Valve actuated bottle cap

Abstract

A bottle cap comprising a base portion, an actuating cap attached to the base portion with a ball joint and located within an outer edge of the base portion, and a fluid valve located within the outer edge. The fluid valve comprises two states: a closed state that closes a fluid passageway from outside the actuating cap to the base portion; and an open state that opens the fluid passageway. The fluid valve is configured to transition from the closed state to the open state at a location around the edge based on an external force applied to the actuating cap at the location around the edge.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of drinking equipment. In particular, to the field of valve-actuated bottle caps. BACKGROUND

[0002] Young children and elderly people can find it difficult to drink from a normal cup without spilling. This can be due to a lack of control over the cup or a decrease in dexterity.

[0003] It is known to provide a cup with a drinking spout or straw. This can provide great assistance. However, this can be undesirable for small children as it can inhibit proper mouth development. Furthermore, it can hinder the coordination required to learn to drink from a normal cup. Furthermore, it can be uncomfortable for an adult to use a drinking cup with a spout as this indicates a decrease in dexterity around the environment.

[0004] Drinking cups with openings along the periphery of the cap are also known. Some of these drinking cups generally work with a suck to drink. However, these drinking cups generally contain elements that are complex to manufacture and difficult to clean.

[0005] Generally, the above-mentioned cups that work with a suck provide only limited liquid and the learning effect is greatly reduced like drinking from a normal cup.

[0006] It is also known to provide a drinking rim of a drinking cup with an actuating cap. By pressing the actuating cap with the upper lip, the user actuates the valve mechanism associated with the cap and liquid flows by gravity to the mouth of the user. When not actuated, the cap with the associated seal will prevent unwanted leakage. A disadvantage of these cups is that the movement of the valve and thus its actuation is often not well defined, which makes the flow of liquid difficult to control and can easily lead to too much or too little liquid flow. Furthermore, pressure from the top to any part of the cap will almost always result in the opening of the valve and can cause leakage.

[0007] WO 2016 / 038371, 2009 / 112552, EP 2 138 075 and EP 2 954 163 respectively disclose a valve assembly for a liquid container having a circular valve area defined around the rim of the drinking container. EP 3 214008 discloses another drinking container cap with a shutter that opens and closes the drinking opening.

[0008] There is therefore a need for an improved bottle cap. SUMMARY

[0009] The invention is defined by the claims.

[0010] According to an example of an aspect of the invention, there is provided a bottle cap comprising:

[0011] a base portion having an outer edge;

[0012] an actuating cap attached to the base portion with a joint, the actuating cap being at least partially within the outer edge, the actuating cap being pivotable relative to the base portion about the joint; and

[0013] a fluid valve within the outer edge, wherein the fluid valve comprises two states:

[0014] a closed state closing a fluid passage through the base portion from outside the actuating cap; and

[0015] an open state opening the fluid passage,

[0016] wherein the fluid valve is configured to be transitioned from the closed state to the open state at a position around the outer edge based on an external force applied to the actuating cap at the position, characterized in that the joint comprises a ball joint.

[0017] The invention is based on the use of a ball joint in order to better define the position at which the fluid valve opens when the actuating cap acts on the fluid valve.

[0018] The ball joint also allows a more intuitive feeling of how much external force with the upper lip has to be applied to achieve a desired flow rate. Furthermore, the ball joint allows to construct a bottle cap that can be safely sealed with little risk of leakage (when the fluid valve is in the closed state) and that allows the flow of fluid without the need for a suction force from the user.

[0019] The ball joint is for example circular, but can also be slightly elliptical. This can for example be used to provide a bias towards the closed position based on the larger diameter when off-center.

[0020] The bottle cap is used in the same way as drinking with a normal cup, i.e. tilting the cup until the liquid reaches the rim. The flow of liquid is allowed by the user pressing on the actuating cap to open the fluid valve. This is suitable for training children while also preventing leakage.

