Patent ID: 6880713

Claim:
A spill-resistant beverage container comprising: a cup-shaped body defining a storage chamber; a removable cap mounted on the cup-shaped body, the cap including a top wall having at one side an upwardly extending drinking spout defining an outlet passage; and a flow control element including a membrane formed from an elastomeric material that is mounted below the drinking spout such that the membrane is located between the storage chamber and the outlet passage, wherein the membrane defines a plurality of pinholes formed such that each pinhole is closed by the elastomeric material surrounding said each pinhole when the membrane is subjected to normal atmospheric conditions, thereby preventing passage of a liquid from the storage chamber to the outlet passage, and each pinhole is opened when the membrane is subjected to an applied pressure differential that causes the membrane to stretch, thereby facilitating liquid flow from the storage chamber to the outlet passage, and wherein the membrane has a circular outer perimeter having a diameter of 0.25 to 1.5 inches and a thickness of 0.01 to 0.1 inches, and wherein the plurality of pinholes comprises a number greater than ten.