U.S. patent number 3,635,380 [Application Number 05/000,631] was granted by the patent office on 1972-01-18 for container closure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Nospil Limited. Invention is credited to Leonard C. Fitzgerald.
United States Patent |
3,635,380 |
Fitzgerald |
January 18, 1972 |
CONTAINER CLOSURE
Abstract
A traveler's nonspillable, reuseable drinking cup for use of
drivers and passengers in automobiles, boats, trains and airplanes,
to dispense liquid only when held in the hand and pressed slightly
on any part of the top to actuate normally closed sealing valves in
the closure for the cup.
Inventors: |
Fitzgerald; Leonard C.
(Fairfax, CA) |
Assignee: |
Nospil Limited (Los Angeles,
CA)
|
Family
ID: |
21692347 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/000,631 |
Filed: |
January 5, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/484; 220/231;
220/715; 229/906.1; 220/203.17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F
3/16 (20130101); A47G 19/2272 (20130101); B65D
47/248 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47G
19/22 (20060101); A45F 3/16 (20060101); A45F
3/00 (20060101); B65D 47/04 (20060101); B65D
47/24 (20060101); B67d 003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/481,484,547,559 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Shannon, Jr.; John P.
Claims
I claim:
1. A closure for a drinking cup comprising:
a cover demountably secured to the drinking cup,
a vent opening bushing in the cover,
a drain opening bushing in the cover diametrically spaced from the
vent opening bushing,
valve seats on the inner ends of the vent and drain opening
bushings,
a valve operating lever secured to the inside of the cover,
and seals on the lever normally engaging and closing against the
valve seats;
said valve operating lever being secured to the inside of the cover
such that finger pressure applied to the outside surface of the
cover releases the seals from the valve seats to regulate the flow
through the vent and drain bushings.
2. A closure for a drinking cup comprising:
a cover demountably secured to the drinking cup,
a vent opening bushing in the cover,
a drain opening bushing in the cover diametrically spaced from the
vent opening bushing,
valve seats on the inner ends of the vent and drain opening
bushings,
a valve operating lever secured to the inside of the cover,
and seals on the lever normally engaging and closing against the
valve seats;
said valve operating lever secured to the inside of the cover at a
position offset from a line of diametric arrangement of the
position of the vent and drain opening bushings so that the valves
may be manipulated and controlled when the cup is held up in tipped
drinking position.
3. A closure for a drinking cup comprising, in combination: first
and second cover member sections and means for connecting said
first and second cover member sections to one another at adjacent
surface regions thereof; said first cover member section extending
over the full open surface defined by the rim of said drinking cup,
and including peripheral means for securing said closure to the rim
of said drinking cup; said first cover member section having
sealable opening means therethrough, through which liquid may pass
when drinking from said cup without removing said closure; said
second cover member section being secured to and supported from the
surface of said first cover member section which faces the interior
of said drinking cup, by said means for connecting said cover
member sections, and being normally pressed into sealing engagement
across said sealable opening means, thereby normally to close said
opening means; said second cover member section being deflectable
from said position of sealing engagement to expose the interior of
said drinking cup through said opening means.
4. The closure of claim 3 wherein said means for connecting said
first and second cover member sections includes a demountable
fastening means.
5. A closure for a drinking cup comprising:
a cover demountably secured to the drinking cup; said cover having
at least one resiliently deformable region;
a vent opening in the cover;
a drain opening in the cover spaced from the vent opening;
first and second valve seat regions surrounding the interior
peripheries of said vent and drain openings;
a valve operating lever secured to said deformable region on said
cover;
and first and second spaced seals on said lever normally engaging
and closing against said first and second valve seat regions
respectively; deformation of said deformable region of said cover
moving said valve operating lever and both said seals to an open
position with respect to both of said valve seat regions.
6. The closure of claim 5 wherein the interior of said cover and
wherein said valve operating lever include cooperating snap
connection means for connecting said valve operating lever to the
interior surface of said closure.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to copending application Ser. No.
840,377, filed July 9, 1969 (Group -318 ).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to container closures, and is particularly
directed to a valved closure lid for drinking cups and the
like.
