Beverage Container With Integral Flow Control Member Having Vent And Outlet Pinhole Membranes And Safety Button

Abstract

A non-spill beverage container includes a cap having a tube-like spout and a baffle mounted inside the spout, and a flow control member having a spout (first) membrane supported over the spout opening. A vent (second) membrane that is disposed adjacent to the spout and is supported over a vent opening defined in the cap. The spout and vent membranes are punctured to form multiple, substantially round pinholes that remain closed to prevent fluid flow under normal atmospheric conditions, and open to facilitate fluid flow under an applied pressure differential (e.g., when sucked on by a child). The baffle limits the differential pressure applied to the spout membrane when the container is not in use. The flow control member can only be removed from the cap by removing the cap from the container body and pressing a flexible safety button from an inside surface of the cap.

1 . A beverage container comprising: 
 a container body defining a beverage storage chamber and an upper opening;    a cap mounted on the container body such that an upper wall of the cap covers the upper opening, wherein the cap includes a spout structure including: 
 a tube-like spout wall having a first end and a second end, the spout wall defining a fluid flow channel extending from the first end to the second end of the spout, the flow channel having a first width; and  
 a baffle disposed in the flow channel such that a first flow channel region is defined between a first side of the baffle and the first end of the spout wall, and a second flow channel region is located between a second side of the baffle and the second end of the spout wall, wherein the baffle defines an opening communicating between the first and second flow channel regions, said opening having a second width that is smaller than the first width of the flow channel; and  
   a flexible flow control member mounted on the cap and including an outlet membrane mounted over the second end of the spout wall.    
   
   
       2 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet membrane comprises at least one of a slit and a plurality of normally-closed pinholes.  
   
   
       3 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the outlet membrane comprises a plurality of normally-closed pinholes formed such that, when the outlet membrane is subjected to a relatively low pressure differential and the outlet membrane remains non-deformed, the plurality of pinholes remain closed to prevent fluid flow between the fluid flow channel and the external region through the outlet membrane, and when the outlet membrane is deformed in response to an applied relatively high pressure differential, the plurality of pinholes open to facilitate fluid flow through the outlet membrane.  
   
   
       4 . The beverage container according to  claim 3 , 
 wherein the spout wall defines a central axis,    wherein the outlet membrane is substantially flat and arranged perpendicular to the central axis, and    wherein the baffle is parallel to the outlet membrane, and the opening is aligned with the central axis.    
   
   
       5 . The beverage container according to  claim 1 , wherein the spout wall and the baffle respectively have a greater rigidity than the outlet membrane such that, when an applied pressure differential is generated between the fluid flow channel and the external region, the outlet membrane undergoes a greater deformation than the spout wall and the baffle.  
   
   
       6 . The beverage container according to  claim 5 , wherein the flow control member further comprises a tube-like outer spout section disposed over the spout wall, wherein the outlet membrane is integrally molded with the outer spout section, and wherein both of the outer spout section and the outlet membrane comprise at least one of silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer, and soft rubber.  
   
   
       7 . The beverage container according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the spout wall includes a lower spout wall section formed from a relatively rigid material, and an upper spout wall section formed from a relatively flexible material, the upper spout wall section having a lower end that is secured to lower spout wall section and an upper end that defines an outlet opening,    wherein the baffle is integrally connected to the lower spout wall section, and    wherein the outlet membrane is disposed over the outlet opening of the upper spout wall section.    
   
   
       8 . The beverage container according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the flow control member comprises a substantially flat base portion disposed on the upper wall of the cap, and a tube-like outer spout section integrally connected to the base portion and disposed over the spout wall, and    wherein the outlet membrane is integrally connected to an upper end of the outer spout section.    
   
   
       9 . The beverage container according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein the upper wall of the cap defines a vent opening, and    wherein the base portion of the flow control member further comprises a vent membrane disposed over the vent opening, wherein the vent membrane defines a plurality of normally-closed pinholes.    
   
   
       10 . The beverage container according to  claim 9 , wherein the cap further comprises a bowl-shaped depression disposed on the upper wall, wherein the vent opening is defined in the bowl-shaped depression, and wherein the vent membrane is disposed over and spaced from the bowl-shaped depression.  
   
   
       11 . The beverage container according to  claim 10 , wherein the cap further comprises an annular groove surrounding the bowl-shaped depression, wherein the flow control member includes an annular rib extending from a lower surface of the base portion and surrounding the vent membrane, wherein the flow control member is mounted on the cap such that the annular rib is received in the annular groove.  
   
