GB2354932A - Flavouring holder for attachment to vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

An attachment for a drink or food receptacle such as a mug or bowl comprises a clip 1, 2 for releasably gripping the rim of the receptacle and at least one flavouring holder 3a, 3b, 3c supported by the clip. When the clip is fitted on a receptacle, the or each holder normally retains the flavouring without spillage but may have means (eg a hinge 11 about which it is pivotally displaceable) enabling flavouring to be discharged into the receptacle. The clip may comprise a saddle portion 1 for fitting over the receptacle rim and a resilient leg 2 which may be adjustable in position to vary the width of the saddle, Figure 5. The or each holder 3a, 3b, 3c may have a cover 5a, 5b, 5c removable such as by sliding. The flavourings in respective holders may include milk, sugar, dried chocolate powder or condiments.

Description

2354932 FLAVOURING HOLDER This invention relates to a removable flavouring

holder for a food receptacle, such as a cup, mug, or soup bowl. It can be used to hold one or more desired flavourings until the user wishes to add the selected flavouring(s) to the contents of the receptacle.

In particular, but not exclusively, it can be used as an attachment for a mug for adding milk or sugar to a beverage. It can be adapted for other uses, e.g. for adding condiments (such as salt and/or pepper) to soup in a bowl and hence the term "mug" is used herein only by way of example.

The preparation of a beverage, such as tea, normally involves boiling the water, pouring the boiling water onto tea in a teapot, putting the teapot on a tray together with separate containers for milk and sugar and then carrying the tray to a table where first the tea is poured into each cup, and then milk and sugar are separately added (from the respective containers) according to taste. This has the disadvantage that separate containers are required for the milk and sugar and these need to be carried from (say) a kitchen to a dining lounge. It also has the disadvantage that someone needs to act as host/hostess in pouring tea, adding milk and sugar, and serving. Some effort can be avoided (and often is) when tea is made quickly (e.g. whilst watching television), by adding the milk and sugar to mugs of tea before they are carried in to the lounge on a tray. However, the amount of milk and/or sugar added by the host/hostess often does not correspond with the taste of the person drinking the tea.

It would be preferable to provide each user with a mug of tea and individual containers of milk and sugar, so that the tea could be flavoured to the user's liking.

However, this would require further sets of individual containers, as well as the bother of serving each guest with adequate flavourings.

This invention seeks to provide a simple and inexpensive solution to these problems, whereby flavouring materials can be more conveniently provided. At least a preferred embodiment of the invention enables a user to hold a mug (for example), or to place the mug on a table, without having to hold, or to find room for separate flavouring containers.

2 Broadly speaking, the invention provides an attachment for a food or drink receptacle (such as a mug, cup or bowl), comprising a clip for releasably gripping the receptacle; at least one flavouring holder supported by the clip; and dispensing means capable of causing the contents of the flavouring: holder to be discharged into the receptacle.

The invention has several advantages. For example, the clip provides firm anchorage for the flavouring holder, it is easily fitted when required, and removed for cleaning and it can hold one or preferably a selection of flavourings (which are held safely and securely until required by the user). The user can also hold, or walk around with the mug, without holding the flavourings, or separate containers. The user has full control over adding the flavourings and can therefore add them or not according to individual taste. The invention is simple (and therefore inexpensive) and it is easy to use.

The dispensing means can be constructed so that it enables the flavouring holder to be moved from a storage position to a dispensing position at which the flavouring is discharged into the receptacle. For example, it can include a hinge which is located so as to enable the flavouring holder to be pivoted from the storage position to the dispensing position where the flavouring is tipped into the cup or mug. The hinge can include a pin, but it is preferably formed integrally with the material from which the attachment. For example, the attachment can be made of a plastics material which provides the necessary rigidity and flexibility for the clip as well as enabling it to act as a solid hinge. Such a hinge allows the plastic sheet to act like a fold without requiring any pin. The hinge action may be improved by reducing the thickness of the plastics and/or making it more elastic and stronger along the line of folding.

Instead of moving the holder, the dispensing action can be such as to displace the flavouring from a fixed storage position into (say) a mug. This could be achieved by pressure.

Preferably, the clip is generally saddle-shaped so that it can be fitted over a rim portion of a cup, mug or bowl and thereby located against the inner and outer walls.

