Lid featuring improved splash and spill resistance and ease of flow

Abstract

A lid for a drinking cup enables drinking while inhibiting splashing and spilling. The lid features a drinking spout having an outer wall, an inner wall and a top wall. A dispensing well formed in the spout includes a bottom wall, two end walls, and at least two opposed sidewall openings. Nearly all vertical beverage splashes impinge upon the underside of the bottom wall, while the opposed openings allow splashes entering the dispensing well to be drained through the opposite opening. A plurality of vent holes can be provided to allow air to enter the cup as beverage is consumed. Vent holes near the dispensing well can be blocked during drinking, when the cup is full and the beverage is hot, but unblocked as the beverage cools and is consumed. Interior baffle walls around the dispensing well can inhibit swirling or laterally-splashing beverage from entering the dispensing well.

Claims

1. A lid for use with a drinking vessel, said lid comprising: a peripheral rim configured for engaging with said drinking vessel; a raised drinking spout proximal to said peripheral rim, said drinking spout comprising an outer spout wall extending upwardly from said peripheral rim, an inner spout wall spaced inward from said outer spout wall, and a spout top wall connected to and extending between said outer spout wall and said inner spout wall, said drinking spout being configured for allowing consumption of a beverage contained within an interior of said drinking vessel by a user; and a dispensing well formed within said spout top wall, said dispensing well comprising at least a bottom wall, a first opening proximate said outer spout wall, and a second opening located opposite to said first opening and proximate said inner spout wall, wherein said bottom wall is closed for substantially blocking impinging splashes of a beverage contained in said drinking vessel, while beverage flowing from a splash proximal to the outer or inner spout wall is able to reach one of said first and second openings and pass through the dispensing well to the other of said first and second openings without obstruction.

2. The lid of claim 1, wherein said inner spout wall extend s upwardly from a central portion of the lid.

3. The lid of claim 1, wherein said dispensing well further comprises first and second end walls, and wherein said bottom wall connects said first and second end walls.

4. The lid of claim 1, wherein said bottom wall of said dispensing well is inclined such that when the peripheral rim is horizontal, the bottom wall is not horizontal.

5. The lid of claim 1, further comprising at least one vent hole that provides air communication between the interior of the drinking vessel and air exterior to the lid.

6. The lid of claim 5, wherein a diameter of the vent hole is less than 0.060 inches.

7. The lid of claim 5, wherein a diameter of the vent hole is approximately 0.032 inches.

8. The lid of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of vent holes that admit air into the interior of the drinking vessel as the beverage in the drinking vessel is consumed.

9. The lid of claim 8, wherein at least a first vent hole amongst said plurality of vent holes is located proximate said dispensing well.

10. The lid of claim 8, wherein said plurality of vent holes includes a plurality of vent hole sizes.

11. The lid of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of vent holes located at a plurality of proximities from said dispensing well, wherein at least one vent hole amongst said plurality of vent holes is blocked by said beverage when the drinking vessel is substantially full of beverage and is tipped towards the user for drinking therefrom.

12. The lid of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the lid includes at least one of a texture and a protruding structure configured to influence a flow of said beverage across said at least one surface.

13. The lid of claim 1, wherein said lid is constructed from at least one of paper, plastic, thermoplastic resin, foam, a laminated material, a compostable resin, and a biodegradable material.

14. The lid of claim 1, wherein said lid is manufactured by one of thermoforming, injection molding, compression molding, vacuum forming, pressure forming, and hydro forming.

15. The lid of claim 1, wherein said lid is injection molded from a suitable grade of polypropylene resin.

16. The lid of claim 1, wherein said lid is injection molded from a plastic material.

17. The lid of claim 1, wherein said lid is disposable.

18. The lid of claim 1, wherein said lid is compatible for use with a drinking vessel that is configured for holding and dispensing a drinkable fluid that is one of tea, coffee, soup, shake, juice, and milk.

19. The lid of claim 1, further comprising at least one interior baffle wall disposed around the dispensing well and configured to inhibit a beverage that is at least one of swirling and laterally-splashing from entering the dispensing well.

20. The lid of claim 19, wherein the at least one interior baffle wall connects end walls of the dispensing well with the outer spout wall and with the inner spout wall.

21. The lid of claim 1, wherein the bottom wall of the dispensing well is substantially horizontal when the peripheral rim is horizontal.

