Drinking container

• US 20050045647A1
• Filed: 08/27/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The First Years Incorporated (TOMY Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: The First Years Incorporated (TOMY Company Limited)
• Inventors: Britto, James J., Hession, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,923,337 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/714
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2272 from drinking glasses or cups comprising lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2018 comprising a valve or like element which is opened or closed by deformation of the container or closure

Abstract

A drinking valve assembly includes an inner member with an aperture and an outer member with a movable drinking spout extending from an upper surface of the outer member. The inner member and the outer member of the drinking valve assembly form a channel extending from the aperture to a spout outlet. The outer member has an inner surface that contacts the inner member about the aperture to block flow along the channel with the spout in a first position, the inner surface of the outer member being displaced from the inner member in response to movement of the spout to a second position to enable flow along the channel.

Claims

1. A drinking valve assembly comprising:

an inner member defining an aperture; and

an outer member including a movable drinking spout extending from an upper surface of the outer member, the inner member and the outer member defining a channel extending from the aperture to a spout outlet;

wherein the outer member has an inner surface that contacts the inner member about the aperture to block a flow along the channel with the spout in a first position, the inner surface of the outer member being displaced from the inner member in response to movement of the spout to a second position to enable flow along the channel.

2. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner member is dimensionally stable.

3. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1 further comprising an outer wall configured to receive the inner member and position the inner member adjacent the outer member such that the inner surface of the outer member contacts the inner member with the spout in the first position to block flow along the channel.

4. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer member is constructed to resiliently deform as the movable drinking spout is moved from the first position to the second position.

5. The drinking valve assembly of claim 4, wherein the outer member flexes relative to the upper surface of the outer member from the first position to the second position.

6. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1 in the form of a lid.

7. The drinking valve assembly of claim 6, wherein the lid is connected to a vessel.

8. The drinking valve assembly of claim 7, wherein the lid includes a threaded inner surface configured to mate with a threaded outer surface of the vessel.

9. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the movable drinking spout moves a distance from at least about one degree to about 45 degrees from the first position to the second position to enable flow along the channel.

10. The drinking valve assembly of claim 9, wherein the movable spout moves a distance of about 3 degrees from the first position to the second position to enable flow along the channel.

11. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the movable drinking spout extends integrally from the outer member.

12. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner member defines a multiplicity of apertures.

13. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1 configured to provide a flow rate through the spout outlet from about 2 mL/s to about 20 mL/s.

14. The drinking valve assembly of claim 13 configured to provide a flow rate through the spout outlet from about 3 mL/s to about 10 mL/s.

15. The drinking valve assembly of claim 13 configured to provide a flow rate through the spout outlet from about 15 mL/s to about 20 mL/s.

16. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the movable drinking spout comprises:

an outer casing having an outer opening at an end of the movable drinking spout, the outer casing connected to the outer member; and

an inner casing connected to the outer casing, the inner casing having an inner opening aligned with the outer opening of the outer casing, the inner opening having a dimension less than the dimension of the outer opening.

17. The drinking valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the inner casing is joined to an outer wall by a flexible web, the outer member being attached to the outer wall.

18. The drinking valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the inner member includes a flange configured to seat against a stop extending inwardly from the outer outer wall, the stop positioned along the outer wall such that the inner member, when seated against the stop, contacts the inner surface of the outer member with the spout in the first position to block flow along the channel.

19. The drinking valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the inner casing and outer wall are formed of the same material.

20. The drinking valve assembly of claim 19, wherein the outer member and outer casing are formed of a material different than the material used to form the inner casing and outer wall.

21. The drinking valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the outer wall is configured to attach to a vessel.

22. The drinking valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the inner casing comprises a first material having a first hardness and the outer casing comprises a second material having a second hardness that is different from the first hardness of the first material.

23. The drinking valve assembly of claim 22, wherein the second material has a hardness less than the first hardness of the first material.

24. The drinking valve assembly of claim 16, wherein the inner casing defines multiple, separate openings at an end of the movable spout.

25. The drinking valve assembly of claim 24, wherein the outer opening of the outer casing circumscribes all of the multiple openings of the inner casing.

26. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner member is removable from the valve assembly.

27. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner member includes a sidewall and a concave portion extending from the sidewall.

28. The drinking valve assembly of claim 27, wherein the inner member is substantially circular and includes a flange extending outwardly from the sidewall and circumferentially about the inner member.

29. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer member has a concave portion.

30. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer member defines a vent spaced-apart from the movable spout to enable air to pass therethrough and into the channel with the spout in the second position.

31. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the movable spout defines multiple, separate openings forming the spout outlet at an end of the movable spout.

32. The drinking assembly of claim 1, wherein the spout is oval in cross-section.

33. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the spout, in the first postion, extends along an angle relative to a horizontal of between about 90 degrees to about 45 degrees.

34. The drinking valve assembly of claim 33, wherein the spout, in the first position, extends along an angle of about 83 degrees relative to the horizontal.

35. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner surface that contacts the inner member is formed by a circular sealing ridge that extends outwardly from the inner surface of the outer member and is arranged to circumscribe the aperture of the inner member.

36. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the inner member comprises a flexible material.

37. The drinking valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the movable spout is dimensionally axisymmetric.

38. The drinking valve assembly of claim 37, wherein multiple movements of the movable spout in more than one lateral direction are capable of enabling flow along the channel.

65. A method of adjusting flow rate of a drinking container valve, the method comprising:

providing the drinking valve assembly of claim 25;

removing the inner member defining the aperture, the inner member providing a first flow rate through the spout outlet with the movable spout in the second position;

replacing the inner member with a second inner member having an aperture, the second inner member providing a second flow rate through the spout outlet with the movable spout in the second position different from the first flow rate provided by the aperture of the removed inner member.

66. The method of claim 65 further comprising removing the second inner member and replacing the second inner member with a third inner member having an aperture, the third inner member providing a third flow rate through the spout outlet with the movable spout in the second position different from the flow rates provided by the removed inner members.

39. A drinking valve assembly comprising:

a first inner member defining an aperture to allow a fluid to pass therethrough;

a channel extending from the aperture to a spout outlet; and

a flexible outer member having a sealing ridge extending outwardly from an inner surface of the flexible outer member, the sealing ridge having an end surface that contacts an upper surface of the first inner member to substantially close the channel;

the movable drinking spout connected to the flexible outer member such that a movement of the movable spout deflects the flexible outer member and raises at least a portion of the end surface of the sealing ridge from the upper surface of the first inner member to open the channel extending from the aperture to the spout outlet.

40. A drinking container for delivering a liquid, the drinking container comprising:

a vessel having an open end, the vessel defining a first cavity for holding a liquid; and

a lid connected to the open end of the vessel, the lid comprising;

an inner member having at least one aperture to provide fluid communication between the first cavity and an openable valve cavity, the openable valve cavity defined by an upper surface of the inner member and an inner surface of a flexible outer member; and

a movable spout extending from the outer member, the movable spout defining a third cavity;

wherein the inner surface of the flexible outer member contacts the upper surface of the inner member to block fluid communication between the valve cavity and the third cavity with the spout in a first position, the inner and upper surfaces at least partially separating from each other in response to movement of the movable spout to a second position to allow fluid communication between the valve cavity and third cavity.

41. The drinking container of claim 40, wherein the vessel and the lid include mating threaded surfaces.

42. The drinking container of claim 40, wherein the inner member is removable from the lid.

43. The drinking container of claim 40 configured to provide a flow rate through a spout outlet of between about 2 mL/s to about 20 mL/s.

44. The drinking container of claim 43 configured to provide a flow rate through a spout outlet of between about 3 mL/s to about 10 mL/s.

45. The drinking container of claim 43 configured to provide a flow rate through a spout outlet of between about 15 mL/s to about 20 mL/s.

46. The drinking container of claim 40, wherein the movable spout comprises:

an outer casing having an outer opening at an end of the movable spout, the outer casing connected to the flexible outer member; and

an inner casing attached to the outer casing, the inner casing having an inner opening aligned with the outer opening of the outer casing, the inner opening having a dimension less than the dimension of the outer opening to reduce a flow rate of fluid passing through the outer opening.

47. The drinking container of claim 46, wherein the inner casing is joined to an outer wall by a flexible web, the outer member being attached to the outer wall.

48. The drinking container of claim 47, wherein the outer wall is configured to attach to a vessel.

49. The drinking container of claim 46, wherein the inner casing comprises a first material having a first hardness and the outer casing comprises a second material having a second hardness that is different from the first hardness of the first material.

50. The drinking container of claim 49, wherein the second material has a hardness less than the first hardness of the first material.

51. The drinking container of claim 46, wherein the inner casing and outer wall are formed of the same material.

52. The drinking container of claim 51, wherein the outer member and outer casing are formed of a material different than the material used to form the inner casing and outer wall.

53. The drinking container of claim 46, wherein the inner casing defines multiple, separate openings at an end of the movable spout.

54. The drinking container of claim 53, wherein the outer opening of the outer casing circumscribes all of the multiple openings of the inner casing.

55. The drinking container of claim 40, wherein the vessel is configured to contain from about 3 fluid ounces to about 15 fluid ounces.

56. The drinking container of claim 40, wherein the vessel is configured to contain from about 6 fluid ounces to about 42 fluid ounces.

57. The drinking container of claim 40, wherein the inner member comprises a flexible material.

58. The drinking container of claim 57, wherein movement of the movable spout deforms the inner member causing a mismatch between the inner surface of the outer member and inner member to enable flow along the channel.

59. The drinking container of claim 40, wherein the inner member comprises a dimensionally stable material.

60. The drinking container of claim 40, wherein the spout, in the first position, extends along an angle relative to a horizontal of between about 90 degrees to about 45 degrees.

61. The drinking container of claim 60, wherein the spout extends along an angle of about 83 degrees relative to the horizontal.

62. A drinking valve assembly comprising:

an inner member defining an aperture; and

an outer member including a movable drinking spout extending from an upper surface of the outer member, the inner member and the outer member defining a channel extending from the aperture to a spout outlet;

wherein the outer member has an inner surface that contacts the inner member about the aperture to block a flow along the channel with the spout in a first position, the inner surface of outer member being displaced from the inner member in response to a flexing of the spout relative to the upper surface of the outer member to a second position to enable flow along the channel.

63. The drinking valve assembly of claim 62, wherein the movable drinking valve moves a distance from at least about 1 degree to about 45 degrees from the first position to the second position to enable flow along the channel.

64. The drinking valve assembly of claim 63, wherein the movable spout moves a distance of about 3 degrees from the first position to the second position to enable flow along the channel.