GB2243149A

GB2243149A - Container lid

Info

Publication number: GB2243149A
Application number: GB9108180A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Patrick O'leary
Original assignee: LEARY WILLIAM PATRICK O
Current assignee: LEARY WILLIAM PATRICK O
Priority date: 1990-04-17
Filing date: 1991-04-17
Publication date: 1991-10-23
Also published as: GB9008484D0; GB9108180D0

Abstract

A lid 10 for a container with an open end is securable to the open end of the container and has an aperture 13 which provides access to the interior of the container, in use, and is closable by a closure member 14 mounted movably upon the lid 10. The closure member may be mounted for slidable rotary or linear movement and may include a part 15 providing a minor rim portion for registration with a major rim portion provided by the lid, for snap-fitting on an associated container. The lid is preferably associated with a drinks container (Figs 1A-4B) or with an ice-cream container (Figs 5-7). In the latter case the lid preferably comprises two linearly-slidable members each provided with a handle. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER LID DESCRIPTION This invention relates to a lid for a container and is related especially, but not exclusively, to a lid for a drinks container from which the liquid contained therein, can be consumed directly.

The consumption of liquids, such as, tea, coffee and the like, from disposable plastics cups, for example, those made from expanded polystyrene, can be, in certain circumstances, quite difficult, without spillage of liquid from the cups, especially in a moving train, coach, automobile, boat or similar mode of transportation.

In most cases, the disposable cup or other type of container in which the particular drink is sold, is provided with a lid which is a snap-fit over the rim of the cup and which closes the cup completely. In some cases, the lid is provided with a very small central aperture which, for hot drinks in particular, provides a pressure release for the closed cup. It has been found, however, that once the lid has been removed from the associated cup initially, a consumer finds it tiresome to keep replacing the lid upon the cup during consumption of the drink contained therein, thus tending to leave the lid off the cup, thereby risking spillage of the liquid therefrom.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lid for a drinks container which overcomes the disadvantage associated with the known types of lid discussed above.

Accordingly, the invention provides a lid for a container, which lid is securable, preferably detachably, to the open end of the container and has an aperture which provides access to the interior of the container, in use, and which is closable by a closure member mounted movably, preferably slidably, upon the lid.

The closure member may be mounted slidably upon the lid and may also be mounted thereon for linear or rotational movement.

In a preferred embodiment of the inventive container lid, a major rim portion of the lid is arranged to snap fit over a correspondingly-shaped rim of an open end of an associated container and the closure member has a minor rim portion which, when the closure member closes the associated lid aperture, is also arranged to snap-fit over the correspondinglyshaped rim of the open end of the associated container and which, when so-fitted, lies in register with the major rim portion to define a substantially continuous lid rim.

In another embodiment of the inventive lid, the rim of the lid is arranged to snap-fit over a correspondingly-shaped rim of an open end of an associated container and has a cut-away continuation portion adjacent the lid aperture and the closure member has a rim portion which corresponds in shape with the cut-away continuation portion of the lid rim and which, when the closure member closes the aperture, is received in the cut-away portion, to define a substantially continuous lid rim.

Preferably, the closure member is movable along and between a pair of opposed guideways on the lid.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, various embodiments of container lid in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1A is a plan view of a plastics lid for a disposable, expanded polystyrene drinks cup, with an associated closure in its closed position; Figure 1B is a section along the line I-I of Figure lA; Figure 2A is a similar plan view to that of Figure 1A with with the closure in its open position; Figure 2B is a section along the line II-II of Figure 2A; Figure 3A is a plan view of another embodiment of plastics lid for a disposable, expanded polystyrene drinks cup, with a closure in its closed position; Figure 3B is a section along the line III-III of Figure 3A;; Figure 4A is a similar plan view to that of Figure 3A but with the closure in its open position; Figure 4B is a section along the line IV-IV of Figure 4A; Figure 5 is a third embodiment of plastics lid for use with a plastics container of generally rectangular cross-section; Figure 6 is a fourth embodiment of plastics lid, again for use with a plastics container of generally rectangular cross-section; and Figure 7 is a fifth embodiment of plastics lid, once again for use with a plastics container of generally rectangular cross-section.

Referring first to Figures 1A, IB, 2A and 2B of the drawings, a circular, moulded plastics lid indicated generally at 10, comprises a central portion 11 and a rim portion 12 arranged to snap-fit over the correspondingly-shaped rim of an associated disposable, expanded polystyrene drinks cup (not shown).

The central portion 11 of the lid 10 has a generally radially extending aperture 13 which in Figures 1A and 1B, is shown as being closed by a closure 14 having a rim portion 15 which corresponds in shape and lies in register with the rim portion 12.

The closure 14 is slidably movable in a linear direction with respect to the central portion 11 of the lid 10 into an open position with respect to the aperture 13, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, between a pair of opposed guideways 16 attached or forming part of the central portion 11.

The rim portion 12 of the lid 10 forms a major part of a circle, with the rim portion 15 of the closure 14 forming the minor part of the circle, when the closure 14 is in its closed position, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B to define a substantially continuous lid rim. When in the open position, the rim portion 15 of the closure 14 can, due to the resilience of the plastics material from which the closure 14 is made, assume the position shown in figure 2B.

In use, the inventive lid 10 can be applied to a disposable, expanded polystyrene cup container a drink, such as, tea or coffee, with the rim portions 12, 15 being snap-fitted over the rim of the cup. When a consumer wishes to drink the liquid from the cup, the closure 14 is moved slidably in a linear direction from its closed position with respect to the aperture 13, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, into its open position, as shown in Figures 2A and 2B, so that the consumer can drink directly from the cup through the aperture 13.

Subsequently, the closure 14 can be slid back into its closed position with respect to the aperture 13, to prevent any spillage of liquid from the cup, whilst the consumer is not drinking therefrom.

In Figures 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B there is shown another embodiment of lid 20 in accordance with the invention, which is similar to the first embodiment of lid 10 described above with reference to Figures 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, except that the rim portion 22 has a cut-away, continuation portion 22' extending between the otherwise free ends of the rim portion 22 at the mouth of the aperture 23. Thus, the rim portion 25 of the closure 24 is modified to correspond with and to be received by the continuation portion 22', when the closure 24 is in its closed position, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, to define a substantially continuous lid rim.

When slid into its open position with respect to the aperture 23, the foreshortened rim portion 25 of the closure 24 clears the central portion 21 of the lid 20, whereby no resilient flexing of the portion 25 is required, as in the case of the first embodiment of lid 10 described above with reference to Figures 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B.

Use of the second embodiment of lid 20 is similar to that described above in connection with the first embodiment, except that the continuation portion 22' is located adjacent the rim of the associated cup, to provide extra securement of the lid 20 thereto.

Referring to a third embodiment of inventive lid for, say, an ice cream container of generally rectangular cross-section, the lid is indicated generally at 51 and comprises a pair of opposed rim portions 52 arranged to be snap-fitted onto -a correspondingly-shaped rim of the associated container (not shown). The two rim portions 52 are connected together by means of a pair of opposed, cut-away, continuation portions 52' similar to the continuation portion 22' of Figures 3A and 3B which, in use, are located beneath the container rim.

A pair of opposed webs 51 to which respective rim portions 52 are attached, define, along with the opposed, cut-away continuation portions 52' a generally rectangular aperture 53 in the lid 50. This aperture 53 is closed by a pair of closures 54 which are slidably movable in a linear direction within and between a pair of opposed guideways 56 attached to or formed integrally with respective webs 51. In Figure 5, the closures 54 are shown in their respective closed positions with their rim portions 55 received in the associated portions 52'. However, each closure 54 can be slid into its open position to permit access to the contents of the associated container. Handles 59 are provided for such sliding movement.

Generally, in use, the lid 50 is very similar to that described above in relation to the second embodiment of lid 20 shown in Figures 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B.

