U.S. patent application number 14/214236 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-25 for drink cup lid.
The applicant listed for this patent is BERRY PLASTICS CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Jonathan Eickhoff, Scott L. Fisher, Jordan French.
Application Number | 20140284344 14/214236 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51568373 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140284344 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
French; Jordan ; et
al. |
September 25, 2014 |
DRINK CUP LID
Abstract
A drink cup lid includes a liquid-discharge outlet through which
a consumer can drink a liquid stored in a cup while the lid is
mounted on the cup. The drink cup lid also includes a closure for
the liquid-discharge outlet.
Inventors: |
French; Jordan; (Evansville,
IN) ; Eickhoff; Jonathan; (Evansville, IN) ;
Fisher; Scott L.; (Evansville, IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
BERRY PLASTICS CORPORATION |
EVANSVILLE |
IN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51568373 |
Appl. No.: |
14/214236 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61787945 |
Mar 15, 2013 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/713 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/2272 20130101;
B65D 2543/00037 20130101; B65D 47/36 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/713 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/22 20060101
A47G019/22 |
Claims
1. A drink cup lid comprising a ring-shaped brim mount adapted to
mate with a brim of a drink cup, a central closure surrounded by
the brim mount and formed to include an upstanding drink spout
having a top wall formed to include a liquid-discharge outlet and a
side wall arranged to extend downwardly from the top wall toward an
interior region surrounded by the ring-shaped brim mount, an outlet
closure coupled to the upstanding drink spout for movement about a
horizontally extending pivot axis between a closed position closing
the liquid-discharge outlet formed in the top wall of the
upstanding drink spout and an opened position away from the
liquid-discharge outlet, and closure retainer means formed in the
side wall of the upstanding drink spout in close proximity to the
top wall for retaining the outlet closure in a stationary position
relative to the side wall upon movement of the outlet closure from
the closed position to the opened position.
2. The drink cup lid of claim 1, wherein the outlet closure
includes an annular closure plate, an upstanding nose-shaped
closure-anchor lug coupled to an inner edge of the annular closure
plate, and a hinge coupled to the annular closure plate and to the
drink spout and configured to establish the horizontal pivot
axis.
3. The drink cup lid of claim 2, wherein the hinge is coupled to a
portion of the upstanding drink spout along a junction provided
between the top wall and the side wall of the upstanding drink
spout.
4. The drink cup lid of claim 1, wherein the outlet closure
includes a nose-shaped closure anchor lug configured to mate with
the closure retainer means and remain in a stationary position
relative to the central closure upon movement of the outlet closure
to the opened position.
5. The drink cup lid of claim 4, wherein the closure retainer means
provided in the side wall is formed to include a forwardly facing
lug-receiving cavity and a lug-retainer bar configured to provide
detent means for retaining a tip of the nose-shaped closure-anchor
lug in the lug-receiving cavity upon movement of the outlet closure
to the opened position.
6. The drink cup lid of claim 5, wherein the closure retainer means
includes a nearly vertical cavity rear wall, a pair of laterally
spaced-apart cavity side walls arranged to extend from the cavity
rear wall in a direction away from the liquid-discharge outlet to
form the forwardly facing lug-receiving cavity therebetween, and a
floor arranged to mate with the cavity rear wall and interconnect
lower edges of the cavity side walls, and the lug-retainer bar is
appended to the floor and arranged to lie in the lug-receiving
cavity in spaced-apart relation to the cavity rear wall.
7. The drink cup lid of claim 6, wherein the lug-retainer bar is
appended to the floor arranged to lie midway between a rear edge of
the floor located along the cavity rear wall and an opposite front
edge of the floor.
8. The drink cup lid of claim 6, wherein the lug-retainer bar is
appended to the floor and arranged to extend laterally between the
cavity side walls.
9. The drink cup lid of claim 6, wherein the lug-retainer bar has a
rounded outer surface to facilitate pivoting movement of the
nose-shaped closure-anchor lug up and over the lug-retainer bar as
the outlet closure is pivoted about the horizontal pivot axis from
the closed position to the opened position.
10. The drink cup lid of claim 1, wherein the closure retainer is
formed to include a forwardly facing lug-receiving cavity bounded
by a cavity rear wall, a pair of laterally spaced-apart cavity side
walls arranged to extend from the cavity rear wall away from the
liquid-discharge outlet, and a floor arranged to mate with cavity
rear wall and interconnect lower edges of the cavity side walls,
and the outlet closure includes a nose-shaped closure-anchor lug
arranged to extend into the forwardly facing lug-receiving cavity
upon movement of the outlet closure to the opened position.
11. The drink cup lid of claim 10, wherein the closure retainer
means includes a lug-retainer bar appended to the floor and
configured to provide detent means for retaining a tip of the
nose-shaped closure-anchor lug in the lug-receiving cavity upon
movement of the outlet closure to the opened position.
12. The drink cup lid of claim 1, wherein the side wall of the
upstanding drink spout includes an upstanding front wall appended
to a front edge of the top wall and formed to include the closure
retainer means and an upstanding rear wall appended to a rear edge
of the top wall to locate the top wall between the rear and front
walls, and the rear and top walls cooperate to define sipper means
for extending into the mouth of a consumer desiring to drink a
liquid stored in a cup mated with the ring-shaped brim mount
through the liquid-discharge outlet once the outlet closure has
been moved to the opened position.
13. The drink cup lid of claim 12, wherein the closure retainer
means includes a nearly vertical cavity rear wall, a pair of
laterally spaced-apart cavity side walls arranged to extend from
the cavity rear wall in a direction away from the liquid-discharge
outlet and the upstanding rear wall to form the forwardly facing
lug-receiving cavity therebetween, a floor arranged to mate with
the cavity rear wall and interconnect lower edges of the cavity
side walls, and the lug-retainer bar is appended to the floor and
arranged to lie in the lug-receiving cavity in spaced-apart
relation to the cavity rear wall.
14. The drink cup lid of claim 12, wherein the rear wall has a
convex shape and the front wall has a concave shape.
15. A drink cup lid comprises a central closure formed to include a
liquid-discharge outlet and a ring-shaped brim mount arranged to
surround the central closure and adapted to mate with a brim of a
cup to hold the central closure in a stationary position closing a
cup mouth opening into an interior region of the cup and placing
the liquid-discharge outlet in fluid communication with any liquid
stored in the interior region of the cup, and an outlet closure
mounted for pivotable movement through an angle of about
245.degree. about a pivot axis between a closed position closing
the liquid-discharge outlet and an opened position opening the
liquid-discharge outlet and mating with a closure retainer formed
in the central closure.
16. The drink cup lid of claim 15, wherein the central closure
includes a top wall formed to include the liquid-discharge outlet
and a front wall appended to the top wall to define an obtuse
included angle therebetween and formed to include the closure
retainer.
17. The drink cup lid of claim 16, wherein the closure retainer
means is formed to include a forwardly facing lug-receiving cavity
and a lug-retainer bar configured to provide detent means for
retaining a tip of the nose-shaped closure-anchor lug in the
lug-receiving cavity upon movement of the outlet closure to the
opened position.
18. The drink cup lid of claim 17, wherein the closure retainer
means includes a cavity rear wall, a pair of laterally spaced-apart
cavity side walls arranged to extend from the cavity rear wall in a
direction away from the liquid-discharge outlet to form the
forwardly facing lug-receiving cavity therebetween, and a floor
arranged to mate with the cavity rear wall and interconnect lower
edges of the cavity side walls, and the lug-retainer bar is
appended to the floor and arranged to lie in the lug-receiving
cavity in spaced-apart relation to the cavity rear wall.
19. The drink cup lid of claim 15, wherein the central closure
includes a top wall formed to include the liquid-discharge outlet
and an upstanding front wall appended to a front edge of the top
wall and formed to include the closure retainer means and an
upstanding rear wall appended to a rear edge of the top wall to
locate the top wall between the rear and front walls, and the rear
and top walls cooperate to define sipper means for extending into
the mouth of a consumer desiring to drink a liquid stored in a cup
mated with the ring-shaped brim mount through the liquid-discharge
outlet once the outlet closure has been moved to the opened
position.
20. The drink cup lid of claim 19, wherein the upstanding rear wall
has a convex shape and the front wall has a concave shape.
21. A drink cup lid comprising a ring-shaped brim mount adapted to
mate with a brim of a drink cup and a central closure surrounded by
the brim mount and formed to include an upstanding drink spout
having a top wall formed to include an oblong liquid-discharge
outlet and a side wall arranged to extend downwardly from the top
wall toward an interior region surrounded by the ring-shaped brim
mount.
