US20100252555A1

US20100252555A1 - Container lid, container-lid assembly, and method of manufacture

Info

Publication number: US20100252555A1
Application number: US12/730,658
Authority: US
Inventors: Ambareen Syed
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-04-07
Filing date: 2010-03-24
Publication date: 2010-10-07
Also published as: CA2695042A1

Abstract

A container lid for sealing a container. The container lid includes: a base; a wall extending substantially vertically from the base; and a wall support element positioned remote from the base. In one aspect, the lid may be made with a paper-based material. In another aspect, the lid may be configured for insertion into a container to effect a friction fit between the lid and the container.

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/167,319, filed Apr. 7, 2009, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The field of the invention relates generally to containers and container lids.

INTRODUCTION

Lidded containers are often a convenient mode of transportation for food and drinks. Some people use resilient washable (or reusable) containers, while others use disposable, one-time-use containers. One of the most common uses of a disposable container is for containing hot and cold beverages, but containers may be used for food and other products as well.
Lids specifically adapted for fitting disposable beverage containers are known in the art. Typically, such lids are manufactured using a plastic-based material.

SUMMARY

In view of the ongoing global push for sustainable development, new and creative ways to reduce the use of materials with low rates of decomposition are in continuous demand. Plastic is an example of such an undesirable material and, as mentioned above, container lids—the use of which is abundant—are often made from plastic-based materials. The applicant has accordingly recognized a need for new and improved container lids, which in some embodiments comprise recyclable material.
The described embodiments relate to lids for containers, lid-container assemblies, and methods of manufacture for container lids.
In one broad aspect, there is provided a container lid. The container lid includes: a base; a wall extending substantially vertically from the base; and a wall support element positioned remote from the base. The lid is made with a paper-based material.
In some instances, the paper-based material may be recyclable. As well, the wall support element may comprise a helically rolled rim.
The base of the lid may include at least one aperture. The aperture or apertures may serve one or many of a variety of functions. An aperture may, for example, serve as a pouring aperture, a drinking aperture, or a venting aperture.
In some instances, the lid may be in the form of a coffee cup lid. As well, an outer wall surface of the lid may be configured to be water resistant. Additionally, the lid base may be circular in shape and may include an attachment lip to facilitate the securing of the lid base to the lid wall. The top of the lid base may be provided with various indicia. Indicia may include corporate insignia such as company logos/trademarks, tradenames or slogans, quotes, cartoon characters, photographs, written or pictorial instructions, and any other visual cue that may be desirable to have displayed or communicated to a user of the lid.
In another broad aspect, there is provided an assembly for containing a beverage. The assembly includes a container and a lid for insertion into the container. The lid includes a lid base and a lid wall extending from the lid base. When the lid is inserted into an opening of the container, a plurality of locations of an inner wall surface of the container exerts a friction fit force on a corresponding plurality of locations of an outer wall surface of the lid.
In some instances, the lid and the container may be made with a paper-based material. The lid may further comprise a wall support element positioned remote from the base.
The lid may further comprise a positioning element configured to delimit the extent of insertion of the lid into the container. Additionally, the positioning element may comprise a helically rolled rim configured to rest against the top of a container wall when the lid is fully inserted into an opening of the container. The lid wall is substantially shorter in vertical height than the container wall.
In some instances, the container may be suitable for containing a fluid. Also, the container may be in the form of a coffee cup. Further, the container may take the form of a disposable container.
The lid wall and the container wall may be substantially frusto conical proximate the plurality of corresponding inner wall and outer wall locations. Also, the base of the lid may comprise at least one aperture. One or more apertures may serve, for example, as a pouring aperture, a drinking aperture, and a venting aperture. A single aperture may provide one or a combination of such aperture functions.
The vertical height of the lid wall may be substantially shorter than the vertical height of the container wall. In some instances, the vertical height of a lid wall may be less than fifteen percent of the vertical height of the container wall.
In some instances, the lid base may be circular in shape and may include an attachment lip to facilitate the securing of the lid base to the lid wall. The top of the lid base may be provided with various indicia. Indicia may include corporate insignia such as company logos/trademarks, tradenames or slogans, quotes, cartoon characters, photographs, written or pictorial instructions, and any other visual cue that may be desirable to have displayed or communicated to a user of the lid.
In another broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lid for sealing a container. The lid includes a lid base and a lid wall extending from the base. When the lid is inserted into an opening of the container, a plurality of locations of an inner wall surface of the container exerts a friction fit force on a corresponding plurality of locations of an outer wall surface of the lid. The lid of this aspect comprises a paper-based material.
In some instances, the lid wall may further comprise an outwardly biasing lid wall element positioned remote from the lid base. Additionally, the outwardly biasing wall element may comprise a helically rolled rim.
The lid wall may be substantially frusto conical proximate the plurality of locations of the outer lid wall surface. As well, the lid may be configured to seal a disposable container. The vertical height of the lid wall is configured to be substantially shorter than the vertical height of the container wall.
In another broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a lid. The method may include providing a base for the lid. A sheet of material from which a wall for the lid can be formed may be provided. The lateral ends of the sheet may be loosely rolled and joined to form a lid wall having a frusto conical shape with a bottom opening and a top opening.
The lid base may be affixed to the lid wall near the bottom opening, thereby closing the bottom opening and creating a lid.
In some instances, the lid base may be circular in shape and may include an attachment lip to facilitate the securing of the lid base to the lid wall. The bottom surface of the lid base and the sheet of material may be treated with a water resistant coating or liner, and the top of the lid base may be provided with various indicia. Indicia may include corporate insignia such as company logos/trademarks, tradenames or slogans, quotes, cartoon characters, photographs, written or pictorial instructions, and any other visual cue that may be desirable to have displayed or communicated to a user of the lid.
The sheet of material may be in the form of an arcuate blank and the lid base and the sheet of material may be made with a paper-based material.
In another broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a second method of manufacturing a lid. The method may include providing a base for the lid. One or more indicia may be printed on the top surface of the lid.
Indicia may include corporate insignia such as company logos/trademarks, tradenames or slogans, quotes, cartoon characters, photographs, written or pictorial instructions, and any other visual cue that may be desirable to have displayed or communicated to a user of the lid.
In some instances, the bottom surface of the lid base may be treated with a water resistant liner or coating. A lid wall extending substantially vertically from the lid base may be formed, and the outside surface of the lid wall may be treated with a water resistant liner or coating. Also, a lid wall support element may be formed remote from the lid base.
These and other aspects and features of various embodiments will be described in greater detail below.

