CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority from provisional applications: Ser. No. 62/215,313, filed on Sep. 8, 2015, Lid Assemblies For Hot Beverage Drinking Vessels And Hot Beverage Drinking Vessels Including The Same, whose disclosure is specifically incorporated in its entirety by reference herein and which application is assigned to the same assignee as this invention.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT “Not Applicable”
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK “Not Applicable”
FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to drinking vessels and more particularly to lid assemblies for insulated drinking vessels for hot beverages and drinking vessels including such lid assemblies.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many double walled drinking vessels are commercially available from various typically are formed of an inner vessel located within and spaced from an outer vessel by an annular air or vacuum space to thermally insulate the inner vessel and its contents from the ambient atmosphere. A lid is commonly provided for releasable mounting on the vessel to seal the contents of the beverage within the vessel. One common type of lid includes a slidable cover that when opened enables a user to drink the beverage through the lid or pour the beverage through the lid when desired.
In co-pending provisional application Ser. No. 62/135,963, filed on Mar. 20, 2015, entitled Lid Assemblies For Drinking Vessels And Drinking Vessels Including The Same, which is assigned to the same assignee as this invention and whose disclosure is incorporated by reference herein, there is disclosed a lid assembly for a beverage vessel and a beverage vessel including such a lid assembly which overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art by enabling ease of mounting, dismounting, ease of use, resistance to accumulation of liquids on the top of the lid, and the potential for abrupt splashing or sputtering of hot liquid when the lid assembly is opened due to the build-up of steam pressure within the vessel.
The subject invention is also directed to lid assemblies for beverage drinking containers, e.g., tumblers, and particularly to those for holding hot beverages and provides many advantages over the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of this invention there is provided a lid assembly for releasable mounting on a drinking vessel having a hollow body bounding an internal cavity configured for receipt of a beverage to enable a user to drink or pour the beverage through the lid assembly. The hollow body has an annular rim at a top edge thereof. The lid assembly comprises a lid, a slider and a sealing member. The lid comprises a top wall and a peripheral sidewall extending about the top wall. The top wall of the lid includes a port configured for communication with the internal cavity of the vessel when the lid assembly is mounted on the vessel. The slider is located at the top wall and is slidably connected thereto. The slider is configured to be in any one of a closed, e.g., locked, state, an opened, e.g., unlocked, state, and a removal state. When in the closed state the slider is slidably connected to the top wall with the sealing member sealing the port. When in the opened state the slider is slidably connected to the top wall but with the sealing member exposing the port. The slider is slidable between the closed state and the opened state, and vice versa. The slider is also movable to the removal state whereupon the slider is disconnected from the top wall so that it can be removed from the lid assembly and thereafter reconnected to the lid when desired.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, the lid assembly is configured, e.g., includes engagement surfaces, to releasably secure the slider in the opened and closed positions.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the lid comprises a vent hole and wherein the lid assembly additionally comprises a vent seal configured to seal the vent hole when the slider is in the closed state and to expose the vent hole when said slider is in said opened state.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the lid includes an elongated recess directed towards the port, with the recess having a surface forming a track. The slider includes at least one projection for slidable receipt within the recess to enable the slider to be slid along the track from the closed state to the opened state, and vice versa.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the track includes a ramped portion to pull the sealing member into tight engagement with the port when the slider is in the closed state.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the track includes a recessed portion into which the at least one projection snap-fits when the slider is in the closed state, and wherein the slider includes an actuator. The actuator is configured when actuated to move the at least one projection out of the recessed portion to thereby enable the slider to be moved to the opened state.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the slider comprises the sealing member and a movable switch. The switch is selectively movable to any one of a first, second, and third positions. When in the first position the switch enables the slider to be in said closed state. When in the second position the switch enables the slider to be in said opened state. When in the third position the switch enables the slider cover to be in the removal state.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the top wall of the lid includes a bottom surface and wherein the sealing member is configured to engage the bottom surface of the top wall contiguous with the port. The sealing member is mounted on the upper surface of a sealing beam, which is located below the top wall of the lid. The sealing beam is coupled to the slider and configured to move the sealing member into engagement with the bottom surface of the top wall contiguous with the port when the slider is in the closed state.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention the top wall of the lid slopes downward toward the port, and wherein the peripheral sidewall has a top edge located above the top wall, with the downwardly sloped top wall providing a path for any beverage that may become located on the top wall to flow into the port.
Another aspect of this invention is the combination of the lid assembly and the vessel, wherein the vessel comprises a doubled walled tumbler for holding hot liquids therein.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a first exemplary lid assembly and an insulated drinking vessel e.g., a tumbler, constructed in accordance with this invention, with the lid assembly including a lid and a slider having a sealing member and with the slider being shown in its closed, e.g., locked, state on the lid;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 1, with the slider being shown in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the slider its removal state;
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the insulated tumbler shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the tumbler shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the tumbler shown within the broken circle identified with the reference number 6 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is an exploded isometric view of the lid assembly shown with respect to the tumbler;
FIG. 8 is an exploded isometric view of the lid assembly shown in FIG. 7, but taken from a different angle, e.g., from obliquely below;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged isometric view of the slider;
FIGS. 10A and 10B are respective isometric views, taken from different angles, showing a switch component making up a portion of the slider;
FIG. 11 in an enlarged exploded isometric view of the slider;
FIGS. 12A and 12B are respective isometric views, taken from different angles, showing the lid of the lid assembly;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional isometric view of the lid shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, with the section being taken along the a line perpendicular to line 15A-15A in FIG. 1;
FIG. 14A is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the lid shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B;
FIG. 14B is an enlarged isometric view similar to FIG. 14A, but showing a portion of the lid taken from a different angle;
FIG. 15A is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 15A-15A in FIG. 1 showing the slider is in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 15B is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line perpendicular to the line 15A-15A of FIG. 1 showing the slider in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 16A is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 16A-16A in FIG. 2 showing the slider in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 16B is an enlarged sectional view taken along a line perpendicular to the line 16A-16A of FIG. 2 showing the slider is in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 17 is an isometric view that is somewhat similar to FIG. 1, but partially broken away and showing a second and more preferred exemplary embodiment of a lid assembly including a movable slider and a lid constructed in accordance with this invention, with the slider being shown in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 18 is an isometric view of the upper side of the lid assembly of FIG. 17 shown in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 19 is an isometric view, similar to FIG. 18, but showing the lid assembly of FIG. 17 in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 20 is an isometric view, similar to FIGS. 18 and 19, but showing the lid assembly of FIG. 17 in its removal state;
FIG. 21A is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 21A-21A of FIG. 18, i.e., the lid assembly in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 21B is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 21B-21B of FIG. 18, i.e., the lid assembly in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 21C is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 21C-21C of FIG. 18, i.e., the lid assembly in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 22A is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 22A-22A of FIG. 19, i.e., the lid assembly in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 22B is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 22B-22B of FIG. 19, i.e., the lid assembly in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 22C is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 22C-22C of FIG. 19, i.e., the lid assembly in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 23A is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 23A-23A of FIG. 20, i.e., the lid assembly in its removal state;
