One-handed cam lid with removable sealing element for drinking vessel

The present invention relates to removable lids for drinking vessels and more precisely to one-handed cam lids having a removable sealing element.

The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

Drinking vessels with lids having sealing mechanisms are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 8,727,176 discloses a seal mechanism for a drinking vessel that is movable between a cleaning position and a use position. U.S. Pat. No. 8,360,258 discloses a lid assembly having a main body to which a stopper cap and stopper cover may be attached.

FIG. 1A illustrates a top perspective view of a drinking vessel lid.

FIG. 1B illustrates a sealing element used with the drinking vessel lid of FIG. 1A .

FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional left side view of the drinking vessel lid of FIG. 1A with the sealing element removed.

FIG. 2B illustrates a bottom plan view of the drinking vessel lid of FIG. 1A with the sealing element removed.

FIG. 3A illustrates a back perspective view of the sealing element of FIG. 1B .

FIG. 3B illustrates a left side view of the sealing element of FIG. 1B .

FIG. 3C illustrates an enlarged top plan view of the sealing element of FIG. 1B .

FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional left side view the drinking vessel lid of FIG. 1A having the sealing element of FIG. 1B installed, and with a trigger assembly in a resting position.

FIG. 4B illustrates a bottom plan, cross-sectional view of the integrated configuration of FIG. 4A taken substantially along line 4 B- 4 B of FIG. 4A

FIG. 4C illustrates a cross-sectional front view of the integrated configuration of FIG. 4A .

FIG. 4D illustrates a cross-sectional left side view of an integrated configuration of the sealing element and the drinking vessel lid of FIG. 1 with a trigger assembly in a deployed position.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional left side view of the integrated configuration of FIG. 4A attached to a drinking vessel.

A lid 10 in accordance with the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 1A . The lid 10 has a substantially cylindrical main body 12 with an upper portion 14 . The upper portion 14 has an elongated drinking aperture 16 through which liquid may flow. A trigger assembly 18 is operable to seal and unseal the drinking aperture 16 . A sealing assembly 20 is shown in FIG. 1B removed from the lid 10 and which may be selectively installed in the lid, as shown in FIGS. 4A-4D . When the sealing assembly 20 is installed in the lid 10 , the sealing assembly may interact with the trigger assembly 18 to seal and unseal the drinking aperture 16 . The sealing assembly 20 may be separated from the lid 10 , as shown in FIG. 1B , to more thoroughly clean the parts than when the sealing assembly 20 is installed in the lid 10 . That is, when the sealing assembly 20 is separated from the lid 10 , particles and residue may be thoroughly removed from the crevices and other hard to reach areas of both the lid 10 and the sealing assembly 20 .

Referring to FIG. 2A , the main body 12 includes circumferentially extending sidewalls 22 which extend downward from the upper portion 14 to form a downwardly opening open-ended cavity 24 . A first guide track 26 extends downwardly from the upper portion 14 on one side of the drinking aperture 16 . A second guide track 28 extends downwardly from the upper portion 14 on a side of the drinking aperture 16 opposite to the first guide track portion 26 (see FIG. 2B ). The first guide track 26 has a concave portion 26 C that faces a concave portion 28 C of the second guide track 28 . The first guide track 26 and the second guide track 28 are configured to slidably receive and mate with the sealing assembly 20 . The first guide track 26 preferably has a different size and/or shape than the second guide track 28 . The first guide track 26 and the second guide track 28 are offset from a center of the lid main body 12 at an interior side of the sidewall 22 . A support lip 23 is provided on an interior peripheral surface of the sidewall 22 with which the sealing assembly 20 may be engaged and retained thereby. The lid 10 has a threaded attachment portion 38 that may threadably attach to a drinking vessel 80 , as shown in FIG. 5 . Other attachment means may be used to removably join the lid 10 to the drinking vessel 80 in a fluid-tight configuration, such as a bayonet mount or friction fit, and may include an O-ring or gasket sized to seal the lid 10 to the drinking vessel 80 .

The trigger assembly 18 includes a trigger portion 29 , an actuator portion 30 , a shaft 32 , a trigger seal 34 , and a first elastic element 36 . The trigger assembly 18 is provided for selectively engaging the sealing assembly 20 to unseal the drinking aperture 16 , as described below. The trigger portion 29 is exposed on an exterior surface of the sidewalls 22 . The shaft 32 is a rigid body that extends between the trigger portion 29 and the actuator portion 30 . The shaft 32 is slidably movable back and forth through a trigger aperture 37 on a side of the trigger assembly 18 toward the downwardly opening cavity 24 . The trigger portion 29 is disposed on a first end of the shaft 32 and is operable to move the shaft 32 inward when pressed inward. The actuator portion 30 is disposed on a second end of the shaft 32 opposite to the first end of the shaft 32 . The trigger seal 34 is mounted on the shaft 32 at a fixed position on the shaft.

