Patent Publication Number: US-8522997-B2

Title: Stopper and lanyard loop combination for a beverage container

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     MICROFICHE/COPYRIGHT REFERENCE 
     Not Applicable. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to stoppers for beverage containers. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Stoppers for beverage contains have long been known and are provided in many forms. In some known constructions, the stopper includes a lid that can be manipulated in order to provide access to a drinking port so that a user can drink a beverage from the container without completely removing the stopper or lid. Furthermore, for convenience, it is also known to provide some form of carrying structure, such as a lanyard loop, on such stoppers for increased convenience in carrying the beverage container and/or attaching the beverage container to a backpack, briefcase, belt loop, or such. In some conventional forms, a rigid lanyard loop is provided on the stopper and extends outwardly and upwardly from the stopper, which may work well for its intended purpose, but does increase the overall size of the stopper in combination with the beverage container, which can be an inconvenience in itself. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one feature of the invention, a stopper is provided for a beverage container having a fill opening that is closed by the stopper. The stopper includes a main body, a lid, and a rigid lanyard loop. The main body is configured for releasable engagement with the opening of beverage container and includes a drinking port to allow a beverage to flow from the beverage container to the mouth of a user. The lid has an upper surface and is hinge mounted to the main body for movement between a closed position wherein the drinking port is covered and an open position wherein the drinking port is exposed for access by a user. The rigid lanyard loop is hinge mounted for movement relative to the lid between an stowed position wherein the lanyard loop extends adjacent the upper surface of the lid and a deployed position wherein the lanyard loop extends away from the upper surface with the lid in the closed position. 
     As one feature, the lanyard loop is moveable with the lid between the closed and open positions with the lanyard in the stowed position. 
     According to one feature, the lanyard loop is hinge mounted to the main body. 
     In one feature, the lanyard loop and the lid pivot about a common hinge axis. 
     As one feature, the lanyard loop and the lid are mounted to a hinge pin carried by the main body. 
     In one feature, the lanyard loop includes a hinge knuckle receiving the hinge pin. 
     According to one feature, the lid includes a pair of hinge knuckles receiving the hinge pin. 
     As one feature, the main body includes a pair of hinge knuckles carrying the hinge pin. 
     According to one feature, the lanyard loop includes a hinge knuckle receiving the hinge pin, the main body includes a pair of hinge knuckles carrying the hinge pin and spaced on opposite sides of the lanyard loop hinge knuckle, and the lid includes a pair of hinge knuckles receiving the hinge pin and spaced on opposite sides of the main body hinge knuckles that face away from the lanyard loop knuckle. 
     In one feature, the stopper further includes resilient members sandwiched between the lid hinge knuckles and the main body hinge knuckles. In a further feature, the resilient members are defined by a resilient O-ring that extends between the main body and the lid. 
     As one feature, the upper surface of the lid is interrupted by a recess that receives the lanyard loop in the stowed position with an upper surface of the lanyard loop being flush with the upper surface of the lid, 
     In one feature, the stopper further includes a resilient member carried by the lid for sealing engagement with the drinking port with the lid in the closed position, the resilient member being compressed between the lid and the main body to provide an opening force that urges the lid from the closed position. 
     As one feature, the stopper further includes a releasable latch to retain the lid in the closed position. 
