Abstract:
There is provided a lid assembly for a bottle, including a base attachable to said bottle over an mouth thereof, a main body rotatably connected to said base, a cover configured to extend over an open upper end of the main body, the cover including an opening extending therethrough, and a spout slidably held within said body and movable along a first axis between a retracted position in which the spout is located within the main body and an extended position in which the spout projects through said opening in the cover, wherein said opening in the cover is closed when the spout is in said retracted position.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a bottle lid assembly with a retractable spout that can be used for drinking or pouring. The invention in one form can be used on a beverage container. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    Many different water bottles and the like are currently available in the market. A very simple form of water bottle includes a spout integrally formed with a bottle. The spout has an external thread arranged to engage with a threaded cap. 
         [0003]    A number of lids for bottles have been proposed in the prior art that incorporate an integral spout or straw. One such lid assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,113(STYMIEST), which describes a lid assembly for a container that has both a pour opening and a drinking straw opening. Each opening has a corresponding closure hingedly connected to the lid for sealing the opening. Each closure must be manipulated by the user to move them between the closed and open positions. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 8,550,269 (LANE), describes a drink bottle with a removable lid. The removable lid includes an inner portion arranged to be attached to the mouth of the bottle and an outer cover pivotably mounted to the inner portion. A pliable drinking spout extends from the inner portion and provides a fluid passage from the bottle through said spout. The cover is configured to conceal the drinking spout when it is closed and the cover may be locked into the closed position. The passage through the pliable drinking spout is closed off when the cover is closed due to the drinking spout being bent over and because of an engagement with a counter ridge formed on the cover. A push button release is activated to unlock the cover and to permit it to be pivoted to a position in which the drinking spout is exposed for access by the user. 
         [0005]    Another lid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,469,226 (DAVIES et al.), that teaches a cap or lid that includes a mouthpiece assembly configured to be moved between a dispensing position and a stowed position. The mouthpiece is biased to the dispensing position and is held in the stowed position by a catch. The mouthpiece however is to a degree exposed when in the stowed position unlike the apparatus disclosed in LANE. 
         [0006]    There are a number of problems with the existing bottle lids including having the mouthpiece exposed to contaminants or being difficult to operate with multiple rotations required to open the lid. Furthermore, where flexible straws are used they have a tendency to perish over time or split where they are repeatedly bent. The present invention therefore seeks to provide an improved form of bottle lid assembly. 
         [0007]    The discussion of the background to the invention herein is included to explain the context of the invention. This is not to be taken as an admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of this application. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0008]    It could be broadly understood that the present invention relates to a bottle lid assembly incorporating a spout that is covered by a lid when not in use so as to prevent contamination of the spout and which exposes the spout to the user through the lid upon activation of a mechanism by the user, for example a push button mechanism. 
         [0009]    According to one form of the invention but not necessarily the broadest or only aspect, there is provided a lid assembly for a bottle, including a base attachable to said bottle over an mouth thereof, a main body rotatably connected to said base, a cover configured to extend over an open upper end of the main body, the cover including an opening extending therethrough, and a spout slidably held within said body and movable along a first axis between a retracted position in which the spout is located within the main body and an extended position in which the spout projects through said opening in the cover, wherein said opening in the cover is closed when the spout is in said retracted position. 
         [0010]    Preferably the main body is configured to rotate relative to the bottle to thereby move the spout between the retracted and extended positions. 
         [0011]    Preferably the spout is biased toward an extended position wherein the spout projects out through the opening in the cover. In one form a biasing member drives the spout from the retracted position to the extended position. The biasing member may be selected from a group containing, but not limited to a helical spring, gas strut, compression spring, torsion spring, constant tension spring or elastomer block. Other means for driving the spout from the retracted position to the extended position are also possible, including fully manual rotation, wherein the spout can be moved from the retracted position into the extended position by manual rotation of the main body in one direction and then back into the retracted position by manual rotation of the main body in an opposite direction. 
         [0012]    The spout is preferably held in the retracted position by a releasable latch or mechanism that can be operated by a user to move the spout from the retracted position to the extended position. The releasable latch includes some form of release mechanism that can be operated by the user, such as but not limited to, a button, switch or catch. 
         [0013]    The releasable latch may preferably be lockable by a locking member to inhibit inadvertent activation of the release mechanism of said latch. The locking member may be in one form a slide member that inhibits operation of the latch. The releasable latch is preferably arranged so that it prevents rotation of the main body when in a non-activated condition and allows rotation of the main body when in an activated condition. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the releasable latch is a push button which is activated by inward pressure by the user, generally towards a vertical centre line extending through the lid assembly. 
