LID FOR A CONTAINER

Abstract

A lid for a container is provided. The lid includes a perimeter sidewall having a lower inwardly turned flange and a bottom panel secured to the inwardly turned flange. The lid has a frustoconical shape created by a taper angle of the perimeter sidewall. The perimeter sidewall may have at taper angle that is equal to, greater than, or less than a taper angle of the container into which the lid is inserted. The lid may create an interference fit between the perimeter sidewall of the lid and the sidewall of the container along all or a portion of the height of the perimeter sidewall to secure the lid to the container after the lid is inserted into the upper end opening of the container.

Claims

1. A lid for a container, the lid comprising: a perimeter sidewall; a bottom panel; and an inwardly turned flange provided at a lower end of the perimeter sidewall, wherein the bottom panel is secured to the inwardly turned flange; wherein the lid is configured for being inserted into an upper open end of a container in order to enclose the container.

2. The lid of claim 1, wherein the bottom panel includes an overlapping edge portion that is secured to the inwardly turned flange of the perimeter sidewall.

3. The lid of claim 2, wherein the overlapping edge portion of the bottom panel is secured to an upper surface of the inwardly turned flange of the perimeter sidewall.

4. The lid of claim 2, wherein the overlapping edge portion of the bottom panel is secured to an upper surface of the inwardly turned flange of the perimeter sidewall by at least one of an adhesive, a hot melt, and a sealant.

5. The lid of claim 1 further comprising an outwardly rolled upper rim formed at an upper end of the perimeter sidewall.

6. The lid of claim 1 further comprising an opening defined through at least one of the bottom panel and the inwardly turned flange, the opening being configured to provide access to an interior of the container into which the lid is inserted.

7. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid is configured to be secured to the upper open end of the container through an interference fit.

8. The lid of claim 7, wherein an exterior surface of the perimeter sidewall of the lid substantially engages an interior surface of a sidewall of the container when the lid is inserted into the upper open end of the container.

9. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid is constructed from a paperboard material.

10. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid is constructed from a biodegradable material.

11. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid is compostable.

12. The lid of claim 1, wherein the perimeter sidewall has an inclined taper providing the lid with a frustoconical shape.

13. The lid of claim 12, wherein the perimeter sidewall has a lid angle of inclination, wherein the lid angle of inclination is configured to generally conform to an angle of inclination of the container.

14. The lid of claim 12, wherein the perimeter sidewall has a lid angle of inclination, wherein the lid angle of inclination is configured to be greater than an angle of inclination of the container.

15. The lid of claim 12, wherein the perimeter sidewall has a lid angle of inclination, wherein the lid angle of inclination is configured to be less than an angle of inclination of the container.

16. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid includes an outer upper end diameter that is approximately equal to an inner upper end diameter of the container.

17. The lid of claim 16, wherein the lid includes an outer lower end diameter that is less than the inner upper end diameter of the container.

18. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid includes an outer upper end diameter that is greater than an inner diameter of the container.

19. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid is constructed from a first material and the container is constructed from a second material, wherein the first material is different than the second material.

20. A lid for a container, the lid comprising: a perimeter sidewall having an inclined taper providing a frustoconical shape; a bottom panel; and an inwardly turned flange provided at a lower end of the perimeter sidewall, wherein the bottom panel is positioned above and secured to the inwardly turned flange; an opening defined through at least one of the bottom panel and the inwardly turned flange; wherein the lid is configured for being inserted into an upper open end of a container in order to enclose the container; wherein the perimeter sidewall of the lid has an angle of inclination equal to or greater than an angle of inclination of the container.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like or similar parts in the various views:

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lid for a container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional side view of the lid of FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lid of FIG. 1;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of material blanks for a bottom panel and a perimeter sidewall for use in constructing the lid of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional side view of a lid for a container showing a lower folding edge portion of the lid in an unfolded position in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional side view of the lid of FIG. 5 showing the lower folding edge portion of the lid in a folded position in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional side view of a lid and a container illustrating the lid being inserted into an upper end of the container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional side view of the lid and container of FIG. 7 illustrating the lid inserted into the upper end of the container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0020] FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial sectional side view of the lid and container of FIG. 8 illustrating the engagement between the lid and container in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. For purposes of clarity in illustrating the characteristics of the present invention, proportional relationships of the elements have not necessarily been maintained in the drawing figures.

