Method for attaching a thermometer to a beverage container lid

Abstract

A container is provided with a lid having a removable thermometer for measuring the temperature of liquids in the container. A gasket is provided to secure the thermometer to the lid and maintain a hermetic seal between the thermometer and the gasket and between the gasket and the lid. The gasket is resilient to maintain the hermetic seal when the thermometer is subjected to torque or other stresses such as may occur when the lid is attached or detached from the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage container, comprising:
 a container body having an open end, an interior space and a perimeter edge surrounding the open end;   a lid comprising:
 a perimeter side wall configured to engage the perimeter edge of the body and form a hermetic seal between the lid and the body; 
 a top surface extending inwardly from the perimeter side wall; 
 an opening in the top surface, the opening spaced inwardly from the perimeter side wall, a first surface extending from the opening toward the interior space of the container when the lid is secured to the container, the first surface terminating in an annular surface having a first aperture; 
 a channel formed in the top surface, the channel circumscribing the opening; 
 a first aperture in the top surface configured to dispense liquid from the body; 
   a resilient gasket having a domed portion, the domed portion defining an inner edge and an outer edge, a downwardly depending outer side wall extending from the outer edge and configured to seat within the channel, a downwardly depending inner wall extending from the inner edge, a body portion extending from the inner wall, an aperture extending through the body portion and a groove formed in the body portion and adapted to engage the annular surface of the lid.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a thermometer having a face and an elongate stem extending from the face, the stem positioned in the aperture of the gasket. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the lid comprises a conical surface. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the body portion of the resilient gasket comprises a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, and wherein the groove is positioned between the cylindrical portion and the conical portion. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the inner side wall of the gasket comprises a shoulder and the thermometer comprises an edge, and the shoulder is configured to secure the edge of the thermometer. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter side wall of the lid includes an outwardly projecting gasket to form a seal with an inside surface of the container. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter side wall of the lid threadably engages the container body. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lid is formed from a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic material is polypropylene or polyester. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the thermometer comprises a bimetallic dial face. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the downwardly depending outer side wall comprises a projecting bead and the channel comprises first and second opposed channel side walls, at least one of the channel side walls comprising a groove configured to receive the projecting bead. 
     
     
         12 . A container, comprising:
 a body having a generally cylindrical side wall, a base closing one end of the cylindrical side wall, and an open end opposite the base;   a lid configured to close the open end of the body, the lid comprising a top surface, an opening centrally located on the top surface, the opening defining an annular edge, a channel in the top surface surrounding the opening and a first aperture extending through the lid and configured to allow liquid to be removed from the body;   a thermometer having a body portion and a stem extending from the body portion, the body portion including a display for displaying a temperature, and   a flexible gasket configured to secure the thermometer to the lid, the gasket having a body portion, the body portion having an outer surface with a circumferential groove in the outer surface and an aperture extending through body portion, an annular surface extending from one end of the body portion, the annular portion having an outer portion and an inner portion, the outer portion terminating in a downwardly depending lip;   wherein, the stem of the thermometer is configured to form a hermetic seal with the aperture of the body portion of the gasket, the annular edge of the centrally located opening in the lid is configured to form a hermetic seal with the groove in the outer surface of the body portion of the gasket, and the lip of the gasket is configured to form a hermetic seal with the channel of the lid.   
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the gasket comprises a shoulder located between the outer portion and inner portion of the annular surface, the shoulder configured to frictionally engage the body of the thermometer. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the body portion of the gasket comprises a cylindrical portion and a tapered portion, and the tapered portion is configured to extend through the centrally located opening in the lid. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the thermometer may move between a first unstressed position where the stem is normal to the lid, and a second stressed position where the stem is not normal to the lid, wherein, when a lateral force is applied to the stem of the thermometer and the stem moves from the first position to the second position the gasket distorts without breaking the seal between the lip and the channel, and when the force is removed the gasket returns the thermometer to the first position. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the lip comprises an outwardly projecting bead and the channel comprises first and second opposed channel walls with a groove formed in at least one of the channel walls, and wherein the bead engages the groove to form a hermetic seal. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the thermometer comprises a bimetallic dial face. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the lid is formed from a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         19 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the body portion of the gasket comprises a cylindrical portion and a conical portion, and wherein the circumferential groove is positioned between the cylindrical portion and the conical portion. 
     
     
         20 . The container of  claim 12 , wherein the gasket is made of thermoset silicon.