Liquid container lid and apparatus and methods of use

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to liquid containers and liquid container lids and / or filters. Some embodiments of the present disclosure relate to liquid container lids having a filling aperture and / or a drinking aperture.

Description

BACKGROUNDField of the Development[0001]Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to the field of liquid containers and liquid container lids. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to liquid container lids having a filling aperture and a drinking aperture.Description of the Related Art[0002]Beverage containers are ubiquitous for the storage and transportation of liquids, such as water, juice, coffee, and tea. Traditional beverage containers include a removable lid that covers the beverage container and provides a drinking aperture. Common drinking apertures include a sipping interface (e.g., an opening for sipping the contained beverage) or a suction interface (e.g., mouthpiece-type beverage container lids configured to draw up the contained beverage through suction generated by a user). Such lids engage the beverage container through a threaded or rotatable engagement, snap-fit, friction fit, mechanical interlock, male-female connector, or other suitable removable ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent is about a liquid container lid with a filter assembly. The lid has a filling aperture for liquid to enter and a drinking aperture for liquid to exit. A mouthpiece is connected to the drinking aperture and can be opened and closed. The filter assembly has a housing with an inlet and an outlet, and a filter wall that creates a compartment for filter media. The invention allows for easy filtration of water from a liquid container by using the filter media.

Problems solved by technology

Ultimately, traditional beverage container lids are inadequate for several reasons.

For example, mouthpiece-type beverage container lids typically lack an aperture usable to refill the beverage container.

Having to repetitively remove and replace the lid with each refill of the beverage container causes inconvenience to the user and increases the exposure of the beverage container lid interior and the beverage container interior to contaminants and pollutants.

Prior beverage container lids also suffer from additional hygienic concerns.

For instance, most beverage container lids lack a filter arrangement for decontaminating, disinfecting, or otherwise purifying the liquid in the beverage container prior to the consumption of the liquid.

In those lids that include a filter arrangement, the filter displacement volume often causes the beverage container to overflow when attaching the lid to a refilled beverage container.

As a result, users of prior filtered beverage container lids must intentionally under-fill the beverage container to account for the filter displacement volume.

Similarly, these beverage container lids may have no structure for sealing or protecting the drinking tip of the mouthpiece in the closed position (i.e., when the mouthpiece is not in use).

As such, prior mouthpiece-type beverage container lids may offer no or little protection against contaminants or pollutants entering the drinking tip or base opening of the mouthpiece when in the closed position.

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