BEVERAGE CONTAINER LID WITH SELECTABLE DRINKING MODE

FIELD

This disclosure generally relates to lids for beverage containers. More specifically, some embodiments relate to lids for beverage containers that provide selectable drinking modes.

BACKGROUND

Lids for beverage containers may include a drinking opening for a user to consume a beverage through. Some users may prefer consuming a beverage using a straw. Some users may prefer consuming a beverage without using a straw.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments provide a lid for a beverage container including a lid body. The lid body may include a first side configured to face outside a beverage container, and a second side configured to face inside the beverage container. The lid may include a first drinking opening extending through the lid body, a second drinking opening extending through the lid body, and a selector disposed on the first side of the lid body and configured to slide between a first position in which the first drinking opening is accessible and the second drinking opening is inaccessible, and a second position in which the second drinking opening is accessible and the first drinking opening is inaccessible. The lid may further include a trapdoor disposed on the second side of the lid body and configured to removably seal the first drinking opening when the selector is in the first position and to unseal the first drinking opening when the selector is in the second position.

Some embodiments provide a lid for a beverage container including a lid body, a drinking opening, a mount extending downwardly from the lid body, and a trapdoor coupled to the mount. The trapdoor may be configured to slide within the mount between a first position, in which the trapdoor can rotate within the mount to removably seal the first drinking opening, and a second position, in which the trapdoor cannot rotate within the mount and is retained away from the drinking opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles thereof and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the same.

FIG. 1 shows an upper perspective view of a beverage container having a lid.

FIG. 2 shows an upper perspective view of the beverage container of FIG. 1 with a straw inserted through a first drinking opening.

FIG. 3 shows an upper perspective view of the beverage container of FIG. 1 with a second drinking opening exposed.

FIG. 4 shows an exploded upper perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows an exploded lower perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows an upper perspective view of a lid body of the lid of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 shows a lower perspective view of a selector of the lid of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 shows an upper perspective view of a trapdoor of the lid of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1 taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 1 with a selector in a first position.

FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1 taken along line 10-10 of FIG. 2 with the selector in the first position.

FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1 taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 3 with the selector in a second position.

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1 taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 1 with the selector in a third position.

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 1 taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 1 in a cleaning mode.

FIG. 14 shows a sectional view of the lid of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 shows a side view of the trapdoor of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of a lid according to a second embodiment, with a selector in a first position.

FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 16, with the selector in the first position.

FIG. 18 shows a cross-sectional view of the lid of FIG. 16, with the selector in a second position.

FIG. 19 shows an exploded upper perspective view of a trapdoor and the selector of the lid of FIG. 16.

FIG. 20 shows an exploded lower perspective view of a trapdoor and the selector of the lid of FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments, including structures, systems, and methods, may be practiced without these specific details. The description and representation herein comport with standards used by those experienced or skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. In some instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and elements have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the disclosure.

References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” “some embodiments,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, this disclosure has been prepared such that when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to apply such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

The following examples are illustrative, but not limiting, of the present disclosure. Other suitable modifications and adaptations of the variety of conditions and parameters normally encountered in the field, and which would be apparent to those skilled in the art, are within the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

People use reusable beverage containers to carry a variety of beverages, and some people may have different preferences as to how they drink different beverages. For example, the same person may like to drink iced tea through a straw and also may like to drink their water by sipping it without a straw. This has often meant that that person needed two different types of beverage container to transport their beverages, according to which type of beverage they were transporting. Or that person had to drink a beverage in a way that they do not prefer.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a beverage container having a lid that can be used both to drink a beverage through a straw and to drink a beverage without a straw, using the same lid. A person can thus rely on a single container having a single lid for drinking according to either preference. As will be described in more detail below, the exemplifying beverage container illustrated herein has a lid with a selector that slides between a first position and a second position. When the selector is in the first position, a first drinking opening through the lid is accessible, and the user can insert a straw through the first drinking opening of the lid and suck a beverage up through the straw. When the selector is in the second position, a second drinking opening of the lid is accessible, and the user can tilt the beverage container to pour a beverage out of the second drinking opening.