         [0014]    The locking member may include a forwardly extending portion that can engage with a slot or indent in the side of the latch to inhibit it from being pushed inward. The forwardly extending portion can be disengaged from said slot to permit activation of the latch. 
         [0015]    The main body is preferably arranged to engage with the spout so that under the influence of the biasing member the main body rotates in a first direction upon release or activation of the latch. When the main body rotates in the first direction, the spout is able to move along the first axis under the bias of the biasing means. The first axis extends generally longitudinally of the length of the bottle. Rotation of the main body in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, drives the spout along the first axis against the bias of the biasing member. In a preferred form rotation in the second direction is affected or caused by the manual rotation of the main body by the user. Preferably, when the spout is driven to the retracted position, the releasable latch is returned to the non-activated condition to thereby prevent rotation of the main body under the influence of the biasing member. 
         [0016]    Preferably at least one inwardly projecting flange or groove is located on or in an inner wall of the main body that engages with protrusions on a side of a spout member. In one form the inwardly projecting flange or groove may take the form of a thread member. Although described as being a thread member it should be appreciated that other forms of projections or grooves could be used without departing from the scope of the invention, for instance an oblique or rising shoulder or shoulders could be used to provide the slidable engagement between the main body and the spout member. 
         [0017]    Each flange of the thread member is parallel and angled upwardly and to one side along the longitudinal axis of the main body. 
         [0018]    In one form the spout and main body are engaged together by a flange configuration that could be described as at least one thread. The thread is preferably a three start thread and the spout preferably includes three engagement fingers, one for engagement with each start of the thread. The fingers are preferably arranged to engage an underside of the thread start and so that the bias of the biasing member tends to drive the fingers upwardly along the underside of the thread. 
         [0019]    Preferably, a flap is provided to conceal the opening in the cover when the spout is in the lowermost position. The flap is preferably arranged for movement in a plane substantially perpendicular to said first axis so that the flap can be moved between a first position in which it blocks the opening in the cover and a second position in which it is clear of the opening in the cover, to thereby allow movement of the spout therethrough. In one form the flap rotates about a shaft that has an axis that is parallel to said first axis. The flap is preferably substantially located below the lid and over the top of the spout when the spout is in the retracted position. 
         [0020]    The flap is preferably arranged to be driven between the first and second position by rotation of the main body. A spur gear member and pinion arrangement is preferably established between the flap and main body to achieve drive of the flap. The spur gear member and pinion arrangement is configured to ensure that the flap is opened in a timely manner with respect to movement of the spout along the first axis. This prevents the spout from striking the underside of the flap as it pivots out of the way. In a preferred form the spur gear member is located on, or adjacent an inner wall the main body and the pinion is located on a rear or proximal end of the flap adjacent said shaft. The reader will appreciate that the internal spur gear member and pinion only engage for a period of time during rotation of the main body to move the flap. 
         [0021]    Rotation of the main body and hence the speed of movement of the spout along the first axis is preferably arranged to be dampened by a dampening assembly. The dampening assembly may include at least one gear and at least one viscous damper. Other dampening arrangements could also be used. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an implementation of the invention and, together with the description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a bottle fitted with a lid assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, illustrating the lid assembly is shown in the closed position. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2 a    is a view similar to  FIG. 1  but with the lid assembly shown in a partially open position; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2 b    is a view similar to  FIG. 1  but with the lid assembly shown in a fully open position; 
           [0026]      FIGS. 3 a , 3 b  and 3 c    are respective first top, second top and bottom isometric views of the main body of the lid assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0027]      FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    are respective top and side views of the base of the lid assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 4A  but with additional components located on the base; 
           [0029]      FIG. 6 a    is a view similar to  FIG. 5  but with further additional components located on the base; 
           [0030]      FIG. 6 b    is an isometric view of the internal spur gear shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0031]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 6 a    but with further additional components located on the base; 
