Lid for a container

Abstract

A lid for a drinking container is described and which includes a base member which releasably sealably couples to a container which encloses a liquid to be dispensed, and which further includes a selectively rotatable cover member engageable with the base member, and which is screwthreadably rotatable relative thereto so as to facilitate the release of liquid from the container, and wherein the selectively rotatable cover member matingly engages the base member in the manner of a snap-fit.

1 . A lid for a container, comprising:
 a base member which releasably sealably couples to a container which encloses a liquid to be dispensed, and wherein the base member has a first end which releasably sealably couples with the container, and an opposite distal end, and wherein an aperture is formed in the base member and is located adjacent to the second end thereof, and wherein the base member further has a diminishing outside diametral dimension as measured from the first end thereof, and extending in the direction of the second end; and   a selectively rotatable cover member engageable with the base member, and which is screwthreadably rotatable relative thereto so as to facilitate the release of fluid from the container, and wherein the rotatable cover member matingly engages the base member by telescopingly receiving a portion of the base member, and then engages the base member in a snap-fit manner by moving along a linear path of travel and in the direction of the base member, and wherein the rotatable cover member thereafter rotates along a given course of travel relative to the base member.   
     
     
         2 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 1 , and wherein the base member is defined by first, second and third portions, and wherein a thread channel is formed in the base member and is located in the second portion thereof, and wherein an access passageway is formed in the second portion and intersects the thread passageway. 
     
     
         3 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 2 , and wherein the thread channel has opposite first and second ends, and the access passageway intersects the thread channel at a location about midway between the first and second ends, thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 3 , and wherein the access passageway has an increasing depth dimension as that depth dimension is measured in a direction extending from the first end of the base member and in the direction of the second end thereof. 
     
     
         5 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 4 , and wherein the selectively rotatable cover member has an inside facing surface which defines an internal cavity that telescopingly receives the second and third portions of the base member, and wherein a post is mounted on the inside facing surface of the rotatable cover member, and is resiliently deformable so as to pass along the access passageway, and be received, in the manner of a snap-fit, in the thread channel. 
     
     
         6 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 5 , and wherein a second access passageway and second thread channel are formed in the second portion of the base member, and are further located in a position opposite to the first mentioned access passageway, and wherein a second post is mounted on the inside facing surface of the rotatable cover member and is operable to be received in the second access passageway, and be received in the manner of a snap-fit in the second threaded channel 
     
     
         7 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 6 , and wherein an aperture is formed in the rotatable cover member, and which is substantially coaxially aligned relative to the dispensing aperture, and wherein rotation of the cover member in a given direction relative to the base member causes the cover member to move in the direction of the base member, while simultaneously the second end of the base member moves to a location relative to the cover member where the second end occludes the aperture formed in the cover member, and wherein rotation of the cover member in an opposite direction causes the cover member to move away from the base member and facilitates the removal of fluid from the container by way of the aperture formed in the rotatable cover member. 
     
     
         8 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 7 , and further comprising a fluid seal mounted on the third portion of the base member and which sealably engages the inside facing surface of the rotatable cover member. 
     
     
         9 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 8 , and wherein the inside facing surface of the rotatable cover member further defines a passageway which is coaxially aligned relative to the aperture formed in the rotatable cover member, and which receives the third portion of the base member which mounts the fluid seal. 
     
     
         10 . A lid for a container, comprising:
 a base member which releasably sealably couples to a container, and wherein the base member has a main body defined by a longitudinal axis, and which further has a first portion which is defined by a circumscribing, outside facing sidewall, and an inside facing sidewall which releasably sealably mates with the container, and wherein the outside facing sidewall has a predetermined outside diametral dimension, and which is further symmetrically oriented about the longitudinal axis, and wherein the base member includes a second portion, which is made integral with the first portion, and which further has a circumscribing and outside facing sidewall which has a predetermined outside diametral dimension which is less than the outside diametral dimension of the first portion, and wherein the base member includes a third portion, which is made integral with the second portion, and which has a circumscribing outside facing sidewall, and an opposite inside facing surface which defines a fluid passageway which terminates at a dispensing aperture which is located near a distal end of the third portion, and wherein a thread channel, and an access passageway is formed in the outside facing sidewall of the second portion;   a selectively rotatable cover member, having a main body with an outside facing, and an opposite, inside facing surface, and wherein the inside facing surface defines a cavity which telescopingly receives the second and third portions of the base member therein, and wherein a pair of posts are mounted on the inside facing surface of the cover member and extend inwardly thereof, and are first, matingly received in, and then pass through the access passageway, and are then received within the thread channel which is defined by the second portion, and wherein rotation of the cover member in a given direction relative to the base member either moves the cover member toward, or away from the base member, and wherein the cover member defines an aperture which is substantially coaxially aligned with the dispensing aperture which is formed in the third portion of the base member; and   a seal mounted on the third portion of the base member, and which is located between the dispensing aperture and the second portion, and wherein the seal engages the inside facing sidewall of the cover member which defines the fluid passageway, and wherein the cover member, when rotated relative to the base member, moves either towards, or away from, the base member, and wherein the cover member when rotated in a first direction moves away from the base member, and a source of fluid contained in the drinking container may then pass through both the dispensing aperture formed in the third portion, and the aperture formed in the cover member, and wherein rotation of the cover member in a second direction causes the cover member to advance toward the base member and substantially prohibits the source of fluid from passing through the aperture formed in the cover member.   
     
     
         11 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the second and third portions of the base member are coaxially aligned relative to the longitudinal axis thereof, and wherein the third portion has an outside diametral dimension which is less than outside diametral dimension of the second portion. 
     
     
         12 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the access passageway and the thread channel formed in the second portion each have a given width and depth dimension, and further intersect with each other, and wherein the depth dimension of the access passageway is less than the depth dimension of the thread channel. 
     
     
         13 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the access passageway has a first, and an opposite second end, and wherein the first end is positioned adjacent to the third portion, and the second end is positioned adjacent to the thread channel, and wherein the first end of the access passageway is located at a first given radial dimension away from the longitudinal axis of the base member, and wherein the second end of the access passageway is located at a second given radial dimension away from the longitudinal axis of the base member, and wherein the second radial distance is greater than the first radial distance. 
     
     
         14 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 13 , and wherein the cover member has a substantially circular cross sectional shape, and the pair of posts are located in substantially opposite positions on the inside facing surface of the cover member, and wherein each of the posts has a distal end, and the distance between the distal end of each of the posts is a given linear dimension, and wherein the access passageway includes a pair of access passageways which are positioned in opposite locations on the second portion of the base member, and wherein the linear distance between the first end of each of the respective access passageways is less than the given linear dimension between the distal ends of each of the posts, and the linear distance between the second end of the respective passageways is greater than given dimension between the respective distal ends of each of the posts. 
     
     
         15 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 14 , and wherein the base member includes a pair of thread channels, and wherein the pair of posts are resilient, and deform as they move along the access passageways and are received in the respective pair of thread channels. 
     
     
         16 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 13 , and wherein the thread passageway is located at a third radial dimension relative to the longitudinal axis of the base member, and wherein the third radial dimension is less than the second radial dimension as measured at the second end of the respective access passageways. 
     
     
         17 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the distal end of the third portion of the base member substantially occludes the aperture formed in the cover member when the cover member is rotated in the second direction so as to move the cover member in the direction of the base member, and wherein the occlusion of the aperture formed in the cover member substantially prohibits the liquid contained in the container from passing through the dispensing aperture formed in the third portion of the base member. 
     
     
         18 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the access passageway and the thread channel which are formed in the second portion of the base member intersect each other, and wherein the thread channel has opposite first and second ends, and wherein the access passageway intersects the thread passage intermediate the opposite first and second ends of the thread channel. 
     
     
         19 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein the access passageway and the thread channel each have a given length and depth dimension, and wherein the thread channel has a substantially uniform depth dimension as measured along the length of the thread channel, and wherein the depth dimension of the access channel decreases as the depth dimension is measured from the third portion of the base member and in the direction of the first portion thereof. 
     
     
         20 . A lid for a container as claimed in  claim 10 , and wherein a circumscribing seal seat is made integral with the third portion of the base member, and located adjacent the distal end thereof, and wherein the seal is matingly supported in the circumscribing seal seat.