Double-walled cup

• US 9,783,359 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wonderland Switzerland AG
• Original Assignee: Seda S.p.A.
• Inventors: D'Amato, Gianfranco
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, JEFFREY R
• Application Number:
  US12/065,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20080264937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,051 Days
• Field of Search: 22059227, 2205743, 22049503, 220 2391, 220 239, 220 6212, 220 622
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/28 with auxiliary containers for additional articles or materials B65D51/247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3869 formed with double walls, i.e. hollow
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3874 formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls

Abstract

The invention relates to a double-walled cup (1) which comprises an inner and an outer wall as well as a cup opening on its upper end and a bottom part on its lower end. The outer wall is substantially produced from paper, cardboard or the like. The object of the invention is to improve said double-walled cup (1) in such a manner that it can be more rapidly and simply produced and assembled and to reduce the structural stability of the double-walled cup while maintaining its corresponding thermal insulating properties. For this purpose, the inner cup providing the inner wall is inserted into the outer cup (3) providing the outer wall and is secured therein or thereto in an especially detachable manner. The inner cup (2) is produced from an at least fluid-tight plastic material.

Claims

1. A double-wall cup comprising:

an inner wall and an outer wall,

an upper cup opening and a lower cup bottom,

at least the outer wall is essentially formed from paper or cardboard,

the inner wall is formed by an inner cup, which is inserted into an outer cup providing the outer wall,

the inner cup being detachably attached in the outer cup,

the inner cup is formed from an at least fluid-tight plastic material,

the inner cup terminates with its lower end spaced apart from a lower end of the outer cup such that an accommodation space exists between the lower end of the inner cup and the lower end of the outer cup and the lower end of the inner cup does not contact the lower end of the outer cup,

a lower cup section of the outer cup is detachable from an upper cup section of the outer cup without physically compromising the inner cup to provide access to the accommodation space; and

wherein a tear-off strip or a tear-off line is formed on a side wall of the outer cup between the lower cup section and the upper cup section and runs circumferentially around an outer wall surface of the outer cup and

wherein the outer cup has an outer edge flange which protrudes outwards and at least partially surrounds the upper outer cup opening, and

wherein the inner cup has an inner edge flange which at least partially surrounds an upper inner cup opening, wherein the inner edge flange comprises two limb portions that each extend downward from a connective portion, and wherein the entire connective portion is thicker along a horizontal direction than each of the two limb portions along a vertical direction.

3. The double wall cup of claim 1 wherein the inner cup is manufactured from polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, or any combination of these materials.

4. The double-wall cup according to claim 1 wherein the tear-off strip has a tear-off tab that can be grasped by a user to facilitate tearing the tear-off strip.

5. The double-wall cup according to claim 1, wherein the inner cup and the outer cup are joined together by an adhesive or by mechanical interaction.

9. The double-walled cup according to claim 1, wherein a connection between the inner cup and the outer cup is formed with polyethylene applied on an inside of the outer cup.

12. The double-walled cup according to claim 1, wherein the inner cup comprises a gas-tight plastic material.

21. The double-walled cup according to claim 1, wherein an air chamber running in the circumferential direction is formed between at least an inner cup side wall and an outer cup side wall.

2. A double-walled cup comprising:

an inner cup having an inner cup side wall and an inner cup bottom, the inner cup being formed from a fluid-tight plastic material;

an outer cup having an outer cup side wall and an outer cup bottom, the outer cup being essentially formed from paper or cardboard wherein the inner cup is detachably coupled to and substantially positioned within the outer cup, and wherein the inner cup bottom does not contact the outer cup bottom;

an accommodation space between the inner cup bottom and the outer cup bottom;

a surprise present contained inside the accommodation space;

a tear-off strip in the outer cup formed on the outer cup side wall between an upper and lower section of the outer cup,

wherein the tear-off strip runs circumferentially around an outer wall surface of the outer cup, and

wherein the tear strip is arranged such that tearing the tear-off strip separates the lower section of the outer cup from the upper section of the outer cup to provide access to the surprise present in the accommodation space without physically compromising the inner cup and

wherein the outer cup has an outer edge flange which protrudes outwards and at least partially surrounds the upper outer cup opening, and

wherein the inner cup has an inner edge flange which at least partially surrounds an upper inner cup opening, wherein the inner edge flange comprises two limb portions that each extend downward from a connective portion, and wherein the entire connective portion is thicker along a horizontal direction than each of the two limb portions along a vertical direction.

6. The double wall cup of claim 2 wherein the inner cup is manufactured from polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester, polyethylene, or any combination of these materials.

7. The double-walled cup of claim 2 wherein the surprise present substantially fills the accommodation space.

8. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein a tear-off tab is joined to the tear-off strip.

10. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein a sealing foil or a lid for sealing the inside of the cup is detachably attached to the inner edge flange or the outer edge flange.

11. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the inner cup comprises a gas-tight plastic material.

13. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein an air chamber running in the circumferential direction is formed between at least the inner cup side wall and the outer cup side wall.

14. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the inner edge flange and the outer edge flange are detachably joined together.

15. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the inner edge flange contacts the outer edge flange from above at least in places.

16. The double-walled cup according to claim 2 wherein the inner edge flange encompasses the outer edge flange at least partially.

17. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the outer cup has an outer edge flange which protrudes outwards and at least partially surrounds the upper outer cup opening.

18. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein the outer edge flange is formed as a beaded rolled rim.

19. The double-walled cup according to claim 2, wherein a connection between the inner cup and the outer cup is formed with polyethylene applied on an inside of the outer cup.

20. The double-walled cup of claim 2 wherein a surprise present substantially fills the accommodation space.