Lid for beverage containers

Abstract

A beverage container lid includes a lid body and a spout. A lever is connected to the lid body, located above the lid body, and is movable between a closed position for covering the spout and an open position. A lever member is connected to the lid body, located below the lid body, and is movable between a sealed position for sealing the spout and an open position for opening the spout. A container seal is provided within the lid body to engage with the container in a sealed state. The container seal includes a biasing element that contacts the lever member. The biasing element is configured to maintain the lever member in the sealed position and to return the lever member from the open position to the sealed position relative to the spout.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Beverage containers, especially so-called "travel mugs" or "tumblers" or "flasks", are very popular. These beverage containers typically have a cup and a lid that fits the cup, which helps maintain the temperature of the beverage in the cup and also reduces the likelihood of the beverage spilling from the cup during use. The lids of many such containers include a drinking spout that can be selectively opened and closed. Such beverage containers and lids according to the prior art offer many advantages, but still have certain limitations, including a tendency for the lid to remain open when not in use.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0002] According to one aspect, a lid for a beverage container has a lid body and a drinking spout. A lever is connected to the lid body and is located above the lid body, and is movable between a closed position for covering the drinking spout and an open position. A lever member is connected to the lid body and is located below the lid body, and is movable between a sealing position for sealingly closing the drinking spout and an opening position for opening the drinking spout. A container seal is provided within the lid body for engaging the container in a sealed state. The container seal includes a biasing element that contacts the lever member. The biasing element is configured to maintain the lever member in the sealing position and to return the lever member from the opening position to the sealing position with respect to the drinking spout.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0003] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a lid for an associated beverage container according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] A bottom perspective view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] A partially exploded perspective view of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] A respective top perspective view of the inner body of the lid body of the exemplary lid of FIG. 1. [Figure 5]Figure 1 shows perspective views of the bottom surfaces of the inner body of the lid of an example lid. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary lever member of a lid. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary lever member of a lid. [Figure 8] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary lid container seal or gasket. [Figure 9] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary lid container seal or gasket. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary lid shown in Figure 1, where the lever is in the closed position and the lever member is in the sealed position. [Figure 11] Figure 1 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a lid, showing how the lever moves to the open position and the lever member moves to the opening position. [Figure 12] Figure 1 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a lid, showing how the lever moves to the open position and the lever member moves to the opening position. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary lid shown in Figure 1, where the lever is in the open position and the lever member is in the opening position. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of a lid for a beverage container according to another aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] Figure 14 is a partially disassembled perspective view. [Figure 16] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary lid, where the lever is in the closed position and the lever member is in the sealed position. [Figure 17] Figure 14 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a lid, showing how the lever moves to the open position and the lever member moves to the opening position. [Figure 18] Figure 14 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a lid, showing how the lever moves to the open position and the lever member moves to the opening position. [Figure 19] This is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary lid in Figure 14, where the lever is in the open position and the lever member is in the opening position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0004] Naturally, the descriptions and drawings in this specification are for illustrative purposes only, and it should be understood that various modifications and changes can be made to the disclosed structure, without deviating from the disclosure. For the purposes of the description in this specification, spatially relative terms may be used to describe the relationship between one element and / or feature and another, for example, as shown in the drawings of this disclosure. Furthermore, any degree-indicating terms used herein, such as "substantially," should be understood to mean that a reasonable deviation of the modified word should be considered so as not to change the result essentially.

[0005] Referring here to the drawings, the same numbers refer to the same parts across multiple drawings, and Figures 1 to 3 show an exemplary lid 100 according to one aspect of the present disclosure, fitted to a relevant beverage or liquid container (not shown). The relevant container may match or resemble a bottle, jug, growler, cup, carafe, or similar beverage container. The lid 100 (which may alternatively be called a closure or cap) includes a lid body 102 having side walls 104 and a top wall 106. The lid body 102 is shown as substantially cylindrical, but alternative shapes are considered depending on the connection to the relevant beverage container. The top wall 106 is provided with a drinking spout 108 (Figures 4 and 5) through which liquid can flow. The lever or flip 110 is connected to the lid body 102 and is movable between a closed position and an open position, and is rotatable in particular about a pivot axis 112 defined by the connection of the lever 110 to the lid body 102, selectively sealing and opening the lever seal member 114 relative to the lid body, and closing and opening the drinking spout 108, respectively. The strap 118 can be connected to the lid 100 by a strap connector or lug 116 extending outward from the side wall 104.

