Patent Publication Number: US-2022218132-A1

Title: Lid Assembly for a Beverage Container

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/135,378 filed on Jan. 8, 2021. The above referenced application is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure herein relates broadly to lids for drinkware, and more specifically to leak resistant lids for drinkware containers that provide a means for drinking. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Beverage containers can be filled with hot or cold drinkable liquids, such as water, coffee, tea, soft drink, or alcoholic beverage, such as beer. These beverage containers can be made of a variety of materials such as stainless steel, glass, plastic, cardboard, or paper material. Lids may be provided on beverage containers to provide a means for drinking the contents of the beverage container while also being resistant to leaks if spilled. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     This Summary provides an introduction to some general concepts relating to this disclosure in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the disclosure. 
     Aspects of the disclosure herein may relate to a lid assembly for a beverage container, where the lid assembly comprises: a base including: (a) a cover member; (b) a lip extending upward from the cover member; the lip positioned around a perimeter of the cover member; (c) a skirt member extending downward from the cover member; (d) a retaining wall spaced inward from the skirt member creating a grommet groove between the skirt member and the retaining wall; (e) a primary opening in the cover member; and (f) a secondary opening spaced from the primary opening. The lid assembly further including a straw extending through the primary opening; and a grommet arranged in the grommet groove. The grommet may include a primary body member and a spiral ring extending outward from an outer surface of the primary body member, where the spiral ring creates an airflow path from below the lid assembly to the secondary opening. The spiral ring may contact an inboard surface of the skirt member, where an outboard edge of the spiral ring compresses against the inboard surface of the skirt member. The primary opening may be larger than the secondary opening. The lid assembly may also include a gasket arranged in a gasket groove in the skirt member, where the gasket includes a body member and an annular ring extending outward from an outer surface of the body member, and where the annular ring contacts an inner surface of the beverage container. The grommet may also comprise a secondary body member extending inward from the primary body member, and a straw opening in the secondary body member, where the straw extends through the straw opening. The grommet may further comprise a connecting member that extends from the primary body member to the secondary body member, where the connecting member extends around a lower end of the retaining wall. In addition, the grommet may be formed as a unitary member. In some examples, the spiral ring may extend at least 180 degrees around a perimeter of the primary body member, while in other examples, the spiral ring may extend at least 540 degrees around a perimeter of the primary body member. Also, the grommet may further comprise a pull tab to allow easy removal and cleaning. 
     Other aspects of this disclosure may relate to a lid assembly for a beverage container, where the lid assembly comprises: a base including: (a) a cover member; (b) a lip extending upward from the cover member; the lip positioned around a perimeter of the cover member; (c) a skirt member extending downward from the cover member; and (d) an opening in the cover member. The lid assembly may also include a straw extending through the opening and a gasket arranged in a gasket groove in the skirt member. The gasket may include a body member and a spiral ring extending outward from an outer surface of the body member, where the spiral ring creates an airflow path from below the lid assembly to an exterior of the lid assembly. An outboard edge of the spiral ring may be configured to contact an interior surface of the beverage container. In some examples, the spiral ring may extend at least 180 degrees around a perimeter of the body member, while in other examples, the spiral ring may extend at least 540 degrees around a perimeter of the body member. The lid assembly may further comprise a grommet arranged in the opening of the cover member, where the grommet includes a straw opening that receives the straw. 
     Additional aspects of this disclosure may relate to a lid assembly for a beverage container, where the lid assembly comprises: a base including: (a) a cover member; (b) a lip extending upward from the cover member; the lip positioned around a perimeter of the cover member; (c) a skirt member extending downward from the cover member; and (d) an opening in the cover member. The lid assembly may also include a straw extending through the opening and a gasket arranged in a gasket groove in the skirt member. The gasket may include a body member and a plurality of annular rings that extend outward from an outer surface of the body member, where each annular ring of the plurality of annular rings may have a gap, where the plurality of annular rings create an airflow path from below the lid assembly to an exterior of the lid assembly. A first gap on a first annular ring may be located at a different location on a first perimeter of the first annular ring than a second gap located on a second perimeter of a second annular ring. A grommet may be arranged in the opening of the cover member, where the grommet includes a straw opening that receives the straw. 
