TODAY’S PATENT – NON-SPILL DRINKING CONTAINER

Non-Spill drinking container invented jointly by Steven Bryan Dunn, Mark A. Hatherill, Kevin Douglas Johnson and Matthew Joseph Saxton and the patent was filed by Munchkin Inc who is also the current assignee for the invention. The patent was granted by the USPTO on 13^th February 2018 while the same was published on 19-10-2017. The invention has been granted patent by EP, Canada, Japan, Australia and China.

 The invention addresses the challenge of transitioning infants from conventional bottles to open cups by introducing a spill-proof container design. During this developmental phase, children struggle with holding and using open cups, leading to spills. Existing spill-proof container covers often involve complex mechanisms and restrict drinking areas. The spill-proof container consists of a collar and seal assembly, allowing drinking from any point along the rim. The collar includes an open upper end, a closed lower end, and a sidewall with a tapered shape extending inward. The closed lower end features a projection with at least one passage for fluid flow.

The sidewall’s inner surface near the open upper end provides a support surface with radial protrusions, defining channels. A fastener assembly is positioned externally on the collar. The seal matches the open upper end’s shape and includes an aperture for securing the projection. This design facilitates spill-free drinking from various positions around the collar. Unlike conventional spill-proof covers, the proposed design avoids complex components and valve structures, offering a simpler solution to the spillage issue. Therefore, the innovation introduces a spill-proof container with a collar and seal assembly, allowing fluid consumption from any location along the rim.