Drinking vessel with magnetic closure mechanism and latching closure mechanism

Abstract

A drinking vessel including a beverage container defining a drinking opening therethrough and a closure attachable to the beverage container to close the drinking opening. A first set of magnet units is coupled to the beverage container, and a second set of magnet units is coupled to the closure. When the closure is in a closed position, magnetic attraction between at least one magnet unit of the first set of magnet units and at least one magnet unit of the second set of magnet units holds the closure in place relative to the beverage container, thereby closing the drinking opening. When the closure is rotated away from the closed position, magnetic repulsion between at least one magnet unit of the first set of magnet units and at least one magnet unit of the second set of magnet units pushes the closure away from the beverage container.

1 . A drinking vessel comprising:
 a beverage container defining a drinking opening therethrough;   a closure attachable to the beverage container to close the drinking opening;   a first set of magnet units coupled to the beverage container; and   a second set of magnet units coupled to the closure,   wherein when the closure is in a closed position, magnetic attraction between at least one magnet unit of the first set of magnet units and at least one magnet unit of the second set of magnet units holds the closure in place relative to the beverage container, thereby closing the drinking opening, and   wherein when the closure is rotated away from the closed position, magnetic repulsion between at least one magnet unit of the first set of magnet units and at least one magnet unit of the second set of magnet units pushes the closure away from the beverage container, thereby opening the drinking opening.   
     
     
         2 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein when the closure is moved toward the drinking opening, magnetic repulsion and magnetic attraction among the first set of magnet units and the second set of magnet units results in a force tending to rotate the closure toward the closed position. 
     
     
         3 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units are spaced along a circumference of the beverage container and magnet units of the second set of magnet units are spaced along a circumference of the closure. 
     
     
         4 . The drinking vessel of  claim 3 , wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units, magnet units of the second set of magnet units, or both are each formed of individual arc-shaped magnets. 
     
     
         5 . The drinking vessel of  claim 3 , wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units, magnet units of the second set of magnet units, or both are each formed of a group of adjacent rectangular magnets. 
     
     
         6 . The drinking vessel of  claim 5 , wherein individual magnets of each group of adjacent rectangular magnets forming a magnet unit are spaced more closely to each other than to any other magnet in the set of magnet units to which they belong. 
     
     
         7 . The drinking vessel of  claim 3 , wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units, magnet units of the second set of magnet units, or both have a total arc length of at least 180 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The drinking vessel of  claim 3 , wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units, magnet units of the second set of magnet units, or both are arranged such that adjacent magnet units have opposite polarities. 
     
     
         9 . The drinking vessel of  claim 3 , wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units are spaced every 90 degrees along the circumference of the beverage container, magnet units of the second set of magnet units are spaced every 90 degrees along the circumference of the closure, or both. 
     
     
         10 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein when the closure is in the closed position, each magnet unit of the first set of magnet units is positioned over a magnet unit of the second set of magnet units having the opposite polarity. 
     
     
         11 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of magnet units comprises four magnet units and the second set of magnet units comprises four magnet units. 
     
     
         12 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of magnet units comprises four magnet units and the second set of magnet units comprises four magnet units,
 wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units and magnet units of the second set of magnet units are arranged such that adjacent magnet units have opposite polarities, and   wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units and magnet units of the second set of magnet units have a total arc length of at least 180 degrees.   
     
     
         13 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of magnet units is formed as a unitary ring magnet, and
 wherein the second set of magnet units is formed as a unitary ring magnet.   
     
     
         14 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage container comprises a spout defining the drinking opening, and
 wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units are positioned circumferentially around the spout.   
     
     
         15 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage container comprises an upward facing platform,
 wherein the closure comprises a downward facing rim configured to be positioned above the upward facing platform of the beverage container when the closure is in the closed position,   wherein the first set of magnet units is positioned below the upward facing platform of the beverage container, and   wherein the second set of magnet units is positioned above the downward facing rim of closure.   
     
     
         16 . The drinking vessel of  claim 15 , wherein portions of the platform positioned over magnet units of the second set of magnet units are formed of a material having a lower coefficient of static friction than the material forming portions of the platform that are not positioned over the magnet units of the second set of magnet units. 
     
     
         17 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein when the closure is in the closed position, the magnetic force between the first set of magnet units and the second set of magnet units is at least 1 lb. 
     
     
         18 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein when the closure is in the closed position a sealing member of the closure seals the drinking opening, and
 wherein when the closure is in the open position, the sealing member of the closure does not seal the drinking opening.   
     
     
         19 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , further comprising a lock to mechanically inhibit movement of the closure away from the closed position when the lock is in a locking position. 
     
     
         20 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage container comprises a spout comprising the first set of magnet units, and wherein the spout is detachable from a drinking vessel of the beverage container. 
     
     
         21 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the closure comprises a latching member,
 wherein the beverage container comprises a latch stop configured to engage the latching member of the closure, and   wherein when the closure is in the closed position, the latching member and latch stop further hold the closure in place.   
     
     
         22 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein the closure comprises a plurality of latching members engagable with a plurality of latch stops provided on the beverage container,
 wherein when the closure is in the closed position, the plurality of latching members and the plurality of latch stops further hold the closure in place,   wherein the latching members are spaced along a first circumference of the closure,   wherein the latch stops are spaced along a first circumference of the beverage container,   wherein magnet units of the first set of magnet units are spaced along a second circumference of the beverage container, and   wherein magnet units of the second set of magnet units are spaced along a second circumference of the closure.   
     
     
         23 - 47 . (canceled)