Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
BEVERAGE CONTAINER LID HAVING BAFFLE ARRANGEMENT
FOR LIQUID COOLING
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1 ) FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The subject matter of this invention is directed to a removable lid
for a beverage container and more particularly to a lid that is designed to
minimize the possibility of burning a user's mouth during consuming a hot
beverage and also substantially prevent accidental spillage of the liquid
beverage
from the beverage container.
2) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
It is exceedingly common within the present day society to utilize
beverage containers that are made of paper and plastic that are intended to be
used once and then disposed. It is also exceedingly common for individuals to
utilize these disposable beverage containers to contain hot beverages such as
coffee, tea and hot chocolate. It is common that an individual is mobile while
consuming of the beverage as the individual may be walking from one location
to another, riding in a car or doing some other activity other than merely
sitting.
-1 -
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
It is common to have a lid substantially enclose the open mouth of the
beverage
container. The primary function of the lid is to prevent leakage of the
beverage
which can easily occur when the consumer is moving from one location to
another or riding in a car. The movement of the car or the movement of the
consumer can cause the beverage to move within the beverage container and be
squirted out through the dispensing opening formed within the lid. This
spilling
of the beverage can be deposited on the consumer's hands and clothing or on
articles contained near the consumer, such as on a desk.
Another problem associated with lids of the past is that the hot
liquid is dispensed directly from the beverage container, through the
dispensing
opening into the consumer's mouth. Frequently, the hot liquid is at such an
elevated temperature that it can actually cause a burn to occur on the lips of
the
consumer and within the mouth of the consumer. In the past, there has not
been made any effort to construct lids to substantially eliminate the
possibility
of the consumer being burned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of beverage container lid which has an exterior
cover and an interior cover, both of which are discoid shaped. The peripheral
edge of the interior cover is permanently secured to the peripheral edge of
the
exterior cover. Located between the interior cover and the exterior cover is a
substantially enclosed space. The peripheral edge of the exterior cover is to
be
_2_
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
removably mounted over the mouth of a beverage container with the liquid of
the
beverage container to be capable of being moved through an inlet opening
formed within the interior cover to then be contained within the substantially
enclosed space, The inlet opening is non-centrally located within the interior
cover with the forward edge of the inlet opening being located substantially
closer to the peripheral edge than the rearward edge of the inlet opening. A
partition is attached to the interior cover and is located within the
substantially
enclosed space. The partition has a top edge which is to be located in contact
with the interior surface of the exterior cover. The length of the partition
is to
be at least equal to the length of the inlet opening which requires that the
beverage that passes through the inlet opening must pass around the partition
to be located within a gap area defined as being part of the substantially
enclosed space. A dispensing opening is formed within the exterior cover and
is aligned with the gap area. The beverage from the gap area is to be
dispensed
exteriorly of the beverage container through this dispensing opening by
tilting of
the beverage container.
A second embodiment of beverage container lid which also has an
exterior cover and an interior cover both of which are discoid. The peripheral
edge of the interior cover is permanently secured to the peripheral edge of
the
exterior cover. Located between the interior cover and the exterior cover is a
substantially enclosed space. The peripheral edge of the exterior cover is to
be
removably mounted over the mouth of the beverage container with the liquid of
the beverage container to be capable of being moved through a pair of inlet
openings formed within the interior cover to then be contained within the
-3-
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
substantially enclosed space. The pair of inlet openings are non-centrally
located
within the interior cover with the forward edge of the inlet openings being
located substantially closer to the peripheral edge than the rearward edge of
the
inlet openings. A wall assembly in the form of a pair of upstanding members is
attached to the interior cover with the upstanding members being located
between the pair of inlet openings. Each upstanding member has a top edge
which is to be located in contact with the interior surface of the exterior
cover.
The length of the upstanding members is to be at least equal to the length of
the
inlet openings which requires that the vast majority of the beverage that
passes
through the inlet openings must pass around the upstanding members to be
located within a gap area defined as being part of the substantially enclosed
space. A dispensing opening is formed within the exterior cover and is aligned
with the gap area. The beverage from the gap area is to be dispensed
exteriorly
of the beverage container through this dispensing opening by tilting of the
beverage container. Each upstanding member abuts against a raised surface
formed on the interior surface of the exterior cover. Each of these raised
surfaces includes a groove which permits a small quantity of the beverage to
be
. conducted directly from the substantially enclosed space to be deposited
within
gap area. These grooves provide an initial quantity of beverage into the gap
area
when the user is taking his or her first drink. The interior cover also
includes a
weep hole through which the liquid that is contained within the substantially
enclosed space can flow back into the beverage container and thereby be
reheated if a substantial length of time has occurred from the most recent
consumption. Also formed within the interior cover and the exterior cover is a
-4-
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
vent.
The primary objective of the present invention is to construct a
beverage container lid which substantially eliminates the possibility of
spillage
of the beverage from the beverage container upon the beverage container
encountering a sudden movement.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a
beverage container lid which substantially eliminates the possibility of a hot
beverage burning of the consumer's lips or mouth duririg consuming of the hot
beverage.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a
beverage container lid which can be constructed inexpensively and therefor
sold
to the ultimate consumer at a relatively inexpensive price.