     Still other aspects of this disclosure may relate to a lid assembly for a beverage container, where the lid assembly comprises: a base including: (a) a cover member; (b) a lip extending upward from the cover member; the lip positioned around a perimeter of the cover member; (c) a skirt member extending downward from the cover member; (d) a retaining wall spaced inward from the skirt member creating a grommet groove between the skirt member and the retaining wall; (e) a primary opening in the cover member; and (f) a secondary opening spaced from the primary opening. The lid assembly may also include a straw extending through the primary opening and a grommet arranged in the grommet groove. The grommet may include a primary body member, a plurality of annular rings extending outward from an outer surface of the primary body member, where each annular ring of the plurality of annular rings has a gap such that the plurality of annular rings create an airflow path from below the lid assembly to the secondary opening. A first gap on a first annular ring is located at a different location on a first perimeter of the first annular ring than a second gap located on a second perimeter of a second annular ring. The grommet may include a secondary body member extending inward from the primary body member and a straw opening in the secondary body member, where the straw extends through the straw opening. The lid assembly may also include a gasket arranged in a gasket groove in the skirt member, where the gasket includes a body member and an annular ring extending outward from an outer surface of the body member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing Summary, as well as the following Detailed Description, will be better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements in all of the various views in which that reference number appears. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of a lid assembly that is configured to be removably coupled to a beverage container, according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1  attached to a beverage container, according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an exploded perspective view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 , according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a partial side cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 , according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective view of an air path through a grommet of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 , according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a perspective view of a grommet of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1 , according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a perspective view of an alternate lid assembly that is configured to be removably coupled to a beverage container, according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a perspective view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 7  attached to a beverage container, according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a partial side cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 7 , according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a partial perspective view of an alternate lid assembly that is configured to be removably coupled to a beverage container, according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates a perspective cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 10 , according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a perspective view of a gasket of the lid assembly of  FIG. 10 , according to one or more aspects described herein; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an alternate gasket of the lid assembly of  FIG. 10 , according to one or more aspects described herein; and 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a cross-sectional view of an alternate grommet of the lid assembly of  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 7 , according to one or more aspects described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description of the various examples and components of this disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example structures and environments in which aspects of the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other structures and environments may be utilized and that structural and functional modifications may be made from the specifically described structures and methods without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Also, while the terms “front,” “top,” “base,” “bottom,” “side,” and “rear” and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures and/or the orientations in typical use. Additionally, the term “plurality,” as used herein, indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional or spatial orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of the claims. 
     In general, this disclosure may relate to a leak resistant lid assembly with a straw or similar means where a user can drink liquid from a lid with an opening in the top. When drinking from a straw, air must travel into the container to prevent a vacuum from occurring. This requires a secondary opening in the lid that is separate from the straw or straw opening. In addition, when installing a press fit-type lid assembly, air must be able to escape to prevent the liquid in the container from traveling up the straw, which could cause a spill or leak. A secondary opening in the lid may help to address a vacuum from forming or liquid from traveling up the straw, but this secondary opening provides an additional leak path that needs to be addressed. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a lid assembly  100  for a beverage container that enables a user to drink from a straw  150  while allowing air to escape through a secondary opening  118  in a cover member  112  and also resisting potential leak paths for liquid to flow through the secondary opening  118 . The lid assembly  100  may have a top  102 , a bottom  104 , a front  106 , and a rear  108 .  FIG. 2  depicts a perspective view of lid assembly  100  removably coupled to a beverage container  10 . Container  10  is one example container to which the lid assembly  100  is configured to be removably coupled. Accordingly, the container  10  may be configured to contain a volume of liquid and lid assembly  100  is configured to be releasably inserted into an opening of the container  10 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 , the lid assembly  100  may comprise a base  110 , a straw  150 , a gasket  160  that extends around the base  110 , and a grommet  170  connected to the base  110 . The base  110  may include a cover member  112 , a lip  114  extending upward from the cover member  112 , a skirt member  120  extending downward from the cover member  112 , a retaining wall  130  spaced inward from the skirt member  120  creating a grommet groove  138  between the skirt member  120  and the retaining wall  130 , a primary opening  116  in the cover member  112 , and a secondary opening  118  spaced from the primary opening  116  on the cover member  112 . As shown in the illustrated examples, the grommet groove  138  may be open to the bottom  104  of the lid assembly  100 , while in other examples, the grommet groove  138  may be open to the top  102  of the lid assembly  100 . The straw  150  may extend through the primary opening  116  in the cover member  112 . The primary opening  116  may be larger than the secondary opening  118 . The primary opening  116  may receive the straw  150  and a portion of grommet  170  while the secondary opening  118  acts primarily as a vent to allow air to travel between outside environment and an interior of the container  10 . 
