Cup Holder and Cup with Handle

Abstract

A cup holder comprises a collar (2) and a handle (4), the collar (2) comprising a continuous loop of flexible sheet material, preferably card or cardboard, in which two opposed holes (6) are formed and which, in use, extends around and engages the outer surface of a cup. The handle (4) comprises an elongate strip of flexible sheet material, preferably card or cardboard, integral with each end of which are two elongate lugs (10) which extend divergently, the maximum distance between the outer edges of the lugs (10) being greater than the maximum dimension of the holes (6) in the direction of the length of the collar and the width of each lug (10) being less than the said maximum dimension of the holes (6), the two ends of the handle (4) being pivotally received in respective holes (6) with the two lugs (10) on one side of the collar and the adjacent portion of the handle being on the other side of the collar.

Description

The present invention relates to beverage cups and, in particular, to handles for beverage cups and to beverage cups including a handle. The invention is particularly concerned with beverage cups of the type which are of upwardly divergent frusto-conical shape and these are typically made of waxed paper or card and are commonly used in Cafés and the like for the sale of beverages, particularly hot beverages, such as tea, coffee or soup, for consumption on or off the premises.

Such cups are very advantageous because they are cheap and effective and may readily be formed into nested stacks and thus require relatively little storage space. They are also biodegradable, in contrast to cups made of plastic material. However, they are not very easy to carry due to the fact that they are flexible and structurally weak and spillages therefore frequently occur. This problem is exacerbated when the beverage to be served is hot because the thermal insulation properties of such cups are relatively poor. Purchasers therefore frequently burn their fingers when carrying such cups filed with a hot beverage and this is not only uncomfortable but also increases the problem of spillages occurring.

In order to obviate these problems, it is known to use a holder or tray of folded cardboard material, which defines a number of recesses for accommodating cups. This largely obviates the problem of burning one's fingers when the cups are filled with a hot beverage but the trays have to be manually folded from flat cardboards blanks and this is quite time-consuming. Furthermore, the tray blanks have to be stored and many retail outlets simply do not have the storage space available for such relatively bulky articles. Finally, the trays are generally disposed of after being used only once and this means that they add not inconsiderably to the overhead expenses of the retail outlet in question and also represent an additional unacceptable environmental burden in that they must all be subsequently disposed of in a land fill or alternatively recycled.

It is therefore the object of the invention to overcome these problems and to provide a holder for beverage cups or a beverage cup with a handle which is simple and inexpensive, does not impair the nesting stackability of the cups, requires little or no additional storage space and represents little or no additional environmental burden.

Accordingly to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cup holder comprising a collar and a handle, the collar comprising a continuous loop of flexible sheet material in which two opposed holes are formed and which, in use, extends around and engages the outer surface of a cup, the handle comprising an elongate strip of flexible sheet material, integral with each end of which are two elongate lugs which extend divergently, the maximum distance between the outer edges of the lugs being greater than the maximum dimension of the holes in the direction of the length of the collar and the width of each lug being less than the said maximum dimension of the holes, the two ends of the handle being pivotally received in respective holes with the two lugs on one side of the collar and the adjacent portion of the handle being on the other side of the collar. Thus the cup holder in accordance with the invention includes a collar comprising a continuous flexible loop and the diameter of this loop will be arranged to be greater than that of the lower portion of a frusto-conical beverage cup with which it is to be used but less than that of the upper portion of the cup. The cup is simply inserted into the collar from above and the collar then moves up the outer surface of the cup until it can move no further and the collar is then effectively connected to the cup and can support its weight. Two opposed holes are formed in the collar, at positions which, in use, will be diametrically opposed and the cup holder also includes a handle which comprises an elongate strip of flexible sheet material. At each end of the handle are two divergent elongate lugs and the maximum width of these lugs together, that is to say the maximum distance of the outer edges of the lugs, is greater than the maximum dimension of the holes. However, the minimum distance between the outer edges of the lugs or the width of the adjacent portion of the handle will in practice be less than the maximum dimension of the holes. This opens up a very simple assembly method which involves folding one lug substantially on top of the other and then sliding the two lugs together through the associated hole. Once this has been done, the folded lug is unfolded and the end of the handle is then retained in a pivotable manner in the hole. When the handle is used to carry a cup, a compressive force will act on the portion of the handle or the lugs within the hole but this force will act in the plane of the handle and is in any event relatively small and will be insufficient to crush the handle, whereby the handle is retained pivotally connected to the collar at two positions. A cup containing a hot beverage may therefore simply be carried with the aid of the handle without the risk of burning one's fingers and when it is desired to drink the beverage from the cup the handle is simply pivoted out of the way and the mug may then be used in the conventional manner.

