Abstract:
A stopper for an opening of a container such as a thermos. The stopper includes a pushbutton, a fluid flow channel extending between an inlet and an outlet, and a movable plug portion positioned adjacent the inlet. A biasing member biases the plug portion into sealing engagement with the inlet thereby preventing the contents of the container from flowing into the channel. A cam follower is disposed upon a cam surface opposing the biasing member. The cam follower is rotatable by the pushbutton relative to the cam surface from a closed position to an open position and when so rotated, exerts a biasing force on the cam surface sufficient to overcome the biasing force exerted by the biasing member on the plug portion and space the plug portion from the inlet allowing the contents of the container to flow into the channel and out the outlet.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed generally to a stopper used with a food or beverage container and more particularly to a stopper used with a thermos configured to open and close without being removed from the thermos. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Many people use thermoses to carry liquids, such as coffee, soup, hot chocolate, and like, with them on trips and to work. Conventional thermoses have a threaded removable stopper affixed to their open top portions. To access the contents of the thermos, the stopper must be removed. However, this is not always practical particularly at a work sites where a stopper can become lost or must be set down in an unhygienic location. Thus, a need exists for a thermos stopper that opens (without being removed from the thermos) to allow the contents of the thermos to poured out into a cup or other container. It would be desirable to disassemble such a thermos stopper between uses to clean its internal components, which would be exposed to the contents of the thermos. The present application provides these and other advantages as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a stopper constructed in accordance with the present invention depicted in a closed configuration and above a beverage or food container. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the stopper of  FIG. 1  in the closed configuration positioned within an inside portion of a rim portion of the container with a cup coupled to an outside portion of the rim portion of the container and covering the stopper. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the stopper of  FIG. 1  depicted in an open configuration. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the stopper of  FIG. 1  omitting the components of its valve assembly. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the stopper of  FIG. 1  depicting a pushbutton, a top cover, and a lever member. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the pushbutton, the top cover, and the lever member of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the underside of the top cover of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an inner body of the stopper of  FIG. 1  depicting its a pour spout. 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the inner body of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view a subassembly of the inner body, top cover, and lever member from below the pour spout of the inner body. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective cross-sectional view of an outer body of the stopper of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 12  a perspective cross-sectional view of an annular seal of the stopper of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 13  a perspective view of the valve assembly of the stopper of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 14  a cross-sectional view of the valve assembly of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view a subassembly of the inner body of  FIG. 8  and the link member of the valve assembly of  FIG. 13 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Overview 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , aspects of the present invention include a stopper  10  for a beverage or food container  12 , such as a bottle, thermos, decanter, or similar storage vessel. The container  12  may be reusable or disposable. Likewise, the stopper  10  may be constructed to be either reusable or disposable. For ease of illustration, the stopper  10  is depicted and described as being coupled to the container  12 , which is positioned in an upright orientation. However, those of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that during use, the stopper  10  and the container  12  may be positioned in any orientation. Therefore, terms that relate to directions, such as top, bottom, upward, downward, and the like, have been assigned arbitrarily and are not intended to limit the invention. 
     The stopper  10  may be selectively transitioned by a user between a closed configuration (illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) and an open configuration (illustrated in  FIG. 3 ). Thus, the stopper  10  may be selectively opened and closed by a user. The container  12  has a hollow interior portion  15  for storing liquid or semi-liquid contents. Non-limiting examples of liquid or semi-liquid contents stored by the container include beverages, soups, and the like. When the stopper  10  is opened, the contents residing in the interior portion  15  of the container  12  may flow therefrom through the stopper  10 . When the stopper  10  is closed, the contents residing in the interior portion  15  of the container  12  are sealed therein by the stopper  10 . 
     The stopper  10  is configured to be attached to a rim portion  16  of the container  12  by a connector portion  17 . In the embodiment depicted in the figures, the rim portion  16  has threads  18  formed on its inside surface  20 . The rim portion  16  also includes an inwardly extending sealing member  21  located below the threads  18 . The connector portion  17  of the stopper  10  includes outside threads  22  disposed about a lower portion  24  of an outer surface  26  of an outer body  40  of the stopper  10 . The threads  22  of the connector portion  17  are configured to threadedly engage the threads  18  of the rim portion  16  for removable engagement therewith. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , when the container  12  is implemented as a thermos, an inverted cup  30 , mug, bowl, and the like may be coupled to the rim portion  16  of the container  12  over the stopper  10 . In this manner, the stopper  10  is housed inside the inverted cup  30 , which must first be removed before the stopper  10  can be selectively opened by the user. The inverted cup  30  has a bottom portion  32  with an inside surface  34  spaced from an upper end of the stopper  10 . 
     The stopper  10  has an interior portion  36  defined at least in part by the outer body  40 . The stopper  10  also includes an inner body  42  nested inside the outer body  40 , an annular sealing member  43  (e.g., an o-ring) sandwiched between the outer and inner bodies  40  and  42  and forming a liquid tight seal therebetween, and a valve assembly  44  having internal components  46  disposed inside the interior portion  36  of the outer body  40 , and a valve member  48  having a shaft portion  50  and a plug portion  54  external to the outer body  40 . The shaft portion  50  having a proximal end  52  engaging the internal components  46  of the valve assembly  44  and a distal end  56  coupled to the plug portion  54  external to the outer body  40 . 
     The stopper  10  also includes a top cover  60  coupled to the inner body  40  and covering both the outer and inner bodies  40  and  42 . The stopper  10  also has an annular seal  64  disposed between the plug portion  54  of the valve member  48  and the outer body  40 . The annular seal  64  forms a liquid tight seal between the plug portion  54  of the valve member  48  and the outer body  40  when the stopper  10  is in the closed configuration (illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). When the stopper  10  is in the open configuration (illustrated in  FIG. 3 ), the plug portion  54  of the valve member  48  is spaced from the annular seal  64  to permit the flow of the contents of the container  12  into and out of the interior portion  36  of the stopper  10 . The annular seal  64  also engages (and may be compressed by) the inwardly extending sealing member  21  to form a liquid tight seal between the stopper  10  and the rim portion  16  of the container  12 . 
