Hot cup lid

Abstract

A hot cup lid providing alternating modes of access to the contents of a cup, the lid including an enlarged drinking opening selectively closed by a tear flap, and a smaller sipping opening diametrically aligned with the drinking opening and adjacent the periphery of the lid, the tear flap including a sealing lug thereon engageable within and closing the sipping opening upon pivotal movement of the flap to open the drinking opening.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Hot beverages, normally coffee, tea or the like, are frequently sold as a take-out item and supplied in disposable cups with thin plastic lids. Such lids are generally of two types, lids which are to be removed in their entirety for access to the contents of the cup, and lids which utilize a fold-back or tear back flap to expose a large drinking opening.[0002]If the lid is to be removed in its entirety when consuming the contents of the cup, the lid will frequently include a sipping opening which allows the consumer to cautiously sip the beverage until such time as the coffee has sufficiently cooled to allow for a direct drinking thereof from the cup. In those lids wherein a closure flap is provided, the opening formed upon removal of the flap must be quite substantial to allow for a drinking of the coffee in a normal and rather high flow manner. Sipping through such an opening, particularly when the beverage is very hot, can be troublesome.[0003]As ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is a multiple function cup lid that allows for controlled sipping and unrestricted drinking of the contents of a hot container. The lid has a tear back flap that can be opened to expose the cup lip for direct drinking, while still keeping the cup contents protected. The lid also has a raised ridge with a sipping opening that is positioned above the maximum fill line of the cup. A tab is integrally formed with the flap to close the sipping opening. The technical effects of the invention are that it provides a convenient and safe way to drink from a hot cup without needing a separate lid for each drinking mode."

Problems solved by technology

Sipping through such an opening, particularly when the beverage is very hot, can be troublesome.

Such a steam venting hole would have no sipping capability.

Further, positioning of the straw opening substantially inward from the edge portion of the lid will preclude any possibility of a cautious sipping of the cup contents therethrough.

This patent also discloses a highly restricted vent opening which is probably necessary to facilitate flow of fluid through the rather restricted drinking opening, and clearly is not intended to, and could not, as constructed, permit a sipping therethrough.

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