Drinking receptacle cover and valve assembly

A drinking receptacle cover and valve assembly, including, in combination:

• (a) a drinking receptacle having an open top;
• (b) a cup shaped cover for closing off said open top of said receptacle including a lower annular wall portion dimensioned to surround the upper exterior portion of said open top and an upper annular wall portion of reduced diameter forming a rim and defining an internal downwardly facing annular step for seating on the periphery of said open top, an interior portion of said lower annular wall and exterior portion of said open top having integrally formed inter-engaging means for removably securing said cover to said receptacle, said cover further including a flat plate surrounded by and integrally formed with said rim, said rim having a first point and a second diametrically opposite point, said plate having an opening adjacent to said first point;
• (c) a valve head positioned beneath the bottom surface of said plate and dimensioned to close said opening when moved upwardly against said bottom surface, said valve head having first and second integrally formed resilient arms extending therefrom and terminating at securement points to said bottom surface adjacent to either side of the second point of said rim such that said valve head is held against said bottom surface of said plate to close off said opening by said resilient arms, the underside of said valve head further including an integrally formed resilient strip extending in a direction below and in a plane between said first and second arms towards said second point of said rim to terminate in an attachment structure, said elongated strip being biased into a curved shape when viewed from the bottom;
• and,
• (d) a manually operable actuating member extending through said rim in a loose fit adjacent to said second point to pass beneath the bottom surface of said plate, the inner end of said member terminating in a camming surface, the underside of said valve head defining a cooperating camming surface such that inward movement of said member cams said valve head downwardly to flex portions of said first and second arms away from said bottom surface and open said opening, said attachment structure of said strip being coupled to said member to exert a bias force as a result of its tendency to straighten from its curved configuration to move said member outwardly so that said valve head can be closed against said opening by said flexible arms when said member is released, said strip also exerting a biasing force on said valve head to aid in closing the same whereby said receptacle can be filled with a hot or cold beverage and closed by said cover, and whereby a person can depress said actuating member inwardly to open said opening and thence drink, the elongated configuration of said opening conforming relatively closely to the person's mouth covering said rim at said first point and a portion of the top surface of said plate as the receptacle is tilted upwardly to drink, the loose fit of said member through said rim when depressed inwardly permitting air to enter said receptacle through said cover to replace the beverage passing out said opening.