GB2172880A - Lid - Google Patents

Abstract

A lid for a food or drink cup has a flat transparent top (1) and a depending skirt (2) having a curved portion (3) immediately under the lid defining a groove (5) for the rim (14) of a container. The skirt is provided with means for preventing a stack of lids from jamming together, comprising a neck (4) in the side wall which in turn defines the groove (5). An additional stacking shoulder (11) is provided in a lower part of the skirt (2). The cup may be closed by a foil (15) bearing descriptive matter which is visible through the transparent lid. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Lid This invention relates to a lid for a food or drink cup or other container and one object is to provide a lid which can be readily stacked with a number of similar lids prior to being fitted over a cup in a manner so as to be easily removed from the stack.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lid of a design such that it adds only a very small amount to the height of the cup without the lid.

According to the invention a lid has a top and a depending peripheral skirt and has any one or more of the following features taken alone or in any combination.

There may be stacking means in the skirt for preventing two lids in a stack jamming together The skirt of the lid may have a reverse tapered portion or neck leading to a stacking shoulder so that the underside of the stacking shoulder on an upper lid can stack on the edge of the top of a lower lid on which it is stacked.

The top of the lid may be flat. The top may be of transparent material so that printing on the cover of the contents of the cup can be read through it. In general the height of the lid including the skirt will be small compared with its cross-sectional dimensions.

The ratio might be 5:1 or 10:1.

The lid may be formed with a groove for the rim of the container which groove is immediately under the top of the lid.

There may be a lower part of the skirt below the shoulder for ease in handling.

The lid may be moulded from sheet plastics material.

The invention includes a lid as defined in combination with a cup, with the rim of the cup fitting in a groove immediately under the top of the lid. The cup may have a foil or the equivalent covering its contents and bearing descriptive matterwhich can be read through the closely fitting transparent lid top above it.

The invention may be put into practice in various ways, but one stackable lid according to the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stackable lid; Figure2 is an enlarged partial view in section of two of the lids of Figure 1 stacked together; and Figure 3 is an elevation of the lid of Figure 1.

A generally circular lid moulded from thin sheet transparent polystyrene has a flat top 1 and a depending rim or skirt 2. The skirt first extends downwardly at Figure 2, and then curves radially inwardly and out again as shown at a neck 4 to define a groove 5 immediately below the flat top 1 for engaging the rim of the cup it is to be fitted over.

Below the neck 4there is a generally horizontal or slightly downwardly inclined stacking shoulder 6.

Below the shoulder 6 the skirt first extends downwardly and outwardiy at an angle of about 5" to the vertical as shown at 7, and then turns up and outward as shown at 8, where there is an upward, outward flange 10.

There is a circumferential ring of spaced fillets 10 extending vertically to bridge the neck 4. They extend slightly outwardly radially, but not as far as the top diameter of the portion 7 of the skirt.

There is a ring of egg ht eight circumferentially-spaced outward protuberances 11 in the bottom of the portion 7 of the skirt, and they define a ring of stacking shoulders 12.

Figure 2 shows how the lids can be stacked together before they are fitted to their cups, with the underside of the shoulder 6 on an upper lid sitting on the top 1 of the next lower lid and the curved rim 13 at the bottom of the skirt 2 sitting on the shoulder 12 to prevent the lids jamming together. The groove 5 is immediately below the top of the cup (indicated at 14) so that a foil 15 covering the cup and carrying printed matter describing the contents is in contact with the top 1 of the lid and can be read through it.

The lid only increases the height of the cup by the thickness of the top 1 - say 0.25 mm since the stacking devices 6 and 11 for use before the lids are applied to the cups are in the depending skirt 2.

1. A lid for a food or drink cup or other container, which lid has a top and a depending peripheral skirt, which skirt includes stacking means for preventing two lids in a stack jamming together.

2. A lid as claimed in Claim 1 in which the skirt has a reverse tapered portion or neck leading to a stacking shoulder so that the underside of the stacking shoulder on an upper lid can stack on the edge of the top of the lower lid on which it is stacked.

3. A lid as claimed in either of the preceding claims formed with a groove for the rim of the container on which the lid is to be fitted, which groove is immediately under the top of the lid.

4. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the top is flat.

5. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the top is of transparent material.

6. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the height of the lid including the skirt is small compared with its cross-sectional dimensions.

7. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the skirt has a lower part below the stacking means for ease in handling.

8. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims moulded from sheet plastics material.

9. A lid for a cup or other container constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A lid in combination with a cup with the rim of the cup fitting in a groove immediately under the top of the lid.

11. A combination of a cup and lid as claimed in Claim 10 in which the cup has a foil covering its contents and bearing descriptive matter which can be read through the lid top.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (11)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Lid This invention relates to a lid for a food or drink cup or other container and one object is to provide a lid which can be readily stacked with a number of similar lids prior to being fitted over a cup in a manner so as to be easily removed from the stack. Another object of the invention is to provide a lid of a design such that it adds only a very small amount to the height of the cup without the lid. According to the invention a lid has a top and a depending peripheral skirt and has any one or more of the following features taken alone or in any combination. There may be stacking means in the skirt for preventing two lids in a stack jamming together The skirt of the lid may have a reverse tapered portion or neck leading to a stacking shoulder so that the underside of the stacking shoulder on an upper lid can stack on the edge of the top of a lower lid on which it is stacked. The top of the lid may be flat. The top may be of transparent material so that printing on the cover of the contents of the cup can be read through it. In general the height of the lid including the skirt will be small compared with its cross-sectional dimensions. The ratio might be 5:1 or 10:1. The lid may be formed with a groove for the rim of the container which groove is immediately under the top of the lid. There may be a lower part of the skirt below the shoulder for ease in handling. The lid may be moulded from sheet plastics material. The invention includes a lid as defined in combination with a cup, with the rim of the cup fitting in a groove immediately under the top of the lid. The cup may have a foil or the equivalent covering its contents and bearing descriptive matterwhich can be read through the closely fitting transparent lid top above it. The invention may be put into practice in various ways, but one stackable lid according to the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stackable lid; Figure2 is an enlarged partial view in section of two of the lids of Figure 1 stacked together; and Figure 3 is an elevation of the lid of Figure 1. A generally circular lid moulded from thin sheet transparent polystyrene has a flat top 1 and a depending rim or skirt 2. The skirt first extends downwardly at Figure 2, and then curves radially inwardly and out again as shown at a neck 4 to define a groove 5 immediately below the flat top 1 for engaging the rim of the cup it is to be fitted over. Below the neck 4there is a generally horizontal or slightly downwardly inclined stacking shoulder 6. Below the shoulder 6 the skirt first extends downwardly and outwardiy at an angle of about 5" to the vertical as shown at 7, and then turns up and outward as shown at 8, where there is an upward, outward flange 10. There is a circumferential ring of spaced fillets 10 extending vertically to bridge the neck 4. They extend slightly outwardly radially, but not as far as the top diameter of the portion 7 of the skirt. There is a ring of egg ht eight circumferentially-spaced outward protuberances 11 in the bottom of the portion 7 of the skirt, and they define a ring of stacking shoulders 12. Figure 2 shows how the lids can be stacked together before they are fitted to their cups, with the underside of the shoulder 6 on an upper lid sitting on the top 1 of the next lower lid and the curved rim 13 at the bottom of the skirt 2 sitting on the shoulder 12 to prevent the lids jamming together. The groove 5 is immediately below the top of the cup (indicated at 14) so that a foil 15 covering the cup and carrying printed matter describing the contents is in contact with the top 1 of the lid and can be read through it. The lid only increases the height of the cup by the thickness of the top 1 - say 0.25 mm since the stacking devices 6 and 11 for use before the lids are applied to the cups are in the depending skirt 2. CLAIMS

1. A lid for a food or drink cup or other container, which lid has a top and a depending peripheral skirt, which skirt includes stacking means for preventing two lids in a stack jamming together.

2. A lid as claimed in Claim 1 in which the skirt has a reverse tapered portion or neck leading to a stacking shoulder so that the underside of the stacking shoulder on an upper lid can stack on the edge of the top of the lower lid on which it is stacked.

3. A lid as claimed in either of the preceding claims formed with a groove for the rim of the container on which the lid is to be fitted, which groove is immediately under the top of the lid.

4. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the top is flat.

5. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the top is of transparent material.

6. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the height of the lid including the skirt is small compared with its cross-sectional dimensions.

7. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the skirt has a lower part below the stacking means for ease in handling.

8. A lid as claimed in any of the preceding claims moulded from sheet plastics material.

9. A lid for a cup or other container constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A lid in combination with a cup with the rim of the cup fitting in a groove immediately under the top of the lid.

11. A combination of a cup and lid as claimed in Claim 10 in which the cup has a foil covering its contents and bearing descriptive matter which can be read through the lid top.