DRAWINGS

Embodiments are described in further detail below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1, in perspective view, illustrates an embodiment of a container lid according to one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2, in a front view, illustrates the container lid of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a thin slice of the lid of FIG. 1, taken orthogonal to the lid base and intersecting a centre of the lid base;

FIG. 4, in perspective view, illustrates an embodiment of a container according to another aspect of the invention;

FIG. 5, in a front view, illustrates the container lid of FIG. 1, configured for insertion with the container of FIG. 4, showing the contact surface of the lid;

FIG. 6, in a front view, illustrates the lid of FIG. 1 fully inserted into the container of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7, in perspective view, illustrates the lid of FIG. 1 fully inserted into the container of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8A illustrates the steps of a method of manufacture for a container lid;

FIG. 8B illustrates the steps of an alternate method of manufacture for a container lid; and,

FIG. 9, in front view, illustrates a possible configuration for a sheet of material used to manufacture the lid wall according to the methods illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a lid according to an embodiment of the present invention is described. The structure of the lid 10 includes a base 20 and a wall 30. In an exemplary lid depicted in the figures, the lid base 20 and the lid wall 30 are separate components. It will be appreciated, however, that the base 20 and the wall 30 need not be separate components; rather, the lid 10 can be formed as a single piece. Single piece container lids may, for example, be manufactured using commonly known molding and casting manufacturing techniques. In some instances, a lid 10 may include one or more of a wall support element 38, a positioning element 37, and an outwardly biasing wall element 39, each of which will be further discussed below.
With continuing reference to FIGS. 1-3, the base 20 may be in the form of a substantially circular sheet of material having an attachment lip 28 formed by folding the periphery of the base sheet in a generally downward direction with respect to the unfolded portion 29 of the base 20. It will be appreciated that the base 20 is not required to be substantially circular in shape. A circular base 20 may be appropriate for lids 10 meant for use with some common disposable beverage containers having substantially circular cross-sections; however, other containers of differing shapes will require lids 10 whose base 20 generally corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the container 50 (FIG. 4) close to the container's opening 55 (FIG. 4). For example, a container with a rectangular base and four walls extending from the container base to form a substantially frusto rectangular container can be paired with a lid that has a rectangular base and that is also substantially frusto rectangular in shape.
The attachment lip 28 of the base 20 can facilitate the attachment of the base 20 to the wall 30 in the case of a lid 10 with separate base 20 and wall 30 components. An attachment lip angle θ may be formed between the attachment lip 28 and the unfolded portion 29 of the base 20. The attachment lip angle θ may be slightly less than ninety degrees in order to produce a substantially frusto conical lid. The attachment lip angle θ is typically selected to be supplementary to the lid wall angle α (described in further detail below) formed between the lid base 20 and the lid wall 30 (i.e. the attachment lip angle θ and the wall angle α add up to one hundred and eighty degrees).
The lid base 20 may be provided with one or more apertures 26 of various shapes and sizes. An aperture 26 may be a drinking aperture to allow a user to drink from a container 50 (FIG. 4) without having to remove the lid 10.
The lid base 20 may also include a pouring aperture to allow a user to pour out various amounts of the contents of the container 50 (FIG. 4) without being required to remove the lid 10. A pouring aperture may be desirable when the contents of the container are to be distributed to multiple other containers (e.g. bowls or cups). Yet another type of aperture 26 is a venting aperture. A venting aperture may be useful when a container 50 (FIG. 4) is intended to carry a hot beverage and it is desirable to substantially seal the container 50 (FIG. 4) to prevent spillage and allow for the hot beverage to cool down simultaneously. It will be appreciated that the base 20 may have multiple apertures 26 all serving different functions, or alternatively may have a single aperture 26 serving several functions simultaneously.
