Closure for a beverage cup

Abstract

A closure for a beverage cup. The closure comprises a lid having a drinking opening and a rotatable member in rotatable engagement with the lid. The rotatable member swivels laterally of the lid between an open and a closed position. The rotatable member being adapted to close the opening in the lid when the rotatable member is in a closed position. The closure also comprises a vent in the lid that vents into a void under the rotatable member. When the rotatable member is in the closed position the void is sealed to an outside of the closure and when the rotatable member is in the open position the void is open to the outside.

Claims

1. A closure for a beverage cup, the closure comprising: a lid having a drinking opening; a rotatable member in rotatable engagement with the lid, wherein the rotatable member swivels laterally of the lid between an open and a closed position, the rotatable member being adapted to close the opening in the lid when the rotatable member is in a closed position; and a vent in the lid that vents there-through and into a void located under the rotatable member; wherein when the rotatable member is in the closed position the void is sealed to an outside of the closure and when the rotatable member is in the open position the void is open to the outside.

2. The closure of claim 1, wherein the void is sealed to an outside of the closure by being located on one side of a barrier and when the rotatable member is in the open position an access path moves to bridge the barrier to open the void to the outside.

3. The closure of claim 2, wherein in the closed position the access path is located on one or the other side of the barrier.

4. The closure of claim 2, wherein the access path is defined by a recess on an underside of the rotatable member.

5. The closure of claim 4, wherein the recess is a dome.

6. The closure of claim 2, wherein the barrier is a sealing ridge and the access path bridges the sealing ridge when the rotatable member is in the open position.

7. The closure of claim 6, wherein the sealing ridge is a continuous loop that extends around the vent when the rotatable member is in the closed position.

8. The closure of claim 6, wherein the sealing ridge is overmoulded onto the lid.

9. The closure of claim 1, wherein the vent is provided at an engagement between the lid and rotatable member.

10. The closure of claim 1, wherein the rotatable member is engaged with the lid at a cam engagement so that when the rotatable member is rotated to the closed position the cam engagement causes the rotatable member to urge against the lid.

11. A closure for a beverage cup, the closure comprising: a lid having a drinking opening; a rotatable member rotatably engaged with the lid at an attachment such that the rotatable member swivels laterally of the lid between an open and a closed position, the rotatable member being adapted to close the opening in the lid when the rotatable member is in a closed position; and the rotatable member being engaged with the lid at the attachment by a cam engagement so that when the rotatable member is rotated to the closed position the cam engagement causes the rotatable member to urge against the lid.

12. The closure of claim 11, wherein the rotatable member is removeably attached to the lid by a bayonette fitting.

13. The closure of claim 12, wherein the cam engagement comprises a first cam surface on the bayonette fitting.

14. The closure of claim 13, wherein the first cam surface is on the rotatable member.

15. The closure of claim 14, wherein the cam engagement comprises a second cam surface on the bayonette fitting, wherein the second cam surface is on the lid.

16. The closure of claim 13, wherein the first cam surface is in the shape of a wedge.

17. The closure of claim 15, wherein the second cam surface is in the shape of a wedge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An embodiment, incorporating all aspects of the invention, will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1a is an isometric exploded assembly view of a beverage cup including cup components in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 1b is a cross-sectional exploded assembly view of FIG. 1a;

(4) FIG. 2a is an isometric view of the top of a closure;

(5) FIG. 2b is an isometric view of the bottom of a closure;

(6) FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an underside of a rotatable member of the closure;

(7) FIG. 4a is a plan exploded assembly view of the closure;

(8) FIG. 4b is a cross-sectional exploded assembly view along the line A-A in FIG. 4a;

(9) FIG. 5a is a plan view of the closure with the rotatable member in a closed position;

(10) FIG. 5b is a section view along the line C-C in FIG. 5a;

(11) FIG. 5c is an enlarged view of detail A in FIG. 5b;

(12) FIG. 5d is a section view along the line A-A in FIG. 5a;

(13) FIG. 5e is an enlarged view of a detail B in FIG. 5d;

(14) FIG. 6a is a plan view of the lid with the rotatable member in an open position;

(15) FIG. 6b is a section view along the line C-C in FIG. 6a;

(16) FIG. 6c is an enlarged view of detail C in FIG. 6b;

(17) FIG. 6d is a section view along the line A-A in FIG. 6a;

(18) FIG. 6e is an enlarged view of detail D in FIG. 6d;

(19) FIG. 7a is an isometric exploded assembly view of a beverage cup including cup components in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and

(20) FIG. 7b a cross-sectional exploded assembly view of FIG. 7a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(21) FIGS. 1a, 1b, 7a and 7b illustrate an exploded beverage cup assembly 11 including a beverage cup 15 having a closure 10 that sealingly closes an upper opening 18 of the cup 15, a boot 40,140 for removably attaching to a beverage cup 15, and a band 50 further securing the boot 40,140 against the beverage cup. FIGS. 2a to 6e illustrate the closure 10 having a lid 20 and a rotatable member 30 in rotatable engagement with the lid 20.

(22) Referring to FIGS. 2a, 2b and 3, the lid 20 has a drinking opening 22 through which the contents of the beverage cup may be dispensed. In this example we will refer to the contents of the beverage cup as a hot beverage, such as coffee, however it will be understood that any hot or cold beverage could be contained within the beverage cup. Preferably the opening 22 will be on a top surface 21 of the lid 20, located towards the periphery of the top surface 21. This is to provide easy access of the user's mouth to the opening 22, allowing the user to drink directly through the opening 22, rather than having to pour the contents into another beverage container before consuming.

(23) The rotatable member 30, which is rotatably engaged with the lid 20, is able to swivel laterally of the lid between an open position and a closed position. The terms swivel and laterally are taken to mean that the rotatable member 30 swivels about a point in the lid that is co-axial with a longitudinal axis of the cup 15 and which movement is lateral of the lid, namely in a plane above the lid.

(24) The rotatable member 30 is removably attached to the lid 20. This attachment may be achieved in a number of ways, for example by a push fit. In the embodiment shown in the figures the attachment is achieved by a bayonette fitting 24, 34 between the lid 20 and the rotatable member 30. In addition, the rotatable member 30 has a plug 32 on its underside that is adapted to close the opening 22 of the lid 20 when the rotatable member 30 is in the closed position. The lid 20 may also comprise a holding area 29 for holding the plug 32 when he rotatable member 30 is in the open position, however this is not essential.

(25) The lid 20 further comprises a vent 25 that allows the interior of the beverage cup 15 to vent into a void 26 under the rotatable member 30. When the rotatable member 30 is in the closed position the void 26 is sealed to an outside of the closure (and the beverage cup) and when the rotatable member 30 is in the open position the void 26 is open to the outside. This ensures that when the rotatable member 30 is in the closed position steam from the hot beverage may rise up through the vent 25 and into the void 26, but not leave the beverage cup 15. As such, the steam is trapped within the beverage cup assembly 11, minimising heat loss. In contrast, when the rotatable member 30 is in the open position, and the void 26 is open to the outside, air and steam are able to freely travel in and out of the beverage cup 15 through the vent 25, allowing pressure equalisation. Pressure equalisation is important when a user is drinking through the opening 22 as without the vent 25 the beverage will not flow out of the drinking opening 22 without air passing back through the opening 22 into the beverage cup, or deformation of the beverage cup 15 or closure 10.

(26) In the embodiment shown in the figures the vent 25 is located at the hole for the bayonette fitting 24 in the lid 20, and specifically may comprise a number of gaps between the rotatable member and lid at the bayonette fitting. It is understood that the vent could be annular and exist around the entire bayonette fitting. However, it is also understood that the vent could be a separate hole formed in the lid.

