US20220142339A1 - Foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure - Google Patents
Foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20220142339A1 US20220142339A1 US17/584,395 US202217584395A US2022142339A1 US 20220142339 A1 US20220142339 A1 US 20220142339A1 US 202217584395 A US202217584395 A US 202217584395A US 2022142339 A1 US2022142339 A1 US 2022142339A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- cup
- cup body
- foldable
- shape
- folding area
- 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
- 230000003014 reinforcing effect Effects 0.000 title claims abstract description 26
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000007779 soft material Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 abstract description 11
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 abstract description 7
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 229920001296 polysiloxane Polymers 0.000 description 4
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 2
- 235000012171 hot beverage Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 208000027418 Wounds and injury Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000013361 beverage Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000006378 damage Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003670 easy-to-clean Effects 0.000 description 1
- 208000014674 injury Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 239000000741 silica gel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910002027 silica gel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000003053 toxin Substances 0.000 description 1
- 231100000765 toxin Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 108700012359 toxins Proteins 0.000 description 1
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
- B65D1/40—Details of walls
- B65D1/42—Reinforcing or strengthening parts or members
- B65D1/46—Local reinforcements, e.g. adjacent closures
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45F—TRAVELLING OR CAMP EQUIPMENT: SACKS OR PACKS CARRIED ON THE BODY
- A45F3/00—Travelling or camp articles; Sacks or packs carried on the body
- A45F3/16—Water-bottles; Mess-tins; Cups
- A45F3/20—Water-bottles; Mess-tins; Cups of flexible material; Collapsible or stackable 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
-
- 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
- B65D21/00—Nestable, stackable or joinable containers; Containers of variable capacity
- B65D21/08—Containers of variable capacity
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A45—HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
- A45F—TRAVELLING OR CAMP EQUIPMENT: SACKS OR PACKS CARRIED ON THE BODY
- A45F3/00—Travelling or camp articles; Sacks or packs carried on the body
- A45F3/16—Water-bottles; Mess-tins; Cups
- A45F3/20—Water-bottles; Mess-tins; Cups of flexible material; Collapsible or stackable cups
- A45F2003/205—Collapsible or foldable 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
- B65D1/22—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
- the present invention relates to a foldable cup, and more particularly to a foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure.
- a conventional cup for convenient storage includes a base and a plurality of frames.
- each frame has its lower inner edge snapped with the top outer edge of an adjacent frame, before using the cup, the user has to unfold the frames and make them fastened with each other.
- the frames are made of a hard material, and if they are made of plastic, the plastic will be likely to release toxins when exposed to heat, which leads to restriction of application. If they are made of metal, users will be easily burned when the cup holds hot drinks. Therefore, the structure of this cup has its limitations in use.
- a conventional foldable cup is provided with a plurality of grooves at intervals on the outer surface of a container made of silicone, and the foldable cup can be folded by the plurality of grooves, is easy to clean, less likely to be deformed, and can be reused.
- the silicone can be used to contain high-temperature contents without burning the user.
- the foldable cup is made of silicone, it will still deform if it is squeezed by external force. Therefore, the opening of the cup body will be deformed when the cup body is deformed by force, which further leads to severe deformation of the cup body, and the existing fold is derived, causing the problem that the cup is easy to pour and spill the contained liquid. If the user uses the foldable cup to hold hot drinks, it is more likely to cause injury to the user. In summary, the existing foldable cups are easily twisted when the opening of the cup body is deformed, therefore, there still is room for improvement.
- the invention uses a shape-fixing ring nested on the opening of cup body to maintain the shape of the opening of cup body, which can effectively improve the distortion of the existing foldable cup.
- the cup wall of the present invention is arranged to extend straight along an extension direction, whereby when the user applies pressure downward from the opening of the cup body, the force transmission path is straight, which will not cause the cup wall to bend, so that the cup wall can withstand greater forces.
- the present invention is a foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure, the foldable cup comprises a cup body and a shape-fixing ring.
- the cup body has an opening, a cup wall, and at least two folding portions on a lateral surface of the cup body, wherein the at least two folding portions are spaced and annularly arranged on a lateral surface of the cup body, the cup body is foldable at the at least two folding portions;
- the shape-fixing ring is combined with the cup body and nested on an inner surface of the opening of the cup body, and the cup wall extends straightly along an extension direction.