In some instances in which a lid 10 is made with separate lid base 20 and lid wall 30 components, a lid wall 30 and a lid base 20 may be attached by folding one end of the lid wall 30 around an attachment lip 28 of the lid base 20 and bonding the two together. Once the wall 30 and the base 20 are attached, the wall 30 may extend upward and away from the base 20 forming a lid wall angle α between the lid wall 30 and the lid base 20. The lid wall angle α may be slightly greater than ninety degrees in order to produce a frusto conical lid 10. The lid wall angle α in FIGS. 2 and 3 is slightly exaggerated for demonstrative purposes in order to more clearly illustrate the frusto conical shape of some lids 10. Nevertheless, the lid wall angle α may be greater or smaller than illustrated depending on the application. The lid wall angle α is typically selected to be similar to the container wall angle μ (FIG. 6) formed between the container base 60 (FIG. 4) and the container wall 70 of the container 50 within which the lid 10 is designed to fit.
The construction of the lid 10 may have some similarities to that of the container 50. For example, a lid 10 designed to mate with a container 50 in the form of a disposable coffee cup may look somewhat similar to the coffee cup itself, only shorter. For example, the vertical height LH of the lid wall 30 is typically configured to be substantially shorter than the vertical height CH of the corresponding container wall 70 (see FIG. 6). In some instances, the vertical height LH of a lid wall 30 may be less than fifteen percent of the vertical height CH of the container wall 70 it is designed to fit within. The vertical height LH of the lid 10 may be greater or lesser than fifteen percent of the vertical height CH of the container 50.
There are also spatial advantages to designing a lid 10 with a frusto conical, frusto rectangular, or other shape with a wall angle α slightly greater than ninety degrees. Lids 10 of this construction, much like the containers 50 within which they are designed to fit, are able to fit inside one another to permit an efficient use of spatial resources when the lids 10 are required to be stored or transported from one location to another. Also, maximizing spatial efficiency may help to minimize packaging costs and packaging waste.
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a wall support element 38 can be positioned near a remote (and typically upper) end 16 of the lid wall 30. A wall support element 38 can provide structural integrity and some rigidity to a lid wall 30 proximate the remote end 16 of lid wall 30. In some instances, the wall support element 38 may be in the form of a helically rolled rim 40 formed by tightly rolling the remote end 16 of the lid wall 30 toward the lid base 20. The structure of a wall support element 38 in the form of a helically rolled rim is best illustrated in the cross-sectional slice of a lid 10 shown in FIG. 3. Tightly rolling the lid wall 30 results in an increased concentration of material within the annular rim formed by the roll. The result is a lid wall 30 with increased resistance to deformation in and around the area of the rolled rim 40.
In FIG. 3, the rim is formed by rolling the remote end 16 of the lid wall 30 outwardly toward the lid base 20. It will be appreciated that a rim could also be produced by an inward roll of the remote end 16 of the lid wall 30. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that some structural integrity and rigidity may be provided to a lid 10 at its remote end 16 by means other than providing a helically rolled rim to the lid wall 30. For example, a wall support element 38 may be formed by using a two-plied lid wall 30 whereby the two plies are offset slightly at the remote end 16 of the wall 30 and folding one ply over the other. Another example includes folding the remote end 16 of the lid wall 30 outwardly or inwardly onto itself several times to produce an accordion-like annular element surrounding the remote end 16 of the lid wall 30, and fixing the resulting accordion-like rim in a compressed position. Other ways to provide a wall support element 38 to the lid 10 may be by increasing the thickness of the lid wall 30 or by coating an annular portion of, or all of the lid wall 30 with a high strength substance. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are further ways to provide a wall support element 38 to a lid 10.
Reference is now made jointly to FIGS. 2, 4, and 6. A lid wall 30 may also include a positioning element 37. A positioning element 37 can function to delimit the extent of the insertion of a lid 10 into a container 50. A positioning element 37 may also take on the form of an outwardly helically rolled rim 40. In the case in which a positioning element 37 in the form of a helically rolled rim 40 is used and the lid 10 is fully inserted into a container 50, the positioning element 37 may rest atop a wall 70 of a container 50. Once the positioning element 37 is in contact with the top of a container wall 70, the lid 10 is physically inhibited from further insertion into the container 50. As depicted in FIG. 4, a container 50 may incorporate a helically rolled rim 78 at the upper end of the container wall 70. Consequently, in such instances, when a lid 10 is fully inserted into the container 50, the lower surface 41 (FIG. 2) of the lid's 10 positioning element 37 can rest on the upper surface 79 of the container's 50 helically rolled rim 78, as illustrated in FIG. 6. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that an outwardly helically rolled rim 40 can act as both a positioning element 37 and a wall support element 38 simultaneously. Therefore, the illustration of a wall support element 38 of FIGS. 1-3 is equally applicable to illustrate a positioning element 37. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the positioning element 37 can be a separate structural feature of a lid 10, distinct from the wall support element 38. For example, a frusto conical lid 10 may include an inwardly helically rolled rim as a wall support element 38 at the remote end 16 of the lid 10, and may also include a positioning element formed by an increased thickness of the lid wall 30 at a distance partway up the lid wall 30.
A further structural feature that may be integrated into a lid wall 30 is an outwardly biasing element 39. An outwardly biasing element 39 can help provide the outward force required from a lid 10, when inserted into a container 50, to achieve a friction fit therewith. An outwardly biasing element 39 can be located remote from the lid base 20 and may be in the form of an outwardly helically rolled rim 40. In such instances, the outwardly helically rolled rim 40 can also function as a wall support element 38 and a positioning element 37 simultaneously. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, however, that an outwardly biasing element 39, a positioning element 37, and a wall support element 38 can coexist as separate structural features of the lid 10, independent of one another. For example, a container lid 10 could, all at once, incorporate a wall support element 38 in the form of an inwardly helically rolled rim, a positioning element 37 functionally established as a result of a substantially frusto conical lid construction, and an outwardly biasing element 39 formed by coating an annular portion of the lid wall 30 with a high strength substance.
In the case in which a lid 10 is designed to mate with a container typically used to carry a beverage, it may be desirable to configure a portion of the lid 10 to be water resistant; for example, by applying a water resistant coating or liner to the appropriate portion. The application of water resistant coatings is known in the art; one example being the polyethylene or wax coating applied to the inner surface of the wall, and the upper surface of the base, of disposable paper cups. A water resistant coating or liner can function to prevent a material from absorbing liquids and losing its structural integrity, and can facilitate the storing of liquids in the case of paper cups.
A similar technique to that used to coat paper cups could be used to apply a water resistant liner to a container lid 10. However, in the case of a lid 10, it is the bottom surface 24 of the base 20 that may require waterproofing, not the top surface 22 of the base 20, as may be the case with some containers 50. As will be discussed in further detail below, a lid 10 and its mating container 50 may form a friction fit when the lid 10 is inserted into the container 50, thereby forming a seal between a plurality of locations 75 on the inner surface 73 of the container wall 70 (FIG. 4) and a corresponding plurality of locations 36 on the outer surface 34 of the lid wall 30 (FIG. 5). The corresponding plurality of locations 36 on the outer surface 34 of the lid 30 (which will be positioned directly against a container wall's inner surface 73) may make up the entire outer surface 34 of the lid wall 30, thereby arguably diminishing the need for the lid wall's 30 outer surface 34 to be treated with a water resistant coating in order to prevent absorption of liquids and maintain structural integrity of the lid 10. Nevertheless, a water resistant coating of the lid wall's 30 outer surface 34 may be used to complement the friction fit between the lid 10 and a container 50 to further secure the lid 10 within the container 50 where the substance used for the liner is slightly adhesive in nature.
As was previously mentioned, the water resistant liner can take the form of a coating of wax or polyethylene. Those skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that any hydrophobic substance that has a melting point higher than the temperature of the contents expected to be carried in the container may be used to provide the water resistant liner. Alternatively, the liner may be in the form of a separate substrate mated to the paper-based material.
