The present invention relates to lids for containers, the lid having a dispensing opening and a closure for the opening. More particularly, the present invention relates to a lid for a container configured to hold a liquid with the lid provided with a sloping cover portion which permits liquid exposed to the outer surface of the cover portion to flow back into the container.
Some conventional lids for containers designed to hold liquids, and especially lids for disposable coffee cups that are intended to be carried by the consumer, generally have a rim portion which is configured to engage the upwardly facing mouth of the container, and a cover portion which extends between the rim for sealing the container. Such lids can also have one or more openings formed in the cover portion to permit the liquid to be consumed from the container while the lid is in place on the container. Such openings in the lid are often not resealable in that, once the portion of the lid over the opening has been removed, that portion of the lid is generally not replaceable to reseal that opening. Additionally, in such conventional lids for coffee cups and the like, the cover portion is generally flat and often contains a number of discrete depressions. One problem with such a lid is that, should any of the liquid be splashed or otherwise exposed onto the top surface of the lid, the liquid normally remains on the lid and can be spilled onto the consumer.
Other conventional lids for containers designed to hold liquids, and especially lids for disposable coffee cups that are intended to be carried by the consumer, generally have one or more openings formed in the cover portion to permit the liquid to be consumed from the container while the lid is in place on the container, and a separate stopper adapted to reseal the opening which must be assembled to the lid. The assembly of the lid and stopper contributes significantly to the total cost of the whole container to the point that a meaningful economic disadvantage results.
Thus, one object of the present invention is to provide a lid for a container in which a resealable opening is provided on one side of the lid to permit liquid to be consumed from the container and to permit the opening to be resealed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lid for container in which liquid exposed to the outer surface of the lid will flow back into the container when the opening in the container is open.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a lid for a container in which an integral stopper is provided for permitting resealing of the container thereby avoiding any lid-stopper assembly.