A cup and a container comprising a cup

Abstract

The invention relates to a rigid or semi-rigid container that can be made by winding or rolling paper without forming any ribs, with a body or outer walls made completely or partially along a curvilinear contour in cross-section. The cup comprises a body and a bottom, wherein the body of the cup is made of a film-coated strip having the same width along its entire length and different lengths along the upper edge and lower edge, wherein the first side edge of the strip overlaps the second side edge of the strip to form a seam along the entire height of the strip, and the bottom is made flat and hermetically connected to the body, and the film covers the entire inner surface of the body, including the seam. The container consists of a cup and a lid, wherein the lid is configured to adjoin the inner surface of the body of the cup.

Description

[0001] A CUP AND A CONTAINER COMPRISING A CUP

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0003] This application claims the benefit of and priority to Russian Federation (RU) Patent Application No. 2024122867 filed August 9, 2024, the contents of which being incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

[0004] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0005] The invention relates to a rigid or semi-rigid container that can be made by winding or rolling paper without forming any ribs, with a body or outer walls made completely or partially along a curvilinear contour in cross-section.

[0006] BACKGROUND

[0007] The current market of packaging materials comprises a great variety of containers of different shapes and dimensions. In the context of special attention to the environmental situation in the world, packaging materials, such as containers entirely made of plastic, have become to be used less and less. Containers made mainly of cellulose with impurities and additional coatings that prevent the contents of such containers from turining to be of an unmarketable appearance or simply being destroyed under the influence of the contents are becoming popular packaging materials today. However, there is a difficulty in recycling such a container, since it still contains some plastic, and inclusions are added to the pulp and paper fiber to provide a barrier effect or a significantly lower absorption. The main problem with containers, especially those used in the food industry, is the aggressive environment inside the containers, such as hot liquid or fat. Another problem is the need for long-term storage. In order to protect the container walls from the negative effects of an aggressive environment inside the container, to prolong the service life of the containers, and to extend the shelf life of the products inside the container, the inner surface of the walls is provided with an additional coating, for example, by extrusive lamination to cover the surface of the pulp and paper material with a protective film, which is usually made of polymer compositions. Such a protective film will extend the shelf life of the food products in the container and minimize the spread of odor from the food products. At the same time, there is a difficulty in recycling such a container, since it will comprise some plastic. The shape of such containers comprises a round, oval or rectangular bottom, and, as a rule, the walls of such containers are made in the form of a truncated cone to provide compact transportation and storage of containers. Another problem that arises in the manufacture of containers for food products, especially round-bottomed containers for liquid products, is the package tightness. When a package is produced, at the junction of the walls, a seam is formed that runs along the entire vertical length of the container down to the junction of the wall with the bottom, while at the junction of the wall and the bottom, a small thickened area is formed with an open end and a step of the seam, which can create a small hole or channel for the potential leakage of the product at the place of such a j oint. When such a container with liquid, for example, hot contents inside is used for a long time, the tightness of the container will be broken quickly. The problem of the tightness of containers also exists at the junction of the cup with the lid. Quite often, when transported, containers tip over or shake, or the internal pressure changes along with temperature, thereby the contents of the containers can leak out, especially if the lid is not tightly attached to the container cup.

[0008] The prior art comprises South Korean utility model patent KR200179895 "PAPER CUP HAVING ANTT-LEAK DEVICE FOR UNION CUTTING PARTS" (published 15 April 2020), which discloses a paper cup configured to prevent leakage at the joint. A special coating is applied to the inner surface of the cup to solve the problem of leakage of contents. According to the specification, the cup can be used for hot coffee or soup. One side of the cup is made with a layer of a special coating (2), and the opposite (outer) side can have a printed pattern (3). The base paper (1) is folded to form a cylindrical body with a molded body formed on the inner lower side. In a typical paper cup, which is formed by inserting a base (4), bending and folding the lower end of the cylinder inwardly and then heating and pressing, the inner side of the cut portion of the cut base paper (1) , which is overlapped to form the body, b is bonded to the inner part of the paper cup with a sealed structure at the joint. Next, a coating layer of synthetic resin (6) is applied with the molten synthetic resin on the cut surface (5 a) of the adhesive side and the lower cut surface of the adhesive (5b), which is bonded to the base.

