US20180215514A1

US20180215514A1 - Lid assembly for a beverage container

Info

Publication number: US20180215514A1
Application number: US15/419,908
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel M. Wodka; Robert C. Coon; Edward Naguit Abante
Original assignee: Ignite USA LLC
Current assignee: Ignite USA LLC
Priority date: 2017-01-30
Filing date: 2017-01-30
Publication date: 2018-08-02

Abstract

A lid assembly for a beverage container includes a lid housing, a seal arm, a trigger button, and a pin, which are configured such that, upon pivoting the trigger button about a button hinge, a cam finger presses the pin radially against a lever arm and actuates the seal arm by pivoting the seal arm downwardly from the sealed position to the open position. The pin may be a vent pin having an inner vent seal disposed on in inner side of a lid housing and an outer vent seal disposed on an outer side of the lid housing.

Description

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a lid assembly for a beverage container, and more particularly, to a lid assembly with a movable trigger/seal mechanism for a beverage container.

BACKGROUND

Beverage containers and seal/trigger mechanisms for beverage containers are well known in the art. Traditionally, seal/trigger mechanisms are located in the lid of the beverage container and are secured in a fixed location in the lid. While such beverage containers and seal/trigger mechanisms according to the prior art provide a number of advantages, they can nevertheless have certain limitations. For example, debris may be retained between certain components that are secured together. Further, the area between the seals associated with the seal mechanism and the lid, and other components of the seal mechanism can be difficult to properly clean, especially in a dishwasher environment. Further still, in prior art beverage containers in which the trigger is provided/integrated into a handle of the beverage container and actuation of the button is effected by downward directional force, consumers have noted that the button can feel “soft” such that the button provides inconsistent feedback to the user when actuated. Furthermore, the button itself in such containers generally must be relatively long to achieve the seal arm clearance required for a desirable drinking experience, such that the diameter of the lid is also increased relative to most conventional beverage drinking containers.

