Patent ID: 7681754

Claim:
A thermos having an internal chamber for retaining a liquid and fitted within a thermos sidewall and a valve assembly in fluid communication with the internal chamber, the valve assembly having an opened condition by which a liquid can be dispensed from the thermos and a closed condition which prevents the liquid from being dispensed from the thermos, the valve assembly positioned at one end of the thermos and having a central activation pushbutton by which the valve is opened, the improvement comprising: a. an extended sidewall extending from the sidewall at the end of the thermos containing the valve assembly, the extended sidewall having an interior surface and an exterior surface such that the interior surface of the extended sidewall forms a sidewall of a chamber above the valve assembly; b. a widened circumferential closing ring by which the valve is closed and having a top surface surrounding an upper portion of and extending from the central activation pushbutton to a location adjacent the interior surface of the extended sidewall, a gap located between the interior surface of the extended sidewall and the exterior circumference of the widened circumferential closing ring; c. a downward force on the widened circumferential closing ring causing the valve assembly to close with the widened circumferential closing ring facilitating manual closure of the valve assembly; and d. the top surface of the widened circumferential closing ring forming the base of a chamber bounded by the interior surface of the extended sidewall, the chamber serving to retain a liquid which flows out of the thermos when the valve is in the opened condition, the extended sidewall enabling a user to sip the liquid from the chamber.