Compostable cup for food preparation machine

Abstract

A cup (22) for use with a blender (10) includes a base (30), a sidewall (34) extending from the base, and a rim (38) extending from the sidewall. The cup (22) is formed of a compostable material, and the sidewall has a draft angle between 5.5 and 7 degrees.

Description

COMPOSTABLE CUP FOR FOOD PREPARATION MACHINECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 520,473, filed on August 18, 2023, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates to food preparation machines, such as electrical blenders for preparing smoothies, milkshakes, protein shakes, and other blended beverages, and in particular, to cups for use with the food preparation machines.SUMMARY

[0003] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup for use with a blender, the cup including: a base; a sidewall extending from the base; and a rim extending from the sidewall, wherein the cup defines a central axis, wherein the cup is formed of a compostable material, and wherein the sidewall has a draft angle between 5.5 and 7 degrees.

[0004] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the rim includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced strengthening lugs.

[0005] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the rim includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs, and whereon one of the plurality of ribs is disposed between adjacent strengthening lugs of the plurality of strengthening lugs.

[0006] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein, when a frozen product is contained within the cup, the base is capable of withstanding an axial force of at least fifty pounds without collapsing.

[0007] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the rim has a hoop strength of at least two pounds.

[0008] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the rim has a hoop strength between two pounds and five pounds.

[0009] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the cup is made of a molded pulp material.

[0010] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup for use with a blender, the cup including: a base including an anti-rotation feature and a plurality of de-nesting lugs spaced circumferentially about the base; a sidewall extending from the base; and a rim extending from the sidewall, the rim including a plurality of strengthening lugs positioned circumferentially about the cup, and a plurality of vertical ribs disposed between adjacent strengthening lugs, wherein the cup is formed of a compostable material.

[0011] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the plurality of de-nesting lugs extends radially outwardly from the base.

[0012] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein each of the plurality of de-nesting lugs is generally rectangular in cross-sectional shape.

[0013] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the base includes a base sidewall, and wherein each of the plurality of de-nesting lugs are formed as a recess extending radially outwardly from the base sidewall thereby increasing an interior volume of the cup.

[0014] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the each of the plurality of strengthening lugs is formed as a recess extending radially outwardly from the rim.

[0015] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein each of the plurality of strengthening lugs is rectangular in cross-section.

[0016] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein each of the plurality of strengthening lugs extends farther about a circumference of the rim than each of the plurality of vertical ribs.

[0017] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the plurality of strengthening lugs includes nine strengthening lugs.

[0018] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the cup is made of a molded pulp material.

[0019] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup for use with a blender, the cup including: a base; a sidewall extending from the base; and a rim extending from the sidewall, wherein the cup is formed of a compostable material, wherein the cup is configured to withstand an axial force of at least two pounds without collapsing, and wherein the cup is configured to withstand a torque of at least 2.3 foot-pounds.

[0020] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the rim includes a plurality of strengthening lugs positioned circumferentially about the cup and a plurality of vertical ribs positioned circumferentially about the cup, and wherein one of the plurality of vertical ribs is disposed between adjacent strengthening lugs.

[0021] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the base includes a plurality of de-nesting lugs spaced circumferentially about the base.

[0022] In some aspects, the techniques described herein relate to a cup, wherein the compostable material is a molded pulp material.

[0023] Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] FIG. 1 A is a perspective view of a blender.

[0025] FIG. IB is a partial cross-sectional view of the blender of FIG. 1 A.

[0026] FIG. 2 is an upper perspective view of a cup for use with the blender of FIG. 1A.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a lower perspective view of the cup of FIG. 2.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cup of FIG. 2, taken along section line 4 - - 4 inFIG. 2.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a top view of the cup of FIG. 2.

[0030] FIG. 6 is a close-up lower perspective view of a rim of the cup of FIG. 2.

[0031] FIG. 7 is a close-up upper perspective view of the rim of the cup of FIG. 2.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Before any implementations of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other implementations and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways.