Preferably, the clip has at least one resilient leg which is shaped so as to apply bias towards the wall of the cup or mug, when the clip is fitted, thereby providing a firm 3 anchorage. The resilient leg is preferably located opposite a comparatively rigid part of the (or one of the) holders, so as to provide a gap which expands resiliently when the clip is fitted. Alternatively, or in addition, the clip can have a resiliently deformable member which can be moved between a releasing position (where the clip is free or has a wider opening), and a gripping position (where the member is urged towards the wall of the cup or mug, hence making the opening much smaller). The latter member can have a "click" action as it opens and closes the gap in which the wall of the cup or mug is received. This not only provides firm anchorage, but also enables the same clip to be used with (say) a mug having a thick wall as well as a cup having a thin wall. Instead of fitting over the rim of the mug, the clip could alternatively be made to fit around the circular periphery of (say) a mug.

Preferably, each flavouring holder has a removable cover, such as a slide, which can be opened when the user wishes to add the flavouring to the drink. However, as long as the holders are upright when fitted to (say) a mug, they can be open, since the contents will not fall out (unless and until the holder is, for example, pivoted about its hinge to empty the contents into the mug).

Preferably, a plurality flavouring holders are mounted on the clip so as to give the user a choice of flavourings.

Instead of using the attachment to add flavouring to a beverage, the container may hold hot water and something which could be added to the hot water (such as herbal tea) to make a drink.

The invention could also be used to add condiments to soup in a bowl.

According to a different aspect of the invention, the dispensing means may be omitted where the invention provides an attachment for a food or drink receptacle (such as a mug, cup or bowl), comprising a clip for releasably gripping the receptacle and at least one flavouring holder supported by the clip so that, when the clip is fitted to receptacle, the holder retains the flavouring without spillage, the flavouring holder 4 being provided for a flavouring in solid form, or in a package which is opened before discharging the flavouring into the receptacle.

The latter aspect of the invention could be used, for example, with cube sugar and/or milk in a small foil carton, either of which can be retained in open cup- shaped holders.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is a perspective view of an attachment according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates the attachment used on a mug.

Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration of the clip in cross-section.

Fig. 4 shows a detail of a plastics hinge in cross-section.

Fig. 5 shows a detail, in section, of part of another embodiment.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows an attachment for a receptacle or beverage container, such as a mug, for adding a choice of flavourings, such as milk, sugar and dried chocolate powder. It generally comprises a clip and three openable flavouring holders, one of which (containing milk) can pivot over the rim of the mug to empty its contents into the beverage.

The clip is formed by a saddle portion I of U-shaped cross-section, an elongated resilient leg portion 2 extending downwardly on one side of the saddle portion, and a rear wall 4 of a flavouring holder 3a, against which the leg portion is biased when the attachment is fitted (as shown in Fig.2). The holder 3a has side walls and a floor projecting outwardly from the rear wall, and a front wall, which together define chamber for receiving (e.g. a flavouring, such as sugar, which can be picked up and placed in the mug). The flavouring could also be in powdered or granular form, where the user is provided with a spoon (which could be retained by an auxiliary clip, not shown, on the main clip).

In the illustrated example, there are three flavouring holders (3a, 3b and 3c), each attached to the saddle portion 1, and one or more of these holders 3 may be employed, as required. It is only necessary to have one resilient leg portion 2 in the illustrated arrangement, but further leg portions (not shown) could be provided for firmer anchorage. The central holder 3b differs from the others in that it can pivot upwardly over the rim of the mug so as to empty its contents into the beverage. Whilst only one such holder is illustrated, any one or more can be provided. In the case of holder 3a, this would necessitate providing a further member (not shown) to define the clip together with the resilient leg 2.

Each flavouring holder 3a, 3b,3c has a chamber of generally similar rectangular cross section (but other shapes could be used, such as cylinders), and a slidable lid (5a,5b,5c), the central lid 5b being shown in a partially open position.

Fig. 2 shows a mug 7 containing a beverage 8 and having the attachment 9 fltted thereto.

