Spill-Resistant Reclosable Closure Assembly for a Lid

Abstract

A closure assembly comprising a multi-function closure tab cooperatively mated to a lid wherein said closure assembly provides a selectively reclosable spill-proof closure device and a spill-resistant vent device, and wherein said closure tab provides an integral means to allow said closure tab to be securely locked to itself in an alternative open position. The lid includes a drinking hole of arbitrary size, shape and placement, and includes a means for attaching the closure tab to said lid. The closure tab includes a plug for sealing and resealing the drinking hole, a means for attaching the closure tab to the lid, a lifting tab to manipulate the closure tab to open and close the lid, and provides a plug holder to secure the plug to the closure tab itself when in the open position. The mating of the closure tab to the lid cooperates to provide said spill-resistant vent device. While the invention has many potential applications, it is especially suitable for use in a disposable beverage cup lid.

1 . A closure device comprising: 
 (a) a closure tab comprising: 
 (i) a plug for selectively sealing an aperture in a lid by cooperatively mating said plug to said aperture to form a fluid-tight seal;  
 (ii) a vent cap means provided with a vent hole, formed for cooperatively mating to a vent base means of a lid whereby a spill-resistant vent device is provided;  
 (iii) a connecting member for flexibly attaching the plug to the vent cap means; and  
 (iv) a plug holder means for selectively engaging and securing said plug, and  
   (b) parts of a lid that cooperate with said closure tab, said parts of a lid comprising: 
 (i) a vent base means provided with a vent hole, formed in a container lid for providing a spill-resistant vent device when mated cooperatively to said vent cap means; and  
 (ii) an aperture, wherein said aperture may be selectively sealed by cooperatively mating said plug to said aperture to form a fluid-tight seal,  
 wherein said closure device selectively seals said lid aperture, and provides said spill-resistant vent device, and provides said plug holder means for selectively securing said plug away from said lid aperture.  
   
   
   
       2 . A closure device of  claim 1  wherein the connecting member includes a living hinge means for inducing said connecting member to articulate such that the plug is brought into close proximity with the plug holder means when the closure tab is manipulated to an alternative position wherein the plug is mated to the plug holder means, said hinge means being selected from the group consisting of: a narrowing of the connecting member, a thinning of the connecting member, a hole in the connecting member, a slit in the connecting member, and a transverse groove formed in the connecting member.  
   
   
       3 . A closure device of  claim 1  wherein the plug has an attached lifting tab for manipulating the closure tab whereby a user can selectively open and close the aperture of the lid.  
   
   
       4 . A vent device comprising: 
 (a) a vent base means provided with a vent hole, formed in a lid for providing said vent device when mated cooperatively to a vent cap means; and    (b) a vent cap means provided with a vent hole, formed for cooperatively mating to a vent base means to form a fluid-tight seal,    thereby forming a spill-resistant vent device between them, said vent device comprising a fluid-tight vented reservoir chamber, a vent hole in the vent base means and a vent hole in the vent cap means, whereby a sealed container may be placed briefly on its side without spilling any liquid contents of the container through said vent device.    
   
   
       5 . A vent device of  claim 4  wherein a portion of the vent base means is concave with respect to a mated vent cap means or a portion of the vent cap means is convex with respect to a mated vent base means or both, whereby the volume of the vent device is increased, thereby increasing the spill-resistance of the vent device.  
   
   
       6 . A vent device of  claim 4  wherein an alignment means is provided for facilitating the cooperative mating of a vent cap means to a vent base means.  
   
   
       7 . A vent device of  claim 4  wherein a fastening means is provided for facilitating the cooperative mating of a vent cap means to a vent base means by snap-fit.  
   
   
       8 . A vent device of  claim 4  wherein a plug is flexibly attached to the vent cap means by a connection member.  
   
   
       9 . A vent device of  claim 4  wherein the vent cap means provides a plug holder means for selectively securing a plug to said vent cap means.  
   
   
       10 . A closure tab comprising: 
 (a) a plug for sealing an aperture in a lid by cooperatively mating said plug to said aperture to form a fluid-tight seal;    (b) a vent cap means provided with a vent hole, formed to provide a spill-resistant vent device when mated cooperatively to a vent base means of a lid;    (c) a connecting member for flexibly attaching said plug to said vent cap means; and    (d) a plug holder means for selectively engaging the plug to restrain said plug in an alternative position away from the original position of the plug,    wherein the closure tab when cooperatively mated to a lid comprising a vent base means and aperture, provides a plug to seal said lid aperture, and in an alternative position of said closure tab, to restrain the plug away from said lid aperture by mating the plug to the plug holder means, and provides a spill-resistant vent device that allows a sealed container to be placed briefly on its side without spilling any liquid contents from said container.    
   
   
       11 . A closure tab of  claim 10  wherein the connecting member includes hinge means for inducing said connecting member to articulate such that the plug is brought into proximity with the plug holder means of the closure tab when said closure tab is manipulated to an alternative position wherein the plug is mated to the plug holder means, said hinge means being selected from the group consisting of: a narrowing of the connecting member, a thinning of the connecting member, a hole in the connecting member, a slit in the connecting member, and a transverse groove formed in the connecting member.  
   
   
       12 . A closure tab of  claim 10  wherein the plug or a portion thereof is elongated with respect to the plug holder means to facilitate the mating of the plug to the plug holder means.  
   
   
       13 . A closure tab of  claim 10  wherein the plug includes an attached lifting tab for manipulating the plug between the open and closed positions.