EP0228867B1 - Kunststoffbecher - Google Patents

Kunststoffbecher Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0228867B1
EP0228867B1 EP86309864A EP86309864A EP0228867B1 EP 0228867 B1 EP0228867 B1 EP 0228867B1 EP 86309864 A EP86309864 A EP 86309864A EP 86309864 A EP86309864 A EP 86309864A EP 0228867 B1 EP0228867 B1 EP 0228867B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cup
conical surface
cups
upwardly
side wall
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP86309864A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0228867A1 (de
Inventor
Robert Henry Day
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lin Pac Plastics International Ltd
Original Assignee
Lin Pac Plastics International Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lin Pac Plastics International Ltd filed Critical Lin Pac Plastics International Ltd
Priority to AT86309864T priority Critical patent/ATE54111T1/de
Publication of EP0228867A1 publication Critical patent/EP0228867A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0228867B1 publication Critical patent/EP0228867B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
    • B65D1/22—Boxes or like containers with side walls of substantial depth for enclosing contents
    • B65D1/26—Thin-walled containers, e.g. formed by deep-drawing operations
    • B65D1/265—Drinking cups

Definitions

  • This invention relates to plastics cups which are intended to be used once only and, particularly to such cups known as ingredient cups.
  • a stack of such cups includes the ingredients to form a beverage loaded into spaces between adjacent cups of the stack so that, in the preparation of a beverage, the lowermost cup is simply released from the stack and filled with water to produce a cup of beverage.
  • GB-A-2044076 which also discloses a thin walled plastics cup having a pair of frusto-conical surfaces which cooperate to provide a seal in the same way as in GB-A-1524304.
  • this example of a cup instead of cooperating formations located immediately beneath the frustoconical sealing surfaces this example of a cup includes opposed shoulders located towards the top of the cup which abut when one cup is nested inside another. The tension in the side walls between the upper shoulders and the lower frustoconical sealing surfaces holds the two lower frustoconical sealing surfaces into sealing engagement.
  • a thin walled disposable plastics cup comprises a base, and a side wall comprising a first upwardly facing inwardly and upwardly tapering external conical surface adjacent the base, a second downwardly facing correspondingly inwardly and upwardly tapering internal conical surface located above the first surface, and cooperating means at least one of which is resilient, which are located beneath the second conical surface and which when two cups are nested together cooperate resiliently to urge the first conical surface of the upper cup into sealing engagement with the second conical surface of the lower cup and so provide an isolated sealed space between the cups for holding ingredients to produce a beverage, an upper part of the side wall also including a downwardly facing externally projecting shoulder and, above this, an upwardly facing internally projecting shoulder, the distance between the first conical surface and the downwardly facing shoulder being greater than that between the second conical surface and the upwardly facing shoulder so that, when two cups are nested together with their first and second conical surfaces held in sealing engagement, the upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders are out of engagement but when the cups
  • the resilient means comprise a third inwardly and downwardly tapering conical surface, and a projecting shoulder located beneath the second conical surface which in adjacent cups of a stack engage with one another below the co-operating first and second sealing surfaces.
  • the projecting shoulder engages the conical surface and the inherent resilience of one or both of them provides compressive spring forces which urge together the first and second conical surfaces to form an effective sealing engagement between them. Not only this but these compressive spring forces also tend to absorb moderate transient end loads applied to a stack of such cups and this acts to prevent telescoping of adjacent cups in the stack. If a large axial load is applied to the stack the internally and externally projecting shoulders in the upper part of the side walls engage to prevent telescoping and protect the resilient means from excessive loading and consequent damage. Thus, as soon as the end load is removed the seal is restored and the quality of the seal is maintained even after the stack of cups is subjected to a large, transient axial shock.
