Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONTAINER LID ASSEMBLY AND INSERT CONSTRUCTIONS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a lid construction or assembly for
outfitting a hot beverage container. More particularly, the present invention
relates to a
combination lid-insert construction or assembly for outfitting a hot beverage
container for
enabling the drinker to selectively transfer heat from a hot beverage prior to
consumption,
controlling beverage movements from a lid-outfitted beverage container and
preventing
spillage of beverage from such an outfitted beverage container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The broad field of lids for hot beverage containers and hot beverage container
assemblies inclusive of lids is exceedingly well-developed. The art relating
to means for
cooling hot beverages prior to consumption by way of a lid construction or
assembly is a
bit more limited. In any case, it is most difficult to pinpoint with precision
the most
pertinent art relevant to the present invention given the wide swath of art
swept by
beverage container constructions and developments in the field of art
generally.
Nevertheless, some of the more pertinent prior is believed to be briefly
described
hereinafter.
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U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,493 (`493 Patent), which issued to Robinson, for example,
discloses an Integrally Molded Measurer Dispenser. The '493 Patent describes a
closure
providing a side wall having first and second distal ends, an inner surface
and an outer
perimeter. A cone-shaped divider projects inwardly and upwardly from a lower
perimeter of the side wall and includes a drain-back orifice therethrough. The
cone-
shaped divider further includes an apex having an opening therethrough. The
closure
further provides a lid pivotally attached at an outer diameter thereof to the
outer perimeter
of the side wall first distal end by an integral hinge. The lid includes a
shaped
substantially conforming to the side wall perimeter.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,390 ('390 Patent), which issued to Kemp, discloses a
Container Lid with Cooling Reservoir. The '390 Patent describes a container
lid with a
cooling reservoir for releasably covering a disposable cup containing a hot
beverage. The
cooling reservoir includes a side wall with a small opening to allow a small
volume of the
hot beverage to pass into the cooling reservoir in which the beverage
sufficiently cools
down to enable the consumer to sip the beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,173 (`173 Patent), issued to Milan, discloses a Beverage
container lid having baffle arrangement for liquid cooling. The '173 Patent
describes a
removable beverage container lid wherein the lid has a substantially enclosed
space
defined between an exterior cover and an interior cover. At least one inlet
opening is
formed in the interior cover directing a hot beverage to flow into the
substantially
enclosed space. Attached to the interior cover at the forward edge of the
inlet opening is
a partition or wall assembly having a height extending to be located
substantially against
the exterior cover and a length at least equal to the length of the inlet
opening. Between
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the partition or wall assembly and the peripheral edge of the exterior cover
is located a
gap area. Connected with the gap area is a dispensing opening formed in the
exterior
cover. Hot beverage is required to flow around the partition or wall assembly
and into
the gap area prior to flowing through the dispensing opening exteriorly of a
beverage
container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,895 (`895 Patent), issued to Smith et al., discloses a
Reclosable Container Lid. The '895 Patent describes a reclosable lid for a
beverage
container comprising a first piece or cover, and a movable second piece or
disk. The
cover has a top wall, a side wall and a mounting portion for connecting the
lid on the
container. The cover has an opening adapted to permit the flow of the
substance through
the lid. The cover further includes a slot located in the top wall. The disk
has at least one
aperture, a post, and a projection.
The aperture and the projection are each cooperatively dimensioned with the
opening. The post is adapted to be received by the slot in the cover. The disk
is movable
between a first position wherein at least a portion of the projection is
received in the
opening in the first position, and a second position wherein the aperture is
aligned with
the opening in the second position. A support ledge and a support edge on an
inner
surface of the cover are adapted to provide rotatable support to the disk.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,510 ('510 Patent), which issued to Pavlopoulos, discloses
a
Cup Assembly having a Cooling Compartment. The '510 Patent describes a cup
assembly comprising a cup and a lid to define therebetween a first passage and
a second
passage to allow a liquid cooling compartment between the lid and the cup to
be filled
with liquid contained in the cup when the first passage is clear and the
second passage is
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blocked and the liquid in the liquid cooling compartment is able to flow out
of an outlet
in communication with the liquid cooling compartment when the second passage
is clear
and the first passage is blocked.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,528,768 (`768 Patent), issued to D'Amato, discloses a
Reclosable
Lid for a Container. The '768 Patent describes a lid for a paper cup type
container. The
lid is detachably mountable onto the edge of an opening of the container. The
lid
comprises a lower lid part with an inner outlet opening, and an upper lid part
with an
outer outlet opening. In an assembled position, the upper lid part is mounted
rotatable
relative to the lower lid part between at least two positions, such that the
outlet openings
are mutually aligned in one position and are without any overlap in the other
position.
The lower lid part has a circumferential mounting flange for overlapping the
opening
edge of the container, and the upper lid part has a circumferential mounting
flange for
overlapping the mounting flange of the lower lid part.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0062943, authored by
Bosworth, Sr., describes a container lid for a cup-type beverage which
includes within the
lid a disc-shaped media in which the lid is adapted to be releasably affixed
to the
beverage container and where the lid is protected from the beverage within the
container
and wherein the disc may be removed from the lid and utilized for
entertainment
purposes.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0264150, authored by
Leon et al., describes a disposable beverage cup a disposable beverage cup
that comprises
a ledge between the cup's rim and the grasping portion of the cup that is
commonly held
in the user's hand. The ledge, which comprises a curb, a horizontal plane, and
one or
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more indentations, acts as a barrier between the user's hand and other
objects, preventing
a lid that has been press fit onto the cup's rim from being dislodged. In
order to remove
the lid, the user must insert a finger and/or thumb into the indentation(s)
and press
upward on the lid. The cup has a contour between the ledge and the grasping
portion
with ergonomic features to increase the user's comfort in handling the cup.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0320220, which was
authored by Hussey et al., describes a plastic lid for a drinks container, for
example, a
coffee cup. The plastic lid is provided with an ancillary access facility in
the form of an
opening or a part of the lid easily removable to form an opening. The
ancillary access
facility allows a person to drink from the container without removal of the
lid. After the
ancillary access facility has been cleaned or de-contaminated it is protected
by the
application of a protective cover.
The protective cover may have a variety of shapes, for example, it may cover
the
entire lid or it may cover only a selected part of the lid, for example, only
the area of the
lid involving the ancillary access facility. The protective cover protects the
ancillary
access facility from the inadvertent transfer of germs to the drinking area by
the person
dispensing the drinks as they push the lid down with their hands to seal the
lid to the
container top. The protective covers are arranged to be easily stripped from
the lid by the
application of mere finger pressure.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0256394, authored by
Moutty, describes a paper cup comprising a sidewall member having an upper
edge, a
lower edge, a pair of opposite side edges, a front surface and a back surface.
Each of the
side edges and the upper edge define upper corners. The side edges are
overlapped and
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are sealed together along an overlapping side seam. A bottom member comprises
a
peripheral lip sealed to the lower edge of the sidewall member. The Moutty
paper cup
construction is remarkable in that it further comprises at least one rigid or
semi-rigid rim
structure attached to the upper edge of the side wall member and in that the
paper weight
of the bottom member is greater than the paper weight of the sidewall member.
From a consideration of the foregoing, it will be noted that the prior art
perceives
a need for a low cost lid assembly and/or container insert usable in
combination with a
hot beverage container so as to enable the user to selectively transfer heat
from the hot
beverage via the lid elements outfitted upon the container prior to beverage
consumption
and for preventing spillage of (hot) beverage from the container.
More particularly, the prior art further perceives a need for a beverage
container
lid assembly or assemblies comprising low cost secondary lid attachments
rotatably
cooperable with primary lid forms for enabling the user to more effectively
control
beverage movements through such an assembly. Further, the prior art perceives
a need
for a beverage container insert that lends overall rigidity to the beverage
container while
simultaneously providing beverage-damping or beverage-deflecting functionality
for the
prevention of splashing, for instance, and thus enhancing beverage movement
control of
the outfitted beverage container as summarized in more detail hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Among the many objectives of this invention is the provision of a number of
beverage container lid assemblies or container insert constructions for
enabling a user to
selectively and/or manually control beverage movement(s) from the stage of
beverage
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containment to beverage consumption. The various lid assembly embodiments
attempt to
provide a user with an enhanced ability to control beverage movements for the
purpose of
effecting enhanced heat transfers and spillage prevention. Key categorical
embodiments
summarized hereinafter include a number of embodiments incorporating manual
means
for effecting rotation of a secondary lid element relative to a primary lid
element and a
number of means for damping beverage oscillations or redirecting beverage
movements
within a beverage container.
To achieve these and other readily identifiable objectives, the present
invention
provides a number of different embodiments of lid assemblies and container
inserts. In
certain embodiments, the basic invention may be said to essentially teach or
disclose a
beverage or liquid container lid assembly for enabling a user to selectively
control
beverage or liquid movement(s) therethrough.
The beverage or liquid container lid assembly according to the present
invention
may be said to essentially comprise a primary lid form; a secondary lid
attachment
rotatable relative to the primary lid form; container attachment means for non-
rotatably
attaching either the primary lid form or the secondary lid attachment to a
beverage or
liquid container; and manually operable means for enabling the user to
manually rotate
the secondary lid attachment relative to the primary lid form.
