Beverage container and drinking utensil

Abstract

The beverage container (100) includes: a container main body (10) configured to receive the beverage; a lid portion (20) attached to the container main body (10); a tubular straw portion (40) inserted into the container main body (10); a mouthpiece portion (50) provided with the lid portion (20), the mouthpiece portion (50) having a delivery outlet (52) configured to deliver the beverage guided by the straw portion (40) to the outside; and a check valve (60) configured to allow only a flow of the beverage from the straw portion (40) toward the mouthpiece portion (50), wherein the mouthpiece portion (50) is configured to define an internal space (50a) communicating with the delivery outlet (52) and facing the check valve (60), the mouthpiece portion (50) being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space (50a) is expanded and contracted, and the check valve (60) is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion (40) toward the internal space (50a) by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space (50a) caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion (50).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage container and a drinking implement.BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, training beverage containers for allowing an infant to drink beverage by himself or herself have been known. JP2016-101951A discloses a beverage container including a container main body having an opening for receiving the beverage, a base portion arranged to cover the opening of the container main body, and a drinking-side straw and a main body-side straw for delivering the beverage inside the container main body.SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0003] In the beverage container disclosed in JP2016-101951A, a certain degree of suction force is required for drinking the beverage through the straw. For this reason, the beverage container disclosed in JP2016-101951A was not suitable for low-month-age infants who do not yet have sufficient suction force.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage container that does not require a large suction force when drinking.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a beverage container includes: a container main body configured to receive beverage; a lid portion attached to the container main body; a tubular straw portion inserted into the container main body; a mouthpiece portion provided with the lid portion, the mouthpiece portion having a delivery outlet configured to deliver the beverage guided by the straw portion to outside; and a check valve configured to allow only a flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the mouthpiece portion, wherein the mouthpiece portion is configured to define an internal space communicating with the delivery outlet and facing the check valve, the mouthpiece portion being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space is expanded and contracted, and the check valve is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the internal space by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a drinking implement for drinking beverage in a beverage container, the drinking implement includes: a tubular straw portion inserted into the beverage container; a mouthpiece portion having a delivery outlet for delivering the beverage guided by the straw portion to outside; and a check valve configured to allow only a flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the mouthpiece portion, wherein the mouthpiece portion is configured to define an internal space communicating with the delivery outlet and facing the check valve, the mouthpiece portion being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space is expanded and contracted, and the check valve is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the internal space by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] [FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the beverage container according to the embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the beverage container according to the embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a check valve of the beverage container according to the embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0008] In the following, a beverage container 100 and a drinking implement 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] The beverage container 100 and the drinking implement 30 of this embodiment can be used as the training beverage container 100 for training an infant and the like to become able to drink beverage by himself or herself. With the beverage container 100 and the drinking implement 30, it is made possible to drink the beverage not by suction, but by repeating motions on a mouthpiece portion 50 performed by a user, such as biting motions, milking motions, or peristaltic-like motions (hereinafter, these motions are collectively referred to as "the biting motions and the like"). It should be noted that the peristaltic-like motion is a wave-like motion of the tongue performed by the infant when the infant drinks breast milk, and it is known that, by this motion, the infant drinks the breast milk from the nipple in a squeezing manner.

[0010] As shown in FIGs. 1 to 3, the beverage container 100 includes a container main body 10 that receives the beverage, a lid portion 20 that is attached to the container main body 10, and the drinking implement 30 for drinking the beverage inside the container main body 10.

[0011] As shown in FIGs. 2 and 3, the container main body 10 is a bottomed cylindrical container having an opening 10a at the upper portion and receives the beverage in an internal space. The container main body 10 is formed, for example, of plastic (resin). On the outer periphery of the upper portion on the opening 10a side of the container main body 10, a threaded portion 11 with which the lid portion 20 is screwed is formed (see FIG. 2).

[0012] As shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, a handle portion 15 to be gripped by the user is attached to the container main body 10. The handle portion 15 has: an annular ring portion 16 that is engaged with a stepped portion on the outer periphery of the container main body 10; and a pair of arm portions 17 provided at positions opposed to each other across the center of the ring portion 16 on the outer peripheral surface of the ring portion 16. The handle portion 15 is attached to the container main body 10 by causing the ring portion 16 to be sandwiched between the container main body 10 and the lid portion 20. The pair of arm portions 17 are formed into a substantially L-shape so as to be bent downward (toward the bottom side of the container main body 10) from the outer peripheral surface of the ring portion 16.

[0013] As shown in FIGs. 1 and 3, the lid portion 20 is attached to the container main body 10 to close the opening 10a of the container main body 10. The lid portion 20 has an inner lid portion 21 that is attached to the container main body 10 by being screwed to the threaded portion 11 at the upper portion of the container main body 10, and an outer lid portion 25 that is rotatably attached to the inner lid portion 21.

[0014] The inner lid portion 21 includes an attachment hole 21a to which the mouthpiece portion 50 of the drinking implement 30, which will be described later, is attached, and a shaft hole 21b into which a pivot shaft 23 for the outer lid portion 25 is inserted.

[0015] The outer lid portion 25 is formed to have a dome shape (substantially hemispherical shape) that covers the inner lid portion 21 and the mouthpiece portion 50 attached to the inner lid portion 21, and is rotatably attached to the inner lid portion 21 via the pivot shaft 23. As the outer lid portion 25 is rotated about the pivot shaft 23, the outer lid portion 25 is opened and closed between an opened state in which the mouthpiece portion 50 is exposed (the state shown in FIG. 1) and a closed state in which the mouthpiece portion 50 is covered by the outer lid portion 25 (the state shown in FIGs. 2 and 3).

[0016] In addition, the lid portion 20 has an interlocking portion 26 that interlocks the outer lid portion 25 and the inner lid portion 21 in the closed state. The interlocking portion 26 includes: a button portion 27 rotatably attached to the inner lid portion 21 via a pin 28; and a torsion spring (not shown) as a biasing member that biases the button portion 27 in one direction about the pin 28. The button portion 27 has a claw portion 27a that engages with a protrusion portion 25a provided on the outer lid portion 25 (see FIG. 3). By the protrusion portion 25a of the outer lid portion 25 engaging with the claw portion 27a of the button portion 27, rotation of the outer lid portion 25 from the closed state to the opened state is restricted by the button portion 27. When the button portion 27 is pressed and rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 3 against the biasing force exerted by the torsion spring, engagement between the claw portion 27a of the button portion 27 and the protrusion portion 25a of the outer lid portion 25 is released, and it becomes possible to rotate the outer lid portion 25 from the closed state to the opened state. As described above, the interlocking portion 26 functions as a one-touch engagement release mechanism.

[0017] The drinking implement 30 includes: a tubular straw portion 40 that is inserted into the container main body 10; the mouthpiece portion 50 that is provided with the lid portion 20 and has a delivery outlet 52 that delivers the beverage guided by the straw portion 40 to the outside; and a check valve 60 that allows only the flow of the beverage from the straw portion 40 toward the mouthpiece portion 50.

