Double-walled cup

Abstract

The invention relates to a double-walled cup (1) which comprises an inner and an outer wall as well as a cup opening on its upper end and a bottom part on its lower end. The outer wall is substantially produced from paper, cardboard or the like. The object of the invention is to improve said double-walled cup (1) in such a manner that it can be more rapidly and simply produced and assembled and to reduce the structural stability of the double-walled cup while maintaining its corresponding thermal insulating properties. For this purpose, the inner cup providing the inner wall is inserted into the outer cup (3) providing the outer wall and is secured therein or thereto in an especially detachable manner. The inner cup (2) is produced from an at least fluid-tight plastic material.

Claims

1. A double-wall cup comprising: an inner wall and an outer wall, an upper cup opening and a lower cup bottom, at least the outer wall is essentially formed from paper or cardboard, the inner wall is formed by an inner cup, which is inserted into an outer cup providing the outer wall, the inner cup being detachably attached in the outer cup, the inner cup is formed from an at least fluid-tight plastic material, the inner cup terminates with its lower end spaced apart from a lower end of the outer cup such that an accommodation space exists between the lower end of the inner cup and the lower end of the outer cup and the lower end of the inner cup does not contact the lower end of the outer cup, a lower cup section of the outer cup is detachable from an upper cup section of the outer cup without physically compromising the inner cup to provide access to the accommodation space; and wherein a tear-off strip or a tear-off line is formed on a side wall of the outer cup between the lower cup section and the upper cup section and runs circumferentially around an outer wall surface of the outer cup and wherein the outer cup has an outer edge flange which protrudes outwards and at least partially surrounds the upper outer cup opening, and wherein the inner cup has an inner edge flange which at least partially surrounds an upper inner cup opening, wherein the inner edge flange comprises two limb portions that each extend downward from a connective portion, and wherein the entire connective portion is thicker along a horizontal direction than each of the two limb portions along a vertical direction.

2. A double-walled cup comprising: an inner cup having an inner cup side wall and an inner cup bottom, the inner cup being formed from a fluid-tight plastic material; an outer cup having an outer cup side wall and an outer cup bottom, the outer cup being essentially formed from paper or cardboard wherein the inner cup is detachably coupled to and substantially positioned within the outer cup, and wherein the inner cup bottom does not contact the outer cup bottom; an accommodation space between the inner cup bottom and the outer cup bottom; a surprise present contained inside the accommodation space; a tear-off strip in the outer cup formed on the outer cup side wall between an upper and lower section of the outer cup, wherein the tear-off strip runs circumferentially around an outer wall surface of the outer cup, and wherein the tear strip is arranged such that tearing the tear-off strip separates the lower section of the outer cup from the upper section of the outer cup to provide access to the surprise present in the accommodation space without physically compromising the inner cup and wherein the outer cup has an outer edge flange which protrudes outwards and at least partially surrounds the upper outer cup opening, and wherein the inner cup has an inner edge flange which at least partially surrounds an upper inner cup opening, wherein the inner edge flange comprises two limb portions that each extend downward from a connective portion, and wherein the entire connective portion is thicker along a horizontal direction than each of the two limb portions along a vertical direction.

3. The double wall cup of claim 1 wherein the inner cup is manufactured from polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, or any combination of these materials.

4. The double-wall cup according to claim 1 wherein the tear-off strip has a tear-off tab that can be grasped by a user to facilitate tearing the tear-off strip.

5. The double-wall cup according to claim 1, wherein the inner cup and the outer cup are joined together by an adhesive or by mechanical interaction.

6. The double wall cup of claim 2 wherein the inner cup is manufactured from polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, or any combination of these materials.

7. The double-walled cup of claim 2 wherein the surprise present substantially fills the accommodation space.

8. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein a tear-off tab is joined to the tear-off strip.

9. The double-walled cup according to claim 1, wherein a connection between the inner cup and the outer cup is formed with polyethylene applied on an inside of the outer cup.

10. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein a sealing foil or a lid for sealing the inside of the cup is detachably attached to the inner edge flange or the outer edge flange.

11. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the inner cup comprises a gas-tight plastic material.

12. The double-walled cup according to claim 1, wherein the inner cup comprises a gas-tight plastic material.

13. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein an air chamber running in the circumferential direction is formed between at least the inner cup side wall and the outer cup side wall.

14. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the inner edge flange and the outer edge flange are detachably joined together.

15. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the inner edge flange contacts the outer edge flange from above at least in places.

16. The double-walled cup according to claim 2 wherein the inner edge flange encompasses the outer edge flange at least partially.

17. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the outer cup has an outer edge flange which protrudes outwards and at least partially surrounds the upper outer cup opening.

18. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the outer edge flange is formed as a beaded rolled rim.

19. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein a connection between the inner cup and the outer cup is formed with polyethylene applied on an inside of the outer cup.

20. The double-walled cup of claim 2 wherein a surprise present substantially fills the accommodation space.

21. The double-walled cup according to claim 1, wherein an air chamber running in the circumferential direction is formed between at least an inner cup side wall and an outer cup side wall.

Description

(1) Advantageous embodiments of the invention are given in the figures included in the drawings. The following are shown:

(2) FIG. 1 a longitudinal section through a first embodiment of a double-walled cup;

(3) FIG. 2 an enlarged illustration of a detail “A” of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 an illustration analogous to FIG. 2 for a further embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 an illustration analogous to FIG. 2 for another further embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 a longitudinal section through a second embodiment of a double-walled cup according to the invention;

(7) FIG. 6 a longitudinal section through a third embodiment of a double-walled cup according to the invention;

(8) FIG. 7 a longitudinal section through a fourth embodiment of a double-walled cup according to the invention;

(9) FIG. 8 an enlarged illustration of a detail “A” of FIG. 7;

(10) FIG. 9 a longitudinal section through a fifth embodiment of a double-walled cup according to the invention; and

(11) FIG. 10 an enlarged illustration of a detail “A” of FIG. 9.

(12) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a first embodiment of a double-walled cup 1 with an inner cup 2 and an outer cup 3. The inner cup 2 is arranged spaced with its lower end 20 to the lower end 21 of the outer cup 3, wherein this lower end 21 is formed by a bottom part 29. Between the ends 20, 21 an accommodation space 22 is formed which also serves as an air chamber 25 for the thermal insulation between the two cups 2, 3. A surprise present 40 is arranged within the accommodation space 22. Access to the accommodation space 22 is obtained by tearing off a tear-off strip 34 which is formed between an upper cup section 33 and a lower cup section 32 of the outer cup 3. The tear-off strip 34 has a tear-off tab 35 which can be grasped for tearing off.

(13) The inner and outer cups 2, 3 each have at the upper end an appropriate upper inner or outer cup opening 8, 6. This is closed off in FIG. 1 by a sealed-on sealing foil 28. The sealing foil 28 is sealed on in the region of an inner edge flange 9. This inner edge flange 9 protrudes outwards from the inner cup 2 and surrounds the corresponding inner cup opening. On the inside 31 of the inner cup 2 a consumable foodstuff can be arranged and after removal of the sealing foil 28 or also of a corresponding lid it can be removed from the double-walled cup 1.

(14) Below the corresponding inner edge flange 9 an outer edge flange 5 is arranged in the form of a rolled rim 7 which is beaded outwards. This outer edge flange 5 is arranged on the upper end of the outer cup 3 and surrounds its upper outer cup opening 6.

(15) Accordingly in FIG. 1, the inner wall or inner cup wall 23 formed by the inner cup 2, refer also to the following embodiments, and the outer wall or outer cup wall 24 formed by the outer cup 3, refer also to the following embodiments, are in contact, wherein no air chamber is formed between them and the thermal insulation is achieved through the outer cup 3 and its material, such as paper, cardboard or the like.

(16) The inner and outer cups 2, 3 are conically extended in the direction of the respective cup opening, wherein the corresponding cone angles, refer also to the following embodiments, are equal in this case.

(17) In the following FIGS. 2 to 4 various embodiments for detail “A” according to FIG. 1 are illustrated enlarged. In these figures as with all other figures the same parts are in each case identified with the same reference numerals and are sometimes only mentioned in conjunction with a figure.

