall downwardly depending from said top lid portion, defining a primary container cavity;a relatively rigid intermediary cover device having an intermediary cover portion formed and dimensioned to extend over an opening into said primary container cavity, defined by a lower distal edge of said central container wall, said intermediary cover device having an annular upper contact wall upstanding from said intermediary cover portion and being formed and dimensioned for friction-fit association with said central container wall for mounting of said intermediary cover device thereto, said intermediary cover device further including an annular lower contact wall downwardly depending from said intermediary cover portion and defining an opening into a secondary container cavity therein;a relatively rigid container cover member having a container cover portion formed and dimensioned to extend over said opening into said secondary container cavity, said container cover further includes an annular cover contact wall upstanding from said container cover portion, and formed and dimensioned to cooperate with said lower contact wall for mounting thereto;said top lid member, said intermediary cover device, and said container cover member being formed and dimensioned such that when said intermediary cover device is removably mounted to said top lid member, and said container cover member is removably mounted to said intermediary cover device, a collective longitudinal cover height extending from a top surface of the top lid member to an exterior bottom surface of said container cover member is generally the same as said collapsed height of the cup apparatus, in said collapsed condition, when said cup apparatus and said top lid member are in the closed condition and;said lower base portion of said drinking lip segment includes an upward facing annular shoulder portion formed and dimensioned to seat against a lower annular edge of said exterior contact wall of said top lid member when said drinking lip segment is fully received within said receiving groove, forming said air-tight seal. 15. The collapsible drinking cup assembly according to claim 14, wherein one of an outer facing surface of said central container wall and an inner facing surface of the upper contact wall of the intermediary cover device defines an annular upper ledge portion, and the other of said inner facing surface of the upper contact wall of the intermediary cover device and the outer facing surface of said central container wall defines at least one upper retaining nub formed and dimensioned to cooperate with said annular upper ledge portion for friction-fit engagement therebetween, and one of an outer facing surface of said annular lower contact wall of said intermediary cover device and central container wall and an inner facing surface of the cover contact wall defines an annular lower ledge portion, and the other of said inner facing surface of the cover contact wall and the outer facing surface of said lower contact wall of said intermediary cover device defines at least one lower retaining nub formed and dimensioned to cooperate with said lower ledge portion for friction-fit engagement therebetween.