           [0032]      FIGS. 8 a  and 8 b    are respective top and side isometric views of the positioning disc shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0033]      FIGS. 9 a , 9 b  and 9 c    are respective isometric, top and bottom view of the spout of the lid assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0034]      FIG. 10 a    is a first vertical cross-sectional view of the bottle and lid assembly as shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0035]      FIG. 10 b    is a perspective cross-sectional view of the bottle and lid assembly of  FIG. 10 a   ; 
           [0036]      FIG. 11 a    is a cross-sectional view of the bottle and lid assembly as shown in  FIG. 10 a   ; 
           [0037]      FIG. 11 b    is a perspective cross-section view of the bottle and lid assembly of  FIG. 10 a   , illustrating the spout in a retracted position; 
           [0038]      FIG. 11 c    is a perspective cross-section view of the bottle and lid assembly of  FIG. 10 a   , illustrating the spout in an extended position; 
           [0039]      FIGS. 12 a  and 12 b    are respective top and bottom isometric views of the mounting plate of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0040]      FIG. 13  is a bottom isometric view of the cover of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0041]      FIGS. 14 a  and 14 b    showing the lid assembly of  FIG. 1  with the cover removed and the flap respectively in the first and second positions; 
           [0042]      FIG. 15  is a view similar to  FIG. 5  showing the latch and locking member mounted on the base; 
           [0043]      FIG. 16  is a top perspective view of the latch and locking member; 
           [0044]      FIGS. 17 a  and 17 b    showing the latch and locking member of  FIG. 15  with the slidable locking member in a first and a second position; and 
           [0045]      FIG. 18  is a perspective cross-section view of the bottle and lid assembly of  FIG. 10 a   , illustrating the engagement of the fingers with the underside of the thread of the main body. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0046]    Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Dimensions of certain parts shown in the drawings may have been modified and/or exaggerated for the purposes of clarity or illustration. 
         [0047]    Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, there is illustrated an bottle lid assembly  10 , demonstrating by way of examples, arrangements in which the principles of the present invention may be employed.  FIGS. 1 to 2   b  illustrate a bottle lid assembly  10  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention attached to a bottle  100 . The bottle lid assembly  10  includes a cover  20 , a main body  22  and a spout  32 . The cover  20  includes an opening  26  that can be closed as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The spout  32  is arranged for movement along a first axis between a retracted position in which it is located within the main body  22  and below the cover  20 , and an extended position in which the spout  32  extends through the opening  26  in the cover  20 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 b   . The first axis extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lid assembly  10  and a bottle  100 . The longitudinal axis of the lid assembly  10  with reference to  FIG. 1  is a vertical axis. 
         [0048]    The lid assembly  10  can be attached to any shape of size of bottle  100 , although in the present embodiments the bottle is generally cylindrical. The reader should however appreciate that the shape of the bottle and lid assembly may take other shapes than generally cylindrical. 
         [0049]    Lid assembly  10  further includes a base  24  arranged for connection to the bottle  100 . Typically, the base  24  is arranged for threaded connection to the bottle  100 , so that it can be detached for refilling the bottle  100 . 
         [0050]    The opening  26  in the cover  20  is closed from below by a flap  28 . The releasable latch  30  in the present embodiment comprising a push button type mechanism provides a means for triggering the spout  32  to move from the retracted position to the extended position and to thereby move the lid assembly  10  between an open configuration, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 b   , and a closed configuration, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In the open configuration of the lid assembly  10 , the flap  28  clears the opening  26 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 a   , to enable the spout  32  to move upwardly along the first axis through the opening  26  from the retracted position to the extended position. In the retracted position of the spout  32  as shown in  FIG. 2 b   , the user can access fluid contained in the bottle  100  via the spout  32 . 
         [0051]    As will be explained in detail below, when the user has finished drinking or pouring fluid from the spout  32 , they can manually rotate the main body  22 . This manual rotation causes the spout  32  to move downwardly through the opening  26  and the flap  28  closes off the opening  26 . Spout  32  is thereby located fully inside the lid assembly  10 . Lid assembly  10  can then be locked in the closed configuration by movement of a locking member  34 . In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, locking member  34  is configured to prevent inwardly directed movement of the latch  30  and thus inhibit movement of the lid assembly  10  to the open position. It will of course be appreciated that other forms of locking members are envisaged. 
         [0052]    In the present embodiment the locking member  34  is configured to slidably engage the releasable latch  30  to prevent activation thereof, and is slidably held within locking member groove  50 . 