SUMMARY

According to some aspects, a lid assembly for a beverage container includes a lid housing, a seal arm, a trigger button, and a pin, which are configured such that, upon pivoting the trigger button about a button hinge, a cam finger presses the pin radially against a lever arm and actuates the seal arm by pivoting the seal arm downwardly from the sealed position to the open position.
According to other aspects, a lid assembly for a beverage container includes a pin having an inner vent seal disposed on an inner side of a lid housing and an outer vent seal disposed on an outer side of the lid housing. The inner vent seal seals a pin aperture when the vent pin is displaced outwardly through the pin aperture. The outer seal seals the pin aperture when the vent pin is displaced inwardly through the pin aperture. The pin aperture is unsealed in the intermediate position, thus allowing gases to vent from the inner side of the lid housing through a vent aperture to the outer side of the lid housing.
These and other aspects, arrangements, features, and/or technical effects will become apparent upon detailed inspection of the figures and the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a beverage container with a lid assembly operatively coupled to a container body;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage container of FIG. 1 taken in a plane along an axis CL and through a handle;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric cut away view of the lid assembly of FIG. 1 and a top end of the container body, including a displaceable seal assembly, a vent pin, and a trigger button;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the lid assembly of FIG. 1 from a lower perspective with the displaceable seal assembly in a drop-down position for cleaning;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the lid assembly of FIG. 1 with the displaceable seal assembly in a fully closed position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of FIG. 1, similar to the view of FIG. 5, but with the displaceable seal assembly in the drop-down position for cleaning, which corresponds to the drop-down position of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of FIG. 1, similar to the view of FIG. 5, but with the vent pin in a venting position intermediate the fully closed position and a fully open position;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lid assembly of FIG. 1, similar to the views of FIGS. 5 and 6, but with the displaceable seal assembly in the fully open position;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vent pin in the venting position; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vent pin in the fully open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A handled lid assembly for a beverage container constructed according to the present disclosure provides an improved consumer drinking experience by including a more robust trigger button integrated directly into the handle and by providing improved fluid volume flow relative to the lid diameter, particularly when compared to previously known handled lid assemblies. A rotating or pivoting, trigger button actuates a horizontally translating pin that pivots a seal arm away from a drinking aperture. The disclosed handled lid assembly includes a large seal arm clearance while using relatively little internal lid space, which allows the lid housing to have a smaller diameter with a shorter, more robust trigger button capable of providing consistent tactile feedback to the user during actuation of the button and a similar or even better drinking experience compared to known handled lid assemblies with relatively larger diameters.
The handled lid assemblies constructed in accordance with the present disclosure include an improved venting system that “pre-vents” gases, allowing gases to vent from inside the beverage container before the drink seal unseals from the drink aperture, thereby preventing or reducing the possibility that a consumer could be harmed by hot gases escaping from the drink aperture while drinking.
In some embodiments, a handled lid assembly for a beverage container includes a lid housing, a seal arm, a handle having a trigger button, and a pin. The lid housing has a top cover and a peripheral skirt extending downwardly, away from an outer periphery of the top cover. The top cover includes a drink aperture extending from an interior side to an exterior side of the lid housing and a pin aperture extending radially through the lid housing from an interior side of the lid housing to an exterior side of the lid housing. The seal arm is coupled to the lid housing with a seal arm hinge disposed on the interior side, the seal arm being configured to pivot between a sealed position that seals the drink aperture on the interior side and an open position that opens the drink aperture. The seal arm includes a lever arm. The trigger button is provided on or in a handle coupled to the lid housing. In other embodiments, the trigger button may be provided on a portion of the lid housing (e.g., on the skirt), or on a container. The trigger button is pivotably connected to the lid housing with a button hinge and the trigger button has a cam finger disposed on the exterior side of the lid housing. The pin is slidably disposed in a radial direction in the pin aperture. The pin extends radially from the cam finger of the trigger button to a position abutting or proximate to the lever arm of the seal arm. Upon pivoting the trigger button about the button hinge, the cam finger presses the pin radially towards the drink aperture, the pin opening the vent aperture and pressing against the lever arm, which actuates the seal arm by pivoting the seal arm downwardly from the sealed position to the open position to open the drink aperture, the vent aperture opening before the drink aperture to pre-vent gases from the interior side of the lid housing to the exterior side of the lid housing.
In some embodiments, the pin allows gases to escape through the vent aperture when the pin is in an intermediate position. The pin may include an inner vent seal disposed on in inner side of the lid housing and an outer vent seal disposed on an outer side of the lid housing. The inner vent seal may seal the pin aperture when the pin is displaced radially outwardly through the pin aperture such that the seal arm in the closed position. The outer seal may seal the pin aperture when the pin is displaced radially inwardly through the pin aperture such that the seal arm is in the open position. Neither the inner vent seal nor the outer vent seal is configured to seal the pin aperture when the pin is in the intermediate position so that gases can vent through the vent aperture, thereby only allowing gases to escape from the pin aperture when the pin is in the intermediate position. By opening the vent aperture in the intermediate position, gases are pre-vented through the vent aperture, which prevents or reduces the likely hood of a consumer being sprayed with the gases (which may be hot). However, by closing the vent aperture when the seal arm is in the closed position, loss of thermal energy (or the addition of thermal energy) through the vent aperture is reduced so that the liquid in the container maintains its temperature for a longer period of time. Furthermore, by closing the vent aperture when the seal arm is in the open position, liquid is prevented from escaping through the vent aperture if the consumer tips the container up far enough to cause the liquid in the container to surround the pin aperture, which could cause unwanted spillage if the vent aperture were open.
