Container Lid Assemblies for Directing Liquid Flow

Abstract

A beverage container lid assembly and insert enable a user to selectively control contained beverage movements when outfitted upon a beverage container. The lid assemblies all include a primary lid form having a primary beverage outlet and a secondary lid attachment cooperably engaged with the primary lid form for providing certain beverage flow diversion structure. The secondary lid attachments may be attachable to select surfacing of the primary lid forms for forming a beverage-receiving compartment intermediate the primary lid form and the secondary lid attachment in which compartment heat transfer is effected by the structural characteristics of the defined space. The lid assembly may be attached to a beverage container such that the user may manually position the secondary lid attachment relative to the primary lid form for manually and selectively position beverage flow diversion structures relative to the primary beverage outlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage container lid assembly for enabling a user to selectively control beverage movement therethrough, the beverage container lid assembly comprising:
 a primary lid form, the primary lid form comprising a beverage outlet depression formed at upper surfacing of the primary lid form, the beverage outlet depression having at least one primary beverage outlet and a depression periphery;   a secondary lid attachment, the secondary lid attachment comprising an attachment-to-form contact edge and at least one letting aperture, the attachment-to-form contact edge being engaged with the depression periphery in superior adjacency to the primary beverage outlet for forming a beverage-receiving compartment at the beverage outlet depression, the beverage-receiving compartment having an upper and lower material layer, the upper and lower material layers being hydrophilic; and   container attachment means for attaching the primary lid form to an upper rim of a beverage container for forming a lid-outfitted container, beverage from the beverage container being directable through the primary beverage outlet into the beverage-receiving compartment, the beverage being attractively engaged with the hydrophilic upper and lower material layers for limiting beverage movement, the beverage-receiving compartment for effecting heat transfer from the beverage prior to outletting via the at least one letting aperture for beverage consumption.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage container lid assembly of  claim 1  wherein the primary lid form comprises a beverage pooling structure in adjacency to the at least one primary beverage outlet, the beverage pooling structure for pooling beverage within the beverage-receiving compartment prior to consumption. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage container lid assembly of  claim 1  wherein the at least one letting aperture is non-aligned relative to the at least one primary beverage outlet, the secondary lid attachment thus providing beverage flow diversion structure. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage container lid assembly of  claim 1  comprising secondary lid attachment removal means for enabling the user to selectively remove the secondary lid attachment from engagement with the primary lid form and consume beverage directly via the at least one primary beverage outlet. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage container lid assembly of  claim 4  wherein the secondary lid attachment removal means are defined in part by a secondary depression formed in adjacency to the beverage outlet depression, the secondary depression for enabling a user to manually engage an underside of the secondary lid attachment for manually removing said secondary lid attachment. 
     
     
         6 . The beverage container lid assembly of  claim 5  wherein the primary lid form comprises a depression-interconnecting channel, the depression-interconnecting channel extending intermediate the beverage outlet depression and the secondary depression for venting the beverage-receiving compartment. 
     
     
         7 . A container lid assembly for enabling a user to selectively control liquid movement therethrough, the container lid assembly comprising:
 a primary lid form, the primary lid form comprising a liquid outlet formation, the liquid outlet formation having at least one primary liquid outlet and a formation periphery;   a secondary lid attachment, the secondary lid attachment comprising an attachment-to-form contact edge and at least one letting aperture, the attachment-to-form contact edge being engaged with formation periphery in adjacency to the primary liquid outlet for forming a liquid-receiving compartment at the liquid outlet formation; and   container attachment means for attaching the primary lid form to a liquid container, liquid from the liquid container being directable into the liquid-receiving compartment, the liquid-receiving compartment for effecting heat transfer from the liquid prior to outletting via a select letting aperture.   
     
     
         8 . The container lid assembly of  claim 7  comprising means for inhibiting removal of the secondary lid attachment from engagement with the primary lid form. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage container lid assembly of  claim 7  wherein the at least one letting aperture is non-aligned relative to the at least one primary liquid outlet, the secondary lid attachment thus providing liquid flow diversion structure. 
     
