Patent Publication Number: US-2013240546-A1

Title: Disposable cup lid

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lid for drinking cup and more particularly, to a disposable cup lid made of plastics using injection molding techniques. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Most conventional disposable cup lids are made of plastics using vacuum suction molding techniques. Vacuum suction molding techniques impart certain restrictions on the design of lid shape. 
     Commercial disposable hot drinking (coffee) cup lids generally provide a series of dentations on the mouthpiece area, defining a tab that can be pressed down or lifted to open the mouthpiece area. The tab provides a stem. For opening a downwardly pressing design of tab, the user can press down the stem of the tab to break the series of dentations, thereby opening the tab downwardly from the mouthpiece area to provide a beverage outlet. Alternatively, for opening an upwardly lifting design of tab, the user can lift the stem of the tab to break the series of dentations, thereby opening the tab upwardly from the mouthpiece area to provide a large opening in the mouthpiece area. Further, in an upwardly lifting design of tab, the disposable cup lid provides a retaining groove for receiving the stem after the tab is opened. In a downwardly pressing design of tab, no positioning means is provided inside the disposable cup lid for securing the tab in the open position. In this case, the tab may easily be moved back by the beverage to close the beverage outlet, interrupting the user from drinking the beverage. Further, an upwardly lifting design of tab has the disadvantage of excessively large opening may lead to a scalding injury to the user&#39;s tongue. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a disposable cup lid, which is made of plastics using injection molding techniques, having a tab disposed in a mouthpiece area and breakable by an external force and a tab positioning structure adapted for holding the tab in an open position to facilitate drinking. 
     To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a disposable cup lid is made of plastics using injection molding techniques and adapted for covering a drinking cup, comprising a coupling rim for attaching to a drinking cup, a mouthpiece area, a tab, a series of dentations connected between the mouthpiece area and the tab, and at least one stop lug downwardly extended from a bottom wall thereof adjacent to the series of dentations. The tab is pressable downwardly by an external force to break the series of dentations in opening the mouthpiece area and stoppable by the at least one stop lug in an open position. Thus, the user can sip the beverage simply by pressing the tab. Further, by means of the at least one stop lug to stop the tab in the open position, the opening thus formed in the mouthpiece area is maintained unchanged, and the tab is prohibited from being moved back by the beverage to close the opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an oblique top elevational view of a disposable cup lid in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an oblique bottom elevational view of the disposable cup lid in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is an oblique top elevation of the present invention, illustrating the tab pressed down. 
         FIG. 5  is an oblique bottom elevation of the present invention, illustrating the tab pressed down. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 5 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following two examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a disposable cup lid  10  in accordance with the present invention is shown. The disposable cup lid  10  is a circular covering made of plastics using injection molding techniques and adapted for covering a drinking cup, comprising a coupling rim  11  for attaching to a drinking cup (not shown), a mouthpiece area  12 , a tab  14  connected to the mouthpiece area  12  by breakable connection means, for example, a series of dentations  13 , and two stop lugs  15  downwardly extended from the bottom wall thereof at two opposite lateral sides relative to the tab  14 . The tab  14  can be forced downwardly by an external force to break the series of dentations  13  in opening the mouthpiece area  12  to the extent where the tab  14  is stopped by the stop lugs  15  (see  FIG. 6 ). 
     The tab  14  comprises two outwardly protruding stop portions  141  bilaterally disposed adjacent to the periphery of the disposable cup lid  10 . Further, each stop lug  15  has a beveled guide portion  151  located on the bottom side thereof, and a positioning portion  152  upwardly extended from the back side of the beveled guide portion  151 . The two outwardly protruding stop portions  141  of the tab  14  respectively extend over the two stop lugs  15  and engaged with the positioning portions  152  of the two stop lugs  15 . 
     Further, the tab  14  comprises a stem  142  upwardly extended from the top side thereof to facilitate pressing. 
     According to the present preferred embodiment, the tab  14  is substantially shaped like a mushroom, having a relatively narrower body, which extends upwardly and terminates in the stem  142 , and a relatively wider head, which forms the two outwardly protruding stop portions  141 ; the two stop lugs  15  are located on the two opposite lateral sides of the relatively narrower body of the tab  14 . 
     When using the cup lid  10 , the user simply needs to press the stem  142  with one finger, thereby breaking the series of dentations  13  and forcing the tab  14  to turn downwards. At this time, the stop portions  141  of the tab  14  will be moved over the respective beveled guide portions  151  of the stop lugs  15  into engagement with the respective positioning portions  152  of the stop lugs  15  to hold the tab  14  in an open position, thereby opening the mouthpiece area  12 . 
     By means of the stop lugs  15  to stop the tab  14  in the open position at a predetermined angle relative to the mouthpiece area  12 , the tab  14  is prohibited from being forced back by the beverage to narrow the opening and can stop the beverage from flowing out of the disposable cup lid  10 . Thus, when the tab  14  is held in the open position, the opening thus formed in the mouthpiece area  12  is maintained unchanged, avoiding a high flow rate of hot beverage and preventing the user&#39;s tongue from being scalded.