- a plurality of positioning flanges are provided at intervals on an inner surface of the shape-fixing ring.
- the shape-fixing ring extends upward to cover a top edge of the opening of the cup body in an annular manner.
- the at least two folding portions are a first folding area and a second folding area
- the first folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an outer surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle area and close to an upper half of the cup body, so that the portion of the cup body below the first folding area is foldable upward in a portion of the cup body above the first folding area, and the portions of the cup body below and above the first folding area have their inner surfaces facing each other
- the second folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an inner surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle portion and close to a lower half of the cup body, so that the portions of the cup body above and below the second folding area are foldable against each other and have their outer surfaces facing each other.
- a lower edge of the shape-fixing ring is higher than a position of the two folding areas.
- a cup cap is combined with the shape-fixing ring and has two ribs spaced in a vertical direction and arranged in an annular shape, when the shape-fixing ring is combined with the cup cap, the plurality of positioning flanges are restricted between the two ribs, and the two ribs are abutted against the inner surface of the shape-fixing ring.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partial cross-section of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is a partially magnified side sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective external view of a folded state of a partial cross-section of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a folded state according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a partially magnified side sectional view of a folded state according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 8 is a partially magnified side cross-sectional view of a use state of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 9 is a diagram of the invention showing the relationship between the load-bearing rate and the angle.
- FIG. 10 is a diagram of the invention showing the relationship between the demolding force and the first angle.
- the present invention is a foldable cup with a reinforcing structure.
- the foldable cup comprises: a cup body 10 and a shape-fixing ring 20 .
- the cup body 10 is made of soft materials, such as silica gel, has an opening 11 , and is provided with at least two folding portions.
- the at least two folding portions are a first folding area 12 and a second folding area 13 .
- the first folding area 12 is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an outer surface of the cup body 10 , and is located at the middle area and close to the upper half of the cup body 10 .
- FIG. 5 The portion of the cup body 10 below the first folding area 12 can be folded upward in the portion of the cup body 10 above the first folding area 12 , so that the portions of the cup body 10 below and above the first folding area 12 have their inner surfaces facing each other.
- the second folding area 13 is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from the inner surface of the cup body 10 , and is located at a middle portion and close to a lower half of the cup body 10 , and spaced from the first folding area 12 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the portions of the cup body 10 above and below the second folding area are 13 can be folded and have their outer surfaces facing each other. The cup body 10 is folded upward and inward via the first folding area 12 , and then is folded inward and downward via the second folding area 13 , so that the cup body 10 is folded along the two folding areas 12 , 13 into a shape as shown in FIG. 5 , which can make the cup body 10 have the advantages of small volume and convenient storage.
- the shape-fixing ring 20 is a metal ring fixed to the cup body 10 , nested on an inner surface of the opening 11 of the cup body 10 and extends upward to cover a top edge of the opening 11 of the cup body in an annular manner.
- the lower edge of the shape-fixing ring 20 is higher than the position of the second folding area 13 , so that the shape-fixing ring 20 can be combined with a cup cap 50 without being blocked by the cup body 10 after being folded.
- a plurality of positioning flanges 21 are evenly and provided at intervals on an inner surface of the shape-fixing ring 20 .
- the plurality of positioning flanges 21 are located on the same horizontal plane and have the same height.
- the cup cap 50 has two ribs 51 spaced in a vertical direction and arranged in an annular shape.
- the plurality of positioning flanges 21 can be restricted between the two ribs 51 to allow the shape-fixing ring 20 and the cup cap 50 to be firmly combined, in such a manner that the two ribs 51 abut against the inner surface of the shape-fixing ring 20 , so that the liquid in the cup body 10 will not flow out through the joint of the shape-fixing ring 20 and the cup cap 50 .
- the cup body 10 when the cup body 10 is used to hold beverages and placed on a bearing surface 70 , since the cup body 10 is made of silicone material, the bottom of the cup body 10 will be deformed by force, and will be deformed from bending inward to become flat against the bearing surface 70 , forming a vacuum-like suction effect.
- the friction between the cup body 10 and the bearing surface 70 can provide a good anti-slip effect, and the portion of the lateral surface of the cup body 10 near the bottom will generate an outward expanded deformation, which allows the cup body 10 to stand more firmly on the bearing surface 70 , effectively prevents the cup body 10 from sliding relative to the bearing surface 70 , and the cup body 10 is more difficult to fall.