22. The drink cup lid of claim 22, wherein the central closure
further includes an upstanding front wall coupled to a front edge
of the top wall and an upstanding rear wall appended to a rear edge
of the top wall to locate the top wall between the rear and front
walls and the rear and top walls cooperate to define sipper means
for extending into the mouth of a consumer desiring to drink a
liquid stored in a cup mated with the ring-shaped brim mount
through the oblong liquid-discharge outlet.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/787,945,
filed Mar. 15, 2013, which is expressly incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present disclosure relates to drink cups, and
particularly to lids for drink cups. More particularly, the present
disclosure relates to a lid formed to include a liquid-discharge
outlet through which a consumer can sip a beverage contained in a
drink cup carrying the lid.
SUMMARY
[0003] According to the present disclosure, a liquid container
comprises a lid adapted to mate with the brim of a cup. The lid is
formed to include a liquid-discharge outlet communicating with an
interior region formed in the cup when the lid is mounted on the
brim of the cup so that consumers can drink liquid stored in the
cup and expelled through the liquid-discharge outlet formed in the
lid while the lid is mounted on the brim of the cup.
[0004] In illustrative embodiments, the lid includes a central
closure formed to include the liquid-discharge outlet and a
ring-shaped brim mount arranged to surround the central closure.
The brim mount of the lid is configured to mate with the brim of
the cup to hold the central closure in a stationary position
closing a cup mouth opening into the interior region of the cup and
placing the liquid-discharge outlet in fluid communication with any
liquid stored in the interior region of the cup.
[0005] In illustrative embodiments, the lid further includes an
outlet closure mounted for pivotable movement about a pivot axis
between a closed position closing the liquid-discharge outlet and
an opened position opening the liquid-discharge outlet. The outlet
closure is arranged to pivot through an angle of about 245.degree.
as it moves from the closed position to the opened position.
[0006] In illustrative embodiments, the central closure and the
surrounding brim mount cooperate to form a ring-shaped
low-elevation liquid-retention channel therebetween. The central
closure includes an upstanding drink spout including a top wall
formed to include the liquid-discharge outlet and a forwardly
facing front wall. The outlet closure includes a closure-anchor lug
that is sized and arranged to extend into a lug-receiving cavity
formed in the forwardly facing front wall of the upstanding drink
spout to retain the outlet closure in the closed position at the
option of a consumer.
[0007] Additional features of the present disclosure will become
apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of
illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out
the disclosure as presently perceived.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] The detailed description particularly refers to the
accompanying figures in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lid in accordance with the
present disclosure and a cup before the lid is mounted on the cup
and showing that the lid includes a ring-shaped brim mount adapted
to mate with the brim of the cup, a central closure surrounded by
the brim mount and formed to include an upstanding drink spout, and
an outlet closure mounted for pivotable movement between an
outlet-closing position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an
outlet-opening position shown in FIGS. 1A and 3;
[0010] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a portion of the lid of
FIG. 1 showing the outlet closure after it has been pivoted in a
forward direction about a horizontal pivot axis to an
outlet-opening position and to cause a nose-shaped closure-anchor
lug included in the outlet closure to extend rearwardly into a
lug-receiving cavity formed in a forwardly facing front wall of the
upstanding drink spout that is shown in FIG. 1 to mate with a
horizontally extending lug-retainer bar located in the lug-receiver
cavity so that the outlet closure is retained in the outlet-opening
position shown in FIG. 1A;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the lid of FIG. 1
showing the outlet closure in the closed position;
[0012] FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of a portion of the central
closure of the lid of FIG. 2 showing the at the outlet closure
includes an annular closure plate, an upstanding nose-shaped
closure-anchor lug coupled to an inner edge of the annular closure
plate and configured to be pushed or pulled by a consumer to open
the liquid-discharge outlet, and a hinge coupled to a forwardly
facing segment of an outer edge of the annular closure plate and to
the drink spout along the horizontal pivot axis and showing that
the drink spout is formed to include a forwardly facing
lug-receiving cavity below the horizontal pivot axis and a
horizontally extending lug-retainer bar coupled to a floor defining
a lower border of the lug-receiving cavity;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 2 showing the
outlet closure retained in the outlet-opening position;
[0014] FIG. 3A is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 2A showing the
outlet closure retained in the outlet-opening position;
[0015] FIG. 3B is an enlarged partial sectional view taken along
line 3B-3B of FIG. 3 suggesting pivotable movement of the outlet
closure through an angle of about 245.degree. from the closed
position (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) to the opened position (shown in
FIG. 3);
[0016] FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3A of an
alternative lid in accordance with another embodiment of the
present disclosure showing that an oblong liquid-discharge outlet
has been formed in a top wall of the drink spout by using an oblong
punch suggested diagrammatically during a punching operation in
which the upstanding nose-shaped closure-anchor lug is removed to
form an alternative lid that includes an oblong liquid-discharge
outlet that is always opened and that does not include any
pivotable outlet closure;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a stack of two lids of the
type shown in FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the stack of lids
shown in FIG. 5; and
[0019] FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 7-7 of
FIG. 6 showing alignment of the upper lid relative to the lower lid
owing, at least in part, to downward extension of an alignment tab
provided on the right side of the upper lid in FIG. 7 into an
underlying tab-receiver pocket formed in the lower lid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] A liquid container 10 includes a cup 12 and a lid 14 as
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Lid 14 includes a central closure 16 formed
to include a liquid-discharge outlet 164, a pivotable outlet
closure 17, and brim mount 18 coupled to central closure 16 and
configured to be mounted on a brim 20 of cup 12 to arrange central
closure 16 to close a cup mouth 21 opening into an interior region
25 formed in cup 12 as suggested in FIG. 1. Lid 14 is made of, for
example, polystyrene, polypropylene, or polyethylene using a
thermoforming process or other suitable process in illustrative
embodiments.
[0021] Central closure 16 includes a drink spout 160 including a
top wall 162 formed to include a liquid-discharge outlet 164 and a
side wall 166 formed to include a closure retainer 168 as suggested
in FIGS. 1 and 1A. Outlet closure 17 is mounted on central closure
16 for pivotable movement about pivot axis 17A between a closed
position closing liquid-discharge outlet 164 as shown in FIGS. 1-3
and an opened position opening liquid-discharge outlet 164 and
mating with the closure retainer 168 provided on side wall 166 of
drink spout 160 to retain outlet closure 17 in an opened position
as shown in FIGS. 1A, 3, 3A, and 3B. It is within the scope of this
disclosure to add one or more rigidifying features to side wall 166
(e.g., 166F) in a region near closure retainer 168 to minimize
unwanted deflection of side wall 166 during mating engagement of
outlet closure 17 and closure retainer 168.
[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, cup 12 includes a brim 20, a
floor 22, and a side wall 24 extending upwardly from floor 22 to
brim 20. Side wall 24 and floor 22 cooperate to form interior
region 25 of cup 12. It is within the scope of this disclosure to
make cup 12 out of any suitable plastics, paper, or other
material(s).
[0023] In an illustrative embodiment, a consumer can drink liquid
stored in cup 12 while lid 14 remains mounted on the brim 20 of cup
12 through the opened liquid-discharge outlet 164 formed in lid 14
after the consumer has pivoted outlet closure 17 to an opened
position. In an illustrative embodiment, central closure 16 of lid
14 includes an upstanding drink spout 160 formed to include
liquid-discharge outlet 164. Drink spout 160 is adapted to be
received in the mouth of a consumer desiring to drink a liquid
stored in cup 12 once outlet closure 17 has been moved to an opened
position.
[0024] Central closure 16 rises upwardly above brim mount 20 and
includes an upstanding ridge 140 that is located inside a front
semicircular portion 20F of brim mount 20 and a drink spout 160
that is formed to include a high-elevation liquid-discharge outlet
164 and is located inside a rear semicircular portion 20R of brim
mount 20 in spaced-apart confronting relation to ridge 140 as
suggested in FIGS. 1 and 2. Any liquid stored in interior region 25
of cup 12 is in fluid communication with the liquid-discharge
outlet 164 formed in the top wall 162 of the upstanding drink spout
160 as suggested in FIG. 1. Each of the upstanding drink spout 160
and ridge 140 is somewhat crescent-shaped in an illustrative
embodiment as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 6.
[0025] In illustrative embodiments, upstanding drink spout 160,
ridge 140, and a concave football-shaped basin floor 150 located
between drink spout 160 and ridge 140 cooperate to form an elevated
basin 16B included in central closure 16 as suggested in FIGS. 1
and 2. The football-shaped basin floor 150 is somewhat bowl-shaped
and lies between a forwardly facing front wall 166F of the
crescent-shaped drink spout 160 and a rearwardly facing concave
rear wall 140R of the crescent-shaped ridge 140. Floor 30F of
ring-shaped low-elevation liquid-retention channel 30 surrounds
ridge 140, basin floor 150, and drink spout 160 as suggested in
FIG. 6.