     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a review of the entire specification, including the appended claims and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  are isometric views from above and to the front showing a stopper embodying the present invention in combination with a beverage container, with  FIG. 1A  showing a rigid lanyard loop in an undeployed or stowed position and  FIG. 1B  showing the lanyard loop in a deployed position; 
         FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C are right side elevation views of the stopper of  FIGS. 1A and 1B , with  FIG. 2A  showing the lanyard loop in the stowed position and a lid of the stopper in a closed position,  FIG. 2B  showing the lanyard loop in the deployed position and the lid in the closed position, and  FIG. 2C  showing the lanyard loop in the stowed position and the lid in an open position; 
         FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  3 C are back views of the stopper, with  FIG. 3A  showing the lanyard loop in the stowed position and the lid in the closed position,  FIG. 3B  showing the lanyard loop in the deployed position and the lid in the closed position, and  FIG. 3C  showing the lanyard loop in the stowed position and the lid in the open position; 
         FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C are front views of the stopper, with  FIG. 4A  showing the lanyard loop in the stowed position and the lid in the closed position,  FIG. 4B  showing the lanyard loop in the deployed position and the lid in the closed position, and  FIG. 4C  showing the lanyard loop in the stowed position and the lid in the open position; 
         FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C are top plan views of the stopper, with  FIG. 5A  showing the lanyard loop in the stowed position and the lid in the closed position,  FIG. 5B  showing the lanyard loop in the deployed position and the lid in the closed position, and  FIG. 5C  showing the lanyard loop in the stowed position and the lid in the open position; and 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the stopper with the lanyard loop in the stowed position and the lid in the closed position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a stopper  10  is shown in connection with a beverage container  12  having a fill opening  14  that is closed by the stopper  10 . The stopper  10  includes a rigid lanyard loop  16 , with the lanyard loop  16  being shown in a stowed or undeployed position in  FIG. 1A  and in an unstowed or deployed position in  FIG. 1B . While one preferred form of beverage container  12  is shown, it should be understood that the invention can be employed with any suitable beverage container having a fill opening that can be closed by a stopper to prevent or restrict leakage of the beverage from the container. This includes insulated and uninsulated beverage containers made from any of a variety of suitable materials, including metallic materials and plastic or composite materials. Because the details of the beverage container  12  are not critical to the invention, they will not be described further herein. 
     Turning now in more detail to the construction of the stopper  10 , as best seen in  FIGS. 2-6 , the stopper includes a main body  18 , a lid  22 , and the rigid lanyard loop  16 . The main body  18  is configured for releasable engagement with the opening of the beverage container  12  and includes a drinking port  24  (best seen in  FIGS. 5C and 6 ) to allow a beverage to flow from the beverage container to the mouth of a user. The lid  22  is hinge mounted to the main body  18  for movement between a closed position (shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B,  2 A,  2 B,  3 A,  3 B,  4 A,  4 B,  5 A and  5 B) wherein the drinking port  24  is covered and an open position (shown in  FIGS. 2C ,  3 C,  4 C and  5 C wherein the drinking port  24  is exposed for access by a user. The lanyard loop  16  is hinge mounted for movement relative to the lid  22  between the stowed position (shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  2 A,  2 C,  3 A,  3 C,  4 A,  4 C,  5 A and  5 C) wherein the lanyard loop  16  extends adjacent an upper surface  26  of the lid  22  and the deployed position (shown in  FIGS. 1B ,  2 B,  3 B,  4 B and  5 B) wherein the lanyard loop  16  extends away from the upper surface  28  with the lid  22  in the closed position. In this regard, preferably the upper surface  26  of the lid  22  is interrupted by a recess  28  (best seen in  FIGS. 5A and 5B ) that receives the lanyard loop  16  in the stowed position, with an upper surface  30  of the lanyard loop  16  being flush with the upper surface  26  of the lid  22 . 
     With respect to the hinge mounting of the lid  22  and the lanyard loop  16 , the main body  18  includes a pair of hinge knuckles  32  that carry a hinge pin  34  that defines a transversely extending hinge axis  36 . The lanyard loop  16  includes a hinge knuckle  38  receiving the hinge pin  34  and located between the hinge knuckles  32  of the main body  18 . The lid  22  includes a pair of hinge knuckles  40  receiving the hinge pin  34  and spaced on opposite sides of the hinge knuckles  32  that face away from the lanyard loop knuckle  38 . Preferably, a pair of resilient members  42  are sandwiched between the hinge knuckles  40  of the lid  22  and the hinge knuckles  32  of the main body  18 . In this regard, a resilient O-ring  44  is looped around the hinge pin  34  at two locations to define the resilient members  42 , with two parallel lengths  50  and  52  of the O-ring  44  extending between the main body  18  and the lid  22 , as best seen in  FIG. 2C . 