The cup holder referred to above is intended for carrying only a single cup but it will be appreciated that a minor modification will permit it to carry more than one cup, that is to say two, three or even four cups. Thus in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cup holder comprising two or more collars, a handle and a support ring, each collar comprising a continuous loop of flexible sheet material which, in use, extends around and engages the outer surface of a respective cup, each collar being connected to at least one of the other collars, the support ring comprising a continuous ring of flexible sheet material in which two opposed holes are formed, the support ring constituting an elongate strip of flexible sheet material which is constituted in part by portions of the collars or to which portions of the collars are connected, the handle comprising an elongate strip of flexible sheet material, integral with each end of which are two elongate lugs which extend divergently, the maximum distance between the outer edges of the lugs being greater than the maximum dimension of the holes in the direction of the length of the support ring and the width of each lug being less than the said maximum dimension of the holes, the two ends of the handle being pivotably received in respective holes with the two lugs on one side of the support ring and the adjacent portion of the handle on the other side of the support ring.

The cup holder in accordance with this aspect of the present invention is very similar to the cup holder in accordance with the first aspect of the invention but in this case two, three or even four collars are provided, each of which, in use, will engage around and support a respective cup. The cup holder additionally includes a support ring and this is either constituted in part by portions of the collars or the collars are connected to it over a portion of their length. In order to ensure stability, each collar is connected to at least one further collar. If there are two collars, they will be connected together at a position substantially in the centre of the support ring. If there are three collars, it is likely that each collar will be connected to both of the other collars at spaced positions which will be arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the support ring. The method of use and the advantages of this embodiment are essentially the same as those of the first embodiment.

The advantages of the present invention may be realised also in a beverage cup with a permanently connected handle and thus according to a further aspect of the present invention there is a provided a beverage cup including two support members and a handle, the support members being connected to opposed portions of the outer surface of the cup and having respective holes formed in them, the handle comprising an elongate strip of flexible sheet material, integral with each end of which are two elongate lugs which extend divergently, the maximum distance between the outer edges of the lugs being greater than the maximum dimension of the holes in the circumferential direction of the cup and the width of each lug being less than the said maximum dimension of the holes, the two ends of the handle being pivotably received in respective holes with the two lugs sandwiched between the inner surface of a respective support member and the outer surface of the cup and the adjacent portion of the handle being adjacent the outer surface of the support member.

Thus in this embodiment the handle is effectively permanently connected to the cup by means of the two support members. The handle will be connected to the cup using substantially the same method as described above and thus one lug at each end of the handle will be bent over and the lugs then inserted through a hole in a support member. Once the lugs have been unfolded, the two support members will then be connected to the outer surface of the cup.

It would in fact be possible for the two support member to be integrally connected together and in this event they would constitute part of a support ring extendeding right around the periphery of the cup. In this event, the cup would differ from a cup supported by a cup holder in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention only in that the support ring is permanently connected rather than removably connected to the outer surface of the cup. It is, however, preferred that the two support members are separate and are connected to the outer surface of the cup, for instance by adhesive or by welding, such that movement of the pairs of lugs in the spaces between the support members and the cup is possible.

In order to ensure that the nesting stackability of the cups is not impaired, it is preferred that the handle is pivotally moveable between a stowed position, in which it has two folds formed in it and is situated substantially in contact with the outer surface of the cup over substantially its entire length, and an operative position, which is rotated through substantially 90° with respect to the stowed position and in which it extends above the cup and may be used to carry it. Thus when the handle is in the stowed position, the outer contour and size of the cup is substantially the same as those of a cup with no handle and the cups can therefore readily be stacked together. However, when a cup is to be used, it is removed from the stack and the handle is then moved from the stowed position to the operative position, thereby permitting the cup to be filled with a hot beverage and carried by means of the handle without any risk of burning the fingers of the user.

