No-spill drinking container
AssigneeIgnite USA, LLC
InventorsRobert C. Coon, Paul D. Hurley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid container lid assembly includes a straw having an internal one-way valve and a grommet seal for sealing against the straw. As a result, the disclosed liquid container lid assembly allows a consumer (such as a child) to drink from the straw while preventing accidental spillage without the need for the child to manipulate any part of the lid assembly (such as a lock or valve release). In other words, the liquid container lid assembly is always in a no-spill configuration while simultaneously allowing a consumer to drink from the straw.
Claims18
A lid for a liquid container, the lid comprising:
- a base having a skirt and a center portion, a base opening being disposed in the center portion;
- a cap having a cap opening that is coaxially aligned with the base opening;
- and
- a grommet disposed at least partially between the base and the cap,
- wherein the grommet is compressed between the base and the cap, thereby causing the grommet to extend into the base opening and into the cap opening.
A lid assembly for a liquid container, the lid assembly comprising:
- a base having a skirt and a center portion, a base opening being disposed in the center portion;
- a cap having a cap opening that is coaxially aligned with the base opening;
- a two-piece straw at least partially disposed in the base opening and at least partially disposed in the cap opening, the straw including a valve chamber formed in a first portion of the straw;
- a straw valve seated in the valve chamber, the straw valve including a valve holder, a control element, and a valve retainer, the valve retainer securing the control element to the valve holder and
- a grommet disposed at least partially between the base and the cap,
- wherein the grommet is compressed between the base and the cap, thereby causing the grommet to extend into the base opening and into the cap opening, and
- wherein the straw valve prevents fluid from flowing through the straw when a pressure differential across the straw valve is below a predetermined value.
A sealed liquid container comprising:
- a container body;
- a base removably attached to the container body, the base including a vent opening and a base opening;
- a cap attached to the base, the cap including a cap opening that is coaxially aligned with the base opening;
- a vent chamber formed in a bottom surface of the base, the vent chamber being adjacent to, and in fluid communication with, the vent opening;
- a vent valve fluidly connecting the vent opening with an interior of the container body;
- a straw disposed in the base opening and in the cap opening, the straw including valve chamber formed in a first portion of the straw;
- a one way valve seated in the valve chamber, the one way valve including a valve holder, a control element, and a valve retainer, the valve retainer securing the control element to the valve holder and
- a grommet disposed at least partially between the base and the cap,
- wherein the grommet is compressed between the base and the cap, thereby causing the grommet to extend into the base opening and into the cap opening, and
- wherein the straw allows fluid to flow from the container through the straw when a pressure differential between an interior of the container and an atmosphere exterior to the container is above a predetermined value and the straw prevents fluid from flowing from the container through the straw when the pressure differential is below a predetermined value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.