The primary lid form essentially comprises a primary beverage outlet and the
secondary lid attachment essentially comprises at least one beverage flow
diversion
structure. The secondary lid attachment is cooperably engaged with the primary
lid form
and provides at least one beverage flow or liquid diversion structure having
at least one
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letting aperture. The secondary lid attachment is rotatable relative to the
primary lid form
about a lid axis of rotation.
The container attachment means are preferably exemplified by a rim-engaging
groove and function to non-rotatably attach a select structure to a beverage
or liquid
container depending on the particular embodiment in question. Thus, the select
structure
may be preferably selected from the group consisting of the primary lid form
and the
secondary lid attachment. Manually operable means operable via outer lid
surfacing
enable the user to manually locate via rotation of the secondary lid
attachment relative to
the primary lid form the beverage or liquid diversion structure relative to
the primary
beverage or liquid outlet.
When the container attachment means non-rotatably attach the secondary lid
attachment to the beverage or liquid container, the manually operable means
are
preferably defined by outer lid surfacing of the primary lid form. When the
container
attachment means non-rotatably attaching the primary lid form to the beverage
or liquid
container, the manually operable means are preferably defined by outer
surfacing of the
secondary lid attachment exemplified by at least one protuberance.
In the case of certain lid assemblies, the primary lid forms and the secondary
lid
attachments each comprise a radially centralized, downwardly-bowed portion,
and the
secondary lid attachment is structurally engaged in inferior adjacency with
the primary
lid form. The radially centralized, downwardly-bowed portions of the primary
lid form
and the secondary lid attachment provide an upper lid boundary and a lower lid
boundary
such that the upper and lower lid boundaries define a beverage-receiving flow
channel for
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effecting heat transfer from beverage received therein prior to outletting via
the primary
beverage outlet.
In the case of certain lid assemblies, the primary lid forms all comprise a
raised
upper arc length form and the secondary lid attachments all comprise a raised
lower arc
length form. The raised upper and lower arc length forms are nestable and
comprise
opposed (upper and lower) arc length termini. The opposed arc length termini
together
cooperably provide rotational stop structure for limiting rotation of the
secondary lid
attachments relative to the primary lid forms.
In the case of certain lid assemblies, the lower arc length forms both
comprise a
radially directed flow return slope structure for directing beverage flow
toward the
beverage-receiving flow channel. The raised lower arc length form may
preferably
comprise circumferentially spaced rail portions intermediate the opposed arc
length
termini. The opposed arc length termini of the raised upper arc length form
comprise
rail-receiving notches, and the circumferentially spaced rail portions are
received in the
rail-receiving notches and guided thereby for enhancing the user's ability to
selectively
open and close the beverage container lid assembly.
In the case of one beverage container lid assembly, the secondary lid
attachment
is ring-shaped and the primary lid form comprises an annular, ring-receiving
channel.
The ring-shaped secondary lid attachment is received in the ring-receiving
channel in
inferior adjacency to the primary lid form. The beverage flow or liquid
diversion
structure provides a radially peripheral beverage-receiving flow channel for
effecting heat
transfer from beverage received therein prior to outletting via the primary
beverage
outlet.
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The radially peripheral beverage-receiving flow channel is preferably sloped
downwardly and radially outwardly for maximizing flow volume peripherally and
thus
enhances heat transfer from beverage prior to outletting via the primary
beverage outlet.
The secondary lid attachment of one lid assembly is preferably radially double-
walled.
The radially double-walled secondary lid attachment provides resilient
attachment-to-
form engagement within the ring-receiving channel for enhancing beverage flow
or liquid
diversion control of the lid assembly.
In the case of a second lid assembly, the secondary lid attachment is also
ring-
shaped and the primary lid form also comprises an annular, ring-receiving
channel. In
structural distinction to the first lid assembly, the secondary lid attachment
of the second
lid assembly is received in the ring-receiving channel in superior adjacency
to the
primary lid form thereby forming an upper, peripheral, beverage-receiving flow
channel
for effecting heat transfer from beverage received therein. Similar to the
first lid
assembly, the second lid assembly preferably comprises a secondary lid
attachment that
is radially double-walled for providing resilient attachment-to-form
engagement within
the ring-receiving channel.
Certain other alternative lid assemblies are believed to all be essentially
characterized by an insert-receiving depression formed in the primary lid form
into which
depression the respective secondary lid attachments are pivotally received.
Whereas
certain assemblies may be characterized by a ring-shaped secondary lid
attachments and
an attachment-locating hub also formed as part of the primary lid form within
the
depression, another alternative lid assembly eliminates the attachment-
locating hub.
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A primary beverage container insert assembly according to the present
invention
provides a beverage container insert for use in combination with a beverage
container and
for controlling beverage movements within the beverage container. The beverage
container insert according to the present invention preferably and essentially
comprises a
container-engaging first portion and a beverage-damping second portion. The
beverage-
damping second portion is extendable inwardly relative to the wall-engaging
first portion
and basically functions to deflect upwardly directed beverage for controlling
beverage
movement within an insert-outfitted beverage container.
Certain preferable options for the beverage container insert include a
serrated or
sectioned beverage-damping second portion for enabling beverage or liquid to
flow
through beverage-letting or liquid-letting troughs formed in the serrated
beverage-
damping second portion. The beverage-damping second portion may be resiliently
actuable relative to the container-engaging first portion, and thus the
beverage-damping
second portion may be (a) resiliently actuable for enabling a stacked insert-
outfitted
beverage container arrangement, and (b) resiliently relaxable for deflecting
upwardly
directed beverage.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features,
elements, and
advantages thereof, will be elucidated or become apparent from, the following
description
and the accompanying drawing figures.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and objectives of my invention will become more evident from a
consideration of the following brief descriptions of patent drawings.
Figure No. 1 is an assembled top plan view of a first beverage container lid
assembly
according to the present invention showing the first beverage container lid
assembly in a
first open configuration.
Figure No. 2 is an assembled top perspective view of the first beverage
container lid
assembly according to the present invention showing the first beverage
container lid
assembly in the first open configuration.
Figure No. 3 is an assembled anterior edge elevational view of the first
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the first
beverage
container lid assembly in the first open configuration.
Figure No. 4 is an assembled lateral cross-sectional view of the first
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention as sectioned from
Figure No. 3 to
show in greater detail a beverage flow-receiving channel between an upper
primary lid form
and a lower secondary lid attachment of the first beverage container lid
assembly.
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Figure No. 5 is an exploded top perspective view of the first beverage
container lid
assembly according to the present invention showing the upper primary lid form
exploded
from the lower secondary lid attachment of the first beverage container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 6 is an exploded anterior edge elevational view of the first
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the upper
primary lid
form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the first beverage
container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 7 is an exploded lateral cross-sectional view of the first beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing a lateral
cross-section of
the upper primary lid form exploded from a lateral cross-section of the lower
secondary lid
attachment of the first beverage container lid assembly as sectioned from
Figure No. 6.
Figure No. 8 is an enlarged assembled top perspective view of the first
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the first
beverage
container lid assembly in the first open configuration.
Figure No. 9 is an enlarged exploded top perspective view of the first
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the upper
primary lid
form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the first beverage
container lid
assembly.
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Figure No. 10 is an exploded top perspective view of a second beverage
container
lid assembly according to the present invention showing an upper primary lid
form exploded
from a lower secondary lid attachment of the second beverage container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 11 is an exploded anterior edge elevational view of the second
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the upper
primary lid
form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the second beverage
container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 12 is an exploded lateral cross-sectional view of the second
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing a lateral
cross-section of
the upper primary lid form exploded from a lateral cross-section of the lower
secondary lid
attachment of the first beverage container lid assembly as sectioned from
Figure No. 11.
Figure No. 13 is an enlarged exploded top perspective view of the second
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the upper
primary lid
form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the second beverage
container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 14 is an enlarged exploded bottom perspective view of the second
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the
upper
primary lid form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the
second beverage
container lid assembly.
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Figure No. 15 is a first sequential schematic longitudinal cross-sectional
type
depiction of a beverage container outfitted with the second beverage container
lid
assembly according to the present invention shown in a vertical orientation
before
beverage is redirected toward the primary beverage outlet.
Figure No. 16 is a second sequential schematic longitudinal cross-sectional
type
depiction of a beverage container outfitted with the second beverage container
lid
assembly according to the present invention shown in a first angle of
inclination off of a
vertical orientation for inletting beverage via letting apertures formed in
the secondary lid
attachment into a beverage-receiving flow channel of the second beverage
container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 17 is a third sequential schematic longitudinal cross-sectional
type
depiction of a beverage container outfitted with the second beverage container
lid
assembly according to the present invention shown in a vertical orientation
with beverage
received and pooled within the beverage-receiving flow channel of the second
beverage
container lid assembly.
Figure No. 18 is a fourth sequential schematic longitudinal cross-sectional
type
depiction of a beverage container outfitted with the second beverage container
lid
assembly according to the present invention shown in a second angle of
inclination off of
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a vertical orientation for outletting cooled beverage via the primary beverage
outlet of the
primary lid form of the second beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 19 is an enlarged assembled top perspective view of a third
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the third
beverage
container lid assembly in a closed configuration.
Figure No. 20 is a first enlarged top perspective view of a secondary lid
attachment
of the third beverage container lid assembly according to the present
invention showing an
anterior letting aperture, an anterior raised flow stop structure, and
posterior manual
engagement protuberances formed in a raised arc length formation of the
secondary lid
attachment of the third beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 21 is a second enlarged top perspective view of the secondary lid
attachment of the third beverage container lid assembly according to the
present invention
showing in a different perspective the letting aperture, the raised flow stop
structure, and
manual engagement protuberances formed in the raised arc length formation of
the
secondary lid attachment of the third beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 22 is an enlarged top plan view of the secondary lid attachment of
the
third beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention
showing the letting
aperture, the raised flow stop structure, and manual engagement protuberances
formed in the
raised arc length formation of the secondary lid attachment.
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Figure No. 23 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the secondary lid attachment
of the
third beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention
showing the letting
aperture, the raised flow stop structure, and manual engagement protuberances
formed in the
raised arc length formation of the secondary lid attachment.
Figure No. 24 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a junction
site
between the upper primary lid form and the lower secondary lid attachment of
the third
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention as enlarged
and
sectioned from Figure No. 25.
Figure No. 25 is a lateral cross-sectional view of the third beverage
container lid
assembly according to the present invention as sectioned through the raised
flow stop
structure.
Figure No. 26 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan sectional view of a junction
site
between the upper primary lid form and the lower secondary lid attachment of
the third
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention as enlarged
and
sectioned from Figure No. 27.
Figure No. 27 is an assembled top plan view of the third beverage container
lid
assembly according to the present invention showing the third beverage
container lid
assembly in the closed configuration.
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Figure No. 28 is an assembled enlarged top perspective view of a fourth
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the fourth
beverage
container lid assembly in an intermediate beverage-cooling, heat transfer
configuration.
Figure No. 29 is a first exploded enlarged top perspective view of the fourth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing an
upper
primary lid form exploded from a lower secondary lid attachment of the fourth
beverage
container lid assembly.
Figure No. 30 is a second exploded enlarged top perspective view of the fourth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing in
a different
perspective the upper primary lid form exploded from the lower secondary lid
attachment of
the fourth beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 31 is an exploded enlarged bottom perspective view of the fourth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the
upper
primary lid form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the
fourth beverage
container lid assembly.
Figure No. 32 is an enlarged top perspective view of the primary lid form of
the
fourth beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention
showing an
anterior primary beverage outlet and a posterior arc length aperture formed in
the primary
lid form.
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Figure No. 33 is an enlarged bottom perspective view of the primary lid form
of the
fourth beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention
showing the
posterior arc length aperture and inner attachment supports formed in the
primary lid form.
Figure No. 34 is an enlarged top perspective view of the secondary lid
attachment of
the fourth beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention
showing
anterior letting apertures, an anterior beverage flow stop structure, a
peripheral beverage-
receiving flow channel, and a posterior manual engagement protuberances formed
in the
secondary lid attachment.
Figure No. 35 is a reduced top perspective view of the secondary lid
attachment of
the fourth beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention
showing a
primary anterior letting aperture, the anterior beverage flow stop structure,
the peripheral
beverage-receiving flow channel, and the posterior manual engagement
protuberances
formed in the secondary lid attachment.
Figure No. 35A is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a groove-
protuberance
junction site between the secondary lid attachment and the primary lid form of
the fourth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention, the groove-
protuberance
junction site schematically depicting a groove-received protuberance
(otherwise integrally
formed with the primary lid form) and a protuberance-receiving groove formed
in the
secondary lid attachment.
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Figure No. 35B is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of an abbreviated
raised
arc length formation of the secondary lid attachment of the fourth beverage
container lid
assembly according to the present invention, the abbreviated raised arc length
formation
comprising laterally opposed manual engagement protuberances.
Figure No. 35C is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the
secondary lid
attachment of the fourth beverage container lid assembly according to the
present invention
as sectioned laterally through the protuberance-receiving groove formed in the
secondary lid
attachment.
Figure No. 35D is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a flow stop
structure of
the secondary lid attachment of the fourth beverage container lid assembly
according to the
present invention, the flow stop structure shown outfitted with secondary,
laterally offset,
letting apertures.
Figure No. 35E is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the
secondary lid
attachment of the fourth beverage container lid assembly according to the
present invention
as sectioned laterally through the peripheral beverage-receiving flow channel.
Figure No. 36 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an attachment-
to-
form junction site of the fourth beverage container lid assembly according to
the present
invention showing the peripheral beverage-receiving flow channel of the
secondary lid
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attachment in engagement with an attachment-receiving channel formed in the
primary lid
form as sectioned from Figure No. 37.
Figure No. 37 is an assembled lateral cross-sectional view of the fourth
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention to show the
peripheral beverage-
receiving flow channel of the secondary lid attachment in engagement with the
attachment-
receiving channel formed in the primary lid form.
Figure No. 38 is a first sequential exploded top perspective view of the
fourth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the
upper
primary lid form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the
fourth beverage
container lid assembly in a closed lid configuration.
Figure No. 39 is a second sequential exploded top perspective view of the
fourth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the
upper
primary lid form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the
fourth beverage
container lid assembly in an intermediate, beverage-cooling, heat transfer lid
configuration
and schematically depicting with bent or curved arrow beverage redirection
through the
fourth beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 40 is a third sequential exploded top perspective view of the
fourth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the
upper
primary lid form exploded from the lower secondary lid attachment of the
fourth beverage
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container lid assembly in a fully open lid configuration and schematically
depicting with
straight arrows direct beverage flow through the fourth beverage container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 41 is an assembled enlarged top perspective view of a fifth
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing an anterior
letting
aperture formed in a secondary lid attachment of the fifth beverage container
lid assembly.
Figure No. 42 is an exploded enlarged top perspective view of the fifth
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing an upper
secondary lid
attachment exploded from a lower primary lid form, the secondary lid
attachment being
positioned in an intermediate, beverage-cooling, heat transfer lid
configuration.
Figure No. 43 is an assembled top plan view of the fifth beverage container
lid
assembly according to the present invention showing the anterior letting
aperture formed in
the secondary lid attachment of the fifth beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 44 is a first medial cross-sectional view of the fifth beverage
container lid
assembly according to the present invention as sectioned from Figure No. 43.
Figure No. 45 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an attachment-
to-
form junction site of the fifth beverage container lid assembly according to
the present
invention showing the peripheral beverage-receiving flow channel of the
secondary lid
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attachment in engagement with an attachment-receiving channel formed in the
primary lid
form as sectioned from Figure No. 46.
Figure No. 46 is an assembled lateral cross-sectional view of the fifth
beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention to show the
peripheral beverage-
receiving flow channel of the secondary lid attachment in engagement with the
attachment-
receiving channel formed in the primary lid form.
Figure No. 47 is a second medial cross-sectional view of the fifth beverage
container
lid assembly according to the present invention as sectioned from Figure No.
43.
Figure No. 47A is a first enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an
attachment-to-form junction site of the fifth beverage container lid assembly
according to
the present invention showing (a) the peripheral beverage-receiving flow
channel of the
secondary lid attachment in engagement with an attachment-receiving channel
formed in the
primary lid form and (b) a portion of a flow stop structure of the secondary
lid attachment as
sectioned from Figure No. 47.
Figure No. 47B is a second enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an
attachment-to-form junction site of the fifth beverage container lid assembly
according to
the present invention showing mated engagement of posterior protuberances
cooperably
formed with the primary lid form and the secondary lid attachment as sectioned
from Figure
No. 47.
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Figure No. 48 is a first medial cross-sectional view of the secondary lid
attachment
of the fifth beverage container lid assembly according to the present
invention.
Figure No. 48A is a first enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an
anterior
letting aperture site of the second lid attachment as sectioned from Figure
No. 48 showing in
greater detail (a) the anterior letting aperture and (b) a radially double-
walled construction of
the secondary lid attachment.
Figure No. 48B is a second enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an
upright
posterior protuberance site of the secondary lid attachment as sectioned from
Figure No. 48
showing in greater detail (a) a downwardly extending first matable
protuberance and (b) the
radially double walled construction of the secondary lid attachment.
Figure No. 49 is a first top plan view of the secondary lid attachment of the
fifth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the
anterior
letting aperture formed in the secondary lid attachment of the fifth beverage
container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 49A is a second medial cross-sectional view of the secondary lid
attachment of the fifth beverage container lid assembly according to the
present invention.
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Figure No. 49B is a second enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of an
inverted
posterior protuberance site of the secondary lid attachment as sectioned from
Figure No.
49A showing in greater detail (a) the first matable protuberance and (b) the
radially double
walled construction of the secondary lid attachment.
Figure No. 50 is a second top plan view of the secondary lid attachment of the
fifth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the
anterior
letting aperture formed in the secondary lid attachment of the fifth beverage
container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 50A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of posterior portions
of
the secondary lid attachment as sectioned from Figure No. 50 showing in
greater detail (a)
the first matable protuberance site and (b) opposed arc length stop structures
of the
secondary lid attachment.
Figure No. 51 is an enlarged top perspective view of the primary lid form of
the fifth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing an
anterior
primary beverage outlet, an anterior flow stop structure, a peripheral
beverage-receiving
flow channel, and a second posterior matable protuberance.
Figure No. 52 is a diametric cross-sectional view of the fifth beverage
container lid
assembly according to the present invention schematically depicting an upper
beverage-
receiving flow channel.