[0018] The straw portion 40 has a tubular main body portion 41 having flexibility, and a weight portion 45 that is provided at one end of the main body portion 41 and sinks in the beverage inside the container main body 10. In this embodiment, the weight portion 45 is integrally molded with the main body portion 41. It should be noted that the weight portion 45 may be formed separately from the main body portion 41 and configured so as to be attachable to and detachable from the main body portion 41. In addition, the straw portion 40 is formed with a liquid passage 40a, through which the beverage passes, so as to extend over the main body portion 41 and the weight portion 45.

[0019] The main body portion 41 is formed of a material having flexibility

[0020] (for example, silicone rubber, etc.). At an end portion of the main body portion 41 on the side opposite from the weight portion 45, an insertion portion 42 for connection to the check valve 60 and a disk-shaped stopper portion 43 that extends radially outward are provided. At an end portion of the insertion portion 42, an annular protruded portion 42a extending radially outward is provided. In addition, the main body portion 41 has a length such that, when an empty beverage container 100 is in an upright state as shown in FIG. 3, the weight portion 45 comes into contact with a bottom surface of the container main body 10.

[0021] The weight portion 45 is formed to have a spherical shape having a diameter larger than a diameter of the main body portion 41 and is formed so as to sink in the beverage in the container main body 10. On the side of the weight portion 45 opposite from the main body portion 41, a suction port 45a for taking the beverage in the container main body 10 into the liquid passage 40a is provided.

[0022] The mouthpiece portion 50 is a so-called artificial nipple and is formed of an elastic member (for example, silicone rubber, etc.) that is elastically deformable by application of an external force. The mouthpiece portion 50 has a substantially conical nipple portion 51 serving as a delivery portion that is taken into a user's mouth during drinking and delivers the beverage, and a disk-shaped base portion 55 that extends radially outward from an outer edge of the nipple portion 51.

[0023] The nipple portion 51 is formed to be hollow with a recessed portion 51a, and a substantially cylindrical internal space 50a is defined in the inside (the inner side) of the nipple portion 51. The recessed portion 51a opens at an end face of the mouthpiece portion 50 on the container main body 10 side.

[0024] At a top of the nipple portion 51, the delivery outlet 52 that communicates with the internal space 50a is formed through the nipple portion 51. The delivery outlet 52 can have any shape such as a round hole, a Y-shape, a cross-shape, a slit-shape extending in one direction, and so forth. It is desirable that in a natural state where no external force is applied, the delivery outlet 52 is closed or configured to exert resistance against a passage of a fluid in order to ensure the sealing property (airtightness) of the internal space 50a. In other words, it is desirable that the delivery outlet 52 be formed so that, for example, even if the beverage container 100 is tilted such that the mouthpiece portion 50 is oriented relatively vertically downward with respect to the container main body 10, the beverage in the internal space 50a is stored without leaking out through the delivery outlet 52. In this embodiment, the requirement that the sealing property of the internal space 50a is ensured is not limited to that achieved by a complete enclosure of the internal space 50a, but includes a sealing property sufficient to achieve a certain level of airtightness.

[0025] The base portion 55 is inserted into the attachment hole 21a of the inner lid portion 21 of the lid portion 20, and is engaged with the inner lid portion 21 of the lid portion 20 by a step portion 55a formed on an outer periphery. With such a configuration, the mouthpiece portion 50 is attached to the inner lid portion 21.

[0026] The check valve 60 is inserted into the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51 and is provided so as to face the internal space 50a. The check valve 60 has a valve seat portion 61 formed with a through-hole 64 through which the beverage passes, and a valve body 65 that opens and closes the through-hole 64 of the valve seat portion 61. The valve seat portion 61 and the valve body 65 are formed, for example, of plastic.

[0027] The valve seat portion 61 is attached to the mouthpiece portion 50 and is attached to the straw portion 40. In other words, the mouthpiece portion 50 and the straw portion 40 are connected via the valve seat portion 61 of the check valve 60.

[0028] The valve seat portion 61 has: a boss portion 62 that is inserted into the recessed portion 51a of the mouthpiece portion 50 and closes the opening of the recessed portion 51a; and a disk-shaped flange portion 63 that extends radially outward from one end of the boss portion 62.

[0029] The boss portion 62 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an insertion hole 62a. As shown in FIG. 4, the through-hole 64 has a Y-shape (three-pronged shape) in which three elongated holes are connected to each other at one ends, and is formed to penetrate a bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62 and to communicate with the insertion hole 62a. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer diameter of a protruded portion 42a of the insertion portion 42 of the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 is formed so as to be larger than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 62a of the boss portion 62. By press-fitting the insertion portion 42 of the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 into the insertion hole 62a of the boss portion 62 until the stopper portion 43 comes into contact with the flange portion 63, the straw portion 40 and the valve seat portion 61 are connected. In addition, as the insertion portion 42 of the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 62a of the boss portion 62, a gap between the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 and the insertion hole 62a of the boss portion 62 is sealed.

[0030] On an outer periphery of the boss portion 62, an annular protruded portion 62b projecting radially outward is provided. The outer diameter of the protruded portion 62b of the boss portion 62 is larger than the inner diameter of a portion of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 into which the boss portion 62 is inserted. In addition, on an inner periphery of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 of the mouthpiece portion 50, an annular inner peripheral protruded portion 51b that protrudes radially inward is provided. The inner diameter of the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the nipple portion 51 is smaller than the outer diameter of a portion other than the protruded portion 62b in the boss portion 62.

[0031] By inserting the boss portion 62 from the opening of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 until the protruded portion 62b passes beyond the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the nipple portion 51, the protruded portion 62b of the boss portion 62 and the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 are engaged. As a result, the boss portion 62 is prevented from coming out of the recessed portion 51a, and the boss portion 62 is attached to the nipple portion 51. In a state in which the protruded portion 62b of the boss portion 62 and the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 are engaged, the flange portion 63 is in contact with the base portion 55 of the nipple portion 51. In addition, as the protruded portion 62b of the boss portion 62 is press-fitted into the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 and as the portion other than the protruded portion 62b is press-fitted into the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the nipple portion 51, a gap between the boss portion 62 and the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 is sealed.

[0032] The valve body 65 has a shaft portion 66 that is inserted through the through-hole 64 of the boss portion 62, a valve plate portion 67 that is provided at one end of the shaft portion 66 and formed so as to cover the through-hole 64 of the boss portion 62, and a head portion 68 provided at the other end of the shaft portion 66.

[0033] A base end of the head portion 68 on the shaft portion 66 side is formed to have the outer diameter larger than the maximum inner diameter of the through-hole 64, and a tip end of the head portion 68 opposite from the base end is formed to have the outer diameter smaller than the maximum inner diameter of the through-hole 64. In addition, the outer diameter of the base end of the head portion 68 is formed so as to be smaller than the maximum width of the through-hole 64. With such a configuration, the head portion 68 is formed so as to be unable to pass through the through-hole 64 and so that the through-hole 64 is not covered entirely by the head portion 68. It should be noted that the maximum inner diameter of the through-hole 64 is the inner diameter of a central portion where the three elongate holes are connected. The maximum width of the through-hole 64 is the maximum dimension of the entire through-hole 64 along a predetermined one direction. In addition, an outer peripheral surface of the head portion 68 is formed to have a conical (tapered) surface in which the outer diameter decreases from the base end toward the tip end.