[0026] Outlet closure 17 includes an annular closure plate 171, an
upstanding nose-shaped closure-anchor lug 172 coupled to an inner
edge of annular closure plate 171, and a hinge 173 coupled to a
forwardly facing segment of an outer edge of annular closure plate
171 and to drink spout 160 along horizontally extending pivot axis
17 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-3. Annular closure plate 171
is a flange coupled to a lower edge of upstanding nose-shaped
closure-anchor lug 172 and arranged to extend outwardly therefrom
to lie in substantially coplanar relation to top wall 162 of drink
spout 160 when outlet closure 17 occupies the closed position as
suggested in FIG. 3. Lid 14 is thermoformed to position outlet
closure 17 normally in the closed position in an illustrative
embodiment. It is within the scope of this disclosure to provide
closure-anchor lug 172 with any suitable shape so long as it is
retained by lug-retainer bar 168B in an opened position as
disclosed herein.
[0027] Closure retainer 168 is formed in forwardly facing front
wall 166F of drink spout 160 to face toward ridge 140 as suggested
in FIGS. 1 and 2. Closure retainer 168 is formed to include a
forwardly facing lug-receiving cavity 168C bounded by a nearly
vertical cavity rear wall 168R, a pair of laterally spaced-apart
parallel cavity side walls 168S1, 168S2 arranged to extend from
cavity rear wall 168R in a forward direction toward ridge 140, and
a floor 168F arranged to mate with cavity rear wall 168R and
interconnect lower edges of side walls 168S1, 168S2 as shown, for
example, in FIG. 2A. An upwardly protruding horizontally extending
lug-retainer bar 168B is appended to floor 168F and arranged to lie
generally midway between front and rear edges of floor 168F and
extend from first cavity side wall 168S1 to second cavity side wall
168S2 as shown, for example, in FIG. 2A. It is within the scope of
this disclosure to vary the location of lug-retainer bar 168B on
floor 168F to form its lug-retaining function disclosed herein.
[0028] As suggested in FIGS. 3, 3A, and 3B, lug-retainer bar 168B
of closure retainer 168 is configured to provide detent means for
retaining a tip 172T of nose-shaped closure-anchor lug 172 in
lug-receiving cavity 168C in a space provided between cavity rear
wall 168R and lug-retainer bar 168B. The outer surface of
lug-retainer bar 168B is rounded as shown in FIG. 2A to facilitate
pivoting movement of nose-shaped closure-anchor lug 172 up and over
the relatively stationary lug-retainer bar 168B as outlet closure
17 is pivoted about pivot axis from the closed position shown in
FIG. 2 to the opened position shown in FIG. 3. Nose-shaped
closure-anchor lug 172 is retained in lug-receiving cavity 168 by
means of an interference fit or friction fit established with
lug-retainer bar 168B and/or floor 168F in illustrative embodiments
without necessary frictional engagement with one or more of cavity
side walls 168S1, 168S2. A raised bump or back-drafted cavity rear
wall is contemplated. It is within the scope of the present
disclosure to vary the shape of lug-receiving cavity 168 and
bordering portions of front wall 166F (e.g., arch or protruding
round shape) to rigidify or reinforce lug-receiving cavity 168 to
minimize deformation of lug-receiving cavity 168 and a surrounding
border region during insertion of nose-shaped closure-anchor lug
172 into lug-receiving cavity 168.
[0029] A drink cup lid 14 includes a ring-shaped brim mount 18
adapted to mate with a brim 20 of a drink cup 12 and a central
closure 16 surrounded by brim mount 20 and formed to include an
upstanding drink spout 160 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The upstanding drink spout 160 has a top wall 162 formed to include
a liquid-discharge outlet 164 and a side wall 166 arranged to
extend downwardly from top wall 162 toward an interior region 201
surrounded by the ring-shaped brim mount 20 as suggested in FIGS. 2
and 3B.
[0030] Drink cup lid 14 further includes an outlet closure 17 and a
closure retainer 168 as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 2. Outlet closure
17 is coupled to the upstanding drink spout 160 for movement about
a horizontally extending pivot axis 17A between a closed position
closing the liquid-discharge outlet 164 formed in top wall 162 of
the upstanding drink spout 160 as shown in FIG. 1 and an opened
position away from the liquid-discharge outlet 164 as shown in FIG.
1A. Closure retainer 17 is formed in side wall 166 of upstanding
drink spout 160 in close proximity to top wall 162 to provide means
for retaining outlet closure 17 in a stationary position relative
to side wall 166 upon movement of outlet closure 17 from the closed
position to the opened position as suggested in FIGS. 1A, 3A, and
3B.
