U.S. patent application number 10/339768 was filed with the patent office on 2003-07-24 for plug of a container for holding beverage.
Invention is credited to Goto, Takashi, Hatsumoto, Kunio.
Application Number | 20030136783 10/339768 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19191570 |
Filed Date | 2003-07-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030136783 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hatsumoto, Kunio ; et
al. |
July 24, 2003 |
Plug of a container for holding beverage
Abstract
A plug comprises a plug body serving as the plug of a container
for holding beverage and a lid body. A hinge and a lock device are
arranged opposing to each other. A lip portion protrudes from the
top plate of the plug body. A liquid-passage hole is formed in the
lip portion. The upper surface of the lip portion is made into a
tapering shape that is highest at the lock device side and lowest
at the hinge side. The resilient member that forces the lid body
towards an opening direction protrudes from the top plate of the
lid body. An air hole is set in the top plate of the plug body and
the resilient member is set to vertically block the air hole when
the lid body is closed.
Inventors: |
Hatsumoto, Kunio; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Goto, Takashi; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
J.C. Patents, Inc.
Suite 250
4 Venture
Irvine
CA
92618
US
|
Family ID: |
19191570 |
Appl. No.: |
10/339768 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/254.3 ;
215/237; 220/259.1; 220/703; 220/835; 222/556 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 41/0027 20130101;
B65D 47/088 20130101; A47G 19/2266 20130101; B65D 2251/1058
20130101; B65D 47/0885 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/254.3 ;
215/237; 220/259.1; 220/835; 220/703; 222/556 |
International
Class: |
A47G 019/22; B65D
047/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 18, 2002 |
JP |
2002-10119 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A plug of a container for holding beverage, comprising: a plug
body, covering an upper opening of a container body; a lid body,
pivotally connected to the plug body using a hinge in a way capable
of being opened and closed, and the lid body liquid-seals a
liquid-passage hole in a top plate of the plug body; and a lock
device, arranged opposing to the hinge to keep the lid body in a
close state, wherein a lip portion protrudes from the top plate of
the plug body, and the liquid-passage hole is formed in the lip
portion, and an upper surface of the lip portion is cut into a
tapering shape which is highest at a side of the lock device and
lowest at a side of the hinge.
2. A plug of a container for holding beverage, comprising: a plug
body, covering an upper opening of a container body; a lid body,
pivotally connected to the plug body using a hinge in a way capable
of being opened and closed, and the lid body liquid-seals a
liquid-passage hole in a top plate of the plug body; and a lock
device for keeping the lid body in a close state, wherein a
cylindrical lip portion is installed on the top plate of the plug
body in a way that the lip portion can be rotated in a
circumferential direction, and the liquid-passage hole is formed in
the lip portion, and an upper surface of the lip portion is cut
into a tapering shape.
3. The plug of claim 1, wherein a non-metal resilient member
protrudes from the plug body or the lid body, resiliently
contacting the other when the lid body is in the close state, and
when the lock device is unlocked, the resilient member forces the
lid body towards an opening direction.
4. The plug of claim 3, wherein an air hole is set in the top plate
of the plug body, and the resilient member is arranged in the lid
body, and the resilient member is set to block the air hole when
the lid body is in the close state.
5. The plug of claim 4, wherein the resilient member blocks the air
hole in a direction vertical to the air hole.
6. The plug of claim 3, wherein a hollow portion is formed in the
resilient member to allow the air go in and out of the hollow
portion freely.
7. The plug of claim 4, wherein a hollow portion is formed in the
resilient member to allow the air go in and out of the hollow
portion freely.
8. The plug of claim 5, wherein a hollow portion is formed in the
resilient member to allow the air go in and out of the hollow
portion freely.
9. The plug of claim 2, wherein a non-metal resilient member
protrudes from the plug body or the lid body, resiliently
contacting the other when the lid body is in the close state and
when the lock device is unlocked, the resilient member forces the
lid body towards an opening direction.
10. The plug of claim 9, wherein an air hole is set in the top
plate of the plug body, and the resilient member is arranged in the
lid body, and the resilient member is set to block the air hole
when the lid body is in the close state.
11. The plug of claim 10, wherein the resilient member blocks up
the air hole in a direction vertical to the air hole.
12. The plug of claim 11, wherein a hollow portion is formed in the
resilient member to allow the air go in and out of the hollow
portion freely.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the priority benefit of Japan
application serial no. 2002-10119, filed on Jan. 18, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates in general to plugs of various
containers for holding beverages such as sports drink containers,
portable vacuum bottles, and more specifically relates to a plug of
a container that allows a user to open the container through
one-touch operation and directly drink the beverage contained
inside the container.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] A conventional plug is disclosed as Japan Laid-open
Publication no. He2001-149236.