     The valve assembly  44  is actuated by an externally accessible and manually operated pushbutton  70  coupled to an elongated lever member  74  pivotally mounted to the inner body  42 . The lever member  74  pivots between an open position (illustrated in  FIG. 3 ) in which the stopper  10  is open and the contents of the container  12  may exit therefrom through the stopper  10  and a closed position (illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) in which the stopper  10  is closed and the contents of the container  12  are retained inside the container  12  by the stopper  10 . 
       FIG. 4  provides an exploded view of the components of the stopper  10 . For illustrative purposes, the components of the valve assembly  44  are omitted from  FIG. 4 . Explodeds view of the components of the valve assembly  44  (illustrated with the lever member  74 ) are provided in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . Each of the components illustrated in  FIG. 4  are described in the following sections. 
     Pushbutton 
     The pushbutton  70  is selectively positionable in both a depressed, open position (see  FIG. 3 ) and a raised, closed position (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The pushbutton  70  travels been the open and closed positions along a substantially linearly path of travel along a travel direction (identified by double headed arrow “A 1 ” in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) relative to the top cover  60 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the pushbutton  70  has a top portion  100  against which the user pushes to pivot the lever member  74 , a side portion  102  extending downwardly from the top portion  100 , a bottom portion  104  opposite the top portion  100 , and a pair of spaced apart downwardly extending connector portions  106 A and  106 B disposed along the bottom portion  104 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated, the side portion  102  is implemented as a single continuation sidewall  108 . However, this is not a requirement, and embodiments in which the side portion  102  includes two or more connected or disconnected sidewalls (not shown) are also within the scope of the present teachings. 
     The connector portions  106 A and  106 B couple the pushbutton  70  to the lever member  74 . The connector portion  106 A includes a slot  112 A and connector portion  106 B includes a slot  112 B. The slots  112 A and  112 B are spaced apart and juxtaposed with one another. The slots  112 A and  112 B each extend in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel (identified by double headed arrow “A 1 ” in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) of the pushbutton  70  relative to the top cover  60  when the pushbutton is depressed by the user to open the stopper  10 . 
     Optionally, the pushbutton  70  includes one or more internal support members. In the embodiment illustrated, the pushbutton  70  includes a transverse support member  118  extending under the top portion  100  and between opposite portions of the continuation sidewall  108 . 
     Lever Member 
     The lever member  74  is selectively positionable in both an open position (see  FIG. 3 ) and a closed position (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) by the pushbutton  70 . The lever member  74  has an external portion  130  and an internal portion  132 . The lever member  74  has a bent shape with an inside angle “A 2 ” defined between the external portion  130  and the internal portion  132 . The angle “A 2 ” has an apex “B” at the intersection of the external and internal portions  130  and  132 . 
     When assembled inside the stopper  10 , the external portion  130  is accessible from outside the stopper  10  and the internal portion  132  is disposed inside the stopper. The external portion  130  includes a tapered flap portion  136  having an underside  138  with a guide follower portion  140 , a proximal portion  142  adjacent the internal portion  132  and a distal portion  144  opposite the proximal portion. The flap portion  136  may be tapered so that its thickest portion is along its proximal portion  142  and its thinnest portion is along its distal portion  144 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the guide follower portion  140  extends downwardly from the underside  138  of the flap portion  136  toward the inner body  42  of the stopper  10  and is not exposed when the lever member  74  is in the closed position. However, as may be viewed in  FIG. 3 , the guide follower portion  140  may be at least partially visible to the user when the lever member  74  is in the open position. The guide follower portion  140  may help orient the lever member  74  relative to the top cover  60  and may help guide the lever member  74  relative to the inner body  42  when the lever member  74  is transitioned between the open and closed positions. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the guide follower portion  140  is implemented as a continuous wall curved along both its length and height. Further, the guide follower portion  140  is located adjacent to the apex “B” of the angle “A 2 .” 
     The internal portion  132  includes a support platform  148  having a curved intermediate portion  150  flanked by a curved proximal edge portion  156  coupled to the external portion  130 , and a free distal edge portion  158  opposite the proximal edge portion  156  and terminated by a rounded cam follower portion  160 . The internal portion  132  also includes a transverse pivot pin  162  coupled to the support platform  148  between the curved proximal edge portion  156  and the curved intermediate portion  150 . The transverse pivot pin  162  has a first end portion  164 A opposite a second end portion  164 B. The transverse pivot pin  162  is spaced from the apex “B” of the angle “A 2 ” toward the free distal edge portion  158 . The transverse pivot pin  162  includes an intermediate portion  166  located between the first and second end portions  164 A and  164 B. Optionally, the intermediate portion  166  may have a larger diameter than the first and second end portions  164 A and  164 B. Optionally, the internal portion  132  includes a support member  168  coupled to the curved intermediate portion  150  and positioned to provide lateral support to the transverse pivot pin  162 . 
     The internal portion  132  also includes a connector portion  170  coupled to the free distal edge portion  158  of the support platform  148 . The connector portion  170  includes an elongated transverse pivot pin  174  coupled to the support platform  148  by a support member  176 . In the embodiment illustrated, the transverse pivot pin  174  is shorter in length than the transverse pivot pin  162 . When the stopper  10  is assembled, the connector portion  170  of the lever member  74  is movably coupled to the connector portions  106 A and  106 B of the pushbutton  70 . The transverse pivot pin  174  has a first end portion  178 A configured to be received inside the slot  112 A of the connector portion  106 A and a second end portion  178 B configured to be received inside the slot  112 B of the connector portion  106 B. The transverse pivot pin  174  includes an intermediate portion  180  between the first and second end portions  178 A and  178 B. The intermediate portion  180  may be configured to be too large to be received inside the slots  112 A and  112 B to limit the lateral movement to of the lever member  74  relative to the pushbutton  70 . Thus, when the stopper  10  is assembled, the intermediate portion  180  of the transverse pivot pin  174  is flanked by the connector portions  106 A and  106 B of the pushbutton  70 . 
     The transverse pivot pin  174  pivots and slides longitudinally within the spaced apart slots  112 A and  112 B when the lever member  74  is moved between the open and closed positions. The support member  176  is configured to adequately space the transverse pivot pin  174  from the support platform  148  to permit the transverse pivot pin  174  to pivot within the spaced apart slots  112 A and  112 B without the occurrence of undesirable engagement between the sidewall  108  of the pushbutton  70  and the support platform  148  of the lever member  74 . 
