Cap Assemblies and Drink Containers Including the Same

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/837,471, which was filed on Jun. 10, 2022, and which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/209,275, which was filed on Jun. 10, 2021, and the complete disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

The present disclosure is directed generally to drink containers, and more particularly to cap assemblies thereof.

Drink containers for carrying a volume of potable drink liquid often include a liquid vessel, which is configured to contain a volume of potable drink liquid and a cap assembly that is removably coupled to the liquid vessel. In many examples, the cap assembly includes a drink outlet, such as a valved outlet, for dispensing the potable drink liquid. Such drink outlets typically are unsuitable for refilling the liquid vessel via the drink outlet. Accordingly, in many prior art examples of drink containers with removable cap assemblies, it generally is preferred and/or necessary to partially or fully remove the cap assembly from the liquid vessel to refill the liquid vessel with the potable drink liquid, such as via the neck of the liquid vessel. Removing and reattaching these cap assemblies in this manner usually requires two hands, being that the user often must hold the liquid vessel with one hand while using the other hand to disengage or reengage the cap assembly. Moreover, a user often must properly index the cap assembly with the neck of the liquid vessel when reattaching the cap assembly after refilling the liquid vessel, which requires attention and some level of dexterity. This process can cause problems and/or be time consuming in circumstances in which the user's hands are numb and/or experiencing reduced dexterity, for example, during a running race.

Cap assemblies and drink containers including the cap assemblies are disclosed herein. The cap assemblies include a base portion that is configured to be selectively coupled to a neck of a liquid vessel to sealingly mate with the neck of the liquid vessel. The base portion includes a base opening. The cap assemblies further include a cover portion that includes a drink outlet. The cover portion is pivotally coupled to the base portion to selectively transition the cover portion between a closed configuration and an open configuration. When the cover portion is in the closed configuration with the cap assembly operatively coupled to the liquid vessel, the cover portion is configured to channel liquid to flow from the internal compartment through the base opening and to the drink outlet. When the cover portion is in the closed configuration with the cap assembly operatively coupled to the liquid vessel, the cover portion restricts liquid from being dispensed from the cap assembly through the base opening other than through the drink outlet. When the cover portion is in the open configuration with the cap assembly operatively coupled to the liquid vessel, the cover portion is pivoted away from the base portion and permits liquid to be dispensed from the cap assembly through the base opening and without passing through the drink outlet. The liquid vessel includes a neck with a neck opening and an internal compartment configured to hold a volume of potable drink liquid.

illustrate examples of cap assembliesand drink containerscomprising cap assembliesaccording to the present disclosure. Elements that serve a similar, or at least substantially similar, purpose are labeled with like numbers in each of, and these elements may not be discussed in detail herein with reference to each of. Similarly, all elements may not be labeled in each of, but reference numbers associated therewith may be utilized herein for consistency. Elements, components, and/or features that are discussed herein with reference to one or more ofmay be included in and/or utilized with the subject matter of any ofwithout departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In general, elements that are likely to be included in a given (i.e., a particular) embodiment are illustrated in solid lines, while elements that are optional to a given embodiment are illustrated in dash-dot lines. However, elements that are shown in solid lines are not essential to all embodiments, and an element shown in solid lines may be omitted from a given embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Dot-dashed lines are utilized to indicate various virtual features (e.g., dimensions, directions, etc.), and these virtual features may or may not be optional to the illustrated embodiment.

schematically represent examples of cap assembliesand drink containersthat include cap assemblies. As shown, drink containersinclude cap assemblyand a liquid vessel. Liquid vesselincludes a neckwith a neck opening, and liquid vesselfurther includes an internal compartmentthat is configured to hold a volume of potable drink liquid. Non-exclusive examples of potable drink liquids that may be used in drink containersaccording to the present disclosure include water, juice, sport drinks, soft drinks, and the like.

