U.S. patent application number 12/404673 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-21 for beverage container lid with raised sanitary platform.
Invention is credited to William M. LEVEY.
Application Number | 20100012657 12/404673 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41529386 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100012657 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LEVEY; William M. |
January 21, 2010 |
BEVERAGE CONTAINER LID WITH RAISED SANITARY PLATFORM
Abstract
A lid for beverage containers includes vertical or upward
protrusions above the area of the lid on which consumers place
their mouths (the drinking area), creating a raised plane that
forms a platform that allows the lid to be placed upside down on a
table or other surface and protects the drinking area from becoming
contaminated. This is particularly applicable for lids accompanying
containers for coffee or other hot beverages. The protrusions
creating the platform also provide surfaces or guides for users to
press down onto and apply the lid to a container without directly
touching the area proximate to the drinking hole. The beverage
container lid with raised sanitary platform ultimately protects the
area of the lid on which consumers place their mouths from coming
into contact with other surfaces that may be unsanitary (e.g., a
table or a server's hands or fingers). The present invention may
also be incorporated into the design and manufacture of beverage
lids already existing in the marketplace or created in the
future.
Inventors: |
LEVEY; William M.; (New
York, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Pearl Cohen Zedek Latzer, LLP
1500 Broadway, 12th Floor
New York
NY
10036
US
|
Family ID: |
41529386 |
Appl. No.: |
12/404673 |
Filed: |
March 16, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61135414 |
Jul 21, 2008 |
|
|
|
61188333 |
Aug 8, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/379 ;
220/713 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2543/00731
20130101; B65D 2543/00611 20130101; B65D 2543/00537 20130101; B65D
2543/00092 20130101; B65D 2543/00046 20130101; B65D 2543/00796
20130101; B65D 2543/00296 20130101; B65D 43/0212 20130101; B65D
2543/00027 20130101; B65D 2543/00527 20130101; B65D 2543/00685
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/379 ;
220/713 |
International
Class: |
B65D 43/02 20060101
B65D043/02; B65D 43/06 20060101 B65D043/06; B65D 43/03 20060101
B65D043/03 |
Claims
1. A lid adapted for removable attachment to a container having a
rim, said lid comprising: a generally circular top surface defining
a plane, an annular side wall contiguous to the periphery of said
top surface and extending substantially downward from said top
surface, an aperture formed through said top surface, through which
a flowable substance held by said container may be dispensed when
the lid is attached to said container, at least one protrusion
extending upward from said top surface and along a periphery
thereof, said at least one protrusion being sufficient to define a
plane that is at least in part higher than said plane formed by
said top surface, such that, when said lid is removed from said
container and placed upside down on a planar surface, said aperture
is spaced away from said planar surface.
2. The lid of claim 1, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises one protrusion extending more than halfway around the
periphery of said top surface.
3. The lid of claim 1, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises at least two protrusions, each extending along a portion
of an arc around the periphery of said top surface.
4. The lid of claim 1, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises at least three protrusions positioned around the
periphery of said top surface, said at least three protrusions
defining said plane.
5. The lid of claim 1, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises a flat upper surface.
6. The lid of claim 1, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises a dome-like shape.
7. The lid of claim 1, wherein said at least one protrusion defines
a plane that is parallel to said plane formed by said top
surface.
8. The lid of claim 1, wherein said at least one protrusion defines
a plane that is angled with respect to said plane formed by said
top surface.
9. The lid of claim 8, wherein said plane defined by said
protrusion is angled such that, when said lid is removed from said
container and placed upside down on a planar surface, the region of
said lid adjacent to said aperture is spaced farther away from said
planar surface than the region of said lid remote from said
aperture.
10. The lid of claim 1, wherein said at least one protrusion is
positioned on said top surface not within a drinking region defined
by the area of said top surface that a user's lips are likely to
touch when drinking from said lid.