Further, it is beneficial to provide sealing and venting for a beverage container to carry and dispense a beverage. And when a lid for a beverage container has multiple drinking openings to satisfy different drinking preferences, it can be beneficial to enable the sealing and/or venting of multiple drinking openings through a simple action of the user. Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a mechanism to seal the first drinking opening and the second drinking when the beverage is not being dispensed, and to automatically vent through the first drinking opening when the beverage is dispensed from the second drinking opening.

Finally, when a lid for a beverage container has a complicated structure to satisfy different drinking preferences, it can be difficult to clean the lid, especially areas not easily accessible. Accordingly, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sealing mechanism for each of the first drinking opening and the second drinking opening can be removed or retained in an open position, such that they are easily accessible for cleaning.

These and other embodiments are discussed below in more detail with reference to the figures.

FIGS. 1-5 show a beverage container 10 according to some embodiments, with FIGS. 4 and 5 representing exploded views of beverage container 10. Beverage container 10 may include a lid 20 and a vessel 30. Lid 20 may include multiple components, including a lid body 100, a selector 200, and a trapdoor 300.

In some embodiments, lid body 100 includes a first, exterior side 108 to face outside beverage container 10, a second, interior side 109 to face inside beverage container 10, a first drinking opening 102, and a second drinking opening 104. In some embodiments, first drinking opening 102 may be nearer to a center of lid 20 than it is to an outer edge of lid 20. In some embodiments, first drinking opening 102 may be nearer to the center of lid 20 than second drinking opening 104 is to the center of lid 20. Second drinking opening 104 may be nearer to an outer edge of lid 20 than it is to a center of lid 20 (e.g., adjacent to an upper rim 106 of lid body 100.

In some embodiments, selector 200 is disposed on exterior side 108 of lid body 100. Selector 200 may be movable (e.g., linearly slidable) relative to lid body 100 between a first position (shown, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2), a second position (shown, for example, in FIG. 3), and a third position (shown, for example, in FIG. 12). In some embodiments, selector 200 may include a selector opening 202.

When selector 200 is in its first position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, first drinking opening 102 may be accessible (for example, through selector opening 202) and second drinking opening 104 may be inaccessible (for example, due to the positioning of selector 200 over second drinking opening 104). In some embodiments, when selector 200 is in its first position, selector opening 202 may align with first drinking opening 102 such that a user may insert a straw 40 through selector opening 202 and first drinking opening 102. In such embodiments, when lid 20 is assembled with vessel 30 and selector 200 is in its first position, a user may dispense a beverage contained within vessel 30 through straw 40. In some embodiments, when selector 200 is in its first position, selector 200 is positioned over and seals second drinking opening 104. In some embodiments, selector 200 includes a seal member 250 to seal second drinking opening 104 in its first position. The term seal as used here and elsewhere in this document does not necessarily require a perfect hermetic seal; rather a seal capable of inhibiting passage of liquid fluid is sufficient.

In some embodiments, a trapdoor 300 is disposed on interior side 109 of lid body 100 to removably seal first drinking opening 102. In some embodiments, trapdoor 300 is rotatably mounted to a pair of mounts 150 on interior side 109 of lid body 100, such that trapdoor 300 can be pushed to rotate away from first drinking opening 102 (for example, towards the inside of beverage container 10) to unseal first drinking opening 102. In some embodiments, a spring or other resilient element (e.g., a torsional spring 320) can bias trapdoor 300 towards first drinking opening 102 to seal first drinking opening 102. Accordingly, when selector 200 is in its first position, trapdoor 300 can seal first drinking opening 102 under the biasing force of the spring when straw 40 is not inserted, when straw 40 is inserted, trapdoor 300 can be pushed towards the inside of beverage container 10 to unseal first drinking opening 102, and when straw 40 is again removed, trapdoor 300 can automatically move back to seal first drinking opening 102 under the biasing force of the spring. In some embodiments, trapdoor 300 can be retained at a position away from first drinking opening 102 to allow a user to more easily clean the components, which is discussed in further detail below.

If the user does not prefer to drink the beverage through a straw, the user can move (e.g., linearly slide) selector 200 relative to lid body 100 to its second position represented in FIG. 3. A user may, for example, slide selector 200 relative to lid body 100 in a direction perpendicular to an axis of first drinking opening 102 to move selector 200 from its first position to its second position. Linearly sliding selector 200 relative to lid body 100—rather than, for example, a rotational movement—may allow a user to more easily move a selector relative to a lid body with one hand. Further, by using a linear sliding arrangement, an axis of rotation (and associated structure) is not needed, which can simplify construction of lid 20 and, in some embodiments, separation of selector 200 from lid body 100 for disassembly. In some embodiments, selector 200 has a grip 206 to assist a user to grip and slide selector 200.

As shown in FIG. 3, when selector 200 is in its second position, second drinking opening 104 may be accessible. Accordingly, when lid 20 is assembled with vessel 30, a user may dispense a beverage contained within vessel 30 through second drinking opening 104 by tilting beverage container 10 toward second drinking opening 104. In some embodiments, when selector 200 is in its second position, selector 200 may be positioned away from second drinking opening 104, and seal member 250 does not seal second drinking opening 104. In some embodiments, when selector 200 is in its second position, first drinking opening 102 may be inaccessible (for example, due to the positioning of selector 200 over first drinking opening 102). Accordingly, when lid 20 is assembled with vessel 30, a user may not be able to dispense a beverage contained within vessel 30 through first drinking opening 102 while selector 200 is in its second position. In some embodiments, when selector 200 is in its second position, selector opening 202 may be offset from first drinking opening 102, such that straw 40 cannot be inserted through selector opening 202 and first drinking opening 102.

In some embodiments, when selector 200 is moved to its second position, selector 200 engages trapdoor 300 to push trapdoor 300 away from lid body 100 and slightly unseal first drinking opening 102, so that a venting path is created through first drinking opening 102. The venting path through first drinking opening 102 allows air to flow in from outside of beverage container 10, which helps keep a steady flow of beverage dispensed through second drinking opening 104 by replacing the volume lost to dispensed liquid with air from outside of beverage container 10. This venting mechanism is discussed in further detail below.

In some embodiments, selector 200 can be moved to the third position as shown in FIG. 12, so that it can be dissembled from lid body 100. This may for example, allow a user to more easily clean lid 20 and selector 200. In some embodiments, selector 200 is moved to its third position by sliding past its second position, which is described in further detail below. FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of beverage container 10 according to some embodiments, and FIG. 5 shows and exploded view of lid 20 according to some embodiments. In FIG. 5, part of lid body 100 is broken away to more clearly show components of lid 20. As shown, beverage container 10 may include lid 20 and vessel 30. Lid 20 may include lid body 100, selector 200 with seal member 250, trapdoor 300 with a seal member 302, and a gasket 500. Lid body 100 may include first drinking opening 102, second drinking opening 104, an upper rim 106, a lower side wall 107, exterior side 108 to face outside beverage container 10, interior side 109 to face inside beverage container 10, and a pair of mounts 150 extending from interior side 109. First drinking opening 102 and second drinking opening 104 may extend through lid body 100 (e.g., from interior side 109 to exterior side 108).

In some embodiments, first drinking opening 102 has a circular shape, and second drinking opening 104 has an elongated, oval-like shape, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. However, first drinking opening 102 and second drinking opening 104 each may have any other suitable shape. When lid 20 is assembled with vessel 30, a user may drink a beverage contained within vessel 30 thorough first drinking opening 102 or second drinking opening 104, depending on the position of selector 200.

In some embodiments, first drinking opening 102 may be positioned at or near a center of lid 20. For example, first drinking opening 102 may be nearer to a center of lid 20 than it is to an outer edge of lid 20, or first drinking opening 102 may be nearer to the center than second drinking opening 104 is to the center. This positioning may allow a user to comfortably drink from straw 40 extending through first drinking opening 102 when selector 200 is in its first position. In some embodiments, second drinking opening 104 may be positioned near an outer edge of lid 20 (for example, near upper rim 106). For example, second drinking opening 104 may be nearer to the outer edge than it is to a center of lid 20, or second drinking opening 104 may be nearer to the outer edge than first drinking opening 102 is to the outer edge. This positioning may, for example, allow a user to comfortably drink from an edge of lid 20 (for example, upper rim 106) by tilting beverage container 10 toward second drinking opening 104 when selector 200 is in its second position.

Lid body 100 may include an attachment mechanism 110 on lower side wall 107 of lid body 100. Vessel 30 may include a corresponding attachment mechanism 31 near an upper edge of the vessel, configured to engage with attachment mechanism 110 to removably attach vessel 30 to lid 20. Attachment mechanisms 110 and 31 may be threaded connectors (as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6), friction fit connectors, snap-fit connectors, or any other suitable releasable attachment mechanism. The attachment of lid body 100 to vessel 30 is not limited to the arrangement shown in the figures. For example, in some embodiments, lid body 100 may attach over vessel 30 rather than inside vessel 30.

