Abstract:
An insulative cup includes a side wall having an upper end formed to include a brim defining a mouth opening into an interior region formed at least in part by the side wall and a floor coupled to side wall. A stack shoulder configured to provide a support surface is formed in the side wall.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Pat. App. No. 61/785,271, filed Mar. 14, 2013, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to an insulated container, such as a cup, for containing hot or cold beverages or food. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an insulated cup formed from polymeric materials and having a stack shoulder for engaging and receiving another insulated cup in a nested relationship. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    An insulated cup in accordance with the present disclosure includes a stack shoulder to facilitate stacking with a second cup. The stack shoulder is adapted to engage a bottom end of the second cup to limit how far the second cup can be inserted into an interior region of the insulative cup. 
         [0004]    In illustrative embodiments, an insulative cup includes a body having a sleeve-shaped side wall including the stack shoulder, a rolled brim coupled to a top end of the sleeve-shaped side wall, and a floor mount coupled to a bottom end of the sleeve-shaped side wall. The sleeve-shaped side wall forms an interior region and the stack shoulder extends inwardly into the interior region. 
         [0005]    In illustrative embodiments, the stack shoulder includes an annular seat-support ring having an upper end located adjacent to an upper side-wall portion of the sleeve-shaped side wall. The upper end of the stack support extends into the interior region and forms an annular ledge having an annular seat. The annular seat is adapted to receive and engage the bottom end of the second cup. 
         [0006]    Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an insulative cup in accordance with the present disclosure showing that the insulative cup includes a body having a sleeve-shaped side wall with a stack shoulder formed in the sleeve-shaped side wall that extends around the entire circumference of the sleeve-shaped side wall; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of an inner insulative cup stacked within an outer insulative cup, with a bottom portion of the insulative cups cut away to illustrate a bottom end of the interior insulative cup being supported on the stack shoulder of the outer insulative cup; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the insulative cup showing a side-wall seam of the sleeve-shaped side wall of the insulative cup, a top portion of the insulative cup cut away to show an upper portion of the sleeve-shaped side wall and a rolled brim of the insulative cup in cross section, and a bottom portion of the insulative cup cut away to show a bottom portion of the sleeve-shaped side wall with the stack shoulder and a floor mount of the insulative cup in cross section; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the cut-away top portion of the insulative cup of  FIG. 3  showing the sleeve-shaped side wall and rolled brim of the insulative cup in cross section; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view of the cut-away bottom portion of the insulative cup of  FIG. 3  showing the bottom of the sleeve-shaped side wall with the stack shoulder and the floor mount of the insulative cup in cross section; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a body blank for forming the body of the insulative cup. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    An insulative cup in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . Insulative cup  10  includes a body  12  having a sleeve-shaped side wall  14  and a floor  16  coupled to body  12  to define an interior region  18  bounded by sleeve-shaped side wall  14  and floor  16 . Body  12  includes a rolled brim  20  coupled to an upper end  22  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  and a floor mount  24  coupled to a lower end  26  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14 . 
         [0015]    Body  12  is formed from a body blank  30  as shown in  FIG. 6 . Body blank  30  is initially generally planar and is embodied as a circular ring having a first arcuate edge  32  and a second arcuate edge  34 . First arcuate edge  32  and second arcuate edge  34  are each curved in the form of an arc of a circle. Body blank  30  also includes a first linear edge  36  and a second linear edge  38  that extend between first arcuate edge  32  and second arcuate edge  34 . First linear edge  36  and second linear edge  38  extend along respective radii from the same center of a circle. 
