DISPENSING CAP

Abstract

A top of or for a cup or mug for containing a flowable substance therein. The top includes a covering body arranged to cover the cup or mug, with the body having a peripheral part with a trough-opening for an outflow of flowable substance and with an air through-opening for an inflow of air. The top also includes a lid movable relative to the covering body between an open position for allowing this outflow and this inflow, and a closed position for preventing them, the lid having a first part and a second part for obturating in the closed position the outflow through-opening and the inflow through-opening, respectively. These inflow and outflow through-openings are located opposite to one another on the peripheral part of the covering body. The lid extends in the closed position from adjacent the inflow through-opening across the covering body to adjacent the outflow through-opening.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to field of liquid receptacles suitable for transportation and for dispensing liquid and other flowable materials whenever and wherever needed. In particular, the present invention relates to travelling cups or mugs having a top or cap with a closable opening for dispensing beverages such as cappuccinos, milky coffees, café latte and macchiato, chocolate and other hot beverages including soups and liquid baby food.

BACKGROUND ART

Travelling cups or mugs for drinking with a dispensing cap, are well known in the art. Typically, such a cap has a covering body extending over the mug's or cup's mouth with an opening allowing the passage of liquid when a user wants to drink. When the travelling cup or mug is not being used to drink, this opening can be obturated by a movable lid connected to the covering body.

Examples of covering bodies with a movable lid for dispensing liquid from a container are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,848, U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,607, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,353, U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,015, U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,350, U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,201, U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,793, U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,337, U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,902, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,747, U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,928, U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,873, U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,266, U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,898, U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,928, U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,151 and EP 0 078 322.

In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,607 discloses a container with a dispensing cap. The dispensing cap is pivotally mounted on a base attached to the container, the base having an outflow through-opening that can be opened and closed by the dispensing cap. The pivotal rotation of the dispensing cap is controlled by a trigger and regulated by a guide wall member, which are arranged to retain the pivotable cap in an open position until a user manually moves the cap into the closed position.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,902 discloses a lid for a liquid container that has a liquid spout with a cover adapted to fit over the spout in friction fit relationship that can be removed and refitted single-handed. It is inter-alia mentioned that the lid may further include a small aperture or hole to release built-up air pressure.

The use of such small additional apertures for the inlet of air while liquid is dispensed via the spout is known to facilitate the dispensing of liquid. However, such air inlets involve the risk of unwanted liquid spills therethrough, especially during drinking.

There is therefore still a need to provide a reliable system that is simple for carrying a beverage and handy and reliable for drinking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the invention relates to a top of or for a container for containing a flowable substance. The top may be a wall integral with a container or typically a removable cap. The container may be of any kind, for example with an insulation, typically of the thermos type. In a preferred embodiment, the container is a drinking mug or cup, typically with a bottom, a generally upright sidewall and a generally circular mouth that is fit to be covered by such a top.

Typically a cup or mug for drinking has a capacity in the range of 50 to 1000 ml, e.g. 150 to 500 ml, and an upper diameter, e.g. the mouth of the cup or mug, in the range of 3 to 15 cm, in particular 5 to 10 cm.

The top has: a covering body arranged to cover the container, the body having a peripheral part with a trough-opening for an outflow of flowable substance from the container and with an air through-opening for an inflow of air into the container; as well as a lid movable relative to the covering body between an open position for allowing such outflow and inflow, and a closed position for preventing such outflow and inflow.

The lid has a first part and a second part for obturating in the closed position the outflow through-opening and the inflow through-opening, respectively.

The flowable material may typically be a fluid such as a beverage, in particular hot or cold beverages such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk-based beverages, soft or alcoholic drinks, lemonade, soups, baby food, etc.

In accordance with the invention, the inflow through-opening and the outflow through-opening are located opposite to one another on the peripheral part of the covering body, the lid extending in the closed position from adjacent the inflow through-opening across the covering body to adjacent the outflow through-opening.

Hence, the spaced apart opposite positioning of these through-openings on the top reduces the risks of undesirable spills of flowable material via the air inflow through-opening during the dispensing of flowable material. Furthermore, the combination of the obturating sealing parts on the same lid member allows simultaneous opening and closing of the through-openings by the same lid member.

The lid may be pivotally mounted on the covering body, in particular adjacent the inflow thorough-opening. Typically, the lid has a first extremity that is pivotally mounted on the covering body and a second extremity arranged to be secured against the covering body in the closed position, the second extremity having in particular a protrusion or a recess cooperating with a corresponding respective recess or protrusion of the covering body for securing the lid against the covering body in the closed position. Securing the lid in the closed position may for instance be achieved via a clipping, snap-fit, hooking, press-button or other equivalent fastening mechanism.

