Travel container having drinking orifice and vent aperture seals

• US 7,546,933 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coleman Company Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ignite USA LLC (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Inventors: Pinelli, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick; Anthony D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks; Robert J
• Application Number:
  US11/698,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20070210093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 215/387, 215/DIG.7, 215/315, 215/311, 220/211, 220/259.5, 220/254.9, 222/477, 222/470
• US Class Current: 220/715
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2272 from drinking glasses or cups comprising lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0018 of the 43-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0028 of the 51-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0081 of the 43-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/009 of the 51-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2543/00046 Drinking-through lids
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/02 Removable lids or covers with means for piercing, cutting, or tearing a frangible inner closure B65D51/22
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/20 linearly slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/26 Mechanisms for opening or closing, e.g. pedal-operated for refuse receptacles B65F1/1623
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/32 with means for venting
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/18 Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures B65D51/247 takes precedence

Abstract

An insulated container is provided with a lid having a push-button trigger mechanism that operates both a shutter for a drinking orifice and a vent seal for a vent opening. The trigger has an actuation stroke. The vent seal is actuated during a first portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger to transition the vent seal from the closed position to the open position, and the shutter is actuated during a second portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger to transition the shutter from the closed position to the open position. Further, the shutter remains in the closed position during the first portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger.

Claims

1. A drinking container comprising:

a container body having a cavity;

a removable lid covering the cavity, the lid having a drink aperture and a separate vent aperture; and

,

a trigger mechanism mechanically connected to a shutter adjacent the drink aperture and to a vent seal, the trigger mechanism independently moving the shutter and the vent seal from a closed position to an open position, the shutter operating to operably close and open access to the cavity through the drink aperture, and the vent seal operating to operably close and open access to the cavity through the vent aperture, wherein the trigger mechanism has an actuation stroke, wherein the vent seal is initially actuated during a first portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger mechanism, and wherein the shutter is initially actuated during a second portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger mechanism, the first portion of the actuation stroke occurring prior in time to the second portion of the actuation stroke.

2. The drinking container of claim 1, wherein the shutter and vent seal are normally positioned in the closed position, and wherein actuation of the trigger mechanism transitions the shutter and vent seal to the open position.

3. The drinking container of claim 1, further comprising a vent chamber between the vent seal and the vent aperture, the vent chamber having a cross-sectional area greater than a cross-sectional area of the vent aperture.

4. The drinking container of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism comprises a push-button actuated actuator extending from the lid.

5. The drinking container of claim 1, further comprising a spring member connected to the shutter to exert a force on the shutter toward the closed position.

6. The drinking container of claim 1, wherein actuation of a trigger button of the trigger mechanism in a transverse direction causes the shutter and the vent seal to transition to an open position.

7. The drinking container of claim 1, further comprising a deflector plate adjacent the vent aperture, wherein the deflector plate directs vapor being expelled out of the vent aperture transverse to a longitudinal axis of the container body.

8. A drinking container comprising:

a container body having a cavity;

a removable lid covering the cavity of the container body, the lid having a drink aperture and a vent aperture, a shutter that is moveable from a normally closed position to an open position, the shutter operably closing the drink aperture from the cavity in the closed position, the shutter positioned within the lid and below the drink aperture, and a vent seal that is moveable from a normally closed position to an open position, the vent seal operably closing the vent aperture from the cavity in the closed position, the vent seal positioned within the lid and below the vent aperture; and

,

a trigger mechanically connected to the shutter and the vent seal, the trigger having an actuation stroke, wherein the vent seal is actuated during a first portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger, wherein the shutter is actuated during a second portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger, and wherein the first portion of the actuation stroke occurs prior in time to the second portion of the actuation stroke during movement of the shutter and the vent seal from the normally closed position to the open position.

9. The drinking container of claim 8, wherein the shutter remains in a closed position during the first portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger.

10. The drinking container of claim 8, wherein the actuation stroke of a portion of the trigger connected to one of the vent seal and the shutter of the trigger is linear and transverse to a longitudinal axis of the container body.

11. The drinking container of claim 8, further comprising a vent chamber between the vent seal and the vent aperture, and wherein the trigger extends partially through the vent chamber.

12. The drinking container of claim 11, further comprising a trigger seal opposing the vent seal, the trigger seal sealing the joint between the trigger and an exterior of the lid.

13. The drinking container of claim 8, wherein the trigger can be transitioned from a first position to a second position, the shutter and the vent seal being in the closed position when the trigger is in the first position, and the shutter and the vent seal being in the open position when the trigger is in the second position.

14. The drinking container of claim 13, further comprising a spring member exerting a force on the trigger to move the trigger from the second position to the first position.

15. A drinking container comprising:

a container body having a cavity and a removable lid covering the cavity, the lid having a drink aperture and a vent aperture, a shutter operably closing the drink aperture from the cavity, a vent seal operably closing the vent aperture from the cavity, the lid further having a push-button trigger mechanically connected to the shutter and the vent seal to open and close the shutter and vent seal during actuation of the trigger, wherein the portion of the trigger directly connected to the shutter and the vent seal has a linear actuation stroke transverse to a longitudinal axis of the container body, and wherein the vent seal is actuated during a first portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger, wherein the shutter is actuated during a second portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger, and wherein the shutter remains in a closed position during the first portion of the actuation stroke of the trigger.

16. The drinking container of claim 15, further comprising a spring member exerting a force on the trigger to move the trigger from a second position, where the shutter and vent seal are open, to a first position, where the shutter and vent seal are closed.