Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a gripping device for more hygienic handling of a lid for a container. In general, the gripping device fits over the lid and releasably grips the outer surface of the lid. At least a portion of at least one interior circumference of the gripping device has a gripper for imparting suitable friction to releasably grip the lid. When the gripping device is placed over the lid, the gripper grips the lid and does not release the lid until after the lid is placed on the container. The gripping device facilitates sealing of the lid around the entire circumference of the container, thereby preventing accidental spills caused by unclosed or partially closed lids. By using the gripping device, the lid may be handled without the operator&#39;s hand touching any part of the lid itself.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/321,819, titled “GRIPPING DEVICE FOR HANDLING A LID,” filed on Apr. 7, 2010, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention is directed to a gripping device for more hygienic, safe and versatile handling of a lid for a disposable cup. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Takeout beverages such as coffee and coffee drinks, tea and tea drinks, soft drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, other frozen beverages and other beverages are commonly sold in disposable cups with plastic lids. Frequently, the server, the customer of a self-service beverage, or other operator manually places the lid on the cup before or after the cup is filled with the beverage. The operator must press around the entire circumference of the lid to ensure that the lid is sealed to the cup to avoid spills. Accidental spills may result if the operator fails to seal around the entire lid. This manual handling can also be unhygienic, especially when the operator touches the inner surface of the lid, which contacts the beverage in the cup, or a drinking opening, which is a part of the lid that is intended to be drunk from without a straw. 
         [0004]    Some establishments that serve beverages attempt to protect the outer surface of the lid from contamination by placing the stack of disposable lids so that the inner surface of the lid is facing up. However, this “upside down” technique allows the inner surface, which contacts the beverage in the cup, to be exposed to possible contamination. This technique also does not prevent the operator from touching the drinking opening when sealing the lid to the cup. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a gripping device for more hygienic, safe and versatile handling of a lid for a container. In general, the gripping device fits over the lid and releasably grips the outer surface of the lid. At least a portion of at least one interior circumference of the gripping device has a gripper for imparting suitable friction to releasably grip the lid. When the gripping device is placed over the lid, the gripper grips the lid and does not release the lid until after the lid is placed on the container. The gripping device facilitates sealing of the lid around the entire circumference of the cup, thereby preventing accidental spills caused by unclosed or partially closed lids. By using the gripping device, the lid may be handled without the operator&#39;s hand touching any part of the lid itself. The gripping device may be configured to grip several sizes of lids for more versatility. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the attached drawings. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a gripping device according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a lid. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a bottom view of the gripping device according to  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the gripping device according to  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a dome-shaped lid. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a substantially flat lid. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a perspective cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a gripping device. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a gripping device. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a stack of lids. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a container for a stack of lids. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a gripping device  100  has an outer surface  150 , a top  160  and an inner chamber or cavity  180 . The gripping device  100  is configured to engage and grip a lid  200  for a container. In one embodiment, the gripping device is substantially cylindrical with an open end and a closed end. In this embodiment, the outer surface is formed by the wall of the cylinder, the closed end forms the top  160 , and the inner chamber or cavity  180  is formed in the open end. 
         [0018]    An operator holds the gripping device  100  by the outer surface  150 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the outer surface  150  is cylindrical. However the outer surface may be formed to any shape or size compatible with the inner chamber or cavity  180 . For example, the outer surface  150  may be asymmetric, domed, cupped, ergonomically shaped or otherwise shaped. The outer surface  150  may further include a handle or other feature that is decorative or assists the operator in handling the gripping device  100 . 
         [0019]    The inner chamber or cavity  180  includes a first inner engagement surface  110  configured to engage with the lid  200  by having a shape that is substantially congruous to at least a part of the lid  200 . In one embodiment, the lid  200  includes a cylindrical outer surface  210  having a radius of R1′. In this embodiment, the first inner engagement surface  110  is a cylindrical surface having a radius of R1 and is configured to be substantially parallel to the outer surface  210  of the lid  200  when the gripping device  100  engages the lid  200 . R1 may be slightly larger than R1′ but is sized to allow the first inner engagement surface  110  to fit in gripping engagement with the lid  200 . 