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Figure No. 52A is a first enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the beverage-
receiving flow channel of the fifth beverage container lid assembly as
enlarged and
sectioned from Figure No. 52 to depict in greater detail the relative narrow
top-to-bottom
space within which beverage is received intermediate the upper secondary lid
attachment
and the lower primary lid form of the beverage-receiving flow channel.
Figure No. 52B is a second enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the beverage-
receiving flow channel of the fifth beverage container lid assembly as
enlarged and
sectioned from Figure No. 52A to depict in still greater detail the relative
narrow top-to-
bottom space within which beverage is received intermediate the upper
secondary lid
attachment and the lower primary lid form of the beverage-receiving flow
channel.
Figure No. 53 is an anterior edge elevational view of a sixth beverage
container lid
assembly according to the present invention.
Figure No. 54 is a medial cross-sectional view of the sixth beverage container
lid
assembly according to the present invention showing an upper secondary lid
attachment
received in an attachment-receiving depression formed in a lower primary lid
form of the
sixth beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 55 is a top plan view of the sixth beverage container lid assembly
according to the present invention showing the upper secondary lid attachment
received in
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the attachment-receiving depression formed in the lower primary lid form of
the sixth
beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 56 is a bottom plan view of the sixth beverage container lid
assembly
according to the present invention.
Figure No. 57 is a first exploded top perspective view of the sixth beverage
container
lid assembly according to the present invention showing the upper secondary
lid attachment
in a first rotative closed position relative to the attachment-receiving
depression formed in
the lower primary lid form of the sixth beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 58 is a second exploded top perspective view of the sixth beverage
container lid assembly according to the present invention showing the upper
secondary lid
attachment in a second rotative open position relative to the attachment-
receiving depression
formed in the lower primary lid form of the sixth beverage container lid
assembly.
Figure No. 58A is an exploded top perspective view of a first alternative
sixth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing a
first
alternative upper secondary lid attachment in an open position relative to the
attachment-
receiving depression formed in a first alternative lower primary lid form of
the first
alternative sixth beverage container lid assembly.
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Figure No. 58B is an exploded top perspective view of a second alternative
sixth
beverage container lid assembly according to the present invention showing a
second
alternative upper secondary lid attachment in an open position relative to the
attachment-
receiving depression formed in a second alternative lower primary lid form of
the second
alternative sixth beverage container lid assembly.
Figure No. 58C is a top plan view of the first alternative upper secondary lid
attachment of the first alternative sixth beverage container lid assembly
according to the
present invention showing a medial plane and with a tail element and manual
engagement
protuberance at an offset angle relative to the medial plane.
Figure No. 58D is a top plan view of the second alternative upper secondary
lid
attachment of the second alternative sixth beverage container lid assembly
according to the
present invention showing a medial plane and with a tail element and manual
engagement
protuberance at an offset angle relative to the medial plane.
Figure No. 59 is a(n exploded) top plan view of a first beverage container
insert
assembly according to the present invention.
Figure No. 60 is an exploded side elevational view of the first beverage
container
insert assembly according to the present invention showing a first upper
container insert
exploded from a first lower beverage container.
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Figure No. 61 is an exploded top perspective view of the first beverage
container
insert assembly according to the present invention showing the first upper
container insert
exploded from the first lower beverage container.
Figure No. 62 is a(n assembled) top plan view of the first beverage container
insert
assembly according to the present invention with a beverage-damping second
portion of a
container insert of the first beverage container insert assembly being
depicted in a relaxed
configuration.
Figure No. 63 is a first assembled top perspective view of the first beverage
container insert assembly according to the present invention showing the first
upper
container insert in assembled relation relative to the first lower beverage
container with the
beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of the first beverage
container
insert assembly being depicted in the relaxed configuration.
Figure No. 64 is a first assembled side elevational view of the first beverage
container insert assembly according to the present invention showing the first
upper
container insert in assembled relation relative the first lower beverage
container.
Figure No. 65 is a first assembled longitudinal cross-sectional view of the
first
beverage container insert assembly according to the present invention showing
the first
upper container insert in assembled relation relative the first lower beverage
container with
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the beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of the first
beverage container
insert assembly being depicted in the relaxed configuration.
Figure No. 66 is a side elevational view of a series of four of the first
beverage
container insert assemblies according to the present invention.
Figure No. 67 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view the series of four first
beverage
container insert assemblies according to the present invention as sectioned
from Figure No.
66, the top most beverage-damping second portion being depicted in the relaxed
configuration, and the bottom three beverage-damping second portions being
depicted in an
resiliently actuated configuration.
Figure No. 68 is a top perspective view of the series of four first beverage
container
insert assemblies according to the present invention, the top most beverage-
damping second
portion being depicted in the relaxed configuration.
Figure No. 69 is a second assembled side elevational view of the first
beverage
container insert assembly according to the present invention showing the first
upper
container insert in assembled relation relative the first lower beverage
container.
Figure No. 70 is a second assembled longitudinal cross-sectional view of the
first
beverage container insert assembly according to the present invention showing
the first
upper container insert in assembled relation relative the first lower beverage
container with
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the beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of the first
beverage container
insert assembly being depicted in the resiliently actuated configuration.
Figure No. 71 is a second assembled top perspective view side elevational of
the first
beverage container insert assembly according to the present invention showing
the first
upper container insert in assembled relation relative to the first lower
beverage container
with the beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of the first
beverage
container insert assembly being depicted in the resiliently actuated
configuration.
Figure No. 72 is a third assembled side elevational view of the first beverage
container insert assembly according to the present invention showing the first
upper
container insert in assembled relation relative the first lower beverage
container.
Figure No. 73 is a third assembled longitudinal cross-sectional view of the
first
beverage container insert assembly according to the present invention showing
the first
upper container insert in assembled relation relative the first lower beverage
container with
the beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of the first
beverage container
insert assembly being depicted resiliently returning to the relaxed
configuration and with
beverage being schematically depicted deflecting therefrom.
Figure No. 74 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of upper
portions of
a second beverage container insert assembly according to the present invention
showing the
second upper container insert in assembled relation relative the second lower
beverage
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container with the beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of
the second
beverage container insert assembly being depicted in a relaxed configuration.
Figure No. 75 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an insert-to-
container
junction site of the second beverage container insert assembly as sectioned
from Figure No.
74 and showing the container-engaging or wall-engaging first portion of the
container insert
attached to the inner container surfacing in inferior adjacency to the upper
container rim of
the beverage container.
Figure No. 76 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of upper
portions of
a third beverage container insert assembly according to the present invention
showing the
third upper container insert in assembled relation relative the third lower
beverage container
with the beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of the third
beverage
container insert assembly being depicted in a relaxed configuration.
Figure No. 77 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of upper
portions of
a third beverage container insert assembly according to the present invention
showing the
third upper container insert in assembled relation relative the third lower
beverage container
with the beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of the third
beverage
container insert assembly being depicted in a relaxed configuration.
Figure No. 78 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an insert-to-
container
junction site of the third beverage container insert assembly as sectioned
from Figure No. 77
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and showing the container-engaging or wall-engaging first portion of the
container insert
attached to the inner container surfacing in inferior adjacency to lower
portions of a rim
bead of the upper container rim of the beverage container.
Figure No. 79 is an enlarged assembled top perspective view of a fourth
beverage
container insert assembly according to the present invention showing the
fourth upper
container insert in assembled relation relative to the fourth lower beverage
container with
the beverage-damping second portion of the container insert of the fourth
beverage
container insert assembly being depicted in the relaxed configuration.
Figure No. 80 is a top plan view of the fourth beverage container insert
assembly
according to the present invention with a beverage-damping second portion of
the container
insert of the fourth beverage container insert assembly being depicted in a
relaxed
configuration.
Figure No. 80A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an upper section
of the
fourth beverage container insert assembly as sectioned from Figure No. 80 and
showing in
greater detail the serrated peak and trough formation of the beverage-damping
second
portion of the container insert of the fourth beverage container insert
assembly being
depicted in a relaxed configuration.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings with more specificity, the following
specifications
generally describe a number of categorical (hot) beverage container lid
assemblies or
insert constructions for enabling a user to selectively and/or manually
control beverage
movement(s) from the stage of beverage containment to beverage consumption.
The key
aspects of all embodiments attempt thus to impart to the user an ability to
more
effectively control beverage movements for the purpose of effecting enhanced
heat
transfers and spillage prevention. Key categorical embodiments described
hereinafter
include a number of embodiments incorporating manual means for effecting
rotation of a
secondary lid element relative to a primary lid element and a number of means
for
damping beverage oscillations or redirecting beverage movements within a
beverage
container.
With regard to those embodiments incorporating certain manual means for
effecting rotation of a secondary lid element relative to a primary lid
element, the
presently described invention provides beverage container lid assemblies or
constructions
as at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 for enabling a user to selectively
control beverage
movement(s) therethrough. The beverage container lid assemblies 100, 200, 300,
400,
500, and 600 may all be said to essentially and preferably comprise a
foundational,
primary lid form as variously depicted and referenced at 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
and 15. Each
of the primary lid forms 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 preferably and essentially
comprises a
primary beverage outlet as at outlet(s) 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21, and a
circular transverse
cross-section as generally depicted in Figure Nos. 1, 27, 43, 53, and 59.