[0034] The head portion 68 is attached to the shaft portion 66 in a detachable manner. By inserting the shaft portion 66 of the valve body 65 into the through-hole 64 of the boss portion 62 and attaching the head portion 68 to a tip of the shaft portion 66, the valve body 65 is attached to the valve seat portion 61. A length of the shaft portion 66 (a distance between the valve plate portion 67 and the head portion 68) is formed so as to be longer than a thickness of the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62. With such a configuration, in a state in which the valve body 65 is attached to the valve seat portion 61, the valve body 65 can move in the axial direction by a distance corresponding to a gap (a difference between the length of the shaft portion 66 and the thickness of the bottom portion 62c) with respect to the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62.

[0035] Specifically, the valve body 65 can move in the axial direction within a range between a state in which the valve plate portion 67 is in contact with the boss portion 62 and a state in which the head portion 68 is in contact with the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62. In a state in which the valve plate portion 67 is in contact with the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62, the through-hole 64 is covered by the valve plate portion 67. As a result, the check valve 60 is closed, and so, a flow of the beverage from the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51 toward the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 through the through-hole 64 is restricted. Conversely, in a state in which the head portion 68 is in contact with the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62 and the valve plate portion 67 is separated from the bottom portion 62c in the axial direction, the through-hole 64 is not covered by the head portion 68, and so, the flow of the beverage between the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 and the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51 through the through-hole 64 is permitted.

[0036] In addition, the valve body 65 is formed with a restricting passage 69 that constantly allows communication between the internal space 50a and the liquid passage 40a (and hence the inside of the container main body 10) regardless of the opened / closed state of the check valve 60. The restricting passage 69 is constituted by a through hole that penetrates the valve body 65 in the axial direction across the valve plate portion 67, the shaft portion 66, and the head portion 68 of the valve body 65. The restricting passage 69 functions as a restrictor that causes resistance (pressure loss) against the flow of the beverage passing therethrough. The restricting passage 69 is formed to have an appropriate size (the inner diameter) such that the beverage can be stored in the internal space 50a without impairing the sealing property of the internal space 50a and that it becomes possible to gradually return the beverage stored in the internal space 50a to the container main body 10 as described later.

[0037] Next, the operation of the beverage container 100 will be described.

[0038] When the beverage is received in the container main body 10, the weight portion 45 of the straw portion 40 sinks in the beverage and comes into contact with a bottom portion of the container main body 10. In this state, the check valve 60 is in a valve-closed state in which the valve plate portion 67 of the valve body 65 is in contact with the boss portion 62 of the valve seat portion 61 and the through-hole 64 is covered by the valve plate portion 67. In addition, the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51 is in a state in which the sealing property against the outside is ensured and is filled with air.

[0039] When the biting motions and the like on the nipple portion 51 are repeated by a user and the nipple portion 51 is deformed so that the internal space 50a is expanded and contracted, the beverage in the container main body 10 is sucked up by the straw portion 40 due to a pump action by the expansion and contraction of the internal space 50a.

[0040] Specifically, the nipple portion 51 is deformed so that the internal space 50a is contracted when an external force is applied by the biting motions and the like. When the external force is removed, the nipple portion 51 is deformed so that the internal space 50a is expanded due to its own elasticity. Accordingly, a negative pressure (a sub-atmospheric pressure) is created inside the internal space 50a, the check valve 60 is opened due to a pressure difference between the internal space 50a and the inside of the container main body 10, and the beverage in the container main body 10 is taken into the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 through the suction port 45a. As the biting motions and the like are repeatedly performed on the nipple portion 51, the beverage in the liquid passage 40a is guided into the internal space 50a through the through-hole 64. Because the flow of the beverage from the internal space 50a toward the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 (toward the inside of the container main body 10) is restricted by the check valve 60, the beverage is stored in the internal space 50a.

[0041] In addition, because the restricting passage 69 of the valve body 65 imparts resistance to the flow of the beverage, the beverage sucked up by the straw portion 40 is primarily stored in the internal space 50a, and a flow rate of a flow that immediately flows back toward the container main body 10 through the restricting passage 69 is low. Thus, even if the restricting passage 69 is formed in the valve body 65, the beverage can be kept stored in the internal space 50a.

[0042] When the beverage is stored in the internal space 50a by a certain amount, by deforming the nipple portion 51 such that the internal space 50a is contracted, the beverage in the internal space 50a is delivered to the outside through the delivery outlet 52. Thus, the user can drink the beverage delivered from the delivery outlet 52.

[0043] After finishing drinking the beverage, the beverage stored in the internal space 50a is gradually returned to the inside of the container main body 10 over time through the restricting passage 69 of the valve body 65. Thus, it is possible to prevent the beverage from being kept stored in the internal space 50a over a long period of time even after finishing drinking the beverage.

[0044] As described above, by repeating the biting motions and the like on the nipple portion 51, the beverage in the container main body 10 is guided to the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51, and the beverage is delivered from the delivery outlet 52 by the biting motions and the like on the nipple portion 51. Accordingly, even the infant and the like who can apply a low suction force can drink the beverage by himself or herself by repeating the biting motions and the like on the nipple portion 51.

[0045] In general, a training beverage container is used during a transition period (a training period) in which an infant progresses from a state in which he or she is fed beverage by a guardian or the like using a nursing bottle or the like to a state in which he or she can drink beverage by himself or herself. Because a low-month-age infant during the transition period cannot tilt the beverage container by himself or herself, the training beverage container needs to allow the infant to drink the beverage while maintaining an upright position without tilting, unlike containers such as nursing bottles which require tilting for drinking.

[0046] As such a beverage container, there is a beverage container in which a straw is used as a mouthpiece portion. However, for the low-month-age infant who can apply a relatively low suction force, it is difficult to suck the beverage with a straw. Therefore, a beverage container including only a straw was sometimes not suitable for training of the low-month-age infant.

[0047] In contrast, in the beverage container 100 of this embodiment, by repeating the biting motions on the mouthpiece portion 50 (the nipple portion 51), even the low-month-age infant and the like who can apply a low suction force can drink the beverage by himself or herself in an upright state. Therefore, the beverage container 100 is suitable as the training beverage container at a stage even prior to the training with the beverage container including the straw as the mouthpiece portion.

[0048] In addition, in the beverage container 100 of this embodiment, because the mouthpiece portion 50 includes the nipple portion 51 that is the artificial nipple, it is possible to drink the beverage by expanding and contracting the internal space 50a by the motion of the mouth similar to that for a nursing bottle in which the artificial nipple is also used. Accordingly, the beverage container 100 facilitates transition from a nursing bottle as the training beverage container.

