Readily cleanable spill-resistant drinking vessel and valve

A non-spill cap for a drinking cup comprising:

• a lid, operationally connectable to a
• a spout, and said lid also operationally connectable to
• a valve,
• said valve providing for a controlled flow of liquid through said lid and out said spout in which all non-disposable liquid-contacting areas of said spout and said valve are non-destructively, manually, transformable into a cleaning configuration free of small openings and slits and in which all non-disposable liquid contacting areas are fully exposed for cleaning;
• further, when in said cleaning configuration, said lid, spout, valve, and any other liquid contacting structures of said cap are mutually connected to each other or otherwise constitute a single item for handling purposes,
• wherein small openings and slits mean those that are too small to be as readily cleanable as household food serving items are generally.

A drinking vessel comprising:

• (a) means for holding liquid in a defined space having an open end,
• (b) means for substantially covering the open end of said defined space,
• (c) means for allowing a controlled flow of liquid from said defined space, through said means for covering the open end;
• said means for allowing a controlled flow comprising a liquid-conducting route and a moving part to interfere with that route;
• further, said means for allowing a controlled flow comprising two or more elongated, elastic members for collectively defining all non-disposable portions of said liquid-conducting route by their mutual interface, such that all non-disposable surfaces defining said liquid conduction route are effectively accessible for cleaning when said members for defining the route are separated from each other;
• effectively accessible for cleaning includes the property that there are no substantial impediments to the free flow of a cleaning solution over and past all surfaces requiring cleaning.

A child-proof spill-resistant child's drinking cup minimizing loose parts comprising:

• a) a cavity with an open end,
• b) a cover for sealingly closing said cavity's open end, said cover attachable to the open end of said cavity in a sealingly locked fashion, when so attached, said cover defining the cavity as an interior region and the outside of said cup as an exterior region;
• and
• said cup producing a user detectable indicum when said cover becomes locked;
• locked means that at least two contemporaneous forces in different directions are required before allowing said cover to unseal the open end of said cavity,
• c) a conduit providing selective liquid communication from said interior region, through said cover, to said exterior region;
• said cover, when disassembled for cleaning, comprises at least three distinct functional subcomponents, at least one of which is large and at least one of which is small, and further, all small subcomponents are loosely tethered together, and are mutually tethered to the at least one large subcomponent to form a single item for handling purposes;
• wherein large means of a size and shape and constitution to be reliably held in a rack designed to hold household food serving items;
• and loose tethering means allowing an effective freedom of movement to avoid areas prone to trap liquid.