     To form a seal between the base  110  and the container  10 , gasket  160  may be arranged in a gasket groove  122  in the skirt member  120 , where the gasket  160  includes a body member  162  and an annular ring  164  extending outward from an outer surface  166  of the body member  162 . Annular ring  164  may be a projection that extends outward from the body member  162  around the perimeter of the body member  162  at same vertical location of the gasket  160 . The gasket groove  122  may be located below a shelf  128  of the base  110  formed opposite a top surface of the lip  114  adjacent the outboard surface  124  of the skirt member  120 . An outer edge  168  of the annular ring  164  may contact and compress against an inner surface of the container  10  to create an effective seal to prevent both liquid and air from escaping between the container  10  and the lid assembly  100  where the gasket  160  contacts the container  10 . As shown in the illustrated examples, the gasket  160  may include a plurality of annular rings  164  to ensure no liquid or air escapes from this seal. Alternatively, the gasket  160  may not have annular rings and may only have a compressible main body member  162 , such as an o-ring. 
     The grommet  170  may include a main body member  172 , which may also be referred to as a primary body member, with a spiral ring  174  extending outward from an outer surface  176  of the main body member  172 . The main body member  172  may be received in the grommet groove  138  of the base  110 , where the grommet  170  is installed from the bottom  104  of the lid assembly  100  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Alternatively, in examples where the grommet groove  138  is open on the top  102 , the grommet  170  may be installed from the top  102  of the lid assembly  100 . 
     The spiral ring  174  of the grommet  170  may comprise a tapered cross section and may extend around a portion of the outer surface  176 . The spiral ring  174  may have a first end  184  on a lower portion of the main body member  172  and gradually moves upward along the main body member  172  as the spiral ring  174  moves around the main body member  172 . The spiral ring  174  may be a continuous member that extends at least 180 degrees around the primary body member  172 , or in other words, the spiral ring  174  makes at least one half of a revolution around the primary body member  172 . In some examples, the spiral ring  174  may be a continuous member that extends at least 360 degrees around the primary body member  172 , or in other words, the spiral ring  174  makes at least one revolution around the primary body member  172 . In other examples, the spiral ring may extend at least 540 degrees around the primary body member  172 , at least 720 degrees around the primary body member  172 , or at least 900 degrees around the primary body member  172 . An outboard edge  180  of the spiral ring  174  may contact and compress against an inboard surface  125  of the skirt member  120  creating a seal between the spiral ring  174  and an inboard surface  125  to form a spiraled flow path  182  in the lid assembly  100  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The flow path  182  begins at the first end  184  of the spiral ring  174  that is open to the interior of the container  10  and ends at the secondary opening  118  of the cover member  112 . The flow path  182  allows air to travel freely in and out of the container  10 . However, the spiraled airflow path  182  resists liquid from leaking through the secondary opening  118  by creating a torturous or difficult path for the liquid to follow to escape through the secondary opening  118 . For example, for liquid to leak from a container  10  with lid assembly  100  having a grommet  170  with a spiral ring  174  that extends at least 540 degrees, the container  10  would need to be tilted at least 90 degrees and also rolled 1.5 times for the liquid to leak from the secondary opening  118 . Thus, the grommet  170  helps to resist liquid leaks while providing an adequate flow path for air to move in and out of the container  10  through the lid assembly  100 . 