(18) In FIG. 2 it can be seen that the sealing foil 28 is applied from above onto a flat region of the inner edge flange 9 where it is attached sealed. The inner edge flange 9 has an inverse U-shape with two U-limbs 10 and 11 pointing downwards. These overlap the outer edge flange 5 from above which is formed as the rolled rim 7. Here, the outer U-limb 10 is spaced, forming a free space, relative to the outer side of the rolled rim 7. The inner U-limb 11 and the connection of the U-limbs are in each case in contact with the rolled rim 7 or the outer cup wall 24.

(19) In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the respective U-limbs 10, 11 are in close contact with the rolled rim 7 so that essentially a frictionally engaged joint is formed through the contact of the outer edge flange 5 and the inner edge flange 9.

(20) This applies analogously also to the embodiment of FIG. 4, wherein it has two U-limbs of approximately equal material strength, whereas in the embodiment according to FIG. 3 the outer U-limb 10 has a greater material thickness than the inner U-limb 11. In both embodiments according to FIGS. 3 and 4 the connection of the U-limbs 10 and 11 is in each case formed with a greater material thickness than the U-limbs.

(21) In FIG. 5 a second embodiment of a double-walled cup is illustrated. This differs from the embodiment according to FIG. 1 essentially in that the inner cup 2 extends with its lower end 20 to the lower end 21 of the outer cup 3. The lower end 20 of the inner cup 2 is thus so formed that the inner cup 2 in some places stands on the corresponding bottom part 29 and an air chamber 25 is formed between them.

(22) The corresponding cone angles 26 of inner cup 2 and 27 of outer cup 3 are each equally large, wherein between the inner cup wall 23 and outer cup wall 24 no further free space is formed for an air chamber or the like, but rather both cup walls are in contact over their complete height.

(23) In the third embodiment according to FIG. 6 the cup walls 23, 24 are arranged spaced from one another at least over the greatest part of their longitudinal extent, wherein an air chamber 25 of essentially equal width is formed due to the equal cone angles 26, 27 in the direction perpendicular to the verticals 36.

(24) The other features of the third embodiment essentially correspond to those of the first and second embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 5.

(25) It should be noted that the respective details “A” corresponding to the FIGS. 2 to 4 can be formed for all embodiments described so far.

(26) The attachment of the two cups 2, 3 can on one hand occur in the region of the corresponding edge flange 5, 9. This can for example be realised in that, refer to FIGS. 3 and 4, a frictionally engaged joint is formed between the edge flanges. Additionally or alternatively, an adhesive can be arranged between the edge flanges or also between the inner cup wall 23 and the outer cup wall 24 or between the lower end 20 of the inner cup 2 and the lower end 21 of the outer cup 3 or for the detachable connection of both cups 2, 3 a plastic film 4, refer to FIG. 1, applied to the inner side and optionally also to the outer side of the outer cup 3 can be briefly melted and then joined to the inner cup 2 at the appropriate point. The joint via the plastic film can of course also occur in the region of the corresponding edge flange 5, 9.

(27) There is similarly the possibility that the cone angles 26, 27 in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 are different, refer for example also to the fifth and sixth embodiments according to FIGS. 7 and 9. Here, the cone angle 26 of the inner cup can be smaller than the corresponding cone angle 27 of the outer cup or also vice versa. Due to different cone angles a corresponding air chamber 25 is also produced between the inner cup wall 23 and the outer cup wall 24, refer again to FIGS. 7 and 9.

(28) The fourth embodiment according to FIG. 7 differs from the embodiments due to a different positioning and formation of the inner edge flange 9. This is formed as the flat edge flange 12, refer also to FIG. 8, which is an enlarged illustration of the detail “A” from FIG. 7. This flat edge flange 12 lies with its underside and its free end 15 on a shoulder 14 which is formed on an inner side 13 of the outer cup 3. Above the shoulder 14 a wall section 19 of the outer cup wall 24 extends over a height 39. This wall section 19 extends essentially parallel to the verticals 36 up to the rolled rim 7 as the outer edge flange 5. A corresponding depth 17 of the shoulder 14 is less than a length 18 of the flat edge flange 12, with which it is spaced radially outwards from the inner cup 2 in the region of the inner cup opening 8. In this way an appropriate air chamber 25 is formed between the inner cup wall 23 and the outer cup wall 24, refer also to FIG. 7, which due to the different cone angles 26, 27 is formed with a width reducing in the direction of the bottom part 29 of the outer cup 3.

(29) For the fourth embodiment according to FIG. 7 as well as for the other embodiments, the inner cup 2 can also be formed according to FIG. 1, i.e. spaced to the bottom part 29 of the outer cup 3. Furthermore, with this embodiment as well as with the other embodiments there is the possibility that an appropriate shoulder is formed on the inner side of the inner cup 2, which for example, with double-walled cups 1 inserted into one another serves as a destacking aid, wherein a shoulder of this nature prevents the stacking depth of cups of this nature being too large, leading to jamming of the cups with one another.

(30) Also in the embodiments according to FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 9 there is the possibility of arranging an appropriate surprise present 40 in the accommodation space 22, when the inner cup 2 terminates sufficiently spaced to the bottom part 29 of the outer cup 3.

(31) There is similarly the possibility that for example in the embodiment according to FIG. 7 the depth 17 of the shoulder 14 essentially matches the length 18 of the flat edge flange 12 and the air chamber 25 is formed such that the cone angle 26 of the inner cup 2 is larger than the cone angle 27 of the outer cup 3. In this way an air chamber 25 is formed which has an increase in width in the direction of the bottom part 29.

(32) In the embodiments according to FIGS. 7 and 9, the inner cup 2 is in each case completely positioned in the inside 30 of the outer cup 3, whereas in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 it protrudes at least with its inner edge flange 9 from the inside 30 of the outer cup 3.

(33) In the fifth embodiment according to FIG. 9 the flat edge flange 12 is fixed as the inner edge flange 9 of the inner cup 2 in a different place and manner to the outer cup 3. Here, the outer cup 3 has a groove 16 on its inner side 13 spaced to the rolled rim 7, in which the free end 15 of the flat edge flange 12 is inserted. This free end 15 can here be formed rounded off for improved fitting and accommodation with respect to the groove 16.

(34) The remaining features of the fifth embodiment correspond to the fourth embodiment according to FIG. 7. Appropriate alternatives of the embodiments are in turn possible, refer for example to the different cone angles 26, 27 or the spaced end of the inner cup 2 with respect to the bottom part 29 of the outer cup 3. Also the relation of the cone angles 26, 27 can be inverted, i.e. the cone angle 26 of the inner cup can be larger than the cone angle 27 of the outer cup 3.

(35) Also in the embodiment according to FIGS. 9 and 10 a corresponding depth of the groove 16 is lower than a length 18 of the flat edge flange 12. There is however similarly the possibility that the depth essentially corresponds to the length so that in the region of the groove 16 the corresponding cup walls 23 and 24 are in contact and a corresponding air chamber 25 is formed with increasing width in the direction of the bottom part 29.

(36) In FIGS. 7 and 9 the total height 37 of the double-walled cup 1 is still provided, which here is determined by the height of the outer cup 3. In FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 approximately the thickness of the joint of the two U-limbs 10, 11, refer to FIGS. 2 to 4, is added in each case to the total height of the outer cup 3 in order to obtain the total height 37 of the double-walled cup 1.

(37) The corresponding diameter 38 of the cup opening is in the embodiment according to FIGS. 7 and 9 determined by the diameter 38 of the outer cup 3, wherein this is determined in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 by the corresponding diameter of the inner cup 2 in this region.

(38) It should be noted that other methods for the outer and inner edge flanges are possible. One possibility is for example that the inner edge flange 9 is formed as an outwardly beaded rolled rim, which engages from above into a U-shaped outer edge flange 5 open at the top. Similarly there is the possibility that instead of a flat edge flange 12 in FIG. 10 a rolled rim is formed as the inner edge flange 9, which correspondingly engages the groove 16.

(39) Other variations and combinations of the various embodiments according to the invention are possible, such as for example also a further shoulder in the outer cup 3, on which the lower end 20 of the inner cup 2 is supported.

(40) The inner cup is formed from a gas and fluid-tight plastic material such as polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene or a combination of these materials and can be produced according to appropriate plastic moulding techniques in a simple and rapid manner. Through the use of a material of this nature the inner cup is also sufficiently strong and has an adequately long service life.

(41) Through the use of paper, cardboard or the like for the outer cup it can be easily printed on its outer side, wherein this printing capability can be improved further by a plastic film of, for example, polyethylene applied appropriately to the outer side.