BEVERAGE CONTAINER CLOSURE

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 cover that when closed, creates a fluid-tight seal between the beverage container and the environment. The cover is pivotably connected to the lid. The lid also includes a rotatable handle that may be pivoted by a user from a first position to a second position. When pivoted, the handle is operative to cause the cover to pivotably rotate about a pivot point between an open position wherein a user may access a liquid contained in the beverage container and a closed position wherein the liquid is sealed within the beverage container. Thus, a user may simply rotate the handle of the lid to selectively open and close the cover.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed generally to lids for liquid storage vessels such as for beverage or food containers and more particularly to lids with movable components.

2. Description of the Related Art

Prior art lids are typically of one of three types. The first type is a solid unitary lid that does not include openings or apertures through which the contents of a liquid storage vessel may exit the vessel. To drink from the vessel, a user must remove the lid. The second type, which may also be of a unitary construction, includes one or more unobstructed apertures through which the liquid may exit the vessel. In the second type, the apertures are always open. If the vessel is inadvertently tipped or dropped, the contents of the vessel may spill. The third type of lid includes one or more apertures through which the liquid may exit the vessel and a means for selectively opening and closing the apertures. When using the third type of lid, the user may selectively open the apertures to remove the contents from the vessel and selectively close the apertures to maintain the contents inside the vessel. Further, by closing the apertures, the lid may help insulate the contents from the environment outside the vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lid constructed in accordance with the present invention depicted above a beverage or food container.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1 with its cover arranged in a closed position.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1 taken substantially through line 3-3 of FIG. 2 with the cover arranged in the closed position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1 with the cover arranged in a partially open position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1 taken substantially through line 5-5 of FIG. 4 with the cover arranged in the partially open position.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1 with the cover arranged in a fully open position.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1 taken substantially through line 7-7 of FIG. 6 with the cover arranged in the fully open position.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the lid of FIG. 1 with the cover arranged in the closed position.

FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the lid of FIG. 1 with the cover arranged in a closed position.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A beverage container closure or lid, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, is generally indicated at reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1. The lid 10 has a substantially circular main body 80 that is adapted for closing an open end of a conventional beverage container 12, shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. The beverage container 12 may be any suitable type of container such as the tumbler type (that is, without a handle) for use in automotive beverage receptacles, or for transport in backpacks, book bags, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 10, the lid 10 is selectively couplable to the beverage container 12 by any suitable means such as threads 50 disposed on an outer surface of a circumferential sidewall of a lower, downwardly depending portion 16. The lid 10 also includes a flexible ring seal member 32 positioned adjacent the sidewall of the lower portion 16 and a bottom surface 30 of a circumferential flange 34 of the main body (See FIGS. 2 and 3). The particular configuration for mating the lid 10 to the container 12 is a matter of choice for one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, although threads 50 and the seal member 32 have been shown in this embodiment, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any other means for sealing the lid 10 with respect to the beverage container 12 may be substituted.

The main body 12 also includes a raised front sidewall portion 24 integrally connected to a raised left sidewall 26a and a raised right sidewall 26b. The front sidewall portion 24 includes a curved upper surface having a raised semi-circular lip 22 configured for contact with a user's lips when the entire assembly is tipped toward the user. To further improve the usability of the lid 10, the front sidewall 24 may also include a groove 62 configured to interface with the user's bottom lip when the user is drinking a beverage housed in the container 12. As can be appreciated, an inner surface of the front sidewall 24 including the lip 22, the left and right sidewall 26a and 26b, and a rear portion 28, define a drinking basin 25 for the receipt of a beverage, such as coffee, from the beverage container 12.

Fluid communication between the drinking basin 25 and the interior of the beverage container 12 is provided by way of a selectively openable cover 20. As may best be viewed in the exploded view of FIG. 10, the cover 20 includes left and right upwardly extending tabs or raised portions 44a, 44b each having arcuate slots 42a, 42b, respectively, disposed therein. The cover 20 also includes left and right pivot pins 47a, 47b for coupling with pin receiver portions 52a, 52b disposed on a lower surface of the main body 80 of the lid 10 (see FIG. 9). Further, the cover 20 includes a top surface 49, a bottom surface 48 generally opposite the top surface, and a peripheral edge 64 sized to engage with an opening 66 in a top portion 67 of the main body 80.

As shown in FIGS. 2-7, the cover 20 is pivotably attached to the main body 80 by engagement of the pivot pins 47a, 47b with the pin receiver portions 52a, 52b of the lid 10. The pivot pins 47a, 47b are integrally connected to cover support members 46a, 46b, respectively, (see FIG. 9) which are secured to the bottom surface 48 of the cover 20.

In operation, the cover 20 is configured to pivot between a sealed or closed position, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to a partially open position, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and to a fully open position, shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. As can be appreciated, this feature permits a user to transport the beverage container 12 without spilling its contents when the cover 20 is in the closed position, while allowing the user to access the contents of the container 12 when the cover 20 is in the open position.