In some instances, a lid 10 may be made from a paper-based material. Paper-based materials are not limited to paper as it is commonly known. Rather a paper-based material can be any material obtained by pressing together moist cellulose-based fibers obtained from wood pulp, cotton, rags, grasses, sugar cane, straw, waste paper, and other available sources of cellulose. In addition to common paper, some examples of paper-based materials include, but are not limited to paperboard, carton board, and containerboard. Paper-based disposable container lids may offer advantages over presently available plastic-based container lids commonly used with disposable beverage containers. One such potential advantage is the reduced environmental impact of paper-based materials as compared to plastic-based materials. The use of paper-based container lids as contemplated herein may help to address the growing concern regarding the use of plastic-based materials in view of the low rate of decomposition of plastic.
The paper-based material that may be used to make a lid 10 may be recyclable. Further, in some instances, the lid 10 may be made from the same paper-based material used to make the container 50 with which it is meant to be paired, thereby making the container and lid assembly recyclable as a unit. Some of the potential advantages associated with providing a disposable container lid 10 made from a paper-based material, generally, and from a material in the same recycling category as its mating container, more specifically, will now be discussed in more detail.
In view of a growing environmental concern surrounding the use of plastic-based materials due to the low decomposition rate of plastic, a paper-based disposable container lid offers the potential advantage of an alternative to the use of plastic. In addition, a lid and container combination capable of being recycled as a single unit may offer advantages that benefit not only the environment, but also users of the lid and container combination as well as recycled material processing staff.
Some advantages that may benefit the environment, the user, and the recycled material processing staff are interrelated. For example, consider less environmentally conscious consumers who do not feel compelled to expend the extra energy to separate the container lid from their disposable container merely for the sake of recycling. These users typically dispose of their lid and container combinations as a unit either into a waste receptacle or into a single recycling receptacle. Depending on their choice of receptacles, the effect of their actions is either to increase waste where this can be avoided, or to increase the amount of work for the recycling plant staff who are required to ensure non-contamination (i.e. non-mixing) of recycling mediums. Providing a lid 10 and container 50 combination that falls within one recycling category may decrease the amount of effort required of users to properly recycle lid 10 and container 50 combinations (potential advantage benefiting the user), and therefore may facilitate recycling (potential advantage benefiting the environment). It will also be appreciated that the probability of mixing recyclable materials is decreased as a result of using a container 50 and lid 10 of the same recycling family.
Another advantage of making a container lid 50 out of a paper-based material is that such materials are typically suitable for printing upon. Consequently, common printing methods may be used to print various indicia 23 on the top surface 22 of the lid base 20 (FIG. 1) for example, for advertising purposes. The endless printing possibilities may include corporate insignia such a company logos/trademarks, tradenames or slogans, quotes, cartoon characters, photographs, written or pictorial instructions, and any other visual cue that may be desirable to have displayed or communicated to a user of the lid 10.
Additionally, and in the alternative, a lid 10 may be coloured according to the colours of a particular brand or the colours associated with a particular holiday season.
The contact resulting from the insertion of a lid 10 into a container 50 is now discussed in further detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. The container 50 depicted in FIG. 4 is similar to some containers typically used to carry a hot beverage. The container 50 depicted is substantially frusto conical and has an outwardly helically rolled rim 78 as its upper most structural feature.
A lid 10 may be inserted into an opening 55 of a container 50 in order to substantially seal the container 50 making the lid and container combination substantially leak and spill resistant. When the lid 10 is inserted into the container 50 via the container opening 55, a friction fit is effected between the lid 10 and the container 50. The friction fit is maintained as a result of equal and opposite friction fit forces exerted by a plurality of locations 75 of the inner wall surface 73 of the container 50 on a corresponding plurality of locations 36 of an outer wall surface 34 of the lid 10, and vice versa. The plurality of locations 75 on the inner wall surface 73 of the container 50 that experience the friction fit force make up the cross-hatched surface illustrated in FIG. 4. Similarly, the corresponding plurality of locations 36 on the outer wall surface 34 of the lid 10 that experience the friction fit force make up the cross-hatched surface illustrated in FIG. 5. For clarity, “plurality of locations” of the inner and outer wall surface of the container and lid, respectively, will be referenced when describing the friction fit in terms of forces. Whereas lid and container “contact surfaces” will be referenced when describing the friction fit in terms of pressures.