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The rotational type beverage lid assemblies 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600
according to the present invention all further preferably comprise a secondary
lid
attachment as at attachments 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27. All of the secondary
lid
attachments 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 are cooperably and respectively
attached to some
portion of the circular transverse cross-section of the primary lid form(s)
10, 11, 12, 13,
14, and 15, and provide at least one beverage flow diversion or beverage-
damming
structure as at structures 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33. Each of the structures
28, 29, 30, 31,
32, and 33 preferably comprises at least one letting aperture as at apertures
34, 35, 36, 37,
38, and 39.
Involving some rotational aspect, the rotational type beverage lid assemblies
100,
200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 according to the present invention all further
preferably and
respectively comprise a lid axis of rotation as at axes 40, 41, 42, 43, 44,
and 45. The
secondary lid attachments as at attachments 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 are
respectively
rotatable relative to the primary lid form 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 about
the lid axes of
rotation 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45.
Usable in combination with a beverage container as generically depicted at 46,
the
rotational type beverage lid assemblies 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600
according to the
present invention all further preferably and respectively comprise certain
container
attachment means for non-rotatably attaching a select structure to an upper
rim 47 of the
beverage container 46, which select structure is respectively selected from
the group
consisting of either a primary lid form as selected from the forms 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, and
15 or a secondary lid attachment as selected from the attachment(s) 22, 23,
24, 25, 26,
and 27. In other words, either a select primary lid form non-rotatably
attaches to the
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container 46 directly or a select secondary lid attachment non-rotatably
attaches to the
container 46 directly.
It is contemplated that the container attachment means for non-rotatably
attaching
a select structure to an upper rim 47 of the beverage container 46 may be
preferably
exemplified by a primary rim-receiving groove or rim-engaging structure as at
48 formed
in the select structure. In the case of embodiment assemblies 100, 300, 400,
500, and
600, it is contemplated that the container attachment means as exemplified by
a primary
rim-receiving groove 48 may be preferably and cooperably associated with the
primary
lid forms 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15; and that the container attachment means
exemplified by
a primary rim-receiving groove 48 are preferably and cooperably associated
with the
secondary lid attachment 23 of assembly 200.
It will thus be understood that assemblies 100, 300, 400, 500 and 600 may be
viewed as preferably attaching to the upper rim(s) 47 of the beverage
container(s) 46 by
way of the primary rim-engaging groove or structure 48 cooperably associated
or formed
as part of the primary lid forms 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15 and that lid assembly
200 may be
viewed as preferably attaching to the upper rim 47 of a beverage container 46
by way of
the rim-engaging groove or structure 48 cooperably associated or formed as
part of the
secondary lid attachment 23. In other words, the primary lid forms 10, 12, 13,
14, and 15
and secondary lid attachment 23 preferably do not rotate relative to the
beverage
container(s) 46.
It will thus be understood that of the several beverage container lid
assemblies,
beverage container lid assembly 200 is the only illustrated assembly that
attaches to a
beverage container directly via the secondary lid attachment as at attachment
23 and not
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the primary lid form as at form 11. The lid assembly 200 thus preferably
comprises a
primary lid form 11 that rotates relative to the secondary lid attachment 23,
which
primary lid form 11 comprises an upper, secondary rim-receiving groove or rim-
engaging
structure as at 49. The upper, secondary rim-receiving or rim-engaging
structure 49
mimics the form and function of the lower, primary rim-receiving or rim-
engaging
structure 48 but is rotative relative to the upper-outer surfacing 50 of
primary rim-
receiving groove or rim-engaging structure 48 of the secondary lid attachment
23.
In other words, the container attachment means of assembly 200 non-rotatably
attach the secondary lid attachment 23 to the beverage container 46, and
certain manually
operable means enable the user to manually locate the at least one beverage
flow
diversion structure 29 relative to the primary beverage outlet 17. In the case
of assembly
200, the outer lid surfacing 51 of the primary lid form 11 may be frictionally
engaged by
a user's hand and rotated relative to the secondary lid attachment 23 for
manually (via
one's hand) orienting the beverage flow diversion structure 29 relative to the
primary
beverage outlet 17.
The reader may well consider that certain manually operable means are
cooperably associated with each of the assemblies 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and
600,
which means enable the user to selectively and respectively, rotatably and
manually
locate the at least one beverage flow diversion structure(s) 28, 29, 30, 31,
32, and 33
relative to the primary beverage outlet(s) 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21. The
manually
operable means are operable via manual (or hand) engagement of certain outer
lid
surfacing, and thus the beverage container lid assemblies 100, 200, 300, 400,
500, and
600 according to the present invention enable the user to selectively control
beverage
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flow rates or movements from the beverage container 46 via the beverage flow
diversion
structure(s) 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33.
In the cases of beverage container lid assemblies 100, 300, 400, 500 and 600,
the
preferred container attachment means are exemplified by primary rim-receiving
groove(s) or rim-engaging structures 48 associated with or integrally formed
with
primary lid forms 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15, which structures 48 non-rotatably
attach the
primary lid form(s) 10, 12, 13, 14, and 15 to upper rims 47 of the beverage
container(s)
46. The manually operable means of assemblies 100, 300, 400, 500, and 600
further
enable the user to manually locate the beverage flow diversion structure(s)
28, 29, 30, 31,
32, and 33 relative to the primary beverage outlet(s) 16, 18, 19, 20, and 21.
The manually operable means of assemblies 100, 300, 400, 500, and 600 may be
preferably defined by at least one manually engageable protuberance such as a
knob or
raised construction. The manually engageable protuberances of lid assemblies
100, 300,
400, 500, and 600 are preferably and cooperably associated or integrally
formed with the
secondary lid attachments 22, 24, 25, 26, and 27 and respectively depicted and
referenced
at protuberances 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56.
In the case of assembly 500, the protuberance 55 extends or protrudes
downwardly and provides a hollow 57 upwardly into which one's finger may be
inserted
and force(s) exerted thereby, whereas the protuberances 52, 53, 54 and 56 all
extend or
protrude upwardly for manual engagement. The element or protuberance 55
cooperably
associated with the secondary lid attachment 26 mates with structure or a
protuberance
108 having an upper hollow and cooperably associated with the primary lid form
14 as
generally depicted in Figure No. 47B. The matable protuberances or elements 55
and
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108 enhance the user's ability to rotatably locate the secondary lid
attachment 26 relative
to primary lid form 14 in an intermediate position for cooling beverage 60
prior to
consumption.
The manually operable means cooperably associated with assemblies 100, 300,
400, and 600 enable the user to manually locate the respective beverage flow
diversion
structure(s) 28, 30, 31, and 33 relative to the primary beverage outlet(s) 16,
18, 19, and
21 are each further preferably defined by at least two circumferentially-
spaced upwardly-
extending protuberances (as at protuberances 52, 53, 54 and 56) attached to or
integrally
formed with the secondary lid attachment(s) 22, 24, 25, and 27. In the case of
lid
assembly 100, the at least two circumferentially spaced upwardly extending
protuberances 52 are received in at least two circumferentially spaced arc
length
apertures as at 58 formed in the primary lid form 10. In the case of lid
assembly 400, the
upwardly extending protuberances 54 are received in a single arc length
aperture as at 59
formed in the primary lid form 13.
In the case of assembly 300, the upwardly extending protuberances 53 extend
upwardly intermediate the opposed arc length termini 69 of a raised upper arc
length
formation or form 63 of primary lid form 12. The opposed arc length termini 60
basically provide stop structure for limiting the user ability to rotate the
secondary lid
attachment 24 relative to the primary lid form 12. These structural
arrangements enhance
the user's ability to selectively open and close the beverage container lid
assembly 300.
The beverage container lid assembly 300 is depicted in the closed position in
Figure Nos.
19, 25, and 27.
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It will be understood that the primary lid forms 10, 11, and 12 each
preferably
comprise a raised upper arc length form as at 61, 62, and 63, and that the
secondary lid
attachments 22, 23, and 24 each preferably comprise at least one raised lower
arc length
form as at 64, 65, and 66. The raised upper arc length forms 61, 62, 63 and
raised lower
arc length forms 64, 65, and 66 are respectively nestable and each
respectively comprise
opposed arc length termini as at upper termini 67, 68, and 69, and lower
termini 70, 71,
and 72. The opposed arc length termini as at upper termini 67, 68, and 69 and
lower
termini 70, 71, and 72 together cooperatively provide rotational stop
structure for limiting
rotation of the secondary lid attachment(s) 22, 23, and 24 relative to the
primary lid
form(s) 10, 11, and 12.
The raised lower arc length forms 64, 65, and 66 each further preferably
comprise
at least one beverage flow stop or plug structure as at stop or plug
structures 73, 74, and
75. The letting aperture(s) as at 34, 35, and 36, and the flow stop or plug
structure(s) as
at 73, 74, and 75 are preferably located intermediate the opposed arc length
termini as at
termini 70, 71, and 72 of the lower arc length form(s) 64, 65, and 66 for
enabling the user
to selectively close the lid assemblies 100, 200, and 300. The
circumferentially spaced
upwardly extending protuberances 52 of assembly 100 are in circumferentially
spaced
adjacency to the opposed arc length termini as at upper termini 67 for
enhancing the
effective moment of force and thus the user's ability to selectively open and
close the lid
assembly 100.
In the case of assemblies 100 and 200, the lower arc length form(s) each
preferably comprise a radially directed beverage flow return slope structure
as at 76 and
77 respectively. The radially directed beverage flow return slope(s) 76 and 77
basically
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function to respectively direct compartmentalized beverage flow 60 toward
beverage-
receiving flow channel(s) 78 and 79. In this regard, it will be noted that the
primary lid
form(s) 10 and 11, and the secondary lid attachments 22 and 23 each preferably
comprise
a radially centralized, downwardly-bowed portion as at 80 and 81,
respectively.
The secondary lid attachment(s) 22 and 23 are attached in inferior adjacency
to
the primary lid form(s) 10 and 11, and the radially centralized, downwardly-
bowed
portions 80 and 81 of the primary lid form(s) 10 and 11, and the secondary lid
attachments 22 and 23 provide an upper lid boundary and a lower lid boundary,
which
upper and lower lid boundaries define the beverage-receiving flow channel(s)
78 and 79.
The beverage-receiving flow channel(s) 78 and 79 basically function to effect
or cause
heat transfer as at 82 from compartmentalized beverage 60 received therein
(via the
letting aperture(s) 34 and 35) prior to outletting as at arrows 85 outlet
beverage 83 via the
primary beverage outlet(s) 16 and 17 for beverage consumption by the user.
The secondary lid attachments 22 and 23 according to the present invention are
preferably outfitted upon the primary lid forms 10 and 11 so as to form
beverage-
receiving flow channels as at 78 and 79 intermediate the secondary lid
attachments 22
and 23 and the primary lid forms 10 and 11 for directing hot compartmentalized
beverage
60 through the channels 78 and 79 for effecting heat transfer as at 82 from
the hot
beverage 60 through the material constructions of the secondary lid
attachments 22 and
23 and primary lid forms 10 and 11. The beverage-receiving flow channels 78
and 79 are
believed to enhance and/or expedite heat transfer 82 from the hot
compartmentalized
beverage 60 prior to exiting the primary beverage outlets 16 and 17.
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The assemblies 100 and 200 thus define certain beverage-receiving flow
channels
as at 78 and 79, which beverage-receiving flow channels 78 and 79 are located
intermediate an upper-outer material layer as may be exemplified by the
material
construction of the primary lid forms 10 and 11 and a lower-inner material
layer as may
be exemplified by the material construction of the secondary lid attachments
22 and 23.
In sum, together the primary lid forms 10 and 11 and secondary lid attachments
22 and
23 define beverage-receiving flow channels 78 and 79 designed to effect
enhanced heat
transfer 82 from the hot beverage 60 prior to exiting the primary beverage
outlets 16 and
17.
The lower-inner material layer(s) or portion(s) 81 of the secondary lid
attachments 22 and 23 preferably mimic the contour of the upper-outer material
layer(s)
or portion(s) 80 of the primary lid forms 10 and 11 in cross-section as
generally and
comparatively depicted in Figure Nos. 4, 7, 12, and 15 ¨ 18. The mimicking
lower-inner
material layer(s) as at portion(s) 81 and upper-outer material layer(s) or
portions 80
essentially minimize the volumetric space of the beverage-receiving flow
channels 78
and 79 and provide a relatively narrow or tight for effecting enhanced heat
transfer 82
from the beverage 60 prior to its outlet from the primary beverage outlets 16
and 17.
Referencing Figure Nos. 15 ¨ 18, the reader will consider a number of
sequential
views depicting the function of the beverage-flow channel(s) 78 and 79 as
exemplified by
channel 79 according to the present invention. Figure No. 15 is a first
sequential
diagrammatic longitudinal cross-sectional type depiction of a beverage
container 46
outfitted with lid assembly 200 according to the present invention shown in a
vertical
orientation before beverage 60 is redirected toward the primary beverage
outlet 17.
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Figure No. 16 is a second sequential diagrammatic longitudinal cross-sectional
type
depiction of a beverage container 46 outfitted with the lid assembly 200 shown
in a first
angle of inclination off of a vertical orientation for inletting (as at arrow
84) beverage 60
via letting apertures 35 into the beverage-cooling or beverage-receiving flow
channel 79.
Figure No. 17 is a third sequential diagrammatic longitudinal cross-sectional
type
depiction of the beverage container 46 outfitted with the beverage container
lid assembly
200 again shown in a vertical orientation with beverage 60 received and pooled
within
the beverage-cooling or beverage-receiving flow channel 79. Figure No. 18 is a
fourth
sequential diagrammatic longitudinal cross-sectional type depiction of the
beverage
container 46 outfitted with the beverage container lid assembly 200 shown in
an angle of
inclination off of a vertical orientation for outletting (as at arrows 85)
cooled beverage 83
via the primary beverage outlet 17.
Turning now to beverage container lid assembly 300, the reader may well
consider that the raised lower arc length form 66 of secondary lid attachment
24
preferably comprises circumferentially spaced rail portions 86 intermediate
the opposed
arc length (lower) termini 72 and the circumferentially spaced upwardly
extending
protuberances 53. The opposed arc length termini 69 of the raised upper arc
length form
63 preferably comprise rail-receiving notches as at 87. The circumferentially
spaced rail
portions 86 are received in the rail-receiving notches 87 and guidable thereby
for
enhancing the user's ability to selectively open and close the lid assembly
300.
As indicated above, the primary lid form 13 of beverage container lid assembly
400 preferably comprises an arc length aperture as at aperture 59, and the
secondary lid
attachment 25 may further preferably comprise a raised lower arc length form
88 upon
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which may be formed the protuberances 54. The raised lower arc length form 88
is
received in the arc length aperture 59. The arc length aperture 59 may
preferably
comprise opposed arc length termini as at 89, and the raised lower arc length
form 88
may preferably comprise opposed arc length termini as at 90.
Together, the opposed arc length termini 89 and 90 provide rotational stop
structure for limiting rotation of the secondary lid attachment 25 relative to
the primary
lid form 13 of the beverage container lid assembly 400. The raised lower arc
length form
88 may further preferably comprise a centralized hollow 91 intermediate the
protuberances 54, which centralized hollow 91 enables the user to insert form-
engaging
structure such as one's finger for enhancing the user's ability to manually
rotate the
secondary lid attachment 25 relative to the foundational, primary lid form 13.
The secondary lid attachment 25 of assembly 400 is preferably ring-shaped and
may be alternatively constructed from thermoformed polymeric material or
stamped from
polymeric or paper-based material construction. The primary lid form 13
comprises an
annular, ring-receiving channel as at 92. The secondary lid attachment may
thus be
received in the ring-receiving channel 92 in inferior adjacency to the primary
lid form 13.
Circumferentially spaced or peripherally extending ring-retention ledges,
ridges, or
protrusions as at 97 preferably extend radially inwardly and function to
retain the ring-
shaped secondary lid attachment 25 in the ring-receiving channel 92.
The beverage flow diversion structure 31 preferably provides a radially
peripheral
beverage-receiving flow channel as at 93 for effecting heat transfer 82 from
beverage 60
received therein via the at least one letting aperture 37 prior to outletting
via the primary
beverage outlet 19. The radially peripheral beverage-receiving flow channel 93
is
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preferably sloped downwardly radially outwardly as at 94 for maximizing flow
volume
peripherally as at arrow 95 and enhancing heat transfer 82 from beverage 60
prior to
outletting via the primary beverage outlet 19.
The secondary lid attachment 25 may preferably be constructed so as to be
radially double-walled as at 96 with a resilient or spring-like junction as at
98. The
radially double-walled secondary lid attachment 25 thus functions to provide
resilient
attachment-to-form frictional engagement within the ring-receiving channel 92.
The
resilient attachment-to-form frictional engagement between the secondary lid
attachment
25 and the primary lid form 13 enhances the user's ability to selectively
control beverage
flow or movements through the lid assembly 400 by providing a snugger fit
therebetween
for minimizing leakage and the like.
The primary lid form 13 of the beverage container lid assembly 400 further
preferably comprises at least one downwardly extending protuberance as at 99
and the
secondary lid attachment 25 of the beverage container lid assembly 400
preferably
comprises at least one arc length groove structure as at 101. The downwardly
extending
protuberance(s) 99 are received in the arc length groove(s) 101 and guidable
thereby as
perhaps most clearly depicted in Figure No. 35A for enhancing the user's
ability to
controllably open and close the beverage container lid assembly 400.
The secondary lid attachment 26 of the beverage container lid assembly 500 is
also preferably ring-shaped and may be alternatively constructed from
thermoformed
polymeric material or stamped from polymeric or paper-based material
construction. The
primary lid form 14 of the beverage container lid assembly 500 preferably
comprises an
annular, ring-receiving channel as at 102. In the case of the beverage
container lid
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assembly 500, the ring-shaped secondary lid attachment 26 is received in the
ring-
receiving channel 102 in superior adjacency to the primary lid form 14 thereby
forming
an upper, peripheral, beverage-receiving flow channel as at 103 for effecting
heat transfer
82 from beverage 60 received therein.
The primary lid form 14 of the beverage container lid assembly 500 preferably
comprises an upwardly extending protuberance or beverage flow stop or plug
structure as
at 104 in circumferentially spaced relation to the primary beverage outlet 20.
The letting
aperture 38 of the secondary lid attachment 26 preferably defines a single
beverage outlet
or letting aperture. The user is enabled to selectively open and close the
beverage
container lid assembly 500 by reorienting the single beverage letting aperture
as at 38
relative to the primary beverage outlet 20.