[0006] The conventional plug comprises: a cylindrical plug covering
the upper opening of a container, a lid body capable of being
opened and closed, and capable of sealing a liquid-passage hole
located on the top plate of the plug, pivotally connected to the
lid body using a hinge, and a slidable lock member for keeping the
lid body closed. A user can put his/her mouth nearby an upper
circumferential wall of the plug and directly drink the beverage
contained inside the container with the lid open.
[0007] Because the upper circumferential wall of the conventional
plug has a downward-hopper shape and the top plate is under the
plug, therefore when a user inclines the container to drink the
beverage, the beverage flowing through the liquid-passage hole
spreads over the upper circumferential wall and flows to the edge
of the opening. The flow rate of the beverage can be adjusted only
by inclining the container body. When the user is a small kid with
a small mouth or when the vehicle in which the user is traveling
vibrates, there is possibility that the beverage may spill over and
wet the clothes.
[0008] Moreover, a compressed spring coil made of a metal is
assembled within the lock member to keep the lid body in a close
state. The plug of the container can be detached from the container
body and washed before and after use. From the point of hygiene, it
is important that the use of metallic plugs should be avoided as
the metal parts tends to rust easily due to moisture
conditions.
[0009] For solving the above problems, some proposed using a
resilient tube or a straw attached to the plug. However this
arrangement is not suitable for drawing hot drinks.
[0010] Moreover, the Japan Laid-open Publication no. He11-244158
discloses a cylindrical lip portion protruding from the top plate
of the plug and a movable cap capable of ascending and descending
into the lip portion. When a user wants to drink the beverage
contained inside such container, he/she pulls the cap to position
the cap in the ascend position in order to open the lip portion and
holds the lip portion and the movable cap inside the mouth and
drinks the beverage contained inside the container. Because the
upper surface of the lip portion is vertical to the central axis of
the lip portion, especially in a situation when the beverage inside
the vessel is very little, the user has to incline the container
upside-down, for doing so, the user needs to face upward and bend
his/her body backward which is a very uncomfortable pose for the
user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] This invention is developed based on the above situations.
An objective of this invention is to provide a plug of a containers
for holding beverages. By using this plug, no matter at what
temperature the beverage is, the user can drink it in any pose he
desires. Even though the plug is washed, it will not rust. Thus,
the plug of this invention is very hygienic.
[0012] According to the foregoing description, a plug of a
container for holding beverage is provided. The plug of a container
for holding beverage comprises: a plug body covering an upper
opening of a container body, a lid body pivotally connected to the
plug body in a way capable of being opened and closed by using a
hinge wherein the lid body seals a liquid-passage hole located in a
top plate of the plug body, and a lock device arranged opposing the
hinge to keep the lid body in a close state. A lip portion
protrudes from the top plate of the plug body, and the
liquid-passage hole is formed in the lip portion, and an upper
surface of the lip portion is cut into a tapering shape that is
highest at a side of the lock device and lowest at a side of the
hinge.
[0013] According to another object of this invention, a plug of a
container for holding beverage is provided. The plug of the
container for holding beverage comprises: a plug body covering an
upper opening of a container body, a lid body pivotally connected
to the plug body in a way capable of being opened and closed by
using a hinge wherein the lid body seals a liquid-passage hole
located in a top plate of the plug body, and a lock device for
keeping the lid body in a closed state. A cylindrical lip portion
is installed on the top plate of the plug body in a way that the
lip portion can be rotated in a circumferential direction, and the
liquid-passage hole is formed in the lip portion, and an upper
surface of the lip portion is cut into a tapering shape.
[0014] According to still another object of this invention, a plug
of a container for holding beverage is provided. A non-metallic
resilient member protrudes from the plug or the lid body, the
resilient member will resiliently contacting with the other in the
close state, and when the lock device is unlocked, the resilient
member forces the lid body towards an opening direction. Moreover,
an air hole is set in the top plate of the plug body, and the
resilient member is arranged in the lid body. The resilient member
is set to block the air hole when the lid body is in the closed
state. It is preferred that the resilient member blocks the air
hole in a direction vertical to the air hole. Furthermore, a hollow
portion is formed in the resilient member to allow the air go in
and out of the hollow portion freely.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] While the specification concludes with claims particularly
pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is
regarded as the invention, the objects and features of the
invention and further objects, features and advantages thereof will
be better understood from the following description taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along I-I line of
FIG. 3 according to the first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the upper portion
of the vacuum bottle according to the first embodiment of the
present invention;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the upper portion of the
opened vacuum bottle according to the first embodiment of the
present invention; and
[0019] FIG. 4 is an enlarged-cross-sectional view showing the main
portions of the vacuum bottle according to the second embodiment of
the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] The present invention suitable for a portable vacuum bottle
will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings as
follows.
[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the vacuum bottle 1 comprises: a
container body 2 made of a metal and a plug 3 made of a synthetic
resin, covering the upper opening of the container body 2. The
container body 2 is a heat insulation dual structure wherein an
inner cylinder 2a and an outer cylinder 2b are formed in one at the
upper edges of the openings and a heat insulation layer 4 is
positioned between the inner cylinder 2a and the outer cylinder 2b.
An external thread 2c is formed on the upper portion of the outer
circumference of the outer cylinder 2b for engaging with the plug
3.
[0022] The plug 3 comprises: a plug body 5 wherein a internal
thread 5a is engaged with the external thread 2c of the outer
cylinder 2b to fix the plug body 5 onto the upper opening of the
container body 2, a lid body 7 which is capable of being opened and
closed, pivotally to connect the plug body 5 with the lid body 7 by
using a hinge 6, and a lock device 8 arranged opposing the hinge 6
to keep the lid body 7 in a close state.
[0023] The plug body 5 is a reverse cylinder having a bottom
wherein a top plate 5c covering the upper opening of the container
2 is arranged on the cylinder 5b surrounding the upper outer
circumference of the outer cylinder 2b. A seesaw type lock button
10 and an engaging ring 11 constructing the lock device 8 are
arranged at one side of the cylinder 5b. A lid 5d and a guide rib
5e constructing the hinge 6 protrude respectively at one side and
the other side of the top plate 5c. An air hole 12 is formed
between the lip portion 5d and the guide rib 5e , and the lip
portion 5d and the air hole 12 are arranged along a line L1
connecting the guide rib 5e and the lock button 10.
[0024] The lid body 7, which is a reverse cylinder having a bottom,
comprises a cylinder 7a extending to an upper side of the cylinder
5b of the plug body 5 and a top plate 7b blocking the upper surface
of the cylinder 7a. The lid body 7 is formed into a tapering shape
that is highest at the lock device side and lowest at the hinge
side. The engaging rib 7c and the engaging plate 7d constructing
the lock device 8 protrude at one side of the cylinder 7a, and a
pair of arms 7e constructing the hinge 6 and a holding claw 7f
keeping the lid body 7 in an open state are formed at the other
side of the cylinder 7a. In the inner side of the top plate 7b, the
lid gasket 13 and a resilient member 14 are arranged along the line
L1 connecting the guide rib 5e of the hinge 6 and the lock button
10 of the lock device 8.
[0025] The hinge 6 is constructed in a way using the pair of arms
7e of the lid body 7 to clamp the guide rib 5e of the plug body 5
and threads a hinge shaft 15 through the pair of arms 7e. The lid
body 7 uses the hinge 6 to secure onto the upper portion of the
plug body 5 such that the lid body 7 is capable of being opened and
closed. The lock device 8 comprises the lock button 10 of the plug
body 5, the engaging ring 11, the engaging rib 7c and the engaging
plate 7d. The lock button 10 is latched to the engaging plate 7d
when the lid body 7 is rotated to a close position. The engaging
ring 11 is hung on the engaging rib 7c to keep the lid body 7 in a
close state. When a user needs to open the lid body 7 which is in a
close state, he detaches the engaging ring 11 hung on the engaging
rib 7c and pushes the lower side of the lock button 10 to release
the connection of the lock button 10 and the engaging plate 7d. As
a result, the resilient member 14 forces the lid body 7 in an open
direction.
[0026] The lip portion 5d of the plug body 5 has a suitable
diameter for a user to hold in the mouth and form a substantially
cylinder that is covered by the lid body 7 and a liquid-passage
hole 16 is formed inside the lip portion 5d. Compared with the line
L3 vertical to the central axis L2 of the lip portion 5d, the upper
surface 5f of the lip portion 5d inclines downwardly with an angle
.theta.1 at the hinge 6 side and the upper surface 5f of the lip
portion 5d inclines substantially at the same angle as the top
plate 7b of the lid body 7 such that the upper surface 5f is formed
into a tapering shape which is highest at the lock device side and
lowest at the hinge side. The air hole 12 is a small hole that
communicates the inside of the container body 2 and the outside of
the plug body 5 to supply or exhaust the air inside the container
body 2 according to the increment or decrement of the beverage
content to make the beverage flow through the lip portion 5d
smoothly.
[0027] The highest point at the lock device side and the lowest
point at the hinge side of the upper surface 5f of the lip portion
5d are located along the vertical line L3. The vertical line L3 is
set to be identical to the line L1. As a result, when the lid body
7 covers the lip portion 5d, the lid gasket 13 of the lid body 7
can seal the upper surface 5f without a gap and the beverage will
not leak out.
[0028] Furthermore, the angle .theta.1 is preferably at a range of
5.about.30 degrees. If the angle .theta.1 is less than 5 degrees,
the user feels uncomfortable with the pose to drink. If the angle
.theta.1 is above 30 degrees, the upper surface 5f forms a fairly
protrudent shape and it is not good to the appearance.
[0029] The lid gasket 13 of the lid body 7 is formed in a ball
shape with a diameter larger than the upper surface 5f of the lip
portion 5d. When the lid body 7 is closed, the lid gasket 13 of the
lid body 7 is resiliently connected with the upper surface 5f of
the lid portion 5d to liquid-seal the upper surface 5f. The
resilient member 14 made of a soft synthetic resin, such as a
silicon or a non-metal material, such as rubber, is a cylinder with
a bottom, which can replace the conventional metal made spring
forcing the lid body 7 in an open direction. The cylindrical boss
portion 7g with an upper opening, which protrudes from the inner
surface of the top plate 7b to install on the lid body 7, can be
attached with the resilient member 14.
[0030] The length of the resilient member 14 is set in such a way
that the lower end of the resilient member 14 touches the top plate
5c of the plug body 5 before the lid body 7 rotates to a close
position, and when the lid body 7 is closed, the resilient member
14 contracts in an axial direction to make its lower end
liquid-seal the air hole 12 in a vertical direction, and when the
close state of the lid body 7 is released by unlocking the lock
device 8, the resilient member 14 stretches in an axial direction
to spring open the lid body 7 and make the lower end of the
resilient member 14 separate from the air hole 12 to release it.
The hollow portion 17 inside the resilient member 14 communicates
outside through the slit 18 formed at one side of the boss portion
7g to make the resilient member 14 contract or stretches well
according to the close or open state of the lid body 7.
[0031] The engaging ribs 5g are formed at the outer surface of the
guide rib 5e of the plug body 5 at the opposite side of the lock
device 8. When the lock device 8 is released, the claw 7f of the
top plate 7b of the lid body 7 which would spring open by the
resilient member 14, is fixed between the engaging ribs 5g to keep
the lid body 7 in a open position with an angle over 180
degrees.
[0032] With the structure described in this embodiment, when using
the lock device 8 to close the lid body 7, the lid gasket 13
liquid-seals the upper surface 5f of the lip portion 5d and the
resilient member 14 liquid-seals the air hole 12 (FIG. 2).
Moreover, when the lock device 8 is released, the resilient member
14 springs open the lid body 7 and forces the lid body 7 pivotally
around the hinge shaft 15 towards an open direction. And then the
lid body 7 rotating towards the side of the plug body 5 is kept
opened to release the upper portion of the plug body 5 by the
engagement between the claw 7f and the engaging rib 5g (FIG.
3).
[0033] Therefore, when a user wishes to drink the beverage
contained inside the container body 2, the user makes the lip
portion 5d face to himself and make the lid body 7 in an open state
opposing to himself, and then gets close to the lip portion 5d to
incline the container body 2 towards himself to make the beverage
contained inside the container body 2 flow through the lip portion
5d (FIG. 1).
[0034] As mentioned in this embodiment, because the lip portion 5d
is a cylinder that protrudes from the top plate 5c of the plug body
5, even if the user is a small kid with a small mouth or even under
the condition that the vehicle in which the user is traveling
vibrates, there is no need to be concerned about spilling of the
beverage that would otherwise wet the clothes. Moreover, because
the lip portion 5d is not a straw type or a tube type, therefore
cold and hot drinks are both suitable.
[0035] Furthermore, when the upper surface 5f of the lip portion 5d
is located on the vertical line L3 vertical to the central axis L2
of the lip portion 5d, if the user attempts to drink the beverage
contained inside the container body 2 by inclining towards a level
direction as shown in FIG. 1, he need not bend his body backward to
face upward. Regarding the lip portion 5d in this embodiment,
because its upper surface 5f inclines downwardly with an angle
.theta.1 at the hinge side compared to the vertical line L3, the
user can easily drink the beverage without an uncomfortable pose by
just lifting the bottom of the container body 2 through an angle
.theta.1. Therefore, this invention specially works for the
condition that the beverage contained inside the container body 2
is little.
[0036] Moreover, the conventional metal spring is being replaced by
a non-metal resilient member 14 made of soft synthetic resin or
rubber to force the lid body 7 towards an opening direction.
Therefore, even when the plug 3 gets wet due to washing, it does
not rust and is very hygienic. Additionally, because the resilient
member 14 is arranged at the side of the lid body 7, therefore
there is no unnecessary protrusion on the plug body 5 and the user
will not knock his nose while he/she drinks. By using this
resilient member 14 to block the air hole 12, the number of
assembly parts can be reduced to decrease the manufacture cost.
Furthermore, because the resilient member 14 is arranged in a
direction vertical to the air hole 12, the air hole 12 can be
firmly blocked.
[0037] Additionally, the resilient member 14, which is made into a
cylindrical shape with a bottom, has a hollow portion 17 disposed
inside the resilient member 14 to allow the air inside the hollow
portion 17 to go in and out through the slit 18 of the boss portion
7g. Thus, the resilient member 14 can stretch and contract well
following the opening and closing of the lid body 7 so that the
resilient member 14 can force the lid body 7 towards an opening
direction and block the air hole 12 for a long time in the close
state.
[0038] Regarding the upper surface of the lip portion 5d, because
its highest point at the lock device side and its lowest point at
the hinge side are located along the line L1 connecting with the
lock device 8, therefore when a user closes the lid body 7, a force
vertical to the upper surface 5f is created through the lid gasket
13 and the upper surface 5f can be liquid-sealed without a gap.
Therefore, spilling of the beverage contained inside the container
body 2 can be effectively prevented, thus the user need not worry
about spilling the beverage.
[0039] FIG. 4 shows the second embodiment of the present invention.
In the second embodiment, the lip portion 20 has the same shape as
in the first embodiment but the plug body 5 are separately formed.
The lip portion 20 is attached with the installation ring 5h
protruding from the top plate 5c of the plug body 5 in a way
capable of rotating in its circumferential direction.
[0040] The upper surface 20a of the lip portion 20 is cut along an
angle .theta.2 from the line L5 vertical to the axial line L4 of
the installation ring 5h and the lip portion 20. A user can make
the upper surface 5f face along any circumferential direction
he/she likes to freely drink the beverage contained inside the
container body 2.
[0041] Moreover, in this invention, the resilient member forcing
the lid body towards an opening direction can also be arranged at
the side of the plug body. In the previous embodiments, the
resilient member blocks the air hole of the plug body. However,
alternatively the containers for beverages can also have no air
holes. Even if the container has an air hole, it is not limited to
use the resilient member to block the air hole. Moreover, though it
is preferred that the resilient member is made to be a hollow type,
a solid type of a resilient member can also be used to practice the
present invention. Additionally, the resilient member can be freely
located rather than along the line connecting the hinge and the
lock device.
[0042] As described above, regarding the plug of a container for
beverages, even if the user is a small kid with a small mouth or
even under the condition that when the vehicle inside which the
user is travelling vibrates, there is no need to worry about the
spillage of the beverage which would otherwise wet the clothes as
the user drinks. Moreover, because the lip portion is not a straw
or a tube type, cold and hot drinks are both suitable. Furthermore,
because the upper surface of the lip portion is made into a
tapering shape that is highest at the lock device side and lowest
at the hinge side, therefore the user can easily drink the beverage
contained inside the vessel.
[0043] Moreover, because the resilient member is made of a
non-metal such as soft synthetic resin or rubber replacing the
conventional metal spring to force the lid body towards an opening
direction, therefore even when the plug is wetted during washing,
it will not rust and is very hygienic. In the case when the
resilient member is arranged at the side of the lid body, there
will be no unnecessary protrusion on the plug body, and therefore
the user will not knock his/her nose as the user drinks the
beverage contained inside the container body 2.
[0044] Furthermore, by using the resilient member to block the air
hole, the number of assembly parts can be reduced to decrease the
manufacture cost. The resilient member is arranged in a direction
vertical to the air hole such that the air hole can be firmly
blocked. Moreover, because the hollow portion is formed in the
resilient member to allow the air inside the resilient member to go
in and out freely, the resilient member can contract and stretch
well following the closing and opening of the lid body and
therefore it can provide the functions of spring opening of the lid
body and also blocking the air hole. Furthermore, in case when the
lip portion and the plug body are separately formed, the lip
portion is installed on the top plate of the plug body in a way
capable of rotating in the circumferential direction. Therefore,
the user can turn the upper surface cut into a taper shape to the
direction he likes and drink freely.
[0045] While the present invention has been described with
preferred embodiments, this description is not intended to limit
our invention. Various modifications of the embodiment will be
apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore contemplated
that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or
embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention.
* * * * *