Abstract:
A holder for supporting a lid on an outside of a cup is disclosed. The holder includes an extension portion adapted to secure to the lid and a curved cup engagement portion extending from the extension portion. The holder can be integrated onto a lid. A method for securing the lid to a cup is also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a holder to support a lid on the side of a coffee cup. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Many stores that provide drinks to customers in paper or cardboard cups with a removable lid also provides stations for the customers to add additional ingredients to the drink, such as, for example, cream and/or sugar. In order for the customer to add these ingredients, however, the customer must remove the lid and placed the lid down on a counter or other surface. Such surfaces may be laden with bacteria that are then transferred to the lid and then possibly to the customer. 
         [0005]    It would be beneficial to provide a device that allows the customer to remove the lid from the cup and secure the lid to the cup in such a way that the lid is out of the way, allowing the customer to add the desired ingredients to his/her drink, thereby reducing the risk of contamination of the lid. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Briefly, the present invention provides a holder for supporting a lid on an outside of a cup. The holder comprises an extension portion adapted to secure to the lid and a curved cup engagement portion extending from the extension portion. 
         [0007]    Additionally, the present invention provides a lid assembly for a cup. The cup has an annular bead extending around an outer periphery thereof. The lid comprises a lid having an annular passage extending around a periphery thereof. The annular passage is sized to releasably grip the annular bead. A lid holder is attached to the lid. The lid holder comprises an extension portion extending away from the lid and a curved cup engagement portion extending from the extension portion, distal from the lid. 
         [0008]    Further, the present invention provides a method of securing a lid to a cup. The method comprises providing the lid assembly described above, the cup having an annular bead extending around an outer periphery thereof; removing the lid assembly from the cup; moving the lid assembly relative to the cup such that the lid is not vertically over the cup; placing the curved cup engagement portion over the bead; and forcing the curved cup engagement portion downwardly over the bead. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this invention, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the features of the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a lid assembly according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention for use with a cup; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of an inventive portion of the lid assembly according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention attached to the cup; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged version of a lid holder portion of the lid assembly shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along line  3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a first perspective view of the lid holder according to the present invention, without the lid; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a second perspective view of the live holder according to the present invention, without the lid; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the inventive portion of the lid assembly according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention with the lid holder engaging the cup. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    In the drawings, like numerals indicate like elements throughout. Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the present invention. The terminology includes the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of similar import. As used herein, “inner” or “inward” refers to a direction toward a longitudinal axis of a cup, and “outer” or “outward” refers to the opposite direction. “Upper” refers to a direction along the longitudinal axis from the cup upward, toward the lid, and “lower” refers to the opposite direction, and above or below are with reference to the relative positions along the longitudinal axis of the cup using the same orientation as “upper” and “lower.” The embodiments illustrated below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. These embodiments are chosen and described to best explain the principle of the invention and its application and practical use and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention. 
         [0017]    Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term “implementation.” 
         [0018]    As used in this application, the word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. 
         [0019]    Additionally, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”. That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. 
         [0020]    One embodiment of the present invention is a holder that may be employed with a lid of a conventional disposable cup for a beverage container having a bead located about the periphery of an opening of the cup. A cup lid having an annular recess engages with the cup bead. The holder extends outwardly from the annular recess and allows a user to remove the cup lid from the cup and secure the lid to the cup while exposing the open top of the cup. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , cup  50  has a bottom  52 , sidewalls  54  and a bead  56  around the periphery or open top of cup  50 . Cup  50  includes a longitudinal axis  58  extending therethrough. Sidewalls  54  are typically tapered at a slight angle to allow stacking of a plurality of cups  50 , although the present invention may be employed in lids for cups that do not have angled sidewalls  54 . Cup  50  may be of the disposable type of cups, which are typically made of paper with a rolled bead  56  as shown, or they can be made of various plastic materials with a rolled bead or solid bead. Beads  54  typically have a generally circular cross-section, and that includes beads  54  with an oval shape as formed or as deformed during stacking and shipping, and that includes beads  54  with a rounded upper edge and a slightly flattened outer facing edge, or even a slightly flattened bottom edge. In addition, the present invention may be used with lids for cups having beads  54  that comprise a flange, projection, or any non-circular cross-section, and with cups may not be disposable. 
