Patent Publication Number: US-2004040982-A1

Title: Disposable multicup container

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
     [0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional patent application Serial No. 60/385,289 filed Jun. 3, 2002. 
    
    
     
       [0002] This invention relates in general to containers and more particularly to disposable carafes that hold more that one serving of a beverage.  
       [0003] Consumers have a wide variety of choice of brewed coffee and tea. Coffee shops, convenience stores and even grocery stores offer many choices of brewed coffee. A customer who wants to bring one or more chosen, brewed beverages to another location needs a portable container to carry the coffee. Durable containers are expensive and many consumers prefer a less expensive, disposable container that would hold multiple cups of the beverage.  
       [0004] Others have attempted to meet this need by providing disposable containers that hold large quantities of coffee or tea in an inexpensive and disposable container. One such container is hex-shaped and normally rests on its side. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,781. It has an integral handle that adds to the complexity of its manufacture and assembly. When it is first filled, the container may be unstable given the hex-shaped sides. Another container is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,992. It also has an integral handle. Both of the above containers provide discharge openings that are on the side of the container. In one or both cases the coffee in the container is normally held in by a cap on an internal flexible bag that is filled with liquid. The cap is below the level of the coffee in the filled container. As such, in their normal positions, the containers may leak. Other multisided (hexagonal) containers are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,050,775; 5,531,375; and 4,418,861.  
       [0005] In a departure from the cardboard, knock-down containers, still others have proposed a container with a rigid, central frame having a rectangular center section, a base, an integral spout and handle all made of plastic. See, for example 6,375,040. The frame supports a beverage bag that is enclosed by two pieces of insulating cardboard. The container resembles a watering can. The bag is inserted into the frame and the bag is enclosed with the cardboard covers. The frame supports the weight of the filled beverage bag.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0006] The invention solves the problems of the prior art by making a container that is more stable, less likely to leak and pours from an upright position. In its broader aspects the invention provides a liquid container for holding a relatively large quantity of liquid. It is made from a single sheet of paperboard, cardboard of other suitable material and is operable to form from a collapsed, flat storage configuration to an upright configuration. The container has sidepanels and end panels for holding a beverage bag and for dispensing fluid from the bag.  
       [0007] The container is prepared from elongated paperboard that is divided into multiple panels and end flaps that extend from one or more of the panels to interlock and form end panels. The panels between the ends of the paperboard are attached to adjacent panels along their edges by an integral hinged portion of the paperboard to form a continuous multisided sided structure. A front panel has a first end flap with an opening for receiving a neck of a beverage bag. Two end panels overlap each other to surround a beverage bag. One of the end panels has a second end flap with an opening aligned with the opening the first end flap for receiving the neck of the beverage bag. Inside the container is a flexible bag with a narrow neck for receiving and discharging a beverage. The bag is normally collapsed and expands to receive and hold a beverage. Around the bag is an insulation sheath for keeping the beverage at a stable temperature or otherwise reducing heat transfer to or from the beverage.  
       [0008] The end panels have openings in their sidepanels and those opening are aligned with each other. The user may insert a finger or thumb into the opening to assist in pouring the beverage from the container. Two of the side panels have openings for receiving opposite ends of a handle. The panels may be an odd or an even number. Where they are an odd number, the preferred number is five, seven or nine. Because the two end panels overlap, the number of sides in the final structure will be one less than the total number of panels.  
       [0009] For an odd number of panels (and an even number of sidepanels) the invention provides a center panel that is shortest in length; the end panels are longest. The base edges of the panels lie in a line with one another. The top edges of the panels between the center panel and the end panels line along a line connecting the edge of the center panel to the edge of the end panel. The center and the intermediate panels have the same width and one end panel has a width smaller than the other end panel in order to allow one end panel to overlap the other.  
       [0010] One of the end panels has a top end flap with six sides and three ears disposed on the edges of the three sides for folding into the container. Most of the panels have bottom flaps disposed along their respective bottom edges for interlocking to form a bottom end panel. The panels adjacent to the center panel have top end flaps for cooperating with the center end flap to cover the top of end of the container.  
       [0011] The invention provides a new multi-cup insulated coffee container. The invention is used to hold and keep warm multiple cups of coffee, including at least 12 eight ounce cups for a total of 96 fluid ounces.  
       [0012] The invention addresses a long felt need in the area of disposable, insulated coffee containers that hold large quantities of coffee. Such containers are highly desired by individuals who bring coffee to multiple coffee drinkers as well as by coffee retailers who require a disposable container for distributing large quantities of brewed coffee. 
     
