Lid and vapor directing baffle for beverage container

A drink-through lid for a beverage cup having a circular opening, comprising:

• a base comprising a rim having an interior bead sealing portion, said base sized and shaped to sealingly engage the circular opening of the beverage cup;
• a hollow raised lip portion comprising an exterior portion extending upwardly from said base, an outer lip portion, and an interior portion sloping downwardly from upper end portions at said outer lip portion, to lower end portions;
• a drink well base having a floor extending inwardly from at least some of said lower end portions, a low point in said floor providing a liquid drain located a height H below said outer lip portion;
• and
• at least one drink outlet, said at least one drink outlet defined by a first edgewall extending upward into said interior portion of said hollow raised lip portion and by an elongated second edgewall extending along an outlet portion of said drink well base, said at least one drink outlet oriented at least in part as if along a first surface extending from said first edgewall at an average angle alpha (α) in the range of from about forty degrees (40°) to about ninety degrees (90°).

A drink-through lid for a beverage cup having a circular opening, comprising:

• a base comprising a rim having an interior bead sealing portion, said base sized and shaped to sealingly engage the circular opening of the beverage cup;
• a hollow raised lip portion comprising an exterior portion extending upwardly from said base, an outer lip portion, and an interior portion sloping downwardly from upper end portions at said outer lip portion, to lower end portions;
• a drink well base having a floor extending inwardly from at least some of said lower end portions, a low point in said floor providing a liquid drain located a height H in the range of from about four-tenths of an inch (0.4 inches) (1.016 cm) to about nine-tenths of an inch (0.9 inches) (2.286 cm) below said outer lip portion;
• and
• at least one drink outlet, said at least one drink outlet defined by a first edgewall extending upward into said interior portion of said hollow raised lip portion and by an elongated second edgewall extending along an outlet portion of said drink well base, said at least one drink outlet oriented at least in part as if along a first surface extending from said first edgewall at an average angle alpha (α) in the range of from about forty degrees (40°) to about ninety degrees (90°), said at least one drink outlet having an open area of at least zero point zero five (0.05) square inches (0.3226 square centimeters) within zero point five (0.5) inches (1.27 cm) radially inward from a reference plan PR located at said interior bead sealing portion, and wherein said first edgewall of said at least one drink outlet is located a distance V of at least zero point four (0.4) inches (1.016 cm) from said outer lip portion.

A drink-through lid for a beverage cup having an opening, comprising:

• a base comprising a rim having an interior bead sealing portion, said base sized and shaped to sealingly engage the opening of the beverage cup;
• a hollow raised lip portion comprising an exterior portion extending upwardly from said base, an outer lip portion, and an interior portion sloping downwardly from upper end portions at said outer lip portion, to lower end portions;
• a drink well base having a floor extending inwardly from at least some of said lower end portions, a low point in said floor providing a liquid drain located a height H in the range of from about four-tenths of an inch (0.4 inches) (1.016 cm) to about nine-tenths of an inch (0.9 inches) (2.296 cm) below said outer lip portion;
• and
• one or more drink outlets having a collective open area of at least zero point zero five (0.05) square inches (0.3226 square centimeters) within zero point five (0.5) inches (1.27 cm) radially inward from a reference plane PR located at said interior bead sealing portion.

The combination of a beverage cup and a drink-through lid, said combination adapted to contain liquids and vapor, comprising:

• (a) a disposable beverage cup comprising an open end and liquid containing portion having a bottom and inner sidewalls;
• (b) a snap fit disposable lid adapted for sealably covering said open end of said beverage cup, said disposable lid comprising
• a base having a rim having a bottom edge, and an interior bead sealing portion, said base sized and shaped to sealingly engage the open end of the beverage cup;
• a hollow raised lip portion having an exterior portion extending upwardly from said base, a outer lip portion, and an interior portion sloping downwardly from said outer lip portion to lower end portions;
• a drink well base having a floor extending from a peripheral side along said lower end portions, the drink well base located below said outer lip portion;
• at least one drink outlet, said at least one drink outlet oriented to direct vapor initially in a direction that is predominantly horizontal in relation a plane defined by a centerline of said interior bead sealing portion;
• a downwardly extending trough shaped wall extending across said drink-through lid, and
• a slit of length LS formed along a partial chord line with respect to said base, said slit provided between first and second ends, and along a first edge and a second edge formed by said trough shaped wall;
• a plurality of vapor passageways, at least one of said vapor passageways formed by each of said first edgewall and by said second edgewall in said first edge and in said second edge formed by said trough shaped wall;
• (c) a disposable baffle, said baffle sized and shaped for insertion through said slit and for locking engagement with said lid, and for sealing engagement with said inner sidewalls, said baffle configured to create first and second chambers within said disposable beverage cup, said baffle comprising a lower end including a passageway defining feature that allows liquid in said beverage cup to flow freely between said first and second chambers in a passageway between said bottom and said passageway defining feature, said baffle further shaped and positioned to prevent vapor located between said lid and said liquid within a first chamber in said beverage cup from flowing to a second chamber;
• and
• (d) wherein said baffle is shaped and positioned so that at least one of said vapor passageways in said lid is associated with said first chamber and at least one of said vapor passageways in said lid is associated with said second chamber, such that when said beverage cup contains liquid and is tipped to allow liquid to flow out of said least one drink outlets in said lid, vapor within said first chamber is forced out of one or more vapor passageways in said lid associated with said first chamber while vapor outside said beverage cup is simultaneously drawn into said beverage cup through one or more vapor passageways in said lid associated with said second chamber.