Patent Application
20170208975
A flexible universal spill resistant coffee lid is disclosed which can fit securely on almost any standard disposable cup and which keep the liquid contents hot for a longer period of time.
The figures depict various embodiments of the described methods and system and are for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the methods and systems illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the methods and systems described herein.
The present disclosure is for a container cover or lid which accommodates a snap fit retention onto a conventional circumferential rim of any standard coffee beverage cup. As with typical disposable lids this lid also acts to be retained as a cover or lid in a very secure manner. The lid has a drink hole and a vent hole.
More specifically, the proposed coffee lid limits or prevents spillage. The lid is made of a flexible, non-toxic material. In one embodiment, the lid is made from silicon, rubber, an elastomeric plastic, or any elastic plant material. In one embodiment, the material used is silicon.
The silicon construction allows this to easily adjust to the slightly different cup brands that typically have a specific lids or family of lids that fit best on any paper coffee cup brand.
The silicon construction allows this to easily adjust to the slightly different cup brands that typically have a specific lids or family of lids that fit best on any paper coffee cup brand. For Example, some cups have a slightly fatter lip and the double wall cup design makes it a bit more unique. Another popular cup has a thinner lip and slightly greater OD. The present lid fits either design, and in fact, the silicone design fits any brand cup with a combination of the inside design of the lid and its shore hardness to allow enough stretch to be secure on any cup brand. The Shore hardness of the silicon or material used allows enough stretch to be secure on any cup brand The Snap fit retention coffee lid fits on any standard coffee beverage container. In one embodiment, the lid is reusable, such as when the lid uses a material such as silicon, or a flexible, elastic plastic. Other versions of the disclosure may use materials that are disposable.
Referring to
Near the top around the inside of the circumferential curtain 4 is a first bottom interior circumferential lip 7. A second top interior circumferential lip 8 extends beyond the length of the first bottom interior circumferential lip 7. Between lips 7 and 8 is a cup rim groove 9, which, as the name infers, is the groove 9 into which the lip of the paper coffee cup fits, thereby securing the lid to the coffee cup. In one embodiment, the cup rim groove 9 is either rectangular or square. The quadrangle group stretched over a round top rim gives up to three sealing opportunities. A distinct arc of silicone contact is at the top middle and bottom of square groove. The groove is 4mm wide, with the top of the groove 11 mm to the bottom. Lip 8 has an otward flair of 1.5 mm that locks or supports the lip of the paper cup. Lip 7 is about 16 mm to the bottom of the circumferential curtain. It should be noted that the positioning of the groove and the lips may be varied, as may be the width of the curtain 4. The shape and length of the groove 9 help secure the lid 1 to the coffee cup, and makes it easier to place the flexible rim over the top. In another embodiment, the groove 9 exists without lip 8 and/or lip 7
Consequently, if the (coffee) cup is knocked over, the point of impact hits the circumferential curtain 4. As the cup lip is fully surrounded with silicone and because the silicone extends downward below the groove 9, the coffee lid 1 does not slip or come off from the coffee cup. More specifically, if the coffee cup is knocked over while the coffee lid 1 is in place, the force will be distributed against the silicone, and the silicone will push against the rim of the cup, absorbing some of the shock, not forcing off the cup as is typical of polystyrene tops.
Furthermore, because of the elasticity of the silicon or other materials used, and because the width of the groove 9 has the average width of any cup at 4 mm and with the coffee cup lid fitting any paper/styrofoam/plastic having an outside diameter of 88-91 mm. The coffee lid 1 is actually firmly grabbing the cup, thereby limiting the chance of leakage. It should be noted that the coffee cup lid 1 can be made to come in different sizes, depending on the need, and the size of the coffee cup used. A larger cup with a larger diameter will have a larger coffee cup lid 1.