     When the pushbutton  70  is depressed, the lever member  74  pivots on the transverse pivot pin  162  pressing the cam follower portion  160  of the lever member  74  against a cam surface  200  (illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3  and described below) of the valve assembly  44  thereby actuating the valve assembly  44  causing it to open. At the same time, the flap portion  136  is rotated upwardly away from the top cover  60 , opening the stopper  10 . When the valve assembly  44  is open and the flap portion  136  is rotated upwardly away from the top cover  60 , the contents of the container  12  may flow through the stopper  10 . 
     Top Cover 
     The top cover  60  is generally disk shaped and has a downwardly curving upper surface  202  with a generally circular perimeter portion “P 1 ” and a downwardly extending sidewall  204  extending circumferentially about the upper surface  202  and along the perimeter portion “P 1 .” A first aperture  210  is formed in the upper surface  202  through which the contents of the container  12  may flow when the lever member  74  is in the open position (see  FIG. 3 ). A second aperture  214  spaced apart from the first aperture  210  is formed in the upper surface  202 . The second aperture  214  is configured to receive the pushbutton  70  and permit it to be depressed by the user for the purposes of pivoting the lever member  74  into the open position. 
     The first and second apertures  210  and  214  each have a perimeter portion “P 2 ” and “P 3 ,” respectively. The perimeter portion “P 2 ” of the first aperture  210  has a relieved portion  218  adjacent the perimeter portion “P 1 ” of the upper surface  202 . In the embodiment illustrated, the perimeter portion “P 2 ” of the second aperture  214  has a curved portion  220  opposite a substantially linear portion  222 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a pair of inwardly extending guide walls  224 A and  224 B are positioned opposite one another along the perimeter portion “P 2 ” of the first aperture  210 . The guide wall  224 A has a notch  225 A formed along its distal edge  226 A and the guide wall  224 B has a notch  225 B formed along its distal edge  226 B juxtaposed with the notch  225 A across the first aperture  210 . The notches  225 A and  225 B are disposed to receive a portion of the first and second end portions  164 A and  164 B, respectively, of the transverse pivot pin  162  of the lever member  74  therein, when the stopper  10  is assembled. In this manner, the notches  225 A and  225 B help maintain the proper positioning of the lever member  74  relative to the top cover  60  and the inner body  42  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     The top cover  60  also has an inwardly extending first guide wall portion  227  and a second guide wall portion  228 , each adjacent to at least a portion of the perimeter portion “P 3 ” of the second aperture  214 . In the embodiment illustrated, the first guide wall portion  227  is curved about the curved portion  220  of the perimeter portion “P 3 ” of the second aperture  214  and the second guide wall portion  228  is substantially linear extending along the substantially linear portion  222  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) of the perimeter portion “P 3 ” of the second aperture  214 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , when the pushbutton  70  is received inside the second aperture  214 , the side portion  102  of the pushbutton  70  is adjacent the first and second guide wall portions  227  and  228 . The first guide wall portion  227 , and the second guide wall portion  228  help guide the pushbutton  70  as it is transitioned between the open and closed positions limiting the lateral movement of the pushbutton laterally relative to the top cover  60  and the internal structures of the stopper  10 . The first guide wall portion  227  terminates in a shelf portion  230 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , when the pushbutton  70  is in the open position, a portion of the sidewall  108  adjacent the bottom portion  104  of the pushbutton  70  rests upon the shelf portion  230 , which limits the inward path of travel of the pushbutton  70 . 
     Returning to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second guide wall portion  228  includes a central notch  232  along its lower edge  234 . The central notch  232  is configured to allow the support member  168  of the connector portion  170  of the lever member  74  to pass into and out of the central notch  232  as the lever member  74  is pivoted into and out of the open position to prevent interference between the second guide wall portion  228  and the lever member  74 . 
     When the lever member  74  is in the closed position (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ), the flap portion  136  of the lever member  74  is received inside the first aperture  210  in the top cover  60  and closes the first aperture  210 , with the distal portion  144  of the flap portion  136  being located adjacent to the relieved portion  218  of the perimeter portion “P 2 ” of the first aperture  210 . The internal portion  132  of the lever member  74  extends away from the first aperture  210  and toward the inner body  42  with the transverse pivot pin  162  resting on and being supported by the inner body  42  (see  FIG. 2 ) inside the stopper  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , when the lever member  74  is in the closed position, the top surface  100  of the pushbutton  70  and an exposed portion  240  of the side portion  102  extend upwardly from the upper surface  202  of the top cover  60  through the second aperture  214 . Below the second aperture  214 , the connector portions  106 A and  106 B of the pushbutton  70  are coupled to the connector portion  170  of the lever member  74 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , when the lever member  74  is in the open position, the flap portion  136  of the lever member  74  is spaced upwardly from the relieved portion  218  of the first aperture  210 , and the top surface  100  of the pushbutton  70  is recessed below the upper surface  202  of the top cover  60 . Thus, the previously exposed portion  240  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the side portion  102  of the pushbutton  70  is hidden below the top cover  60 . 
     The lever member  74  and the pushbutton  70  are transitioned from the open position to the closed position by pressing the lever member  74  toward the top cover  60 . The lever member  74  may be pressed into the closed position by the user, or the inverted cup  30  (see  FIG. 2 ) when the inverted cup is attached to the rim portion  16  of the container  12  over the stopper  10 . Specifically, if the lever member  74  is in the open position, when the inverted cup  30  is attached to the rim portion  16  of the container  12  over the stopper  10 , the inside surface  34  of the bottom portion  32  of the inverted cup  30  will bear against the distal portion  144  of the flap portion  136  pressing it toward the top cover  60  and causing it to transition into the closed position. 
     Turning to  FIG. 7 , the downwardly extending sidewall  204  along the perimeter portion “P 1 ” of the top cover  60  has an inwardly extending projection  244  defining a channel  246  below the upper surface  202 . The projection  244  and the channel  246  are configured to removably couple the top cover  60  to the inner body  42  (see  FIGS. 2-4 ). In the embodiment illustrated, a radially extending guide member  248  extends between the first guide wall portion  227  and the downwardly extending sidewall  204 . 