Gasket 500 may fit around lower side wall 107 of lid body 100. When lid 20 is assembled with vessel 30, gasket 500 may be pressed between lid body 100 and an inner surface of vessel 30 to create a seal between lid 20 and vessel 30. Gasket 500 may be a removable component or may be an integrally-formed part of lid body 100 or vessel 30.

As shown in FIG. 4 (and also shown enlarged in FIG. 6), in some embodiments, lid body 100 may include an engagement structure 112 on exterior side 108. Engagement structure 112 may be formed to receive cooperating features of selector 200 (shown enlarged in FIG. 7) to help selector 200 move with respect to lid body 100 and maintain its position with respect to lid body 100.

For example, engagement structure 112 of lid body 100 may be formed as an indentation 118 from exterior side 108 with a pair of receiving channels 113 formed by channel walls 114 on the sides. Selector 200 can be received in indentation 118, and flanges 214a and 214b of selector 200 can be received under receiving channels 113 under channel walls 114. Engagement structure 112 thereby inhibits selector 200 from moving vertically or rotating relative to lid body 100. In some embodiments, channel walls 114 include detents 120 to provide a resisting force and tactile feedback when selector 200 moves relative to lid body 100, for example, from first position to second position. In some embodiments, channel walls 114 include recesses 122a and 122b having shapes corresponding to flanges 214a and 214b of selector 200. When selector 200 moves to its third position, flanges 214a and 214b can align with recesses 122a and 122b, such that selector 200 can be removed from channels 113 and therefore disassembled from lid body 100.

The engagement of lid body 100 and selector 200 is not limited to the arrangement shown in the figures. For example, in some embodiments, selector 200 may include receiving channels to receive flanges of lid body 100.

Lid body 100 may be formed of food-grade plastic (e.g., polypropylene, copolyester, the copolymer sold as Eastman Tritan, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)), glass, or metal (e.g., steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, or titanium), and may be formed as a single, unitary piece or as multiple pieces.

As mentioned, selector 200 is removably disposed on exterior side 108 and movable (for example, linearly slidable) relative to lid body 100. Selector 200 may include a grip 206 to which a user may apply a force to move selector 200 relative to lid body 100. In some embodiments, seal member 250 is provided on the underside of selector 200 to seal second drinking opening 104 when selector 200 is in its second position. Seal member 250 may contact lid body 100 around a periphery of second drinking opening 104, thereby sealing second drinking opening 104. Seal member 250 may move together with selector 200 relative to lid body 100. In some embodiments, seal member 250 seal member 250 is a separate component removably coupled to selector 200. In such embodiments, selector 200 includes flanges 214a and ribs 208 (shown in FIG. 7) that corresponds to a shape of seal member 250, and sealing member 250 can be press-fit within flanges 214a and ribs 208. In some embodiments, seal member 250 is formed integrally with selector 200 (for example, through co-molding). In some embodiments, selector 200 includes a pair of ribs 208 and protrusions 210 extending downward, which can engage with trapdoor 300 to vent first drinking opening 102, when selector 200 is in its second position.

Selector 200 may be formed of food-grade plastic (e.g., polypropylene, copolyester, the copolymer sold as Eastman Tritan, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)), or metal (e.g., steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, or titanium), and may be formed as a single, unitary piece or as multiple pieces. Seal member 250 may be formed of a food-grade material suitable to seal second drinking opening 104, such as silicone or another flexible, resilient material. In some embodiment, seal member 250 is formed of a material more resilient than a material for selector 200.

