A leak resistant drinking cup has a diaphragm seal for normally closing an open top of a liquid container of the cup. The seal can be opened to permit liquid to flow past it and out of the cup upon application of a vacuum pressure by the person, typically a small child, drinking from the cup. The di
A leak resistant drinking cup has a diaphragm seal for normally closing an open top of a liquid container of the cup. The seal can be opened to permit liquid to flow past it and out of the cup upon application of a vacuum pressure by the person, typically a small child, drinking from the cup. The diaphragm seal has a peripheral edge margin that can be deflected upward by the vacuum pressure to open a path out of the drinking cup. A hold down rib may be employed to control the locations where the peripheral edge margin is permitted to deflect.
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What is claimed is: 1. A leak resistant drinking cup comprising a container having an interior space sized and shaped for receiving and holding a quantity of liquid for drinking, said container having an open top, a lid assembly adapted for removable attachment to the container for closing the open
What is claimed is: 1. A leak resistant drinking cup comprising a container having an interior space sized and shaped for receiving and holding a quantity of liquid for drinking, said container having an open top, a lid assembly adapted for removable attachment to the container for closing the open top, said lid assembly having a rigid spout for drinking liquid from said cup, a flexible diaphragm seal adapted to be disposed between the lid assembly and at least a portion of the interior space the container for selectively blocking the flow of liquid from the interior space of the container to the spout, and a retainer adapted for use in mounting the diaphragm seal on the container, the diaphragm seal having a circumference and a peripheral edge margin extending about the circumference of the seal, the lid assembly and the seal being configured such that upon assembly of the lid assembly, the seal and the container, a circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin of the seal is flexible between a closed position in which said circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin blocks the flow of liquid from the interior space of the container to the spout, and an open position in which liquid is permitted to flow over said circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin for subsequent flow to the spout, another circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin of the seal being retained against movement to said open position, the leak resistant drinking cup further comprising an air passage adapted to extend from the interior space of the container to a location exterior of the container for permitting air flow into the container to relieve vacuum pressure in the container, the diaphragm seal being arranged to block communication of the air passage with the interior of the container, but being flexible to unblock the passage upon detection of vacuum pressure in the container, the retainer having an air passage defined therein for communication of air from the exterior to the interior of the container, the diaphragm seal being adapted to releasably seal with the retainer to block communication of the air passage with the interior of the container, the diaphragm seal being adapted to resiliently flex upon detection of vacuum pressure in the container to unblock the air passage and permit air to flow through the air passage to the interior of the container. 2. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 1 wherein the diaphragm seal is adapted to be releasably supported by the lid assembly. 3. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 2 wherein a central portion of the diaphragm seal is adapted for snap-on engagement with the lid assembly. 4. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 2 wherein the diaphragm seal further comprises a tab projecting outwardly from the seal for grasping to separate the seal from the lid assembly. 5. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lid assembly comprises a cover and the retainer is adapted to be supported in a fixed position with respect to the container. 6. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 5 wherein the diaphragm seal is adapted for snap-on engagement with the retainer. 7. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 1 wherein the lid assembly includes a hold down rib integrally molded in one piece with a cover of the lid assembly and engageable with said another circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm seal upon assembly for holding down said another circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin. 8. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 1 wherein the diaphragm seal includes a central portion located radially inward of the peripheral edge margin, the central portion of the diaphragm seal and the lid assembly each having an air hole therein defining opposite ends of the air passage, the central portion of the diaphragm seal having a sealing section adapted to releasably seal with the lid assembly to block the air passage between the air holes, the sealing section of the central portion being adapted to resiliently flex upon detection of vacuum pressure in the container to unblock the air passage and permit air to flow through the air holes in the lid assembly and the diaphragm seal to the interior space of the container. 9. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 8 wherein the diaphragm seal further comprises an isolation section adapted to mechanically isolate the movement of the circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin and the movement of the sealing section from other parts of the diaphragm seal. 10. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 9 wherein the isolation section comprises a wall connecting the diaphragm seal flange to the sealing section, the wall being oriented at an angle to both the flange and the sealing section. 11. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 1 wherein the diaphragm seal comprises an air tube projecting from the central portion thereof, the air tube defining the diaphragm seal air hole and being arranged to extend toward a bottom of the container when the diaphragm seal is assembled with the container. 12. A leak resistant drinking cup as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a handle unit adapted to be releasably connected to the container. 13. A leak resistant vessel as set forth in claim 1 wherein a central portion of the diaphragm seal is adapted for snap-on engagement with the lid assembly. 