[0009] According to the patent, the cup comprises a protective layer on the inner surface, which is applied over the seam, thereby eliminating leakage of the cup contents. The disadvantage is the fact that the protective layer is applied exclusively to the seam area, thereby not ensuring the proper tightness of the device. At the same time, the disclosed cup has a protruding inner seam. Thus, the additional material along with the lack of layer shift creates surface steps, which reduce the proper level of tightness required for long-term storage of products.

[0010] Further, there is Russian patent RU189037 "PACKAGING" (published 07 May 2019), which discloses overlap sealed end seal package made of a forming material consisting of a frame material and a protective layer. The protective layer is applied only from the inside of the frame material, is made elongated relative to the transverse length of the frame material, and at the junction of the forming material overlapped for forming the seam of the package, the elongated protective layer is connected with the mating layer of the forming material, without contacting the end surface of the seam. According to the specification, the problem of joining the seam is solved by applying a polymer coating to the inside of the cup, which ensures the tightness of the seam. At the same time, the disclosed package has a protruding internal seam. The disadvantage of this device is also the insufficient tightness of the package.

[0011] US patent application US2020369438 "FIBER-CONTAINING LID WITH HIGH POLYMER MATING REGION" (the patent family also includes UK patent GB2584640, international application WO2020236838) (published 26 November 2020) discloses a lid for a container having an upper rim bead, the lid having a fiber-containing body and a mating portion depending from the body that is configured to mate with the upper rim bead by means of an annular recess. The disadvantage of this lid is that the lid does not fit tightly to the rim bead due to the absence of a protective film thereon, which provides better tightness.

[0012] Chinese utility model patent CN218907944 "DISPOSABLE CUP" (published 25 April 2023) describes a disposable paper cup made of coated paper. The inner wall of the cup is a coated layer. The lid of the cup is provided with an outer layer and an inner layer. In this case, a hermetic connection is achieved between the paper cup and the lid of the cup, in particular, due to the presence of an annular recess on the inner surface of the lid. The disadvantage of this lid is the loose fit of the lid to the side of the body.

[0013] Thus, today the problem is to develop such a cup and container that would ensure ease of use. ease of manufacture, and also meet environmental requirements for the recycling of raw materials.

[0014] BRIEF SUMMARY

[0015] The technical effect to be achieved by the claimed invention comprises expanding the range of the currently known cups and containers, improving their ergonomic properties, reducing the material consumption, increasing the tightness of the connection of the bottom with the body and the lid with the body, and reducing the production cost.

[0016] The stated problem is solved and the claimed technical effect is achieved by the fact that the cup comprises a body and a bottom and is configured to store and transport the contents, wherein the body of the cup is made of a film-coated strip having the same width along the entire length and different lengths along the upper edge and lower edge, wherein the first side edge of the strip overlaps the second side edge of the strip to form a seam along the entire height of the strip, and the bottom is made flat and hermetically connected to the body, and wherein the film covers the entire inner surface of the body, including the seam.

[0017] The solution to the stated problem and the achievement of the claimed technical effect are also possible in particular embodiments of the claimed cup.

[0018] Thus, the seam of the cup can be made protruding from the outer surface of the body in such a way that the inner surface of the body will be essentially smooth. In this case, the upper edge can be made to be folded onto the outer surface of the body to form a rim. The film that covers the entire inner surface of the body can be made with the possibility of coming out onto the rim. In this case, the film can be a protective polymer lamination. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the protective polymer lamination is intended to protect the walls of the cup against the effects of temperature differences inside the cup, the effects of liquid, fatty and acidic environments on the material of the walls and, as a result, possible destruction thereof.

