Insulated beverage or food container

a beverage or food container technology, applied in the field of insulated beverage containers and container stock materials, can solve the problems of user inconvenience, device and method of background art suffer, user's hand becomes uncomfortably or sometimes even painfully hot, etc., to reduce energy transfer through the container wall, increase functionality and usefulness, and improve hold time

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-01-06
APPLETON PAPERS INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013] It is an aspect of the present invention to provide an insulated beverage container, sleeve or stock material that reduces the energy transfer through a container wall, offers increased functionality and usefulness.
[0014] It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a container, sleeve, or stock material having superior hold times and pre-disposed to high quality printing and graphics.
[0015] The present invention is a recognition, in part, that the ability to produce blank paper cups, sleeves or stock material that can be printed / graphically enhanced is desirable. This invention permits a superior insulating cup product to be made from standardized manufacturing processes.

Problems solved by technology

Accordingly, a user's hand becomes uncomfortably or sometimes even painfully hot when excessive heat transfer is permitted through the container wall.
This may require the user to be inconvenienced by having to release the container due to the excessive heat of the container's contents.
However, the devices and methods of the background art suffer from the following disadvantages.
Other known designs sacrifice the outside printability of the cup to provide insulation or do not provide adequate insulation properties.
As described above, many designs necessitate application of printed material prior to the manufacture of the paper cup, thereby limiting the ability to print or graphically enhance the cups after they have been manufactured.
The related art has not yet achieved insulated paper stock that is capable of effectively impeding heat transfer between the contents of the container and the exterior.
In addition, adequate thermal insulation is not achieved from the related art in a manner that is cost effective.

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
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Effect test

first embodiment

[0034]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an insulated beverage container wall or sleeve 1 according to the present invention. A beverage container wall or sleeve 1 includes a paper stock 2, and an extruded or laminated foam layer 3. The paper stock 2 provides structural rigidity and forms the desired shape of the container 10 or a portion of a sleeve wall. The extruded or laminated foam layer 3 is adhered to an inner surface (e.g. facing the beverage containing space 11) of the paper stock 2 and performs the function of a gas containing film layer. The foam layer 3 is designed to provide thermal insulation properties to the container.

[0035] The paper stock 2 is standard paper used for making beverage cups and other food containers. The paper stock 2 may be chosen with a thickness that provides optimized physical characteristics for cup construction. Important physical characteristics include fold strength, stiffness, tear and tensile strength.

[0036] A desired paper thickness is ch...

second embodiment

[0044]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a container wall according to the present invention. A film layer 4 is extruded, laminated, or coated in a position between the foam containing layer 3 and the beverage containing space 11. The foam layer 3 is therefore interposed between the paper stock 2 and the film layer 4. The film layer 4 will hereinafter be referred to as a PE layer 4. The PE layer 4 can be used as a barrier against moisture transmission and aids in seam sealing during container construction.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the foam layer 3 is first formed and then it is melt extruded, laminated or melt fused to the surface of the paper stock 2. The residual moisture held within the paper stock 2 which is characteristically relied upon in the related art, is not relied upon as the mechanism for creating the foam layer 3. The foam can also be extruded to the paper stock 2, but in each instance the foaming is created by mixing a blowing agent into the polymer prior to ...

third embodiment

[0047]FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of a container wall according to the present invention. A PE layer 4 is extruded, laminated, or coated in a position interposed between the foam containing layer 3 and the paper stock 2. However, PE layer 4 can also be used as a barrier against moisture transmission and aids in seam sealing during container construction.

[0048] The PE layer 4, although not limited to, can be formed from any of the following exemplary materials: high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), orientated polypropylene (OPP), etc. HDPE and LDPE are desirable materials in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Additives may also be included to enhance various material properties or to aid in the manufacturing process. These additives include, but are not limited to, any of the following exemplary additives: ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), and plasticizers.

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Abstract

An insulating beverage cup or sleeve is produced with a foam layer disposed on an inner surface of a food or beverage paper stock. A polyethylene film layer is arranged in a position between a paper stock layer and an inside surface of the beverage container. The foam layer decreases the energy transfer between the beverage and the user's hands allowing the user to hold onto the cup for an extended period of time without causing user discomfort or pain, e.g. greatly extends the hold time of the paper cup. The exterior surface of the beverage cup remains highly printable and predisposed to high quality graphics both before and after cup manufacture.

Description

PRIORITY [0001] This Application is a Divisional Application of application Ser. No. 09 / 923,332 filed on Aug. 8, 2001, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The present inventors also claim the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60 / 281,368, filed on Apr. 5, 2001, Attorney Docket Number 0011-0370P, “Insulated Beverage or Food Container;” and U.S. Provisional Application 60 / 298,386, filed on Jun. 18, 2001, Attorney Docket Number 0011-0372P, “Insulated Beverage or Food Container;” the entire contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field Of The Invention [0003] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for insulating beverage containers and container stock material. In particular, the present invention relates to an insulated, paper-based beverage container or stock material having improved insulation properties and a method of producing these insulated containers or stock mater...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B65D3/22B29C44/12B29C48/00B29C48/08B31B7/00B32B5/18B32B27/10B32B27/32B65D65/40B65D81/38
CPCB29C44/12Y10T428/1303B29C47/0021B29K2105/04B29L2009/00B29L2031/7132B31B7/00B31B2217/0038B32B27/10B32B27/32B32B2307/304B32B2317/12B32B2323/04B32B2439/02B65D81/3865B65D81/3874Y10S220/903Y10T428/1376Y10T428/24355B29C47/00B31B2120/40B31B2105/00B29C48/00B29C48/08Y10T428/249953Y10T428/249987B32B1/02B32B37/153B32B29/007B32B5/18B32B7/12B32B2323/043B32B2323/046B32B2323/10
Inventor DEBRAAL, JOHN CHARLESLAZAR, JOHN MACKAY
Owner APPLETON PAPERS INC
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