Beverage container closure with venting

A drinking vessel and lid assembly, comprising:

• a drinking vessel;
• and
• a lid comprising:
• a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an upper portion having a drinking opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel;
• a stopper movably coupled to the main body and configured for upward displacement into a closed position wherein the stopper engages a portion of the main body and covers the drinking opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position wherein the stopper is spaced apart from the portion of the main body to allow fluid passage through the drinking opening, the stopper having a first cam follower;
• an actuating member movably coupled to the main body and slidably engaged with the stopper, the actuating member being movable inward and outward, and having a first cam surface, the first cam follower of the stopper being positioned to engage the first cam surface of the actuating member during inward movement of the actuating member to cause the first cam surface to move the first cam follower downward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and being positioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member the first cam surface permits the first cam follower to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position;
• and
• a lever rotatably coupled to the main body and configured for rotatable displacement into a cover position wherein the lever covers the drinking opening, and an actuating position wherein, when a first force is applied to the lever, the lever is operative to apply a second force to the actuating member to cause the actuating member to move inward.

A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:

• a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an upper portion having a drinking opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel, the main body further including a sidewall having an actuating member opening formed by an actuating member opening wall that extends through the sidewall;
• a stopper movably coupled to the main body and configured for upward displacement into a closed position wherein the stopper engages a portion of the main body and covers the drinking opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position wherein the stopper is spaced apart from the portion of the main body to allow fluid passage through the drinking opening, the stopper having a cam follower;
• an actuating member extending through the actuating member opening, the actuating member being movably coupled to the main body, the actuating member being movable inward and outward, and having a cam surface positioned to slidably engage the cam follower of the stopper during inward movement of the actuating member to cause the cam surface to move the cam follower downward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and being positioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member the cam surface permits the cam follower to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position;
• a seal member coupled to the actuating member and positioned within the actuating member opening between the actuating member and the actuating member opening wall when the actuating member is disposed in an outward position to provide a fluid-tight seal that prevents fluid passage through the actuating member opening, and as the actuating member is moved inward the seal member moves inward to a position at least partially out of the actuating member opening to break the fluid-tight seal prior to the cam surface moving the cam follower downward which moves the stopper to the opened position;
• and
• a lever rotatably coupled to the main body and configured for rotatable displacement into a cover position wherein the lever covers the drinking opening, and an actuating position wherein, when a first force is applied to the lever, the lever is operative to apply a second force to the actuating member to cause the actuating member to move inward.

A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:

• a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an upper portion having an opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel;
• a stopper movably coupled to the main body and configured for upward displacement into a closed position wherein the stopper engages a portion of the main body and covers the opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position wherein the stopper is spaced apart from the portion of the main body to allow fluid passage through the opening, the stopper having an actuating member engagement portion comprising one of a cam surface and a cam follower;
• an actuating member movably coupled to the main body and slidably engaged with the stopper, the actuating member being movable inward and outward, and having a stopper engagement portion comprising the other of the cam surface and the cam follower, the actuating member engagement portion of the stopper being positioned to engage the stopper engagement portion of the actuating member during inward movement of the actuating member to cause the stopper engagement portion to move the actuating member engagement portion downward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and being positioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member the stopper engagement portion permits the actuating member engagement portion to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position;
• and
• a lever rotatably coupled to the main body and configured for rotatable displacement into a cover position wherein the lever covers the drinking opening, and an actuating position wherein, when a first force is applied to the lever, the lever is operative to apply a second force to the actuating member to cause the actuating member to move inward.

A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:

• a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an upper portion having a drinking opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel, the main body further including a sidewall having an actuating member opening formed by an actuating member opening wall that extends through the sidewall;
• a stopper movably coupled to the main body and configured for upward displacement into a closed position wherein the stopper engages a portion of the main body and covers the drinking opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position wherein the stopper is spaced apart from the portion of the main body to allow fluid passage through the drinking opening, the stopper having first and second cam followers spaced apart from each other;
• an actuating member extending through the actuating member opening, the actuating member being movably coupled to the main body, the actuating member being movable inward and outward, and having first and second cam surfaces spaced apart from each other, the first and second cam followers of the stopper being positioned to be slidably engaged by the first and second cam surfaces of the actuating member, respectively, during inward movement of the actuating member to move the first and second cam followers downward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and being positioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member the first and second cam surfaces permit the first and second cam followers to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position;
• a seal member coupled to the actuating member and positioned within the actuating member opening between the actuating member and the actuating member opening wall when the actuating member is disposed in an outward position to provide a fluid-tight seal that prevents fluid passage through the actuating member opening, and as the actuating member is moved inward the seal member moves inward to a position at least partially out of the actuating member opening to break the fluid-tight seal prior to the first and second cam surfaces moving the first and second cam followers downward which moves the stopper to the opened position;
• and
• a lever rotatably coupled to the main body and configured for rotatable displacement into a cover position wherein the lever covers the drinking opening, and an actuating position wherein, when a first force is applied to the lever, the lever is operative to apply a second force to the actuating member to cause the actuating member to move inward.

A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:

• a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an upper portion having a drinking opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel, the main body further including a sidewall having an actuating member opening formed by an actuating member opening wall that extends through the sidewall;
• a stopper movably coupled to the main body and configured for upward displacement into a closed position wherein the stopper engages a portion of the main body and covers the drinking opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and downward displacement into an opened position wherein the stopper is spaced apart from the portion of the main body to allow fluid passage through the drinking opening, the stopper having a stopper engagement portion comprising one of a cam surface and a cam follower;
• an actuating member extending through the actuating member opening, the actuating member being movably coupled to the main body, the actuating member being movable inward and outward, and having an actuating member engagement portion comprising the other of the cam surface and the cam follower, the actuating member engagement portion of the actuating member being positioned to slidably engage the stopper engagement portion of the stopper during inward movement of the actuating member to cause the actuating member engagement portion to move the stopper engagement portion downward which moves the stopper to the opened position, and being positioned such that during outward movement of the actuating member the actuating member engagement portion permits the stopper engagement portion to move upward which moves the stopper to the closed position;
• a seal member coupled to the actuating member and positioned within the actuating member opening between the actuating member and the actuating member opening wall when the actuating member is disposed in an outward position to provide a fluid-tight seal that prevents fluid passage through the actuating member opening, and as the actuating member is moved inward, the seal member moves inward to a position whereat the fluid-tight seal between the seal member and the actuating member opening wall is broken prior to the actuating member engagement portion moving the stopper engagement portion downward sufficiently to move the stopper to the opened position;
• and
• a lever rotatably coupled to the main body and configured for rotatable displacement into a cover position wherein the lever covers the drinking opening, and an actuating position wherein, when a first force is applied to the lever, the lever is operative to apply a second force to the actuating member to cause the actuating member to move inward.

A lid for use with a drinking vessel containing a liquid, comprising:

• a main body selectively couplable to the drinking vessel, the main body including an upper portion having a drinking opening configured to permit fluid passage therethrough when the lid is coupled to the drinking vessel;
• a stopper movably coupled to the main body and configured for displacement in a first direction into a closed position wherein the stopper engages a portion of the main body and covers the drinking opening to prevent fluid passage therethrough, and displacement in a second direction into an opened position wherein the stopper is spaced apart from the portion of the main body to allow fluid passage through the drinking opening;
• an actuating member movably coupled to the main body and engaged with the stopper, the actuating member being configured such that its movement causes the stopper to move between the opened position and the closed position;
• and
• a lever rotatably coupled to the main body and configured for rotatable displacement wherein, when a first force is applied to the lever, the lever is operative to apply a second force to the actuating member to cause the actuating member to move in a direction that causes the stopper to move toward the opened position, the lever being configured for rotatable displacement into a cover position wherein the lever covers the drinking opening.