Patent ID: 8087511

Claim:
A cup and a cup carrier, the cup carrier constructed from a one piece blank of cardboard material, comprising: a beverage cup, with or without a closure lid; a base having at least one opening capable of receiving the beverage cup therein so that at least a portion of the beverage cup extends above the base; support members extending upwardly from opposite side edges of the base and spaced apart from the at least one opening; a roof member extending from each of the support members along a fold line in the cardboard material, the fold lines located an appropriate distance above the base so that when the beverage cup and cup carrier are placed on a flat surface, the fold lines are approximately coplanar with the top of the beverage cup or closure lid so that the roof members are in contact with the top of the beverage cup or closure lid, and a handle forming member at an upper end of each of the roof members, whereby when at least one beverage cup is placed in the cup carrier, the support members are not in contact with the beverage cup or closure lid, and whereby the roof members remain in contact with the top of the beverage cup or closure lid when the carrier is being transported.