Liquid-dispensing container with multiple-position selector
AssigneeRunway Blue, LLC
InventorsNathan K. Hirst, Jim A. Colby, David O. Meyers, Joseph O. Jacobsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid-dispensing container may include a vessel, lid body, valve assembly, selector and/or straw. The selector may be movable between a first position that allows fluid disposed within the container to be discharged through a straw, and a second position that allows fluid within the container to be discharged by inverting and/or squeezing the container. The selector may be movable into a closed position that restricts fluid from being discharged from the container. The selector may be movable into a detachment position that allows for detachment of the selector from a remainder of the container, disassembly of the valve assembly, or both.
Claims20
A liquid-dispensing container comprising:
- a vessel;
- a lid attachable to the vessel, the lid comprising:
- a lid body;
- a straw connector coupled to the lid body;
- a nozzle;
- and
- a valve assembly attached to the lid body and the nozzle, the valve assembly comprising:
- a selector movable relative to the lid body between a closed position, a first open position and a second open position;
- a conduit coupled with the selector, and comprising a conduit opening in fluid communication with an interior passage of the conduit;
- and
- a valve body coupled to the conduit, the valve body comprising a first opening and a second opening;
- and
- a straw couplable to the straw connector,
- wherein when the selector is in the closed position, fluid flow between the valve body and an interior passage of the conduit is blocked,
- wherein when the selector is in the first open position, a first fluid pathway extends from an interior of the vessel to the interior passage of the conduit through the straw connector, the conduit opening, and the first opening in the valve body, and
- wherein when the selector is in the second open position, a second fluid pathway extends from the interior of the vessel to the interior passage of the conduit through the conduit opening and the second opening in the valve body.
An apparatus comprising:
- a conduit comprising an interior passage and a conduit opening in fluid communication with the interior passage;
- a selector coupled to the conduit;
- and
- a valve body coupled to the conduit, the valve body comprising a first opening and a second opening;
- wherein the selector is rotatable relative to the valve body between a closed position, a first open position and a second open position;
- wherein the conduit opening is positioned to align with the first opening of the valve body when the selector is in the first open position, wherein fluid is prevented from entering the valve body through the second opening of the valve body when the selector is in the first open position;
- wherein the conduit opening is positioned to align with the second opening of the valve body when the selector is in the second open position, wherein fluid is prevented from entering the valve body through the first opening of the valve body when the selector is in the second open position;
- and
- wherein when the selector is in the closed position, the conduit is positioned to prevent fluid flow between the valve body and the selector.
A liquid-dispensing container comprising:
- a vessel;
- a lid body attached to the vessel;
- and
- a selector attached to the lid body, the selector rotatably movable relative to the lid body between a closed position, a first open position and a second open position;
- wherein when the selector is in the closed position, the selector prevents fluid flow between the vessel and an interior passage of the selector;
- wherein when the selector is in the first open position, a first fluid pathway allows the fluid to be removed from the body by suction through a straw;
- and
- wherein when the selector is in the second open position, a second fluid pathway allows the fluid to be removed from the vessel by at least one of inverting or squeezing the vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.