     The grommet  170  may also help form a seal between the primary opening  116  and the straw  150 . The grommet  170  may include a secondary body member  186  extending inward from the main body member  172  and a straw opening  188  in the secondary body member  186 . The secondary body member  186  may be releasably secured within the primary opening  116 , where the straw opening  188  is substantially aligned with the primary opening  116 . The straw  150  may extend through the straw opening  188  where the secondary body member  186  compresses to form a seal between the straw  150  and the grommet  170  to prevent any liquid from leaking from the container  10  between the straw  150  and the grommet  170 . The grommet  170  may also include a connecting member  190  that extends from the main body member  172  to the secondary body member  186 . The connecting member  190  may extend around a lower end  132  of the retaining wall  130 . As shown in the illustrated example, the grommet  170  may be a unitary member that includes both the main body member  172  and the secondary body member  186 . Alternatively, the grommet  170  may be formed as separate members where a primary grommet provides the spiraled flow path  182  and a secondary grommet fits within the primary opening  116  to provide a seal between the straw  150  and the cover member  112 . As another feature, the grommet  170  may include a pull-tab  192  that allows a user to easily grasp and remove the grommet  170  from the lid assembly  100  for periodic cleaning. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 1-3 , the base  110  of the lid assembly  100  may have features to assist with the operation of the lid assembly  100 . As discussed above, the base  110  includes a primary opening  116  to receive the secondary body member  186  of grommet  170  and the straw  150  while also having a secondary opening  118  to provide an air vent. As such, the primary opening  116  may be larger than the secondary opening  118 . The openings  116 ,  118  may be aligned along a central plane and spaced apart of each other, where the primary opening  116  is nearer to a the front  106  of the lid assembly  100  and the secondary opening  118  is nearer the rear  108  of the lid assembly  100 . In some examples, the primary opening  116  may be centrally located on the cover member  112 . While the secondary opening  118  is shown on the cover member  112  of the base  110 , the secondary opening  118  may be located anywhere on the may be base  110  where is it in fluid communication with airflow path  182 . The secondary opening  118  may have a substantially rectangular shape as shown. In other examples, the secondary opening  118  may have a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or other geometric shape. The lip  114  may extend around a perimeter of the base  110  and may include a tapered surface that extends from a top surface of the lip  114  to the top surface of the cover member  112 . 
     The base  110  of the lid assembly  100  may include features to assist in attachment to the container  10 . For examples, lid assembly  100  may include external threads  126  arranged on an outboard surface  124  of the skirt member  120  to engage internal threads arranged on an interior surface of the container  10 . The lip  114  may include ridges  115  arranged on opposite sides of the lip  114  to allow a user to easily grip and turn the lid assembly  100  to engage allow the external threads  126  to engage internal threads of the container  10 . The shelf  128  may act as a stop for the lid assembly  100  when the shelf  128  contacts an upper surface of the container  10  when the lid assembly  100  is attached to the container  10 . 
     The base  110 , straw  150 , gasket  160 , and grommet  170  may each be formed using a molding process, such as injection molding. In some examples, the straw  150  may be extruded, where the stop  152  may be formed by overmolding it onto the extruded portion using injection molding. In addition, in some examples, the gasket  160  and grommet  170  may be compression molded. The base  110  and straw  150  may be molded from a clear or transparent polymer material, such as Tritan™ or other food safe polymer. In some examples, the retaining wall  130  may be formed of an opaque food-safe polymer material using a two-shot molding process. The two-shot molding process may help to improve aesthetics of the base  110  by providing different color options and to mask the appearance of the grommet  170 . As another option, the gasket  160  and/or the grommet  170  may be overmolded onto the base  110 . The gasket  160  and grommet  170  may be formed from a compressible elastomeric material, such as a silicone-based material, neoprene, nitrile, EPDM, or a rubber-based material. However, additional or alternative polymeric materials may be used, without departing from the scope of this disclosure. 
       FIGS. 7-9  illustrate lid assembly  200 . The features of lid assembly  200  are referred to using similar reference numerals under the “2xx” series of reference numerals, rather than “1xx” as used in the exemplary lid assembly  100  of  FIGS. 1-6 . Accordingly, certain features of lid assembly  200  that were already described above with respect to lid assembly  100  of  FIGS. 1-6  may be described in lesser detail, or may not be described at all. Lid assembly  200  may be similar to lid assembly  100  except lid assembly  200  may have a press-fit connection to attach lid assembly  200  with container  20  instead of the threaded connection used to attach lid assembly  100  with container  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , lid assembly  200  may releasably couple to container  20 . Lid assembly  200  may include a base  210 , a straw  250 , a gasket  260  that extends around a skirt member  220 , and a grommet  270  connected to the base  210 . The base  210  may include a cover member  212 , a lip  214  extending upward from the cover member  212 , a skirt member  220  extending downward from the cover member  212 , a retaining wall  230  spaced inward from the skirt member  220  creating a grommet groove  238  between the skirt member  220  and the retaining wall  230 , a primary opening  216  in the cover member  212 , and a secondary opening  218  in the cover member  212 . The straw  250  may extend through the primary opening in the cover member  212 . The primary opening  216  may be larger than the secondary opening  218 , where the primary opening  216  receives the straw  250  and a portion of grommet  270  and the secondary opening  218  acts primarily as a vent to allow air to travel between outside environment and an interior of the beverage container  20 . 
     To facilitate a press fit engagement between the lid assembly  200  and the container  20 , the base  210  of the lid assembly  200  may include features to assist in attachment to the container  20 . For example, skirt member  220  may include a tapered end member  221  to help guide the base  210  into the container  20 . In addition, the lip  214  may include a lid tab  227  that extends outward at the rear  208  of the lid assembly  200  to provide a user a location to easily grasp and remove or install the lid assembly  200 . The shelf  228  may act as a stop for the lid assembly  200  when the shelf  228  contacts an upper surface of the container  20  when the lid assembly  200  is attached to the container  20 . 
     Similar to lid assembly  100 , the gasket  260 , which may be similar to gasket  160 , may help form a seal between the lid assembly  200  and the container  20  to prevent any liquid from leaking from the container  20 . In addition, the contact between the annular rings  264  and interior of the container  20  may help to secure the lid assembly  200  to the container  20 . In the illustrated example, the gasket  260  may be located in the gasket groove  222  where the gasket groove  222  is spaced away from the shelf  228 . The gasket groove  222  may be located below a shelf  228  of the base  210  formed opposite a top surface of the lip  214  adjacent the outboard surface  224  of the skirt member  220 . 
     The grommet  270  may be similar to grommet  170  of lid assembly  100 . The grommet  270  may include a main body member  272 , which may also be referred to as a primary body member, with a spiral ring  274  extending outward from an outer surface  276  of the main body member  272 . The main body member  272  may be received in the grommet groove  238  of the base  210 . An outboard edge  280  of the spiral ring  274  may contact and compress against an inboard surface  225  of the skirt member  220  creating a seal between the spiral ring  274  and an inboard surface  225  to form a spiraled flow path in the lid assembly  200 . The grommet  270  may include a secondary body member  286  extending inward from the main body member  272 , and a straw opening  288  in the secondary body member  286 . The straw  250  may extend through the straw opening  288  where the secondary body member  286  compresses to form a seal between the straw  250  and the grommet  270  to prevent any liquid from leaking from the container  20  between the straw  250  and the grommet  270 . 