[0033] FIGS. 1 A-1B illustrate a blender 10 in accordance with the present disclosure. The blender includes, among other things, a blending mechanism 14 and a cupholder 18. The cupholder 18 secures a cup 22 containing a frozen food or beverage to be blended. In one embodiment, the food or beverage to be blended is a frozen milkshake or smoothie. The blending mechanism 14 includes a blade 24 that is driven by an electric motor (not shown) of the blender 10. The cupholder 18 is configured to axially move the cup 22 relative to the blade 24 to blend the food or beverage contained within the cup 22. In other embodiments, the cup 22 may be held stationary by the cupholder 18, and the blade 24 may move axially relative to the cup 22 during blending. The illustrated blending mechanism 14 includes a lid 26 configured to engage and press down on a rim of the cup 22 during blending to stabilize the cup 22 within the cupholder 18. The lid 26 may inhibit product from splashing or spilling out of the cup 22 during blending. The lid 26 may be biased into engagement with the cup 22 by a spring 28. In other embodiments, the lid 26 may engage the cup 22 under only its own weight, or the lid 26 may be biased into engagement with the cup 22 via other means.

[0034] Typically, a cup containing a frozen product to be blended would have been made of plastic, such as polyethylene. To reduce single-use plastic waste and improve sustainability, the cup 22 according to the present disclosure is formed of a natural fiber. In some embodiments, the cup 22 is plastic free and formed of a natural, compostable material. For example, the compostable material may include, but is not limited to, sugar cane, bamboo, and wood fibers. In some embodiments, the cup 22 is molded from a plant-based pulp material. The cup 22 may also include an inner coating forming a barrier between the frozen product and the remainder ofthe cup 22. The inner coating may be made from a different material than the remainder of the cup 22; however, in such embodiments, the inner coating may also be formed of a natural, compostable material so as to not affect the compostability of the cup 22.

[0035] Plastic has traditionally been used for its strength, uniformity, and smooth surfaces, which allow plastic cups to withstand the forces applied during blending. The compostable material utilized to form the cup 22 of the present disclosure may not have the same inherent strength as a traditional plastic cup. Accordingly, the cup 22 of the present disclosure includes design features that increase the strength of the cup 22, allowing for blending within the cup 22, as will be described in greater detail herein. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term compostable is defined as materials or matter capable of breaking down into non-toxic, plastic- free components.

[0036] With reference to FIGS. 2-7, the cup 22 includes a base 30, a sidewall 34 extending from the base 30, and a rim 38 extending from the sidewall 34 opposite the base 30. Together, the base 30, the sidewall 34, and the rim 38 define an interior volume VI of the cup 22 in which the frozen product is disposed and blended. The base 30 includes a bottom surface 42 forming a foot of the cup 22. The foot 42 provides a surface for supporting the cup 22 (e.g., on a table). The base 30 further includes a recessed surface 46 disposed within a perimeter of the foot 42 and offset radially inwards from the perimeter of the foot 42. The recessed surface 46 includes an anti-rotation feature 50, illustrated as 3 anti-rotation vanes, extending downwardly from the recessed surface 46 (e.g., toward the foot 42). When viewed from the interior of the cup 22, the anti-rotation feature 50 is recessed downwardly, thereby increasing the interior volume VI of the cup 22. When the cup 22 contains the frozen product to be blended, a portion of the frozen product is disposed within the space created by the anti-rotation feature 50 (e.g., the increased volume). The frozen product serves to increase the strength of the anti-rotation feature 50, including during blending, until the blade 24 reaches the bottom of the cup 22 near the end of the blending process. Near the end of the blending process, the anti -rotation feature 50 is subjected to a lower amount of torque than during the beginning of the blending process when the unblended volume of the frozen product produces greater resistance on the blade 24. In some embodiments, the anti-rotation feature 50 may include more or fewer vanes or may be differently shaped than the 3 vanes of the illustrated embodiment. A base sidewall 54 extends upwardlyfrom the foot 42 to form a lower portion 58 of the cup 22. In other words, the base sidewall 54 forms a lower portion of the interior volume VI of the cup 22.

