Abstract
A container comprising a body having an annular side wall on a base, an internal channel within the side wall, and a metal ring disposed within the channel. The container is a flexible material.
Claims
1. A container comprising: a body formed from a flexible material, the body including an annular side wall formed integrally with a base; an internal channel within the side wall; and a metal element disposed within the channel.
2. The container of claim 1, wherein the annular side wall includes a rim located along a top of the side wall, and the internal channel is formed within the rim.
3. The container of claim 2, wherein the rim includes a lip extending outwardly from a centerline of the body.
4. The container of claim 3, wherein the base has a first thickness and the side wall has a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
5. The container of claim 4, wherein the lip includes a plurality of openings in communication with the channel.
6. The container of claim 1, wherein the rim includes a plurality of openings in communication with the channel.
7. The container of claim 1, wherein the metal element is segmented in a plurality of pieces.
8. The container of claim 1, wherein the metal element comprises a metal ring having a circular cross section.
9. The container of claim 8, wherein a diameter of the circular cross section is between about 2 mm and about 4 mm.
10. The container of claim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises silicone.
11. The container of claim 1, further comprising a lid mated with the body.
12. The container of claim 11, wherein the lid comprises a flexible surface that surrounds an upper portion of the body.
13. The container of claim 11, wherein the lid press fits into a rim located along a top of the annular side wall.
14. The container of claim 1, wherein the container comprises one of a cup and a bowl.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0043] The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present concepts, by way of example only, not by way of limitations. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.
[0044] FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective view from above and from below, respectively, of the cup of the present application.
[0045] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cup of FIG. 1 with a first embodiment of a lid.
[0046] FIGS. 4 and 5 are side elevational and bottom plan views of the cup of FIG. 1 including exemplary dimensions of the cup.
[0047] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the cup of FIG. 1 generally taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5 including exemplary dimensions of the cup.
[0048] FIG. 7 is a perspective view from above of a bowl of the present application.
[0049] FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective and side elevational views of a bowl of FIG. 7 with a lid.
[0050] FIG. 10 is a perspective view from below of the lid of FIG. 8.
[0051] FIGS. 11 and 12 are plan and bottom plan views of the bowl and lid of FIG. 8.
[0052] FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view generally taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 12 including exemplary dimensions of the bowl and lid.
[0053] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a travel coffee cup and lid in accordance with the present application.
[0054] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the lid of FIG. 14.
[0055] FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the coffee cup and lid of FIG. 14.
[0056] FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view of the coffee cup and lid taken generally along the lines 17-17 of FIG. 16, including exemplary dimensions.
[0057] FIGS. 18 and 19 are plan and bottom plan views of the coffee cup and lid of FIG. 16.
[0058] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of a cup and lid in accordance with the present application.
[0059] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the cup of FIG. 20.
[0060] FIG. 22 is a perspective view from below of the lid of FIG. 20.
[0061] FIG. 23 is a side elevational view of the cup and lid of FIG. 20.
[0062] FIG. 24 is a cross sectional view of the cup and lid taken generally along the lines 24-24 of FIG. 23 including exemplary dimensions of the cup and lid.
[0063] FIGS. 25 and 26 are plan and bottom plan view of the cup and lid of FIG. 20, including exemplary dimensions of the cup and lid.
[0064] It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0065] FIGS. 1-6 illustrate an example of cup 100 of the present application comprising a body 102 of a silicone material. The cup 100 includes a metal ring 104 embedded within an internal channel 106 of a lip 108 to provide structural support at an upper end 110 of the cup 100.
[0066] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the body 102 includes an annular side wall 112 that is integral with or attached to a base 114. Seen best in FIG. 4, the cup 100 has a conical shape having a first diameter D1 near the lip 108 that is greater than a second diameter D2 near the base 114. Further, seen best in FIG. 6, a thickness of the annular wall 112 is less than a thickness of the base 114 of the cup 100. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the base 114 includes a recessed annular surface 116 that provides additional structural support. Each of the embedding of the metal ring 104 within the lip 108 of the cup 100 and the increased thickness of the base 114 of the cup 100 increases the stability of the cup 100 and collectively prevents the cup 100 from collapsing when squeezed by a user.
[0067] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the metal ring 104 is embedded within the channel 106 of the lip 108 to retain the shape of the cup 100. Shown in FIG. 6, the lip 118 extends annularly away from a central axis 120 of the body 102.
