Cap assembly for drink containers with a sliding switch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11834233-B2
Application number	US-202016919106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2020
Priority date	Jul 2, 2020
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

Drink containers include a liquid container and a cap assembly removably coupled to the liquid container. Cap assemblies include a switch, a trigger and seal bar. Upon actuating the trigger the seal bar slides back to form a drink outlet opening in the cap assembly. To hold the seal bar in an open state without additional external force from the user, the switch is slid from an unlocked position to a locked positon, thereby keeping the drink outlet and a vent formed in the cap assembly open in order to cool down a warm beverage in the liquid container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cap assembly, comprising:
a seal bar extending along a top surface of the cap assembly and configured to translate between a forward position, in which the seal bar blocks a drink outlet on a proximal end of the cap assembly, and a back position, in which the seal bar exposes the drink outlet;
a trigger coupled to the seal bar on a rear end of the cap assembly opposite to the proximal end of the cap assembly, the trigger being configured to transition between a rest position and an actuated position based upon application of a force to the trigger to thereby translate the seal bar between the forward position and the back position; and
a switch on the rear end of the cap assembly, the switch being positioned on an outer surface of the trigger, the switch configured to slide between a locked position and an unlocked position,
wherein the seal bar is maintained in the back position to expose the drink outlet upon transitioning the trigger to the actuated position and subsequently sliding the switch in the locked position,
wherein the seal bar comprises a bottom portion and a top portion, the top portion comprises a closed structure, and the bottom portion comprises a hollow cavity formed therein, the hollow cavity being formed between the top portion of the seal bar and the top surface of the cap assembly, and
wherein the top portion of the seal bar is in contact with a drink spout upon the seal bar translating to the forward position.

2. The cap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal bar is prevented from translating from the back position to the forward position upon the switch being slid into the locked position subsequent to transitioning of the trigger in the actuated position.

3. The cap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal bar is configured to translate to the forward position upon the trigger being in the rest position and the switch in the unlocked position.

4. The cap assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a vent positioned beneath a vent seal, the vent seal being configured to:
open the vent upon transitioning the trigger in the actuated position, and
close the vent upon transitioning the trigger in the rest position,

wherein the vent is maintained open upon the subsequent sliding of the switch in the locked position after transitioning of the trigger is in the actuated position.

5. The cap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the switch comprises indentations for engagement by a user, the indentations are on the rear end of the cap assembly.

6. The cap assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more status indicators on the rear end of the cap assembly and adjacent to the switch, the one or more status indicators corresponding to whether the switch is in the locked position or the unlocked position.

7. The cap assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the trigger comprises a top portion and a bottom portion,
the switch being positioned between the top and bottom portions of the trigger, the bottom portion of the trigger being configured to transition towards the proximal end of the cap assembly and away from the top portion of the trigger in the actuated position.

8. The cap assembly of claim 1 , wherein the seal bar comprises a pair of seal bar tines configured to engage the drink outlet upon the seal bar translating in the forward position, the pair of seal bar tines corresponding to projections that are spaced apart from each other.

9. The cap assembly of claim 8 , wherein the pair of seal bar tines are configured to extend towards the proximal end of the cap assembly and away from the switch and the trigger upon the pair of seal bar tines engaging the drink outlet.

10. The cap assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a handle extending away from the proximal end of the cap assembly, the handle forming an opening between the switch and a proximal portion of the handle.

11. A cap assembly, comprising:
a seal bar extending along a top surface of the cap assembly and configured to translate between a forward position, in which the seal bar blocks a drink outlet on a proximal end of the cap assembly, and a back position, in which the seal bar exposes the drink outlet;
a trigger coupled to the seal bar on a rear end of the cap assembly opposite to the proximal end of the cap assembly, the trigger being configured to transition between a rest position and an actuated position based upon application of a force to the trigger to thereby translate the seal bar between the forward position and the back position; and
a switch on the rear end of the cap assembly, the switch being positioned on an outer surface of the trigger, the switch configured to slide between a locked position and an unlocked position,
wherein the seal bar is maintained in the back position to expose the drink outlet upon transitioning the trigger to the actuated position and subsequently sliding the switch in the locked position,
wherein the trigger comprises a top portion and a bottom portion, and
wherein the switch is positioned between the top and bottom portions of the trigger, the bottom portion of the trigger being configured to transition towards the proximal end of the cap assembly and away from the top portion of the trigger in the actuated position.

12. The cap assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:
a handle extending away from the proximal end of the cap assembly, the handle forming an opening between the switch and a proximal portion of the handle.

13. The cap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the seal bar is prevented from translating from the back position to the forward position upon the switch being slid into the locked position subsequent to transitioning of the trigger in the actuated position.

14. The cap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the seal bar is configured to translate to the forward position upon the trigger being in the rest position and the switch in the unlocked position.

15. The cap assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:
a vent positioned beneath a vent seal, the vent seal being configured to:
open the vent upon transitioning the trigger in the actuated position, and
close the vent upon transitioning the trigger in the rest position,

wherein the vent is maintained open upon the subsequent sliding of the switch in the locked position after transitioning of the trigger in the actuated position.

16. The cap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the switch comprises indentations for engagement by a user, the indentations are on the rear end of the cap assembly.

17. The cap assembly of claim 11 , further comprising:
one or more status indicators on the rear end of the cap assembly and adjacent to the switch, the one or more status indicators corresponding to whether the switch is in the locked position or the unlocked position.

18. The cap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the switch is configured to transition towards the proximal end of the cap assembly upon the bottom portion of the trigger transitioning towards the proximal end of the cap assembly.

19. The cap assembly of claim 11 , wherein the seal bar comprises a pair of seal bar tines configured to engage the drink outlet upon the seal bar translating in the forward position, the pair of seal bar tines corresponding to projections that are spaced apart from each other.

20. The cap assembly of claim 19 , wherein the pair of seal bar tines are configured to extend towards the proximal end of the cap assembly and away from the switch and the trigger upon the pair of seal bar tines engaging the drink outlet.

Assignees

• Camelbak Products Llc

Inventors

• Luhrs Thomas R
• Vierck Ben

Classifications

• B65D47/286 Primary

  between planar parts · CPC title

• B65D41/0407

  with integral sealing means (B65D41/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D41/0485

  with means specially adapted for facilitating the operation of opening or closing · CPC title

• B65D41/0492

  formed by several elements connected together (B65D41/0478 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D51/1672

  whereby venting occurs by manual actuation of the closure or other element · CPC title