Embodiments described generally relate to disposable cup lids, and more particularly, to a disposable cup lid having a reclosable, slideable drink opening cover.
In general, a disposable cup lid is secured over a disposable cup to limit heat transfer of its contents (e.g. beverage) as well as to minimize spillage of the contents out of the cup. The lid typically has a preformed opening that allows a user to drink the beverage without having to remove the lid from the cup. Nonetheless, the contents may spill out of the lid opening if the cup is bumped or overturned.
A variety of lids are used to minimize spillage. Some conventional lids have a separate piece or component to cover the drink opening when the user is not drinking the beverage. In some lids, the separate piece is sized and shaped to fit within the drink opening as serves as a plug. Other lids have used a resealable flap that is secured at one end to the lid body and have a second end that may be either pushed into the drink opening. Other lids have used a removable plug or flap that may be removed entirely from the lid to access the drink opening. Other types of lids have employed a slideable cover that the user moves to provide access to the drink opening.
One difficulty in designing cup lids to minimize spillage is the ability to stack lids one on top of another during manufacture, storage, display, and point of use. Another difficulty in designing cup lids to minimize spillage is the ability to stack and carry two or more assembled cups and lids on top of one another, with enough stability and confidence as not to drop the stack on the floor.
There is still a need, therefore, for a disposable and reclosable cup lid that protects the user against spillage and provides ease of stackability and/or portability when the user has more than one beverage cup to carry.
Reclosable cup lids are provided herein. In at least one specific embodiment, the reclosable cup lid includes a rim portion defining an outer perimeter; a sidewall that extends upwardly from the rim portion; an upper surface that slopes from a first end thereof to a second end thereof; a cavity disposed within the sidewall and above the upper surface; a drink aperture disposed within the cavity and formed through at least a portion of the upper surface to allow fluid flow therethrough; and a slideable tab at least partially disposed within the cavity, wherein the cavity has at least two opposing sides that are generally straight, providing a track for the slideable tab.
In at least one other specific embodiment, the reclosable cup lid can include a rim portion defining an outer perimeter; a sidewall that extends upwardly from the rim portion; an upper surface disposed within the sidewall that slopes from a first end thereof to a second end thereof; a cavity disposed within the sidewall and above the upper surface, the cavity having at least two opposing sides that are generally straight and generally parallel; a drink aperture disposed within the cavity and formed through at least a portion of the upper surface to allow fluid flow therethrough; a slideable tab at least partially disposed within the cavity, the slideable tab having at least two generally straight and generally parallel sides, wherein the at least two opposing sides of the cavity that are generally straight and generally parallel provide a track for the slideable tab to move across; and a shoulder disposed within an inner portion of the sidewall and proximate the generally straight and generally parallel sides of the cavity, wherein the sidewall entirely surrounds the upper surface and includes a generally flat top portion.
In at least one other specific embodiment, the reclosable cup lid can include a rim portion defining an outer perimeter; a sidewall that extends upwardly from the rim portion; an upper surface disposed within the sidewall that slopes from a first end thereof to a second end thereof, wherein the sidewall entirely surrounds the upper surface; a cavity disposed within the sidewall and above the upper surface, the cavity having at least two opposing sides that are generally straight and generally parallel; a drink aperture disposed within the cavity and formed through at least a portion of the upper surface to allow fluid flow therethrough; a slideable tab at least partially disposed within the cavity, the slideable tab having at least two generally straight and generally parallel sides, wherein the at least two opposing sides of the cavity that are generally straight and generally parallel provide a track for the slideable tab; a shoulder disposed within an inner portion of the sidewall and proximate the generally straight and generally parallel sides of the cavity; and three or more positioning members disposed on a generally flat top surface of the sidewall, wherein the positioning members are arranged to provide engagement with a circular profile of a cup bottom.
The sidewall 116 can have an outer portion 114, a top portion 117, and an inner portion 118. The outer portion 114 of the sidewall 116 is generally round and can extend upwardly from the rim portion 150. The outer portion 114 of the sidewall 116 can transition to the top portion 117 using one or more transitions. Such one or more transitions can be curved, squared or have any other suitable shape or profile, or combinations thereof.
The top portion 117 of the sidewall 116 provides the uppermost surface of the lid 100. The top portion 117 can be a generally flat or planar surface. The top portion 117 of the sidewall 116 also can be generally horizontal. The top portion 117 of the sidewall 116 can provide a flat surface or platform for a cup (not shown) to be placed and supported thereon.
The top portion 117 of the sidewall 116 can transition to the inner portion 118 using one or more transitions. Such one or more transitions can be curved, squared or have any other shape or profile, or combinations thereof. The inner portion 118 of the sidewall 116 can surround the drink aperture 108. The inner portion 118 of the sidewall 116 also can define or otherwise provide a channel or cavity 160, which can be centrally located within the lid 100 as depicted in
As depicted in
To facilitate the movement of the slideable tab 102, the two opposing sides 124, 134 that are generally straight can be configured to provide slide tracks. The slideable tab 102 can be configured to slide or otherwise move back and forth linearly, in a straight line. All or any portion of the cross section of the sides 124, 134 can be S-shaped, C-shaped or any other suitable curved, non-straight profile including profiles similar to an S-shape, such as in the shape of the number 5. All or any portion of the cross section of the slideable tab 102 also can be profiled to match or otherwise correspond to the profile of the opposing sides 124, 134 of the channel or cavity 160, as explained in more detail below with reference to
A lower portion 308 of the slideable tab 102 can be curved or bulbous, as depicted in
A shoulder 140 can be formed between cavity 160 and the inner portion 118 of the sidewall 116. The shoulder 140 can be a generally planar or otherwise flat surface adjacent surrounding one or more sides of the cavity 160. In
The slideable tab 102 can include a lip or overhang 104 configured to rest on or sit above the shoulder 140. If present, the overhang 104 can be formed on all four sides 126, 128, 136, 138 of the slideable tab 102, or at least along the two generally parallel sides 126, 136. The overhang 104 can be generally flat or planar on both its upper and lower sides. The width of the overhang 104 can correspond to the width of the shoulder 140, which provides an additional sliding surface for the slideable tab 102.
In certain embodiments, the shoulder 140 or the top portion 117 of the sidewall 116 or both can be sloped like the upper surface 106 of the lid 100. The shoulder 140 or the top portion 117 of the sidewall 116 or both can have the same degree of slope as the upper surface 106, or each can be different. The suitable degree of slope can contribute to maintaining a seal of the drink aperture 108 with the slideable tab 102 positioned over the drink aperture 108. For example, the degree of slope of the shoulder 140 can be more or less than the degree of slope of the upper surface 106 of the lid 100. In some embodiments, the degree of slope of the top portion 117 of the sidewall 116 can be more or less than the degree of slope of the upper surface 106 of the lid and/or the shoulder 140. The differences in degree of slope can range anywhere from plus or minus 1° to plus or minus 10°, such as plus or minus 7°, 5°, or 3°.
Referring again to
The drink aperture 108 can be disposed on the upper surface 106, and can be located proximate the front end 122 of the channel 160. The drink aperture 108 can allow fluid within the cup to flow therethrough, and can be formed through at least a portion of the upper surface 106 of the lid 100. The drink aperture 108 can have a variety of shapes, including, but not limited to, circular, elliptical, a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a square, a rectangle, or a trapezoid, or any combination thereof. The size or area of the drink aperture 108 can be any suitable size, and may be about 10 mm2, about 25 mm2, about 50 mm2, about 75 mm2, or about 100 mm2 to about 125 mm2, about 150 mm2, about 175 mm2, about 200 mm2, or more. For example, the size of the drink aperture 108 can be about 25 mm2 to about 75 mm2, about 50 mm2 to about 100 mm2, about 75 mm2 to about 125 mm2, about 100 mm2 to about 150 mm2, about 125 mm2 to about 175 mm2, about 150 mm2 to about 200 mm2, or about 50 mm2 to about 200 mm2.
Referring again to
Any suitable number of positioning members 120 can be used. The number of positioning members 120, for example, can range from 1 to 20, 2 to 18, 4 to 16, 6 to 14, 8 to 12, or from 4 to 6. The positioning members 120 also can be a variety of shapes, including, but not limited to, teardrop, rectangular, square, circular, curvilinear, arched, oval, or any combination thereof.
Referring again to
The lid 100 can be manufactured by a variety of techniques, including thermoforming. However, forming techniques other than thermoforming can also be used to manufacture the lid 100, including, but not limited to variations such as pre-softening an extruded sheet to temperatures below the final melting temperature, cutting flat sections (i.e. blanks) from the sheet, and the transfer of blanks by gravity or mechanical means into matched molds whereby the blanks are shaped into an article by heat and pressure. Moreover, other alternate arrangements can be used, including, but not limited to the use of drape, vacuum, pressure, free blowing, matched die, billow drape, vacuum snap-back, billow vacuum, plug assist vacuum, reverse draw with plug assist, pressure bubble immersion, trapped sheet, slip diaphragm, twin-sheet cut sheet, twin-sheet rolled forming, and any suitable combinations thereof.
The lid 100 can be made from one or more polymeric or plastic materials, including one or more polyolefins, such as polyethylenes, polypropylenes, and mixtures thereof, polyesters, polyamides, polystyrenes, polyacrylates, polysulfones, polyetherketones, polycarbonates, acrylics, polyphenylene sulfides, acetyls, cellulosics, polyether imides, polyphenylene ethers/oxides, styrene maleic anhydride copolymers, styrene acrylonitrile copolymers, polyvinyl chlorides, and engineered resin derivatives thereof.
The reclosable lid 100 can be generally round in shape, and can have any suitable diameter, for example, from a low of about 3.1 inches, 3.15 inches, 3.2 inches, 3.25 inches, 3.3 inches, 3.35 inches, or 3.4 inches to a high of 3.45 inches, 3.75 inches. 3.85 inches, 3.95 inches, 4.05 inches, 4.15 inches, or 4.25 inches. For example, the diameter of the reclosable lid 100 can range from about 3.1 inches to 4.25 inches, 3.1 inches to 3.7 inches, 3.2 inches to 3.65 inches, 3.25 inches to 3.6 inches, 3.3 inches to 3.55 inches, 3.35 inches to 3.5 inches, or 3.4 inches to 3.45 inches.
Certain embodiments and features have been described using a set of numerical upper limits and a set of numerical lower limits. It should be appreciated that ranges including the combination of any two values, e.g., the combination of any lower value with any upper value, the combination of any two lower values, and/or the combination of any two upper values are contemplated unless otherwise indicated. Certain lower limits, upper limits and ranges appear in one or more claims below. All numerical values are “about” or “approximately” the indicated value, and take into account experimental error and variations that would be expected by a person having ordinary skill in the art.
Various terms have been defined above. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined above, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in at least one printed publication or issued patent. Furthermore, all patents, test procedures, and other documents cited in this application are fully incorporated by reference to the extent such disclosure is not inconsistent with this application and for all jurisdictions in which such incorporation is permitted.
While the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.