Cap assemblyis configured to be selectively coupled to liquid vesselsuch that the potable drink liquid may be dispensed from internal compartmentvia cap assembly. In particular, cap assemblyincludes a base portionconfigured to be selectively coupled to neckof liquid vessel, such as to sealingly mate with the neck of liquid vessel. Base portionincludes a base openingsuch that the potable drink liquid from internal compartmentmay flow into cap assemblyvia neck openingand base opening. When cap assemblysealingly mates with neckof liquid vessel, potable drink liquid within internal compartmentmay flow from the internal compartment into the cap assembly via neck openingand base openingwithout leaking from the internal compartment between neckand base portion.

Base portionfurther comprises a cover portionthat includes a drink outletthrough which the potable drink liquid may be dispensed from the cover portion. Cover portionis pivotally coupled to base portionto selectively transition the cover portion between a closed configuration(such as schematically illustrated in) and an open configuration(such as schematically illustrated in). Cover portionmay be pivotally coupled to base portionvia any suitable mechanism, linkage, or other physical connection. As discussed in more detail herein, an example of such a suitable structure is a hinge, but others may be utilized. As used herein, the open and closed configurations of the cover portion additionally or alternatively may be referred to as the open and closed configurations of cap assemblyand/or of drink container.

Examples of cap assemblieswith cover portionin the closed and open configurations are schematically illustrated in, respectively. As shown in, when cover portionis in closed configurationwith cap assemblyoperatively coupled to liquid vessel, the cover portion is configured to channel liquid to flow from internal compartmentthrough base openingand to drink outlet. As also shown in, when cover portionis in closed configurationwith cap assemblyoperatively coupled to liquid vessel, the cover portion restricts liquid from being dispensed from the cap assembly through base openingother than through drink outlet. In contrast, and as shown in, when cover portionis in open configurationwith cap assemblyoperatively coupled to liquid vessel, the cover portion is pivoted away from base portionand permits liquid to be dispensed from the cap assembly through base openingand without passing through drink outlet. Stated differently, in the closed configuration, cap assemblyis configured such that the potable drink liquid sequentially passes through base openingand drink outletwhen the potable drink liquid is dispensed from drink containervia drink outlet, but not when the cap assembly is in the open configuration. In the closed configuration, cover portionadditionally or alternatively may be described as being pivoted away from base opening, and due to the pivotal connection between the base portion and the cover portion, complete separation of these components is not required.

Cap assembliesfurther may include a hingethat operatively couples cover portionto base portionsuch that cover portionis configured to pivot relative to base portion. In particular, hingemay be configured to permit cover portionto pivot relative to base portion, about hinge, to transition cover portionbetween closed configurationand open configuration. In some examples, hingecouples cover portionto base portionsuch that cover portionis configured to pivot relative to base portionabout a pivot axis, which may extend through hinge.

When cover portionis in the closed configuration, cover portionadditionally or alternatively may be described as at least partially restricting liquid from being dispensed from cap assemblythrough base portionvia base opening. Stated differently, when cover portionis in closed configurationwith cap assemblyoperatively coupled to liquid vessel, cover portionat least substantially covers base openingsuch that liquid is restricted to being dispensed from liquid vesselonly through both of base portionand cover portion. More specifically, when cover portionis in the closed configuration with cap assemblyoperatively coupled to liquid vessel, the cover portion may operate to restrict the potable drink liquid from being introduced into or dispensed from liquid vesselother than via drink outlet.

When cover portionis in open configuration, at least a portion of the cover portion is spaced apart from base portionto permit liquid to flow through the base portion via base openingand without passing through drink outlet. More specifically, when cover portionis in open configurationwith cap assemblyoperatively coupled to liquid vessel, cover portionis pivoted away from base portionso as to permit the potable drink liquid to be introduced into or dispensed from liquid vesselvia base openingwithout flowing through drink outlet. In this manner, cap assemblyenables the potable drink liquid to be dispensed via drink outletwhen cover portionis in closed configuration, and cap assemblyenables the potable drink liquid to be introduced into and/or dispensed from liquid vesselrapidly via base openingwhen cover portionis in the open configuration.

