US20050230401A1 - Drinking cup - Google Patents

Drinking cup Download PDF

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Publication number
US20050230401A1
US20050230401A1 US11/108,765 US10876505A US2005230401A1 US 20050230401 A1 US20050230401 A1 US 20050230401A1 US 10876505 A US10876505 A US 10876505A US 2005230401 A1 US2005230401 A1 US 2005230401A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
cup
container
side wall
drinking cup
valleys
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.)
Abandoned
Application number
US11/108,765
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English (en)
Inventor
John Hanson
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.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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 Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to US11/108,765 priority Critical patent/US20050230401A1/en
Publication of US20050230401A1 publication Critical patent/US20050230401A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • 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
    • B65D1/40—Details of walls
    • B65D1/42—Reinforcing or strengthening parts or members
    • B65D1/44—Corrugations

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to containers for packaging including drinking cups, and more particularly to containers and drinking cups having reinforcing projections and valleys on its side walls.
  • a reinforcing profile for the side wall of a drinking cup or other container that minimizes the material used while maximizing the structural strength of the cup or container.
  • this aspect includes a drinking cup or container, comprising: a cup body having a generally circular periphery, a bottom, a top rim, and a side wall extending from the bottom to the top rim; the side wall having inside and outside surfaces, and the side wall comprising a plurality of vertically-oriented, concave-shaped valleys on the outside surface about the periphery of the drinking cup or container; and a plurality of reinforcing projections on the outside surface, the reinforcing projections defined by respective pairs of adjacent valleys, wherein the reinforcing projections provide additional stiffness to the side wall.
  • a drinking cup or container comprising: a cup body having a generally circular periphery, a bottom, a top rim, and a side wall extending from the bottom to the top rim; the side wall having inside and outside surfaces, and the side wall comprising a plurality of vertically-oriented, concave-shaped valleys on the inside surface about the periphery of the drinking cup or container; and a plurality of reinforcing projections on the inside surface, the reinforcing projections defined by respective pairs of adjacent valleys, wherein the reinforcing projections provide additional stiffness to the side wall.
  • the periphery of the drinking cup or container body at the top rim has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the periphery at the bottom and the valleys have a width that decreases from the top rim to the bottom.
  • the drinking cup or container comprises a base having a generally circular periphery, a side wall extending from the periphery of the base, and terminating at a lip, the side wall having a repeating segment of a conic cross-section on one surface of the wall.
  • the invention has a number of advantages and features that increase its value as a drinking cup or container design.
  • the reinforcing profile enables a construction of a drinking cup or container using less material than previous methods, while maintaining the structural strength and integrity of the drinking cup. Less material also allows faster injection mold cycling, allowing more cups to be produced each day, thus reducing the manufacturing cost per day.
  • the profile enables the cup or container to be manufactured using less material and at a faster rate as the reinforcing projections provide a channel within the mould for material to flow from the base of the cup to the lip. Without the channel provided by the reinforcing projections, material would have difficulty in flowing through the narrow side wall from the base to the lip of the cup.
  • the exterior of the cup may be decorated by printing with high speed offset presses.
  • a customer may have a name etched on the interior surface of the cup mould. If the cup is formed of clear material, the name will show through the wall of the cup. If the customer wishes to change the appearance of the cup, the same mould may be used with colored material so that the name will not show through the side wall of the cup. The customer may then optionally have a different name or graphic printed on the exterior. This advantageously allows the use of the same mould for different style cups, reducing the cost of manufacture.
  • the channel profile of the present invention allows a cup or container to be moulded faster with a thinner sidewall by using an outer portion of the wave material to the top lip in a faster cycle.
  • the channel profile also allows the moulding apparatus to cycle faster by giving the material a thicker pathway to the top
  • the channel profile of the present invention further allows half the mould to be utilised without reducing efficiency.
  • An operator can change the cavity section of the mould to provide different wording to be printed on the cup or container surface. This reduces mould production cost by about fifty percent.
