Lid for a Beverage Container

This disclosure generally relates to a lid for beverage containers. More specifically, some embodiments relate to locking and assembly mechanisms and features related to a closure on a lid for beverage containers.

A lid for a beverage container may have an opening for dispensing a beverage held in the containers, and the openings may be sealed by a closure. The lid may also include a mechanism to retain the closure in a closed position to seal the opening, and the closure may only be opened to allow access to the openings when needed. A push button may be used to open the closure cleanly and easily.

Some embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a lid for a beverage container including a lid body having a spout, a flip top closure rotatably coupled to the lid body, and a lock disposed around the spout. The flip top closure can rotate between a closed position in which the closure covers the spout and an open position in which the closure does not cover the spout. The latch can move between a first position in which the latch engages with the closure in the closed position and a second position in which the latch does not engage with the closure in the closed position. The lock includes a ring and an actuator extending from the ring and accessible from a top surface of the lid body. The ring can rotate around the spout between an unlocked position in which the latch is allowed to move from the first position to the second position and a locked position in which the latch is inhibited from moving from the first position to the second position.

Some embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a lid for a beverage container including a lid body having a spout and a pair of grooves extending in a vertical direction, a flip top closure rotatably coupled to the lid body and rotatable between a closed position to cover the spout and an open position, and a button configured to be depressed in a horizontal direction. Each of the grooves includes a wider portion and a narrower portion, the wider portion being closer to the spout than the narrower portion. The button includes a latch to engage with the closure to retain the closure in the closed position and a pair of arms. Each of the arms includes a wider portion disposed within the wider portion of the groove and a narrower portion disposed within the narrower portion of the groove. The wider portion and the narrower portion of an arm form an L-shape, and the wider portion of each arm extends towards the other arm.

Some embodiments disclosed herein are directed to a lid for a beverage container including a lid body having a pair of mounts and a flip top closure rotatably coupled to the mounts to rotate between a closed position in which the closure covers a drinking opening of the lid body and an open position in which the closure does not cover the drinking opening. The closure can be retained in the closed position by a latch, and upon release of the latch, the closure is biased to automatically move to the open position by a spring. The closure is configured to be removable from the mount only when the closure is retained in an assembling position between the closed position and the open position.

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, and components have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the disclosure.

References in the specification to “some embodiments” 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, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that 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 containers to carry a variety of beverages. It is often desirable for a container to be airtight when a user is not drinking from it so that the beverage being carried will not leak. An airtight container may be achieved by covering and sealing the drinking opening of the container, for example with a closure having a seal. Sometimes, the closure is retained, for example by a latch, in a closed position to cover and seal the drinking opening, and the closure is un-latched and moved to an open position to allow access to the drinking open only when a user desires to drink from the container. A push button may be used to activate the latch to a position to release the closure to move to the open position. However, such a push button may be activated accidentally during a movement, causing unintentional opening and potentially undesirable spilling. It is therefore desirable to provide a locking mechanism to prevent accidental actuation of the push button, so that the closure stays in the closed position until a user intentionally opens the closure.

Further, because of the need to close and open the closure frequently, it is expected that a push button will be subjected to frequent pushes and releases, and the structure of the push button may gradually loosen in the direction of movement. If the direction of assembling the push button to a lid is in the same as the direction of movement of the push button, if the structure of the push button that maintains it in position within the lid loosens due to repeated actuations or other forces, the push button may become less securely attached to the lid. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an assembly of a push button and a lid, where the direction of assembly is different from the direction of the movement of the push button during use, while still being easy to assembly.

Further, a closure can be attached to a lid and when attached may be moveable between a closed position and an open position. In normal use the closure is not expected to be removed from the lid, and the attachment between the closure and the lid should be secure enough to prevent unintended detachment, while still permitting easy assembly. Therefore it is desirable to provide an attachment method that securely attaches the closure with the lid during daily uses, such as in the closed position and the open position, but also allows for easy assembly and minimizes the opportunity for unintentional detachment.

