Travel Beverage Container

Abstract

A beverage container comprises a body for containing a liquid, and a cover assembly for permitting drinking of liquids while preventing accidental spillage of same. The cover assembly includes an open state to permit liquid to be poured from the body and a closed state to prevent liquid from being poured from the body. The beverage container permits drinking from all sides of its top and further enables state change (from open to closed) while holding the container with a single hand.

1 . A beverage container comprising:
 a body defining a reservoir shaped to contain a fluid;   a cover assembly comprising a sealed arrangement to prevent spillage of the fluid contained in the body, and an open arrangement to permit distribution of the fluid, the cover assembly comprising:
 a lid body; 
 a collar receivable within a portion of the lid body; 
 an activating device movable laterally and rotationally relative to the collar and within the collar; 
 a gear assembly in communication with the activating device and adapted to rotate relative to a portion of the activating device as the activating device moves; and 
 a diaphragm moveable based on the position of the activating device, 
 wherein depending on the position of the activating device the diaphragm can flex to either seal the cover assembly, to prevent spillage of the fluid, or to open the cover assembly, to permit distribution of the fluid. 
   
     
     
         2 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , the body comprising a thermal insulation layer with a uniform side wall for maintaining a temperature of the fluid contained in the reservoir. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , the body comprising a closed bottom end, a uniform side wall, and an open top end, the uniform side wall extending from the closed bottom end to the open top end. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage container of  claim 3 , the body further comprising a threaded portion in proximity to the open top end along an inner circumference for mating with a threaded portion of the lid body of the cover assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , the lid body of the cover assembly comprising:
 a bottom defining an aperture;   a flange providing a edge for drinking purposes; and   a side wall extending from the bottom to the flange.   
     
     
         6 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , the collar of the cover assembly defining a conduit extending through its approximate center, and the collar comprising:
 a bottom;   a side wall;   an outwardly extending wing extending a predetermined distance from the side wall of the collar; and   a top in communication with the outwardly extending wing of the collar;   a plurality of indentions on an interior of the side wall of the collar; and   the side wall of the collar extending from the bottom of the collar to the outwardly extending wing of the collar and forming an approximate cylindrical shape.   
     
     
         7 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , the activating device of the cover assembly comprising a plurality of downwardly extending teeth adapted to engage a portion of the gear assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , the gear assembly comprises a gear defining a conduit, and a plurality of outwardly extending, substantially triangular members, the outwardly extending, substantially triangular members extending outwardly from the conduit. 
     
     
         9 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , the diaphragm comprising:
 a threaded portion adapted to mate with an inner threaded portion of the lid body of the cover assembly;   a flexible biasing portion; and   a upwardly extending top portion adapted to be received by a portion of the gear assembly.   
     
     
         10 . A beverage container comprising:
 a body shaped to contain a medium;   a cover assembly for preventing spillage of the medium contained in the body, wherein the cover assembly adapted to open and close the body, the cover assembly comprising:
 a lid body comprising:
 a bottom defining an aperture; 
 a flange providing a edge for drinking purposes; and 
 a side wall extending from the bottom to the flange; 
 
 a collar receivable in the aperture of the bottom of the lid body, the collar defining a conduit extending through an approximate center of the collar, the collar comprising:
 a bottom; 
 a side wall; 
 an outwardly extending wing extending a predetermined distance from the side wall of the collar; and 
 a top in communication with the outwardly extending wing of the collar; 
 a plurality of indentions on an interior of the side wall; 
 the side wall of the collar extending from the bottom of the collar to the outwardly extending wing of the collar and forming an approximate cylindrical shape; 
 
 an activating device comprising a plurality of downwardly extending teeth, a portion of the teeth adapted to engage the indentions of the collar; 
 a gear assembly comprising a gear defining a conduit, and a plurality of outwardly extending, substantially triangular members, the outwardly extending, substantially triangular members extending outwardly from the conduit; and 
 a diaphragm comprising:
 a threaded portion adapted to mate the cover assembly to the body; 
 a biasing portion adapted to flex upon depression of the activating device; and 
 a top portion adapted to secure the gear assembly. 
 
   
     
     
         11 . The beverage container of  claim 10 , the body having a cylindrical shape comprising a uniform side wall extending about a circumference of the body and defining a reservoir for carrying the medium. 
     
     
         12 . The beverage container of  claim 11 , the body comprising a closed bottom end and an open top end, wherein the side wall extends from the closed bottom end to the open top end, and the side wall comprising a thermal insulation layer. 
     
     
         13 . The beverage container of  claim 12 , the body further comprising a threaded portion in proximity to the open top end along an inner circumference for mating with an portion of the cover assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The beverage container of  claim 10 , the conduit of the diaphragm extending through the approximate center of the diaphragm, the gear of the gear assembly, and the collar. 
     
     
         15 . The beverage container of  claim 10 , the diaphragm further comprising a plurality of apertures sized to permit flow of the medium contained in the body. 
     
     
         16 . The beverage container of  claim 10 , the activating device adapted to move between an up position and a down position, such that when the activating device is in the up position the cover assembly is sealed preventing flow of the medium from the body, and such that when the activating device is in the down position the cover assembly is open allowing flow of the medium out of the body. 
     
     
         17 . The beverage container of  claim 10 , wherein a user can drink from the beverage container from 360 degrees about the flange of the lid body. 
     
     
         18 . A cover assembly configured to seal a reservoir of a travel beverage container, the cover assembly comprising:
 a lid body;   a collar receivable in the lid body, the collar defining a conduit extending through an approximate center of the collar;   an activating device receivable within a portion of the collar;   a gear assembly in communication with the activating device, wherein the gear assembly rotates relative to movement of the activating device; and   a flexible diaphragm moveable upon movement or activation of the activating device.   
     
     
         19 . The cover assembly of  claim 18 ,
 the lid body comprising:
 a bottom defining an aperture; 
 a flange providing a edge for drinking purposes; and 
 a side wall extending from the bottom to the flange; 
   the collar comprising:
 a bottom; 
 a side wall; 
 an outwardly extending wing extending a predetermined distance from the side wall of the collar; and 
 a top in communication with the outwardly extending wing of the collar; 
 a plurality of indentions on an interior of the side wall; 
 the side wall of the collar extending from the bottom of the collar to the outwardly extending wing of the collar and forming an approximate cylindrical shape; 
   the activating device comprising a plurality of teeth, each of the teeth of the activating device adapted to engage the at least one indention of the plurality of indentions of the collar;   the gear assembly comprising a gear defining a conduit, and a plurality of outwardly extending, substantially triangular members, the outwardly extending, substantially triangular members extending outwardly from the conduit; and   the diaphragm comprising:
 a threaded portion adapted to mate the cover assembly to the body; 
 a biasing portion adapted to flex upon depression of the activating device; and 
 a top portion adapted to secure the gear assembly.