[0022] The following detailed description of the invention references specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0023] Referring to the figures, the present invention is directed to a lid 10 that may be used in conjunction with a container (such as container 100 referenced herein) to enclose the upper opening of the container. As shown in the several figures and described herein, lid 10 may be configured to be inserted into the upper end opening 102 of container 100 and nested therein to provide a frictional and/or interference fit between lid 10 and the upper end opening 102 of container 100. Depending on the desired application of lid 10 of the present invention, lid 10 may be configured to enclose a container 100 utilized for holding and/or transporting drink items, food items or any other type of product.

[0024] Container 100 (which is illustrated for reference in FIGS. 7-9) may be configured as any type of cup or container known in the art and is not necessarily intended to represent a novel aspect of the present invention. Container 100 may be constructed from any number of suitable materials, including without limitation, paperboard, cardboard, laminated paperboard, thermoplastic materials and the like. According to one embodiment, container 100 may include a sidewall 104 wrapped around an enclosed bottom 106 to form a circumferential sidewall with a rolled upper lip or rim 108 along the edge of the upper end opening 102 of container 100. Sidewall 104 may further have a generally frustoconical shape such that the diameter of container 100 increases along the height of sidewall 104. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that shapes different from the above-mentioned construction for container 100 may serve equally as well as may be required by a desired application.

[0025] Turning to FIGS. 1-3, lid 10 may include a bottom panel 12 and a perimeter sidewall 14. As shown, perimeter sidewall 14 may wrap around bottom panel 12 and extend upwardly from bottom panel 12 such that bottom panel 12 is positioned at the lower end of lid 10. According to one embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, bottom panel 12 may have a circular shape generally conforming to the circular or cylindrical shape of the upper end 102 of container 100. However, it is recognized that bottom panel 12 may have any desired shape that is capable of creating an interference fit, whether or not such shape matches that of container 100 in alternative embodiments of the present invention. It is also recognized that perimeter sidewall 14 may have any suitable shape that generally corresponds to the shape of bottom panel 12 and allows for bottom panel 12 to be positioned and retained at the lower end of lid 10.

[0026] As best shown in FIG. 2, perimeter sidewall 14 may include an inwardly turned flange or lower folded end flange 16 formed at a lower end portion of perimeter sidewall 14. Inwardly turned flange 16 may be folded inward to provide a seated edge for receiving bottom panel 12. As best shown in FIG. 2, inwardly turned flange 16 may define the lower boundary of lid 10 and form the bottom edge thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, bottom panel 12 may include an overlapping perimeter or edge portion 18 that is configured to rest upon and engage inwardly turned flange 16 of perimeter sidewall 14 so that bottom panel 12 and inwardly turned flange 16 extend along a plane forming the lower boundary of lid 10.

[0027] As best shown in FIG. 2, according to one embodiment, overlapping edge portion 18 of bottom panel 12 may designate the outer perimeter edge portion of bottom panel 12 that is positioned in an overlapping relationship with inwardly turned flange 16 of perimeter sidewall and bottom panel 12 may be configured with a flat disc shape without folded or bent portions. When forming lid 10, overlapping edge portion 18 of bottom panel 12 may be secured to inwardly turned flange 16 using an adhesive, sealant or other suitable means now known or hereinafter developed. As best shown in FIG. 2, overlapping edge portion 18 of bottom panel may be secured to the upper surface of inwardly turned flange 16. However, it is recognized that in alternative embodiments, bottom panel 12 may be secured to the lower surface of inwardly turned flange 16 to connect bottom panel 12 to perimeter sidewall 14.

