Seal mechanism for beverage container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10104993-B2
Application number	US-201414512869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2014
Priority date	Sep 13, 2011
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A lid assembly for a beverage container having a lid housing, a seal assembly and a trigger member. The seal assembly has one or more drink seals that engage a corresponding one or more drink apertures to close the drink apertures. The seal assembly is rotatedly connected to the lid housing and movable between a use position and a cleaning position for cleaning. The trigger member is connected to the lid housing and is capable of engaging the seal assembly in the use position, but not in the cleaning position. The trigger member is connected to the seal assembly such that the vent aperture is opened during a first portion of the operation of the trigger, and the drink apertures are opened during a second portion of the operation of the trigger so that the vent aperture is opened before the drink apertures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lid assembly for a beverage container, comprising:
a lid housing having a drink aperture and a vent aperture;
a seal assembly having a stopper to selectively close the drink aperture, the seal assembly movable between a use position and a cleaning position, the seal assembly permanently connected to the lid assembly, the seal assembly having a locking member to lock the seal assembly in the use position, the stopper adapted to close the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the use position, the stopper movable, relative to the drink aperture, to open the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the use position, wherein the seal assembly further comprises a vent seal that selectively closes the vent aperture; and
a trigger member pivotally coupled to the lid housing, the trigger member adapted to engage the seal assembly to open and close the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the use position.

2. The lid assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal assembly has a detent to retain the seal assembly in the cleaning position until a sufficient force is applied to overcome the detent and move the seal assembly from the cleaning position toward the use position.

3. The lid assembly of claim 1 , wherein the locking member is transitionable between a locked state and an unlocked state, the seal assembly being able to be moved to the cleaning position when the locking member is in the unlocked state.

4. The lid assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal assembly has a seal arm, wherein the seal arm is adjacent the drink aperture in the use position and wherein the seal arm is distal the drink aperture in the cleaning position, the seal arm being indirectly connected to the lid housing when the seal assembly is in the use position and the cleaning position, the use position being an operable position for assisting in opening and closing the drink aperture, and wherein the stopper is not capable of assisting in closing the drink aperture in the cleaning position.

5. The lid assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stopper comprises a drink seal to selectively close the drink aperture.

6. The lid assembly of claim 1 , wherein the trigger member is permanently connected to the lid assembly, wherein the seal assembly cannot be operated by the trigger member to open and close the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the cleaning position.

7. The lid assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal assembly pivots away from a drink surface of the lid housing when it moves to the cleaning position.

8. The lid assembly of claim 7 , wherein the seal assembly can pivot at least 90° to transition from the use position to the cleaning position.

9. The lid assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stopper is unable to close the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the cleaning position.

10. The lid assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the seal assembly comprises a seal arm having the stopper,
wherein the trigger member is adapted to engage the seal arm to open and close the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the use position, wherein the trigger member is unable to engage the seal arm to open or close the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the cleaning position, and
wherein the trigger member operates to engage the seal arm to open the drink aperture responsive to a user directly engaging the trigger member.

11. The lid assembly of claim 10 , wherein the locking member is transitionable to an unlocked state to allow the seal assembly to be moved to the cleaning position.

12. The lid assembly of claim 10 , wherein the stopper comprises a drink seal connected to the seal arm when the seal assembly is in the use position and the cleaning position.

13. The lid assembly of claim 10 , wherein the trigger member is permanently connected to the lid assembly.

14. The lid assembly of claim 10 , wherein the seal arm pivots away from a drink surface of the lid housing when the seal assembly moves to the cleaning position.

15. The lid assembly of claim 10 , wherein the seal arm pivots at least 90° to transition the seal assembly from the use position to the cleaning position.

16. The lid assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the seal assembly comprises a seal arm having the stopper,
wherein the trigger member is adapted to engage the seal arm to open and close the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the use position;
and
wherein the seal arm pivots away from the lid housing when the seal assembly is moved from the use position to the cleaning position.

17. The lid assembly of claim 16 , wherein the lid assembly further comprises a thread ring to connect the lid housing to the beverage container, the seal arm partially covering a portion of the thread ring when the seal assembly is in the cleaning position.

18. The lid assembly of claim 16 , wherein the seal arm has a detent to retain the seal assembly in the cleaning position until a sufficient force is applied to overcome the detent and move the seal assembly from the cleaning position toward the use position.

19. The lid assembly of claim 16 , wherein the trigger member cannot operate the seal arm to open and close the drink aperture when the seal assembly is in the cleaning position.

20. The lid assembly of claim 16 , wherein a portion of the trigger member is disposed radially outward of the lid housing.

Assignees

• Ignite Usa Llc

Inventors

• El-Saden Sami M
• Wodka Daniel M
• Chiou Joe Y

Classifications

• A47G19/2272 Primary

  from drinking glasses or cups comprising lids or covers · CPC title

• B65D51/18

  Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures {(B65D51/247 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D43/22

  Devices for holding in closed position, e.g. clips · CPC title

• B65D55/02

  Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure · CPC title

• B65D51/1644

  the element being a valve (B65D51/1661 takes precedence) · CPC title