NON-SPILL DRINKING CONTAINER ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A non-spill drinking container assembly having a container body. A collar may have an upper end, a sidewall, a lower end, and a lower wall. The sidewall may have a first section of the sidewall and a second section of the sidewall. The first section of the sidewall may be a different length from the second section of the sidewall. The lower wall may have a projection disposed therein to facilitate securement of a seal to the collar.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 18/774,857, filed July 16, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 18/139,345, filed April 25, 2023, now U.S. Patent 12,035,827; which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17/094,705, filed November 10, 2020, now U.S. Patent 11,633,056; which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16/141,825, filed September 25, 2018, now U.S. Patent 10,827,860; which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/794,969, filed October 26, 2017, now U.S. Patent 10,165,878; which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/638,150, filed June 29, 2017, now U.S. Patent 9,888,796; which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14/980,620, filed December 28, 2015, now U.S. Patent 9,801,481; which is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 14/514,186, filed October 14, 2014, now U.S. Patent 9,241,588; which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/000,887, filed May 20, 2014; and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/891,409, filed October 16, 2013, the contents of all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein in their entirety into this disclosure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject disclosure relates to a drinking container assembly. More particularly, to a spill-proof drinking container assembly having a 360 degree sealed lip enclosure from which a user can drink along any peripheral edge of the container and withdraw fluid from within the container assembly.

BACKGROUND

Various types of spill-proof containers are known. As a parent attempts to wean an infant away from a conventional bottle, typically, an interim or transition spill-proof container with a spout is useful before the child can comfortably handle and use a conventional open top cup. Unfortunately, in these formative years, young children struggle with having complete control over holding and carrying a traditional open cup. Consequently, spillage frequently occurs when the infant or child knocks over their cup and causes substantial leakage onto the ground, themselves or elsewhere.

Non-spill container covers for drinking containers have been long sought after for many years. Various coverings for fluid-filled containers have been manufactured for use by a person who is in motion, such as a cover for a hot coffee container to be used in a moving vehicle such as an automobile. However, traditional non-spill container covers generally required relatively complex parts and valve structures in addition to restricting the particular area from which a user can drink from the container cover.

Accordingly, there is a need for the development of a transition cup which does not easily spill when knocked over.

SUMMARY

A collar for a drinking container assembly can include an upper end having a first section of the upper end and a second section of the upper end, a sidewall having a first section of the sidewall and a second section of the sidewall, wherein the first section of the sidewall is a different length relative to the second section of the sidewall, a lower end operable to secure the collar to a container of the drinking container assembly, and a lower wall disposed adjacent to the lower end, the lower wall having a projection disposed thereon, the projection operable to mate with a recess disposed in a lower surface of a seal and facilitate securement of the seal to the collar.

In some examples, the first section of the upper end and the second section of the upper end can define a plane that is not orthogonal to a central axis of the collar.

In some examples, the first section of the upper end and the second section of the upper end can define a first plane, the lower end can define a second plane, and the first plane may not be parallel to the second plane.

In some examples, the upper end can have an outwardly flared contour.

In some examples, the sidewall has a substantially truncated cylindrical shape.

In some examples, the collar can further include an intermediate wall extending radially inwards and downwards from the sidewall to the lower wall, wherein the lower wall is angled relative to a central axis of the collar.

In some examples, a plurality of apertures is disposed radially in the lower wall, wherein the plurality of apertures disposed radially in the lower wall are disposed offset from a central axis of the collar.

A drinking container assembly can include a container body and a collar. The collar can include an upper end having a first section of the upper end and a second section of the upper end, a sidewall having a first section of the sidewall and a second section of the sidewall, wherein the first section of the sidewall is a different length relative to the second section of the sidewall, a lower end operable to secure the collar to the container body, and a lower wall disposed adjacent to the lower end, the lower wall having a projection disposed thereon, the projection operable to mate with a recess disposed in a lower surface of a seal and facilitate securement of the seal to the collar.

A drinking container assembly can include a container body, an annular seal, and a collar. The collar can include an upper end having a first section of the upper end and a second section of the upper end, a sidewall having a first section of the sidewall and a second section of the sidewall, wherein the first section of the sidewall is a different length relative to the second section of the sidewall, a lower end operable to secure the collar to the container body, and a lower wall disposed adjacent to the lower end, the lower wall having a projection disposed thereon, the projection operable to mate with a recess disposed in a lower surface of the annular seal and facilitate securement of the annular seal to the collar.

A collar for a drinking container assembly can include a sidewall that varies in height, a lower end on a plane orthogonal to an axis of the collar, the lower end operable to secure the collar to the container body, a truncated upper end on a tilted plane relative to the axis of the collar, and a lower wall extending within the sidewall toward the lower end, the lower wall having a projection operable to mate with a recess disposed in a lower surface of a seal to facilitate securement of the seal to the collar.

In some examples, a first section of the side wall has a height differing from a second section of the sidewall.

In some examples, the truncated upper end is defined by upper ends of the first section of the sidewall and the second section of the sidewall.

In some examples, upper ends of the first section of the sidewall and the second section of the sidewall define the tilted plane.

In some examples, the sidewall has a substantially truncated cylindrical shape.

In some examples, the axis of the collar is a central axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail, wherein like reference numerals refer to identical or similar components or steps, with reference to the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of an exemplary non-spill container assembly with a collar having a pair of handles according to the subject disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the non-spill container assembly.

FIG. 3 depicts an exploded view of the non-spill container assembly without the handles.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show upper perspective views of the non-spill container assembly capable of being consumed from any angle along its rim according to the subject disclosure.

FIGS. 6-7 depict infants comfortably handling the non-spill container assembly while in use.

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross section view of the upper end of the non-spill container assembly.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exploded cross section view of the inward collar surface edge of the collar and the inward sealing surface edge of the annular seal.

FIG. 10 depicts a cross section view of the upper end of the non-spill container assembly in use.

FIG. 11 illustrates a top view of an exemplary collar.

FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of the collar.

FIG. 13 depicts a cross section view of the upper end of the non-spill container assembly having a plurality of raised protrusions and gaps disposed on an underside of an annular seal.

FIG. 14 illustrates a cross section view of the upper end of the non-spill container assembly having a pull tab for removing the annular seal from the secure position over the projection.

FIG. 15 shows a cross section view of the upper end of the non-spill container assembly having a through passage disposed through the annular seal and the collar.

FIG. 16 depicts a cross section view of an air vent passage disposed offset from the center of the non-spill container assembly.

FIG. 17 illustrates an exploded view of a non-spill container assembly having another exemplary annular seal according to the subject disclosure.

FIGS. 18-19 show a cross section view of the upper end of the non-spill container assembly in FIG. 17 having raised protrusions and gaps disposed on the annular seal and on the collar, respectively.

FIG. 20 illustrates another upper perspective view of the non-spill container.

FIG. 21 shows an exploded view of the non-spill container assembly including a collar having a pair of handles.

FIG. 22 depicts a cross section view of the non-spill container with an annular seal having an extended flange.

FIGS. 23-24 illustrate upper and lower perspective views of the frustoconical collar of the non-spill container.

FIGS. 25-26 show top and bottom views of the frustoconical collar of the non-spill container.

FIG. 27 depicts a side view of the frustoconical collar of the non-spill container according to the subject disclosure.

FIG. 28 shows a cross section view of the frustoconical collar of the non-spill container.

FIGS. 29-30 illustrate upper and lower perspective views of the annular seal of the non-spill container.

