Abstract:
A dual-purpose insulated container is disclosed. The container selectively holds a disposable cup such as a take-out coffee cup with a plastic lid containing a beverage or a beverage alone and it is in a double wall construction for insulation generally made of sturdy plastics and elastic materials that are snap coupled to each other in order to enable the consumer to carry the beverage heat protected in two optional modes with one container. Additionally, the container has a handle, which has a built-in plug on a strap. The plug acts to plug the hole that is present on the plastic caps of coffee cups dispensed by retail coffee chains. An auxiliary slide lid may be tightened directly to the container when there is only the beverage to hold. The container has a translucent insulation space that is normally closed but consumer accessible to insert or replace a printed sheet for a visual effect.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    A. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a beverage container. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved insulated container for holding beverages in a disposable cup alleviating the consumption of disposable sleeves. 
         [0003]    B. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Thermally retentive plastic mugs for coffee or the like are well known in the art. Consumers welcome their portability for carrying beverages at work or while driving. A typical retail coffee chain sells coffee in paper or foam cups with a plastic cap, that often provides little to no protection against heat transfer. As a solution, shorter paper sleeves are offered to help hold a hot cup, which are then discarded all together. However, simple layering of disposable materials could not provide an adequate insulation to enjoy the desirably hot or cold beverages leisurely and safely. 
         [0005]    Some coffee aficionados avoid this problem by bringing their own insulated travel mug or tumbler to the retail stores to have the benefit of prolonged heat retention of their beverage purchase. In return, they still have the trouble of washing the mug, which could have been saved by simply discarding a disposable cup. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,652 discloses an insulated cup holder for plain paper cups, which can be refilled with a new paper cup having beverage in it. However, this cup holder is for holding a disposable cup only and cannot be converted to a spill-resistant mug for containing the beverage itself in case a paper cup fails or is not available or desirable. Thus, the cup holder would not be appropriate for a home brew beverage limiting its use with only take-out type cups. 
         [0007]    The above and other available beverage vessels do not meet the needs for an advanced container, which is versatile as well as convenient. Therefore, it is desirable to have an insulated container for carrying either a coffee chain or home brew beverage at a desired temperature longer than a frail disposable cup can withstand. Also it is desirable to provide an aftereffect of eliminating the conventional paper sleeve waste. 
         [0008]    In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an insulation beverage container that practically converge the above individual measures of consuming beverage including the diverse benefits of a simple handled mug, double-wall insulation, and paper cup disposability while excluding increased waste of paper sleeves. 
         [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel insulation beverage container for disposable cups with a built-in plug to prevent spilling, which is frequent with casual movements of disposable cups normally lacking a spill-prevention means. 
         [0010]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel insulation beverage container for disposable cups with a visual function employing the insulation space in the container to express a custom graphic like a business logo that can be swiftly exchanged with a user&#39;s own photo or other expressions. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The insulated container according to the present invention selectively holds a disposable cup such as a take-out coffee cup with a plastic lid containing a beverage or a beverage alone and it is made in a double wall construction for insulation generally made of sturdy plastics and elastic materials that are snap coupled to each other. 
         [0012]    This has the effect of keeping the coffee warmer for longer durations of time, and is reusable, such that the paper cup and plastic cap in which the coffee is sold is inserted directly into this container or mug. When the consumer has completed the beverage, the paper cup and its plastic cap are removed from the mug and disposed, leaving the mug clean and ready to use for the next beverage. 
         [0013]    An auxiliary lid or cap is provided with the mug in the event the consumer chooses to place coffee directly into the mug, much like a typical travel coffee mug is used. This allows the consumer to carry a beverage in two optional modes with one container. 
         [0014]    Additionally, the mug has a handle, which has a built-in plug on a strap. The plug acts to plug the hole that is present on the plastic caps of coffee cups dispensed by retail coffee chains. 
         [0015]    When the consumer is traveling, he or she may lift the plug off the plug port in the handle, and place it into the plastic cap so as to prevent any leakage or spills. The plug remains with the handle by virtue of a rubber leash, which doubles as a non-slip surface of the handle when the consumer drinks the coffee. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the insulated container comprises a cup-shaped inner liner for containing the beverage in the disposable cup partially closed or the beverage only, the inner liner having a flared open end extending outwardly and downwardly defining a downwardly facing annular clip and an auxiliary tubular mating area; an auxiliary slide closure having a dispensing spout and a tubular mating area for making connection with the auxiliary tubular mating area of the inner liner when the disposable cup is not present between the beverage and the inner liner; a clear cup-shaped shell enveloping the inner liner externally with a translucent space formed therebetween and releasably snapped into the annular clip of the inner liner, the shell having an outwardly and downwardly extending handle; and a spill plug with an elongated leash flexibly connected to the handle and movable between a rest position partially embedded in the handle and an active position to close the disposable cup completely. 
         [0017]    The liner is evenly distanced from the shell to allow the translucent space to hold a printed sheet and an insulation gap. 
         [0018]    The auxiliary tubular mating area of the liner is an inwardly threaded rim near the open end. The rim is displaced outwardly of a path through which the disposable cup enters the liner and the auxiliary slide closure may be a reusable disc-shaped lid including the spout, the tubular mating area threaded outwardly for mating with the inwardly threaded rim of the liner, a slot and a plug sealingly and slidably movable along the slot for opening and closing the spout of the lid. 
         [0019]    Alternatively, the tubular mating areas between the liner and the lid may have multiple elastic rings to provide a frictional coupling for opening and closing the container. 
         [0020]    The shell further comprising a number of teeth equidistantly formed along its top edge and the same number of alternate notches and the annular clip of the liner has the corresponding wall thickness to releasably clutch the tooth of the shell, whereby the liner may be separated manually from the shell for adjusting the axial position of the spout of the auxiliary slide closure relative to the handle before reengagement of shell and liner into a desired locked position. 
         [0021]    The liner may be separated manually from the shell against its clipping force on the shell to permit a user access to the translucent space, whereby a printed sheet with a visual expression may be exchanged as desired. The bottom of the shell may have a mating protrusion and fitted with an elastic base having a corresponding interior profile to provide a non-slip bottom surface of the container. The elastic base may be an elastic layer applied to the shell bottom. 
         [0022]    The insulated container further comprises a multiple sealing means formed between the liner and the auxiliary slide closure including a circumferential stepped surface at the junction of the rim to the liner facing inwardly and upwardly of the liner, an opposing lower edge of the slide closure abutting the stepped surface, an annular convex or concave area of the liner at its top face, an opposing area of the slide closure with correspondingly concave or convex shape, and/or an elastic ring tightened around the tubular mating area of the lid at its base. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an insulated container according to the present invention shown with an application of a common disposable cup. 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the insulated container of  FIG. 1  in operation. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the insulated container in operation taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the insulated container of  FIG. 1  shown with an optional spill-proof slide lid to carry the beverage insulated when the disposable cup is not available or desirable. 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the insulated container in operation taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
       
    
    
       [0028]    Similar reference numbers denote corresponding features throughout the attached drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0029]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , an insulated container or mug  10  according to the present invention generally comprises a clear cup shell  12  with a handle  14  and an opaque inner liner  16  adapted to receive and support a common disposable cup  18  about its sidewalls. Conforming the sidewalls of the standard disposable cup, the cup shell  12  and liner  16  have a common downward taper. The cup  18  has a disposable plastic lid  20  that is press fit onto its upper end. Similar to the disposable cup  18  and lid  20 , components of the inventive container  10  are fastened together via snap-in methods. 
         [0030]    The cup shell  12  may be made of a clear plastic such as a polycarbonate while the liner  16  may be one of various opaque plastics. Preferably, the mug would be made of a certain percentage of recycled plastic to enhance the environmental friendliness of the product. Also, the plastic should be microwave and dishwasher safe. 
         [0031]    Built onto the handle  14  is an elastic spill plug  22  with an integral leash  24  that connects the plug  22  close to a proximal end of the handle  14 . The elastic leash  24  is shown here at a transition state from a rest position along an outward face of the handle  14  to a deployed position to allow the plug  22  inserted in an outlet  26  of the lid  20  after the cup  18  is received in the container  10 . 
         [0032]    To the bottom of the cup shell  12  is affixed a non-slip elastic base  28  or a frictional layer may be deposited thereto for securely positioning the container  10  even on a slippery surface.  FIG. 2  shows the container  10  holding the disposable cup  18  that is assumed to contain hot coffee and has its lid  20  held close to a top edge  30  of the liner  16 . To prevent the lid  20  from being forced out involuntarily, the inner diameter of the liner  16  is limited to stop the standard disposable cup  18  from dropping below the top edge  30  of the liner  16 . In this way, an advantageous clearance is maintained between the cup  18  and the container  10  to permit an easy separation at the time of cup  10  disposal. The inside diameter is preferably 3.3″ or 84 mm. The outside diameter is preferably 3.45″ or 87 mm. The diameter at the bottom of the mug is approximately 2.5″. The disposable cup is preferably about 6.5″ in height and has an outside diameter of 84 mm at the top and 64 mm at the bottom. 
         [0033]    The elastic leash  24  is shown in its rest position providing an effective grip surface for a user&#39;s thumb and other parts of the hand. The structures of container parts and their positional relations are detailed in  FIG. 3  wherein the elastic leash  24  is seated in a long recess  32  formed in the outward face of the handle  14  so that approximately half of the thickness of the leash  24  sinks under the surface of the handle  14  leaving the outer half exposed to the touch of the hands. The width of the leash  24  may be set so that it extends partially the area of the outward surface of the handle  14 . 
         [0034]    The spill plug  22  has a rounded tip  34 , which may be pushed into the outlet  26  of the lid  20  or a plug port  36  formed in the handle  14  at its distal area. The plug  22  also has a peripheral flange  38  for limiting the depth of insertion of the plug  22  into the handle  14  or the outlet  26  of the lid  20 . The flange  38  doubles as a pull-tab for a finger to pull out the plug  22  from the port  36 . 
         [0035]    At its proximal end opposite to the plug  22 , the plug leash  24  is terminated by a ring  40 , which may be seated in an annular groove  42  formed in the handle  14  near its proximal end at an oblique angle to the perpendicular direction to the extension of the handle  14  to prevent weakening of the handle  14  against possible deflections of the handle  14  about its junction with the cup shell  12 . 
         [0036]    Though the handle  14  in the illustrated embodiment is integrally formed with the cup shell  12 , it is contemplated that differing materials of handle may be prepared with an oversized sleeve, which may be pressed over the cup shell having smooth round sidewalls. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3  together, snap-in assemblies of the cup shell  12 , liner  16  and rubber base  28  will be described. 
         [0038]    The shell  12  has a round interior of sidewalls  44  with downward tapers closed at a flat bottom but formed with an annular lip  46  at an open top extending upwardly and outwardly. The lip  46  is formed from an L-shaped cut out around the upper outer edge of the shell  12  so that it has a chamfered end  48 , which overhangs relative to its base at the junction with the body of the shell  12  just below. In addition, a number of teeth  50  are equidistantly formed on the lip  46 . Notches  52  in between define the teeth  50 , which will releasably clutch the corresponding areas of the opposing liner  16  to prevent the liner  16  from rotating against an axial force relative to the shell  12 . 
         [0039]    At the bottom end, a protruding rib  54  is formed on the outer surface of the shell  12  as shown in  FIG. 3 . And a corresponding interior profile of the rubber base  28  is pressed onto the bottom of the shell  12 . Alternatively, a thin rubber layer may be deposited by spraying or otherwise applied to the shell bottom. 
         [0040]    The liner  16  is generally cup shaped to hug the disposable cup  18  at a slightly elevated level except its flared top portion, which includes an outwardly expanded rim  58  having an inner thread  60  for fastening an optional sliding lid for allowing the container to be used in containing a beverage by itself without a disposable cup as will be described below. The thread  60  is displaced outwardly of the extension line of the interior walls of the liner  16 . At the junction of the rim  58  to the liner  16  there is formed a step  62  that protrudes slightly inwardly of the apexes of the thread  60 . The opposite end of the rim  58  is folded back to form an annular clip  63  with downward tapers that is adapted to be press fitted over the chamfered end  48  of the outer shell  12 . Therefore, an insulating space  64  is formed between the shell  12  and liner  16  under the rim  58  and throughout the bottom area of the container  10 . 
         [0041]    The overhang of the shell end  48  and the downward tapers of the rim clip  63  secure a tight interconnection between the shell  12  and liner  16  while yielding to an intentional manual separation of the two when necessary. 
