Closure For Travel Mug Lid

Abstract

A closure for the lid of a travel mug has a first solid end and teeth with spacings therebetween at a second opposite end. The closure removably connects to the lid, with either the first end or the second end located near the periphery thereof. The closure slides radially relative to the lid. The lid has a peripheral opening for the passage therethrough of liquid from the mug when not obstructed. When the closure is connected to the lid and the second toothed end is aligned with the opening, liquid is able to flow through the opening and also through the spacings between the teeth. The teeth prevent passage of solid items. The closure is also movable relative to the lid to enable the user to completely block any flow through the opening, or to completely enable flow through the opening.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part application that claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 19 / 059,947, entitled “Improved Closure For Travel Mug Lid,” filed on Feb. 21, 2025, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to container lids used for drinkware, and particularly, to a lid for a mug. More particularly, the present invention relates to a closure for a lid of a travel mug.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Travel mugs, or cups, are used to hold hot and cold beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, or other liquids. Travel mugs often include a removable lid that threadably connects to the top of the mug. When in place, the lid prevents the liquid contents from spilling. Such lids typically have an opening through which liquid from the mug may flow, to enable the user to drink from the mug. To prevent unwanted spilling from this opening in the lid of the mug, the lid typically includes a movable cover that enables a user to selectively open or close the lid opening, to permit or prevent flow therethrough.

[0004] For example, Seiders et al. U.S. Pat. No. 10,232,992, entitled “Closure and Lid and Method of Forming Closure and Lid,” which is expressly incorporated herein, in its entirety, discloses a travel mug lid with a moveable, i.e., slidable, cover that cooperates with a lid opening. This slidable cover, or slider, allows for the lid to be in an open position or a closed position. The open position allows a user to drink freely from the travel mug via flow through the opening, whereas the closed position prevents liquid from flowing through the opening in the lid. To the best of applicant's knowledge, the '992 patent represents the current state of the art upon which applicant seeks to improve, as explained in further detail below. Applicant is also aware that the owner of this U.S. '992 patent shows the following patent numbers on its patent notice website: U.S. Pat. No. D751339 and U.S. Pat. No. D761619.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention comprises a closure for a lid of a travel mug, wherein the closure is removably securable to the lid, and slidable with respect thereto when secured, so as to either entirely close off an opening in the lid to prevent flow therethrough, or so as permit partial flow through the opening past partial, i.e., toothed, openings in the closure. Compared to the slider of the '992 patent, which has two completely solid opposite ends, with the present invention the structure that allows selective closing of the lid opening, referred to herein as the “closure,” is completely solid at only one end, to prevent flow through the lid opening. At the opposite end, the closure has spaced teeth that define therebetween a plurality of smaller tooth spacings, or passages, which enable liquid to pass therethrough. With this structure, the teeth partially block flow through the lid opening, but also partially permit flow therethrough.

[0006] Thus, the present invention permits partial flow, and likewise partial blockage, of liquid flow through the lid opening, something that is not practical with the slider of the '992 patent. This partial restriction of flow through the lid opening benefits the user in that it prevents flow therethrough, or clogging of the opening by, for example, ice, tea bags, or other drink garnishes that could be added to a liquid in the mug. Such solid items in the drink can cause problems when a user of the cup tries to drink liquid from the lid opening. For example, with the current state of the art as shown in the '992 patent, if the liquid is cold and contains ice, the ice may pass through the lid opening and hit the users' teeth. Teeth can be prone to sensitivity and a user may experience pain or discomfort if ice comes into contact with the teeth. In contrast, with the present invention, the toothed end of this closure serves as a barrier between the ice in the cup and the user's teeth. Essentially, this inventive closure, and particularly the toothed end of the closure, prevents ice or other solid objects in the liquid from coming into contact with a user's teeth, or otherwise flowing out of the opening in the lid.

[0007] According to a currently preferred embodiment of the invention, a closure removably connects to the lid of a travel mug, typically by threading. The lid includes an opening to permit a liquid held within the mug to be poured outwardly therethrough. The closure is relatively planar and flat in structure and somewhat elongated, with a first end and a second end. The closure removably connects to the lid in one of two orientations, with either the first end toward the center of the lid or the second end toward the center of the lid. In both orientations, the closure is slidable horizontally relative to the lid, generally parallel with the main surface of the lid, between inner and outer positions. The inner position is near or at the center of the lid, whereas the outer position is nearer the perimeter or periphery of the lid. Each of the two closure orientations is operable such that, when connected to the lid, the closure is slidable in a radial direction to move the nearer end of the closure toward or away from the periphery of the lid, in alignment with or way from, respectively, the opening in the lid. Further, the user may also remove the closure from the lid entirely and reconnect it to the lid in the opposite orientation.

[0008] According to one feature of the present invention, the closure removably connects to the lid via one or more magnets. For example, one or more magnets can be embedded within the closure and configured to be attracted to one or more complementary magnets embedded in the lid, and extended along a line. This structural arrangement enables the closure to slide along the top of the lid, to enable the user to move the closure so as to open, to close, or to partially close the opening, depending on whether the user wishes to, respectively, flow, stop flow, or partially flow liquid through the opening.

[0009] According to another feature of the present invention, the closure includes a raised central midsection. The shape of this midsection facilitates the user's sliding of the closure along the lid to the desired position. Further, the midsection is primarily flat and allows for indicia such as a logo or advertisement to be placed thereon, if desired.

[0010] The closure removably connects to the lid surface in either a first orientation or a second orientation, depending on which of the first and second ends is nearer the center of the mug. In this example, the first orientation refers to the closure being connected to the lid such that the first solid end thereof is nearer the periphery of the lid. In this orientation, the user may slide the closure radially outwardly along the lid so that the closed end aligns with and covers the lid opening, and thereby prevent liquid flow therethrough. But in addition, in this same orientation the user may slide the closure radially inwardly to completely uncover the opening in the lid. This scenario would enable the user to drink from the mug with optimum liquid flow through the lid opening. Conversely, in this same example the second orientation would refer to the opposite situation, wherein the closure is connected to the lid such that the second toothed end thereof is nearer the periphery of the lid. In this orientation, the user may slide the closure radially outwardly relative to the lid so as to align the teeth with the lid opening, to thereby permit partially flow through the opening. The flow is partial because the teeth partially obstruct complete flow through the opening. This second orientation also prevents any solid elements such as ice or tea bags from exiting the mug. Preferably, the magnets of the closure and the lid are arranged so that the closure tends to stay in a relatively fixed, or detented, position relative to the lid once connected thereto.

[0011] These and other features of the present invention will be more readily understood in view of the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described in the next section and then more thoroughly described in the section thereafter.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a travel mug assembly that includes a mug, a lid at the top of the mug, and the lid including a closure according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the travel mug assembly shown in FIG. 1, but which also shows the closure disconnected, or unsecured, to the lid and elevated thereabove, with directional arrows showing that the closure may be reoriented in an opposite orientation relative to the lid.

[0014] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional side view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1, which shows the toothed end of the closure aligned with an opening in the lid, thereby to allow restricted flow therethrough.

[0015] FIGS. 3B and 3C are partial cross-sectional views, similar to the view shown in FIG. 3A, which show, respectively, unrestricted flow of liquid from the mug when the closure is in a fully open position, and completely restricted flow of liquid from the mug when the closed end of the closure covers the opening in the lid.

[0016] FIGS. 4A and 4B are overhead views of the lid and the closure showing the closure in an open position and a closed position, respectively, and correspond to the situations shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, respectively.

[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the closure shown in the prior FIGS. 1-4.

[0018] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom of the closure shown in FIG. 5.

[0019] FIGS. 7 and 8 show opposite end views of the closure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein

[0020] FIG. 9 shows a side view thereof.

[0021] FIGS. 10 and 11 show top and bottom views, respectively, of the closure shown in FIGS. 5-9.

[0022] FIGS. 12 and 13 show top plan views of additional embodiments of the present invention, namely, two somewhat different versions of the closure.

[0023] FIGS. 14A and 14B show top views of the lid and the closure showing the closure in an open position and a closed position, respectively, in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 15A shows a cross-sectional view showing in an open position the closure that is shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B.

[0025] FIG. 15B shows a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 15A showing the same closure in a closed position.

[0026] FIGS. 16, 17, and 18 show, respectively, top, side, and perspective views of the closure shown in FIGS. 14A, 14B, 15A, and 15B.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a travel mug assembly 10 according to a currently preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the mug assembly 10 includes a container, or mug, 12, a removable lid 14 that connects to the top of the mug 12, for example via a threadable connection, and a closure 16 that removably connects to the lid 14. The closure 16 is relatively flat and elongated, with rounded corners at both of its first 18 and second 20 ends. In FIG. 1, the first end of the closure 16 is located at an inner radial position, near the middle of the mug 12, whereas the second end 20 is located nearer to the radial periphery of the mug 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the first end 18 of the closure 16 is completely solid. In contrast, the opposite second end 20 of the closure 16 has a plurality of spaced teeth 22, defined by complementary open spacings 24. A raised midsection 26 resides between the first end 18 and the second end 20.

[0028] The closure 16 moves radially relative to the lid 14, within a recessed track, or trough 28, formed in the upper surface of the lid 14. The width of the trough 28 generally accommodates the width of the closure 16. During slidable movement, the closure 16 remains connected to the lid 16, preferably via magnetic attraction. For example, FIG. 1 shows an elongated magnet 30 mounted to, or embedded within, the trough 28. Alternatively, any one or more of any number of other structures may be used to removably connect the closure 16 to the lid 14, and in a manner that retains the closure 16 in the trough 28 during slidable movement relative to the surface of the lid 14.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows the closure 16 removed and spaced upwardly from the lid 14. The directional arrows are intended to show that the closure 16 can be re-oriented with either the first end 18 or the toothed second end 20 located at the periphery of the lid 14, depending on the objective of the user, and the opposite end in the middle of the lid 14. FIG. 2 also shows an opening 32 in the lid, near the radial periphery thereof, through which liquid from the mug 12 may flow outwardly when desired by the user.

[0030] FIG. 3A shows the closure 16 connected to the lid 14 so that the second toothed end 20, and the corresponding teeth 22, are in a radial outermost position, where the teeth 22 are aligned with the opening 32 in the lid 14. With this situation, the teeth 22 prevent full flow through the opening 32, and thereby prevent unwanted passage therethrough of any solid items in the liquid. Compared to FIG. 3A, FIG. 3B shows the closure 16 after it has been moved in a radially inward direction, so that the teeth 22 are no longer aligned with the opening 32. Instead, the teeth 22 are located radially inside of the opening 32. In this position, the opening 32 is completely open. This position allows optimal flow through the opening 32, if desired. In contrast, in FIG. 3C the closure 16 has been reversed in orientation, so that the first solid end 18 is nearer the periphery of the lid 14. Moreover, in this position the closure 16 has been moved to its most radially outward position, so that first end 18 thereof is aligned with the opening 32, and thereby blocks the flow of liquid therethrough.

[0031] FIG. 4A shows a top view of the situation that corresponds to the view shown in FIG. 3A, with the second toothed end 20 of the closure 16 located near the perimeter of the lid 14, so that the teeth 22 align with the opening 32. With this scenario, the closure permits restricted flow through the opening 32 and past the spaced teeth 22. FIG. 4B shows a top view of the situation that corresponds to the view shown in FIG. 3B, with the closure 16 moved radially inwardly toward the center of the mug 12 so that the teeth 22 are no longer aligned with the opening 32. Rather, the opening is completely unobstructed. This corresponds to optimal flow.

[0032] Although the Figures show three teeth 22 of generally the same size, and similarly sized spaces therebetween, those skilled in the art will understand that the size, shape, and number of the teeth 22 may be varied. Generally, it is desired that the spaces between the teeth 24 are wide enough for liquid to pass through, but prevent other objects inside the travel mug from exiting or coming into contact with a person drinking out of the travel mug 10. Such objects may include ice, tea bags, flavor tablets, or drink garnishes. Adding or removing teeth 22 can allow for different flow rates of liquid through the opening 32. One alternative embodiment could a plurality of holes formed through the second end 20 of the closure 16.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the closure 16 removed from the lid 14, and perhaps best shows that the closure 16 includes a midsection 26 located between the open toothed end 20 and the closed end 18. The raised shape of the midsection 26 facilitates sliding of the closure 16 along the lid 14. Further, the midsection 26 is generally flat and elongated to create a space for advertisements or other indica to be placed on the closure 16. For example, the surface of the midsection 26 may be machined to depict a company logo or trademark. Stickers or other adhesives may be placed on the midsection 26 to further advertise or customize the closure 16.

[0034] FIG. 6 shows the bottom of the closure 16, with a magnet 34 mounted in the bottom surface thereof, which may be embedded therein. This magnet 34 attracts to the lid magnet 30 so as to create a secure connection between the closure 16 and the lid 14. This connection can easily be severed should a user wish to change the orientation or remove the closure 16 from the lid 14. FIGS. 5 and 6 are also included in this specification so as to place the public on notice of applicant's intention to preserve its options for pursuing design patent protection for the currently preferred shape of the closure 16.

[0035] FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 show different views of the closure, and are included to provide a more complete disclosure of the present invention, including a disclosure sufficient to subsequently support the filing of a continuation application that is a design patent application.

[0036] Further, FIGS. 12 and 13 show different forms, or shapes, of the closure 116, 216, to also permit liquid passage therethrough, but via slightly differently shaped passages.

[0037] Still further, FIGS. 14A and 14B show still another preferred embodiment of the invention, namely, a closure 16a of somewhat different shape than that of the closure 16 of the first preferred embodiment. In these Figures, and also in FIGS. 15A and 15B, reference numbers are the same as those used in the first embodiment shown and described with respect to FIGS. 1-11, but corresponding parts of the closure 16a have an “a” appended thereto. The overall function of the closure 16a is the same as that of the closure of the other embodiments. FIGS. 16, 17, and 18 show top, side, and perspective views, respectively, of the closure 16a shown in FIGS. 14A, 14B, 15A, and 15B.

[0038] Currently, the structure shown and described in the '992 patent is commercially available. Further, spare, or replacement parts, for components thereof, such as the slider, are readily available via online purchase. One manner of practicing the current invention, for example, would be to purchase a replacement slider for a mug of the type shown in the '992 patent, and to then machine spaced teeth into one end thereof, to produce one of the types of closures disclosed herein. Other options for producing the closure disclosed herein would be by injection molding out of a preferable thermoplastic, or by 3D printing the closure, and leaving a suitably sized recessed region for insertion of the magnet 32. As noted above, the remaining components of the mug assembly 10 are commercially available.

[0039] This specification describes and shows a currently preferred embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is not limited to the specific details disclosed herein, but instead, that the invention is susceptible to reasonable modification without departing from the general inventive concept.

Claims

1. A mug assembly comprising:a mug:a lid removably connectable to the mug, the lid having an opening formed therein so as to permit a liquid held within the mug to be poured outwardly therethrough; anda closure removably connected to the lid, the closure having a first solid end and a second toothed end, and the closure being removably connected to the lid in one of first and second orientations, and also being movable relative to the lid when removably connected thereto, wherein when connected to the lid in the first orientation the first solid end is operable to move so as to align with and cover the opening to prevent flow therethrough and also operable to move so as to leave the opening uncovered to permit flow therethrough, and wherein connected to the lid in the second orientation the second toothed end is operable to move so as to align with and partially cover the opening to permit partial flow therethrough and also operable to move so as to leave the opening uncovered to permit flow therethrough, the toothed second end serving to prevent throughflow of any ice held within the mug.

2. The invention of claim 1 and further comprising:a first magnet carried by the closure, and at least one second complementary magnet mounted to the lid, wherein the closure is removably connectable to, and slidable relative to, the lid due to magnetic attraction between the first and second magnets.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the second toothed end of the closure has four teeth of generally equal size and spacing.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein the closure includes a raised central midsection to facilitate slidable movement of the closure relative to the lid, and a generally flat section for presenting surface indicia thereon, such as a logo or an advertisement.

5. In a travel mug adapted to hold liquid contents and including a removably connected lid, the lid having an opening to permit liquid flow therethrough, further comprising:a closure removably connectable to the lid, the closure adapted to be positioned in a first orientation wherein a first closed end thereof is locatable in alignment with the opening so as to prevent liquid flow therethrough, and the closure also adapted to be positioned in a second opposite orientation wherein a second, opposite, toothed end thereof is locatable in alignment with the opening so as to permit partial outflow of liquid through the opening and the second toothed end, whereby the second toothed end prevents flow therethrough of any solid items in the liquid contained in the mug.

6. The invention of claim 5 and further comprising:a first magnet carried by the closure, and at least one second complementary magnet mounted to the lid, wherein the closure is removably connectable to, and slidable relative to, the lid due to magnetic attraction between the first and second magnets.

7. A method of using a travel mug assembly, the travel mug assembly including a mug with liquid contained therein, a lid removably connected to the mug, the lid having a peripheral opening through which the liquid therein may flow, comprising:placing a closure on the lid such that a partial opening in the closure aligns with the peripheral opening in the lid, thereby to enable a user to cause liquid from the mug to flow outwardly through the peripheral opening of the lid and the aligned partial opening in the closure.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the partial opening in the closure comprises a plurality of spaced teeth.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the placing further comprises sliding the closure relative to the lid, while the closure remains magnetically attracted to the lid.

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