US20120292317A1 - Reusable cup with removable sealing lid - Google Patents
Reusable cup with removable sealing lid Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120292317A1 US20120292317A1 US13/109,885 US201113109885A US2012292317A1 US 20120292317 A1 US20120292317 A1 US 20120292317A1 US 201113109885 A US201113109885 A US 201113109885A US 2012292317 A1 US2012292317 A1 US 2012292317A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- lip
- cup
- lid
- periphery
- open end
- 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
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
- B65D43/00—Lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D43/02—Removable lids or covers
- B65D43/0202—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element
- B65D43/0204—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element secured by snapping over beads or projections
- B65D43/0212—Removable lids or covers without integral tamper element secured by snapping over beads or projections only on the outside, or a part turned to the outside, of the mouth
-
- 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
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02W—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Y02W30/00—Technologies for solid waste management
- Y02W30/50—Reuse, recycling or recovery technologies
- Y02W30/80—Packaging reuse or recycling, e.g. of multilayer packaging
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
Abstract
A container assembly includes a cup having an open end surrounded by a peripheral lip. and a lid that is configured to be removably seated on the open end of the cup so as to engage the lip. The lip is elongated in the longitudinal dimension from a first or upper periphery at the open end of the cup to a second or lower periphery longitudinally spaced from the first or upper periphery, whereby the lip tapers from a first outside diameter at the first or upper periphery to a second outside diameter greater than the first outside diameter at the second or lower periphery, thereby defining a radially outward tapered lip surface. The lid has a peripheral rim with an inner surface that is configured to seat against the tapered lip surface so as to provide a seal between the rim and the lip.
Description
- Not applicable.
- Not applicable.
- This disclosure relates generally to the field of containers for holding potable liquids, and more particularly to drinking vessels. Still more specifically, this disclosure relates to a container, such as a cup, with a removable lid that provides a sealing closure for the container.
- Drinking vessels or cups made of paperboard or plastic are ubiquitous in homes, institutions, and commercial establishments. The typical paperboard or plastic cup is made for a single use, and is therefore disposable. Many of these cups are provided with a removable lid. When the lid is installed on the cup, the inside of the lid seats against a peripheral rim or lip around the open end of the cup to provide a seal that may be partially liquid-tight. The lip or rim of the cup is typically substantially circular in cross-section. This shape is only satisfactory if a substantially liquid-tight seal is not needed. Moreover, whatever sealing effect that may be achieved is substantially degraded due to distortion of the rim or lip with repeated removal and re-installation of the lid. Thus, the conventional lip or rim is less than satisfactory for a reusable cup that is used with a removable lid.
- It would therefore be advantageous to provide a reusable container or cup with a removable lid that provides a good sealing closure when the lid is installed on the container or cup, and that maintains a good sealing function after repeated cycles of installing and removing the lid.
- Broadly, in one aspect, this disclosure relates to a container assembly comprising a cup having an open end and a peripheral lip around the open end, and a lid or cover that is configured to be removably seated on the open end of the cup so as to engage the lip. The lip is elongated in the longitudinal dimension from a first or upper periphery at the open end of the cup to a second or lower periphery longitudinally spaced from the first or upper periphery, whereby the lip tapers from a first outside diameter at the first or upper periphery to a second outside diameter greater than the first outside diameter at the second or lower periphery, thereby defining a radially outward tapered lip surface. The lid or cover has a peripheral rim with an inner surface that is configured to seat against the tapered lip surface so as to provide a seal between the rim and the lip. In one embodiment, the second or lower periphery of the lip may advantageously define a substantially annular shoulder around an exterior surface of the cup, and the inner surface of the peripheral rim of the lid or cover advantageously includes an annular, inwardly-extending bead configured to seat against the shoulder when the lid or cover is installed to provide an improved grip between the lid or cover and the cup.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container assembly in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure, the container assembly comprising a cup and a removable lid; -
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the container assembly ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 ofFIG. 2 ; -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the cup shown inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of the container assembly shown within the dashed circle 5-5 ofFIG. 3 ; and -