11. A lid adapted for removable attachment to a container having a
rim, said lid comprising: a generally circular top surface, said
top surface defining a plane, an annular side wall extending
substantially downward from said top surface and contiguous with
the periphery of said top surface, a drinking region on top
surface, said drinking region being defined by the area of said top
surface that a user's lips are likely to touch when drinking from
said lid, at least one protrusion extending upward from said top
surface and along a periphery thereof, said at least one protrusion
not being within said drinking region, said at least one protrusion
being sufficient to define a resting plane that is at least in part
higher than said top surface plane, such that, when said lid is
removed from said container and placed upside down on a planar
surface, said drinking region is spaced away from said planar
surface.
12. The lid of claim 11, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises one protrusion extending more than halfway around the
periphery of said top surface.
13. The lid of claim 11, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises at least two protrusions, each extending along a portion
of an arc around the periphery of said top surface.
14. The lid of claim 11, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises at least three protrusions positioned around the
periphery of said top surface, said at least three protrusions
defining said resting plane.
15. The lid of claim 11, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises a flat upper surface.
16. The lid of claim 11, wherein said at least one protrusion
comprises a dome-like shape.
17. The lid of claim 11, wherein said at least one protrusion
defines a plane that is parallel to said plane formed by said top
surface.
18. The lid of claim 11, wherein said at least one protrusion
defines a plane that is angled with respect to said plane formed by
said top surface.
19. The lid of claim 18, wherein said plane defined by said
protrusion is angled such that, when said lid is removed from said
container and placed upside down on a planar surface, the drinking
region is spaced farther away from said planar surface than the
region of said lid remote from said aperture.
20. The lid of claim 11, wherein said drinking region comprises an
aperture through which a flowable substance held by said container
may be dispensed when the lid is attached to said container.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications No. 61/135,414,
filed Jul. 21, 2008, and No. 61/188,333, filed Aug. 8, 2008.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to lids used with beverage
containers, and particularly to beverage container lids having a
preformed drinking hole that protects the area of the lids on which
consumers place their mouths from touching an unsanitary surface or
otherwise becoming contaminated.
[0003] It is widely believed that the surfaces on which beverage
container lids are placed are unsanitary. For example, in coffee
shops, fast food restaurants, gas stations and other establishments
where consumers add to or modify their beverages, it may be
necessary to place beverage lids on a public table, countertop or
other surface that may be unsanitary while modifying their
beverages. Many of the beverage container lids have an exposed
drinking aperture, which, on most, if not all, lids, is at the
highest vertical plane or point of the lid. Often, when these lids
are turned over and placed upside down on a countertop or other
flat surface, the place where consumers will put their mouths is in
direct contact with such a dirty or unsanitary surface.
[0004] To avoid this problem, consumers may place a napkin on such
a surface to provide a barrier between the lid and the surface or
may try to hold the lid in their hands while modifying their
beverage. Alternatively, consumers will position the lid on the
surface so that the portion where they put their mouths is not in
contact with the surface, e.g., by placing such portion over the
edge of such surface, or by positioning the lid face up on the
surface. However, it is not desirable to place over the edge of
such surface the portion of the lid where the consumer applies his
mouth, as this may lead to the lid falling off the surface.
Similarly, it is not desirable to place the lid face up on such a
surface, as the heat and moisture inside the lid may attract
bacteria and other media on the table into the lid, which will then
be transferred to the beverage contents. While the methods
described above may be satisfactory to some, they are a clear
indication that consumers are interested in a solution to this
problem.
[0005] Another problem presented by lids currently in the
marketplace is that servers of the beverages must place their hands
on the entire beverage container lid in order to secure it to the
container rim. Often, these servers are also handling money and are
not observing sanitary food service practices. Even consumers
themselves may have to place the lid on the beverage container
themselves, or, once they have been served the beverage, they must
remove and replace the lid. To do so, they have to touch the
drinking area of the lid to secure it on the container with their
own hands, which may not be clean at such a time (e.g., from
opening doors, handling other condiments touched by many people and
handling money, etc.).
[0006] There are many beverage lids in the marketplace, and some
have attempted to solve this sanitation problem. For example, U.S.
Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0173434 to O'Neal teaches a
beverage lid with notches on the perimeter of the mounting portion
of the lid, which notches allow the user to hang the lid off the
rim of the cup on which it is placed. Unlike the present invention,
this product requires a consumer to carefully balance the lid on
the side of the container while modifying the beverage in the
container, and such lid may be knocked off by the consumer, another
person or another object, rendering the lid unsanitary and
unusable. Moreover, the notches on such a lid weaken the strength
of the lid's sidewall.
[0007] It is desirable to provide a beverage container lid that
allows consumers to modify their beverage while ensuring that the
area of the lid on which they will subsequently place their mouths
is not becoming contaminated during the modification process.
[0008] It is also desirable to provide a beverage container lid
that provides visual guides to prompt servers or consumers to place
their fingers on or near such guides when handling the lid and
applying it to a container in order to prevent them from touching
the drinking area of the lid.
[0009] It is further desirable to reduce or eliminate consumer
requests for an extra lid, which often occurs when consumers want
to ensure that the lid from which they will drink has not been
contaminated by a server or has not touched a table surface that
is, or is perceived to be, unsanitary. Dispensing extra beverage
lids significantly increases costs to the companies that use these
lids, and therefore the present invention is a cost-effective
solution.
[0010] It is still further desirable to provide a higher quality
product (the beverage, container and lid) by assuring beverage
consumers that they are receiving a clean lid that they can
confidently place upside down on a table or other surface without
being concerned that doing so will contaminate the drinking area on
which they are about to place their mouths.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] It is one object of the present invention to reduce or
eliminate the potential spread of germs and other communicable
diseases by giving consumers confidence that the beverage lid from
which they are or will be drinking has not been contaminated by
placing it on a table or other surface to modify the beverage.
[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
method for applying the lid securely to a container by application
of pressure, to effectively reduce or eliminate the potential
spread of germs and other communicable diseases spread by human
hands.
[0013] It is a further object of the present invention to teach a
new beverage lid that allows a consumer to place the beverage lid
upside down on a surface while adding to the beverage or allowing
it to cool off, knowing that the drinking area of such lid has not
been contaminated by such surface.
[0014] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide
a beverage lid that allows servers or consumers of such lids to
press down and apply the lid securely to a container without having
to touch the drinking area.
[0015] It is still another object of the present invention to
provide a cost-effective modification to beverage container lids
currently in the market, which may be improved by incorporating the
new sanitary platform into their designs.
[0016] The present invention solves the sanitation problems
described above by providing a beverage container lid that may be
applied to the container without touching of the drinking area and
that may be placed on a surface without contamination of the
drinking area. In certain embodiments, a beverage container lid has
a raised sanitary platform or other vertical protrusions that
create a plane higher than the one on which the drinking area
exists. Such raised platform provides sanitary protection for the
area of the lid on which a consumer places his or her mouth (the
drinking area) by creating a higher plane that contacts the surface
onto which the lid is rested and that prevents contact between that
surface and the drinking area. The raised sanitary platform may be
accomplished in a number of ways, some of which are described
herein. The platform may be made by any one or more protrusions
from the top surface of the beverage lid, which protrusions are
vertically high enough to create a plane that is higher than the
drinking hole or plane where consumers place their mouths.
[0017] The raised vertical platform on the beverage container lid
protects the surface on which consumers places their mouths from
coming into contact with unsanitary surfaces (e.g., a table used to
add sugar, milk, honey and the like) and therefore acts as a
hygienic and sanitary barrier on such lid. None of the known prior
art references discloses, suggests or teaches a novel beverage lid
with a raised vertical sanitary platform as described in the
present invention, which is a simple, effective and cost-effective
solution to preventing contamination of beverage lids at the point
of applying lids to containers or while removing them to modify the
beverages.
