Ball and socket closing lid

Abstract

A cover assembly for a beverage container includes a ball and socket assembly having a ball member and a corresponding socket member. The socket member includes extendable arms that engage the ball member. The ball and socket assembly permits the cover to be polyaxially rotated with respect to the beverage container. The cover is rotatable from a closed position, where the cover is seated against the beverage container, to a variety of open positions, where the cover can be rotated out of view from a user drinking from the beverage container. The ball and socket assembly, in addition, may be configured to maintain the cover in a variety of open positions relative to the beverage container without auxiliary support or assistance.

1 . A cover for a beverage container having a receptacle, comprising:
 a cover body movable between a closed position and an open position;   a cap member having a first portion coupled to and located below a second portion, the first portion engageable with the receptacle of the beverage container, the second portion having a sidewall extending about a recessed drinking basin with a drinking opening extending through the cap member, the sidewall having a forward drinking portion adjacent to the drinking basin and extending upwardly above the drinking opening at which a user can drink fluid entering the drinking basin through the drink opening when the cover body is in the open position and upon tilting the beverage container forward, the cover body extending over the drinking basin when the cover body is in the closed position, the sidewall having a rearward sidewall portion defining a rearwardly and upwardly opening rear recess at a rearward portion of the cap member; and   a rotational coupling mechanism interconnecting the cover body and the cap member for polyaxial rotation of the cap member relative to the cover body when the cover body is at least slightly spaced apart from the sidewall of the cap member, the rotational coupling mechanism including an upwardly extending ball member positioned in the rear recess of the cap member rearward of the sidewall of the cap member, and a socket member having a pair of arms with spaced apart end portions having opposing, arcuate surfaces rotationally receiving therebetween the ball member, the arms extending from the cover body into the rear recess of the cap member.   
   
   
       2 . The cover assembly of  claim 1  wherein the arms are elastically separable to permit the cover body to be selectively, completely separated from the cap member. 
   
   
       3 . The cover assembly of  claim 1  wherein the sidewall has an upper lip surface portion extending at least partially about the sidewall with a forward lip portion, the cover body and the forward lip portion being in juxtaposition when the cover body is in the closed position. 
   
   
       4 . The cover assembly of  claim 1  wherein the rearward sidewall portion of the cap member defining the rear recess has a lower wall portion and opposing side wall portions extending upward from the lower wall portion, the lower wall portion being positioned sufficiently below the ball member and the side wall portions being sufficiently spaced apart to each side of the ball member to permit rotation of the cover member upward from the closed position to a position with the cap member extending upwardly sufficient to allow the cover member to next be rotated downward to a position adjacent to and behind the beverage container with the cover member extending downward without interference by the lower wall portion or the side wall portions. 
   
   
       5 . The cover assembly of  claim 1  wherein the drinking basin includes an upper basin portion and a lower basin portion, the lower basin portion being deeper than the upper basin portion and sloping downward toward the drink opening. 
   
   
       6 . The cover assembly of  claim 5  wherein the upper basin portion is defined by an upper sidewall and the lower basin portion is defined by a lower sidewall, the lower sidewall being steeper than the upper sidewall. 
   
   
       7 . The cover assembly of  claim 1  wherein the cover body has a rim defining a perimeter of at least a portion of the cover body with a contoured forward portion extending downward when in the closed position and having a contour, and has a plug member, and wherein the drinking opening of the cap member is positioned to be sealed by the plug member when the cover body is in the closed position, and the sidewall of the cap member has an upper lip surface portion extending at least partially about the sidewall with a contoured forward lip portion positioned below at least a portion of the forward drinking portion and with a contour corresponding to the contour of the contoured forward portion of the rim of the cover body, the contoured forward portion of the rim and the contoured forward lip portion being in juxtaposition with the contoured forward portion of the rim overlapping the forward drinking portion of the sidewall when the cover body is in the closed position, the plug member of the cover body sealing the drinking opening when the cover body is in the closed position. 
   
   
       8 . The cover assembly of  claim 7  wherein the contoured forward portion of the rim seats against the contoured forward lip portion when the cover body is in the closed position. 
   
   
       9 . A cover for a beverage container having a receptacle, comprising:
 a cover body movable between a closed position and an open position;   a cap member having a first portion engageable with the receptacle of the beverage container and a second portion having a sidewall extending about a recessed drinking basin with a drinking opening extending through the cap member, the cover body extending over the drinking basin when the cover body is in the closed position, the sidewall having a sidewall portion defining an upwardly opening recess of the cap member; and   a rotational coupling mechanism interconnecting the cover body and the cap member for polyaxial rotation of the cap member relative to the cover body when the cover body is at least slightly spaced apart from the sidewall of the cap member, the rotational coupling mechanism including an upwardly extending ball member positioned in the recess of the cap member, and a socket member having a pair of arms with spaced apart end portions having opposing, arcuate surfaces rotationally receiving therebetween the ball member, the arms extending from the cover body into the recess of the cap member.   
   
   
       10 . A cover for a beverage container having a receptacle, comprising:
 a cover body movable between a closed position and an open position;   a cap member having a portion engageable with the receptacle of the beverage container, a sidewall extending about a recessed drinking basin, a drinking opening extending through the cap member and in fluid communication with the drinking basin, and an upwardly opening recess, the cover body extending over the drinking basin when the cover body is in the closed position; and   a rotational coupling mechanism interconnecting the cover body and the cap member for polyaxial rotation of the cap member relative to the cover body when the cover body is at least slightly spaced apart from the cap member, the rotational coupling mechanism including an upwardly extending ball member positioned in the recess of the cap member, and a socket member having a pair of arms with spaced apart end portions having opposing, arcuate surfaces rotationally receiving therebetween the ball member, the arms extending from the cover body into the recess of the cap member.   
   
   
       11 . A cover for a beverage container having a receptacle, comprising:
 a cover body movable between a closed position and an open position;   a cap member having a portion engageable with the receptacle of the beverage container, a sidewall extending about a drinking basin, and an upwardly opening recess, the cover body extending over the drinking basin when the cover body is in the closed position; and   a rotational coupling mechanism interconnecting the cover body and the cap member for polyaxial rotation of the cap member relative to the cover body when the cover body is at least slightly spaced apart from the cap member, the rotational coupling mechanism including an upwardly extending ball member positioned in the recess of the cap member, and a socket member extending from the cover body into the recess of the cap member and rotationally receiving therein the ball member.   
   
   
       12 . The cover assembly of  claim 11  wherein the socket member includes a pair of arms with spaced apart end portions having opposing surfaces rotationally receiving therebetween the ball member. 
   
   
       13 . The cover assembly of  claim 11  further including a drinking opening extending through the cap member and in fluid communication with the drinking basin. 
   
   
       14 . A cover for a beverage container having a receptacle, comprising:
 a cover body movable between a closed position and an open position;   a cap member having a portion engageable with the receptacle of the beverage container and an upwardly opening recess, the cover body extending over the drinking basin when the cover body is in the closed position; and   a rotational coupling mechanism interconnecting the cover body and the cap member for polyaxial rotation of the cap member relative to the cover body when the cover body is at least slightly spaced apart from the cap member, the rotational coupling mechanism including an upwardly extending ball member positioned in the recess of the cap member, and a socket member extending from the cover body into the recess of the cap member and rotationally receiving therein the ball member.   
   
   
       15 . The cover assembly of  claim 14  wherein the socket member includes a pair of arms with spaced apart end portions having opposing surfaces rotationally receiving therebetween the ball member. 
   
   
       16 . A cover for a beverage container having a receptacle, comprising:
 a cover body movable between a closed position and an open position;   a cap member having a portion engageable with the receptacle of the beverage container and an upwardly opening recess, the cover body extending over the drinking basin when the cover body is in the closed position; and   a rotational coupling mechanism interconnecting the cover body and the cap member for polyaxial rotation of the cap member relative to the cover body when the cover body is at least slightly spaced apart from the cap member, the rotational coupling mechanism including an upwardly extending ball member positioned in the recess of one of the cap member and the cover body, and a socket member extending from an other of the cap member and the cover body into the recess and rotationally receiving therein the ball member.   
   
   
       17 . The cover assembly of  claim 16  wherein the socket member includes a pair of arms with spaced apart end portions having opposing surfaces rotationally receiving therebetween the ball member.