Beverage container closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227166-B2
Application number	US-201715499714-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2017
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A beverage container closure or lid that is adapted for closing an open end of a beverage container. The lid is selectively couplable to the beverage container and includes a selectively openable stopper that when closed, creates a fluid-tight seal between the beverage container and the environment. The stopper may be selectively opened by a user by the user pressing a button disposed on a side of the beverage container closure. The stopper is subsequently automatically closed when the user releases the button. Thus, a user may open and close the beverage container closure using a single hand without the need to remove the beverage container closure from the beverage container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:
a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough from the drinking vessel when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel, an upper main body portion and a main body sidewall extending downward from the upper main body portion and terminating at an open lower end portion, the main body sidewall defining a hollow interior body region, the main body having an upwardly extending central longitudinal body axis;
a stopper having a stopper sealing portion configured for upward displacement into a closed position in sealing engagement with the main body and whereat the flow of the liquid through the opening is blocked, and downward displacement into an opened position out of sealing engagement with the main body and whereat the flow of the liquid through the opening is allowed, the stopper having a first engagement portion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower and a second engagement portion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower, the first and second engagement portions of the stopper being laterally spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of the body axis, the stopper further including a base portion spanning across the hollow interior body region and at least partially blocking the flow of fluid through the open lower end portion of the hollow interior body region, the stopper sealing portion and the base portion being movable together as a unit; and
an actuating member movably coupled to the main body, the actuating member being inwardly movable and having a first engagement portion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower and a second engagement portion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower, the first and second engagement portions of the actuating member being laterally spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of the body axis, the first engagement portion of the actuating member being arranged to engage the first engagement portion of the stopper and apply a downwardly directed operating first force to the first engagement portion of the stopper during inward movement of the actuating member to cause the first engagement portion of the actuating member to move the first engagement portion of the stopper downward and thereby move the stopper sealing portion toward the opened position, and the second engagement portion of the actuating member being arranged to engage the second engagement portion of the stopper and apply a downwardly directed operating second force to the second engagement portion of the stopper during inward movement of the actuating member to cause the second engagement portion of the actuating member to move the second engagement portion of the stopper downward and thereby move the stopper sealing portion toward the opened position.

2. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the actuating member has a button positioned for engagement with the hand of the user, an external inward force applied to the button moves the button inward and directly applies a first portion of the external force to the first engagement portion of the actuating member and directly applies a second portion of the external force to the second engagement portion of the actuating member, the first and second engagement portions of the actuating member being in direct contact with the first and second engagement portions, respectively, of the stopper without any intermediate rotatable linkage therebetween and directly moving the first and second engagement portions of the stopper downward when the inward force is applied to the button to move the button inward.

3. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the actuating member has a contact member positioned for engagement with the hand of the user, an external inward force applied to the contact member moves the contact member inward by a first amount, and directly applies a first portion of the external force to the first engagement portion of the actuating member to move the first engagement portion of the actuating member inward by the first amount and directly applies a second portion of the external force to the second engagement portion of the actuating member to move the second engagement portion of the actuating member inward by the first amount, the first and second engagement portions of the actuating member being in direct contact with the first and second engagement portions, respectively, of the stopper without any intermediate rotatable linkage therebetween and directly moving the first and second engagement portions of the stopper downward when the external inward force is applied to the contact member to move the contact member inward.

4. The lid of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the stopper is located at the lower end portion of the main body sidewall and spans across the hollow interior body region, the stopper having a perimeter sidewall located adjacent to the lower end portion of the main body sidewall.

5. The lid of claim 4 , wherein the perimeter sidewall is located immediately adjacent to the main body sidewall when the stopper is in the closed position.

6. The lid of claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the perimeter sidewall is spaced apart from the main body sidewall when the stopper is in the opened position.

7. The lid of claim 1 , further comprising:
an axially extending stopper biasing member coupled to the stopper, the stopper biasing member applying an axially upward biasing force to the stopper to bias the stopper into the closed position as the actuating member moves outward.

8. The lid of claim 7 , wherein the stopper biasing member applies an outward biasing force to the actuating member tending to move the actuating member outward.

9. The lid of claim 7 , wherein the stopper biasing member is a resilient member extending along the body axis.

10. The lid of claim 7 , wherein the stopper biasing member is disconnectable from the stopper, and when disconnected from the stopper, the stopper is fully separable from the main body.

11. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the base portion of the stopper spans across the open lower end of the hollow interior body region and has a perimeter portion located adjacent to the lower end portion of the main body.

12. The lid of claim 1 , further comprising:
an axially extending stopper biasing member coupled to the stopper, the stopper biasing member applying an axially upward biasing force to the stopper sealing portion to bias the stopper sealing portion toward the closed position, the stopper biasing member being disconnectable from the stopper, and when disconnected from the stopper, the stopper being fully separable from the main body.

13. The lid of claim 12 , wherein the stopper biasing member is a resilient member extending upwardly toward the upper the main body portion.

14. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the stopper sealing portion includes a stopper seal for sealing engagement with the main body to block the flow of the liquid through the opening when the stopper sealing portion is in the closed position.

15. A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:
a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough from the drinking vessel when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel and a lid cavity having an open lower end;
a stopper having a stopper sealing portion configured for upward displacement into a closed position sealing the opening to block the flow of the liquid through the opening, and downward displ

Assignees

• Pacific Market Int Llc

Inventors

• Gilbert Tyler Sean
• Sims Randy

Classifications

• B65D51/1683

  by actuating a separate element in the container or closure · CPC title

• B65D47/32

  with means for venting · CPC title

• A47J41/0022 Primary

  the stopper comprising two or more pieces movable relatively to each other for opening or closing the dispensing passage · CPC title

• B65D47/248

  the valve being opened or closed by imparting a motion to the valve stem (B65D47/244, B65D47/245 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D47/06

  with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages (with slidable spouts B65D47/26) · CPC title