When the sealing assembly 20 is installed in the lid 10 , the actuator portion 30 may interact with the sealing assembly to unseal the drinking aperture 16 . In a resting position where the trigger portion 29 is not pressed, the first elastic element 36 pushes the shaft 32 in a direction away from the first guide track 26 and the second guide track 28 (and the sealing assembly 20 when installed in the lid 10 ). The first elastic element 36 is preferably a compression coil spring, but may instead be any elastically deformable element that provides a sufficient force to return the trigger portion to a resting position. The trigger seal 34 assists in forming a fluid-tight seal of the trigger aperture 37 when the trigger assembly 18 is in the resting position. The trigger seal 34 is preferably a rubber or an elastic polymer material that may flex against the surface around the trigger aperture 37 to aid in forming the fluid-tight seal.

When the trigger portion 29 is pressed, the shaft 32 moves the actuator portion 30 in an inward direction toward the first guide track 26 and second guide track 28 . Initial movement of the shaft 32 in the inward direction separates the trigger seal 34 from the trigger aperture 37 allowing the trigger aperture to pre-vent the pressure and steam within the drinking vessel 80 (see FIG. 5 ). Continued inward pressing of the trigger portion 29 actuates the sealing assembly 20 to unseal and open the drinking aperture 16 for drinking. The trigger assembly 18 may be provided with a locking switch 31 that selectively prevents the trigger assembly from engaging with the sealing assembly 20 . In particular, the locking switch 31 may selectively position a block 33 between an inner wall 35 and the trigger portion 29 , preventing the trigger portion 29 from moving further inward and actuating the sealing assembly 20 .

Referring to FIG. 3A , the sealing assembly 20 includes a sealing assembly body 40 , a sealing element 42 , and a second elastic element 44 . A first guide member 46 and a second guide member 48 are provided on opposite lateral sides of the sealing assembly body 40 , as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C . The sealing assembly body 40 includes a transverse base portion 50 and a transverse upper portion 54 . The first guide member 46 and second guide member 48 extend between the base portion 50 and the upper portion 54 . The first guide member 46 preferably has a different size and/or shape than the second guide member 48 for reasons discussed below (e.g., d 1 is not equal to d 2 , as shown in FIG. 3C ).

Spaced apart first and second members 51 extend between the base portion 50 and the upper portion 54 . Each member 51 has a laterally inward facing inner sidewall 52 . The inner sidewalls 52 extend in parallel as do the first guide member 46 and the second guide member 48 . A centrally located through-hole upper aperture 55 extends through the upper portion 54 (see FIGS. 3A, and 4A-4C ) and a centrally located through-hole lower aperture 57 extends through the base portion 50 (see FIGS. 4A and 4C ). The sealing assembly 20 further includes a latching portion 56 extending downwardly from the base portion 50 , as shown in FIG. 3B . The latching portion 56 may have a protrusion 61 on an outward side. A gripping tab 58 is attached to the latching portion 56 to facilitate a user inserting the sealing assembly 20 into and removing the sealing assembly from the lid 10 . The gripping tab 58 extends downward and inward from the sealing assembly body 40 . The latching portion 56 preferably has sufficient flexibility that it may be flexed by the user holding the gripping tab 58 to facilitate insertion and removal of the sealing assembly 20 to and from the interior of the lid main body 12 , as described in detail below. An inwardly extending portion 59 to which the gripping tab 58 is connected may be provided below the base portion 50 to position the gripping tab away from the sidewall 22 .