[0018] By raising the highest vertical plane of the beverage lid
above that of the drinking area, the present invention provides a
solution to the above mentioned sanitary problems. Instead of
touching the area where consumers place their mouths, servers will
touch the highest vertical plane on the lid and press down to
secure the lid to the container. Instead of setting the lid upside
down on an unsanitary countertop, thereby putting the area where
consumers place their mouths (the drinking area) in direct contact
with an unsanitary surface, consumers can place the lid upside down
on the surface and the drinking area will not be in contact with
such surface at all. Only certain parts of the lid, none of which
touches a consumer's face or mouth, will contact such surface.
[0019] The present invention provides a barrier between other media
that may come in contact with the beverage container lid prior to
the consumption of the beverage (e.g., a server's bare hands, a
contaminated glove, the user's own hands, and a table or other
surface on which the lid is placed). Thus, an advantage of the
present invention is that it gives the consumer the ability to
place a beverage container lid upside down on a table or other
surface without contaminating the lid by exposing the drinking area
of the lid to dirt, bacteria, germs or other material while doing
so.
[0020] This invention will dramatically reduce the potential spread
of "germs" and will give consumers confidence that the lid will not
be contaminated if the consumer places it upside down on a public
countertop, table or other surface, and that anyone who handled the
lid would be much less likely to have contaminated the drinking
area in the process of serving it.
[0021] The present invention relates to the lid only and not to the
entire container and it is not intended to provide protection
against tampering at the point of manufacture or other stage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The above and other objects and advantages of the invention
will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed
description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
in which the reference characters refer to like parts throughout
and in which:
[0023] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the first embodiment of a
beverage lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0024] FIG. 1B is a side view of the first embodiment of a beverage
lid with raised sanitary platform shown in FIG. 1A.
[0025] FIG. 1C is also a side view of the first embodiment of the
beverage container lid with raised sanitary platform shown in FIGS.
1A and 1B, but turned upside down and placed on a surface.
[0026] FIG. 1D is a side view of another embodiment of the beverage
container lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0027] FIG. 2A is a top plan view of a second embodiment of a
beverage lid with raised sanitary platform having a raised sanitary
platform.
[0028] FIG. 2B is a side view of the embodiment of a beverage lid
with raised sanitary platform shown in FIG. 2A.
[0029] FIG. 3A is a top plan view of a third embodiment of a
beverage lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0030] FIG. 3B is a side view of the beverage lid with raised
sanitary platform shown in FIG. 3A.
[0031] FIG. 3C is a side view of the third embodiment of the
beverage container lid with raised sanitary platform shown in FIGS.
3A and 3B, but turned upside down and placed on a surface.
[0032] FIG. 4A is a top plan view of another embodiment of a
beverage lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0033] FIG. 4B is a side view of the embodiment of the beverage
container lid with raised sanitary platform shown in FIG. 4A.
[0034] FIG. 4C is a top plan view of another embodiment of the
beverage container lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0035] FIG. 4D is a side view of the embodiment of the beverage
container lid with raised sanitary platform shown in FIG. 4C.
[0036] FIG. 5A is a side view of another embodiment of a beverage
lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0037] FIG. 5B is a side view of another embodiment of a beverage
lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0038] FIG. 5C is a side view of another embodiment of a beverage
lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0039] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the lid shown in FIGS. 4A
and 4B being applied to a container.
[0040] FIG. 7A is a top plan view of another embodiment of the
beverage container lid with raised sanitary platform.
[0041] FIG. 7B is a top plan view of another embodiment of the
beverage container lid with raised sanitary platform.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0042] While the present invention is capable and susceptible of
embodiment in myriad forms, designs and configurations, the
drawings and descriptions herein are understood to illustrate the
principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the
invention to the embodiments so illustrated.
