Straw gripper and lip guard for a container and methods of use

Abstract

A mouth or lip guard for placement over the lid or rim of a can or container prior to consumption to establish a sanitary barrier between a drinker's contact points of mouth, and more specifically lips, and the lid, rim, and/or sidewalls of the beverage can or other container and with a straw capture and alignment port having a slit dividing the planar tab into a first tab section and second tab section, the first tab section having a first straw contact finger configured therein and the second tab section having a second straw contact finger configured therein, each straw contact finger separated by said slit, the straw contact fingers are hingeably configured to removably secure the straw against a straw contact rim formed in the planar tab by a cutout of said first straw contact finger and said second straw contact finger.

1 . An apparatus to cover a rim of a container, having a sidewall and a fluid opening, to provide a sanitary barrier between a drinker's upper lip and a lower lip, said apparatus comprising:
 a rim guard configured as downwardly open and having a substantially vertical outer sidewall and a substantially vertical inner sidewall, and wherein an upper portion of said vertical outer sidewall is joined thereto an upper portion of said vertical inner sidewall to form a rim.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said inner sidewall transitions to a horizontal surface. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said horizontal surface further comprising a fluid aperture configured to enable access to the fluid opening of the container. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rim guard is configured as a ring. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rim guard is configured as a curved section. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rim guard is configured as a straight section. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rim guard is configured as u-shaped. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rim guard is configured as v-shaped. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said rim guard is removeably affixed to the rim of the container. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said vertical outer sidewall transitions to an angled surface. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus to cover a rim of a container having a fluid opening and a sidewall, and to secure a straw, said apparatus comprising:
 a rim guard configured as downwardly open and having a substantially vertical outer sidewall and a substantially vertical inner sidewall, wherein an upper portion of said vertical outer sidewall is joined thereto an upper portion of said vertical inner sidewall to form a rim; a substantially horizontal planar tab extends outwardly from said substantially vertical outer sidewall, said planar tab having an exterior edge with a straw capture and alignment port; said straw capture and alignment port having a slit to divide said planar tab into a first tab section and second tab section, said slit having a first slit end and a second slit end;   said first tab section having a first substantially horizontal straw contact finger configured therein and said second tab section having a second substantially horizontal straw contact finger configured therein, each said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger separated by said slit, endpoints of cutouts of said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger converge on said second slit end; and   said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are hingeably configured to removably secure the straw against a straw contact rim formed in said planar tab by a cutout of said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said alignment port is semi-circular. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said straw capture and alignment port points outward from said rim guard. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said cutout having starting points of said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are evenly spaced about said slit and perpendicular to a first slit end of said straw capture and alignment port. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said straw capture and alignment port, said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger, said slit, and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are configured perpendicular to said vertical outer sidewall. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said straw capture and alignment port, said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger, said slit, and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are configured parallel to said vertical outer sidewall. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are hingeably configured about said slit to fold therein to form straw capture cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said straw contact rim, said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are hingeably configured about said slit to fold therein to form straw capture cavity. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least two of said straw contact rim, said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are hingeably configured about said slit to fold therein to form straw capture cavity. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are sized and shaped to match a straw configuration. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said straw contact rim is sized and shaped to match a straw configuration. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger and said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger having an upper surface to grip the straw. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least two of said straw contact rim, said first substantially horizontal straw contact finger, said second substantially horizontal straw contact finger are hingeably configured about said slit to fold therein to grip the straw therein. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising a second straw end in contact with the sidewall of the container.