US3372830A - Insulated double cup - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 23, 1964 FIG! R 5 3% mm MUM m U W B His A/f'y March 12, 1968 B. EDWAl RDS 3,372,830

INSULATED DOUBLE CUP Filed June 23, 1964 I 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

106 FIG.7

I I L 5,: ll 32 L L J r L I l I i I I 36 INVENTOR. Bryant Edwards BY Wa -M His Aff'y United States Patent Ofiicc 3,372,330 Patented Mar. 12, 1368 3,372,830 INSULATED DOUBLE CUP Bryant Edwards, Clarendon Hills. IEL, assignor to Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 23, 1964, Ser. No. 377,212 14 Claims. (Cl. 220-9) ABSTRACT OF THE DHSCLOSURE A double-walled container having interfitting inner and outer receptacles or wall portions which cooperate to provide an insulated and reinforced finger-gripping section for the container as Well as a novel stacking construction for a double-walled container.

Disposable containers or cups for dispensing hot or cold liquids, foods and the like have been made from paper or paper coated wax for quite a number of years. It is well known that such containers are generally incapable of being held or supported without discomfort when full of hot beverages, such as coffee, due to the high rate of heat transferthrough the container side walls. It is equally as discomforting to attempt to grasp such a container, even when the beverage has cooled, since the container side walls deflect to such an extent as to make it relatively diificult to obtain a good grasp. Integral handles and other implementing structure have alleviated this problem to some degree, but do not facilitate the dispensing of containers in a coin operated vending machine.

In recent years, thin-walled plastic containers have been produced which overcome, to a great extent, many of the disadvantages inherent in paper cups. One of the areas of difficulty, however, is the insulation ability of plastic containers. Foamed polystyrene cups have been one solution to this problem, but the relatively thick walls of these containers generally do not permit dispensing from a vending machine, and increase the unit cost of the containers. Another solution has been the provision of gripping rings on a thin-walled plastic container which relieves, to a fairly acceptable level, most of the discomfort in holding a container full of a hot beverage.

Considering all factors, one of the most practical solutions has been the development of a double walled plastic container which is not only relatively economical to produce, but which will also insulate the user fairly well. In addition, stacking and vending features can be incorporated in such a container which is desirable from the total standpoint. The present invention is an improvement over containers of this type, and more specifically, is an improvement over the double walled nestable plastic container disclosed and claimed in my prior US. Patent 3,079,027 dated Feb. 26, 1963.

One object of the present invention is to provide a plastic container which may be readily grasped by a user without discomfort when filled with hot beverages and the like.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel and unique plastic container, which in addition to protecting the user, prevents injury to table and other supporting surfaces from heat transfer and vapor transmission.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a novel container of seamless construction which is strong per unit weight, and which will withstand the users grasp without deflection of the container side walls to any great extent.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a unitary plastic container which is unaffected by humidity, and will readily permit of telescopic association and withdrawal of a plurality of like containers for use in packaging and dispensing the containers.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container formed from an inner and outer receptacle, and is so constructed that a plurality of like container units as well as both the inner and outer receptacles may be stacked in non-jamming nested relationship to facilitate the handling of the containers and its constituent receptacles during manufacture, shipping and use.

A still further object of the instant invention is the provision of a disposable double walled container wherein each of the component parts can be economically molded under mass manufacturing techniques, quickly and easily assembled to one another, and then used for a variety of hot and cold products without discomfort to the user, injury to supporting surfaces, or weakening of the container construction itself.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double walled container constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

7 FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a pair of completely formed double walled containers telescopically assembled to one another;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the insulating and/ or gripping area of the double walled container;

FIGS. 4-5 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views of a lower section of the container, and showing alternate constructions thereof;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a plurality of stacked receptacles forming the outer unit of the container shown in FIGS. 12; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a plurality of stacked receptacles forming the inner unit of the container illustrated in FIGS. 1-2.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a double walled container 10 of frusto-conical configuration which is preferably made of high impact polystyrene. A gripping and insulating area 12 is formed in the side wall of the container, the latter tapering upwardly and outwardly to a rolled rim portion 14 to provide a substantially open top for the container.

The double walled container 10 comprises a pair of interfitting wall portions or receptacles designated 20, 40 respectively which are joined together by curling the reversely curving rim portion of each receptacle as will become apparent. In its preferred form, the receptacles of the container 10 are of the thin-walled variety each on the order of 0.01 inch in thickness; however, it is to 3 be understood that one of the receptacles may be thicker than the other if desired.