FIG. 6 is a view similar to that ofFIG. 5 . but showing the lid in the process of being installed on or removed from the cup. - Referring first to
FIGS. 1-3 , acontainer assembly 10 in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. The container assembly comprises a container orcup 12 having an open end 14 (FIG. 3 ), and a lid orcover 16 that is configured to removably fit over theopen end 14 of thecup 12. Thelid 16 has an upper or top portion (FIG. 2 ) that is shown in an exemplary configuration; other suitable configurations may be employed within the scope of this disclosure. In the exemplary configuration shown, the top portion of thelid 16 may include acentral area 18 circumferentially surrounded by a raised annular rib orboss 20. A sippingorifice 22 may be provided in the annular rib orboss 20 in some embodiments: such embodiments would advantageously include avent hole 24 in thecentral area 18 to permit liquid to flow out of the sippingorifice 22. Also, in some embodiments, thecentral area 18 may be sloped, as shown, for example, inFIG. 3 . - The
cup 12 may be made of paperboard, or a plastic foam, such as, for example, polystyrene foam, or an extruded plastic, such as, for example polyethylene terephthalate (PETE). Another suitable material is an extruded mixture of pulverized paper powder and resin, as described in European Patent Application No. EP 2308599 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) and sold under the trademark PERMAPULP by Takeya USA, Inc. Thelid 16 may be formed from a sheet of a suitable plastic, such as, for example, PETE. -
FIG. 4 shows theopen end 14 of thecup 12 in detail. Aperipheral lip 26 is provided around theopen end 14. Thelip 26 is elongated in the longitudinal dimension from a first orupper periphery 28 at theopen end 14 of the cup to a second orlower periphery 30 longitudinally spaced from the first orupper periphery 28, whereby thelip 26 tapers from a first outside diameter D1 at the first orupper periphery 28 to a second outside diameter D2 greater than the first outside diameter D1 at the second orlower periphery 30, thereby defining a radially outwardtapered lip surface 32. - Referring now to
FIGS. 3 , 5, and 6, thelid 16 has aperipheral rim 34 with an inner surface 35 that is configured to frictionally engage thetapered lip surface 32 so as to provide a seal between therim 34 and thelip 26. Thus, in one exemplary embodiment, as illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6 , the inner rim surface 35 has a radially outward taper that is complementary to, and thus conforms to. thetapered lip surface 32. - In one exemplary embodiment, the second or
lower periphery 30 of thelip 26 may advantageously define a substantiallyannular shoulder 36 between anexterior surface 38 of thecup 12 and the second orlower periphery 30 of thelip 26. In such an embodiment, the inner surface of theperipheral rim 34 of thelid 16 advantageously would advantageously include an annular, inwardly-extendingbead 40, configured to seat against theshoulder 36 when thelid 16 is installed on theopen end 14 of thecup 12, as shown inFIG. 5 , to provide an improved grip between thelid 16 and thecup 12. In an exemplary embodiment, theperipheral rim 34 and thebead 40 of thelid 16 are configured so that. as thelid 16 is seated on thecup 12, thebead 40 engages thetapered lip surface 32 to resiliently flex therim 34 radially outwardly by a small amount, indicated by the arrow A inFIG. 6 . so that as thebead 40 passes the second orlower periphery 30 of thelip 26, it resiliently “snaps” into engagement with the shoulder, thereby securing thelid 16 onto thecup 12. - From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the configuration of the
lip 26, as described above and as shown in the drawings, allows thelid 16 to be installed on thecup 12, and to be removed therefrom, without significantly distorting thelip 26. Thus, repeated removal and reinstallation of thelid 16 will not appreciably degrade the lip-to-lid seal. In the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings and described above, in which abead 40 is provided on the inner surface of thelid rim 34, the abrading contact between therim 34 and thetapered lip surface 32, when thelid 16 is being installed on or removed from thecup 12, is substantially limited to contact between thebead 40 and thelip surface 32, thereby further reducing degradation and distortion of thelip surface 32 due to abrasion. The result is a much more durable sealing structure between thecup 12 and thelid 16, thereby allowing thecontainer assembly 10 according to the present disclosure to be reused many times while still maintaining a good sealing effect. Moreover, the engagement between thebead 40 and theshoulder 36 provides a more secure fit of thelid 16 on thecup 12, as compared, for example, with conventional cup-and-lid assemblies. - Although a preferred embodiment has been described above and shown in the drawings, it will be appreciated that this specific embodiment is exemplary only, and that equivalent structures that may suggest themselves to those skilled in the pertinent arts should be considered within the scope of this disclosure. For example, and without limitation, it will be readily appreciated that other suitable configurations for the
lid 16 may be employed in the disclosed container assembly, and that the illustrations of thelip 26 are not to be understood as defining any specific tapered contour.
