AU671058B2 - Drinking lid for cups - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 REMA INDUSTRIES SERVICES PTY LTD

ORIGINAL

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or~D o oo COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Drinking lid for cups The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it lkown to us:- 7t lck The present invention relates to a drinking lid for cups and more particularly to a drinking lid for single use hot and cold beverage disposable cups or containers.

Beverages both hot and cold are commonly sold in cups of a variety of materials including expandable polystyrene for hot beverages and proposals have been made to provide such cups with removable lids to enable them to be carried away without spillage. There have been also proposals to provide such lids with drinking orifices.

The object of the present invention is to provide a drinking lid having features which make it effective and convenient for use in a variety of circumstances. One such feature is the provision of a lid suitable for use on cups containing "capuccino" coffee which, as is well known, has a topping of foamed milk which often extends i above the rim of the cup or any other beverage with a topping of foam or froth. The second feature relates to meeting the requirement of vendors to stack a number of o° cups one above the other to make them readily available o 20 for sale during rush periods.

A drinking lid for single use hot and cold beverage 00 disposable cups according to the invention consists in a 0. •top having an annular peripheral depending skirt, the skirt being constructed and arranged to fit over and make oo0 25 sealing engagement with the rim of a cup,A.n o. flange arranged to rest on the rim of the cup, a top arranged at a height above the said e*inrn flange such Si as to be supported clear of the rim of the cup to an °extent permitting the accommodation of beverages having a 30 layer of froth projecting above the rim of the cup, the cover having a central well shaped and constructed to receive and locate the bottom of a cup to permit stacking of lidded cups, the cover having, at one side of said well an upwardly extending spout having a top aperture through which the contents of the cup may be drunk, means being provided on the opposite side to the spout to permit the ?RA4/~: -o0 rJ

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entry of air into the cup to replace liquid drawn from the cup when drinking.

It is preferred that the spout is provided on an outer surface with a number of parallel ridges and grooves. These perform two functions: they strengthen the spout and also reduce the contact surface between the spout and the lips of a drinker and thus the heat transmitted when a hot liquid is being drunk.

In order that the nature of the invention may be better understood a preferred form thereof is hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is an elevation of a lid according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lid shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the lid of Figure 1.

The lid shown in the drawings consists of a skirt which is adapted to fit over and engage the rim of a single use hot or cold beverage disposable cup. The lid contains a interna flange 11 which is arranged to rest on the rim of the cup. Above the rim is a top 12 which is maintained by the wall 13 at a height above the level of the flange 11, which is to say above the level of the rim of a cup to which the lid is applied, that is sufficiently high as to permit the lid to be applied to a cup containing a beverage such as "capuccino" coffee or hot chocolate or beer having a foam or froth extending above the level of the rim of the cup.

In the top 12 is formed a well 14 the depth and diameter of which is such to enable a cup similar to the cup to which the lid is applied to be stacked on top of the cup. It will be readily appreciated that a number of cups may be stacked one above the other.

At one side of the well 14, positioned and shaped so as not to interfere with stacking, is a drinking spout el 44</

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0'V Oy having an aperture 16 through which the contents of the cup may be drunk. The aperture 16 also provides an entry point through which a spatula may be inserted into the cup to stir the contents. In the embodiment illustrated the drinking spout 16 is reinforced by means of a series of vertically extending grooves and ridges 17 and 18 which have the effect described above.

A hole 19 is provided in the top 12 at a point opposite the spout The lid may be made of any suitable material, for example, high impact polystyrene.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly claimed. The present embodiments 0 oare, therefore, to be considered in all respects as 0 0 illustrative and not restrictive. I o 00 0 0o a 0 o a c o° i ii Iom i

Claims (2)

1. A drinking lid for single use hot and cold beverage disposable cups consisting in a top having an annular peripheral depending skirt, the skirt being constructed and arranged to fit over and make sealing engagement with the rim of a cup, the skirt having a flange arranged to rest on the rim of the cup, the top being arranged at a height above the said flange such as to be supported clear of the rim of the cup to an extent permitting the accommodation of beverages having a layer of froth projecting above the rim of the cup, the cover having a central well shaped and constructed to receive 0010 and locate the bottom of a cup to permit stacking of lidded cups, the lid ~0 .t0 ~having, at one side of said well an upwardly extending spout having a top 00 aperture through which the contents of the cup may be drunk, means being a: provided on the opposite side to the spout to permit the entry of air into the o 0 cup to replace liquid drawn from the cup when drinking.

2. A drinking lid as claimed in claim 1 wherein the spout is provided 0000Onl an outer surface with a number of parallel ridges and grooves whereby the spout is strengthened and the contact surface between the spout and the lips of a drinker is reduced. 0000 DATED this 20th day of May 1996 REMN/A INDUSTRIES SERVICES PTYJ LTD Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: F.3. RICE CO. */NT O' ABSTRACT A drinking lid for single use hot and cold beverage disposable cups according consisting in a top having an annular peripheral depending skirt, the skirt being constructed and arranged to fit over and make sealing engagement with the rim of a cup, an internal flange arranged to rest on the rim of the cup, a top arranged at a height above the said internal flange such as to be supported clear of the rim of the cup to an extent permitting the accommodation of beverages having a layer of froth projecting. above the rim of the cup, the cover having a central well shaped and constructed to receive and locate the bottom of a cup to permit stacking of "ooo lidded cups, the cover having, at one side of said well an upwardly extending spout having a top aperture through which the contents of the cup may be drunk, means being 0 0° provided on the opposite side to the spout to permit the °o 0 entry of air into the cup to replace liquid drawn from the cup when drinking. L 0o a V 0 0 000 0 0 00 i 0 0 0000 000 33 I3