U.S. patent application number 12/702517 was filed with the patent office on 2010-08-12 for embossed paperboard cup holder.
This patent application is currently assigned to International Paper Company. Invention is credited to William Loren Brown, Richard A. Tedford.
Application Number | 20100200647 12/702517 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42539591 |
Filed Date | 2010-08-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100200647 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tedford; Richard A. ; et
al. |
August 12, 2010 |
EMBOSSED PAPERBOARD CUP HOLDER
Abstract
A paperboard cup holder for use with a hot coffee cup, the cup
being tapered as in the form of a cross section of a right circular
cone of relatively small taper angle. Such cups are generally of
paperboard or plastic and are often used in vending machines and
fast food retail outlets for serving hot coffee. The holder is
formed from a flat, generally arcuate unitary paperboard blank
having a convex outer edge and a concave inner edge. The arcuate
length of the blank is substantially the same as the mid
circumference of the cup, and the ends of the blank are glued
together to form an annular holder. The upper edge of the blank
integrally carries a plurality of flaps which bend 180 degrees to
as to lie parallel with the main portion of the blank. The inter
and outer surfaces of the paperboard blank are embossed, including
the flaps. When the holder is slid onto a cup, the flaps are
sandwiched between the outer (hot) surface of the cup and the main
portion of the holder. The flap apertures define small, closed air
chambers which assist, with the paperboard of the holder, in
inhibiting heat flow to the fingers of the person holding the cup.
Spaces between the flaps and the surface embossing define air
filled channels which further assist in inhibiting heat flow from
the hot coffee to the finger tips of the user.
Inventors: |
Tedford; Richard A.;
(Loveland, OH) ; Brown; William Loren;
(Marysville, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
INTERNATIONAL PAPER COMPANY
6285 TRI-RIDGE BOULEVARD
LOVELAND
OH
45140
US
|
Assignee: |
International Paper Company
Memphis
TN
|
Family ID: |
42539591 |
Appl. No.: |
12/702517 |
Filed: |
February 9, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61151223 |
Feb 10, 2009 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/403 ;
220/739; 229/4.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/3876
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/403 ;
220/739; 229/4.5 |
International
Class: |
B65D 25/36 20060101
B65D025/36; B65D 3/00 20060101 B65D003/00; B65D 81/38 20060101
B65D081/38 |
Claims
1. An annular cup holder for generally conical cups having hot
liquids therein, said holder formed from a unitary blank of
paperboard, said blank including a main strip of paperboard having
a length, said main strip having an upper convex edge and a lower
concave edge along its said length, one of said edges having a
plurality of flaps integrally secured thereto, said flaps each
foldably secured to said main strip, said flaps being spaced from
each other along said main strip, each of said flaps having a
plurality of embossed regions thereof, each of said flaps folded
over onto the same side of said main strip and into substantial
parallelism with said main strip, said blank having opposite ends,
said opposite ends secured together to form a ring shaped cup
holder.
2. The cup holder of claim 1 wherein each of said flaps is foldably
secured to said main strip by an integral hinge, said integral
hinge being adjacent an arcuate cut line through said unitary
paperboard blank.
3. The holder of claim 2 wherein each said cut of said flaps is
curved and collinear with one of said edges.
4. The cup holder of claim 1 wherein each said flap has a base as
measured longitudinally along said main strip, and wherein said
integral hinge has a width as measured longitudinally along said
main strip, said flap base being greater than said integral hinge
width.
5. The cup holder of claim 1 wherein there are two said integral
hinges securing each said flap to said main strip.
6. A unitary paperboard blank adapted to form a holder for a
tapered cup containing hot coffee, said blank including an
elongated paperboard strip having a convex upper edge and a concave
lower edge, one of said strip edges provided with a plurality of
spaced apart flaps, each said flap having a portion integral with
said strip, each said flap having a base, each said flap being
bendable about said integral portion to a position parallel with
said strip, each said flap having a plurality of embossed regions
thereon.
7. The blank of claim 6 wherein there are two said integral
portions foldably joining each said flap to said strip.
8. The blank of claim 6 wherein said integral portion for each said
flap is located substantially centrally of each said flap, and
wherein said cut is in two regions each located laterally of said
integral portion.
9. The blank of claim 6 wherein said flaps are located along said
convex edge of said strip.
10. The combination of a conical cup for holding a hot drink and an
annular paperboard cup holder surrounding and contacting it, said
cup holder having a main strip and bent flanges integral with said
strip, said bent flanges located between said main strip and said
cup and being sandwiched between said main strip and said cup, each
of said bent flanges having a plurality of embossed portions
thereon to thereby define, with said main strip and said cup, a
plurality of closed chambers, whereby said closed chambers function
to inhibit the transmission of heat from said hot drink to fingers
of a user.
11. The combination of claim 10 wherein each said flap has a base
having an integral hinge which joins said flap to said main strip,
each said flap base also having a curved cut through said
paperboard which facilitates wrinkle free bending of each said flap
from said main strip.
12. The combination of claim 10 wherein said flaps have side edges
which are spaced from each other and which define, with said cup
and said main strip, air channels having ends which are open.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 61/151,223, filed Feb. 10, 2009.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to containers and more particularly
to a holder for a paperboard cup, such as those commonly employed
in vending machines and in fast food outlets for dispensing hot
coffee. Cup holders may be fashioned of corrugated paperboard,
molded plastic materials, or specially configured paperboard. In
the fast food industry, one requirement of such holders is that
they be inexpensive to fabricate, easy to store and use, while also
yielding appreciable thermal insulation so that the consumers do
not feel uncomfortable when holding a cup of hot coffee.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0003] According to the practice of this invention, a paperboard
holder for hot coffee is fashioned from a unitary blank of
paperboard. The paperboard is formed with an embossing pattern on
the surface of the material. The blank consists of a strip, also
termed a main strip, which is arcuate. The arcuate strip has a
lower edge and an upper edge, with the upper edge having a
plurality of flaps integrally foldably connected to the main strip.
The lower edge of the strip is concave and the upper edge is
convex. The flaps are spaced apart from each other along the main
arcuate strip. The flaps are folded substantially 180 degrees back
onto one of the two strip surfaces, the ends of the main strip are
overlapped and glued together, and the resultant annular or ring
shaped structure is placed on a coffee cup by sliding it upwardly,
beginning at the bottom or smallest diameter portion of the coffee
cup, with the flaps positioned between the main strip and the cup
outer surface. The user holds the cup of hot coffee by placing the
thumb and fingertips on the holder, with the thermal insulating
properties of the paperboard flaps acting to inhibit heat transfer
to the fingertips from the hot coffee in the cup, and also
utilizing the insulating properties of the embossing in the flaps
and outside surface materials. Each flap is sandwiched between the
exterior surface of the coffee cup and the main arcuate strip.
Thus, the known low thermal conductivity properties of both air and
paperboard are utilized in this invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a unitary blank of paperboard or
other stiff, resilient, and bendable sheet material of low heat
conductivity used to form the present invention.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and shows the cup holder
after its flaps have been bent down so as to lie against, or be in
substantial parallelism with, the main arcuate strip of the holder
on an inside surface of the main strip.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the cup holder of this
invention as surrounding a cup.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a view taken along Section 4-4 of FIG. 3 and
illustrates the relation between the wall of a coffee cup and the
cup holder of this invention.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a partial plan view illustrating a second
embodiment of the paperboard cup holder of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a unitary and
elongated flat paperboard blank 10 is illustrated, the blank
including a main, slightly curved or arcuate strip 12, the latter
having a lower concave edge 14 and an upper convex edge 18 as
viewed in FIG. 1. Curved upper edge 18 may be considered as having
a radius 20, while curved lower edge 14 may be considered as having
a smaller radius 16, both radii 16 and 20 referred to a center of
curvature such as 17. As is shown in FIG. 1, the entirety of the
surface of the paperboard blank contains embossed portions 26.
[0010] Each of a plurality of flaps, integral with strip 12, is
designated as 24. The flaps bear subscripts a,b,c,d to distinguish
them from each other. The base of each flap 24, where the latter is
connected to main strip 12, contains a foldable connection, here in
the form of an arcuate cut line 30 and portions 32, with each cut
line 30 extending completely through the paperboard. Cut lines 30
are located adjacent the bases or lowermost central portions of the
respective flaps, while the end portions of cut lines 30 terminate
at integral paperboard portions 32 which serve as integral links
and foldably join each flap to the main arcuate strip 12. Arcuate
cut lines 30 are of the same curvature as that of convex edge 18,
and are collinear therewith. Thus each flap has two integral
portions 32 and one cut line between the latter. As shown in FIG.
1, one free corner of the outer edge of flap 24b protrudes
leftwards and radially outwardly, for a purpose soon to be given.
Flap 24 extend outwardly from strip 12 in a generally radial
direction, as referred to radii 16 and 20 and center of curvature
17.
[0011] In theory, hinges defined by cut lines 30 and portions 32
could be replaced by scores or by perforations. However, such
replacement would result in wrinkling and not result in flaps 24,
after folding or bending them, smoothly matching the curvature of
cup 50, as will be explained later with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3.
The best mode of the invention is thus that using cut lines 30 and
integral portions 32.
[0012] The right and left longitudinal ends of main arcuate strip
12 are designated respectively as 36 and 38, and are intended to be
overlapped and glued together. A curved reference axis 13, which
may be regarded as a longitudinal axis, having the same center of
curvature 17 as edges 16 and 18, runs through the mid section of
main arcuate strip 12.
[0013] It is seen that two spaced radially extending fold lines 15
extend across the width of the main strip 12, and are located
between the bases of flaps 24c and 24d, as well as between the
bases of flaps 24a and 24b. These fold lines facilitate the
folding, to a generally flattened form, of the annulus formed when
the main strip ends 36 and 38 are glued together.