[0049] In the following, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0050] The beverage container 100 of this embodiment includes: the container main body 10 configured to receive the beverage; the lid portion 20 attached to the container main body 10; the tubular straw portion 40 inserted into the container main body 10; the mouthpiece portion 50 provided with the lid portion 20, the mouthpiece portion 50 having the delivery outlet 52 configured to deliver the beverage guided by the straw portion 40 to the outside; and the check valve 60 configured to allow only the flow of the beverage from the straw portion 40 to the mouthpiece portion 50, wherein the mouthpiece portion 50 is configured to define the internal space 50a communicating with the delivery outlet 52 and facing the check valve 60, the mouthpiece portion 50 being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space 50a is expanded and contracted, and the check valve 60 is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion 40 toward the internal space 50a by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space 50a caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion 50.

[0051] According to this configuration, by expanding and contracting the internal space 50a, the beverage in the container main body 10 is guided into the internal space 50a from the straw portion 40 through the check valve 60. Therefore, even the infant and the like who can apply a relatively low suction force can drink the beverage by guiding the beverage into the internal space 50a by repeating the biting motions and the like on the mouthpiece portion 50.

[0052] In addition, the mouthpiece portion 50 is configured to be capable of storing the beverage in the internal space 50a such that the beverage does not leak out through the delivery outlet 52 in the natural state where no external force is applied, the mouthpiece portion 50 being configured to be capable of delivering the beverage in the internal space 50a from the delivery outlet 52 as the mouthpiece portion 50 undergoes the deformation in which the internal space 50a is contracted.

[0053] According to this configuration, because the sealing property of the internal space 50a is ensured, it is easy to exhibit a pump action for sucking the beverage. In addition, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the beverage through the delivery outlet 52. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the ease of drinking the beverage with the beverage container 100.

[0054] In addition, the straw portion 40 has: the main body portion 41 having flexibility; and the weight portion 45 provided at one end of the main body portion 41, the weight portion 45 being configured to sink in the beverage in the container main body 10, wherein the weight portion 45 includes the suction port 45a for taking in the beverage in the container main body 10.

[0055] In addition, the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 has a length such that the weight portion 45 comes into contact with the bottom portion of the container main body 10 in a state in which the container main body 10 is empty.

[0056] According to these configurations, regardless of the amount (the liquid level) of the beverage in the container main body 10, the weight portion 45 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the container main body 10, and so, regardless of the posture (the tilt) of the beverage container 100, even in a state in which the beverage has decreased and the liquid level has lowered, the beverage can be taken into the straw portion 40. Therefore, the user can easily drink the beverage in the container main body 10 to the end.

[0057] In addition, the beverage container 100 further includes the restricting passage 69 configured to constantly allow communication between the internal space 50a and the inside of the container main body 10, the restricting passage 69 being configured to exert resistance against the flow of the beverage passing through the restricting passage 69.

[0058] According to this configuration, the beverage stored in the internal space 50a can be gradually returned to the inside of the container main body through the restricting passage 69. Thus, it is possible to prevent a state in which the beverage remains stored in the internal space 50a over a long period of time after finishing drinking the beverage.

[0059] Next, modifications of this embodiment will be described. The following modifications are also within a scope of the present invention. In addition, it may be possible to combine the configurations shown in the modifications with the configurations that have been explained in the above-described embodiment and to combine the configurations explained in the following different modifications.

[0060] In the embodiment described above, the drinking implement 30 is used by being attached to the inner lid portion 21 of the beverage container 100. In contrast, the drinking implement 30 is not limited to a configuration that it is attached to the beverage container 100, and the drinking implement 30 may be used independently.

[0061] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the mouthpiece portion 50 has the nipple portion 51 that is the artificial nipple as a delivery portion that includes the delivery outlet 52 and that is taken into a user's oral cavity at the time of drinking, but the configuration of the delivery portion is not limited to that of the embodiment described above. Although it is desirable that the mouthpiece portion 50 is configured so that, in the natural state, the sealing property of the internal space 50a is ensured in order to effectively exhibit the pump action, as long as the pump action can be exhibited, the mouthpiece portion 50 may have a straw-shaped delivery portion. For example, for the straw-shaped delivery portion, a bulged portion whose inner peripheral surface bulges radially outward may be provided at a middle of a straw shape, and it is possible to exhibit the pump action by expanding and contracting an inner space of the bulged portion.

[0062] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the check valve 60 is provided between the straw portion 40 and the mouthpiece portion 50. In contrast, the configuration of the check valve 60 is not limited to that of the embodiment described above as long as the check valve 60 allows only the flow of the beverage from the straw portion 40 toward the mouthpiece portion 50. For example, the check valve 60 may be provided at a middle of the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40. In addition, the check valve 60 may have a structure such as a duckbill valve.

[0063] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the restricting passage 69 is formed in the valve body 65 of the check valve 60. In contrast, the restricting passage 69 can have any configuration as long as the restricting passage 69 constantly allows communication between the internal space 50a and the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 (and hence the inside of the container main body 10). For example, the restricting passage 69 may be formed in the valve seat portion 61 or the mouthpiece portion 50. More specifically, the restricting passage 69 may be formed by, for example, a through-hole formed in the valve seat portion 61 or the mouthpiece portion 50. In addition, the restricting passage 69 may be formed by a slit or the like that is formed in the outer periphery of the valve seat portion 61, in the inner periphery the recessed portion 51a of the mouthpiece portion 50, and in the end face on the container main body 10 side of the recessed portion 51a of the mouthpiece portion 50. In addition, by a technique such as making the outer shape of the valve seat portion 61 and the inner shape of the recessed portion 51a of the mouthpiece portion 50 different from each other, a gap may be formed between the outer periphery of the valve seat portion 61 and the mouthpiece portion 50, and the gap may be employed as the restricting passage 69. It should be noted that the configuration of the restricting passage 69 is not essential, and the beverage container 100 may not include the restricting passage 69.

[0064] Embodiments of this invention were described above, but the above embodiments are merely examples of applications of this invention, and the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the specific constitutions of the above embodiments.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0008]In the following, a beverage container 100 and a drinking implement 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009]The beverage container 100 and the drinking implement 30 of this embodiment can be used as the training beverage container 100 for training an infant and the like to become able to drink beverage by himself or herself. With the beverage container 100 and the drinking implement 30, it is made possible to drink the beverage not by suction, but by repeating motions on a mouthpiece portion 50 performed by a user, such as biting motions, milking motions, or peristaltic-like motions (hereinafter, these motions are collectively referred to as "the biting motions and the like"). It should be noted that the peristaltic-like motion is a wave-like motion of the tongue performed by the infant when the infant drinks breast milk, and it is known that, by this motion, the infant drinks the breast milk from the nipple...

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage container and a drinking implement.BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventionally, training beverage containers for allowing an infant to drink beverage by himself or herself have been known. JP2016-101951A discloses a beverage container including a container main body having an opening for receiving the beverage, a base portion arranged to cover the opening of the container main body, and a drinking-side straw and a main body-side straw for delivering the beverage inside the container main body.SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0003] In the beverage container disclosed in JP2016-101951A, a certain degree of suction force is required for drinking the beverage through the straw. For this reason, the beverage container disclosed in JP2016-101951A was not suitable for low-month-age infants who do not yet have sufficient suction force.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage container that does not require a large suction force when drinking.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a beverage container includes: a container main body configured to receive beverage; a lid portion attached to the container main body; a tubular straw portion inserted into the container main body; a mouthpiece portion provided with the lid portion, the mouthpiece portion having a delivery outlet configured to deliver the beverage guided by the straw portion to outside; and a check valve configured to allow only a flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the mouthpiece portion, wherein the mouthpiece portion is configured to define an internal space communicating with the delivery outlet and facing the check valve, the mouthpiece portion being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space is expanded and contracted, and the check valve is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the internal space by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a drinking implement for drinking beverage in a beverage container, the drinking implement includes: a tubular straw portion inserted into the beverage container; a mouthpiece portion having a delivery outlet for delivering the beverage guided by the straw portion to outside; and a check valve configured to allow only a flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the mouthpiece portion, wherein the mouthpiece portion is configured to define an internal space communicating with the delivery outlet and facing the check valve, the mouthpiece portion being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space is expanded and contracted, and the check valve is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the internal space by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] [FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage container according to an embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the beverage container according to the embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the beverage container according to the embodiment of the present invention. [FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a check valve of the beverage container according to the embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0008] In the following, a beverage container 100 and a drinking implement 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] The beverage container 100 and the drinking implement 30 of this embodiment can be used as the training beverage container 100 for training an infant and the like to become able to drink beverage by himself or herself. With the beverage container 100 and the drinking implement 30, it is made possible to drink the beverage not by suction, but by repeating motions on a mouthpiece portion 50 performed by a user, such as biting motions, milking motions, or peristaltic-like motions (hereinafter, these motions are collectively referred to as "the biting motions and the like"). It should be noted that the peristaltic-like motion is a wave-like motion of the tongue performed by the infant when the infant drinks breast milk, and it is known that, by this motion, the infant drinks the breast milk from the nipple in a squeezing manner.

[0010] As shown in FIGs. 1 to 3, the beverage container 100 includes a container main body 10 that receives the beverage, a lid portion 20 that is attached to the container main body 10, and the drinking implement 30 for drinking the beverage inside the container main body 10.

[0011] As shown in FIGs. 2 and 3, the container main body 10 is a bottomed cylindrical container having an opening 10a at the upper portion and receives the beverage in an internal space. The container main body 10 is formed, for example, of plastic (resin). On the outer periphery of the upper portion on the opening 10a side of the container main body 10, a threaded portion 11 with which the lid portion 20 is screwed is formed (see FIG. 2).

[0012] As shown in FIGs. 1 and 2, a handle portion 15 to be gripped by the user is attached to the container main body 10. The handle portion 15 has: an annular ring portion 16 that is engaged with a stepped portion on the outer periphery of the container main body 10; and a pair of arm portions 17 provided at positions opposed to each other across the center of the ring portion 16 on the outer peripheral surface of the ring portion 16. The handle portion 15 is attached to the container main body 10 by causing the ring portion 16 to be sandwiched between the container main body 10 and the lid portion 20. The pair of arm portions 17 are formed into a substantially L-shape so as to be bent downward (toward the bottom side of the container main body 10) from the outer peripheral surface of the ring portion 16.

[0013] As shown in FIGs. 1 and 3, the lid portion 20 is attached to the container main body 10 to close the opening 10a of the container main body 10. The lid portion 20 has an inner lid portion 21 that is attached to the container main body 10 by being screwed to the threaded portion 11 at the upper portion of the container main body 10, and an outer lid portion 25 that is rotatably attached to the inner lid portion 21.

[0014] The inner lid portion 21 includes an attachment hole 21a to which the mouthpiece portion 50 of the drinking implement 30, which will be described later, is attached, and a shaft hole 21b into which a pivot shaft 23 for the outer lid portion 25 is inserted.

[0015] The outer lid portion 25 is formed to have a dome shape (substantially hemispherical shape) that covers the inner lid portion 21 and the mouthpiece portion 50 attached to the inner lid portion 21, and is rotatably attached to the inner lid portion 21 via the pivot shaft 23. As the outer lid portion 25 is rotated about the pivot shaft 23, the outer lid portion 25 is opened and closed between an opened state in which the mouthpiece portion 50 is exposed (the state shown in FIG. 1) and a closed state in which the mouthpiece portion 50 is covered by the outer lid portion 25 (the state shown in FIGs. 2 and 3).

[0016] In addition, the lid portion 20 has an interlocking portion 26 that interlocks the outer lid portion 25 and the inner lid portion 21 in the closed state. The interlocking portion 26 includes: a button portion 27 rotatably attached to the inner lid portion 21 via a pin 28; and a torsion spring (not shown) as a biasing member that biases the button portion 27 in one direction about the pin 28. The button portion 27 has a claw portion 27a that engages with a protrusion portion 25a provided on the outer lid portion 25 (see FIG. 3). By the protrusion portion 25a of the outer lid portion 25 engaging with the claw portion 27a of the button portion 27, rotation of the outer lid portion 25 from the closed state to the opened state is restricted by the button portion 27. When the button portion 27 is pressed and rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 3 against the biasing force exerted by the torsion spring, engagement between the claw portion 27a of the button portion 27 and the protrusion portion 25a of the outer lid portion 25 is released, and it becomes possible to rotate the outer lid portion 25 from the closed state to the opened state. As described above, the interlocking portion 26 functions as a one-touch engagement release mechanism.

[0017] The drinking implement 30 includes: a tubular straw portion 40 that is inserted into the container main body 10; the mouthpiece portion 50 that is provided with the lid portion 20 and has a delivery outlet 52 that delivers the beverage guided by the straw portion 40 to the outside; and a check valve 60 that allows only the flow of the beverage from the straw portion 40 toward the mouthpiece portion 50.

[0018] The straw portion 40 has a tubular main body portion 41 having flexibility, and a weight portion 45 that is provided at one end of the main body portion 41 and sinks in the beverage inside the container main body 10. In this embodiment, the weight portion 45 is integrally molded with the main body portion 41. It should be noted that the weight portion 45 may be formed separately from the main body portion 41 and configured so as to be attachable to and detachable from the main body portion 41. In addition, the straw portion 40 is formed with a liquid passage 40a, through which the beverage passes, so as to extend over the main body portion 41 and the weight portion 45.

[0019] The main body portion 41 is formed of a material having flexibility

[0020] (for example, silicone rubber, etc.). At an end portion of the main body portion 41 on the side opposite from the weight portion 45, an insertion portion 42 for connection to the check valve 60 and a disk-shaped stopper portion 43 that extends radially outward are provided. At an end portion of the insertion portion 42, an annular protruded portion 42a extending radially outward is provided. In addition, the main body portion 41 has a length such that, when an empty beverage container 100 is in an upright state as shown in FIG. 3, the weight portion 45 comes into contact with a bottom surface of the container main body 10.

[0021] The weight portion 45 is formed to have a spherical shape having a diameter larger than a diameter of the main body portion 41 and is formed so as to sink in the beverage in the container main body 10. On the side of the weight portion 45 opposite from the main body portion 41, a suction port 45a for taking the beverage in the container main body 10 into the liquid passage 40a is provided.