   
       12 . The beverage container according to  claim 8 , 
 wherein the upper wall of the cap further defines a socket, and    wherein the flow control member further comprises a safety button extending from a lower surface of the base portion and engaged in the socket such that an end section of the safety button is disposed on a lower surface of the upper wall of the cap.    
   
   
       13 . The beverage container according to  claim 12 , 
 wherein the upper wall of the cap defines a recess surrounding the spout wall and the socket, and    wherein the base portion of the flow control member is mounted in the recess such that an upper surface of the base portion is flush with an upper surface of the upper wall of the cap.    
   
   
       14 . A beverage container comprising: 
 a container body defining a beverage storage chamber and an opening;    a cap mounted on the container body such that an upper wall of the cap covers the opening, wherein the cap includes a spout opening and a vent opening; and    a flexible flow control member mounted on the cap and including a vent membrane disposed over the vent opening, wherein the vent membrane defines a plurality of normally-closed pinholes formed such that when the vent membrane is subjected to a relatively low pressure differential and the membrane remains undeformed, the plurality of pinholes remain closed to prevent air flow through the vent membrane and the vent opening into the beverage storage chamber, and when the vent membrane is deformed in response to an applied relatively high pressure differential, the plurality of pinholes open to facilitate air flow through the vent membrane and the vent opening into the beverage storage chamber.    
   
   
       15 . The non-spill beverage container according to  claim 14 , wherein the cap further comprises a bowl-shaped depression disposed on the upper wall, wherein the vent opening is defined in the bowl-shaped depression, and wherein the vent membrane is disposed over and spaced from the bowl-shaped depression.  
   
   
       16 . The non-spill beverage container according to  claim 14 , wherein the flexible flow control member includes a base portion disposed on the upper wall of the cap, and wherein the vent membrane is disposed on the base portion.  
   
   
       17 . The non-spill beverage container according to  claim 16 , 
 wherein the cap further comprises a tube-like spout wall disposed on the upper wall, the spout wall defining a fluid flow channel communicating between the beverage storage chamber and the spout opening, and    wherein the flow control member further comprises a spout portion having a relatively thick wall section integrally connected to the base portion and mounted on the spout wall, and an outlet membrane disposed at an upper end of the wall section and positioned over the spout opening.    
   
   
       18 . The beverage container according to  claim 17 , 
 wherein the upper wall of the cap further defines a socket, and    wherein the flow control member further comprises a safety button extending from a lower surface of the base portion and engaged in the socket such that an end of the safety button is disposed on a lower surface of the upper wall of the cap.    
   
   
       19 . A beverage container comprising: 
 a container body defining a beverage storage chamber and an opening;    a cap mounted on the container body such that an upper wall of the cap covers the opening, wherein the cap includes a socket opening defined in the upper wall, and a spout structure including a tube-like spout wall extending from the upper wall and defining a fluid flow channel therethrough; and    a flexible flow control member mounted on the cap, the flexible control member including: 
 a substantially flat base portion disposed on the upper wall of the cap,  
 a tube-like outer spout section integrally connected to an upper surface of the base portion and disposed over the spout wall, and  
 a safety button extending from a lower surface of the base portion and engaged in the socket opening such that an end of the safety button is disposed on a lower surface of the upper wall of the cap.  
   
   
   
       20 . The beverage container according to  claim 17 , 
 wherein the cap defines a vent opening, disposed between the spout wall and the socket opening, and    wherein the flow control member comprises an outlet membrane that is integrally connected to an upper end of the outer spout section and disposed over an open end of the spout wall, and a vent membrane disposed on the base portion and located over the vent opening.    
   
   
       21 . A vent mechanism for a container, the container including an outer wall defining a storage chamber, the vent mechanism comprising: 
 a vent opening defined in the outer wall of the container; and    a vent membrane disposed over the vent opening,    wherein the vent membrane defines a plurality of normally-closed pinholes formed such that when the vent membrane is subjected to a relatively low pressure differential and the membrane remains undeformed, the plurality of pinholes remain closed to prevent air flow through the vent membrane and the vent opening into the beverage storage chamber, and when the vent membrane is deformed in response to an applied relatively high pressure differential, the plurality of pinholes open to facilitate air flow through the vent membrane and the vent opening into the beverage storage chamber.    
   
   
       22 . A flow control mechanism for a beverage container, the flow control mechanism comprising: 
 a tube-like spout wall including a lower wall section and an upper wall section that collectively define a flow passage and an outlet opening;    a baffle disposed in the flow passage; and    an outlet membrane disposed over the outlet opening,    wherein the lower wall section comprises a relatively rigid material and the upper wall section comprises a relatively flexible material, and    wherein the outlet membrane defines a plurality of normally-closed pinholes.