     Inner Body 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the inner body  42  has an interior portion  256  housing various component of the valve assembly  44  (see  FIGS. 13 and 14 ) and through which the contents of the container  12  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) flow when the stopper  10  (see  FIGS. 1-3 ) is in the open configuration (illustrated in  FIG. 3 ). The interior portion  256  is defined by an outer wall  258  having four segments: a top segment  260 - 1 , a first middle segment  260 - 2 , a second middle segment  260 - 3 , and a bottom segment  260 - 4 . The four segments  260 - 1 ,  260 - 2 ,  260 - 3 , and  260 - 4  each have a generally circular cross-sectional shape with diameters that decrease from section  260 - 1  to section  260 - 4 . 
     The top segment  260 - 1  includes an upper portion  262  having an outwardly extending pour spout  264 . When the stopper  10  is assembled, the sidewall  204  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) of the top cover  60  (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ) is coupled to the upper portion  262  of the top segment  260 - 1  of the inner body  42 , with the relieved portion  218  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) being located adjacent to the pour spout  264 . As may be viewed in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the pour spout  264  extends upwardly and outwardly through the first aperture  210  when the top cover  60  is coupled to the inner body  42 . 
     The upper portion  262  of the top segment  260 - 1  has a plurality of upwardly extending spaced apart fingers  266  each having an outwardly and radially extending projection  268 . Interstices  270  are defined between adjacent fingers  266 . The fingers  266  flex inwardly to allow the radially extending projections  268  to pass over the inwardly extending projection  244  (see  FIG. 6 ) of the top cover  60 . After passing over the inwardly extending projection  244 , the fingers  266  bias the projections  268  outwardly radially into the channel  246  (see  FIG. 6 ) above the projection  244 . Thus, the inwardly extending projection  244  provides a barrier preventing the removal of the outwardly extending projections  268  from the channel  246  thereby maintaining the top cover  60  in engagement with the inner body  42 . In this manner, the outwardly extending projections  268  of the fingers  266  snap into the channel  246  above the projection  244  to securely attach the top cover  60  to the top segment  260 - 1  of the inner body  42 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates a sub-assembly of the stopper  10  (see  FIGS. 1-3 ) including the top cover  60  coupled to the inner body  42 . As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the outwardly radially extending projections  268  of the fingers  266  extend far enough way from the outer wall  258  of the inner body  42  to space the projection  244  and the sidewall  204  of the top cover  60  away from the outer wall  258  of the inner body  42 , thereby permitting air to flow into the interior portion  256  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) through the interstices  270 . Further, the interstices  270  may optionally extend along the outer wall  258  of the inner body  42  to a location below the inwardly extending projection  244  when the top cover  60  is coupled to the inner body  42 , allowing air to flow into the interstices  270 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the inner body  42  is nested inside the outer body  40 , the interstices  270  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) are in open communication with the interior portion  36  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) defined at least in part by an outer body  40 . In the embodiment illustrated, the interstices  270  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) are in open communication with a portion  271  of the interior portion  36  located above the annular sealing member  43  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Air may flow between the top cover  60  and the outer body  40  from the environment outside the stopper  10  into the portion  271  of the interior portion  36  of the stopper  10 . 
     Returning to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , to help maintain the top cover  60  (see  FIG. 6 ) in proper alignment with the inner body  42 , one of the interstices  270 , an interstice  270 A, is configured to receive the radially extending guide member  248  (see  FIG. 7 ) of the top cover  60  and limit its circumferential movement relative to the inner body  42 . 
     Inside the interior portion  256 , a first shoulder  274 - 1  is provided at the intersection of the top segment  260 - 1  and the first middle segment  260 - 2 , a second shoulder  274 - 2  is provided at the intersection of the first middle segment  260 - 2  and the second middle segment  260 - 3 , and a third shoulder  274 - 3  is provided at the intersection of the second middle segment  260 - 3  and the bottom segment  260 - 4 . 
     Inside the interior portion  256 , the inner body  42  includes a pair of spaced apart upright support walls  278 A and  278 B flanking the pour spout  264  of the top segment  260 - 1  and an upright transverse dividing wall  280  extending between the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B. The upright support walls  278 A and  278 B and the upright transverse dividing wall  280  extend upwardly from the third shoulder  274 - 3  and terminate in the top segment  260 - 1 . 
     The upright support walls  278 A and  278 B each have a lever support section  282 A and  282 B, respectively, and an air flow section  284 A and  284 B, respectively. The lever support sections  282 A and  282 B each have a flap support portion  286 A and  286 B, respectively, and a pivot pin support portion  288 A and  288 B, respectively. The flap support portions  286 A and  286 B are separated from the pivot pin support portions  288 A and  288 B by the dividing wall  280 . The flap support portions  286 A and  286 B extend along opposite sides of the pour spout  264  and terminate at the dividing wall  280 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 4 , when the stopper  10  is assembled and the lever member  74  is in the closed position, the underside  138  of the flap portion  136  of the lever member  74  rests upon the flap support portions  286 A and  286 B of the lever support sections  282 A and  282 B. The flap support portions  286 A and  286 B may be tapered from the dividing wall  286  to the pour spout  264 , having thicker portions  290 A and  290 B, respectively, adjacent the pour spout  264 . 
     As is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the underside  138  of the flap portion  136  may form a liquid tight seal with the flap support portions  286 A and  286 B; however, this is not a requirement. Whether the contents of the container  12  (see  FIGS. 1-3 ) flow through the stopper  10  is determined by whether the plug portion  54  of the valve member  48  is pressed against the annular seal  64  or spaced therefrom. Thus, the flap portion  136  may play no role in maintaining the contents of the container  12  therein. Therefore, a liquid tight seal need not be formed between the underside  138  of the flap portion  136  and the flap support portions  286 A and  286 B. Instead, the flap portion  136  may help prevent contaminants from entering the interior portion  36  of the stopper  10  through the first aperture  210  of the top cover  60 . 
     Returning to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the pivot pin support portion  288 A of the upright support wall  278 A has a notch  292 A spaced from the dividing wall  280  and located near the center of the interior portion  256  of the inner body  42 . Similarly, the pivot pin support portion  288 B of the lever support section  282 B of the upright support wall  278 B has a notch  292 B spaced from the dividing wall  280  and located near the center of the interior portion  256  of the inner body  42 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the notches  292 A and  292 B are configured to receive the first and second end portions  164 A and  164 B, respectively, of the transverse pivot pin  162  of the lever member  74 . When the stopper  10  is assembled, the first and second end portions  164 A and  164 B of the transverse pivot pin  162  reside inside the notches  292 A and  292 B, respectively, and pivot therein relative to the inner body  42 . 