FIGS. 16-20 show an alternative embodiment having some differences in structure, but achieving similar results as described in detail for the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-15. The structure and operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 16-20 is the same as that of FIGS. 4-15, except where pointed out, in which case the differences are explained.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-20, selector 1200 can have the same structures as selector 200 described above, except for that unlike selector 200 having a pair of ribs 208, selector 1200 has only one rib 1208 extending downward from selector 1200 for engaging with trapdoor 1300 described below. In some embodiments, rib 1208 extends in the center of selector 1200, and as a result, seal member 1250 is shorter than seal member 250 and does not engage with rib 1208. Instead, seal member 1250 is only within and retained by flanges 1214a. Selector 1200 and seal member 1250 may also be formed of the same material as selector 200 and seal member 250 described above.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 8, trapdoor 300 may be mounted to mounts 150 on interior side 109 and rotatable relative to lid body 100. Trapdoor 300 may removably seal first drinking opening 102 as it rotates relative to lid body 100. For example, trapdoor 300 may seal first drinking opening 102 by rotating towards first drinking opening 102 and unseal first drinking opening 102 by rotating away from first drinking opening 102. In some embodiments, trapdoor 300 includes torsional spring 320 to bias it towards first drinking opening 102, such that trapdoor 300 only moves away from first drinking opening 102 when a forced is applied push trapdoor 300 (for example, by insertion of straw 40). In some embodiments, trapdoor 300 includes a seal member 302 to seal first drinking opening 102 (see, e.g., FIG. 9). Seal member 302 may contact lid body 100 around a periphery of first drinking opening 102, thereby sealing first drinking opening 102. In some embodiments, trapdoor 300 includes a rim 304 that can extend into first drinking opening 102 when trapdoor 300 seals first drinking opening 102, and seal member 302 is in continuous contact with lid body 100 around first drinking opening 102 to thereby seal drinking opening 102. In some embodiments, rim 304 can be planar, and a pair of protrusions 306 extend from rim 304 to engage with selector 200 to vent first drinking opening 102 when selector 200 is in its second position, which is discussed in further detail below.

In some embodiments, trapdoor 300 includes a pair of protrusions 310 to engage with mounts 150 (see, e.g., FIG. 8). Protrusions 310 and mounts 150 may be shaped to allow trapdoor 300 to slide within mounts 150 from a first position, where trapdoor 300 can rotate relative to lid body 100, and a second position, where trapdoor 300 is retained at a position away from first drinking opening 102 and lid body 100 to allow easy cleaning of the components, which is discussed in further detail below.

Trapdoor 300 may be formed of food-grade plastic (e.g., polypropylene, copolyester, the copolymer sold as Eastman Tritan, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)), or metal (e.g., steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, or titanium), and may be formed as a single, unitary piece or as multiple pieces. Seal member 302 may be formed of a food-grade material suitable to seal first drinking opening 102, such as silicone or another flexible, resilient material. In some embodiment, seal member 302 is formed of a material more resilient than a material for trapdoor 300.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-20, trapdoor 1300 can have the same structures as selector 200 described above, except for that unlike trapdoor 300 having a pair of protrusions 306 extending from rim 304, trapdoor 1300 has a protrusion in the form of a rim 1304 that extends up to engage with selector 1200 to vent first drinking opening 102 when selector 1200 is in its second position (e.g., as shown in FIG. 18). In some embodiments, rim 1304 has a raised leading edge 1314 (e.g., forming a lip) that interacts with structure (e.g., ramp 1209) to control the position and state of sealing of trapdoor 1300. Trapdoor 1300 may also be formed of the same material as trapdoor 300 described above.

Vessel 30 may be any type of container. Vessel 30 may be generally cylindrical or frustoconical (e.g., a tumbler-style container, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-4) or have another exterior or interior shape. In some embodiments, vessel 30 may be double-walled to enhance thermal insulative properties of vessel 30. In some embodiments, an area between vessel 30's double walls may be hermetically sealed and may form at least a partial vacuum. In some embodiments, vessel 30 may be formed of stainless steel. In some embodiments, vessel 30 may be formed of another food-grade material, such as a food-grade plastic (e.g., polypropylene, copolyester, the copolymer sold as Eastman Tritan, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)), glass, or another metal (e.g., steel, aluminum, copper, or titanium).

When beverage container 10 is assembled and selector 200 is in its first position with straw 40 inserted through first drinking opening 102, a bottom end of straw 40 may extend to or near an interior bottom surface of vessel 30. Straw 40 may be formed of a food-grade material. For example, straw 40 may be formed of a food-grade plastic (e.g., polypropylene, copolyester, the copolymer sold as Eastman Tritan, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyoxymethylene (POM), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)), glass, or metal (e.g., steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, or titanium).

FIGS. 9-14 are vertical cross-sectional views showing relative positions of certain components of lid 20 in various configurations. These figures illustrate portions of lid body 100, selector 200, and trapdoor 300, and it is understood that they are compatible with vessel 30.

