초록 ▼

A disposable drink-through dome lid for disposable drinking cups used in the sale of hot or cold beverages. In order to extend the volume within the cup, the top surface of the lid is elevated above the top surface of the beverage cup when in place, and is encompassed by an annular ridge that includ

A disposable drink-through dome lid for disposable drinking cups used in the sale of hot or cold beverages. In order to extend the volume within the cup, the top surface of the lid is elevated above the top surface of the beverage cup when in place, and is encompassed by an annular ridge that includes a generally oval-shaped opening for drinking. In its preferred form the ridge is not continuous around its perimeter but is partially recessed on both sides of opening. In its preferred embodiment the generally oval-shaped opening includes a barrier that projects downward from the opening's perimeter thereby providing shielding against accidental spillage due to sloshing of the beverage while transporting or consuming in a moving vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A disposable dome lid for mounting upon the substantially circular lip of a disposable drinking cup, the lid comprising: a mounting portion that anchors upon the cup lip; an annular outer sidewall portion sloping upwardly and radially inwardly from said mounting portion there

What is claimed is: 1. A disposable dome lid for mounting upon the substantially circular lip of a disposable drinking cup, the lid comprising: a mounting portion that anchors upon the cup lip; an annular outer sidewall portion sloping upwardly and radially inwardly from said mounting portion thereby providing a volume extension means within said lid; a top wall portion formed at the top of said outer sidewall portion enclosing the top of said outer sidewall portion; a drinking orifice portion extending downward within said top wall portion and adjacent to said outer sidewall portion and adapted to enable drinking from the cup without removal of said lid and permitting the lips of a user to encompass said drinking orifice portion, with the lower lip of said user engaging with said outer sidewall portion; said drinking orifice portion comprising baffles extending downward and terminating above the mounting portion and defining a first opening formed in a first plane and at least one other opening formed in at least one other plane, the first opening and the at least one other opening formed contiguous to one another to form a multiplanar opening in three dimensions, the first opening and the at least one other opening comprise a plurality of contiguous slotted openings, with the baffles being sufficiently flexible to permit the insertion of a drinking straw through the drink-through opening. 2. The lid of claim 1 wherein the internal wall formed about the perimeter of said drinking orifice portion forms a pair of generally parallel straight edges connected at their extremities by a pair of generally rounded edges in said top wall portion, with planar surfaces downwardly extending from said straight edges and rounded surfaces downwardly extending from said round edges, where said rounded and planar surfaces converge to form a bottom surface, with all of said surfaces comprising said cavity portion, with said cavity portion stamped to created said drink-through opening, wherein said drink-through opening includes a generally vertically positioned triangular opening portion having a base aligned with the bottom of said barrier wall portion and contiguous with a slotted opening portion that extends upward from its apex to become generally horizontally oriented at its termination adjacent to said perimeter of said drinking orifice portion, with both of said opening portions stamped into said depression portion formed into the outermost of said planar surfaces; wherein: said slotted opening portion permits the remnants of liquid to pass through said drinking orifice otherwise restricted by said barrier wall; and said triangular opening portion enhances the flow of said liquid through said drinking orifice while being generally inaccessible to sloshed liquids; a second slotted opening portion stamped into the innermost of said planar surfaces, with a length extending vertically and upwardly from the bottom of said barrier wall, with a width generally equal to that of said first slotted opening portion; a third horizontally positioned slotted opening portion stamped into said bottom surface of said cavity portion, with the plurality of said opening portions being contiguous and providing: the volume of liquid capable of passing through said drinking orifice to be generally equivalent to that of said drink-through opening having a perimeter of similar shape and size with no said barrier wall portion; a horizontally oriented cross-sectional shaped opening when viewing directly downward at said drinking orifice portion, with said cross-section shaped opening having rounded extremities and centered cross members; and four flap portions defined by said contiguous opening portions, with said flap portions capable of folding outwardly thereby providing expansion of the narrowest opening portion upon the insertion of a drinking straw through said barrier wall portion without collapsing said straw. 3. A lid, comprising: a mounting portion, a domed portion and a recessed area formed in the domed portion; a combined vent-and-drain opening formed in the recessed area and adapted to vent air and drain liquid; a drink opening formed in the domed portion and comprising baffles extending downward and terminating above the mounting portion and defining a first opening formed in a first plane and at least one other opening formed in at least one other plane, the first opening and the at least one other opening contiguous to one another to form a multiplanar opening in three dimensions; and the first opening and the at least one other opening comprise a plurality of contiguous slotted openings, one of the slotted openings comprising a V-shaped portion having an apex oriented toward the domed portion. 