WO2018033702A1

WO2018033702A1 - Collar and cap

Info

Publication number: WO2018033702A1
Application number: PCT/GB2017/052339
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Gooch
Original assignee: Cambridge Technologies Ltd
Priority date: 2016-08-19
Filing date: 2017-08-08
Publication date: 2018-02-22
Also published as: GB201614217D0; GB2556618A; GB2556618B

Abstract

The present invention provides a sealing assembly (20) for releasably securing an open drinking vessel (10) therein, the assembly comprising: a collar (22) having an internal sleeve (24) and a peripheral annular shoulder (26) with an outwardly facing surface (26b) having an interlocking element (26c), the sleeve and shoulder interconnected by a mounting rim (28) for temporarily receiving a corresponding rim (12c) of a drinking vessel; and a cap (50) with a lid (54) having at least one internal annular protrusion (52a) and an external annular side wall (56) having an inwardly facing surface (56a) having an interlocking element (58), wherein the interlocking elements are operable to releasably secure the cap and collar together via a first lateral seal (60) and a second longitudinal seal (62) created between the cap and collar, the seals being spatially distinct from the interlocking elements.

Description

COLLAR AND CAP

This invention relates to a sealing assembly comprising a collar and cap for releasably securing open drinking vessels. Drinking vessels can come in all shapes and sizes and can be disposable, i.e. a coffee cup, or re-usable, i.e. a ceramic mug. Disposable drinking vessels are used in vast numbers on a daily basis across the globe and typically conform to uniform size and construction. Drinking vessels, depending on content, may be supplied by a vendor with a cap, or other closure means. Caps provided with disposable drinking vessels are typically push fitted over an annular lip at the top of the drinking vessel to form an interface providing at least some resistance against removal of the cap from the drinking vessel.

Due to the nature of the interface between a disposable drinking vessel and a cap, it is not uncommon for caps to become dislodged and the content of disposable drinking vessels spilt. This is at best an annoyance but in some circumstances can be dangerous if hot contents of a drinking vessel were to spill on to a person. Furthermore, disposable drinking vessels are inherently unstable having a small diameter base with a greater diameter opening at the top of the drinking vessel. In the event that a disposable drinking vessel is knocked over it is likely its contents will be spilt regardless of whether a cap is fitted or not. Caps provided with disposable drinking vessels are typically formed from low grade plastic and may not be recyclable. The sheer volume of caps used annually poses a significant environmental impact, a) from those caps that are not recycled and enter landfill, b) caps which are disposed of irresponsibly and affect local wildlife, and c) the energy required to both manufacture and recycle caps and the associated waste from the manufacturing and recycling processes used.

The present invention seeks to provide solutions to the aforementioned problems.

In one aspect the invention concerns a sealing assembly for releasably securing an open drinking vessel therein, the assembly comprising: a collar having an internal sleeve and a peripheral annular shoulder with an outwardly facing surface having an interlocking element, the sleeve and shoulder interconnected by a mounting rim for temporarily receiving a corresponding rim of a drinking vessel; and a cap with a lid having at least one internal annular protrusion and an external annular side wall having an inwardly facing surface having an interlocking element, wherein the interlocking elements are operable to releasably secure the cap and collar together via a first lateral seal and a second longitudinal seal created between the cap and collar, the seals being spatially distinct from the interlocking elements.

Use of a sealing assembly according to the above aspect of the invention provides a robust seal between a disposable drinking vessel and a cap to significantly reduce the risk of spillage of the content of the disposable drinking vessel. The double seal arrangement provided by the first lateral seal and second longitudinal seal provides a fluid tight arrangement such that a disposable drinking vessel fitted with a sealing assembly according to the above aspect of the invention is inherently portable with minimal risk of content spillage. Furthermore, the sealing assembly according to the above aspect of the invention is re-usable and thus would reduce the number of caps required each year. The first seal may be created between the internal sleeve of the collar and internal annular protrusion of the cap and the second seal created between the mounting rim of the collar and the lid of the cap.

This arrangement limits the possibility of content contamination between the first seal, second seal and the interlocking elements of the collar and the cap. The mounting rim of the collar may comprise a recess, preferably wherein the mounting recess is concave.