[0028] As further shown in FIGS. 1-3, perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 may include an outwardly rolled upper rim 20 formed around its upper end in a manner similar to outwardly rolled rims commonly formed into conventional cups and other containers known in the art. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, lid 10 may further include an opening 22 formed into bottom panel 12 to allow access to the interior of container 100 in which lid 10 is inserted into. According to certain embodiments of the present invention, opening 22 may be configured to receive a drinking straw (not shown) However, opening 22 may also be configured as a drinking opening and/or pouring spout for a user of container 100.

[0029] Turning to FIG. 4, according to one embodiment, bottom panel 12 and perimeter sidewall 14 may each be die cut from a larger sheet or roll (not shown) of material and formed into individual blanks. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, bottom panel 12 and perimeter sidewall 14 are formed as two separate blank components. However, it will be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, both bottom panel 12 and perimeter sidewall 14 may be formed as a single unitary blank where bottom panel 12 and perimeter sidewall 14 are integrally connected together. According to one embodiment, lid 10 (including bottom panel 12 and perimeter sidewall 14 forming lid 10) may be constructed of paperboard or a similar material such as, but not limited to, a coated or laminated paperboard material in order to resist migration of liquids reduce deformation from liquids contained within the interior volume of container 100 in which lid 10 is secured thereon. However, it will also be appreciated that lid 10 may be constructed from any other suitable material or combination of materials.

[0030] According to one embodiment, lid 10 may be formed by wrapping perimeter sidewall 14 around bottom panel 12 to form an enclosed perimeter wall with an overlapping side seam (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, after perimeter sidewall 14 has been wrapped, inwardly turned flange 16 of perimeter sidewall 14 may be folded inward. Overlapping edge portion 18 of bottom panel 12 may then be secured to flange 16 using an adhesive or other suitable securing means as known in the art (including without limitation, cold glues, hot melts, sonic welding, sealants and the like). Outwardly rolled rim 20 may be formed into the upper end of perimeter sidewall 14 in order to complete the construction of lid 10. It is also recognized that perimeter sidewall 14 may be wrapped around a mandrel and formed into a perimeter wall secured by an overlapping side seam prior to bottom panel 12 being inserted therein. In such embodiments, perimeter sidewall 14 may be formed first followed by inwardly turned flange 16 being folded inward to form a receiving edge for bottom panel 12 and bottom panel 12 may be seated onto and secured to inwardly turned flange 16. Lid 10 may be constructed using any other suitable method for constructing paperboard or similar containers (even plastic containers) now known or hereinafter developed.

[0031] As best shown in FIGS. 7-9, lid 10 may be configured to be inserted into the upper end opening 102 of container 100 in order to enclose container 100. The interaction between the outer surface of sidewall 14 of lid 10 and the inner surface of sidewall 104 of container 100 may create an engagement resulting in a tortuous path of that any leaking fluid must navigate in order to escape. As best shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, after lid 10 has been inserted into container 100, outwardly rolled rim 20 of lid 10 may be positioned above and adjacent to the rolled rim 108 of container 100. According to certain embodiments, outwardly rolled rim 20 of lid 10 may facilitate removal of lid 10 from container 100 after lid 10 has been inserted therein by providing a gripping means for lifting lid 10 from container 100. It will be appreciated that outwardly rolled rim 20 may also provide lid 10 with structural stability or rigidity, as well as having an engagement interface that uses will find to have a feel similar to that of rim 108 of container 100. Lid 10 may be configured to be fully or partially inserted into the upper end opening 102 of container 100. In addition, as described in greater detail below, the full or partial insertion of lid 10 may be dependent on the size and diameter of container 100 and allow for lid 10 to be used with multiple containers 100 of different sizes and dimensions.