       FIGS. 10-11  illustrate an alternate lid assembly  300  where the gasket provides the airflow path instead of the grommet as discussed with respect to lid assemblies  100  and  200 . Lid assembly  300  is similarly configured as lid assembly  100  and  200  to include a base  310 , a gasket  360  attached to the base  310 , a straw  350  and a grommet  380  connected to the opening  316  of the base  310  to form a seal between the straw  350  and the base  310 . Lid assembly  300  may releasably attach to a beverage container. The base  310  may include a cover member  312 , a lip  314  extending upward from the cover member  312 , a skirt member  320  extending downward from the cover member  312 , and an opening  316  in the cover member  312 . A straw  350  similar to straw  150  may extend through the opening  316  in the cover member  312 . The opening  316  may receive a grommet  380  that has a straw opening, where the straw  350  extends through the straw opening of the grommet  380  to form a seal between the straw  350  and the grommet  380  to prevent liquids from leaking through the opening  316 . 
     The gasket  360  may provide an airflow path from an interior of the container to the exterior environment, while also resisting liquid from inside the container from leaking from the container. Gasket  360  may be arranged in a gasket groove  322  in the skirt member  320 . As shown best in  FIG. 12 , the gasket  360  may include a main body member  362 , which may also be referred to as a primary body member, with a spiral ring  364  extending outward from an outer surface  366  of the main body member  362 . The main body member  362  may be received in the gasket groove  322  of the skirt member  320  as shown in  FIGS. 10-11 . The spiral ring  364  may have a tapered cross section and may extend around a portion of the outer surface  366 . The spiral ring  364  has a first end  374  on a lower portion of the main body member  362  and gradually moves upward along the main body member  362  as the spiral ring  364  moves around the main body member  362 . The spiral ring  364  may be a continuous member that extends at least 180 degrees around the primary body member  362 , or in other words, the spiral ring  364  makes at least one half of a revolution around the primary body member  362 . In some examples, the spiral ring  364  may be a continuous member that extends at least 360 degrees around the main body member  362 , or in other words, the spiral ring  364  makes at least one revolution around the main body member  362 . In some examples, the spiral ring  364  may extend at least 540 degrees around the main body member  362 , at least 720 degrees around the main body member  362 , or at least 900 degrees around the main body member  362 . An outboard edge  370  of the spiral ring  364  may contact and compress against an interior surface of a container creating a seal between the spiral ring  364  and the interior surface of the container to form a spiraled airflow path in the lid assembly  300 . The airflow path may begin at the first end  374  of the spiral ring  364  that is open to the interior of the container and end at an upper end  375  that is in fluid communication with exterior of the container. A gap or aperture may be formed between the skirt member  320  and the container near the upper end  375  of the spiral ring  364  to allow air to flow in and out of the container. As another option, the gap or aperture may be formed in the lip  314  or shelf  328  of the base  310  to allow air to escape from the interior of the container. The airflow path allows air to travel freely in and out of the container. However, the similar to the airflow paths  182  and  282  discussed above, spiraled flow path resists liquid from leaking directly through the gap and out of the container. For example, for liquid to leak from a container with lid assembly  300  that has a gasket  360  with a spiral ring  364  that extends at least 540 degrees, the container would need to be tilted at least 90 degrees and also rolled 1.5 times for the liquid to leak through the gap. Thus, the gasket  360  helps to resist liquid leaks while providing an adequate flow path for air to move in and out of the container through the lid assembly  300 . 
     The grommet  380  may seal between the opening  316  and the straw  350 . The grommet  380  may include a body member with a straw opening. The straw may extend through the straw opening where the body member compresses to form a seal between the straw  350  and the grommet  380  to prevent any liquid from leaking from the container between the straw and the grommet  380 . 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 10-11 , the base  310  of the lid assembly  300  may have features to assist with the operation of the lid assembly  300 . As discussed above, the base  310  includes an opening  316  to receive the grommet  380  and straw  350 . The lip  314  may extend around a perimeter of the base  310  and may include a tapered surface that extends from a top surface of the lip  314  to the top surface of the cover member  312 . 
