Lid for a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902533-B2
Application number	US-201514645201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A lid may include a lower portion and an upper portion that is pivotally attached to the lower portion. The lid may also include a locking member coupled to a bottom surface of the upper portion of the lid. The locking member may be slidable between a locked and an unlocked position. When the locking member is in the locked position, the upper portion of the lid may be pivotally coupled to the lower portion of the lid and movable between an open position that allows the one or more fluids to be poured from the container and a closed position that prevents the one or more fluids from being poured from the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lid sized and configured to be attached to a container, the container sized and configured to be filled with one or more fluids, the lid comprising:
a lower portion, the lid being sized and configured to be attached to a container at the lower portion;
an aperture in the lower portion of the lid sized and configured to provide fluid communication with an attached container;
an upper portion of the lid coupled to the lower portion of the lid, the upper portion movable between an open position to allow one or more fluids to exit the attached container through the aperture and a closed position to prevent the one or more fluids from exiting the attached container through the aperture; and
a locking member coupled to the upper portion of the lid, the locking member slidable between a locked and an unlocked position, one or more receiving portions of the locking member being aligned with one or more receiving portions of the upper portion of the lid when the locking member is in the unlocked position, and the one or more receiving portions of the locking member being not aligned with the one or more receiving portions of the upper portion of the lid when the locking member is in the locked position;
wherein when the upper portion of the lid is coupled to the lower portion of the lid, the locking member is in the locked position; and
wherein when the locking member is in the unlocked position, the upper portion of the lid is not coupled to the lower portion of the lid.

2. The lid as in claim 1 , further comprising a flexible member coupled to the locking member and contacting the lower portion of the lid, the flexible member biasing the upper portion of the lid into the closed position.

3. The lid as in claim 2 , wherein a first portion of the flexible member is disposed in a receiving portion in the lower portion of the lid; and
wherein when the locking member slides between the locked and the unlocked position, the first portion of the flexible member moves within the receiving portion in the lower portion of the lid.

4. The lid as in claim 2 , wherein a first portion of the flexible member is disposed in a receiving portion in the lower portion of the lid;
wherein a second portion of the flexible member is disposed in a receiving portion in the locking member; and
wherein the flexible member is disposed between the locking member and the lower portion of the lid.

5. The lid as in claim 1 , wherein the locking member is slidably connected to a bottom surface of the upper portion of the lid.

6. The lid as in claim 1 , further comprising a gripping portion of the locking member that facilitates movement of the locking member between the locked and unlocked positions; and a sidewall that extends around a perimeter of the lower portion of the lid and an opening in the sidewall beneath the gripping portion of the locking member where a digit of a user may be inserted to move the locking member between the locked and the unlocked positions.

7. The lid as in claim 1 , wherein when the locking member is in the locked position and the upper and lower portions of the lid are coupled:
one or more engaging portions of the lower portion of the lid are disposed in the one or more receiving portions of the upper portion of the lid and in the one or more receiving portions of the locking member; and
one or more flanges of the locking member abut the one or more engaging portions to lock the one or more engaging portions into the one or more receiving portions.

8. The lid as in claim 7 , wherein each of the one or more engaging portions forms a pivot point around which the upper portion of the lid pivots between the closed and the open positions.

9. A lid sized and configured to be attached to a container, the container sized and configured to be filled with a fluid, the lid comprising:
a front;
a rear positioned opposite the front;
sides between the front and the rear;
a lower portion;
a spout at least partially disposed in the lower portion proximate the front;
an upper portion; and
a locking member selectively coupling the upper and lower portions of the lid, the locking member slidable between a locked and an unlocked position, at least a portion of the locking member disposed proximate the rear of the lid in the locked position;
wherein when the upper and lower portions of the lid are coupled, the locking member is in the locked position, and the upper portion is movable about an axis between a closed position in which the upper portion covers the spout and an open position in which the upper portion does not cover the spout, the axis extending towards the sides; and
wherein the locking member slides along a path extending forward and backward relative to the lid between the locked and unlocked positions.

10. The lid as in claim 9 , further comprising a flexible member disposed between the upper portion of the lid and the lower portion of the lid, the flexible member biasing the upper portion of the lid into the closed position.

11. The lid as in claim 10 , wherein the flexible member is coupled to the locking member in a fixed position and the flexible member is slidable within a receiving portion in the lower portion of the lid.

12. The lid as in claim 10 , wherein the receiving portion in the lower portion of the lid comprises a guide, and a first portion of the flexible member is disposed in the guide in the lower portion of the lid;
wherein a second portion of the flexible member is connected to the locking member; and
wherein when the locking member slides between the locked and the unlocked position, the flexible member moves within the guide.

13. The lid as in claim 9 , wherein the locking member is slidably connected to the upper portion of the lid;
wherein one or more receiving portions of the locking member are aligned with one or more receiving portions of the upper portion of the lid when the locking member is in the unlocked position; and
wherein the one or more receiving portions of the locking member are not aligned with the one or more receiving portions of the upper portion of the lid when the locking member is in the locked position.

14. The lid as in claim 9 , further comprising a sidewall that extends along a perimeter of the lower portion, and an aperture between the upper and lower portions of the lid where a digit of a user may be inserted to move the locking member between the locked and the unlocked positions.

15. The lid as in claim 14 , wherein the locking member includes a gripping portion extending into the aperture.

16. The lid as in claim 9 , further comprising a first support wall and a second support wall extending upwardly from a central wall of the lower portion of the lid; and
further comprising a first engaging portion disposed on an inner surface of the first support wall and a second engaging portion disposed on an inner surface of the second support wall, the locking member and the upper portion of the lid pivotally coupled to the first and second engaging portions when the locking member is in the locked position.

17. The lid as in claim 16 , wherein the locking member locks the first engaging portion in a first receiving portion of the locking member and a first receiving portion of the upper portion of the lid; and
wherein the locking member locks the second engaging portion in a second receiving portion of the locking member and a second receiving portion of the upper portion of the lid.

18. A lid sized and configured to be attached to a container, the container sized and c

Assignees

• Runway Blue Llc

Inventors

• Meyers David O
• Sorensen Steven M

Classifications

• B65D47/0866 Primary

  and elastically biased towards the closed position only · CPC title

• B65D45/025

  Closure members opened by lever action and maintained closed by spring action (B65D45/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2251/1075

  Levers · CPC title

• B67B1/00 Primary

  Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying stoppers (stoppers per se B65D39/00) · CPC title