Previously, many types of lids or covers have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means to enclose a container in a removable manner.
The prior art listed below did not disclose patents that possess any of the novelty of the instant invention; however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No.InventorIssue Date5,433,339SarverJul. 18, 19956,202,877 B1La Torre et al.Mar. 20, 20016,662,978 B2Lin et al.Dec. 16, 20036,913,159 B1GoldbergJul. 5, 2005D 509,408 SWard et al.Sep. 13, 20057,021,486 B1HurlbutApr. 4, 20067,416,093 B2Lin et al.Aug. 26, 2008D 588,002 SD'AmatoMar. 10, 2009D 592,913 SPinelli et al.May 26, 2009
Sarver in U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,339 teaches a cylindrical drinking vessel having a pair of integrally formed circumferential grooves and a pair of vertically oriented parallel handle support braces on its outer surface. A carabiner, or rope connection latched oval or a D-shaped ring fits between the handle support braces in a position to straddle the circumferential grooves. A pair of flexible bands are releasably fastened though the carabiner and around the vessel to secure the carabiner as a handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,877 B1 issued to La Torre et al. provides a lip-openable lid for use in a container having a valve seat and an opening for egress of container contents. A container is also provided to employ the lid which has a gasket with an annular wall, a central portion radially inward of the wall and a peripheral flange engagable with the valve seat. The lid includes a rigid support that has liquid flow openings which supports the central portion of the gasket and positions the gasket against the valve seat.
Lin et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,978 B2 discloses a liquid storage vessel stopper having interchangeable plugs that utilizes stopper body with an inner shell affixed to an outer shell. The inner shell is configured to communicate with a liquid storage vessel interior and the outer shell is profiled to be threadably attached to the vessels outside surface. An interchangeable stopper plug is either a twist to pour plug or a push to pour plug type, the former has a main core smaller than the inner shell and incorporates a lid creating a dead air space forming an insulating barrier. When the main core is manually rotated at least a quarter of a turn the plug is unseated and a flow path is opened.
Goldberg in U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,159 B1 teaches a water bottle strap that provides a manual engagement for bottles. A handle is defined from a substrate defining holes through which fingers or other digits may pass. The handle is held in tension along the side of the bottle by a top loop engaging the neck of the bottle and a base loop engaging the base of the bottle. The top loop and base loop are connected to the handle by means of an upper and lower connecting segment. Each strap is made of flexible and stretchable material so as to snugly engage the bottle in tension.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,486 B1 issued to Hurlbut is for a drinking flask cap having a three-position push-pull lid. The top of the lid forms a drinking basis and the drinking basis can be sealed with a hygienic cap. The cap can be removed and placed on the bottom of the flask of storage and provides a stable base for the flask. A bottle portion of the flask is preferably made form a molded plastic material and can be provided with a finger hold such that the flask can be drunk from in a manner similar to a coffee cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,093 B2 in U.S. patent Lin et al. discloses a container having a controlled opening lid that includes a container body with an open end providing access to an interior space configured to receive user supplied contents and a lid member configured to cover the open end of the container body when in a first position and permit access to the interior space when in a second position. A hinge is configured to move the lid member from the first position to the second position, the hinge including at least one dampening mechanism for damping a biasing force provided by the hinge when the lid member moves from the first position to the second position.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited design patents issued to Ward et al. in U.S. Pat. D509,408 S, D'Amato in U.S. Pat. D588,002 S and Pinelli et al. in U.S. Pat. D592,913 S.