Beverage container closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10232987-B2
Application number	US-201615162346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 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 upper portion having an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel and a main body sidewall extending downward and defining a hollow interior body region, the main body having an upwardly extending central longitudinal body axis;
a stopper positionable at least partially within the hollow interior body region, the stopper having a stopper base portion and a stopper sealing portion, the stopper being configured for upward displacement of the stopper sealing portion into a closed position whereat the stopper sealing portion seals the opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position whereat the stopper sealing portion is spaced apart from the opening to allow fluid passage through the opening, the stopper base portion having a fluid flow barrier portion spanning across the hollow interior body region and a perimeter sidewall along an outer perimeter of the fluid flow barrier portion, the perimeter sidewall being located adjacent to the main body sidewall, the perimeter sidewall being spaced inward of the main body sidewall to form a perimeter fluid flow pathway located between the perimeter sidewall and the main body sidewall, the perimeter fluid flow being maintained when the stopper sealing portion is in the closed position, 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; 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 perimeter sidewall is positioned at least partially within the hollow interior body region and spaced apart from the main body sidewall along at least a portion of the perimeter sidewall during the entire travel of the stopper sealing portion between the opened position and the closed position.

3. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the perimeter sidewall is located immediately adjacent to the main body sidewall.

4. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the stopper further includes at least one spacer portion positioned to limit lateral movement of the stopper base portion toward the main body sidewall to maintain the perimeter fluid flow pathway outward of the perimeter sidewall and adjacent to the main body sidewall.

5. 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 upper portion having an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel and a main body sidewall extending downward and defining a hollow interior body region, the main body having an upwardly extending central longitudinal body axis;
a stopper positionable at least partially within the hollow interior body region, the stopper having a stopper base portion and a stopper sealing portion, the stopper being configured for upward displacement of the stopper sealing portion into a closed position whereat the stopper sealing portion seals the opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position whereat the stopper sealing portion is spaced apart from the opening to allow fluid passage through the opening, 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;
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; and
wherein the stopper further includes a stopper sealing portion support extending upward from the stopper base portion to above the first and second engagement portions of the stopper with the stopper sealing portion positioned atop the stopper sealing portion support to position the stopper sealing portion in proximity with the opening when the stopper sealing portion is in the opened position and in alignment with the opening when the stopper sealing portion is in the closed position, the stopper sealing portion support being laterally offset from the body axis.

6. The lid of claim 5 , wherein the stopper sealing portion support is located immediately adjacent to the main body sidewall.

7. 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 upper portion having an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel and a main body sidewall extending downward and defining a hollow interior body region, the main body having an upwardly extending central longitudinal body axis;
a stopper positionable at least partially within the hollow interior body region, the stopper having a stopper base portion and a stopper sealing por

Assignees

• Pacific Market Int Llc

Inventors

• Gilbert Tyler Sean
• Sims Randy

Classifications

• B65D2251/0018

  of the 43-type · CPC title

• B65D51/1683

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

• B65D43/0225

  secured by rotation · CPC title

• B65D81/3865

  drinking cups or like containers · CPC title

• B65D47/249

  by means of a lever mechanism · CPC title