[0019] Another object of the present invention, which solves the stated problem and allows achieving the claimed technical effect, is a system, namely a container. The container consists of a cup and a lid, wherein the lid is configured to adjoin the inner surface of the cup body.

[0020] The solution to the stated problem and the achievement of the claimed technical effect are also possible in particular embodiments of the claimed container.

[0021] Thus, the container lid may comprise a flap for covering the upper edge of the cup body, wherein the lid has a shape that ensures the coverage of the upper edge of the cup body from the outer side of the body, as well as a tight fit from the inner side of the body in tension. This is done in order to ensure maximum tightness of the container. Moreover, the container lid may comprise projections on the outer surface. A person skilled in the art will understand that these projections can serve as fasteners for advertising or any other information.

[0022] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0023] Further, the invention along with some possible embodiments thereof is explained in more detail with reference to the figures, where:

[0024] Fig. 1 shows a general view' of the container (on the left) and view7of the lid and cup (on the right);

[0025] Fig. 2 show's the place of formation of the inner wall of the cup with the film in the area of the seam (on the left) and an enlarged area of the seam (on the right) in the cross-section of the body;

[0026] Fig. 3 shows the sectional view of the cup;

[0027] Fig. 4 shows the place of connection of the cup and the lid; and Fig. 5 shows the general top view of the lid.

[0028] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] It should be noted that the individual views of the cup and lid and the general view of the container in Figs. 1-5 are provided for a general understanding of the present invention and may differ to a greater or lesser extent in the design of the corresponding elements of the cup body and the lid to be discussed below.

[0030] The claimed cup comprises a body 1 and a bottom 2. The bottom 2 (Fig. 3) is made flat and hermetically connected to the body 1. The body 1 of th cup is made predominantly from a pulp and paper material as a strip 3 of the same width along its entire length and of different lengths along the upper edge 5 and lower edge 6, wherein the strip 3 is covered with a lamination in the form of a film 4 with an extension beyond the pulp and paper strip of the body 1 to cover the seam. The lamination in the form of a film 4 ensures that the seam is insulated from contact with food, thus there is no need to use cardboard with hydrophobic additives and therefore the recyclability of the body 1 of the cup is greatly increased. It should be noted that the strip is rolled into a cone-shaped body, wherein the cone-shaped body is made as a truncated cone. The strip 3 has a first side edge 7 and a second side edge 8, wherein the first side edge 7 of the strip 3 overlaps the second side edge 8 of the strip 3 to form a seam 9 along the entire height of the strip 3.

[0031] The film 4 is made in the form of a protective polymer lamination to cover the entire inner surface 10 of the body 1. including the seam 9. The film 4, the body 1 and the bottom 2 are made of materials that can be recycled. In this case, the seam 9 is preferably made to protrude from the outer surface 11 of the body 1, so that the inner surface 10 of the body 1 is smooth, as shown in the enlarged area of the seam in Fig. 2, and the upper edge 5 of the cup is made to wrap onto the outer surface 11 of the body 1 to form a rim 12 (Fig. 3). The film 4 is configured to extend onto the rim 12, thereby providing protection for the surface of the rim.

[0032] Extending the film 4 beyond the body 1 in order to cover also the area of the seam 9 does not cause thickening of the material at the place of heat sealing with the mating surfaces, as in cases, for example, with the application of additional polymer tapes, turning up the material, bending the material or similar methods known from the prior art. Such a design of the cup ensures a tighter and more uniform fit of the inner surface 10 of the body 1 to the outside perimeter of the bottom 2, and therefore increased tightness of the cup.