In an advantageous embodiment, the lid in its open position is arranged to extend down along a generally upright wall of the container on which the covering body is located, the container wall being adjacent to the covering body. Hence, when the inflow and outflow through-openings are open, e.g. for drinking, a user may safely hold the lid against the container wall with the same hand he uses for gripping the container itself. Therefore, to avoid that the open lid moves freely and possibly bothers the user while drinking, no separate mechanism is needed to secure the lid in its open position, the open lid and the container being held simultaneously single-handed by the user.

The covering body typically has a base. The peripheral part of the body may comprise one or more outward protrusions extending from the base, the outflow through-opening being in particular located on an outward protrusion. The inflow through-opening may be located on the base. The outflow through-opening may be configured to fit human lips to facilitate drinking via the opening.

For instance, the outflow through-opening is located on an annular outward protrusion. The annular outward protrusion may generally form an open ring on the covering body with facing ends. The lid can be pivotally mounted on the covering body between these facing ends and/or the inflow through-opening may be located on the base between these facing ends. In this manner, the pivotable connecting part of the lid may have an outer surface that is generally flush with the annular protrusion so as to close the corresponding loop on the covering body. Hence, unwanted hooking of the top with its environment is minimised by avoiding any part that may stick out when the lid is in its closed position.

In its closed position, the lid normally extends diameterally across the covering body, from the peripheral part on one side of the covering body, via the middle of the covering body to the facing opposite side of the peripheral part.

The lid may have a rigid structural member and at least one resiliently deformable obturating member for obturating the inflow and/or the outflow through-openings, optionally the resiliently deformable obturating member is generally coextensive with the rigid structural member. The lid can have a plug or protrusion, in particular a resiliently deformable plug or protrusion, for obturating the inflow or the outflow through-opening. In particular, the lid may have a pair of such plugs or protrusions for obturating the through-openings. A portion of the lid may form a cap for covering a tubularly protruding outlet or inlet forming one of such through-openings in the covering body. Various configurations may be contemplated to shape the through-openings in the covering body and the cooperating obturating parts of the lid.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the top is removably securable on a corresponding container, in particular by screwing or force fitting thereof on the container. In a second embodiment of the invention, the top is integral with the container, the container having in particular a removable bottom for refilling thereof. It is also possible to use the outflow through-opening of the covering body for refilling the container.

A further aspect of the invention concerns a container that has a top as described above, in particular a mug or cup having such a top for dispensing a beverage contained in the mug or cup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described with reference to the schematic drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a container with a top according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of part of the container with its top shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a removable top 1 with a lid 20 is shown fitted onto a container 2 in the form of a mug, for containing a flowable material such as coffee, tea, hot or cold chocolate or a soft drink. In FIG. 1, lid 20 is shown in its closed position on top 1. In FIG. 2, lid 20 is in its open position.

Container 2 has insulating walls formed of a generally upright outer sidewall 3 extending from a bottom 5 and joined at the upper end 8 to an inner wall that is generally u-shaped in cross-section. An insulating cavity 7 extends between inner wall 4 on the one hand, and sidewall 3 and bottom 5 on the other hand. Mouth 9 of container 2 is generally circular.

Furthermore, container 2 has a generally frusto-conical inner rim 6 into which removable top 1 is force-fitted as described in greater details below.

Removable top 1 has a covering body 10 that extends over substantially the entire mouth 9 of container 2. Furthermore, top 1 has an elongated lid 20 that has a first extremity 20a which is pivotally mounted on covering body 10. Lid 20 has a general shape of a strip profiled to fit the shape of covering body 10 when lid 20 is in its closed position.

Covering body 10 has an outflow through-opening 11 for the outflow of liquid from container 2 and an inflow through-opening 12 for the inflow of air into container 2 to compensate for the outflowing liquid. Outflow through-opening 11 is formed on an annular ring 13 protruding outwards from base 14. Ring 13 is open and has two facing ends 15, one of which being shown in FIG. 2. Inflow through-opening 12 is located on base 14 inbetween ends 15 of annular ring 13.

Lid 20 is movable in rotation around its extremity 20a inbetween ends 15 of ring 13. Lid 20 is rotatable from an open position, as shown in FIG. 2, for allowing the outflow via opening 11 and the inflow via opening 12, to a closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, for preventing such outflow and inflow. For this purpose, lid 20 has a plug 21 for obturating outflow through-opening 11 and a protrusion 22 for obturating inflow through-opening 12 when lid 20 is in its closed position.

Inflow through-opening 11 and outflow through-opening 12 are located opposite to one another on a peripheral part of the covering body 10, lid 20 extending in the closed position from adjacent inflow through-opening 12 across covering body 10 to adjacent outflow through-opening 11.