The outer cup member has a bottom wall 22 which is axially concave upwards so as to form a false bottom. Substantially horizontally extending portions 2446 of the bottom wall 22 are integrally joined at one end by the inclined portion 28 so as to form the desired false bottom configuration. Extending upwardly from the bottorn wall 22 and circumferentially joined to the other end of portion 26 is a lower body section 30. Spaced from this lower body section 30 by the gripping and insulating area 12 is an upper body section 32 which also tapers upwardly and outwardly with respect to the bottom wall 22 of the container and terminates in a reversely curving rim portion 34- as best seen in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

The inner receptacle is generally similar in form to the outer receptacle 20, and is telescopically disposed therewithin. The bottom or base end wall 42 of the receptacle 40 also is provided with a false bottom as the result of the spaced parallel portions 44, 46 being integrally joined to the inclined portion 48. Lower and upper body sections 50, 52 of the inner receptacle taper upwardly and outwardly with respect to the bottom wall 42, and are spaced from one another in the same manner as the outer receptacle 20.

The insulating and gripping area of inner receptacle 40 incorporates a plurality of exteriorly disposed peripheral projections, in the form of cylindrical rings 56, which are axially spaced and radially offset from one another by the radially directed connecting portions 58 to provide a series of L-shaped segments or stepped portions. The projections and shoulders 56, 58 of the inner receptacle cooperate with the projections and connecting portions 36, 38 respectively of the outer receptacle to provide the insulating and gripping area 12 for the container 10 as will subsequently appear. It is to be noted that the lower body section 50 has an inwardly directed shoulder 51 which is used for stacking an adjacently positioned container. The innermost portion of shoulder 51 is connected to the tapered wall 49, the latter being joined at its other end to bottom wall portion 46. As best seen in FIG. 2, tapered wall 49 is spaced from lower body section 30 of the outer receptacle when the receptacles are assembled to one another.

The inwardly directed shoulder 51 of the inner receptacle 40 of each container has a smaller diameter than the lowermost portion of the lower body section 30 of the outer receptacle 20 in the vicinity of its bottom wall as will be apparent. This arrangement facilitates stacking of a plurality of containers 10 one within the other permitting the inwardly directed shoulder 51 of the inner receptacle on any particular container to support the bottom wall of the outer receptacle on a similarly constructed container as best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Thus, a plurality of containers 10 can be stacked in nested non-jamming relationship, and can easily be separated from one another for dispensing purposes.

The assembly of the receptacle 20, 40 to form the double walled container 10 is accomplished by a relative telescopic movement of the receptacles so that the reversely curving rim portions 34, 54 of the outer and inner receptacles respectively, come into contact with one another. This engagement of the rim portions is due to the relative axial dimensions of the receptacles, the inner receptacle having a smaller axial height than the outer receptacle. When the rim portions 34, 54 engage one another, the bottom walls 22, 42 of the receptacles will thus be spaced a predetermined distance from one an other. In addition, since the tapered wall 49 of the inner receptacle is spaced from the lower body section 30 of the outer receptacle, it will be apparent that an insulating area will be provided in the vicinity of the bottom of the container 10. It has been found that the double wall thickness of the container in the vicinity of its bottom,

together with the air space therebetween, provides sufficient insulating qualities so that a user may readily grasp the container without discomfort, and for permitting the container to be rested on a supporting surface without any concern over injury of the same.

In order to maintain the bottom walls as well as the lower side wall portions of the receptacle in spaced relationship, it is preferable to curl the rim portions outwardly and back upon themselves. This particular operation is known as a rim rolling technique, and may be accomplished by the techniques set forth in my prior US. Patent 3,096,546 dated July 9, 1963.

In assembling the inner and outer receptacles to form a container, the stepped portions of each receptacle will overlap and mate with one another to form a strong, rigid construction and prevent bowing of the container side wall. This overlapping and interlocking relationship of the stepped portions on a pair of cooperating inner and outer receptacles also serves as a gripping and insulating area 12 for each container 10. An inspection of FIG. 3 will reveal that the cylindrical rings or projections 36 on the outer receptacles generally coincides with the cylindrical rings or projections 56 on the inner receptacle, but are slightly axially offset so as to position the generally radially directed connecting portions 38, 58 in non-aligned relationship. The cylindrical rings and the radially directed connecting portions of each receptacle are so positioned as to permit a portion of the outer peripheral surface of each cylindrical ring 56 to engage a portion of the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical ring 36. This arrangement structurally reinforces the side wall of each container 10 as discussed above, permitting the stepped portions of the inner receptacle to lend requisite strength and support to the stepped portions of the outer receptacle.

The radially directed connecting portions 38, 58 of the outer and inner receptacles respectively are shown in FIG. 3 as being axially offset from one another by an amount substantially equal to each receptacle wall thickness. However, it will be understood that to structurally reinforce and rigidity the side wall of each container 10, it is only necessary that the radially inwardly directed connecting portions 58 on the inner receptacle have at least a portion thereof below the top surface of the radially directed connecting portions 38 on the outer receptacle so that a portion of the outer peripheral surface of each projection 56 overlaps, and preferably engages, a portion of the inner peripheral surface of each projection 36. Thus, it is possible to have at least part of the cooperating portions 38 on the outer receptacle spaced lower than the cooperating portions 58 on the inner receptacle.

In addition to ridigifying and strengthening the side wall of each container 10, the overlapping and mating engagement of the stepped portions on the inner and outer receptacles of each container will provide an insulation effect. As will be apparent, the overlap of at least a portion of the projections 36, 56 will provide spaced pockets 16 for trapping and maintaining air therein. In previously constructed double walled containers, even if the side walls of the receptacles were spaced from one another initially, they would have a tendency to be forced in engagement with one another when gripped by a user, and thus force air above and below the gripped area. The result of this would be that the user would be protected from the container only by the wall thickness of the receptacles. In the double walled container 10 of the present invention, this has been eliminated. When a user grasps the insulating and gripping area 12 of a container 10, the beverage within the container will be spaced from the users fingers by an amount at least equal to the wall thickness of each receptacle, together with the length of the radially directed cooperating portion 38 on the outer receptacle. As will be appreciated, the height of the cylindrical rings will vary somewhat in accordance with the size of the fingers of the user, it only being important to note that this height should be such as to prevent finger entrance in the area of juncture between the cylindrical rings 36 and cooperating portions 38. It will also be appreciated that the spacing between the beverage within the container and the users fingers will vary somewhat in accordance with the wall thickness of the receptacles, the configuration and inclination of the projections, and the length of the cooperating portions 38. Thus, for example, it would be possible to provide outwardly bowed projections 36 which would space the users fingers a greater distance from the beverage within the container than that shown in the drawings.

Another embodiment of the container is shown in FIG. 4 and is designated a. In describing this con tainer, identical reference numerals will be employed as in the above embodiments with the application of the suffix a to identify like parts. The essential difference of this embodiment is that the outer receptacle 26a is provided with a radially inwardly directed abutment 31 in its lower body section 30a which underlies and supports the inwardly directed shoulder 51a of the inner receptacle 41in. The effect of this is that the inner receptacle 40a will be supported by the outer receptacle at two discrete points. One will be where shoulder 31 underlies and engages the shoulder 51a of the inner receptacle, and the other will be where the reversely curving rim 54 is engaged by the reversely curving rim portion 34 of the outer receptacle. Thus, in the case of improperly rolling the reversely curving rim portions of each receptacle back upon one another, the bottom walls of each receptacle and the lower side walls in the vicinity thereof will still be maintained in spaced relationship. It is to be noted that wall portion 29 of the outer receptacle adjacent the bottom wall thereof is also spaced from the tapered wall 49a of the inner receptacle so as to space the lower side wall portions of each receptacle from one another.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is generally similar to those previously described as indicated by the application of identical reference numerals with the sufiix b employed to designate like parts. This embodiment is generally similar to the FIG. 2 form except that the inclined portion 28b of the outer receptacle bottom wall 221) is inclined upwardly by an amount sufficient to cause engagement with the inclined portion 48b of the inner receptacle bottom wall 42!). Thus, the inner receptacle, instead of being supported by an inwardly di rected shoulder as in the FIG. 4 embodiment, will be supported by a portion of the outer receptacle bottom wall. It is to be observed, however, that wall portion 26b of the outer receptacle will nevertheless be spaced from wall portion 46b of the inner receptacle.

The insulation effect for the lower portion of each container 10 will be best when the bottom walls of the inner and outer receptacles and side wall portions in the vicinity thereof are spaced from one another, but where it is necessary to support the inner receptacle by the outer receptacle as shown in FIG 5, it is still possibe to maintain a large proportion of the spaced insulation effect.