     Returning to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , in the embodiment illustrated, the lever support sections  282 A and  282 B extends upwardly into the top segment  260 - 1  further than the air flow sections  284 A and  284 B. Thus, air flow gaps  296 A and  296 B are defined between the top cover  60  (see  FIG. 4 ) and the air flow sections  284 A and  284 B, respectively. Further, the air flow sections  284 A and  284 B may not contact the outer wall  258  within the top segment  260 - 1  above the first shoulder  274 - 1 , thereby defining a first gap  298 A between the air flow section  284 A and the outer wall  258  above the first shoulder  274 - 1  and a second gap  298 B between the air flow section  284 B and the outer wall  258  above the first shoulder  274 - 1 . 
     The upright support walls  278 A and  278 B divide the interior portion  256  into three regions “R 1 ,” “R 2 ,” and “R 3 .” Within the first and second middle segments  260 - 2  and  260 - 3 , the three regions “R 1 ,” “R 2 ,” and “R 3 ” are separated from one another by the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B. However, within the top segment  260 - 1 , the three regions “R 1 ,” “R 2 ,” and “R 3 ” are in communication with one another via the air flow gaps  296 A and  296 B defined between the top cover  60  (see  FIG. 4 ) and the lever support sections  282 A and  282 B and the gaps  298 A and  298 B (see  FIG. 15 ) between the air flow sections  284 A and  284 B and the outer wall  258 . The regions “R 1 ,” and “R 3 ,” flank the “R 2 ” and are essentially voids for storing air received from the environment outside the stopper  10  (see  FIGS. 1-3 ) via the interstices  270 . 
     The dividing wall  280  bifurcates the region “R 2 ” of the interior portion  256  of the inner body  42  into a fluid flow channel  300  and a valve housing portion  306 . A first aperture  310  is formed in the second shoulder  274 - 2  within the fluid flow channel  300  portion of the region “R 2 ” of the interior portion  256  of the inner body  42 . In the embodiment illustrated, the first aperture  310  extends into the second middle segment  260 - 3  and the third shoulder  274 - 3 . The flap support portion  286 A and  286 B of the lever support sections  282 A and  282 B, respectively, of the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B, respectively, are adjacent the fluid flow channel  300  of the region “R 2 .” 
     The pivot pin support portion  288 A and  288 B of the lever support sections  282 A and  282 B, respectively, of the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B, respectively, are adjacent the valve housing portion  306  of the region “R 2 .” The air flow section  284 A and  284 B of the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B, respectively, are adjacent the valve housing portion  306  of the region “R 2 .” Thus, air is allowed to flow into the valve housing portion  306  through the air flow gaps  296 A and  296 B are defined between the top cover  60  (see  FIG. 4 ) and the air flow sections  284 A and  284 B, respectively and the gaps  298 A and  298 B (see  FIG. 15 ) between the air flow sections  284 A and  284 B and the outer wall  258 . 
     A second aperture  312  is formed in the second shoulder  274 - 2  within the valve housing portion  306  of the region “R 2 ” of the interior portion  256  of the inner body  42 . The second aperture  312  permits air to flow from inside the region “R 2 ” of the interior portion  256  of the inner body  42  into the outer body  40 . When the valve assembly  44  is open, the air inside the outer body  40  may flow from the outer body  40  into the container  12 . The flow of air through the stopper  10  (see  FIGS. 1-3 ) into the container  12  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) allow the contents of the container  12  to flow more readily through the fluid flow channel  300  of the region “R 2 ” when the stopper is open. 
     Returning to  FIG. 2 , when the stopper  10  is assembled and the lever member  74  is in the closed position, the guide follower portion  140  of the lever member  74  is positioned adjacent to the transverse dividing wall  280  between the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) and extends into the valve housing portion  306  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) of the region “R 2 .” Further, the support platform  148  of the internal portion  132  of the lever member  74  extends into the valve housing portion  306  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) of the region “R 2 ” when the lever member  74  is in both the open and closed positions. 
     The guide follower portion  140  is spaced from the transverse dividing wall  280  and the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) and does not typically contact these structures when transitioning between the open and closed positions. However, if sufficient laterally directed force is applied to the lever member  74 , lateral and radial movement of the guide follower portion  140  of the lever member  74  may be constrained by the transverse dividing wall  280  and the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ). 
     The valve housing portion  306  portion of the region “R 2 ” of the interior portion  256  of the inner body  42  includes a centrally located valve housing  320  for at least a portion of the components of the valve assembly  44 . In the embodiment illustrated, the valve housing  320  includes a generally cylindrically shaped sidewall  324  with a longitudinally extending guide groove  328  formed therein. 
     The bottom segment  260 - 4  of the outer wall  258  includes a connector portion  330  configured to removably couple the inner body  42  to the outer body  40  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). In the embodiment illustrated, the connector portion  330  has outside threads  332 . 
     The first middle segment  260 - 2  of the outer wall  258  includes an outwardly and radially extending annular projection  338  configured to maintain the annular sealing member  43  (e.g., an O-ring) against the outer wall  258  of the inner body  42 . 
     Outer Body 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the outer body  40  has an interior portion  350  defined by an inside surface  352  of an outer wall  354  having three segments: a top segment  360 - 1 , a middle segment  360 - 2 , and a bottom segment  360 - 3 . The three segments  360 - 1 ,  360 - 2 , and  360 - 3  each have a generally circular cross-sectional shape with diameters that decrease from section  360 - 1  to section  360 - 3 . The outer wall  354  has an outside surface  361  opposite the inside surface  352 . 
     The connector portion  17  (see  FIGS. 1-3 ) of the stopper  10  is formed along the outside surface  361  of the middle segment  360 - 2  of the outer wall  354 . As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the outside threads  22  extend around the middle segment  360 - 2  of the outer wall  354 . 