- the cup body 10 further includes a cup wall 14 and a cup bottom 15 connected to a bottom of the cup wall 14 .
- the cup wall 14 extends linearly along an extension direction Y.
- the cup wall 14 is arranged circumferentially in a circled manner to define the opening 11 , and the cup wall 14 is arranged circumferentially in a circled manner so that the cup body 10 is cylindrical.
- an extension reference L can be defined on the cross section of the cup wall 14 through the extension direction Y, and the extension reference L is parallel to the extension direction Y.
- a horizontal direction X is parallel to a plane where the cup body 10 is placed.
- a first reference line 121 is defined at the position of the first folding area 12 and parallel to the horizontal direction X.
- a first outer angle ⁇ 1 is defined between the first reference line 121 and the extension reference L and located on an outer peripheral surface of the cup wall 14 .
- a second reference line 131 is defined at the position of the second folding area 13 and parallel to the horizontal direction X, and between the second reference line 131 and the extension reference L is defined a second outer angle ⁇ 2 which is located on the outer peripheral surface of the cup wall 14 .
- a third reference line 151 parallel to the horizontal direction X is defined at the position of the cup bottom 15 , and between the third reference line 151 and the extension reference L is a third outer angle ⁇ 3 which is located on the outer peripheral surface of the cup wall 14 .
- the first outer angle ⁇ 1 , the second outer angle ⁇ 2 and the third outer angle ⁇ 3 have the same degree measure, so the cup wall 14 extends along a straight line.
- the cup body 10 includes a bottom opening 16 facing the opening 11 at the position of the cup bottom 15 , and the bottom opening 16 has a bottom opening diameter 161 in the horizontal direction X.
- the opening 11 of the cup body 10 has an opening diameter 111 in the horizontal direction X, the opening diameter 111 is larger than the bottom opening diameter 161 , and the diameter of the cup body 10 gradually decreases from the opening 11 to the bottom opening 16 , so as to maintain the consistency of the straight extension of the cup wall 14 .
- the cup wall 14 of the cup body 10 extends straightly, and the first outer angle ⁇ 1 , the second outer angle ⁇ 2 , and the third outer angle ⁇ 3 have the same degree measure, when the user applies a pressure downward from the opening 11 of the cup body 10 , the pressure force will be directly transmitted to the cup bottom 15 along the straightly extending cup wall 14 . Because the force transmission path is straight, the force transmission process will not cause the cup wall 14 to bend, so that the cup wall 14 can withstand greater force and does not bend easily.
- the cup wall 14 is arranged circumferentially in a circled manner to make the cup body 10 present a cylindrical shape.
- the pressure of the liquid is evenly distributed on the force-bearing surface of the cup wall 14 , which can ensure that the force of each force point on the cup wall 14 is the same to prevent the cup body 10 from being deformed, so as to maintain the straight extension structure of the cup wall 14 so that the cup wall 14 can withstand greater forces and does not bend easily.
- the cup body 10 is generally placed horizontally on a plane. It is assumed that a force F is applied vertically downward from the top of the cup body 10 , and a first angle ⁇ is sandwiched between the force F and the cup wall 14 .
- the weight-bearing rate of the cup wall 14 can be obtained after calculation through general mechanical concepts.
- the weight-bearing rate refers to the maximum external force that the cup wall 14 can withstand without being deformed. It can be understood from FIG. 9 that the load-bearing rate is the maximum when the first angle ⁇ is 0 degree, and the load-bearing rate is greatly decreased when the first angle ⁇ is from 0 degree to 1 degree.
- the load-bearing rate changes slightly, and the load-bearing rate is greatly reduced after the first angle ⁇ is greater than 12 degrees. It can be seen that when the first angle ⁇ of the cup wall 14 is less than 12.5 degrees, the weight-bearing rate is better and the cup wall 14 will not be deformed under certain force.
- the cup wall 14 needs to be inclined, that is, when the first angle ⁇ is 0 degree, the cup body 10 will be difficult to demold.
- FIG. 10 which shows the demolding force change when the first angle ⁇ is between 0 degree and 12.5 degrees
- the demolding force refers to the force required to be applied when the cup body 10 is demolded from the mold during the manufacturing process.
- the cup body 10 has excellent supporting force and is easy to manufacture.