         [0016]    Body blank  30  is roll formed into a generally conical configuration wherein a portion of body blank  30  that extends along first linear edge  36  of body blank  30  overlaps a portion of body blank  30  that extends along second linear edge  38  of body blank  30 . First linear edge  36  of body blank  30  and second linear edge  38  of body blank  30  and the overlapping portions of body blank  30  are heat sealed to one another to form a body seam. First arcuate edge  32  forms rolled brim  20  and second arcuate edge  34  of body blank  30  forms floor mount  24 . Sleeve-shaped side wall  14  includes a side wall seam  40 , that comprises a portion of the body seam, and that extends along sleeve-shaped side wall  14  from rolled brim  20  to floor mount  24 . Insulative cup  10  includes a linear central axis  42 . 
         [0017]    Body blank  30 , and thereby sleeve-shaped side wall  14 , rolled brim  20  and floor mount  24 , may be formed from an insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material which may comprise, for example, a polypropylene base resin having a high melt strength, one or both of a polypropylene copolymer and homopolymer resin, and one or more cell-forming agents. As an example, cell-forming agents may include a primary nucleation agent, a secondary nucleation agent, and blowing agent defined by gas means for expanding the resins and to reduce density. One example, the gas means comprises carbon dioxide. Another example, the base resin comprises broadly distributed molecular weight polypropylene characterized by a distribution that is unimodal and not bimodal. Floor  16  may be made from the same material as body blank  30 . 
         [0018]    Floor mount  24  of body  12  is coupled to lower end  26  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  and to floor  16  to support floor  16  in a stationary position relative to sleeve-shaped side wall  14 . Floor mount  24  includes a floor-retaining flange  46  coupled to floor  16 , a web-support ring  48  coupled to lower end  26  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  and arranged to surround floor-retaining flange  46 , and a connecting web  50  arranged to interconnect floor-retaining flange  46  and web-support ring  45  as suggested in  FIG. 5 . Floor-retaining flange  46 , web-support ring  48  and connecting web  50  each have a generally annular shape. 
         [0019]    Floor  16  of insulative cup  10  includes a horizontal platform  54  bounding a portion of interior region  18  and a platform-support member  56  coupled to horizontal platform  54  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 5 . Platform  54  is generally circular. Central axis  42  extends through the center of the platform  54  generally perpendicular to platform  54 . Platform-support member  56  is ring-shaped and arranged to extend downwardly and away from horizontal platform  54  and interior region  18  into an annular space  58  provided between floor-retaining flange  46  and web-support ring  48  as suggested in  FIG. 5 . Platform-support member  56  of floor  16  has an annular shape and is arranged to surround floor-retaining flange  46 . Floor-retaining flange  46  is coupled to floor  16  to retain floor  16  in a stationary position relative to sleeve-shaped side wall  14 . 
         [0020]    Web-supporting ring  48  of floor mount  24  is generally in the shape of a frustum of a cone. Web-supporting ring  48  extends generally concentrically about central axis  42  of insulative cup  10 . Web-supporting ring  48  extends outwardly and away from central axis  42  as web-supporting ring  48  extends from a bottom edge  60  toward lower end  26  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  at a desired angle of inclination with respect to central axis  42 . 
         [0021]    Sleeve-shaped side wall  14  includes an upper side-wall portion  62  that extends from a bottom end  64  to a top end  66  located at upper end  22  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  and adjacent rolled brim  20 . Upper side-wall portion  62  extends generally concentrically about central axis  42 . Upper side-wall portion  62  is in the general shape of a frustum of a cone wherein upper side-wall portion  62  extends outwardly and away from central axis  42  as upper side-wall portion  62  extends from bottom end  64  toward top end  66  at a desired angle of inclination with respect to central axis  42 . The angle of inclination of upper side-wall portion  62  with respect to central axis  42  may be the same as, or different from, the angle of inclination of web-support ring  48  with respect to central axis  42 . Upper side-wall portion  62  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  and web-support ring  48  of floor mount  24  may comprise respective portions of the same frustum of a cone. 
         [0022]    Sleeve-shaped side wall  14  of insulative cup  10  includes a generally annular stack shoulder  70  located between floor mount  24  and upper side-wall portion  62  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14 . Stack shoulder  70  is formed in sleeve-shaped side wall  14  by the application of pressure and heat to sleeve-shaped side wall  14 . 