FIGS. 31-32 show top and bottom views of the annular seal of the non-spill container.

FIG. 33 depicts a side view of the annular seal of the non-spill container.

FIG. 34 shows a cross section view of the annular seal of the non-spill container.

FIG. 35 shows an exploded view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar.

FIG. 36 shows an upper front perspective view of the non-spill container assembly with an angled collar.

FIG. 37 shows an upper rear perspective view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar.

FIG. 38 shows a front view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar.

FIG. 39 shows a right side view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar.

FIG. 40 shows a left side view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar.

FIG. 41 shows a top view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar.

FIG. 42 shows a bottom view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar.

FIG. 43 shows a semi-exploded view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar.

FIG. 44 shows a top view of the angled collar.

FIG. 45 shows a bottom view of the angled collar.

FIG. 46 shows a cross-section view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar through section line A-A shown in FIG. 38.

FIG. 47 shows an exploded view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar having the pair of handles.

FIG. 48 shows an upper perspective view of the non-spill container assembly with an angled collar having a pair of handles.

FIG. 49 shows an upper rear perspective view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar having the pair of handles.

FIG. 50 shows a front view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar having the pair of handles.

FIG. 51 shows a right side view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar having the pair of handles.

FIG. 52 shows a left side view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar having the pair of handles.

FIG. 53 shows a top view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar having the pair of handles.

FIG. 54 shows a bottom view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar having the pair of handles.

FIG. 55 shows a semi-exploded view of the non-spill container assembly with the angled collar having the pair of handles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Particular embodiments of the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the figures.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an exploded view, and an assembled side view of an exemplary non-spill drinking container assembly 100. The drinking container assembly 100 includes a container 10, a resilient sealing ring 11, a collar 20 and an annular seal 40. The container assembly 100 is conducive to helping young children and/or adults who may lack the motor skill coordination to transition to an open cup. The container assembly 100 allows the user to sip or drink from anywhere around the rim 26 with ease.

The container 10 shown in FIGS. 1-2 is substantially cylindrical in shape about a central axis (A) and has a side wall 12, a first open end 13 and a second closed end 14. The first open end 13 of the container 10 has a central opening 13a adapted to receive a fluid stored within the container 10. It is to be understood that the container 10 can take any suitable size or shape capable of holding a fluid and receiving the collar 20 and the annular seal 40, such as a square shape or other suitable obtuse shape.

The collar 20 may be a frustoconical cylindrical shape. The collar 20 includes an upper surface 22a that faces upward and lies within the upper end 13a of the container 10, as shown in FIG. 8. The collar 20 also includes a lower surface 22b that faces downward toward the container 10 away from the annular seal 40 in assembly.

According to this embodiment, the collar 20 includes a pair of handles 17 that extend from sides 20a of the collar 20. The handles 17 extend outward and downwardly forming two curved arms. The handles 17 provide the additional advantage to an infant or person who may have difficulty holding the container 10 of the container assembly 100. The handles 17 allow a user to comfortably hold the container 10 by the arms of the handles 17 with a firm grip and in a stable manner, as shown in FIG. 7.

The collar 20 includes a lower end 23 having a first diameter and an upper end 26a adjacent to the rim 26 having a second larger diameter. The upper end 26a and the lower end 23 meet at a junction defining a concentric shoulder 15. A securing fastener assembly is adapted to secure the lower end 23 of the collar 20 to the container 10.

At the concentric shoulder 15, the diameter of the upper end 26a of the collar 20 expands outward to a larger diameter defining the concentric shape of the outer side 20a of the collar 20. The larger diameter of the upper end 26a of the collar 20 flares upwardly and outward from the concentric shoulder 15 to an upper rim 26 adjacent to an uppermost end or rim 26 of the collar 20.

The annular seal 40 is constructed in the form of a frustoconical disc, as shown in FIGS. 1, 8, 13-16, 17-19, 21-22 and 29-34. The annular seal 40 includes a lower surface 48b that lies adjacent to the upper surface 22a of the collar 20 in assembly. The annular seal 40 also includes an upper surface 48a that faces upward away from the collar 20 in assembly. The lower surface 48b of the annular seal 40 has a frustoconical shape that substantially mirrors the frustoconical shape of the upper surface 22a of the collar 20 that it is attached to in assembly.

In assembly, the annular seal 40 is secured to an open upper surface 22a of the collar 20. The lower end 23 of the collar 20 is fastened via a fastener assembly to the upper open end 13 of the container 10. Assembled, the resilient seal ring 11 is disposed between the upper open end 13 of the container 10 and the concentric shoulder 15 of the collar 20. The concentric shoulder 15 is constructed to constrict inwardly from the outer surface 20a of the upper end 26a of the collar 20 to an inner surface having a smaller diameter defining the lower end 23. The fastener assembly provided at the lower end 23 of the collar 20 are male threads 24.

The male threads 24 may make up the fastener assembly connection disposed adjacent to the lower end 23 of the collar 20 to mate with, and secure against various female threads 16 disposed on an inside surface of the upper end 13 of the container 10, as shown in FIG. 8. Although a threaded assembly attachment is shown here, it is to be understood that various other suitable constructions for the secure assembly connection mechanism between the collar 20 and the container 10 may be used.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative collar 20 design without handles attached to the collar 20 in accordance with the subject matter of this disclosure. Ideally, this design is adapted for use by a more mature child or individual with better motor skills capable of securely gripping the outer surface of the container 10 of the container assembly 100 according to the subject disclosure.

FIGS. 4-5 depict one of the advantages of this drinking container assembly 100. That is, according to this subject disclosure, a user is able to drink from the rim 26 of the drinking container assembly 100 at any location (as shown by the arrows) concentrically around the rim 26 of the top end of the collar 20. For a young child, drinking from this container assembly 100 simulates the idea of drinking from a regular adult drinking cup since it does not include the conventional construction of a protruding spout as its non-spill valve assembly.

As shown in FIGS. 6-7, the container assembly 100 is particularly useful and beneficial for a young child transitioning from a bottle to a regular cup container. During this transition, the toddler can conveniently place their lips at any point against the rim 26 of the collar 20 and can draw fluid from any position along the rim 26, as would an adult with a conventional cup. Positive reinforcement of the use of the container assembly 100 encourages the confidence and the child's ability to move into using a conventional cup. Although shown used with young children, it is to be understood that the container assembly 100 may be used by any individual at any age.

FIG. 8 depicts a detailed cross section view of a portion of the container assembly 100. As shown, the fastener assembly includes male threads 24 disposed at the lower end 23 of the collar 20 being threadedly attached to the female threads 16 provided about an inner surface at the upper end 13 of the container 10. The threaded connection between the container 10 and the collar 20 is fluidly sealed by the resilient sealing ring 11 disposed between the concentric shoulder 15 and the upper end 13 of the container 10 to prevent any leakage of fluid contained within the container 10.

As shown in a partially enlarged view in FIG. 9, the collar 20 may be constructed to include an outer wall 31 whose upper end terminates at the upper rim 26. Just below the upper rim 26, an abutment or supporting surface 21a is provided on an inward facing collar surface edge of the collar 20 juxtaposed to the inward facing sealing edge 41 is adapted to come into sealing engagement with the inward facing sealing edge 41 of the annular seal 40. As shown, FIG. 9 depicts an unsealed open configuration between the supporting surface 21a at the inward facing collar surface edge of the collar 20 and the inward facing sealing edge 41 of the annular seal 40 in which a fluid is allowed to flow out of the container 10 as will be shown in more detail in FIG. 10.

