This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/544,268, filed Oct. 6, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/442,020, filed on May 25, 2006, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/297,959, filed on Dec. 8, 2005, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/763,520, filed on Jan. 23, 2004, now abandoned, and also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/950,326, filed on Jul. 17, 2007, the entireties of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention is concerned with a lid assembly for a cup, and more particularly to a lid assembly that includes a hoop with a lid attached thereto by a tearable tether.
It is customary to configure disposable soft drink cups so that each cup can be nested in a like cup beneath it in a stack. This greatly reduces the storage space for multiple cups. Such cups are rarely supplied with lids in place on the open mouth of the cups because this would preclude the cups being nested. Hence, the lids are usually supplied and stored in a container separate from the container for the cups. And, thus, the cups and lids must be handled separately and brought together for use.
There continues to be a need for a way to provide a cup and lid together so that cups can be stored in a nested condition.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided A cup and lid combination that includes a cup having a side wall, a closed bottom and an open top, and a lid assembly. The lid assembly includes a band extending around a portion of the cup, a lid configured to close the open top of the cup, and a tether having first and second ends. The first end of the tether is connected to the band and the second end of the tether is connected to the lid. In a preferred embodiment, the cup has an outer surface and an inner surface and the band has an outer surface and an inner surface, and the inner surface of the band contacts the outer surface of the cup and the band does not contact the inner surface of the cup.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of placing a lid on a cup. The method includes the steps of providing a stack of nestable cups, removing a cup from the stack, tearing a tether that connects a band extending around the cup to the lid, thereby separating the lid from the band, disposing of the band, and placing the lid on the cup.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lid assembly for a cup that includes a band configured to extend around a cup, a lid, and a tether having first and second opposite ends. The first end of the tether is secured to the band and the second end is secured to the lid.
The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
a is a detailed perspective view of the T-bar connector of the lid of
Referring to
For exemplary purposes only, described hereinbelow is a preferred embodiment wherein the cups described are of a nestable variety. However, this is not a limitation on the present invention. It will be understood that the cup/lid combinations taught herein can by used with any type of cup or vessel that includes a lid. Other uses for the cup/lid combinations described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the relevant art.
It will be appreciated that terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “upwardly” and other such descriptive terms used hereinbelow are merely for ease of description and refer to the orientation of the components as shown in the figures. It should be understood that any orientation of the cup/lid combinations described herein is within the scope of the present invention.
Cup 11 is a nestable variety, meaning that it can be stacked with a cup nesting inside a cup therebeneath in a stack. To this end cup 11 has a frustroconical wall 13 with a closed bottom 14 and an open top 15. The cup preferably has a thickened or rolled lip 16 at the open top 15.
The wall 13 of cup 11 has a circular recess 17 therein for receiving the lid 12. In the view of the recess 17 there are provided one or more pairs of oppositely disposed nubs 18 which are adapted to overlie and retain the periphery 19 of the lid 12 when it is positioned within recess 17. (Only one such nub 18 is shown in the drawings at
Both the cup 11 and the lid 12 are preferably formed of thin wall flexible plastic materials thus enabling the lid 12 to be bent and flexed in placing it in recess 17 beneath cup nubs 18 and to likewise flex when the lid 12 is snapped out of the recess 17 for use in covering the open top 15 of the cup.
If desired a tab 20 may be affixed to or be integral with the lid 12 to facilitate removing the lid from the cup wall recess 17.
Also, if desired the combination may include a flexible tether 21 providing a connection between the lid and the cup. The tether 21 prevents the lid from flying free when it is pulled from the recess 17 in the cup wall 13.
From the foregoing it should be apparent that with the cup lid 12 nestled within the recess 17 of the cup wall 13 the cup and lid can be nested within another like cup/lid combination for stacked storage and dispensing.
In another embodiment, the recess 17 can include a lip, similar to lip 16 for retaining the lid 12. In this embodiment, instead of being nestled within recess 17, the lid 12 is snap fit onto the lip within recess 17, just as it is typically snap fit onto lip 16 when in use. In this embodiment, the cups are still nestable because the lip is located within recess 17. In use, the lid 12 is removed from the lip in recess 17 and is then placed on lip 16. In yet another embodiment, recess 17 can be omitted, and a lip for retaining lid 12 can be formed on the side wall 13 of cup 11.
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment, cup 40 includes flexible tether 42 and band 44. The band 44 extends around the cup 40 preferably just under lip 16. The band 44, tether 42 and lid 12 together form a top for the cup 40. As shown in
In an alternative embodiment, the band 44 is seated in a shallow channel that is formed in the side wall 13 of the cup 40. In a preferred embodiment, the channel can be omitted.
As is best shown in
This convex/concave shape substantially corresponds to that of top 15 of cup 40 Therefore, the top 15 of cup 40 and lip 16 are preferably shaped in a non-flat or convex/concave shaped manner to accommodate the shape of lid 12 after storage. In an alternative embodiment, the lid 12 can have a convex/concave shape when manufactured. In this embodiment, the lid 12 and top 15 of cup 40 are both shaped so as to fit one another before the lid 12 is placed in the storage position (as described below).
In use, lid 12 is moved between a storage position 60 and a use position 62. As shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the band 44 is disposable. In this embodiment, after removing cup 40 from the stack, the user tears the tether 42, thereby separating the band 44 from the lid 12 and then places the lid 12 on the cup 40 in the use position 62. After the lid 12 is separated from the band 44, the band 44 can then be disposed of.
In yet another embodiment, the lid 12 can be stored inside cup 40. In use, the lid 12 is moved between a storage position, a filling position and a use position. It will be understood that the filling position is any position where the lid 12 is out of the cup 40 and not in the way when the cup 40 is being filled.
Preferably, the lid 12, band 44 and tether 42 are formed of a unitary piece of material. In an alternative embodiment, the lid 12, band 44 and tether 42 are formed of separate pieces that are attached to one another. Furthermore, the lid 12, band 44 and the tether 42 are preferably formed of thin wall flexible plastic materials thus enabling the lid 12 and tether to be bent and flexed when the lid is moved from the storage position to the use position. Also, the thin wall flexible plastic material allows for easy tearing of the tether in the embodiment where the band 44 is disposable. In another embodiment, where the band 44 is omitted, the lid 12, tether 42 and cup 40 are formed of a unitary piece of material.
A third preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in
As can be seen in
In this embodiment, the tether 42 can be tearable or not. However, in the event that the tether 42 is torn, because the band 44 is secured around the lip 16, the tether 42 is not disposable as it is in the embodiment described above.
In use, the cups 40 come in a stack with the top 70 secured to the lip 16 of the cup. The lid 12 is in the open or storage position, so that the cups 40 can all fit in one another. A user pulls a cup 40 from the stack, fills the cup 40 and closes the lid 12, thus placing the lid 12 in the use position. This method is advantageous for both the user and the establishment selling the cup and/or drink. The user does not have to take a cup from one stack and a lid from a separate stack. Moreover, because the lid is already attached to the cup, there is little chance of lids being wasted. In other words, the user will not pull two lids accidentally from a stack and drop one on the floor. The user saves time and the establishment saves money and inventory.
As is best shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the flange 90 extends from raised portion 82 in such a manner that it is flush with the outer surface of raised portion 82. Such an arrangement allows for multiple cups 40 to be stacked with the lid 12 disposed in the slot portion 80, if so desired.
To store the lid 12, the lid 12 is flexed appropriately (so that it mimics the shape of the outer surface of side wall 13), and then inserted through mouth 88 under flange 90 and is slid into position in slot portion 80 and recess 17.
In use, the cups can come stacked with the lid 12 attached to a tether 42 and band 44 or in a stack with the lid 12 disposed in slot portion 80. If the lid 12 is attached to the tether, a user pulls a cup 40 from the stack, takes the band 44 off of the cup 44, tears the tether 42, discards the band 44, and then can either place the lid 12 on top of the cup 44 or can slide the lid 12 into the slot portion 80 for storage while filling or drinking from the cup. If the lid is already stored in the slot portion 80, the user pulls a cup 40 from the stack, slides the lid 12 out of slot portion 80 (through mouth 88), fills the cup 40 (these steps can be reversed) and places the lid on the lip 16 of the cup. This method is advantageous for both the user and the establishment selling the cup and/or drink. The user does not have to take a cup from one stack and a lid from a separate stack. Moreover, because the lid is already disposed in the slot portion of the cup, there is little chance of lids being wasted. In other words, the user will not pull two lids accidentally from a stack and drop one on the floor. The user saves time and the establishment saves money and inventory.
In an alternative embodiment, the slot portion can be defined in the side wall on the inside of cup. In another embodiment the slot portion can extend from the bottom of the cup to the top of the cup, thereby providing the capability of sliding the lid in from the top or the bottom. In another embodiment, the slot portion can extend horizontally. In another embodiment the mouth of the slot portion can be at the top of the cup. In another embodiment, the flange can extend over the slot portion, thereby covering the lid when it is in its storage position.
A fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in
As is best shown in
With reference to
As can be seen
In an alternative embodiment, the knobs 104 can be omitted and the wide portion 112 can include knobs or the like into which the pegs 110 can be snap fit.
A fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in
As is best shown in
With reference to
As is shown in
As can be seen
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other temporary connections between the cup and lid are within the scope of the present invention. Any connection that includes a connector extending from the lid and a recess in the cup or vice versa is within the scope of the invention. For example, VELCRO™, buttons, other snap fit connections or the like are possible.
In a preferred embodiment, the band 144 is snap fit onto the cup 10 from the bottom. This works particularly with paper paper or plastic cups that have a rolled lip 16, such as that shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the band 144 is disposable. In use, the cups 40 come in a stack with the lid assembly 140 secured to the lip 16 of the cups 10. The lid 12 extends outwardly, as shown in
Preferably, the lid 12, band 144 and tether 142 are formed of a unitary piece of material. In an alternative embodiment, the lid 12, band 144 and tether 142 are formed of separate pieces that are attached to one another. Furthermore, the lid 12, band 144 and the tether 142 are preferably formed of thin wall flexible plastic materials thus enabling the lid 12 and tether to be bent and flexed. Also, the thin wall flexible plastic material allows for easy tearing of the tether.
The embodiments described above are exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses of, and departures from, the above-described embodiments without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Accordingly, the present invention is to be defined solely by the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 11544268 | Oct 2006 | US |
Child | 11929582 | Oct 2007 | US |
Parent | 11442020 | May 2006 | US |
Child | 11544268 | Oct 2006 | US |
Parent | 11297959 | Dec 2005 | US |
Child | 11442020 | May 2006 | US |
Parent | 10763520 | Jan 2004 | US |
Child | 11297959 | Dec 2005 | US |