[0032] As best shown in FIG. 9, lid 10 may be secured within the upper end opening 102 of container 100 by the creation of a frictional and/or interference fit between perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 and sidewall 104 of container 100. Perimeter sidewall 14 may engage sidewall 104 of container 100 along all or a portion of the height of perimeter sidewall 14 to create the frictional and/or interference fit between lid 10 and container 100, depending on the particular taper angles and diameters of lid 10 and container 100 as described in greater detail herein. The interference fit between lid 10 and container 100 once lid 10 has been inserted into the upper end 102 of container 100 may restrict lid 10 from unintentionally exiting upper end 102. It will be appreciated that in embodiments where the lid and container have differing taper angles, either one or both of the lid and container may slightly deform or flex when lid 10 is inserted into container 100, thereby increasing the amount of engagement between the lid and container.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 9, according to one embodiment, perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 may have a taper or angle of inclination (which is measured from an arbitrarily placed vertical line) that forms the frustoconical shape of lid 10. Similarly, sidewall 104 of container 100 may have a taper or angle of inclination (also measured from an arbitrarily placed vertical line) forming the frustoconical shape of container 100. Angles and represent the degree of outward angled configuration from vertical for perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 and sidewall 104 of container 100, respectively.

[0034] According to one embodiment as shown in FIG. 9, perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 may have a taper or angled configuration that generally conforms to the taper or angled configuration of sidewall 104 of container 100 in order to provide the interference fit between lid 10 and container 100. In such an embodiment, angle of inclination of lid 10 may be approximately equal to the angle of inclination of container 100 so that the outer portion of perimeter sidewall 14 aligns with and contacts the inner portion of sidewall 104 when lid 10 is inserted into container 100.

[0035] Alternatively, according to certain embodiments, perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 may have a taper or angle of inclination that is greater than the taper or angle of inclination of sidewall 104 of container 100 so that a small gap is created between the lower end of lid 10 and sidewall 104 of container 100 once lid 10 has been inserted into the upper end 102 of container 100. Such a configuration may facilitate the full insertion of lid 10 into the upper end 102 of container 100 according to certain embodiments.

[0036] According to yet another embodiment, perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 may have a taper or angle of inclination that is less than the taper or angle of inclination of sidewall 104 of container 100. According to this embodiment, where angle is less than angle , the lower portion of lid 10 will more forcefully engage the interior portion of sidewall 104 of container 100 when lid 10 is inserted into container 100 and provide a greater frictional and interference fit between lid 10 and container 100.

[0037] Lid 10 may further be designed and configured with a taper that is designed to correspond to containers 100 of different sizes and/or having different tapers of sidewall 104. According to one embodiment, lid 10 may be configured to use with containers of different sizes by having a taper angle generally conforming to a particularly sized container 100 having the largest taper angle , thereby allowing lid 10 to be utilized in connection with other differently-sized containers with a smaller taper angles , , etc. (where >>). It is also recognized that in alternative embodiments, lid 10 may be configured with a taper angle that corresponds to the container 100 having the smallest taper angle or intermediate taper angle .

[0038] As best shown in FIGS. 7-9, lid 10 may be configured with an upper exterior diameter D.sub.1 defined at its upper end that is approximately equal to the interior diameter D.sub.2 of container 100, which is defined at the upper end of container 100, in order to enable full insertion of lid 10 into the upper end opening 102 of container 100 when in use (see FIG. 8). As further shown in FIG. 7, lid 10 may be configured with a lower exterior diameter D.sub.3 defined at its lower end that is equal to or less than the upper exterior diameter D.sub.1 of lid 10, depending on the taper angle of perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 7-9, according to one embodiment where lower exterior diameter D.sub.3 is less than upper exterior diameter D.sub.1 of lid 10, lower exterior diameter D.sub.3 may also be less than interior diameter D.sub.2 of container 100 in order to allow lid 10 to be easily inserted into upper end opening 102 of container 100.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 7-9, according to one embodiment where the taper angle of lid 10 is substantially similar to taper angle of container 100, the exterior surface of lid 10 defined along the height of perimeter sidewall 14 may contact and engage with the interior surface of container 100 defined along a portion of the height of container sidewall 104. In such an embodiment, lid 10 may contact container 100 along a substantial portion of the height of perimeter sidewall 14 and create a frictional and/or interference fit between the exterior surface of perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 and the interior surface of sidewall 104 of container 100 to secure lid 10 within the upper end opening 102 of container 100.

