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Recyclable, thermally insulated plastic container

a technology of plastic containers and recycled materials, applied in the field of recycled, thermally insulated plastic containers, can solve the problems of adding costs, and achieve the effect of protecting the user against discomfor

Inactive Publication Date: 2015-12-03
LETICA
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a single-use drink cup made of plastic that is designed for serving hot products like coffee, tea, and soups. The cup has a special inner design with vertical ribs and recesses that provide insulation to protect users from discomfort when grasping the cup. Overall, this invention offers a convenient solution for serving hot beverages while maintaining user comfort.

Problems solved by technology

Problems associated with these devices include the fact that the cups and sleeves have to be manufactured, shipped and dispensed as separate units thus adding to costs.
Secondly, they are sometimes made of different materials and, to the extent they are recycled, must typically be separated and placed in separate containers for collection by recyclers.

Method used

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  • Recyclable, thermally insulated plastic container
  • Recyclable, thermally insulated plastic container
  • Recyclable, thermally insulated plastic container

Examples

Experimental program
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Embodiment Construction

[0013]Referring to the figures, there is shown an all-plastic, thermally insulated single-service drink cup-type container 10 comprising an open top tapered cup body 12 having a circular rim 14 and attached around the outer surface thereof, a sheet plastic sleeve 16, the cup 12 and the sleeve 16 both preferably being formed of polypropylene. The cup is thermoformed using complemental male and female dies and the sheet sleeve 16 is extruded and die cut.

[0014]Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the inner, primary cup portion of the container 10 is shown to have an open top with a rim 14 of a first diameter. Immediately and contiguously below the rim is a smooth, continuous circumferential band 18 with a reverse taper, the bottom diameter of which is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the rim 14. The reverse taper prevents telescoping of stacked containers when shipped or stored in multiples. Below the band 18 is a second band 20 of a third lesser diameter than that of the band 18 to f...

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PUM

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Abstract

A two-piece thermoformed, thermally insulated container such as a hot drink cup comprising a tapered cup body with vertical ribs on the outer body surface thereof and a sleeve attached to the cup on and overlying the top surfaces of the ribs. This forms a series of parallel air gaps between the sleeve and the cup over substantial portion of the length thereof. The sleeve may be printed with appropriate logos or other indicia. The cup and sleeve are both preferably made of polypropylene so that they may be recycled as a unit.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention relates to recyclable, thermally insulated plastic containers of the type used to dispense or store food or drink products, and more particularly to a two-piece container comprising a vertically, externally ribbed inner cup and a flexible sleeve wrapped around the cup so as to span the ribs and create vertical air spaces for insulation. The sleeve may be printed and is preferably of the same material of the cup thereby to allow the entire cup to be recycled without separating the components.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Restaurants, cafeterias and other food service facilities commonly use treated paper or Styrofoam cups to dispense coffee, cocoa, soup and other hot products. A number of devices have been developed to provide thermal insulation on the outside of such cups to prevent discomfort to a consumer when the cup is filled with, for example, hot coffee or soup. One popular device is a cardboard sleeve which one can telescopically s...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): A47G19/22B65D81/38
CPCA47G19/2288A47G19/2205B65D81/3869B65D81/3876
Inventor LETICA, ANTON
Owner LETICA