Receptacles – Closures – Secondary closure within parameter of primary closure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-14
2004-08-31
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
Secondary closure within parameter of primary closure
C220S705000, C220S709000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06783019
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a lid for a container, and more particularly, to a removable lid having two apertures therein and a cover adapted to contact either of the apertures by pivoting on the lid.
2. Description of the Related Art
During outdoor activities, objects in the environment such as flies, mosquitoes, hornets, dust, rain, and the like seem to find their way into open beverage containers. People prefer to avoid contact with such extraneous matter, and especially do not desire to have it in and about the containers from which they drink. Children, and even many adults, sometimes refuse to consume the contents of a container after witnessing various insects moving thereabout. More importantly, consuming a beverage into which minute particles from the air have fallen may prove unhealthy. In addition, whether indoors or outdoors, many people desire a drinking container that does not readily spill its contents when accidentally tipped or dropped.
Similarly, beverages are often consumed while in a vehicle in motion. Drivers and passengers alike generally desire beverage containers that, when tipped, shaken, or dropped, do not simply spill their contents about the vehicle cabin and its occupants. Further, whether indoors, outdoors, or in a vehicle, not everyone prefers to drink from a container in the same manner. That is, some people prefer to use a straw, while others prefer to simply drink directly from a spout. Moreover, most consumers consider beverage containers to be fungible commodities. As such, a market exists for a simple, low cost, easily manufacturable product that renders a beverage container spill proof, prevents objects from the environment from contacting its contents, and at the same time provides a consumer with the option of consuming its contents either through a straw or directly from a spout.
Conventional container lids directed towards that market generally include an opening for a straw and an opening for pouring or sipping the contents of a container. Such lids may have pairs of covers to close off the openings, as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,113 to Stymiest, or single removable covers to close off both openings, as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,312 to Mueller. However, the container lid disclosed by Stymiest requires separate first and second closures for closing off the two openings, and both the first and second closures are separately connected to the lid. This increases manufacturing complexity and requires additional assembly steps and material, which raises the cost per lid. The container lid disclosed by Mueller includes a cover that does not attach to the lid. As such, that cover is easily separated and lost.
Therefore, there is a continuing need in the art for a simple, low-cost, easily manufacturable container lid having a plurality of apertures therein that can be alternately covered by a single cover, which is hingedly attached to the lid even when none of the plurality of apertures is covered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention addresses the foregoing needs in the art by providing a container lid having two apertures therein, and comprising a cover hingedly attached to the lid and adapted to cover one of the two apertures at a time by pivoting on the lid.
In a first embodiment of the invention, a container lid comprises a top including a cover receiving portion having a first aperture and a second aperture formed therein, a hinge positioned substantially about a center of the cover receiving portion, and a cover pivotally attached to the cover receiving portion via the hinge. The first aperture is positioned on one side of the hinge and the second aperture is positioned on an opposite side of the hinge. The cover comprises at least two opposing sides, with each of the opposing sides having a protrusion shaped to sealingly engage or fit within one of the first aperture and the second aperture.
In another aspect of the first embodiment, one of the apertures is adapted to receive a straw.
In yet another aspect of the first embodiment, the hinge comprises at least one protruding fork integral with the cover receiving portion, the cover comprises at least one aperture therein, and the at least one protruding fork is adapted to releasably engage the aperture in the cover.
In yet another aspect of the first embodiment, the container lid comprises a peripheral wall depending from the top. The peripheral wall comprises a ridge adapted to removably secure the lid to a container.
In a second embodiment of the invention, a container assembly comprises a container having a flanged upper lip and a lid. The lid comprises a top including a substantially flat portion having a first aperture and a second aperture formed therein, a hinge positioned substantially about a center of the flat portion, a cover pivotally attached to the flat portion via the hinge, and a peripheral wall depending from the top of the lid. The first and second apertures are positioned on opposite sides of the hinge, and the peripheral wall is adapted to releasably engage the flanged upper lip. The cover comprises at least a first side and a second side opposite the first side. Each of the first and second sides comprises a protrusion shaped to sealingly engage one of the first aperture and the second aperture.
In another aspect of the first and second embodiments, the first aperture in the flat portion comprises a seal disposed therein, so that when the cover is sealingly engaged with the second aperture, the container assembly is spill-proof and prevents environmental objects from contacting contents of the container.
In a third embodiment of the invention, a container lid comprises a top including a substantially flat portion having a first aperture and a second aperture formed therein, a cover removably attached to the flat portion, and means for removably and pivotally attaching the cover to the flat portion. The first and second apertures are positioned on opposite sides of the means for removably and pivotally attaching the cover to the flat portion. The cover comprises two sides, with each side comprising a protrusion shaped to sealingly engage (or alternatively to fit within) the first or second aperture.
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