Beverage container closure with venting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11623797-B2
Application number	US-202117357758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2021
Priority date	Dec 5, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2023
Grant date	Apr 11, 2023

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 lid for use with a drinking container containing a liquid and operable by a hand of a user, comprising:
a lid body couplable to the drinking container and having a drink aperture;
a trigger assembly controlling fluid flow through the drink aperture, the trigger assembly having a button member movable inward by the user to actuate opening of the drink aperture;
a lever rotatably coupled to the lid body and having a lever exterior portion exterior to the lid body, in a first lever position the lever exterior portion 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 lever exterior portion is outwardly rotatably movable from the first lever position to a second lever position whereat the lever exterior portion is out of engagement with the button member.

2. The lid of claim 1 , wherein in the second lever position the lever exterior portion extends transverse to the container body longitudinal axis.

3. The lid of claim 1 , wherein the lever exterior portion is outwardly rotatably movable from the first lever position to the second lever position whereat the lever exterior portion is positioned to permit the button member to be moved inward by the hand of the user.

4. The lid of claim 1 , further including a stopper movably coupled to the lid body and configured for upward displacement into a closed position whereat the stopper closes the drink aperture, and downward displacement into an opened position whereat the stopper opens 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.

5. The lid of claim 4 , wherein the lid body further includes a vent aperture, the trigger assembly further controls fluid flow through the vent aperture and opening of the vent aperture, in the first lever position the lever exterior portion is inwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the button member to move the button member sufficient to actuate opening of the vent aperture, and the lid further includes 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, 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 lid of claim 4 , wherein the lid body further includes a vent aperture, the trigger assembly further controls fluid flow through the vent aperture and opening of the vent aperture, in the first lever position the lever exterior portion is inwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the button member to move the button member sufficient to actuate opening of the vent aperture, and the lid further includes 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, 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 lid of claim 4 , wherein the lid body 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 lid of claim 1 , further including a stopper movably coupled to the lid body and configured for upward displacement into a closed position whereat the stopper closes the drink aperture, and downward displacement into an opened position whereat the stopper opens the drink aperture, 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, and the trigger assembly 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 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 lid 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 lid 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 lid of claim 8 , wherein the lid body further includes a vent aperture, the trigger assembly further controls fluid flow through the vent aperture and opening of the vent aperture, in the first lever position the lever exterior portion is inwardly moveable therefrom to apply an inward force on the button member to move the button member sufficient to actuate opening of the vent aperture, and the lid further includes 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 th

Assignees

• Pacific Market Int Llc

Inventors

• George Sarah Danger

Classifications

• A47G19/2272 Primary

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

• B65D43/02

  Removable lids or covers (with means for piercing, cutting, or tearing a frangible inner closure B65D51/22) · CPC title

• B65D2251/0081

  of the 43-type · 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

• B65D41/28

  Caps combined with stoppers · CPC title