Helen of Troy. has filed a patent for a lid design for drinking containers. The lid includes a poppet mouthpiece and a sealing member, allowing fluid to flow through the mouthpiece when in the open position. The lid also has a vent hole and a groove that allows ambient air to enter the container as fluid flows out through the mouthpiece. GlobalData’s report on Helen of Troy gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Helen of Troy, AI-assisted medical imaging was a key innovation area identified from patents. Helen of Troy's grant share as of September 2023 was 70%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Lid for a drinking container with a vent hole
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230234759A1) describes a lid for a drinking container that includes several innovative features. The lid body has a vent hole on its outer surface and a poppet mouthpiece that can move between a closed and open position. When the mouthpiece is open, fluid from inside the container can flow through it. The lid also includes a resilient sealing member that engages the lid body and the open end of the drinking container. This sealing member has an annular flange with at least one groove that allows ambient air to enter the container as fluid flows out through the mouthpiece.
The patent also describes additional details of the lid design. The sealing member includes an annular sealing body mounted to the lid body, with the flange depending from it. The groove is extended onto the sealing body, and the sealing body has an annular stepped section that helps define an air pathway from the vent hole to the groove's opening. The lid body's upper wall also contributes to defining this air pathway. The flange, when viewed in a cross-section along the longitudinal axis, is substantially wedge-shaped.
The lid can have multiple grooves, with each groove having an open end in communication with the vent hole and a closed end. The flange extends beneath the closed end and seals against the lid body's second inner surface. Suction applied to the mouthpiece in the open position causes ambient air to flow through the vent hole and collect in the grooves. The flange maintains sealed engagement with the second inner surface until the air pressure in the grooves exceeds a predetermined pressure. At this point, the flange partially separates from the second inner surface at the location of the grooves, allowing ambient air to enter the container as fluid flows out through the mouthpiece.
Overall, this patent describes a lid for a drinking container that incorporates innovative features to allow for controlled airflow into the container while preventing leaks. The design includes a poppet mouthpiece, a sealing member with grooves, and an air pathway defined by the lid body and sealing body. These features work together to provide a convenient and efficient drinking experience.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