         [0020]    The inner chamber or cavity  180  is configured to allow engagement between the first inner engagement surface  110  with the outer surface  210  of the lid  200  by having sufficient space to receive parts of the lid  200  that protrude above the outer surface  210  of the lid  200  that is engaged by the gripping device  100 . In particular, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a portion of the outer surface  210  of the lid  200  may extend into the inner chamber or cavity  180  when the gripping device  100  is placed over the lid  200 . The gripping device  100  and the inner chamber or cavity  180  may take any size or shape to accommodate any size, type or number of lids. For example, the inner chamber or cavity  180  may be sized and shaped to fit a lid typically used to cover hot beverages, as shown in  FIG. 1 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 6 , a gripping device  100 ′ may have a more domed shape with a dome-shaped inner chamber or cavity  180 ′ for fitting a lid  200 ′ typically used on frozen beverages such as milkshakes, smoothies or the like, as shown in  FIG. 4 . As another example, the gripping device may be substantially flat with only enough space in the inner chamber or cavity  180  to accommodate a lid  200 ″ generally used to cover soft drinks, as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0021]    To assist in the gripping of the lid  200 , the first inner engagement surface  110  may have a first gripping segment  115 . In one embodiment, the first gripping segment  115  covers all or a portion of the first inner engagement surface  110 . The gripping segment  115  may include, by way of example, a textured surface, a layer of adhesive, or a rubber or rubberized layer. However, the gripping segment is not limited in this manner, and can include any mechanism for enhancing the grip of the device on the lid. For example, an alternative gripping segment may include a series of spring-loaded ball bearings, a tube insert in a cavity, a rubber tube or similar, or the like. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the lid  200  has a drinking opening  270  that a consumer may drink from. A corresponding embodiment of the gripping device  100  has an inner chamber or cavity  180  that is configured to not contact the portion of the lid  200  corresponding to the drinking opening  270 . In one embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first engagement portion  110  includes a cutout  172  that substantially avoids contact between the gripping device  100  and a section of the outer surface  210  of the lid  200  when the lid is engaged with and gripped by the gripping device. In addition, such a gripping device may have an indicator arrow  175  on the top  160  and/or an indicator line  170  along the outer surface  150  that indicates the location of the cutout  172  to guide placement of the gripping device  100  over the drinking opening  270  of the lid  200 . This is useful, for example, to avoid contact between the gripping device  100  and the portion of the lid  200  corresponding to the drinking opening  270 . In another embodiment, the outer surface  210  of the lid  200  is asymmetric and the indicator arrow  175  and/or indicator line  170  assist in aligning the gripping device  100  with the lid  200  to allow the gripping device  100  to effectively engage and grip the lid  200 . 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, the gripping device  100  has more than one engagement surface so that a single gripping device can be used to place differently sized lids on containers of different size or type. For example, the gripping device  100  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  has three engagement surfaces  110 ,  120  and  130 . Each engagement surface  110 ,  120  and  130  may have a gripping segment  115 ,  125  and  135 , respectively. The first engagement surface  110  has an inner radius of R1 and is configured to grip a first lid with an outer surface radius of R1′. Similarly, the second engagement surface  120  has an inner radius of R2 and is configured to grip a second lid with an outer surface radius of R2′, and the third engagement surface  130  has an inner radius of R3 and is configured to grip a third lid with an outer surface radius of R3′. R2 and R2′, and R3 and R3′ have dimensions that satisfy the conditions stated above with reference to R1 and R1′. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the first engagement portion  110 , the second engagement portion  120  and the third engagement portion  130  include a cutout  172  that prevents a section of the outer surface of the first lid, second lid or the third lid from being contacted by the gripping device  100  when any of the lids is engaged with and gripped by the gripping device. Alternatively, the gripping device may have a single engagement surface to accommodate lids having outer surfaces of the same radius but having different shapes or forms above or below the outer surface. In one embodiment, the gripping device has two engagement surfaces to accommodate two lid sizes for even greater versatility. Yet another embodiment may have more than three engagement surfaces to accommodate more than three lid sizes or types. 