Accordingly, cap assembliesaccording to the present disclosure may permit liquid vesselto be filled or refilled with the potable drink liquid while cap assemblyremains operatively coupled to neck. As discussed in more detail herein, cap assemblymay be configured such that cover portioncan be transitioned between closed configurationand open configurationin a single-handed operation. This is unlike many prior art drink containers where it is generally necessary to remove the cap assembly from the liquid vessel to refill the liquid vessel, and removal of the cap assembly from the liquid vessel typically requires two hands.

In some examples, the respective roles and/or functionalities of base openingand of drink outletmay be characterized with reference to respective dimensions thereof. For example, and as schematically illustrated in, base openingmay be characterized in terms of a base opening diameterthereof, and drink outletmay be characterized in terms of a drink outlet diameterthereof. Accordingly, a ratio of base opening diameterto drink outlet diametermay at least partially characterize a typical, or maximum, flow rate of the potable drink liquid through base openingrelative to that through drink outlet. For example, configuring cap assemblysuch that base opening diameteris greater than drink outlet diametermay enhance a capacity of cap assemblyto accept the potable drink liquid into liquid vesselvia base openingat a faster rate than a rate at which the potable drink liquid may flow through drink outlet. The ratio of base opening diameterto drink outlet diameterthus may be any of a variety of ratios that correspond to and/or enable this increased flow capacity, examples of which include at least 1.5:1, at least 2:1, at least 2.5:1, at least 3:1, at least 3.5:1, at least 4:1, at least 4.5:1, at most 5:1, at most 4.25:1, at most 3.75:1, at most 3.25:1, at most 2.75:1, at most 2.25:1, and/or at most 1.75:1.

Cover portionmay include and/or support any of a variety of structures and/or components to define and/or interface with drink outlet. In some examples, cover portionincludes an outlet spoutthat extends away from base portionwhen cover portionis in the closed configurationand that at least partially defines drink outlet. In some such examples, outlet spoutis at least substantially cylindrical. However, this is not required of all examples of cap assembly, and it additionally is within the scope of the present disclosure that outlet spoutmay have any of a variety of shapes. As examples, outlet spoutalso may have a shape that is at least partially, and optionally completely, polygonal, frusto-conical, cylindrical, generally cylindrical, circular, and/or elliptical, and/or may have any other suitable shape and/or cross-section, such as ergonomic shapes that facilitate comfortable engagement with a user's mouth for drinking potable drink liquid from drink containerdirectly through outlet spout. When present, outlet spoutmay be formed of any of a variety of materials, examples of which include a rigid material, a semi-rigid material, a flexible material, a resiliently deformable material, a polymer, a plastic, silicone, and/or combinations thereof.

In some examples, cap assemblymay be configured such that the potable drink liquid may be freely dispensed from drink outletand/or outlet spoutwhen cover portionis in the closed configuration. By this it is meant that outlet spoutmay not include a valve that restricts or prevents flow of the drink liquid through outlet spout. However, in other embodiments, outlet spoutmay include such a valve, such as a manual valve or a pressure-actuated valve that selectively restricts drink fluid from being dispensed through the drink outlet. Additionally or alternatively, cap assemblymay include and/or be configured to couple to a drink nozzle. In other words, drink nozzlemay be a component of cap assembly, or drink nozzlemay be an accessory that is utilized in conjunction with cap assembly. When drink nozzleis included in and/or coupled to cap assembly, drink nozzleis configured to channel liquid from and/or regulate the flow of liquid through drink outlet. Accordingly, drink nozzlemay be configured to fluidly couple to drink outlet, at least partially define drink outlet, and/or be sealingly attached to cover portionabout drink outlet.