Lid 20 has a second extremity 20b arranged to be secured against covering body 10 in the closed position. Second extremity 20b has a protrusion 23 cooperating with a corresponding respective recess 16 in ring 13 of covering body 10 for securing lid 20 against the covering body 10 in the closed position. In its closed position, lid 20 extends diametrally across covering body 10, i.e. from inbetween ends 15 of ring 13, over a middle part of base 14 and over ring 13. Base 14 has a recess 14a for receiving lid 20 in the closed position.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, lid 20 in its open position is arranged to extend down along generally upright wall 3 of container 2. Hence, when a user holds container 2 for drinking, e.g. single-handed, he may at the same time secure movable lid 20 against wall 3 by properly seizing container 2 with lid 20.

Lid has a rigid structural member 25 and at least one resiliently deformable obturating member 26. Obturating member 26 incorporates plug 21 and protrusion 22 for obturating inflow and outflow through-openings 11,12. Resiliently deformable obturating member 26 is generally coextensive with rigid structural member 25.

Top 1 is removably securable on container 2. For this purpose, covering body 10 has a circular peripheral upright wall 17 that extends down into mouth 9 of container 2. Wall 17 has an integral peripheral outwardly extending flange 18 for the horizontal proper positioning of top 1 against inner rim 6 of container 2. Base 14 of covering body 10 extends horizontally over inner rim 6 for positioning covering body 10 generally above mouth 9. A sealing ring 19, e.g. made of an elastic or elastomer material, is located between peripheral wall 17 and inner rim 6 so as to provide an assembly impervious to the flowable material held in container 2. Typically, sealing ring 19 is mounted onto peripheral wall 17 and urged against inner rim 6 when top 1 is force-fitted on container 2.

In a variation, it is of course possible to provide corresponding threads on the rim of the container and on the top to be able to screw the top onto or into the container. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a top part that is integral with the container and an arrangement for filling and refilling the mug with flowable material, e.g. via the outflow through-opening or via a separate dedicated inlet or via the bottom of the container that can be fitted with a separable foot.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A top of or for a cup or mug for containing a flowable substance therein, the top comprising:

a covering body arranged to cover the cup or mug opening, the body having a peripheral part that includes a through-opening for an outflow of flowable substance from the cup or mug and an air through-opening for an inflow of air into the cup or mug; and

a lid movable relative to the covering body between an open position for allowing the outflow and inflow, and a closed position for preventing the outflow and inflow, with the lid having a first part and a second part for obturating in the closed position the outflow through-opening and the inflow through-opening, respectively,

wherein the inflow through-opening and the outflow through-opening are located opposite to one another on the peripheral part of the covering body, the lid extending in the closed position from adjacent the inflow through-opening across the covering body to adjacent the outflow through-opening.

17. The top of claim 16, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted on the covering body adjacent the inflow through-opening.

18. The top of claim 17, wherein the lid has a first extremity that is pivotally mounted on the covering body and a second extremity arranged to be secured against the covering body in the closed position.

19. The top of claim 17, wherein the second extremity has a protrusion or a recess cooperating with a corresponding respective recess or protrusion of the covering body for securing the lid against the covering body in the closed position.

20. The top of claim 16, wherein the lid in its open position is arranged to extend down along a generally upright wall of the cup or mug, which wall is adjacent the covering body so that during use for drinking, the cup or mug may be held and the lid may be secured against the wall single-handed.

21. The top of claim 16, wherein the covering body comprises a base and wherein the peripheral part of the body comprises one or more outward protrusions extending from the base

22. The top of claim 21, wherein the outflow through-opening is located on an outward protrusion.

23. The top of claim 21, wherein the inflow through-opening is located on the base.

24. The top of claim 21, wherein the outflow through-opening is located on an annular outward protrusion.

25. The top of claim 24, wherein the annular outward protrusion generally forms an open ring on the covering body with facing ends.

26. The top of claim 25, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted on the covering body between the facing ends.

27. The top of claim 25, wherein the inflow through-opening is located on the base between the facing ends.

28. The top of claim 16, wherein the lid extends, in the closed position, diametrically across the covering body.

29. The top of claim 16, wherein the lid has a rigid structural member and at least one resiliently deformable obturating member for obturating the inflow or the outflow through-openings, with the resiliently deformable obturating member optionally being generally coextensive with the rigid structural member.

30. The top of claim 16, wherein the lid has a resiliently deformable plug or protrusion for obturating the inflow or the outflow through-opening.

31. The top of claim 16, which is removably securable on the cup or mug by screwing or force fitting thereon.

32. A cup or mug in combination with the top of claim 16.

33. The cup or mug of claim 32 which is integral with the top, wherein the cup or mug has a removable bottom for filling or refilling.