Abstract:
A container used to retain hot liquids in manner which enables the liquid within the container to be consumed by a person holding the container in the person&#39;s hand and drinking the liquid when the lid is in either the open or closed condition. The container has the unique features of having a self-sealing lid which is retained on the container through a living hinge.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of containers used to retain hot liquid and which enables the liquid to be consumed while a person holds the container in the person&#39;s hand with the lid of the container being in either the open or closed condition. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In general, containers used to retain a liquid, whether hot or cold, are known in the prior art. The following list of patents are patents known to the present inventor which are containers of various designs used to retain liquids for consumption by person holding the container and consuming the liquid contents retained within the container: 
     The following 21 patents and published patent applications are relevant to the field of the present invention: 
     1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,690,861 issued to Earl S. Tupper on Oct. 5, 1954 for “Dispensing Closure”: 
     2. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 189,586 issued to George S. Nalle, Jr. on Jan. 10, 1961 for “Tumbler”. 
     3. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 192,296 issued to Walfred M. Nyman on Feb. 27, 1962 for “Cup or Similar Article”. 
     4. U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,468 issued to Ronald Baron on Jul. 13, 1965 for “Plastic Drinking Cups”. 
     5. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 204,783 issued to Ronald E. Johnson and assigned to Columbus Plastics Products, Inc. on May 17, 1966 for “Drinking Cup”. 
     6. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 212,352 issued to Paul Davis on Oct. 8, 1968 for “Cup”. 
     7. U.S. Pat. No. 3,437,253 issued to Paul Davis et al. on Apr. 8, 1969 for “Disposable Plastic Cup With Stiff Gripping Section”. 
     8. U.S. Pat. No. 3,443,715 issued to Bryant Edwards on May 13, 1969 for “Double Wall Container”. 
     9. U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,262 issued to Teunis Van&#39;t Hoff on Sep. 20, 1971 for “Cup, Mug or Other Drinking Vessel, More Especially Made of Plastic”. 
     10. U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,135 issued to Michael A. Yung et al. on Jan. 14, 1975 for “Container And Container-Cap Combination”. 
     11. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 248,358 issued to Tommy Thomas on Jul. 4, 1978 for “Cup”. 
     12. U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,081 issued to Brad M. McCabe on May 10, 1994 for “Integral Beverage Container”. 
     13. U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,011 issued to Dan E. Fischer on May 17, 1994 for “Stackable Container System”. 
     14. U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,094 issued to Thomas P. Rapchak et al. on Sep. 16, 1997 for “Container and Closure Assembly”. 
     15. U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,716 issued to Liming Cai et al. on Jun. 16, 1998 for “Cup Protector”. 
     16. U.S. Design Pat. No. D437,733 issued to Sascha Kaposi on Feb. 20, 2001 for “Ribbed Side Drinking Vessel”. 
     17. U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,981 issued to Joey L. Rohlfs on Jun. 3, 2003 for “Disposable Sipper Cups”. 
     18. U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,728 issued to Raymond Newkirk et al. on Aug. 5, 2003 for “Thermal Cup Holder”. 
     19. U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,289 B2 issued to John Green on Oct. 18, 2005 for “Container Having an Integral Lid”. 
     20. United States Published Patent Application No. 2006/0043100 to Joseph E. Johnson et al. for “Vial With Hinged Cap And Method of Making Same”. 
     21. United States Published Patent Application No. 2009/0223969 to Tony V. Bouie on Sep. 10, 2009 for “Lid Assembly and Method For Use Thereof”. 
     There is a significant need for an improved container which provides advantages which are lacking in the prior art containers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a container used to retain hot liquids in manner which enables the liquid within the container to be consumed by a person holding the container in the person&#39;s hand and drinking the liquid when the lid is in either the open or closed condition. The present invention container has the unique features of having a self-sealing lid which is retained on the container through a living hinge. The lid further accomplishes a positive and effective seal when the lid is closed so that leakage from the container is eliminated or at least minimized during normal use thereof. The design of the lid enables the liquid within the container to be consumed with the lid in either the closed or open condition. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a container for retaining hot liquids which can be consumed from the container while a person is grasping the sidewall of the container with the person&#39;s hand. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container having a lid retained onto the container by an integral living hinge which enables the lid to be placed in an open condition so that liquid may be poured into the container and which enables the container to thereafter be sealed with a positive and effective seal. 
     It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a container having integral tab means to enable the container to be opened after it has been positively sealed so that more liquid can be poured into the container or liquid can be removed from the container. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a container with a lid retained by a living hinge so that the lid is integral with the container and will not be inadvertently lost or soiled which is a problem with prior art containers which have a separately affixed lid. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container which enables liquid to be consumed from the container when the lid is in either the closed or open condition. 
     It is also an object of the present invention to provide a container made out of biodegradable material so that the material can be reused and is eco-friendly. 
     Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, discussion and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Referring particularly to the drawings for the purpose of illustration only and not limitation, there is illustrated: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention container with an integral lid retained on the container by a living hinge, the container shown with the lid in the closed condition; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the container with the lid in the closed condition; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of the container with the lid in the closed condition; 
         FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of the container with the lid in the closed condition; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear elevational view of the container with the lid in the closed condition; 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the container with the lid in the closed condition, the view taken when viewed from the left side, the right side elevatonal view being a mirror image thereof; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the present invention container with an integral lid retained on the container by a living hinge, the container shown with the lid in the open condition; 
         FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the container with the lid in the open condition; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of the container with the lid in the open condition; 
         FIG. 10  is a front elevational view of the container with the lid in the open condition; 
         FIG. 11  is a rear elevational view of the container with the lid in the open condition; and 
         FIG. 12  is a side elevational view of the container with the lid in the open condition, the view taken when viewed from the left side, the right side elevational view being a mirror image thereof. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Although specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the present invention as further defined in the appended claims. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 12 , the present invention cup or container  110  includes a bottom  112  and a rim  114  and a continuous wall  116  interconnecting the bottom  112  and the rim  114 . The continuous wall has an exterior surface  118  and an interior surface  120 . The container has an interior chamber  122  surrounded by the wall  116  and bottom  112 . Disposed below the rim  114  at a distance “H 1 ” is an interior groove  126  which extends for a continuous given circumferential distance along the interior circumference of interior wall  120 . The rim  1114  is aligned with and extends for approximately the same circumferential distance as the groove  126 . The continuous wall  116  extends for approximately the same circumferential distance as the rim  114  and at a given height “H 2 ” and then slopes downwardly to a lower wall  116 A having a height “H 3 ” which is below rim  114  and above interior groove  126 . 
     The lid  130  of the present invention is generally circular in shape and has a top surface  132  and a bottom surface  134  with a sip opening  136  extending through the lid  130  from the bottom surface  134  to the top surface  132 , the sip opening  136  preferably located adjacent the exterior circumference  138  of the lid  130 . A flexible living hinge  160  is integrally formed with the container wall  116  and lid  130  with an interior end  162  formed with and resting against lower wall  116 A and an exterior end  164  terminating in a vertical member  166  formed into lid  130 . The living hinge  160  has an recess or cut  168  about which the living hinge  160  can rotate. 
     The lid  130  has at least one and preferably a pair of spaced apart tabs  140  and  148  integrally formed with the lid and adjacent the exterior circumference  138  of the lid  130 . First tab  140  includes a vertical section  142 , first bent section  144  and a transverse section  146 . Second tab  148  includes a vertical section  150 , a first bent section  152  and a transverse section  154 . In the preferred embodiment, the first and second tabs  140  and  148  are located on the rim  130  at approximately equal distances from the location where the lid  130  is attached to the living hinge  140  and at locations on the lid  130  at opposite spaced apart locations from the sip opening  136 . 
     When in the closed condition, the lid  130  and living hinge  160  are rotated about cut  168  in living hinge  160  so that circumference  138  of lid  310  is retained within groove  126 . The fit enables the lid  130  to form a seal at the location of the groove  126  so that liquid  400  contained in the interior chamber  122  will not spill out. The tabs  140  and  148  are positioned so that respective transverse sections  146  and  154  rest over and against rim  114 . As a result, because of the tight fit of the lid  130  within groove  126 , it would be difficult to pull the lid  30  free without the transverse sections  146  and  154  which extend above and rest on the rim  114  so that one or both tabs  140  and/or  148  can be pulled on to overcome the force of the lid  130  within the groove  126  to open the container  110  and permit more liquid  400  to be poured into chamber  122  or to permit the liquid to be consumed by a person placing the person&#39;s lips on the rim  114 . With the lid  130  in the closed condition, the liquid can be consumed by sipping the liquid  400  through sip opening  138  in lid  130 . When in the closed condition, the space surrounded in the interior wall  118  and lid  130  can retain any liquid  400  that spilled out of sip opening  138  or may bleed out of the chamber  122  at the location of the intersection of the lid  130  and groove  126 . 
     Therefore, through this design, any liquid but primary liquid  400  that is hot can be retained in the chamber  122  and sipped through opening  138  while the tight sealing fit of the lid  130  within interior groove  126  will assure that no liquid  400  will inadvertently spill out. 
     The entire container  110  including the wall  116  and bottom  112 , lid  130 , living hinge  160  and tabs  140  and  148  are preferably made out of biodegradable material which can be melted down and reformatted into a new container. The container  110  and its components can also be made out of polyurethane foam, or food grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) so that it is a disposable container. 
     Of course the present invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or any specific use, disclosed herein, since the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention hereinabove shown and described of which the apparatus or method shown is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which this invention might be embodied or operated.