Container and withdrawal system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11751706-B2
Application number	US-201916664440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Nov 6, 2018
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A container system having an access portal is disclosed. The container system may contain a selected material for access and withdraw through the portal. The portal may be engaged in any appropriate manner, such as with the application of a vacuum or pouring out.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for containment and delivery of a material to a user, comprising:
a container having a wall and defining an internal volume, wherein the material may be contained within the container;
a mouthpiece held relative to an end of the container, wherein the mouthpiece includes a wall extending from a first end to a second end with a conduit through the mouthpiece from the first end to the second end, wherein the first end of the mouthpiece includes an uppermost surface at a distal end of the first end of the mouthpiece, and the mouthpiece has an uncompressed configuration in which it has a first longitudinal axis and a compressed configuration in which it has a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being offset from the first longitudinal axis;
a straw member in fluid communication with the mouthpiece, the straw member having its own longitudinal axis, the straw member longitudinal axis being offset from both of the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece; and
a lid having an end surface that is substantially smooth and moveable relative to the container at least between an open position and a closed position, wherein the end surface of the lid contacts at least the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece to form a seal between the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece and the end surface of the lid and to move the mouthpiece from its uncompressed configuration to its compressed configuration, and wherein, in the closed position, the end surface of the lid compresses the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece at least one millimeter to form the seal, and the end surface of the lid contacts only the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lid moves the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece toward a side of the container when the lid is in a closed configuration relative to the mouthpiece.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the end surface of the lid is smooth throughout the end surface of the lid.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the end surface is an internal top surface of the lid.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hinge assembly including a hinge member around which the lid is operable to move between the open position and the closed position, the hinge member including a hinge pin that extends through a first hinge bore formed by the lid and a second hinge bore fixed relative to the container.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the lid is in the closed position, the lid compresses the mouthpiece into a compressed configuration relative to a base, the compressed configuration being about 2% to about 10% smaller than an uncompressed configuration in which the mouthpiece is disposed when the lid is in the open position.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the compressed configuration is smaller than the uncompressed configuration along a height dimension of the mouthpiece.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece is formed of a compressible compliant material.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base portion that is removably coupled to the container, wherein the lid is hingedly connected to the base portion and moves from the open position to the closed position relative to the base portion.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the base portion includes a first member configured to directly engage the container and a second member configured to engage the first member.

11. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a hinge assembly comprising:
a lid hinge bore;
a base hinge bore;
a spring configured to bias the lid relative to the base portion; and
a hinge pin positioned within the lid hinge bore and the base hinge bore, wherein the spring is a coil spring coiled around the hinge pin.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter member configured to be held within the straw member.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a filter boss fixed within the straw member, wherein the straw member is a single member.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lid is held in at least a first position relative to the container by at least one of a spring member or a contact of the lid with a projection relative to the container.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vent passage having a bore extending to an interior of the container; and
a sealing member within the lid that is movable relative to the vent passage.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the straw member is a single piece straw member, and the system further comprising:
a projection extending from an exterior surface of the single piece straw member; and
a base member removably connectable to the container and defining a slot, wherein the projection engages the slot to hold the single piece straw member relative to the base member.

17. A system for containment and delivery of a material to a user, comprising:
a container having an outer wall and defining an internal volume, wherein the material may be contained within the container in the internal volume;
an internal withdrawal system positioned within the internal volume and extending between a first end of the container and a second end of the container, the internal withdrawal system includes a tube, the tube has a longitudinal axis;
a closure system having a base and a lid hingedly connected to the base, wherein the lid is moveable from an open position to a closed position and the lid has an internal end surface; and
a mouthpiece held within the closure system, the mouthpiece including a wall that extends from a first end at the base to a second end, the wall forming a conduit through the mouthpiece from the first end to the second end, and the first end of the mouthpiece including an uppermost surface at a distal end of the first end of the mouthpiece, the mouthpiece has an uncompressed configuration in which it has a first longitudinal axis and a compressed configuration in which it has a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being offset from the first longitudinal axis, each of the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis being offset from the tube longitudinal axis,
wherein the internal end surface within the lid is substantially smooth and formed as one piece over an extent that contacts the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece, and
wherein the internal end surface moves the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece toward the outer wall of the container when the lid moves from the open position to the closed position thereby forming a seal between the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece and the internal end surface of the lid and moving the mouthpiece from its uncompressed configuration to its compressed configuration, and the end surface of the lid contacts only the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein:
tube has a first portion with a first cross-sectional dimension and a second section with a second cross-sectional dimension, wherein the first cross-sectional dimension is greater than the second cross-sectional dimension.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising a filter holding member that is welded within the tube.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the mouthpiece is formed of a compressible material, and the internal end surface of the lid compresses the uppermost surface of the mouthpiece at least one millimeter when the lid is in the closed position.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the mouthpiece re

Assignees

• Brita Lp

Inventors

• Nishijima Rick T
• Bell Russell E

Classifications

• A47G19/2272 Primary

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

• A47G21/185

  Mouthpieces · CPC title

• A47G21/188

  with filters to remove impurities · CPC title

• B65D47/0871

  and elastically biased towards the open position only · CPC title

• B65D23/108

  Bail handles, i.e. pivoted handles of generally semi-circular or loop shape · CPC title