Patent ID: 7968033

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a cup-shaped food container comprising the steps of: forming a fully assembled cup shaped paper container having a side seam, a bottom, a side wall integrally bonded to said bottom and having an inside surface and an outside surface, which surfaces co-terminate in an unrolled, unflanged, fully annular top edge; placing the assembled paper container into a mold which provides a generally annular cavity continuously around the top portion of the inside and outside surfaces as well as the top edge; injection molding a radially flanged, annular plastic rim structure into the cavity so as to adhere to and encapsulate the top edge and to extend in an integral and fully circumferential fashion a first distance down the outside surface and a second distance down the inside surface, the first and second distances being short relative to the overall height of the cup-shaped container, such that the outside surface remains substantially fully exposed between the rim and the bottom structure, while providing a flat annular upper surface which includes a radial flange extending radially outwardly beyond the diameter of the paper container and is capable of receiving a closure on top of said flange in adheringly sealed association therewith; and removing the cup-shaped paper container with the injection molded plastic rim structure adhered thereto from the mold.