(27) The void 26 is defined by an annular space between the rotatable member and the lid, which space can be sealed against escape of fluid from/to the outside of the closure 10. Sealing of the space occurs when the rotatable member is moved to the closed position and an underside 39 of the rotatable member 30 contacts a sealing barrier, which in the embodiment illustrated is a sealing ridge 28 on the lid surface 21. Opening the void is brought about by opening an access path 35 between the lid and rotatable member. The access path can be a recess, for example a dome 36, formed on the underside 39 of the rotatable member that provides access over the sealing barrier by bridging across, or straddling, the sealing barrier. As shown in the Figures, dome 36 bridges the sealing ridge 28 on the lid surface 21 to open the void to the outside, when the rotatable member 30 is in the open position. Specifically, fluid, and in particular gas, can pass between the void and outside the closure (when mounted on a beverage cup) by flowing into the access path, and namely under the dome, and over sealing ridge 28, to escape out from under the rotatable member. The flow path is reversed for fluid flow into the beverage cup.

(28) It is understood that by sealed in terms of the void being sealed, the seal created at the void need not be an absolutely perfect gas-tight seal, but need only be sufficiently sealed to prevent the transfer of most fluid to an acceptable extent for the purpose of beverages.

(29) In the preferred embodiment shown in the figure the sealing ridge 28 is a continuous loop that extends around the vent 25. The loop contains an enlarged path 31 that in the closed position of the rotatable member, which corresponds to the void being sealed, the enlarged path encloses the access path within the void so that it no longer bridges the ridge, but is contained within the sealing ridge. Accordingly, the access path to the outside is closed.

(30) The sealing ridge 28 may be made from the same material as the lid 20, or it may be formed separately as a standard seal, for example, an O-ring. In the embodiment shown in the figures the sealing ridge 28 is formed from a different material to that of the lid 20 and specifically is overmoulded onto the lid 20. Overmoulding allows characteristics of different materials to be exploited. For example, the lid may be made of a polymer or a copolymer, such as a thermoset or a thermoplastic. More specifically, the material may be substantially rigid, such as polypropylene, polypropylene-copolymer, polyethylene (LDPE or HDPE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or a polyamide (e.g. Nylon), allowing a more rigid body structure for the lid 20, while the sealing ridge 28 may be made from a more deformable material, suitable for forming a seal for the void. Examples of such overmoulded materials include Santoprene Infuse and other deformable and/or flexible and/or elastic material including forms of silicon and rubber.

(31) Overmoulding allows two materials to be joined without the use of adhesives. In general, overmoulding utilises an initial substrate, which may or may not have been moulded, with a second material being moulded over the top of the initial substrate. The overmoulding process generally utilises mechanical interlocks to create a single part in which the materials are not separable without first breaking the interlock. The lid 20 shown in the Figures represents the initial product, or base substrate, on which overmoulding takes place, with the sealing ridge 28 being the overmoulded material. The overmoulded result can be seen most clearly in FIGS. 5c and 6c, which shows the overmoulded material, which comprises the sealing ridge 28, extending all the way through the thickness of the lid with a mechanical interlock holding it locked in the lid 20.

(32) Referring to FIGS. 3, 5c and 6c, the rotatable member 30 comprises dome 36 that acts as an access path when it bridges the sealing ridge 28, when the rotatable member 30 is in the open position. As the rotatable member 30 moves to the closed position, dome 36 subscribes a part-circular path around the lid. The rotatable member 30 rotates approximately a quarter of a circle and is obstructed from rotating all the way around by moulded stops 37 in the lid). For most of the rotatable member's rotation dome 36 bridges across sealing ridge 28, but for a portion thereof dome 36 locates over the enlarged path and so the void is sealed.

(33) This sealing in the closed position may be achieved by having the dome 36 completely on either the inside or the outside of the sealing ridge 28. In the embodiment shown in the figures the sealing ridge 28 is designed such that the dome 36 is completely within the boundary of the sealing ridge 28 when the rotatable member 30 is in the closed position (FIG. 5c).

(34) It is understood that while the dome 36 has been described interacting with a sealing ridge 28 that has been overmoulded onto the lid 20, the sealing ridge could be formed together with the lid and from the same material.