22. The lid of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second dispensing well openings is inclined from vertical when the peripheral rim is horizontal by an angle of less than 30 degrees.

23. The lid of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second dispensing well openings is inclined from vertical when the peripheral rim is horizontal by an angle of less than 20 degrees.

24. The lid of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second dispensing well openings is inclined from vertical when the peripheral rim is horizontal by an angle of less than 10 degrees.

25. The lid of claim 1, wherein the first and second dispensing well openings do not differ from each other in area by more than 30%.

26. The lid of claim 1, wherein the first and second dispensing well openings do not differ from each other in area by more than 15%.

27. The lid of claim 1, wherein a combined area of the first and second dispensing well openings is at least 0.06 in.sup.2.

28. The lid of claim 1, wherein a combined area of the first and second dispensing well openings is at least 0.08 in.sup.2.

29. The lid of claim 1, wherein a combined area of the first and second dispensing well openings is at least 0.09 in.sup.2.

30. The lid of claim 1, wherein a combined area of the first and second dispensing well openings is between 0.08 in.sup.2 and 0.2 in.sup.2.

31. The lid of claim 1, wherein a combined area of the first and second dispensing well openings is between 0.10 in.sup.2 and 0.25 in.sup.2.

32. The lid of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second dispensing well openings has an area that is between 0.04 in.sup.2 and 0.8 in.sup.2.

33. A lid for use with a drinking vessel and for drinking a beverage therethrough, said lid comprising: a peripheral rim; a downwardly projecting dispensing well comprising a bottom wall, and first and second openings located opposite to each other, said first opening being proximate to said peripheral rim and said second opening being located opposite to said first opening and being distal to said peripheral rim, wherein said bottom wall is closed for substantially blocking impinging splashes of said beverage while beverage flowing from a splash proximal to the outer or inner spout wall is able to reach one of said first and second openings and pass through the dispensing well to the other of said first and second openings without obstruction, and wherein said first and second openings are configured to allow passage therethrough of said beverage contained in said drinking vessel.

34. The lid of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second openings extends to the bottom wall of the dispensing well.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a lid according to an embodiment of the present invention showing a raised spout on the right, a dispensing well within the raised spout and a dispensing well opening proximate the outer spout wall;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of a lid according to an embodiment of the present invention that shows a raised spout on the left, a dispensing well within the raised spout and a dispensing well opening proximate the inner spout wall;

(3) FIG. 3 is a close-up perspective view of the dispensing well in the same general orientation shown in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 4 is a close-up perspective view of the dispensing well in the same general orientation shown in FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 5 is a sectional perspective view through the drinking spout of the lid shown in FIG. 1;

(6) FIG. 6 is a close-up sectional view of the drinking spout shown in FIG. 5, showing the dispensing well bottom wall, end wall and two mutually opposed openings;

(7) FIG. 7 is a top view of a lid similar to those shown in FIGS. 1-6;

(8) FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the lid shown in FIG. 7;

(9) FIG. 9 is a close-up sectional view of the peripheral grip portion of the lid shown in FIGS. 7-8, along with a cooperating cup rim engaged with the lid;

(10) FIG. 10 is a perspective side view of a lid according to another embodiment of the present invention showing a raised spout on the right, a dispensing well within the raised spout, a dispensing well opening proximate the outer spout wall, and two sets of vent holes;

(11) FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a lid according to yet another embodiment of the present invention comprising baffles positioned around the dispensing well openings;

(12) FIG. 12 is a close-up perspective view from the bottom of the dispensing well of the lid shown in FIG. 11, showing the relationship between the baffle walls, dispensing well openings, dispensing well end walls, and the spout outer and inner walls; and

(13) FIG. 13 is a close-up sectional view of the dispensing well shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 showing the relative arrangement of the baffle walls, dispensing well openings, dispensing well end wall, dispensing well bottom wall, and the spout outer and inner walls.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(14) The present invention is generally directed towards a lid that engages with a drinking cup or a similar vessel, and allows a user to drink therefrom while naturally inhibiting splashing and spilling of the beverage from the drinking cup without requiring use of an orifice sealing device, and without requiring the user to plug and unplug the drinking orifice with a connected or separate plug member. The following description of one or more exemplary embodiments, in conjunction with accompanying drawings of representative lids, is offered as illustrative of the invention, but should not be regarded as restricting the scope of the invention.