Heretofore, there have been numerous situations in which drinking
from a cup, glass, or similar container has been impractical
because of upsetting the same and/or spilling the contents. When
traveling for example, liquid drink often is carried in a closed
container or the like, and is poured therefrom into a cup for
drinking. For the driver of an automobile such procedure
necessitates stopping before drinking. Obviously, numerous other
situations exist wherein the use of a conventional cup for drinking
is not practical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a closure cover
for a drinking receptacle having a plurality of valve closed air
intake and fluid discharge openings actuable by pressure on the
cover to open the normally yielding closed valves.
A further object is provide a positive seal for both of the closure
valves that prevents spillage of any liquid as when stowed in a
vehicle in any position.
Still another object is to arrange the lid so that slight pressure
on either side of the cover by the fingertips will actuate the
valves, allowing liquid to flow through one opening into a
mouthpiece when tilted with the other opening above the mouth.
A further object is to render the top center portion of the cover
less sensitive to opening the valves so as to provide a protective
device against spilling if dropped and the center higher part of
the lid is engaged.
And a further object is to provide a pressure release valve system
to rid the container of excessive pressure created by extremely hot
drinks.
It is also an object to provide a pressure relief valve taking the
form of a slit disc over the air vent aperture so that when the
liquid is too hot to drink the pressure builds up inside and steam
escapes through the small slit, which at other times is a seal, in
the ribber diaphragm valve, this serving as a warning for user to
cool liquid down a few degrees before drinking.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the drinking and
vent openings with the center depressing area in the lid,
incorporating the features of this invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1,
showing the valves closed, and an auxiliary mouth piece and
tube.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the valves
open with the center of the lid depressed.
FIG. 4 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a modification
with offset side valve depressing area.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 5--5
of FIG. 4, with the side depressed valves open.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 6--6
of FIG. 3, showing the slit steam escape valve arrangement.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As an example of one embodiment of this invention, there is shown a
drinking cup 10 having a bottom 11 and sides 12 which may be of
suitable insulative plastic material 13. The cup is provided with
an appropriate demountable fastening means such as the threads 14
arranged to engage mating threads 15 formed in the rim 16 of the
lid or closure cover 17 which seal s tightly against the top lip
surface 18 of the cup 10.
The lid 17 is provided with a vent opening bushing 19 to one side
of the central portion of the lid and diametrically opposite
thereto is provided a drain or drinking opening bushing 20. The
inner end of each of the bushings 19 and 20 are respectively
provided with valve seats 21 and 22. The central portion of the lid
23 is provided with an inwardly projecting support sleeve 24
arranged to receive and hold the support lug 25 formed on the
middle portion of the valve operating lever 26.
One end 27 of the valve operating lever 26 is provided with an
upwardly facing sealing disc 28 arranged to normally engage the
valve seat 22 to shut off the drainage bushing 20. The other end 29
of the operating lever 26 has a perforation 30 above which is
located an upwardly sealing washer 31 arranged to normally engage
the valve seat 21 of the vent bushing 19, as shown in FIG. 2. A
slit 32 is formed in sealing washer 31 which functions as a gaseous
pressure release valve while normally preventing leakage of fluid
from the cup 10.
When the cover 17 is in normally extended position 17a , FIGS. 1, 2
and 3, the seats 21 and 22 are engaged by washer 31 and disc 28,
sealing off bushings 19 and 20. When finger pressure 33 is exerted
on the top of the cover over the support sleeve 24, the lever 26
will be moved down to release the disc 28 and washer from the
respective valve seats 21 and 22 when the cup is tipped up for
drinking, liquid draining out through bishing 20 and air coming in
through bushing 19. An appropriate drinking mouthpiece 34 and air
vent hose 35 may be applied to the bushing 20 and bushing 19. The
hose 35 may be used as a drinking tube and the other opening as the
vent if desired.
In certain instances, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is found to be
advantageous to apply slight finger pressure to one side of the top
center of the cover to control the valves 21-31 and 22-28. To this
end the support sleeve 24 may be offset to one side of a line 36
interconnecting the sleeves 19 and 20 so that finger pressure 33 at
point 37 may readily control the valves.
* * * * *