- the cup body 10 has a shape fixing effect at one end of the opening 11 of the cup. Accordingly, in the present invention, when the cup body 10 is deformed due to the effect of force, the side wall of the cup body 10 is prevented from experiencing a large twist due to the deformation of the opening 11 of the cup, thereby effectively alleviating the disadvantages of an existing foldable cup: the existing foldable cup easily topples and falls due to the deformation of the opening of the cup, causing a liquid in the cup to be splashed.
- the foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure is provided.
- the cup body has a shape fixing effect at one end of the opening of the cup. Accordingly, in the present invention, when the cup body is deformed due to the effect of force, the side wall of the cup body is prevented from experiencing a large twist due to the deformation of the opening of the cup, thereby effectively alleviating the disadvantages of an existing foldable cup: the existing foldable cup easily topples and falls due to the deformation of the opening of the cup, causing a liquid in the cup to be splashed.
- the foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure is provided.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Portable Outdoor Equipment (AREA)
- Table Devices Or Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
A foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure includes: a cup body, a shape-fixing ring nested on the opening of the cup body, and a cup cap fitted to the shape-fixing ring. When the cup body is deformed due to the effect of force, the side wall of the cup body is prevented from experiencing a large twist due to the deformation of the opening of the cup, thereby effectively alleviating the disadvantages of an existing foldable cup: the existing foldable cup easily topples and falls due to the deformation of the opening of the cup, causing a liquid in the cup to be splashed. Further, when the side wall of the cup body is extruded, the liquid in the cup does not flow out from the joint position between the shape-fixing ring and the cup cap, thereby improving the practicability of the foldable cup.
Description
- This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/759,732, which claims the earlier filing date of Apr. 28, 2020, the entire specification of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- The present invention relates to a foldable cup, and more particularly to a foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure.
- As general cups are inconvenient to carry around, in order to meet the needs of users for convenient storage and carrying of cups, a conventional cup for convenient storage includes a base and a plurality of frames. By providing the plurality of frames on the base, and each frame has its lower inner edge snapped with the top outer edge of an adjacent frame, before using the cup, the user has to unfold the frames and make them fastened with each other. Further, the frames are made of a hard material, and if they are made of plastic, the plastic will be likely to release toxins when exposed to heat, which leads to restriction of application. If they are made of metal, users will be easily burned when the cup holds hot drinks. Therefore, the structure of this cup has its limitations in use.
- In view of this, a conventional foldable cup is provided with a plurality of grooves at intervals on the outer surface of a container made of silicone, and the foldable cup can be folded by the plurality of grooves, is easy to clean, less likely to be deformed, and can be reused. Preferably, the silicone can be used to contain high-temperature contents without burning the user.
- However, because the foldable cup is made of silicone, it will still deform if it is squeezed by external force. Therefore, the opening of the cup body will be deformed when the cup body is deformed by force, which further leads to severe deformation of the cup body, and the existing fold is derived, causing the problem that the cup is easy to pour and spill the contained liquid. If the user uses the foldable cup to hold hot drinks, it is more likely to cause injury to the user. In summary, the existing foldable cups are easily twisted when the opening of the cup body is deformed, therefore, there still is room for improvement.
- In order to solve the problem that the existing foldable cup is easily twisted when the opening of the cup body is deformed, causing the foldable cup to fall easily and splashing the contained liquid, the invention uses a shape-fixing ring nested on the opening of cup body to maintain the shape of the opening of cup body, which can effectively improve the distortion of the existing foldable cup. In addition, in order to solve the problem of insufficient supporting force of a soft foldable cup, the cup wall of the present invention is arranged to extend straight along an extension direction, whereby when the user applies pressure downward from the opening of the cup body, the force transmission path is straight, which will not cause the cup wall to bend, so that the cup wall can withstand greater forces.
- The present invention is a foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure, the foldable cup comprises a cup body and a shape-fixing ring.
- The cup body has an opening, a cup wall, and at least two folding portions on a lateral surface of the cup body, wherein the at least two folding portions are spaced and annularly arranged on a lateral surface of the cup body, the cup body is foldable at the at least two folding portions; and
- the shape-fixing ring is combined with the cup body and nested on an inner surface of the opening of the cup body, and the cup wall extends straightly along an extension direction.
- Furthermore, a plurality of positioning flanges are provided at intervals on an inner surface of the shape-fixing ring.
- Furthermore, the shape-fixing ring extends upward to cover a top edge of the opening of the cup body in an annular manner.
- Furthermore, the at least two folding portions are a first folding area and a second folding area, the first folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an outer surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle area and close to an upper half of the cup body, so that the portion of the cup body below the first folding area is foldable upward in a portion of the cup body above the first folding area, and the portions of the cup body below and above the first folding area have their inner surfaces facing each other; the second folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an inner surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle portion and close to a lower half of the cup body, so that the portions of the cup body above and below the second folding area are foldable against each other and have their outer surfaces facing each other.
- Preferably, when the cup body is in a folded state, a lower edge of the shape-fixing ring is higher than a position of the two folding areas.
- Preferably, a cup cap is combined with the shape-fixing ring and has two ribs spaced in a vertical direction and arranged in an annular shape, when the shape-fixing ring is combined with the cup cap, the plurality of positioning flanges are restricted between the two ribs, and the two ribs are abutted against the inner surface of the shape-fixing ring.
- These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a partial cross-section of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a partially magnified side sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 is a perspective external view of a folded state of a partial cross-section of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a folded state according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 7 is a partially magnified side sectional view of a folded state according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 8 is a partially magnified side cross-sectional view of a use state of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 9 is a diagram of the invention showing the relationship between the load-bearing rate and the angle; and -
FIG. 10 is a diagram of the invention showing the relationship between the demolding force and the first angle. - The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
- The present invention is a foldable cup with a reinforcing structure. The preferred embodiments are shown in
FIGS. 1 to 4 , the foldable cup comprises: acup body 10 and a shape-fixing ring 20. - The
cup body 10 is made of soft materials, such as silica gel, has anopening 11, and is provided with at least two folding portions. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least two folding portions are afirst folding area 12 and asecond folding area 13. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 , thefirst folding area 12 is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an outer surface of thecup body 10, and is located at the middle area and close to the upper half of thecup body 10. As shown inFIG. 5 . The portion of thecup body 10 below thefirst folding area 12 can be folded upward in the portion of thecup body 10 above thefirst folding area 12, so that the portions of thecup body 10 below and above thefirst folding area 12 have their inner surfaces facing each other. - The
second folding area 13 is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from the inner surface of thecup body 10, and is located at a middle portion and close to a lower half of thecup body 10, and spaced from thefirst folding area 12. As shown inFIG. 5 , the portions of thecup body 10 above and below the second folding area are 13 can be folded and have their outer surfaces facing each other. Thecup body 10 is folded upward and inward via thefirst folding area 12, and then is folded inward and downward via thesecond folding area 13, so that thecup body 10 is folded along the twofolding areas FIG. 5 , which can make thecup body 10 have the advantages of small volume and convenient storage. - Please refer to
FIGS. 2 and 4 , the shape-fixing ring 20 is a metal ring fixed to thecup body 10, nested on an inner surface of the opening 11 of thecup body 10 and extends upward to cover a top edge of the opening 11 of the cup body in an annular manner. As shown inFIGS. 5 and 6 , when thecup body 10 is in a folded state, the lower edge of the shape-fixing ring 20 is higher than the position of thesecond folding area 13, so that the shape-fixing ring 20 can be combined with acup cap 50 without being blocked by thecup body 10 after being folded. - As shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7 , a plurality ofpositioning flanges 21 are evenly and provided at intervals on an inner surface of the shape-fixing ring 20. The plurality ofpositioning flanges 21 are located on the same horizontal plane and have the same height. Thecup cap 50 has tworibs 51 spaced in a vertical direction and arranged in an annular shape. When the shape-fixing ring 20 is combined with thecup cap 50, as shown inFIG. 7 , the plurality ofpositioning flanges 21 can be restricted between the tworibs 51 to allow the shape-fixing ring 20 and thecup cap 50 to be firmly combined, in such a manner that the two ribs 51 abut against the inner surface of the shape-fixing ring 20, so that the liquid in thecup body 10 will not flow out through the joint of the shape-fixing ring 20 and thecup cap 50. - Preferably, as shown in