[0037] A plurality of de-nesting lugs 62 is positioned circumferentially about the base 30 and more particularly about the base sidewall 54. The de-nesting lugs 62 extend radially outwardly from the base sidewall 54. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the de-nesting lugs 62 is generally rectangular in shape and extends along the length of the base sidewall 54. When viewed from the interior of the cup 22, each of the de-nesting lugs 62 is recessed outwardly and, therefore, increases the interior volume VI of the cup. The de-nesting lugs 62 include fdlets on outer edges thereof to prevent damage to the lugs 62 during use of the cup 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the cup 22 includes 6 de-nesting lugs 62. In other embodiments, the cup 22 may include more or fewer de-nesting lugs 62 and the de-nesting lugs 62 may have a different cross- sectional shape. For example, the de-nesting lugs 62 of the illustrated embodiment are taller than they are wide. However, in other embodiments, the de-nesting lugs 62 may be wider than they are tall or may be triangular in shape. In some embodiments, the de-nesting lugs 62 may be trapezoidal or semi-circular in cross-section when viewed from the top down. Furthermore, edges the de-nesting lugs 62 may be chamfered or radiused. The cup 22 of the illustrated embodiment is stackable with similar cups (i.e., a stack includes a plurality of the same cups). When stacked, the de-nesting lugs 62 provide an air gap between adjacent cups 22 to prevent sticking of the cups 22 to one another and to provide space for equipment (e.g., automated filling or blending equipment) to engage the cups 22 and separate a cup 22 from the stack.

[0038] With continued reference to FIGS. 2-7, the cup 22 includes a lower transition surface 66 disposed between the base sidewall 54 and the sidewall 34. The lower transition surface 66 is angled outwardly relative to the base sidewall 54. The sidewall 34 extends upwardly from the lower transition surface 66 to form a body of the cup 22. A majority of the interior volume VI of the cup 22 is defined by the sidewall 34. The sidewall 34 may angled outwardly relative to a central longitudinal axis Al the cup 22, such that the base 30 is relatively smaller than the rim 38. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the base 30, the sidewall 34, and the rim 38 are generally circular in cross-section when viewed along the central longitudinal axis Al. Therefore, in the illustrated embodiment, the base 30 has a diameter Db smaller than a diameter Ds taken at any position along the sidewall 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the sidewall 34 of the cup 22 has a draft angle relative to the central longitudinal axis Al of 6 degrees. In otherembodiments, the sidewall 34 of the cup 22 may have a draft angle between 5.5 and 7 degrees. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the sidewall 34 begins radially outwardly of the base 30 (i.e., due to the shape of the lower transition surface 66). Finally, in the illustrated embodiment, an outer surface 70 of the sidewall 34 is smooth such that the outer surface 70 may be printed on. Thus, the cup 22 may have a design printed directly on the sidewall 34 in place of a label coupled to the sidewall 34, further reducing waste.

[0039] With continued reference to FIGS. 2-7, the rim 38 defines an upper portion 74 of the cup 22. An upper transition surface 78 extends outwardly from the sidewall 34, and the rim 38 extends from the upper transition surface 78. More particularly, the rim 38 includes a vertical surface 82 that extends from the upper transition surface 78. A second upper transition surface 86 extends outwardly from the vertical surface 82, and a strengthening surface 90 extends from the second upper transition surface 86. The strengthening surface 90 includes a plurality of strengthening lugs 94 and a plurality of vertical ribs 98 disposed between the strengthening lugs 94. When viewed from the interior of the cup 22, the strengthening lugs 94 are recessed outwardly and generally rectangular in cross-sectional shape.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, the strengthening lugs 94 are evenly spaced about a circumference of the rim 38, and the cup 22 includes 9 strengthening lugs 94. In other embodiments, the cup 22 may include more or fewer strengthening lugs 94. The strengthening lugs 94 of the illustrated embodiment are generally rectangular in cross-section when viewed in a radial direction of the rim 38. Furthermore, the strengthening lugs 94 are recessed into the strengthening surface 90 and may be rounded when viewed tangentially to the rim 38. In other embodiments, the strengthening lugs 94 may take other shapes such as being trapezoidal or ovalshaped in cross-section. The vertical ribs 98 are also spaced about the circumference of the rim 38 and positioned between adjacent strengthening lugs 94. Together, the strengthening lugs 94 and the vertical ribs 98 increase a hoop strength and a crush strength of the cup 22, in comparison to a compostable cup without such features. A flange 102 extends radially outwardly from the strengthening surface 90 and defines an uppermost surface of the cup 22. The flange 102 provides a generally planar mating surface for a product seal during manufacturing (i.e., when the cup 22 is filled with the frozen product). The flange 102 also serves as a mating surface for a lid (not shown) that is selectively securable to the cup 22 as a user enjoys the final, blended product. Finally, the flange 102 serves as a mating surface for aportion of the blending mechanism 14 as the blender 10 is blending the frozen product. The portion of the blending mechanism 14 (i.e., the lid 26) that engages the flange 102 serves to seal the blending area so that the blended product does not escape the cup 22.