14. A leak resistant vessel comprising a container having an interior space sized and shaped for receiving and holding a quantity of liquid, the container having an open top and a central axis, a lid assembly adapted for removable attachment to the container to close the open top of the container, the lid assembly having an opening therein through which liquid can exit the vessel, a flexible diaphragm seal adapted to be at least partially disposed between the lid assembly and the interior space of the container for selectively blocking the flow of liquid from the container to the opening in the lid assembly, the diaphragm seal extending circumferentially about the central axis of the container and having a peripheral edge margin adapted to, as installed between the lid assembly and the container, flex between a closed position in which the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm blocks the flow of liquid from the container to the opening of the lid assembly, and an open position in which liquid is permitted to flow from the interior space of the container over a portion of the peripheral edge margin for subsequent flow to the lid assembly opening, and a hold down connected to the lid assembly and sized and shaped for holding down a portion of the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm seal when assembled on the container to hold the diaphragm seal portion against flexing from the closed position to the open position while permitting another portion of the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm seal to flex from the closed position to the open position upon application of a vacuum pressure between the lid assembly and the diaphragm seal, wherein the lid assembly comprises a spout defining the opening therein, the hold down being adapted for holding down a portion of the diaphragm seal that is disposed generally at one side of the central axis of the container that is radially opposite a side of the central axis at which the spout is disposed when the lid assembly, hold down and diaphragm seal are assembled on the container. 15. A leak resistant vessel as set forth in claim 14 wherein the hold down is integrally molded in one piece with the lid assembly. 16. A leak resistant vessel as set forth in claim 14 wherein the hold down is a continuous piece. 17. A leak resistant vessel as set forth in claim 16 wherein the hold down comprises a rib depending from a bottom surface of the lid assembly, the rib extending around a center of the lid assembly in a ring that is arranged eccentrically with respect to the center of the lid assembly. 18. A leak resistant vessel as set forth in claim 17 wherein the spout and center of the rib ring are located on radially opposite sides of the center axis of the container. 19. A leak resistant vessel as set forth in claim 17 wherein the rib is generally C-shaped. 20. A leak resistant vessel as set forth in claim 14 wherein the lid assembly comprises a cover and a retainer adapted to be supported in a fixed position with respect to the container. 21. A leak resistant vessel as set forth in claim 20 wherein the diaphragm seal is adapted for snap-on engagement with the retainer. 22. A leak resistant vessel comprising a container having an interior space sized and shaped for receiving and holding a quantity of liquid, the container having an open top and a central axis, a lid assembly adapted for removable attachment to the container to close the open top of the container, the lid assembly having an opening therein through which liquid can exit the vessel, a flexible diaphragm seal adapted to be at least partially disposed between the lid assembly and the interior space of the container for selectively blocking the flow of liquid from the container to the opening in the lid assembly, the diaphragm seal extending circumferentially about the central axis of the container and having a peripheral edge margin adapted to, as installed between the lid assembly and the container, flex between a closed position in which the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm blocks the flow of liquid from the container to the opening of the lid assembly, and an open position in which liquid is permitted to flow from the interior space of the container over a portion of the peripheral edge margin for subsequent flow to the lid assembly opening, and a hold down sized and shaped for holding down a portion of the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm seal when assembled on the container to hold the diaphragm seal portion against flexing from the closed position to the open position while permitting another portion of the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm seal to flex from the closed position to the open position upon application of a vacuum pressure between the lid assembly and the diaphragm seal, wherein the lid assembly and diaphragm seal as installed on the container are adapted to define a vacuum chamber therebetween in communication with the peripheral edge margin of the seal about substantially an entire circumference of the seal, and wherein the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm seal engages an edge of the container defining the open top of the container. 23. A leak resistant drinking cup comprising a container having an interior space sized and shaped for receiving and holding a quantity of liquid for drinking, said container having an open top, a lid assembly adapted for removable attachment to the container for closing the open top, said lid assembly having a rigid spout for drinking liquid from said cup, a flexible diaphragm seal adapted to be disposed between the lid assembly and at least a portion of the interior space the container for selectively blocking the flow of liquid from the interior space of the container to the spout, and a retainer adapted for use in mounting the diaphragm seal on the container, the diaphragm seal having a circumference and a peripheral edge margin extending about the circumference of the seal, the diaphragm seal comprising a flange including the peripheral edge margin and a central portion offset from the flange, wherein the peripheral edge margin of the diaphragm seal is engageable with an edge of the container defining the open top of the container, the lid assembly and the seal being configured such that upon assembly of the lid assembly, the seal and the container, a circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin of the seal is flexible between a closed position in which said circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin blocks the flow of liquid from the interior space of the container to the spout, and an open position in which liquid is permitted to flow over said circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin for subsequent flow to the spout, another circumferential portion of the peripheral edge margin of the seal being retained against movement to said open position, wherein the lid assembly and diaphragm seal as installed on the cup define a vacuum chamber therebetween in communication with the peripheral edge margin of the seal about substantially the entire circumference of the seal, the retainer having an air passage defined therein for communication of air from the exterior to the interior of the container, the diaphragm seal being adapted to releasably seal with the retainer to block communication of the air passage with the interior of the container, the diaphragm seal being adapted to resiliently flex upon detection of vacuum pressure in the container to unblock the air passage and permit air to flow through the air passage to the interior of the container.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (53)
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