When a lid 10 is inserted into a container 50 with a suitable amount of force, the inward and outward pressures acting at the convergence of a container contact surface 75 and a lid contact surface 36 create a friction fit thereby causing a snug fit between the lid 10 and the container 50. In other words, when a lid 10 is inserted into a container 50, the lid 10 will not move within the container 50 absent a significant force applied to the lid 10 to either push the lid 10 farther into the container 50 or to pull the lid 10 out of the container 50. A seal is therefore effectively achieved between the lid 10 and the container 50.
Once the lid 10 is snugly inserted into the container 50 opening 55, the lid 10 and container 50 define an internal storage area, shown generally as 77 (FIG. 6), in which food, beverage and other material may be stored.
In order to achieve the friction fit necessary for a lid 10 to substantially seal a container 50, a radial cross section of the lid 10 should substantially correspond to a radial cross section of the container 50 near the corresponding plurality of container inner wall locations 75 and lid outer wall locations 36. The size and shape of the lid 10 relative to the container 50 are selected in most instances to provide a snug fit of the lid 10 within the container 50. If this were not the case, a complete seal would not be established. In some instances, the lid wall 30 (FIG. 1) and the container wall 70 can be substantially frusto conical around the container contact surface 75 and the lid contact surface 36. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a lid 10 and a container 50 are not required to be frusto conical proximate the plurality of corresponding container inner wall locations 75 and lid outer wall locations 36. Desirable results may be achieved using appropriately selected shapes of lid 10 and container 50, provided the outer periphery of the lid contact surface 36 substantially matches (and is preferably slightly greater in size to ensure a snug fit) the inner periphery at the container contact surface 75.
One potential advantage of a lid 10 according to the various embodiments described herein, generally, and for use with a disposable beverage container, more specifically, is that the lids 10 may be more ergonomic than many of the lids that are currently used in the market. The lid 10 according to the various embodiments described herein may be considered an “inverted” lid in that most of the lid 10, when removably secured to a container 50, is internal to the container 50, whereas current lids on the market are typically external to the container to which they are secured. The construction of an “inverted” lid 10 and the nature of its fit within a container 50 can provide more comfort to the user when drinking by affording room to the upper lip and nose when the container 50 (and lid 10) is tipped toward a user's mouth for drinking.
With reference to the logical flow diagram of FIG. 8A, a method of manufacture (referred to generally as 100A) for a lid comprising separate base 20 and wall 30 components is now discussed. A lid base 20 may be provided at Block 110A. The lid base 20 may be provided with one or more indicia 23 printed on the top surface 22 thereof. Also, the bottom surface 24 of the lid base 20 may be treated with a water resistant coating or liner. It will be appreciated that the optional steps of printing indicia 23 on a top surface 22 of the lid base 20 and applying a water resistant coating or liner to a bottom surface 24 of the lid base 20 can be performed before or after the assembly of the components of the lid 10. However, to streamline the manufacturing process, it may be desirable for the printing and coating steps to be performed prior to the assembly of the components of the lid 10.
At Block 120A of the method 100, a substantially arcuate sheet of material to be used as a lid wall 30 is provided. Reference is made briefly to FIG. 9, which shows a sheet of material 80 in a flattened position. The sheet of material 80 may have two laterally opposed side edges 83 connected by an arced top edge 85 and an arced bottom edge 87, giving sheet of material 80 an arcuate periphery while in a flattened position. It will be appreciated that multiple sheets of material may be combined to form the sheet of material 80 that will eventually be rolled or folded for use as the lid wall 30, and that arcuate sheets of material may not be appropriate for the formation of all lid walls 30. The use of multiple sheets of material to produce the sheet to eventually be folded for use as a container wall 70 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,252,360. It will further be appreciated that the method of manufacture for a lid according to the various embodiments described in the foregoing discussion can be similar in some respect to common methods of manufacture for disposable paper cups, thereby potentially allowing for substantially the same machinery that is used to manufacture some containers 50 to be used, with some modification, to manufacture lids 10.