(15) The lid constructions according to at least some embodiments of the present invention offer particular utility for disposable drinking cups, which are typically used for holding cold and hot beverages, and are generally constructed from paper, plastic, or foam materials. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the lid embodiments described herein can be utilized with and/or adapted for reusable cups and drinking vessels made from plastic, foam or other materials. The lid of the present invention can be utilized for consuming all kinds of hot and cold beverages, including coffee, tea, soup, shakes, frappes, and slush drinks. The lid of the present invention can also be used in combination with disposable or reusable cups for children of all ages. According to still other embodiments of the invention, the spout and dispensing well constructions of the lid can be used for dispensing fluid materials including dressing, vinegar, coffee cream, etc.

(16) With reference to FIGS. 1 through 9, there are shown various views and sections of lid 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention wherein like reference numerals represent like parts. It will be realized that not all parts are visible or indicated in all views. Lid 10 has a generally round outwardly flared skirt 12, to allow the lid to be easily guided onto a drinking cup (shown in cross-sectional view of FIG. 9) and includes a peripheral grip portion 20 that is designed to be securely but removably attachable along the beaded rim or periphery of the drinking cup in a fluid tight relationship, as is known in the art.

(17) Lid 10 includes an annular portion 30 connected to the peripheral grip portion 20. Annular portion 30 circumscribes a relatively shallow round central portion 70. The central portion 70 may also feature information such as a warning, a logo, use instructions, and/or another message for the user, and is generally denoted by indicia 72. Indicia 72 can be molded-in, i.e. integrally generated while molding or forming the lid 10. Alternately, indicia or message 72 can be customized for the user, customer or restaurant by printing, embossing, heat transfer or stamping processes after molding or forming the lid.

(18) The central portion 70 is dimensioned appropriately to allow a user to stack another cup assembly on top of lid 10, thereby allowing a user to carry two lidded drinking cups with one hand, at least for a short distance or duration, such as while walking to a table in a restaurant or to the car. The annular portion 30 rises from the central portion 70 at one end to form a raised drink spout 40 that allows a user to comfortably accommodate his/her lips around the drink spout 40, and prevents the user's nose from touching the central portion 70. The annular portion 30 has a relatively shallow end 38 located opposite to the raised drink spout 40. The drink spout 40 comprises a top wall 32, outer spout wall 34, and inner spout wall 36. A dispensing well 50 is provided in the top wall 32 of the drinking spout 40, centered at or near the crest thereof. Top wall 32, outer spout wall 34, and inner spout wall 36 all descend gradually from either side of the raised drink spout 40 towards shallow end 38, and wrap around circular portion 70 to form the annular portion 30.

(19) Dispensing well 50 establishes communication with the beverage inside the drinking cup and enables a user to consume a beverage from the drinking cup without removing lid 10 therefrom. The outer spout wall 34 can be made slightly taller than the inner spout wall 36 near the dispensing well 50, so that a user may drink comfortably without his/her lower lip coming in contact with the peripheral grip portion 20. In consuming the beverage from the drinking cup to which lid 10 is attached, a user places his/her lips around the dispensing well 50, such that the user's lower lip is in contact with the outer spout wall 34 and the user's upper lip is in contact with the inner spout wall 36. The cup is then tilted until the beverage flows from the openings provided in the dispensing well and into the user's mouth.

(20) Dispensing well 50 is equipped with certain splash resistant features. The construction of the dispensing well is shown in the enlarged views of FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the dispensing well 50 in the same general orientation of the lid 10 as is shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the dispensing well 50 in the same general orientation of the lid 10 as is shown in FIG. 2. The dispensing well 50 includes end walls 54 and 56 protruding downwardly from the top wall 32 into the interior of the lid. The lower edges of end walls 54 and 56 in the dispensing well 50 are connected to a bottom wall 52. The bottom wall 52 serves as the primary baffle or splash deflector, such that most of the direct beverage splashes from the drinking cup impinge the underside of the bottom wall 52 and are deflected back into the drinking cup. A pair of dispensing well openings 60 and 62 are provided in the dispensing well 50 opposite to one another, such that the well opening 60 is proximate the outer spout wall 34 and the well opening 62 is proximate the inner spout wall 36. In the enlarged view shown in FIG. 3 only the opening 60 is visible, while in the enlarged view shown in FIG. 4, only the opening 62 is visible.

