Drinking Vessel

Abstract

A drinking vessel is described, and which includes a container defining a neck region, and having an internal cavity which encloses a source of a liquid to be dispensed; a removable cover which has a drinking passageway, and which extends therethrough, and wherein the removable cover releasably mates with the container; and a foraminous container for enclosing a food product, and which is releasably coupled to the removable cover, and which is received in the internal cavity of the container, and wherein source of the liquid passes through the food product before exiting the container by way of the drinking passageway.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A drinking vessel, comprising:
 a container defining an internal cavity, and having a neck which communicates with the internal cavity;   a removable cover for releasably, matingly coupling with the neck of the container, and which further has a drinking passageway formed therein, and wherein the removable cover has an inwardly, and an outwardly facing surface; and   a foraminous enclosure having an internal cavity, and which is releasably coupled to the inwardly facing surface of the removable cover, and which is further inserted through the neck, and into the internal cavity of the container, when the removable cover is releasably coupled to the container.   
     
     
         2 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 1 , and further comprising:
 a strainer having a porous main body which is received, at least in part, within the internal cavity which is defined by the foraminous enclosure, and wherein the porous main body is located, at least in part, between the inside facing surface of the removable cover, and the neck of the container, and wherein the drinking passageway communicates in fluid flowing relationship relative to the porous main body of the strainer.   
     
     
         3 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 2 , and further comprising:
 a source of a food product which is deposited and enclosed within the internal cavity of the foraminous enclosure, and wherein the internal cavity of the container encloses a source of a liquid to be consumed, and wherein the source of the liquid passes out from the internal cavity of the container, and through the foraminous container, where the source of liquid comes into immediate contact with the source of the food product which is enclosed within the foraminous container, and wherein the source of liquid then passes through the strainer, and out through the drinking passageway.   
     
     
         4 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 3 , and wherein the container is defined by a sidewall which has an inside facing surface, and an outside facing surface, and wherein the inside facing surface defines the internal cavity of the container, and the outside facing surface of the container, in the region of the neck, has a screw thread formed therein, and which facilitates the releasable, coupling of the removable cover to the container. 
     
     
         5 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 4 , and wherein the removable cover has a peripheral edge, and wherein a first circumscribing sidewall depends downwardly from the peripheral edge, and which has an inside facing, and an outside facing surface, and wherein a screw thread is defined by the inside facing surface of the first circumscribing sidewall, and which is operable to matingly, threadably cooperate with the screw thread that is defined by the outside facing surface of the container so as to facilitate the releasable coupling of the removable cover with the neck of the container. 
     
     
         6 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 5 , and wherein the removable cover further has a second depending, and circumscribing sidewall which extends downwardly from the inside facing surface of the removable cover, and which is further spaced radially, inwardly, relative to the first, circumscribing sidewall that depends downwardly relative to the peripheral edge of the removable cover, and wherein the second, depending sidewall has an inside facing surface which defines a screw thread, and which is operable to matingly, screwthreadably engage, and secure the foraminous enclosure to the removable cover. 
     
     
         7 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 6 , and wherein the source of the food product comprises a multiplicity of small particles of the food product, and wherein the porous main body of the strainer defines an internal cavity, and wherein the porous main body of the strainer is telescopingly received within the internal cavity which is defined by the foraminous enclosure, and wherein the porous main body of the strainer has a bottom surface, which has formed therein, a multiplicity of apertures which individually inhibit the passage of the small food particles, which form a part of the source of the food product, from moving into the internal cavity of the porous main body, of the strainer, and which further allows the source of the fluid to pass therethrough, and wherein the porous main body of the strainer further includes a circumscribing flange member which has a plurality of apertures formed therein, and which facilitates the passage of the source of the liquid, therethrough. 
     
     
         8 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 7 , and wherein the drinking passageway is telescopingly received, at least in part, within the internal cavity which is defined by the porous main body of the strainer, and wherein the circumscribing flange member which forms a part of the main body of the strainer, defines, at least in part, a passageway which allows the source of the fluid passing through the respective apertures formed in the circumscribing flange member to move between the inwardly facing surface of the removable cover, and then travel, and be received into the internal cavity which is defined by the porous main body of the strainer. 
     
     
         9 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 8 , and wherein the circumscribing flange member which is made integral with the porous main body of the strainer further includes a circumscribing rib member which spaces the inside facing surface of the removable cover a predetermined distance from the circumscribing flange member so as to define the passageway, and which further facilitates the passing of the source of the fluid between the inside facing surface of the removable cover, and the circumscribing flange member, and then into the internal cavity which is defined by the porous main body of the strainer. 
     
     
         10 . A drinking vessel, comprising:
 a container defining an internal cavity, and which encloses a source of a fluid to be dispensed, and wherein the container is defined by a sidewall having an inside facing surface, and which further defines the internal cavity, and an outside facing surface, and wherein the sidewall of the container forms, at least in part, a neck, and wherein the neck further defines an aperture which allows access to the internal cavity of the container, and wherein the outside facing surface of the neck further defines an outwardly facing engagement member;   a removable cover for releasably, matingly coupling with the neck of the container, and which further selectively occludes the aperture defined by the neck, and wherein the removable cover further has a drinking passageway formed therein, and which has a first, and a second end, and wherein the removable cover has an inwardly and an outwardly facing surface, and wherein the engagement member which is made integral with the neck matingly cooperates with the inside facing surface of the removable cover;   a source of a food product which is formed from a multiplicity of small, solid matter pieces, and which further has a portion which can be mixed with the source of the fluid, and which is enclosed within the internal cavity of the container;   a foraminous enclosure having an internal cavity, and wherein the source of the food product is enclosed within the internal cavity that is defined by the foraminous enclosure, and wherein the foraminous enclosure has an end, which is releasably coupled to the inside facing surface of the removable cover, and wherein the foraminous enclosure is sized so as to pass through the aperture defined by the neck of the container, and be received, at least in part, within the internal cavity defined by the container; and   a strainer having a porous main body which is received, at least in part, within the internal cavity that is defined by the foraminous enclosure, and which communicates in fluid flowing relation relative to the internal cavity of the container, and wherein the porous main body of the strainer has a flange member which is captured, at least in part, between the foruaminous container, and the inside facing surface of the removable cover, and which further secures the porous main body of the strainer within the internal cavity that is defined by the foraminous enclosure.   
     
     
         11 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the internal cavity of the container has a predetermined volume, and the foraminous container, has a volume which is less than about 50% of the volume of the internal cavity of the container. 
     
     
         12 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 11 , and wherein the source of the fluid passes from the internal cavity of the container, and into the internal cavity of the foraminous container, and wherein the portion of the food product which can be mixed with the source of liquid comingles with source of the liquid to form a comingled solution, and which then passes through the strainer, and is received within the drinking passageway for dispensing. 
     
     
         13 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 12 , and wherein the flange member of the strainer has an inside, and an outside facing surface, and wherein a multiplicity of apertures are formed in the flange member, and which permits the source of the fluid to pass therethrough, and wherein the flange member further includes a circumscribing rib which is made integral with the outside facing surface of the flange member, and which is operable to engage the inside facing surface of the removable cover, and which locates the outside facing surface of the flange in spaced relation relative to the inside facing surface of the removable cover so as to define a resulting passageway therebetween, and wherein the resulting passageway defined between the removable cover, and the flange member allows the source of the fluid to pass through the apertures formed in the flange member, and along the passageway for receipt into the porous main body of the strainer. 
     
     
         14 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 13 , and wherein the removable cover has a peripheral edge, and wherein a first circumscribing sidewall depends downwardly from the peripheral edge, and which further has an inside facing, and an outside facing surface, and wherein the inside facing surface is operable to matingly, cooperate with the engagement member which is made integral with the outside facing surface of the container so as to facilitate the releasable coupling of the removable cover with the neck of the container. 
     
     
         15 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 14 , and wherein the porous main body of the strainer defines an internal cavity, and wherein the porous main body of the strainer is telescopingly received within the internal cavity which is defined by the foraminous enclosure, and wherein the porous main body of the strainer has a bottom surface, which has formed therein, a multiplicity of apertures which individually inhibit the passage of the small, solid matter pieces, which form a part of the source of the food product, from moving into the internal cavity of the porous main body, and which further allows the source of the fluid, and the comingled solution to pass therethrough. 
     
     
         16 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 15 , and wherein the strainer further includes a multiplicity of longitudinally extending, and radially oriented spacing components, which are made integral with outside facing surface of the porous main body of the strainer, and the inside facing surface of the flange member, and wherein the spacing components substantially centrally orient the porous main body of the strainer within the internal cavity as defined by the foraminous container. 
     
     
         17 . A drinking vessel as claimed in  claim 16 , and wherein the removable cover further has a second depending, and circumscribing sidewall which extends downwardly from the inside facing surface of the removable cover, and which is further spaced radially, inwardly, relative to the first, circumscribing sidewall that depends downwardly relative to the peripheral edge of the removable cover, and wherein the second circumscribing sidewall is operable to matingly, engage, and releasably secure the foraminous enclosure to the removable cover.