     Inside the interior portion  350 , a first shoulder  362 - 1  is provided at the intersection of the top segment  360 - 1  and the middle segment  360 - 2 , and a second shoulder  362 - 2  is provided at the intersection of the middle segment  360 - 2  and the bottom segment  360 - 3 . Optionally, the first shoulder  362 - 1  includes an annular groove  365  configured to receive a portion of the annular sealing member  43  (see  FIGS. 2-4 ) disposed on the outside wall  258  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) of the first middle segment  260 - 2  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) above the radially extending annular projection  338  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) of the inner body  42 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the inner body  42  is nested inside the outer body  40 , the annular sealing member  43  (optionally received inside the annular groove  365  formed in the first shoulder  362 - 1 ) forms a liquid tight seal between the inner and outer bodies  42  and  40 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 11 , opposite the second shoulder  362 - 2  formed inside the interior portion  350  of the outer body  40 , a seal-engaging surface  364  is formed in the outside surface  361  of the outer wall  354  at the intersection of the middle segment  360 - 2  and the bottom segment  360 - 3 . The seal-engaging surface  364  is configured to abut an upper face of the annular seal  64  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) when the stopper  10  is assembled. 
     The outer body  40  has an internal connector portion  368  located approximately centrally within the interior portion  350  of the outer body  40 . The internal connector portion  368  extends upwardly from the bottom segment  360 - 3  into at least a portion of the middle segment  360 - 2 . At least one radially extending connecting member  370  couples the internal connector portion  368  to the inside surface  352  of the outer wall  354  in the bottom segment  360 - 3 . At least one opening  372  is formed in the connecting member  370  (or alternatively located between adjacent connecting members). The internal connector portion  368  is configured to be removably coupled to the connector portion  330  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) of the bottom segment  260 - 4  of the outer wall  258  of the inner body  42 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated, the internal connector portion  368  of the outer body  40  is generally cylindrically shaped having an open top end portion  376  of a continuous sidewall  378 . The internal connector portion  368  may have a partially closed bottom end portion  380  with a substantially centrally located through-hole  382  formed therein. The sidewall  378  has an inside surface  384  with inside threads  386  disposed thereon and configured to engage and threadedly mate with the outside threads  332  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) of the connector portion  330  of the inner body  42 . 
     The bottom segment  360 - 3  of the outer wall  354  includes an outwardly and radially projecting lower portion  390  configured to extend into a recessed portion of the annular seal  64  (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ) to hold the annular seal  64  on the bottom segment  360 - 3  of the outer wall  354  of the outer body  40 . Above the projecting lower portion  390 , a channel  392  is defined between the projecting lower portion  390  and the seal-engaging surface  364  adjacent the middle segment  360 - 2 . The inside surface  352  of the bottom segment  360 - 3  includes a lower recessed portion  398 . 
     Annular Seal 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the annular seal  64  is configured to be coupled to the bottom segment  360 - 3  of the outer wall  354  of the outer body  40  and to form a liquid tight seal between the outer body  40  and the plug portion  54  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the valve member  48  when the stopper  10  is in the closed configuration (illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). The annular seal  64  has an annular body portion  400  constructed from rubber, rubber, resilient plastic, elastomers, any other suitable material known in the art, combinations thereof, and the like. The annular body portion  400  defines a generally circular central opening  402 . The annular body portion  400  has an upper surface  404  configured to engage the seal-engaging surface  364  (see  FIG. 11 ) of the outer body  40  to form a liquid tight seal therewith when the stopper  10  (see  FIGS. 1-3 ) is assembled. 
     Below its upper surface  404 , the annular body portion  400  has an inwardly and radially extending projection  408  configured to be received inside the channel  392  (see  FIG. 11 ) defined between the projecting lower portion  390  (see  FIG. 11 ) and the seal-engaging surface  364  (see  FIG. 11 ) of the outer body  40 . Below the projection  408 , the annular seal  64  has an open generally U-shaped channel  410  configured to receive the projecting lower portion  390  (see  FIG. 11 ) of the outer body  40 . The channel  410  is defined by the projection  408 , a downwardly extending sidewall  414 , and an inwardly extending lower sealing portion  416  having a lower surface  418 . 
     The lower surface  418  engages and forms a liquid tight seal with the plug portion  54  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the valve member  48  when the stopper  10  is in the closed configuration (illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ). A downwardly extending sealing projection  420  is formed along the lower surface  418  of the lower sealing portion  416 . In the embodiment illustrated, the sealing projection  420  is annular, concentric with the annular body portion  400 , and extends continuously around the outside surface  418  of the sealing portion  416 . The sealing projection  420  bears against and may be compressed by the plug portion  54  (see  FIG. 2 ) of the valve member  48  when the stopper  10  is in the closed configuration (illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) to provide a liquid tight seal between the annular seal  64  and the plug portion  54  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     The inwardly extending lower sealing portion  416  is terminated by an upwardly extending gripping projection  424  configured to be received inside the lower recessed portion  398  (see  FIG. 11 ) of the bottom segment  360 - 3  of the outer wall  354  of the outer body  40 . Thus, the annular body portion  400  wraps around and encases the outside surface  361  of the bottom segment  360 - 3  (see  FIG. 11 ) and a portion of the inside surface  352  of the outer wall  354  of the outer body  40  to hold the annular seal  64  securely on the outer body  40 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the annular body portion  400  has an outer sealing portion  430  configured to engage the inwardly extending sealing member  21  located below the threads  18  of the rim portion  16  of the container  12 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the outer sealing portion  430  is spaced from and extends along the downwardly extending sidewall  414  defining a channel  432  therebetween. The outer sealing portion  430  is coupled to the downwardly extending sidewall  414  adjacent the inwardly and radially extending projection  408  by an inwardly extending portion  434 . The channel  432  is open along its bottom portion  436  opposite the inwardly extending portion  434 . The outer sealing portion  430  deflects into the channel  432  when inwardly directed forces are applied to the outer sealing portion  430  by the inwardly extending sealing member  21  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the container  12  but has sufficient resiliency to maintain a liquid tight seal therewith. 
     Valve Assembly 
     The components of an exemplary implementation of the valve assembly  44  and the lever member  74  are illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . The valve assembly  44  includes the valve member  48 , a link member  510  having the cam surface  200  formed thereon, a washer or cap  514 , a biasing member  516  (e.g., a coil spring), and a collar  518 . In the implementation illustrated, the valve assembly  44  is a poppet type valve opened by the action of a cam (i.e., the cam follower portion  160  of the lever member  74 ) and closed by the action of the biasing member  516 . 