  • plastic cup A further earlier example of plastic cup that we have proposed is disclosed in GB A 1599396.
  • This type of plastic cup does bear a superficial resemblance to the present invention but neither operates in the same fashion nor is as effective.
  • This specification describes a thick-walled cup made of a foamed plastics material which has structural properties and compressive behaviour which is markedly different from that of the thin walled plastic cups which are the subject of the present invention.
  • the cup includes an outwardly projecting annular rib formed around the base of each cup and a corresponding groove formed around the inside of the cup above its base so that, in use, the outwardly projecting rib formed around the outside of an uppermost cup is received by the groove of a lower cup.
  • the wall thickness of the side wall of the cup immediately below the groove is increased from that immediately above the groove to provide a step which resists any tendency for the cups of the stack to telescope when subjected to an axial load.
  • two cylindrical surfaces of substantially the same diameter are provided, one on the inside towards the upper part of the cup and one, on the outside below this. These two cylindrical surfaces cooperate to prevent any tilting of the cups of the stack relative to one another and, whilst both of these cylindrical surfaces terminate in a shoulder these shoulders are held permanently out of contact with one another and play no part in preventing axial compression of the stack of cups.
  • the internally projecting shoulder or the downwardly tapering conical surface is circumferentially discontinuous. This provides greater circumferential flexibility to the cup so enabling it to be demoulded more easily during its manufacture.
  • one of the upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders are also formed so that they are circumferentially discontinuous. Again this facilitates demoulding of the cup during production.
  • the projecting shoulder may be formed as an external shoulder at the join between the base and the side wall and, in this case, the downwardly tapering conical surface is an internal surface located between the first and second sealing surfaces.
  • the projecting shoulder is formed as an internally projecting shoulder located between the first and second sealing surfaces.
  • the downwardly tapering conical surface is a downwardly facing external surface located between the base and the first sealing surface.
  • the side wall of the cup is corrugated in the axial direction which both stiffens radially the side wall and also provides means to enable the cup to be gripped more easily by the fingers of the user, particularly when the cup is filled with hot beverage.
  • the cup is made by a conventional thermoforming process and the material distribution is arranged so that the upper part of the cup which includes both the upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders as well as the circumferentially extending corrugation to provide the finger gripping means has a greater wall thickness than the lower portion of the cup including the first and second conical sealing surfaces and the resilient means.
  • This provides a cup which feels more solid to the user and which has the greatest wall thickness and hence strength around its anti-telescoping features, the upwardly and downwardly facing shoulders, whilst, at the same time enables less material to be used in the lower part of the cup. Firstly this saves on material and secondly, by using thinner material provides the inherent resilience required to produce the compressive spring forces. This also helps produce much wider production tolerances since, in production it is much easier to produce cups having a thicker upper sidewall and a thinner lower side wall and base than to achieve, for example, a uniform material distribution or a thicker base.
  • the first example of cup comprises a base 1 and side wall 2 with a rolled top rim 3.
  • the side wall 2 includes three circumferentially extending corrugations 4 to provide a finger gripping portion.
  • a continuous downwardly facing external shoulder 5 is located towards the top of the side wall 2 and an internally projecting upwardly facing shoulder 6 which is discontinuous in the circumferential direction is located above the shoulder 5.
  • a generally downwardly facing frustoconical surface 7 making an included angle of approximately 135° with the base 1 of the cup.