(35) Referring to FIG. 6c, when the user drinks from the opening 22 air flows from outside of the cup towards the sealing ridge 28, the air then flows up into the dome 36, over the sealing ridge 28, and back down on the other side of the sealing ridge 28 into the void 26. From the void 26 the air is then able to flow through the vent 25 into the beverage cup 15. To assist the air in accessing the dome 36 the rotatable member 30 may have a breather gap 38 at the periphery of the rotatable member 30, to allow air to more easily enter the dome 36 in the rotatable member 30.

(36) Referring to FIGS. 5e and 6e, the rotatable member 30 is engaged with the lid 20 at an engagement 60. The void is annular and extends around an engagement 60. The engagement 60 is a cam engagement defined by a cam surface 62 at the engagement 60. The cam surface 62 provides a cam relationship between the rotatable member and the lid such that when the rotatable member 30 is rotated to the closed position the cam surface 62 causes the rotatable member 30 to urge against the lid 20, effectively pulling the rotatable member against the lid and enhancing the seals between the member and lid, including the seals at the plug.

(37) In the embodiment shown in the Figures, when the rotatable member 30 is pulled closer to the lid 20 the rotatable member 30 compresses the sealing ridge 28, forming a seal. The cam surface 62 may be provided on either the lid 20 or the rotatable member 30, however, in the preferred embodiment, both the lid and the rotatable member have camming surfaces. As shown in the Figures, the cam surface 62 is located on the bayonette fitting 24. The cam surface 62 is in the shape of a wedge but could also be an inclinded surface.

(38) While the embodiment shown in the figures comprises both a cam surface 62 and a sealing ridge 28, it is understood that the closure 10 could function without the sealing ridge 28. That is, the closure 10 for the beverage cup 15 could comprise a lid 20, a rotatable member 30 engaged with the lid 20 at an engagement 60, and the engagement 60 having a cam surface 62 at the engagement of the lid 20 and the rotatable member 30. In addition, it is also understood that the cam surface 62 could function with the sealing ridge 28 whether the sealing ridge 28 was made from the same material as the lid 20 or a different material to the lid 20.

(39) When the cam surface 62 causes the rotatable member 30 to urge against to the lid 20 the rotatable member 30 will inevitably pull the plug 32 closer/further into the opening 22 of the lid 20. This action will aid in ensuring a strong seal at the opening 22 when the rotatable member 30 is in the closed position.

(40) While the overmoulding process previously described was used to create the sealing ridge 28 on the lid 20, it is understood that the process can be used to provide a second material overmoulded on a surface of the lid that provides a seal at the surface, such as the previously discussed sealing ridge 28, a plug seal 23 to assist in sealing the plug 32 with the opening 22, or a cap seal 27 between the beverage cup 15 and the lid 20 to assist in sealing the lid 20 with the beverage cup 15.

(41) It is understood that a second material overmoulded on a surface of the lid that provides a seal at the surface would not require all of the above-mentioned features of the preferred embodiment to function. For example, a plug seal 23 would improve the sealing abilities of the opening 22 whether the cam surface 62 was present or not.

(42) In order to increase the insulating capacity of the beverage cup 15 a boot 40,140 may be removably attached to the beverage cup 15. Referring to FIGS. 1a, 1b, 7a and 7b, two versions of a boot are illustrated, namely the long boot 40 and the short boot 140, which are discussed in more detail below.

(43) The boot 40,140 has an annular body 42,142 that surrounds an exterior surface 16 of the beverage cup 15. The body 42,142 of the boot 40,140 has resilient segments, which appear as tabs 44,144 in the figures, spaced around the beverage cup 15. In addition, the tabs 44,144 also have a lip 45,145 at ends of the tabs that is adapted to locate into a corresponding groove 17, or undercut, on the beverage cup 15. The boot 40,140 is made of a resilient material, such as polypropylene, polypropylene-copolymer, polyethylene (LDPE or HDPE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or a polyamide (e.g. Nylon). Alternatively, the boot may be made of a metal having resilient properties, for example an aluminium boot.

