Beverage container closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11124337-B2
Application number	US-201916552868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2019
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

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 beverage container, comprising:
a lid housing configured for removable attachment to the beverage container, the lid housing having a main body with an upper portion and a sidewall portion extending downward from the upper portion, the upper portion being stationary relative to the sidewall portion, the upper portion and the sidewall portion defining a downwardly open interior lid cavity extending downward from the upper portion and having an open lower end, the upper portion having a top rim wall portion extending thereabout and defining a drink well, the upper portion including a drink opening positioned within the drink well;
a drink seal support member connected to the lid housing and having a drink seal positioned at least partially within the lid cavity and below the upper portion, the drink seal being movable between a closed position closing the drink opening and an opened position opening the drink opening;
a trigger connected to the lid housing and operable to move the drink seal support member to move the drink seal from the closed position to the opened position, movement of the trigger in an actuation direction resulting in the drink seal support member moving the drink seal downward away from the upper portion to position the drink seal in the opened position; and
a lock connected to the lid housing, the lock being movable to a first position in which the lock prevents the trigger operably engaging the drink seal support member to move the drink seal from the closed position closing the drink opening to the opened position opening the drink opening.

2. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the top rim wall portion is shaped for contact with a user's lips.

3. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock is movable to a second position in which the lock does not prevent the trigger operably engaging the drink seal support member.

4. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the drink seal is movable from the closed position to the opened position by operation of the trigger without movement of the lid housing.

5. The lid of claim 4 , wherein the drink seal is movable from the opened position to the closed position without movement of the lid housing.

6. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the trigger includes a return member, which moves the drink seal upward toward the upper portion from the opened position to the closed position.

7. The lid of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the upper portion extending about the drink opening defines a drink opening seat for the drink seal and the drink seal when in the closed position seals the drink opening at the drink opening seat.

8. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion further includes an air vent, and when the lock is in the first position, the lock is positioned over at least a portion of the air vent and when the lock is in the second position, the lock is not positioned over the air vent.

9. The lid of claim 1 , further including an air vent separate from the drink opening and a vent seal, the trigger being operable to move the vent seal from a closed position closing the vent to an opened position opening the vent.

10. The lid of claim 9 , wherein when the lock is in the first position, the lock prevents the trigger operably engaging the vent seal to move the vent seal from the closed position to the opened position.

11. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock is pivotally connected to the lid housing.

12. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock is rotatably attached to the upper portion at a location atop the upper portion for rotation about a longitudinal axis of the lid housing.

13. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock is rotatably attached to the lid housing.

14. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lock has at least a top portion extending from a top of the lid housing.

15. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lid further includes a vent aperture located in a top surface of the upper portion.

16. The lid of claim 1 , wherein one of the lid housing and the lock has a detent, and the other of the lid housing and the lock has a protrusion, the detent and protrusion providing a snap-fit to maintain the lock in the first position until a user switches the lock to the second position.

17. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the trigger is connected to the sidewall portion.

18. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the trigger extends into the lid cavity through an aperture in the sidewall portion.

19. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the actuation direction of the trigger is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the lid housing when the trigger is operated to move the drink seal from the closed position to the opened position.

20. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the drink seal has non-rotational movement when moving between the closed position and the opened position.

21. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the drink seal moves between the closed position and the opened position along a linear path of travel.

22. The lid of claim 21 , where the linear path of travel is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the lid housing.

23. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the drink seal is further moveable to a cleaning position whereat the drink seal is moved away from an underside surface portion of the upper portion through which the drink opening extends such that the drink opening is open for cleaning the lid.

24. The lid of claim 1 , wherein laterally inward movement of the trigger moves the drink seal from the closed position to the opened position.

25. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the drink seal support member is connected to the sidewall portion.

26. The lid of claim 1 , further including a retainer member releasably retaining the drink seal support member in a use position for movement of the drink seal from the closed position to the opened position in response to movement of the trigger in the actuation direction, the retainer member being operable to release the drink seal support member to permit movement of the drink seal support member to a cleaning position whereat the drink seal is moved away from an underside surface portion of the upper portion through which the drink opening extends such that the drink opening is open for cleaning the lid.

Assignees

• Pacific Market Int Llc

Inventors

• Gilbert Tyler Sean
• Sims Randy

Classifications

• B65D47/249 Primary

  by means of a lever mechanism · CPC title

• A47G19/2272

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

• A47J41/0022

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

• B65D47/266

  the rotational movement being transmitted by displacement of an additional external element, e.g. overcap (B65D47/265 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2251/009

  of the 51-type · CPC title