Lid with bistably valved drinking spout

Abstract

A lid with a raised drink-through spout ( 24 ) has a hinged flap valve ( 28 ) covering a drink opening ( 26 ′) formed in the surface of the spout. The user opens the valve by pushing the top of a post ( 28 P) on the flap ( 28 F) down. A hinge ( 28 H) holding the flap urges the flap to return to its closed and horizontal orientation, but the top edge of the post will catch under a catch edge of the opening opposite the hinge. This holds the flap open. The user can then drink from the spout. To re-close the valve, the user applies inward force to the outer sidewall ( 16 ) below the catch edge. This causes the wall to deflect inwardly and the catch edge to distort outwardly, widening the hole. This releases the post, allowing it to move upwardly so that the flap can spring back to its horizontal and closed position.

1 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . For a beverage container, a lid that enables a user to drink a beverage from said cup through a hole in said lid, comprising: 
 a lid arranged to substantially cover an entire open upper end of a beverage container of a predetermined size,    said lid containing an attachment portion for sealingly attaching said lid to an upper rim of said beverage container,    said lid having a spout or drinking portion that extends up from the rest of said lid,    said spout having a top surface with a valve formed therein,    said valve comprising a flap having a hinge side connected to a portion of said spout along a hinge and a cut side opposite said hinge,    said flap positioned with its cut side adjacent said top surface of said spout,    said flap also arranged to expose a drink hole in said top surface when said flap is rotated downward along said hinge so that said valve is in an open position,    said flap containing a protrusion projecting therefrom, said protrusion being sized and positioned on said flap so that when said flap is rotated downward from said top surface, and said hinge urges said flap back to a coplanar orientation with said top surface, said protrusion will catch on a portion of said upper surface adjacent said drink hole so that said open position of said valve is stable.    
   
   
       25 . The lid of  claim 24  wherein said spout contains a release side connected to said top surface, said release side being deformable so that pressure on said release side will deform a portion of said spout and release said protrusion from said upper surface and allow said flap to return to a closed position.  
   
   
       26 . The lid of  claim 24  wherein said lid has a turret portion and said spout or drinking portion is an upwardly extending part of said turret portion.  
   
   
       27 . The lid of  claim 26  wherein said turret portion has (a) an upper surface with a central portion that is recessed, and (b) a rim that surrounds said central portion and extends up from said recess, said spout or drinking portion being a part of said rim.  
   
   
       28 . The lid of  claim 24  wherein said lid has a circular shape when seen from above and wherein said lid has a turret portion and said spout or drinking portion is an upwardly extending part of said turret portion.  
   
   
       29 . The lid of  claim 28  wherein said turret portion has (a) an upper surface with a central portion that is recessed, and (b) a rim that surrounds said central portion and extends up from said recess, said spout or drinking portion being a part of said rim.  
   
   
       30 . The lid of  claim 24  wherein said flap has substantially the same shape and size as said hole.  
   
   
       31 . The lid of  claim 24  wherein said flap is positioned with its cut side adjacent but below said top surface of said spout.  
   
   
       32 . The lid of  claim 24  wherein said drink hole in said lid has an outer edge adjacent an outer edge of said lid and an inner edge adjacent a center of said lid, and wherein said hinge side of said flap and said hinge to which said hinge side is connected is at said outer edge of said hole.  
   
   
       33 . A lid for a beverage container wherein said lid has a drink-through hole that can be selectively opened, comprising: 
 a lid shaped and sized to seal an open top of a drinking cup of a predetermined size,    said drink-through hole being positioned in said lid so that a user can drink a beverage in said cup through said drink-through hole,    said drink-through hole being formed in a surface of said lid, said drink-through hole having a hinge side and a catch side,    a sealing flap attached to said hinge side of said drink-through hole by a hinge, said sealing flap having a hinge edge and a cut edge and being arranged to seal said drink-through hole when said sealing flap is in a closed condition adjacent said surface of said lid, said hinge arranged to urge said flap to said closed condition,    said sealing flap containing holding means arranged to hold said sealing flap in an open condition against said catch edge when said flap extends at a downward angle to said surface,    whereby said sealing flap can be stably positioned in said open condition.    
   
   
       34 . The lid of  claim 33  wherein said lid is made of a material which is deformable so that said catch edge can be moved to a position where it releases said holding means.  
   
   
       35 . The lid of  claim 33  wherein said lid has a turret portion and said drink through opening is located on an upwardly extending part of said turret portion.  
   
   
       36 . The lid of  claim 35  wherein said turret portion has (a) an upper surface with a central portion that is recessed, and (b) a rim that surrounds said central portion and extends up from said recess, said drink through opening being a part of said rim.  
   
   
       37 . The lid of  claim 33  wherein said lid has a circular shape when seen from above and wherein said lid has a turret portion and said drink through opening is located on an upwardly extending part of said turret portion.  
   
   
       38 . The lid of  claim 37  wherein said turret portion has (a) an upper surface with a central portion that is recessed, and (b) a rim that surrounds said central portion and extends up from said recess, said drink through opening being a part of said rim.  
   
   
       39 . The lid of  claim 33  wherein said sealing flap has substantially the same shape and size as said drink-through opening.  
   
   
       40 . The lid of  claim 33  wherein said holding means comprises a protrusion projecting from said sealing flap.  
   
   
       41 . The lid of  claim 40  wherein said protrusion is an upwardly extending post.  
   
   
       42 . The lid of  claim 33  wherein said flap positioned with its cut side adjacent but below said surface of said lid.  
   
   
       43 . The lid of  claim 33  wherein said hinge side of said drink-through hole in said lid is adjacent an outer edge of said lid and said catch side of said drink-through hole is adjacent a center of said lid.  
   
   
       44 . A method of sealing a beverage container, comprising: 
 providing a cup-sealing lid with a drinking hole that can be selectively opened, said lid shaped and sized to seal an open top of a drinking cup of a predetermined size, said drinking hole being arranged so that a user can drink a beverage in said cup through said drinking hole, said drinking hole being formed in a surface of said lid, said drinking hole having a hinge side and a catch side,    providing said lid with a sealing flap attached to said hinge side of said drink-through opening by a hinge, said sealing flap having a free edge and being arranged to seal said drink-through opening when said sealing flap is in a closed condition with said free edge adjacent said catch side of said lid, said hinge arranged to urge said flap to said closed condition, said sealing flap containing holding means arranged to hold said sealing flap in an open condition against said catch side when said flap extends at a downward angle to said surface,    attaching said lid to a drinking cup with said sealing flap in said closed condition, and    opening said sealing flap by pushing said sealing flap to an open condition where said holding means holds said sealing flap in said open condition against said catch edge,    whereby said sealing flap can be stably positioned in said open condition.    
   
   
       45 . The lid of  claim 44  wherein said lid has a circular shape when seen from above and wherein said lid has a turret portion and said drink through opening is located on an upwardly extending part of said turret portion.  
   
   
       46 . The lid of  claim 45  wherein said turret portion has (a) an upper surface with a central portion that is recessed, and (b) a rim that surrounds said central portion and extends up from said recess, said drink through opening being a part of said rim.  
   
   
       47 . The lid of  claim 44  wherein lid contains a spout that contains said drink-through opening, said spout containing a release side connected to a top surface of said spout, said release side being deformable so that pressure on said release side will deform a portion of said spout and release said holding means from said catch edge and allow said flap to return to a closed position.  
   
   
       48 . The lid of  claim 44  wherein said sealing flap is positioned with its free edge adjacent but below said catch side of said lid.  
   
   
       48 . The lid of  claim 44  wherein hinge side of said drinking hole is adjacent an outer edge of said lid and said catch side of said drinking hole is adjacent a center of said lid.