Paper Cup With Integrated Foldable Closure Panels for Recyclability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing paper cups with plastic lids face issues of separate recyclability, user-unfriendliness, and liquid tightness, as well as manufacturing limitations due to the need for specific paperboard thickness and expensive mold adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A paper cup design with integrated closure panels that fold inward to form a liquid-tight lid, made from the same material as the cup, allowing for easier filling, reduced spilling, and natural drinking experience, while enabling recyclability and flexible manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a plastic lid is used to close the paper cup, then liquid tightness is improved, but recyclability deteriorates because the lid must be recycled separately from the paper cup
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the lid and cup into a single integrated structure made entirely of paperboard. The closure panels are formed as integral extensions of the cup sidewall, eliminating the need for separate plastic lids. This allows the entire cup to be recycled together as one material type while still providing liquid-tight closure when the panels are folded inward.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses homogeneous material throughout - the lid closure panels and cup body are both made from the same coated paperboard material. This homogeneity enables unified recycling processing, eliminating the separation requirement that plagues composite paper-plastic cup systems.
2Reliability
If a plastic lid with narrow opening is used, then liquid tightness is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates because the user must accurately exert force to the lid edges to push down the entire circumference
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the closure mechanism into multiple flexible panels that can be independently folded and secured. Instead of requiring uniform pressure around the entire lid circumference, the segmented panel structure allows localized folding and securing actions at specific locations, significantly reducing the coordination and force requirements for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The closure panels are designed to be dynamic and flexible rather than rigid. The panels can be easily folded inward and secured with tabs or adhesives, allowing the closure mechanism to adapt to user actions rather than requiring precise, forceful manipulation of a rigid plastic lid structure.
3Reliability
If a plastic lid is used, then liquid tightness is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for separate lid and cup manufacturing processes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the lid and cup into a single integrated paperboard structure that can be manufactured in one continuous process. The closure panels are formed as integral extensions of the cup sidewall during the same forming process, eliminating the need for separate lid manufacturing, assembly, and attachment steps required by plastic lid systems.
4Reliability
If paperboard with particular thickness is used to ensure liquid tightness with plastic lid, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to expensive mold adjustments and limited dimension flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated paperboard structure allows the closure panels to work together with the cup walls to create liquid-tight seals through coordinated folding and overlapping. This eliminates the need for excessively thick paperboard that would be required to achieve similar seals with rigid plastic lids, while maintaining flexibility in cup dimensions and design.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1E
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3E
AI summary
According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper cup comprising: a base; a sidewall; said base and said sidewall together defining a space for receiving liquid or food; an upper end portion of the cup comprising a first and second pair of opposing closure panels, whereby each panel is attached to an upper edge of the sidewall via a respective first folding line and to adjacent panels via respective second folding lines. Said panels are foldable into a closed position to form a lid of the cup. Each panel of said first pair contains two additional folding lines to enable folding inwards. Upon folding to the closed position, a first panel of said second pair is partly inserted below a second panel of said second pair, and the panels of said second pair close the upper end portion.