As with the bottom surface 24 of the lid base 20, a sheet of material 80 may be provided wherein one or both of its surfaces may be pre-treated with a water resistant coating or liner. Alternatively, a subsequent water resistant treatment step may be performed.
At Block 130A, the substantially arcuate sheet of material 80 is loosely rolled and the laterally opposed side edges 83 of the sheet 80 are joined. The side edges 83 may be joined using common bonding techniques such as adhesive, chemical, mechanical and others known in the art. A lid wall 30 with a bottom opening and a top opening can be produced as a result of completion of Block 130A. In some instances (particularly where the container opening 55 that a lid 10 may be designed to fit snuggly within is substantially frusto conical in shape), the lid wall 30 produced at step 130A of the method 100A may have a substantially frusto conical shape.
At Block 140A of the method 100A, a lid 10 may be formed by affixing the lid base 20 to the lid wall 30 at a bottom portion (or end) of the lid wall 30. The bottom end of the lid wall 30 may coincide with the bottom opening of the lid wall 30. The attachment may entail folding a bottom end of the lid wall 30 inward and around an attachment lip 28 formed around a contour of the lid base 20 (see FIG. 3). A skilled person in the art will appreciate that the lid wall 30 may be secured to the attachment lip 28 of the lid base 20 using other common known attachment methods including but not limited to adhesives, mechanical bonds, and chemical bonds. It will further be appreciated that the lid wall 30 may be secured to the lid base 20 without the use of an attachment lip 28. For example, a lid base 20 with a sufficient thickness base be directly adhered or bonded to the inside surface 32 of the lid wall 30. Another way to attach the lid wall 30 to the lid base 20 may be to fold a contour of the lid wall 30 near its bottom opening radially inward and bond it to the bottom surface 24 of the lid base 20.
With reference to the logical flow diagram of FIG. 8B, an alternate method of manufacture (referred to generally as 100B) for a lid 10 is now discussed. In some instances a lid base 20 may be provided at Block 110B. At Block 150B, one or more indicia 23 may be printed on the top surface 22 of the lid base 20. Indicia 23 may include corporate insignia such as company logos/trademarks, tradenames or slogans, quotes, cartoon characters, photographs, written or pictorial instructions, and any other visual cue that may be desirable to have displayed or communicated to a user of the lid.
At Block 160B, the bottom surface 24 of the lid base 20 may be treated with a water resistant liner or coating. The water resistant liner or coating may be in the form of a wax or polyethylene, or may be an alternate hydrophobic substance that has a melting point higher than the temperature of the contents expected to be carried in the container.
At Block 170B, a lid wall 30 may be formed to extend substantially vertically from the lid base 20. Forming the lid wall 30 may require attaching a separate lid wall 30 component to the lid base 20, or in the alternative, the lid base 20 and the lid wall 30 may be a single piece, and forming the lid wall 30 may require a manipulation of a portion of the single piece in order to appropriately orient the lid wall 30 portion of the single piece with respect to the lid base 20 portion of the single piece.
At Block 180B, the outside surface of the lid wall may be treated with a water resistant liner or coating. Once again, the water resistant liner or coating may be in the form of a wax or polyethylene, or may be an alternate hydrophobic substance that has a melting point higher than the temperature of the contents expected to be carried in the container.
A wall support element 38 may be formed remote from the lid base 20 at Block 190B. The wall support element 38 may be formed by rolling the remote end of the lid wall 30 outwardly or inwardly towards the lid base 20, or by other means described herein (at paragraph 43).
The steps of a method in accordance with any of the embodiments described herein may not be required to be performed in any particular order, whether or not such steps are described in the claims or otherwise in numbered or lettered paragraphs.
The invention has been described with regard to a number of embodiments. However, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