(21) FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the lid 10 through the spout 40 in an orientation similar to FIG. 1, showing raised spout 40 on the right, wherein the relative arrangement of the two openings in the dispensing well 50 is shown. The sectional view of the dispensing well 50 of FIG. 5 is shown in an enlarged form in FIG. 6. The sectional plane passes through openings 60 and 62 that are shown via dotted lines for ease of viewing and description. The dispensing well openings 60 and 62 have a nearly vertical orientation when the cup-lid assembly is in an upright position, such that direct line-of-sight paths for beverage splashes are avoided, or at least minimized. Beverage splashes that are vertically directed will mostly impinge upon the underside of the bottom wall 52 of the dispensing well or the underside of the top wall 32 and very little fluid will escape through the openings 60 and 62, because of their nearly vertical orientation.

(22) It will be realized that, for ease-of-molding and manufacturability reasons, in various embodiments the openings 60 and 62 are inclined at an angle to the vertical. Preferably, the openings 60 and 62 are inclined less than 30 degrees from the vertical axis, more preferably the openings are inclined less than 20 degrees from the vertical, and most preferably less than 10 degrees from the vertical. As will also be clear from FIGS. 5 and 6, the openings 60 and 62 are generally disposed opposite to each other, such that splashes that have a flow component in the horizontal direction, upon entering the dispensing well through one of the openings, will have an opportunity to be diverted back into the cup through the opposite opening.

(23) The relative arrangement of the dispensing well openings 60 and 62 is also shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, wherein FIG. 7 provides a top view of lid 10 that will be visible to a user when the lid is mounted on a drinking cup, while FIG. 8 provides a bottom view of the lid 10 from its interior or underside that will be in contact with the beverage splashes when mounted to a drinking cup. FIG. 8 shows the underside of the bottom wall 52 of the dispensing well 50, which serves as the primary baffle for deflecting beverage splashes. Due to their nearly vertical orientations, the dispensing well openings 60 and 62 appear merely as narrow slits in both FIGS. 7 and 8.

(24) The bottom wall and the opposing openings 60 and 62 provide a synergistic effect in various splash circumstances: (1) The bottom wall 52 serves as the primary baffle deflecting any upwardly bound splashes from the normal fluid level in the drinking cup; (2) if a certain volume of splashed beverage emerges from the opening 60 it can, at least partially, flow through the opening 62 and drain back into the cup rather than the entire volume being splashed out of the dispensing well 50; (3) if a certain volume of splashed beverage emerges from the opening 62 it can, at least partially, flow through the opening 60 and drain back into the cup rather than the entire volume being splashed out of the dispensing well 50; and (4) if the splashed beverage emerges from both the openings 60 and 62 concurrently, then the flow fronts through the openings 60 and 62 will impinge against each other and reverse direction, such that a substantial quantity of the beverage drains back into the cup, in a manner similar to momentum transfer when two balls traveling in opposing directions collide against each other and reverse directions.

(25) The frequency and/or probability of occurrence of the above splash circumstances will depend on a number of factors, including lid construction features such as location, orientation, size and shape of the openings, the amount of beverage in the drinking cup, the intensity of agitation of the beverage in the drinking cup due to sudden acceleration or deceleration, the angle at which the cup is held, the type and temperature of the beverage, etc. It will be realized, however, that in normal use, once the cup is tipped towards the user's mouth, the flow cross-sections of the openings 60 and 62 will work cooperatively to deliver greater beverage flow through the spout well of the lid.

(26) The orientation and mutual arrangement of the dispensing well openings 60 and 62 enables reconciliation of conflicting requirements, in that the dispensing well openings do not have to be constricted to provide adequate splash resistance. Thus, the dispensing well openings 60 and 62 provide increased beverage flow through the dispensing well while drinking, and improved splash resistance (i.e. reduced beverage flow) when the cup-lid assembly is upright. The areas of drinking orifices used on typical coffee cup lids at leading coffee chains range from about 0.065 to 0.077 in.sup.2 (square inches) based on measurements. In contrast, the combined area of the dispensing well openings 60 and 62 (i.e. sum of areas of individual openings) can be larger than the drink through opening(s) that are typically used on commercial coffee cup lids.

