Abstract:
A cup holder for a conventional beverage cup that has a generally inverted frusto-conical side wail and an upper access opening surrounded by a radially outwardly extending peripheral bead adapted to be connected to a disposable lid by a snap fit within a downwardly and radially outwardly depending peripheral skirt on the lid. The insulated cup holder includes a double walled insulating vessel including an inner liner and an outer liner spaced therefrom to define an insulating space and snugly receives a conventional cup so as to insulate the contents of the cup to assist in maintaining its temperature at a desired level.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to cup holders, and more specifically, to insulated cup holders for disposable beverage cups. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Recent years have seen an explosion in the use of so-called travel mugs. A typical travel mug is a vessel that includes an inner shell and an outer shell which are spaced from one another by a vacuum or insulating space. A removable lid is secured on the resulting assembly and typically is provided with a sip opening as well as a vent opening. A beverage may be introduced into the travel mug where its temperature, whether hot or cold, is maintained by the insulating qualities of the mug. A beverage may be consumed by extracting the same through the sip hole. Mugs of this sort are commonly used in vehicles as well as by pedestrians moving from one location to another. 
     At the same time, there has likewise been an explosion in the over-thecounter vending of beverages of various sorts, specialty coffees being one obvious example. Not infrequently, these beverages are sold in disposable plastic or paper cups that are fitted with lids. The lids conventionally have a sip opening and/or an opening through which a conventional straw may be introduced into the interior of the cup. Unfortunately, the nature of many disposable cups is such that they are incapable of maintaining the temperature of the beverage contained therein at a desired temperature in a manner even approaching that of, for example, travel mugs. 
     Unfortunately, many vendors of heated or chilled beverages are unwilling to dispense their product into one&#39;s personal travel mug, preferring instead to use only disposable cups provided with disposable lids. As a consequence, customers purchasing from such vendors must either pour the contents of a disposable cup into their own personal travel mug or forego the desirable, temperature-retaining characteristics of such mugs. 
     The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the above problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved insulated holder for a beverage cup. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide an insulated holder for a disposable beverage cup. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention achieves the foregoing object in an insulating cup holder in combination with a disposable beverage container. The disposable beverage container typically has a generally inverted frustoconical side wall and an upper access openings surrounded by a radially, outwardly extending peripheral bead adapted to be connected to a disposable container lid by a snap fit within a downwardly and radially outwardly depending peripheral skirt on the lid. The container, of course, has a bottom, and a double walled insulating vessel is provided which includes an inner lining have a frusto-conical inner surface with a bottom and an upper access opening with a circular edge and shaped to matingly receive the disposable beverage container with the container side wall abutting the surface of the liner about substantially its entire extent. The container is sized so that a radially outer part of the bead is uncovered to be received and snap fitted within the skirt of a disposable lid. An outer body surrounds, in spaced relation, the inner liner. The inner liner and the outer body are sealingly attached to one another thereby defining a vacuum or insulating space between the inner liner and the outer body with the outer body being in non-interfering relation to the placement of a lid on the bead of the container. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the inner liner is also provided with an axially directed edge surrounding the upper access opening so that the axially extending edge will abut the underside of the bead of the disposable cup while leaving a radially outer part of the bead uncovered to be received and snap fitted within the skirt of a disposable lid. The outer body is sealingly attached to the inner liner just below the axially directed edge thereby defining a vacuum or insulating space between the inner liner and the outer liner as mentioned and without interfering with the placement of the lid on a container within the beverage holder. 
     Preferably, the axially directed edge is adapted to underlie the skirt of the lid in non-contacting relation. 
     In one embodiment, the inner liner and the outer body are formed of a metal. 
     In another embodiment, the inner liner and the outer body are formed of plastic. 
     One embodiment contemplates that the inner liner include a radially outwardly directed flange located just below the axially extending edge and the bead and that the outer body is sealed to the flange. 
     A preferred embodiment includes a grip on the outer body located near the top thereof. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the container may be suspended within the inner liner by the abutment of the bead and the axially extending flange. 
     Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a vertical section of one embodiment of an insulated cup holder made according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a vertical section of a modified embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a vertical section of still a further modified embodiment; and 
         FIG. 4  is a vertical section of still a further modified embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1  and is seen to include a conventional, disposable beverage cup, generally designated  10 , made of paper, plastic coated paper, or plastic, depending upon the use to which it is to be put. The cup includes an upper edge  12  and a lower edge  14  together with an inverted frusto-conical side wall  16 . At the upper edge  12 , the cup  10  includes a conventional, radially outwardly extending, peripheral bead  18 . The upper edge  12  and the bead  18  define a circular, upper access opening to the interior of the cup  10  through which a beverage may be introduced into the cup  10  or withdrawn therefrom. 