To effect movement of the cover 20 between the closed position and the open position, a handle 18 is provided. As may best be seen in FIG. 10, the handle 18 is symmetric and includes a left portion 18a and a right portion 18b. The left portion 18a and right portion 18b include respective cylindrical members 38a, 38b sized to fit in rotatable connection within respective apertures 90a, 90b disposed in the left and right sidewalls 26a, 26b of the main body 80 of the lid 10. The handle 18 also includes inwardly projecting rods 40a, 40b configured for slidable engagement within the arcuate slots 42a, 42b disposed in the raised portions 44a, 44b of the cover 20. As discussed below, the rods 40a, 40b act against the arcuate slots 42a, 42b to translate the pivotal motion of the handle 18 to pivotal motion of the cover 20.

The respective cylindrical members 38a, 38b include respective tabs 39a, 39b that function as a stop to reduce the likelihood that the cylindrical members will pull free of the respective apertures 90a, 90b through which the cylindrical members extend and pivot. That is, the handle 18 is snap fitted into the respective apertures 90a, 90b and the tabs 39a, 39b tend to hold it there during use against a laterally outward force being applied to the left portion 18a or the right portion 18b of the handle 18.

The operation of the lid 10 is now described with reference to FIGS. 2-7. When the cover 20 is in the sealed or closed position, shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the handle 18 is disposed in a substantially horizontal position rotated forward to be near the forward front sidewall 24 of the lid 10. In this configuration, the rods 40a, 40b engage the arcuate slots 42a, 42b, respectively, to lift upward and retain the cover 20 in the closed position. As a user rotates the handle 18 rearward toward a substantially vertical position, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rods 40a, 40b of the handle 18 slide along the arcuate slots 42a, 42b, respectively, thereby urging the cover 20 to pivot in a downward direction about the pivot pins 47a, 47b into the partially open position. Similarly, as the user continues to rotate the handle 18 rearward toward the rear portion 28 of the main body 80, the rods 40a, 40b continue to act against the arcuate slots 42a, 42b, respectively, to further pivot and open the cover 20 to the fully open position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein the user may drink from the container 12. The handle 18 may then be rotated forward to move the cover 20 to the partially open position and then to the closed position. In this regard, a user may simply rotate the handle 18 to selectively open and close the cover 20 of the lid 10.

To provide a fluid-tight seal when the cover 20 is in the closed position, the outer edge 64 of the cover 20 has substantially the same shape of the opening 66 in the main body 80 and is sized to be slightly larger than the opening 66. Further, a cover seal 36 may be secured to lower surface of the main body 80 around the perimeter of the opening 66 to be between the main body and the cover and provide a fluid-tight seal therebetween when the cover 20 is in the closed position.

In order to removably secure the cover 20 in either the open or closed positions, the handle 18 includes locking protrusions or bumps 68a, 68b disposed on inner surfaces of the left portion 18a and right portion 18b, respectively, of the handle. Further, the left sidewall 26a and the right sidewall 26b each include a rear locking recess or dimple 60 on the outward side thereof rearward of the apertures 90a and 90b, and front locking dimple 62. In operation, when a user rotates the handle 18 to the fully open position, the locking bumps 68a, 68b each become seated in the corresponding one of the rear locking dimples 60. Similarly, when a user rotates the handle 18 to the fully closed position, the locking bumps 68a, 68b each become seated in the corresponding one of the front locking dimples 62. As can be appreciated, the size and shapes of the locking dimples 60 and 62 and locking bumps 68a, 68b are configured such that the handle 18 is secured in either the open position or the closed position until a user desires to unseat the locking bumps from the locking dimples by rotating the handle 18 from one of these positions using a sufficient amount of rotational force.

The handle 18, main body 80, and cover 20 may be manufactured by an injection molding process utilizing, for example, a food grade thermoplastic material. Further, the cover seal 36 and the lid seal 32 may be manufactured from, for example, a food grade silicon rubber. It will be appreciated that other materials and processes may be used for these components without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The foregoing described embodiments depict different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising: a body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including a top portion having an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel;a cover pivotably coupled to the body, the cover operative to pivot between an open position wherein the cover is disposed in a downward-directed position and a closed position wherein the cover is engaged with the top portion to prevent the liquid from exiting the drinking vessel; anda handle pivotably coupled to the main body and operatively coupled to the cover such that selective rotation of the handle causes pivotal rotation of the cover between the open position and the closed position.

2. The lid of claim 1, wherein the body includes a lower portion configured for removable engagement with the drinking vessel.

3. The lid of claim 1, further comprising: a cover seal disposed around a perimeter of the opening of the body, wherein the cover seal is operative to provide a fluid-tight seal between the body and the cover when the cover is in the closed position.