People also may prefer to drink beverages from a container in different ways. For example, some people prefer to drink beverages with a straw, and some people prefer to drink beverages directly from an opening by titling the container. Accordingly, a beverage container may include a spout having a first drinking opening and a second drinking opening, with the second opening attachable to a straw, so that a user may either drink directly from the spout by titling the container or drink by sucking through the straw.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a lid having a locking mechanism for preventing a push button from being accidentally actuated, causing potential spilling from the container and creating a mess. The lock can include a ring rotatable around the spout of the lid and behind the push button. In a locked position, a portion of the ring abuts a rear of the push button to prevent the push button from being pressed. And in an unlocked position, the ring is rotated so that a recess is behind the push button, allowing the push button to be pressed to move rearwardly and thereby un-latch the closure. The lock can also include an actuator to assist rotating the ring, and the actuator can be exposed and accessible from a top surface of the lid.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a push button that can vertically slide into a lid, such that the push button cannot be removed from the lid in the horizontal direction, which is the direction of movement when the push button is pressed. As such, the push button is less likely to detach from the lid in the horizontal direction after frequent use.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an assembly of a closure and a lid, wherein the closure is securely attached to the lid during a closed position and an open position, and the closure is allowed to be attached or detached from the lid within a predetermined range between the closed position and the open position, or an assembling position. An interface between the closure and the lid may be keyed so that the closure can only be attached at the interface when in the assembling position, between the open position and the closed position. Further, the closure can be biased towards the open position such that when not retained in the closed position (e.g., via a latch as described elsewhere) it will automatically rotate to the open position, automatically bypassing the assembling position. Thus, the closure will not be in the assembling position unless intentionally held there by an external force, and thus will not inadvertently detach from the lid. On the contrary, to detach the closure from the lid, a user has to purposefully move the closure to the assembling position. Without a user purposefully moving the closure, the closure would not stay at the assembling position by itself, thereby reducing the risk of the closure detaching from the lid unintentionally.

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

shows a beverage container having a lidaccording to some embodiments attached to a vessel, lidbeing in a closed position.shows an exploded view of lidand vesselaccording to some embodiments.shows lidin an open position according to some embodiments.is a side cross sectional view of lidtaken along plane IV shown in.

With reference to, lidcan be coupled to vesselto form a beverage container. Vesselcan be any form of vessel for holding liquid, and in some embodiments, vesselcan be a thermally insulated vessel. Vesselis shown inand omitted in other figures, but it is understood that vesselis compatible with lidshown in all figures.

Lidcan include a lid bodydefining a spoutand a closurecoupled to lid body. In some embodiments, closureis a flip top closure that rotates open and closed on lid bodyabout an axis R. In some embodiments, axis R is not aligned with a direction of extension of spout. For example, axis R can be perpendicular to a vertical axis Z of lid body, (e.g., axis R can be perpendicular to the direction of extension of spout). In some embodiments, lid bodycan be coupled to vesselto form the beverage container through an attachment mechanismon lid bodyand a corresponding attachment mechanismon vessel. In some embodiments, attachment mechanismmay be threaded connectors (as shown in), friction fit connectors, snap-fit connectors, or any other suitable releasable attachment mechanism. In some embodiments, attachment mechanismis attached over an upper exterior portion of vessel. In some embodiments, attachment mechanismis attached inside an interior portion of vessel(as shown in). The attachment of lid bodyto vesselis not limited to the arrangement shown in the figures. In some embodiments, lid bodyincludes a vessel seal memberto form a seal between lidand vessel. 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 handleis coupled to lid bodyand independently pivotable relative to lid bodyand/or closurefor easier carrying. In some embodiments, as shown, handlecan pivot about a different axis from closure. For example, handlecan pivot about an axis parallel to but offset from axis R. Handlecan include openingsto couple with postson lid body. In some embodiments, handlecan be rigid, and in some embodiments, handlecan be flexible, like a strap. In some embodiments, instead of coupled to lid body, handlecan be coupled directly to vessel.

In some embodiments, a spoutis defined on lid body, through which a user may drink a beverage contained within the beverage container.

In some embodiments, spoutis offset (e.g., toward a front of lid body) from a central vertical axis z of lid body. In some embodiments, spoutis defined by an outer wallextending from lid body. In some embodiments, outer wallextends into a rim. In some embodiments, outer wallhas a lip restthat is indented, positioned at a front of outer wall. Lip restmay allow a user to more comfortably drink from spout. In some embodiments, outer wallhas a grooveunder lip restfor accommodating a lock, which is described in more detail below.

In some embodiments, spouthas an annular shape. However, the shape of spoutis not limited to the shape shown in the figures. Rather, spoutmay have any shape sufficient to allow dispensing of a beverage from a beverage container. In some embodiments, rimof spouthas a planar shape, such that top surface of rimhas a constant height. In some embodiments, rimhas a non-planar shape, such as a curved or an angled shape. In some embodiments, rimis curved up and higher towards the front of spout.

Sometimes a user has different drinking preferences for different beverages or in different circumstances. In some embodiments, spoutis separated into a first drinking openingand a second drinking openingto provide different methods of drinking. For example, second drinking openingcan extend to a straw connectorto which a strawcan be attached, such that a user may drink the beverage through strawby sucking on second drinking opening. And first drinking openingcan be directly in fluid communication with vessel, such that a user may drink the beverage by tilting the beverage container and pouring the beverage through first drinking openingand into the user's mouth. Spouttherefore can accommodate different drinking preferences.

In some embodiments, first drinking openingis closer to a central vertical axis of spoutthan second drinking opening. In some embodiments, second drinking openingis offset from the central axis of spout. In some embodiments the central axis of spoutextends through first drinking opening. In some embodiments, second drinking openingis offset from first drinking openingtowards a front of spout. In some embodiments, first drinking openingis larger than second drinking opening. This may, for example, facilitate a user in drinking comfortably from first drinking openingand/or second drinking opening.

In some embodiments, first drinking openingand second drinking openingtogether form spout. In some embodiments, spoutincludes a separation wallto separate first drinking openingand second drinking opening, such that a first portion of outer walland separation walldefine first drinking opening, and a second portion of outer walland separation walldefine second drinking opening. In some embodiments, separation wallhas a top surface. In some embodiments, top surfaceof separation wallis lower than top surfaceof rim. In some embodiments, when rimis curved up, top surfaceof separation wallis lower than top surfaceat the front of spoutbut higher than top surfaceat the rear of spout.

Spoutmay 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).

In some embodiments, closureis coupled to lid bodyto cover and seal spout, which may include first drinking openingand second drinking opening, to inhibit dirt or debris from contacting spout. In some embodiments, closureis a flip top cap that is pivotable on lid bodyand can rotate from an open position (e.g.,) to a closed position (e.g.,) to cover and seal spout. In some embodiments, closureis pivotally coupled to lid bodythrough an attachment mechanism. In some embodiments, attachment mechanismis a pair of mountseach having a recessfor receiving a corresponding protrusionon closure. In some embodiments, attachment mechanismfurther includes a torsional springto bias closuretowards the open position (e.g.,). Attachment mechanismwill be described in more detail below.

In some embodiments, closureis retained in the closed position (e.g., as shown in) through a latch. In some embodiments, latchis a part of a button. Buttoncan be depressible, so that latchcan move in a horizontal direction (e.g., a radial direction with respect to central axis Y of lid), from a first position (e.g., away from spout) to a second position (e.g., towards spout). In some embodiments, closurehas a grooveon the inner side of wallto engage with latchto retain closurein the closed position, as shown in. Alternatively, in some embodiments, groovecan instead be a protrusion extending from the inner side of wall, also configured to engage with latch. In some embodiments, the engagement of grooveand latchresists the biasing force from a torsional springand retains closurein the closed position. In some embodiments, buttoncan be biased by a springtowards the first position (e.g., as shown in), where latchmaintains engagement with groove, and buttononly moves to the second position when it is pressed. When buttonis pressed to move to the second position (shown in phantom in), latch, as part of button, moves in the horizontal direction towards spoutto disengage groove, so that closureis released from the closed position and can move to the open position. In some embodiments, because closureis biased by springtowards the open position, once latchdisengages groove, closureautomatically rotates to the open position.

To prevent buttonfrom being accidentally pressed, a lockis provided. In some embodiments, lockis disposed behind buttonand movable from a locked position (e.g., as shown in) and an unlocked position (e.g., as shown in). In the locked position, button, and therefore latch, is inhibited to move from the first position to the second position. In the unlocked position, button, and therefore latch, is allowed to move to the second position (shown in phantom in). In some embodiments, lockis disposed between buttonand spout. In some embodiments, lockis disposed around spoutto rotate between the locked position and the unlocked position.

As shown in, lockcan include a ringand an actuatorextending from ring. In some embodiments, spouthas a radial groove(see, e.g.,) defined on outer wall, and ringis disposed within groove, so that ringcan rotate around spout. Part of groovecan face button, such that part of ringis disposed between buttonand spout. In some embodiments, actuatoris exposed and therefore accessible to a user from a top surfaceof lid body. In some embodiments, actuatoris disposed behind closure. A user may grip actuatorto rotate ring, thereby moving it between the locked and unlocked positions.

