Patent Application
20200339313
The present invention relates to beverage cups and more particularly, relates to a plug member for plugging a sipping hole of a lid that covers the beverage cup, with the plug member preferably being disposable and formed of an environmentally friendly (eco-friendly) material.
There are many different types of beverages and there are equally many different types of beverage containers. With respect to soft drinks and similar type of beverages, these types of beverages often come in glass or plastic bottles and are covered with caps. One of the most popular beverage is coffee or tea and when purchased at retail locations, these beverages are typically supplied in a paper or plastic (Styrofoam) container and are covered with a lid. The lid is typically formed of a plastic material and has a drinking opening (spout) and is snap-fittingly attached to the open end of the container.
In some lid designs, the drinking or sipping opening is formed in a raised spout or can be in the form of an opening formed in a raised portion (e.g., annular shaped raised portion of the lid).
Often times, these beverages are consumed on the go, such as when driving in a car, and therefore are susceptible to spillage through the drinking (sipping) opening. In an effort to combat such spillage of a potentially hazardous hot fluid, some lids include a flap or pull tab that is first separated from the surrounding section of the lid to expose the drinking opening and then can be flipped back over to plug the drinking opening (mouth hole) to keep the beverage from splashing out. The flap can be formed as a perforated structure that makes it easy to separate the flap from the surrounding lid structure.
Other beverage suppliers have designed splash sticks that are inserted into the drinking (sipping) opening for plugging this opening. Unfortunately, such splash sticks are not formed of environmentally friendly materials since they are formed of plastic and thus, represent an additional waste product. Thus, while disposable coffee cups are typically paper-based cups, they are usually lined with a membrane of polyethylene (plastic) to make them waterproof, and thus, are technically not recyclable alongside paper or cardboard, or biodegradable. There are many hybrid varieties of coffee cup on the market including wax-coated cups (like milk cartons) and ‘biodegradable’ cups.
In any event, there is a movement for manufacturers to offer more environmentally friendly products, including disposable beverage containers (cups). The present invention addresses this need.
In one embodiment, a plug member for plugging a sipping hole formed in a lid is provided. The plug member includes an elongated strip having a first end, an opposite second end, an inner surface and an opposite outer surface. The first end for attachment to a support structure and the second end having a protruding stopper formed along and protruding from the inner surface and configured to sealingly plug the sipping hole. The elongated strip has at least one fold line that partitions the elongated strip into a plurality of segments.
In one embodiment, a sleeve for placement about a beverage cup is provided. The sleeve includes a sleeve body and a plug member for plugging a sipping hole formed in a lid for placement on the beverage cup. The plug member includes an elongated strip having a first end, an opposite second end, an inner surface and an opposite outer surface. The first end is attached to an outer surface of the sleeve and the second end has a protruding stopper formed along and protruding from the inner surface and configured to sealingly plug the sipping hole. The elongated strip has at least one fold line that partitions the elongated strip into a plurality of segments.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a beverage cup that includes a cup body having an open top end and a lid for attachment to the open top end. The lid has a sipping hole formed therein. A sleeve is optionally disposed about the cup body. A plug member is provided for plugging the sipping hole formed in the lid.
The plug member includes an elongated strip having a first end, an opposite second end, an inner surface and an opposite outer surface. The first end is attached to an outer surface of the cup body or an outer surface of the sleeve. The second end has a protruding stopper formed along and protruding from the inner surface and configured to sealingly plug the sipping hole. The elongated strip has at least one fold line that partitions the elongated strip into a plurality of segments and permits the plug member to move between a collapsed state for storing the plug member along the cup body or sleeve and an extended state to permit the stopper to sealingly plug the sipping hole.
The cup 110 is a hollow receptacle with a closed bottom end and an open top end. As mentioned herein, the cup 110 typically comprises a paper-based cup and is usually lined with a membrane of polyethylene (plastic) to make them waterproof. The open top end includes a top rim or lip 120 to which the lid 200 engages for securely holding the lid 200 on the cup 110.
The lid 200 includes a top portion 210 and a side wall 220 that depends downwardly from the top portion 210. The top portion 210 can include a stepped construction in that a center section 212 thereof can be recessed relative to an annular shaped peripheral portion 214 (which can define the topmost surface of the lid). Within the annular shaped peripheral portion 214, a sipping hole 230 is formed. The sipping hole 230 can take any number of different shapes; however, typically, the sipping hole 230 has an oval or oblong shape.