[0022] The mouthpiece portion 50 is a so-called artificial nipple and is formed of an elastic member (for example, silicone rubber, etc.) that is elastically deformable by application of an external force. The mouthpiece portion 50 has a substantially conical nipple portion 51 serving as a delivery portion that is taken into a user's mouth during drinking and delivers the beverage, and a disk-shaped base portion 55 that extends radially outward from an outer edge of the nipple portion 51.

[0023] The nipple portion 51 is formed to be hollow with a recessed portion 51a, and a substantially cylindrical internal space 50a is defined in the inside (the inner side) of the nipple portion 51. The recessed portion 51a opens at an end face of the mouthpiece portion 50 on the container main body 10 side.

[0024] At a top of the nipple portion 51, the delivery outlet 52 that communicates with the internal space 50a is formed through the nipple portion 51. The delivery outlet 52 can have any shape such as a round hole, a Y-shape, a cross-shape, a slit-shape extending in one direction, and so forth. It is desirable that in a natural state where no external force is applied, the delivery outlet 52 is closed or configured to exert resistance against a passage of a fluid in order to ensure the sealing property (airtightness) of the internal space 50a. In other words, it is desirable that the delivery outlet 52 be formed so that, for example, even if the beverage container 100 is tilted such that the mouthpiece portion 50 is oriented relatively vertically downward with respect to the container main body 10, the beverage in the internal space 50a is stored without leaking out through the delivery outlet 52. In this embodiment, the requirement that the sealing property of the internal space 50a is ensured is not limited to that achieved by a complete enclosure of the internal space 50a, but includes a sealing property sufficient to achieve a certain level of airtightness.

[0025] The base portion 55 is inserted into the attachment hole 21a of the inner lid portion 21 of the lid portion 20, and is engaged with the inner lid portion 21 of the lid portion 20 by a step portion 55a formed on an outer periphery. With such a configuration, the mouthpiece portion 50 is attached to the inner lid portion 21.

[0026] The check valve 60 is inserted into the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51 and is provided so as to face the internal space 50a. The check valve 60 has a valve seat portion 61 formed with a through-hole 64 through which the beverage passes, and a valve body 65 that opens and closes the through-hole 64 of the valve seat portion 61. The valve seat portion 61 and the valve body 65 are formed, for example, of plastic.

[0027] The valve seat portion 61 is attached to the mouthpiece portion 50 and is attached to the straw portion 40. In other words, the mouthpiece portion 50 and the straw portion 40 are connected via the valve seat portion 61 of the check valve 60.

[0028] The valve seat portion 61 has: a boss portion 62 that is inserted into the recessed portion 51a of the mouthpiece portion 50 and closes the opening of the recessed portion 51a; and a disk-shaped flange portion 63 that extends radially outward from one end of the boss portion 62.

[0029] The boss portion 62 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having an insertion hole 62a. As shown in FIG. 4, the through-hole 64 has a Y-shape (three-pronged shape) in which three elongated holes are connected to each other at one ends, and is formed to penetrate a bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62 and to communicate with the insertion hole 62a. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer diameter of a protruded portion 42a of the insertion portion 42 of the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 is formed so as to be larger than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 62a of the boss portion 62. By press-fitting the insertion portion 42 of the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 into the insertion hole 62a of the boss portion 62 until the stopper portion 43 comes into contact with the flange portion 63, the straw portion 40 and the valve seat portion 61 are connected. In addition, as the insertion portion 42 of the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 62a of the boss portion 62, a gap between the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 and the insertion hole 62a of the boss portion 62 is sealed.

[0030] On an outer periphery of the boss portion 62, an annular protruded portion 62b projecting radially outward is provided. The outer diameter of the protruded portion 62b of the boss portion 62 is larger than the inner diameter of a portion of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 into which the boss portion 62 is inserted. In addition, on an inner periphery of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 of the mouthpiece portion 50, an annular inner peripheral protruded portion 51b that protrudes radially inward is provided. The inner diameter of the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the nipple portion 51 is smaller than the outer diameter of a portion other than the protruded portion 62b in the boss portion 62.

[0031] By inserting the boss portion 62 from the opening of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 until the protruded portion 62b passes beyond the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the nipple portion 51, the protruded portion 62b of the boss portion 62 and the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 are engaged. As a result, the boss portion 62 is prevented from coming out of the recessed portion 51a, and the boss portion 62 is attached to the nipple portion 51. In a state in which the protruded portion 62b of the boss portion 62 and the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 are engaged, the flange portion 63 is in contact with the base portion 55 of the nipple portion 51. In addition, as the protruded portion 62b of the boss portion 62 is press-fitted into the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 and as the portion other than the protruded portion 62b is press-fitted into the inner peripheral protruded portion 51b of the nipple portion 51, a gap between the boss portion 62 and the recessed portion 51a of the nipple portion 51 is sealed.

[0032] The valve body 65 has a shaft portion 66 that is inserted through the through-hole 64 of the boss portion 62, a valve plate portion 67 that is provided at one end of the shaft portion 66 and formed so as to cover the through-hole 64 of the boss portion 62, and a head portion 68 provided at the other end of the shaft portion 66.

[0033] A base end of the head portion 68 on the shaft portion 66 side is formed to have the outer diameter larger than the maximum inner diameter of the through-hole 64, and a tip end of the head portion 68 opposite from the base end is formed to have the outer diameter smaller than the maximum inner diameter of the through-hole 64. In addition, the outer diameter of the base end of the head portion 68 is formed so as to be smaller than the maximum width of the through-hole 64. With such a configuration, the head portion 68 is formed so as to be unable to pass through the through-hole 64 and so that the through-hole 64 is not covered entirely by the head portion 68. It should be noted that the maximum inner diameter of the through-hole 64 is the inner diameter of a central portion where the three elongate holes are connected. The maximum width of the through-hole 64 is the maximum dimension of the entire through-hole 64 along a predetermined one direction. In addition, an outer peripheral surface of the head portion 68 is formed to have a conical (tapered) surface in which the outer diameter decreases from the base end toward the tip end.

[0034] The head portion 68 is attached to the shaft portion 66 in a detachable manner. By inserting the shaft portion 66 of the valve body 65 into the through-hole 64 of the boss portion 62 and attaching the head portion 68 to a tip of the shaft portion 66, the valve body 65 is attached to the valve seat portion 61. A length of the shaft portion 66 (a distance between the valve plate portion 67 and the head portion 68) is formed so as to be longer than a thickness of the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62. With such a configuration, in a state in which the valve body 65 is attached to the valve seat portion 61, the valve body 65 can move in the axial direction by a distance corresponding to a gap (a difference between the length of the shaft portion 66 and the thickness of the bottom portion 62c) with respect to the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62.

[0035] Specifically, the valve body 65 can move in the axial direction within a range between a state in which the valve plate portion 67 is in contact with the boss portion 62 and a state in which the head portion 68 is in contact with the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62. In a state in which the valve plate portion 67 is in contact with the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62, the through-hole 64 is covered by the valve plate portion 67. As a result, the check valve 60 is closed, and so, a flow of the beverage from the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51 toward the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 through the through-hole 64 is restricted. Conversely, in a state in which the head portion 68 is in contact with the bottom portion 62c of the boss portion 62 and the valve plate portion 67 is separated from the bottom portion 62c in the axial direction, the through-hole 64 is not covered by the head portion 68, and so, the flow of the beverage between the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 and the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51 through the through-hole 64 is permitted.