The flexible sheet material could be of any desired type but it is preferred that it consists of card or cardboard, preferably of waxed type, since these materials are light, cheap and readily available and are also biodegradable.

Whilst the holes, through which the lugs are inserted, may be of any desired shape, it is convenient if they are circular, firstly because such holes are easy and cheap to form and secondly because a circular shape will maximise the strength and tear resistance of the member in which it is formed.

Further features and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description of three specific embodiments, which is given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cup holder for a single cup;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the collar in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the handle of FIG. 1 before connection to the collar;

FIG. 4 is a view of the cup holder of FIG. 1 in situ on a cup;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cup holder for two cups;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the cup holder of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a cup with a handle connected to it in accordance with the invention, in the stowed position;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing the handle part way between the stowed and operative positions; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIGS. 7 and 8 showing the handle in the operative position.

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 to 4, the cup holder consists of a collar 2 and handle 4. The collar 2 consists of a strip of flexible material, such as card or waxed paper, the two ends of which are fastened together to form a continuous loop. Formed at positions, which are diametrically opposed to one another in use, are two circular holes 6. Whilst the diameter of the collar may be the same at the top and bottom, it is of course intended to be used with a frusto-conical cup, and it is therefore preferred that the collar is shaped such that its diameter at the top is slightly greater than that at the bottom so as to match the cup with which it is to be used. The handle 4 comprises a elongate strip of the same flexible material. This strip is of constant width over most of its length but towards its ends it tapers to a minimum width at positions 8. Extending from each of those positions are two relatively narrow divergent tabs or lugs 10. The width of the handle at the points 8 is substantially the same as or slightly less than the diameter of the hole 6 but as one moves outwardly from the positions 8, the width of the handle 4 that is to say measured across the divergent lugs 10, rapidly increases to a value greater than that of the diameter of the hole 6.

In use, the collars and handles will generally be stored separately in a Caféor the like, in both cases in a flat condition, which will mean that they occupy very little space. In order to permit the collars to be stored flat, they are each formed with two diametrically opposed folds. When it is desired to use a cup holder, one lug 10 at one end of a handle 4 is folded substantially on top of the adjacent lug and the two lugs are then pushed through one of the holes 6 from the exterior. The folded lug is then unfolded and that end of the handle is then pivotally connected to the collar. The process is then repeated using the other end of the handle and the other hole 6, so as to create a cup holder as seen in FIG. 1. A cup 12 of waxed paper or card or the like is then filled with a hot beverage and placed in the collar 2 from above. The handle 4 is then grasped and cup holder moved upwardly until it reaches a point at which it can move upwardly no further. The cup may then readily be carried by means of the handle 4. When it is desired to drink a beverage, the handle 4 is pivoted laterally and the cup holder is optionally removed from the cup. The beverage may then be drunk in the usual manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the illustrated cup holder is intended for carrying two cups at the same time. In this case, there are two collars 2, which are connected together at one position by a piece of stiff paper or card 14, which is bent into a rectangular shape and whose outer surface is connected to the outer surface of the both collars 2 by means of adhesive. Part of the periphery of each collar 2 together with two further strips 16 of the same material, both of which are connected to both of the collars 2 by adhesive, form an outer support ring 18. Formed in the support ring 18 are two diametrically opposed holes. Pivotally secured in the holes are the two ends of a handle 4, at each of whose ends are two divergent lugs 10, as described in relation to FIGS. 1 to 4. The method of assembly, manner of use and advantages of the cup holder illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 will be clear from the preceding description of FIGS. 1 to 4.

Turning now to FIGS. 7 to 9, these figures illustrate a beverage cup 12 to which a handle is permanently connected. The handle 4 again has the same construction as in the previous embodiments but in this case its two ends are not connected to a collar but are connected to separate rectangular support members 20, which are again of waxed paper or stiff card. The support members 20 are connected to the outer surface of the cup at diametrically opposed portions by means of adhesive or hot plate welding. The connection is substantially only around the edges of the support members 20, thereby ensuring that the lugs 10 at the ends of the handle 4, which are accommodated between the support members 20 and the cup 12, can rotate freely.