A fourth embodiment of lid 60 in accordance with the invention is shown in Figure 6, wherein a continuous rim portion 62 supports a pair of opposed webs 61, with a pair of closures 64 slidably movable thereon in a linear direction from respective closed positions, as shown in the Figure, to respective open positions with respect to the aperture 63 defined between the webs 61, handles 69 being provided for this purpose.

Parts of the rim portion 62 associated with opposed longer sides of the lid 60 provide effective guideways for opposed side edges of the closures 64 during reciprocal sliding movement between their open and closed positions.

A fifth embodiment of inventive lid 70 is shown in Figure 7, which is similar to the fourth embodiment of Figure 6, except that the opposed webs (61) have been omitted, such that each closure 74 is slidably guided by means of the opposed rim portions 72 on the longer sides of the generally rectangular lid 70.

In each of the third, fourth and fifth embodiments described above in relation to respective Figures 5, 6 and 7, the corresponding parts of the closures, 54, 64, 74 and other cooperating components of the lid, such as, the webs 51, 61, the rim portions 52, 52', 62, 72 and guideways 56 are configured such that a seal is provided therebetween when the closures are in their respective closed positions.

It is to be appreciated that, although the first, second and third embodiments of respective Figures 1A to 2B, 3A to 4B and 5 have their guideways 16, 26, 56 arranged such that the respective closures 14, 24, 54 are arranged to move slidably in a linear direction with respect to the upper surface of the corresponding component 11, 21, 51 of the lid 10, 20, 50, such arrangements can be modified, whereby the closures can be slid with respect to the underside surface of the corresponding component 11, 21, 51. Such a modified arrangement provides the upper surface of the central portions 11, 21 of the two embodiment 10, 20 of lid and the third embodiment 50 of lid with a more smoothly defined configuration which may be more aesthetically pleasing and more convenient to use than the arranged described above in relation to the first, second and third embodiments of lid. Further, it is to be understood that, although all the embodiments described above with reference to the drawings have closures which are arranged to move slidably in a linear direction, other arrangements in accordance with the invention can include rotational sliding movement of the closures, as well as other suitable configurations which also fall within the scope of the invention as defined.

Claims

1. A lid for a container with an open end, which lid is securable to the open end of the container and has an aperture which provides access to the interior of the container, in use, and which is closable by a closure member mounted movably upon the lid.

2. A container lid according to claim 1, wherein the closure member is mounted slidably upon the lid.

3. A container lid according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the closure member is mounted for linear movement upon the lid.

4. A container lid according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the closure member is mounted for rotational movement upon the lid.

5. A container lid according to any preceding claim, wherein a major rim portion of the lid is arranged to snap fit over a correspondingly-shaped rim of an open end of an associated container and wherein the closure member has a minor rim portion which, when the closure member closes the associated lid aperture, is also arranged to snap-fit over the correspondingly-shaped rim of the open end of the associated container and which, when so-fitted, lies in register with the major rim portion to define a substantially continuous lid rim.

6. A container lid according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rim of the lid is arranged to snap-fit over a correspondingly-shaped rim of an open end of an associated container and has a cut-away continuation portion adjacent the lid aperture and wherein the closure member has a rim portion which corresponds in shape with the cut-away continuation portion of the lid rim and which, when the closure member closes the aperture, is received in the cut-away portion, to define a substantially continuous lid rim.

7. A container lid according to any preceding claim, wherein the closure member is movable along and between a pair of opposed guideways on the lid.

8. A container lid according to any preceding claim, wherein the aperture is sealed by the closure member in the closed position thereof.

9. A container lid according to any preceding claim, which is generally circular to rectangular in shape.

10. A container lid according to any preceding claim, which is detachably securable to the open end of an associated container.

11. A container lid according to any preceding claim, wherein the closure member is mounted on the upper side thereof.

12. A container lid according to any preceding claim, wherein the closure member is movable in or parallel to the general plane of the lid.

13. A container lid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.