         [0053]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 a , 3 b  and 3 c   , main body  22  is formed as a cylindrical tubular member with flanges in the form of a flight or thread  22   a  located on its inner wall. The thread  22   a  is shown as a three start thread, although other flange, groove or shoulder configurations may be adopted without departing from the scope of the invention. Main body  22  is formed with gear teeth  22   b  positioned at an upper end and arranged, in use, to mesh with teeth  28   a  formed on the flap  28  (see  FIGS. 14 a  and 14 b   ). Formed in the lower internal wall of the main body  22  is an orientation slot  22   c . The lower internal wall of the main body  22  also includes a circumferential groove  22   d . The function of the orientation slot  22   c  and the groove  22   d  will be explained later. Each of the portions of the thread  22   a  includes a stop  22   e.    
         [0054]      FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    illustrate the base  24  in more detail. As depicted, in accordance with this embodiment, the base  24  is moulded as a single piece, although this is not essential and the base may be constructed from a number of integers. The base  24  includes connector apertures  24   a , a pair of spring posts  40 , opening  42 , seal button seat  44 , annular seal seat  46 , push button posts  48 , locking member groove  50 , ridges  52  and locating pin  54 . 
         [0055]      FIG. 5  shows a damper  56  mounted on the locating pin  54  between the ridges  52 . Ridges  52  located the damper  56  so that it cannot swing on the locating pin  54 . Locating pin  54  is heat staked down to fix the position of the damper  56  and to prevent it lifting off the locating pin  54 , although other ways of fixing are also possible. A damper gear  58  is mounted on the damper  56 , a seal button  60  is mounted in the seal button seat  44 , and an annular seal  62  is shown mounted on annular seal seat  46 , as shown in  FIG. 10 a   . Damper  56  may adopt different forms but in this instance is a viscous rotary damper. The annular seal  62  in the present embodiment is a wiper seal type configuration that maintains sealing contact with the spout  32 . As illustrated in  FIG. 10 a    the seal  62  is deformed or compressed by the spout  32 . The undeformed configuration of the seal  62  is illustrated in the figures by the curved broken line. The reader should appreciate that the seal  62  is biased against the surface of the spout to inhibit passage of fluid therebetween. The wiper seal configuration ensures that there is low friction as the spout extends. An advantage with this type of seal is that it works with a lower tolerance housing. The groove inhibits it pulling out as the spout  32  extends and the frictional force tries to drag the seal out of position. The reader should however appreciate that other configurations of seals could be used without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0056]      FIG. 6 a    is a view similar to  FIG. 5  but shows the additional components of the latch  30  mounted on the push button posts  48 , locking member  34  mounted in locking member groove  50 , an internal spur gear  64  that engages with cooperating damper gear  58  and a ring bearing  66  mounted thereon, the ring bearing  66  is non-continuous which allows it to be positioned accurately on the seat or race  202  at all times during operation of the lid assembly. 
         [0057]      FIG. 6 b    illustrates the internal spur gear  64 . As shown, spur gear  64  includes teeth  64   a , teeth start  64   b , locking gap  64   c  protrusion  64   d  and bearing seat  202 . Protrusion  64   d  is formed in the external periphery of the spur gear  64  and is configured to receive the orientation slot  22   c  of the main body  22  when the internal spur gear  64  and main body  22  are connected together. The connection between the protrusion  64   d  and slot  22   c  ensures that the main body  22  and internal spur gear  64  are properly orientated with respect to each other. 
         [0058]    Teeth  64   a  of the internal spur gear  64  are arranged to engage with the teeth  59  of the damper gear  58 . Locking slot  64   d  is configured so that a detent  30   a  of the latch  30  can be received therein to lock the spur gear  64  against the bias of the biasing member that would otherwise cause rotation of the main body. This locking action of the latch  30  will be described in more detail later. 
         [0059]      FIG. 7  further shows a positioning disc  68 , which is arranged for connection to the base  24 . Any suitable connectors can be used to secure the positioning disc  68  to the base  24 . However, the positioning disc  68  must be secured so that the internal spur gear  64  can rotate with the main body  22  and relative to the positioning disc  68 , which is held stationary relative to the base  24  whilst preventing unwanted vertical movement of the internal spur gear  64 . The positioning disc  68  has a diameter that assists in maintaining the main body  22  in a centralised position by having a close fit. Springs  69  are shown mounted on the spring posts  40  and provide the biasing member for this embodiment. The springs  69  are shown in a compressed configuration in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0060]      FIGS. 8 a  and 8 b    illustrate the configuration of the positioning disc  68  in more detail. Positioning disc  68  includes a main opening  68   a , four connector apertures  68   b , four feet  68   c  and three cut-outs  68   d  intermediate of upstands  68   e . The connector apertures  68   b  are provided to enable connectors such as a screw (one of which is shown in  FIG. 14 a   ) to be used to connect the positioning disc  68  to the base  24 . Accordingly connector apertures  68   b  are positioned to coaxially align connect apertures  24   a  in the base  24  and be fixed together by the screws. Feet  68   c  extend from the underside of the positioning disc  68  and are provided to maintain the required spacing between the underside of the positioning disc  68  and the base  24  to enable rotational movement of the internal spur gear  64 . The feet  68   c  are dimensioned to prevent downward load exerted onto the positioning disc  68  from being transferred to the spur gear  64  whilst still restricting vertical movement of the positioning disc  68 . 