     As mentioned above, the valve member  48  includes the shaft portion  50  and the plug portion  54 , the shaft portion  50  being substantially orthogonal to the plug portion  54  and centrally located. Opposite the plug portion  54  and on its proximal end  52 , the shaft portion  50  includes a connector portion  520  having a cone-shaped key member  524  disposed above an annular circumferential groove  528  extending around the proximal end  52  of the shaft portion. 
     The collar  518  is configured to be disposed about the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48  between the connector portion  520  and the distal end  56  coupled to the plug portion  54 . The substantially centrally located through-hole  382  (see  FIG. 11 ) formed in the partially closed bottom end portion  380  of the internal connector portion  368  of the outer body  40  is configured to receive the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48  and permit it to travel therethrough. However, the through-hole  382  (see  FIG. 11 ) is not large enough to permit the collar  518  to pass therethrough. 
     In the embodiment illustrated, the collar  518  has an upright open-ended hollow cylindrical section  534  having a sidewall  535  with an upper portion  536  opposite a lower portion  537  and a base portion  538  coupled to the lower portion  537  of the hollow cylindrical section  534 . The base portion  538  has a bottom inside surface  540  and an upwardly extending sidewall  544  spaced from the sidewall  535  of the hollow cylindrical section  534  and extending upwardly from the bottom inside surface  540  along the lower portion  537  of the sidewall  535  of the hollow cylindrical section  534 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated, the biasing member  516  is implemented as a coil spring  550  having an upper end portion  554  opposite a lower end portion  556 . The biasing member  516  is configured to be disposed about the hollow cylindrical section  534  with its lower end portion  556  resting on the bottom inside surface  540  of the base portion  538 . The sidewall  544  of the base portion  538  retains the lower end portion  556  of the biasing member  516  in proper alignment with respect to the valve member  48  and prevents the lower end portion  556  from gaining entry into the through-hole  382  (see  FIG. 11 ) formed in the partially closed bottom end portion  380  of the internal connector portion  368  of the outer body  40 . The biasing member  516  may extend beyond the collar  518  to extend along a portion of the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48  below the annular groove  528  (illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
     The cap  514  may be generally disk-shaping having an upper platform  562  with a top side  563  opposite an underside  564  and sidewall  566  extending circumferentially along and downwardly from the platform  562 . The upper platform  562  has a connector portion  568  with a keyway portion  570  configured to receive and retain the cone-shaped key member  524  of the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48 . One or more slots  272  may intersect with and extend from the keyway portion  570  to allow the upper platform  562  to flex to allow the keyway portion  570  to receive the cone-shaped key member  524  of the valve member  48 . After the key member  524  passes through the keyway portion  570 , portions  580  of the upper platform  562  along the keyway portion  570  are received inside the annular groove  528  below the key member  524  and maintain the cap  514  on the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48 . Thus, the key member  524  and the keyway portion  570  may snap together to form a snap fit. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the stopper  10  is assembled, the upper end portion  554  of the coil spring  550  abuts the underside  564  of the upper platform  562  and is surrounded by the downwardly extending sidewall  566 . Thus, the coil spring  550  is confined between the underside  564  of the upper platform  562  of the cap  514  and the bottom inside surface  540  of the base portion  538  of the collar  518 . 
     Returning to  FIGS. 13 and 14 , the link member  510  is configured to engage the top side  563  of the cap  514  when the cap is inside the valve housing  320  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). The link member  510  includes the cam surface  200  disposed on a closed upper end portion  578  of an upright hollow cylindrical section  582  having a sidewall  584  extending downwardly from the closed upper end portion  578  and an open lower portion  586  opposite the closed upper end portion  578 . When the stopper  10  is assembled, the open lower portion  586  abuts the top side  563  of the cap  514  to transfer any downwardly directed forces applied to the link member  510  to the cap  514 . 
     The cam follower portion  160  of the lever member  74  bears against the cam surface  200  of the link member  510  when the lever member is pivoted from the closed position (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) to the open position (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     The cam surface  200  includes a relieved portion  590 . When the pushbutton  70  is depressed, the cam follower portion  160  of the lever member  74  travels along the cam surface  200  toward the relieved portion  590 . The lever member  74  is fully in the open position (see  FIG. 3 ), when the cam follower portion  160  is fully received inside the relieved portion  590 . The relieved portion  590  is configured to maintain the lever member  74  in the fully open position until sufficient downward force is applied to the flap portion  136  of the lever member  74  to force the cam follower portion  160  from the relieved portion  590 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the cap  514 , the collar  518 , the link member  510 , and the biasing member  516  are suitably sized and shaped to move (e.g., slide) within the valve housing  320  of the inner body  42  when the inner body  42  is coupled to the outer body  40 . The valve housing  320  helps guide and limit the travel path of the cap  514  within the interior portion  36  of the stopper  10 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the link member  510  includes a key projection  594  extending along the sidewall  584  of the cylindrical section  582  between the closed end portion  578  and the open end portion  586 . The key projection  594  is configured to be received inside the guide groove  328  of the sidewall  324  of the valve housing  320  and slide therein along at least a portion of the length of the guide groove. Engagement between the key projection  594  and the guide groove  328  ensures the cam surface  200  is oriented properly relative to the cam follower portion  160  of the lever member  74  for proper engagement therebetween. 
     Fluid and Air Flow 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , when the stopper  10  is in the open position, the contents of the container  12  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may flow from the interior portion  15  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the container through the fluid flow channel  300 . First, the contents of the container  12  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) enter the outer body  40  through the opening(s)  372 . Then, the contents enter the fluid flow channel  300  via the first aperture  310 . Next, the contents flow through the fluid flow channel  300  toward the pour spout  264  and exit the fluid flow channel  300  through the first aperture  210  guided by the pour spout  264 . 