FIG. 23B is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 23B-23B of FIG. 20, i.e., the lid assembly in its removal state;
FIG. 23C is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 23C-23C of FIG. 20, i.e., the lid assembly in its removal state;
FIG. 24 is a slightly enlarged sectional view taken along line 24-24 of FIG. 18;
FIG. 25 is an exploded isometric view showing the slider and the lid of the lid assembly of FIGS. 17-20;
FIG. 26 is a slightly enlarged isometric view of a cover forming a portion of the slider shown in FIG. 25;
FIG. 27 is a somewhat enlarged isometric view of an actuator forming a portion of the slider shown in FIG. 25;
FIG. 28 is a somewhat enlarged isometric view of a seal forming a portion of the slider shown in FIG. 25;
FIG. 29 is an exploded isometric view showing the actuator, the cover and the seal shown in FIG. 25;
FIG. 30 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 17, but showing a third exemplary embodiment of lid assembly including a movable slider, a sealing beam assembly, and a lid constructed in accordance with this invention, with the slider being shown in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 31 is an isometric view of the upper side of the lid assembly of FIG. 30 shown in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 32 is an isometric view, similar to FIG. 31, but showing the lid assembly of FIG. 30 in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 33 is an isometric view, similar to FIGS. 31 and 32, but showing the lid assembly of FIG. 30 in its removal state;
FIG. 34A is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 34A-34A of FIG. 31, i.e., the lid assembly in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 35A is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 35A-35A of FIG. 32, i.e., the lid assembly in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 36A is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 36A-36A of FIG. 33, i.e., the lid assembly in its removal state;
FIG. 34B is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 34B-34B of FIG. 31, i.e., the lid assembly in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 35B is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 35B-35B of FIG. 30, i.e., the lid assembly in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 34B is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 34B-34B of FIG. 32, i.e., the lid assembly in its removal state;
FIG. 34C is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 34C-34C of FIG. 31, i.e., the lid assembly in its closed, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 35C is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 35C-35C of FIG. 33, i.e., the lid assembly in its opened, e.g., unlocked, state;
FIG. 36C is a slightly enlarged sectional isometric view taken along line 36C-36C of FIG. 33, i.e., the lid assembly in its removal state;
FIG. 37 is an isometric view of the underside of the lid assembly of FIG. 30 shown in its removal, e.g., locked, state;
FIG. 38 is a slightly reduced size exploded isometric view showing all the components of the lid assembly of FIGS. 30-33; and
FIG. 39 is another slightly reduced size exploded isometric view, but taken from a different angle than that of FIG. 38, showing all the components of the lid assembly of FIGS. 30-33;
FIG. 40 is a slightly enlarged exploded isometric view showing the slider and the lid of the lid assembly of FIGS. 30-33 oriented sot that they can be assembled together;
FIG. 41 is an isometric view of one half of the slide taken along line 41-41 of FIG. 40, but with a seal component not show in the interest of drawing clarity; and
FIG. 42 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the components shown in the exploded isometric views of FIGS. 38 and 39.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the various figures of the drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown at 20 in FIG. 1 one exemplary embodiment of a lid assembly constructed in accordance with this invention. The lid assembly 20 is configured for releasable securement on a drinking vessel 22, e.g., a double walled tumbler, holding a hot beverage, and includes an openable port to enable the user of the vessel to drink or pour the hot liquid through the port in the lid assembly. It should be pointed out at this juncture that the drinking vessel 22 shown and described hereinafter is a double walled, insulated, tumbler. However, the vessel can be of any suitable construction. Thus, the tumbler 22 is exemplary of numerous vessels with which the lid assembly of the subject invention can be used.
As can be seen in FIGS. 4-6 the double walled tumbler 22 basically comprises an assembly of a hollow outer body or vessel 24 and a hollow inner body or vessel 26 which are fixedly secured together. The outer vessel 24 is a hollow member having a bottom wall 24A and a sidewall 24B. The sidewall 24B is a body of revolution extending about a central longitudinal axis A. The outer vessel can be formed in any manner, e.g., injection molded of any suitable plastic material. The hollow inner vessel 26 is also a hollow member having a bottom wall 26A and sidewall 264B. The sidewall 264B is also a body of revolution extending about the central longitudinal axis A. The inner vessel can also be formed in any manner, e.g., injection molded of any suitable plastic material. In accordance with one exemplary preferred embodiment of this invention the outer vessel 24 is an integral unit that is molded of a transparent plastic material, e.g., Eastman Tritan™ copolyester sold by Eastman Chemical Company. The outer vessel 24 is also an integral unit that is also molded of any suitable plastic material, e.g., Eastman Tritan™ copolyester.
The sidewall 26B of the inner vessel includes a top section 28 (FIGS. 5 and 6) which forms the rim portion of the tumbler 22. The bottom of the section 28 is in the form of an undercut ledge 30 extending radially inward from the outer surface of the section 28. The section 28 is somewhat triangular in cross section and tapers upward terminating in a top edge 32 forming the rim of the tumbler. In accordance with one preferred aspect of this invention the section 28 is molded in-situ or co-molded on the remaining portion of the inner vessel, i.e., the portion of the inner vessel below the undercut ledge 30. For example, a pre-molded precursor of the inner vessel can be placed within an injection molding machine or device (not shown), with the top surface of that precursor being in communication with a ring-shaped mold cavity (not shown) that is shaped like the top section 28. The ring shaped mold cavity can be of any suitable thickness and height to form the rim or lip of a drinking tumbler, e.g., it may have a thickness in the range of approximately 0.06 inch to 0.20 inch at its top edge 32, and a height in the range of approximately 0.650 inch to 0.750 inch. A molten plastic material, preferably the same material as that from which the precursor of the inner vessel was pre-molded, can then be injected under pressure into the mold cavity to fill the ring shaped portion of the cavity and thereby form the section 28. The molten injected plastic forming the section 28 engages the exposed top surface of the pre-molded precursor to cause that surface to melt and reflow, whereupon the injected plastic intermingles with the melted plastic of the inner vessel, to form a homogenous joint thereat, thereby completing the inner vessel. If desired, the plastic material making up the section 28 may be colored in the interest of aesthetics.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of this invention the portion of the inner vessel below the section 28 is preferably semi-opaque or translucent, so that when the tumbler 22 is filled with coffee or tea, the user is able to see that there is a beverage in the tumbler, but not be able to see any details of the beverage. This enhances the aesthetics for the tumbler, since the inner vessel will obscure any coffee grinds or tea leaves which may be in beverage. The translucency or semi-opaqueness of the inner vessel can be achieved in various ways, e.g., sandblasting or otherwise texturing the outer surface of the inner vessel.
As best seen in FIG. 6, the sidewall 24B of the outer vessel 24 includes a top edge having an annular recess 34 located at the point at which that top edge mergers with the inner surface of the sidewall 24B. The annular recess 34 is configured to receive or mate with an annular recess 36 located on the section 28 of the inner vessel 26 where the undercut ledge 30 meets with the outer surface of that section 28. That arrangement enables the outer vessel 24 to support the inner vessel 26 on those engaging annular surfaces wherein the outer surface of the inner vessel 26 is disposed opposite and confronting the inner surface of the outer vessel 24, but is spaced slightly therefrom to form an annular thermally insulating air space 38 therebetween and with the thin top rim of the inner vessel forming the top rim of the tumbler. In accordance with one preferred embodiment of this invention the sidewall of the inner vessel is similarly shaped to the sidewall of the outer vessel so that the thickness of the insulating air space 38 remains relatively constant through the entire length of the tumbler. The inner vessel is fixedly secured to the outer vessel at the engaging annular surfaces 34 and 36 by any suitable bonding technique, e.g., an ultrasonic weld.
If desired, a decorative wrap or sleeve 40 may be located within the air space 38 in the interest of aesthetics.
As mentioned earlier, the sidewalls 24B and 26B constitute bodies of revolution about the central longitudinal axis A. The particular shape of those sidewalls may be a matter of design or may be shaped for reasons that are functional and aesthetic. In the preferred embodiment of this invention the shape of the sidewalls 24A and 26A is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. In particular, the sidewall 24B preferably includes a bulbous upper section 42 which extends downward to an intermediate point 44 along the longitudinal axis A. At that point 44 the bulbous upper section 42 merges with an undercut and slightly conical lower section 46. The maximum outer diameter of the lower section 46 is less than the maximum outer diameter of the bulbous upper section 42. This feature enables a user to comfortably hold the tumbler in his or her hand by wrapping his/her fingers around the lower section 46 immediately below the upper section 42, whereupon the radially outwardly extending portion of the upper section above the user's hand prevents the tumbler from slipping out of the user's grip.
