U.S. patent application number 12/139275 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-17 for straw-receptive drink-through cup lid.
Invention is credited to Bobby V. Hundley.
Application Number | 20090308882 12/139275 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40716797 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090308882 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hundley; Bobby V. |
December 17, 2009 |
Straw-Receptive Drink-Through Cup Lid
Abstract
A beverage cup lid is disclosed. Such a lid may include a
central cover portion and a raised spout portion extending from the
central cover portion. The raised spout portion may define a
drinking opening therethrough. The drinking opening may have a
circular perimeter. The raised spout portion may be adapted to
allow liquid to flow through the drinking opening in response to a
sucking force applied to the raised spout portion, and to receive a
drinking straw through the drinking opening. The raised spout
portion may define a plurality of flaps disposed about the
perimeter of the drinking opening. The flaps may be defined between
respective pairs of slots that extend from the perimeter of the
drinking opening.
Inventors: |
Hundley; Bobby V.;
(Glendale, AZ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOODCOCK WASHBURN LLP
CIRA CENTRE, 12TH FLOOR, 2929 ARCH STREET
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19104-2891
US
|
Family ID: |
40716797 |
Appl. No.: |
12/139275 |
Filed: |
June 13, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/712 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 47/2031 20130101;
B65D 2543/00796 20130101; B65D 2543/00731 20130101; B65D 2543/00537
20130101; B65D 2231/022 20130101; B65D 2543/00092 20130101; B65D
2543/00296 20130101; B65D 2543/00046 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/712 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/22 20060101
A47G019/22 |
Claims
1. A beverage cup lid, comprising: a central cover portion; a skirt
peripheral to the central cover portion, the skirt configured to
engage a drinking cup; and a raised spout portion extending from
the central cover portion, the spout portion defining a plurality
of flaps disposed about a drinking opening, wherein the flaps
define a perimeter of the drinking opening and are configured to
deflect in response to a force applied by a straw inserted into the
drinking opening.
2. The lid of claim 1, wherein the spout portion defines a
plurality of slots extending from the perimeter of the drinking
opening.
3. The lid of claim 2, wherein each of the slots is defined between
a respective pair of flaps.
4. The lid of claim 1, wherein the drinking opening is adapted to
allow liquid to flow therethrough in response to a sucking force
applied to the spout portion.
5. The lid of claim 1, wherein the skirt is adapted to matingly
engage an upper peripheral edge of the drinking cup so as to
removably maintain the lid in a covering relationship on the
cup.
6. The lid of claim 5, further comprising an annular groove adapted
to retainably engage the upper peripheral edge of a drinking
cup.
7. The lid of claim 6, wherein the groove is continuous around a
periphery of the skirt.
8. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid is a single-piece lid made
of a thermoplastic material.
9. The lid of claim 1, further comprising a semi-annular ridge
extending from the central cover portion, wherein the raised spout
portion extends from the semi-annular ridge.
10. A beverage cup lid, comprising: a central cover portion; a
skirt peripheral to the central cover portion, the skirt configured
to engage a drinking cup; and a raised spout portion extending from
the central cover portion, the raised spout portion defining a
drinking opening and first and second slots extending from a
perimeter of the drinking opening, the first and second slots
defining a flap therebetween, wherein the flap is configured to
deflect in response to a force applied by a straw inserted into the
drinking opening.
11. The beverage cup lid of claim 10, wherein the flap is
configured to deflect in response to a sucking force applied to the
spout portion.
12. The beverage cup lid of claim 10, wherein the drinking opening
allows liquid to flow therethrough in response to a sucking force
applied to the raised spout portion.
13. The beverage cup lid of claim 10, wherein the lid is adapted to
matingly engage the upper peripheral edge of a drinking cup so as
to selectively maintain the lid in a covering relationship on the
cup.
14. The beverage cup lid of claim 10, wherein the lid is a
single-piece lid formed of a thermoplastic material.
15. The beverage cup lid of claim 10, further comprising a
semi-annular ridge extending from the central cover portion,
wherein the raised spout portion extends from the semi-annular
ridge.
16. A beverage cup lid, comprising: a central cover portion; and a
raised spout portion extending from the central cover portion, the
raised spout portion defining a drinking opening therethrough,
wherein the raised spout portion is adapted to allow liquid to flow
through the drinking opening in response to a sucking force applied
to the raised spout portion, and to receive a drinking straw
through the drinking opening.
