Receptacles – Closures – Secondary closure within parameter of primary closure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2001-03-20
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
Secondary closure within parameter of primary closure
C220S703000, C220S714000, C222S517000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202877
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to drinking containers for liquids. More particularly, the present invention is directed to drinking containers and lids for drinking containers that are openable by the user's lips.
Lip-openable containers are known. Such containers are desirable for children in their progression from use of a container whose lid has a spout, to an adult open-ended drinking container. Lip-openable containers are desirable because, as compared to containers with a spout, they do not require orientation of the cup to bring a spout to the children's lips, and they help children learn the sipping action needed for use of an open-ended container, such as a glass. Also, lip-openable containers are highly convenient since only one hand is required to drink from the container, and when drinking is completed the container closes automatically.
Heretofore, lip-openable containers have employed a movable lid seated within a central opening of the container closure cap. The lid functions as a valve. In its normal position, the lid is urged or biased upward by an underlying spring device, so that the periphery of the lid seats against an overlying, surrounding valve seat that is part of the closure cap. To drink from the container, a person uses his or her upper lip to push downward on a portion of the periphery of the lid, against the bias of the spring, to create an opening between the lid and the valve seal that allows liquid to flow therethrough.
Heretofore, the movable lid has been constructed of a rigid material. The application of lip pressure to the rigid lid, for example, at about 9 o'clock on its circumference, would depress the lid from a pivot point seeking a location at about 3 o'clock, i.e., about 180° opposite from where the pressure is applied. This is disadvantageous because with downward pressure of a user's lip that is necessarily exerted in a relatively localized area, a portion of the rigid lid substantially wider than the localized area of pressure, e.g., a segment of an arc approaching 180° or more of the periphery of a circular lid, is removed from the valve seat. This causes spillage at the sides of the user's lips. Also, a rigid lid does not have a natural feel and is uncomfortable to the user's lips.
It would be desirable to have an improved lip-openable container that does not require a spring device. It would also be desirable to have a lip-openable container that does not employ a rigid lid, and that when open, allows liquid flow into the user's mouth and not outside or beyond it. It would thus be desirable to have a non-rigid lid that avoids spillage of liquid from an excessively wide opening, as is created between a rigid lid and its surrounding valve seat when a user applies localized lip pressure to the rigid lid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide such an improved lip-openable container that does not require a spring member to bias the lid against a valve seat.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such an improved lip-openable container whose movable lid is a non-rigid, flexible material.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved flexible lid that is a flexible material that stretches and recovers to move the lid away from and into contact with a valve seat.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved flexible lid that is spill-proof.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an improved flexible lid that does not leak.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide such a flexible lid that is adapted to bend or flex in response to the application of localized lip pressure on the lid and create a localized graduated opening in the container in the area of applied lip pressure.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide such a flexible lid that localizes flow of liquid into the user's mouth and not outside or beyond the user's mouth.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a flexible lid that is made of a soft material that has a comfortable, natural feel to the user's lips.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a flexible lid that is easy to use, even for young children.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a flexible lid that is advantageous for young children in that in use it can provide a metered flow of liquid and prevent the child from receiving an excessive amount of liquid at one time.
These and other objects of the present invention will be achieved by a container closed by a lid having a lip-openable flexible gasket with a portion, preferably a peripheral portion thereof, in tension and releasably seated against an overlying valve seat. Upon the application of lip pressure to the gasket, the gasket bends or flexes and/or stretches in, from, adjacent and/or about the area of applied pressure, to remove the flexed or bent area from the valve seat and create an opening that allows liquid container contents to flow through the opening into the user's mouth. Upon the release of the lip pressure on the gasket, the flexed or bent or stretched area automatically returns and seats against the valve seat.
Thus, the present invention is directed to a lid for use in connection with a container or container cap having an inwardly extending ledge that forms a valve seat and defines an opening for egress of container contents therethrough.
The present invention is also directed to a lip-openable container comprising a container body, a removable cap having a ledge that forms a valve seat and defines a central opening, and a removable lip-openable lid.
The lid is a gasket having a central panel having a flexible elastomer and a flange that is engageable with the valve seat. The lid includes a support that supports the central panel of the gasket and is capable of positioning the gasket against the valve seat of the cap. The lid can also include means for securing the central panel, preferably a central portion thereof, to a central section of the support. The central portion of the gasket is capable of flexing and stretching to allow a portion of the flange to be displaced from the valve seat when downward pressure is applied against a portion of the gasket. The gasket preferably has an upstanding lip-engageable wall that can be rigid or flexible and preferably is annular.
The support preferably is rigid, has a base, and has a central section connected to the base. When downward pressure is applied against the gasket, the central panel of the gasket can contact the rigid support, preferably a central section thereof, e.g. a rigid bearing surface, such that a portion of the central panel of the gasket flexes downward from or about, or stretches downward from, or stretches over the rigid support, to displace the flange of the gasket from the valve seat.
The securing means of the lid can comprise a flexible elastomer and can be part of the gasket, preferably part of its central portion, part of the support, preferably part of its central section, or part of the gasket and the support. The securing means of the gasket can be a flexible member, e. g., a trunk, that is integral with and depends from the central panel, preferably a central portion thereof, and that includes retaining means for engaging structure of the support. The trunk can have a dead end bore extending upward into it, and the lid can include a rigid plug having a stem seated in the bore to compress the trunk against the central section of the support and improve the engagement of the retaining means of the gasket to the support.
The securing means of the support can include structure, e.g., engaging means, of the central section of the support, for engaging structure, e.g., retaining means, of the gasket. The securing means of the central section of the support can include a rigid hub with engaging means that engage the ret
La Torre Richard D.
Petrie Aidan J.
Sejnowski Joseph P.
Newhouse Nathan J.
Ohlandt, Greeley, Ruggerio & Perle, L.L.P.
Playtex Products Inc.
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