In other embodiments, the vent aperture may form a portion of a vent path disposed on the exterior side of the pin aperture, i.e., the vent path may include both the vent aperture and the pin aperture.
In yet other embodiments, a seal bore may extend radially outwardly from the pin aperture. The outer vent seal may be disposed inside the seal bore. The outer vent seal may include a wiper seal that slidingly engages the inner peripheral surface of the seal bore to form a liquid seal between the outer vent seal and the peripheral inner surface of the seal bore. The vent aperture may open into the seal bore between the wiper seal and the vent pin aperture.
In yet other embodiments, the button hinge may be located radially outwardly from the outer periphery of the peripheral skirt; and the button hinge may be located at the outer periphery of the top cover.
In yet other embodiments, a handle may extend radially outwardly from the peripheral skirt; and the trigger button may be disposed along a top surface of the handle.
In yet other embodiments, a button lock may be configured to selectively prevent the trigger button from unintentionally actuating the seal arm.
In yet other embodiments, the trigger button may move up and down; or the trigger button may move radially.
In some embodiments, a handled lid assembly for a beverage container includes a lid housing, a seal arm, a handle having a trigger button, and a vent pin. The lid housing includes a drink aperture extending from an interior side to an exterior side of the lid housing and a vent pin aperture extending from the interior side to the exterior side of the lid housing. The seal arm is coupled to the lid housing with a seal arm hinge disposed on the interior side and the seal arm is configured to pivot between a sealed position that seals the drink aperture on the interior side and an open position that opens the drink aperture. The trigger button is disposed on the handle, which is connected to the lid housing and disposed on the exterior side of the lid housing. The trigger button is configured to actuate the seal arm from the sealed position to the open position. The vent pin is slidably disposed in the pin aperture and the pin aperture allows gases to escape when the pin is in an intermediate position. The trigger button is configured to displace the vent pin radially inwardly and permit return displacement of the vent pin outwardly (in the opposite direction). The vent pin includes an inner vent seal disposed on an inner side of the lid housing and an outer vent seal disposed on an outer side of the lid housing. The inner vent seal is configured to seal the pin aperture when the vent pin is displaced outwardly through the pin aperture. The outer seal can be a wiper seal that seals any vent paths between the inner seal and the button when the seal arm is in the open position. The outer seal is configured to seal the pin aperture when the vent pin is displaced inwardly through the pin aperture. Neither the inner vent seal nor the outer vent seal is configured to seal the pin aperture when the pin is in the intermediate position. A vent aperture may extend through the lid housing; and the vent aperture may form a portion of a vent path disposed on the exterior side of the pin aperture. A seal bore may extend outwardly from the pin aperture. The outer vent seal may be disposed inside the seal bore. The outer vent seal may include a wiper seal that slidingly engages an inner peripheral surface of the seal bore to form a liquid seal between the outer vent seal and the peripheral inner surface of the seal bore. The vent aperture may open into the seal bore between the wiper seal and the vent pin aperture.
Additional arrangements, combinations of features, and/or aspects will become apparent upon inspection of the exemplary arrangements shown in the figures.
Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a beverage container 20 that includes a handled lid assembly 22 operatively mounted onto a container body 24, the handled lid assembly 22 being configured to confine liquids within the container body and to allow liquid held within the container body to be selectively dispensed through the handled lid assembly 22, for example, when a consumer desires to drink the beverage contained in the container body 24.
The handled lid assembly 22 includes a lid housing 38 and a displaceable seal assembly 40 that operates to open and close at least one drink aperture 48 in the lid housing, and in some embodiments to open and close two drink apertures 48 in the lid housing 38. Additionally, the displaceable seal assembly 40 operates to open and close a vent aperture 72 to allow gases residing within the container body 24 to be initially released through the vent aperture 72 as opposed to being released through the drink apertures 48. In one embodiment, a portion of the displaceable seal assembly 40 can be released from a fixed or closed position (e.g., a use position) to a released or open position (e.g., a cleaning position) to allow for cleaning of various components of the seal assembly 40 and for cleaning of areas between components of the displaceable seal assembly 40 and the lid housing 38. When the displaceable seal assembly 40 is moved from the use position to the cleaning position, and while in the cleaning position, the displaceable seal assembly 40 remains connected to the lid housing 38. Accordingly, for cleaning purposes no components need to be removed from the handled lid assembly 22, but the components are connected at all times to the lid housing 38. Instead, the displaceable seal assembly 40 is relocated to a position (e.g., a “drop-down” position) that allows access to the displaceable seal assembly 40 components for cleaning but the displaceable seal assembly 40 is not removed and therefore cannot be misplaced or disassociated from the handled lid assembly 22.
The container body 24 may take any suitable form that defines an interior space (or liquid holding cavity) for holding a beverage and an upper rim surrounding a mouth into the interior space onto which the handled lid assembly 22 can be operatively mounted. In the illustrated example, the container body 24 takes the form of a container having a double-walled body wall to provide improved thermal insulation between the interior and the exterior of the container body 24. In particular, the container by 24 has an outer body wall including a hollow, generally cylindrical side wall 26 and a bottom wall 28 disposed across a bottom end of the sidewall 26. The top end of the sidewall 26 forms an upper rim 30, which surrounds an open mouth 32, through which liquids can travel between the interior and the exterior of the container body 24. The container body 24 also includes an inner body wall 34 (or “liner”) disposed inside of, and spaced apart from, the outer body wall and generally having a similar shape as the outer body wall. The top end of the cylindrical sidewall 26 is provided with exterior threads 36 configured to engage with, and secure, the handled lid assembly 22 across the mouth 32. However, other receiver mechanisms may be provided to engage and secure the handled lid assembly 22 to the container body 24, such as snap fit or friction fit configurations. In other embodiments, the container body 24 may have a single wall configuration.
