Patent Application
20200231326
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The disclosure and prior art relates to cup assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new cup assembly for serving hot and cold beverages.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a cup that defines an interior space. The cup comprises hemp fiber so that the cup is biodegradable. The cup, in an upright configuration, is configured to position a liquid in the interior space. The cup insulates a hot or cold beverage and is configured for composting after use.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The cup 12 comprises an annular wall 16 that extends from a bottom 18 to a top 20. The bottom 18 is closed while the top 20 is open. A lip 22 is coupled to and extends radially from the top 20. The bottom 18 and the top 20 are circularly shaped. The top 20 is circumferentially larger than the bottom 18 so that the cup 12 is inverted frustum shaped. The top 20 being open, and the cup 12 being inverted frustum shaped, allow a plurality of the cups 12 to be positioned in a nested configuration.
A lid 24 is selectively couplable to the lip 22 to close the top 20. The lid 24 is configured to retain the liquid in the interior space 14. The lid 24 comprises hemp fiber so that the lid 24 is biodegradable.
The lid 24 comprises a shell 26 that defines an internal space 28. The shell 26 has an upper face 30 and a lower face 32, which is open. The lower face 32 is positioned to insert the lip 22 into the internal space so that the lid 24 is substantially sealably coupled to the cup 12 to retain the liquid in the interior space 14. The upper face 30 is circumferentially smaller than the lower face 32 so that the lid 24 is frustum shaped. The lower face 32 being open, and the lid 24 being frustum shaped, allow a plurality of the lids 24 to be positioned in a nested configuration.
A recess 34 extends into the shell 26 from the upper face 30 to define a channel 36 that extends annularly around a perimeter 38 of the shell 26, as shown in
A hole 40 is positioned in the upper face 30 of the shell 26 proximate to the perimeter 38. The hole 40 is substantially circularly shaped. The hole 40 is configured to allow the liquid to exit the interior space 14 as the cup 12 is tilted from the upright configuration. The hole 40 also is configured to selectively insert a straw, positioning a user to draw the liquid through the straw.
A panel 42 is coupled to and extends from the upper face 30 of the shell 26. The panel 42 is positioned adjacent to the hole 40. The panel 42 is configured to facilitate drinking of the liquid as the cup 12 is tilted from the upright configuration. The panel 42 tapers from a midpoint 44 to opposing ends 46 so that the panel 42 is arcuate. The panel 42 extends arcuately from the upper face 30 over the recess 34, as shown in
In another embodiment of the invention, as shown in
In use, the cup 12 is used to hold and insulate the hot or cold beverage. The lid 24 may be coupled to the lip 22 to retain the liquid in the cup 12. The user is positioned to sip the liquid through the hole 40 or through a straw that is positioned in the hole 40. The cup 12 is configured to be composted after use.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
