Bottle and travel mug in one vessel

Abstract

A drinking vessel that may be used as a bottle and as a travel mug is disclosed. The vessel comprises a cover assembly and a handle attached by a hinge to the cover assembly. The cover assembly comprises an upper layer and a lower layer, and a cover gear between the two layers, allowing the upper layer to rotate in response to the rotation of the handle, while the lower layer is fixed. When rotated, the handle rotates with it a pinion which engages with the ring of said cover gear only within a preset range, causing the upper layer to rotate. The upper layer of the cover assembly comprises a large opening, and the lower layer comprises a large opening and a small opening. When the two large openings are aligned, they serve as a bottle spout. When the upper layer is rotated and its large opening aligns with the small opening of the lower layer, their combination serve as a travel mug spout.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drinking vessel comprising: a container having an open top; and a cap assembly attachable to said container, said cap assembly having a cap platform portion with a large opening and a small opening, said large and small openings being positioned at 90 degrees from each other, and a rotatable upper layer with a drinking spout receivable within said platform portion, and a means of rotating said upper layer such that said drinking spout aligns alternately with said large opening and said small opening of said platform portion. 
     
     
         2 . A drinking vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein said means comprise a handle that is rotatably connected to said upper layer via a cam mechanism, said cam mechanism comprising a cam wheel having a groove, and a follower that is operably connected to said upper layer such that the movement of said follower is translated to a rotation of said upper layer. 
     
     
         3 . A drinking vessel according to  claim 2 , wherein said handle has top and bottom surface portions, and proximal and distal opposite end portions, said proximal end portion having first hinge means that pivotably associates said handle with said cap platform portion, whereby said handle is pivotable relative to said upper layer; said bottom surface portion having a depression defined therein at said distal end portion, the interrelationship between said drinking spout and said depression being such that, when said handle is pivoted so that said depression is adjacent said drinking spout, said depression closes said drinking spout. 
     
     
         4 . A drinking vessel according to  claim 3 , wherein said hinge means has a fixed connection to said cam wheel, and said groove being shaped such that the rotation of said cam wheel causes rotation of said upper layer when said handle is being rotated within a first range of rotation angle, said rotation angle being measured between the surface of said upper layer and said handle, and said range being between 180 and 270 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . A drinking vessel according to  claim 1 , wherein said means comprise a handle that is rotatably connected to said upper layer via a set of gears. 
     
     
         6 . A drinking vessel comprising: a container having an open top; and a cap assembly attachable to said container, said cap assembly having a cap platform portion with a drinking spout, and a rotatable lower layer receivable within said platform portion, said lower layer having a large opening and a small opening, said large and small openings being positioned at 90 degrees from each other, and a means of rotating said lower layer such that said large opening and said small opening align alternately with said drinking spout of said platform portion. 
     
     
         7 . A drinking vessel according to  claim 6 , wherein said means comprise a handle that is rotatably connected to said lower layer via a cam mechanism. 
     
     
         8 . A drinking vessel according to  claim 6 , wherein said means comprise a handle that is rotatably connected to said lower layer via a set of gears.