[0014] Referring now to FIG. 2, the individual flaps 24 have been
bent or folded approximately 180 degrees about their respective
bases, the direction of bending being either toward or away from
the reader (shown in FIG. 2 as toward the reader). It is necessary
to bend them so that they are in substantial parallelism with main
arcuate strip 12. Ends 36 and 38 of main strip 12 are overlapped
and glued so as to form a continuous arcuate member of sufficient
circumference to extend completely around a typical tapered
paperboard coffee cup. The holder is thus annular or ring shaped.
This is illustrated at FIG. 3 wherein the holder is shown as
surrounding the outside surface of a typical tapered paperboard
coffee cup 50, the latter often provided with a bead 53 around its
upper circumference. Some of the flaps 24 are illustrated in
phantom lines at FIG. 3.
[0015] Referring now to FIG. 4, the section taken along 4-4 of FIG.
3 shows that each flap 24 is sandwiched between the outer surface
of cup 50 and one surface of the main arcuate portion 12 of the
holder. The user or consumer grasps the cup holder by squeezing the
thumb and one or more fingertips against the surface of the
holder.
[0016] From the above description, it is seen that the embossed
portions 26 each define (with the cup) a substantially closed
volume, with one end of each such volume or small air chamber
bounded by the external surface of cup 50, and with the other end
bounded by main arcuate strip 12. The side surface or periphery of
each chamber is defined by the interior surface (the thickness of
the paperboard) of each embossed portion 26. These small volumes or
small chambers are an important feature of the present invention in
that they utilize the well known poor thermal conductivity of air
to inhibit transfer of heat from the hot outer surface of the cup
to the finger tips of the consumer. Typically, the thermal
conductivity of air is approximately 0.015 BTU/hr ft F, while the
thermal conductivity of paperboard is approximately 0.031 BTU/hr ft
F. The thermal conductivity of air is thus about one-half of that
of paperboard. Hence the embossed portions 26, which form the small
air chambers during operation of the cup holder, improve the
insulating property of the latter. The embossed pattern 26 may
linear and generally parallel to vertical surface of the holder
body 10 or at an angle to normal. However, other directions of
embossing or patterns may be used without departing from the
function and spirit of the invention. Further, while the embossed
portions 26 are illustrated on all surfaces of the holder, one may
selectively emboss the flaps 24 only, leaving the main arcuate
strip unembossed.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates cut line portions 30A of each flap.
Portions 30A arise after each flap is folded. In FIG. 2, the gap
between cuts 30 on main arcuate strip 12 and portions 30A of the
flaps is denoted as 40. If cuts 30 were not arcuate, the bending or
folding of flaps 24 down could result in flap wrinkling upon
folding. Wrinkling would inhibit the required smooth curving of
each flap onto the curved outer surface of the coffee and interfere
with the formation of the small, closed air volumes or chambers
formed from the embossed portions 26 when the flaps are sandwiched
by the cup surface and main strip 12. This, in turn, would diminish
the heat insulation property of the holder. The same action takes
place with the modification of FIG. 5.
[0018] As indicated in FIG. 2, and also indicated at FIG. 3, a
space or channel 52 extends between adjacent flaps 24. After the
holder is placed around a cup, each channel is bordered by side
edges of adjacent flaps 24, by main strip 12, and by the outer
surface of the cup. Each channel is substantially open at its top
and bottom. These air filled channels 52 constitute voids for
insulation that allow air to circulate through them. Further, fold
lines 15 are located between flaps 24c and 24d, and between flaps
24a and 24b, to allow for better folding and glueing during
manufacturing. The middle channel 52 between flaps 24b and 24c is
slanted, i.e., does not extend radially (see FIG. 2) as do the
other two channels. Enlarged portion 27 of flap 24b extends towards
adjacent flap 24c, with the right edge of the latter cut back
somewhat, as seen in both FIGS. 1 and 2. When the FIG. 2
construction is folded and glued to form an annulus, portion 27 of
flap 24b will inhibit folding or crinkling of the outer surface of
the cup holder defined by those panels of main strip 12 which
include the middle two flaps 24b and 24c.
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 5, a modification is shown wherein
each flap 24 is secured by a single integral portion 32B to main
strip 12. The curved cut line 30 at the hinge of each flap 24 is no
longer a continuous, single cut line, but is, rather, two cut lines
each extending laterally or sideways from a central or middle
integral portion 32B. The action of forming the holder according to
this modification is the same, namely, each flap 24 is folded
through about 180 degrees so as to assume parallelism with main
arcuate strip 12.
[0020] While not illustrated, flaps 24 may be located along the
lower concave edge 14 of main strip 12, instead of along the upper
convex edge 18 as shown, for either the construction of FIG. 1 or
that of FIG. 5.
* * * * *