Fig. 3 shows the attachment in side elevation and the resilient leg portion 2 which has an arcuate shape extending towards the rear wall of the holder 3a so as to define a gap 10 that is generally thinner than the thickness of the beverage container. The clip therefore needs to be forced downwardly to provide a finn fit and anchorage on the mug.

The attachment is preferably of integral construction, apart from the sliding lids 5a, 5b, 5c (which can be separately provided), to enable it (and the lids) to be made from plastics by an injection moulding process.

6 In order to enable the central holder 3b to move between a storage position (as illustrated in Fig. 1) and a dispensing position (shown in broken line), the rear wall 4b and the side part of 4c. of the saddle portion is separate from the rest of the attachment, and a hinge 11 is provided between portions 4c and 4d. The holder 3b can thereby be pivoted upwardly over the rim of the mug, into the dispensing position where its contents (e.g. milk) can flow into the mug. The milk has a liquid level 6 in the holder in its storage position. The dispensing position of the holder 5b is indicated by the broken lines. The sliding lids may be a tight enough fit to provide a seal, but this is not necessary, because they may be pulled out before the content of the holder is emptied into a beverage.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the hinge I I in the central part of the attachment. Fig. 4 shows a detail where a sheet of plastic 12 has a notch or groove, which can be formed by pressing or scoring a plastics sheet so as to provide the solid hinge along a line or groove 11.

Whereas the central holder 3b and optionally the furthest holder 3c, can be mounted for similar pivotal movement, holder 3 a is relatively fixed with respect to the resilient leg 2, so as to provide a grip when the attachment is fitted to the mug. This expands the gap 10 between the leg 2 and holder 3a when it is pushed over the mug rim.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative clip in which the saddle portion is in two parts I a and I b.

Part I a is attached to the resilient leg 2 and has a row of recesses 12 in a slide portion 13 which is a tight slidable fit in an aperture 14 in part lb. A spring- loaded ball 15 is urged towards the slide 13, so that as the slide is pushed in and out to close the gap, the different recess positions are indicated by a "click". This enables the gap 10 to be adjusted, in a sequence of steps, to fit different mugs/cups. Besides using a spring loaded ball, other kinds of detent mechanisms could be used to achieve the same purpose.

7

Claims (16)

1. An attachment for a food or drink receptacle, comprising a clip for releasably gripping the receptacle; at least one flavouring holder supported by the clip; and dispensing means capable of causing the contents of the flavouring holder to be discharged into the receptacle.

2. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing means enables the flavouring holder to be moved, relative to the clip, from a storage position where the flavouring is retained, to a dispensing position where the flavouring can be discharged into the receptacle.

3. An attachment according to claim 2, wherein the dispensing means include a pivotal mounting which is located so as to enable the flavouring holder to be pivoted from the storage position to the dispensing position where the flavouring can flow into the receptacle.

4. An attachment according to claim 3, wherein the pivotal mounting comprises a hinge formed integrally with the material from which the attachment is made.

5. An attachment according to claim 3, wherein the pivotal mounting comprises a hinge which includes a pin.

6. An attachment according to claim 1, wherein the holder is fixed with respect to the clip and wherein the dispensing means enables the flavouring to be displaced from the holder into the receptacle.

7. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein the 30 clip is generally saddle-shaped so as to fit over a rim portion of the receptacle.

8 8. An attachment according to claim 7, wherein the clip has at least one resilient leg which is shaped so as to apply bias towards the wall of the receptacle.

9. An attachment according to claim 8, wherein the resilient leg is opposite a comparatively rigid part of the holder.

10. An attachment according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the clip has a resiliently deformable member which can be moved between a release position, and a gripping position.

11. An attachment according to claim 10, wherein the clip has a "click" action as it moves between its release position and gripping position.

12. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one flavouring holder has a removable cover.

13. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one flavouring holder is substantially upright when the clip is fitted to the receptacle so that the contents of the holder, when open, do not fall out.

14. An attachment according to any preceding claim, wherein a plurality flavouring holders are mounted on the clip so as to give the user a choice of flavourings.

15. An attachment for a food or drink receptacle, comprises a clip for releasably gripping the receptacle and at least one flavouring holder supported by the clip so that, when the clip is fitted to receptacle, the holder retains the flavouring without spillage.

16. An attachment for a food or drink receptacle, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.