Lid for a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10687641-B2
Application number	US-201816036781-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2018
Priority date	Jan 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A closure for a lid that has at least one opening may include an activator pivotally coupled to the lid, a cover pivotally coupled to the lid, and a connecting member pivotally coupled to the activator and the cover. The activator, the cover and the connecting member may form an over center latching mechanism. In addition, the activator may be pivotally connected to the lid about a first axis of rotation, the cover may be pivotally connected to the lid about a second axis of rotation, the connecting member may pivotally connected to the activator about a third axis of rotation, and the connecting member may be pivotally connected to the cover about a fourth axis of rotation. The distance between the first and second axes of rotation may be constant, and the distance between the third and fourth axes of rotation may change as the cover is moved.

First claim

I claim:

1. A drink-through lid sized and configured to be attached to a beverage container, the drink-through lid comprising:
a body including an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion configured to attach the drink-through lid to the beverage container, the upper portion comprising a spout;
a first drinking opening disposed within the spout, the first drinking opening configured to provide a first liquid fluid pathway to a common reservoir of the beverage container;
a second drinking opening disposed within the spout; and
a conduit in fluid communication with the second drinking opening, the second drinking opening and the conduit configured to provide a second liquid fluid pathway to the common reservoir of the beverage container,
wherein:
the spout includes an outer wall and an inner common wall;
the outer wall of the spout bounds the first drinking opening and the second drinking opening;
the inner common wall separates the first drinking opening from the second drinking opening;
the inner common wall has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, each of the first end and the second end of the inner common wall joining the outer wall; and
the inner common wall has a first surface that faces the first drinking opening and a second surface that faces the second drinking opening.

2. The drink-through lid of claim 1 , wherein on the second surface of the inner common wall in the second drinking opening, the first end and the second end of the inner common wall each has a transition from the inner common wall to the outer wall that is a mathematically smooth function in its entirety from the inner common wall to the outer wall.

3. The drink-through lid of claim 1 , wherein a front-to-back thickness of a top of the inner common wall is greater at opposing lateral ends of the second drinking opening than at a center of the inner common wall that is located laterally midway between the opposing lateral ends.

4. The drink-through lid of claim 1 , wherein a front-to-back thickness of each of the first end and the second end of the inner common wall of the spout increases moving laterally outward toward the outer wall of the spout.

5. The drink-through lid of claim 4 , wherein the front-to-back thickness of each of the first end and the second end of the inner common wall of the spout continuously increases moving laterally outward toward the outer wall of the spout.

6. The drink-through lid of claim 1 , wherein the first drinking opening has a concave inward curvature between any two points on at least one perimeter curve that bounds the first drinking opening.

7. The drink-through lid of claim 1 , wherein on the first surface of the inner common wall in the first drinking opening, the first end and the second end of the inner common wall each has a transition from the inner common wall to the outer wall that is a mathematically smooth function in its entirety from the inner common wall to the outer wall.

8. The drink-through lid of claim 1 , wherein the conduit is a straw configured to allow drinking a liquid fluid from a lower half of a beverage container to which the drink-through lid is attached.

9. A lid and container system, comprising:
a container comprising a common reservoir; and
a lid configured to be attached to the container, the lid comprising:
an outer wall;
an inner common wall;
a first opening that is at least partially defined by the outer wall and the inner common wall, the first opening configured to provide a first fluid pathway through the lid to the common reservoir of the container;
a second opening that is at least partially defined by the outer wall and the inner common wall, the second opening configured to provide a second fluid pathway through the lid to the common reservoir of the container;
a first wall junction formed where a first end of the inner common wall meets the outer wall; and
a second wall junction formed where a second end of the inner common wall that is opposite the first end meets the outer wall,

wherein:
each of the first wall junction and the second wall junction comprises an inner extension that is continuously formed with the first or second end of the inner common wall, a first outer extension that is continuously formed with a first portion of the outer wall that partially defines the first opening, and a second outer extension that is continuously formed with a second portion of the outer wall that partially defines the second opening; and
a front-to-back thickness of a top of each inner extension continuously increases moving from the first or second end of the inner common wall toward the outer wall.

10. The lid and container system of claim 9 , wherein:
each of the first wall junction and the second wall junction includes:
a first surface between the corresponding inner extension and the corresponding first outer extension that faces and partially defines the first opening, the first surface having a first radius of curvature; and
a second surface between the corresponding inner extension and the corresponding second outer extension that faces and partially defines the second opening, the second surface having a second radius of curvature; and

the first radius of curvature of the first surface is greater than the second radius of curvature of the second surface.

11. The lid and container system of claim 9 , wherein:
a distance along a top of a portion of the outer wall that partially defines the second opening between the second extension of the first wall junction and the second extension of the second wall junction is a first distance;
a length of each of the first and second wall junctions along a top of the first or second wall junction from the first outer extension to the second outer extension of the corresponding first or second wall junction is at least one third of the first distance.

12. The lid and container system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of:
a front-to-back thickness of a top of each of the first and second wall junction immediately laterally adjacent to the second opening is at least twice a front-to-back thickness of a top of the inner common wall at a middle of the second opening or a front-to-back thickness of a top of the outer wall at the middle of the second opening, or
a radial thickness of the top of each of the first and second wall junction immediately circumferentially adjacent to the second opening is at least twice the front-to-back thickness of the top of the inner common wall at the middle of the second opening or the front-to-back thickness of the top of the outer wall at the middle of the second opening.

13. The lid and container system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of:
a radial thickness of the first outer extension continuously increases moving toward the second outer extension; or
a radial thickness of the second outer extension continuously increases moving toward the first outer extension.

14. The lid and container system of claim 9 , wherein:
each of the first and second wall junctions includes a surface that faces and partially defines the first opening, the surface extending from the inner extension to the first outer extension; and
a curve on the surface that extends along a top of the first or second junction between any two points along the top of the first or second junction has a concave inward curvature with respect to the first opening.

15. The lid and container system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of:
a top of the first opening has a variable height around a perimeter of the first opening; or
a top of the second opening has a varia

Assignees

• Runway Blue Llc

Inventors

• Sorensen Steven M
• Meyers David O

Classifications

• A47J43/1087

  Whisks or similar tools comprising mixing wires · CPC title

• B65D25/28

  Handles (of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/46; of bottles or jars B65D23/10 {; holders for glasses, bottles, cartons, plastic bags, cans A47G23/02}) · CPC title

• A47J43/27

  for mixing drinks; Hand-held shakers (mechanically driven A47J43/042) · CPC title

• B65D2251/009

  of the 51-type · CPC title

• B65D2525/283

  combined with container closing means, e.g. stopper · CPC title