[0021] The use of the ball joint means that only a force at the rim can open the valve, while a force applied at the pivot does not. The part on which the force is applied can be slightly recessed to reduce the risk of accidental leakage. A force applied to the ball joint at the center does not lead to leakage because it does not cause the pivoting movement required to open the fluid valve.

[0022] A resilient element, which can be an additional part or which can be part of the structure of the fluid valve itself, is for example used to bring the actuating cap to the closed position in the absence of an applied external force.

[0023] The actuating cap sits on top of the base portion, is connected by a ball joint, and can be pivoted by means of the ball joint. The bottle cap is for mounting on a liquid container, and for sealing a liquid inside the liquid container. In order for liquid to exit the liquid container (through the bottle cap), there is a fluid passage between two sides of the bottle cap (the side that is mounted facing the contents of the bottle, and the side that faces where drinking occurs).

[0024] The fluid valve is thus placed at the fluid passage. When the fluid valve is in an open state, liquid can flow through the fluid passage and through the valve. However, when the fluid valve is in a closed state, liquid will not be able to flow through the fluid valve (and thus, if the bottle cap is mounted on a liquid container, liquid can not be able to exit the liquid container).

[0025] The actuating cap is connected and / or coupled to the fluid valve, so as to change it from an open state to a closed state upon application of an external force to the actuating cap. For example, the fluid valve can be a flap mechanism, which the actuating cap can open when an external force is applied to it. The external force can be, for example, a pressing of the actuating cap with the upper lip of a user.

[0026] The ball joint is preferably a rigid structure. This provides a more reliable valve actuation, as compared to a suspension structure using some kind of flexible frame.

[0027] The fluid valve can comprise a flexible material element between the base portion and the actuating cap. Such a flexible material is used to provide an effective seal.

[0028] In a first example, the actuating cap comprises an actuating edge facing the flexible material element, for locally deforming the flexible material element. This local deformation results in a local valve opening.

[0029] The actuating ring can rest on the flexible material element when the fluid valve is in a closed state, and the fluid valve can change to an open state when an external force is applied to the flexible material element by the actuating ring.

[0030] In a second example, the actuating cap comprises an outer skirt facing an inner surface of the outer edge, the fluid valve being defined between the outer skirt and the inner surface of the outer edge. In this case, movement of the outer skirt (caused by movement of the ball joint) aligns the fluid valve within the space between the outer skirt and the outer edge (closing the space and closing the valve), or removes the fluid valve from the space (opening the valve). In this example, the fluid valve moves into and out of engagement, rather than deforming.

[0031] In a third example, the ball joint comprises a ball and a socket, wherein the fluid valve comprises a first channel in the surface of the ball and a second channel in the surface of the socket, wherein the first channel and the second channel overlap to define the open state and are separated to define the closed state. In this case, no flexible member is required. Instead, the pair of channels are joined and disjoined.

[0032] The actuating cap and the base portion can be circular, while the ball joint can be at the center.

[0033] The ball joint can comprise a ball and a socket, the base portion can comprise the socket of the ball joint, and the actuating cap comprises the ball of the ball joint. Alternatively, the base portion can comprise the ball of the ball joint, and the actuating cap comprises the socket of the ball joint.

[0034] The bottle cap can further comprise a gas valve. For example, the fluid valve can also be a gas valve (e.g. one position allows liquid flow, another position allows gas flow), the base portion can house the gas valve, the actuating cap can house the gas valve, or the mounting mechanism can be configured such that when the bottle cap is mounted on the bottle, there is a gas valve at the connection between the bottle and the bottle cap.

[0035] Without the application of an external force, the fluid valve is preferably configured in the closed state (by the movement of the valve and optionally also the actuating cap). Thus, when the bottle cap is not in use, the valve is automatically closed.

[0036] The bottle cap can further comprise a locking mechanism configured to lock the fluid valve in the closed state when the locking mechanism is actuated.

[0037] The invention also provides a bottle comprising:

[0038] a liquid container; and

[0039] a bottle cap as defined above mountable on the liquid container.

[0040] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0041] For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it can be put into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0042] Figure 1 a cross-section of a bottle with the bottle cap in the closed state is shown in schematic form;

[0043] Figure 2 a cross-section of a bottle with the bottle cap in the open state is shown in schematic form;

[0044] Figure 3A first example of a bottle cap design is shown in more detail;

[0045] Figure 4 A second example of a bottle cap design is shown;

[0046] Figure 5 A third example of a bottle cap design is shown with the fluid valve in an open state; and

[0047] Figure 6 A third example of a bottle cap design is shown with the fluid valve in a closed state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating exemplary embodiments of apparatuses, systems and methods, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatuses, systems and methods of the present invention will become better understood from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the drawings are only schematic and are not drawn to scale. It should also be understood that the term "couple" and variations of the term, such as "couples," "coupled," "coupling," etc., are intended to mean either an indirect or direct electrical or physical connection. Thus, the

[0050] The present invention provides a bottle cap comprising a base portion having an outer rim, an actuating cap attached to the base portion with a ball joint and located within the outer rim, and a fluid valve located within the outer rim. The fluid valve comprises two states: a closed state that closes a fluid passage from outside the actuating cap to the base portion, and an open state that opens the fluid passage. The fluid valve is configured to transition from the closed state to the open state at a location around the rim based on an external force applied to the actuating cap at the location around the rim.

[0051] Figure 1 A cross section of a bottle 101 with a bottle cap 100 in a closed state is shown in schematic form. A ball joint of a ball joint mechanism 106 in this example is used to hold an actuating cap 104 on a base portion 102 of the bottle cap 100. The base portion has an outer rim 102'. The outer rim defines an inner chamber at the inner side of the outer rim and an outer wall of the bottle cap at the outer side of the outer rim. The actuating cap 104 is located within the chamber. The bottle cap 100 is mounted on a bottle base 103.

[0052] The actuating cap 104 actuates a fluid valve 108 close to the outer circumference of the base portion 102 when moving away from the central axis of the ball joint 106. The actuating cap 104 and the base portion 102 are circular and the ball joint 106 is located in the center.

[0053] The fluid valve 108 is located between the actuating cap 104 and the other side of the base portion 102 (which is in fluid communication with the interior of the bottle base 103). The fluid valve 108 provides a controllable coupling between two opposing sides of the fluid valve 108 (i.e. inside the bottle 101 and outside the bottle 101). One side is connected to the ambient environment so that liquid can flow through the fluid valve 108 to the user (when the fluid valve 108 is in an open state). The other side can be connected to the contents of the bottle 101 so that liquid inside the bottle 101 can reach the fluid valve 108.

[0054] The fluid valve 108 is also capable of controlling the amount of fluid that can flow through the fluid passageway of the bottle cap 100. For example, when a user applies an external force to the actuating cap 104, the flow rate of liquid (how much liquid can exit the bottle cap 100 per second / minute / hour, etc.) can depend on the amount of external force applied to the actuating cap 104. For example, the more force a user presses their upper lip against the actuating cap 104, the larger the fluid passageway, allowing the user to control the flow of fluid into their mouth.

[0055] When the bottle cap 100 is installed on the liquid container 103, this forms a sealed bottle 101. When the actuating cap 104 is in its rest position, liquid cannot flow out of the bottle 101. However, when the actuating cap 104 is moved away from its rest position by an external force (by a user’s lips pressing down), this actuates the fluid valve 108 so that liquid can flow out of the bottle 101 through the fluid valve 108 towards the user’s mouth. The actuating cap 104 can then be configured to return the fluid valve 108 to a closed state when no external force is applied.

[0056] Figure 2 A cross-section of the bottle 101 is shown with the bottle cap 100 in an open state. Figure 1 The actuating cap 104 is pressed down at a user-selected position, which causes the actuating cap 104 to pivot around the ball joint 106. The pivot is around an up-down (i.e. vertical) axis and in a plane that includes the position at which the user presses down on the actuating cap. The actuating cap 104 is coupled to the fluid valve 108 (or at least a portion of the fluid valve 108) so that when the actuating cap 104 is pressed down, for example, the fluid valve 108 opens. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The way in which the actuating cap opens the valve is not represented in

[0057] There can be one or more channels within the actuating cap 104 and the base portion 102 that allow liquid to flow from the liquid container 103 through the base portion 102 and through the actuating cap 104 to the user’s mouth.

[0058] As Figure 2As shown, the fluid valve 108 can be arranged to open at two different positions, e.g. opposite lateral sides. This allows the fluid valve 108 to also act as an air valve at the opposite side, thereby balancing the pressure inside the bottle 101 (when the bottle cap 100 is mounted on the bottle 101).

[0059] Air valves are an important aspect of sealed bottles, because if there is no air flow between the inside and outside of the bottle 101, the pressure inside the drinking bottle changes as liquid is removed, e.g. by drinking. Therefore, air valves allow the pressure inside the bottle 101 to be in line with atmospheric pressure, which facilitates drinking from the bottle 101. This means that it is beneficial for the bottle cap 100 to have an air valve.

[0060] However, if there is an air valve, liquid can also flow out of the air valve. In order to fully seal the bottle 100 with the bottle cap 100 when not in use, the air valve must also have an open state (air flow) and a closed state (no air flow). The open state of the air valve should coincide with the open state of the fluid valve 108, and vice versa. Therefore, when the fluid valve 108 is in an open state (i.e. liquid can exit the bottle 101), the air valve should also be open (i.e. air can enter the bottle 101). Furthermore, when the fluid valve 108 is in a closed state, the air valve should also be in a closed state, so that the bottle 101 is fully sealed and no liquid can leak from the bottle.

[0061] One way to achieve this is to use the fluid valve 108 also as an air valve, as shown in Figure 2 This can be achieved by the fluid valve 108 being open at one position to allow liquid to pass, and also being open at a different position to allow air to pass. When an external force is applied to the actuating cap 104, the side to which the external force is applied opens and allows liquid to pass. When the actuating cap 104 actuates the fluid valve 108, the ball joint 106 lifts the other side of the actuating cap 104, so that the fluid valve 108 on the other side is also opened.

[0062] Alternatively, the base portion 102 can have a separate air valve. For example, the air valve can be located in a central portion of the base portion 102 (e.g. on or near the ball joint 106). This is because when drinking, liquid typically resides in the outer edge region, so liquid is less likely to flow through the central section of the bottle cap 100.

[0063] The air valve can also be part of the ball joint 106. The section of the actuating cap 104 at or near the ball joint 106 can have an air passage, the section of the base portion 102 at or near the ball joint 106 can also have an air passage, and the ball joint 106 can also have an air passage therethrough. When the actuating cap 104 is in the horizontal position (and thus, the fluid valve 108 is in the closed state), the air passages will not meet. However, when an external force is applied to the actuating cap 104, the actuating cap 104 will rotate around the ball joint 106 such that the at least one air passage from each of the base portion 102, the ball joint 106, and the actuating cap 104 meet and create an air flow. This will also enable a complete seal between the internal portion of the bottle 101 and the outside when the bottle 101 is installed with the bottle cap 100.

[0064] Figure 3 A first example of a bottle cap design is shown. The bottle cap 100 is suitable for being screwed on a bottle 101. The bottle cap 100 comprises an actuating cap 104 located near the drinking rim, whereby the actuating cap 104 is oriented perpendicular to the mid-axis of the drinking rim in its resting position, and whereby the movement of the actuating cap 104 is fixed around a central anchor point using a ball joint 106 positioned along the mid-axis.

[0065] The ball joint is below the drinking rim.

[0066] The fluid valve 108 can be made of or partially made of a flexible material element. For example, the fluid valve 108 can be made of a flexible, elastic material such as silicone. Alternatively, a part of the fluid valve 108 can be made of a flexible material element such that when the fluid valve 108 is actuated, the flexible material element deforms, thereby moving the solid part of the fluid valve 108 in order to open the fluid passage. The actuating cap 104 can be designed such that, when no external force is applied, it returns the fluid valve 108 to the open position. Alternatively, the fluid valve 108 can be designed such that the flexible material element is in equilibrium (and thus the fluid valve 108 is in the closed state) when no external force is applied. In this case, when the flexible material deforms, it will remain in the open position only when an external force is applied (e.g. the mouth pushing down the actuating cap 104) and returns to the closed position when no external force is applied. A spring mechanism can also be used.

[0067] A flexible element can be used to bias the actuating cap 104 to keep it in the neutral position (equilibrium state). Advantageously, the flexible element can be fixed to the base portion 102 such that it pre-stretches the base portion 102 in the area covering the fluid passage. This will ensure a safer seal.

[0068] To deform the fluid valve 108, the actuation cap 104 has an actuation edge 110 facing the flexible material element. The actuation edge 110 is designed such that when an external force is applied to the actuation cap 104, the actuation edge 110 will locally deform the flexible material element. For example, by pushing down at the point of contact between the actuation edge 110 and the flexible material element 108, another part 111 will lift up, thereby opening the fluid passage through the valve.

[0069] The amount of liquid allowed to pass through the fluid passage can depend on the size of the applied external force. This can be achieved by providing fluid passage channels that are normally blocked by the fluid valve 108 (in the closed state), but gradually open up as the flexible material element deforms.

[0070] In the shown example, the actuation edge 110 rests on the flexible material element when the fluid valve 108 is in the closed state. When an external force is applied to the flexible material element through the actuation edge 110, the fluid valve 108 will change to the open state.

[0071] In Figure 3 , the base part 102 houses the socket of the ball joint 106, while the actuation cap 104 comprises the ball of the ball joint 106. However, it is also possible that the base part 102 comprises the ball of the ball joint 106, while the actuation cap 104 comprises the socket of the ball joint 106.

[0072] Figure 4 A second example of a bottle cap 100 with a ball joint 106 is shown. In this example, the socket of the ball joint 106 is part of the actuation cap 104 and much larger than in the previous example. The ball of the ball joint 106 is part of the base part 102. A retaining arm (or multiple retaining arms) 202 can be used to make sure that the socket remains in the center position of the ball and can pivot around the central axis.

[0073] A return arm 204 is used to make sure that the actuation cap 104 returns to the closed position when no external force is applied to the actuation cap 104. The return arm 204 is partly flexible, so that the socket can move around the ball when an external force is applied, but the return arm 204 returns the socket to the equilibrium position (e.g. the center) when no external force is applied. This return arm is needed because in this example the fluid valve itself does not provide a restoring force, as will become clear from the description below. The return arm extends through the conical opening. The two sides of the conical opening act as a detent mechanism to limit the range of movement of the ball joint. The restoring force provided by the return arm is designed such that the user will not get hurt when he takes his lips off the actuation cap 104.

[0074] The actuation cap has a socket in the middle and a surrounding skirt 105. The skirt reaches (almost) to the inner surface of the outer rim 102' (with a small gap between them).

[0075] The fluid valve 108 also comprises a flexible material element placed on the outer surface of the skirt 105 of the socket, facing the outer edge, so that in the equilibrium state, the fluid valve 108 contacts the inner surface of the outer edge 102' of the base portion 102. Thus, it closes the fluid passage and forms a seal. The fluid valve comprises an annular band around the skirt.

[0076] When an external force is applied to the outer edge of the actuating cap 104, the fluid valve 108 at this location moves below the contact area at the inner surface of the base portion 102, thus allowing fluid flow. In addition, the opposite side is also opened by moving above the contact area to form an air valve and allow air flow.

[0077] In this example, the fluid valve 108 has a plurality of protruding flexible material elements. These elements can be used to control the flow of liquid through the bottle cap 100. The amount of rotation of the ball and socket joint can control the amount of liquid flow.

[0078] The fluid valve 108 and the actuating cap 104 can be combined into a single part, for example, using a 2k molding technique. The fluid valve 108 can also be glued to the actuating cap 104 or removed from the actuating cap 104.

[0079] Figure 5 A third example of a bottle cap 100 with a ball joint 106 is shown. Figures 1 to 4 The design shown shows a specific implementation of the bottle cap 100, according to which the fluid valve 108 is positioned at the outer rim of the bottle cap 100. This is advantageous because the bottle cap 100 needs to be tilted minimally to allow fluid to flow from the liquid container 103 through the fluid valve 108 to the user's mouth.

[0080] However, in some cases, it can be desirable to move the fluid valve 108 closer to the center, as Figure 5 shown. In this exemplary design, the fluid valve 108 is formed by channels located inside and outside the ball joint 106. A channel 108a is on the outer surface of the ball, and another channel 108b is on the inner surface of the socket. When the actuating cap 104 is in the closed position (the fluid valve 108 is in the closed state), these channels lead to dead ends and are not connected to each other, but when the actuating cap 104 is actuated by an external force, a connection is formed between the inside of the liquid container 103 and the outside of the bottle 101 at a specific location around the base portion 102.

[0081] These channels each comprise an annular piece. In the rest position, one annular piece is on top of the other, and they do not overlap. In the actuated position, the channels partially overlap at one location (they are also separated at diametrically opposite locations).

[0082] Figure 5 A bottle 101 with a bottle cap 100 and a liquid container 103 is shown with the actuating cap 104 in a neutral state (i.e. the fluid valve 108 is closed). When an external force is applied to the location of the actuating cap 104, the ball joint 106 rotates around the center of the base portion 102, so that the fluid valve 108 is in an open state.

[0083] Figure 6 A bottle 101 with a bottle cap 100 and a liquid container 103 is shown with the actuating cap 104 in a neutral state (i.e. the fluid valve 108 is closed). When an external force is applied to the location of the actuating cap 104, the ball joint 106 rotates around the center of the base portion 102, so that the fluid valve 108 is in an open state. Figure 5 A bottle 101 with a bottle cap 100 and a liquid container 103 is shown with the actuating cap 104 in a neutral state (i.e. the fluid valve 108 is closed). When an external force is applied to the location of the actuating cap 104, the ball joint 106 rotates around the center of the base portion 102, so that the fluid valve 108 is in an open state.

[0084] Alternatively, the diameter of the ball joint 106 can be only slightly smaller than the width of the base portion 102. In this case, the fluid valve 108 can be a slit valve, which can be opened by the ball joint 106. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The design of the ball joint 106 can be modified to have a design that is closer to the outer rim. To not take up too much space, the upper part of the ball joint 106 and / or the lower part of the ball joint can be removed, instead of the full ball shown. The shape of the upper part can allow for the user's nose to fit in when drinking.

[0085] In general, for any of the examples mentioned above, the actuating cap 104 is preferably designed with an outer rim that is located at approximately the same height as the drinking rim, which allows the user's upper lip to press against this rim and initiate the flow of liquid out of the cup. The actuating cap 104 can also be lowered in the center to allow space for the user's nose when drinking.

[0086] As mentioned above, the ball and socket connection results in the actuating cap 104 being lowered on one side and raised on the other side. This can be advantageous, because the fluid valve 108 can be opened on opposite sides of the drinking container to allow liquid to flow out on the side where the actuating cap 104 is forced down, and to allow air to enter on the opposite side to balance any pressure difference between the interior volume and the surrounding environment. Instead of a ball and socket connection, a gas valve can be incorporated, or the fluid valve 108 can provide a large enough opening to also function as a gas valve.

[0087] The bottle cap 100 can also have a locking mechanism. This locking mechanism can lock the fluid valve 108 in a closed state to prevent the fluid valve 108 from being accidentally opened when not in use.