The lid assembly 20 is shown generally in FIGS. 1-3 and basically comprises a lid 48 and a slider 50. The slider 50 is in the form of a slidable cover subassembly. The lid includes a top wall 52 and a circular peripheral sidewall 54 extending about the top wall. The top wall includes an orifice or port 56 configured for communication with the internal cavity in the tumbler 22 when the lid assembly 20 is mounted on the tumbler 22. The slidable cover subassembly 50 will be described in detail later. Suffice it for now to state that it includes a cover member 58, a switch 60 and a sealing member 62. The slidable cover subassembly is located at the top wall of the lid 48 and is configured to be in any one of three states, namely, a closed, e.g., locked, state, an open, e.g., unlocked, state, and a disconnected or removal state. When the slider is in the closed state it is connected to the lid 48 on the top wall with the seal member 58 closing off or otherwise sealing the port 56 and is locked in place in that state, as will be described later. When the slidable cover subassembly is in the opened state it is also connected to the lid on the top wall but the sealing member does not close off or otherwise seal the port 56. Thus, in that state the port is exposed to enable a user to drink from the tumbler through the port or to pour contents of the beverage within the tumbler out through the port. When the slidable cover subassembly is in the removal state it is disconnected from the top wall of the lid so that it can be removed as a unit from the lid to enable it and the rest of the lid assembly to be cleaned thoroughly and then be reconnected to the lid when desired.
The sidewall 54 of the lid 48 includes an upper section 54A and a lower section 54B. The cross-sectional shape of the upper section 54A is such that when the lid assembly is secured onto the tumbler 22 the outer surface of the upper section of the lid is flush with the outer surface of the section 28 of the tumbler so that there is a smooth and continuous transition to facilitate drinking from the tumbler with the lid assembly in place.
The outer surface of the lower section 54B of the lid is shaped to mate with the inner surface of the section 28 of the tumbler. In order to releasably secure the lid assembly 48 to the tumbler 22, the outer surface of the lid's lower section 54B includes plural low profile thread sections 54C (FIGS. 7-9) that are configured to threadedly mate with similar low profile thread sections 28A (FIG. 4) on the inner surface of the section 28 of the tumbler 22.
As best seen in FIGS. 15A and 16A the top wall 52 of the lid 48 slopes downward from the point opposite the port 56 to that port. Moreover, the upper section 54 of the lid's sidewall has its top edge located above the highest point on the top wall 52 and has an inner surface which slopes downward to merge with the top wall. These features ensure that any beverage which may become located on the top wall 52 is channeled to flow back into the tumbler through the port 56 when the port is open, i.e., when the slide subassembly is in the unlocked or open state.
Turning now to FIGS. 7-11, the details of the slidable cover subassembly 50 will now be described. As stated above, that subassembly basically comprises the cover member 58, the switch 60, and the sealing member 62. The cover member 58 is a plate-like member formed of any suitable plastic material, e.g., polypropylene. As best seen in FIG. 14B, the cover member 58 is slightly domed and has a pair of opposed arcuate edges 64 and 66 (FIGS. 7 and 8). The edge 64 is an arc of a circle to mate with a portion of the inner surface of the circular sidewall of the upper section 54A of the lid 48 when the slidable cover subassembly 50 is in the removal state shown in FIG. 3. The opposite edge 66 of the cover member 68 is also an arc of a circle to mate with a portion of the inner surface of the circular sidewall of the upper section 54A of the lid 48 when the slidable cover subassembly 50 is in the locked state shown in FIG. 1.
An opening 68 is provided in the cover member 58 adjacent the edge 66 and is shaped to accommodate the sealing member or plug 62 therein. In the exemplary embodiment shown both the sealing member 62 and the opening 68 are of a general “football” shape, although other shapes are contemplated. In any case, the sealing member 62 is formed of a resilient material, e.g., silicone.
The sealing member 62 is mounted within the opening 68 and is normally in the state so that its bottom peripheral edge 70 (FIGS. 7-9 and 11) is generally flush with the bottom surface of the cover member contiguous with the opening 68. Member 62 can be over-molded onto cover member 58. However, being resilient, the sealing member 62 is displaceable with respect to the opening 68, so that when the sealing member's top surface 72 (FIGS. 1-3) is pressed downward by a user, the bottom peripheral edge portion 70 of the sealing member will be displaced to move downward below the bottom surface of the cover member 58. Thus, when the slidable cover subassembly 50 is moved to the locked state, like shown in FIG. 1, the top surface 72 of the sealing member 62 can be pressed by the user to cause the bottom peripheral edge portion 70 of the sealing member or plug to move into and seal the port 56 of the lid 48. This action will prevent the beverage within the inner vessel from gaining egress through the slidable cover subassembly when that subassembly is in the locked state.
Turning now to FIGS. 9 and 11, it can be seen that the bottom of the cover member 58 includes two elongated wall-like projections 74 and 76, and a shorter length wall-like projection 78 located between the projections 74 and 76. The projections 74, 76 and 78 are configured to fit within respective slots (to be described later) in the top surface 52 of the lid 48. A recess 80 is located in the bottom surface of the cover member 58 between the front edge 64 and the wall-like projections 74 and 76. The recess 80 is configured to accommodate a portion of the switch 60 therein.
The switch 60 is formed of any suitable material, e.g., the same material as the cover member and includes a base portion 82 (FIGS. 10A and 10B). The base portion 82 is of a generally T-shape and includes a top surface from which a button 84 (FIGS. 10A and 10B) projects upward, and a bottom surface from which a pivot pin 100 (FIGS. 9 and 10B) projects downward. The base portion 82 is configured to be disposed within the recess 80 of the cover member 58 with the button 84 extending upward through an arcuate slot 86 (FIG. 11) in the cover member. The slot 86 is in communication with the recess 80.
The switch 60 is configured to be pivotable within the recess 80, so that it can be pivoted to any one of three positions. One of those positions is shown in FIG. 1, wherein the switch enables the slidable cover subassembly to be brought into its locked state. Another of those positions is shown in FIG. 2, wherein the switch enables the slidable cover subassembly to be brought into its unlocked state. The last of those positions is shown in FIG. 3, wherein the switch enables the slidable cover subassembly to be brought into its removal state.
In order to enable the switch to be pivoted to those three positions, the base portion 82 of the switch 60 includes a hole 88 configured to receive a pin 90 (FIGS. 9 and 11) located on the underside of the cover member 58 and projecting downward within the recess 80. Thus, with the pin 90 extending through the hole 88 in the switch, the switch can be pivoted to anyone of those three positions, by the user pushing the button 84 along the arcuate slot 86. An arcuate wall 92 projects upward from the surface of the cover member 58 adjacent the slot to serve as a guide to enable the user to use one finger of one hand to slide the switch to any of three positions.
As best seen in FIGS. 1-3 a “closed lock” graphic 94 is embossed in the top surface of the cover member adjacent the right side end of the slot 86. This graphic designates the position to which the button 84 should be moved to the place the slidable cover subassembly in the locked state. A “double headed arrow” graphic 96 is embossed in the top surface of the cover member adjacent the center of the slot 86 to designate the position to which the button 84 should be moved to the place the slidable cover subassembly in the unlocked state. A “cover removal” graphic 98 is embossed in the top surface of the cover member adjacent the left of the slot 86 to designate the position to which the button 84 should be moved to the place the slidable cover subassembly in the removal state.
As best seen in FIGS. 9, 10B and 11, a pivot pin 100 projects downward from the undersurface of the base 82 of the switch 60. The pin 100 includes a bottom surface or free end 100A (FIGS. 10B and 11). The pin 100 is arranged to cooperate with a slot 102 located in the top surface 52 of the lid 48 to guide the slidable cover subassembly to any one of its three states. As best seen in FIGS. 12A, 12B and 13 the slot 102 is an elongated linear slot extending along the axis 15A in FIG. 1. The axis 15A forms the centerline of the lid 48 and also the centerline of the slidable cover subassembly 50. The slot 102 is located centered between two elongated linear side slots 104 and 106. The side slots 104 and 106 are mirror images of each other and are arranged to receive and guide the wall-like projections 74 and 76, respectively, therein when the slidable cover subassembly 50 is releasably secured to the lid 48. To that end, the wall-like projection 74 includes a pin or finger 74A (FIGS. 9 and 11) projecting outward therefrom along an axis transverse (perpendicular) the axis 15A of FIG. 1. In a similar manner the wall-like projection 76 includes a pin or finger 76A projecting outward therefrom along that transverse the axis such that the pins 74A and 76A are axially aligned.
Each of the side slots 104 and 106 is undercut. In particular, each slot 104 and 106 includes a portion located below the top wall 52 of the lid 48 and an enlarged entrance portion 108 located at the forward end of the slot and in communication with the top surface 52 of the lid. The entrance portion 108 of the side slot 104 is configured to enable the pin 74A of wall-like projection 74 to pass therethrough to enter the slot 104. In a similar manner the entrance portion 108 of the side slot 106 is configured to enable the pin 76A of wall-like projection 76 to pass therethrough to enter the slot 106.
The central slot 102 is configured to enable the pin 100 of the switch and the wall-like projection 70 of the slidable cover member 58 to slide therein. To that end, as best seen in FIGS. 13, 14A and 14B, the central slot 102 includes an entry portion 102A and a remainder portion 102B. The entry portion 102A is located at the end of the slot adjacent the entrances 108 of the slots 104 and 106 and is laterally offset from the central axis of the remainder portion 102B of the slot 102. The entry portion 102A has a bottom surface 102D. The bottom surface 102D of entry portion 102A is of a lesser depth below the top wall 52 of the lid than the bottom surface 102E of the remainder portion 102B of the central slot 102. The bottom surface 102E of the central slot is the same depth below the top surface 52 of the lid as the bottom surfaces 104A and 106A of the side slots 104 and 106, respectively, are with respect to the lid's top surface 52. The entry portion 102A of the central slot merges with the remainder portion 102B by means of an angularly extending vertical sidewall 102C (FIGS. 13 and 14A). The innermost end of the angularly extending sidewall 102C merges with the remainder portion 102B of the central slot a short distance back from the forward end of the entry portion 102A of that slot. The laterally opposite side of the central slot 102 from the side at which the entry portion 102A is located is in the form of a ledge having a first top surface 102F and a second top surface 102G. The top surface 102G is planar and is located at the end of the slot 102 adjacent to the entry portion 102A. The top surface 102F is also planar and is located at the opposite end of the slot 102. The top surface 102F is of a greater depth from the top wall 52 of the lid 48, than the top surface 102G to form a vertically extending stop surface 102F which is located at the interface of the top surfaces 102F and 102G.
As best seen in FIG. 16B, the width of each of the wall-like projections 74 and 76 is slightly less than the width of the side slots 104 and 106, respectively, at the top wall 52 of the lid 48, such that those wall-like projections can fit within those portions of the side slots and be guided therealong. Similarly, the width of the central wall-like projection 78 is slightly less than the width of the portion 102B of the central slot 102, such that the wall-like projection 78 can fit within that portion of the central slot and be guided therealong.
The releasable securement of the slidable cover subassembly 50 to the lid 48 is achieved as follows. The switch 60 is pivoted to the “removal” position, like shown in FIG. 3, whereupon the downwardly projecting pin 100 of the switch 60 will be located slightly laterally of the centerline of the slidable cover subassembly. The slidable cover assembly can then be juxtaposed over the lid 48, with the pin 100 aligned with the entry portion 102A, and with the projecting fingers 74A and 76A aligned with the entrances 108 of the side slots 104 and 106, respectively. Downward pressure on the slidable cover subassembly will cause the pin 100 to enter the end of the entry portion 102A and the projecting fingers 74A and 76A to enter the entrances 108 of the side slots 104 and 106, with the bottom surface 100A of the pin 100 being disposed on the bottom surface 102D of the entry portion 102A. The slidable cover assembly can then be slid down those slots, whereupon the pin 100 will be guided along the angularly extending sidewall 102C, thereby pivoting the switch 60 to a centered position within the recess 80. This action causes the bottom surface of the pin 100 to eventually drop off of the bottom surface 102D of the of the entry portion 102A, whereupon the a portion of the bottom surface of the pin 100 will ride along the surface 102G of the ledge and the projecting fingers 76A and 76B will move into the undercut portions of the side slots 104 and 106, respectively. The slidable cover assembly can then be slid further down the slots 102, 104 and 106 until the sealing member or plug 62 is aligned with the port 56 in the lid. The top surface 72 of the sealing member 62 can then be pressed to displace its bottom peripheral edge 70 into the port 56 to seal the port, as described above. The button 84 can then be pivoted to the right along the slot 86 so that it is in the locked position like shown in FIG. 1, whereupon the slidable cover assembly will be in the locked state, and will be held in that state until the button is moved to either the unlock or remove positions. In particular, when the switch is pivoted to the locked position the bottom surface 100A of the pin 100 will be pivoted onto the top surface 102F of the ledge and immediately adjacent the stop surface 102H as shown in FIG. 15A.
In order to enable the user to drink or pour the beverage from the inner vessel through the port 56 in the lid, all that the user has to do is to pivot the switch 60 to the unlock position by pressing on the button 84 to move it to the unlock position like shown in FIG. 2. In addition, the user has to press on the portion of the slidable cover 58 adjacent the button to cause the slidable cover 58 to pivot in a counter-clockwise direction thereby withdrawing or freeing the sealing member or plug 62 from the port 56, whereupon the slidable cover subassembly can be slid to the open or unlocked state shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B.
When it is desired to remove the slidable cover subassembly 50 from the lid 48 to enable it and the lid to be cleaned, all that is required is for the user to slide that subassembly to the open or unlocked state, and then to slide the button 84 along the slot 56 toward the “remove” position. That action places the bottom surface 100A of the pin 100 onto the bottom surface 102D of the central slot 102. Continued pressure on the button 84 towards to “remove” position while sliding the slidable cover assembly down the slots 102, 204 and 106 away from the port 56 causes the bottom surface of the pin 100 to slide along the central slot surface 102D following the angularly extending sidewall 102C until the pin 100 is located at the end of the entry portion 102A. When the pin 100 is located at that position, the fingers 74A and 76A of the slidable cover member will be located within the entrance portions 108 of the slots 104 and 104, respectively, and thus out of the undercut portions of those slots. This action effectively disconnects the slidable cover subassembly from the lid. Thus, once that has been accomplished the slidable cover assembly can be lifted up and off of the lid.
As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the lid assembly 20 is easy to use and is effective to ensure that the port or orifice is effectively locked in its sealed state when the slider is in that state. Moreover, when the lid assembly 20 is disassembled for cleaning there are only two components that need to be cleaned, i.e., the slider and the lid. This factor reduces the risk that the disassembled components will be lost or misplaced when disassembled for cleaning.
Turning now to FIG. 17 there is shown a second, and more preferred exemplary embodiment of a lid assembly 200 constructed in accordance with this invention. The lid assembly 200 is shown releasably secured to a drinking vessel 22, which is constructed like that of FIG. 1. However, it must be pointed out at this juncture that the lid assembly 200, as well as the lid assembly 20, and the lid assembly 300 shown in FIG. 30 (and any other lid assembly constructed in accordance with this invention) can be used on any type of vessel from which a person can drink a beverage through the lid assembly or can pour a beverage out of the vessel. In the interest of brevity the common features of the vessel 22 shown in FIGS. 1-5, 17 and 30 will be given the same reference numbers and the details of their construction and operation will not be reiterated.
The lid assembly 200 is shown generally in FIGS. 17-20 and basically comprises a lid 202 and a slider 204. The slider 204 is in the form of a sub-assembly of a cover 206, an actuator 208 (FIG. 27) and a seal 210 (FIG. 28). The lid 202 is similar in several respects to the lid 48 of the slider 20 shown in FIGS. 1-3. Thus, in the interest of brevity, the common components of the lid 202 and the lid 48 will be given the same reference numbers and the details of their construction and operation will not be reiterated. As can be seen in FIG. 18 the lid 202 includes a top wall 52 and a circular peripheral sidewall 54 extending about the top wall. The top wall includes an orifice or port 212 (FIGS. 19 and 20), which is configured for communication with the internal cavity in the tumbler 22 when the lid assembly 200 is mounted on the tumbler 22. A groove or ledge 212A is provided in the top surface of the top wall 52 about the periphery of the orifice or port 212. The slider 204 is located at the top wall of the lid 202 and is configured to be in any one of three states, namely, a closed, e.g., locked, state, an open, e.g., unlocked, state, and a disconnected or removal state. When the slider is in the closed state it is connected to the lid 202 on the top wall with a portion of seal 210 closing off or otherwise sealing the port 212 and is locked in place in that state, as will be described later. When the slider is in the opened state it is also connected to the lid on the top wall but the seal 210 does not close off or otherwise seal the port 212. Thus, in that state the port is exposed to enable a user to drink from the tumbler through the port or to pour contents of the beverage within the tumbler out through the port. When the slider is in the removal state it is disconnected from the top wall of the lid so that it can be removed as a unit from the lid to enable it and the rest of the lid assembly to be cleaned thoroughly and then be reconnected to the lid when desired.
Like the lid 48 of the lid assembly 20, the top wall 52 of the lid 202 slopes downward from the point opposite the orifice or port 212 to that port. Moreover, the upper section 54 of the lid's sidewall has its top edge located above the highest point on the top wall 52 and has an inner surface, which slopes downward to merge with the top wall. These features ensure that any beverage, which may become located on the top wall 52 is channeled to flow back into the tumbler through the port 212 when the port is open, i.e., when the slide subassembly is in the unlocked or open state.
Turning now to FIGS. 18-21 and 26-28, the details of the slider 204 will now be described. As stated above, the slider basically comprises the cover 206, the actuator 208, and the seal 210. The cover 58 is a plate-like member formed of any suitable plastic material, e.g., polypropylene. The cover 206 has a pair of opposed arcuate edges 206A and 206B (FIG. 18). The edge 206A is an arc of a circle to generally mate with a portion of the inner surface of the circular sidewall of the upper section 54A of the lid 202 when the slider is in the closed state shown in FIG. 18. The opposite edge 206B of the cover 206 is also an arc of a circle to be located closely adjacent the inner surface of the circular sidewall of the upper section 54A of the lid 202 when the slider is in the removal state shown in FIG. 20.
As best seen in FIG. 28, the seal 210 is formed of any suitable elastomeric material, e.g., a soft thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The seal basically includes two portions, namely, a generally football shaped portion 214 and a circular tubular portion 216 which is connected to the football shaped portion 214 by a bridging link 218. The bridging link 218 is produced by the unitary molding of the components 214 and 216 in a one-shot over-molding process. The football shaped portion include a generally planar upper section 214A and a generally planar lower section 214B which are spaced apart parallel to each other and connected by a bridging portion 214C. As best seen in FIG. 26 the undersurface of the cover 206 includes a downwardly projecting wall of a generally football shape to form a recess 218 for accommodating the lower section 214B of the seal 210. In particular, the seal 210 is over-molded onto the cover to be fixedly secured thereto, with the lower section 214B of the seal located within the recess 218, with the upper section 214A of the seal being disposed on the top surface of the cover, and with the bridging section 214C extending through an correspondingly shaped opening 220 in the cover 206. Thus, with the seal fixedly secured to the cover 206, when the slider 204 is in its closed state the lower section 214B of the seal fits within the groove or ledge 212A of the lid contiguous with the periphery of the orifice or port 212 to thereby seal the port to prevent the egress of any liquid through the interface between the seal 210 and the ledge 212A of the orifice or port 212. This action will prevent the beverage within the inner vessel from gaining egress through the slider when the slider is in the closed state.
The actuator 208 is fixedly secured to the cover 206 to produce the slider 204. As best seen in FIG. 27 the actuator basically comprises a button 246, a base section 248 and an intermediate section 250. The base section includes a top wall 252 having a hole 254 extending through it and a short channel 256 extending from the hole 254 to the front end of the base section. The channel 256 receives the bridging link 218 of the seal when the seal is over-molded onto the cover. A first pair of sidewalls 258 projects downward from respective sides of the base section adjacent the front end of the base section. Each sidewall includes a short cam surfaced tab 260 projecting outward therefrom. A second pair of sidewalls 262 projects downward from respective sides of the base section adjacent the rear end of the base section. Each sidewall 262 includes a wide ear 264 projecting outward therefrom. The upper surface of each ear adjacent the forward end thereof is in the form of a downwardly slanting cam surface. The button 246 is a hollow member having a bottom surface of a generally football shaped periphery having an arcuate forward edge portion 266A and an arcuate rear edge portion 266B. The top surface 268 of the button is concave to receive a finger of the user, so that the user can press on the button to slide the slider 202, as will be described later.
As can be seen in FIG. 26 the rear edge 206B of the cover 206 includes an arcuate recess 206C in it. The recess 206C is configured to receive the arcuate front edge 266A of the actuator 208 when the actuator is fixedly secured to the cover. The cover includes a pair of downwardly projecting planar sidewalls 270, each of which extends parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the cover between the forward end 206A and the recess 206C in the rear end 206B. Each wall includes a longitudinally extending linear slot 272. Each slot 272 is configured to receive a respective one of the tabs 260 of the actuator to fixedly secure the actuator to the cover. Each sidewall of the cover also includes a narrow ear 274 projecting outward from it adjacent the forward end of the sidewall. A short cylindrically shaped rod 276 projects downward from the underside of the cover between the sidewalls 270. The rod is received within the interior of the tubular portion 216 of the seal 210 when the seal is over-molded onto the slider, such as shown in FIG. 29.
The fixed securement of the actuator to the cover is accomplished by orienting the actuator 208 with respect to the cover 206 so that the downwardly projecting rod 276 is aligned with the hole in like shown in FIG. 29 and moving those two components relative to each other so that the sidewalls 258 of the actuator flex slightly inward, whereupon the cam surface of each of the tabs 260 engage the a respective one of the slots 272 to cause the tabs to snap fit within the slots, thereby fixedly securing the actuator to the cover. With the actuator and the cover fixedly secured together, as described above, that completes the assembly of the components of the slider.
The slider is configured to be releasably connected to the lid by means of a recess in the lid to enable the slider slid to any one of the closed, open and removal states. In particular, as best seen in FIG. 25 the top wall 52 of the lid 202 includes an elongated recess 222 in it. The recess includes a closed bottom wall 224 having a central channel 226 in it, with the end of the channel 226 located closely adjacent the orifice or port 212 including an upwardly sloping surface 228 having a vent hole 230 in it. The vent hole is in fluid communication with the interior of the vessel 22 when the lid assembly 200 is mounted on the vessel 22. Each side edge of the recess 222 includes a first flange 232 and a second flange 234 extending inward toward the centerline of the recess such that the vertical sidewall of each recess is undercut. A wide notch 236 is located between the end wall of the recess 222 that is located opposite the orifice 212 and the flange 234. A narrow notch 238 is located between the flanges 234 and 232. The undersurface of the flange 234 is in the form of a ramp 240, whose undersurface slopes downward toward the bottom surface of the recess from the notch 236 toward the notch 238. The undersurface of the flange between the ramp 240 and the notch 238 is in the form of an undercut ledge 242. The undersurface 244 of the flange 232 is planar and extends parallel to the top surface of the top wall 52.
The slidable securement of the slider 204 to the lid 202 will best be appreciated by reference to FIG. 25. In particular, the slider is oriented so that the wide ears 264 are aligned with the wide notches 236 in the recess 222 of the lid and with the narrow ears 274 aligned with the narrow notches 286 in the recess 222. Downward pressure on the slider causes those ears to be located adjacent the bottom of the recess 222, whereupon the slider will be in the removal state, like shown in FIG. 23B. In that state it can be readily removed from the lid by merely lifting up on it. Once the slider is in the removal state it can be slid down the recess in the direction toward the orifice or port 212. That action is accomplished by pressing down on the button 246 to cause the bridging section 250 of the actuator to flex downward, thereby bringing the top surface of each ear 264 flush with the ramp undersurface 240 of the associated flange 234 and at the same time bringing the top surface of each ear 274 flush with the undersurface 244 of the associated flange 232 like shown in FIG. 23B. Pushing the button 246 of the actuator toward the orifice or port 212 will cause the ears 264 and 274 to slide along the surfaces 240 and 244, respectively, until the slider reaches the position shown in FIG. 22B, whereupon the slider will be in the opened state. That position is established by a detent mechanism, to be described later.
If the button 246 is pressed to move the slider from the open position towards the orifice or port 212, i.e., to close the orifice or port, that action overcomes the detent mechanism, whereupon the top surface of each ear 264 will slide along the ramp undersurface 240 of each flange 234 thereby pulling the slider's forward end, i.e., the end adjacent the edge 206A, downward. When the slider reaches the position at which the ears 264 reach the undercut ledges 242, those ears will snap-fit therein, thereby releasably securing or locking the slider in the closed state as shown in FIG. 21B. At the same time the ears 742 will have slid along the undersurfaces 244 as also shown in that figure. When the slider is in that position it will be in its closed state, whereupon the seal 201 will close off and seal the orifice or port 212, as described above.
As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the downward pulling of the forward end of the slider toward the orifice 212 when the slider is brought to the closed state pulls the seal 210 downward, whereupon the underside of the seal section 214B will tightly engage the top surface of the ledge 212A surrounding the periphery of the orifice or port 212 to effectively close off the orifice or port 212 and form a good fluid-tight seal. Thus, the flanges 232 and 234 and their undersurfaces establish what can be considered a pair of tracks for guiding the ears of slider as it moves along the recess so that it can be slid longitudinally along the recess 222 to any one of the opened, closed and removal states from any one of those states. Moreover, the sloped portion 240 of the flange surfaces overhanging the recess 222 serves to pull the forward end of the slider 204 with its seal 210 tightly into engagement with the orifice or port 212 when the slider is slid from its open state to its closed state as described above.
As best seen in FIG. 25 the front end of the cover 206 includes a short elongated tab 206D (FIGS. 26 and 29), which is configured for receipt within a horizontally oriented matingly shaped recess 54D (FIG. 25) when the slider is in the closed state. Thus, when the slider is in the closed state even if pressure should build up within the vessel 22 due to the presence of a hot liquid therein, which pressure would tend to push the slider with its seal upward, the mating receipt of the tab 206D within the recess 54D will prevent the forward end of the slider from flexing upward. Thus, the liquid-tight interface between the seal 210 and the orifice or port 212 will be maintained to prevent the egress of liquid through that interface when the slider is in the closed state.
In order to open the orifice or port 212 so a user can drink that the liquid within the vessel, all that is required is for the user to press down on the actuator button 246 to thereby flex the actuator, whereupon the portion of the actuator at which the ears 264 are located will move downward to free those ears from their respective undercut ledges 242. Accordingly, the ears 264 can then slide on the undersurface 240 of their associated ramp to bring the slider to the opened position or state as the slider is pushed rearward, i.e., away from the orifice or port 212. When it is desired to reclose the orifice or port all that is required is for the user to again press on the actuator button 246 in the forward direction, whereupon the slider will be slid to the closed state as described above. This action can be repeated as often as desired.
When it is desired to clean the lid assembly 200, one will want to disconnect the slider from the lid to individual clean each of them. That action is accomplished by sliding the slider to the removal position. In particular, if the slider is in the closed position, it is operated as discussed above to slide it to its opened position. However, instead of stopping at the opened position the slider is slid down the recess 222 away from the port or orifice until it reaches the removal state, like shown in FIG. 23B. In that state the ears 264 will be aligned with the notches 236 and the ears 274 will be aligned with the notches 238. Thus, one can lift up on the slider to disconnect the slider from the lid. The slider and the lid can then be cleaned. Once cleaned, the slider can be reconnected to the lid as described above.
As mentioned earlier the lid assembly 200 includes a detent mechanism to hold the slider in the opened position. That mechanism is best seen in FIG. 25. In particular, the underside of the cover 206 includes a pair of triangularly shaped projections 280 located outside of each of the sidewalls 270 and closely adjacent the side edges of the cover. The apex of each of the projections is in the form of an arcuate recess 282 (FIGS. 26 and 29). The top wall 52 includes a pair of triangularly shaped projections 284 located between the notches 238 and the adjacent peripheral sidewall 54 of the lid. As can be seen in FIG. 21C when the slider is in its closed position or state, the downwardly extending triangular projections 280 of the cover are located between the upwardly extending triangular projections 284 and the orifice or port 212. When the slider is slid to the opened position from the closed position, the rear-most edge of the downwardly extending projection 280 will ride up the front-most edge of the upwardly extending projection 284 causing the cover to flex slightly upward until the apex of the upwardly extending projection 284 snaps into the recess 282 in the apex of the downwardly extending projection 280. This action releasably locks the slider in the opened position. When it is desired to slide the slider to the removal position, all that is required is to slide the slider away from the orifice or port 212, whereupon the apex of the upwardly extending projection 284 will exit the recess 282 in the apex of the downwardly extending projection 280 so that the front-most surface of the downwardly extending projection 280 can slide over the rear-most edge of the upwardly extending projection 284, whereupon the ears 264 and 274 will be aligned with the notches 236 and 238, respectively. In this position the slider will be in its removal state, so that it can be readily disconnected from the lid by lifting upward on the slider.
As discussed earlier the lid includes a vent 232. That vent is provided to enable air to enter into the vessel when a user is drinking from the vessel or pouring liquid from the vessel through the lid when the slider is in the opened state. In order to ensure that no liquid can gain egress through the vent when the slider is in the closed state, the heretofore mentioned portion 216 of the seal comes into play. In particular, that portion of the seal is located on the outer surface of the downwardly extending rod 276 of the cover. Thus, when the slider is in the closed state the elastomeric undersurface of the seal portion 216 will be in a liquid-tight engagement with the inner surface 228 contiguous with the vent 230, thereby sealing the vent, as shown clearly in FIG. 21A. When the slider is in the open state the seal section 216 will be located within the channel 226 and the vent 230 will be exposed and open, such as shown in FIG. 22A. So too, when the slider is in the removal position the seal section 216 will be located within the channel 226 and the vent 230 will be exposed and open, such as shown in FIG. 23A.
As best seen in FIG. 24 an O-ring seal 276 is located within an annular recess in the sidewall 54B to for a good liquid-tight seal between the lid 202 and the vessel 22.
As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the lid assembly 200 is easy to use, is effective to ensure that the port or orifice is effectively locked in its sealed state when the slider is in that state, is relatively simple in construction and has a low parts count. Moreover, when the lid assembly 200 is disassembled for cleaning there are only two components which need to be cleaned, i.e., the slider and the lid. This factor reduces the risk that the disassembled components will be lost or misplaced when disassembled for cleaning.