         [0024]    Another embodiment of the gripping device  100 ″, shown in  FIG. 7 , is designed for use with only one type of lid, for example the lid shown in  FIG. 1A . The gripping device  100 ″ has one engagement surface  110  having a radius of R1, where R1 is sized as described above in reference to gripping device  100 . In an embodiment, the gripping device  100 ″ has a gripping segment  115  that is substantially the same as the gripping segment  115  as described above in reference to gripping device  100 . 
         [0025]    The gripping device may be made of any suitable material, without limitation. For example, the gripping device may be made of a disposable material and therefore may be disposable. Alternatively, the gripping device may be made of a durable material and may be reusable. 
         [0026]    The gripping device is not limited to using only friction to grip the lids, but may grip the lid by other methods, such as vacuum, suction cups or magnets. 
         [0027]    The embodiments described herein include lids for containers. The lid may be a lid for any type of container, for example a lid for a cup, bowl, or other container. The lid may be disposable or reusable. The cup, bowl or other container may be disposable or reusable. In one embodiment, the gripping device is configured to place a disposable lid onto a disposable cup. Alternatively, the gripping device may be used to engage any type of object. 
         [0028]    To use the gripping device  100 , the operator fits the gripping device  100  over the lid  200  of the container. When the gripping device  100  is placed over the lid  200 , the engagement surface  110 , the gripping segment  115  and possibly the inner chamber or cavity  180  act to grip the lid  200 . In another embodiment, vacuum, suction cups or magnets may be used to grip the lid  200 . The lid  200  is not released until after the lid is placed on the container. Once the operator has placed the gripping device  100  and lid  200  over the container, the operator presses the gripping device  100  toward the container, which in turn presses the lid  200  toward the cup to facilitate sealing of the lid  200  around the entire circumference of the container. The gripping device  100  thereby increases safety by preventing accidental spills from improperly sealed lids. By using the gripping device  100 , the lid  200  may be handled and sealed onto the container without the operator&#39;s hand touching any part of the lid  200  itself. 
         [0029]    In one embodiment, the gripping device can be used to engage and handle a lid on a stack of a plurality of lids  250 , as shown in  FIG. 8 . The gripping device  100  is fitted over the topmost lid  200  on the stack  250  to engage that lid and remove the lid from the stack for transfer to a cup. The gripping device is then used, as discussed above, to place and seal the lid on the cup. 
         [0030]    In another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the stack of lids  250  is disposed in a stack container  300  that holds the stack of lids secure and prevents or reduces environmental contamination of the stack of lids. In addition, the stack container  300  allows a topmost lid  200  of the stack  250  to be engaged by the gripping device  100 . In one embodiment, the stack container  300  is in the shape of a tall rectangular prism resting on a bottom face  305 . The stack container  300  has an open top  310  and an open side  320 . The open side  320  includes a retaining feature  325  along each edge extending from the bottom face  305  toward the open top  310 . The stack  250  can be loaded into the stack container  300  from the open top  310 , and the retaining features  325  prevent the stack  250  from spilling out of the open side  320  of the stack container. The retaining features  325  are dimensioned to allow a user to use the gripping device  100  to grip the top lid  200  of the stack  250  and remove the gripping device and the engaged lid from the stack container  300  via the open top  310 . In addition, the stack container  300  and retainer features  325  are dimensioned to allow the user to engage a final lid resting on the bottom of the stack container. 
         [0031]    In one embodiment, the gripping device  100  is stored in a device container when not in use. For example, the device container may be a dish or a tray. The device container allows the gripping device  100  to be easily grasped by the user. In addition, the device container prevents or reduces environmental contamination of the gripping device  100 . As would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the device container can take on any size or shape suitable for containing or fitting the gripping device. Also, if desired, and depending on the composition of the gripping device, the device container may include a non-toxic sterilizing or sanitizing solution to keep the gripping device sterile or sanitary between uses. 
         [0032]    While the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art understand that various modifications and changes may be made to the described embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.