(44) The boot 40,140 is sized such that there is an air gap between the internal surface 48 of the boot body 42 and the exterior surface 16 of the beverage cup 15. The boot 140 may have spacers 146 on an internal surface 148 of the boot body 142 that maintain a consistent air gap between the internal surface 148 of the boot body 142 and the exterior surface 16 of the beverage cup 15. The spacers 146 are illustrated on the short boot 140 but are not present in the illustrated embodiment of the long boot 40. Spacers 146 are equally spaced around the circumference of the boot to space the boot 140 away from the cup's exterior surface to create an air gap between an internal surface 48 of the boot 40 and the exterior surface 16 of the beverage cup 15 for an insulating effect. This is achieved by having a substantially closed air gap (as with the long boot) or an open air gap (as with the short boot) to allow airflow through the air gap to cool the surface of the cup. Insulation works to either retain the heat from the beverage inside the cup, and/or to reduce the transfer of heat from the cup through conduction to a user's hand. For added insulation the cup may be lined with a reflective film to reduce transmission of radiant heat to the cup's exterior surface 16.

(45) A flexible band 50 is annular and overlies the boot body 42,142 and compresses against the boot body to retain the tabs 44,144 against the beverage cup 15, further securing the lip 45,145 in the groove 17. The flexible band also provides and enhanced gripping area for the user and may be made out of an elastomeric material such as silicon or rubber, so that the band is able to repeatedly stretch over the boot body 42,142 and provide a compression force against the boot body 42,142. The band 50 may also have a lip 52 adapted to locate into the groove 17 in the beverage cup 15.

(46) Referring to FIGS. 7a and 7b, the boot 140 may take the form of a band itself lying under band 50 and be open at the bottom 147 of the boot 140 (short boot).The result is that the hand of the user will be insulated from the temperature of the beverage cup 15, as the air is freely able to circulate around the beverage cup 15 and under the boot 140. If the boot 140 is open at the bottom 47 of the boot 140 the spacers 146 are required to maintain the air gap between the internal surface 148 of the boot body 142 and the exterior surface 16 of the beverage cup 15. The spacers 146 also help to ensure minimal contact between the boot 40,140 and the beverage cup 15, helping to reduce the transmission of heat from the beverage cup 15 to the boot 40,140 through conduction. In addition, the spacers are tapered down the cup to provide a smoother fit on the cup. The short boot 140 may also have relief structures 149, allowing the boot 40 to stretch to accommodate manufacturing variations in the beverage cup 15, such as those that may occur if the beverage cup 15 were made from glass.

(47) In contrast, the boot 40 may entirely encompass the base of the cup and therefore the bottom 47 of the boot 40 is closed (long boot). In this way, hot beverage is insulated from the outside conditions as the air gap between the beverage cup 15 and the boot 40 is enclosed. The air gap significantly reduces heat loss that occurs via conduction but radiant heat can still travel through the air barrier. A reflective material lining the internal surface 48 of the boot body 42 and/or the exterior surface 16 of the beverage cup 15 will reduce heat transfer through radiation. The reflective characteristic in the reflective material may be inherent in the material itself or may be a coating (e.g. foil) on a base substrate. Reflective surfaces can significantly reduce the transmission of radiant heat through either reflectivity and/or emissivity.

(48) It is understood that a boot 140 with an open bottom, and a boot 40 with a closed bottom, are desirable embodiments, depending on the relative temperature difference between the beverage and the ambient surrounding air temperature.

(49) In one form the beverage cup 15 is made of a polymer material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or a polyamide (e.g. Nylon). However, in another form the cup 15 can be formed from glass, including all exterior grooves 17. Glass is more desirable to drink from by some users. Furthermore, glass is 100% recyclable and can be recycled indefinitely without loss of quality or performance. Preferably the glass would be tempered, reducing shard formation if the glass is ever broken. In yet another embodiment the cup 15 could be made from metal, such as aluminium.

(50) Additionally, the band 50 may take the form of a band of cork, where cork provides excellent insulating properties. The cork band would be moulded to take the form of the exterior profile of the cup, and in particular the glass cup. If the beverage cup 15 has a groove 17, the cork band 50 would include a lip 52. The cork band could include a plasticizer and may be made from recycled cork.

(51) It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

(52) In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word comprise or variations such as comprises or comprising is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.