(27) It has been found that the combined area of the dispensing well openings should be at least 0.06 in.sup.2 to obtain reasonable beverage flow. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the combined area of openings 60 and 62 is greater than 0.08 in.sup.2. According to certain embodiments of the invention, the combined area of openings 60 and 62 ranges between 0.08 and 0.2 in.sup.2. According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the combined area of the openings 60 and 62 is between 0.09 and 0.12 in.sup.2 for hot beverages such as tea and coffee. It will be realized that viscous and thick fluids such as milk shakes and frappes may require even larger opening sizes and vent holes. According to some preferred embodiments of the invention, the combined area of the dispensing well openings is about 0.10 in.sup.2. According to certain embodiments, each of the openings 60 and 62 has an area in the range of 0.04 to 0.08 in.sup.2.

(28) It will be recognized that the dispensing well openings 60 and 62 may be of equal size or unequal size. According to some embodiments of the invention, the areas of the dispensing well openings do not differ from each other by more than +/30%. According to preferred embodiments of the invention, the areas of the dispensing well openings do not differ from each other by more than +/15%.

(29) Lid 10 also includes a plurality of vent holes 80 configured for allowing air to flow into the cup to replenish the loss of volume due to beverage flowing out of the dispensing well 50 as it is consumed. It will be apparent that the plurality of vent holes 80 can be replaced with a single vent hole of a larger size. However, it will be recognized by those skilled in the art that a larger vent hole may also allow beverage to splash out through the vent hole if the area of the vent hole exceeds a certain threshold size. Based on experiments, the vent hole diameter should be less than 0.060 inches to prevent splashing through the vent hole under normal conditions, and preferably less than 0.040 inches. In certain embodiments, the vent hole diameter is about 0.032 inches. Vent holes with diameters less than 0.032 inches can be employed by using a larger number of vent holes.

(30) Nonetheless, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the locations, sizes, shapes and number of the vent holes can be varied according to the features and flow performance desired. For example, a larger number of vent holes can be used for improved beverage flow. Thus, a lid construction can be optimized by manipulating the combined area of the openings in the dispensing well, the vent hole diameter(s) and the number of vent holes.

(31) FIG. 9 illustrates an enlarged cross-sectional view of the peripheral grip portion 20 of lid 10, engaged with a drinking cup 500. The drinking cup 500 has a generally rolled rim 502 in engagement with the peripheral grip portion 20 of the lid 10. As shown, the grip portion 20 comprises a channel formed by walls 24, 26 and 28, although other constructions for holding the cup rim can be utilized. A pinched corner or chamfer can be provided at the junction of walls 24 and 26, for ensuring additional contact with the rounded rim 502 of the drinking cup 500. A protruding snap bead 22 is provided in the embodiment of FIG. 9 for securing the roller rim 502 within the grip portion.

(32) FIG. 10 shows a lid 210 according to another embodiment of the invention, which is similar in construction to lid 10 of FIGS. 1 to 9, except that lid 210 has a different arrangement of vent holes. For ease of description, like parts of lid 210 and lid 10 bear like reference numerals. In the embodiment of FIG. 10, one group of vent holes 80 is located near the periphery of the lid 210 in a region opposite to the drink spout 40, similar to the vent holes of the lid 10 shown in FIG. 1. In addition, lid 210 includes another group of vent holes 82 that are located in the central portion of the lid, proximate the inner spout wall 36 of the drink spout 40. It will be realized that the individual vent holes denoted by reference numerals 80 and 82 can all be the same size, or can vary in size. Two or more vent holes of smaller size can be substituted with a larger vent hole and vice versa. It will further be realized that a larger vent hole can be substituted with two or more smaller vent holes, depending on the vent hole diameter needed for preventing splashes, as discussed above.

(33) FIGS. 11 through 13 show a lid 310 according to another embodiment of the invention which is similar in construction to lid 10 of FIGS. 1-9, except that lid 310 includes additional interior baffle walls proximal to the dispensing well that further channel and restrict the flow of splashed beverage. In particular, FIG. 11 is a view from the bottom or underside of lid 310, similar to FIG. 8. Once again, like reference numerals represent like parts. As shown in FIG. 11, lid 310 includes dispensing well 50 bounded by end walls 54 and 56, and includes a bottom wall 52, similar to lid 10. Dispensing well openings 60 and 62 (not identified in the bottom view of FIG. 11) appear merely as narrow slits because of their nearly vertical orientations. Lid 310, includes baffle walls 90 and 92 on either side of end wall 54, wherein baffle wall 90 connects end wall 54 with outer spout wall 34, and baffle wall 92 connects end wall 54 with inner spout wall 36. Similarly, baffle walls 94 and 96 are provided on either side of end wall 56, wherein baffle wall 94 connects end wall 56 with outer spout wall 34, and baffle wall 96 connects end wall 56 with inner spout wall 36.

(34) Baffle walls 90, 92, 94, and 96, collectively, serve to restrict swirling or laterally-splashing masses of beverage inside the drinking cup from entering the dispensing well as the drinking cup is being held by the user or is otherwise subjected to agitation and movement.

(35) A close-up perspective view of the dispensing well 50 from the bottom or underside of lid 310 is shown in FIG. 12. In this view, the dispensing well opening 62 is visible, and the arrangement of the baffle walls 90, 92, 94, and 96 relative to the end walls 54 and 56, spout outer wall 34, and spout inner wall 36 can be readily seen. Baffle walls 92 and 96 serve to prevent lateral or swirling masses of beverage from reaching dispensing well opening 62. Similarly, baffle walls 90 and 94 prevent lateral or swirling masses of beverage from reaching the dispensing well opening 60 (not shown in FIG. 12).

(36) FIG. 13 is a sectional close-up view of the spout area of lid 310, similar to FIG. 6, wherein like reference numerals once again represent like elements. As shown in FIG. 13, the baffle wall 90 connects end wall 54 with outer spout wall 34. Similarly, baffle wall 92 connects end wall 54 with inner spout wall 36. As will be realized, baffle wall 92, end wall 54, and baffle wall 90 collectively serve to block fluid masses coming from behind them from entering the dispensing well. A similar blocking effect is provided by baffle wall 96, end wall 56, and baffle wall 94. Thus, for the most part, only vertically upright splashes will reach the space between baffle walls 92 and 96 and baffle walls 90 and 94.

(37) It will be appreciated that the rest of the splashed fluid mass from the cup that does not enter the space between baffles 92 and 96 and the space between baffles 90 and 94 will hit the interior surfaces of the lid and be directed back into the cup. In addition, a portion of the splashed fluid that is directed between the baffle walls will impinge against the underside of the spout top wall 32, and will also be redirected back into the cup. Thus, only a relatively small portion of the splashed fluid will escape openings 60 and 62.

(38) The effectiveness of the lid according to embodiments of the present invention in reducing the escape of splashed liquid and droplets from the drinking cup was verified by comparing splashing of coffee over prior art lids having an open drink-through opening. Two cups filled with equal amounts of coffee were placed in the cup holders of a car next to each other, wherein one of the cups was equipped with a typical open-spout lid of the prior art, and the other was equipped with a lid constructed according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 9. The car was driven for about fifty minutes so as to simulate a long commute, but the path was chosen to have some speed bumps, pot-holes, and a rail road crossing, and the driving included sudden braking and acceleration.

(39) Beverage loss from the respective cup-lid assemblies was measured by weighing the cups before and after the experiment. The beverage loss from the cup having the open spout prior art lid assembly was about 7 grams, while the beverage loss from the cup having a lid assembly according to the present invention was merely 0.8 grams. Thus, the open spout prior art lid allowed over 8.5 times more beverage splashing than the lid of the present invention. In other words, the loss from splashing allowed by the lid of the present invention was less than 12% of that allowed by the prior art, open spout lid. Thus, the open spout lid exhibited substantial beverage loss due to splashes and spills, and the lid of the present invention offered substantial improvement over the open spout lid in terms of splashing.

(40) The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. Each and every page of this submission, and all contents thereon, however characterized, identified, or numbered, is considered a substantive part of this application for all purposes, irrespective of form or placement within the application.

(41) This specification is not intended to be exhaustive. Although the present application is shown in a limited number of forms, the scope of the invention is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. One or ordinary skill in the art should appreciate after learning the teachings related to the claimed subject matter contained in the foregoing description that many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter includes any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof, unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. In particular, the limitations presented in dependent claims below can be combined with their corresponding independent claims in any number and in any order without departing from the scope of this disclosure, unless the dependent claims are logically incompatible with each other.