     
         10 . The container lid assembly of  claim 7  wherein the secondary lid attachment is cooperably engaged with the primary lid form in inferior adjacency to the primary liquid outlet, the liquid being directable (a) into the liquid-receiving compartment via the at least one letting aperture, and (b) from the liquid-receiving compartment via the primary liquid outlet. 
     
     
         11 . The container lid assembly of  claim 10  wherein the primary lid form comprises laterally opposed liquid-damming structures at the liquid outlet formation, the laterally opposed liquid-damming structures being laterally offset from the primary liquid outlet for redirecting liquid movements prior to outletting via the primary liquid outlet. 
     
     
         12 . The container lid assembly of  claim 10  wherein the primary lid form comprises at least one push button structure, the at least one push button structure for enabling the user to selectively displace the secondary lid attachment relative to the primary lid form for controlling liquid movement therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . The container lid assembly of  claim 12  wherein the primary lid form comprises an indentation in adjacency to a select push button structure, the indentation for increasing liquid-to-material contact surface area within the liquid-receiving compartment and enhancing heat transfer from liquid received therein. 
     
     
         14 . The container lid assembly of  claim 7  wherein the secondary lid attachment is cooperably engaged with the primary lid form in superior adjacency to the primary liquid outlet, the liquid being directable (a) into the liquid-receiving compartment via the at least one primary liquid outlet, and (b) from the liquid-receiving compartment via the at least one letting aperture. 
     
     
         15 . The container lid assembly of  claim 14  wherein the primary lid form comprises a liquid pooling structure in adjacency to the primary liquid outlet, the liquid pooling structure for pooling liquid within the liquid-receiving compartment prior to outletting via the primary liquid outlet. 
     
     
         16 . The container lid assembly of  claim 14  comprising secondary lid attachment removal means, said means comprising a secondary formation formed in adjacency to the beverage outlet formation, the secondary formation for enabling a user to manually engage an underside of the secondary lid attachment for manually removing said secondary lid attachment, the primary lid form comprising a formation-interconnecting channel, the formation-interconnecting channel extending intermediate the liquid outlet formation and the secondary formation for venting the liquid-receiving compartment. 
     
     
         17 . A container lid shroud for use in combination with a container lid and for enabling a user to selectively control liquid flow from the container lid, the container lid comprising a lid wall, upper-outer container lid surfacing, and a primary liquid outlet, the container lid shroud comprising:
 a shroud wall, lower-inner shroud surfacing, and at least one letting aperture, the shroud wall and lower-inner shroud surfacing being contoured for respectively mimicking the lid wall and upper-outer lid surfacing and seatable in superior adjacency to the container lid for forming a liquid-receiving compartment intermediate the upper-outer container lid surfacing and the lower-inner shroud surfacing, the primary liquid outlet for outletting liquid from a lid-outfitted liquid container into the liquid-receiving compartment, the at least one letting aperture for outletting liquid received in the liquid-receiving compartment.   
     
     
         18 . The container lid shroud of  claim 17  wherein the at least one letting aperture is formed so as to be in non-alignment with the primary liquid outlet, the at least one letting aperture thus for preventing direct liquid flow from the primary liquid outlet through the at least one letting aperture. 
     
     
         19 . The container lid shroud of  claim 17  being frictionally seatable in superior adjacency to the container lid for forming the liquid-receiving compartment, the lower-inner shroud surfacing of the shroud wall being frictionally engageable with the upper-outer lid surfacing of the lid wall for retaining the lid shroud in engagement with the container lid. 
     
     
         20 . The container lid shroud of  claim 19  for use in combination with the liquid container lid having a wall-to-rim junction groove, the container lid shroud comprising a shroud wall hem, the shroud wall hem being insertable into the wall-to-rim junction groove for enhancing shroud-to-lid frictionally seated engagement.