The sealing element 42 is slidably supported and guided by the sealing assembly body 40 . The sealing element 42 has an upper support shaft or member 62 that may slidably move up and down within the upper aperture 55 and lower aperture 57 of the sealing assembly body 40 . An upper end of the upper support member 62 terminates at a seal support platform that supports an elongated drinking aperture seal or stopper 60 which moves therewith. The drinking stopper 60 is sized and shaped to completely cover and seal the drinking aperture 16 when in a sealing position at the drinking aperture. A crossbar portion 64 is attached to the upper support member 62 at a location between the upper portion 54 and the base portion 50 of the sealing assembly body 40 , and extends in a direction perpendicular to the upper support member 62 (i.e., laterally). The crossbar portion 64 preferably has a cam follower, i.e., an angled upper surface 64 A that slopes upward and outward toward the sidewall 22 . The crossbar portion 64 may extend laterally between and contact the sidewalls 52 thereby limiting rotation of the sealing element 42 and hence ensuring alignment of the drinking stopper 60 with the drinking aperture 16 . A lower portion 66 of the support member 62 , extending downward from the crossbar portion 64 , extends through the second elastic element 44 , which is positioned between the crossbar portion 64 of the sealing element 42 and the base portion 50 of the sealing assembly body 40 . The lower portion 66 of the support member 62 extends into the lower aperture 57 of the base portion 50 of the sealing assembly body 40 . When the trigger portion 29 is pressed inward, the support member 62 is moved downward extending the lower portion 66 of the support member 62 deeper into the lower aperture 57 resulting in a lower end portion of the lower portion 66 of the support member 62 protruding downward beyond the base portion 50 , as shown in FIG. 4D .

The second elastic element 44 is preferably a compression coil spring that biases the crossbar portion 64 upward away from the base portion 50 and holds the drinking stopper 60 securely against the underside of the upper portion 14 to create a fluid-tight seal over the drinking aperture 16 when in the sealing position. Alternatively, the second elastic element 44 may be any elastically deformable element that provides a force to actuate the sealing element 42 upward. By way of non-limiting example, the second elastic element 44 may be a tension coil spring or elastic band that pulls the crossbar portion toward the upper portion 54 of the sealing assembly body 40 .

The sealing assembly 20 may be removably mated with the lid main body 12 to form an integrated configuration of the lid 10 , as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C . In the integrated configuration, the sealing assembly 20 is installed at a fixed position within the main body 12 and the trigger assembly 18 is operable to engage with the sealing element 42 to unseal the drinking aperture 16 . To integrate the sealing assembly body 40 with the lid main body 12 , the first guide member 46 and the second guide member 48 are simultaneously slidably inserted into the concave portion 26 C of the first guide track 26 and the concave portion 28 C the second guide track 28 , respectively, as shown in FIGS. 4B-4C . The first guide member 46 is specifically sized and shaped (e.g., d 1 shown in FIG. 3C ) to match the size and shape of the first guide track 26 , and to not match or mate with the second guide track 28 . The second guide member 48 is specifically sized and shaped (e.g., d 2 shown in FIG. 3C ) to match the size and shape of the second guide track 28 , and to not match or mate with the first guide track 26 . Accordingly, the sealing element 20 may only be integrated with the lid main body 12 in an orientation where the first guide member 46 mates with the first guide track 26 , and the second guide member 48 mates with the second guide track 28 .

In some embodiments, the first guide track 26 does not have a concave portion 26 C and/or the second guide track 28 does not have a concave portion 28 C. As a non-limiting example of such a configuration, the first guide track 26 may have a convex portion instead of the concave portion 26 C and/or the second guide track 28 may have a convex portion instead of the concave portion 28 C. The first guide member 46 should have a shape complementing the first guide track 26 to facilitate a secure connection therebetween. Similarly, the second guide member 48 should have a shape complementing the second guide track 28 to facilitate a secure connection therebetween. The lid main body 12 and the sealing assembly 20 may be securely connected by only a single guide track and a single guide member; however, a more secure connection is provided by using two guide tracks respectively mated with two guide members.

As shown in FIG. 3C , the guide members and guide tracks have round complementary cross-sectional shapes. In other embodiments, the guide members and the guide tracks may have complementary interlocking cross-sectional shapes that also provide a secure connection and prevent lateral and/or forward/backward movement of the sealing assembly 20 within the lid 10 . For example, the first guide member 46 and the first guide track 26 have first complementary interlocking shapes whereas the second guide member 48 and the second guide track 28 have different complementary interlocking shapes than the first guide member 46 and the first guide track 26 . The complementary cross-sectional shapes are not particularly limited and may be a triangular shape, a “T” shape, or an “L” shape, by way of non-limiting example.