Claims

1. A container lid comprising:

a) a base;

b) a wall extending substantially vertically from the base;

c) a wall support element positioned remote from the base; and

d) wherein the lid comprises a paper-based material.

2. The lid of claim 1, wherein the paper-based material is recyclable.

3. The lid of claim 1, wherein the wall support element comprises a helically rolled rim.

4. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid base comprises at least one aperture.

5. The lid of claim 1, wherein an outer wall surface comprises a water resistant lining.

6. The lid of claim 1, wherein the lid comprises a coffee cup lid.

7. The lid of claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the base comprises one or more indicia.

8. An assembly for containing a beverage comprising:

a) a container;

b) a lid for insertion into the container, wherein the lid comprises:

i) a lid base; and

ii) a lid wall extending from the lid base; and

c) wherein when the lid is inserted into an opening of the container, a plurality of locations of an inner wall surface of the container exerts a friction fit force on a corresponding plurality of locations of an outer wall surface of the lid.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the lid and the container comprise a paper-based material.

10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the lid further comprises a wall support element positioned remote from the base.

11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the lid further comprises a positioning element configured to delimit the extent of insertion of the lid into the container.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the positioning element comprises a helically rolled rim, said rim configured to rest against a top of a container wall when the lid is fully inserted into an opening of the container.

13. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the container comprises a coffee cup.

14. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the container comprises a disposable container.

15. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the lid wall and the container wall are substantially frusto conical proximate the plurality of corresponding inner wall and outer wall locations.

16. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the lid base comprises at least one aperture.

17. A lid for sealing a container, said lid comprising:

a) a lid base;

b) a lid wall extending from the lid base;

c) wherein when the lid is inserted into an opening of the container, a plurality of locations of an inner wall surface of the container exerts a friction fit force on a corresponding plurality of locations of an outer wall surface of the lid; and

d) wherein the lid comprises a paper-based material.

18. The lid of claim 17, wherein the lid wall further comprises an outwardly biasing lid wall element positioned remote from the lid base.

19. The lid of claim 18, wherein the outwardly biasing element comprises a helically rolled rim.

20. The lid of claim 17, wherein the lid is configured to substantially seal a disposable container.