Flip spout drinking container

Abstract

A drinking container can include a reservoir and a lid assembly releasably coupled to the reservoir. The lid assembly can include a user activated mechanism coupled to a spout pusher and a spout configured to rotate between an open position and a closed position, and the spout can include a flexible sleeve and a spout hinge portion. In some embodiments, activating the user activated mechanism can cause the spout pusher to move toward the spout hinge portion and cause material molded over an end of the spout pusher to stretch and engage the spout hinge, and the flexible sleeve can apply a restoring force on the spout when the spout is dislodged from the closed position by the spout pusher engaging the spout hinge to rotate the spout to the open position.

1 . A drinking container comprising:
 a reservoir; and   a lid assembly releasably coupled to the reservoir comprising:
 a spout configured to rotate between an open position and a closed position, 
   wherein the spout includes a flexible sleeve and a spout hinge;
 a user activated mechanism coupled to a spout pusher; 
 wherein the lid assembly is co-molded with a material that covers outer sidewalls of the lid assembly and an end of the spout pusher, 
 wherein activating the user activated mechanism causes the spout pusher to move toward the spout hinge and cause material molded over the end of the spout pusher to stretch and engage the spout hinge, and 
 wherein the flexible sleeve applies a restoring force on the spout when the spout is dislodged from the closed position by the spout pusher engaging the spout hinge, and wherein the restoring force rotates the spout to the open position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The drinking container of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a spout bay configured to receive the spout when the spout is rotated to the closed position.   
     
     
         3 . The drinking container of  claim 2 , wherein the spout further comprises detents, and wherein the spout bay further comprises holding nubs,
 wherein the detents and the holding nubs are positioned to align when the spout is rotated to the closed position, and   wherein the detents engaging the holding nubs holds the spout in the closed position until a user activates the user activated mechanism.   
     
     
         4 . The drinking container of  claim 2 , further comprising reinforcement tabs formed on sidewalls of the spout bay under hinge point holes, wherein the hinge point holes receive hinge nubs formed on the spout hinge and allow the hinge nubs to rotate within the hinge point holes so that the spout may rotate, and wherein the reinforcement tabs have a concave shaped top portion to avoid interfering with spout hinge rotation, and wherein the reinforcement tabs are configured to increase hinge rigidity and prevent the spout from dislodging or being pulled off the lid assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The drinking container of  claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir sleeve that receives the reservoir when a lip formed at a rim of the reservoir engages a ridge formed near a top of the reservoir sleeve. 
     
     
         6 . The drinking container of  claim 5 , wherein the reservoir sleeve further comprises a bottom cover formed at a bottom portion of the reservoir sleeve, wherein the bottom cover comprises silicone, rubber, or other elastomeric rubber-like material configured to add additional friction and dampen sound when the drinking container is dropped. 
     
     
         7 . The drinking container of  claim 1 , further comprising a straw extending into the reservoir and connected to the flexible sleeve to provide a fluid channel through the straw, the flexible sleeve, and the spout in the open position. 
     
     
         8 . The drinking container of  claim 2 , wherein the spout hinge comprises a hollow base portion and a hollow upper tube, wherein a first sidewall of the base portion is shorter in length than a second sidewall of the base portion, wherein the first sidewall contacts a bottom surface of the spout bay when the spout is in the closed position, and wherein the first sidewall includes an end. 
     
     
         9 . The drinking container of  claim 8 , wherein the first sidewall has a length that provides room for the flexible sleeve to extend upward into the base portion of the spout hinge the first sidewall crimps the flexible sleeve against the end of the spout pusher when the spout is in the closed position. 
     
     
         10 . The drinking container of  claim 9 , wherein the end of the spout pusher, and thereby the material molded over the end of the spout pusher are convex in shape, and wherein the spout pusher, and thereby the material molded over the end of the spout pusher, impact the end of the first sidewall of the base portion of the spout hinge to push the spout hinge in a direction that dislodges the spout from the closed position. 
     
     
         11 . A lid assembly comprising:
 a spout configured to rotate between an open position and a closed position, wherein the spout includes a flexible sleeve and a spout hinge; and   a user activated mechanism coupled to a spout pusher;   wherein activating the user activated mechanism causes the spout pusher to move toward the spout hinge and engage a sidewall end of the spout hinge, and wherein the flexible sleeve applies a restoring force on the spout when the spout is dislodged from the closed position by the spout pusher engaging the sidewall end of the spout hinge, and wherein the restoring force rotates the spout to the open position.   
     
     
         12 . The lid assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the lid assembly is co-molded with a material that covers outer sidewalls of the lid assembly and an end of the spout pusher. 
     
     
         13 . The lid assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a spout bay configured to receive the spout when the spout is rotated to the closed position.   
     
     
         14 . The lid assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the spout further comprises detents, and wherein the spout bay further comprises holding nubs,
 wherein the detents and the holding nubs are positioned to align when the spout is rotated to the closed position, and   wherein the detents engaging the holding nubs holds the spout in the closed position until a user activates the user activated mechanism.   
     
     
         15 . The lid assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising reinforcement tabs formed on sidewalls of the spout bay under hinge point holes, wherein the hinge point holes receive hinge nubs formed on the spout hinge and allow the hinge nubs to rotate within the hinge point holes so that the spout may rotate, and wherein the reinforcement tabs have a concave shaped top portion to avoid interfering with spout hinge rotation, and wherein the reinforcement tabs are configured to increase hinge rigidity and prevent the spout from dislodging or being pulled off the lid assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The lid assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a straw connected to the flexible sleeve to provide a fluid channel through the straw, the flexible sleeve, and the spout in the open position. 
     
     
         17 . The lid assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the spout hinge comprises a hollow base portion and a hollow upper tube, wherein a first sidewall of the base portion is shorter in length than a second sidewall of the base portion, wherein the first sidewall contacts a bottom surface of the spout bay when the spout is in the closed position, and wherein the first sidewall includes an end. 
     
     
         18 . The lid assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the first sidewall has a length that provides room for the flexible sleeve to extend upward into the base portion of the spout hinge the first sidewall crimps the flexible sleeve against the end of the spout pusher when the spout is in the closed position. 
     
     
         19 . The lid assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the spout pusher is convex in shape, and wherein the spout pusher impacts the end of the first sidewall of the base portion of the spout hinge to push the spout hinge in a direction that dislodges the spout from the closed position. 
     
     
         20 . A drinking container comprising:
 a reservoir;   a reservoir sleeve that receives the reservoir when a lip formed at a rim of the reservoir engages a ridge formed near a top of the reservoir sleeve, wherein the reservoir sleeve further comprises a bottom cover formed at a bottom portion of the reservoir sleeve, wherein the bottom cover comprises silicone, rubber, or other elastomeric rubber-like material configured to add additional friction and dampen sound when the drinking container is dropped; and   a lid assembly releasably coupled to the reservoir comprising:
 a spout configured to rotate between an open position and a closed position, wherein the spout includes a flexible sleeve and a spout hinge; 
 a user activated mechanism coupled to a spout pusher; 
 wherein the lid assembly is co-molded with a material that covers outer sidewalls of the lid assembly and an end of the spout pusher, 
 wherein activating the user activated mechanism causes the spout pusher to move toward the spout hinge and cause material molded over the end of the spout pusher to stretch and engage the spout hinge, and 
 wherein the flexible sleeve applies a restoring force on the spout when the spout is dislodged from the closed position by the spout pusher engaging the spout hinge, and wherein the restoring force rotates the spout to the open position.