[0036] In addition, the valve body 65 is formed with a restricting passage 69 that constantly allows communication between the internal space 50a and the liquid passage 40a (and hence the inside of the container main body 10) regardless of the opened / closed state of the check valve 60. The restricting passage 69 is constituted by a through hole that penetrates the valve body 65 in the axial direction across the valve plate portion 67, the shaft portion 66, and the head portion 68 of the valve body 65. The restricting passage 69 functions as a restrictor that causes resistance (pressure loss) against the flow of the beverage passing therethrough. The restricting passage 69 is formed to have an appropriate size (the inner diameter) such that the beverage can be stored in the internal space 50a without impairing the sealing property of the internal space 50a and that it becomes possible to gradually return the beverage stored in the internal space 50a to the container main body 10 as described later.

[0037] Next, the operation of the beverage container 100 will be described.

[0038] When the beverage is received in the container main body 10, the weight portion 45 of the straw portion 40 sinks in the beverage and comes into contact with a bottom portion of the container main body 10. In this state, the check valve 60 is in a valve-closed state in which the valve plate portion 67 of the valve body 65 is in contact with the boss portion 62 of the valve seat portion 61 and the through-hole 64 is covered by the valve plate portion 67. In addition, the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51 is in a state in which the sealing property against the outside is ensured and is filled with air.

[0039] When the biting motions and the like on the nipple portion 51 are repeated by a user and the nipple portion 51 is deformed so that the internal space 50a is expanded and contracted, the beverage in the container main body 10 is sucked up by the straw portion 40 due to a pump action by the expansion and contraction of the internal space 50a.

[0040] Specifically, the nipple portion 51 is deformed so that the internal space 50a is contracted when an external force is applied by the biting motions and the like. When the external force is removed, the nipple portion 51 is deformed so that the internal space 50a is expanded due to its own elasticity. Accordingly, a negative pressure (a sub-atmospheric pressure) is created inside the internal space 50a, the check valve 60 is opened due to a pressure difference between the internal space 50a and the inside of the container main body 10, and the beverage in the container main body 10 is taken into the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 through the suction port 45a. As the biting motions and the like are repeatedly performed on the nipple portion 51, the beverage in the liquid passage 40a is guided into the internal space 50a through the through-hole 64. Because the flow of the beverage from the internal space 50a toward the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 (toward the inside of the container main body 10) is restricted by the check valve 60, the beverage is stored in the internal space 50a.

[0041] In addition, because the restricting passage 69 of the valve body 65 imparts resistance to the flow of the beverage, the beverage sucked up by the straw portion 40 is primarily stored in the internal space 50a, and a flow rate of a flow that immediately flows back toward the container main body 10 through the restricting passage 69 is low. Thus, even if the restricting passage 69 is formed in the valve body 65, the beverage can be kept stored in the internal space 50a.

[0042] When the beverage is stored in the internal space 50a by a certain amount, by deforming the nipple portion 51 such that the internal space 50a is contracted, the beverage in the internal space 50a is delivered to the outside through the delivery outlet 52. Thus, the user can drink the beverage delivered from the delivery outlet 52.

[0043] After finishing drinking the beverage, the beverage stored in the internal space 50a is gradually returned to the inside of the container main body 10 over time through the restricting passage 69 of the valve body 65. Thus, it is possible to prevent the beverage from being kept stored in the internal space 50a over a long period of time even after finishing drinking the beverage.

[0044] As described above, by repeating the biting motions and the like on the nipple portion 51, the beverage in the container main body 10 is guided to the internal space 50a of the nipple portion 51, and the beverage is delivered from the delivery outlet 52 by the biting motions and the like on the nipple portion 51. Accordingly, even the infant and the like who can apply a low suction force can drink the beverage by himself or herself by repeating the biting motions and the like on the nipple portion 51.

[0045] In general, a training beverage container is used during a transition period (a training period) in which an infant progresses from a state in which he or she is fed beverage by a guardian or the like using a nursing bottle or the like to a state in which he or she can drink beverage by himself or herself. Because a low-month-age infant during the transition period cannot tilt the beverage container by himself or herself, the training beverage container needs to allow the infant to drink the beverage while maintaining an upright position without tilting, unlike containers such as nursing bottles which require tilting for drinking.

[0046] As such a beverage container, there is a beverage container in which a straw is used as a mouthpiece portion. However, for the low-month-age infant who can apply a relatively low suction force, it is difficult to suck the beverage with a straw. Therefore, a beverage container including only a straw was sometimes not suitable for training of the low-month-age infant.

[0047] In contrast, in the beverage container 100 of this embodiment, by repeating the biting motions on the mouthpiece portion 50 (the nipple portion 51), even the low-month-age infant and the like who can apply a low suction force can drink the beverage by himself or herself in an upright state. Therefore, the beverage container 100 is suitable as the training beverage container at a stage even prior to the training with the beverage container including the straw as the mouthpiece portion.

[0048] In addition, in the beverage container 100 of this embodiment, because the mouthpiece portion 50 includes the nipple portion 51 that is the artificial nipple, it is possible to drink the beverage by expanding and contracting the internal space 50a by the motion of the mouth similar to that for a nursing bottle in which the artificial nipple is also used. Accordingly, the beverage container 100 facilitates transition from a nursing bottle as the training beverage container.

[0049] In the following, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0050] The beverage container 100 of this embodiment includes: the container main body 10 configured to receive the beverage; the lid portion 20 attached to the container main body 10; the tubular straw portion 40 inserted into the container main body 10; the mouthpiece portion 50 provided with the lid portion 20, the mouthpiece portion 50 having the delivery outlet 52 configured to deliver the beverage guided by the straw portion 40 to the outside; and the check valve 60 configured to allow only the flow of the beverage from the straw portion 40 to the mouthpiece portion 50, wherein the mouthpiece portion 50 is configured to define the internal space 50a communicating with the delivery outlet 52 and facing the check valve 60, the mouthpiece portion 50 being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space 50a is expanded and contracted, and the check valve 60 is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion 40 toward the internal space 50a by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space 50a caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion 50.

[0051] According to this configuration, by expanding and contracting the internal space 50a, the beverage in the container main body 10 is guided into the internal space 50a from the straw portion 40 through the check valve 60. Therefore, even the infant and the like who can apply a relatively low suction force can drink the beverage by guiding the beverage into the internal space 50a by repeating the biting motions and the like on the mouthpiece portion 50.

[0052] In addition, the mouthpiece portion 50 is configured to be capable of storing the beverage in the internal space 50a such that the beverage does not leak out through the delivery outlet 52 in the natural state where no external force is applied, the mouthpiece portion 50 being configured to be capable of delivering the beverage in the internal space 50a from the delivery outlet 52 as the mouthpiece portion 50 undergoes the deformation in which the internal space 50a is contracted.

[0053] According to this configuration, because the sealing property of the internal space 50a is ensured, it is easy to exhibit a pump action for sucking the beverage. In addition, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the beverage through the delivery outlet 52. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the ease of drinking the beverage with the beverage container 100.

