Beverage container lid with deployable straw

Abstract

A beverage container having a container body and a lid assembly. The lid assembly has a lid housing, an actuator and a deployable straw. The actuator rotates about the lid housing between a first position and a second position. Rotation of the actuator from the first position to the second position moves the deployable straw between a straw-use position and a straw-stowed position. The straw-stowed position is within a cavity of the container body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 773,604 filed Mar. 18, 2025, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present subject matter relates to a lid assembly for a beverage container, and more particularly, to a lid assembly having a deployable straw that moves between a stowed position and a use position.BACKGROUND

[0004] Beverage containers are known in the art. While such products, according to the prior art, provide a number of advantages, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present disclosure seeks to overcome certain of those limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present disclosure is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.SUMMARY

[0005] According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the disclosed subject technology relates to a beverage container having a lid assembly that has a deployable straw that moves between a stowed position and a use position.

[0006] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, comprising: a container body having a cavity; and, a lid assembly comprising a lid housing and a deployable straw assembly, the lid housing adapted to be removably secured to the container body, the lid housing further having a first opening for a portion of the deployable straw assembly to pass through from the stowed position to the use position; the deployable straw assembly comprising: a straw; an rotatable actuator positioned adjacent a top surface of the lid housing; a cam positioned adjacent an underside of the lid housing and connected to the actuator, the cam rotating with the actuator; and, an arm pivotally connected to the lid housing, and also pivotally connected to the straw, wherein the arm has a cam follower that engages the cam to raise and lower the straw when the actuator is rotated.

[0007] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, comprising: a container body having a cavity; and, a lid assembly comprising a lid housing, an actuator and a straw, wherein the actuator moves the straw between a straw-use position and a straw-stowed position, wherein a portion of the straw is positioned outside the lid housing in the straw-use position, and wherein the straw is positioned within the cavity of the container body in the straw-stowed position.

[0008] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, comprising: a container body having a cavity; and, a lid assembly comprising a lid housing, an actuator and a deployable straw, wherein the actuator rotates about the lid housing between a first position and a second position, and wherein rotation of the actuator from the first position to the second position moves the deployable straw linearly between a straw-use position and a straw-stowed position.

[0009] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, comprising: a container body having a cavity; and, a lid assembly comprising a lid housing having an opening and a deployable straw assembly, wherein the deployable straw assembly has a straw that moves between a first straw position wherein a first portion of the straw extends out of the opening in the lid housing for sipping by a user, and a second straw position wherein the first portion of the straw is positioned within the cavity of the container body.

[0010] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the lid housing has a top surface, a side wall, the first opening in the top surface for the straw of the deployable straw assembly and a second opening in the top surface for the actuator of the deployable straw assembly.

[0011] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the straw comprises a first portion that extends out of the first opening in the top surface of the lid housing during use and that is moved into the cavity of the container body during stowing, and a second portion that remains within the cavity of the container body at all times.

[0012] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the first portion of the straw is a rigid member, and the second portion of the straw is a flexible member.

[0013] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the actuator rotates from a straw use position to a straw stowed position, and wherein the actuator covers the first opening in the straw stowed position.

[0014] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the deployable straw assembly further comprises a bias member to bias the arm toward the cam.

[0015] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the cam has a helical shaped ramp.

[0016] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the actuator rotates about a top surface of the lid housing.

[0017] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the lid housing has an opening for the straw to exit the container body.

[0018] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, further comprising a cam connected to the actuator, the cam rotating with the actuator, and wherein the straw operably follows the cam to raise and lower the straw as the cam rotates.

[0019] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, further comprising an arm pivotally connected to the lid housing, and also pivotally connected to the straw, wherein the arm has a cam follower that engages the cam to raise and lower the straw when the actuator is rotated.

[0020] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein a portion of the straw is positioned outside the lid housing in the straw-use position, and wherein the straw is positioned within the cavity of the container body in the straw-stowed position.

[0021] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the lid housing has a first opening for the straw, and wherein the actuator covers the first opening when the straw is in the straw-stowed position.

[0022] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the straw has a first rigid portion and a second flexible portion, and wherein the first rigid portion extends out of the lid housing in the straw-use position.

[0023] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the deployable straw assembly further comprises an actuator that rotates about the lid housing between a first position and a second position, and wherein rotation of the actuator from the first position to the second position moves the straw assembly from the first straw position to the second straw position.

[0024] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, further comprising a cam connected to the actuator, the straw operably following the cam to raise and lower the straw as the cam rotates with the actuator.

[0025] The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage container, wherein the actuator covers the opening in the lid housing when the straw is positioned in the second straw position.

[0026] It is understood that other embodiments and configurations of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] To understand the present disclosure, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the disclosures are illustrated and, together with the descriptions below are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage container having a lid with a deployable straw in the use position, according to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage container of FIG. 1, with the straw in the use position, according to the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 3 is an exploded top perspective view of the lid assembly for the beverage container of FIG. 1, according to the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 4 is an exploded bottom perspective view of the lid assembly of FIG. 3, according to the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of a cam mechanism for deploying the straw, according to the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a top view of the beverage container and lid with straw of FIG. 1, with the straw in the use position, according to the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a top view of the beverage container and lid with straw of FIG. 1, with the straw in a stowed position, according to the present disclosure.

[0035] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view about line 8-8 of FIG. 6, with the straw in the use position, according to the present disclosure.

[0036] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view about line 9-9 of FIG. 7, with the straw in the stowed position, according to the present disclosure.

[0037] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage container of FIG. 1, with the straw in the stowed position, according to the present disclosure.

[0038] In one or more implementations, not all of the depicted components in each figure may be required, and one or more implementations may include additional components not shown in a figure. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the scope of the subject disclosure. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be utilized within the scope of the subject disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] While this disclosure is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the disclosure to the embodiments illustrated. It should be noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and features of one embodiment may be employed with other embodiments as one of ordinary skill in the relevant art would recognize, even if not explicitly stated herein. Further, descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the present disclosure. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the present disclosure may be practiced and to further enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the examples and embodiments herein should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, which is defined solely by the appended claims and applicable law.

[0040] Generally, this disclosure describes several embodiments of lid assemblies for beverage containers where the lid assembly has a deployable straw that can move from the use position to a stowed position. In one embodiment, in the use position a portion of the straw extends through an opening in the top surface of the lid and is above the top surface of the lid for drinking by a user. In one embodiment, the when the straw is in the stowed position the entirety of the straw is below the top surface of the lid and within the cavity of the beverage container. Further, in one embodiment the opening in the top surface of the lid is covered when the straw is in the stowed position.

[0041] Referring now to the figures, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown an embodiment of a beverage container 10 having a lid assembly 12, and a container body 14. The lid assembly 12 generally comprises a lid housing 16 that supports a deployable straw assembly 18, a first opening 20 in the lid housing 16 for allowing a first portion 24 of a straw 22 of the deployable straw assembly 18 to pass through from the stowed position to the use position, and the reverse.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, the container body 14 typically has a side wall 30 and a bottom wall 32 defining an internal cavity 34 for storing liquid. An opening 36 is provided at the top of the container body 14 to provide access to the internal cavity 34. The beverage container 10 also has a connection system for securing the lid housing 16 to the container body 14 adjacent the opening 36 thereof to close the opening 36. In one embodiment, the connection system comprises a female thread component 38 at the opening 36 of the container body 14, and a mating male thread component 40 extending from the lid housing 16, however the reverse is acceptable, as well as a variety of other systems (e.g., bayonet connection, pressure fit, etc.) for securing the lid housing 16 to the container body 14.

[0043] Referring to the lid assembly 12, as shown in FIGS. 1-4, the lid housing 16 has a top surface 50, a side wall 52, a first opening 20 in the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16 for allowing the straw 22 of the deployable straw assembly 18 to pass through between the stowed position and the use position, and a second opening 54 for an actuator 56 of the deployable straw assembly 18. The first opening 20 in the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16 also provides access to the internal cavity 34 of the container body 14 when the lid assembly 12 is connected to the container body 14 and the actuator 56 is removed from its straw-stowed position. The lid housing 16 is adapted to be removably secured to the container body 14.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 3-5, in one embodiment the deployable straw assembly 18 comprises the straw 22, the rotatable actuator 56, a cam 58, an arm 60 and a bias member 62. In one embodiment, the straw 22 comprises a first portion 24 that extends out of the first opening 20 in the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16 during use and that is moved into the internal cavity 34 of the beverage container body 14 during stowing, and a second portion 64 that remains within the internal cavity 34 of the beverage container body 14 at all times. In a preferred embodiment, the first portion 24 of the straw 22 is a rigid member, and the second portion 64 of the straw 22 is a flexible member. In a preferred embodiment, a first end 63 of the second portion 64 of the straw 22 is connected to the first portion 24 of the straw 22 and the second end 65 of the second portion 64 of the straw 22 remains adjacent the bottom wall 32 of the internal cavity 34 of the container body 14, including when the first portion 24 of the straw 22 is in the use position and when the first portion 24 of the straw is in the stowed position, to assist the user in being able to drink all of the contents of the internal cavity 34. In use, the actuator 56 rotates from a straw-use position, also referred to as a first position, as shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 8, to a straw-stowed position, also referred to as a second position, as shown in FIGS. 7, 9 and 10.

[0045] In one embodiment, the rotatable actuator 56 is positioned adjacent a top surface of the lid housing 16 and comprises a lever 66 and a connector 68, and the cam 58 is positioned adjacent an underside of the lid housing 16. The connector 68 extends from the lever 66, in one embodiment in a generally perpendicular manner from the lever 66. The connector 68 has snap arms 70 to mate with a receiver 72 in the cam 58 to rotatably secure the actuator 56 to the cam 58, with the actuator 56 and the cam 58 being on opposite sides of the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16. Thus, when the actuator 56 is rotated by the user adjacent the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16, the cam 58 simultaneously rotates adjacent the underside of the lid housing 16 to set the deployable straw assembly 18 in motion. In one embodiment the actuator 56 also has a flange 74 with protrusions 76 on the underside of the flange 74. The protrusions 76 engage stops 78 on the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16 to limit rotation of the lever 66 of the actuator 56 at the end of the stroke when rotating the lever 66 for moving the straw 22 between the straw-use position and the straw-stowed position. In the straw stowed position, shown in FIGS. 7, 9 and 10, the lever 66 of the actuator 56 is positioned above the first opening 20 in the lid housing 16. A seal 80 is provided around the first opening 20, and the seal 80 contacts the underside of the lever 66 of the actuator to seal the first opening 20 and assist in preventing liquid from escaping from the cavity 34 of the container body 14 when the straw 22 is in the stowed position and the lever 66 is positioned above the first opening 20. In one embodiment the seal 80 is made of a plastic, such as a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) that is overmolded around the first opening 20.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 2-5, in one embodiment the cam 58 has a receiver 72 that engages the snap arms 70 of the actuator 56 to secure the actuator 56 to the cam 58. The cam 58 also has shoulders 82 that rest on a recessed surface 84 of the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16. Thus, when the actuator 56 and the cam 58 are secured to each other on opposite sides of the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16, and the shoulders 82 of the cam 58 rest on the recessed surface 84 of the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16, the actuator 56 and the cam 58 are able to rotate together, but they are both fixed axially in place with respect to the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16.

[0047] As best shown in FIGS. 3-5, in one embodiment, the cam 58 has a cam ramp 86. The cam ramp 86 extends radially outward and angularly downwardly from the receiver portion 72 of the cam 58 in a helical manner. The cam ramp 86 operates, through various components, to manipulate the straw 22 to move the straw 22 from the straw-use position to the straw-stowed position. The cam ramp 86 has a stop 88 toward one end of the cam ramp 86, indicating the final position for the straw-use position, and a flat 90 toward the opposing end of the cam ramp 86, indicating the final position for the straw-stowed position. The cam ramp 86 has a first surface 92 that faces toward the underside of the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16, and an opposing second surface 94 the faces toward the internal cavity 34 of the container body 34 when the lid housing 16 is secured to the container body 34.

[0048] In one embodiment, a center seal 96 is provided to seal the second opening 54 for the actuator 56 to assist in preventing liquid from escaping out of the cavity 34 of the container body 14 through the second opening 54. The center seal 96 seals the cam 58 against a flange 98 (see FIG. 4) of the lid housing 16 as best shown in FIG. 2.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the lid housing 16 has extensions 100 that extend from an inside of the lid housing 16 for securing the arm 60 of the deployable straw assembly 18 to the lid housing 16. The extensions 100 have openings 102 for pivotally securing the arm 60 as described herein.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the arm 60 has a first end 104 and a second end 106, and opposing shafts 108 at the first end 104 thereof. The shafts 108 extend into the openings 102 in the extensions 100 for allowing the arm 60 to pivot about the openings 10. Thus, the arm 60 is pivotally connected to the lid housing 16 and also pivotally connected to the straw 22. The arm 60 also has a first cam follower 110, and in one embodiment a second cam follower 112, between the first and second ends 104, 106 of the arm 60, and a straw retainer 114 at the second end 106 of the arm 60. The cam follower engages the cam 58 to raise and lower the straw 22 when the actuator 56 is rotated. In one embodiment, the first cam follower 110 is an extension 110 that rides against the second surface 94 of the cam ramp 86 as the cam ramp 86 rotates via the actuator 56 by the user. At the final position of the straw 22 in the use position, i.e., the straw use position shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the extension 110 engages the stop 88, or is adjacent the stop 88, of the cam ramp 86. And, at the final position for the straw 22 in the straw-stowed position, i.e., the straw-stowed position shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the extension 110 engages the flat 90. The cam ramp 86, and preferably the flat 90 of the cam ramp 86, retains the extension 110 in the straw-stowed position and prevents the straw 22 from upward movement out of the first opening 20. Similarly, in one embodiment, the second cam follower 112 is another extension 112 that rides on the first surface 92 of the cam ramp 86. Accordingly, because the arm 60 has cam followers 110 and 112 on both sides of the cam ramp 86 in one embodiment, there is positive movement and control of the arm 60 during nearly all movement of the actuator 56 to move the straw 22 to the open and stowed positions. Additionally, in one embodiment the bias member 62 is a torsion spring that operates to assist in biasing the arm 60 toward the cam ramp 86. Thus, the straw 22 operably follows the cam 58 to raise and lower the straw 22 as the cam 58 rotates via the actuator 56.

[0051] In one embodiment, the straw retainer 114 is a clevis-like joint at the second end 106 of the arm 60 that pivotally connects the arm 60 to the straw 22 as shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 8-10. In one embodiment, the straw retainer 114 comprises receivers 116 having an opening to receive the pivot members 118 extending from the straw 22 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8-10 to accomplish the pivotal connection between the arm 60 and the straw 22. As shown in FIGS. 8-10, the arm 60 therefore operates to raise and lower, or move the straw 22 from the straw-stowed position to the straw-use position, and the reverse.

[0052] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 9-10, in use, when the straw 22 is in the straw-stowed position, also referred to as the second straw position, within the internal cavity 34 of the beverage container body 14, the lever 66 of the actuator 56 is positioned over the first opening 20 in the lid housing 16 against the seal 80 to close the first opening 20. When a user desires to drink from the beverage container 10, the user rotates the lever 66 of the actuator 56 on the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. The cam 58 connected to the actuator 56 simultaneously rotates on the underside of the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16 with the lever 66 to set the deployable straw assembly 18 in motion. As explained herein, when the cam 58 rotates, the cam follower(s) 110 and possible 112 of the arm 60 engage the cam ramp 86. Because the cam follower 110, and possibly cam follower 112, engage the cam ramp 86, as the cam 58 rotates the cam ramp 86 operates to move or pivot the arm 60 upward and the first portion 24 of the straw 22 will extend through the first opening 20 in the lid housing 16 and to the straw-use position for drinking by a user as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8. The second portion 64 of the straw 22 remains in the internal cavity 34 of the beverage container body 14. Thus, the actuator 56 moves the straw 22 between a straw-use position and a straw-stowed position. And, a portion of the straw 22 is positioned outside the lid housing 16 in the straw-use position, also referred to as the first straw position. Conversely, in the straw-stowed position the straw 22 is positioned within the cavity 34 of the container body 14.

[0053] When the user is done drinking they can store the straw 22 entirely within the internal cavity 34 of the beverage container 14 and close the first opening 20 by rotating the lever 66 of the actuator 56 toward the first opening 20 as shown in FIGS. 7, 9 and 10. The cam 58 connected to the actuator 56 simultaneously rotates on the underside of the top surface 50 of the lid housing 16 with the lever 66 to set the deployable straw assembly 18 in motion. As explained herein, when the cam 58 rotates, the cam follower(s) 110 and possible 112 of the arm 60 engage the cam ramp 86. Because the cam follower 110, and possibly cam follower 112, engage the cam ramp 86, as the cam 58 rotates in the opposite direction the cam ramp 86 operates to move or pivot the arm 60 downward and the first portion 24 of the straw 22 will extend down into the first opening 20 in the lid housing 16 and to the straw-stowed position as shown in FIGS. 7, 9 and 10. In the straw-stowed position the entirety of the straw 22 remains in the internal cavity 34 of the beverage container body 14.

[0054] The embodiments detailed hereinabove may be combined in full or in part, with any alternative embodiments described.

[0055] A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” The term “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and / or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.

[0056] Numerous modifications to the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Preferred embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

[0057] Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. Additionally, the terms “first,”“second,”“third,” and “fourth” as used herein are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Further, the term “plurality” as used herein indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Additionally, the term “having” as used herein in both the disclosure and claims, is utilized in an open-ended manner.

[0058] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase “at least one of” does not require selection of at least one item; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and / or at least one of any combination of the items, and / or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and / or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

[0059] To the extent that the term “include,”“have,” or the like is used in the description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases.

[0060] A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” The term “some” refers to one or more. Underlined and / or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the subject technology, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the subject technology. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various configurations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the subject technology. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”

[0061] While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of particular implementations of the subject matter. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0062] The title, background, brief description of the drawings, abstract, and drawings are hereby incorporated into the disclosure and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples and the various features are grouped together in various implementations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

[0063] It will be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the Claims are not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the disclosure and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.

[0064] Further, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims and to encompass all legal equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirements of the applicable patent law, nor should they be interpreted in such a way.

Claims

1. A beverage container, comprising:a container body having a cavity; and,a lid assembly comprising a lid housing and a deployable straw assembly, the lid housing adapted to be removably secured to the container body, the lid housing further having a first opening for a portion of the deployable straw assembly to pass through from the stowed position to the use position;the deployable straw assembly comprising:a straw;an rotatable actuator positioned adjacent a top surface of the lid housing;a cam positioned adjacent an underside of the lid housing and connected to the actuator, the cam rotating with the actuator; and,an arm pivotally connected to the lid housing, and also pivotally connected to the straw, wherein the arm has a cam follower that engages the cam to raise and lower the straw when the actuator is rotated.

2. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the lid housing has a top surface, a side wall, the first opening in the top surface for the straw of the deployable straw assembly and a second opening in the top surface for the actuator of the deployable straw assembly.

3. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the straw comprises a first portion that extends out of the first opening in the top surface of the lid housing during use and that is moved into the cavity of the container body during stowing, and a second portion that remains within the cavity of the container body at all times.

4. The beverage container of claim 3, wherein the first portion of the straw is a rigid member, and the second portion of the straw is a flexible member.

5. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the actuator rotates from a straw use position to a straw stowed position, and wherein the actuator covers the first opening in the straw stowed position.

6. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the deployable straw assembly further comprises a bias member to bias the arm toward the cam.

7. The beverage container of claim 1, wherein the cam has a helical shaped ramp.

8. A beverage container, comprising:a container body having a cavity; and,a lid assembly comprising a lid housing, an actuator and a straw, wherein the actuator moves the straw between a straw-use position and a straw-stowed position, wherein a portion of the straw is positioned outside the lid housing in the straw-use position, and wherein the straw is positioned within the cavity of the container body in the straw-stowed position.

9. The beverage container of claim 8, wherein the actuator rotates about a top surface of the lid housing.

10. The beverage container of claim 8, wherein the lid housing has an opening for the straw to exit the container body.

11. The beverage container of claim 8, further comprising a cam connected to the actuator, the cam rotating with the actuator, and wherein the straw operably follows the cam to raise and lower the straw as the cam rotates.

12. The beverage container of claim 11, further comprising an arm pivotally connected to the lid housing, and also pivotally connected to the straw, wherein the arm has a cam follower that engages the cam to raise and lower the straw when the actuator is rotated.

13. A beverage container, comprising:a container body having a cavity; and,a lid assembly comprising a lid housing, an actuator and a deployable straw, wherein the actuator rotates about the lid housing between a first position and a second position, and wherein rotation of the actuator from the first position to the second position moves the deployable straw linearly between a straw-use position and a straw-stowed position.

14. The beverage container of claim 13, wherein a portion of the straw is positioned outside the lid housing in the straw-use position, and wherein the straw is positioned within the cavity of the container body in the straw-stowed position.

15. The beverage container of claim 13, wherein the lid housing has a first opening for the straw, and wherein the actuator covers the first opening when the straw is in the straw-stowed position.

16. The beverage container of claim 13, wherein the straw has a first rigid portion and a second flexible portion, and wherein the first rigid portion extends out of the lid housing in the straw-use position.

17. A beverage container, comprising:a container body having a cavity; and,a lid assembly comprising a lid housing having an opening and a deployable straw assembly, wherein the deployable straw assembly has a straw that moves between a first straw position wherein a first portion of the straw extends out of the opening in the lid housing for sipping by a user, and a second straw position wherein the first portion of the straw is positioned within the cavity of the container body.

18. The beverage container of claim 17, wherein the deployable straw assembly further comprises an actuator that rotates about the lid housing between a first position and a second position, and wherein rotation of the actuator from the first position to the second position moves the straw assembly from the first straw position to the second straw position.

19. The beverage container of claim 18, further comprising a cam connected to the actuator, the straw operably following the cam to raise and lower the straw as the cam rotates with the actuator.

20. The beverage container of claim 18, wherein the actuator covers the opening in the lid housing when the straw is positioned in the second straw position.

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