[0068] In a preferred embodiment, the metal ring 104 is encapsulated within the rim 108 during the compression molding of the silicone cup 100. During the molding process, an anchor or other fixture mechanism may temporarily be used to hold the metal ring 104 in place while the cup 100, specifically the rim 108, is formed around the metal ring 104. Depending on the configuration of the anchor, this anchoring process may leave one or more openings or slits in the rim 108 of the cup 100. In a preferred example, the molded cup 100 may include four openings or slits in the rim 108 of the cup 100 corresponding to the anchoring points provided by the fixture mechanism.
[0069] In a further embodiment, a plurality of openings 122 extends from an outer surface 124 of the lip 108 into the channel 106 for insertion of the metal ring 104 into the channel 106. The metal ring 104 may be segmented in two or more pieces to make it easier to insert the metal ring 104 into the channel 106.
[0070] As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a removable lid 126, 130 may be secured to the upper end 110 of the cup 100. The metal ring 104 within the lip 108 provides the structural integrity to support the lid 126 attached to the upper end 110 of the cup 100. The lid 1126 illustrated in FIG. 3 is a straw top lid, comprising a silicone or other stretchable material that stretches across the lip 108 of the cup 100 and down a portion of the annular side wall 112. The lid 126 includes an opening 128 for receiving a straw 130. Other lids such as a conventional press fit lid with a straw or other mouthpiece may also be used with the cup 100. As shown in FIG. 3B, a press fit lid 130 may be received along and secured to the inner surface of the lip 108 of the cup 100. The lid 130 includes an internal cork component for mating with the rigid rim 108 of the cup 100.
[0071] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the cup 100 may include a plurality of protrusions 124 or other raised surface extending outwardly from the side wall 112 in order to improve the user's grip on the cup 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the cup 100 includes first and second groupings 126 of protrusions 124, although the number and spacing of the protrusions 124 may be varied as desired or necessitated by design requirements.
[0072] In a preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, the metal ring 104 has a circular cross section with a diameter of about 3 mm. In another embodiment, the diameter of the circular cross section of the metal ring 104 is between and including 2 mm to 4 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the height of the cup 100 is 90 mm, the outer diameter of the lip 108 is 89 mm, the external thickness of the lip 108 is 7.8 mm, the side wall 112 is 4 mm thick, and the base 114 is 9.8 mm. In another embodiment, the base is between and including 8 mm to 12 mm.
[0073] In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-6, the illustrated cup has the dimensions recited in the following table, it being understood that the dimensions are exemplary only and do not limit the scope of any claims herein, except as may be recited thereby, together with equivalents thereof:
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Dimensions for FIGS. 4-6 Dimensions (mm, unless otherwise specified) FIG. 4 A 7 B 6.8 C 2.5 FIG. 5 D 89.1 FIG. 6 E 89 F 73.6 G 66 H 13.3 J 12.5 K 13.8 L 4 M 4 N 7.8 P 3 Q 90 R 9.8 96 degrees
[0074] FIGS. 7-10 illustrate a bowl 200 of the present application comprising a body 202 of a silicone material having a concave shape with an open top. In the illustrated embodiment, the body 202 includes curved, annular side wall 212 that is integral with or attached to a base 214. A rim 208 has an internal channel and a metal ring 204 embedded within an internal channel 206 to provide structural support at an upper end 210 of the bowl 200. In the illustrated embodiment, the rim 208 is an upper surface of the side wall 212 and does not include a lipped surface.
[0075] A lid 230 may be press fit into the inner surface of the rim 208. Seen best in FIGS. 8 and 10, the lid 230 includes an inner portion 232 protruding downwardly from an upper surface 234. The inner portion 232 press fits into the rim 208 so that the upper surface 234 of the lid 230 rests atop the rim 208 of the bowl 200 as shown in FIG. 9. An upper surface 236 of the inner portion 232 is spaced from the upper surface 234 by a side wall 238 that nests within the upper portion 210 of the cup 200. The diameter of the side wall is slightly larger than the diameter of the inner surface of the rim so that the lid 230 press fits into the cup 200. The embodiment of the lid 230 illustrated in FIG. 10 includes a recessed surface 242 on a lower surface 240 of the inner portion 232, although the lower surface 240 may be planar or varying in height. In the illustrated embodiment, the bowl 200 can hold 8 oz, although the design can be scaled for greater or lesser volumes.
[0076] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11-13, the illustrated bowl has the dimensions recited in the following table, it being understood that the dimensions are exemplary only and do not limit the scope of any claims herein, except as may be recited thereby, together with equivalents thereof:
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Dimensions for FIGS. 11 and 13 Dimensions (mm, unless otherwise specified) FIG. 11 AA 118 FIG. 13 AB 118 AC 115 AD 57 AE 56.6 AF 48 AG 7 AH 0.8 AJ 5 AK 7 AL 3 AM 5.8 AN 0.8 AP 3 AQ 8.9 AR 17.5 AS 3.3 AT 9 AU 8.5 AV 15 123 degrees
[0077] Referring to FIGS. 14-19, a travel coffee cup 300 comprises a body 302 of a silicone material having an annular side wall 312 formed integrally with a base 314. A lipped rim 308 includes a metal ring 304 embedded within an internal channel 306 to provide structural support at an upper end 310 of the cup 300.
[0078] A lid 330 may be press fit into an inner surface 341 of the rim 308. Referring to FIG. 15, the lid 330 includes a top portion 334 with a downwardly extending annular wall 332. The annular wall 332 press fits inside the rim 308 so that the top portion 334 of the lid 330 rests atop the rim 308 of the cup 300. An outer surface 336 of the annular wall 332 includes one or more ribs 338 that are received by one or more grooves 340 within an inner surface 341 of the annular side wall 312. The top portion 334 also includes a spout 342 for drinking and a port 344 for relieving pressure within the cup 300 during use. In the illustrated embodiment, the cup 300 can hold 16 oz, although the design can be scaled for greater or lesser volumes.
[0079] In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIGS. 16-19, the illustrated coffee cup has the dimensions recited in the following table, it being understood that the dimensions are exemplary only and do not limit the scope of any claims herein, except as may be recited thereby, together with equivalents thereof:
TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Dimensions for FIGS. 16-18 Dimensions (mm, unless otherwise specified) FIG. 16 BA 8.1 BB 8.1 BC 2.5 BD 118 FIG. 17 BE 87.2 BF 37.6 BG 3 BH 4.5 3 degrees BK 2.2 BL 14.3 BM 5.4 BN 4 BP 23.3 BQ 1.5 BR 1.2 BS 173.7 BT 154 BU 5 BW 4 BX 5 BY 64 BZ 1 CA 1 FIG. 18 CB 89 CC 16 CD 2.1 CE 2
[0080] FIGS. 20-26 illustrates a further embodiment of a lid 430 for use with a cup 400. Similar to the previous embodiments, the cup 400 comprises a body 402 of a silicone material having an annular side wall 412 formed integrally with a base 414. A lipped rim 408 includes a metal ring 404 embedded within an internal channel 406 to provide structural support at an upper end 410 of the cup 400.
[0081] Similar to the lid 330 of FIGS. 14-19, the lid 430 may be press fit into the inner surface of the rim 408. Specifically, the lid 430 includes a top portion 434 with a downwardly extending annular wall 432. The annular wall 432 press fits inside the rim 408 so that the top portion 434 of the lid 430 rests atop the rim 408 of the cup 400. Seen best in FIG. 24, an outer surface 436 of the annular wall 432 includes one or more ribs 438 that are received by one or more grooves 440 within an inner surface 441 of the annular side wall 412. Referring back to FIG. 20, the top portion 434 also includes an opening 442 for receiving a straw and a port 444 for relieving pressure within the cup 300 during use. In the illustrated embodiment, the cup 400 can hold 16 oz, although the design can be scaled for greater or lesser volumes.
[0082] In the illustrated embodiment shown in FIGS. 20-26, the illustrated coffee cup has the dimensions recited in the following table, it being understood that the dimensions are exemplary only and do not limit the scope of any claims herein, except as may be recited thereby, together with equivalents thereof:
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Dimensions for FIGS. 24 and 25 Dimensions (mm, unless otherwise specified) FIG. 24 DA 89 DB 59.3 DC 22 DD 15 DE 64 DF 1.2 DG 2.2 DH 159.5 DJ 5.5 DK 1 DL 2.7 DM 1 DN 4.5 DP 18.2 DQ 7.6 DR 23.6 FIG. 25 DS 22 DT 24 DV 2
[0083] It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.