In addition to the lid housing 38 and the displaceable seal assembly 40, the handled lid assembly 22 also includes a vent pin 42 and a trigger button 44. The lid housing 38 is configured to operatively mount the handled lid assembly 22 to the container body 24 to cover the mouth 32. The displaceable seal assembly 40 is configured to seal against, and release from, the lid housing 38 to selectively allow or to prevent liquid from passing through the lid housing 38. The vent pin 42 is configured to actuate the displaceable seal assembly 40 and/or to allow gases inside the container body 24 to vent out through the lid housing 38 before the displaceable seal assembly 40 is moved to the open position. When depressed, the trigger button 44 shifts the vent pin 42 radially to move the displaceable seal assembly 40 to the open position and/or to allow pre-venting of gases from the interior before the seal assembly 40 is opened. The handled lid assembly 22 also may include a handle 46 to provide a convenient structure to be gripped by consumer while holding the beverage container 20 and while engaging the trigger button 44.
The lid housing 38 includes a deck or top cover 43 and a peripheral skirt 45. The top cover 43 is sized to cover the mouth 32, thereby controlling access into the interior of the container body 24 and the top cover 43 has an outer periphery that generally conforms to the shape and size of the upper rim 30 of the container body 24. The peripheral skirt 45 extends downwardly, away from the outer periphery of the top cover 43 and the peripheral skirt 45 is sized to engage the outer periphery of the upper rim 30. Thus, in this embodiment, the peripheral skirt 45 has a generally cylindrical shape to engage the cylindrical outer surface of the top end of the sidewall 26. The lower end of the peripheral skirt 45 forms a thread ring with interior threads 46 on a radially inner surface of the peripheral skirt 45. The interior threads 46 are configured to engage with the exterior threads 36 to removably couple the lid housing 38 to the container body 24 and to cover or uncover the mouth 32. When forming the lid housing 38, for example, the thread ring may be formed of a separate shot of polymer from the top cover 43 in an injection molding process for ease of manufacturing. However, the thread ring may also be formed as a unitary piece with the top cover 43.
At least one drink aperture 48 extends through the top cover 43 to allow liquid, such as a beverage disposed in the interior of the container body 24, to flow through the top cover 43, for example, when a consumer desires to drink a beverage from the beverage container 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the lid housing 38 includes two drink apertures 48, one on each of two opposite sides of a diametrical centerline CL of the top cover 43, which is aligned with the handle 46 in the illustrated embodiment. With the two drink apertures 48 so arranged, drinking a beverage from the beverage container 20 is easily accomplished when a consumer is holding the beverage container 20 by the handle 46 in either of the right hand or the left hand. However, in other embodiments the handled lid assembly 22 may be provided with only one or more than two drink apertures 48 and the drink apertures 48 may have other relative positions. Each drink aperture 48 is surrounded by a drink well 50. The drink well 50 is formed by a depression or recessed area at least partly surrounding the drink aperture 48. The drink well 50 may provide improved and/or controlled liquid flow through the drink aperture 48, for example, to provide a smooth flow of the beverage from the interior to a consumer when drinking from the beverage container 20.
A vent aperture 72 extends through the lid housing 38 to allow venting of gases from the interior of the container body 24 through the handled lid assembly 22 without having to vent through the drink apertures 48. Venting through the vent aperture 72 is controlled by the vent pin 42, as explained in greater detail hereinafter. The vent aperture 72 extends through the top cover 43 adjacent the trigger button 44. However, in other embodiments the vent aperture 72 could be located in other locations through the lid housing 38.
The handled lid assembly 22 may include a seal 74 that seals the connection between the container body 24 and the handled lid assembly 22 to assist in preventing liquid from escaping from the interior of the container body 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the seal 74 may have the form of an O-ring, a circular gasket, or any other circular seal member carried in a circular groove in the peripheral skirt 45 that engages against the top edge of the rim 30 when the lid housing 38 is operatively covering the mouth 32 of the container body 24. However, in other embodiments, the seal 74 may take other forms and/or be located in other locations sufficient to seal the interface between the lid housing 38 and the container body 24 when the handled lid assembly 22 is operatively attached thereto.
The handle 46 has a first portion 46 a that extends radially outward from the peripheral skirt 45 and a second portion 46 b that extends downwardly from the first portion 46 a. The first portion 46 a of the handle 46 is located approximately even with or slightly below a height of the top cover 43. The second portion 46 b of the handle 46 and is spaced apart from the peripheral skirt 45 to form a gap therebetween for a consumer's fingers. The trigger button 44 is disposed along a top surface of the first portion 46 a of the handle 46 and pivots up and down relative to the top surface of the first portion of the handle.
FIGS. 3 and 4 more clearly illustrate the displaceable seal assembly 40 in an operative position for sealing and opening the drink apertures 48 (FIG. 3) and in a drop down position for cleaning the handled lid assembly 22 (FIG. 4). The displaceable seal assembly 40 is disposed underneath the top cover 43 (i.e. on the interior side of the top cover) and is configured to selectively close and/or open the drink apertures 48 in response to actuation of the trigger button 44 and to pivot between an operative position for being selectively closed and/or opened and a drop down position that provides access to the underside of the top cover 43 and top portions of the displaceable seal assembly 40 for easier cleaning. The displaceable seal assembly 40 includes a drop-down bracket 52, a seal arm 54, one or more drinks seals 56 and a releasable lock 58.
The drop-down bracket 52 is pivotably attached to the underside of the lid housing 38 and is configured to pivot between the operative position illustrated in FIG. 3 and the drop-down position illustrated in FIG. 4. The drop-down bracket 52 extends substantially across the inner diameter of the peripheral skirt 45 along the centerline CL of the lid housing 38 from a first end near the handle 46 to a second end diametrically opposite the handle 46. In other embodiments, the drop-down bracket 52 may be oriented offset to the centerline CL of the lid housing 38. The first end of the drop-down bracket 52 is pivotably attached to the underside of the lid housing 38 such that the second end of the drop-down bracket 52 can pivot toward and away from the underside a lid housing 38. In this example, the first end of the drop-down bracket 52 is pivotably attached to a pair of support walls 68 that extend downwardly from the bottom surface of the top cover 43 on opposite sides of the centerline CL with a hinge 62. The hinge 62 is formed by a pair of pivot pins extending outwardly from opposite lateral sides of the drop-down bracket 52 and pivotably received within sockets formed in the respective support walls 68. However, other mechanisms for pivotably attaching the drop-down bracket 52 to the underside of the lid housing may be implemented.
The releasable lock 58 is configured to releasably lock the drop-down bracket 52 in the operable position and to be selectively released to allow the drop-down bracket 52 to pivot into the drop-down position. In the illustrated embodiment, the releasable lock 58 takes the form of a resilient tab 66 extending downwardly from the second end of the drop-down bracket 52 along the interior surface of the peripheral skirt 45 diametrically opposite the handle 46. A locking member 64 is carried by the resilient tab 66 and configured to releasably engage a complementary locking member disposed on the inner surface of the peripheral skirt 45. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking member 64 takes the form of a cleat or ridge that engages a complementary cleat or ridge on the inner surface of the peripheral skirt 45 to lock the drop-down bracket in a race position near the underside of the top cover 43. To unlock the releasable lock 58, the resilient tab 66 can be bent radially away from the inner surface of the peripheral skirt so that the locking member 64 disengages from the complementary locking member on the peripheral skirt. In this condition, the drop-down bracket 52 can be rotated downwardly about the hinges 62 away from the top cover 43 into the drop-down position as shown in FIG. 4. To return the drop-down bracket to the operative position, the drop-down bracket 52 is rotated upwardly about the hinges 62 toward the top cover 43 until the locking member 64 on the resilient tab 66 snaps into place with the complementary locking member of the peripheral skirt 45.
The seal arm 54 has a first end that is pivotably attached to the drop-down bracket 52 and a second end upon which the drink seals 56 are carried. The seal arm 54 is disposed above the drop-down bracket 52 and below the underside of the top cover 43. The first end of the seal arm 54 is attached to the drop-down bracket 52 with a hinge 70 that is connected to the first end of the drop-down bracket 52. The hinge 70 is disposed above and spaced apart from the hinge 62 so that the seal arm 54 can pivot up and down with respect to the drop-down bracket 52 about the hinge 70. In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge 70 is formed by a pair of pivot pins that extend laterally outwardly from opposite sides of the first end of the seal arm 54 and that are pivotably received within complementary bores through upwardly projecting tabs on opposite left and right sides of the first end of the seal arm 54. The second end of the seal arm 54 extends transversely across the centerline CL of the lid housing 38 and underneath each drink aperture 48. Each drink seal 56 is disposed on the top side of the second end of the seal arm 54 and one drink seal 56 is aligned with each of the drink apertures 48, respectively, to seal the drink apertures 48 when the seal arm 54 is in a closed position. Thus, the seal arm 54 has a generally T-shaped configuration with the first end of the seal arm forming the stem of the T and the second end of the seal arm forming the crossbar of the T. However, in other embodiments the seal arm could have other shapes depending upon the configuration of the drink apertures 48 and/or other design considerations. When the drop-down bracket 52 is locked in the operative position, the seal arm 54 is pivotable up and down about the hinges 70 between the closed position in which the drink seals 56 seal against drink apertures 48 and an open position in which the drink seals 56 are spaced away from the drink apertures 48 to allow liquid to flow through the drink apertures 48. In order to provide sufficient space for the seal arm 54 to pivot up and down, the drop-down bracket 52 is shaped to form a trough 55 underneath the seal arm 54 to provide sufficient travel distance for the second end of the seal arm to pivot downwardly from the sealed position to the open position.
In the illustrated embodiment, each drink seal 56 takes the form of a rounded bulb that is shaped to fit into, and seal with, a respective drink aperture 48. Preferably, the drink seal 56 has a slightly soft or spongy surface to effectuate a tight liquid seal. For example, the drink seal 56 may be formed of rubber or silicon rubber or similar material.
Preferably, one or more seal arm springs or other resilient members are configured to urge the seal arm 54 to automatically pivot toward the seal position and thereby close the drink apertures 48 so that the displaceable seal assembly 40 seals the drink apertures 48 unless otherwise acted upon to open the seal assembly 40. In addition, one or more drop-down bracket springs or other resilient members may be provided to urge the drop-down bracket 52 to pivot toward the drop-down position when the releasable lock 58 is not locked in the operative position. The seal arm springs and the drop-down bracket springs may take any suitable form. In some embodiments, the seal arm springs and the drop-down bracket springs may be torsion springs coiled around the respective hinges 62 and/or 68 and engaged against respective surfaces of the drop-down bracket 52 and the seal arm 54 to resiliently urge them in the manner described above. Preferably, the seal arm springs and the drop-down bracket springs are configured to act independently of one another so that the resilient force against the drop-down bracket 52 is independent from the resilient force against the seal arm 54.
As best seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the vent pin 42 extends radially through a vent pin aperture 76, which extends radially through the peripheral skirt 45 adjacent the handle 46. In other embodiments, the vent pin aperture 76 may extend through other portions of the lid housing 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the vent pin 42 has a main body, which may be generally cylindrical or another elongate shape, that extends along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end. The longitudinal axis of the vent pin 42 is preferably aligned along the centerline CL and extending axially between the trigger button 44 and first end of the seal arm 54. The first end of the vent pin 42 is disposed on the exterior side of the peripheral skirt 45 and engages the trigger button 44. The second end of the vent pin 42 is disposed on the interior side of the peripheral skirt 44 and engages the seal arm 54. As explained in further detail hereinafter, movement of the trigger button 44 pushes the vent pin 42 radially inwardly against the seal arm 54 and thereby pivots the seal arm 54 downwardly about the hinges 68 to move the seal arm 54 to the open position.
A pair of inner and outer vent seals 78, 80 are carried by the vent pin 42. The inner vent seal 78 is configured to form a seal against the inner surface of the wall portion of the lid housing 38 surrounding the vent pin aperture 76. The outer vent seal 80 is configured to form a seal against the outer surface of the wall portion of the lid housing 38 surrounding the vent pin aperture 76. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the inner and outer vent seals 78, 80 takes the form of a circumferential seal, such as a grommet, O-ring, or the like. The inner vent seal 78 is disposed in an inner seal groove 82 extending around the outer circumference of the main body of the vent pin 42. Similarly, the outer vent seal 80 is disposed in an outer seal groove 84 extending around the outer surface of the main body of the vent pin 42. When the vent pin 42 is pushed radially inwardly to an actuation position in which the drink seals 56 are in an open position (e.g., FIG. 8), the outer vent seal 80 forms a seal against the exterior side of the lid housing 38 surrounding the vent pin aperture 76 to prevent gases and/or liquids from escaping through the vent pin aperture 76, and the inner vent seal 78 is spaced apart from the interior side of the wall surrounding the vent pin aperture. When the vent pin 42 is disposed radially outwardly to a released position in which the drink seals 56 seal the drink apertures 48 in a closed position, the inner vent seal 78 forms a seal against the interior side of the lid housing 38 surrounding the vent pin aperture 76 to prevent gases and/or liquids from escaping through the vent pin aperture 76, and the outer vent seal 80 is spaced apart from the exterior side of the wall surrounding the vent pin aperture. In an intermediate position (between the open position and the closed position) the inner vent seal 78 and the outer vent seal 80 are spaced apart from the lid housing 38, thereby forming a vent path in which gas may flow though the vent pin aperture 76 and through the vent aperture 72 to allow gas to escape from inside the container body 24. In other words, the inner vent seal 78 is spaced apart axially along the main body of the vent pin 42 from the outer vent seal 80 a distance sufficient to form a gap 86 between each of the vent seals and the lid housing 38 surrounding the vent aperture 76 when the vent pin 42 is in an intermediate position between the open position (FIG. 10) position and the closed position (FIG. 9) in order to allow gases to escape through the vent aperture 76 along a vent path 88 between the outer surface of the main body of the vent pin 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the vent pin aperture 76.
An elongate seal bore 90 extends radially outwardly from the vent pin aperture 76. The vent aperture 72 extends longitudinally through the top cover 43 into the seal bore 90 immediately adjacent the exterior side of the wall of the lid housing 38 surrounding the vent aperture 76. When the vent pin 42 is in the intermediate position between the open position (FIG. 10) and the released position (FIG. 9), gases can escape from the interior side of the handled lid assembly 22 through the vent path 88 and out the vent aperture 72. The vent path 88 may be formed by one or more channels along one or both of the outer surface of the main body of the vent pin 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the vent pin aperture 76. A vent cover 94 preferably covers the vent aperture 72 on the exterior side of the top cover 43 and forms an exhaust opening 95 to the exterior through which gasses can escape to the exterior. In this arrangement, the exhaust opening is formed between the edge of the vent cover 94 and an inner surface the outer peripheral skirt 45 above the top cover 43. However, in other embodiments other locations of the exhaust opening are also possible. The vent cover 94 forms a baffle that creates a tortuous vent path for any gases and liquids venting through the vent aperture 72 in order to prevent or minimize unwanted spraying of gases and liquids venting through the vent aperture 72.
The outer vent seal 80 moves radially back and forth within the seal bore 90. The outer vent seal 80 includes a wiper seal 92 extending around the outer periphery of the outer vent seal 80. The wiper seal 92 slidingly engages the inner peripheral surface of the seal bore 90 along the entire stroke length of the vent pin 42 and forms a seal between the outer vent seal 80 and the inner surface of the seal bore 90. The vent aperture 72 extends through the top cover 43 and opens into the seal bore 90 between the wiper seal 92 and the vent pin aperture 76. The wiper seal 92 thereby prevents escaping gases and/or liquids venting through the vent path 88 and the vent aperture 72 from escaping through the seal bore 90 into the handle 46 as the vent pin 42 slides back and forth in the vent pin aperture 76 and the seal bore 90.
A coil spring 96 is disposed around the second end of the vent pin 42 and is configured to urge the vent pin 42 radially outwardly from the lid housing 38 into the released position. A first end of the coil spring 96 is seated against a first spring seat 98 surrounding the outer lip of the seal bore 90. A second end of the coil spring 96 is seated against a second spring seat 100 disposed at the second end of the vent pin 42. The coil spring 96 pushes against the first spring seat 98 and the second spring seat 100 to urge the vent pin 42 radially outwardly into the closed position. However, as seen in FIG. 10, pressing the vent pin 42 radially inwardly toward the open position compresses the coil spring 96 such that the coil spring 96 will automatically return the vent pin 42 to the closed position when the vent pin 42 is released.
As best seen in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, the trigger button 44, vent pin 42, and seal arm 54 are configured to move the displaceable seal assembly 40 between the open position and the closed position. As best seen in FIG. 5, the trigger button 44 is configured to press the vent pin 42 radially inwardly from the closed position to the open position. To do this, in the illustrated embodiment, the trigger button 44 is pivotably coupled to the lid housing 38 at a button hinge 102 and the trigger button 44 includes a cam finger 104 that engages the second end of the vent pin 42. The second end of the vent pin 42 optionally forms a cam follower surface 105 that engages against the cam finger 104. The cam follower surface 105 is contoured to ensure smooth and/or appropriate travel distance of the vent pin 42 between the release position and the actuation position. The button hinge 102 is disposed at a radially inner first end of the trigger button above the first end of the vent pin 42. The button hinge 102 may be formed by a pin coupled to a wall portion of the lid housing 38 around which the trigger button 44 can pivot. Preferably, the button hinge 102 is located near or radially outwardly from the outer periphery of the peripheral skirt 45 and/or the outer periphery of the top cover 43. The radially outer second end of the trigger button 44 extends radially outwardly over the top portion of the handle 46. Preferably, the trigger button 44 is aligned with the center line CL of the lid housing 38 along with the handle 46, the seal arm 54, and the drop-down bracket 52. However, in other embodiments the trigger button 44 may not be aligned with the centerline CL of the lid housing 38. The cam finger 104 extends downwardly, away from the trigger button 44 near the first end of the trigger button and the cam finger 104 engages the second end of the vent pin 42. In the released position shown in FIG. 5, the second end of the trigger button 44 is located in an up position and the cam finger 104 is engaged against the second end of the vent pin 42. However, the coil spring 96 presses the vent pin 42 radially outwardly to the closed position and maintains the trigger button 44 in the upper position. In the illustrated embodiment, the trigger button 44 and the button hinge 102 are configured so that the trigger button 44 pivots up and down (e.g., substantially vertically or substantially perpendicular to axis CL as seen in the figures) relative to the top surface of the handle 46, although it should be noted that the trigger button also moves radially in and out (e.g., substantially horizontally or substantially parallel to axis CL as seen in the figures). In other arrangements, the trigger button 44 and the button hinge 102 may be configured such that the trigger button translates radially in and out (with no pivot), or at some angle in between, as long as the cam finger 104 travels radially an amount sufficient to translate the vent pin 42 radially enough to actuate the seal arm 54 as described herein. In another alternative, the trigger button translates up and down (with no pivot) to cause the cam finger 104 to travel radially an amount sufficient to translate the vent pin 42 radially enough to actuate the seal arm 54 as described herein.
The vent pin 42 is configured so that the first end of the vent pin 42 is disposed opposite a lever arm 106 extending upwardly from the seal arm 54 above the hinge 68. The vent pin 42 is axially aligned so that the first end of the vent pin 42 will engage and press radially inwardly against the lever arm 106 as the vent pin 42 is pressed radially inwardly to the open position. However, with the vent pin 42 pushed completely radially outwardly in the closed position of FIG. 5, the first end of the vent pin 42 is spaced apart from the lever arm 106 to form a gap therebetween.
Turning now to FIG. 7, as the second end of the trigger button 44 is pressed downwardly, the trigger button rotates around the hinge 102 which rotates the cam finger 104 radially inwardly against the second end of the vent pin 42. A small gap is formed between the second end of the vent pin 42 and the lever arm 106 when the vent pin 42 is in the fully closed position. Depressing the trigger button 44 presses the vent pin 42 radially inwardly to the intermediate position, which closes the gap. In the intermediate position, the first end of the vent pin 42 may just engage the lever arm 106, but without pivoting the seal arm 54 enough to unseal the drink seal 56 from the drink apertures 48. In the intermediate position, both the inner vent seal 78 and the outer vent seal 80 are spaced apart from the respective inner and outer sides of the lid housing 38 surrounding the vent pin aperture 76 so that gases can escape through the vent aperture 72 while the drink apertures 48 are still sealed by the drink seals 56. In FIG. 9 the vent path 88 in the intermediate position is illustrated by the arrow 88.
Turning now to FIG. 8, as the second end of the trigger button 44 is further depressed downwardly into the handle 46, the trigger button 44 continues to pivot around the hinge 102, and the cam finger 104 pushes the vent pin 42 further radially inwardly until the outer vent seal 80 sealingly engages his against the outer side of the lid housing 38 surrounding the vent pin aperture 76, thus again sealing the vent pin aperture 76 to prevent egress of liquid and/or gases therethrough. As the vent pin 42 is translated from the intermediate position toward the open position, the first end of the vent pin 42 pushes against the lever arm 106, which in turn pivots the seal arm 54 downwardly around the hinge 70 and thereby moves the drink seals 56 away from the drink apertures 48, thereby opening the displaceable seal assembly 40 to allow the beverage inside the container body 24 to pass through one or both of the drink apertures 48.
When pressure is released from the trigger button trigger button 44, for example when a consumer releases his or her thumb from the trigger button 44, the coil spring 96 urges the vent pin 42 radially outwardly back to the closed position, and the seal arm spring simultaneously urges the seal arm 54 to pivot back up to the closed position with the drink seals 56 sealed against the drink apertures 48. In addition, a trigger button spring may also be provided to help urge the trigger button 44 to pivot back upwardly to the release position upon release of pressure on the trigger button. The trigger button spring may take any form and/or be located in any manner suitable to urge the trigger button 44 back up to the release position. For example, the trigger button spring may be a portion spring coiled around the button hinge 102.
A button lock 108 may optionally be provided to selectively prevent the trigger button 44 from being depressed from the closed position. The button lock 108 has a locked position that prevents the trigger button 44 from being depressed and pivoted around the hinge 102 and an unlocked position that allows the trigger button 44 to be depressed and pivoted around the hinge 102 as described above. In the illustrated embodiment, the button lock 108 includes a lock pin 110 and a trigger stop 112. The lock pin 110 extends transversely through the handle 46 below the bottom surface of the trigger button 44 and can be pressed laterally left and right through the handle 46. The trigger stop 112 is attached to the lock pin 110 inside the handle 46 immediately below the bottom surface of the trigger button 44. When the lock pin 110 is pressed laterally in one direction, the trigger stop 112 is moved laterally directly beneath the bottom surface of the trigger button so as to prevent or stop the trigger button 44 from being depressed. When the lock pin 110 is pressed laterally in the opposite direction, the trigger stop 112 is likewise moved laterally to a portion of the trigger button 44 where the bottom surface of the trigger button is spaced upwardly from the trigger stop hundred 12 to form a gap, thereby allowing the trigger button 44 to be depressed to actuate the displaceable seal assembly 40 in the manner described above. However, the button lock 108 may take other forms suitable for providing a mechanical block to prevent the trigger button 44 from being depressed when selectively actuated by a consumer.
FIG. 6 illustrates the displaceable seal assembly 40 in the drop-down position, for example, to allow for easier cleaning of the handled lid assembly 22. When the resilient tab 66 is pulled radially inwardly so as to release the locking member 64 from the peripheral skirt 45, the drop down bracket 52 pivots downwardly around the hinge 68 away from the underside of the top cover 43. Because the seal arm 54 is supported by the drop-down bracket 52 at the hinge 70 and the axes of the hinge 70 is only slightly offset from the axis of the hinge 68, the downward rotation of the drop-down bracket 52 also causes the seal arm 54 and the drink seals 56 downwardly along a similar arcuate path as the drop-down bracket 52 away from the underside of the top cover 43. At the same time, the lever arm 106 pivots away from the first end of the vent pin 42 and thereby increases the gap between the first end of the vent pin and the lever arm 106, which prevents the vent pin 42 from engaging the lever arm 106 when the drop-down bracket 52 is rotated downwardly as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, when the displaceable seal assembly 40 is in the cleaning position, the trigger button 44 is unable to actuate movement of the seal arm 54 in the manner described previously. Preferably, the drop-down bracket 54 can pivot approximately 90° downwardly around the bracket hinge 62 so as to provide a large and convenient space for cleaning the underside of the top cover 43 and various portions of the displaceable seal assembly 40. In order to re-close the displaceable seal assembly 40, the drop-down bracket 52 is pivoted back upwardly about the bracket hinge 62 until the locking member 64 re-engages and locks against the complementary lock feature on the peripheral skirt 45, in which position, the displaceable seal assembly 40 is again in the use position shown in FIG. 5.
This detailed description is to be construed as examples only and does not describe every possible embodiment, as describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. One could implement numerous alternate embodiments, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this application. Thus, while specific exemplary forms are illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that any of the various aspects, arrangements, and/or features disclosed herein may be combined with any one or more of the other aspects, arrangements, and/or features disclosed herein in a manner that would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in view of the teachings of this disclosure.

