Non-spill drinking container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9241588-B2
Application number	US-201414514186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 16, 2013
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A non-spill container assembly having a container, a collar and an annular seal from which drinking can occur at any location around a rim of the container assembly. The collar has an internal frustoconical shape wall with a circular upper end that extends downward and inwardly into a closed lower end. The closed lower end has a projection that extends outward from its center. The collar includes a support surface arranged along an inner surface of an upper edge of the circular upper end and a fastener assembly disposed adjacent to a bottom of the collar provided to securely fasten to a container. A plurality of passages are radially disposed around the projection in the internal frustoconical shape wall to channel a fluid. A plurality of radial protrusions disposed radially adjacent to the support surface defining various channels along the support surface. An annular seal is constructed in a form of a frustoconical disc substantially similar to a shape of internal frustoconical shape wall, the annular seal having a blind bore recess on a lower surface at its center for receiving and securing onto the projection.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A non-spill collar and valve assembly, comprising:
a collar comprising:
a fastener assembly disposed adjacent to a bottom end of the collar provided to securely fasten to a container; and
an internal frustoconical wall with an open circular upper end that extends downward and inwardly into a closed lower end, the closed lower end having a projection extending outward from a center of the collar, the internal frustoconical wall further comprising:
a support surface arranged along an inner surface of the open circular upper end;
a plurality of passages disposed in the internal frustoconical wall to channel a fluid; and
a plurality of protrusions disposed radially adjacent to the support surface defining various channels; and

an annular seal having a first frustoconical surface substantially similar to a shape of the internal frustoconical wall, the annular seal having a blind bore recess on a lower surface at the center for receiving and securing onto the projection.

2. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the bottom end of the collar is adapted to receive a gasket between the collar and the container.

3. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the annular seal includes a one or more air valves adapted to allow the transfer of air into the container.

4. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the annular seal is biased to seal a peripheral edge against the support surface such that the channels are covered by the annular seal.

5. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 4 , wherein when the peripheral edge of the annular seal is lifted off of the support surface in response to a suction force generated by a mouth of a user, at least one of the channels is partially exposed to form a fluid communication pathway between an interior of the peripheral edge and the support surface of the collar thereby allowing a fluid to flow through the channels into the mouth of the user.

6. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the internal frustoconical wall further comprising:
the closed lower wall expanding radially outward from a base of the projection to a first concentric edge;
an intermediate wall extending radially outward and away from the first concentric edge of the closed lower wall at a predetermined angle towards a second concentric edge at an upper end of the intermediate wall; and
a second radial ledge expanding radially outward from the upper end of the intermediate wall to the open circular upper end of the collar.

7. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of passages are disposed in the closed lower wall of the internal frustoconical shape wall.

8. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of passages are disposed in the intermediate wall of the internal frustoconical shape wall.

9. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of passages are disposed in the second radial ledge of the internal frustoconical shape wall.

10. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein an upper edge of the projection extends radially outward beyond a lower portion of an outer surface of a shaft of the projection to define a concentric shoulder.

11. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 10 , wherein the annular seal comprises a concentric flange extending inwardly from a concentric edge of the blind bore recess, the concentric flange receiving and securing the concentric shoulder of the projection.

12. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the annular seal further comprises a raised portion on an upper surface and at the center having a radially outward extending flange to facilitate removing the annular seal from the collar.

13. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions project outward and adjacent to the support surface of the collar.

14. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions project away from a lower surface of the peripheral edge of the annular seal toward, and adjacent to, the support surface of the collar.

15. A non-spill collar and valve assembly, comprising:
a collar comprising:
a fastener assembly disposed adjacent to a bottom of the collar provided to securely fasten to a container; and
an internal frustum shaped wall with an upper open end that extends downward and inward into a closed lower end, the internal frustum shaped wall further comprising:
a projection extending outward and away from the closed lower end;
a support surface arranged along an inner surface adjacent to the upper open end; and
at least one aperture disposed in the internal frustum shaped wall to channel a fluid; and

an annual seal having a first surface constructed in a form of a frustum substantially similar to a shape of the internal frustum shaped wall of the collar, the annular seal having an interconnecting portion on a lower surface to be received and secured onto the projection.

16. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 15 , further comprising a plurality of protrusions disposed radially adjacent to the support surface defining various channels that are closed by a sealing connection between a peripheral edge of the annual seal and the support surface.

17. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 16 , wherein when the peripheral edge of the annual seal is lifted off of the support surface in response to a suction force generated by a mouth of a user, at least one of the channels is partially exposed to form a fluid communication pathway from: an interior of the container; across the at least one aperture in the internal frustum shaped wall; through a cavity defined between the collar and the annular seal; and through the channel to allow a fluid to flow into the mouth of the user.

18. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 15 , wherein the internal frustum shaped wall comprises:
the closed lower end from which the projection extends upward;
an intermediate wall extending from a periphery of the closed lower end outward and away at a predetermined angle towards an upper end of the intermediate wall; and
a second radial ledge extending outward from the upper end of the intermediate wall to the upper open end of the collar.

19. The non-spill collar and valve assembly recited in claim 15 , wherein an upper edge of the projection extends radially outward to define a concentric shoulder, and wherein the interconnecting portion of the annular seal comprises a recess having a concentric flange extending inwardly from an outermost concentric edge of recess, the concentric flange receiving and securing the concentric shoulder of the projection.

20. A non-spill container assembly, comprising:
a container;
a collar comprising:
a fastener assembly disposed adjacent to a bottom of the collar provided to securely fasten to the container; and
an internal frustoconical shape wall with an open first end that extends downward and inward into a closed second end, the internal frustoconical shape wall further comprising:
a projection extending outward and away from the closed second end;
a support surface arranged along an inner surface adjacent to the open first end; and
at least one aperture disposed in the internal frustoc

Assignees

• Munchkin Inc

Inventors

• Dunn Steven Bryan
• Hatherill Mark A
• Johnson Kevin Douglas
• Saxton Matthew Joseph

Classifications

• A47G19/2272 Primary

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