4. The lid of claim 3 wherein a pair of channels are formed in the domed portion with each channel adjacent a respective side of the drink opening, the pair of channels configured to provide a tactile indication of the drink opening location; each channel of the pair of channels is in fluid communication with the recessed area to provide drainage of liquid to the combined vent-and-drain opening. 5. The lid of claim 3 wherein the combined vent-and-drain opening is formed in a depression in the recessed area adjacent the drink opening, the depression sloping away from the drink opening towards a low point at which the combined vent-and-drain opening is formed. 6. The lid of claim 4 wherein the pair of channels each comprises a sloped portion adapted to receive a portion of a user's upper lip to seal the lip around a portion of the drink opening. 7. A lid, comprising: a drink opening formed in a domed portion of the lid and comprising baffles extending downward and terminating above a mounting portion of the lid and defining a first opening formed in a first plane and at least one other opening formed in at least one other plane, the first opening and the at least one other opening formed contiguous to one another to form a multiplanar opening in three dimensions, the first opening and the at least one other opening comprise a plurality of contiguous slotted openings, one of the slotted openings comprising a V-shaped portion; and a pair of sloped channels, each channel formed adjacent a respective side of the drink opening to provide a tactile indication of the drink opening location in the lid. 8. The lid of claim 7 wherein each of the channels slope toward and are in fluid communication with a recessed area formed in the domed portion, the recessed area having a combined vent-and-drain opening formed therein. 9. The lid of claim 8 wherein the recessed area comprises a depression that slopes away from the drink opening towards a low point in which the combined vent-and-drain opening is formed. 10. The lid of claim 8 wherein the baffles comprise four flexible flaps. 11. A lid for use with a drinking straw, comprising: a domed portion and a mounting portion; and a drink opening formed in the domed portion comprising an inwardly sloping downward extending internal wall defining an interior perimeter portion that forms a single substantially vertical opening, the internal wall comprising a plurality of flaps, forming baffles extending downward and terminating above the mounting portion and defining a substantially vertical first opening formed in a first plane and at least one other substantially horizontal opening formed in at least one other plane, the substantially vertical first opening and the at least one other horizontal opening formed contiguous to one another to form a single, multiplanar, substantially vertical opening in three dimensions in the internal wall. 12. The lid of claim 11 wherein the baffles comprise four flexible flaps. 13. The lid of claim 11, comprising a pair of sloped channels, each channel formed in the domed portion adjacent a respective side of the drink opening to provide a tactile indication of the drink opening location. 14. The lid of claim 13 wherein the pair of sloped channels are in fluid communication with a recessed area formed in the domed portion, the recessed area having a combined vent-and-drain opening to vent air and drain liquid. 15. The lid of claim 14, comprising a depression formed in the recessed area adjacent the drink opening and sloping away from the drink opening to a low point in which the combined vent-and-drain opening is formed. 16. The lid of claim 14 wherein the pair of channels are adapted to receive a portion of a user's upper lip to seal the lip around a portion of the drink opening. 17. A lid, comprising: a domed portion and a recessed area formed in the domed portion, the recessed area having a combined vent-and-drain opening formed therein; means for channeling fluid on an external surface of the domed portion and recessed area to the combined vent-and-drain opening, the channeling means comprising a depression formed in the recessed area adjacent a drink opening formed in the domed portion and sloping away from the drink opening to a low point in which the combined vent-and-drain opening is formed; and the drink opening comprising an inwardly sloping downward extending internal wall defining an interior perimeter portion that forms a single substantially vertical opening, the internal wall comprising flexible flaps extending downward and terminating above a mounting portion on the lid, each flap comprising a downward extension having a thickness that is thinner than a thickness of the domed portion to enhance flexibility and defining a substantially vertical first opening formed in a first plane and at least one other substantially horizontal opening formed in at least one other plane, the substantially vertical first opening and the at least one other horizontal opening formed contiguous to one another to form the single substantially vertical opening in three dimensions in the internal wall. 18. The lid of claim 17, comprising a pair of sloped channels, each sloped channel formed adjacent a respective side of the drink opening and adapted to provide a tactile indication of the drink opening location. 19. The lid of claim 18 wherein each channel of the pair of sloped channels is adapted to receive a portion of a user's upper lip to seal the lip around a portion of the drink opening. 20. The lid of claim 19 wherein the drink opening comprises at least two contiguous openings adapted to receive and hold a straw. 21. A disposable dome lid for mounting upon the substantially circular lip of a disposable drinking cup and accommodating a drink straw, the lid comprising: a mounting portion that anchors upon the cup lip; an annular outer sidewall portion sloping upwardly and radially inwardly from said mounting portion thereby providing a volume extension means within said lid; a top wall portion formed at the top of said outer sidewall portion enclosing the top of said outer sidewall portion; a drinking orifice portion within said top wall portion and adjacent to said outer sidewall portion and adapted to enable drinking from the cup without removal of said lid and permitting the lips of a user to encompass said drinking orifice portion, with the lower lip of said user engaging with said outer sidewall portion; said drinking orifice portion comprising a downwardly extending inwardly sloping internal wall formed about the interior perimeter of said drinking orifice portion to define a cavity, the inwardly sloping internal wall comprising a substantially vertical wall portion that projects into the cavity, and a drink-through opening formed in the inwardly sloping internal wall including the substantially vertical wall portion and comprising a plurality of flap members extending downward and terminating above the mounting portion and depending downward into the cavity from adjacent the top wall portion to a free end of the flap members at a bottom of the cavity, the flap members defining a vertical opening between each pair of the flap members that merges into a single horizontal opening at the bottom of the cavity, the flap members thereby forming a barrier wall portion from the internal wall that is configured to permit liquid to flow through said drinking orifice portion while shielding against the sloshing of liquid out of the drinking orifice portion. 22. A disposable dome lid for mounting upon the substantially circular lip of a disposable drinking cup, the lid comprising: a mounting portion that anchors upon the cup lip; an annular outer sidewall portion sloping upwardly and radially inwardly from the mounting portion thereby providing a volume extension means within the lid; a top wall portion formed at the top of the outer sidewall portion enclosing the top of the outer sidewall portion; a drinking orifice portion extending downwardly within the top wall portion and adjacent to the outer sidewall portion and adapted to enable drinking from the cup without removal of the lid and permitting the lips of a user to encompass the drinking orifice portion, with the lower lip of the user engaging with the outer sidewall portion; the drinking orifice portion comprising baffles extending downwardly and terminating above the mounting portion and defining a first opening formed in a first plane and at least one other opening formed in at least one other plane, the first opening and the at least one other opening formed contiguous to one another to form a multiplanar opening in three dimensions, the first opening and the at least one other opening comprise a plurality of contiguous slotted openings, with the baffles being sufficiently flexible to permit the insertion of a drinking straw through the drink-through opening; and wherein the internal wall formed about the perimeter of the drinking orifice portion forms a pair of generally parallel straight edges connected at their extremities by a pair of generally rounded edges in the top wall portion, with planar surfaces downwardly extending from the straight edges and rounded surfaces downwardly extending from the round edges, where the rounded and planar surfaces converge to form a bottom surface, with all of the surfaces comprising the cavity portion, with the cavity portion stamped to created the drink-through opening, wherein the drink-through opening includes a generally vertically positioned triangular opening portion having a base aligned with the bottom of the barrier wall portion and contiguous with a slotted opening portion that extends upward from its apex to become generally horizontally oriented at its termination adjacent to the perimeter of the drinking orifice portion, with both of the opening portions stamped into the depression portion formed into the outermost of the planar surfaces; wherein: the slotted opening portion permits the remnants of liquid to pass through the drinking orifice otherwise restricted by the barrier wall; and the triangular opening portion enhances the flow of the liquid through the drinking orifice while being generally inaccessible to sloshed liquids; a second slotted opening portion stamped into the innermost of the planar surfaces, with a length extending vertically and upwardly from the bottom of the barrier wall, with a width generally equal to that of the first slotted opening portion; a third horizontally positioned slotted opening portion stamped into the bottom surface of the cavity portion, with the plurality of the opening portions being contiguous and providing: the volume of liquid capable of passing through the drinking orifice to be generally equivalent to that of the drink-through opening having a perimeter of similar shape and size with no the barrier wall portion; a horizontally oriented cross-sectional shaped opening when viewing directly downward at the drinking orifice portion, with the cross-section shaped opening having rounded extremities and centered cross members; and four flap portions defined by the contiguous opening portions, with the flap portions capable of folding outwardly thereby providing expansion of the narrowest opening portion upon the insertion of a drinking straw through the barrier wall portion without collapsing the straw.