Lockable beverage container closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11045026-B2
Application number	US-202016883841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2020
Priority date	Jul 1, 2014
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A lid for use with a beverage container. The lid has a body with a drink opening, a drink opening stopper operable to transition between a closed position and an opened position, and a lock actuator manually rotatable between a locking position preventing the drink opening stopper from transitioning from the closed position to the opened position when the lock actuator is in the locking position and an unlocking position permitting the drink opening stopper to transition from the closed position to the opened position when the lock actuator is in the unlocking position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:
a body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the body having a drink opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel;
a drink opening stopper operable to transition between a closed position whereat the drink opening stopper is positioned at the drink opening to prevent the passage of fluid from within the drinking vessel through the drink opening, and an opened position whereat the drink opening stopper is positioned away from the drink opening to permit the passage of fluid from within the drinking vessel through the drink opening;
a lock actuator rotatably attached to the body for rotation about a lock actuator axis of rotation between a locking position and an unlocking position; and
a locking member rotatably attached to the body for rotation about a locking member axis of rotation and rotatably movable about the locking member axis of rotation in response to rotation of the lock actuator about the lock actuator axis of rotation, when the lock actuator is rotated to the locking position, the locking member prevents the drink opening stopper from transitioning from the closed position to the opened position, and when the lock actuator is rotated to the unlocking position, the locking member permits the drink opening stopper to transition from the closed position to the opened position.

2. The lid of claim 1 , further including a button inwardly movable in response to an inwardly directed actuation force applied directly to the button when the lock actuator is rotated to the locking position, inward movement of the button permitting movement of the drink opening stopper from the closed position to the open position.

3. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock actuator is in engagement with the locking member to provide rotational drive to the locking member for rotational movement of the locking member about the locking member axis of rotation between a lock position and an unlock position, when in the lock position the locking member prevents the drink opening stopper from transitioning from the closed position to the opened position, and when in the unlocked position the locking member permits the drink opening stopper to transition from the closed position to the opened position.

4. The lid of claim 3 , wherein the lock actuator is rotatable about the lock actuator axis of rotation between the locking and unlocking positions within a first horizontal plane of rotation.

5. The lid of claim 4 , wherein the locking member is rotatable about the locking member axis of rotation between the lock and unlock positions within a second horizontal plane of rotation.

6. The lid of claim 5 , wherein the second horizontal plane of rotation is below the first horizontal plane of rotation.

7. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock actuator is rotatable about the lock actuator axis of rotation within a first horizontal plane of rotation.

8. The lid of claim 7 , wherein the locking member is rotatable about the locking member axis of rotation in a second horizontal plane of rotation.

9. The lid of claim 8 , wherein the second horizontal plane of rotation is below the first horizontal plan of rotation.

10. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the locking member axis of rotation is a vertical axis of the body of the lid.

11. The lid of claim 10 , wherein the lock actuator axis of rotation is the vertical axis of the body of the lid.

12. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the body has an upper end portion to which the lock actuator is rotatably attached.

13. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock actuator has an outer perimeter portion with at least a portion thereof having a circular shape.

14. The lid of claim 1 , wherein when the lock actuator is in the locking position, the lock actuator extends over and covers the drink opening.

15. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock actuator is rotatable with a circular movement between the locking position and the unlocking position.

16. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the locking member is rotatable about the locking member axis with a circular movement.

17. The lid of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the lock actuator between the locking position and the unlocking position rotates the locking member with a circular movement between a lock position and an unlock position, when in the lock position the drink opening is closed by the drink opening stopper to prevent the passage of fluid from within the drinking vessel through the drink opening, and when in the unlock position the drink opening is opened by the drink opening stopper to permit the passage of fluid from within the drinking vessel through the drink opening.

18. The lid of claim 1 , wherein rotation of the lock actuator is restricted to rotation between the locking position and the unlocking position, and wherein a first stop prevents rotation of the lock actuator beyond the locking position when being rotated from the unlocking position to the locking position, and a second stop prevents rotation of the lock actuator beyond the unlocking position when being rotated from the locking position to the unlocking position.

19. The lid of claim 1 , further including first and second retainer portions, the first retainer portion being positioned and configured to apply a first retention force to the lock actuator to retain the lock actuator in the locking position until a larger force is applied to the lock actuator to move the lock actuator toward the unlocking position, and the second retainer portion being positioned and configured to apply a second retention force to the lock actuator to retain the lock actuator in the unlocking position until a larger force is applied to the lock actuator to move the lock actuator toward the locking position.

20. The lid of claim 1 , further including a cover rotatably coupled to the body and operative to rotatably transition between a closed position wherein the cover is engaged with the body and an open position wherein the cover is spaced apart from the body, and wherein the drink opening stopper is attached to the cover for movement therewith.

21. The lid of claim 20 , wherein the lock actuator is rotatably attached to the cover.

22. The lid of claim 21 , further including a locking mechanism holding the cover in the closed position and operable to permit transition of the cover from the closed position to the open position.

23. A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:
a body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the body having a drink opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel;
a drink opening stopper operable to transition between a closed position whereat the drink opening stopper is positioned at the drink opening to prevent the passage of fluid from within the drinking vessel through the drink opening, and an opened position whereat the drink opening stopper is positioned away from the drink opening to permit the passage of fluid from within the drinking vessel through the drink opening;
a manually rotatable lock actuator;
a locking member rotatable between a lock position and an unlock position, the lock actuator being engagable with the locking member to provide rotational drive to the locking member to move the locking member from the locked position to the unlock position, whereat the locking member permits t

Assignees

• Pacific Market Int Llc

Inventors

• Sims Randy

Classifications

• B65D43/0229

  only on the inside, or a part turned to the inside, of the mouth of the container (B65D43/0227 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2543/0049

  on the inside, or a part turned to the inside of the mouth of the container · CPC title

• B65D47/32

  with means for venting · CPC title

• B65D55/02

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

• B65D2205/02

  Venting holes · CPC title