Sitting above the circumferential curtain 4 is the service or upper platform 10 of the lid. The upper platform 10 has a vent hole 11 and a drink hole 12. The vent hole resides on an elevated top semi-circumferential vent rim 13 that resides on a semi-circular platform 15, while the drink hole 12 is positioned on a drink hole rim 30 of a dual tapered elevated top semi-circumferential lip support 31. The top circumferential vent rim 13 and drink hole rim 30 may be either flat, tilted inward, or tiled outward. In one embodiment, the vent hole 11 is smaller than the drink hole 12, although both holes are larger than the average vent holes and drink holes found in lids. The vent hole 11 is positioned 180 degrees opposite of the drink hole 12.
The oversized vent hole 12 has a unique function, that allows the user to very quickly cool down the coffee in only 10 seconds by blowing into the elevated drink hole. The air is forced over the surface of the very hot coffee and pulls heat off the coffee to cool it to a drinkable range and the very hot air will exit the larger vent hole. If the customer does not want to vent while drinking to keep the coffee hot longer the closure element system is rotated to plug the vent hole as in
The top semi-circumferential lip support 31 has a rounded indentation 32 positioned below drink hole rim 30. This indentation 32 conforms to the average person's lip, and is ergonomically designed to maximize comfort. The area of the indentation is thick enough to provide enough insulation that that there is no discomfort to the drinker's lip if the drink is too hot.
The flexible sealing closure element 17 seals both the vent hole 11 and the drink hole 12. Specifically, the flexible sealing closure element 11 has a centralized plug 18 on its underside 19 of its central section 36. This plug fits snugly into a well hole 20 positioned in an centralized platform 21 on top of and in the center of the lid 1. The well hole 20 is closed on its bottom section 22 so as not to add another potential place for any leakage. Note that the centralized plug 18 has a wider base 70 and a narrower neck 71. The perimeter 72 of the well hole 20 is slightly narrower than the well hole 20 itself, such that when the centralized plug 18 is pushed into the well hole 20, the perimeter 72 parts enough to allow the wider base 70 to fit through, while at the same time the perimeter 72 fits close to the neck 71 and prevents the flexible sealing closure element 17 from falling out without the force of a person's fingers removing it.
The flexible sealing closure element 17 also has on its underside 19 at a distal end 23 of a first arm extension 28 a drink hole plug 24 specifically for shaped for said drink hole 12. To clarify, the first arm extension 28 is connected to a first arm 60 which is connected to the central section 36 at the first end 37 of the first aim 60. At the distal end 25 of the second arm extension 29 on the underside 19 is a vent hole plug 26, again specifically shaped to fit the vent hole 11. The second arm extension 29 is connected to the second arm 61. The two plugs are positioned 180 degrees from each other. Both plugs 24, 26 are sized so as to fit securely into the appropriate holes, with little or no likelihood of accidentally falling or popping out of the vent hole plug 26 or the drink hole plug 24 accidentally, even if dropped. The vent hole 11 and drink hole 12 are large enough to easily locate and plug, and provide both greater longevity, and a more secure seal. It is also easier to cool the liquid inside the cup if the vent is larger.
Because there are two arms 60, 61 with arm extensions 28, 29 of the flexible sealing closure element 17, they can work independently or together. For example, if one just wants to uncover the vent hole 11, the vent hole plug 26 is pulled from the vent hole 11, and the arm extension 29 having the vent hole plug 26 is tucked under itself and the tip or end 25 of the arm extension 29 is placed or wedged under and against the central section 36 or under the arm 61. Similarly, if one just wants to uncover the drink hole 12, or wants to uncover the drink hole 12 in addition to uncovering the vent hole 11, the drink hole plug 24 is pulled from the drink hole 12, and the first arm extension 28 having the drink hole plug 24 is tucked under first arm 60 and/or end 23 of the arm extension 28 is placed or wedged under and against the central section 36.