     The lanyard loop  16  includes a ring  54  that is preferably sized to receive a finger of a user and/or an attachment clip or carabiner, and a shank or leg  56  that connects the ring  54  to the hinge knuckle  38 . 
     The lid  22  preferably carries a resilient member  58  for sealing engagement with the drinking port  24 , with the lid  22  in the closed position. The resilient member  58  preferably has a cross-sectional shape that conforms to, but is slightly larger than the cross-sectional shape of the drinking port  24 . The resilient member  58  is compressed between the lid  22  and the main body  18  to provide an opening force that urges the lid  22  from the closed position. In this regard, a spring loaded latch  60  is mounted on the main body  18  for transverse translational motion so as to be selectively engageable and disengageable with a catch  62  provided on the lid  22 , with engagement of the latch  60  and the catch serving to retain the lid  22  in the closed position and actuation of the latch  60  by a user serving to disengage the catch  62  and allow the lid  22  to be moved to the open position. It should be appreciated that while a preferred form of the latch  60  is shown, in some applications other forms of latches can be used, many of which are known. 
     Preferably, the main body  18  includes a longitudinally extending skirt  64  that is sized and configured for engagement with the opening  14  of the beverage container  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the skirt  64  is sized to fit within the opening  14  and includes male threads  66  for engagement with female threads formed in the opening  14  of the beverage container  12 . A resilient O-ring seal  70  is also carried on an O-ring gland provided on the skirt in the illustrated embodiment for sealing engagement with the opening  14 . It should be appreciated that in some applications, depending upon the construction of the beverage container, the skirt  64  may be engageable with an exterior side of the opening  14  of the beverage container  12  and may include other types of releasable fasteners, such as a snap fastener. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that in some embodiments, a seal or gasket may be carried on the beverage container  12 , in which case there would be no need for a resilient O-ring seal or gasket on the skirt  18 . Preferably, as best seen in  FIG. 5C , the main body  18  also includes a drinking lip  72  that surrounds a recess  74  in which the drinking port  24  is located. It should be appreciated that depending upon the application, the drinking lip  72  and the recess  74  can take on many different forms, including having one or both eliminated. 
     Any suitable rigid structural materials, including plastic and metal, can be used to form the components  16 ,  18 ,  22 , and  34 , with one preferred construction for the components  16 ,  18  and  22  being injection molded plastic or composite. Any suitable resilient materials, such a silicon rubber, can be used to form the components  42 ,  44 ,  58 , and  70 . 
     While a preferred embodiment of the lid  10  has been shown, it should be appreciated that modifications to general geometric shapes, relative locations, and such are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, although the lid  22  and ring  54  are shown to have generally circular configurations, other geometric shapes are possible depending upon the desires of each application. As another example, while the drinking port  24  is shown as having a somewhat oval shape, other geometric shapes are possible. As yet another example, while it is preferred for the upper surface  26  to include the recess  28  for flush mounting of the lanyard loop  16 , in some applications, the recess  28  may not be desired and the lanyard loop  16  may lay on top of the surface  26 . As yet another example, while the lanyard loop  16  is shown as being hinge mounted to the main body  18 ; in some applications it may be desirable to hinge mount the lanyard loop onto the lid  22 . As yet a further example, while a certain number of hinge knuckles have been shown on each of the different components  16 ,  18 , and  22 , other numbers and combinations of hinge knuckles may be desired depending upon the particular application. As yet a further example, while the resilient members  42  and  58  are preferred, in some applications one or both may not be desirable. 
     It should be appreciated that the provision of the rigid lanyard loop  16  on the stopper  18  for movement between stowed and deployed positions allows for the stopper  18  to provide the convenience of a lanyard loop  16 , without the inconvenience of having the lanyard loop  16  always extend upwardly and away from the stopper  18 .