17. The beverage cup lid of claim 16, wherein the raised spout
portion defines a plurality of flaps disposed about a perimeter of
the drinking opening.
18. The beverage cup lid of claim 17, wherein the flaps are
configured to deflect in response to a force applied by the
drinking straw as it is received into the drinking opening, and in
response to the sucking force applied to the spout portion.
19. The beverage cup lid of claim 18, wherein the flaps are defined
between respective pairs of slots that extend from the perimeter of
the drinking opening.
20. The beverage cup lid of claim 19, wherein the drinking opening
is circular.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to U.S. design patent
application no. (attorney docket WINC-0118, entitled
"Straw-Receptive Drink-Through Cup Lid"), filed on even date
herewith, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Fast food restaurants, coffee shops, convenience stores, and
the like, often distribute beverages to consumers in disposable,
lid-covered, drinking cups. Older children and adults generally
prefer a lid that is adapted to receive a straw. Smaller children,
however, tend to prefer a "sippy" lid. Such a lid, which is
commonly used with a so-called "sippy cup," typically includes a
raised spout portion through which the toddler can drink by sucking
on the raised spout portion. An example of such a sippy lid is the
"HEFTY ZOO PALS sip-style lid," which is provided by Pactiv
Corporation.
[0003] Consequently, such beverage distributors may be required to
regularly stock two different types of lids--straw-receptive lids
and sippy lids. It would be desirable, therefore, especially for
provision to young children who may be transitioning from sippy
lids to straw-receptive lids, if a single lid could be used as both
a sippy lid and as a straw-receptive lid.
SUMMARY
[0004] As described herein, a cup lid may include a central cover
portion, a skirt peripheral to the central cover portion, and a
raised spout portion extending from the central cover portion. The
raised spout portion may define a drinking opening. The drinking
opening may have a circular perimeter. The lid may be adapted to
allow liquid to flow through the drinking opening in response to a
sucking force applied to the raised spout portion, and to receive a
drinking straw through the drinking opening.
[0005] The spout portion may define a plurality of flaps disposed
about the drinking opening. The flaps may define the perimeter of
the drinking opening. The spout portion may define a plurality of
slots extending from the perimeter of the drinking opening. The
flaps may be defined between respective pairs of slots that extend
from the perimeter of the drinking opening.
[0006] The drinking opening may be adapted to allow liquid to flow
therethrough in response to a sucking force applied to the spout
portion. The flaps may be configured to deflect in response to a
sucking force applied to the spout portion or in response to a
force applied by a straw inserted into the drinking opening. The
skirt may be adapted to matingly engage an upper peripheral edge of
the drinking cup so as to removably maintain the lid in a covering
relationship on the cup. The lid may be a single-piece lid formed
of a thermoplastic material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIGS. 1 and 2 are top and bottom perspective views,
respectively, of an example straw-receptive drink-through cup
lid.
[0008] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the raised spout portion of
the cup lid depicted in FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a partial cutaway view of the cup lid depicted in
FIG. 1.
[0010] FIG. 5 is another partial cutaway view of the cup lid
depicted in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] FIGS. 1 and 2 are top and bottom perspective views,
respectively, of an example straw-receptive drink-through cup lid
10. The lid 10 may be made of a thermoplastic material, such as a
polystyrene, polypropylene, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
for example. The lid 10 may be manufactured using conventional
vacuum-forming and die-cutting techniques. The lid 10 may be formed
as a single-piece lid.
[0012] As shown, the lid 10 may include a central cover portion 20
and a rim-engaging portion 30. A raised spout portion 50 may extend
from the central cover portion 20. The lid 10 may include a ridge
40 that extends from the top portion 22 of the central cover
portion 20. The ridge 40 may be semi-annular, and include a top
portion 42, a front wall 44, and a rear wall 46. The spout portion
50 may extend from the top portion 42 of the ridge 40. The lid 10
may not include such a ridge, in which case the raised spout
portion 50 may extend directly from the top portion 22 of the
central cover portion 20.
[0013] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a spout portion 50. The spout
portion 50 may define a drinking opening 60. The drinking opening
60 may be circular. That is, the drinking opening 60 may have a
circular perimeter 62. The spout portion 50 may define a plurality
of flaps 66 disposed about the drinking opening 60. The flaps 66
may define the perimeter 62 of the drinking opening 60.