         [0042]    It is important that the assembly and disassembly of the shell  12  and liner  16  can be done at user&#39;s hands. Slightly pulling the liner  16  away from the shell  12  will release their assemblage to allow an access to the insulation space  64  therebetween. Taking advantage of the access as well as the translucency or transparency of the shell  12 , a user can place a visually pleasing graphic sheet or a choice of photo before reassembling the two components without interfering the insulating performance. This allows personalization of the individual container that a user loves to take along a statement of the owner&#39;s lifestyle and interests. The retail stores or distributors of the container  10  may initially use their own graphics in the container  10  as a marketing tool that may be swiftly replaced by the consumer&#39;s creations. 
         [0043]    For this purpose, the distance between the opposing surfaces of the shell  12  and liner  16  is preferably 0.075″. 
         [0044]    The spill plug  22  with elastic leash  24  is in its rest position in  FIG. 3  where the position in action is also shown in dotted lines. With the plug  22  closing the outlet  26  the disposable cup  18  now becomes a safer cup to transport without concern of spilling the hot beverage content as well as contaminating the surrounding. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 4 and 5  show an optional disc-shaped lid  65  having an arch-shaped spout  66  partially opened at an outlet  67  and a perpendicular tubular section  68  with an outer thread  69  for an engagement with the thread  60  of the liner  16 . The lid  65  may be made of a similar heat resistant plastic material used to make the liner  12 . 
         [0046]    When threaded, the tubular section  68  of the lid  65  abuts the step  62  of the liner  16  to provide a primary sealing contact. Externally of the tubular section  68  the lid  65  also has an annular concave area  70  facing downwardly. Then, a corresponding annular convex area  72  formed on the top surface of the liner  16  mates with the lid  65  at the concave area  70  providing a secondary sealing contact against any possible leakage of beverage between the threads  60  and  69 . The convex and concave areas may switch places between the liner  16  and the lid  65 . In addition, a rubber or silicone ring  73  running tightly about the outer surfaces of the tubular section  68  near its junction to the lid body may further seal the container  10 . 
         [0047]    The mating threads of the liner  16  and the lid  65  may be replaced by a frictional coupling through multiple elastic rings installed on the opposing tubular sections of the liner  16  and the lid  65  to provide a simpler opening or closing of the container. 
         [0048]    The optional lid  65  also has a slot  74  in the center and a sliding plug  76 . The plug  76  consists of an upper member  77  and a lower member  78  snap fitted together through the central slot  74  so that the plug  76  can be sealingly pushed or pulled toward and away from the outlet  67  along a path parallel to the lid  65 . For an easy sliding push or pull the upper plug member  77  has a knob  79  in the center. A plug portion  80  extending from the lower plug member  78  into the spout  66  can close a fluid communication through the outlet  67 . 
         [0049]    The lid preferably has a rubber grommets mounted against the outside surface of an inserted portion that fits into the container biasing the rubber grommets against the inside surface of the container. The inside diameter of the lid is preferably 3.3″ and the outside diameter of the lid is preferably 3.45″. 
         [0050]    Ventilation holes not shown may be formed on the lid body  65  and the sliding plug  76  so that when the knob  79  is in its open position the holes communicate to vent excessively hot steam in the container  10  as is well known in the art. 
         [0051]    The axial position of the spout  66  may be adjusted relative to handle  14 . With the lid  65  tightened to the liner  16  one can pull them off the cup shell  12  by grasping the container  10  at the handle  14  with one hand and at the liner  16  or lid  65  with another hand disengaging the teeth  50  and notches  52  to reposition spout  66  relative to the handle  14 . Then, the liner/lid assembly may be turned against the shell  12  and pushed back into an appropriate locked position on the shell  12 . Once this position is set, subsequent opening or closing the lid  65  may always initiate and stop at the same axial position best suited to the user&#39;s preference, which may change. The liner/lid assembly is preferably a black color. 
         [0052]    With the lid  65  on, the container  10  is fully functional to carry out a home beverage by itself. But after removing the lid  65  with some washing the container  10  is refreshed as a disposable-cup sleeve complete with the built-in spill plug  22  as described above. 
         [0053]    Therefore, while the presently preferred form of the insulated container for disposable coffee cups or beverages has been shown and described, and several modifications thereof discussed, persons skilled in this art will readily appreciate that various additional changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined and differentiated by the following claims.