4. The lid of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a front sidewall connected to two laterally spaced sidewalls, and wherein the handle is pivotably coupled to each of the sidewalls.

5. The lid of claim 4, wherein each of the laterally spaced sidewalls include an aperture, and wherein the handle includes two pivot members each configured for insertion through one of the apertures.

6. The lid of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises two laterally spaced raised portions, each of the laterally spaced raised portions including a slot sized to receive a portion of the handle, wherein when the handle is rotated by a user the portion of the handle slidably engages with the slot to move the cover between the open position and the closed position.

7. The lid of claim 1, wherein the cover further comprises two laterally spaced raised portions, each of the laterally spaced raised portions including an arcuate slot, and wherein the handle includes laterally spaced members each sized to fit within one of the slots, wherein the members are operative to exert a force on the raised portions of the cover to move the cover between the open position and the closed position when the handle is rotated between a first position and a second position, respectively.

8. The lid of claim 1, further comprising: a locking mechanism configured to releasably secure the handle in at least one of a first position corresponding to a position wherein the cover is in the open position and a second position corresponding to a position wherein the cover is the closed position.

9. The lid of claim 8, wherein the body comprises a front sidewall connected to two laterally spaced sidewalls, wherein the locking mechanism comprises: a locking dimple disposed on at least one of the sidewalls; anda locking protrusion disposed on the handle and configured to be seated within the locking dimple when the handle is in one of the first position and the second position.

10. A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising: a body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including a top portion having an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel;a cover pivotably coupled to the body, the cover operative to pivot between an open position wherein the cover is disposed in a downward position spaced away from the opening and a closed position wherein the cover is engaged with the top portion to close the opening and prevent the liquid from exiting the drinking vessel; anda handle pivotably coupled to the body;means for translating pivotal movement of the handle to pivotal movement of the cover such that selective rotation of the handle causes pivotal rotation of the cover relative to the body between the open position and the closed position.

11. The lid of claim 10, wherein the body includes a lower portion having coupling means configured for selective engagement with the drinking vessel.

12. The lid of claim 10, further comprising: means for sealing the opening when the cover is in the closed position to prevent the liquid stored in the drinking vessel from leaking therethrough.

13. The lid of claim 10, wherein the main body comprises a front sidewall integrally connected to two laterally spaced sidewalls, and wherein the handle is pivotably coupled to the sidewalls.

14. The lid of claim 13, wherein each of the laterally spaced sidewalls include an aperture, and wherein the handle includes two pivot members each configured for insertion through one of the apertures.

15. The lid of claim 10, wherein the means for translating comprises: two laterally spaced upwardly extending tabs disposed on the cover, each of the tabs including a slot; andtwo protrusions disposed on the handle each configured to fit within one of the slots, wherein when the handle is rotated by a user the protrusions disposed on the handle slidably engage with the slots to move the cover between the open position and the closed position.

16. The lid of claim 10, wherein the means for translating comprises: two laterally spaced upwardly extending members disposed on the cover, each of the laterally spaced members including an arcuate slot; andtwo laterally spaced protrusions disposed on the handle, each sized to fit within one of the slots, wherein the protrusions are operative to exert a force on the laterally spaced members of the cover to move the cover between the open position and the closed position when the handle is rotated between a first position and a second position, respectively.

17. The lid of claim 10, further comprising: locking means configured to releasably secure the handle in at least one of a first position corresponding to a position wherein the cover is in the open position and a second position corresponding to a position wherein the cover is the closed position.

18. The lid of claim 17, wherein the body comprises a front sidewall integrally connected to two laterally spaced sidewalls, wherein the locking means comprises: a locking dimple disposed on at least one of the sidewalls; anda locking protrusion disposed on the handle and configured to be seated within the locking dimple when the handle is in one of the first position and the second position.

19. A drinking vessel and lid assembly, comprising: a drinking vessel; anda lid comprising:a body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the body including a top portion having an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel;a cover pivotably coupled to the body, the cover operative to pivot between an open position wherein the cover is disposed in a downward position spaced away from the opening and a closed position wherein the cover is engaged with the top portion to close the opening and prevent the liquid from exiting the drinking vessel through the opening; anda handle pivotably coupled to the body and operatively coupled to the cover such that selective rotation of the handle causes pivotal rotation of the cover between the open position and the closed position.

20. The drinking vessel and lid assembly of claim 19, wherein the cover further comprises two laterally upwardly extending member portions, each of the laterally spaced member portions including a slot sized to receive a portion of the handle, wherein when the handle is rotated by a user the portions of the handle slidably engages with the slots to move the cover between the open position and the closed position.

21. The drinking vessel and lid assembly of claim 19, wherein the cover further comprises at least one upwardly extending member having a slot sized to slidably receive a portion of the handle spaced away from the location the handle is pivotably coupled to the body, wherein when the handle is rotated by a user the portion of the handle positioned in the slot moves the cover between the open position and the closed position.