Container With Cup Liners And Cup Holders

Abstract

This container has an elongated, cylindrical cavity for positioning cup liners and either a cavity or a pintle for positioning cup holders neatly.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a cabinet support structure for a magazine of readily removable stacked cup-shaped articles.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

Coffee is often served in commercial and office establishments by the use of a cup liner and cup holder. The liner is a truncated, conical cup with a flange or ring at the bottom to snap into a positioner at the bottom of a holder. In this way the cup liner is made of inexpensive thin disposable plastic and the holder of heavier plastic or ceramic material.

Customarily the liners are sold packaged in a cardboard dispenser wherein there is an elongated slot along one edge so the cup holder may be snapped over the liner to assemble the liner into the holder. However, the containers are quite light and therefore, they are easily knocked to one side. Also, the holders become scattered around upon the serving table. Often the cups are used on a self-service basis by many people apparently having little or no incentive to keep the serving facilities neat. These cup liners and holders are extremely popular where mechanics work, such as garages, shops and manufacturing plants. In these cases, the facilities are not clean and therefore, when the containers for the cup liners become toppled over, they tend to become dirty and unusable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

1. New and Different Function

I have solved the problem by providing a simple magazine wherein the unused cup liners may be stacked in a cavity and, in addition, the cup holders may also be positioned in a serial fashion so they are also kept neatly in place in the same unit. In this way, the entire facility for serving coffee is maintained neat and clean. I prefer to attach the unit to a wall; therefore, making it difficult if not impossible to knock over and spill the contents. However, if placed on a table, the base is made heavier and wider so it is more difficult to knock over.

(2.) Objects of the Invention.

An object of this invention is to neatly position cup liners and cup holders.

Further objects are to achieve the above with a device that is sturdy, compact, durable, simple, safe, efficient, versatily, and reliable, yet inexpensive and easy to manufacture, install, and clean.

The specific nature of the invention, as well as other objects, uses, and advantages thereof, will clearly appear from the following description and from the accompanying drawing, the different views of which are not necessarily to the same scale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, it may be seen that this container has body 10. Obviously, the container may be made of any suitable material, but I prefer synthetic material commonly called plastic.

The body 10 is basically a parallelepipedon in shape having a rectangular base and a rectangular smooth back face 12, which includes tab 14 extending upward from the back face 12. The tab 14 has the same width as the back face 12. It also has two nail holes 16 so nails may be used to attach it to a wall.

The body 10 has four elongated, cylindrical cavaties. Two of these are liner cavities 18 and the two are holder cavities 20. Each cavity has an elongated axis which is vertically oriented. The liner cavities 18 have a greater diameter than the holder cavities 20. Stated otherwise, the holder cavities have a lesser transverse dimension than the liner cavities 18. This is because the diameter of liners 22 is greater than the diameter of holders 24.

A plurality of nested, inverted cup liners 22 are illustrated serially stacked in one of the liner cavities 18. By "inverted" it is meant that the truncated, conical shaped liner is stacked with the apex up, or upside down from the way it would be used when holding liquid. Likewise, a plurality of inverted cup holders 24 are illustrated serially stacked in one of the holder cavities 20. Preferably they are stacked inverted, although they may be stacked upright, or for that matter, some can be upright and some can be inverted.

Each of the cup holders 24 has handle 26 extending outward through slot 28. The slot 28 extends through front face 30 of the body 10. It extends for the entire length of the holder cavity 20 to the top thereof which is open. The liner cavity 18 has slot 32 in the front face 30. This slot also extends the full length of the cavity 18 which is open at the top.

In use, one of the holders 24 is removed by its handle 26 from the holder cavity 20 by moving it vertically upward and then it is moved down over the top liner 22 in the liner cavity 18 and pushed down over the top cup liner 22 until it snaps in place, thus assembling the cup. The assembled cup is removed from the cavity 18 by moving it vertically upward.

FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment having a parallelepipedon body 130 with liner cavities 318 and holder cavities 320 which are cylindrical in cross section and have elongated parallel vertical axes. Also, the tranverse dimensions of each holder cavity 320 is less than the transverse dimensions of each liner cavity 318. As previously indicated, holders 24 are illustrated in the holder cavity 320 and liners 22 in the liner cavity 318. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the bottom is enlarged to form base 314. It may be seen that this enlarged base performs the same function as tab 14 in the previous embodiment, i.e., it is a fixing means on the body 10 for holding the body in the desired orientation, which is for cylindrical cavities 318 and 320 to be vertical.

FIG. 4 shows yet another embodiment. Body 410 has only two cavities, both being liner cavities 418; the two liner cavities 418 have the same transverse dimensions. Again, they are illustrated as cylindrical in cross section and with a slot in the front face of the body. Again, there would be a plurality of inverted, nested cup liners 22 serially stacked in the cavity 418. Two pintles 420 are attached to the body 410 on either side thereof. These pintles are cylindrical rods which extend vertically upward so the axes of the pintles 420 are parallel with the elongated axes of the cylindrical cavities 418. The cup holders 24 are serially stacked upon the pintles 420. Standard cup holders each have a circular opening through the bottom which is normally used to snap over the bottom of the liners 22, but which also makes it ideally suited for stacking on pintles. The pintles 420 serve the same function as the holder cavity 20, i.e., they serve as a positioner for the cup holders.

It will be obvious that the model with the pintles can be made either with a base similar to base 314 or a tab similar to tab 14. The bottom of the pintles 420 are connected to the body 410 by member 432.

Thus it may be seen that I have provided a convenient container to neatly position and contain the cup liners and holders.

The embodiments shown and described above are only exemplary. I do not claim to have invented all the parts, elements or steps described. Various modifications can be made in the construction, material, and arrangement, and still be within the scope of my invention. The limits of the invention and the bounds of the patent protection are measured by and defined in the following claims. The restrictive description and drawing of the specific examples above do not point out what an infringement of this patent would be, but are to enable the reader to make and use the invention.

SUBJECT MATTER CLAIMED FOR PROTECTION

Claims

I claim as my invention:

1. A container with cup liners and cup holders, each cup holder having a handle, said container having

a. a body,

b. at least one elongated liner cavity in the body with

i the longitudinal axis of the cavity vertically oriented, and

ii a continuously extending vertical slot in the face thereof,

iii said liner cavity open at the top and said slot extending to the top,

iv a plurality of inverted, nested cup liners serially stacked in the liner cavity;

c. at least one cup holder positioner on said body,

i said cup holder positioner parallel to said cavity, and

ii a plurality of cup holders serially stacked on the positioner;

d. fixing means on the body for holding the body in the desired orientation,

e. so that a cup holder may be moved upward to disengage it from the positioner, then jammed over a cup liner with the cup holder handle passing down the slot to assemble the cup and then the assembled cup lifted vertically from the liner cavity.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 with the additional limitation of

f. said liner cavity being generally cylindrical in shape.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said fixing means is

f a base by which the body stands on a table.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said fixing means is

f. a tab attached to the body along a back face of the body having

g. nail holes in the tab.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said cup holder positioner is in the form of

f. an elongated cylindrical holder cavity in the body, having

i a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the liner cavity,

ii a transverse dimension less than the transverse dimension of the liner cavity, and

iii is open at the top;

g. a continuously extending vertical slot interconnecting the cavity and the face of the body,

h. said slot extending to the top of the cavity.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said fixing means is

j. a base by which the body stands on a table.

7. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said fixing means is

j. a tab attached to the body along a back face of the body having

k. nail holes in the tab.

8. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said cup holder positioner is in the form of

f. a pintle having

f. an axis parallel to the axis of said liner cavity, and

ii is attached to the body at the bottom of the pintle.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said fixing means is

g. a base by which the body stands on a table.

10. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said fixing means is

g. a tab attached to the body along a back face of the body having

h. nail holes in the tab.