    
    
     DRAWINGS  
     [0013]FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the structure.  
     [0014]FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of the structure.  
     [0015]FIG. 3 is a planned view off the top of the container.  
     [0016]FIG. 4 is a planned view of an opened container top.  
     [0017]FIG. 5 is a planned view of a closed container bottom.  
     [0018]FIGS. 6 and 7 are planned views of opposite halves of the container bottom closure.  
     [0019]FIG. 8 is a planned view of the top end flap. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0020] The invention is a disposable container  10 . Its structure is illustrated by FIGS.  1 - 8 . Turning first to FIG. 8, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the invention. It includes an exterior paperboard container  10  that holds an insulating sleeve  12  that carries a collapsible bag  14  for holding hot fluid. Bag  14  may be made of any suitable material that can contain hot beverages. Preferred materials for the collapsible bag are nylon and metalized flexible materials. At one end the bag is a narrow neck  16  with a threaded connection for receiving a threaded cap  17 . The other end has a folded gusset plate, not shown. An insulating sleeve  12  surrounds the bag and may be any suitable material including polystyrene or any open or closed cellular material. As an alternative, the insulating sleeve  12  could be replaced by loose insulation or other suitable material for reducing the transfer of heat from the hot liquids contained in the bag  14  to the ambient environment.  
     [0021] The container  10  is made of paperboard. Paperboard has a (brown) or unfinished surface as well as a finished surface. The finished surface may have any suitable color. It is common that such paperboard have a white finished surface. Paperboard is chosen in lieu of corrugated materials because paperboard is relatively stiffer and can form bent panels and integral hinges. The entire structure  10  is formed from a single sheet of paperboard that is suitably scored, cut, bent and folded to provide the structure shown in the figures. The structure  10  includes seven panels  20 - 26  that form a six sided hexagonal structure. The two longest panels  23 - 24  overlap. The container has a top  30  that is integral with one of the longest panels. The container has a bottom  50  that includes multi-lobed interfering flaps  52 ,  62 . Those flaps are mirror images of each other and are mounted on the bottom edges of the panels.  
     [0022] The panels have different lengths to provide a sloped upper surface. All of the panels have their lower edges in a continuous line. Turning to FIG. 1, the shortest panel  20  faces the front of the device. Opposite front panel  20  are the back panels  23 ,  24 . They are the longest panels. Panels  21  and  26  are on opposite sides of panel  20  and their respective top edges generally slope in an upward direction towards the rear. Panels  25  and  26  are integral, respectively, with panels  26  and  21 . The upper edges of panels  25 ,  22  also slope up toward to top edge of the back panels  23 ,  24 . Panels  25  and  22  are integral with the rear panels  23 ,  24 , respectively. The rear panels  23 ,  24  overlap and are suitably fixed together by adhesive materials such as glue or any other suitable means including mechanical and chemical means for fixing one of the panels to the other. The rear panels  23 ,  24  have an aperture  18  that provides a thumb hole for carrying or manipulating the container.  
     [0023] Top flap  30  is integral with either the inside or the outside back panels  23 ,  24 . The top flap  30  has a central hexagonal planar surface  31  that includes an opening  32  for the neck  16  of the bag  14 . The top flap  30  has three integral lobes  44 ,  46  and  42  that are disposed on alternate sides of the hexagonal flap  31 . Flaps  44  and  46  have integral hinges  45  that allow the outer flaps to bend and to fit adjacent top ends of panels  25 ,  22 , respectively. The outer flaps  44 ,  46  fold over retaining lobes  27  and  29  that are on the upper ends, respectively, of front slanted panels  26 ,  21 . The retaining flaps  27 ,  29  cover the top of the bag  14 . The flaps  44  and  46  fold into the interior of the container  10 . Small cutouts  48 ,  49  along the integral hinge/score lines  45 ,  47  serve to capture and lock onto the lobes  27 ,  29  of panels  26 ,  21  when the flap  30  is closed. The front lobe  42  of the flap  31  fits behind front panel  20 . Front panel  20  has an integral, hinged vertical collar  34  with an opening  37  between a pair of yokes  36 ,  38 . The yokes  36 ,  38  press against the neck  16  of the bag  14  in order to secure the bag in the opening  32 . The neck of the bag is smaller than the opening between the yokes. A retainer ring  80  on the neck is larger than the yoke opening and holds the neck in between the yokes.  