Another objective of the present invention is to construct a
beverage container lid which is simple in construction and therefore non-
complex
to manufacture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be
made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present
invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings.
2p Figure 1 is an exterior view of a typical beverage container on
-5-
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
which has been installed the first embodiment of beverage container lid of the
present invention;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the first embodiment of beverage
container lid of the present invention taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through the beverage container
and the first embodiment of beverage container lid of this invention taken
along
line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the beverage container in a normal resting
upright
position;
Figure 4 is a view partly in cross-section through the first
embodiment of beverage container lid of the present invention taken along line
4-4 of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the beverage
container in the typical tilted position for consuming of the beverage
contained
within the beverage container;
Figure 6 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of beverage
container lid of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the second
embodiment of beverage container lid of the present invention taken along line
7-7 of Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the second
embodiment of beverage container lid of the present invention taken along line
8-8 of Figure 7 showing in more detail the flow of the beverage through the
dispensing opening; and
Figure 9 is a view partly in cross-section of the interior surface of
-6-
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
the exterior cover of the second embodiment of beverage container lid of the
present invention taken along line 9-9 of Figure 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring particularly to the drawing, there is shown in Figure 1 a
beverage container 10 that has an internal chamber 12. Within the internal
chamber 12 there is to be located a quantity of a beverage 14. The beverage
container 10 has an open mouth 16. A typical beverage could be a cold
beverage or a hot beverage. However, the structure of the present invention is
designed in particular to be used in conjunction with a hot beverage such as
tea,
coffee or hot chocolate.
The open mouth 16 is to be closeable by a first embodiment of lid
18. The lid 18 is to be constructed of plastic or other similar type of sheet
material such as a paper composition. The lid 18 has an exterior cover 20 and
an interior cover 22. Both the exterior cover 20 and the interior cover 22 are
of
a discoid shape and are both substantially planar. However, it is to be within
the
scope of this invention that the covers 20 and 22 could be other than a
discoid
shape, such as for an example a square shape or another polygonal shape such
as hexagonal or octagonal. Typically, the thickness of the covers 20 and 22
will
generally by about one-eighth of an inch.
The interior cover 22 has a peripheral edge which is formed into
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
an annular flange 24. The upper edge of the annular flange 24 is glued or
otherwise fixedly secured, as by heat sealing, to the inside surface of the
exterior cover 20. Integrally connected to the peripheral edge of the exterior
cover 20 is an annular depending flange 26. In between the depending flange
26 and the annular flange 24 is located an annular groove 28. The upper edge
of the beverage container 10 located at the open mouth 1 ~6 is to be snugly
located within the annular groove 28. This will fixedly secure the lid 18 onto
the
beverage container 10. However, the lid 18 can be manually disengaged from
the beverage container 10 by merely pulling of the lid 18 away from the
beverage container 10.
The interior cover 22 includes an inlet opening 30. The inlet
opening 30 is generally no more than three quarters of an inch to one inch in
length and about one quarter of an inch wide. The inlet opening 30 is located
in an off center position within the interior cover 22. The inlet opening 30
has
a forward edge 32 and a rearward edge 34. Upon tilting of the beverage
container 10 to a tilted position, such as depicted within Figure 5, a small
quantity of the beverage 14 is to flow through the inlet opening 30 to within
the
substantially enclosed space 36 formed between the exterior cover 20 and the
interior cover 22.
Fixedly mounted onto the upper surface of the interior cover 22
at the forward edge 32 is a partition 38. The partition 38 has a top edge that
is to be in contact with the interior surface of the exterior cover 20. The
partition 38 comprises an arcuately shaped wall that is about three quarters
to
an inch long with it be important that the partition 38 be at least as long as
the
_g_
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
length of the inlet opening 30. Actually, the partition 38 comprises the
"punched out" material of interior cover 12 that forms inlet opening 30. In
between the partition 38 and the annular flange 24 is a gap area 40. It is to
be
noted that the gap area 40 is generally no more than a quarter to a half inch
wide. This means the partition 38 is located very near the annular flange 24
with there being a substantial amount of space from the rearward edge 34 to
the
annular flange 24. The reason for this is so that when the beverage container
is tilted is that the beverage 14 will flow through the inlet opening 30,
depicted by arrows 42, to against the partition 38 and then around the
partition
10 38 is shown by arrows 44 to within the gap area 40. Connecting with the gap
area 40 is a dispensing opening 46, which' is shown to be of a triangular
configuration. The consumer is to locate his or her mouth about the dispensing
opening 46 with the upper lip being located in the area of the point 48 and
the
bottom lip located close to but spaced from the base 50. The point 48 prevents
the beverage, if hot, from contacting to any great extent the upper lip of the
consumer. This is so as to protect the upper lip against burning. Although the
fact that the beverage has to travel some distance, that is from the inlet
opening
30, around the partition 38, to within the gap area 40 prior to being
dispensed
through the dispensing opening 46. This distance of travel should be
sufficient
enough to substantially cool the beverage and prevent burning of any portion
of
the consumer's mouth. Also, the vent holes 52 help to cool the beverage by
letting "steam" escape into the ambient.