[0043] The main difference of this beverage lid as compared to
other beverage lids on the market is that many of the lids commonly
referred to in the industry as "dome lids" have a drinking hole
that exists at the apex of the lid, meaning that when the lid is
applied to a container, the drinking hole is at the farthest, or
highest, vertical place away from the rim of the container on which
the lid is placed. Such drinking hole is typically preformed and
the hole, along with the area around it, is typically exposed and
uncovered. The present invention teaches beverage container lids
that, in various embodiments, have features that create a plane
that is higher than the one on which the drinking hole is situated,
or in other words, vertically farther away from the rim of the
container on which the lid is placed. In certain embodiments, the
distance between the plane created by such features and the one on
which the drinking hole exists is at least 0.4 cm near the drinking
hole. However, to be effective, the distance may vary in different
embodiments. It should be understood that the general configuration
of the beverage container lid with raised sanitary platform may be
modified to fit any and all beverage containers, and no description
herein is intended to limit the shape, design, dimensions, angles,
materials or application of the invention.
[0044] According to one embodiment of the invention, beverage
container lid 10 is shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. Beverage container lid 10
is attached to a beverage container (not shown), which is generally
frustoconical or cylindrical in shape and typically has a circular
top edge on which the lid may be placed. Lid 10 is generally
circular in shape. The upper surface or top rim 40 of beverage
container lid 10 generally intersects at approximately (or slightly
greater than) a right angle with an annular side wall 20 of the
beverage container lid 10, which annular side wall 20 may be angled
slightly outward. Below the side wall 20 is typically a mounting
portion 26 by which lid 10 is mounted onto the beverage container.
Lid 10 may also have a vent hole 14 to allow for easier flow of
beverage contents out of the beverage container and such vent hole
may sit on top surface 24, which may be slightly recessed relative
to top rim 40. Lid 10 also has a drinking aperture 60, which in
most prior art lids is oval shaped, although it need not be so
shaped.
[0045] Drinking hole or aperture 60 typically exists on the same
plane as top rim 40, although in embodiments where the plane of top
rim is not constant, it will be understood that the description
refers to the drinking area, where the hole is on the same plane as
the top rim. The area of the beverage lid 10 surrounding the
drinking hole 60 onto which consumers place their mouths, as shown
in FIG. 1A as drinking area 100, extends in one embodiment
generally approximately 2 cm to the left and right of drinking hole
60 along top rim 40, approximately 1.5 cm down side wall 20 along
the surface thereof, and approximately 1 cm along top rim 40
towards the center of lid 10. For purposes of description,
orientation of lid 10 is described as shown in FIG. 1A, so that the
drinking hole 60 is at the "front" of lid 10, and vent 14 is toward
the "back" of lid 10.
[0046] In certain embodiments, lid 10 is provided with at least one
upward protrusion that creates a plane that is higher than that of
the drinking hole 60 and top rim 40 and onto which lid 10 can be
placed upside down on a surface without fear of contamination from
direct contact of the drinking area 100 with such surface. In one
embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, the plane that is higher than that
of the drinking area 100 on lid 10 is provided by a raised sanitary
platform 21 that is a surface that extends upward from top rim 40
and extends at least partially therearound.
[0047] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A-1C; raised platform 21
creates a plane 71 that is situated at an acute angle relative to
the plane 61 of the drinking hole 60 and of top rim 40. In this
embodiment, the highest point of plane 71 of platform 21 relative
to plane 61 of top rim 40 and drinking hole 60 is at left front
edge 22 and right front edge 23 of platform 21, and the height of
the platform 21 tapers downward, i.e., becomes lower, towards top
rim 40 as platform 21 progresses circumferentially toward the back
of top rim 40 away from drinking hole 60 until, at the back of lid
10, platform 21 is flush with top rim 40. When viewed from a top
perspective, such as shown in FIG. 1A, raised platform 21 has a "C"
shape to it, extending in one embodiment generally greater than
approximately 180 degrees around the circumference of lid 10,
measured by beginning at left front edge 22 and extending clockwise
to right front edge 23, which are generally less than approximately
90 degrees to the left and right, respectively, from drinking hole
60. Raised platform 21 may extend in other embodiments from greater
than 180 degrees around the circumference of lid 10 up to
approximately 270 degrees around the circumference of lid 10,
measured by beginning at left front edge 22 and extending clockwise
to right front edge 23, which may in other embodiments be
approximately 45 degrees to the left and right, respectively, from
drinking hole 60. In other embodiments, not shown, the
circumferential shape of raised platform 21 may be broken into
various segments of various lengths and may have varying heights at
different points. In one embodiment, the height of left front edge
22 and right front edge 23 is approximately 1 cm above top rim 40,
which height tapers downward as the platform extends away from the
front of lid 10.
[0048] As shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, drinking hole 60 and top rim 40
exist on a plane, shown in dotted lines 61. Raised platform 21
creates a plane shown in dotted lines 71, which forms an acute
angle with plane 61 of drinking hole 60 and top rim 40, as
described above. As shown in FIG. 1C, when beverage lid 10 is
placed upside down, or inverted, on a flat surface 5, plane 71
created by raised platform 21 lifts the drinking hole 60 of lid 10
away from flat surface 5. In such a state, drinking hole 60 and the
surrounding drinking area 100 is suspended above and does not come
in contact with flat surface 5. The back of top rim 40 would be in
contact with flat surface 5, although when used in a typical
manner, no part of a consumer's face would touch any portion of the
lid that came in contact with such flat surface. In fact, the
farther around the circumference of lid 10 that raised platform 21
extends, the less likely lid 10 is to be able to be tilted forward
so that drinking area 100 comes in contact with surface 5.
[0049] In one embodiment, front left edge 22 and front right edge
23 of raised platform 21 preferably have rounded corners or soft
edges to prevent any potential injury to a user by a sharp edge
thereof, even though they are positioned on the lid so that they
will not touch the face of a user who is drinking from lid 10. In
one embodiment, front left edge 22 and front right edge 23 have the
same width as top rim 40 but may in other embodiments extend upward
from the inner or outer edge of top rim 40. In one embodiment,
front left edge 22 and front right edge 23 have soft or rounded
corners on the left and right sides thereof, creating a bulbous
shape to the front of the raised platform.
[0050] In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 7B, the width of raised
platform 21 is greatest at the front left edge 22 and front right
edge 23 and tapers, i.e., becomes narrower, as the platform extends
along its arcuate length away from the front of lid 10 on each of
the left and right sides and such tapering may be reversed so that
the widest point is at the back of the lid. The width of the raised
platform 21 may vary in different embodiments and may have
different designs, such as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, for
example.
[0051] Alternatively, the raised sanitary platform may not be
angled, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, but rather may be level and
parallel to the plane 61 of the drinking hole 60 and of top rim 40.
For example, FIG. 1D shows another embodiment of the beverage lid
with a raised sanitary platform 19, where raised sanitary platform
19 is parallel to top rim 40, i.e., its height is constant relative
to top rim 40 and does not angle downward towards the upper surface
of top rim 40, as in FIG. 1B. When this embodiment is inverted and
placed on a flat surface, top rim 40 and drinking hole 60 will be
suspended above, and parallel to, such flat surface.
[0052] FIG. 2A shows another embodiment of the present invention,
where the raised sanitary platform on lid 150 is created by
discontinuous arcuate protrusions that extend upward from top rim
40 but only partway around the circumference of top rim 40, or at
least less around the circumference of top rim 40 than is shown in
the embodiment of FIG. 1A. In this embodiment, each of raised left
protrusion 11 and raised right protrusion 13 extends vertically
upward and perpendicular to top rim 40. Such protrusions 11,13 are,
in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, arcuate in shape, and follow
the shape of the outer edges of top rim 40. In other embodiments,
protrusions 11,13 need not be arcuate in shape but rather could be
straight, and could be either longer or shorter in length along the
arc of top rim 40.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 2B, the top edges 12 of each of the
protrusions 11,13 together create a horizontal plane 35, which is
raised higher than and is parallel to horizontal plane 25, which is
created by top rim 40. The height of the protrusions 11,13, as
measured by the distance of top edge 12 to top rim 40 in the
embodiment, shown in FIG. 2A, is constant from front edges 16,18 to
back edges 17,19 of each protrusion, although in other embodiments
the height of the protrusions 11,13 could create a raised plane 35
that is angled with respect to top rim 40, such as in FIGS. 1B and
1C. The corners of edges 16,17,18,19 may be rounded and may slope
downward to meet top rim 40 or the outer edge 42 of top rim 40. In
the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the height of the
protrusions 11,13 is approximately 1 cm from top rim 40 and
drinking hole 60, such that raised horizontal plane 35 is
approximately 1 cm higher than the horizontal plane 25 of top rim
40 and drinking hole 60. However, raised horizontal plane 35 could
be either higher or lower from horizontal plane 25. Although FIG.
