Self-closing lid for beverage cups and the like

Abstract

Lid for a beverage cup or the like having a top wall with an opening through which a beverage can be drunk, a valve seat surrounding the opening, a resilient arm beneath the top wall, a valve member urged toward sealing engagement with the valve seat by the resilient arm. The arm is deflected in a downward direction by the lip of a person drinking through the opening to move the valve member away from its seat. In one disclosed embodiment, a portion of the arm extends in proximity to a deformable side wall and is deflected by the lower lip of the person. In other embodiments, the valve member extends through the opening and is depressed by the upper lip, and in one of those the lid is incorporated into a beverage can.

1 . A lid for a beverage cup or the like, comprising a top wall with an opening through which a person can drink, a valve seat surrounding the opening, a resiliently deformable side wall engagable by the lower lip of a person drinking through the opening, a resilient arm affixed at one end beneath the top wall, a valve member urged toward sealing engagement with the valve seat by the resilient arm, and means operable by the lip of a person engaging the side wall for deflecting the resilient arm in a downward direction to move the valve member away from the opening.  
   
   
       2 . The lid of  claim 1  wherein the one end of the resilient arm is affixed to the under side of the top wall.  
   
   
       3 . The lid of  claim 1  wherein the top wall and side wall and the valve member and resilient arm are unitary structures.  
   
   
       4 . The lid of  claim 3  wherein the resilient arm is affixed to the wall structure in a manner which permits the valve member and arm structure to be kept separately and attached to the wall structure just prior to use.  
   
   
       5 . The lid of  claim 4  wherein the configuration of the wall structure is such that a plurality of such structures can be nested together for shipment and storage.  
   
   
       6 . The lid of  claim 4  wherein the configuration of the valve member and arm structure is such that a plurality of such structures can be nested together for shipment and storage.  
   
   
       7 . The lid of  claim 1  wherein the means for deflecting the lid comprises a portion of the arm positioned in proximity to the side wall.  
   
   
       8 . The lid of  claim 1  wherein the top wall includes a raised area in which the opening is located and a recessed area for collecting spillage from the opening.  
   
   
       9 . The lid of  claim 1  wherein the valve seat comprises a downwardly facing bead on the under side of the top wall.  
   
   
       10 . The lid of  claim 9  wherein the valve member includes a peripheral groove in which the valve seat bead is received.  
   
   
       11 . A lid for a beverage cup or the like, comprising a top wall with an opening through which a person can drink, a side wall engagable by the lower lip of a person drinking through the opening, a mounting post on the under side of the top wall, a resilient arm having an inner end portion which is affixed to the mounting post and an outer end portion which can be deflected in a downward direction by the lip of a person engaging the side wall, and a valve member carried by the resilient arm for movement into and out of sealing engagement with the valve seat.  
   
   
       12 . The lid of  claim 11  wherein the inner end portion of the resilient arm is pressed onto the mounting post.  
   
   
       13 . The lid of  claim 11  wherein the top wall and side wall and the valve member and resilient arm are unitary structures.  
   
   
       14 . The lid of  claim 13  wherein the configuration of the wall structure is such that a plurality of such structures can be nested together for shipment and storage.  
   
   
       15 . The lid of  claim 13  wherein the configuration of the valve member and arm structure is such that a plurality of such structures can be nested together for shipment and storage.  
   
   
       16 . The lid of  claim 11  wherein the top wall includes a raised area in which the opening is located and a recessed area for collecting spillage from the opening.  
   
   
       17 . The lid of  claim 1   1  wherein the valve seat comprises a downwardly facing bead on the under side of the top wall.  
   
   
       18 . The lid of  claim 17  wherein the valve member includes a peripheral groove in which the valve seat bead is received.  
   
   
       19 . A lid for a beverage cup or the like, comprising a top wall with an opening through which a person can drink, a valve seat surrounding the opening, a resilient arm having one end secured in a fixed position beneath the top wall, and a valve member urged toward sealing engagement with the valve seat by the resilient arm, with a portion of the valve member extending through the opening and being engagable by the upper lip of a person drinking through the opening to hold the valve member away from the seat.  
   
   
       20 . The lid of  claim 19  wherein the valve member and arm are a unitary structure.  
   
   
       21 . The lid of  claim 20  wherein the resilient arm is affixed to the top wall in a manner which permits the valve member and arm structure to be kept separately and attached to the top wall just prior to use.  
   
   
       22 . The lid of  claim 21  wherein the configuration of the valve member and arm structure is such that a plurality of such structures can be nested together for shipment and storage.  
   
   
       23 . The lid of  claim 19  wherein the top wall includes a raised area in which the opening is located and a recessed area for collecting spillage from the opening.  
   
   
       24 . The lid of  claim 19  wherein the valve seat comprises a downwardly facing groove, and the valve member includes an upwardly projecting peripheral bead which is received in the groove.  
   
   
       25 . The lid of  claim 19  wherein the valve member has a plurality of steps for engagement with the lip of the person drinking through the opening.  
   
   
       26 . The lid of  claim 19  wherein the top wall is the top wall of a beverage can, and the valve member includes a gasket which is urged into sealing engagement with the under side of the top wall by the resilient arm.  
   
   
       27 . A lid for a beverage can comprising a top wall having an upwardly projecting valve member formed therein, a score line surrounding the valve member, a pull tab attached to the top wall for depressing the valve member to sever the valve member from the remainder of the top wall, the pull tab having a long arm and a short arm and being mounted on the top wall in such manner that the short arm bears down upon the valve member when the long arm is pulled in an upward direction away from the top wall, a resilient arm having one end secured in a fixed position beneath the top wall and a second end connected to the valve member, and a gasket urged by the resilient arm into sealing engagement between the valve member and the under side of the top wall.  
   
   
       28 . The lid of  claim 27  wherein the gasket is affixed to the resilient arm, and the valve member is affixed to a central portion of the gasket, with an outer portion of the gasket surrounding the valve member and engaging the under side of the top wall.