If the beverage container 10 is jostled or inadvertently tipped over,
the fact that the beverage 14 must be conducted through the inlet opening 30
_g_
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
and then through the dispensing opening 46 substantially minimizes the
possibility of any accidental dispensing of the beverage 14. The vent holes 52
are so small that a minimal amount of beverage could flow through these holes
52 into the ambient if the beverage container 10 is tipped over. The purpose
of
this is to prevent contamination of the consumer's workplace as well as the
consumer's clothes and contact with the consumer's person.
Although the partition 38 is shown to be of an arcuate
configuration which is believed to help in directing the beverage 42 in the
direction of arrows 42, it is considered to be within the scope of this
invention
that the partition 38 could be of another configuration, such as a straight
configuration or possibly even a convex configuration rather than concave
shown
in Figure 4.
Referring particularly to Figures 6-9 of the drawings, there is
shown the second embodiment 54 of lid of this invention. The second
embodiment 54 includes an exterior cover 56 and an interior cover 58. Both the
exterior cover 56 and interior cover 58 are discoid shape. However, it is
considered to be within the scope of this invention that the covers 56 and 58
could be other than a discoid shape. Again, the thickness of the covers 56 and
58 will generally be about one-eighth of an inch.
The exterior cover 56 has an inner surface that defines an internal
chamber 60. Formed within the exterior cover 56 is a dispensing opening 62.
The dispensing opening 62 is positioned directly adjacent the peripheral edge
64
of the exterior cover 56. Formed integral with the exterior cover 56 and
located
within the internal chamber 60 and positioned just on one side of the
dispensing
- 10-
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
opening 62 is a raised surface 66 with a similar raised surface 68 being
located
on the opposite side of the dispensing opening 62. The raised surface 66
includes a through groove 70 with a similar through groove 72 being formed
within the raised surface 68. The purposes of the through grooves 70 and 72
will be explained further on in the specification. The exterior cover 56 also
includes a vent hole 74. The vent hole 74 may directly connect with the
substantially enclosed space 76 of the interior cover 58 or may connect
directly
with a hole 78 formed within a post 80 which is formed integral with thel
interior
cover 58. The post 80 is to cause the venting of steam to occur directly from
the internal chamber 82 of the beverage container 84. Hot liquids 86, such as
coffee or tea, are to be contained within the internal chamber 82.
The exterior cover 56 includes a centrally located indentation 88.
This indentation 88 is for the purpose of giving strength to the overall
construction of the exterior cover 56.
The interior cover 58 also includes a partition in the form of a pair
of spaced apart upstanding walls 90 and 92. Outside of the upstanding wall 92
is located a hole 94. Outside of the upstalnding wall 90 is a hole 96. In
between
the walls 90 and 92 is located a gap area 98. When the interior cover is
secured, as by adhesive or sonic welding to exterior cover 56, the upper
surface
of the upstanding wall 90 is to rest against the raised surface 66 and the
upper
surface of the upstanding wall 92 is to rest against the raised surface 68.
When the beverage container is first tilted and the first drink is to
be consumed from the beverage container, there should be no beverage
contained within the substantially enclosed space 76. Also, if it had been
some
-11-
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
time since the last drink, the beverage 102 that would have been contained
within the substantially enclosed space 76 would have leaked back through
weep hole 100 into the internal chamber 82 to be intermixed with and reheated
by hot beverage 86. However, when the first drink is being consumed, there
will
normally be no liquid contained within the substantially enclosed space 76 as
it
will take some time (a few seconds) for the beverage to pass through the holes
94 and ~96 to fill the substantially enclosed space 76 and then flow around
the
upstanding walls 90 and 92 to fill the gap area 98. To avoid this few seconds
of filling at the time the first drink is taken, the beverage is permitted to
flow
through the through grooves 70 and 72 directly into the gap area 98. This
initial
direct flow of the beverage will then provide an immediate small quantity 104
of
the beverage to the user to be consumed. This flowing through the through
grooves 70 and 72 wilt cause a drop in temperature of the beverage so that the
beverage is cooled somewhat so as to not be too hot when initially consumed.
After the first drink has occurred, there will be contained a quantity 102 of
the
beverage within the substantially enclosed space 76., When the user takes
another drink, the quantity 102 will then merely flow around the upstanding
walls 90 and 92 and fill the gap area 98 with a small quantity 104. The time
that it takes for the beverage to flow into the substantially enclosed space
76
and then around the upstanding walls 90 and 92 into the gap area 98 will
result
in the quantity 104 to be at a lesser temperature than the quantity 102 of the
beverage or the beverage 86 so that the quantity 104 that is being directly
consumed will not cause a burning of the consumer's mouth.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms
-12-
CA 02506661 2005-05-19
WO 2004/047596 PCT/US2002/038162
without departing from the essential attributes thereof. Reference should be
made to the appending claims rather than the foregoing specification as
indicating the scope of the invention.
-13-