         [0061]      FIGS. 9 a , 9 b  and 9 c    illustrate the spout  32 . As shown, the spout  32  includes a body portion  33  incorporating a fluid pathway  70  that is bounded at an upper part  200  by a mouthpiece  74 . The spout  32  also includes a pair of arms  76  and three fingers  78 . The fingers  78  are located at about 120° to one another with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the spout  32 . Each of the arms  76  includes an aperture  79 . Each aperture  79  is sized so that it can be located over one of the spring posts  40  and so that the lower face of each arm  76  can be positioned during assembly of the lid assembly  10  against an upper face of the positioning disc  68  when the spout  32  is in the retracted position (i.e. with springs  69  compressed). The position of the spout  32  in such an arrangement is best shown in  FIG. 10 a   . The fingers  78  are located within respective cut-outs  68   d  of the positioning disc  68 . 
         [0062]    The spring posts  40  have a lateral cross-sectional profile of generally a cross shape having equal length arms. The apertures  79  through the arms  76  of the spout member  32  have a shape that mirrors that of the spring posts  40  but of slightly larger dimensions. This means that the spout member  32  can slide up and down the spring posts  40  with minimal friction. The shape of the spring posts  40  and cooperatingly shaped apertures  79  inhibit the spring positioned over a spring post  40  from being caught in the gap between the edge of one of the aperture and the respective spring post. 
         [0063]      FIG. 10 a    illustrates the spout  32  in the retracted position within the lid assembly  10 . The lower face of each arm  76  is shown in contact with the upper face of the positioning disc  68 . Springs  69  are compressed between the base  24  and the underside of the arms  76  of the spout  32 . As illustrated in  FIG. 18 , the fingers  78  of the spout  32  bear against the underside of the respective starts of the thread  22   a  and are held against the underside of the thread  22   a  by the influence of the springs  69 , which helps to remove any slop or play between the spout  32  and main body  22 . Spout  32  is held in the retracted position against the upward bias of the springs  69  by the detent  30   a  of the push button  30  which is engaged in the locking gap  64   c  of the internal spur gear  64 . When the detent  30  is thus engaged, the internal spur gear  64  and connected main body  22  are prevented from rotating and thus the fingers  78  of the spout  32  are locked up against the underside of the starts of the thread  22   a.    
         [0064]    As illustrated in  FIG. 10 a    the base  24  includes thread  24   b  (not to be confused with thread  22   a  in the main body). The thread  24   b  is configured to engage with a correspondingly shaped thread  100   a  in the bottle  100 . A seal  77  is positioned between the base  24  and bottle  100  to inhibit leakage. There is also a small gap  220  between the underside of the cover  20  and the upper surface of the main body  22  to inhibit friction therebetween. 
         [0065]      FIGS. 10 a  to 11 c    illustrate the relative positioning of the internal spur gear  64 , ring bearing  66  and the positioning disc  68 . Ring bearing  66  sits on a seat or race  202  formed in the upper face of the internal spur gear  64 . As shown, ring bearing  66  is formed as a split ring of circular cross-section. Ring bearing  66  is configured to act as a bearing allowing the internal spur gear  64  to rotate (together with the main body  22 ) relative to the stationary positioning disc  68 . The ring bearing  66  is preferably made from a low friction, low wear material such as HDPE or nylon or Teflon® or acetyl and is preferably made of a different material to that of the race or seat  202  in which or on which it sits. Other bearing arrangements are envisaged such as a race and ball arrangement. Damper gear  58  engages with the teeth  64   a  of the spur gear  64  and rotation of the spur gear  64  is dampened by dampener  56 . As shown in the Figures, the curvature radius of the race  202  (i.e. ring bearing seat) is larger than the curvature radius of a cross-section of the ring bearing  66  so that sliding type line contact is preferably achieved, as opposed to face contact. It is envisaged that the main sliding face components will be constructed from acetyl, and the base, main body and lid will be constructed from polyester, however the invention is not limited to these materials. 