  • the lip portion may be thickened to provide additional hoop strength.
  • the design of the side wall profile assists in preventing sink marks on the smooth side of the side wall. This ensures the ability to provide smooth coverage if applying printing to that surface in a later manufacturing step.
  • FIG. 1 shows a side view of a drinking cup of one preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section of the side wall of the cup of FIG. 1 ;
  • FIG. 3 is a partial cross-section of the side wall of the cup of FIG. 1 , where the valleys are on the inside surface of the cup;
  • FIG. 4 a is a partial cross-sectional view of the side wall of FIG. 2 , with sample dimensions from an upper portion of the preferred embodiment
  • FIG. 4 b is a partial cross-sectional view of the side wall of FIG. 2 , with sample dimensions from the lower portion of the preferred embodiment;
  • FIG. 5 a is a partial cross-sectional view of the side wall of FIG. 3 , with sample dimensions from an upper portion of the preferred embodiment
  • FIG. 5 b is a partial cross-sectional view of the side wall of FIG. 3 , with sample dimensions from the lower portion of the preferred embodiment;
  • the present invention will be described with reference to its preferred embodiments, and in particular with reference to an embodiment of a container used as a drinking cup.
  • Drinking cup 10 is preferably made of rigid, injection-molded plastic, but other suitable construction material may be used.
  • Drinking cup 10 comprises a bottom 20 and a top rim 30 , both the bottom 20 and top rim 30 have a generally circular periphery in cross section.
  • Side wall 40 extends from the bottom 20 to the top rim 30 .
  • Side wall 40 may include a lower portion 42 , an upper portion 44 and a lip portion 46 .
  • lower portion 42 is of reduced cross section relative to upper portion 44 .
  • Both the lower portion 42 and the upper portion 44 preferably have a taper with a taper angle relative to vertical of about 2° to about 6°, preferably about 3.5°.
  • Side wall 40 comprises a plurality of vertically-oriented, concave-shaped valleys 50 and a plurality of reinforcing peaks or projections 52 , defined by a respective pair of valleys 50 .
  • the lip portion 46 may be devoid of valleys 50 and reinforcing projections 52 .
  • the cross-sectional profile of side wall 40 may also be described as a wall having repeating segments of conic cross-section 70 on a surface of the side wall 40 . Where adjacent segments 70 join, the side wall 40 is at its thickest, while at the center of each segment 70 , the side wall 40 is at its thinnest.
  • FIG. 2 a partial cross-section is shown of one embodiment of side wall 40 where the concave-shaped valleys 50 and projections 52 are located on the outside surface 48 about the periphery of the drinking cup 10 .
  • the inside surface 47 is generally smooth.
  • FIG. 3 a partial cross-section is shown of another embodiment of side wall 40 where the concave-shaped valleys 50 and projections 52 are located on the inside surface 47 about the periphery of the drinking cup 10 .
  • the outside surface 48 is generally smooth. This embodiment provides the added benefit that the outside surface 48 can be printed with various logos, pictures, letters, etc., as desired.
  • having the valleys 50 and projections 52 on the inside surface 47 helps reduce the amount of foam created when a carbonated beverage, such as a soft drink, is poured into the cup 10 .
  • FIG. 4 a shows a partial cross-section of the side wall 40 at a location adjacent to the top rim 30 , and preferred dimensions of the concave-shaped valleys 50 and projections 52 and the relative thickness of the side wall 40 at the center of the concave-shaped valleys 50 compared to the thickness of the side wall 40 at the projections 52 .
  • the width of the valleys 50 and their center-to-center spacing is about 0.140 inches, whereas the wall thickness is 0.015 inches at the center of the valleys 50 and 0.024 inches at the projections 52 .
  • FIG. 4 b also partially illustrates the side wall 40 , but at a location adjacent to the bottom 20 .
  • the width of the valleys 50 and their center-to-center spacing is 0.111 inches, less that that adjacent to the top rim 30 shown in FIG. 4 a .
  • the width of the valleys 50 and their center-to-center spacing decrease from the top rim 30 to the bottom 20 .
  • the thickness of the side wall 40 at the center of the valleys 50 and at the projections 52 is the same as in FIG. 4 a.
  • FIGS. 5 a and 5 b illustrate a similar embodiment as FIGS. 4 a and 4 b , however, the valleys 50 and projections 52 are on the inside surface 47 of the side wall 40 . Otherwise, it will be seen that the dimensions of the widths of the valleys 50 and their center-to-center spacing remains the same as for FIGS. 4 a and 4 b , respectively.
  • the preferred embodiments of the present invention allow for drinking cups to be made while decreasing material costs by about 25%, while cycle times for molding a cup is reduced by about 20 to 25%. This results in substantial savings over time, while maintaining acceptable cup rigidity.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Table Devices Or Equipment (AREA)
  • Containers Having Bodies Formed In One Piece (AREA)
US11/108,765 2004-04-19 2005-04-19 Drinking cup Abandoned US20050230401A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11/108,765 US20050230401A1 (en) 2004-04-19 2005-04-19 Drinking cup

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US56297804P 2004-04-19 2004-04-19
US11/108,765 US20050230401A1 (en) 2004-04-19 2005-04-19 Drinking cup

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20050230401A1 true US20050230401A1 (en) 2005-10-20

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US11/108,765 Abandoned US20050230401A1 (en) 2004-04-19 2005-04-19 Drinking cup

Country Status (2)

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US (1) US20050230401A1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2503092A1 (fr)

Cited By (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070017922A1 (en) * 2005-07-22 2007-01-25 A-1 Tool Corporation Injection-molded plastic container with improved stacking strength
DE202010008270U1 (de) 2010-08-12 2010-10-21 Haardt & Fischer Nachf. Industrievertretungen Becher aus Kunststoff
CN103654154A (zh) * 2012-09-25 2014-03-26 洪启瑞 杯子
USD903424S1 (en) 2017-02-07 2020-12-01 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD906056S1 (en) 2018-12-05 2020-12-29 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD931107S1 (en) 2017-09-08 2021-09-21 The Procter & Gamble Company Bottle
USD950318S1 (en) 2018-05-24 2022-05-03 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD953811S1 (en) 2020-02-14 2022-06-07 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
US11370579B2 (en) 2017-02-07 2022-06-28 Ball Corporation Tapered metal cup and method of forming the same
USD968893S1 (en) 2019-06-24 2022-11-08 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD974845S1 (en) 2020-07-15 2023-01-10 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD981854S1 (en) 2015-12-04 2023-03-28 The Procter & Gamble Company Bottle
USD996220S1 (en) 2020-08-14 2023-08-22 The Procter & Gamble Company Bottle
USD1012617S1 (en) 2021-02-22 2024-01-30 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD1035386S1 (en) 2021-12-08 2024-07-16 Ball Corporation Tapered cup

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4061782A (en) * 1975-05-27 1977-12-06 Redimix Beverages Limited Beverage package cup
US4832202A (en) * 1986-05-22 1989-05-23 General Foods Limited Containers
US5690244A (en) * 1995-12-20 1997-11-25 Plastipak Packaging, Inc. Blow molded container having paneled side wall
US20010023595A1 (en) * 2000-01-11 2001-09-27 Sascha Kaposi Stay cold beverage vessel

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4061782A (en) * 1975-05-27 1977-12-06 Redimix Beverages Limited Beverage package cup
US4832202A (en) * 1986-05-22 1989-05-23 General Foods Limited Containers
US5690244A (en) * 1995-12-20 1997-11-25 Plastipak Packaging, Inc. Blow molded container having paneled side wall
US20010023595A1 (en) * 2000-01-11 2001-09-27 Sascha Kaposi Stay cold beverage vessel

Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20070017922A1 (en) * 2005-07-22 2007-01-25 A-1 Tool Corporation Injection-molded plastic container with improved stacking strength
DE202010008270U1 (de) 2010-08-12 2010-10-21 Haardt & Fischer Nachf. Industrievertretungen Becher aus Kunststoff
CN103654154A (zh) * 2012-09-25 2014-03-26 洪启瑞 杯子
USD981854S1 (en) 2015-12-04 2023-03-28 The Procter & Gamble Company Bottle
US11370579B2 (en) 2017-02-07 2022-06-28 Ball Corporation Tapered metal cup and method of forming the same
USD903424S1 (en) 2017-02-07 2020-12-01 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
US10875076B2 (en) 2017-02-07 2020-12-29 Ball Corporation Tapered metal cup and method of forming the same
USD931107S1 (en) 2017-09-08 2021-09-21 The Procter & Gamble Company Bottle
USD950318S1 (en) 2018-05-24 2022-05-03 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD962710S1 (en) 2018-12-05 2022-09-06 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD906056S1 (en) 2018-12-05 2020-12-29 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD968893S1 (en) 2019-06-24 2022-11-08 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD953811S1 (en) 2020-02-14 2022-06-07 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD974845S1 (en) 2020-07-15 2023-01-10 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD978618S1 (en) 2020-07-15 2023-02-21 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD1042036S1 (en) 2020-07-15 2024-09-17 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD996220S1 (en) 2020-08-14 2023-08-22 The Procter & Gamble Company Bottle
USD1028732S1 (en) 2020-08-14 2024-05-28 The Procter & Gamble Company Bottle
USD1012617S1 (en) 2021-02-22 2024-01-30 Ball Corporation Tapered cup
USD1035386S1 (en) 2021-12-08 2024-07-16 Ball Corporation Tapered cup

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Publication number Publication date
CA2503092A1 (fr) 2005-10-19

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