     The base  310  of the lid assembly  300  may include features to assist in attachment to the container. The illustrated example of lid assembly  300  in  FIGS. 10-11  has a base  310  to facilitate a press fit engagement between the lid assembly  300  and a container similar to base  210 . For example, skirt member  320  may include a tapered end member  321  to help guide the base  310  into the container. In addition, the lip  314  may include a lid tab  327  that extends outward at the rear  308  of the lid assembly  300  to provide a user a location to easily grasp and remove or install the lid assembly  300 . The shelf  328  may act as a stop for the lid assembly  300  when the shelf  328  contacts an upper surface of the container when the lid assembly  300  is attached to a container. Alternatively, lid assembly  300  may be configured to releasably connect to a container with a threaded connection similar to lid assembly  100 . In these examples, lid assembly  300  may include external threads arranged on an outboard surface  324  of the skirt member  320  to engage internal threads arranged on an interior surface of a container. The lip  314  may include ridges arranged on opposite sides of the lip  314  to allow a user to easily grip and turn the lid assembly  300  to engage the external threads with the internal threads of the container. 
     Similar to the examples for lid assemblies  100  and  200 , the base  310 , straw  350 , gasket  360 , and grommet  380  may each be formed using a molding process, such as injection molding. The base  310  and straw may be molded from a clear or transparent polymer material, such as Tritan™ or other food safe polymer. The gasket  360  and grommet may be formed from a compressible elastomeric material, such as a silicone-based material. However, additional or alternative polymeric materials may be used, without departing from the scope of this disclosure. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates another optional example of an alternate gasket  460  that can replace the gasket  360  of lid assembly  300 . Gasket  460  includes a plurality of annular rings  464  that extend outward from the main body member  462 , which may also be referred to as the primary body member. Each annular ring  464  may have a gap to create an airflow path that starts at a lower gap  466 A in the lower annular ring  464 A to allow air below the lid assembly  300  to flow through the lower gap  466 A and above annular ring  464 A. Air may then flow through upper gap  466 B located in the upper annular ring  464 B through the aperture or gap between the lid assembly  300  and the container to exit the container. Each gap may be staggered such that they are positioned at different locations around the perimeter of the annular rings  464 . For example, lower gap  466 A and upper gap  466 B may be located approximately 180 degrees apart from one another. While the illustrated example of  FIG. 13  shows only two annular rings  464 , the number of annular rings  464  could be greater than two annular rings, such as three annular rings  464 , four annular rings  464 , or more. Each annular ring  464  will have a gap that is offset from the gap on the annular ring  464  either above or below it. These offset gaps  466 A,  466 B create a flow path that allows air to travel easily, but resists liquid from flowing directly out of the container through the gaps because of their staggered arrangement. 
       FIG. 14  illustrates an alternate grommet  570  that can replace grommets  170 ,  270  of lid assemblies  100  and  200 . Grommet  570  includes a plurality of annular rings  574  that extend outward from the main body member  572 , which may also be referred to as the primary body member. Each annular ring  574  may have a gap to create an airflow path that starts at a lower gap  576 A in the lower annular ring  574 A to allow air below the lid assembly  100  or  200  to flow through the lower gap  576 A and above annular ring  574 A. Air may then flow through upper gap  576 B located in the upper annular ring  574 B through the secondary opening  118  or  218  to exit the container. Each gap may be staggered such that they are positioned at different locations around the perimeter of the annular rings  574 . For example, lower gap  576 A and upper gap  576 B may be located approximately 180 degrees apart from one another. These offset gaps  576 A,  576 B create a flow path that allows air to travel easily, but resists liquid from flowing directly out of the container through the gaps because of their staggered arrangement. While the illustrated example of  FIG. 14  shows only two annular rings  574 , the number of annular rings  574  could be greater than two annular rings  574 , such as three annular rings  574 , four annular rings  574 , or more. Each annular ring  574  will have a gap that is offset from the gap on the annular ring  574  either above or below it. Additionally, the illustrated grommet  570  in  FIG. 14  is shown without the secondary body member  186  or  286 , but grommet  570  may include the secondary body member  186  or  286  as described above. 
     The present disclosure is disclosed above and in the accompanying drawings with reference to a variety of examples. The purpose served by the disclosure, however, is to provide examples of the various features and concepts related to the invention, not to limit the scope of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the examples described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.