[0041] In use, the above-described features provide a compostable cup 22 for a blender with similar or even improved strength characteristics compared to the traditional, plastic cups. In particular, the strengthening lugs 94 and the vertical ribs 98 increase the hoop strength and the crush strength of the cup 22. Furthermore, the frozen product disposed within the cup 22 fills any recesses within the cup (e.g., created by the strengthening lugs 94, the anti-rotation feature 50, and / or the de-nesting lugs 62) and increases the strength of features in which the product remains frozen.

[0042] The cup 22 of the present disclosure is capable of resisting torque of the blending mechanism 14 during operation of the blender 10. The cup 22 (and specifically the anti-rotation feature 50) may have a torsion strength (i.e., may be capable of resisting) at least 5 foot pounds (ft-lb) of torque without rotating relative to the cupholder 18 during operation of the blending mechanism 14. In other embodiments, the cup 22 may be capable of resisting at least 3 ft-lb of torque without rotating relative to the cupholder during operation of the blending mechanism 14, greater than 2 ft-lb of torque in some embodiments, or greater than 2.3 ft-lb of torque in some embodiments.

[0043] A cup 22 according to embodiments of the present disclosure was tested and compared with a typical plastic cup compatible with the cupholder 18. The cup 22 was subjected to torque applied to the rim 38 about the longitudinal axis Al, with the anti-rotation feature 50 engaged with the cupholder 18. Torque was increased until the anti-rotation feature 50 experienced failure. This test was repeated fifteen times, and the average maximum torque was recorded. The cup 22 averaged 2.98 ft-lb of torque resisted before failure, whereas the typical plastic cup averaged 2.3 ft-lb of torque resisted before failure. Thus, the torsion strength of the cup 22 exceeded that of typical plastic cup by an average of nearly 30%.

[0044] The rim 38 of the cup 22 of the present disclosure may also have a relatively high hoop strength, which enables the rim 38 to resist the forces applied to the rim 38 of the cup 22 by the lid 26 (e.g., due to the weight of the lid 26 and the biasing force of the spring 28) andprovides strength to the cup 22 to facilitate handling by a user without collapse. The rim 38 of the cup 22 may have a hoop strength (i.e., may be capable of resisting) at least 3 pounds (Ibf) of compressive force in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Al in some embodiments, or at least 3.5 Ibf in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the rim 38 of the cup 22 may have a hoop strength of at least 2 Ibf, or between 2 Ibf and 5 Ibf, for example. The hoop strength of the rim 38 may allow the cup 22 to support up to a 6 pound lid weight (i.e., 6 pounds acting downwards on the rim 38 of the cup 22, which may be due both to the weight of the lid 26 and any biasing force on the lid 26) without the rim 38 collapsing.

[0045] A cup 22 according to embodiments of the present disclosure was tested and compared with a typical plastic cup compatible with the cupholder 18. The cup 22 was subjected to a compressive load applied to the rim 38 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Al . The compressive force was measured until the rim 38 deformed by 1-inch. This test was repeated fifteen times, and the average maximum compressive force was recorded. The cup 22 averaged 3.55 Ibf of compressive force resisted before failure, whereas the typical plastic cup averaged 4.13 Ibf of compressive force before failure. Thus, the cup 22 achieved approximately 86% of the average hoop strength of a typical plastic cup, which is sufficient for successful blending.

[0046] Finally, the cup 22 of the present disclosure may have a relatively high axial crush strength, which allows the cup 22 to resist the relatively large axial forces that may be experienced during boring of a frozen product within the cup 22. For example, the cup 22 may have an axial crush strength (i.e. may be capable of resisting) at least 200 Ibf in a direction along the longitudinal axis Al before failing. In some embodiments, the cup 22 may have an axial crush strength of at least 50 Ibf, greater than 75 Ibf, greater than 100 Ibf, greater than 150 Ibf, or greater than 240 Ibf In some embodiments, the cup 22 may have an axial crush strength between 70 Ibf and 250 Ibf.