[0040] According to alternative embodiments (not shown) where the taper angle of lid 10 is greater than the taper angle of container 100, the exterior surface of lid 10 may contact and engage with the interior surface of container 100 only along an upper portion or intermediate portion of the height of perimeter sidewall 14. In such embodiments, a small gap or space may be provided between the lower end of lid 10 and container sidewall 104 while the upper portion or intermediate portion of lid 10 contacts container sidewall 104 to create the frictional and/or interference fit between the exterior surface of perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 and the interior surface of sidewall 104 of container 100 to secure lid 10 within the upper end opening 102 of container 100.

[0041] According to other alternative embodiments (not shown) where the taper angle of lid 10 is less than the taper angle of container 100, the exterior surface of lid 10 may contact and engage with the interior surface of container 100 only along a lower portion of the height of perimeter sidewall 14. In such embodiments, a small gap or space may be provided between the upper end of lid 10 and container sidewall 104 while the lower end of lid 10 contacts container sidewall 104 to create the frictional and/or interference fit between the exterior surface of perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 and the interior surface of sidewall 104 of container 100 to secure lid 10 within the upper end opening 102 of container 100.

[0042] Lid 10 may also be configured with an exterior diameter D.sub.1 at its upper end slightly larger than the interior diameter D.sub.2 of container 100 at its upper end 102 in certain embodiments. In such configurations, the taper or angle or inclination of perimeter sidewall 14 of lid 10 may enable the lower end portion of lid 10 to be easily inserted into the upper end opening 102 of container 100 and the slightly larger diameter D.sub.1 of the upper end of lid 10 may create a strong interference fit with container 100. This configuration may further enable lid 10 to be utilized with containers 100 of differing opening diameters and sizes.

[0043] As described above, the taper angle and diameters of lid 10 may enable lid 10 to be suitably used with containers 100 of different sizes. One configuration of lid 10 with a defined taper angle and defined upper and lower end diameters D.sub.1 and D.sub.3 may be secured within a first container size having a taper angle less than lid taper angle , a second container size having a taper angle equal to lid taper angle , and a third container size having a taper angle greater than lid taper angle . In each case, at least a portion of the height of perimeter sidewall 14 engages with the interior surface of container sidewall 104 to provide the frictional and/or interference fit that secures lid 10 within container 100. As further described above, one configuration of lid 10 with a taper angle and defined upper and lower end diameters D.sub.1 and D.sub.3 may be secured within a first container size having a diameter D.sub.2 less than upper lid diameter D.sub.1 (i.e., D.sub.1>D.sub.2>D.sub.3), a second container size having a diameter D.sub.2 equal to upper lid diameter D.sub.1 (i.e., D.sub.1=D.sub.2; D.sub.2>D.sub.3), and a third container size having a diameter D.sub.2 greater than upper lid diameter D.sub.1 (i.e., D.sub.1<D.sub.2; D.sub.2>D.sub.3).

[0044] Depending on the particular embodiment of the present invention, lid 10 may be constructed for one or more different materials. In certain embodiments of the present invention, lid 10 may be constructed from a paperboard material that is recyclable, biodegradable, and/or compostable in order to provide an environmentally-friendly lid for conventional containers. According to certain embodiments, lid 10 may be constructed from a poly-coated or moisture-proof paperboard material as known in the art in order to allow lid 10 to be utilized with containers 100 suited for holding drinks and/or food items. Lid 10 may be constructed of the same material or different material than container 100 and lid 10 may be configured for use with containers 100 constructed from various different materials.

[0045] It should be noted that the combination of the construction of the lid, including in excess of at least 30% of the same being comprised of paperboard material, and the lid's snug fit location within the cup's upper end opening create a synergistic effect on the cup-lid combination. For example, paperboard lids now become not only an acceptable and often preferred substitute for plastic lids but also strengthen the upper end opening of the lid-cup combination and provide a secure fit, thus precluding the likelihood of leakage or having the lids pop off.

[0046] From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations. Since many possible embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is also to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.

[0047] The constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms having and including and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of optional or may include and not as required. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention.