Travel beverage container

• US 7,073,678 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
• Original Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
• Inventors: Escobar, Juan, Burns, Clay, Dibdin, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Lien M.
• Application Number:
  US10/633,799
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 220/254.1, 220/714, 220/715, 220/719, 220724-728, 220/717, 222/153.12, 222/548, 222/545, 222/546
• US Class Current: 220/254.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2272 from drinking glasses or cups comprising lids or covers

Abstract

A beverage container has a thermally insulated base defining a reservoir and a cover assembly removably mountable on the base for closing the reservoir. The cover assembly includes a cap defining a recess open to ambient and defines a baffled passage between the recess and the reservoir closeable by a valve assembly including a toggle mechanism actuatable by a push button disposed centrally of the cap and spaced from the recess, for alternately latching the valve in closed and open conditions relative to the passage. The valve assembly includes a gasketed movable valve member engageable with a rigid sharp edge on a valve seat in the closed condition so that the gasket yieldably deforms around the sharp edge to provide a fluid-tight seal.

Claims

1. A beverage container comprising:

a base having inner and outer walls cooperating to define a thermally insulating vacuum space therebetween and defining a beverage-containing reservoir,

a cover assembly removably mountable on the base for closing the reservoir, the cover assembly comprising;

a cap positioned at an upper and outer surface of the cover assembly and defining a recess also on the upper and outer surface and open to ambient when the cover assembly is mounted on the base, the cap having an aperture therethrough spaced from the recess,

a drain/drink passage opening to and communicating with the recess,

a vent opening providing communication between the drain/drink passage and ambient, the vent opening having an exit end exiting the cap at a location spaced from the aperture and from the recess, and

a valve assembly movable between an open condition providing communication between the reservoir and the drain/drink passage and a closed condition sealing the drain/drink passage from the reservoir, and

a manually operated actuator mechanism accessible through the aperture of the cap.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein the actuator mechanism includes a push button.

3. The container of claim 2, wherein the push button is disposed centrally of the cap.

4. The container of claim 3, wherein the passage communicates with the recess at a location spaced radially outwardly from the push button.

5. The container of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly is disposed centrally of the cover assembly.

6. The container of claim 1, wherein the actuator mechanism includes a toggle mechanism so that alternate actuations of the actuator mechanism respectively latch the valve assembly in its open and closed conditions.

7. The container of claim 1, wherein the cap has a vent channel communicating with the exit end of the vent opening and configured to channel liquid exiting the vent opening away from the recess and the aperture.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein the cap includes a raised lip extending from the recess to facilitate directing of beverage from the recess to a user'"'"'s mouth.