[0031] Outlet closure 17 includes an annular closure plate 171, an
upstanding nose-shaped closure-anchor lug 172 coupled to an inner
edge of annular closure plate 171, and a hinge 173 coupled to
annular closure plate 171 and to drink spout 160 and configured to
establish horizontal pivot axis 17A. Hinge 173 is coupled to a
portion of upstanding drink spout 160 along a junction (J) provided
between top wall 162 and side wall 166 of the upstanding drink
spout 160 as suggested in FIG. 2A.
[0032] Outlet closure 17 includes a nose-shaped closure anchor lug
172 configured to mate with closure retainer 168 and remain in a
stationary position relative to central closure 16 upon movement of
outlet closure 17 to the opened position as suggested in FIGS. 1A,
3A, and 3B. Closure retainer 168 is provided in side wall 166 and
is formed to include a forwardly facing lug-receiving cavity 168C
and a lug-retainer bar 168B. Lug-retainer bar 168B is configured to
provide detent means for retaining a tip 172T of nose-shaped
closure-anchor lug 172 in lug-receiving cavity 168C upon movement
of outlet closure 17 to the opened position.
[0033] Closure retainer 168 includes a nearly vertical cavity rear
wall 168R, a pair of laterally spaced-apart cavity side walls
168S1, 168S2 arranged to extend from cavity rear wall 168R in a
direction away from liquid-discharge outlet 164 to form the
forwardly facing lug-receiving cavity 168C therebetween, and a
floor 168F arranged to mate with cavity rear wall 168R and
interconnect lower edges of cavity side walls 168S1, 168S2.
Lug-retainer bar 168B is appended to floor 168F and arranged to lie
in the lug-receiving cavity 168C in spaced-apart relation to cavity
rear wall 168R. Lug-retainer bar 168B is appended to floor 168F and
arranged to lie midway between a rear edge of floor 168F located
along the cavity rear wall 168R and an opposite front edge of floor
168F. Lug-retainer bar 168B is arranged to extend laterally between
cavity side walls 168S1, 168S2. Lug-retainer bar 168B has a rounded
outer surface to facilitate pivoting movement of the nose-shaped
closure-anchor lug 172 up and over lug-retainer bar 168B as outlet
closure 17 is pivoted about horizontal pivot axis 17A from the
closed position to the opened position.
[0034] Side wall 166 of the upstanding drink spout 160 includes an
upstanding front wall 166F appended to a front edge of top wall 162
and formed to include the closure retainer 168 and an upstanding
rear wall 166R appended to a rear edge of top wall 162 to locate
top wall 162 between the rear and front walls 166R, 166F. The rear
and top walls 166R, 162 cooperate as shown, for example, in FIG.
3B, to define sipper means 166S for extending into the mouth of a
consumer desiring to drink a liquid stored in a cup 12 mated with
the ring-shaped brim mount 18 through the liquid-discharge outlet
164 once outlet closure 17 has been moved to the opened position.
Rear wall 166R has a convex shape and the front wall 166F has a
concave shape as suggested in FIG. 2.
[0035] Outlet closure 17 is mounted for pivotable movement through
an angle 245 of about 245.degree. about pivot axis 17A between a
closed position closing the liquid-discharge outlet 164 and an
opened position opening the liquid-discharge outlet 164 and mating
with a closure retainer 168 formed in central closure 16 as shown,
for example, in FIG. 3B. Central closure 16 includes a top wall 162
formed to include liquid-discharge outlet 164 and a front wall 166F
appended to top wall 162 to define an obtuse included angle .theta.
therebetween and formed to include closure retainer 168 as
suggested in FIG. 3B.
[0036] An alternative lid 14' in accordance with another embodiment
of the present disclosure is shown, for example, in FIG. 4. An
oblong liquid-discharge outlet 164' has been formed in a top wall
162 of the drink spout 160 by using an oblong punch suggested
diagrammatically during a punching operation in which the
upstanding nose-shaped closure-anchor lug 172 is removed to form an
alternative lid 14'. Oblong liquid-discharge outlet 164' is always
opened and lid 14' does not include any pivotable outlet closure
such as closure 17.
[0037] A perspective view of a stack of two lids of the type shown
in FIG. 1 is provided in FIG. 5. In this lid stack, alignment of
the upper lid 14U relative to the lower lid 14L owing, at least in
part, to downward extension of an alignment tab 180 provided in
ridge 140 on the right side of the upper lid 14U in FIG. 7 into an
underlying tab-receiver pocket 190 formed in ridge 140 in the lower
lid 14L.
* * * * *