FIG. 8 , when thecup body 10 is used to hold beverages and placed on abearing surface 70, since thecup body 10 is made of silicone material, the bottom of thecup body 10 will be deformed by force, and will be deformed from bending inward to become flat against thebearing surface 70, forming a vacuum-like suction effect. The friction between thecup body 10 and thebearing surface 70 can provide a good anti-slip effect, and the portion of the lateral surface of thecup body 10 near the bottom will generate an outward expanded deformation, which allows thecup body 10 to stand more firmly on thebearing surface 70, effectively prevents thecup body 10 from sliding relative to thebearing surface 70, and thecup body 10 is more difficult to fall. - The
cup body 10 further includes acup wall 14 and acup bottom 15 connected to a bottom of thecup wall 14. Thecup wall 14 extends linearly along an extension direction Y. Thecup wall 14 is arranged circumferentially in a circled manner to define theopening 11, and thecup wall 14 is arranged circumferentially in a circled manner so that thecup body 10 is cylindrical. As shown inFIG. 3 , an extension reference L can be defined on the cross section of thecup wall 14 through the extension direction Y, and the extension reference L is parallel to the extension direction Y. A horizontal direction X is parallel to a plane where thecup body 10 is placed. Afirst reference line 121 is defined at the position of thefirst folding area 12 and parallel to the horizontal direction X. A first outer angle θ1 is defined between thefirst reference line 121 and the extension reference L and located on an outer peripheral surface of thecup wall 14. Asecond reference line 131 is defined at the position of thesecond folding area 13 and parallel to the horizontal direction X, and between thesecond reference line 131 and the extension reference L is defined a second outer angle θ2 which is located on the outer peripheral surface of thecup wall 14. Athird reference line 151 parallel to the horizontal direction X is defined at the position of the cup bottom 15, and between thethird reference line 151 and the extension reference L is a third outer angle θ3 which is located on the outer peripheral surface of thecup wall 14. The first outer angle θ1, the second outer angle θ2 and the third outer angle θ3 have the same degree measure, so thecup wall 14 extends along a straight line. - Furthermore, the
cup body 10 includes abottom opening 16 facing theopening 11 at the position of the cup bottom 15, and thebottom opening 16 has abottom opening diameter 161 in the horizontal direction X. Theopening 11 of thecup body 10 has anopening diameter 111 in the horizontal direction X, theopening diameter 111 is larger than thebottom opening diameter 161, and the diameter of thecup body 10 gradually decreases from theopening 11 to thebottom opening 16, so as to maintain the consistency of the straight extension of thecup wall 14. - Since the
cup wall 14 of thecup body 10 extends straightly, and the first outer angle θ1, the second outer angle θ2, and the third outer angle θ3 have the same degree measure, when the user applies a pressure downward from theopening 11 of thecup body 10, the pressure force will be directly transmitted to the cup bottom 15 along the straightly extendingcup wall 14. Because the force transmission path is straight, the force transmission process will not cause thecup wall 14 to bend, so that thecup wall 14 can withstand greater force and does not bend easily. - The
cup wall 14 is arranged circumferentially in a circled manner to make thecup body 10 present a cylindrical shape. When a liquid is injected into thecup body 10, the pressure of the liquid is evenly distributed on the force-bearing surface of thecup wall 14, which can ensure that the force of each force point on thecup wall 14 is the same to prevent thecup body 10 from being deformed, so as to maintain the straight extension structure of thecup wall 14 so that thecup wall 14 can withstand greater forces and does not bend easily. - Please refer to
FIG. 3 , thecup body 10 is generally placed horizontally on a plane. It is assumed that a force F is applied vertically downward from the top of thecup body 10, and a first angle θ is sandwiched between the force F and thecup wall 14. Please refer toFIG. 9 , the weight-bearing rate of thecup wall 14 can be obtained after calculation through general mechanical concepts. The weight-bearing rate refers to the maximum external force that thecup wall 14 can withstand without being deformed. It can be understood fromFIG. 9 that the load-bearing rate is the maximum when the first angle θ is 0 degree, and the load-bearing rate is greatly decreased when the first angle θ is from 0 degree to 1 degree. When the first angle θ is 2 degrees to 11.5 degrees, the load-bearing rate changes slightly, and the load-bearing rate is greatly reduced after the first angle θ is greater than 12 degrees. It can be seen that when the first angle θ of thecup wall 14 is less than 12.5 degrees, the weight-bearing rate is better and thecup wall 14 will not be deformed under certain force. - In addition, during the manufacture of the
cup body 10, in order to facilitate thecup body 10 to be demolded from the mold smoothly, thecup wall 14 needs to be inclined, that is, when the first angle θ is 0 degree, thecup body 10 will be difficult to demold. Please refer toFIG. 10 , which shows the demolding force change when the first angle θ is between 0 degree and 12.5 degrees, the demolding force refers to the force required to be applied when thecup body 10 is demolded from the mold during the manufacturing process. When the first angle θ is 0 degree, the required demolding force is the greatest, and when the first angle θ is 1.5 degrees, the required demolding force is greatly reduced, when the first angle θ is between 1.5 degrees and 12 degrees, the required demolding force changes slightly, and when the first angle θ is less than 12 degrees, the required demolding force is greatly reduced. Therefore, it can be understood from the foregoing that in a preferred embodiment, when the first angle θ is between 1 degree and 12.5 degrees, it can provide sufficient supporting force while the demolding force won't be too great, during the manufacturing process. Therefore, thecup body 10 has excellent supporting force and is easy to manufacture. - Based on the above technical features, by arranging the shape-fixing
