Automatically sealing cup
First Claim
1. An improved automatically sealing cup that is selectively unsealable by a user comprising:
- a cup having a cup opening;
a lid releasably mated to said cup so as to cover said cup opening;
a lid port formed in said lid;
a flexible tube coupled to said lid port so as to allow communication between the interior area of said cup and the exterior area of said cup, said interior area being in open communication with said exterior area in an unsealed configuration, said interior area being blocked from said exterior area in a sealed configuration;
a compression member attached to a handle, said handle being pivotally attached to said lid and moveable between said sealed configuration and said unsealed configuration;
said compression member pinching closed said flexible tube in said sealed configuration, said compression member being selectively removed from said flexible tube in said unsealed configuration; and
a biasing member biasing said compression member to pinch closed said flexible tube in said sealed configuration.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved automatically sealing cup (100) (“cup device”) includes a compression member (152), a one-way air valve (144), and releasable handle (104). A lid (106) is releasably mated to a cup (118) in order to cover a cup opening (120) of the cup (118). The lid (106) has a pair of tapered slots (110), a lid port (122), and an aperture (142) integrally formed therein. The tapered slots (110) are subject to selectively receive and release a handle (104). The handle (104) is pivotally attached to the lid (106) and moveable between a sealed configuration and an unsealed configuration. The handle (104) comprises a compression member (152) and a handle hole (154). The handle hole (154) is offset from an exterior tubular portion (146) of the lid port (122) such that a flexible tube (114) engaged to the exterior tubular portion (146) and passing though the handle hole (154) is compressed by the compression member (152) in the sealed configuration. A one-way air valve is (144) positioned in the cup device (100) to allow air to enter the cup device (100) and prevent fluid from leaking out therefrom.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An improved automatically sealing cup that is selectively unsealable by a user comprising:
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a cup having a cup opening;
a lid releasably mated to said cup so as to cover said cup opening;
a lid port formed in said lid;
a flexible tube coupled to said lid port so as to allow communication between the interior area of said cup and the exterior area of said cup, said interior area being in open communication with said exterior area in an unsealed configuration, said interior area being blocked from said exterior area in a sealed configuration;
a compression member attached to a handle, said handle being pivotally attached to said lid and moveable between said sealed configuration and said unsealed configuration;
said compression member pinching closed said flexible tube in said sealed configuration, said compression member being selectively removed from said flexible tube in said unsealed configuration; and
a biasing member biasing said compression member to pinch closed said flexible tube in said sealed configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An improved automatically sealing cup that is selectively unsealable by a user comprising:
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a cup having a cup opening;
a lid releasably mated to said cup so as to cover said cup opening;
a lid port formed in said lid;
a flexible tube coupled to said lid port so as to allow communication between an interior space of said cup and an exterior space of said cup, said interior space being in open communication with said exterior space in an unsealed configuration, said interior space being blocked from said exterior space in a sealed configuration;
a compression member attached to a handle, said handle being pivotally attached to said lid between said sealed configuration and said unsealed configuration, said compression member pinching closed said flexible tube in said sealed configuration, said compression member being selectively removed from said flexible tube in said unsealed configuration;
a biasing member biasing said compression member to pinch closed said flexible tube in said sealed configuration; and
a one-way air valve positioned in said cup so as to permit air to enter said interior space through said one-way air valve as fluid exits said interior space through said flexible tube in said unsealed configuration and to prevent fluid from exiting said interior space through said one-way air valve. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An improved automatically sealing cup that is selectively unsealable by a user comprising:
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a cup having a cup opening;
a lid releasably mated to said cup so as to cover said cup opening;
a lid port formed in said lid;
a flexible tube coupled to said lid port so as to allow communication between the interior of said cup and the exterior of said cup, said interior space being in open communication with said exterior space in an unsealed configuration, said interior space being blocked from said exterior space in a sealed configuration;
a compression member pinching closed said flexible tube in said sealed configuration, said compression member being selectively removed from said flexible tube in said unsealed configuration;
a biasing member biasing said compression member to pinch closed said flexible tube in said sealed configuration; and
a handle having said compression member thereon and a handle hole formed therein for passage of said flexible tube, said handle being pivotally attached to said lid between said sealed configuration and said unsealed configuration, said handle hole being offset from said lid port in said sealed configuration such that said flexible tube passing through said handle hole and said lid port is compressed by said compression member in order to block communication between said interior space and said exterior space, said compression member removed from said flexible tube in said unsealed configuration so as to allow open communication between said interior space andsaid exterior space. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification