US 7,681,754 B1Granted

Thermos with beverage consumption apparatus which enables liquid to be consumed directly from the thermos when a valve is opened

OwnerGary Rossinventor

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Abstract

A thermos (with or without a vacuum) with an improved beverage consumption apparatus which enables a liquid to be consumed directly from the thermos when a valve is pushed to the opened condition so that liquid can exit the interior of the thermos. Thermos also contains an improved larger easily locatable circumferential closing ring which facilitates closure of the container when the user is in a darkened area or driving a moving vehicle so that the consumer must have one hand on the steering wheel and is not necessarily looking at the thermos. The thermos also comprises an improved sealing cap to facilitate valve closure. The thermos also contains an improved valve sealing means to assure that even a tiny amount of liquid will not seep out of the thermos when the thermos is placed into a container such as a briefcase which contains written material and valuable electronic objects.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A thermos having an internal chamber for retaining a liquid and fitted within a thermos sidewall and a valve assembly in fluid communication with the internal chamber, the valve assembly having an opened condition by which a liquid can be dispensed from the thermos and a closed condition which prevents the liquid from being dispensed from the thermos, the valve assembly positioned at one end of the thermos and having a central activation pushbutton by which the valve is opened, the improvement comprising:

a. an extended sidewall extending from the sidewall at the end of the thermos containing the valve assembly, the extended sidewall having an interior surface and an exterior surface such that the interior surface of the extended sidewall forms a sidewall of a chamber above the valve assembly;
b. a widened circumferential closing ring by which the valve is closed and having a top surface surrounding an upper portion of and extending from the central activation pushbutton to a location adjacent the interior surface of the extended sidewall, a gap located between the interior surface of the extended sidewall and the exterior circumference of the widened circumferential closing ring;
c. a downward force on the widened circumferential closing ring causing the valve assembly to close with the widened circumferential closing ring facilitating manual closure of the valve assembly;
and
d. the top surface of the widened circumferential closing ring forming the base of a chamber bounded by the interior surface of the extended sidewall, the chamber serving to retain a liquid which flows out of the thermos when the valve is in the opened condition, the extended sidewall enabling a user to sip the liquid from the chamber.

2 more elements

a. an extended sidewall extending from the sidewall at the end of the thermos containing the valve assembly, the extended sidewall having an interior surface and an exterior surface such that the interior surface of the extended sidewall forms a sidewall of a chamber above the valve assembly;
b. the chamber bounded by the interior surface of the extended sidewall, serving to retain a liquid which flows out of the thermos when the valve is in the opened condition, the extended sidewall enabling a user to sip the liquid from the chamber;
c. a widened circumferential closing ring by which the valve is closed and having a top surface surrounding an upper portion of and extending from the central activation pushbutton to a location adjacent the interior surface of the extended sidewall, a gap located between the interior surface of the extended sidewall and the exterior circumference of the widened circumferential closing ring;
d. a downward force on the widened circumferential closing ring causing the valve assembly to close and facilitating manual closure of the valve assembly;
and
e. the top surface of the widened circumferential closing ring forming the base of the chamber bounded by the interior surface of the extended sidewall, the chamber serving to retain a liquid which flows out of the thermos when the valve is in the opened condition, the extended sidewall enabling a user to sip the liquid from the chamber.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.