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. Another unique feature of the present invention is the incorporation of a thermal barrier comprised of ribs or ridges formed into the sidewall of the container.

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. Another unique feature of the present invention is the incorporation of a thermal barrier comprised of ribs or ridges formed into the sidewall of the container. Therefore, a person can grasp the container which may contain hot liquid within the container and the thermal ridges provide a heat barrier so that a person can hold the container and not be burned or feel discomfort from the hot liquid within the container. 
     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, the container incorporating a thermal barrier on its sidewall so that an air gap is formed to dissipate heat from the container to enable a person to grasp the container while it contains a hot liquid. 
     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 sidewalls including a thermal barrier formed into the sidewalls so that the container can be held when hot liquid is retained in the container, 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 elevational 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 sidewalls including a thermal barrier formed into the sidewalls so that the container can be held when hot liquid is retained in the container, 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  10  includes a bottom  12  and a rim  14  and a continuous wall  16  interconnecting the bottom  12  and the rim  14 . The continuous wall has an exterior surface  18  and an interior surface  20 . The container has an interior chamber  22  surrounded by the wall  16  and bottom  12 . Disposed below the rim  14  at a distance “H 1 ” is an interior groove  26  which extends for a continuous given circumferential distance along the interior circumference of interior wall  20 . The rim  14  is aligned with and extends for approximately the same circumferential distance as the groove  26 . The continuous wall  16  extends for approximately the same circumferential distance as the rim  14  and at a given height “H 2 ” and then slopes downwardly to a lower wall  16 A having a height “H 3 ” which is below rim  14  and above interior groove  26 . 
     The lid  30  of the present invention is generally circular in shape and has a top surface  32  and a bottom surface  34  with a sip opening  36  extending through the lid  30  from the bottom surface  34  to the top surface  32 , the sip opening  36  preferably located adjacent the exterior circumference  38  of the lid  30 . A flexible living hinge  60  is integrally formed with the container wall  16  and lid  30  with an interior end  62  formed with and resting against lower wall  16 A and an exterior end  64  terminating in a vertical member  66  formed into lid  30 . The living hinge  60  has an recess or cut  68  about which the living hinge  60  can rotate. 
     The lid  30  has at least one and preferably a pair of spaced apart tabs  40  and  48  integrally formed with the lid and adjacent the exterior circumference  38  of the lid  30 . First tab  40  includes a vertical section  42 , first bent section  44  and a transverse section  46 . Second tab  48  includes a vertical section  50 , a first bent section  52  and a transverse section  54 . In the preferred embodiment, the first and second tabs  40  and  48  are located on the rim  30  at approximately equal distances from the location where the lid  30  is attached to the living hinge  40  and at locations on the lid  30  at opposite spaced apart locations from the sip opening  36 . 
     When in the closed condition, the lid  30  and living hinge  60  are rotated about cut  68  in living hinge  60  so that circumference  38  of lid  30  is retained within groove  26 . The fit enables the lid  30  to form a seal at the location of the groove  26  so that liquid  300  contained in the interior chamber  22  will not spill out. The tabs  40  and  48  are positioned so that respective transverse sections  46  and  54  rest over and against rim  14 . As a result, because of the tight fit of the lid  30  within groove  26 , it would be difficult to pull the lid  30  free without the transverse sections  46  and  54  which extend above and rest on the rim  14  so that one or both tabs  40  and/or  48  can be pulled on to overcome the force of the lid  30  within the groove  26  to open the container  10  and permit more liquid  300  to be poured into chamber  22  or to permit the liquid to be consumed by a person placing the person&#39;s lips on the rim  14 . With the lid  30  in the closed condition, the liquid can be consumed by sipping the liquid  300  through sip opening  38  in lid  30 . When in the closed condition, the space surrounded in the interior wall  18  and lid  30  can retain any liquid  300  that spilled out of sip opening  38  or may bleed out of the chamber  22  at the location of the intersection of the lid  30  and groove  26 . 
     Therefore, through this design, any liquid but primary liquid  300  that is hot can be retained in the chamber  22  and sipped through opening  38  while the tight sealing fit of the lid  30  within interior groove  26  will assure that no liquid  300  will inadvertently spill out. 
     The entire container  10  including the wall  16  and bottom  12 , lid  30 , living hinge  60  and tabs  40  and  48  are preferably made out of biodegradable material which can be melted down and reformatted into a new container. The container  10  and its components can also be made out of polyurethane foam, or food grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) so that it is a disposable container. 
     If the liquid  300  is very hot, the heat may extend through wall  16  and it may make the container difficult to hold in a person&#39;s hand. Therefore, an additional improvement of the present invention is to incorporate a multiplicity of spaced apart ribs or veins  70  formed into the exterior surface  18  of wall  16 . The ribs  70  are preferably located around the entire circumference of exterior surface  18  and each rib  70  is separated from an adjacent rib by a gap  72 . The ribs  70  extend radially outwardly by a distance “R”. To make grasping easier, each rib may have a slanted top surface  74  so that the top surface is slanted downwardly as well as away from exterior surface  18 . The height of the ribs “H 4 ” can range from 15% of “H 2 ” to 50 percent of “H 2 ” and preferably is approximately one third of the height of wall  16  and located at a mid-height location between bottom  12  and rim  14 . The ribs  70  are made of the same biodegradable material or the same polyurethane foam, or food grade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the other components of the container  10 . 
     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.