[0054] In addition, the straw portion 40 has: the main body portion 41 having flexibility; and the weight portion 45 provided at one end of the main body portion 41, the weight portion 45 being configured to sink in the beverage in the container main body 10, wherein the weight portion 45 includes the suction port 45a for taking in the beverage in the container main body 10.

[0055] In addition, the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40 has a length such that the weight portion 45 comes into contact with the bottom portion of the container main body 10 in a state in which the container main body 10 is empty.

[0056] According to these configurations, regardless of the amount (the liquid level) of the beverage in the container main body 10, the weight portion 45 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the container main body 10, and so, regardless of the posture (the tilt) of the beverage container 100, even in a state in which the beverage has decreased and the liquid level has lowered, the beverage can be taken into the straw portion 40. Therefore, the user can easily drink the beverage in the container main body 10 to the end.

[0057] In addition, the beverage container 100 further includes the restricting passage 69 configured to constantly allow communication between the internal space 50a and the inside of the container main body 10, the restricting passage 69 being configured to exert resistance against the flow of the beverage passing through the restricting passage 69.

[0058] According to this configuration, the beverage stored in the internal space 50a can be gradually returned to the inside of the container main body through the restricting passage 69. Thus, it is possible to prevent a state in which the beverage remains stored in the internal space 50a over a long period of time after finishing drinking the beverage.

[0059] Next, modifications of this embodiment will be described. The following modifications are also within a scope of the present invention. In addition, it may be possible to combine the configurations shown in the modifications with the configurations that have been explained in the above-described embodiment and to combine the configurations explained in the following different modifications.

[0060] In the embodiment described above, the drinking implement 30 is used by being attached to the inner lid portion 21 of the beverage container 100. In contrast, the drinking implement 30 is not limited to a configuration that it is attached to the beverage container 100, and the drinking implement 30 may be used independently.

[0061] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the mouthpiece portion 50 has the nipple portion 51 that is the artificial nipple as a delivery portion that includes the delivery outlet 52 and that is taken into a user's oral cavity at the time of drinking, but the configuration of the delivery portion is not limited to that of the embodiment described above. Although it is desirable that the mouthpiece portion 50 is configured so that, in the natural state, the sealing property of the internal space 50a is ensured in order to effectively exhibit the pump action, as long as the pump action can be exhibited, the mouthpiece portion 50 may have a straw-shaped delivery portion. For example, for the straw-shaped delivery portion, a bulged portion whose inner peripheral surface bulges radially outward may be provided at a middle of a straw shape, and it is possible to exhibit the pump action by expanding and contracting an inner space of the bulged portion.

[0062] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the check valve 60 is provided between the straw portion 40 and the mouthpiece portion 50. In contrast, the configuration of the check valve 60 is not limited to that of the embodiment described above as long as the check valve 60 allows only the flow of the beverage from the straw portion 40 toward the mouthpiece portion 50. For example, the check valve 60 may be provided at a middle of the main body portion 41 of the straw portion 40. In addition, the check valve 60 may have a structure such as a duckbill valve.

[0063] In addition, in the embodiment described above, the restricting passage 69 is formed in the valve body 65 of the check valve 60. In contrast, the restricting passage 69 can have any configuration as long as the restricting passage 69 constantly allows communication between the internal space 50a and the liquid passage 40a of the straw portion 40 (and hence the inside of the container main body 10). For example, the restricting passage 69 may be formed in the valve seat portion 61 or the mouthpiece portion 50. More specifically, the restricting passage 69 may be formed by, for example, a through-hole formed in the valve seat portion 61 or the mouthpiece portion 50. In addition, the restricting passage 69 may be formed by a slit or the like that is formed in the outer periphery of the valve seat portion 61, in the inner periphery the recessed portion 51a of the mouthpiece portion 50, and in the end face on the container main body 10 side of the recessed portion 51a of the mouthpiece portion 50. In addition, by a technique such as making the outer shape of the valve seat portion 61 and the inner shape of the recessed portion 51a of the mouthpiece portion 50 different from each other, a gap may be formed between the outer periphery of the valve seat portion 61 and the mouthpiece portion 50, and the gap may be employed as the restricting passage 69. It should be noted that the configuration of the restricting passage 69 is not essential, and the beverage container 100 may not include the restricting passage 69.

[0064] Embodiments of this invention were described above, but the above embodiments are merely examples of applications of this invention, and the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the specific constitutions of the above embodiments.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0008]In the following, a beverage container 100 and a drinking implement 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009]The beverage container 100 and the drinking implement 30 of this embodiment can be used as the training beverage container 100 for training an infant and the like to become able to drink beverage by himself or herself. With the beverage container 100 and the drinking implement 30, it is made possible to drink the beverage not by suction, but by repeating motions on a mouthpiece portion 50 performed by a user, such as biting motions, milking motions, or peristaltic-like motions (hereinafter, these motions are collectively referred to as "the biting motions and the like"). It should be noted that the peristaltic-like motion is a wave-like motion of the tongue performed by the infant when the infant drinks breast milk, and it is known that, by this motion, the infant drinks the breast milk from the nipple...

Claims

1. A beverage container comprising: a container main body configured to receive beverage; a lid portion attached to the container main body; a tubular straw portion inserted into the container main body; a mouthpiece portion provided with the lid portion, the mouthpiece portion having a delivery outlet configured to deliver the beverage guided by the straw portion to outside; and a check valve configured to allow only a flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the mouthpiece portion, wherein the mouthpiece portion is configured to define an internal space communicating with the delivery outlet and facing the check valve, the mouthpiece portion being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space is expanded and contracted, and the check valve is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the internal space by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion.

2. The beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece portion is configured to be capable of storing the beverage in the internal space such that the beverage does not leak out through the delivery outlet in a natural state where no external force is applied, the mouthpiece portion being configured to be capable of delivering the beverage in the internal space from the delivery outlet as the mouthpiece portion undergoes the deformation in which the internal space is contracted.

3. The beverage container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the straw portion has: a main body portion having flexibility; and a weight portion provided at one end of the main body portion, the weight portion being configured to sink in the beverage in the container main body, and wherein the weight portion is provided with a suction port for taking in the beverage in the container main body.

4. The beverage container according to claim 3, wherein the main body portion of the straw portion has a length such that the weight portion comes into contact with a bottom portion of the container main body.

5. The beverage container according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a restricting passage configured to constantly allow communication between the internal space and an inside of the container main body, the restricting passage being configured to exert resistance against a flow of the beverage passing through the restricting passage.

6. A drinking implement for drinking beverage in a beverage container, the drinking implement comprising: a tubular straw portion inserted into the beverage container; a mouthpiece portion having a delivery outlet for delivering the beverage guided by the straw portion to outside; and a check valve configured to allow only a flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the mouthpiece portion, wherein the mouthpiece portion is configured to define an internal space communicating with the delivery outlet and facing the check valve, the mouthpiece portion being formed to be elastically deformable such that the internal space is expanded and contracted, and the check valve is configured to allow the flow of the beverage from the straw portion toward the internal space by being opened by the expansion and contraction of the internal space caused by the deformation of the mouthpiece portion.

Images