[0047] A cup 22 according to embodiments of the present disclosure was tested and compared with a typical plastic cup compatible with the cupholder 18. The cup 22 was subjected to a compressive load applied to the rim 38 in a direction along the longitudinal axis Al. The compressive force was measured until the cup 22 failed (e.g., buckled). This test was repeated fifteen times, and the average maximum compressive force was recorded. The cup 22 averaged 246 Ibf of compressive force resisted before failure, whereas the typical plastic cup averaged 69Ibf of compressive force before failure. Thus, the cup 22 achieved 356% of the average axial crush strength of a typical plastic cup.

[0048] The compostable material of the cup 22 may advantageously provide an improved user experience beyond the reduction of single-use plastics. The compostable material has improved insulation characteristics when compared to a traditional plastic cup. Therefore, the cup 22 may maintain the blended beverage frozen longer, while feeling less cold on a user’s hand.

[0049] The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, one having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that specific features of the numerous embodiments disclosed may be mixed and matched in other ways where not specifically inhibited, even though specific illustration of such embodiments may not be exhaustively covered herein.

[0050] Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A cup for use with a blender, the cup comprising: a base; a sidewall extending from the base; and a rim extending from the sidewall, wherein the cup defines a central axis, wherein the cup is formed of a compostable material, and wherein the sidewall has a draft angle between 5.5 and 7 degrees.

2. The cup of claim 1, wherein the rim includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced strengthening lugs.

3. The cup of claim 2, wherein the rim includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs, and whereon one of the plurality of ribs is disposed between adjacent strengthening lugs of the plurality of strengthening lugs.

4. The cup of claim 1, wherein, when a frozen product is contained within the cup, the base is capable of withstanding an axial force of at least fifty pounds without collapsing.

5. The cup of claim 1, wherein the rim has a hoop strength of at least two pounds.

6. The cup of claim 5, wherein the rim has a hoop strength between two pounds and five pounds.

7. The cup of claim 1, wherein the cup is made of a molded pulp material.

8. A cup for use with a blender, the cup comprising: a base including an anti-rotation feature and a plurality of de-nesting lugs spaced circumferentially about the base; a sidewall extending from the base; and a rim extending from the sidewall, the rim including a plurality of strengthening lugs positioned circumferentially about the cup, and a plurality of vertical ribs disposed between adjacent strengthening lugs, wherein the cup is formed of a compostable material.

9. The cup of claim 8, wherein the plurality of de-nesting lugs extends radially outwardly from the base.

10. The cup of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of de-nesting lugs is generally rectangular in cross-sectional shape.

11. The cup of claim 9, wherein the base includes a base sidewall, and wherein each of the plurality of de-nesting lugs are formed as a recess extending radially outwardly from the base sidewall thereby increasing an interior volume of the cup.

12. The cup of claim 9, wherein the each of the plurality of strengthening lugs is formed as a recess extending radially outwardly from the rim.

13. The cup of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of strengthening lugs is rectangular in cross-section.

14. The cup of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of strengthening lugs extends farther about a circumference of the rim than each of the plurality of vertical ribs.

15. The cup of claim 14, wherein the plurality of strengthening lugs includes nine strengthening lugs.

16. The cup of claim 8, wherein the cup is made of a molded pulp material.

17. A cup for use with a blender, the cup comprising: a base; a sidewall extending from the base; and a rim extending from the sidewall, wherein the cup is formed of a compostable material, wherein the cup is configured to withstand an axial force of at least two pounds without collapsing, and wherein the cup is configured to withstand a torque of at least 2.3 foot-pounds.

18. The cup of claim 17, wherein the rim includes a plurality of strengthening lugs positioned circumferentially about the cup and a plurality of vertical ribs positioned circumferentially about the cup, and wherein one of the plurality of vertical ribs is disposed between adjacent strengthening lugs.

19. The cup of claim 17, wherein the base includes a plurality of de-nesting lugs spaced circumferentially about the base.

20. The cup of claim 17, wherein the compostable material is a molded pulp material.

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