The recess provides a seat in which the annular lip of a disposable drinking vessel is located thus providing a means to securely mount the collar on the disposable drinking vessel. A concave profile is desirable to securely seat the lip of a disposable drinking vessel.

The internal sleeve of the collar may extend longitudinally away from the mounting rim. In one embodiment the internal sleeve of the collar comprises two or more support means which extend longitudinally away from the mounting rim.

A longitudinally extending sleeve helps support the wall of a disposable drinking vessel to provide increased rigidity and additionally has thermal benefits to keep hot contents of the disposable drinking vessel hot for longer or to keep cold contents of the disposable drinking vessel cold for longer. The longitudinally extending sleeve also provides a thermal buffer to enable a user to comfortably hold a drinking vessel containing hot or cold contents. The internal sleeve of the collar may comprise inwardly facing protrusions, preferably ribs or ridges.

Inwardly facing protrusions provide a better grip with the drinking vessel, improve tightness of the lateral seal and create a thermal co-efficient for reduced conduction of heat. The lid of the cap may comprises a convexed portion. The convexed portion is useful for applying branding to the lid of the cap.

The lid of the cap may house a wireless communication chip. The wireless communication chip may store customer details and/or data relating to customer purchases. The wireless communication chip may be an RFID chip or other NFC chip having wireless communication capabilities for exchanging data with a base station.

The annular sidewall of the cap may comprise a plurality of external gripping features. The external gripping features, which may be longitudinal ribs, provide a suitable surface for gripping the lid to facilitate tightening or loosening the lid.

The lid of the cap may further comprise a second internal annular protrusion positioned within the first internal annular protrusion and configured to receive and secure a closed end of the drinking vessel to the cap.

The second annular protrusion receives the closed end of a drinking vessel to provide a secure base for the drinking vessel in order to improve stability of the drinking vessel when stood on a surface. The lid of the cap may comprise a vent. Provision of a vent enables steam to escape from within the drinking vessel.

The internal sleeve of the collar may be angled conically. Angling the internal sleeve conically enables the sealing assembly to be used with a straight walled drinking vessel and/or tighten the fit between the internal sleeve and the drinking vessel. The lid of the cap may comprise a fluid outlet means, preferably a sealable fluid outlet means. The sealable fluid outlet means may comprise a one-way valve.

The fluid outlet means provides access to the contents of the drinking vessel without the need to remove the cap. The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following figures in which:

Figure 1 shows a cross-section of a sealing assembly for use with a disposable drinking vessel such as those supplied with beverages by cafes and fast food outlets;

Figures 2 to 5 illustrate use of the sealing assembly of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a perspective exploded view of a second embodiment of sealing assembly having a variant cap; and

Figure 7 is a side view of the second embodiment of sealing assembly.

Disposable drinking vessels are typically of very similar construction regardless of the cafe or fast food outlet that provides them. A drinking vessel or cup (10) will typically comprise a conical body (12) open at one end (12a open end) and closed at the other end (12b - closed end). The open end 12a typically comprises a re-enforced rim or lip (12c) and the closed end 12b typically comprises a base (not shown) recessed such that the base does not make direct contact with a surface on which the cup is sat. Disposable drinking vessels can be manufactured from plastic, card or a layered construction comprising layers of card and plastic.

The body of such vessels are constructed by way of partially overlaying the ends of a material, such as cardboard, to create an overlap which extends longitudinally from the rim to the base of the vessel. Such a construction typically ensures that even when the vessel is sealingly secured and containing a hot beverage negative pressure is unlikely to build and thus the cup will typically be able to retain its shape.

The present invention is therefore suitable for use with standard drinking vessels of the type described above but minor modifications without departing from the scope of the claims are envisaged in order to optimise the suitability of the assembly to particular preferred dimensions and specifications of branded or unbranded disposable drinking vessels or cups.

The first aspect of the invention relates to a sealing assembly (20) comprising a collar (22) and a cap (50). As shown in figures 1 to 5, one embodiment of collar (22) comprises an internal sleeve (24) of annular construction having an internal diameter similar to the diameter of the open end (12a) of the drinking vessel (10). The internal sleeve (24) has an inwardly facing surface (24a) and an outwardly facing surface (24b). The inwardly facing surface (24a) of the internal sleeve (24) may comprise one or more projections such as ribs or ridges (not shown) for engaging the drinking vessel (10). The internal sleeve (24), in some embodiments, may also comprise two or more support means (not shown) that extend longitudinally along the longitudinal length of the drinking vessel (10) to support the drinking vessel (10). Such support means are provided in opposing pairs.

The collar (22) further comprises a peripheral annular shoulder (26) joined to the internal sleeve (24) by way of a mounting rim (28). The peripheral annular shoulder (26) extends longitudinally from the mounting rim (28) in the same direction as the internal sleeve (24) and comprises an inwardly facing surface (26a) and an outwardly facing surface (26b). The outwardly facing surface (26b) comprises an interlocking element (26c) for engaging with a corresponding interlocking element (58) of the cap (50). The mounting rim (28) comprises a conical recess (28a) for seating the rim (12c) of the drinking vessel. In the illustrated embodiment, the internal sleeve (24) extends conically away from the mounting rim (28). However, in other embodiments the internal sleeve (24) may extend perpendicularly away from the mounting rim (28).

The cap (50) comprises a first internal annular protrusion (52a), which may be continuous or formed from more than one protrusion, extending inwardly from a lid (54) and an external annular sidewall (56).

The external annular sidewall (56) comprises an inwardly facing surface (56a) having an interlocking element (58) for engaging with the corresponding interlocking element (26c) of the collar (22) and outwardly facing surface (56b) having a plurality of gripping features such as protrusions or ridges to assist gripping of the cap (50). The lid (54) has an inwardly facing surface (54a) and an outwardly facing surface (54b). The outwardly facing surface (54a) of the lid, in some embodiments, comprises a convex portion for receiving branding or other information. The lid may also incorporate a wireless communication chip, i.e. a RFID chip, for storing customer and/or purchase information. The wireless communication chip can also be used to automate payment for a beverage each time a disposable drinking vessel (10) is filled and the sealing assembly applied (20). The wireless communication chip may be configured to communicate with a base station at point of sale and/or with a mobile device. In some embodiments the lid (54) may have a vent (not shown) and/or fluid outlet means (such as a spout - not shown) extending from the outwardly facing surface (54a) to the inwardly facing surface (54b) thereof. Such fluid outlet means is preferably sealable to prevent unwanted discharge of fluid content, and may be sealed using a bung, valve, e.g. a one-way valve, or the like.

The lid (54) of the cap (50) comprises a second annular protrusion (not shown) extending from the inwardly facing surface (54b) of the lid (54) having an external diameter similar to the internal diameter of the drinking vessel (10) at the closed end (12b) thereof such that the closed end (12b) of a drinking vessel (10) can receive the second annular protrusion turning the cap (50) into a saucer.

In use, a collar (22) is positioned on a surface and a drinking vessel (10) is positioned within the collar (22) (it will be appreciated that these steps may not be necessary if the cup is empty). The collar (22) is moved (e.g. upwardly) until the rim (12c) of the drinking vessel (10) engages with the mounting rim (28) of the collar (22). The internal sleeve (24) of the collar (22) engages with the body (12) of the drinking vessel (10) to resist the sleeve falling under gravity.

The cap (50) is positioned over the collar (22) and drinking vessel (10) and attached by engagement of the interlocking element (26c) of the collar with the corresponding interlocking means (58) of the cap (50). In the illustrated embodiment, the interlocking elements (26c, 58) are threaded portions hence the cap (50) is simply screwed on to the collar (22). Once the collar (22) and cap (50) are engaged, a fluid tight seal is provided between the collar (22) and cap (50). The fluid tight seal comprises two distinct seals (60, 62) that are each spatially distinct from the interlocking elements (26c, 58 of the collar (22) and cap (50) respectively. The first seal (60) compresses the body (12) of the drinking vessel (10) between the internal sleeve (24) of the collar (22) and the internal annular protrusion (52) of the cap. The second seal (62) compresses the rim (12c) of the drinking vessel (10) between the mounting rim (28) of the collar (22) and the lid (54) of the cap (50).

