Vented container lid assembly and method

Abstract

A vented container lid assembly provides improved flow characteristics. The vented container lid assembly may include an assembly surface, container, flow component, flow flap, flow aperture, vent component, vent flap, vent aperture, tab component, opening facilitator and lid assembly and container connection components. A method to operate a vented container lid assembly providing improved flow characteristics using the vented container lid assembly is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A container lid assembly comprising:
 a vent anchor;   a tab anchor;   a vent component comprising:
 a vent flap; 
   a tab component comprising:
 a tab body, 
 a tab first attachment zone to which the tab component is substantially attachable to the tab anchor, and 
 a tab second attachment zone to which the tab component is substantially attachable to the vent anchor; and 
   wherein the tab component is manipulable to at least partially reposition the vent flap to create a vent aperture.   
     
     
         2 . The container lid assembly of  claim 1 , the vent flap further comprising:
 a vent flap first end located near a vent margin that operatively connects the vent flap to an assembly surface of the container lid assembly;   a vent flap second end approximately opposite the vent flap first end;   wherein the vent anchor is located on the vent flap; and   wherein the vent flap is bendable about the vent margin upon force being applied at the vent anchor.   
     
     
         3 . The container lid assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the vent anchor is located on the vent flap near the vent flap second end; and
 wherein the vent margin is located near the vent flap first end.   
     
     
         4 . The container lid assembly of  claim 3 , the vent component further comprising:
 a vent score along which the vent flap is separable from the assembly surface;   wherein the tab anchor is located on the assembly surface;   wherein the tab component is operatively connectable to the tab anchor; and   wherein the vent score facilitates bending of the vent flap about the vent margin upon the force being applied at the vent anchor by manipulating the tab component about a tab margin near the tab anchor.   
     
     
         5 . The container lid assembly of  claim 4 , wherein manipulation of the tab component about the tab margin causes the vent flap second end to at least partially move in relation to the assembly surface via at least partial breaking of the vent score. 
     
     
         6 . The container lid assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the vent flap is outwardly rotatable from an assembly surface of the container lid assembly upon manipulation of the tab component to break a vent score and create the vent aperture. 
     
     
         7 . The container lid assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a flow component comprising:
 a flow flap rotatable from an assembly surface of the container lid assembly about a flow margin upon manipulation of the tab component to break a flow score and create a flow aperture.   
     
     
         8 . The container lid assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the tab body comprises:
 a tab body first end positioned to inwardly push the flow flap upon significant manipulation of the tab component, and   a tab body second end approximately opposite the tab body first end positioned to outwardly lift the vent flap upon significant manipulation of the tab component; and   wherein the flow flap is inwardly rotatable about the flow margin and the vent flap is outwardly rotatable about a vent margin by manipulating the tab component.   
     
     
         9 . The container lid assembly of  claim 8 , wherein during operation fluid flows outwardly through the flow aperture as air flows inwardly through the vent aperture substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
         10 . The container lid assembly of  claim 1 , the tab component further comprising a tab body cavity. 
     
     
         11 . The container lid assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a tab finger bridge located on the tab component; and   an assembly finger recession located on an assembly surface of the container lid assembly; and   wherein the tab finger bridge and assembly finger recession facilitate manipulation of the tab component.   
     
     
         12 . A container lid assembly comprising:
 an assembly surface;   a vent component comprising:
 a vent flap, and 
 a vent score along which the vent flap is separable from the assembly surface to create a vent aperture; 
   a flow component comprising:
 a flow flap rotatable from the assembly surface about a flow margin to break a flow score and create a flow aperture; 
   a vent anchor located on the vent flap; and   a tab anchor located on the assembly surface.   
     
     
         13 . The container lid assembly of  claim 12 , the vent flap further comprising:
 a vent flap first end located near a vent margin that operatively connects the vent flap to the assembly surface;   a vent flap second end approximately opposite the vent flap first end; and   wherein the vent flap is bendable about the vent margin upon force being applied at the vent anchor.   
     
     
         14 . The container lid assembly of  claim 12 , further comprising a tab component comprising:
 a tab body comprising:
 a tab body first end, and 
 a tab body second end approximately opposite the tab body first end, 
   a tab first attachment zone to which the tab component is substantially attachable to the tab anchor, and   a tab second attachment zone to which the tab component is substantially attachable to the vent anchor; and   wherein the tab component is manipulable to at least partially reposition the vent flap to create the vent aperture.   
     
     
         15 . The container lid assembly of  claim 14 :
 wherein the tab component is operatively connectable to the tab anchor;   wherein the vent score facilitates bending of the vent flap about a vent margin upon force being applied at the vent anchor by manipulating the tab component about a tab margin near the tab anchor; and   wherein manipulation of the tab component about the tab margin causes at least part of the vent flap to at least partially move in relation to the assembly surface via at least partial breaking of the vent score.   
     
     
         16 . The container lid assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the vent flap is outwardly rotatable from the assembly surface upon manipulation of the tab component to break the vent score and create the vent aperture;
 wherein the flow flap is inwardly rotatable about the flow margin and the vent flap is outwardly rotatable about a vent margin by manipulating the tab component;   wherein the tab body first end is positioned to inwardly push the flow flap upon significant manipulation of the tab component; and   wherein the tab body second end is positioned to outwardly lift the vent flap upon significant manipulation of the tab component.   
     
     
         17 . A method of improving flow characteristics via a container lid assembly comprising a vent anchor and a tab anchor, the method comprising:
 (a) manipulating a tab component to affect an operatively connected vent component, the tab component comprising:
 a tab body, 
 a tab first attachment zone to which the tab component is substantially attachable to the tab anchor, and 
 a tab second attachment zone to which the tab component is substantially attachable to the vent anchor; 
   (b) applying a force to the vent anchor by the tab component;   (c) moving a vent component connected to the vent anchor via the force, the vent component comprising a vent flap; and   (d) creating a vent aperture by at least partially repositioning the vent flap.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 :
 wherein the vent flap further comprises:
 a vent flap first end located near a vent margin that operatively connects the vent flap to an assembly surface of the container lid assembly, and 
 a vent flap second end approximately opposite the vent flap first end; 
   wherein the vent anchor is located on the vent flap; and   wherein step (c) further comprises at least partially bending the vent flap about the vent margin upon the force being applied at the vent anchor.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 :
 wherein the vent anchor is located on the vent flap near the vent flap second end;   wherein the vent component further comprises a vent score along which the vent flap is separable from the assembly surface;   wherein the tab anchor is located on the assembly surface;   wherein the tab component is operatively connectable to the tab anchor; and   wherein the vent score facilitates bending of the vent flap about the vent margin upon force being applied at the vent anchor by manipulating the tab component about a tab margin near the tab anchor; and   wherein manipulation of the tab component about the tab margin causes the vent flap second end to at least partially move in relation to the assembly surface via at least partial breaking of the vent score.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 (e) pushing a flow flap inward via a tab body first end of the tab body upon significant manipulation of the tab component to create a flow aperture; and   (f) pulling the vent flap outwardly via a tab body second end of the tab body upon significant manipulation of the tab component to create a vent aperture.