In the preceeding discussion, it has been explained that containers formed of inner and outer receptacles can be constructed so as to provide telescopic non-jamming nesting of a plurality of similarly configured containers. It is also preferable for handling, rim rolling operations, etc. that receptacles of the same configuration be constructed so as to permit telescopic non-jamming association. In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a plurality of outer receptacles 20 are shown in FIG. 6 as being telescopically received one within the other, and in FIG. 7, a plurality of inner receptacles 4t) are similarly positioned. Thus, the inner and outer receptacles of the present invention can be associated with similarly configured receptacles, inner and outer receptacles can be associated with one another, and the inner receptacle of each container can support the bottom receptacle of a similarly configured container positioned therein. In stacking receptacles, it will be apparent that the radially directed cooperating portions of one receptacle will engage the radially directed cooperating portions of another receptacle to limit the extent of telescopic association there'between as is shown in FIGS. 6-7.

From the foregoing, it will now be appreciated that the double walled container of the present invention has high insulating characteristics, is extremely rigid in its construction, and will permit telescopic non-jamming nesting of a plurality of containers, inner receptacles, and outer receptacles, as well as telescopic assembly of an inner receptacle within an outer receptacle to form a double walled container unit. It will also be appreciated that the particular structural features of the insulating area as shown herein may be varied to increase the insulation ability of the containers, and the stacking area modified to provide a resilient stack of cups, such as by providing a reverse tapered stacking ring in the inner receptacles.

While the preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may the changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A double-walled container of thin-walled thermoplastic construction comprising inner and outer recep tacles of generally frusto-conical configuration each having a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom and terminating in a rim portion, the receptacles being of different size to permit telescopic association thereof and being joined to each other at their rim portions, each of the receptacles having in its side wall a plurality of alternate axially extending and radially extending circumferential portions, the axially extending portions of one receptacle overlapping and engaging the axially extending portions of the other receptacle, with the radially extending portions on the inner receptacle being axially spaced downwardly from corresponding radially extending portions on the outer receptacle by an amount which is sufiicient, when the receptacles are joined to each other at their rim portions, to provide a series of circumferentially extending air insulating pockets and reinforced finger gripping segments for the container.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the circumferential axially and radially extending portions provided in each of said receptacles are peripherally continuous.

3. A container according to claim 1 in which each radially extending portion on the inner receptacle is axially spaced downwardly from a corresponding radially extending portion on the outer receptacle by an amount substantially equal to the wall thickness of one of said receptacles.

4. A container according to claim 1 in which there is a stacking means formed in the inner receptacle adjacent to the bottom wall thereof for receiving the bottom wall of the outer recetpacle of a similarly constructed container when the containers are nested together.

5. A container according to claim 4 in which the stacking means is in the form of an internal shoulder in the inner receptacle.

6. A container according to claim 5 in which the axial height of the inner receptacle is less than that of the outer receptacle whereby to axially space the bottom walls of the receptatcles a predetermined distance from each other.

7. A container according to claim 5 in which a portion of the receptacle side walls adjacent to the bottom walls thereof are also spaced from one another.

8. A container according to claim 5 in which the outer receptacle adjacent to the bottom wall thereof has a radially inwardly directed abutment underlying and supporting an external portion of the internal shoulder of the inner receptacle for axially spacing the bottom walls of the receptacles a predetermined distance from one another, the portions of the container side walls beneath the external portion of the internal shoulder and abutment of the inner and outer receptacles respectively being spaced from one another whereby to insulate the container in the vicinity of and adjacent to the bottom walls of the receptacles.

9. A double-walled container of thin-walled thermoplastic construction comprising inner and outer receptacles of generally frusto-conical configuration each having a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom and terminating in a rim portion, the receptacles being of different size to permit telescopic association theerof and being joined to each other at their rim portions, said container having an insulated and reinforced finger-gripping section formed in the side walls of the receptacles which comprises a plurality of circumferentially extending protuberances integrally formed in the side wall of each receptacle and projecting radially therefrom, the protuberances of said receptacles being configured and arranged relative to one another when the receptacles are joined to each other at their rim portions to provide a series of spaced, non-communicating air pockets while also laterally reinforcing the container.

It The container as defined in claim 9 wherein the protuberances of each receptacle comprise axially positioned, peripherally cointinuous portions which radially project substantially normal to the axis of said container and which are arranged in closely spaced, finger-bridging relationship to one another.

11. The container as defined in claim 9 wherein the circumferentially extending protuberances in the side wall of each receptacle comprises a plurality of alternate axially extending and radially extending circumferential portions, each radially extending portion on the inner receptacle being axially spaced downwardly from a corresponding radially extending portion on the outer receptacle by an amount substantially equal to the wall thickness of one of said receptacles, the axially extending portion above each radially extending portion on the inner receptacle engaging the axially extending portion below each radially extending portion on the outer receptacle to form the spaced, non-communicating air pockets defined by generally opposing axially extending portions and radially extending portions of the receptacles.