Claims (5)
1. A container assembly comprising:
a cup with an open end and a peripheral lip around the open end; and
a lid configured to be removably seated on the open end of the cup so as to engage the lip;
wherein the lip is elongated in the longitudinal dimension from a first periphery at the open end of the cup to a second periphery longitudinally spaced from the first periphery, whereby the lip tapers from a first outside diameter at the first periphery to a second outside diameter greater than the first outside diameter at the second periphery, thereby defining a radially outward tapered lip surface.
2. The container assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lid has a peripheral rim with an inner surface configured to engage the tapered lip surface so as to provide a seal between the rim and the lip.
3. The container assembly of claim 2 , wherein the second periphery of the lip defines a substantially annular shoulder around an exterior surface of the cup, and wherein the inner surface of the peripheral rim of the lid includes an annular, inwardly-extending bead configured to seat against the shoulder.
4. The container assembly of claim 3 , wherein, during installation of the lid on the cup and removal of the lid from the cup, abrading contact of the inner surface of the rim with the tapered lip surface is substantially limited to the bead.
5. The container assembly of claim 2 , wherein the inner surface of the peripheral rim has a tapered configuration that conforms to the tapered lip surface.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/109,885 US20120292317A1 (en) | 2011-05-17 | 2011-05-17 | Reusable cup with removable sealing lid |
PCT/US2012/037634 WO2012158558A2 (en) | 2011-05-17 | 2012-05-11 | Reusable cup with removable sealing lid |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/109,885 US20120292317A1 (en) | 2011-05-17 | 2011-05-17 | Reusable cup with removable sealing lid |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20120292317A1 true US20120292317A1 (en) | 2012-11-22 |
Family
ID=47174176
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/109,885 Abandoned US20120292317A1 (en) | 2011-05-17 | 2011-05-17 | Reusable cup with removable sealing lid |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20120292317A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2012158558A2 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2757051A1 (en) | 2013-01-21 | 2014-07-23 | Innoprax AG | Cup with drink-through lid |
USD997646S1 (en) * | 2022-07-12 | 2023-09-05 | Fengxian Liang | Drinking cup |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB201321074D0 (en) * | 2013-11-29 | 2014-01-15 | Pa Knowledge Ltd | A bottle |
GB2618529A (en) * | 2022-05-04 | 2023-11-15 | Gooch David | Container |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3915296A (en) * | 1974-01-24 | 1975-10-28 | Richard Hugh H Spencer | Container for mixing liquid with a material |
GB1602200A (en) * | 1977-11-28 | 1981-11-11 | Metal Box Co Ltd | Anti-slop liquid containers |
US4550841A (en) * | 1982-11-15 | 1985-11-05 | Jeffrey Sandhaus | Closure having integral formed sealing means |
-
2011
- 2011-05-17 US US13/109,885 patent/US20120292317A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2012
- 2012-05-11 WO PCT/US2012/037634 patent/WO2012158558A2/en active Application Filing
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP2757051A1 (en) | 2013-01-21 | 2014-07-23 | Innoprax AG | Cup with drink-through lid |
USD997646S1 (en) * | 2022-07-12 | 2023-09-05 | Fengxian Liang | Drinking cup |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2012158558A3 (en) | 2013-01-17 |
WO2012158558A2 (en) | 2012-11-22 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: TAKEYA USA CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:IWAMURA, NOBUHIRO;REEL/FRAME:026538/0666 Effective date: 20110605 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |