Abstract:
Cups, a cup holding system, and methods for assembling a cup are disclosed. In a described example, a cup includes a handle, a perforated edge having a plurality of perforations, and a folded edge configured to extend from an end of the handle to an end of the perforated edge. A tear tab is attached to the perforated edge and configured to be separated from the perforated edge. At least one crease extends from the end of the handle to the perforated edge. In another described example, a method includes applying adhesive to a foldable material, folding the foldable material over an axis, and generating at least one crease in the foldable material. An edge of the foldable material is perforated.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/336,388, filed Jan. 20, 2010, which application is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety, for any purpose. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to cups, and more specifically, to methods and apparatus for sealed and expandable disposable cups. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Cups may be used by individuals for a multitude of reasons, such as carrying liquid, consuming a beverage, transporting a pill or other medicine for later use, or measuring ingredients. However, there may frequently be occasions where a cup is required, but not normally available. For example, water may be available in a public restroom, but with no containers available to facilitate consuming the water. Alternatively, individuals may want to pack cups when camping or hiking, but may not desire using storage space to store a bulky, standard container. 
         [0004]    Additionally, in circumstances where cups are available, there is no guarantee that the cups are sanitary. Cups, particularly in public environments, may become contaminated or have been previously used by others. Without any clear indication of whether a cup is sanitary, individuals may have no way of determining which cups are safe for use. 
         [0005]    Therefore, a need exists for a disposable cup that is sanitary and easy to transport. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter that is regarded as forming the various embodiments of the present disclosure, it is believed that the embodiments will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying Figures. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a cup in an open state according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2A  is a profile view of the cup in an unopened state according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2B  is a profile view of the cup in an unopened state according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a profile view of the cup in an unassembled state according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a profile view of the cup in an unopened state having rounded corners according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the cup in an open state having rounded corners according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the cup with a sleeve according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the cup and the sleeve mounted in a receptacle base according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the cup and the sleeve mounted on a pronged base according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a cup dispenser according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 10A  is profile view of a cup having hollow protrusions according to an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 10B  is a top view of a cup having hollow protrusions according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a sealed, disposable cup having a perforated edge for opening. Certain details are set forth below to provide a sufficient understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, it will be clear to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these particular details. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of the cup  100  in an open state. The cup  100  may have edges  103   a - d  that define opening  104  and a corner  105   c,  and may also include a folded edge  106  and a handle  108 . Handle  108  and folded edge  106  may span from corner  105   a  to corners  105   b,    105   c  respectively. 
         [0020]    As will be explained in more detail below, handle  108  may comprise two edges of a foldable material that may be sealed, for example, with glue or other adhesives now known by those skilled in the art, or later developed. In one embodiment, handle  108  is sealed water-tight from corner  105   b  to corner  105   a  such that a recess  110  inside of the cup  100  is water-tight except for opening  104 . In another embodiment, handle  108  may be sealed only partially between corners  105   a,    105   b.  Thus, in various embodiments, the cup  100  may have many uses, for example, as a drinking cup, scoop, dispenser, or medicinal packet. 
         [0021]    Cup  100  may further include sides  111   a  and  111   b  that extend from the handle  108  to creases  121   a  and  121   b.  Cup  100  may also have sides  111   c  and  111   d  that extend from folded edge  106  to creases  121   a  and  121   b.  Creases  121   a,    121   b  and sides  111   a - d  may span from corner  105   a  to opening  104  to substantially define the shape of cup  100 . In other embodiments, cup  100  may have any number of creases and sides. 
         [0022]    Cup  100  may comprise a foldable material such as paper, but those having skill in the art will recognize that cup  100  may comprise any shapeable material, including cloth, aluminum-lined paper, metallic-lined paper, waxed paper, waxed light-cardboard, biodegradable materials, malleable plastics, synthetic or plastic paper, light malleable metal foils, or combinations thereof, or other malleable metals, and further, may be of any thickness. In another embodiment, cup  100  may comprise two independent sheets of foldable material, whereby folded edge  106  may be replaced by an additional handle  108  (not shown). In yet another embodiment, cup  100  may comprise a material having rough texture or a plurality of protuberances that may improve grip of cup  100 . Additionally, cup  100  may comprise biodegradable material. The interior of cup  100 , defined by recess  110  may be configured in different embodiments to have different shapes, for example, have an interior shaped such as a tetrahedron, cone, or square pyramid. 
         [0023]    The interior of cup  100 , defined by recess  110 , may be sanitary in that once formed, the interior of cup  100  is sealed until use by tearing away the tear tab  201  at the perforated edges  103   a - d  opening the cup  100  into its open state. 
         [0024]    Profile views of the cup  100  in an unopened state are illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . Cup  100  includes a tear tab  201  that may be attached to perforated edges  103   a - d , thereby holding cup  100  in an unopened state. A line of perforations  205  may extend from the corner  105   b  to corner  105   c  and define the junction between perforated edges  103   a - d  and tear tab  201 . Creases  121   a,    121   b  are also included in cup  100 , and as will be explained in more detail below, determine the shape of recess  110  when cup  100  is opened. Creases  121   a,    121   b  may extend from corner  105   a  to the junctions of perforated edges  103   a,    103   b  and  103   c,    103   d,  respectively. In other embodiments, creases  121   a,b  may extend to any point on perforated edges  103   a - d  between corners  105   b  and  105   c.    
         [0025]    In operation, cup  100  may be changed from an unopened state to an open state by removing tear tab  201  and forming recess  110  ( FIG. 1 ). In one embodiment, tear tab  201  may be removed from cup  100  by fully removing tear tab  201  from the line of perforations  205 . Inward pressure may be applied to handle  108  and to folded edge  106  (illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  as pressure A and B) to cause creases  121   a ,  121   b  to be pushed outward in opposite directions perpendicular to the applied force. This in turn may expand opening  104  and shape recess  110  ( FIG. 1 ). Additionally, in an embodiment, as handle  108  and corner  105   c  are pushed together, this may cause corner  105   c  to shift upward, forming a spout in cup  100 . 
         [0026]    An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 3  where cup  100  is shown in an unassembled state. In the present embodiment, cup  100  is formed from a square piece of shapeable material, for example, paper, cloth, plastic, or metal, as previously disclosed. In other embodiments, cup  100  may be formed from other shapes of shapeable material, for example, a rectangle, circle, triangle, or other shape used by those skilled in the art. 
         [0027]    Adhesive may be applied to interior edges  301   a - 301   d  and cup  100  may be folded over folded edge  106 , aligning handle corner  302   a  with handle corner  302   b  to form corner  105   b  ( FIGS. 2A and 2B ). Interior edges  301   a,    301   b  and  301   c,    301   d  may also be aligned, respectively, thereby forming both handle  108  along the interior edges  301   a,    301   b  and a punch side (not shown) along interior edges  301   c,    301   d  with the applied adhesive. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the resulting shape from folding along the folded edge  106  is a triangle. Subsequently, cup  100  may be folded, at least partially, to create creases  121   a,    121   b  that span from proximate corner  105   a  to tear tab  201 . Finally, punch side  304  may be perforated at a point below the edge of any adhesive applied to interior edges  301   c,    301   d,  creating the line of perforations  205  ( FIGS. 2A and 2B ). Thus, the portion of cup  100  along interior edges  301   c ,  301   d  and the line of perforations  205  may become tear tab  201  ( FIGS. 2A and 2B ). In another embodiment, adhesive may be applied to interior edges  301   a - 301   d  after cup  100  is folded over folded edge  106 . In other embodiments, interior edges  301   a - 301   d  may be sealed to form handle  108  and punch side using any method of sealing or fastening known by those skilled in the art. For example, stitching, taping, or lamination may be used. Additionally, creases  121   a,    121   b  may be formed prior to folding cup  100  over folding edge  106 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in an unopened state. Cup  400  may have a plurality of corners  401   a - 401   c,  some of which may be rounded to help reduce prodding otherwise resulting from pointed corners. When used as a drinking cup, for example, cup  400  may be less likely to poke the eye or scratch the skin of a user, or to be caught at the corners  401   a - 401   c.  In other embodiments, only one or more of corners  401   a - 401   c  of cup  400  may be rounded. Corners  401   a - 401   c  may be shaped to have other shapes known by those skilled in the art. Corners  401   a - 401   c,  for example, may have a shape defined by a perfect partial circle, piecewise-continuous line segments, or an arc. In some embodiments, the curvatures of the corners  401   a - 401   c  are the same. In other embodiments, the curvatures of at least two of the corners are different. The cup  400 , as with cup  100  illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , includes a folded edge  106  and a handle  108 . A tear tab  201  is formed along the edge between corners  401   b  and  401   c  by line of perforations  205 . A crease  121  is formed from proximate the corner  401   a  to the edge between corners  401   b  and  401   c , which may facilitate formation of the cup  400  for use. 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  illustrates cup  400  in an open state. The cup  400  may be opened similarly to the process previously described with reference to the cup  100 . After tear tab  201  has been removed and cup  400  opened, corners  401   b,    401   c  may have reduced curvature due to the missing curvature of tear tab  201 , as shown. That is, the curvatures of corners  401   b  and  401   c  intersect the edge between the corners and line of perforations  205  of unopened cup  400  such that the width of the curvature is greater than the width of the tear tab  201 . In some embodiments, however, corners  401   b,    401   c  may not lose curvature from the removal of tear tab  201 . 