2A shows the protrusions arising from the center of top rim 40,
protrusions 11,13 may arise from the outer edge 42 of top rim 40 or
from any other portion of the top of the lid except from drinking
area 100.
[0054] In this embodiment, protrusions 11,13 each begin to extend
vertically from top rim 40 at approximately 4 cm from the drinking
hole 60 along the circumference of the top rim 40 on either side of
the lid, opposite each other, and extend for approximately another
4 cm toward the back of top rim 40. It is contemplated that such
protrusions may be further extended toward the back or front of top
rim 40, and the length of the protrusions is not limited to the
description herein. Such protrusions may be wider or narrower
(i.e., may cover a wider or narrower portion along the
circumferential axis of the lid) than is shown here and may be of
varying lengths, although they should be large enough so that the
lid may be able to rest on them securely when inverted and placed
on a flat surface. Such protrusions may also have media,
advertisements or other messages printed on them (e.g., "press
here").
[0055] FIGS. 3A and 3B show an embodiment that is substantially
similar to FIGS. 2A and 2B, except that this embodiment adds a
raised center protrusion 15. Raised center protrusion 15 is
positioned towards the back of top rim 40, substantially
diametrically opposite from drinking hole 60, and extends
vertically from top rim 40 in a fashion similar to protrusions
11,13, and the top edge 28 of raised center protrusion 15 exists on
the same horizontal plane 35 created by top edges 28 of protrusions
11,13. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the three
protrusions 11, 13 and 15 essentially create a tripod on which the
lid may stand if placed upside down or inverted on a flat surface,
as shown in FIG. 3C. In such a case, the protrusions 11,13 and 15
become "feet" on which the lid stands and define the horizontal
plane 35 that is higher than the horizontal plane 25 of top rim 40
and drinking hole 60. In this embodiment, the three protrusions as
shown are approximately 3 cm long, although they may be shorter in
length because the tripod structure will support the weight of the
lid somewhat evenly.
[0056] FIG. 4A shows another embodiment of a beverage container lid
with a raised sanitary platform. In this embodiment, the beverage
container lid 200 has a number of raised protrusions 76 positioned
along the circumference of top rim 50. In this embodiment, there
are five raised protrusions 76, each with the same shape and height
relative to the top rim 50. Raised protrusions 76 may have any
cross-sectional shape, such as cylindrical, or may simply be a
dome-like or bump-like protrusion.
[0057] As shown in FIG. 4B, the raised protrusions 76 together
create a plane 73 that is vertically higher than the plane 63, on
which the drinking hole 60 and top rim 50 exist. In particular,
when the beverage container lid is inverted, or placed upside down
on a flat surface, the protrusions 76 will be in direct contact
with such surface, while the drinking area, the area where
consumers place their mouths proximate to drinking hole 60, will
not contact such surface. Protrusions 76 also provide a visual
guide on the lid, prompting people to place their fingers on or
near such protrusions when handling the lid and applying it to a
container. Such protrusions may have writing or other media printed
on them. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, plane 73
created by protrusions 76 is parallel to horizontal plane 63, which
is formed by the upper surface of top rim 40 and drinking hole 60.
Similarly, the height of the protrusions 76 could be varied so as
to create a raised plane 73 that is angled with respect to the
plane 63 of top rim 40, as shown in FIG. 5A. FIGS. 4C and 4D show
another embodiment that is similar to FIG. 4A, although lid 210 has
only three protrusions 76, which would be the minimum number of
protrusions necessary to define a plane when they are this size or
smaller, as opposed to the size of the three protrusions 11, 13, 15
shown in FIG. 3A.
