Sippy straw cup
View Patent ↗A closure for a container adapted to house a beverage therein, the closure comprising: (a) a cap having a mating feature adapted to interface with a corresponding feature of a container to secure the cap thereto, the cap also including an orifice therethrough and a channel therewithin, the channel being adapted to receive a sliding member therein; and (b) a flexible conduit adapted to be in fluid communication with a beverage within the container, wherein the sliding member is operative to position the flexible conduit between an open position and a closed position, where the open position enables fluid communication between a drinking end and an interior of the container.
1. A closure for a container adapted to house a beverage therein, the closure comprising:
a cap having a mating feature for interfacing with a corresponding feature of a container to secure the cap thereto, the cap also including an orifice therethrough and a channel therewithin, the channel receiving a sliding member therein; and
a flexible conduit for establishing fluid communication with a beverage within the container, wherein the sliding member is operative to position the flexible conduit between an open position and a closed position, where the open position enables fluid communication between a drinking end and an interior of the container, and where at least a portion of the flexible conduit is located within the channel in the closed position;
wherein a first portion of the channel is uncovered when the flexible conduit is in the closed position and a second portion of the channel is occupied by the sliding member when the flexible conduit is in the closed position; and
wherein the first portion of the channel is occupied by the sliding member when the flexible conduit is in the open position and the second portion of the channel is uncovered when the flexible conduit is in the open position.
2. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible conduit biases the sliding member in the open position.
3. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the sliding member includes a trench adapted to receive at least a portion of the flexible conduit when the flexible conduit is between the open position and the closed position.
4. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible conduit includes molded retention features thereon to inhibit the flexible conduit from being pulled through the orifice.
5. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the cap includes a trench adapted to receive at least a portion of the flexible conduit when in the closed position, wherein the trench includes a dam operative to discontinue fluid communication with the beverage in the closed position.
6. The container closure of claim 5 , wherein the trench runs parallel to the channel and parallel to a range of movement available to the sliding member.
7. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the sliding member is substantially radially recessed within the channel.
8. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the sliding member includes at least one fin received within at least one guide groove formed within a side wall of the channel.
9. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the flexible conduit is adapted to receive a rigid conduit for extending approximate a bottom of the container.
10. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein a bottom of the cap is substantially concave.
11. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the cap is substantially dome shaped.
12. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the container includes a lenticular image.
13. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the container includes concentric gripping rings.
14. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the sliding member slides radially.
15. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the container includes a holographic image.
16. The container closure of claim 1 , wherein the cap includes circumferentially arranged gripping aids.
17. A container comprising:
a cup adapted to hold a beverage therein, the cup having a lenticular image associated therewith; and
a cap having a mating feature adapted to interface with a corresponding feature of the cup to secure the cap thereto, the cap also including an orifice therethrough coupled to a flexible conduit adapted to be in fluid communication with the beverage within the cup, wherein at least one of a pivoting member and a sliding member coupled to the cap is operative to position the flexible conduit between an open position and a closed position, where the open position enables fluid communication between a drinking end of the flexible conduit and an interior of the cup, and where the cap includes a channel therein and at least a portion of the flexible conduit is located within the channel in the closed position;
wherein a first portion of the channel is uncovered when the flexible conduit is in the closed position and a second portion of the channel is occupied by at least one of the pivoting member and the sliding member when the flexible conduit is in the closed position; and
wherein the first portion of the channel is occupied by at least one of the pivoting member and the sliding member when the flexible conduit is in the open position and the second portion of the channel is uncovered when the flexible conduit is in the open position.
18. The container of claim 17 , wherein the lenticular image is interposed between a clear outer cup and to an inner cup.
19. The container of claim 18 , wherein the clear outer cup and inner cup are coupled together by spin molding.
20. The container of claim 17 , wherein the channel is arched, the arched channel being adapted to receive a sliding member therein, wherein the sliding member is operative to position the flexible conduit to protrude from an outer surface in the open position and recess the flexible conduit within an outer circumferential surface in the closed position.