         [0030]    Another embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 6 . A sleeve  601  may be placed over at least a portion of handle  108  of cup  100 , for example, when in an open state. The sleeve  601  may be substantially rigid. This may provide additional handle rigidity for cup  100  as well as facilitate easier handling of cup  100  by a user. Sleeve  601  may be “U” shaped and may slide over both sides of handle  108 . In some embodiments, sleeve  601  may span the entire length of handle  108 , or further, or may span only a portion of handle  108 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 6 , portion  602  of sleeve  601  extends beyond the length of handle  108 . Additionally, sleeve  601  may be formed from various materials, for example, plastic, metal, wood, rubber, glass, paper, or other materials. 
         [0031]      FIG. 7  illustrates an embodiment of the invention using a base  701 . Base  701  may include a recess  702  for receiving sleeve  601 . After cup  100  has been combined with sleeve  601  ( FIG. 6 ), sleeve  601  may be placed in the recess  702  of base  701  to allow cup  100  to stand upright without being hand held. Sleeve  601  may be secured in recess  702  by, for example, a hole shaped to securely hold sleeve  601 , a clamp, or a spring loaded slide. 
         [0032]      FIG. 8  shows another embodiment of the present invention. Sleeve  801  may include an open-ended mount  804  and a partition  802  between two recesses  805   a ,  805   b  in mount  804 . Base  803  may include prongs  807   a,    807   b  that are configured to be inserted into recesses  805   a,    805   b  respectively. After sleeve  801  is attached to cup  100 , sleeve  801  may be fixed on mount  804  by inserting prongs  807   a,    807   b  into recesses  805   a,    805   b.  This may allow cup  100  to stand upright without additional support. It may be appreciated by those skilled in the art that base  803  may have any number of prongs and that mount  804  may have any number of recesses. Additionally, cup  100  may also be placed into sleeve  801  after sleeve  801  has been fixed to base  803 . 
         [0033]    Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . A dispenser  900  may have a lid  902 , a body  903 , and a slot  904 . Dispenser  900  may contain a plurality of cups  100  in an unopened state and dispense a cup  100  out of slot  904 . Each time a cup  100  may be removed from slot  904 , a stack of cups  100  inside of dispenser  900  may lower due to gravity, readying another cup  100  for removal. In some embodiments, slot  904  may be an angled base of dispenser  900  or a slit near the bottom of the frame of dispenser  900 . In another embodiment of dispenser  900 , slot  904  may be on the bottom of dispenser  900  (not shown), allowing for cups  100  to be pulled out of dispenser  900  in a downward direction. 
         [0034]      FIG. 10A  illustrates an embodiment of cup  100  having pockets  1001 . Sides  111  may each contain a hollow pocket  1001  that forms a pouch. Objects, for example, medicine, may be packaged in pockets  1001 , and pushed through a side into the recess of an open cup so that the object may be accessed. In some embodiments, the medicine packaged in pockets  1001  is aspirin. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIG. 10B , each side of cup  100  may have a corresponding pocket  1001  such that a pocket  1001  on opposite sides of cup  100  are aligned to create a cavity  1002  in an unopened cup  100 . Thus, contents contained in a cavity  1002  may fall loosely into recess  110  ( FIG. 1 ) upon removing tear tab  201  and opening cup  100 . For example, if a pill  1003  (not shown) were contained in pocket  1002 , and tear tab  201  were removed from cup  100 , upon opening cup  100 , pockets  1001  would separate and open cavity  1002 , making pill  1003  accessible. Pill  1003  could then be removed from recess  110 , cup  100  filled with water, and pill  1003  ingested with the water in cup  100 . In other embodiments, cup  100  may have any number of pockets  1001 , water may already be included in cup  100  with pill  1003 , or powder may be packaged in cavity  1002 . Additionally, pockets  1001  may be pressure formed indentations or may be separate plastic inserts in the sides of cup  100 . 
         [0036]    From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the amended claims.