It should be noted that in one embodiment of the disclosure, the arms 60, 61 are articulated. In another embodiment, the arms 60, 61 are outwardly angular whereupon the extensions are integrally attached. This is because the centralized platform 21 is below the surface of drink hole 12 and vent hole 11 and the angularly positioned articulated arms prevent strain that could otherwise lead to the vent hole plug 26 and the drink plug 24 popping out of their respective holes
In another embodiment, the lid 1 is designed so the two arm 60, 61 and arm extensions 28, 29 of the flexible sealing closure element 17 easily rotate in either direction. To unseal the coffee cup—to go from sealed to unseal, the ends 23, 25 of the arm extensions 28, 29 pulled upwards such that the drink hole plug 24 and the vent hole plug 26 are freed. The flexible sealing closure element 17 is then rotated 90 degrees, wherein the drink hole plug 24 and the vent hole plug 26 nest in two depressions 33, 34 on the side and the rib located on the neck of each plug to hold these in a “carport” like area. These depressions 33, 34 are snuggly bounded by the semi-circumferential lip support 31 and the semi-circular 15 platform, and rest on top of a the support platform 14. lowers the possibility that the plug will be in contact with a user's hand or other possibility for contact with germs.
Because of the tight fit of the drink hole plug 24 and the vent hole plug 26 into the drink hole 12 and the vent hole 11, the lid is virtually leak proof. If the cup filled with a hot liquid inside is jostled or shaken even more pressure builds up. Any leak tight system has to consider the temperature and with high temperature comes pressure. If a closed vessel is agitated it can increases the pressure of very hot liquid in the in the vessel. If the vessel is knocked over it may add increased pressure in the vessel and the force of the liquid can put more pressure on a specific part of the lid like the vent hole stopper or the drink hole stopper. Turning a coffee upside down puts even more pressure on the seals combined with the pressure and added pressure if the vessel has some movement that increases the pressure.
Consequently, to mitigate the extra pressure, the cup lid has the diaphragm 35 built into the central part of the lid to mitigate the extra pressure. Typically, if there is very hot coffee in the cup, the entire center of the proposed lid will rise upward with the increased pressure of the hot coffee. This acts to take pressure off the plug seals of the top. If by chance the coffee falls, there is less likelihood of leakage if the added pressure is allowed to expand the diaphragm 35 without pushing the lid 1 off of the cup. The articulated bent arms 60, 61 of the closure element 17 easily ride upward with the increase pressure in a cup of hot coffee, and. The articulated bent arms 60, 61 tend to relax and fall when the cup is in the “drink” position with one or both plugs 24, 26 un-plugged. The arms extend and contract without any pressure on the seals. The articulated closure elements extend outward to accommodate with no pulling pressure on the seals to guarantee a leak tight seal on oversized rims. The articulated bent arms 28, 29 extend and contract with out any pressure on the seals.
The diaphragm 35 is positioned in the center of the top of the lid 1. In one embodiment, the diaphragm 35 can comprise one central section (not shown). In another embodiment, the diaphragm comprises a central section 40 surrounded by and integrally connected to an outer flange 41 that works in cooperation with the central section 40. The outer rim 42 of the outer flange 41 integrally connects to the first rim 42 of collar 43 which integrally circumscribes the diaphragm 35. The second rim 44 of collar 43 circumscribe the continuous inside rim 45 formed by bounded by the semi-circumferential lip support 31 and the top semi-circumferential vent rim 13.
The coffee lid 1 can be used for more than just the standard paper, ceramic or styrofoam coffee cups. By having different sizes of the coffee lid 1, the lid can be used on travel mugs, or even water bottles or water thermoses.
If using on a surface without a lip, such as on a travel mug (also known as a travel tumbler), which do not have the rims found on coffee cups, there is no need to include in the lid a groove for the lip.
This lid also has other applications. A larger version can be used for paint cans and other such materials.
While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
This application claims priority under 35 USC 120 to provisional application 6262/286,419 filed Jan. 24, 2016, and is incorporated in its entirety herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62286419 | Jan 2016 | US |
