Beverage container closure with venting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11155389-B2
Application number	US-201916431263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2019
Priority date	Dec 5, 2011
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A beverage container closure or lid adapted for closing an open end of a beverage container. The lid is 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 opened by pressing a button disposed on a side of the beverage container closure. The stopper is subsequently automatically closed when the button is released. Thus, the 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. The beverage container closure includes an actuating lever configured to press the button when a user applies a force to the lever. By utilizing the mechanical advantage provided by the lever, a user is able to selectively open and close the stopper using a relatively low amount of force.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drinking container for use by a user, comprising:
a drinking container body having a container cavity with an open upper end, the container boding having a generally longitudinal axis;
a removable drinking container body lid covering the upper end of the container cavity, the lid having a drink aperture and a vent aperture;
a trigger assembly controlling fluid communication between the container cavity and the drink aperture and vent aperture, the trigger assembly having a button member movable by the user in a direction transverse to the container body longitudinal axis to actuate opening of the drink aperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity and the drink aperture and to actuate opening of the vent aperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity and the vent aperture;
a lever rotatably coupled to the lid, in a first lever position the lever is in engagement with the button member and is inwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the button member to move the button member sufficient to actuate opening of the drink aperture and the vent aperture; and
a stopper movably coupled to the lid and configured for upward displacement into a closed position whereat the stopper closes the drink aperture to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position whereat the stopper opens the drink aperture to allow fluid passage through the drink aperture, the stopper having a stopper engagement portion comprising one of a cam surface and a cam follower, and the trigger assembly having an actuating member engagement portion comprising the other of the cam surface and the cam follower, the actuating member engagement portion being positioned to slidably engage the stopper engagement portion during inward movement of the button member to cause the actuating member engagement portion to move the stopper engagement portion downward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and being positioned such that during outward movement of the button member the actuating member engagement portion permits the stopper engagement portion to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position.

2. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the lever is outwardly rotatably movable from the first lever position to a second lever position whereat the lever is out of engagement with the button member.

3. The drink container of claim 2 , wherein in the second lever position the lever extends transverse to the container body longitudinal axis.

4. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the lever is outwardly rotatably movable from the first lever position to a second lever position whereat the lever is out of engagement with the button member and positioned to permit the button member to be moved inward by the hand of the user.

5. The drink container of claim 1 , further including a vent aperture seal movable between a first seal position and a second seal position, in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture and in the second seal position the vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity and the vent aperture, the trigger assembly has an actuator member operatively connected to the vent aperture seal, the button member being operatively connected to the actuator member with inward movement of the button member causing the actuator member to move inward and move the vent aperture seal from the first seal position to the second seal position.

6. The drink container of claim 1 , further including a vent aperture seal movable between a first seal position and a second seal position, in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture and in the second seal position the vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity and the vent aperture, the trigger assembly being operatively connected to the vent aperture seal to move the vent aperture seal from the first seal position to the second seal position in response to inward movement of the button member.

7. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the lid has a downwardly opening hollow interior body region and the stopper is at least partially positioned within the hollow interior body region, the stopper having a stopper base portion and a stopper sealing portion extending upward from the stopper base portion, the stopper sealing portion has an upper end portion with a seal positioned to close the drink aperture when the stopper is in the closed position and to open the drink aperture when the stopper is in the opened position.

8. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the stopper engagement portion is a first engagement portion of the stopper and the stopper further includes a second engagement portion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower, and the actuating member engagement portion is a first engagement portion of the trigger assembly and the trigger assembly further includes a second engagement portion comprising one of a cam and a cam follower, the first engagement portion of the trigger assembly 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 button member to cause the first engagement portion of the trigger assembly 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 trigger assembly 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 button member to cause the second engagement portion of the trigger assembly to move the second engagement portion of the stopper downward and thereby move the stopper sealing portion toward the opened position.

9. The drink container of claim 8 , wherein the first and second engagement portions of the trigger assembly being positioned such that during outward movement of the button member the first and second engagement portions of the trigger assembly permit the first and second engagement portions of the stopper to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position.

10. The drink container of claim 8 , wherein the first and second engagement portions of the stopper are laterally spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of the container body longitudinal axis, and the first and second engagement portions of the trigger assembly are laterally spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of the container body longitudinal axis.

11. The drink container of claim 8 , further including a vent aperture seal movable between a first seal position and a second seal position, in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closes the vent aperture and in the second seal position the vent aperture seal opens the vent aperture to allow fluid communication between the container cavity and the vent aperture, the trigger assembly has an actuator member operatively connected to the vent aperture seal, the button member being operatively connected to the actuator member with inward movement of the button member causing the actuator member to move inward and move the vent aperture seal from the first seal position to the second seal position.

12. The drink container of claim 8 , further including a vent aperture seal movable between a first seal position and a second seal position, in the first seal position the vent aperture seal closes

Assignees

• Pacific Market Int Llc

Inventors

• George Sarah Danger

Classifications

• A47G19/2272 Primary

  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

• B65D39/0052

  made in more than one piece (B65D39/02, B65D39/04, B65D39/06, B65D39/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65D43/267 Primary

  consisting of levers pivoting radially to container axis · CPC title

• B65D2251/0012

  of the 39-type · CPC title