Patent ID: 8777028

Claim:
A fluid conduit for drinking containers, comprising: a flange for attachment to a container; a domed enclosure having a rounded sidewall extending from the flange and an upper intermediate surface, the rounded sidewall acting as a circumferential hinge permitting the upper intermediate surface to flex; a first and second sidewall extending from the domed enclosure; a front wall curved to connect to the first and second sidewall and extending from the domed enclosure, the front wall extending from near an edge of the domed enclosure; a back wall curved to connect to the first and second sidewall and extending from the domed enclosure, the back wall extending from an offset from a center of the domed enclosure; a barrier that extends from the first and second sidewalls and intersects with the front wall and the back wall, the barrier having slits; a lip formed along and around edges of the first and second sidewall, the front wall, and the back wall; and wherein the lip along and around the front and back walls curves axially downwardly to form corner edges that extend to the barrier and form tops of the first and second sidewalls so that portions of the front wall and back wall extend axially higher from the barrier than the tops of the first and second sidewalls extend from the barrier to form a spout tip having a lack of material between the portions of the front and back walls permitting the front and back wall portions to flex independently of one another with an additional height and surface area of the portions of the front and back walls of the spout tip from the barrier providing additional leverage when the user places the spout tip in their mouth and is extracting fluid; and radial and axial movement of the portions of the front and back walls facilitate deformation of the barrier to open the slits.