Patent Publication Number: US-2012031902-A1

Title: Beverage container closure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed generally to lids for liquid storage vessels such as for beverage or food containers and more particularly to lids with movable components. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Prior art lids are typically of one of three types. The first type is a solid unitary lid that does not include openings or apertures through which the contents of a liquid storage vessel may exit the vessel. To drink from the vessel, a user must remove the lid. The second type, which may also be of a unitary construction, includes one or more unobstructed apertures through which the liquid may exit the vessel. In the second type, the apertures are always open. If the vessel is inadvertently tipped or dropped, the contents of the vessel may spill. The third type of lid includes one or more apertures through which the liquid may exit the vessel and a means for selectively opening and closing the apertures. When using the third type of lid, the user may selectively open the apertures to remove the contents from the vessel and selectively close the apertures to maintain the contents inside the vessel. Further, by closing the apertures, the lid may help insulate the contents from the environment outside the vessel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a lid constructed in accordance with the present invention depicted above a beverage or food container. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the lid of  FIG. 1  with its cover arranged in a closed position. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the lid of  FIG. 1  taken substantially through line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2  with the cover arranged in the closed position. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the lid of  FIG. 1  with the cover arranged in a partially open position. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the lid of  FIG. 1  taken substantially through line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4  with the cover arranged in the partially open position. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the lid of  FIG. 1  with the cover arranged in a fully open position. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the lid of  FIG. 1  taken substantially through line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6  with the cover arranged in the fully open position. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of the lid of  FIG. 1  with the cover arranged in the closed position. 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom view of the lid of  FIG. 1  with the cover arranged in a closed position. 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the lid of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A beverage container closure or lid, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is generally indicated at reference numeral  10  in  FIG. 1 . The lid  10  has a substantially circular main body  80  that is adapted for closing an open end of a conventional beverage container  12 , shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1 . The beverage container  12  may be any suitable type of container such as the tumbler type (that is, without a handle) for use in automotive beverage receptacles, or for transport in backpacks, book bags, and the like. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10 , the lid  10  is selectively couplable to the beverage container  12  by any suitable means such as threads  50  disposed on an outer surface of a circumferential sidewall of a lower, downwardly depending portion  16 . The lid  10  also includes a flexible ring seal member  32  positioned adjacent the sidewall of the lower portion  16  and a bottom surface  30  of a circumferential flange  34  of the main body (See  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). The particular configuration for mating the lid  10  to the container  12  is a matter of choice for one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, although threads  50  and the seal member  32  have been shown in this embodiment, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any other means for sealing the lid  10  with respect to the beverage container  12  may be substituted. 
     The main body  12  also includes a raised front sidewall portion  24  integrally connected to a raised left sidewall  26   a  and a raised right sidewall  26   b . The front sidewall portion  24  includes a curved upper surface having a raised semi-circular lip  22  configured for contact with a user&#39;s lips when the entire assembly is tipped toward the user. To further improve the usability of the lid  10 , the front sidewall  24  may also include a groove  62  configured to interface with the user&#39;s bottom lip when the user is drinking a beverage housed in the container  12 . As can be appreciated, an inner surface of the front sidewall  24  including the lip  22 , the left and right sidewall  26   a  and  26   b , and a rear portion  28 , define a drinking basin  25  for the receipt of a beverage, such as coffee, from the beverage container  12 . 
     Fluid communication between the drinking basin  25  and the interior of the beverage container  12  is provided by way of a selectively openable cover  20 . As may best be viewed in the exploded view of  FIG. 10 , the cover  20  includes left and right upwardly extending tabs or raised portions  44   a ,  44   b  each having arcuate slots  42   a ,  42   b , respectively, disposed therein. The cover  20  also includes left and right pivot pins  47   a ,  47   b  for coupling with pin receiver portions  52   a ,  52   b  disposed on a lower surface of the main body  80  of the lid  10  (see  FIG. 9 ). Further, the cover  20  includes a top surface  49 , a bottom surface  48  generally opposite the top surface, and a peripheral edge  64  sized to engage with an opening  66  in a top portion  67  of the main body  80 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2-7 , the cover  20  is pivotably attached to the main body  80  by engagement of the pivot pins  47   a ,  47   b  with the pin receiver portions  52   a ,  52   b  of the lid  10 . The pivot pins  47   a ,  47   b  are integrally connected to cover support members  46   a ,  46   b , respectively, (see  FIG. 9 ) which are secured to the bottom surface  48  of the cover  20 . 
     In operation, the cover  20  is configured to pivot between a sealed or closed position, shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , to a partially open position, shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , and to a fully open position, shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . As can be appreciated, this feature permits a user to transport the beverage container  12  without spilling its contents when the cover  20  is in the closed position, while allowing the user to access the contents of the container  12  when the cover  20  is in the open position. 
     To effect movement of the cover  20  between the closed position and the open position, a handle  18  is provided. As may best be seen in  FIG. 10 , the handle  18  is symmetric and includes a left portion  18   a  and a right portion  18   b . The left portion  18   a  and right portion  18   b  include respective cylindrical members  38   a ,  38   b  sized to fit in rotatable connection within respective apertures  90   a ,  90   b  disposed in the left and right sidewalls  26   a ,  26   b  of the main body  80  of the lid  10 . The handle  18  also includes inwardly projecting rods  40   a ,  40   b  configured for slidable engagement within the arcuate slots  42   a ,  42   b  disposed in the raised portions  44   a ,  44   b  of the cover  20 . As discussed below, the rods  40   a ,  40   b  act against the arcuate slots  42   a ,  42   b  to translate the pivotal motion of the handle  18  to pivotal motion of the cover  20 . 
     The respective cylindrical members  38   a ,  38   b  include respective tabs  39   a ,  39   b  that function as a stop to reduce the likelihood that the cylindrical members will pull free of the respective apertures  90   a ,  90   b  through which the cylindrical members extend and pivot. That is, the handle  18  is snap fitted into the respective apertures  90   a ,  90   b  and the tabs  39   a ,  39   b  tend to hold it there during use against a laterally outward force being applied to the left portion  18   a  or the right portion  18   b  of the handle  18 . 
     The operation of the lid  10  is now described with reference to  FIGS. 2-7 . When the cover  20  is in the sealed or closed position, shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the handle  18  is disposed in a substantially horizontal position rotated forward to be near the forward front sidewall  24  of the lid  10 . In this configuration, the rods  40   a ,  40   b  engage the arcuate slots  42   a ,  42   b , respectively, to lift upward and retain the cover  20  in the closed position. As a user rotates the handle  18  rearward toward a substantially vertical position, shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the rods  40   a ,  40   b  of the handle  18  slide along the arcuate slots  42   a ,  42   b , respectively, thereby urging the cover  20  to pivot in a downward direction about the pivot pins  47   a ,  47   b  into the partially open position. Similarly, as the user continues to rotate the handle  18  rearward toward the rear portion  28  of the main body  80 , the rods  40   a ,  40   b  continue to act against the arcuate slots  42   a ,  42   b , respectively, to further pivot and open the cover  20  to the fully open position shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , wherein the user may drink from the container  12 . The handle  18  may then be rotated forward to move the cover  20  to the partially open position and then to the closed position. In this regard, a user may simply rotate the handle  18  to selectively open and close the cover  20  of the lid  10 . 
     To provide a fluid-tight seal when the cover  20  is in the closed position, the outer edge  64  of the cover  20  has substantially the same shape of the opening  66  in the main body  80  and is sized to be slightly larger than the opening  66 . Further, a cover seal  36  may be secured to lower surface of the main body  80  around the perimeter of the opening  66  to be between the main body and the cover and provide a fluid-tight seal therebetween when the cover  20  is in the closed position. 
     In order to removably secure the cover  20  in either the open or closed positions, the handle  18  includes locking protrusions or bumps  68   a ,  68   b  disposed on inner surfaces of the left portion  18   a  and right portion  18   b , respectively, of the handle. Further, the left sidewall  26   a  and the right sidewall  26   b  each include a rear locking recess or dimple  60  on the outward side thereof rearward of the apertures  90   a  and  90   b , and front locking dimple  62 . In operation, when a user rotates the handle  18  to the fully open position, the locking bumps  68   a ,  68   b  each become seated in the corresponding one of the rear locking dimples  60 . Similarly, when a user rotates the handle  18  to the fully closed position, the locking bumps  68   a ,  68   b  each become seated in the corresponding one of the front locking dimples  62 . As can be appreciated, the size and shapes of the locking dimples  60  and  62  and locking bumps  68   a ,  68   b  are configured such that the handle  18  is secured in either the open position or the closed position until a user desires to unseat the locking bumps from the locking dimples by rotating the handle  18  from one of these positions using a sufficient amount of rotational force. 
     The handle  18 , main body  80 , and cover  20  may be manufactured by an injection molding process utilizing, for example, a food grade thermoplastic material. Further, the cover seal  36  and the lid seal  32  may be manufactured from, for example, a food grade silicon rubber. It will be appreciated that other materials and processes may be used for these components without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. 
     While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). 
     Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.