Automatically sealing cup

• US 6,276,560 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Niko Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Niko Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Belcastro, Domenic
• Primary Examiner(s): MOY, JOSEPH MAN
• Application Number:
  US09/643,609
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 220/709, 220/714, 220/715, 220/705, 220/707
• US Class Current: 220/709
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2266 Means for facilitating drinking, e.g. for infants or invalids
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2037 the element being opened or closed by actuating a separate element which causes the deformation, e.g. screw cap closing container slit
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/165 formed by a slit or narrow opening
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/28 Cards, coupons, or drinking straws B65D5/4212, B65D23/14, B65D25/205, B65D33/004, B65D51/245, B65D75/54 take precedence

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.

Claims

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.

2. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 1 wherein said lid port of said cup comprises an exterior tubular portion and an interior tubular portion, said flexible tube being coupled to said exterior tubular portion.

3. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 1 wherein a handle has a handle hole formed therein so as to allow for passage of a top portion of said flexible tube.

4. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 1 wherein a handle hole formed in a handle is axially offset from an exterior tubular portion of said lid port so as to permit the compression member to pinch closed said flexible tube in an unsealed configuration.

5. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 1 wherein a handle is releasably attached to said lid.

6. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 1 wherein said biasing member is connected to said lid.

7. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 1 further comprising a one-way air valve positioned in said cup so as to permit air to enter said interior area through said one-way air valve as fluid exits said interior area through said flexible tube in said unsealed configuration and to prevent fluid from exiting said interior area through said one-way air valve.

8. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 1 further comprising a one-way air valve having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a channel extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said channel tapering to a slot opening on said bottom surface.

9. 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 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.

10. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 9 wherein a lid port of said cup comprises an exterior tubular portion and an interior tubular portion, said flexible tube coupling to said exterior tubular portion.

11. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 9 wherein a handle has a handle hole formed therein so as to allow for passage of a top portion of said flexible tube.

12. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 9 wherein a handle hole formed in a handle is offset from an exterior tubular portion of said lid port so as to permit the compression member to pinch closed said flexible tube in an unsealed configuration.

13. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 9 wherein a handle is releasably attached to said lid.

14. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 9 wherein said biasing member is connected to said lid.

15. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 9 wherein said one-way air valve has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a channel extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said channel tapering to a slot opening on said bottom surface.

16. 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 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.

17. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 16 wherein a lid port of said cup comprises an exterior tubular portion and an interior tubular portion, said flexible tube coupling to said exterior tubular portion.

18. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 16 wherein a handle has a handle hole formed therein so as to allow for passage of a top portion of said flexible tube.

19. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 16 wherein a handle hole formed in a handle is offset from an exterior tubular portion of said lid port so as to permit the compression member to pinch closed said flexible tube in an unsealed configuration.

20. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 16 wherein a handle is releasably attached to said lid.

21. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 16 wherein said biasing member is connected to said lid.

22. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 16 further comprising a one-way air valve enmeshed with the improved automatically sealing 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.

23. The improved automatically sealing cup of claim 16 further comprising a one-way air valve having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a channel extending between said top surface and said bottom surface, said channel tapering to a slot opening.