Optionally, the beverage container 100 can include a cup sleeve 300. As is known, (coffee) cup sleeves 300 (cup holders) are generally cylindrical sleeves that fit tightly over handle-less paper coffee cups 110 to insulate the drinker's hands from hot coffee. Cup sleeves 300 are typically made of textured paperboard, but can be made of other materials. The cup sleeve 300 is inserted over the closed bottom end of the cup 110 and is moved along the outside of the cup 110 to a location which is a natural hand gripping location for holding the cup 110 and where a snug-fit is achieved between the sleeve and cup.
In accordance with the present invention, a plug member (plug accessory) 400 is provided and is configured to selectively plug the sipping hole 230 when the plug member 400 is placed in a position in which at least a portion of the plug member 400 is at least partially inserted into the sipping hole 230. The plug member 400 is designed to be easily inserted into the sipping hole 230 for plugging thereof as when the beverage container 100 is being transported or otherwise not drunk and likewise can be easily removed from the sipping hole 230 so as to open up the sipping hole 230 and permit free drinking of the beverage from the cup 110.
In one embodiment, the plug member 400 is at least temporarily or permanently fixed to a support structure, such as the sleeve 300 or the cup 110 itself as described herein. More specifically,
The plug member 400 is preferably formed of an environmentally friendly material, such as paper, that is biodegradable.
As shown in
The first end 404 is the end which is attached to the sleeve 300 or the cup 110. In
The stopper 410 thus has a complementary shape relative to the sipping hole 230 and therefore, in one embodiment, the stopper 410 can have an oval or oblong shape. The stopper 410 can be formed of the same material as the elongated strip or can be formed of a different material; however, as mentioned herein, both the elongated strip and stopper 410 are preferably formed of an eco-friendly material, such as a paper-based material.
In the illustrated embodiment, the plug member 400 is a foldable structure in that the elongated strip can have a first fold line 401 and a second fold line 403 as shown in
In order to maintain the plug member 400 in the collapsed state, there are a plurality of defined attachment points at which the elongated strip is at least temporarily held and permanently attached to the support structure. In particular, there is a first attachment point 460 at or near the first end 404 for attaching the proximal segment 450 to the sleeve or the cup itself or other support structure. The first attachment point 460 is of a permanent nature and thus can be formed of a permanent adhesive or similar material. The plug member 400 is not intended to be separated from the support structure (e.g., sleeve or cup) at the first attachment point 460 and thus, a permanent attachment is provided.
For example, a dab of permanent glue (or other permanent bonding adhesive) can be provided at the first attachment point 460 for permanently attaching the proximal end (first end 404) of the strip body to the support structure. Other techniques, such as heat bonding, can be used.
In one embodiment, the plug member 400 also includes a second attachment point 462. In the event that the fold lines 401, 403 are positioned such that the length of the distal segment 430 is greater than the length of the other segments, when the strip body 402 is folded about the fold lines 401, 403, the second end 406 of the strip body 402 overhangs both the intermediate segment 440 and the proximal segment 450 (which overlie with one another) and thus the inner surface of the distal segment 430 at the second (distal) end 406 can include the second attachment point 462 which permits a temporary attachment between the distal segment 430 and the support structure (e.g., the sleeve 300 or the cup itself).
For example, a dab of repositionable (temporary) glue (or other non-permanent bonding adhesive) can be provided at the second attachment point 462 for temporarily attaching the distal segment 430 of the strip body to the support structure (sleeve 300 or the cup).
The permanent first attachment point 460 and the temporary attachment point 462 permit the plug member 400 to be maintained in its folded (collapsed) state. At the temporary attachment point 462, a temporary adhesive (also known as a repositionable adhesive) can be used. One type of temporary adhesive is a pressure sensitive acrylate (PSA). As described herein, the temporary adhesive allows the user to easily detach the plug member 400 and then move it from the collapsed state to the fully extended state to allow insertion of the stopper 410 into the sipping hole.
Optionally, there can be a third attachment point 464 as in
The first attachment point 460 is the strongest attachment since this is the location at which the plug member 400 is attached to the sleeve 300 or the cup itself and must be robust enough so that the plug member 400 does not inadvertently come off during the detachment and use of the plug member 400. The other attachment points 462, 464 are weaker so that the strip body 402 separates easily from the support structure (sleeve or cup) and extends up to the lid to plug the sipping hole of the lid. The strip body 402 can also be unplugged from the lid and reattached to the support structure (sleeve or cup) by folding it back onto the weaker glue points (attachment points 462, 464) if the user wants the plug member 400 out of the way and/or wishes to reuse the plug member 400 at a later time.
In the event that the distal segment 430 does not overhang the intermediate segment 440 and proximal segment 450, then another attachment scheme can be provided as shown in
The third attachment point 464 can be located along the inner surface of the strip body 402 within the distal segment 430 or along the inner surface within the intermediate segment 440. The third attachment point 464 is intended to temporarily attach the distal segment 430 and the intermediate segment 440.