A surface of annular protrusion 52a facing the internal vessel wall (in use) may additionally have one or more grooves, preferably concave in cross-section. While not essential, it may be help to evenly equalize any pressure created after sealing the assembly together with the vessel when it contains hot liquid, particularly.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a variant embodiment of sealing assembly in which the cap 500 is provided with an aperture 501 that opens into the interior of the cup 10 for allowing a beverage held within the cup 10 to be poured out through the cap 500. The upper surface 540b of lid 540 of cap 500 is provided with a retainer 502 adapted to retain a closure 600 thereto. The retainer 502 comprises a radial flange 503 spaced away from the upper surface 540b of the lid 540 to provide a recess 504. The retainer 502 may be formed integrally as part of the lid 540. The closure 600 is comprised from a resiliency flexible material, favourably an elastomer. The closure 600 comprises an annular portion 601 having an aperture 602 sized to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the radial flange 503, and a radial portion 603 comprising a spigot 604. The radial portion 603 and annular portion are connected through a flexible hinge (e.g. living hinge) 606 which allows the radial portion 603 with spigot 604 to pivot relative the annular portion 601. The spigot 604 extends downwardly and comprises ribs 605 on its outer surface.

To mount the closure 600 to the cap 500, the annual portion is passed over the radial flange 503, strengthen the closure in order to increase the size of the aperture 601, to cause the inner circumferential edge of annual portion 601 that surround aperture 601 is seated in recess 504 so as to retain the closure 600 to the cap 500. To close off the aperture 501 the spigot 604 is inserted into the aperture 601 (e.g. through pivoting about hinge 606), such that ribs 605 engage with corresponding grooves (not shown) provided by a surface facing into the aperture 501 to releasably retain the spigot 604 in the aperture 501, closing the aperture 601. In a variant design, a wall surrounding the aperture 501 be arranged to extend from the upper surface 640b of the cap 500 to provide spout to assist pouring of the beverage out from the cup 10. In embodiments of the invention, the collar (22) and cap (50) are formed from a plastic based material via manufacturing processes known to those skilled in the art including injection moulding, 3D printing and additive manufacturing, for example.

Claims

1. A sealing assembly for releasably securing an open drinking vessel therein, the assembly comprising: a collar having an internal sleeve and a peripheral annular shoulder with an outwardly facing surface having an interlocking element, the sleeve and shoulder interconnected by a mounting rim for temporarily receiving a corresponding rim of a drinking vessel; and a cap with a lid having at least one internal annular protrusion and an external annular side wall having an inwardly facing surface having an interlocking element, wherein the interlocking elements are operable to releasably secure the cap and collar together via a first lateral seal and a second longitudinal seal created between the cap and collar, the seals being spatially distinct from the interlocking elements.

2. The sealing assembly of claim 1, wherein the first seal is created between the internal sleeve of the collar and the internal annular protrusion of the cap and the second seal is created between the mounting rim of the collar and the lid of the cap.

3. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the mounting rim of the collar comprises a recess, preferably wherein the mounting recess is concave.

4. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the internal sleeve of the collar extends longitudinally away from the mounting rim.

5. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the internal sleeve of the collar comprises two or more support means which extend longitudinally relative to the internal sleeve.

6. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the internal sleeve comprisea inwardly facing protrusions, preferably ribs or ridges.

7. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the lid of the cap comprises a convexed portion.

8. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the lid of the cap houses a wireless communication chip

9. The sealing assembly of any proceeding claim, wherein the external annular sidewall of the cap further comprises an externally facing surface having a plurality of external gripping features.

10. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the lid of the cap comprises a second internal annular protrusion positioned within the first internal annular protrusion and wherein the second internal annular protrusion is configured to receive and secure a closed end of the drinking vessel to the cap.

11. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the lid of the cap comprises a vent therethrough.

12. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the internal sleeve of the collar is angled conically.

13. The sealing assembly of any preceding claim, wherein lid of the cap comprises a fluid outlet means, preferably a sealable fluid outlet means.