[0033] The container consists of the body 1 and the bottom 2 of the cup, as well as the lid 13 and represents a system, wherein the lid 13 adjoins the inner surface of the body 1 of the cup, thereby ensuring the tightness of the system. Moreover, since the film 4 covers the area of the seam 9 also on the upper edge 5 of the cup and on the outer surface of the rim 12 to close the seam and remove the overlap step at the seam, the level of tightness of the system is higher than that of the known prior art. It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that such a method of sealing with a lid 13 by tension from the inside of the container of the body 1 and its simultaneous fastening from the outside to the body 1 creates a significant level of reliability of fastening of the lid 13 and hermetically isolates the place of connection of the lid 13 and the body 1 even when the container is turned over on its side. To achieve a better fastening effect, the lid 13 comprises a flap 14 for covering the upper edge 5 of the body 1 of the cup, as well as the rim 12. The flap 14 has a shape that ensures the coverage of the upper edge 5 of the body 1 of the cup from the outer surface 11 of the body 1. The lid also ensures a tight fit with the inner surface 10 uniformly along the entire perimeter in tension.

[0034] The lid 13 can comprise on its outer surface 11 projections 15 for installing an insert comprising advertising or other information with, for example, the expiration date of the product or the trademark of the food product manufacturer.

[0035] When placed in a container, a liquid product can have a different temperature than the ambient temperature; furthermore, the product can be stored at various temperatures, or can be heated or frozen. In order to compensate the pressure difference due to the temperature difference between the inner surface 10 and the outer surface 11 of the body 1, the lid 13 can have an opening (not shown in the figures) in the central part to eliminate such a pressure difference. It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that through such an opening the gaseous medium on both sides of the lid 13 can move in both directions to compensate for excess or vacuum pressure inside the body 1. The opening may have a small diameter to ensure the possibility of passage of the gaseous medium, but at the same time to prevent the passage of liquid products. Nevertheless, when steam comes out through the central opening of the lid 13, liquid evaporation inevitably passes along with the steam to create leaks in the area of the opening. For the purpose of concealing such leaks, a valve (not shown in the figures) may be made in the lid 13 by deepening the central area of the lid 13 with an opening and creating a special insert covering the central area of the lid 13 with a recess. In this case, the insert is made flat along the contour of the lid 13 from any flat material, for example, from the same pulp and paper material as the body of the container. To fix the insert in the lid 13, projections 15 are provided on the outside for fixing the flat insert. The insert, which is fixed by at least one projection 15 in the lid 13, continues to have minimal mobility and minimal gaps for the release of steam and gases, while visually hiding the recess in the central part of the lid 13. Thus, potential evaporation products and possible leaks will be contained in the area of the central recess of the lid 13 and visually hidden by the insert of the lid 13. However, this insert is an optional element of the system and, if present, provides an exclusively aesthetic appearance.

[0036] Thus, the present invention solves the problem of the need to store and transport liquid products or products that release fat and moisture in containers, whose main forming element is predominantly a pulp and paper material, and the main requirements for such a container comprise ease of use, versatility', no need to use additional equipment or special skills for assembly or capping, possibility of repeated opening / closing, and long-term complex tightness over time.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 04 December 2025 (04.12.2025)1. A cup comprising a body and a botom and configured to store and transport contents, wherein: the body of the cup is made of a film-coated strip having same width along its entire length and different lengths along an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein a first side edge of the strip overlaps a second side edge of the strip to form a seam along the entire height of the strip, the botom is made flat and hermetically connected to the body, and the film covers an entire inner surface of the body, including the seam, the film being made in the form of a protective polymer lamination.

2. The cup according to claim 1, wherein the seam is made to protrude from an outer surface of the body, so that the inner surface of the body is substantially smooth.

3. The cup according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the upper edge is made to be folded onto the outer surface of the body to form a rim.

4. The cup according to claim 1, wherein the film is configured to come out onto the rim.

5. A container comprising a cup according to any one of claims 1-4 and a lid, wherein the lid is configured to adjoin the inner surface of the body of the cup.

6. The container according to claim 5, characterized in that the lid has a flap for covering the upper edge of the body of the cup.

7. The container according to claim 6, characterized in that the flap has a shape that ensures coverage of the upper edge of the body of the cup from the inner surface and from the outer surface of the body.

8. The container according to claim 5, wherein the lid comprises projections on its outer surface.

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