  • a generally upwardly facing frustoconical surface 8 which subtends an angle of approximately 45° with the base 1.
  • An internally projecting upwardly facing shoulder 10 which, in this example, is circumferentially discontinuous is located above the portion 9.
  • a generally downwardly facing frustoconical surface 11 which is inclined at a corresponding angle to the surface 8 is located above the shoulder 10.
  • a generally upwardly facing internal conical shoulder 12 is located above the shoulder 11 and the junction between the surfaces 11 and 12 includes a number of circumferentially extending corrugations 13.
  • the cups are loosely stacked together and are held in the configuration shown in Figure 5 with the external conical surface 7 resting on the internal conical surface 12. In this condition the cups are not locked together. Cups are then individually separated from the stack and filled with ingredients to form a beverage. After this, the cups are again nested together only, this time, after initially adopting the configuration shown in Figure 5 the cups are then subjected to a further end loading which causes the side wall 2 to bow and the surfaces 7 and 12 to ride over one another. The side wall then springs back to, as far as possible, its undeformed position and the adjacent cups take up the configuration shown in Figure 6 with the conical surfaces 8 and 11 forming a continuous annular seal which isolates the internal base portion of each cup from the atmosphere.
  • Figure 7 shows the arrangement between the cups when they are subjected to an end loading, for example as a result of a stack of such cups being dropped or suffering vibrational loads during transport.
  • the shoulder 10 and conical surface 7 deforms further so absorbing some of the end loading applied to the cup and then the shoulders 5 and 6 engage one another as shown in Figure 7.
  • the shoulders 5 and 6 prevent further telescoping of the cup.
  • the resilience of the shoulders 10 and surface 7 once again urge the conical sealing surfaces 8 and 11 into contact to restore the seal.
  • the discontinuous nature of the shoulder 10 and the shoulder 6 as shown in this first example enable the side wall 2 of the cup to deform more easily to enable the cup to be demoulded from a thermoforming mould.
  • the corrugation 13 provides air passages to enable the air trapped between adjacent cups to escape as the conical surfaces 7 and 12 move over one another over to place the cups into the locked condition shown in Figure 6.
  • the cups are thermoformed from high impact polystyrene sheet material having an initial thickness of 0.6 mm.
  • Such cups can be manufactured using the Hannifin or Illig processes and typically the final wall thickness of the resulting cup is around 0.25 mm in the upper part of the side wall of the cup around the finger gripping portions 4 and the shoulders 5 and 6 and 0.20 mm in the base 1 and the lower portion of the side wall 2 around the surfaces 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.
  • FIG. 2 Another version of the cup is shown in Figure 2 in which similar reference numerals have been used.
  • the conical surface 7 has an interrupted nature and includes recesses 14, and that the shoulder 10 is continuous.
  • the cooperation between the surface 7 and the shoulder 10 is substantially the same as in the first example when these are engaged when adjacent cups are locked together in a stack.
  • FIG. 3 A further version of the cup is shown in Figure 3 and again similar reference numerals are used.
  • the elements of the discontinuous shoulder 6 have a smaller circumferential extent and are greater in number than those shown in Figure 1.
  • Figure 4 shows two different versions of the shoulder 6.
  • the shoulders are formed by the top portions of semi-circular depressions of the side wall 15 whilst, in the B side of the Figure the shoulder 6 are formed by the flat side of semi-circular depressions 16.
  • Figure 9 shows a further different arrangement in which the shoulder 10 is formed externally at the join between the base 1 and the side wall 2.
  • the downwardly and inwardly directed frustoconical surface 7 is an internal surface extending between the sealing surfaces 8 and 11.
  • the shoulder 10 and the frustoconical surface 7 cooperate in a similar way to the previous examples to provide a resilient upwards force to urge together the co-operating sealing surfaces 8 and 11.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Table Devices Or Equipment (AREA)
  • Stackable Containers (AREA)

Claims (7)

1. Dünnwandiger Wegwerfbecher aus Kunststoff, mit einer Basis (1) und einer Seitenwand (2) mit einer der Basis benachbarten ersten, nach oben weisenden, nach innen und oben konisch verjüngten Außenfläche (8), einer oberhalb der ersten Fläche (8) angeordneten zweiten, nach unten weisenden, entsprechend nach innen und oben konisch verjüngten Innenfläche (11) und zusammenwirkenden Mitteln (7, 10), von denen zumindest eines elastisch ist, die unterhalb der zweiten konischen Fläche (11) angeordnet sind und die beim Ineinanderstecken zweier Becher federnd zusammenwirken, um die erste konische Fläche (8) des oberen Bechers in dichtenden Eingriff mit der zweiten konischen Fläche (11) des unteren Bechers zu bringen und auf diese Weise einen isolierten abgedichteten Raum zwischen den Bechern zur Aufnahme von Bestandteilen zum Erzeugen eines Getränkes zu schaffen, wobei ein oberer Teil der Seitenwand ferner eine nach unten weisende, nach außen vorragende Schulter (5) bildet, und oberhalb derselben eine nach oben weisende, nach innen vorspringende Schulter (6) vorgesehen ist, wobei der Abstand zwischen der ersten konischen Fläche (8) und der nach unten weisenden Schulter (5) größer als jener zwischen der zweiten konischen Fläche (11) und der nach oben weisenden Schulter (6) ist, so daß bei zwei ineinandergesteckten Bechern und in dichtendem Eingriff gehaltenen ersten und zweiten konischen Flächen (8, 11) derselben die nach oben und nach unten weisenden Schultern (5, 6) außer Eingriff sind, hingegen bei ausreichender Endbelastung der Becher, welche die elastischen Mittel (7, 10) verformt und eine Bewegung des oberen Bechers nach unten relativ zum unteren Becher gestattet, die nach oben und nach unten weisenden Schultern (5, 6) in Eingriff kommen, um eine weitere Teleskopbewegung der Becher zu verhindern.
2. Becher nach Anspruch 1, bei welchem die elastischen Mittel eine dritte nach innen und unten konisch verjüngte Fläche (7) und eine unterhalb der zweiten konischen Fläche (11) angeordnete vorspringende Schulter (10) aufweisen, die in benachbarten Bechern eines Stapels unterhalb der zusammenwirkenden ersten und zweiten Dichtungsflächen miteinander in Eingriff kommen.
3. Becher nach Anspruch 2, bei welchem entweder die nach innen vorspringende Schulter (10) oder die dritte nach unten konisch verjüngte Fläche (7) in Umfangsrichtung diskontinuierlich ist.
4. Becher nach Anspruch 2 oder 3, bei welchem die vorspringende Schulter (10) als nach innen vorspringende Schulter ausgebildet ist, die zwischen der ersten und der zweiten Dichtungsfläche angeordnet ist, und die nach unten konisch verjüngte Fläche (7) eine nach unten weisende Außenfläche ist, die zwischen der Basis und der ersten Dichtungsfläche (8) angeordnet ist.
5. Becher nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei welchem entweder die nach oben oder die nach unten weisende Schulter (5, 6) in Umfangsrichtung diskontinuierlich ausgebildet ist.
6. Becher nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei welchem die Seitenwand (2) des Bechers in radialer Richtung gerippt ist.
7. Becher nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, der durch einen konventionellen Warmformungsvorgang geformt und ferner dadurch gekennzeichnet ist, daß die Materialverteilung so getroffen ist, daß der obere Teil der Seitenwand (2) eine größere Wandstärke als der untere Teil der Seitenwand (2) hat.
EP86309864A 1985-12-17 1986-12-17 Kunststoffbecher Expired - Lifetime EP0228867B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT86309864T ATE54111T1 (de) 1985-12-17 1986-12-17 Kunststoffbecher.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8531048 1985-12-17
GB858531048A GB8531048D0 (en) 1985-12-17 1985-12-17 Plastics cup

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0228867A1 EP0228867A1 (de) 1987-07-15
EP0228867B1 true EP0228867B1 (de) 1990-06-27

Family

ID=10589887

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP86309864A Expired - Lifetime EP0228867B1 (de) 1985-12-17 1986-12-17 Kunststoffbecher

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0228867B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE54111T1 (de)
DE (1) DE3672230D1 (de)
GB (1) GB8531048D0 (de)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102009044772A1 (de) * 2009-12-04 2011-06-09 Huhtamäki Oyj Becher und Verfahren zur Herstellung
AU2010268797A1 (en) 2009-07-06 2012-02-02 Huhtamaki Oyj Cardboard container

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3721367A (en) * 1970-08-03 1973-03-20 Standard Oil Co Stackable containers
GB1524304A (en) * 1976-04-28 1978-09-13 Lin Pac Plastic Containers Ltd Thin-walled cups capable of nesting
GB1599396A (en) * 1977-05-03 1981-09-30 Lin Pac Plastic Containers Ltd Drinking cups capable of nesting
GB2044076B (en) * 1979-01-19 1983-04-27 Abbott S Plastics Ltd Stackable cups
DE3037038A1 (de) * 1980-10-01 1982-05-06 Theodor Lentjes Eigensteifer behaelter mit einem deckel als wegwerf-aufnahmegefaess fuer sondermuell, insbesondere fuer medizinischen muell

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE54111T1 (de) 1990-07-15
DE3672230D1 (de) 1990-08-02
GB8531048D0 (en) 1986-01-29
EP0228867A1 (de) 1987-07-15

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US3927766A (en) Cups for holding ingredients for drinks
US4368818A (en) Cups for holding ingredients for drinks
US3349941A (en) Compartmented container package
US4124120A (en) Thin-walled cups capable of nesting
US4341324A (en) Bowl and cover assembly
US3784052A (en) Stackable container
CA2191287C (en) Uniform stacking cup lid
EP0425124B1 (de) Behälter
US4156483A (en) Cups capable of nesting
US4446969A (en) Reinforced nestable containers
US3342370A (en) Nestable cup construction
US3208631A (en) Nestable cup
US4231476A (en) Plastics containers
US4832676A (en) Method and apparatus for forming paperboard containers
US3485412A (en) Stackable plastic container
US3353707A (en) Nestable container
US4051951A (en) Package having means for providing coaxial alignment in a stack thereof
US20120234833A1 (en) Performance oriented pail
US3557995A (en) Upwardly expansible plastic vented lid
US3131845A (en) Containers
US3347411A (en) Nestable containers
US3648888A (en) Thin-walled nestable container
US2805790A (en) Plastic containers and packaging thereof
US3237803A (en) Stackable container having lip with formed undercuts
EP0228867B1 (de) Kunststoffbecher

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB IT LI NL SE

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19871217

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19881201

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB IT LI NL SE

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 54111

Country of ref document: AT

Date of ref document: 19900715

Kind code of ref document: T

ET Fr: translation filed
REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 3672230

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19900802

ITF It: translation for a ep patent filed

Owner name: JACOBACCI & PERANI S.P.A.

ITTA It: last paid annual fee
PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: AT

Payment date: 19921211

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: SE

Payment date: 19921214

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: CH

Payment date: 19921223

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Payment date: 19921231

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 19930115

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: BE

Payment date: 19930127

Year of fee payment: 7

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: AT

Effective date: 19931217

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: SE

Effective date: 19931218

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 19931223

Year of fee payment: 8

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 19931224

Year of fee payment: 8

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: LI

Effective date: 19931231

Ref country code: CH

Effective date: 19931231

Ref country code: BE

Effective date: 19931231

BERE Be: lapsed

Owner name: LIN PAC PLASTICS INTERNATIONAL LTD

Effective date: 19931231

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Effective date: 19940701

NLV4 Nl: lapsed or anulled due to non-payment of the annual fee
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: CH

Ref legal event code: PL

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Effective date: 19940901

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Effective date: 19941217

EUG Se: european patent has lapsed

Ref document number: 86309864.6

Effective date: 19940710

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19941217

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Effective date: 19950831

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: ST

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES;WARNING: LAPSES OF ITALIAN PATENTS WITH EFFECTIVE DATE BEFORE 2007 MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT ANY TIME BEFORE 2007. THE CORRECT EFFECTIVE DATE MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE RECORDED.

Effective date: 20051217