Both the second and third attachment points 462, 464 can be formed of a dab of temporary adhesive to allow the user to easily pull the plug member 400 away from the support structure (sleeve 300 or cup) and move from the collapsed state to the extended state and then once the stopper 410 is removed from the sipping hole, the strip body 402 is folded again about the two fold lines and is attached at the second and third attachments points 462, 464.
The adhesive can also be an environmental (eco) friendly adhesive material. Popular, eco-friendly adhesives, include but are not limited to the following materials: (1) solvent-free water based adhesives with low VOC; (2) solvent-free hot melt adhesives with low VOC; (3) naturally derived adhesives (Dextrins and other starch based glues); and (4) low viscosity adhesives that are curable by UV.
The repositionable nature of the second and third attachment points 462, 464 allows the plug member 400 to be repeatedly moved between the collapsed state and the fully extended state, thereby allowing the plug member 400 to be used multiple times. Typically, during consumption of the beverage, the user may need to plug and unplug the sipping hole more than once during the consumption. It may be that after consumption of the beverage, the plug member 400 is discarded since it is part of the disposable sleeve 300 or part of the disposable cup to which the plug member 400 is permanently attached.
It the event that the plug member 400 is attached to the sleeve 300 and the sleeve 300 is reused, the plug member 400 can thus also be reused.
In the collapsed state, the strip body 402 is folded about the single fold line 419 and the exposed temporary adhesive at the temporary attachment point 469 is brought toward and into contact with the support structure (sleeve or cup) to attach the second segment.
In the collapsed state, the fold line 419 lies below the permanent attachment point 460, while the temporary attachment point 469 is located above the permanent attachment point 460. Given the location of the fold line 419 relative to the permanent attachment point 460, the strip body can easily be extended and has sufficient length so as to allow the stopper 410 to be inserted into the sipping hole 230.
An additional temporary attachment point can be provided along the outer surface of the first segment between point 460 and the fold line 419 to temporarily attach the first segment to the sleeve 300.
In one aspect, the present invention can be embodied as a disposable beverage cup cardboard heat sleeve that has a plug member which can be in the form of a strip of paper type material which up to plug the sipping (drinking) hole formed in the lid so that it becomes splash proof while keeping the liquid in the cup warmer. The strip can be formed of cardboard, paper or some other type of rigid material that is attached (e.g., glued) to the heat sleeve (often formed of cardboard), while the other end is extended and inserted into the sipping hole to effectively plug the sipping hole with a plug or stopper. The strip can be folded onto itself which allows it to have a compact collapsed state and allows it to be opened and extend a distance to reach the lids of different sized cups, such as small, medium and large cups. The stopper can be formed with a low profile so that the same number of sleeves can be packed and shipped in a box as before. Unlike conventional solutions, which are not eco-friendly, the present solution is eco-friendly and can be formed of a biodegradable material.
It will also be appreciated that the pull tab 420 can comprise a reinforced structure relative to the other portions of the strip body 402. For example, the pull tab 420 can have a greater thickness than the adjacent portion and rest of the strip body 402 to provide a more robust end of the plug member 400 for the user to pull and detach the plug member 400 from the support structure (sleeve or cup body). Alternatively, the pull tab region can be coated so as to provide a more robust end.
Also, indicia can be provided along the plug member 400, such as the pull tab region, to guide the user on where to pull the plug member 400.
Another embodiment, not shown in the drawings, the plug member includes a tubular arm which is attached to the cardboard heat sleeve 300 or body of the cup and then telescopes from a collapsed position to an extended position where it can be plugged in to the sipping opening 230 in the lid. Further, the plug stopper portion 410, of the telescoping arm, can be detached from the drinking opening and re-collapsed back down to the starting position on the cardboard heat sleeve 300 or cup body. Telescoping structures are known in the art and generally consist of a plurality of segments that fit within one another and remain coupled to one another in all states.
Notably, the figures and examples above are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention to a single embodiment, as other embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the present invention can be partially or fully implemented using known components, only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present invention are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the invention. In the present specification, an embodiment showing a singular component should not necessarily be limited to other embodiments including a plurality of the same component, and vice-versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise herein. Moreover, applicants do not intend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such. Further, the present invention encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the relevant art(s) (including the contents of the documents cited and incorporated by reference herein), readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance presented herein, in combination with the knowledge of one skilled in the relevant art(s).
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail could be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/838,534, filed Apr. 25, 2019, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein as if expressly set forth in its respective entirety herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62838534 | Apr 2019 | US |