         [0022]    A closure, or lid assembly  100 , releasably fastens to the top of cup  50 . In an exemplary embodiment, lid assembly  100  is made of thin, vacuum formed plastic, typically styrene, and is typically about 0.015-0.020 inches thick. However, it will be appreciated that lid assembly  100  may be made of biodegradable materials, and other materials, such as polymers, polyesters, polyolefins, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyethers, polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, silicone, silicone rubber, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, and metal alloys. 
         [0023]    Lid assembly  100  includes a lid  101  that has an annular passage  102  extending 360 degrees around a periphery thereof. Annular passage  102  is sized to releasably grip annular bead  56 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . A lid holder  110  is attached to lid  101  and extends outwardly from lid  101 . Unlike annular passage  102  that extends 360 degrees around lid  101 , lid holder  110  extends only partially around lid  101 , such as, for example, about 15 degrees. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , lid holder  110  includes an extension portion  112  extending away from lid  101  (for clarity, lid  101  is only shown in  FIG. 3 ). Extension portion  112  extends in a plane, with a perforation  113  extending therealong. Perforation  113  is shown in  FIG. 5  as a plurality of holes formed through extension portion  112 , thereby weakening extension portion  112  and allowing lid holder  110  to be easily separated from lid  101 , such as by tearing. 
         [0025]    A curved cup engagement portion  114  extends from extension portion  112 , distal from lid  101 . In an exemplary embodiment, curved cup engagement portion  114  defines an arc a greater than 180 degrees and, in an alternative exemplary embodiment, curved cup engagement portion  114  defines an arc a of about 270 degrees. 
         [0026]    A lift tab  116  extends from curved cup engagement portion  114 , distal from extension portion  112 . Lift tab  116  comprises a connecting portion  118  connected to curved cup engagement portion  114 , an offset portion  120  connected to connecting portion  118 , distal from curved cup engagement portion  114 , and a grip portion  122  connected to offset portion  120 , distal from connecting portion  118 . 
         [0027]    Connecting portion  118  extends in a first plane P 1  extending perpendicularly from the plane of the paper of  FIG. 3  and offset portion  120  extends in a second plane P 2  extending perpendicularly from the plane of the paper of  FIG. 3  at an angle oblique to first plane P 2 . Grip portion  122  extends in a third plane P 3  extending perpendicularly from the plane of the paper of  FIG. 3  at an angle oblique to second plane P 2 . Third plane P 3  extends generally parallel to first plane P 1 . 
         [0028]    While  FIGS. 1-3  show and describe lid holder  110  as an integral part of lid assembly  100 , those skilled in the art will recognize that lid holder  110  can be formed separately from lid  101  and attached to lid  101  at a later time. Lid holder  110  can be secured to lid  101  by known means such as, but not limited to, adhesive, ultrasonic welding, or other known processes. 
         [0029]    An exemplary method of using lid assembly  100  will now be described. Lid assembly  100  can be provided on cup  50 , as is standard when a customer receives cup  50  from a vendor. When the customer desires to add ingredients, such as, for example, sugar and or cream to the drink in cup  50 , the customer removes lid assembly  100  from cup  50  and moves lid assembly  100  relative to cup  50  such that lid  101  is not vertically over cup  50 . The customer places curved cup engagement portion  114  over bead  56 , such that lid  101  is outside the cup and lift tab  116  extends within the perimeter of the cup. The customer then forces curved cup engagement portion  114  downwardly over bead  56  to the position shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0030]    After the user has added the desired ingredients, the user can grip lift tab  116  and pull lift tab  116  upwardly, opening up curved cup engagement portion  114 , and allowing lid holder  110  to be separated from bead  56  so that lid assembly  100  can be removed from cup  50 . 
         [0031]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.