[0088] In designing the bottle cap 100, the ball joint 106 allows for the use of a small number of parts. This increases the user-friendliness and ease of cleaning when assembled.

[0089] The bottle cap 100 can be designed to be used in conjunction with other known liquid containers / bottles (e.g. the mounting mechanism can be a standard mounting mechanism). Alternatively, the liquid container 103 can also be designed to be used specifically in conjunction with the bottle cap 100. There are many known mounting mechanisms that can be used: screws, clips, etc.

[0090] In any of the examples mentioned above, the fluid valve 108 can be annular. Also, in any of the examples mentioned above, the fluid valve 108 can be a separate piece, or the fluid valve 108 can be connected and / or mounted to the base portion 102 or the actuation cap 104. The fluid valve 108 can be connected to the base portion 102 / actuation cap 104 by any of gluing, heating, permanent attachment, clamping. Alternatively, the fluid valve 108 can be part of the base portion 102 or part of the actuation cap 104.

[0091] In all the examples described above, the fluid passage is through the base wall of the base portion. Conversely, the fluid passage can extend radially through the skirt of the base wall. Indeed, any fluid passage connecting the container volume with the edge from which the user wishes to drink can be used.

[0092] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

[0093] The fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0094] If the term "comprises" is used in the claims or description, it should be noted that the term "comprises" is intended to be equivalent to the term "consists of" in the context of the claims.

[0095] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A bottle cap (100), comprising: a base portion (102) having an outer edge (102'); an actuation cap (104) attached to the base portion (102) with a joint (106), the actuation cap being at least partially within the outer edge (102'), the actuation cap being pivotable about the joint relative to the base portion; and a fluid valve (108) within the outer edge, wherein the fluid valve (108) comprises two states; a closed state, closing a fluid passage through the base portion (102) from outside the actuation cap (104); and an open state, opening the fluid passage, wherein the fluid valve (108) is configured to transition from the closed state to the open state at a location around the outer edge based on an external force applied to the actuation cap (104) at the location, characterized in that the joint comprises a ball joint; wherein the ball joint comprises a ball and a socket, wherein the fluid valve comprises a first channel in a surface of the ball and a second channel in a surface of the socket, wherein the first channel and the second channel overlap to define the open state and are separated to define the closed state.

2. The bottle cap (100) according to claim 1, wherein the actuation cap (104) and the base portion (102) are circular and the ball joint (106) is at the center.

3. The bottle cap (100) according to claim 1, wherein the fluid valve (108) comprises a flexible material element between the base portion (102) and the actuation cap (104).

4. The bottle cap (100) according to claim 3, wherein the actuation cap (104) comprises an actuation edge (110) facing the flexible material element for locally deforming the flexible material element.

5. The bottle cap (100) according to claim 4, wherein the actuation edge (110) rests on the flexible material element when the fluid valve (108) is in the closed state, and wherein the fluid valve (108) is changed to an open state when an external force is applied to the flexible material element through the actuation edge (110).

6. The bottle cap according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the flexible material element is configured to restore the fluid valve to the closed state without an external force being applied.

7. The bottle cap (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the actuation cap (104) comprises an outer skirt (105) facing an inner surface of the outer edge (102'), and the fluid valve is defined between the outer skirt and the inner surface of the outer edge.

8. The bottle cap (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fluid valve (108) also functions as a gas valve.

9. The bottle cap (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base portion (102) further comprises a gas valve. ​ 10. The bottle cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the actuation cap (104) further comprises a gas valve.

11. The bottle cap (100) of claim 1 or 2, configured to cause the fluid valve (108) and / or the cap to return to the closed state in the absence of an externally applied force.

12. The bottle cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a locking mechanism configured to lock the fluid valve (108) in the closed state when the locking mechanism is actuated.

13. A bottle comprising: a liquid container (302); and a bottle cap (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, mountable to the liquid container.

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