     At the same time, air may flow into the interior portion  15  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the container  12  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) through the valve housing portion  306 . As explained above, air flows between the top cover  60  and the outer body  40  into a portion  271  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) of the interior portion  36  located above the annular sealing member  43  (see  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). Turning to  FIG. 8 , air flows into the regions “R 1 ” and “R 3 ” of the interior portion  256  of inner body  42  through the interstices  270 . Optionally, air may flow into the valve housing portion  306  of the region “R 2 ” of the interior portion  256  of inner body  42  through the interstice  270 A. Air then flows from the regions “R 1 ” and “R 3 ” into the valve housing portion  306  of the region “R 2 ” via the air flow gaps  296 A and  296 B, and air flow gaps  298 A and  298 B (see  FIG. 15 ). Returning to  FIG. 3 , the air flows through the second aperture  312  into the outer body  40 . Finally, air may enter the interior portion  15  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) of the container  12  (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) through the opening(s)  372 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , when the stopper  10  is in the closed position, the contents of the container  12  are maintained within the interior portion  15  of the container by a liquid tight seal formed between the annular seal  64  and the plug portion  54  of the valve member  48 . The plug portion  54  of the valve member  48  bears against the lower surface  418  of the annular seal  64  preventing the contents of the container  12  from entering the outer body  40  through the opening(s)  372 . Air flow into the container  12  is also prevented by the seal formed between the annular seal  64  and the plug portion  54  of the valve member  48 . In the embodiment illustrated, the downwardly extending sealing projection  420  formed along the lower surface  418  of the lower sealing portion  416  also engages the plug portion  54  to form a liquid tight seal therewith. 
     Assembly 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a method of assembling and disassembling the stopper  10  will now be described. First, the annular seal  64  maybe coupled to the bottom segment  360 - 3  of the outer wall  354  of the outer body  40 . Then, the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48  is inserted upwardly into the centrally located through-hole  382  (see  FIG. 11 ) of the bottom end portion  380  (see  FIG. 11 ) of the internal connector portion  368  of the outer body  40 . 
     Next, the collar  518  is disposed about the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48  between the connector portion  520  and the distal end  56  coupled to the plug portion  54 . Optionally, the collar  518  may rest upon partially closed bottom end portion  380  (see  FIG. 11 ) of the internal connector portion  368  of the outer body  40  or alternately be disposed inside the through-hole  382  (see  FIG. 11 ). However, as mentioned above, the through-hole  382  (see  FIG. 11 ) is not large enough to permit the collar  518  to pass therethrough. 
     Next, the biasing member  516  is disposed around the collar  518  with its lower end portion  556  resting on the bottom inside surface  540  of the base portion  538 . Then, the cone-shaped key member  524  (see  FIG. 13 ) of the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48  is inserted in the keyway portion  570  (see  FIG. 13 ) of the cap  514  and the portions  580  (see  FIG. 13 ) of the upper platform  562  along the keyway portion  570  are received inside the annular groove  528  below the key member  524  (see  FIG. 13 ) to maintain the cap  514  on the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48 . The biasing member  516  abuts the underside  564  of the upper platform  562  and is surrounded by the downwardly extending sidewall  566  of the cap  514 . Thus, the biasing member  516  may be confined between the underside  564  of the upper platform  562  of the cap  514  and the bottom inside surface  540  of the base portion  538  of the collar  518 . 
     At some point, the annular sealing member  43  (e.g., an o-ring) is disposed about the first middle segment  260 - 2  of the outer wall  258  of the inner body  42  above the outwardly and radially extending annular projection  338 . Then, the inner body  42  is nested inside the outer body  40 . As the inner body  42  is inserted into the outer body  40 , the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48  with the collar  518 , the biasing member  516 , and the cap  514  disposed thereon is inserted into the valve housing  320  of the inner body  42 . Then, the connector portion  330  of the inner body  42  is coupled to the internal connector portion  368  of the outer body  40  by rotating at least one of the inner body  42  and outer body  40  relative to the other to engage the outside threads  332  of the connector portion  330  with the inside threads  386  (see  FIG. 11 ) of the internal connector portion  368 . 
     The link member  510  is inserted into the valve housing  320  of the inner body  42  with its key projection  594  inserted into the inside the guide groove  328  of the sidewall  324  of the valve housing  320  to properly orient the cam surface  200  of the link member  510  relative to the inner body  42 . After being inserted into the valve housing  320 , the link member  510  rests upon the cap  514  disposed therein. 
     At some point, the lever member  74  and the pushbutton  70  are assembled together by coupling the connector portion  170  of the lever member  74  to the connector portions  106 A and  106 B couple the pushbutton  70 . Then, referring to  FIG. 3 , the first and second end portions  164 A and  164 B (see  FIG. 5 ) of the transverse pivot pin  162  are inserted into the notches  225 A and  225 B (see  FIG. 7 ) of the guide walls  224 A and  224 B of the top cover  60  with the bottom portion  104  of the sidewall  108  of the pushbutton  70  placed adjacent to the shelf portion  230  of the top cover  60 . Next, the top cover  60  is affixed to the upper portion  262  (see  FIG. 8 ) of the top segment  260 - 1  (see  FIG. 8 ) of the inner body  42 . First, the flap portion  136  of the lever member  74  is rotated upwardly away from the first aperture  210 , and then the pour spout  264  is carefully positioned within the relieved portion  218  of the first aperture  210 . 
     Next, the outwardly and radially extending projections  268  (see  FIG. 8 ) of the fingers  266  (see  FIG. 8 ) are inserted into the channel  246  (see  FIG. 6 ) above the projection  244  (see  FIG. 6 ). As this occurs, the transverse pivot pin  162  of the lever member  74  is seated in the notches  292 A and  292 B (see  FIG. 8 ) of the inner body  42 . The flap portion  136  is also positioned to rest upon the flap support portion  286 A and  286 B (see  FIG. 8 ) of the upright support walls  278 A and  278 B (see  FIG. 8 ) flanking the pour spout  264 . 
     To clean the stopper  10 , its components are disassembled. The stopper  10  may be disassembled by simply reversing the assembly method described above. First, the top cover  60  is removed. Then, the lever member  74  and pushbutton  70  are removed. Next, the inner body  42  is removed from the outer body  40  and optionally, the annular sealing member  43  is removed from the inner body  42 . The link member  510  is removed from the valve housing  320 . Next, the cap  514  is separated from the shaft portion  50  of the valve member  48  allowing the collar  518  and the biasing member  516  to be removed from the outer body  40 . Removing the cap  514  also allows the valve member  48  to be removed from the outer body  40 . Finally, the annular seal  64  may be removed from the outer body  40 . 
     The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected,” or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). 
     Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.