When the primary beverage outlet 20 and the single beverage outlet or letting
aperture 38 are aligned, the beverage container lid assembly 500 is in a fully
open
configuration or state, and when the flow stop or plug structure 104 is
aligned with the
single beverage outlet or letting aperture 38, the lid assembly 500 is in a
fully closed
configuration or state. When the single beverage outlet or letting aperture 38
is oriented
in superior adjacency to that portion 105 of the primary lid form 14
intermediate the
primary beverage outlet 20 and the flow stop structure 104, beverage
progressing through
the primary beverage outlet 20 is diverted or deflected by the beverage flow
diversion
structure 32 and thus serves to effect heat transfer 82 from the beverage 60
prior to
consumption via the single beverage outlet or letting aperture 38.
The secondary lid attachment 26 of the beverage container lid assembly 500 is
also preferably radially double-walled as at 106 with a resilient or spring-
like junction as
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at 107. The radially double-walled secondary lid attachment 26 also provides
resilient
attachment-to-form frictional engagement within the ring-receiving channel
102. The
resilient attachment-to-form frictional engagement between the secondary lid
attachment
26 and the primary lid form 14 enhances the user's ability to selectively
control beverage
flow or movements through the beverage container lid assembly 500 by providing
a
snugger fit therebetween for minimizing leakage and the like.
The ring-receiving channel 102 of the primary lid form 14 preferably further
comprises circumferentially-spaced upwardly- (and radially-) extending ring-
stop
structures as at 109. The secondary lid attachment 26 further preferably
comprises
circumferentially-spaced downwardly- (and radially-) extending ring-stop
structures as at
110. The upwardly and downwardly extending ring-stop structures 109 and 110
limit the
user's ability to rotate the secondary lid attachment 26 relative to the
primary lid form 14
for enhancing the user's ability to controllably open and close the beverage
container lid
assembly 500.
The primary lid form 15 of the beverage container lid assembly 600 preferably
comprises a circular upper beverage outlet depression as at 111 and a radially
central
attachment-locating hub as at 112. The secondary lid attachment 27 of the
beverage
container lid assembly 600 is received in the circular upper beverage outlet
depression
111 intermediate the radially central attachment-locating hub 112 and an inner
lid wall
113 extending upwardly from the circular upper beverage outlet depression 111.
The
secondary lid attachment 27 is pivotal about the axis of rotation 45 at the
attachment-
locating hub 112.
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The secondary lid attachment 27 of the beverage container lid assembly 600 is
preferably and roughly crescent-shaped having opposed crescent ends as at 114.
As
prefaced above, the manually operable means for enabling the user to manually
locate the
beverage flow diversion structure (exemplified by structure 33) relative to
the primary
beverage outlet(s) 21 are exemplified by protuberances 56, which protuberances
56 are
preferably located at the crescent ends 114. Protuberances 56 preferably
extend
upwardly and radially within the circular upper beverage outlet depression
111.
The circular upper beverage outlet depression 111 may further preferably
comprise a radially defined-segment-shaped depression as at 115, which
depression 115
may be preferably outfitted with a lid insert or tertiary lid attachment
structure as at 116.
The radially defined-segment shaped depression 115 may further comprise a
chord-
defined-segment shaped depression as at 117. The tertiary lid attachment
structure or lid
insert 116 covers the chord-defined-segment shaped depression 117 and
comprises a
letting aperture or cutout as at 118.
The secondary lid attachment 27 pivots about the lid insert 116 in superior
adjacency thereto and enables the user to selectively open and close the lid
assembly 600
by orienting the letting aperture or outlet 39 in alignment with the letting
aperture or
cutout 118. It will thus be understood that the lid insert or tertiary lid
attachment
structure 116 provides beverage-diverting or beverage-damming functionality
and dams
beverage within the depression 117 prior to letting beverage 60 via the
aperture or cutout
118. Secondary lid attachment 27 either lets beverage flow as generally
depicted in the
arrangement depicted in Figure No. 58 or stops beverage flow as generally
depicted in
the arrangement depicted in Figure No. 57. The lid assembly embodiment
referenced at
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lid assembly 600 may preferably comprise a lid insert or tertiary lid
attachment structure
as at 116, and essentially comprises a secondary lid attachment as at 27. Both
of the
structures 27 and 116 are cooperable with the primary lid form 15 and are
received in
depression formations as at 111 and 115, respectively.
Alternative beverage container lid assembly embodiments 601 and 602 as
generally and comparatively depicted in Figure Nos. 58A and 58B respectively
comprise
primary lid forms as at 204 and 205, and secondary lid attachments as at 206
and 207.
The secondary lid attachments are further comparatively depicted in Figure
Nos. 58C and
58D in side by side relation. The reader may well consider that both of the
secondary lid
attachments 206 and 207 may preferably comprise a medial plane as at 218. A
tail
element 212 and a manual engagement protuberance 210 on both the secondary lid
attachments 206 and 207 may preferably be located at an offset angle 219 from
the
medial plane(s) 218. By contrast, Figure No. 58A depicts alternative tail
element 212
and protuberance 210 arrangement in general alignment with the medial plane.
When ring-shaped secondary lid attachment 206 is received in the depression
208
of the primary lid form 204, the attachment-locating hub as at 112 is received
in a hub-
receiving aperture 209. The ring-shaped secondary lid attachment 206 is
pivotable about
the axis of rotation 45 and manually operable via a protrusion or protuberance
210.
The ring-shaped secondary lid attachment 206 comprises a cutout as at 211 and
a
rotation-limiting tail element as at 212. Primary lid form 204 comprises a
tail-receiving
depression as at 213 with opposed arc length termini as at 214. The arc length
of tail
element 212 is lesser than the arc length of the tail-receiving depression 213
and thus the
ring-shaped element may pivot about axis 45, but is limited in doing so via
engagement
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of the termini 215 of the tail element 212 and the opposed arc length termini
214. The
cutout 211 is thus selectively orientable in superior adjacency to the primary
beverage
outlet 216 formed in the primary lid form 204 for selectively letting beverage
therethrough.
When fish-shaped or disc-shaped secondary lid attachment 207 is received in
the
depression 209 of the primary lid form 205, the disc-shaped secondary lid
attachment 207
is also pivotable about the axis of rotation 45 and also manually operable via
protrusion
or protuberance 210. The disc-shaped secondary lid attachment 207 also
preferably
comprises a cutout as at 211 and a rotation-limiting tail element as at 212.
Primary lid
form 205 also comprises tail-receiving depression as at 213 with opposed arc
length
termini as at 214.
The arc length of tail element 212 is lesser than the arc length of the tail-
receiving
depression 213 and thus the disc-shaped element may pivot about axis 45, but
is limited
in doing so via engagement of the termini 215 of the tail element 212 and the
opposed arc
length termini 214. The cutout 211 is thus selectively orientable in superior
adjacency to
the primary beverage outlet 216 formed in the primary lid form 205 for
selectively letting
beverage therethrough. Alternative lid assemblies 601 and 602 basically differ
in that
assembly 602 eliminates the attachment hub 112 and hub-receiving aperture 209
features
otherwise present in assembly 601.
A number of beverage container assemblies 1000, 1001, 1002, and 1003
according to the present invention is generally depicted and referenced in
Figure Nos. 59
¨ 80A. All of the beverage container assemblies 1000, 1001, 1002, and 1003
according
to the present invention incorporate an inventive container insert 192 usable
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combination with a (state of the art) beverage container as at 46. In other
words, the
container insert 192 is designed for use in combination with a beverage
container 46 for
controlling beverage movement(s) within the space or compartment 152 defined
by inner
container surfacing 193 and/or the container wall 194 of the beverage
container 46.
The beverage container insert 192 according to the present invention
preferably
comprises a rim-engaging or wall-engaging first portion as at 195 and a
beverage-
damping or beverage-diverting second portion as at 196. The beverage-damping
second
portion 196 preferably extends (radially) inwardly relative to the wall-
engaging first
portion195 and functions to deflect or redirect (as at arrows 183) upwardly
directed
beverage 60 as diagrammatically depicted in Figure Nos. 73 and 78. The
beverage-
damping second portion 196 thus helps the user control beverage movement such
as
preventing beverage splashing or beverage oscillations within the space or
compartment
152.
The beverage-damping second portion 196 may be serrated or divided into
serrations, sections, or peaks as at 198 with troughs or gaps 197 extending
therebetween.
The serrations or peaks 198 and trough 197 structural arrangement(s) of the
serrated
beverage-damping second portion 196 enable beverage 60 to flow through (as at
vector
head 220 in Figure Nos. 62, 79 80, and 80A) the beverage-letting troughs or
gaps 197
formed in the serrated beverage-damping second portion 196.
The beverage-damping second portion 196 may be resiliently actuable relative
to
the first portion 195 such that when a second container (as at 199) is
inserted into an
outfitted first container (as at 201) for stacking the first and second
containers 199 and
200 as generally depicted in Figure Nos. 66 ¨ 68, the beverage-damping second
portion
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196 is actuated downwardly into an actuated configuration (as generally
further depicted
in Figure Nos. 70 and 71), and resiliently returns to a relaxed, beverage-
damping or
deflecting or diverting position or configuration (as generally depicted in
Figure Nos. 59,
61, 62, 63, 65, 74, 75, and 77 ¨ 80A) when the second container 199 is removed
from the
first container 201. Figure No. 73 generally depicts the beverage-damping
second
portion 196 resiliently returning (as at arrow 226) to the relaxed
configuration from the
actuated configuration
The beverage container insert 192 according to the present invention may
further
preferably be used in combination with a beverage container 46 having a
radially
inwardly sloped inner container wall 194 such that the wall-engaging first
portion 195
also has a sloped contour to mimic the sloped inner container wall 194 and
provide
wedged engagement therewith when outfitted at the sloped inner container wall
194 as
generally depicted in Figure No. 73. Comparatively inspecting the upper
container rim
47 versus the container bottom 217, the reader will note that the container
wall 194 is
sloped and angled radially inwardly from rim 47 to bottom 217.
In addition to adding beverage-damping or deflecting functionality, the
container
insert 192, preferably of polymeric material construction provides added
rigidity at the
upper end of the insert-outfitted beverage container (typically of paper-based
material
construction) of the beverage container assemblies 1000, 1001, 1002, and 1003
according
to the present invention.
In assembly 1000, the reader will note that the container-engaging or wall
engaging-first portion 195 preferably comprises a beveled upper portion 221,
which
portion 221 may preferably overlap the upper container rim 47 as at 222 in
Figure Nos.
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65, 70, and 73. The container insert 192 of assembly 1000 is thus designed for
insertion
by the customer, merchant or other end user at the time of serving hot
beverage although
such an insert 192 could also be pre-installed by the manufacturer. Assembly
1003 is
similar to assembly 1000 at least insofar as the insert 192 is preferably
separately
insertable or installable into the beverage container 46.
Assemblies 1001 and 1002 depart from assemblies 1000 and 1003 by providing a
container-engaging first portion 195 that does not traverse the upper
container rim 47, but
rather is attached, for example, adhesively, the inner container surfacing as
at 193. In
both assemblies 1001 and 1002, the upper edge 223 of the container-engaging
first
portion 195 is preferably positioned in inferior adjacency to the upper rim
47. In the case
of assembly 1002, the upper edge 223 of the container-engaging first portion
195 is
preferably positioned in inferior adjacency to a lower portion 224 of a bead
225 of the
upper rim 47. Assemblies 1001 and 1002 are thus preferably assembled by the
manufacturer in view of the portion-to-wall attachment(s).
While the above descriptions contain much specificity, this specificity should
not
be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as an
exemplification
of the invention. In certain embodiments, the basic invention may be said to
essentially
teach or disclose a beverage or liquid container lid assembly for enabling a
user to
selectively control beverage or liquid movement(s) therethrough.
The beverage or liquid container lid assembly according to the present
invention
may be said to essentially comprise a primary lid form; a secondary lid
attachment
rotatable relative to the primary lid form; container attachment means for non-
rotatably
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attaching either the primary lid form or the secondary lid attachment to a
beverage or
liquid container; and manually operable means for enabling the user to
manually rotate
the secondary lid attachment relative to the primary lid form.
The primary lid form essentially comprises a primary beverage outlet and the
secondary lid attachment essentially comprises at least one beverage flow
diversion
structure. The secondary lid attachment is cooperably engaged with the primary
lid form
and provides at least one beverage flow or liquid diversion structure having
at least one
letting aperture. The secondary lid attachment is rotatable relative to the
primary lid form
about a lid axis of rotation.
The container attachment means are preferably exemplified by a rim-engaging
groove and function to non-rotatably attach a select structure to a beverage
or liquid
container depending on the particular embodiment in question. Thus, the select
structure
may be preferably selected from the group consisting of the primary lid form
and the
secondary lid attachment. Manually operable means operable via outer lid
surfacing
enable the user to manually locate via rotation of the secondary lid
attachment relative to
the primary lid form the beverage or liquid diversion structure relative to
the primary
beverage or liquid outlet. The foregoing definitions are believed to cover all
embodiments referenced at 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 601, and 602.
When the container attachment means non-rotatably attach the secondary lid
attachment to the beverage or liquid container as in lid assembly 200, the
manually
operable means are preferably defined by outer lid surfacing of the primary
lid form.
When the container attachment means non-rotatably attaching the primary lid
form to the
beverage or liquid container as in lid assemblies 100, 300, 400, 500, 600,
601, and 602,
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the manually operable means are preferably defined by outer surfacing of the
secondary
lid attachment exemplified by at least one protuberance.
In the case of lid assemblies, 100 and 200, the primary lid forms and the
secondary lid attachments each comprise a radially centralized, downwardly-
bowed
portion, and the secondary lid attachment is structurally engaged in inferior
adjacency
with the primary lid form. The radially centralized, downwardly-bowed portions
of the
primary lid form and the secondary lid attachment provide an upper lid
boundary and a
lower lid boundary such that the upper and lower lid boundaries define a
beverage-
receiving flow channel for effecting heat transfer from beverage received
therein prior to
outletting via the primary beverage outlet.
In the case of lid assemblies 100, 200, and 300, the primary lid forms all
comprise
a raised upper arc length form and the secondary lid attachments all comprise
a raised
lower arc length form. The raised upper and lower arc length forms are
nestable and
comprise opposed (upper and lower) arc length termini. The opposed arc length
termini
together cooperably provide rotational stop structure for limiting rotation of
the
secondary lid attachments relative to the primary lid forms.
In the case of lid assemblies 100 and 200, the lower arc length forms both
comprise a radially directed flow return slope structure for directing
beverage flow
toward the beverage-receiving flow channel. In the case of lid assembly 300,
the raised
lower arc length form comprises circumferentially spaced rail portions
intermediate the
opposed arc length termini. The opposed arc length termini of the raised upper
arc length
form comprise rail-receiving notches, and the circumferentially spaced rail
portions are
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received in the rail-receiving notches and guided thereby for enhancing the
user's ability
to selectively open and close the beverage container lid assembly.
In the case of the beverage container lid assembly 400, the secondary lid
attachment is ring-shaped and the primary lid form comprises an annular, ring-
receiving
channel. The ring-shaped secondary lid attachment is received in the ring-
receiving
channel in inferior adjacency to the primary lid form. The beverage flow or
liquid
diversion structure provides a radially peripheral beverage-receiving flow
channel for
effecting heat transfer from beverage received therein prior to outletting via
the primary
beverage outlet.
The radially peripheral beverage-receiving flow channel is preferably sloped
downwardly and radially outwardly for maximizing flow volume peripherally and
thus
enhances heat transfer from beverage prior to outletting via the primary
beverage outlet.
The secondary lid attachment of lid assembly 400 is preferably radially double-
walled.
The radially double-walled secondary lid attachment provides resilient
attachment-to-
form engagement within the ring-receiving channel for enhancing beverage flow
or liquid
diversion control of the lid assembly 400.
In the case of lid assembly 500, the secondary lid attachment is also ring-
shaped
and the primary lid form also comprises an annular, ring-receiving channel. In
structural
distinction to lid assembly 400, however, the secondary lid attachment of lid
assembly
500 is received in the ring-receiving channel in superior adjacency to the
primary lid
form thereby forming an upper, peripheral, beverage-receiving flow channel for
effecting
heat transfer from beverage received therein. Similar to the lid assembly 400,
the lid
assembly 500 preferably comprises a secondary lid attachment that is radially
double-
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walled for providing resilient attachment-to-form engagement within the ring-
receiving
channel.
The lid assemblies 600, 601, and 602 are believed to all be essentially
characterized by an insert-receiving depression formed in the primary lid form
into which
depression the respective secondary lid attachments are pivotally received.
Assemblies
600 and 601 are characterized by a ring-shaped secondary lid attachments and
an
attachment-locating hub also formed as part of the primary lid form within the
depression. Assembly 602 eliminates the attachment-locating hub and thus the
secondary
lid attachment of assembly 602 is disc-shaped.
The beverage container insert assembly generally depicted and referenced at
1000
provides a beverage container insert for use in combination with a beverage
container and
for controlling beverage movements within the beverage container. The beverage
container insert according to the present invention preferably and essentially
comprises a
container-engaging first portion (as at 195) and a beverage-damping second
portion (as at
196). The beverage-damping second portion is extendable inwardly relative to
the wall-
engaging first portion and basically functions to deflect upwardly directed
beverage for
controlling beverage movement within an insert-outfitted beverage container.
Certain preferable options for the beverage container insert include a
serrated or
sectioned beverage-damping second portion for enabling beverage or liquid to
flow
through beverage-letting or liquid-letting troughs formed in the serrated
beverage-
damping second portion. The beverage-damping second portion may be resiliently
actuable relative to the container-engaging first portion, and thus the
beverage-damping
second portion may be (a) resiliently actuable for enabling a stacked insert-
outfitted
57
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WO 2017/035421
PCT/US2016/048815
beverage container arrangement as generally depicted in Figure Nos. 66 ¨ 68
and (b)
resiliently relaxable for deflecting upwardly directed beverage as generally
depicted in
Figure No. 73.
Although the inventive beverage or liquid container lid assemblies and
beverage
or liquid container inserts according to the present invention have been
described by
reference to a number of different embodiments, it is not intended that the
novel
combinations or assemblies be limited thereby, but that modifications thereof
are
intended to be included as falling within the broad scope and spirit of the
foregoing
disclosure, the appended drawings, and perhaps most importantly, the following
claims.
58