     [0024] Bottom  50  of the container  10  is formed by the opposing multi-lobe structure shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Turning first to multi-lobe  52  there is shown a central lobe  53  that is integral with the front panel  20 . A single lobe  54  is integral with front panel  21  and a double lobe structure  55 ,  57  is integral with front panel  26 . The double lobe structure  55 ,  57  is scored and bends along an integral hinge line  56 . FIG. 7 shows a corresponding structure that is formed along the bottom of panels  22 ,  23  or  24 , and  25 . The lobe  57  is glued to opposite lobe  64  and likewise lobe  67  is glued to opposite lobe  54 . The central lobes  53  and  63  have interference cuts and a meeting line for folding and locking together to provide the bottom surface of the container.  
     [0025] With reference to FIG. 4, the container  10  is collapsed by bending the front panel toward the back panel. In particular, the three front side panels collapse onto the three back side panels. Bottom folds into the collapsing container volume by bending along the line B as shown in FIG. 4. The line B comprises creases in the end lobes  65 / 67  and  55 / 57 . The center portion of the line is the mating line of lobes  53  and  63 .  
     [0026] To manufacture the container  10 , a single paperboard sheet is suitably scored, punched and bent to provide the apertures, lobes and integral hinges described above. Then the rear panels  23 ,  24  are glued together as are the bottom lobes  64 / 57  and  54 / 67 . At that stage, the entire assembly may be stored in a flattened state until it is ready for use. When required, the structure is manipulated to expand and to lock the bottom lobes  53 ,  63  into place. A suitable insulating sleeve  12  is added inside of the container and a collapsible bag  14  is place inside the insulating sleeve  12 . The top flap  30  is folded over the neck  16  of the bag  14 . The collar  34  is also folded over the neck in order to form the final structure. The cap  17  on the bag may be removed from the bag may be filled with hot beverage such as coffee or hot tea or hot cocoa or any other suitable hot or even cold beverage. After filling the bag  14 , cap  17  is screwed back onto the neck  16  and the customer may take the disposable beverage container from the retail establishment.  
     [0027] With the invention the container must be tipped from its upright position in order to dispense fluid. The relative vertical orientation of the container coupled with its wide base, provides a stable, upright container. A user must not only open the cap sealing the flexible bag, but must also tip the container. As such, at least two affirmative activities are required before the container dispenses fluid. This construction and arrangement overcomes disadvantages of prior art devices that rely upon gravity for dispensing fluid. Those devices place the discharge spout proximate the bottom of the container. With such devices fluid may be accidentally dispensed if someone opens the cap. In contrast, the invention places the discharge spout far away from the bottom of the container and put it on the top sloping panel thereby minimizing the possibility of accidentally pouring hot coffee.  
     [0028] Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other modifications, changes and variations may be made including omissions and additions of further structures without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the invention shows a six-sided structure that includes seven panel pieces. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other multisided structures may be made where the numbers of panel pieces exceed the number of sides by one or more. The panel can be made stronger by using heavier paperboard or by making a blank with more panels that overlap.  
     [0029] The dimensions, angles and radii of curvature shown in the figures is an example of a paperboard container suitable for holding  98  ounces of beverage. Those skilled in the art will understand that the dimensions, angle and radii may be altered to make larger or smaller containers.