Beverage container closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016264308-A1
Application number	US-201615162331-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	Nov 15, 2010
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

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 drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:
a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an upper portion having an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel and a main body sidewall extending downward and defining a hollow interior body region below the upper portion of the main body; a stopper movably coupled to the main body and positioned at least partially within the hollow interior body region, the stopper having a stopper sealing portion and a fluid flow barrier portion spanning across the hollow interior body region with a barrier portion outer edge located adjacent to the main body sidewall, the stopper being configured for upward displacement into a closed position whereat the stopper sealing portion sealingly engages the upper portion of the main body at the opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position whereat the stopper sealing portion is spaced apart from the opening to allow fluid passage through the opening, the barrier portion outer edge being spaced inward of the main body sidewall to form a perimeter fluid flow pathway located outward of the barrier portion outer edge and adjacent to the main body sidewall during the entire travel of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position, the stopper having a cam follower; and an actuating member movably coupled to the main body, the actuating member being inwardly movable and having a cam surface, the cam follower of the stopper being positioned to be engaged by the cam of the actuating member during inward movement of the actuating member to cause the cam to move the cam follower downward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and being positioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member the cam permits the cam follower to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position.

2 . The lid of claim 1 , wherein the actuating member is outwardly movable, the cam follower of the stopper is positioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member the cam permits the cam follower to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position.

3 . The lid of claim 1 , wherein when the stopper is in the closed position the stopper sealing portion engages the upper portion of the main body and covers the opening to seal the opening, and when the stopper is in the opened position the stopper sealing portion is spaced away from the upper portion of the main body and uncovers the opening to unseal the opening.

4 . The lid of claim 1 , wherein the barrier portion outer edge is immediately adjacent to the main body sidewall.

5 . The lid of claim 1 , wherein the stopper further includes a downwardly extending perimeter sidewall along an outer perimeter of the barrier portion.

6 . The lid of claim 5 , wherein the stopper further includes at least one spacer portion spacing the perimeter sidewall apart from the main body sidewall.

7 . The lid of claim 6 , wherein the at least one spacer portion slidably engages the main body sidewall as the stopper moves between the opened position and the closed position to maintain the perimeter fluid flow pathway open during the entire travel of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position.

8 . The lid of claim 5 , further including a plurality of spacers positioned to maintain the perimeter sidewall spaced apart from the main body sidewall as the stopper moves between the opened position and the closed position to maintain the perimeter fluid flow pathway open during the entire travel of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position.

9 . The lid of claim 8 , wherein the spacers slidably engage one of the main body sidewall and the perimeter sidewall as the stopper moves between the opened position and the closed position.

10 . The lid of claim 1 , wherein the stopper further includes at least one spacer portion positioned to limit movement of the stopper toward the main body sidewall and thereby maintain the perimeter fluid flow pathway during the entire travel of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position.

11 . The lid of claim 5 , wherein the perimeter sidewall is positioned at least partially within the hollow interior body region and spaced apart from the main body sidewall along at least a portion of the perimeter sidewall during the entire travel of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position to maintain the perimeter fluid flow pathway open as the stopper travels between the opened position and the closed position

12 . The lid of claim 1 , wherein the stopper further includes a stopper sealing portion support extending upward from the barrier portion with the stopper sealing portion positioned thereon to position the stopper sealing portion above the cam follower during the entire travel of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position and to align the stopper sealing portion with the opening when the stopper is in the closed position, the stopper sealing portion support being laterally offset from a central axis of the main body.

13 . The lid of claim 12 , wherein the stopper sealing portion support is located immediately adjacent to the main body sidewall.

14 . The lid of claim 1 , wherein the stopper has an upwardly extending central passageway extending fully through the stopper, and the lid further includes an upwardly extending member extending through the central passageway and along which the stopper moves during movement of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position.

15 . The lid of claim 14 , wherein the stopper is slidable along the upwardly extending member during movement of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position.

16 . The lid of claim 1 , wherein the stopper has an upwardly extending central passageway extending fully through the stopper, and an upwardly extending retainer member extending through the central passageway to secure the stopper to the main body during movement of the stopper between the opened position and the closed position.

17 . The lid of claim 16 , wherein the retaining member is releasably attached to the main body.

18 . The lid of clam 16 , wherein the retaining member is releasably attached to the upper portion of the main body.

19 . The lid of claim 16 , wherein the retaining member is disconnectable from the main body, and when the retaining member is disconnected from the main body, the stopper is fully removable from the hollow interior body region and disconnectable from the main body.

Assignees

• Pacific Market Int Llc

Inventors

• Gilbert Tyler Sean
• Sims Randy

Classifications

• B65D2543/00046

  Drinking-through lids · CPC title

• B65D51/18

  Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures {(B65D51/247 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65D2251/009

  of the 51-type · CPC title

• B65D2251/0018

  of the 43-type · CPC title

• B65D2251/0081

  of the 43-type · CPC title