The lower end 23 of the collar 20 defines the lower cylindrical wall with a smaller diameter having male threads 24 disposed on an outer surface thereof. The collar 20 may be constructed as a frustoconical support member covering a central opening of the upper end 13 of the container 10. In general, various walls extend inwardly from a concentric inner surface 21 of the collar 20 to an internal lower wall 33 that covers the central portion of the opening 13 to the container 10.

Adjacent to the rim 26 disposed proximal to the upper end 26a of the collar 20, the upper end 26a of the collar 20 forms an outwardly flared contour. An intermediate lower wall 32 extends radially inward in a downwardly stepped fashion defining the internal lower wall 33 over the opening 13 in the container 10. The internal lower wall 33 is positioned at a substantially central position within the collar 20 and over the opening 13.

In other words, the internal lower wall 33 expands radially outward from a base 28 of a projection 27 to a peripheral edge 33a. The projection 27 may be positioned substantially central to the collar 20 opening. The intermediate lower wall 32 extends radially upward from the peripheral edge 33a, outward and away from the internal lower wall 33 at a predetermined angle towards a second radial ledge 37. The radial ledge 37 then expands radially outward a predetermined distance into the concentric inner surface 21. The concentric inner surface 21 extends upward and flares outward toward the upper end 26a of the collar 20 and terminates at the rim 26.

The projection 27 extends upward from the internal lower wall 33 at the central position in the collar 20. The projection 27 includes an upward post 28 that terminates to define an upright mushroom-shaped bulbous head 29. Outer edges 30 of the bulbous head 29 extend radially outward beyond an outer surface of the post 28. The outer edges 30 of the bulbous head 29 define a concentric shoulder 30 that extends radially outward beyond an outer surface of the post 28. The projection 27 may be made as a single integrated part of the lower wall 33 or can be made as a separate part and permanently attached to the lower wall 33. The projection 27 may be secured to the lower wall 33 in a variety of different ways, such as by securely over-molded onto the lower wall 33 and/or any other suitable manner.

As shown in FIG. 8, the projection 27 may include a vent hole 36 to allow air to vent from an external environment back into the drinking container assembly 100 when a negative vacuum pressure has built up inside of the container assembly 100. The vent hole 36 may be aligned with, and in fluid communication with a one-way air check valve aperture 42 provided in the annular seal 40 as will be discussed in more detail later.

The lower wall 33 of the collar 20 radially expands outward laterally from the base of the central projection 27 to a first predetermined radial position over the opening 13a of the container 10. The lower wall 33 turns at an angle at the first predetermined radial position and extends radially upward along an intermediate wall 32 toward an outer end of the collar 20 to a second predetermined radial position. At this second position, the collar 20 further expands radially outward at a second radial ledge 37 to the concentric inner surface 21 of the outer wall 31 of the collar 20.

The concentric inner surface 21 of the outer wall 31 extends upward and away from the second radial ledge 37 towards the outwardly flared rim 26. The concentric inner surface 21 may be constructed to curve outwardly along an arc of a predetermined radius.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show protrusions 38 on the supporting surface 21a at the inner collar surface edge of the collar 20 adjacent to the rim 26. A plurality of evenly spaced raised protrusions 38 and adjacent gaps 39 are provided concentrically along the upper end of the collar 20 to ensure that the flow of fluid from inside of the container 10 can freely flow between the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 and the supporting surface 21a at the inner collar surface edge of the collar 20 of the container assembly 100. The spaced raised protrusions 38 and adjacent gaps 39 form a fluid communication pathway through which the fluid may flow from inside of the container 10 outward from the annular seal 40.

The height of the raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39 are constructed to optimize the amount of minimum suction force required by the user to lift the outermost radial edge 45 of the annular seal 40 resting against the supporting surface 21a at the upper inward collar surface edge of the collar 20 away from the collar 20 so that the seal can be broken without undue difficulty when a suction force is applied by the user. The height of the raised protrusions 38 can be varied to vary the amount of suction force required to break the seal and lift the outermost radial edge 45 away from the supporting surface 21a.

FIGS. 8 and 10 show the instance when a suction force is applied with a predetermined negative suction pressure to the rim 26 of the collar 20, the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 will be lifted under the suction force with enough height to break the seal and allow the liquid to flow through the gaps 39 constructed on the supporting surface 21a and the lifted inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 on the inner surface of the rim 26.

FIGS. 8 and 11 show a plurality of radially apertures 34 disposed concentrically on the collar 20. The radial apertures 34 create various passageways to allow the fluid in the container 10 to flow out of the container 10 and through the collar 20 into a reservoir cavity 35 provided above the apertures 34 and below the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40. The various apertures 34 may be constructed of a variety of different sizes and/or shapes. For example, the apertures 34 may be made smaller to reduce the flow rate of the fluid exiting from the container 10. Likewise, the apertures 34 may be made larger to increase the flow rate of the fluid exiting from the container 10. Alternatively, in a single container, the apertures 34 may be varied, some may be smaller and/or larger to selectively vary the flow rate of the fluid exiting from the container 10.

At least one air vent aperture 36 is provided in the collar 20 to allow the venting of air from the external atmosphere back into the container assembly 100. Entry of the air from the external atmosphere will allow the pressure within the container 10 to come to an equilibrium state with the pressure outside of the container assembly 100 as the user sucks fluid out from within the container 10. As the user sucks the fluid out of the container a negative vacuum pressure is created within the container assembly 100 that causes the air from the external environment to be drawn into the container 10 through a one-way air valve 42 and the vent hole 36.

The annular seal 40 is constructed to be disposed over the collar 20, opposite the container 10. The annular seal 40 has a frustoconical shape constructed similar in shape to a suction cup. The fluid seal between the annular seal 40 and the collar 20 occurs between the outermost radial edge 45 and the supporting surface 21a at the inward facing collar surface edge adjacent to the rim 26 of the collar 20. As shown in FIG. 8, the lower end of the frustoconical shape of the annular seal 40 substantially mirrors the upper side of the inner frustoconical shape of the collar 20. In position, the annular seal 40 attaches to and substantially butts up against an upper portion of the collar 20 of the container assembly 100 to form a seal.

A recess 43 is provided in a lower side surface of the annular seal 40 that faces the upper surface of the collar 20. A concentric flange 44 extends inwardly at the entry end of the recess 43 in the annular seal 40 in order to provide an engagement and locking mechanism to attach to a concentric shoulder 30 defined by the bulbous head 29 of the projection 27. That is, the recess 43 of the annular seal 40 is pushed down over the bulbous head 29 until the concentric flange 44 slides over the bulbous head 29 and locks onto the concentric shoulders 30 below the bulbous head 29.

FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of the collar 20. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, an off-center opening 25 is provided in the lower wall 33 and partially disposed in the intermediate wall 32. The off-center opening 25 is provided to enable a user to insert (such as with a finger) through the off-center opening 25 from below to push the annular seal 40 off of, and away from the projection 27. In this way, a user can efficiently disassemble the component parts of the container assembly 100 and thoroughly clean the various components in the container assembly 100.

An advantage of providing the off-center opening 25 is for the user to be able to push their finger against a thicker portion of the annular seal 40 that can endure the repetitive pushing without causing damage to other sensitive portions of the annular seal 40 which could jeopardize the sealing capabilities of the annular seal 40 itself. For example, pushing against the annular seal 40 adjacent to the one-way air vent aperture 42 or pulling against the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 can potentially permanently deform and/or tear the annular seal 40 at various locations. Some of those sensitive locations being the concentric flange 44, the inward sealing surface edge 41 and/or the one-way air vent aperture 42 which could rupture its sealing capabilities.