FIG. 9 shows a closed mode of lid 20. In this configuration, selector 200 is in its first position. Trapdoor 300 is biased towards first drinking opening 102 by torsional spring 320, and seal member 302 seals first drinking opening 102. Selector 200 covers second drinking opening 104, and seal member 250 (shown in phantom lines) seals second drinking opening 104. Selector opening 202 is aligned with first drinking opening 102. This closed mode allows a beverage to be sealed within beverage container 10 and carried around.

In some embodiments, selector opening 202 has a rim 203, and rim 203 has a cutout 204 to receive protrusion 306, when selector 200 is in its first position (see, e.g., FIG. 5). It can also be seen in FIG. 9 that protrusion 306 of trapdoor 300 extends through first drinking opening 102 and above exterior side 108 of lid body, and fits within cutout 204. The height of cutout 204 allows trapdoor 300 in a position where seal member 302 seals against first drinking opening 102 under the biasing force of spring 320.

On the other hand, rib 208 and protrusion 210 extend downwardly from selector 200, and rib 208 connects to cutout 204 through a ramp 209. Protrusion 306 does not contact ramp 209 or rib 208 when selector 200 is in its first position. Because ramp 209 and rib 208 extend lower than cutout 204, it is understood that when protrusion 306 starts to contact ramp 209 or rib 208, protrusion 306 and trapdoor 300 would have been pushed downward relative to the position shown in FIG. 9. This is discussed in more detail below with reference to FIG. 11.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 16, rib 1208 and protrusion 1210 extend downwardly from selector 1200, and rib 1208 has a ramp 1209 that leads toward cutout 1204 of rim 1203. Ramp 1209 curves down to a bump 1216, which defines the lowest point of rib 1208, and from bump 1216, rib 1208 curves up to a flat surface 1218, which is higher than bump 1216 but still lower than cutout 1204.

When selector 2100 is in its first position as shown in FIG. 16, seal member 1302 of trapdoor 1300 seals against first drinking opening 102 under the biasing force of spring 320, and leading edge 1314 of rim 1304 extends through first drinking opening 102 and rests within cutout 1204. Because ramp 1209 and flat surface 1218 extend lower than leading edge 1314 as it rests within cutout 1204, it is understood that when leading edge 1314 starts to ride on ramp 1209 and travel through bump 1216 to flat surface 1218, leading edge 1314 and trapdoor 1300 would have been pushed downward as shown in FIG. 18.

FIG. 10 shows a straw mode of lid 20. In this configuration, selector 200 is in its first position. Selector opening 202 is aligned with first drinking opening 102. Straw 40 is inserted through selector opening 202 and first drinking opening 102. Trapdoor 300 is pushed away from first drinking opening 102 and towards the inside of beverage container 10 by straw 40. Selector 200 covers second drinking opening 104, and seal member 250 seals second drinking opening 104. This straw mode allows a user to drink the beverage from beverage container 10 through straw 40, as shown by arrow 50.

In the second embodiment, a straw mode is shown in FIG. 17. In this configuration, selector 1200 is in its first position. Selector opening 1202 is aligned with first drinking opening 102. Straw 40 is inserted through selector opening 1202 and first drinking opening 102. Trapdoor 1300 is pushed away from first drinking opening 102 and towards the inside of beverage container 10 by straw 40. Selector 1200 covers second drinking opening 104, and seal member 1250 seals second drinking opening 104. This straw mode allows a user to drink the beverage from beverage container 10 through straw 40, as shown by arrow 50. When straw 40 is removed from first drinking opening 102, trapdoor 1300 is biased by torsional spring 320.

In some embodiments, when selector 200 is in its first position and straw 40 is inserted through selector opening 202 and first drinking opening 102, air can flow from outside of beverage container 10, through selector opening 202 and first drinking opening 102, and into the inside of beverage container 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, straw 40 can be sized smaller than selector opening 202 and first drinking opening 102, thereby allowing air to flow through selector opening 202 and first drinking opening 102 around straw 40 and into beverage container 10, as shown by arrow 52. The ability of air to flow from outside of beverage container 10 to inside of beverage container 10 may help keep a steady flow of liquid through straw 40 and minimize vacuum buildup that could interrupt the flow.