Cap assemblyfurther may include a nozzle couplerthat is configured to selectively couple drink nozzleto cover portion. More specifically, nozzle couplermay be configured to sealingly couple drink nozzleto cover portionabout (i.e., on or around) drink outletwith drink nozzlein fluid communication with drink outlet. In other words, nozzle couplermay be configured to couple drink nozzleto cover portionsuch that liquid that exits drink outletflows into and/or through drink nozzle. Nozzle couplerand drink nozzlemay be configured to operatively couple with one another in any suitable manner. Examples of suitable mechanisms by which nozzle couplerand drink nozzlemay couple with one another include a friction-fit coupling, a threaded coupling, a twist-lock coupling, a bayonet lock coupling, a socket coupling, a quick disconnect coupling, an annular snap-fit coupling, and/or combinations thereof.

Nozzle couplerand drink nozzlemay be configured to selectively and repeatedly couple to and decouple from one another without damage or destruction to cap assemblyand/or drink nozzle. Nozzle couplerand drink nozzlealso may be configured to selectively couple with one another in a manner that retains drink nozzlein fluid connection with drink outlet. Typically, one of nozzle couplerand drink nozzleincludes a male portion of the coupling and the other of nozzle couplerand drink nozzleincludes a corresponding female portion of the coupling. As discussed in more detail herein, in some examples, drink nozzleand nozzle couplereach include a male and female portion of the coupling.

Nozzle couplermay be included in and/or disposed on or along cover portionin any suitable manner. Typically, nozzle coupleris included in and/or disposed along cover portionabout or surrounding drink outlet. More specifically, cover portionmay include an internal-facing surfacethat faces internal compartmentin closed configuration, an external-facing surfaceopposed to internal-facing surface, and an annular surfacethat extends between internal-facing surfaceand external-facing surface. Annular surfacealso may extend circumferentially about or may include drink outlet. In other words, annular surfacemay at least partially define drink outlet. Nozzle couplermay be included in, disposed along, and/or defined along any one or more of internal-facing surface, external-facing surface, and annular surface. For examples in which nozzle coupleris included, defined, or disposed along internal-facing surfaceand/or external-facing surface, nozzle couplermay be included, defined, or disposed along a region, for example an annular region, of internal-facing surfaceand/or external-facing surfacethat is proximate to, or immediately proximate to annular surface.

For examples in which cover portionincludes outlet spout, outlet spoutmay be, be included in, and/or form at least a portion of nozzle coupler. Additionally or alternatively, nozzle couplermay be disposed along outlet spout. More specifically, outlet spoutincludes a spout interior surfacethat may be continuous with or included in annular surfaceand a spout exterior surfacethat is opposed to spout interior surface. Spout exterior surfacemay be continuous with or define a portion of external-facing surface. Accordingly, nozzle couplermay be included in, disposed along, or form a portion of spout exterior surfaceand/or spout interior surface.

In some examples, drink nozzleincludes a male portionthat extends within, and optionally engages, spout interior surfaceand/or annular surfacewhen drink nozzleis coupled to cover portion. Additionally or alternatively, male portionof drink nozzlemay extend through spout interior surfaceand/or annular surfaceand engage internal-facing surfaceof cover portionwhen drink nozzleis coupled to cover portion. Drink nozzleadditionally or alternatively may include a female portionthat engages spout exterior surfacewhen drink nozzleis coupled to cover portion.

Nozzle couplerand drink nozzlealso may include one or more sealing interfaces, or annular interfaces, that sealingly contact one another when nozzle couplerand drink nozzleare coupled to one another and that seal drink nozzleabout drink outlet. For example, one of drink nozzleand nozzle couplermay include a resilient sealing member (e.g., an O-ring) and the other of drink nozzleand nozzle couplermay include a sealing surface that the resilient sealing member seals against. As a more specific example, drink nozzlemay include a resilient annular sealing member that is secured to or forms a portion of male portionand is configured to seal against annular surfaceand/or spout interior surfaceand/or a resilient sealing member that is secured to or forms a portion of female portionand is configured to seal against spout exterior surface.

As a more specific example, drink nozzlemay be or include an outlet valvethat is configured to selectively restrict a flow of the potable drink liquid from drink outlet. Outlet valvemay include and/or be any of a variety of valves, examples of which include a bite-actuated valve, a self-sealing valve, a slit diaphragm valve, a manually-actuated valve, a push-pull valve, a rotary valve, a barrel valve, etc. When present, outlet valvemay be formed of any of a variety of materials, examples of which include a rigid material, a semi-rigid material, a flexible material, a resiliently deformable material, a polymer, a plastic, silicone, and/or combinations thereof.

In examples in which cover portionincludes outlet spout, outlet valvemay be configured to be operatively coupled to outlet spoutduring operative use of cap assembly. In other words, outlet spoutmay define nozzle couplerfor outlet valve. In particular, in some such examples, outlet valveis configured to be selectively and repeatedly removed from and operatively coupled to outlet spoutwithout damage to cap assembly, such as to facilitate cleaning the outlet valve and/or the outlet spout and/or replacing the outlet valve. As discussed in more detail herein, outlet valvemay include male portionand/or female portion.

In some examples, drink nozzleincludes a drink tubethat extends away from cap assemblywhen drink tubeis operatively coupled to cover portion. Drink tubemay include a flexible, rigid, and/or semi-rigid liquid conduit through which the potable drink liquid may be dispensed to the user. Drink tubemay have a first end that is configured to be operatively coupled to cap assemblyat drink outlet, outlet spout, and/or via nozzle coupler. In particular, the first end of drink tubemay include male portionand/or female portion, as discussed herein. Drink tubealso may include a second end that is distal to the first end and through which liquid is dispensed to the user. In some examples, the second end of drink tubeincludes, or is configured to be coupled to, outlet valve. In some such examples, the second end of drink tubeincludes a valve couplerthat is configured to selectively couple to outlet valve, for example, in a manner similar to that discussed herein for nozzle coupler. In some examples, valve coupleris configured, dimensioned, and/or formed similarly to at least a portion of outlet spout, such that outlet valvemay be coupled to valve couplerand to outlet spoutin a similar manner.

In some examples, cap assemblyis configured to interchangeably couple to a plurality of drink nozzles. In other words, cap assemblymay include a plurality of drink nozzlesand/or may be configured to be utilized in conjunction with a plurality of drink nozzles. As a more specific example, cap assemblymay include or be configured to be utilized in conjunction with drink tubeand outlet valve. In some such examples, during operative use of cap assembly, one of drink tubeand outlet valveis directly coupled to nozzle couplerand the other of drink tubeand outlet valveis detached from nozzle coupler.

With continued reference to, when cover portionis in closed configurationwith cap assemblyoperatively coupled to liquid vessel, cover portionmay operate to restrict the potable drink liquid from being introduced into or dispensed from the liquid vessel other than via drink outlet. Accordingly, in some examples, cap assemblyincludes a sealing structurethat forms a liquid-tight seal between base portionand cover portionwhen cover portionis in closed configuration. In this manner, sealing structureoperates to ensure that any potable drink liquid that passes through base portionand/or base openingis restricted and/or prevented from escaping cap assemblyother than via drink outlet.

When cover portionis in the closed configuration, sealing structuremay operate to form a seal that is liquid-tight against an elevated hydrostatic pressure of the potable drink liquid, such as may be produced when liquid vesselis intentionally or unintentionally squeezed and/or compressed. As more specific examples, sealing structuremay be configured such that, when cover portionis in closed configuration, sealing structureforms a seal that is liquid-tight against an internal fluid static pressure that is at least 5 pounds per square inch (psi) (34.5 kilopascals (kPa)), at least 10 psi (68.9 kPa), at least 15 psi (103.4 kPa), at most 20 psi (137.9 kPa), at most 12 psi (82.7 kPa), and/or at most 7 psi (48.3 kPa). In such examples, a threshold internal fluid static pressure at which sealing structureceases to form a liquid-tight seal may be referred to as a cracking pressure of sealing structure. In examples in which cap assemblyincludes outlet valve, the cracking pressure of sealing structuremay be greater than a cracking pressure of outlet valve. In particular, such a configuration may ensure that any increase in the internal pressure of the potable drink liquid that is sufficient to overcome a liquid-tight seal formed by cap assemblycauses the potable drink liquid to escape the cap assembly preferentially via outlet valverather than via a region between base portionand cover portion.

Sealing structuremay include any of a variety of components and/or features for forming a liquid-tight seal when cover portionis in the closed configuration. In some examples, base portionincludes a base portion sealing surface, and cover portionincludes a cover portion sealing surfacesuch that sealing structureincludes base portion sealing surfaceand cover portion sealing surface. In such examples, when cover portionis in closed configuration, base portion sealing surfaceseals against cover portion sealing surfaceto form the liquid-tight seal.

When present, base portion sealing surfaceand cover portion sealing surfaceeach may have any suitable respective component(s) and/or form(s) for forming the liquid-tight seal. For example, as perhaps best seen in, base portionmay include a sealing lipthat includes or defines at least some of base portion sealing surface. Sealing lipmay extend circumferentially about base openingand extend towards cover portion, at least when cover portionis in the closed configuration. Stated differently, sealing lipmay be an annular ridge and/or protrusion that surrounds base openingand that extends toward and engages cover portion sealing surfaceat least when cover portionis in the closed configuration. In such examples, sealing lipmay correspond to a portion and/or a region of base portionthat is integrally formed with and/or monolithic with at least a portion of a remainder of base portion. In such examples, base portionmay be described as defining sealing lip. In other examples, sealing lipmay include and/or be a component that is formed separately from, and/or operatively coupled to, at least a portion of the remainder of the base portion.

Additionally or alternatively, cover portionmay include sealing lipthat protrudes from internal-facing surfacetowards base portion, at least when cover portionis in closed configuration. In such examples, sealing lipof cover portionincludes or defines at least some of cover portion sealing surface. Sealing lipof cover portionmay extend circumferentially about base openingwhen cover portionis in closed configuration. In other words, sealing lipmay be positioned over and have a wider diameter than base opening.

Base portionand/or cover portionmay comprise a respective sealing gasketthat is configured to resiliently deform when cover portionis pivoted towards closed configurationand brought into contact with base portion. Sealing gasketmay include and/or be any suitable form of resilient sealing component, for example, a rubber sealing component, a silicone sealing component, an O-ring, a sealing gasket that is at least partially flat, a sealing component that extends toward base portionwhen sealing gasketforms a portion of or is secured to cover portion, and/or a sealing component that extends toward cover portionwhen sealing gasketforms a portion of or is secured to base portion.

For examples in which base portionincludes sealing gasket, sealing gasketincludes and/or defines at least some of base portion sealing surface. Likewise, for examples in which cover portionincludes sealing gasket, sealing gasketincludes or defines at least some of cover portion sealing surface. In either case, sealing gasketmay extend circumferentially about base openingwhen cover portionis in closed configuration, such as to form a liquid-tight seal across a full circumferential extent of base portion sealing surfaceand cover portion sealing surface.

For examples in which base portionand cover portioneach include a respective sealing gasket, sealing gasketsmay be configured to seal against one another when cover portionis in closed configuration. For examples in which one of base portionand cover portionincludes sealing lipand the other of base portionand cover portionincludes sealing gasket, sealing gasketmay be positioned to engage, resiliently deform, and seal against sealing lipwhen cover portionis in closed configuration.

Cover portionand/or base portionmay be configured to engage and/or support the respective sealing gasketin any suitable manner. For example, when cover portionand/or base portionincludes sealing gasket, cover portionand/or base portionfurther may include a sealing gasket receiverthat receives at least a portion of sealing gasketduring operative use of cap assembly. Sealing gasket receivermay be or include any suitable structure for receiving and/or engaging sealing gasket, examples of which include a groove, a channel, and/or a recess formed in and/or defined by cover portionor base portion. In some such examples, sealing gasketis frictionally received within sealing gasket receiverduring operative use of cap assembly. Additionally or alternatively, sealing gasketmay be supported and/or maintained within sealing gasket receiverat least partially via a mechanical coupling (e.g., by stretching sealing gasketover a catch structure formed by sealing gasket receiver) and/or via an adhesive coupling.