The handle 4 is thus pivotally connected to the cup 12 and is movable between a stowed position and an operative positive. The stowed position is shown in FIG. 7 and, as may be seen in FIG. 8, the handle 4 is provided with two folds which permit the handle to lie snugly against the outer surface of the cup. When it is desired to use the handle, it is initially gripped by the user and pulled horizontally, as indicated by the lower arrow in FIG. 8. The handle is thus moved into the intermediate position shown in FIG. 8. The handle is then rotated upwardly, that is to say generally in the direction of the upper arrow in FIG. 8, until it has reached the operative position shown in FIG. 9. The cup may then be carried by means of the handle without any risk of burning of the fingers of the user.

Claims

1. A cup holder comprising a collar and a handle, the collar comprising a continuous loop of flexible sheet material in which two opposed holes are formed and which, in use, extends around and engages the outer surface of a cup, the handle comprising an elongate strip of flexible sheet material, integral with each end of which are two elongate lugs which extend divergently, the maximum distance between the outer edges of the lugs being greater than the maximum dimension of the holes in the direction of the length of the collar and the width of each lug being less than the said maximum dimension of the holes, the two ends of the handle being pivotally received in respective holes with the two lugs on one side of the collar and the adjacent portion of the handle being on the other side of the collar.

2. A cup holder comprising two or more collars, a handle and a support ring, each collar comprising a continuous loop of flexible sheet material which, in use, extends around and engages the outer surface of a respective cup, each collar being connected to at least one of the other collars, the support ring comprising a continuous ring of flexible sheet material in which to opposed holes are formed, the support ring constituting an elongate strip of flexible sheet material which is constituted in part by portions of the collars or two which portions of the collars are connected, the handle comprising an elongate strip of flexible sheet material, integral with each end of which are two elongate lugs which extend divergently, the maximum distance between the outer edges of the lugs being greater than the maximum dimension of the holes in the direction of the length of the support ring and the width of each lug being less than the said maximum dimension of the holes, the two ends of the handle being pivotably received in respective holes with the two lugs on one side of the support ring and the adjacent portion of the handle on the other side of the support ring.

3. A beverage cup including two support members and a handle, the support members being connected to opposed portions of the outer surface of the cup and having respective holes formed in them, the handle comprising an elongate strip of flexible sheet material, integral with each end of which are two elongate lugs which extend divergently, the maximum distance between the outer edges of the lugs being greater than the maximum dimension of the holes in the circumferential direction of the cup and the width of each lug being less than the said maximum dimension of the holes, the two ends of the handle being pivotably received in respective holes with the two lugs sandwiched between the inner surface of a respective support member and the outer surface of the cup and the adjacent portion of the handle being adjacently outer surface of the support member.

4. A beverage cup as claimed in claim 3, in which these two support members are separate and are connected to the outer surface of the cup by adhesive or welding such that movement of the pairs of lugs in the spaces between the support members and the cup is possible.

5. A beverage cup as claimed in claim 3, in which the handle is pivotably movable between a stowed position, in which it has two folds formed in it and is situated substantially in contact with the outer surface of the cup over substantially its entire length, and an operative position, which is rotated through substantially 90° with respect to the stowed position and in which it extends above the cup and may be used to carry it.

6-7. (canceled)

8. A beverage cup as claimed in claim 4, in which the handle is pivotably movable between a stowed position, in which it has two folds formed in it and is situated substantially in contact with the outer surface of the cup over substantially its entire length, and an operative position, which is rotated through substantially 90° with respect to the stowed position and in which it extends above the cup and may be used to carry it.

9. A cup holder as claimed in claim 1 in which the flexible sheet material is card or cardboard.

10. A cup holder as claimed in claim 2 in which the flexible sheet material is card or cardboard.

11. A beverage cup as claimed in claim 3 in which the flexible sheet material is card or cardboard.

12. A cup holder as claimed in claim 1 in which the holes are substantially circular.

13. A cup holder as claimed in claim 2 in which the holes are substantially circular.

14. A cup holder as claimed in claim 3 in which the holes are substantially circular.