         [0066]      FIG. 10 b    also clearly depicts how the peripheral edge of the internal spur gear  64  is located within the circumferential groove  22   d  of the main body  22 . This is achieved by a snap type fit once the slot  22   c  of the main body  22  is vertically aligned with the protrusion  64   d  of the internal spur gear  64 . The lowermost edge of the main body  22  is chamfered to enable the main body  22  to press fit over the internal spur gear  64  to enable the peripheral edge of the spur gear  64  to locate within groove  22   d . The reader should appreciate that the main body  22  and internal spur gear  64  may otherwise be joined such as by gluing or welding. 
         [0067]    It will be noted that main body  22  is effectively held between the cover  20  and the base  24 . This is achieved because the cover  20  is connected to the mounting plate  80 , which is connected to the base  24  via the connections to the spring posts  40 . A small gap  220  is provided between the upper edge of the main body  22  and the underside of the cover  20 . This gap  220  enables the main body  22  to rotate relative to the lid  22 . Alternatively the underside of the cover  20  can slide across the upper edge of the main body  22  with minimal friction. However this is accomplished the reader will appreciate that the main body  22  is able to rotate relative to the cover  20 . 
         [0068]    Spring posts  40  establish a mounting surface for a circular shaped mounting plate  80  ( FIGS. 12 a  and 12 b   ). Mounting plate  80  includes an opening  82  that is arranged in use of the lid assembly  10  to vertically align with the opening  26  formed in the cover  20 . The opening  82  is of similar dimensions in a horizontal plane to the opening  26 , although opening  26  may be larger. The opening  82  is bordered on the lower face of the mounting plate  80  with a guide, which as illustrated is formed as three guide segments  83 . As will be later described, the guide  83  is configured to receive an upper part of the mouthpiece  74  of the spout  32  when the spout  32  is in the retracted position ( FIG. 10 a   ). Further, when the flap  28  clears the opening  82  ( FIG. 11 a   ), the upper part of the mouthpiece  74  can be moved vertically upwardly through the opening  82  to the uppermost position ( FIGS. 11  b and  11   c ). Movement of the spout  32  is in a direction generally along the first axis. 
         [0069]    As shown in  FIGS. 12 a  and 12 b   , the mounting plate  80  has two apertures  204  through which respective connectors  84  can be passed to connect the mounting plate  80  to the top of respective spring posts  40 . Screw connectors  84  may be used to establish each of the connections. However, such screw connectors may be replaced with snap on or press fit connectors or any other suitable connection (e.g. a glued connection or welded). The mounting plate  80  also includes depending guides  83  that assist with the correct upward movement of the spout  32  as will be discussed later. A post  205  is positioned to act as a stop for the flap  28  as it is moved out of the way as illustrated in  FIG. 14 b    and so that it is corrected positioned for engagement with the internal spur gear member  22   b  of the main body  22 . 
         [0070]    Mounting plate  80  also acts as a platform for mounting the flap  28  and the cover  20 . As shown in  FIGS. 14 a  and 14 b   , flap  28  includes a proximal end  206  and a distal end  208 . The proximal end  206  is formed with a series of gear teeth  28   a . The gear teeth or pinion  28   a  are arranged to intermesh with internal spur gear member  22   b  formed on the internal face of the main body  22  and thus a spur gear and pinion arrangement is established. Flap  28  is connected to mounting plate  80  so that the flap  28  can be driven across the plane of the upper face of the mounting plate  80  to move between a first closed position ( FIG. 14 a   ) in which the flap  28  overlies the opening  82  and a second open position ( FIG. 14 b   ) in which it is clear of the opening  82 . More particularly, flap  28  is pivotally connected to the mounting plate  80  about a vertical axis extending through post  85 . Accordingly, it will be understood that rotational movement of the main body  22  causes the flap  28 , through the drive of intermeshed gear teeth  22   b ,  28   a , to pivot about pivot post  85  between the first and second positions. Movement of the flap  28  is timed by the positioning of the spur gear member  22   b  and pinion  28   a  arrangement to ensure that the uppermost part of the spout  74  does not strike the underside of the flap  28  whilst the flap  28  is being moved into the second position. 