[0014] The spout portion 50 may define a plurality of slots 64
extending from the perimeter of the drinking opening 60. Each of
the slots 64 may be defined between a respective pair of adjacent
flaps 66. Conversely, each flap 66 may be defined between a
respective pair of adjacent slots 64. The slots 64 may extend all
of the way through the lid 10, or they may be "scored" into the
lid. In other words, the slots may extend into the lid only to a
depth that is adapted to break all of the way through the lid 10
under the insertion force of a typical straw.
[0015] The slots 64 and flaps 66 may be arranged circumferentially
around the perimeter 62 of the drinking opening 60. The combination
of drinking opening 60, slots 64, and flaps 66 maybe configured to
cooperate to receive a straw (not shown) having a typical outer
diameter. The flaps 66 may be configured to exert a retaining force
on a straw received through the drinking opening 60. The diameter
D2 of the drinking opening 60 may be less than the outer diameter
of a typical straw that is expected to be received into the
drinking opening 60.
[0016] The drinking opening 60 may be configured to allow for
different possible rates of beverage removal via sucking or
different degrees of allowable spillage, say when the cup is
knocked over. The diameter D2 of the drinking opening 60 may be
chosen to allow, or prevent, the flow of liquid therethrough under
certain conditions.
[0017] For example, the drinking opening 60 may be configured to
allow liquid to flow therethrough in response to a sucking force
applied to the spout portion 50. In which case, the drinking
opening 60 may be sufficiently large to allow liquid to flow
therethrough in response to such a sucking force.
[0018] It should be understood that the drinking opening 60 may be
configured to allow liquid to flow therethrough even in the absence
of such a sucking force. For example, the drinking opening 60 may
be sufficiently large that liquid may be allowed to flow
therethrough even in the absence of such a sucking force.
[0019] It should also be understood that the drinking opening 60
may be configured to allow liquid to flow therethrough only in
response to a sucking force applied to the spout portion 50. For
example, the drinking opening 60 may be sufficiently small to
prevent liquid from flowing therethrough in the absence of such a
sucking force, yet sufficiently large to allow liquid to flow
therethrough in response to such a sucking force.
[0020] The flaps 66 may be configured to deflect in response to a
sucking force applied to the spout portion 50. The flaps 66 may be
configured to deflect in response to a force applied by a straw
inserted into the drinking opening 60. Thus, the raised spout
portion 50 may be adapted to allow liquid to flow through the
drinking opening 60 in response to a sucking force applied to the
spout portion 50, and to receive a drinking straw through the
drinking opening 60.
[0021] The spout portion 50 may define an outer perimeter 52, a
recess 54, and a recess perimeter 56. The drinking opening 60 may
be located at or near the center of the bottom of the recess 54, or
the drinking opening 60 may be located off-center relative to the
recess 54. The drinking opening 60 may extend through the lid 10
from a top side to an underside. The slots 64 may extend outwardly
from the perimeter 62 of the drinking opening 60, toward the recess
perimeter 56.
[0022] The central cover portion 20 may define a vent hole 24 in a
top portion 22 thereof. The presence and diameter D.sub.V of the
vent hole 24 may affect the sucking force required to create enough
of a pressure differential between the inside of the cup and the
inside of a user's mouth to remove a beverage, either when the cup
lid 10 is used as a sippy lid or as a straw-receptive lid.
[0023] The rim-engaging portion 30 may include an annular groove 32
and a circumferential, downwardly-depending, flared skirt 34
peripheral to the central cover portion 20. The skirt 34 may be
configured to engage a drinking cup (not shown). For example, the
skirt 34 may be adapted to matingly engage an upper peripheral edge
of a drinking cup so as to removably maintain the lid 10 in a
covering relationship on the cup.
[0024] The rim-engaging portion 30 may be adapted to engage the
upper peripheral edge of a drinking cup (not shown) on which the
lid 10 is mounted, and thus to retain the lid 10 on the drinking
cup. The coupling of the lid 10 to a drinking cup may be
accomplished by adapting the inside diameter of the annular groove
32 to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the upper
peripheral edge of a drinking cup. The inwardly-directed bead
formed complementarily to the groove 32 may be readily applied to,
and removed from, a drinking cup several times without damage to
either the cup or the lid. The groove 32 and complementary bead may
be continuous. The annular groove 32 may be adapted to retainably
engage the upper peripheral edge of a drinking cup. The groove 32
may be continuous around a periphery of the skirt 34.
[0025] The lid 10 may be coupled to a drinking cup by placing lid
10 over the opening of the cup and pressing downward on lid 10. The
downward force of the inside of the annular groove 32 against the
outside of the upper peripheral edge of the drinking cup may force
the annular groove 32 to temporarily deflect outward and the upper
peripheral edge of the drinking cup to temporarily deflect inward.
Once the lid 10 is properly engaged or "snapped" onto the drinking
cup, the annular groove 32 may deflect back inward, and it may be
located underneath the upper peripheral edge of a drinking cup,
which may deflect back outward. In the engaged state, the inner
diameter of the annular groove 32 may remain slightly smaller than
the outer diameter of the upper peripheral edge of the drinking
cup, so that a retention force acts to keep the lid 10 on the top
of the drinking cup.
[0026] The lid 10 may be removed by exerting an upward force onto
the skirt 34, which may force the annular groove 32 to temporarily
deflect outwardly and the upper peripheral edge of the drinking cup
to temporarily deflect inwardly, thereby allowing disengagement of
the lid 10 from the drinking cup.
[0027] To draw a beverage out of the drinking cup in a sippy-style
drinking scenario, a user's lips may be applied to the outer
perimeter 52 of the spout portion 50. The outer perimeter 52 may be
rectangular.
[0028] The recess 54 may define a depression in the raised spout
portion 50. The perimeter 56 of the recess 54 may be a flattened
oval shape, comprising two semi-circles separated by two line
segments. The upper edge of the recess 54 may be rounded or may
define an angle .beta. relative to the lower edge of the recess 54.
The recess perimeter 56 may vary in circumference (or other
dimensional measures) from the top to the bottom of the recess 54.
For example, the recess perimeter 56 may be longer and wider
(having a greater circumscribed internal area) at the top edge than
at the bottom edge. The outer perimeter 52 of the spout portion 50
may be adapted to be received comfortably between an average
toddler's lips, with a user's lips able to create a seal around the
outer perimeter 52 to allow a beverage to be sucked or poured into
a user's mouth without leaking out of the mouth.
[0029] The lid 10 may be formed from a sheet of a thermoplastic
material having a thickness that is between about 0.01'' and
0.02''. The lid 10 may have an overall diameter D1 of between about
3'' and 5'', and an overall height H1 of about 0.75''. The vent
hole 24 may have a diameter D.sub.V of about 0.1''. The drinking
opening 60 may have a diameter D2 of about 0.125''. The recess 54
in the raised spout portion 50 may have a length L.sub.R of about
0.517'', a width W.sub.R of about 0.340'', and a height H.sub.R of
about 0.1''. Each slot 64 may have a width W.sub.S of about 0.1''
and a length L.sub.S of about 0.125''. The lid 10 may include four,
radially extending slots 64, with a ninety (90) degree separation
angle .alpha. between adjacent slots. The lid 10 may include four
flaps 66. The rim-engaging portion 30 may have a height H2 of about
0.320''.
[0030] In operation, the drink-through lid 10 may be snap-mounted
onto a complementary drinking cup (not shown), with the annular
groove 32 of the lid engaging the upper peripheral edge of the cup.
With the lid 10 properly engaging the cup, there are at least two
ways in which a user may drink from the cup.
[0031] In a first sippy-style, strawless drinking scenario, the
user may raise the cup to his mouth, and begin tilting the cup
relative to his mouth so that the outer perimeter 52 of the raised
spout portion 50 moves into engagement with the user's lips. In
this position, the upper lip and lower lip of the user may contact
and rest around outer perimeter 52, preferably creating a seal that
will prevent the beverage from leaking out of the user's mouth
during drinking. Depending on the size of the drinking opening 60
and the viscosity of the liquid contained in the cup, the liquid
may flow freely through the drinking opening 60 into the mouth of
the user. The user may suck the beverage through the drinking
opening 60.
[0032] In a second, straw-reception drinking scenario, the user may
push one end of a straw through the plurality of slots 64 and the
plurality of flaps 66. The force applied to the flaps 66 by the
user, via an end of the straw, may deflect the portion of the flaps
66 that are closest to the perimeter 62 of the drinking opening 60
inwardly (i.e., toward the interior of the cup). The flaps 66 may
have sufficient resilience such that they yield to the force of the
straw as it's being inserted, and yet exert a retention force
against the inserted straw. Then, the user may draw the beverage
out of the drinking opening 60 via the straw. Where the lid 10 is
intended for a single-use application, the flaps 66 may be
permanently (that is, plasticly) deformed upon insertion of the
straw.
* * * * *