         [0023]    Stack shoulder  70  includes a seat-support ring  72  that extends from a lower end  74  to an upper end  76 . Lower end  74  of seat-support ring  72  may be located adjacent a top end of web-support ring  48  and at lower end  26  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14 , or may be spaced apart therefrom. Upper end  76  of seat-support ring  72  is located adjacent bottom end  64  of upper-side wall portion  62  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14 . Upper end  76  of seat-support ring  72  extends inwardly into interior region  18  of insulative cup  18  such that upper end  76  of seat-support ring  72  forms an annular peripheral ledge  78  having a generally circular and annular seat  80 . Ledge  78  and seat  80  extend inwardly from the bottom end  64  of upper side-wall portion  62  into interior region  18 . Seat  80  extends generally horizontally in a plane generally perpendicular to central axis  42  and generally parallel to horizontal platform  54  of floor  16 . 
         [0024]    Seat-support ring  72  is generally annular in shape and extends generally concentrically about central axis  42 . Seat-support ring  72  extends from lower end  74  toward upper end  76  at an angle of inclination with respect to central axis  42  that is less than the angle of inclination at which upper side-wall portion  62  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  extends with respect to central axis  42 . Seat-support ring  72  may be generally cylindrical such that its angle of inclination with respect to central axis  42  is zero degrees. 
         [0025]    Stack shoulder  70 , including each of seat-support ring  72 , ledge  78  and seat  80 , extends uninterrupted and continuously in a generally circular manner about central axis  42  and around and along the entire perimeter of sleeve-shaped side wall  14 , including through and across side-wall seam  40  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14 . Seat  80  of ledge  78  is adapted to receive and engage the bottom edge  60  of another cup that is located in interior region  18  of insulative cup  10 . 
         [0026]    A first insulative cup  10  may be associated with a second insulative cup  10  such that the first insulative cup  10  is removably located within interior region  18  of second insulative cup  10 , such that the first insulative cup  10  comprises an inner insulative cup  10 A and the second insulative cup  10  comprises an outer insulative cup  10 B as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . When interior cup  10 A is inserted into interior region  18  of outer cup  10 B, upper side-wall portion  62  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  of inner cup  10 A extends along generally parallel to and closely adjacent to upper side-wall portion  62  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  of outer cup  10 B. When inner cup  10 A is located within outer cup  10 B, web-support ring  48  of inner cup  10 A may extend along and generally parallel to upper side-wall portion  62  of sleeve-shaped side wall  14  of outer cup  10 B. 
         [0027]    Web-support ring  48  of insulative cup  10  has an outer diameter at bottom edge  60  that may be generally equal to or slightly shorter than an interior diameter of upper side-wall portion  62  at bottom end  64  and that is generally equal to or longer than an interior diameter of seat  80  of stack shoulder  70 . Inwardly extending ledge  78  and seat  80  of stack shoulder  70  of outer cup  10 B is thereby adapted to receive and support bottom edge  60  of web-support ring  48  of floor mount  24  of inner cup  10 A. 
         [0028]    Engagement of floor mount  24  of inner cup  10 A with seat  80  of stack shoulder  70  of outer cup  10 B prevents further insertion of inner cup  10 A into outer cup  10 B along central axis  42  and thereby prevents sleeve-shaped side wall  14  of inner cup  10 A from becoming firmly wedged within and against sleeve-shaped side wall  14  of outer cup  10 B, which would otherwise make it difficult to separate inner cup  10 A from outer cup  10 B. Stack shoulder  70  of outer cup  10 B limits how far inner cup  10 A can be inserted into interior region  18  of outer cup  10 B. Stack shoulder  70  thereby enables inner cup  10 A to be removably located within outer cup  10 B for stacking while providing for easy separation of stacked cups  10 A and  10 B from one another.