In some embodiments, when straw 40 is removed from first drinking opening 102, trapdoor 300 is biased by torsional spring 320 to automatically move towards first drinking opening 102 to seal first drinking opening 102, thereby switching to the closed mode shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 shows an open mode of lid 20. In this configuration, selector 200 is in its second position. Selector 200 at least partially covers first drinking opening 102, and selector opening 202 is offset from first drinking opening 102, such that straw 40 cannot be inserted into first drinking opening 102. Second drinking opening 104 is accessible, as selector 200 and seal member 250 (shown in phantom lines) are moved away. This open mode allows a user to dispense the beverage through second drinking opening 104 by tilting beverage container 10.

In some embodiments, in this open mode, trapdoor 300 does not seal first drinking opening 102. As selector 200 starts to move from its first position to its second position, protrusion 306 of trapdoor 300 leaves cutout 204, rides on ramp 209, and then contacts rib 208. Because ramp 209 and rib 208 are lower than cutout 204 (see also, e.g., FIG. 9), the engagement between protrusion 306 and ramp 209 and/or rib 208 pushes trapdoor 300 downward and away from first drinking opening 102, thereby breaking seal member 302 around first drinking opening 102. This creates a venting path to allow air flow through selector opening 202 and first drinking opening 102, as shown by arrow 54. The ability of air to flow from outside of beverage container 10 to inside of beverage container 10 may help keep a steady flow of liquid through second drinking opening 104 and minimize vacuum buildup that could interrupt the flow.

When selector 200 fully reaches its second position as shown in FIG. 11, seal member 302 remains unsealed from first drinking opening 102 to create venting path 54, and protrusion 306 reaches protrusion 210 of selector 200. The engagement between engagement edge 308 and engagement edge 212 can provide a resisting force against the movement of selector 200 towards the third position (see e.g., FIG. 12).

In some embodiments, when selector 200 is moved from its second position to its first position, protrusion 306 disengages rib 208 and protrusion 210 and returns to cutout 204 via ramp 209, and trapdoor 300 is biased by torsional spring 320 to rotate towards first drinking opening 102 to seal first drinking opening 102, thereby switching to the closed mode shown in FIG. 9.

In the second embodiment, as selector 1200 starts to move from its first position (e.g., FIG. 16) to its second position (e.g., FIG. 18), leading edge 1314 of trapdoor 1300 leaves cutout 1204, rides on ramp 1209, travels over bump 1216, and then contacts flat surface 1218 of rib 1208 until it reaches protrusion 1210. Leading edge 1314 can engage with protrusion 1210 to resist further sliding of selector 1200. Because ramp 1209, bump 1216, and flat surface 1218 are all lower than leading edge 1314 as it rests within cutout 1204 (e.g., FIG. 16), the engagement between leading edge 1314 and ramp 1209, bump 1216, and flat surface 1218 pushes trapdoor 1300 downward and away from first drinking opening 102, thereby breaking seal member 1302 around first drinking opening 102. When selector 2100 is moved from its second position to its first position, leading edge 1314 disengages rib 1208 and returns to cutout 1204 via bump 1216 and ramp 1209.

FIG. 12 shows lid 20 and selector 200 in a disassembly position. In this configuration, selector 200 is in its third position, and flanges 214a and 214b of selector 200 (shown in FIG. 7) are aligned with recesses 122a and 122b of channels 113 (shown in FIG. 6), so that selector 200 can be removed from channels 113 and therefore disassembled from lid body 100. Disassembling selector 200 from lid body 100 allows easy cleaning of each component. In some embodiments, seal member 250 can be removed from selector 200 after selector 200 is dissembled from lid body 100.

In some embodiments, selector 200 is moved to its third position by sliding past its second position (i.e., by continuing to slide selector 200 in the same direction it moves between its first position and its second positon). When selector 200 is in its second position, the engagement between protrusion 306 of trapdoor 300 and protrusion 210 of selector 200 provides a resistance force to resist the movement of selector 200 from its second position to its third position. The resistance force prevents selector 200 from inadvertently moving to its third position. In order to move selector 200 to its third position, a user may rotate trapdoor 300 away from lid body 100 so that protrusion 306 does not extend through first drinking opening 102 before selector 200 is moved to its second position, so that protrusion 306 does not engage with protrusion 210 when selector 200 is at its second position, and then selector 200 may continue to slide to its third position from its second position.