Referring back to FIG. 8, the annular seal 40 includes a one-way air valve 42 that communicated with the vent hole 36. The one-way air valve 42 is adapted to allow air to pass from the external environment through the annular seal 40 and into the air vent hole 36. The air vent hole 36 is in fluid communication with an internal volume within the container 10 into which the fluid is stored. As will be described later, a one-way air valve(s) may be provided in a variety of different locations to communicate with a vent hole 36 that can also be disposed in a variety of different locations on the collar 20.

FIG. 10 depicts the container assembly 100 in operation. In use, when the user has tipped the rim 26 of the container assembly 100, over toward their lips, the fluid within the container 10 flows through the radially disposed apertures 34 in the collar 20 and collects in the reservoir cavity 35 adjacent to the upper end of the annular seal 40. As the user sucks at the edge of the container assembly 100, the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 is lifted off of the supporting surface 21a at the concentric inner surface of the collar 20 and the fluid inside of the container 10 is allowed to be drawn out of the container assembly 100 under the suction force applied to the rim of the container assembly 100. That is, the internal pressure within the container assembly 100 is reduced and a vacuum is created inside of the container assembly 100 relative to the atmospheric pressure outside of the container assembly 100. As a result, atmospheric air is drawn into the container assembly 100 through the one-way air valve 42 and back into the container assembly 100 through the vent hole 36 located in center of the annular seal 40 and the collar 20 respectively in an attempt to reestablish an equilibrium pressure state between the internal pressure within the container assembly 100 and the atmospheric pressure surrounding the container assembly 100.

Referring back to FIG. 8, the material construction of the annular seal 40 surrounding the projection 27 may be substantially built up and/or thickened, as shown by the thickened raised portion 46 surrounding the projection 27, to provide the rigidity necessary to enable the interior cavity defined by the recess 43 and the concentric flange 44 to securely receive, hold and lock onto the extended outer edges 30 of the projection 27. The raised portion 46 is substantially large enough to comfortably support a finger, such as a thumb depressing downward the raised portion 46 onto and over the projection 27. The raised portion 46 may take various ergonomically comfortable configurations suitable to receive various parts of a user's hand.

FIGS. 11, 13-15, 18-19, 22-23, 25 and 28 depict various views of the upper end of the non-spill container assembly 100 including a collar 20 and an annular seal 40 having a plurality of raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39. The raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39 are disposed concentrically on either an underside of the annular ring 40 or on an inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 or the supporting surface 21a of the collar 20. It is to be understood that the raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39 may be interchangeably located on the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 or integrated as part of the supporting surface 21a of the collar 20 as shown in FIGS. 8, 17-19, 22-23, 25 and 28. The raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39 define various channels through which the fluid within the container 10 may flow out of an opening between the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 and the supporting surface 21a of the collar 20.

FIGS. 13-16 and 22 show various configurations for the projection 27. In particular, the projection 27 may be embodied as solid projection 27a structure as shown in FIGS. 13-14 and 22, or as a partially hollowed projection 27b having an open structure as shown in FIG. 15, or a recessed hollow closed structure as shown in FIG. 16. As before, the various projections 27a, 27b are constructed to be disposed and fastened within a recess 43 in the annular seal 40 as described above.

In FIGS. 13-14, 16 and 28, an air vent aperture 36a may be provided offset from an axial center of the container assembly 100 to allow air to vent from an external environment back into the drinking container assembly 100. As shown, the air vent apertures 36a are provided offset from the center of the collar 20. For example, and as shown in FIG. 16, the air vent aperture 36a may be provided in intermediate wall 32 and a one-way air vent valve aperture 42a may be aligned with and in fluid communication with the air vent aperture 36a to allow the entry of air in from the external atmosphere. The lower end of the annular seal 40 may include various channels 44 as shown in FIGS. 13-14 and 16. The channels 44 may be concentric and may be provided in fluid communication with the air vent aperture 36a and the one-way valve aperture 42a. One of more air vent aperture 36a may be provided around the center of the container assembly 100. As shown in FIG. 22, the radially disposed apertures 34 may be optimally positioned to function as the air vent apertures 36a in which the radially disposed aperture 34 is positioned below the one-way air vent valve aperture 42a to fluidly communicate with atmospheric air outside of the container assembly 100 when a vacuum is built up with in the container assembly 100.

FIG. 14 illustrates a cross section view of the upper end of the non-spill container assembly 100 having an upwardly extended pull tab 50 constructed into the upper surface of the annular seal 40. The upwardly extended pull tab 50 is adapted for removing the annular seal 40 from the secure position over the projection 27. The pull tab 50 is sufficiently pronounced and extends a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the valve 40 to receive a user's finger to grab onto the pull tab 50 and pull up with enough force to lift the annular seal 40 from the projection 27a of the container assembly 100.

FIG. 16 shows an alternative embodiment in which the annular seal 40a is provided with a central aperture 46. A concentric flange 44 defines an undercut shoulder 47 provided at the central aperture 46. In use, in order to engage and lock the annular seal 40a onto and over the bulbous head 29a of the projection 27b, the concentric flange 44 of the central aperture 46 of the annular seal 40a is pushed down over the bulbous head 29 until the concentric flange 44 slides over a mating concentric shoulder 30 extending outward from the bulbous head 29a and locks its undercut shoulder 47 onto the extended concentric shoulder 30 below the bulbous head 29a.

FIG. 17 depicts an exploded view of a non-spill container assembly 100 having another exemplary annular seal 40b according to the subject disclosure. The annular seal 40b is positioned and secured within the container assembly 100 between the collar 20 and the container 10 as shown in FIGS. 18-19.

FIGS. 18-19 show the annular seal 40b secured between an inward projecting ledge 37 and an upper open end 13 of the container 10. The annular seal 40b also includes various raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39 disposed between the supporting surface 21a of the collar 20, and the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40, respectively. In one instance shown in FIG. 18, the raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39 are integrated onto the annular seal 40b. As shown in FIG. 19, the raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39 are integrated onto the supporting surface 21a at the inward collar surface edge of the collar 20. As shown in FIGS. 18-19, the male 24 and female 16 threads may be reversed to effect a secure mating connection between the container 10 and the collar 20.

As shown, the collar 20 includes a side wall 31 with a pair of handles 17 extending there from. As before, the collar 20 also includes an inward projecting ledge 37 that extends from the inward facing collar surface wall 21 of the collar 20. Fluid passages 34 are disposed in the projecting ledge 37 and are adapted for alignment with fluid passages 34a in a concentric outermost end wall 54 extending from a lower wall 53 of the annular seal 40b. Fluid in the container 10 may flow out of the container 10 through the fluid passages 34 and 34a and into the reservoir cavity 35 between the annular seal 40b and the collar 20.

The concentric outermost end wall 54 that branches off of and extends from the lower wall 53 of the annular seal 40b extends across the upper open end 13a of the container 10. The concentric outermost end 54 of the lower wall 53 may be comprised of a leak-proof material capable of sealing the connection between the container 10 and the collar 20 adjacent to the threaded attachment as shown in FIGS. 18-19.

As before, the annular seal 40b includes an inward sealing surface edge 41 that applies a sealing pressure against the supporting surface 21a at the inwardly facing collar surface edge of the collar 20 to prevent spillage of the fluid from inside of the container 10 when no suction pressure is applied to the annular seal 40. When a suction pressure is applied to any location along the rim 26, the inward sealing surface edge 41 is lifted off of the supporting surface 21a at the inwardly facing collar surface edge of the collar 20 so that the fluid within the container 10 may flow out of the container assembly 100.

The concentric outermost end 54 of the annular seal 20b and the inward projecting ledge 37 extending from the collar 20 include aligned fluid passages 34, 34a. An air vent aperture 36 is provided in the lower wall 53 to allow air to vent from the external environment back into the drinking container assembly 100 when a negative vacuum pressure has built up inside of the container assembly 100.

The size, shape, orientation of the annular seal annular seal 40, 40a, 40b may be configured in a variety of different ways. The annular seal 40, 40a, 40b may be constructed of any type of suitable elastic resilient sealing material adapted to provide a leak proof seal between the collar and the annular seal. Likewise, one or more portions of the container assembly 100 may be co-molded to include various materials of various rigidity or strength. For example, the annular seal 40b may be comprised of various resilient materials at different locations along the annular seal 40b, such as various durometers at various locations on the annular seal. For example, the inward sealing surface edge 41 and concentric outermost edge 54 may be made from a softer more resilient material and the remainder of the annular flange 40b, may be made of a harder resilient material or durometer.

FIGS. 20, 21 and 22 show another upper perspective, an exploded view and a cross section view of the non-spill drinking container assembly 100. The construction for the container assembly 100 is similar to the embodiments described above and functions similarly with only relatively minor changes.

The annular seal 40c includes a projecting raised portion 46 having a radially outward extending flange 46a at the uppermost peripheral end of the projecting raised portion 46.

FIG. 22 depicts a cross section of the container assembly 100. As shown in more detail, the collar 20 has an internal frustoconical shape wall. Likewise, the annular seal 40 includes a mating frustoconical shape having an upwardly projecting bulb configuration in the center. Like the frustoconical shape walls of the various previous embodiments, the collar 20 has a circular upper rim 26 end that extends downwardly and inwardly from the rim 26 to a stepped intermediate wall 32. The intermediate wall 32 extends inward to a closed lower wall 33. The closed lower wall 33 has a projection 27 that extends outward from its center.

As before, a circular upper rim abutment surface and/or the supporting surface 21a is provided at an upper edge of the inward collar surface edge 21 and is adapted to form a fluid seal when an inward sealing edge 41 of the annular seal 40 lies against the supporting surface 21a at the inner collar surface edge.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 25, a plurality of raised protrusions 38 and adjacent gaps 39 are disposed radially adjacent to the supporting surface 21a defining various fluid channels along the supporting surface 21a. Likewise, a plurality of radially disposed apertures 34 are disposed radially around the projection 27 throughout the internal frustoconical shape walls 32, 33, 37 of the collar 20 to allow the fluid in the container 10 to flow out of the container 10 and across the collar 20 into the reservoir cavity 35 provided above the apertures 34 and below the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40c.

As mentioned previously, the various apertures 34, 34a may be constructed of a variety of different size openings and/or shapes. That is, the apertures 34 may be made smaller to reduce the flow rate of the fluid exiting from the container 10. Likewise, the apertures 34, 34a may be made larger to increase the flow rate of the fluid exiting from the container 10. Alternatively, in a single container such as shown in FIGS. 25-26, the apertures 34 may be varied in opening size and shape, some may be smaller and/or larger to selectively vary the flow rate of the fluid exiting from the container 10 as the user draws in the fluid by a suction action around the rim 26 of the collar 20.

Various modifications to the structure of the collar 20 and annular seal 40 affect the fluid flow properties of the fluid out of the container assembly 100. For example, the various raised protrusions 38 and adjacent gaps 39 can be raised or lowered and will affect the suction force required to lift the inward sealing surface edge 41 from the inward facing collar surface 20 edge. Likewise, the number and size of the various apertures 34 will affect the flow rate of the fluid out of the container assembly 100. The surface area contact made between the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40c and the supporting surface 21a of the collar 20 will also affect the amount of suction required to lift the the inward sealing surface edge 41 away from the supporting surface 21a of the collar 20. Various other features can also affect the use and operation of the container assembly 100.

As shown in FIG. 22, the various apertures 34 also act as an air vent passage to communicate air from a one-way air vent valve aperture 42a back into the container 10 of the container assembly 100. The apertures 34 allow the pressure within the container 10 to come to an equilibrium state with the pressure outside of the container assembly 100. That is, after the user has sucked fluid out from within the container 10 and has caused a negative vacuum pressure within the container assembly 100, the apertures 34 allow air to flow back into the container 10 under a negative pressure drawing in air through the one-way air vent aperture 42a.

As before, the plurality evenly spaced raised protrusions 38 and adjacent gaps 39 are provided to ensure that the flow of fluid from inside of the container 10 can freely flow between the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 and the supporting surface 21a at the upper inward facing collar surface edge of the collar 20. The raised protrusions 38 and gaps 39 are constructed to optimize the amount of minimum suction force required by the user to lift the outer edge of the annular seal 40 resting against the supporting surface 21a away from the collar 20 so that the seal can be broken without undue difficulty when a suction force is applied by the user.

When a suction force is applied with a predetermined negative suction pressure to the rim 26 of the collar 20, the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 will be lifted under the suction force. The inward sealing surface edge 41 will lift off of the supporting surface 21a at the collar surface edge with enough height to break the seal and allow the liquid to flow between the raised protrusions 38 and in the gaps 39 on the supporting surface 21a .

The annular seal 40 as shown in FIGS. 22 and 29-34 is composed of a flexible valve constructed in a form of a frustoconical disc. As shown in cross section in FIG. 22, the shape of the annular seal 40 is substantially similar to a shape of internal frustoconical shape wall 32, 33, 21a of the collar 20. A lower surface 49 of the annular seal 40 has a recess 43 with a blind bore construction on its lower surface 49 and at its center. The blind bore recess 43 is constructed to receive and secure a concentric flange 44 disposed at the lower surface 49 of the annular seal 40 onto the outer extending edge 30 of the projection 27 in the collar 20. As with the other embodiments described, threads 16, 24 are provided at the bottom end of the collar 20 to securely fasten the collar 20 in the container 10.

In assembly, the annular seal 40 is positioned over an upper surface of the collar 20, opposite a lower surface facing the container 10. The frustoconical shape of the annular seal 40 is also constructed similar in shape and function to a suction cup. The fluid seal of the annular seal 40 occurs between the outermost radial edge 41 of the annular seal 40 and a concentric supporting surface 21a provided at the inward facing collar surface edge of the collar 20 adjacent to the rim 26. The frustoconical shape of the annular seal 40 substantially mirrors the inner frustoconical shape of the collar 20. In position, the outermost radial edge 41 of the annular seal 40 and the collar 20 butt up against each other to form a seal. As shown in FIG. 34, the concentric outermost radial edge 41 of the annular seal 40 may be made thinner than the other portions of the annular seal 40 in order to provide a wall with enough of an optimal thickness that will seal the outermost radial edge 41 to the collar 20, albeit a thin enough outermost radial edge 41 that can be easily lifted off to break the seal with a predetermined amount of suction force provided by a user to allow the fluid within the container 10 to flow out of the container assembly 100.

As shown in FIG. 22, the concentric flange 44 extends inwardly at the lower surface 49 entry end of the recess 43 in the annular seal 40. The concentric flange 44 is constructed to provide an engagement and locking mechanism onto which a concentric shoulder 30 of the bulbous head 29 of the projection 27 may be secured. That is, the recess 43 at the lower surface 49 of the annular seal 40 is aligned with and pushed down over the bulbous head 29 until the concentric flange 44 slides over the bulbous head 29 and locks onto the concentric shoulders 30 defining the lower end of the bulbous head 29.