[0058] All of these embodiments are intended to accommodate easy
manufacturing, such as by thermoforming in the same manner in which
most lids are currently manufactured. Notwithstanding the above,
the raised sanitary platform may be manufactured as a separate
piece, or separate pieces from the lid and may be attached with a
variety of means, such as a strong adhesive or a notch and tab
mechanism, although the preferred embodiment is manufactured, as
described herein, as a one-piece article. In other embodiments of
the present invention (not shown here), the protrusions may be dome
shaped or other shapes, which need not be limited in size although
they must be sturdy enough to support the weight of the lid when
supported by such protrusions. The protrusions may extend from a
number of places on the lid, such as elsewhere on the outer top
rim, the side wall or the top surface of the lid generally but not
from the drinking area 100. Such protrusions may be of varying
number, width, shape and height. In all cases, the protrusions are
designed to allow for easy stacking of lids when manufacturing and
shipping, such that they will fit together vertically when stacked
on top of each other and the underside of a protrusion on one lid
shall fit over the top of a protrusion on another lid stacked
underneath it.
[0059] Where the top surface 45 of the beverage lid is angled from
front to back or in any other manner, the height of the protrusions
extending vertically from such lid may be different from each
other, as shown in FIG. 5A, which would create a plane that is at
an acute angle, rather than parallel, or the protrusions may be the
same height from the top rim, as shown in FIG. 5B, which would
create a plane that is parallel, relative to the plane on which the
drinking hole exists. In FIG. 5A, back protrusion 84 extends higher
vertically from sloped top rim 45 than protrusion 83, creating a
horizontal plane, which intersects at an acute angle with, and is
higher than, the plane on which drinking hole 60 exists. In FIG.
5B, the protrusions 85 are the same height relative to sloped top
rim 45 and the plane created by such protrusions is higher than,
but parallel to, the plane on which the drinking hole 60 exists.
FIG. 5C shows a side view of another embodiment of the lid having a
sloped top rim 45, although the side protrusions 87 are vertically
higher than rear protrusion 89, relative to the top rim such that
the plane created by protrusions 87 and 89 intersects at an acute
angle near the back of the lid with the plane created by top rim 45
and drinking hole 60. In each of these embodiments, if the lid is
placed upside down on a flat surface, the drinking hole 60 and the
area surrounding it will be suspended above, and will not contact,
such surface.
[0060] The protrusions shown in FIG. 4A, for example, also provide
a place for a server to grab the lid 200 by, for example, clamping
a finger and thumb over any one or more of the protrusions 76
instead of handling the lid near the place where consumers put
their mouths. The server or customer would also apply pressure to
the lid to place it on a beverage container in the raised plane of
the protrusions, and by having protrusions that are higher than the
top rim and drinking area, it is likely that the person's hand will
not touch the drinking area but instead will touch only the
protrusions. As shown in FIG. 6, beverage lid 200 may be applied to
a container without the server touching the drinking area. One way
of accomplishing this is by holding the lid by, for example,
placing a thumb to the outside, meaning away from the center of the
lid, of one side of the protrusion or the side wall and placing one
or more fingers on the outside of the diametrically opposite
portion of the protrusion, the diametrically opposite protrusion or
the diametrically opposite portion of the side wall and then
placing the drinking area near the rim of the container, hinging
the mounting portion 26 of the lid 200 on the rim of a container as
shown by arrow 1 and pressing down on the lid with the hand away
from the drinking area as shown by arrow 2 until the lid fits
securely on the container.
[0061] The shapes and lengths of the protrusions and platforms of
the present invention may vary in degree and in shape to be an
improvement to various existing lids in the marketplace.
[0062] One skilled in the art will appreciate that the present
invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments,
which are presented for purposes of illustration and not
limitation. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will
readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to
limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown
and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to, without departing from the scope or
spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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