In some embodiments, selector 200 can be moved from its third position to its first position or its second position to switch back to the closed mode as shown in FIG. 9 or the open mode as shown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 shows a cleaning mode of lid 20. In this configuration, selector 200 is removed from lid body 100, and trapdoor 300 is retained within mounts 150 and cannot rotate relative to lid body 100. In some embodiments, in this configuration, trapdoor 300 is retained away from first drinking opening 102 at an angle, thereby allowing cleaning of each components, for example in a dishwasher.

It is understood that the cleaning mode of FIG. 13 is also applicable to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-20.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show the geometry of mounts 150 and trapdoor 300 that allows trapdoor 300 to slide within mounts 150 from a first position, where trapdoor 300 can rotate relative to lid body 100, and a second position, where trapdoor 300 is retained within mounts 150 at a position away from first drinking opening 102. As shown in FIG. 8, in some embodiments, trapdoor 300 includes a pair of protrusions 310 to engage with mounts 150. In some embodiments, each protrusion 310 has a first layer 311 and optionally a second layer 312, with second layer 312 extending from first layer 311 (for example, second layer 312 extends further away from trapdoor 300 than first layer 311). In some embodiments, second layer 312 has a smaller size than first layer 311. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 14, in some embodiments, each mount 150 has a recess 152 for engaging with protrusion 306, and each recess 152 has a first layer 153 and optionally a second layer 154, with second layer 154 extending from first layer 153 (for example, second layer 154 extends deeper into mount 150 than first layer 153). In some embodiments, second layer 154 has a smaller size than first layer 153. As such, when assembled, first layer 311 of protrusion 310 engages with first layer 153 of recess 152, and second layer 312 of protrusion 310 engages with second layer 154 of recess 152. In some embodiments, each protrusion 310 only has first layer 311 and does not have second layer 312, and each recess 152 only has a first layer 153 and does not have second layer 154.

In some embodiments, second layer 312 of protrusion 310 has a shape of a circle 314 having radius R1, and second layer 154 of recess 152 has a shape of a stadium 156 also with radius R1. Accordingly, second layer 312 of protrusion 310 can both rotate and slide within second layer 154 of recess 152.

In some embodiments, first layer 153 of recess 152 has a shape comprising a circle 158 having radius R2, with R2 being lager than R1, and a slot 160 connected to circle 158. The shape of first layer 311 of protrusion 310 is circumscribed by a circle 316 having R2, such that first layer 311 of protrusion 310 can rotate within circle 158 of first layer 153, when trapdoor 300 is in its first position within mounts 150. The shape of first layer 311 of protrusion 310 also includes an edge 318 that is shaped similarly to slot 160, such that when first layer 311 rotates within circle 158 to a position where edge 318 aligns with slot 160, edge 318 can slide into slot 160, thereby trapdoor 300 is moved to its second position within 150. In this second position of trapdoor 300, the engagement of slot 160 and edge 318 resists the biasing force from spring 320 and therefore the rotation of trapdoor 300 and retains trapdoor 300 at a position. In some embodiments, slot 160 is formed at an angle θ with respect to lid body 100 and first drinking opening 102, so that trapdoor 300 is also retained at the same angle θ with respect to lid body 100 and first drinking opening 102 in its second position. Angle θ can be an obtuse angle to allow easy access and cleaning of trapdoor 300 and lid body 100. In some embodiments, angle θ is in a range of 60° to 150°, such as 90° to 120°, such as 105°.

In some embodiments, when cleaning is finished, the user can exit the cleaning mode by pushing trapdoor 300 back to its first position by sliding along slot 160 towards circle 158, so that first layer 311 of protrusion 310 can again rotate within circle 158, and with torsional spring 320, trapdoor 300 can be biased towards first drinking opening 102 to seal first drinking opening 102.

It is understood that the geometry of mounts 150 and trapdoor 300 described with respect to in FIGS. 14 and 15 is also applicable to mounts 150 and trapdoor 1300 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-20.

It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and not the Summary and Abstract sections, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the disclosed invention(s) as contemplated by the inventor(s), and thus, are not intended to limit the disclosed invention(s) and the appended claims in any way.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the claimed invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the claimed invention. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.

The breadth and scope of the claimed invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the claims and their equivalents.

BEVERAGE CONTAINER LID WITH SELECTABLE DRINKING MODE

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