[0006] The lid body 102 can be defined by an outer body 120 and an inner body 122. The outer body 120 and the inner body 122 can be fixedly mounted to define an integrally molded component of the lid 100. For example, the outer body 120 can be formed integrally with the inner body 122 via two-component injection molding. The outer body 120 has a side wall 104, and the inner body 122 has a top wall 106, and at least one of the outer body 120 and the inner body 122 is connected to the lever 110. The outer body 120 and the inner body 122 define an elongated recess 130 for the lever 110, extending between a front end 132 adjacent to the drinking spout 108 and a rear end 134 along the top wall 106, so that the recess 130 extends perpendicular to the rotation axis 112 of the lever 110.

[0007] The recess 130 ends at the front drinking lip 138, which is formed by an offset section 140 of the side wall 104. Referring to Figure 3 in the shown embodiment, the recess 130 includes an end wall 144 defined by the outer body 120, and side walls 146, 148 defined by the inner body 122, which project upward from the top wall 106. In Figure 4, the top wall 106 of the lid body 102 has a drinking surface 154 that extends around the drinking lip 108. The drinking surface 154 is offset downward from the rest of the top wall by a step 156 and curves or slopes upward from the step 156 toward the higher portion 158 of the drinking lip 138. The side wall 104 forms a cavity 160 at an open end that opens downward. In Figure 5, the bottom wall 162 of the inner body 122 located within the cavity 160, opposite the top wall 106, has a sealing surface 164 that extends around the drinking spout 108. The bottom wall with the sealing surface can be inclined downward toward the front end 132, thereby allowing liquid to flow smoothly through the drinking spout 108.

[0008] The lid 100 is transitionable between an attached, sealed state and an unattached state relative to the associated container. To achieve this objective, the lid 100 may include one or more suitable structures and components configured to provide a sealed arrangement for the container. For example, in a substantially cylindrical lid body 102, the side walls 104 may include fastening elements (i.e., screws 166) that fit into fastening elements placed on the associated container. It should be noted that additional and / or alternative fastening element configurations may be used to fasten the lid 100 to the associated container in a liquid-tight configuration, such as a bayonet mount, friction fit, snap fit, or crimped edge. A container seal or gasket 168 is fixed within the cavity 160 and is dimensionally set to help seal the lid 100 to the associated container.

[0009] The lever member 170 is connected to the bottom wall 162 of the inner body 122 of the lid body 102 (Figure 2). The lever seal member 114 is attached to the lever member 170, and the lever member 170 is movable relative to the bottom wall 162 by the movement of the lever 110. This movement of the lever member 170 selectively seals and opens the lever seal member 114, closing and opening the drinking spout 108, respectively. Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the lever member 170 has a body 172 having a first end 178 and a second end 180 opposite the first end in the longitudinal direction of the body 172. The first end is inclined downward in accordance with the inclination of the sealing surface 164 so that the seal member 114 can properly seal around the drinking spout 108. A platform 182 is provided at the first end 178, and a piston or post 184 is positioned on the body 172 adjacent to the platform 182. A mounting element 188 is positioned at the second end 180. In the embodiment shown, a slot 190 is provided in the mounting element 188 to receive a pivot pin 194 provided on a mounting tab 196 extending from the bottom wall 162 (Figure 5) of the lid body 102. The slot 190 is sized and shaped to removably receive the pivot pin 194 and to reliably maintain it rotatably in a snap-fit ​​relationship, so that when a rotational force is applied to the lever member 170 by the user rotating the lever 110, the lever member 170 rotates around a pivot axis 198 defined by the pin 194 between a sealed position and an open position relative to the drinking spout 108. In this embodiment, the pivot axis 198 extends parallel to the pivot axis 112 of the lever 110. Note that other methods for rotatably mounting the lever member 170 to the lid body 102 may be considered.

[0010] With the lever member 170 connected to the bottom wall 162 of the lid body 102, the post 184 protrudes through an opening 200 (Figures 5 and 6) in the inner body 122 to engage with the lever 110. In Figure 10, the end of the post 184 extends outward from the top wall 106 of the lid body 102 in the sealed position of the lever member 170. The opening 200 is dimensioned to allow the post 184 to move or rotate within it as the lever member 170 moves between the sealed and open positions. The post 184 may include a substantially planar surface 202 that acts as a rotation stopper for the lever member 170. As shown in Figure 3, the lever seal member 114 includes an opening 206 shaped to accommodate both the platform 182 and the post 184. The seal lip 208 of the lever seal member 114 extends around the platform 182 and the post 184 when properly mounted on the first end 178. The sealing lip 208 forms a liquid-tight seal with the sealing surface 164 of the bottom wall 162 of the lid body 102, which extends around the drinking spout 108 and the post opening 200, when the lever member 170 is in the sealed position (Figure 2). The lever member 170 may further include a removal tab 210 extending from the body 172, which allows the lever member to be easily removed from the lid body 102.