In the embodiment shown in, ringincludes a recessdefined on outer side. When lockis at the locked position as shown in, ringextends between buttonand spout, thereby preventing buttonfrom moving to the second position towards spout. A portion of lockforms a mechanical block impeding such motion, such that if buttonwere pressed while lockis in the locked position, the blocking portion of lockwould prevent its inward movement at least enough to prevent closurefrom un-latching.

In some embodiments, outer sideof ringmay abut a rear surfaceof buttonin the locked position, such that there is no space between ringand rear surface. In some embodiments, outer sidemay not abut rear surfaceof buttonin the locked position, but the space between outer sideand rear surfaceis small enough that buttoncannot move into the second position where latchcan disengage closure. In the locked position, recessdoes not align with button. For example, as shown in, recessis partially rotated to a side of button.

When lockis at the unlocked position, as shown in, ringis rotated to a position where recessaligns with button, so that buttoncan move to the second position (shown in phantom). In some embodiments, buttonmoves into recessto reach the second position. The recessshould be large enough and deep enough so that buttoncan move to second position where latchcan disengage closure. In some embodiments, the shape of recessmatches the shape of an accommodated rear portion of button, as shown in. In some embodiments, recessis larger than the accommodated rear portion of button.

An alternative embodiment of lockis shown inas lock. Lockis similar to lock, except for that ringincludes a tabon outer side. In the locked position, tabis positioned between buttonand spoutto inhibit buttonto move to the second position. In some embodiments, tabmay abut a rear surfaceof buttonin the locked position, such that there is no space between taband rear surface. In some embodiments, tabmay not abut rear surfacein the locked position, but the space between taband rear surfaceis small enough so that buttoncannot move to second position where latchcan disengage closure.

In the unlocked position, tabis rotated away to a position not behind button, and the rest of outer sidefunctions similar to recessto allow buttonto move to the second position.

In some embodiments, ringcan be opened in a pre-assembly configuration, as shown in. Ringcan have a first endand a second end. To assemble ringonto spout, ringin the pre-assembly configuration shown inis wrapped around spout(e.g., around and within groove), and first endis connected to second endto thereby convert it into its assembled configuration around spout. The connection between first endand second endcan be any suitable mechanism, such as a snapping mechanism or a latching mechanism. For example, as shown in, first endcan be clipped onto second endthrough a pinto close ring. To disassemble ringfrom spout, first endis disconnected from second end, such as by releasing first endfrom pin, and first endand second endare pulled away from each other to open ring. In some embodiments, ringis flexible, so that when first endand second endare pulled away from each other, the entire ringdeflects and expands to disassemble from spout. It is understood that ringcan be opened in the same way and have the same structure as first endand second end.

An inner sideof ringcan include detents to engage with protrusions extending from spout. The engagement between detents and protrusions can provide a slight resistant force to retain ringin the locked position or the unlocked position, so that ringcannot be accidentally moved out of the locked position or the unlocked position. Additionally, it can also provide feedback (e.g., a sound or a tactile feeling) to indicate to the user that ringhas reached the locked position or the unlocked position.

For example, as shown in, ringcan have a first pair of detentsand a second pair of detentson inner side, and outer wallof spoutcan have a pair of protrusions. In the locked position (e.g.,), first pair of detentsengage with protrusions, and in the unlocked position (e.g.,), second pair of detentsengage with protrusions. In some embodiments, ringcan be tightly fit around spout, such that there is no space between inner sideof ringand outer wallof spout. In some embodiments, ringcan be more loosely fit around spout, such that some space is kept between inner sideand outer wall; however, detents,and protrusionsare deep enough to engage with each other despite of the space between sideand outer wall. It is understood that ringcan have the same detents,for engaging with protrusions. In order to move lockfrom the locked position and the unlocked position, for example, a force is applied enough to overcome the engagement between detentsand protrusions, causing ringto flex over protrusions(e.g., expand radially) to get out of the locked position. When locktravels to the unlocked position, ringsnaps into place as detentsreaching protrusions, which can cause the sound or tactile feedback to indicate to a user that lockhas reached the unlocked position.

Actuatorcan extend from ringand configured to be gripped onto by a user or manipulated by a finger, like a switch. In some embodiments, actuatorextends from first end. In some embodiments, actuatorhas an elongated shape, like a bar. However, it is understood that actuatorcan have any alternative shapes suitable for a user to grip onto, such as a knob. Actuatormay be partially formed of thermoplastic elastomer to dampen the sound and impact of closureas it opens under the force of springor under pressure from a pressurized beverage. It is understood that actuatordescribed above is also applicable to ring

To improve accessibility of actuator, actuatorcan be exposed on top surfaceof lid body. In some embodiments, actuatoris located behind closure, as shown in. Additionally, in some embodiments, top surfacecan include a recessthat is lower than the rest of top surface, and actuatoris accommodated within recess. This way, actuatordoes not extend above top surface, which can help prevent unintended actuation of actuator. For example, as shown in, actuatoris located within recess, and it does not extend above, or it is lower than, a rimof recess. Whileshows an unlocked position, it is understood that in the locked position, actuatoris similarly located within recess.

In some embodiments, top surfacecan also include a locked signand an unlocked signas shown in, which are located to align with actuatorin the locked position and the unlocked position, respectively. Locked signand unlocked signcan provide visual indication to the user of the status of lock.

Lockmay 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).

In some embodiments, a seal memberis coupled to closureto seal spout, which can include first drinking openingand second drinking opening. In some embodiments, seal memberis removably coupled to a seal mountdefined on top wallof closure. In some embodiments, seal memberis larger than spout, so that it can at least partially enclose rimof spoutwhen closureis in the closed position. As shown in, in some embodiments, seal memberincludes a sealing portionextending radially inward. In some embodiments, sealing portionis the only portion of seal memberthat contacts spoutwhen closureis in the closed position. In some embodiments, a gapis defined between seal memberand separation wallseparating first drinking openingand second drinking opening. Gapallows fluid communication between first drinking openingand second drinking opening, so that when spoutis unsealed, pressure within first drinking openingand second drinking openingis balanced to prevent beverage being forced out of spoutdo due increased pressure.

Seal membermay be formed of a food-grade material suitable to seal spout. In some embodiments, seal membermay be formed of a resilient material (e.g., silicone). In some embodiments, seal membermay be formed of a material more resilient than the material of spout.

Another aspect of present disclosure is related to a structure and method of assembling buttononto lid bodyin an easy-to-assemble manner that has improved security and resistance to inadvertent disassembly. As described above, buttoncan be pressed to move in the horizontal direction from the first position to the second position (see, e.g.,). If buttonis also assembled to lid bodyin the same horizontal direction, the repeated movements could cause the structure of buttonto loosen over time or if subject to an unexpectedly large impact or other unintended forces, and buttonmay more easily inadvertently detach from lid bodyin the horizontal direction. Instead, some embodiments include a button assembly structure and method whereby buttonis assembled to lid bodyin a vertical direction, which allows for more secure structural features preventing detachment in a horizontal direction, such that the likelihood of buttondetaching from lid bodyin the horizontal direction can be reduced.

In some embodiments, lid bodycan include a pair of button groovesvertically extending from top surface. Button groovescan be located under spoutas shown in. Buttoncan vertically slide into button grooves. In some embodiments, once assembled, spoutabove button groovescan resist the movement of buttonin the vertical direction out of button grooves, because buttoncan snap in below an upper wall of a button recessformed on outer wallof spout(see, e.g.,).

As shown in, each of button groovesincludes a wider portionand a narrower portion, with wider portionbeing closer to spoutthan narrower portion. Buttoncan have two armson the rear side, each having a wider portiondisposed within wider portionof button groovesand a narrower portiondisposed within narrower portionof button grooves. Armscan be disposed under latch, as shown in, so that when armsare disposed within button grooves, latchremains above button groovesand under spout.

In some embodiments, wider portionextends from the end of armonly laterally inwards and facing toward the other arm. For example, as shown in, wider portioninwardly extending to forms an L-shape with narrower portion. Wider portionalso overlaps with the groove wall of narrower portionin the radial direction along axis Y, the interference of which can resist buttonfrom moving outwardly in the radial direction along axis Y. In some embodiments, for example, wider portionof armsis larger than narrower portionof button groovesby 20% to 100%, such as 25% to 40%, or 50% to 70%, so that the overlap between wider portionand the groove wall of narrower portionresists buttonfrom moving outwardly in the radial direction along axis Y. Further, the width of groovescan be the same or slightly larger than the width of arms, so that the inner walls of groovescan resist armsfrom flexing laterally within grooves.

When assembling buttononto lid body, wider portionof armsis aligned with wider portionof button grooves, and narrower portionof armsis aligned with narrower portionof button grooves, and then armsvertically slide into button grooves. Wider portionof armscannot pass through narrower portionof button grooves, such that buttoncannot be assembled in the horizontal direction by moving wider portionof armsthrough narrower portionof button grooves. This therefore reduces the likelihood that buttondetached from lid bodyin the horizontal direction.