     Also illustrated in  FIG. 1  is a conventional, disposable beverage cup lid, generally designated  20  which may be of conventional construction. The same includes a depression which may be punched out to provide a sip opening along with a peripheral, radially outwardly directed depending skirt  24  that attaches to a side wall  26  of the lid  20  via a radially inwardly opening, peripheral groove  28  by which the lid  20  may be snap fitted about the bead  18  to be captured on the cup  10 . 
     According to the invention, an insulating cup holder, generally designated  30 , is provided. The cup holder  30  is made up of an inner liner  32  surrounded by an outer body or shell  34 . The outer body  34  is spaced from the inner liner  32  so as to define an insulating space  36 . The insulating space  36  may be filled with an insulating material, may constitute a so-called “dead air” space, or may be evacuated to define a vacuum space as desired. 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the inner liner  32  and the outer body  34  are formed of plastic. The inner liner  32  has an interior surface  38  that is in the form of an inverted frusto cone, terminating in one end in a bottom  40  and in and at the opposite end, in an axially directed flange  42 . As shown, the surface  38  is sized so as to snugly receive and abut the side wall  16  of the cup  10  over substantially the entire extent of the latter. 
     The axially extending flange  42  defines a circular, access opening by which the cup  10  may be inserted into the cup holder  30 . The width of the flange  42 , as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , is such that the upper edge may abut the underside of the bead  28  without interfering with the snap fit of the lid  20  on the cup  10 . 
     The outer body  34  has a bottom  46 , a generally inverted frusto conical side wall  48 , and a top, axially extending edge  50 . 
     Returning to the inner liner  32 , at a location near its top, and just below the axially extending edge  42 , a radially extending, outwardly directed, peripheral flange  52  is located. The flange  52  is such as to just overlie the axially extending edge  50  of the outer body; and at this location, the flange  52  and the upper edge  50  of the outer body  30  are abutted and sealed together to isolate the insulation containing space  36 . 
     It will be observed from  FIG. 1  that a small, peripheral space  54  exists between the bottom of the skirt  24  and the upper surface of the flange  52 . This gap assures that insertion of the cup  10  with the lid  20  thereon into the cup holder  30  will not dislodge the lid  20  from the cup  10 . It also allows the lid  20  to be placed on the cup  10  or removed therefrom while the cup  10  is in the cup holder  30 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , it will be noted that the lower edge  14  of the cup  10  is above the bottom  40  of the inner liner  32 . The cup  10  is suspended in this relation by the abutment of the axially extending edge  42  of the inner liner  32  with the underside of the bead  18 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates another embodiment of the invention which is essentially the same as that in  FIG. 1  but for a couple of differences. Like reference numerals indicate like components which will not be redescribed in the interest of brevity. In this embodiment, inner liner  32  omits the axially extending edge  42  in favor of a circular access opening that is coplanar with the upper edge of the radially extending flange  52 . Again, a slight gap  54  is maintained between the flange  52  and the skirt  24 . 
     A second difference between the embodiments of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  is the interior configuration of the inner liner  32 . In this case, the bottom wall  40  supports the bottom edge  60  of the side wall  16  of the cup  10 . 
     According to the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , the inner liner  32  and the outer body  34  are formed of metal and typically, a vacuum will be pulled within the space  36  between the two. The cup  10  and the lid  20  therefor are of conventional construction and as described previously in connection with  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In this case, the upper end of the outer body  34  terminates in an axially directed edge  62  which merges with and is joined to the inner liner  32  just below its upper edge  42 . The arrangement is such that the upper edge  42  engages the bead  18  of the cup  10  and supports the same with the bottom edge  14  of the cup  10  above the bottom  40  of the inner liner  32 . It will be noted that the skirt  24  overlies the axially extending edges  42 ,  62  of the inner liner  32  and outer body  34  respectively. The embodiment of  FIG. 3  includes the provision of a grip  63  in the form of an inverted L whose horizontal leg terminates in a ring-shaped band  64  that surrounds the outer shell  34  near the upper edge thereof. The grip  63  may be bonded to the outer shell by any suitable means. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment that is generally identical to  FIG. 3  except that in this case, the grip  63  is in the form of a rubber or plastic ring which may be bonded or shrink fitted to the outer shell  34 , again near its upper edge and just below the terminus of the skirt  24  on the lid  20 . 
     It should be recognized that if desired, the inner liner  32  of either of the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4  may be sized so that the lower edge  14  of the side wall  16  of the cup  10  may rest there against just as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a cup holder for a conventional beverage cup is provided that will provide insulating qualities to a conventional cup  10  when assembled thereto so as to maintain the temperature of the beverage within the cup at a desired level. It will also be appreciated that the beverage holder is such that a conventional lid  20  may be applied to the cup  10  without interference when the cup  10  is within the holder  30  or may be removed from the cup  10  if desired. Furthermore, if the lid  20  is applied to the cup  10  prior to insertion of the latter into the holder  30 , the holder  30  does not engage the lid and dislodge or partially dislodge the same from the cup  10 .