In some examples, sealing gasketis configured to be selectively and repeatedly removed from and replaced into sealing gasket receiverwithout damage to the cover portion sealing surface. In this manner, sealing structuremay be configured such that sealing gasketmay be selectively removed from sealing gasket receiver, such as to facilitate cleaning and/or replacement of sealing gasket.

With continued reference to, hingemay include any of a variety of components and/or features for facilitating and/or enabling cover portionto transition between the closed configuration and the open configuration. In some examples, hingeconstrains cover portionto travel along a predefined cover path as the cover portion transitions between the closed configuration and the open configuration. Additionally or alternatively, hingemay constrain cover portionto travel along a cover path that extends within a predefined cover path plane as cover portiontransitions between closed configurationand open configuration. Hingeconstraining the cover path of cover portionin this manner may enable cover portionto move along the cover path even responsive to indirect forces or forces that are not directly along the cover path. Accordingly, cover portionmay be transitioned from open configurationto closed configurationwithout a user needing to guide cover portion, which may allow for one-handed operation of cap assembly. Such configurations may be described as contrasting with a configuration in which cover portionis operatively coupled to base portionvia a flexible tether that does not constrain the cover portion to travel along a predefined cover path and/or within a predefined cover path plane.

Hingemay be configured such that pivot axishas any suitable orientation relative to base portionand/or cover portion. In some examples, pivot axisextends at least substantially parallel to a plane defined by base opening. Additionally or alternatively, pivot axismay extend at least partially through base portionand cover portion. Hingemay include a hinge pinthat extends along and/or defines pivot axis. In some such examples, hinge pinextends at least partially through each of base portionand cover portion. Accordingly, in such examples, hinge pinmay be described as at least partially operatively coupling cover portionto base portion.

In some examples, hingemay be configured to at least partially restrict pivotal motion of cover portionrelative to base portion. For example, hingeand/or hinge pinmay be configured to produce a frictional force that at least partially restricts cover portionfrom pivoting relative to base portionother than as a result of an intentional action by the user. Stated differently, when cover portionis in open configuration, hingemay be configured to at least partially restrict the cover portion from pivoting relative to base portionand/or to at least partially retain the cover portion in open configuration. In this manner, hingealso may function to maintain cover portionin open configurationand/or at a given (i.e., a particular) angular orientation relative to base portion, such as to restrict cover portionfrom inadvertently transitioning toward the closed configuration while liquid vesselis being filled via base opening.

Hingealso may be configured to restrict cover portionfrom pivoting beyond a threshold open angle with respect to base portionwhen cover portionis in open configuration. More specifically, cover portionmay pivot in a first directionfrom closed configurationto open configurationand in a second directionfrom open configurationto closed configuration. Hingemay be configured to restrict cover portionfrom pivoting in first directionbeyond the threshold open angle, which may be measured between a plane defined by base openingand a plane defined by drink outlet. As examples, the threshold open angle may be at least 90°, at least 120°, at least 130°, at least 140°, at least 150°, at least 160°, at least 170°, at least 180°, at least 200°, at least 220°, at most 120°, at most 130°, at most 140°, at most 150°, at most 160°, at most 170°, at most 180°, at most 200°, at most 220°, and/or at most 270°.

In some examples, hingeis configured such that pivot axisremains nominally fully stationary relative to base portionand/or cover portionas the cover portion transitions between the closed configuration and the open configuration. In particular, this may be the case in examples in which hinge pinextends at least partially through each of base portionand cover portion. However, this is not required of all examples of hinge, and it additionally is within the scope of the present disclosure that pivot axismay shift relative to base portionand/or cover portionas the cover portion transitions between the closed configuration and the open configuration. Additionally or alternatively, in some examples, hingemay include and/or be a living hinge, and/or may be configured such that at least a portion of the hinge is integrally formed with base portionand/or with cover portion. Hingealso may include a plurality of hinge pinsabout which cover portionpivots relative to base portion. Hingeadditionally or alternatively may be referred to as a hinge assemblyand/or a hinge mechanismand, as discussed, may include one or more component parts.