As the sealing assembly 20 is inserted into the lid main body 12 , the latching portion 56 may flex inward, away from its original position as a result of the protruding portion 61 engaging the sidewall 22 below the support lip 23 . Once the first guide member 46 and the second guide member 48 are fully inserted, the latching portion 56 of the sealing assembly 20 is positioned above the support lip 23 of the lid main body 12 and reverts back to its original non-flexed position. In that position, a bottom surface portion 63 of the latching portion 56 extends over and abuts an upper surface of the support lip 23 , thereby preventing the sealing assembly 20 from moving downward relative to the lid main body 12 during normal usage of the lid 10 for drinking fluid in the drinking vessel 80 . To prevent the sealing assembly 20 from moving upward when the lid 10 is in the integrated configuration, the base portion 50 is sized to abut a bottom portion of the first guide track 26 and/or a bottom portion of the second guide track 28 (see FIG. 4C ).

In some embodiments, the latching portion 56 may be part of the sealing assembly body 40 instead of being a part extending therefrom. By way of non-limiting example, the base portion 50 may be configured to interface with the support lip 23 to secure the sealing assembly 20 within the lid main body 12 . Additionally, the gripping tab 58 may extend from the base portion 50 to facilitate insertion and removal of the sealing assembly 20 in a manner similar to that described herein. However, the latching portion 56 preferably extends from the base portion 50 of the sealing assembly 20 , as shown in FIG. 3B , to facilitate insertion and removal of the sealing assembly 20 to and from the lid main body 12 .

The supporting lip 23 shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4D extends around an inner peripheral surface of the lid main body 12 . In some embodiments, the supporting lip 23 is instead only provided along the front side of the lid main body 12 to which the latching portion 56 engages. In further embodiments, the supporting lip 23 may be provided on a support member that extends downwardly from the upper portion 14 . In such a configuration, the support lip 23 is not provided on downwardly extending sidewalls 22 and the latching portion 56 engages with the support lip 23 on the support member to secure the sealing assembly 20 to the lid main body 12 .

When the lid 10 is in the integrated configuration and the trigger assembly 18 is in the resting position (i.e., not pressed), the drinking stopper 60 seals the drinking aperture 16 . As shown in FIG. 4A , the trigger assembly 18 is positioned to engage with the sealing assembly 20 . In particular, the actuator portion 30 of the trigger assembly 18 is proximate to or in contact with the upper surface 64 A of the crossbar portion 64 . The actuator portion 30 includes at least one angled cam member 30 A with a length extending toward the sealing assembly body 40 which is sized and positioned to avoid contacting the upper support member 62 , the drinking stopper 60 , and the upper portion 54 when the sealing assembly 20 is inserted into the main body 12 so as to be in the integrated configuration for normal drinking operation. Once in the integrated configuration, the cam member 30 A is positioned to engage only the upper surface 64 A of the crossbar portion 64 during operation of the trigger assembly 18 to open the drinking aperture 16 . In the present embodiment, two angled cam members 30 A are offset toward lateral sides of the shaft 32 of the trigger assembly 18 (see FIG. 2B ). Each cam member 30 A has an angled edge lower surface 30 B oriented at an angle complementary to an angle of the angled upper surface 64 A of the crossbar portion 64 . The trigger portion 29 is operable to press the angled edge lower surface 30 B against the angled upper surface 64 A and toward the adjacent portion of the sidewall 22 , pushing the crossbar portion 64 and the sealing element 42 downward, as shown in FIG. 4D . The downward movement of the crossbar portion 64 separates the drinking stopper 60 from the drinking aperture 16 , thereby unsealing the drinking aperture and allowing fluid to flow therethrough. The two cam members 30 A are positioned so that the upper support member 62 is located therebetween to avoid its interference with operation of the trigger assembly 18 .

The sealing assembly 20 may be removed from the lid main body 12 to provide a cleaning configuration in which the sealing assembly and lid main body may be thoroughly cleaned by hand or in a dishwasher. More precisely, particulate and liquid residue may be thoroughly and easily removed from the features of the lid main body 12 and the sealing element 20 when the sealing assembly is separated from the lid main body. To remove the sealing assembly 20 from the lid main body 12 , a user may pull the gripping tab 58 inward from the support lip 23 with which the latching portion 56 interfaces and then downward. Pulling downwardly on the gripping tab 58 , the user may then extract the first guide member 46 and the second guide member 48 of sealing element 20 from the first guide track 26 and the second guide track 28 , respectively.

In FIG. 5 , the lid 10 is shown attached to the drinking vessel 80 with the sealing assembly 20 in an integrated configuration with the lid main body 12 . The upper portion drinking stopper 60 is pressed against the inward surface portion of the upper portion 14 about the drinking aperture 16 to help prevent heat and liquid from escaping through the drinking aperture.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of this invention. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the invention is solely defined by the appended claims. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.).

It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare statement of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).