Claims

We claim:

1. A handled lid assembly for a beverage container, the handled lid assembly comprising:

a lid housing having a top cover and a peripheral skirt extending downwardly, away from an outer periphery of the top cover, a drink aperture extends from an interior side to an exterior side of the lid housing, a vent aperture extends from an interior side to an exterior side of the lid housing, and a pin aperture extends radially from an interior side of the lid housing to an exterior side of the lid housing;

a seal arm coupled to the lid housing with a seal arm hinge disposed on the interior side and the seal arm being configured to pivot between a sealed position that seals the drink aperture on the interior side and an open position that opens the drink aperture, the seal arm including a lever arm;

a handle having a trigger button pivotably connected to the lid housing with a button hinge and a cam finger disposed on the exterior side of the lid housing; and

a pin slidably disposed in the pin aperture in the peripheral skirt, the pin extending radially from the cam finger of the trigger button to the lever arm of the seal arm,

wherein upon pivoting the trigger button about the button hinge, the cam finger presses the pin radially towards the drink aperture, the pin opening the vent aperture and pressing against the lever arm, which actuates the seal arm by pivoting the seal arm downwardly from the sealed position to the open position to open the drink aperture, the vent aperture opening before the drink aperture to pre-vent gases from the interior side of the lid housing to the exterior side of the lid housing.

2. The handled lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the pin allows gases to escape through the vent aperture when the pin is in an intermediate position.

3. The handled lid assembly of claim 2, wherein the pin includes an inner vent seal disposed on an inner side of the lid housing and an outer vent seal disposed on an outer side of the lid housing, the pin being movable in a radial direction, wherein the inner vent seal seals the pin aperture when the pin is displaced radially outwardly through the pin aperture, and wherein the outer seal seals the pin aperture seals the pin aperture when the pin is displaced radially inwardly through the pin aperture, and wherein the inner vent seal and the outer vent seal do not seal the pin aperture in the intermediate position.

4. The handled lid assembly of claim 2, wherein the vent aperture forms a portion of a vent path.

5. The handled lid assembly of claim 4, further comprising a seal bore extending radially outwardly from the pin aperture, the outer vent seal being disposed inside the seal bore, the outer vent seal further comprising a wiper seal that slidingly engages the inner peripheral surface of the seal bore to form a seal between the outer vent seal and the peripheral inner surface of the seal bore.

6. The handled lid assembly of claim 5, wherein the vent aperture opens into the seal bore between the wiper seal and the vent pin aperture.

7. The handled lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the button hinge is located radially outwardly from the outer periphery of the peripheral skirt.

8. The handled lid assembly of claim 1, wherein the button hinge is located at the outer periphery of the top cover.

9. The handled lid assembly of claim 8, wherein the trigger button is disposed along a top surface of the handle.

10. The handled lid assembly of claim 9, further comprising a button lock configured to selectively prevent the trigger button from actuating the seal arm.

11. A lid assembly for a beverage container, the lid assembly comprising:

a lid housing having a drink aperture that extends from an interior side to an exterior side of the lid housing, a vent aperture that extends from the interior side to the exterior side of the lid housing, and a vent pin aperture that extends from the interior side to the exterior side of the lid housing;

a seal arm coupled to the lid housing with a seal arm hinge disposed on the interior side and the seal arm being configured to pivot between a sealed position that seals the drink aperture on the interior side and an open position that opens the drink aperture;

a trigger button connected to the lid housing and disposed on the exterior side of the lid housing, wherein the trigger button is configured to actuate the seal arm from the sealed position to the open position; and

a vent pin slidably disposed in the vent pin aperture that allows gases to escape through the vent aperture when the pin is in an intermediate position,

wherein the trigger button is configured to displace the vent pin radially inwardly when the trigger is actuated and to permit return displacement of the vent pin outwardly when the trigger is released, and

wherein the vent pin includes an inner vent seal disposed on in inner side of the lid housing and an outer vent seal disposed on an outer side of the lid housing, wherein the inner vent seal seals the vent pin aperture when the vent pin is displaced outwardly through the vent pin aperture, and wherein the outer seal seals the vent pin aperture when the vent pin is displaced inwardly through the vent pin aperture, and wherein the inner vent seal and the outer vent seal do not seal the vent pin aperture in the intermediate position so that gases from an interior side of the lid housing may be pre-vented to an exterior side of the lid housing before the seal arm opens the drink aperture.

12. The handled lid assembly of claim 11, wherein the vent aperture forms a portion of a vent path; and

a seal bore extends outwardly from the vent pin aperture,

the outer vent seal being disposed inside the seal bore; and the outer vent seal comprising a wiper seal that slidingly engages an inner peripheral surface of the seal bore to form a seal between the outer vent seal and the peripheral inner surface of the seal bore.

13. The handled lid assembly of claim 12, wherein the vent aperture opens into the seal bore between the wiper seal and the vent pin aperture.

14. The handled lid assembly of claim 13, wherein the trigger button moves up and down to actuate the seal arm from the sealed position to the open position.

15. The handled lid assembly of claim 13, wherein the trigger button moves radially to actuate the seal arm from the sealed position to the open position.

16. The handled lid assembly of claim 13, wherein the trigger button pivots up and down to actuate the seal arm from the sealed position to the open position.

17. A lid assembly for a beverage container, the lid assembly comprising:

a lid housing;

a vent pin aperture formed in the lid housing;

a vent pin disposed in the vent pin aperture, the vent pin being configured to actuate a seal assembly that opens and closes a drink aperture formed in the lid housing;

wherein the vent pin includes a main body having a first pin end and a second pin end, the first pin end being disposed on an exterior side of the lid housing, and the second pin end being disposed on an interior side of the lid housing, an outer vent seal being disposed on the main body proximate the first pin end on an exterior side of the lid housing, and an inner vent seal being disposed on the main body proximate the second pin end on an interior side of the lid housing, and

wherein the inner vent seal seals the vent pin aperture when the vent pin is displaced outwardly through the vent pin aperture, and the outer vent seal seals the vent pin aperture when the vent pin is displaced inwardly through the vent pin aperture.