To remove annular seal 40 from the collar 30, the user may grab onto the radially extending flange 46a and pull it upward away from the collar 20. In this manner, the concentric flange 44 is lifted off of the shoulder 30 on the projection 27 thereby disengaging the annular seal 40 from collar 30. Removing the annular seal 40 from the collar is an advantage when a user desires to wash and/or clean the various component parts of the container assembly 100. The embodiment provided in FIGS. 20-34 function similar to the various other embodiments provided in this subject disclosure.

Likewise, an advantage of providing the radially extending flange 46a is to enable the user to pull the annular seal 40 away from the collar 20 without jeopardize the sealing capabilities of the annular seal 40 itself as a consequence of repetitive removal and installation of the annular valve 40. For example, pushing against the annular seal 40 adjacent to the one-way air vent aperture 42 or pulling against the inward sealing surface edge 41 of the annular seal 40 can potentially permanently deform and/or tear the annular seal 40 at various locations. Some of those sensitive locations being the concentric flange 44, the inward sealing surface edge 41 and/or the one-way air vent aperture 42a which could rupture its sealing capabilities.

As shown in more detail in FIGS. 22 and 33-34, the annular seal 40 includes one-way air valve apertures 42a aligned with, and in fluid communication with the various radially disposed apertures 34. The one-way air vent valve apertures 42a may include a recess 60 on an inner upper surface 61 of the annular seal 40. The valve apertures 42a may also include a complimentary recess 62 on a lower surface 63 of the annular seal 40. The complementary recess 62 is adapted to allow the entry of air in from the external atmosphere as the volume of fluid in the container 10 is drawn out to replace the absence of the volume displaced and the vacuum created by the displacement of fluid. The depth of the two recesses 60, 62 are constructed to provide an optimum thickness through which the one-way valve aperture 42a in the container assembly 100 is disposed.

FIGS. 35-55 illustrate various views of a non-spill container assembly 200 having an angled collar 220. Non-spill container assembly 200 having angled collar 220 provides various functional advantages. In some instances, non-spill container assembly 200 having angled collar 220 may also be referred to a tilted lip cup, a cut-out cup, a nosey cup, an angled cup, and/or a dysphagia cup. Non-spill container assembly 200 having angled collar 220 may be configured as an adapted drinking aid for individuals having swallowing difficulties (e.g., dysphagia), limited neck mobility issues, limited grip strength, limited dexterity, and/or other conditions that may interfere with use of a conventional container.

Non-spill container assembly 200 having angled collar 220 may enable children and other users to drink independently without tipping their head back, which can enhance safety and reduce choking risks. The angled structure of angled collar 220 allows the user to keep their neck straight and chin tucked while drinking, thereby preventing the need to tilt the head back and reduces the risk of choking. In some embodiments, angled collar 220 may include a cutout portion to accommodate a user’s nose and to facilitate drinking while the user’s head remains in a generally neutral position. By reducing the need for substantial rearward head tilt during drinking, non-spill container assembly 200 may reduce strain on the neck and head and may further promote safer swallowing.

Angled collar 220 also minimizes spills by directing liquids towards a selected region of angled collar 220. Such an arrangement may help funnel or guide liquid toward lips of the user, thereby making it easier to take smoother, more controlled sips and reducing the likelihood of accidental spilling. In some embodiments, other structures of angled collar 220 and non-spill container assembly 200 (e.g., apertures, channels, etc.) may further moderate the amount of liquid delivered during a given drinking action, such that the user received relatively small, manageable volumes of liquid. Additionally, this can also strengthen the tongue, lip, and check muscles for proper speech and swallowing development.

In pediatric applications, non-spill container assembly 200 may encourage a user to sip using the lips rather than suck in a manner associated with bottles or certain spouted cups. In some instances, this may promote oral motor development by exercising and strengthening the tongue, lips, cheeks, and related muscles associated with speech and swallowing. In some embodiments, use of non-spill container assembly 200 may additionally promote improved oral positioning during drinking and may reduce prolonged pooling of liquid around the teeth as compared with some other drinking vessels, thereby supporting dental health.

In some embodiments, non-spill container assembly 200 may also improve user comfort and independence by providing one or more assistive features that facilitate handling and control of the container assembly. For example, angled collar 220b is illustrated including handles 217, which may improve gripping and stabilization for users having weak grip strengths, tremors, arthritis or reduced hand control. In some instances, other stabilizing features may additionally or alternatively be provided to improve ease of use and reduce unintended tipping or sliding of non-spill container assembly 200 during use.

In some embodiments, non-spill container assembly 200 may be configured for use with different types of liquids, including hot liquids, cold liquids, relatively thin liquids, and/or thickened liquids. In some embodiments, non-spill container assembly 200 may also feature additional functionalities like built-in infusers for loose-leaf tea or integrated straws for hands-free drinking. Non-spill container assembly 200 may be useful in a variety of environments, including home settings, clinical settings, hospitals, rehabilitation settings, assisted-living settings, and general daily use. As such, non-spill container assembly 200 may improve accessibility, comfort, safety, and independence for a wide variety of users. Additional structural and functional aspects by which angled collar 220 and associated components provide the foregoing advantages are described in greater detail below.

As discussed above, FIGS. 35-55 illustrate various views of a non-spill container assembly 200 having an angled collar 220. More specifically, FIGS. 35-46 illustrate a non-spill container assembly 200 having an angled collar 220a without a pair of handles, while FIGS. 47-55 illustrate a non-spill container assembly 200 having an angled collar 220b with a pair of handles. Angled collar 220a without handles and angled collar 220b with handles 217 may be collectively referred to as angled collar 220 and can provide similar advantages and benefits.

FIGS. 35 and 47 show an exploded view of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. Non-spill container assembly 200 includes a container 210, an angled collar 220, and an annular seal 240. Annular seal 240 can be similar to or the same as any of the annular seals 40 discussed above.

Container 210 can be similar to and/or the same as container 10 discussed above. Container 210 is substantially cylindrical in radial shape and can include a side wall 212, a first open end 213, and a second closed end 214. The first open end 213 of container 210 has a central opening 213a adapted to receive a fluid stored within container 210. It is to be understood that the container 210 can take any suitable size or shape capable of holding a fluid and receiving angled collar 220 and annular seal 240.

Angled collar 220 may be a substantially truncated cylindrical shape. Angled collar 220 can include a lower end 223 and an upper end 226. A securing fastener assembly is adapted to secure lower end 223 of angled collar 220 to container 210. Upper end 226 can define and/or otherwise be referred to as a rim 226. Upper end 226 can have an outwardly flared contour that facilitates drinking by accommodating a user’s lips.

A sidewall 231 is disposed between lower end 223 and upper end 226. Sidewall 231 can vary in height. For example, sidewall 231 can include a first section 231a and a second section 231b. First section 231a may have a length different from a length of second section 231b. The difference in length between first section 231a and second section 231b cause sidewall 231 to have a truncated cylindrical shape. In some examples, this can cause upper end 226 to have a slanted or tilted plane in relation to lower end 223. While first section 231a is illustrated to have a longer length than second section 231b, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that first section 231a may have a shorter length compared to second section 231b, or other similar configurations to define non-parallel planes of lower end 223 and rim 226. While this disclosure only discusses two sections with varying height, it is to be understood that any number of sections of the sidewall 231 can vary in height. Similarly, sidewall 231 can continuously vary in height throughout its structure. As shown, the height of sidewall 231 changes continuously and/or gradually around its entirety.

When a user tilts non-spill container assembly 200 towards first section 231a (e.g., illustrated as the longer length section), first section 231a guides the fluid towards a distal end of rim 226, thereby making it easier to take smoother, more controlled sips and reducing the likelihood of accidental spilling. By guiding the fluid towards rim 226, first section 231a allows the user to keep their neck straight and chin tucked while drinking, thereby preventing the need to tilt the head back and reduces the risk of choking. Additionally, second section 231b (e.g., illustrated as the shorter length section) is operable to receive or accommodate a nose of the user due to the shorter length, thereby further reducing the need for the user to tilt the head back while drinking. While the present discussion discloses guiding fluid towards and drinking from first section 231a, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that users can drink from any section around rim 226. For example, a user may still tilt non-spill container assembly 200 towards second section 231b and drink from second section 231b due to the various features that prevent spilling during use of the non-spill container assemblies discussed herein.

Similar to collar 20 above, angled collar 220 can include an inner surface 221. Like collars 20 above, angled collar 220 can have various walls extend inwardly from inner surface 221 of angled collar 220 to an internal lower wall 233 that covers the central portion of opening 213a of container 210.

Annular seal 240 can be similar to or the same as any of the annular seals 40 discussed above. For example, annular seal 240 is illustrated to be the same as annular seal 40 in FIGS. 20-34 with similar reference numerals. For example, annular seal 240 can include a one-way air valve 242 disposed on a surface of annular seal 240. An outermost radial edge 245 of annular seal 240 is configured to abut against rim 226 to seal fluids within non-spill container assembly 200 when no user is drinking therefrom. Additionally, annular seal 240 can have an extending flange 246 to enable a user to pull annular seal 240 away from angled collar 220.

FIGS. 36 and 48 show upper perspective views of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. As illustrated, angled collar 220 is adapted to receive and secure annular seal 240, thereby creating a seal to prevent spilling of fluids disposed within non-spill container assembly 200. FIGS. 36 and 48 show second section 231b (e.g., the shorter length section) facing generally forward, such that first section 231a (e.g., the longer length section) is obscured from view by the remainder of sidewall 231 and annular seal 240. Additionally, annular seal 240 is shown disposed in angled collar 220 at an angle. For example, a plane defined by an outer and/or upper circumference of annular seal 240 sits at an angle rather than substantially parallel to a plane defined by lower end 223 of angled collar 220. Additionally, the plane defined by the outer and/or upper circumference of annular seal 240 sits in-plane with and/or parallel to a plane defined by upper end or rim 226. When annular seal 240 is installed in angled collar 220, annular seal 240 can sit substantially flush against angled collar 220. For example, sealing edge 241 of annular seal 240 can sit and abut against upper end or rim 226.

FIGS. 37 and 49 show upper rear left perspective views of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. As illustrated, annular seal 240 is partially obscured from view due to the longer length of first section 231a.

FIGS. 38 and 50 shows front views of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. As illustrated, first section 231a is obscured from view by annular seal 240. As discussed above, annular seal 240 can be positioned at an angle or tilted rather than orthogonal to a length of non-spill container assembly 200. Annular seal 240 is partially visible due to the angle or tilt of annular seal 240 in relation to non-spill container assembly 200 and/or the shorter length of second section 231b.

FIGS. 39 and 51 show right side views of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. When annular seal 240 is received and secured in angled collar 220, sealing edge 241 may be positioned and/or abut against upper end 226 of angled collar 220. As illustrated, annular seal 240 may be obscured from view in a right and/or left side view of non-spill container assembly 200 when annular seal 240 is received and secured in angled collar 220.

FIGS. 40 and 52 shows left side views of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. In some embodiments, non-spill container assembly 200 can be constructed substantially symmetrically, such that the right side view and the left side view of non-spill container assembly 200 are mirror images.

FIGS. 41 and 53 show top views of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. Due to annular seal 240 sitting at an angle within angled collar 220, annular seal 240 does not appear horizontally symmetrical from this perspective. Instead, a first section of annular seal 240 more proximate to first section 231a appears shorter than a second section of annular seal 240 more proximate to second section 231b due to foreshortening of the first section of annular seal 240, which is illustrated closer to the viewer due to the longer length of first section 231a.

FIGS. 42 and 54 show bottom views of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. As discussed above, upper end 226 may have an outwardly flared contour. A first section 226a of upper end 226 may be adjacent to first section 231a of sidewall 231 and a second section 226b of upper end 226 may be adjacent to second section 231b of sidewall 231. As illustrated, first section 226a of upper end 226 can have a comparatively lesser outwardly flared contour compared to second section 226b of upper end 226. In some embodiments, the lesser outwardly flared contour of first section 226a can facilitate accommodation of a user’s lips and further improves ease of use for the user.

FIGS. 43 and 55 show semi-exploded views of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220a and angled collar 220b, respectively. More specifically, FIGS. 36 and 45 illustrate annular seal 240 detached from angled collar 220, which remains attached to container 210.

Like in collar 20 above, angled collar 220 can include various internal structures. In some embodiments, internal structures of angled collar 220 may be the same or similar to those of collar 20 above constructed at an angle or tilted within angled collar 220. For example, angled collar 220 can include a lower wall 233 that extends radially outwards to an intermediate wall 232. Intermediate wall 232 can extend upwards and radially outwards to a radial ledge 237. Radial ledge 237 can extend upwards and radially outwards to upper end 226. The various internal surfaces and walls can include a plurality of apertures to allow fluid flow therethrough. For example, angled collar 220 is illustrated to have a plurality of radially disposed apertures throughout lower wall 233, intermediate wall 232, and radial ledge 237.

Angled collar 220 may include a projection 227 disposed on lower wall 233 similar to collar 20 above including projection 27 disposed on lower wall 33. In some embodiments, projection 227 is the same and/or similar to projection 27 discussed above. Projection 227 may be operable to receive and secure annular seal 240. As similarly discussed above, projection 227 may have a bulbous head 229 that facilitate receiving and securing annular seal 240 to projection 227 and angled collar 220.

FIG. 44 shows a top view of angled collar 220 without handles. While illustrated without handles, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that angled collar 220 can be constructed with handles 217 as shown above. In some embodiments, the internal structures are not perfectly concentric due to the angle between the top view and the angled features of angled collar 220. For example, projection 227 is shown disposed on lower wall 233, both of which are disposed offset from a center of angled collar 220. Similarly, intermediate wall 232, and radial ledge 237 have different centers from lower wall 233 when viewing from directly above. Plurality of radial apertures 234 may still be disposed in each of lower wall 233, intermediate wall 232, and radial ledge 237 allow fluid flow therethrough. In some embodiments, plurality of radial apertures 234 may not be fully concentric or may be otherwise offset.

FIG. 45 shows a bottom view of angled collar 220 without handles. Angled collar 220 can include threads 224 to mate with threads 216 of container 210 to secure angled collar 220 to container 210. In some embodiments, angled collar 220 may have a concentric shoulder 215 extending downwards (e.g., towards the viewer in FIG. 45) from radial ledge 237 and constructed on an interior of sidewall 231. Concentric shoulder 215 can be constructed to define a radial recess 215a operable to receive and secure first open end 213 of container 210 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 46). In some embodiments, radial recess 215a can additionally and/or alternatively receive and secure a sealing ring between angled collar 220 and first open end 213.

FIG. 46 shows a cross-section view of non-spill container assembly 200 with angled collar 220 through section line A-A shown in FIG. 38. Like container 10 above, container 210 can be substantially cylindrical about an axis A1. A plane P1 may be orthogonal to axis A1. For example, second closed end 214 of container 210 may be substantially parallel to plane P1 to rest upon a surface underneath container 210. Additionally, first open end 213 of container 210 may also be substantially parallel to plane P1. Lower end 223 of angled collar 220 may also be substantially parallel to plane P1 and first open end 213 of container 210. As illustrated, lower end 223 may have threads 224 adapted to receive and mate with threads 216 of container 210 to secure angled collar 220 to container 210.

Upper end 226 is defined by upper ends of sidewall 231. Upper end 226 may be defined as a truncated upper end on a tilted plane P2 relative to a central axis A1 of angled collar 220 and/or sidewall 231. For example, upper end 226 may be defined by upper ends of first section 231a of sidewall 231 and second section 231b of sidewall 231. Tilted plane P2 may also be tilted or angled relative to plane P1. Tilted plane P2 sits at an angle not orthogonal to axis P1 and is not parallel to plane P1, thereby creating the truncated cylindrical or angled structure of angled collar 220 to provide at least some of the benefits discussed above.

Angled collar 220 includes many internal structures similar to collar 20 discussed above. As further illustrated in FIG. 46, many of these internal structures may similarly be angled relative to axis A1 to accommodate annular seal 240. For example, FIG. 46 shows projection 227 disposed on lower wall 233, lower wall 233 extending outwards to intermediate wall 232, intermediate wall 232 extending outwards to radial ledge 237, and radial ledge 237 extending outwards to sidewall 231. These structures are illustrated to be tilted at a similar angle from axis A1 as the angle between plane P1 and plane P2. By angling these structures at a similar angle, angled collar 20 can be constructed to accommodate annular seals 40, 240 discussed above without the need to redesign the structure of annular seals 40, 240, thereby allowing users to reuse annular seals 40, 240 across non-spill container assemblies 100, 200. For example, FIG. 46 shows securement of annular seal 240 via projection 227 in the same or similar manner as discussed above. For example, projection 227 mates with recess 243 of annular seal 240 by receiving and securing concentric flange 244 via outer edges 230 of bulbous head 229 in the same manner as discussed above with respect to bulbous head 29 of projection 27 and concentric flange 44 of annular seal 40.

Radial ledge 237, sidewall 231, and annular seal 240 can define a reservoir cavity 235 when annular seal 240 is installed in angled collar 220. As non-spill container assembly 200 is lifted and tilted, fluid stored in container body 210 can flow from central opening 213a of container body 210 through apertures 234 into reservoir cavity 235. As a user presses their lips against angled collar 220 and annular seal 240, annular seal 240 presses against protrusions 238 disposed along surface 221 of angled collar 220 to flex and/or lift the outermost radial edge 245 of annular seal 240, thereby allowing fluid to flow through channels defined by protrusions 238 and adjacent gaps 239.

Although not illustrated, it is further contemplated that internal structures of angled collar 220 need not be constructed at an angle and may be constructed concentrically similar to the internal structures of collar 20 above. A different annular seal may be constructed having a tilted upper end relative to a lower end to have a shape that can be received and secured in an angled collar having internal structures similar to collar 20 above. For example, a first section of an upper end of such an annular seal may be taller than a second section of the upper end, such that the first section and the second section of the upper end may sit in-plane or substantially parallel to plane P2 when the lower end of such an annular seal is in-plane with or substantially parallel to plane P1.

The illustrations and examples provided herein are for explanatory purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims. It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from the broad inventive concepts of the invention. It is understood therefore that the

invention is not limited to the particular embodiment which is described, but is intended to cover all modifications and changes within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A collar for a drinking container assembly, comprising:

an upper end having a first section of the upper end and a second section of the upper end;

a sidewall having a first section of the sidewall and a second section of the sidewall, wherein the first section of the sidewall is a different length relative to the second section of the sidewall;

a lower end operable to secure the collar to a container of the drinking container assembly; and

a lower wall disposed adjacent to the lower end, the lower wall having a projection disposed thereon, the projection operable to mate with a recess disposed in a lower surface of a seal and facilitate securement of the seal to the collar.

2. The collar of claim 1, wherein the first section of the upper end and the second section of the upper end define a plane that is not orthogonal to a central axis of the collar.

33 The collar of claim 1, wherein the first section of the upper end and the second section of the upper end define a first plane, and wherein the lower end defines a second plane, and wherein the first plane is not parallel to the second plane.

4. The collar of claim 1, wherein the upper end has an outwardly flared contour, wherein the first section of the upper end has a different contour from the second section of the upper end.

5. The collar of claim 1, wherein the sidewall has a substantially truncated cylindrical shape.

6. The collar of claim 1, further comprising:

an intermediate wall extending radially inwards and downwards from the sidewall to the lower wall, wherein the lower wall is angled relative to a central axis of the collar.

7. The collar of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of apertures disposed radially in the lower wall, wherein the plurality of apertures disposed radially in the lower wall are disposed offset from a central axis of the collar.

8. A drinking container assembly comprising:

a container body; and

a collar having: an upper end having a first section of the upper end and a second section of the upper end; a sidewall having a first section of the sidewall and a second section of the sidewall, wherein the first section of the sidewall is a different length relative to the second section of the sidewall; a lower end operable to secure the collar to the container body; and a lower wall disposed adjacent to the lower end, the lower wall having a projection disposed thereon, the projection operable to mate with a recess disposed in a lower surface of a seal and facilitate securement of the seal to the collar.

9. The collar of claim 8, wherein the first section of the upper end and the second section of the upper end define a plane that is not orthogonal to a central axis of the collar.

1010 The collar of claim 8, wherein the first section of the upper end and the second section of the upper end define a first plane, and wherein the lower end defines a second plane, and wherein the first plane is not parallel to the second plane.

11. The collar of claim 8, wherein the upper end has an outwardly flared contour, wherein the first section of the upper end has a different contour from the second section of the upper end.

12. The collar of claim 8, wherein the sidewall has a substantially truncated cylindrical shape.

13. The collar of claim 8, further comprising:

an intermediate wall extending radially inwards and downwards from the sidewall to the lower wall, wherein the lower wall is angled relative to a central axis of the collar.

14. The collar of claim 8, further comprising:

a plurality of apertures disposed radially in the lower wall, wherein the plurality of apertures disposed radially in the lower wall are disposed offset from a central axis of the collar.

15. A collar for a drinking container assembly comprising:

a sidewall that varies in height;

a lower end on a plane orthogonal to an axis of the collar, the lower end operable to secure the collar to the container body;

a truncated upper end on a tilted plane relative to the axis of the collar; and

a lower wall extending within the sidewall toward the lower end, the lower wall having a projection operable to mate with a recess disposed in a lower surface of a seal to facilitate securement of the seal to the collar.

16. The collar of claim 15, wherein a first section of the side wall has a height differing from a second section of the sidewall.

1717 The collar of claim 16, wherein the truncated upper end is defined by upper ends of the first section of the sidewall and the second section of the sidewall.

18. The collar of claim 16, wherein upper ends of the first section of the sidewall and the second section of the sidewall define the tilted plane.

19. The collar of claim 15, wherein the sidewall has a substantially truncated cylindrical shape.

20. The collar of claim 15, wherein the axis of the collar is a central axis.