Turning now to FIG. 30 there is shown a third exemplary embodiment of a lid assembly 300 constructed in accordance with this invention. The lid assembly 300 is shown releasably secured to a drinking vessel 22, which is constructed like that of FIG. 1. The lid assembly 300 is shown generally in FIGS. 30-33 and 37 and basically comprises a lid 302 (FIGS. 31-33), a slider 304 (FIGS. 31-33), and a sealing lever or beam 306 (FIG. 37). The lid 302 is similar in several respects to the lid 48 of the slider 20 shown in FIGS. 1-3. Thus, in the interest of brevity, the common components of the lid 302 and the lid 48 will be given the same reference numbers and the details of their construction and operation will not be reiterated.
As can be seen in FIG. 31 the lid 302 includes a top wall 52 and a circular peripheral sidewall 54 extending about the top wall. The top wall includes an orifice or port 308 (FIGS. 37 and 20), which is configured for communication with the internal cavity in the tumbler 22 when the lid assembly 300 is mounted on the tumbler 22. The slider 304 is located on the top wall of the lid 302. The sealing lever or beam 306 is located under the bottom surface of the top wall 52 and is coupled to the slider 304 via a ramped track and a coupling pillar (both to be described later). The sealing lever or beam 306 includes a seal 310, which will also be described later, and is configured to be pivoted into any one of three states, namely, a closed, e.g., locked, state, an open, e.g., unlocked, state, and a disconnected or removal state by the sliding movement of the slider to respective longitudinal positions corresponding to each of those states. In particular, when the slider is slid to the closed state position the sealing lever or beam 306 will be pivoted to the position, like shown in FIGS. 34A and 34B, wherein the seal 310 will engage the undersurface of the top wall 54 contiguous with the orifice or port 308 to close off or otherwise seal that orifice or port. The lid assembly 300 also includes a detent mechanism, which will be described in detail later, and which serves to lock the slider in the closed position. When the slider 304 is slid to the opened position state that action pivots the sealing lever or beam 306 downward to the position, like shown in FIGS. 35A and 35B, wherein the seal 310 will be brought out of engagement with the undersurface of the top wall 54 contiguous with the orifice or port 308 to thereby expose that orifice or port. Thus, in that state the port 308 is exposed to enable a user to drink from the tumbler through the port or to pour contents of the beverage within the tumbler out through the port. When the slider is slid to the position constituting the removal state, such as shown in FIGS. 36A and 36B it will be disconnected from the top wall of the lid so that it can be removed, e.g., lifted off of the lid, to enable it to be cleaned thoroughly and the lid to be clean thoroughly. The removal of the slider 304 from the lid 302 frees the sealing lever or beam 306, so that it can be readily removed from the lid for cleaning, as well, as will be described later.
Like the lid 48 of the lid assembly 20, the top wall 52 of the lid 302 slopes downward from the point opposite the orifice or port 308 to that port. Moreover, the upper section 54 of the lid's sidewall has its top edge located above the highest point on the top wall 52 and has an inner surface, which slopes downward to merge with the top wall. These features ensure that any beverage, which may become located on the top wall 52 is channeled to flow back into the tumbler through the port 308 when the port is open, i.e., when the slide subassembly is in the unlocked or open state. Like the lid assembly 200, the lid assembly 300 includes an O-ring seal 276 located within an annular recess in the sidewall 54B to for a good liquid-tight seal between the lid 302 and the vessel 22.
Turning now to FIGS. 38-40, the details of the slider 304 will now be described. To that end, it can be seen that the slider 304 basically comprises a generally planar plate-like member 312 that has a similar profile to the cover 206. In particular, the plate-like member is formed of any suitable plastic material, e.g., polypropylene, and has a pair of opposed arcuate edges 312A and 312B. The edge 312A is an arc of a circle to generally mate with a portion of the inner surface of the circular sidewall of the upper section 54A of the lid 302 when the slider 204 is in the closed state shown in FIG. 38. The opposite edge 312B of the slider 304 is also an arc of a circle to be located closely adjacent the inner surface of the circular sidewall of the upper section 54A of the lid 302 when the slider is in the removal state shown in FIG. 33. The plate-like member includes a generally dog-bone shaped opening 314 closely adjacent the center of the arcuate edge 312A and on the longitudinal centerline of the slider. The opening 202 serves as the point at which an elastomeric, e.g., a soft TPE, seal 316 is over-molded onto the slider or which could be inserted into the slider. The seal 316 basically comprises a planar upper section 316A of a generally football-shaped profile and a planar lower section 316B also of a generally football-shaped profile. The sections 316A and 316B are interconnected by a bridging section, which extends through the dog-bone shaped opening. The location of the seal 316 on the slider ensures that when the slider is in the closed state, the elastomeric section 316B engages the top wall 52 contiguous with the orifice or port 308 to close off that orifice or port from the upper side thereof. At the same time the seal 310 on the sealing lever or beam 306 engages the periphery of the underside of the top wall 52 contiguous with the orifice or port 208 to seal that orifice or port from the underside.
As mentioned earlier the slider 304 is configured so that it can be slid to any one of the closed, open and removal states. That action is accomplished by sliding the slider along the top wall 52 of the lid 302. In particular, as best seen in FIG. 40 the top wall 52 of the lid 302 includes an elongated recess 322 in it. The recess includes a closed bottom wall 324 (FIG. 37) with a vent hole 326 (FIG. 40) in it. The vent hole is conical in shape and flares downward from the top surface of the wall making up the recess to the bottom surface of that wall, so that the vent will be in fluid communication with the interior of the vessel 22 when the lid assembly 300 is mounted on the vessel. Each side edge of the recess 322 includes a first flange 328 and a second flange 330 extending inward over the recess 322 such that each sidewall of the recess is undercut. A wide notch 332 is located between the end wall of the recess 322 that is located opposite the orifice 308 and the flange 330. A narrow notch 334 is located between the flanges 328 and 330. The undersurface of both of the flanges 328 and 330 are planar, flush with each other and parallel to the top surface of the top wall 52.
A pair of braced walls 336 project downward from the undersurface of the slider 302 and are equally spaced from the longitudinal centerline of the slider. Each wall 336 includes a wide ear 338 and a narrow ear 340 projecting outward therefrom. The narrow ears 340 are located adjacent the end of the wall closest to the seal 316B. Located between the walls 336 is a pair of ramped tracks 342. The tracks 342 are flanged members, which are mirror images of each other. In particular, as best seen in FIG. 41, each flanged track 342 includes a top surface or ledge 344 which is planar and which slopes upward from the end of the track located closest to the seal 316. The end of each track 342 closest to the seal 316 is open, whereas the opposite end of each track is closed. A button 346, shaped similarly to the button 246 of the lid assembly 200, is projects upward from the top surface of the slider 304 centered on the longitudinal central axis of the slider and located opposite the seal 316. In accordance with one preferred aspect of this embodiment the slider 304 is molded as a one-piece integral unit and the seal 316 over-molded thereon.
The slider 304 is configured to be slidably connected to the lid. That action will best be appreciated by reference to FIG. 40. In particular, the slider is oriented so that the wide ears 338 are aligned with the wide notches 332 in the recess 322 of the lid and with the narrow ears 340 aligned with the narrow notches 334 in the recess 322. Downward pressure on the slider causes those ears to be located adjacent the bottom of the recess 322. At that point the slider is in its removal state and the sealing lever or beam 306 can be connected to the slider.
As can be seen in FIGS. 38 and 39 the sealing lever or beam 306 basically comprises an elongated member having a front end in the form of an upstanding mesa 348 of a generally football shaped profile. The seal 310 is formed of a soft TPE and is over-molded onto the mesa 348 to fixedly secure it in place. The opposite end of the sealing lever or beam 306 includes a pair of tabs 350 projecting outward from the end thereof and configured for receipt in respective ones of slots 354 in the annular downwardly projecting sidewall portion 54B, as best seen in FIGS. 34A, 37 and 39. A short height transversely oriented wall 354 projects upward from the top surface of the sealing lever or beam 306 somewhat adjacent the end having the tabs 350. The top surface of the wall 354 abuts the undersurface of the top wall 54 at the location of the recess 322 as best seen in FIGS. 34A, 35A and 36A. As best seen in FIGS. 38, 39 and 40 a rod-like post 356 projects upward from the top surface of the sealing lever or beam 306. The post includes a pair of slots 358 located adjacent the top of the post. The slots 358 are diametrically opposed to each other, with one slot 358 being located facing one long side of the sealing lever or beam and with the other slot 358 facing the opposite long side of the sealing lever or beam. Each slot 358 is sized and configured to receive a respective flanged edge of the tracks 342. In particular, the top surface 344 of one track 342 is configured to engage the top surface of one of the slots 348, and with the top surface 344 of the other track 342 engaging the top surface of the other slot 348. An elastomeric vent seal 360, having an external conical surface 362 is over-molded on the post. As best seen in FIG. 38 the portion of the sealing lever or beam 306 from a point between the upstanding wall 354 and the upstanding post 356 extends at a slight downward angle to the remaining portion of the sealing lever or beam 306 for a reason which will become apparent shortly.
With the ears 336 and 340 of the slider 302 located within the notches 332 and 334, respectively, as described above such that the slider is in its removal position or state, the top end portion of post 356 can be extend through the vent hole 326 to bring the slots 358 of the post immediately adjacent and flush with the ends of the tracks 342 as shown in FIG. 36B. At this point the conical surface 362 of the vent seal 360 will move toward axial alignment with the vent hole 326 but will be spaced from it.
In order to close the orifice or port 308, the button 346 of the slider 304 is pushed to slide the slider down the recess toward the orifice or port. This action causes the slots 358 of the post to slide up and ride along the upwardly sloping surfaces 344, thereby pulling the end of the sealing lever or beam with the seal 310 upward and into tight sealing engagement with the underside of the top wall contiguous with the orifice or port, thereby sealing that orifice or port. Moreover, the upward pivoting of the sealing lever or beam will bring the conical sealing surface 360 of the vent seal into tight engagement with the conical vent hole 326, thereby sealing that vent to prevent any liquid from exiting through the vent, as can be seen in FIG. 34B.
In order to open the orifice or port so that a user can drink the liquid within the vessel through that port or else pour the liquid in the vessel through the port, all that the user has to do is push on the button 346 to slide the slider away from the orifice or port to the opened position or state. That action will move the tracks 342 away from the orifice or port, whereupon the slots in the post will slide down along the sloped surfaces 344 of the tracks, thereby pivoting the end of the sealing lever or beam with the seal 310 on it downward and away from the orifice or port until the slider is in the opened state. In that state the orifice or port will be exposed so that any liquid within the vessel can pass through the opened port. Moreover, the conical surface 360 vent seal 358 will no longer be in engagement with the vent as shown in FIG. 35B, whereupon air can enter the vessel through the vent as the liquid is drawn out of the vessel through the orifice or port 308. If it is desired to reclose the orifice or port 308 all that is required is for the slider to be slid in the opposite direction to the closed state, whereupon the orifice or port will be resealed. The opening and closing of the orifice by the lid assembly 300 can be repeated as many times as desired.
When it is desired to clean the slider and lid, all that is required is to slide the slider to the removal position, whereupon the slider can be lifted out of the recess 322 and disconnected from the sealing lever or beam, since the post of the sealing lever or beam will be outside open end of the tracks and hence free. That action disconnects the slider from the lid, whereupon each can be separately cleaned. Moreover, the sealing lever or beam can be readily disconnected from the lid by pulling its tabs 350 from the slots 352. Reassembly of the slider, the lid and the sealing lever or beam can be readily accomplished by connecting the sealing lever or beam to the lid via the tabs 350 and slots 352. Then the ears 338 and 340 on the underside of the slider can be disposed into their respective notches 332 and 334 in the recess 322 whereupon the top end of the post will be located immediately adjacent the open end of the track formed by the flanges 342, as described above.
As mentioned earlier the lid assembly 300 includes a detent mechanism. That mechanism serves to releasably lock the slider 304 in any one of the closed, opened and removal position. That mechanism is best seen in FIGS. 34C, 35C, 36C, and 40. In particular, as can be seen in FIG. 40, the underside of the slider 302 includes a first pair of triangularly shaped projections 378 located outside of each of the braced walls 336 and closely adjacent the edge 312B near where that edge merges with edge 312A. A second pair of triangularly shaped projections 380 is located outside of each of the braced walls 336 and closely adjacent the edge 312A near where that edge merges with edge 312B. Each of the projections 380 is slightly larger than each of the projections 378 and is constructed similar to the projections 280 of the lid assembly 200. Thus, the apex of each of the projections 380 is in the form of an arcuate recess 382. The top wall 52 of the lid 302 includes a pair of triangularly shaped projections 384 (only one of which can be seen in FIG. 40) which are located outside and slightly longitudinally offset from the notches 334 and the adjacent peripheral sidewall 54 of the lid. As can be seen in FIG. 34C when the slider 304 is in its closed position or state, the rear-most edge of the downwardly extending triangular projections 378 of the slider are in engagement with the front-most edge of the upwardly extending triangular projections 384, thereby preventing the slider from sliding away from the orifice or port 308. However if one were to push on the button 346 in a direction away from that orifice or port, the rear-most edge of the downwardly extending projections 378 will ride up and over the apex of the upwardly extending projections 384, thereby causing the slider's plate-like portion to flex, freeing the slider from the closed state. Continued pushing on the button 346 in a direction away from the orifice or port 108 causes the rear-most edge of the downwardly extending projections 380 to ride up on the forward-most edge of the upwardly extending projections 384 until the apex of each of the upwardly extending projections 384 snap fit into the respective recesses 382 in the downwardly extending projections 380. This action releasably locks the slider in the opened position. When it is desired to slide the slider to the removal position, all that is required is to slide the slider away from the orifice or port 308 by pushing on the button 386, whereupon the apex of the upwardly extending projection 384 will exit the recess 382 in the apex of the downwardly extending projection 380 so that the front-most surface of the downwardly extending projection 380 can slide over the apex and into engagement with the rear-most edge of the upwardly extending projection 384, whereupon the ears 338 and 340 will be aligned with the notches 332 and 334, respectively. In this position the slider 304 will be in its removal state, so that it can be readily disconnected from the lid 302 by lifting upward on the slider.
As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, by sealing the orifice or port 308 from the underside as is accomplished by the lid assembly 300, any pressure which may build up within the vessel due to the presence of a hot liquid therein will apply a further upward force on the seal 310 at the forward end of the sealing lever or beam 306. That action provides even more sealing force to the orifice or port 308, thereby further lessening the chances that any liquid could leak out of that interface. Moreover, the lid assembly 300 is simple in construction, easy to use and has a low parts count. When disassembled for cleaning there will be three separate components, namely, the slider, the lid and the sealing lever or beam and the vent seal incorporated therein.
It must be pointed out at this juncture that the various components as described above with respect to the exemplary embodiments 20, 200 and 300 are merely examples of various components that can be used to produce a lid assembly and a drinking vessel, e.g., tumbler, in accordance with this invention. Moreover, while the invention has been described with reference to holding hot beverages, it is of course contemplated that the tumbler can be used to hold cold beverages. In fact, it is contemplated that the tumbler may be single walled or otherwise uninsulated, if that is desired.
Without further elaboration the foregoing will so fully illustrate our invention that others may, by applying current or future knowledge, adopt the same for use under various conditions of service.