12. A nestable double-walled container of thermoplastic construction for beverages and the like comprising inner and outer wall portions of fnlsto-conical configuration each having a bottom and a side extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom and terminating in a rim portion, said wall portions being of predetermined different size for telescopic association with one another and being joined to each other at the rim portions thereof in a manner to space the bottom of the inner wall portion a predetermined distance from the bottom of the outer wall portion, said inner wall portion being provided with stacking means thereon including an internal shoulder means in the vicinity of the bottom thereof and of smaller minimum diameter than the maximum diameter of an external shoulder means provided on said outer wall portion, the internal shoulder means provided on the inner wall of the double-walled container adapted to receive the external shoulder means on the outer wall of a superposed double-walled container of like configuration to limit the extent of telescopic association of a plurality of double-walled containers, each inner wall portion in the vicinity of its internal shoulder means and each outer Wall portion in the vicinity of its external shoulder means capable of being temporarily deformed to extend part of the bottom and side wall portions of the inner wall and outer wall portions into the space between the bottoms of associated inner and outer wall portions when the internal shoulder means on the inner wall portion of a lower double-walled container is engaged by the external shoulder means on the outer wall portion of a superposed double-walled container to afford axial resiliency to a stack of telescoped double-walled containers and thereby prevent jamming.

13. A nestable double-walled container of thermoplastic construction for beverages and the like comprising inner and outer wall portions of frusto-conical configuration each having a bottom and a side extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom and terminating in a rim portion, said wall portion being of predetermined different size for telescopic association with one another and being joined to each other at the rim portions thereof in a manner to space the bottom of the inner wall portion a predetermined distance from the bottom of the outer wall portion, said inner wall portion being provided with stacking means thereon including an internal shoulder means in the vicinity of the bottom thereof and of smaller minimum diameter than the maximum diameter in the vicinity of the juncture between the bottom and side of the outer wall portion forming external shoulder means, the apical angle defining the frusto-conical outer wall providing at the juncture of the bottom and side thereof a maximum diametrical measurement smaller than the minimum diametrical measurement at the rim portion of the container inner wall portion and for the axial height of the inner wall portion immediately above the internal shoulder means, said internal shoulder means being positioned with respect to the apical angle defining the inner Wall portion to provide a smaller minimum diameter than the maximum diameter of the outer wall in the vicinity of the juncture between the bottom and side thereof to present a shelf for coaction with the external shoulder means on the outer wall of a superposed double-walled container of like configuration to limit the extent of telescopic association of a plurality of double-walled containers, each inner wall portion in the vicinity of its inner shoulder means and each outer wall portion in the vicinity of its external shoulder means capable of being temporarily deformed to extend the bottom and side wall portions of the inner wall and outer wall portions into the space between the bottoms of associated inner and outer wall portions when the internal shoulder means of a lower doublewalled container is engaged by the external shoulder means of a superposed double-walled container to afford axial resiliency to a stack of telescoped double wall containers and thereby prevent jamming.

14. A nestable double-walled container of thin-walled thermoplastic construction, comprising inner and outer receptacles of generally frusto-conical configuration each having a bottom wall and a side wall extending upwards and outwards and terminating in a rim portion, the receptacles being of different size to permit telescopic association thereof and being joined to each other at the rim portions, the inner receptacle including an internal shoulder in the vicinity of its bottom and the outer receptacle including an external shoulder so arranged that the internal shoulder will engage the external shoulder of a superimposed like container and thus limit the extent of telescopic association of the containers, the outer receptacle making no engagement with the underside of the internal shoulder, and the inner receptacle being spaced from the side wall of the outer receptacle at least from the level of the internal shoulder down to the bottom of the outer receptacle, and being spaced from at least the portion of the bottom wall of the outer receptacle adjacent to the side of the outer receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 665,349 1/1901 Sewall 220-15 (Ether references on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Casey et a1 220*15 Ingersoll 22015 Guard 22015 Roop 22097 Gits 2209 Hill 22097 Smucker 22097 Owsen 1505 1 0 3/1964 Miller 229-1.5 6/1964 Edwards 22097 8/1951 Morse 229-1.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 7/ 1933 Austria.

8/ 1947 Switzerland.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. Edwards 10 JAMES R. GARRETT, Examiner.

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