As further shown in, cap assemblymay include various components and/or features for selectively maintaining cover portionin closed configurationand/or for selectively restricting cover portionfrom being transitioned to open configuration. In particular, cap assemblymay include a closure mechanismconfigured to selectively maintain cover portionin closed configuration. Closure mechanismmay be configured to operate in any of a variety of manners. For example, closure mechanismmay be configured to transition between an engaged configuration, in which the closure mechanism maintains cover portionin closed configuration, and a disengaged configuration, in which cover portionis free to transition from closed configurationto open configuration.

Closure mechanismmay be biased toward the engaged configuration at least when cover portionis in closed configuration. Stated differently, closure mechanismmay be configured such that closure mechanismautomatically transitions toward and/or to the engaged configuration when cover portionis in closed configuration. In some examples, closure mechanismadditionally may be configured to transition to the engaged configuration automatically when cover portiontransitions from the open configuration to the closed configuration.

Closure mechanismmay include any of a variety of structures for selectively maintaining cover portionin the closed configuration. Generally speaking, closure mechanismmay include a cover portion interlockthat is mechanically confined to cover portionand a base portion interlockthat is mechanically confined to base portion. As utilized in this context, the cover portion interlockbeing “structurally confined” to cover portionmeans that cover portion interlockis formed in cover portion, is affixed to cover portion, is defined by cover portion, and/or remains attached to cover portionwhen cover portionis in both open configurationand closed configuration. Similarly, base portion interlockmay be formed in base portion, affixed to base portion, defined by base portion, and/or remain attached to base portionwhen cover portionis in open configurationand closed configuration.

When included, cover portion interlockand base portion interlockare configured to interlock with one another when closure mechanismis in the engaged configuration and to maintain cover portionin closed configuration. Cover portion interlockand base portion interlockalso are configured to be selectively disengaged from one another to transition closure mechanismfrom the engaged configuration to the disengaged configuration and to permit cover portionto be transitioned from closed configurationto open configuration.

Cover portion interlockand base portion interlockmay be disposed along any suitable region of cap assemblysuch that cover portion interlockand base portion interlockare positioned to interlock with one another when cover portionis in, or transitioned into, closed configuration. In some examples, cover portion interlockand base portion interlockare disposed along a region of cap assemblythat is at least substantially distal to, or opposed to, hinge. Additionally or alternatively, cover portion interlockand base portion interlockmay extend circumferentially about at least a portion of base opening.

As a more specific example, one of cover portion interlockand base portion interlockmay define a catch, and the other of cover portion interlockand base portion interlockmay define a receiver for selectively receiving the catch. More specific examples of suitable catches include a ledge, a hooked lip, a rib, a bead, a ridge, a plug, a protrusion, a plunger, a spring plunger, a ball plunger, and/or a magnet, and the receiver may include any suitable corresponding structure for receiving the catch.

As a more specific example, and as best seen in, one of cover portion interlockand base portion interlockmay include a latch catch, and the other of cover portion interlockand base portion interlockmay include a catch receiverthat is configured to engage latch catchwhen cover portionis in closed configurationand closure mechanismis in the engaged configuration.

Closure mechanismalso may include any of a variety of structures and/or features to facilitate selectively transitioning closure mechanismbetween the engaged configuration and the disengaged configuration. For example, closure mechanismmay include a closure actuatorthat is configured to, or utilized to, selectively disengage cover portion interlockand base portion interlockfrom one another. In some examples, closure actuatorinterconnects one of base portion interlockand cover portion interlockto the corresponding portion of cap assembly. In such examples, closure actuatormay be fixedly coupled to and/or integrally formed with the one of base portion interlockand cover portion interlockand the corresponding portion of cap assembly.