ring 20, thecup body 10 has a shape fixing effect at one end of theopening 11 of the cup. Accordingly, in the present invention, when thecup body 10 is deformed due to the effect of force, the side wall of thecup body 10 is prevented from experiencing a large twist due to the deformation of theopening 11 of the cup, thereby effectively alleviating the disadvantages of an existing foldable cup: the existing foldable cup easily topples and falls due to the deformation of the opening of the cup, causing a liquid in the cup to be splashed. Further, because of the shape-fixing ring and the cup cap, when the side wall of the cup body is extruded, the liquid in the cup does not flow out from the joint position between the shape-fixingring 20 and thecup cap 50, thereby improving the practicability of the foldable cup. Accordingly, the foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure is provided. - While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
- By arranging the shape-fixing ring, the cup body has a shape fixing effect at one end of the opening of the cup. Accordingly, in the present invention, when the cup body is deformed due to the effect of force, the side wall of the cup body is prevented from experiencing a large twist due to the deformation of the opening of the cup, thereby effectively alleviating the disadvantages of an existing foldable cup: the existing foldable cup easily topples and falls due to the deformation of the opening of the cup, causing a liquid in the cup to be splashed. Further, because of the shape-fixing ring and the cup cap, when the side wall of the cup body is extruded, the liquid in the cup does not flow out from the joint position between the shape-fixing ring and the cup cap, thereby improving the practicability of the foldable cup. Accordingly, the foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure is provided.
Claims (19)
1. A foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure, comprising:
a cup body made of soft materials and having an opening, a cup wall, and at least two folding portions on a lateral surface of the cup body, wherein the at least two folding portions are spaced and annularly arranged on a lateral surface of the cup body, the cup body is foldable at the at least two folding portions; and
a shape-fixing ring combined with the cup body and nested on an inner surface of the opening of the cup body;
wherein the cup wall extends along an extension direction, a force is applied downward from the top of the cup body, a first angle is defined between the force and the cup wall, and the first angle ranges between 1 degree and 12.5 degrees.
2. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of positioning flanges are provided at intervals on an inner surface of the shape-fixing ring.
3. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shape-fixing ring extends upward to cover a top edge of the opening of the cup body in an annular manner.
4. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the shape-fixing ring extends upward to cover a top edge of the opening of the cup body.
5. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least two folding portions are a first folding area and a second folding area, the first folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an outer surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle area and close to an upper half of the cup body, so that the portion of the cup body below the first folding area is foldable upward in a portion of the cup body above the first folding area, and the portions of the cup body below and above the first folding area have their inner surfaces facing each other; the second folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an inner surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle portion and close to a lower half of the cup body, so that the portions of the cup body above and below the second folding area are foldable against each other and have their outer surfaces facing each other.
6. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the at least two folding portions are a first folding area and a second folding area, the first folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an outer surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle area and close to an upper half of the cup body, so that the portion of the cup body below the first folding area is foldable upward in a portion of the cup body above the first folding area, and the portions of the cup body below and above the first folding area have their inner surfaces facing each other; the second folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an inner surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle portion and close to a lower half of the cup body, so that the portions of the cup body above and below the second folding area are foldable against each other and have their outer surfaces facing each other.
7. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 5 , wherein when the cup body is in a folded state, a lower edge of the shape-fixing ring is higher than a position of the two folding areas.
8. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 6 , wherein when the cup body is in a folded state, a lower edge of the shape-fixing ring is higher than a position of the two folding areas.
9. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two folding portions are a first folding area and a second folding area, the first folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an outer surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle area and close to an upper half of the cup body, so that the portion of the cup body below the first folding area is foldable upward in a portion of the cup body above the first folding area, and the portions of the cup body below and above the first folding area have their inner surfaces facing each other; the second folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an inner surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle portion and close to a lower half of the cup body, so that the portions of the cup body above and below the second folding area are foldable against each other and have their outer surfaces facing each other.
10. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the at least two folding portions are a first folding area and a second folding area, the first folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an outer surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle area and close to an upper half of the cup body, so that the portion of the cup body below the first folding area is foldable upward in a portion of the cup body above the first folding area, and the portions of the cup body below and above the first folding area have their inner surfaces facing each other; the second folding area is formed by being recessed in a circular shape from an inner surface of the cup body, and is located at a middle portion and close to a lower half of the cup body, so that the portions of the cup body above and below the second folding area are foldable against each other and have their outer surfaces facing each other.
11. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 9 , wherein when the cup body is in a folded state, a lower edge of the shape-fixing ring is higher than a position of the two folding areas.
12. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 10 , wherein when the cup body is in a folded state, a lower edge of the shape-fixing ring is higher than a position of the two folding areas.
13. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the cup body is in a folded state, a lower edge of the shape-fixing ring is higher than a position of the at least two folding areas.
14. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein when the cup body is in a folded state, a lower edge of the shape-fixing ring is higher than a position of the at least two folding areas.
15. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a cup cap which is combined with the shape-fixing ring and has two ribs spaced in a vertical direction and arranged in an annular shape, when the shape-fixing ring is combined with the cup cap, the plurality of positioning flanges are restricted between the two ribs, and the two ribs are abutted against the inner surface of the shape-fixing ring.
16. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a cup cap which is combined with the shape-fixing ring and has two ribs spaced in a vertical direction and arranged in an annular shape, when the shape-fixing ring is combined with the cup cap, the plurality of positioning flanges are restricted between the two ribs, and the two ribs are abutted against the inner surface of the shape-fixing ring.
17. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a cup cap which is combined with the shape-fixing ring and has two ribs spaced in a vertical direction and arranged in an annular shape, when the shape-fixing ring is combined with the cup cap, the plurality of positioning flanges are restricted between the two ribs, and the two ribs are abutted against the inner surface of the shape-fixing ring.
18. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cup wall is arranged circumferentially in a circled manner to make the cup body present a cylindrical shape.
19. The foldable cup provided with the reinforcing structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cup body includes a bottom opening facing the opening at the position of the cup bottom, the bottom opening has a bottom opening diameter in the horizontal direction, the opening of the cup body has an opening diameter in the horizontal direction, the opening diameter is larger than the bottom opening diameter, and a diameter of the cup body gradually decreases from the opening to the bottom opening.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US17/584,395 US20220142339A1 (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2022-01-26 | Foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure |
US18/462,160 US20230404247A1 (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2023-09-06 | Foldable cup |
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CN201711159830.9A CN109805688A (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2017-11-20 | Folding cup with reinforced structure |
CN201711159830.9 | 2017-11-20 | ||
PCT/CN2018/113057 WO2019096007A1 (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2018-10-31 | Foldable cup provided with reinforcing structure |
US202016759732A | 2020-04-28 | 2020-04-28 | |
US17/584,395 US20220142339A1 (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2022-01-26 | Foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure |
Related Parent Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US16/759,732 Continuation-In-Part US20200305584A1 (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2018-10-31 | Foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure |
PCT/CN2018/113057 Continuation-In-Part WO2019096007A1 (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2018-10-31 | Foldable cup provided with reinforcing structure |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US18/462,160 Continuation-In-Part US20230404247A1 (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2023-09-06 | Foldable cup |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20220142339A1 true US20220142339A1 (en) | 2022-05-12 |
Family
ID=81455429
Family Applications (1)
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US17/584,395 Abandoned US20220142339A1 (en) | 2017-11-20 | 2022-01-26 | Foldable cup provided with a reinforcing structure |
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US (1) | US20220142339A1 (en) |
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