Wide-lipped container lid.

Abstract

This invention is directed toward a container lid with a base that attaches to an existing bottle, and hingeably-connected lid with flanged sides that provide a convenient place for a user to open the lid using only one hand. The user needs merely position the lid over an object and tap or pull down on the bottle to effectively open the container with only one hand. To removably restrain the lid from popping open at undesired times, an orifice ridge on the top of the base removably mates with an orifice stopper on the underside of the lid. The lid can be tapped back into a “down” position quite easily by tapping the lid on the bottom of any surface. Because the lid extends above and away from the base, any contaminants that fall into the lid are not transferred to the drinking and pouring opening in the base.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A cap, consisting of a base, a lid, and a hinge, where the hinge connects the base and the lid, and where the hinge allows the lid to vertically rotate away from the base, where the base additionally comprises an orifice, and has a base lower surface and a base upper surface, where the base lower surface has a base lower diameter, and where the base upper surface has a base upper diameter, where the base lower surface additionally comprises one or more threads, where the one or more threads extend around the orifice, where the lid additionally comprises a lid top surface, a lid bottom surface, a lid bottom diameter, a lid top diameter, a flange and a cap ring, where the lid bottom diameter is smaller than the lid top diameter, and where the flange is an angled section of the lid that has a flange lower diameter and a flange upper diameter, where the flange lower diameter is equal to the lid bottom diameter, and where the flange upper diameter is equal to the lid top diameter, where the base additionally comprises an orifice ridge, and where the lid additionally comprises an orifice stopper, where the orifice ridge and the orifice stopper mate, where the orifice ridge is circular, and has an outside diameter, and where the orifice stopper is circular, and has an inside diameter, and the orifice stopper is a circular cavity in an underside of the lid, where the inside diameter of the orifice ridge is approximately the same size as the outside diameter of the orifice stopper, such that when the lid is pressed down upon the base, the orifice stopper is removably retained within the orifice ridge, where a user can open the cap by pressing the flange against a second object such that the user can open and close the cap using only one hand. 
     
     
         2 . The cap of  claim 1 , where the flange is flat, and there is a flange angle between the lid top surface and the flange, where the flange angle is less than 45 degrees, where the container top can be opened without any hands of the user touching the lid. 
     
     
         3 . The cap of  claim 1 , where the flange has a curved surface, and the curved surface is a concave surface, where the concave surface has a radius, and where the radius is 2″ or greater, where the container top can be opened without any hands of the user touching the lid. 
     
     
         4 . The cap of  claim 3 , where the hinge allows the lid to vertically rotate away from the base by at least 90 degrees and where the container top can be opened without any hands of the user touching the lid, but rather where the container top can be opened by the user placing the flange of the lid over a projection and merely putting an amount of pressure in a downward direction, forcing the flange against the projection. 
     
     
         5 . The cap of  claim 4 , where a flange outer portion radius is at least 10% greater than a flange inner portion radius. 
     
     
         6 . The cap of  claim 4 , where the flange is concave in shape and a flange outer portion near the ring is less concave that a flange inner portion near the lid bottom surface, thereby presenting a flattened target upon which to position the lid for easy opening. 
     
     
         7 . The cap of  claim 4 , where the flange outer portion concave radius is between 8″ and 12″, and the flange inner portion radius is between 6″ and 8″. 
     
     
         8 . A cap, comprising, the base, the lid, and the hinge, where the hinge connects the base and the lid, and where the hinge allows the lid to vertically rotate away from the base at least 90 degrees, where the base additionally comprises the orifice, where the base has the base lower surface and the base upper surface, where the base lower surface has the base lower diameter, and where the base upper surface has the base upper diameter, where the base lower surface additionally comprises the one or more threads, where the one or more threads extend around the orifice, where the lid additionally comprises the lid top surface, the lid bottom surface, the lid bottom diameter, the lid top diameter, a flange and a cap ring, where the bottom diameter is smaller than the top diameter, and where the flange is an angled section of the lid that has the lower diameter and the upper diameter, where the lower diameter is equal to the bottom diameter of the lid, and where the upper diameter is equal to the top diameter of the lid, and where the container top can be opened and closed without any hands of the user touching the lid. 
     
     
         9 . The lid of  claim 8 , where the container top can be opened without any hands of the user touching the lid, but rather where the container top can be opened by the user placing the flange of the lid over a projection and merely putting an amount of pressure in a downward direction, forcing the flange against the projection. 
     
     
         10 . The lid of  claim 8 , where the base additionally comprises the orifice ridge, and where the lid additionally comprises the orifice stopper, where the orifice ridge and the orifice stopper mate, were the orifice ridge is circular, and has the outside diameter, and where the orifice stopper is circular, and has the inside diameter, and the orifice stopper is the circular cavity in the underside of the lid. 
     
     
         11 . The lid of  claim 10 , where the inside diameter of the orifice ridge is approximately the same size as the outside diameter of the orifice stopper, such that when the lid is pressed down upon the base, the orifice stopper is removably retained within the orifice ridge. 
     
     
         12 . The lid of  claim 10 , where the lid lower diameter is at least 10% less than the lid upper diameter. 
     
     
         13 . The lid of  claim 10 , where the flange is flat, and there is the flange angle between the lid top surface and the flange and the flange angle is between 15 degrees and 45 degrees, 
     
     
         14 . The lid of  claim 10 , where the flange has a flange shape, and the flange shape is selected from the group consisting of concave, sloped, beveled and tapered. 
     
     
         15 . The lid of  claim 10 , where the flange is concave in shape, and where the concave surface has the radius, and where the radius is 2″ or greater. 
     
     
         16 . The lid of  claim 10 , where the flange is concave in shape and where the flange outer portion near the ring is less concave than the flange inner portion near the lid bottom surface, thereby presenting the flattened target upon which to position the lid for easy opening. 
     
     
         17 . The cap of  claim 16 , where the flange outer portion has the flange outer portion circumference and the flange inner portion has the flange inner portion circumference, and the flange outer portion circumference is at least 10% greater than the flange inner portion circumference. 
     
     
         18 . The lid of  claim 8 , where the base additionally comprises the orifice ridge, and where the lid additionally comprises the orifice stopper, where the orifice ridge and the orifice stopper mate, were the orifice ridge is circular, and has the outside diameter, and where the orifice stopper is circular, and has the inside diameter, and the orifice stopper is the circular cavity in the underside of the lid, where the inside diameter of the orifice ridge is approximately the same size as the outside diameter of the orifice stopper, such that when the lid is pressed down upon the Base, the orifice stopper is removably retained within the orifice ridge, where the flange is concave in shape. 
     
     
         19 . The lid of  claim 18 , where the flange has a flange shape, and the flange shape is selected from the group consisting of concave, sloped, beveled and tapered. 
     
     
         20 . The lid of  claim 18 , where the flange is concave in shape and where the flange outer portion near the ring is less concave that the flange inner portion near the lid bottom surface, thereby presenting the flattened target upon which to position the lid for easy opening, and where the flange outer portion circumference is at least 15% greater than the flange inner portion circumference