         [0071]    Cover  20  is arranged for connection to the mounting plate  80 . Although simple threaded connectors (e.g. screws) could be used to connect the cover  20  to the mounting plate  80 , a snap on type connection to the mounting plate  80  is preferred as it eliminates any fixtures or connectors on or through the uppermost face of the cover  20  and thus enhances the appearance of the cover  20 . To this end, cover  20  includes four resilient connectors  20   a  ( FIG. 13 ) extending from its underside. Each connector  20   a  is arranged to snap fit into a cut-out  80   a  formed in the mounting plate  80 . It will be appreciated that the connection between the cover  20  and mounting plate  80  must be such so as to not impede movement of the flap  28  across the upper face of the mounting plate  80 . Accordingly, mounting plate  80  is provided with posts  80   b , positioned adjacent each cut-out  80   a  to ensure sufficient spacing between the upper face of the mounting plate  80  and the underside of the lid  20 . 
         [0072]    As mentioned previously, the opening  82  in the mounting plate  80  and the opening  26  in the lid  20  are vertically aligned. It will thus be appreciated that the flap  28  is effective to block a pathway through both of the aligned openings  82 ,  26 . Further, as best illustrated in  FIG. 10 b   , the mouthpiece  74  of the spout  32  is arranged to be located within the guide  83  (i.e. the three guide segments  83 ) formed below the opening  82  of the mounting plate  80  when the spout  32  is in the lowermost position. The guides  83  help to direct upward movement of the spout  32  through the aligned openings  82 ,  26  once the flap  28  is moved to the open position and inhibits it from catching on an edge of the openings  82 . 
         [0073]      FIGS. 15 to 17   b  illustrated the releasable latch  30  and locking member  34 . The latch  30  of the present embodiment includes a detent  30   a , a distal end  30   b , a push button  30   c  and a slot  30   d . The locking member  34  includes an elongate distal end  34   a , a grip member  34   b  and a forwardly extending portion  34   c.    
         [0074]    The forwardly extending portion  34   c  of the locking member  34  can engage with the slot  30   d  of the latch  30  to inhibit the push button  30   c  from being pushed inward. The forwardly extending portion  34   c  can be disengaged from the slot  30   d  to permit activation of the latch  30 . 
         [0075]    In order to drink fluid from the bottle  100 , the user must press the push button  30   c  inwardly. Latch  30  is formed as a spring clip type configuration and is mounted on the push button post  48  as best shown in  FIG. 15 . Distal end  30   b  of the push button  30  is located against the wall  42   a  that defines the opening  42  in the base  24 . When the push button  30   c  is pressed inwardly, the detent  30   a  also moves inwardly such that it is clear the locking slot  64   d  of the internal spur gear  64 . The internal spur gear  64  is then free to rotate with the main body  22 . Locking member  34  can be moved to a locked position in which it engages with a slot  30   d  of the latch  30  thereby preventing inward movement of the push button  30   c . Accordingly, when the locking member  34  is in the locked position, latch  30  cannot be activated to release the internal spur gear  64  and therefore the spout  32  is held in the retracted position. 
         [0076]    Once the push button  30   c  is pressed inwardly, the internal spur gear  64  with attached main body  22  are free to rotate. Rotation of the main body  22  and the internal spur gear  64  is driven by the bias of the springs  69 . More particularly, the springs  69  cause the spout  32  to try to move vertically upwardly in the direction of the cover  20  and along the first axis. However, as the fingers  78  of the spout  32  are engaged with the underside of their respective thread starts  22   a , upward movement of the spout  32  causes the main body  22  to rotate. As the main body  22  rotates, the spout  32  is able to move upwardly along the first axis. This upward movement continues until the fingers  78  bear against the underside of mounting plate  80 . Each of the thread starts  22   a  includes a stop  22   e , which assists in keeping the components together during assembly of the lid assembly  10 . 
         [0077]    In accordance with this embodiment, the main body  22  is driven to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. This will inhibit a user from inadvertently screwing the lid assembly  10  off the bottle  100  during use, when they are moving the spout into the retracted position. 
         [0078]    It will also be understood that as the main body  22  is engaged with the internal spur gear  64  and damper gear  58 , rotation of the main body  22  is dampened, effectively controlling the speed of upward movement of the spout  32 . Accordingly the spout moves in a controlled upward manner when the latch is released, which provides an appealing action for the user and inhibits the shearing off components that could otherwise occur with a rapid uncontrolled opening of the lid assembly  10 . 
         [0079]    As the main body  22  rotates, the gear teeth  22   b  on the main body  22  which are engaged with the gear teeth  28   a  of the flap  28 , drive the flap  28  to rotate across the upper face of the mounting plate  80 . The flap  28  is thus moved from the first closed position, overlying the opening  82  ( FIG. 14 a   ), to the second open position in which it is fully clear of the opening  82  ( FIG. 14 b   ). 
         [0080]    There is a gap  210 , as shown in  FIG. 10 a   , between underside of the flap  28  and the uppermost part of the spout  32  when the spout is in the lowermost position. This allows the spout  32  to rise to a certain extent while the flap  28  clears the opening  26 . 
         [0081]    When the flap  28  is in the open position, the spout  32  is able to move upwardly through the aligned openings  82 ,  26  from the retracted position to the extended position. The speed of the upward movement of the spout  32  is controlled by the balance between the angle of the threads  22   a , the dampening force of the dampener  56  and the bias of the springs  69 . Rotation of the main body  22  through about 90 degrees enables the spout  32  to move from the lowermost position to the uppermost position. The pitch of the thread  22   a  on the main body  22  can be varied to alter the angle of rotation of the main body  22  required over which the spout  32  moves between the retracted and extended positions. 
         [0082]    Twisting of the main body  22  by a user in a clockwise direction causes the spout  32  to lower (i.e. to be pushed or driven downwardly against the bias of the springs  69 ) due to the fingers  78  bearing against the underside of the threads  22   a , which thereby caused the flap  28  to close. Detent  30   a  is driven over teeth start  64   b  of the internal spur gear  64  before locating within the locking gap  64   c  to prevent further movement of the internal spur gear  64  and thus the attached main body  22 . 
         [0083]    In accordance with a preferred embodiment, as the spout  32  moves upwardly to the extended position it further rotates the flap  28  across the face of the mounting plate  80 . This additional movement or “bump” of the flap  28  beyond the second position may be required to ensure that when the main body  22  is rotated by the user in a clockwise direction to lower the spout  32 , the gear teeth  28   a  of the flap  28  mesh cleanly with the gear teeth  22   b  formed on the main body  22 . It will be appreciated, that proper operation of the bottle lid assembly  10  is achieved by appropriate positioning and configuration of the various components. This ensures, for example, that the flap  28  opens in a manner timely to allow the spout  32  to pass through the opening  28  without engaging the underside of the flap  28 . Further, that the flap  28  returns to the first position to close the opening  28  when the user manually twists the main body  22 . 
         [0084]    As best understood by comparison of  FIGS. 11  a and  11   c , when the spout  32  is in the retracted position, the lower rim  32   a  of the spout  32  is located against an upper face of the seal button  60  and thus fluid from the bottle  100  cannot enter into the fluid pathway  70  of the spout  32 . When the spout  32  is in the extended position, the lower rim  32   a  of the spout  32  is well clear of the seal button  60  and thus fluid from the bottle  100  can flow through the apertures formed in the seal button seat  44  and into the fluid pathway  70  of the spout  32 . 
         [0085]    Seal  62  seals the connection between the base  24 , spout  32  and positioning disc  68 . Seal  77  seals the connection between the lid assembly  10  and the bottle  100 . 
         [0086]    Embodiments of the present invention are advantageous because the spout is contained within the main body and below the lid when the spout is in the retracted position. Hence, the spout is protected from inadvertent damage and from contamination through contact with other objects. The flap prevents dirt and other contaminates reaching the spout when it is in the retracted position. Hence, a bottle fitted with a lid assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the invention can be safely stored in a hand bag or sports bag. 
         [0087]    Operation of the lid assembly by the user is simple. The push of a button reveals the spout to the user. The flap moves from the first position to the second position and the spout moves generally vertically upwardly through an opening in the cover with a telescope like motion. When the user has finished drinking from the spout, the user simply rotates the main body which causes the spout to be retracted back into the main body. The flap then automatically returns to the first position to close access to the flap. 
         [0088]    The dampened rotation of the main body provides a unique look and feel to the movement of the spout between the retracted and extended positions and also to the rotation of the main body. 
         [0089]    The lid assembly has a clean design and unique appearance. The lid assembly can be connected to various different shapes and sizes of bottles. 
         [0090]    The lid assembly can be locked to prevent against inadvertent movement of the spout to the extended position. This ensures that the lid assembly is not accidentally opened to allow fluid to flow through the spout. Hence, the lid assembly will not allow accidental fluid escape when stored in a bag or when the bottle is accidentally knocked over. 
         [0091]    Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate the invention and it is not limited thereto. Accordingly the invention can include various modifications, which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.