[0011] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the lever 110 is connected to the lid body 102 via two pivot pins 220 that extend laterally outward from the edge 222 of the lever. The pivot pins 220 are rotatably received in openings 226 within the side walls 146, 148 that define the recess 130. Note that other methods of rotatably attaching the lever 110 to the lid body 102 are also considered. The lever 110 includes a top surface 230 and side surfaces 232. In the closed position of the lever 110, the top surface 230 covers the front end 132 of the recess 130, which includes the drinking spout 108, and the side surfaces 232 are positioned above the drinking spout lip 138 and are received by the offset portion 140 of the side wall 104. Furthermore, in the closed position, the side surfaces 232 are a substantial extension of the side wall 104, keeping the diameter of the lid body substantially constant along the height direction of the lid body. The inner edge 238 of the side 232 engages with the projection 240 located on the offset portion 140, maintaining the lever 110 in the closed position. The cam 246 is located in the center of the edge 222 of the lever 110. The cam 246 is configured to engage with the post 184 of the lever member 170.

[0012] As shown, the container seal or gasket 168 is fixed within the cavity 160 of the lid body 102 and is sized to help seal the lid 100 to the associated container. Referring to Figures 2, 8, and 9, the container seal 168 includes an annular seal body 250 corresponding to the shape of the lid body 102. The seal body 250 is mounted on the lid body 102 between the side wall 104 of the outer body 120 and a mounting flange 252 provided on the inner body 122 (Figures 5, 6, and 10). In the shown embodiment, the seal body 250 includes an inner annular step 258 fitted into a corresponding outer step 260 of the mounting flange 252. A gripping tab 264 extends from the seal body 250, allowing the container seal 168 to be easily removed from within the cavity 160 of the lid body 102. According to this disclosure, the container seal 168 is configured to return the lever member 170 from the open position to the sealed position relative to the drinking spout 108 when the rotational force is removed from the lever member. The container seal 168 is further configured to maintain the lever member 170 in the sealed position.

[0013] More specifically, the container seal 168 includes a biasing element 270 configured to engage the body 172 of the lever member 170. The biasing element 270 is fixed to the seal body 250 and extends inwardly from the seal body so as not to prevent the sealing of the container seal that seals the lid 100 to the associated container. In the illustrated embodiment, the biasing element is integral with the seal body 250 to define an integrally molded seal component of the lid 100. The biasing element 270 takes the form of a spherical member 272 that bulges inwardly from the seal body 250, with an outer surface 274 covered or swept upwardly. The spherical member 272 can be sized to be larger than the height dimension of the seal body 250 such that the spherical member extends slightly below the seal body. Further, to enable biasing of the lever member 170, the spherical member 272 is substantially hollow and is configured such that the lever member 170 compresses the spherical member as the lever member moves to the open position. This compression of the spherical member 272 generates a spring biasing force sufficient to return the lever member 170 to the sealed position. Further, in the sealed position of FIG. 10, the spherical member 272 remains slightly compressed by the lever member 170 and generates a spring biasing force sufficient to maintain the lever member in the sealed position.

[0014] The frame structure 278 can substantially surround the spherical member and provide strength to the portion of the seal body 250 having the spherical member. The frame structure 278 can further rim an opening 280 to the interior 290 of the spherical member 272. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, to ensure proper positioning and attachment of the container seal 168 to the lid body 102, the step 260 on the attachment flange 252 includes a notch 282 sized to receive the spherical member 272. Further, the bottom wall 162 of the inner body 122 includes a platform 284 shaped and sized to be located within this notch 282 and at least partially fit within the opening 280. The frame structure 278 ensures a friction fit of the platform 284 within the opening 280.

[0015] Figures 10 to 13 show how the lever 110 moves from a closed position to an open position, and how this moves the lever member 170 from a sealed position to an open position, opening the mouthpiece 108. In Figure 10, the lever 110 is in the closed position, the lever member 170 is in the sealed position, and the lever seal member 114 is engaged in a sealed state with the mouthpiece 108 and the sealing surface 164 of the bottom wall 162 around the post opening 200. The post 184 of the lever member 170 extends through the opening 200 and is offset from the cam 246. The body 172, in particular the mounting element 188, is in contact with the biasing element 270 (i.e., the spherical member 272). The biasing element 270 is at least partially compressed by the lever member 170. Because the post 184 is disengaged from the cam 246, the entire biasing force of the biasing element 270 is directed in a direction that maintains contact with the sealing surface 164 of the lever seal member 114. This keeps the lever member 170 in the sealed position. In Figure 11, the lever 110 is rotated upward around the pivot axis 112 relative to the lid body 102. The cam 246 pushes the post 184 slightly downward within the opening 200, rotating the lever member 170 around the pivot axis 198, disengaging the sealing member 114 from the sealing surface 164 and opening the drinking spout 108. The mounting element 188 of the body 172 slightly compresses the spherical member 272.

[0016] In FIG. 12, the lever 110 is further rotated, whereby the cam 246 moves the surface 202 of the post 184 toward the inner surface of the opening 200. The lever member 170 is in the open position and the drinking spout 108 is fully open. The spherical member 272 is further compressed by the body 172. In FIG. 13, the lever 110 is in the open position and the lever member 170 is maintained in the open position. Note that when the lever 110 is in the open position, the post 184 is in contact with the surface of the lever 110. This prevents the biasing element 270 from returning the lever 110 to the closed position, and the lever 110 can remain in the open position. However, when the lever 110 moves back to the closed position, the cam 246 engages the post 184 again (FIG. 12). Thus, when the user releases the lever in the position of FIG. 12, the spring force of the compressed biasing element (i.e., the spherical member 272) biases the lever 110 back to the closed position of FIG. 10, thereby rotating the lever member 170 back to the sealed position of FIG. 10 and closing the drinking spout 108. As shown, since the biasing element 270 is still slightly compressed in the position of FIG. 10, the biasing element 270 maintains the lever member 170 in the sealed position, thereby maintaining the lever 110 in the closed position.

[0017] Figure 14 shows an exemplary lid 300 according to another aspect of the present disclosure, complementary to an associated beverage or liquid container (not shown). The lid 300 includes a substantially cylindrical lid body 302 having side walls 304 and a top wall 306. The top wall 306 is provided with a notch 308. A lever or flip 310 is connected to the lid body 302 and is movable between a closed position and an open position relative to the lid body 302, selectively sealing and opening a lever seal member 314 and closing and opening a drinking spout 318, respectively. The lever seal member 314 and the drinking spout 318 are provided with inserts for a removable pack 320. A strap connector or lug 324 extends outward from the side wall 304, allowing a strap 326 to be connected to the lid 300. The lid body 302 defines an elongated recess 330 for the lever 310, extending between a front end 332 adjacent to the notch 308 and a rear end 334 along the top wall 306. The recess 330 ends at a front drinking lip 338 formed by the offset portion 340 of the side wall 304.

[0018] The lever member 350 is connected to the lid body 302. The lever member 350 has a body 352 having a first end 358 and a second end 360 opposite the first end in the longitudinal direction of the body 302. The first end is inclined downward to correspond to the arrangement of the lever seal member 314 and the drinking spout 318 on the insert 320. A platform 366 is provided on the first end 358, and a piston or post 368 is located on the body 352 adjacent to the platform 366. The platform 366 includes a raised portion 372 sized to be received within the drinking spout 318, and when the raised portion 372 is positioned in the drinking spout 318, the lever seal member engages in a sealed manner with the outer circumference of the raised portion 372, thereby sealing and closing the drinking spout 318. A mounting element 378 is located on the second end 360, and the mounting element is defined by a pivot pin 382 extending laterally outward from the body 352. The pivot pin is received in an opening on the underside of the insert 320, and when a rotational force is applied to the lever member 350 by the user rotating the lever 310, the lever member 350 can be rotated around an axis of rotation defined by the pin 382 between a sealed position and an open position relative to the drinking spout 318. With the lever member 350 connected to the insert 320, the post 368 protrudes through an opening 390 (Figure 16) in the insert 320 to engage with the lever 310. The opening 390 is dimensioned so that the post 368 can move or rotate within it as the lever member 350 moves between a sealed position and an open position. The post 184 may include a substantially flat surface 392 that acts as a rotation stopper for the lever member 350.

[0019] Referring to Figure 15, the lever 310 is connected to the lid body 302 via two pivot pins 400 that extend laterally outward from the edge 402 of the lever. The pivot pins 400 are rotatably received in the opening 426 of the lid body 302. The lever 310 includes a top surface 410 and a side surface 412. In the closed position of the lever 310, the top surface 410 covers the front end 332 of the recess 330, which includes the drinking spout 318, and the side surface 412 is positioned above the drinking spout lip 338 and received within the offset portion 340 of the side wall 104. Furthermore, in the closed position, the side surface 412 is substantially an extension of the side wall 304, maintaining a substantially constant diameter of the lid body along the height direction of the lid body. A cam 430 is located in the center of the edge 402 of the lever 310. The cam 430 is configured to engage with a post 368 on the lever member.

[0020] According to this disclosure, the insert 320 is defined by a core 440 and an elastic member 442 fixed to (i.e., overmolded) on the core 440. The elastic member 442 defines a raised platform 444 having a lever seal member 314 surrounding the drinking spout 318 and the post opening 390. The raised platform is dimensioned to be received within a notch 308 of the lid body 302. The elastic member 442 further defines an annular container seal or gasket 448 corresponding to the shape of the lid body 102, the gasket 448 being dimensioned to help seal the lid 300 to the associated container. According to this disclosure, the elastic member 442 is configured to return the lever member 350 from an open position to a sealed position relative to the drinking spout 318 when rotational force is removed from the lever member. The elastic member 442 is further configured to maintain the lever member 350 in the sealed position.

[0021] More specifically, the elastic member 442 includes a biasing element 450 configured to engage with the body 352 of the lever member 350. The biasing element can take the form of an inwardly bulging spherical member 452, with its outer surface covered or swept upward. Furthermore, to enable the biasing of the lever member 350, the spherical member 452 is substantially hollow, and the lever member compresses the spherical member as it moves to the open position. This compression of the spherical member 452 generates a spring biasing force sufficient to return the lever member 350 to the sealed position. Furthermore, in the sealed position shown in Figure 16, the spherical member 452 remains slightly compressed by the lever member 350, generating a spring biasing force sufficient to maintain the lever member in the sealed position.

[0022] Figures 16 to 19 show how the lever 310 moves from a closed position to an open position, and how this moves the lever member 350 from a sealed position to an open position, opening the drinking spout 318. In Figure 16, the lever 310 is in the closed position, the lever member 350 is in the sealed position, and the lever seal member 314 engages in a sealed state with the raised portion 372 located on the drinking spout 318. The post 368 is located in the post opening 390. The post 368 of the lever member 350 extends through the opening 390 and engages with the cam 430 of the lever 310. The body 352, in particular the second end 360, is in contact with the biasing element 450 (i.e., the spherical member 452). The biasing element 450 is at least partially compressed by the lever member 350, thereby maintaining the lever member 350 in the sealed position. In Figure 17, the lever 310 rotates upward relative to the lid body 302. The cam 430 pushes the post 368 in the opening 390 slightly downward, thereby causing the lever member 350 to rotate the protrusion 372 away from the drinking spout 318. The second end 360 of the main body 352 slightly compresses the spherical member 452.

[0023] In Figure 18, the lever 310 rotates further, causing the cam 430 to move the post 368 further within the opening 390. The lever member 350 is in the open position, and the drinking spout 318 is fully open. The spherical member 452 is further compressed by the second end 360. In Figure 19, the lever 310 is in the open position, and the lever member 350 is maintained in the open position. Note that when the lever 310 is in the open position, the post 368 is in contact with the surface of the lever 310. This prevents the biasing element 450 from returning the lever 310 to the closed position, keeping the lever 310 in the open position. However, the movement of the lever 310 back to the closed position causes the cam 430 to re-engage with the post 368 (Figure 18). Therefore, when the user releases the lever in the position shown in Figure 18, the spring force of the compressed biasing element (i.e., the spherical member 452) biases the lever 310 back to the closed position shown in Figure 16, thereby rotating the lever member 350 back to the sealed position shown in Figure 16 and closing the mouthpiece 318. Since the biasing element 450 is still slightly compressed in the position shown in Figure 16, the biasing element 450 maintains the lever member 350 in the sealed position, thereby maintaining the lever 310 in the closed position.

[0024] It should be noted that various alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements not currently foreseeable or anticipated by those skilled in the art may be made later, and these are intended to be covered by this disclosure and the claims herein.

Claims

1. A lid for a beverage container, The lid body and the drinking spout, A lever connected to the lid body, located above the lid body, and movable between a closed position and an open position for covering the drinking spout, A lever member connected to the lid body and located below the lid body, which is movable between a sealing position for closing the drinking spout in a sealed state and an opening position for opening the drinking spout, The lid body is provided with a container seal that engages with the container in a sealed state, The container seal includes a biasing element that contacts the lever member, The biasing element is configured to maintain the lever member in the sealed position and to return the lever member from the open position to the sealed position relative to the drinking spout. A lid for a beverage container characterized by the following features.

2. The biasing element is configured to maintain the lever in the closed position, and when the lever moves away from the closed position, the biasing element is configured to return the lever to the closed position relative to the mouthpiece. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 1.

3. The lever has a cam provided on it, The cam is configured to engage with the lever member when the lever member moves between a closed position where the lever member is in a sealed position and an open position where the lever member is in an open position, as described in claim 2.

4. The lid body includes an opening, The lever includes a post that extends through the opening and engages with the cam, The lid for a beverage container according to claim 3, wherein the opening is sized so that a post can move or rotate inside it when the lever member moves between a sealed position and an open position.

5. The biasing element is configured such that the lever member compresses the biasing element in the sealed position, and the compression of the biasing element generates a spring biasing force, and when the lever is in the closed position, the cam is disengaged from the lever member, and the entire spring biasing force of the biasing element is directed in a direction that maintains the lever member in the sealed position, as described in claim 3.

6. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 1, further comprising a lever seal member provided on the lever member, wherein the movement of the lever member selectively seals and opens the lever seal member, thereby closing and opening the drinking spout, respectively.

7. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the container seal includes a seal body having a shape complementary to the shape of the lid body, and the seal body is attached to the lid body.

8. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 7, wherein the biasing element is fixed to the seal body and extends inward from the seal body so as not to prevent the container seal from engaging with the container in a sealed state.

9. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 7, wherein the biasing element is integrated with the seal body to define the integrally molded seal component of the lid.

10. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 7, wherein the biasing element is in the form of a spherical member that bulges inward from the seal body.

11. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the biasing element is configured to compress the biasing element when the lever member moves to the open position, and the compression of the biasing element generates a spring biasing force sufficient to return the lever member to the sealed position.

12. The lid for a beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the biasing element is configured such that the lever member compresses the biasing element in the sealed position, and the compression of the biasing element generates a spring biasing force sufficient to maintain the lever member in the sealed position.

13. A seal provided on the lid body to engage with the inner surface of a beverage container in a sealed state, A sealing body is placed between the lid body and the inner surface of the container, The seal body is fixed to the seal body and has a biasing element that extends inward from the seal body so as not to prevent the seal body from engaging with the inner wall of the container in a sealed state, A seal characterized by the following features.

14. The seal according to claim 13, wherein the biasing element is integral with the seal body, defining an integrally molded sealing member of the lid.

15. The seal according to claim 13, wherein the biasing member is adapted to be compressed to generate a spring biasing force.

16. A seal according to claim 15, which is to be used in combination with a lid for a beverage container, The aforementioned lid is The lid body and the drinking spout, A lever connected to the lid body and located above the lid body, which is movable between a closed position and an open position for covering the drinking spout, A lever member connected to the lid body and located below the lid body is movable between a sealed position for closing the drinking spout in a sealed state and an open position for opening the drinking spout. The lid body includes the seal and the biasing element that contacts the lever member, When the lever moves away from the closed position, the biasing element is configured to return the lever to the closed position relative to the drinking spout. The seal according to claim 15, wherein the biasing element is configured to maintain the lever member in the sealed position and to return the lever member from the open position to the sealed position relative to the drinking spout, and is combined with a lid for a beverage container.

17. The biasing element is configured to compress when the lever member moves to the opening position, and the compression of the biasing element is configured to generate a spring biasing force sufficient to return the lever member to the sealing position, The seal according to claim 16, wherein the biasing element is configured to compress the biasing element when the lever member is in the sealed position, and the compression of the biasing element generates a spring biasing force sufficient to maintain the lever member in the sealed position.

18. The seal according to claim 17, wherein when the lever is in the closed position, the lever is detached from the lever member, and the entire spring biasing force of the biasing element is directed in a direction that maintains the lever member in the sealed position.

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