COFFEE CUP AND CONTAINER

TASSE ET BOISSON CONCENTREE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A coffee cup and container for a beverage concentrate comprises
an expendible cup and a plastic film liner therefor positioning
the beverage concentrate between the liner and the cup bottom. The
liner overlaps the rim of the cup so as to cover the outer surfaces
of the cup adjacent the rim detachably thereto so as to form a con-
venient easily handled section enabling the protective cover and
the liner to be removed when the beverage concentrate is to be used
as by adding water thereto. This invention is distinguishable from
others by reason of the arrangement of the plastic film liner enclosing
the beverage concentrate within the cup and at the same time covering
the outer surfaces of the cup to keep them germ free.
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Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
Claims
(1) The combination of a beverage cup for dispensing a single
portion of a beverage from a beverage concentrate contained within
the cup, said cup comprising a drinking receptacle having a bottom
and side walls with said side walls defining a rim, the bottom
and lowermost portion of said walls defining an area for said beverage
concentrate; and a section of an impervious very thin flexible film
removably positioned inside the cup and detachably secured only to
the outer surface of the cup side walls adjacent the rim of the cup
to extend over the rim and down the outer side walls of said cup
in an overlapping manner to cover all of the outer surface of the
side wall adjacent the rim, said liner being spaced from the drinking
receptacle bottom and defining a chamber enclosing
said beverage concentrate between said film and the bottom and lower
side walls of said cup, that portion of the liner
overlapping the rim normally covering all of the surfaces
of the outer side walls of said cup against which a person's lips
are engaged when drinking from said cup to maintain such surfaces
germ free and sterilized, said film contacting the inner surface
of said cup walls in a non-adhering manner so said film can be
removed prior to activating said beverage concentrate.
(2) The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the film is
a plastic film that is heat sealable to said cup.
(3) The combination set forth in claim 1 and wherein the cup
is cone-shaped and the beverage concentrate is positioned in the
apex of the cone and the film is spaced with respect to said apex
to accommodate said beverage concentrate.
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(4) The combination set forth in claim 1 and wherein small
openings are formed in the bottom thereof to facilitate vacuum
forming said film section in said cup enclosing said concentrate
and closure means is positioned under said openings.
(5) The combination set forth in claim 4 and wherein said
closure means comprises an impervious film applied as a fast drying
liquid.
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Description

Background of the Inventi ~ 8 7 1 3
(1) Field of the Invention:
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This invention relates to expendible cups wherein a beverage
concentrate such as an instant coffee product is packaged by a
closure.
(2) Description of the Prior Art:
Prior articles of this type have employed cup-like containers
and various means for retaining a beverage concentrate therein.
See for example U.S. Patent 1,336,839 of Jan. 25, 1921 to H.
Schnackenbe!g wherein wax discs form first and second bottoms therein
with the concentrate therebetween.
This invention eliminates the discs, false bottoms and multiple
part cups of the prior art and provides a simple, less expensive
single use cup and container for a beverage concentrate.
Summary of the Inventi_on
A coffee cup and container for a beverage concentrate comprises
an expendible single use cup with a plastic film liner overlapping
the rim of the cup and secured thereto to locate the beverage
concentrate in the cup under the liner in a suitable package formed
by the cup and liner.
Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical section through an expendible cup
embodying the present invention;
Figure 2 is a vertical section through a flat foldable paper
cup illustrating a modification of the ;nvention; and
Figure 3 is a vertical section through a single use cup embodying
- the invention and illustrating a further modification thereof.
2~ Description of the Preferred Embodiment
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In its simplest form the coffee cup and container for a beverage
concentrate of this invention may be seen in Figure l of the drawings
where it is comprised of an expendible cup lO such as may be formed
of expanded polystyrene or the like as a single integral molded
art:icle including a circular side wall ll, a bottom 12 and a rim 13.
A section 14 of a very then flexible film such as polyethylene or
the like, incapable of self support or shape retention is positioned
in the cup lO with its outermost portions 15 overlying the rim 14
of the cup and extending over the outer surface of the rim 13 of the
cup lO so as to cover the surface of the cup lO against which a
person's lips are engaged when drinking from said cup. The inner-
; most or bottom portion of the film 14 is spaced with respect to the
bottom 12 of the cup 10 by a beverage concentrate or the like such
as instant coffee 16.
Those skilled in the art will observe that the expendible cup
; lO may be easily and inexpensively formed on existing machinery
.~ and the film 14, for example a film having a thickness of one mil
may be quickly and ecomonically assembled into the cup lO following
the addition of the beverage concentrate 16. The outermost portions
15 of the fiIm 14 may be simultaneously shaped and attached to the
outer surface of the cup lO as by heat sealing or the like.
: It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the
cup may take any desired shape and that the beverage concentrate
may comprise any such concentrate including soft drinks or the like
as well as soups and cereals and other food products which become
usable attractive articles of consumption upon being mixed with
hot or cold water, milk or other liquid.
28 Measured dosages of medicines may be packed in the place of

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the beverage concentrate.
By referring now to Figure 2 of the drawings, one such change
is illustrated wherein a cone-shaped paper cup 17 which may be thin
walled plastic or the like, is ;llustrated with a similarly sized
and shaped film section 18 disposed therein. The outermost portion
19 of the film 18 is extended over the rim 20 of the cup 17 so as
to cover the surfaces of the cup 17 against which a person's lips
are engaged when drinking frDm said cup. The film is detachably
secured to the cup 17. The innermost or bottom portion 21 of the
film 18 is spaced with respect to the cone-shaped bottom 22 of the
cup 17 to cage a tablet 23. The tablet 23 may comprise an aspirin
tablet, analgesic tablet or any other medicine.
In order to make a cup of coffee from the concentrate 16
illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings and heretofore described,
the outermost portion 15 of the film 14 is detached from its engage-
ment with the cup 10 and the film 14 lifted out of the cup 10
completely whereupon boiling water may be added to the instant
coffee concentrate 16. A similar action exposes the tablet 23 in
the cone-shaped bottom 22 of Figure 2 of the drawings.
In Figure 3 of the drawings a further modification is illustrated
wherein a single use cup 24 such as may be formed of expanded
polystyrene or the like, has a circular side wall 25, a bottom 26,
a rim 27 and a plurality of apertures 28 are formed in the bottom 26.
A beverage concentrate 29 is placed in the cup 24, the beverage
concentrate 29 is of a size so that it cannot pass through the
apertures 28. A section of film 30 formed of a very thin flexible
material such as polyethylene or the like is positioned in the cup 24.
28 An outermost portion 31 of the film 30 overlies the rim 27 of the
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cup and extends downwardly over the rim 27 and over a portion of
the circular wall 25. The film 30 is then vacuum formed into and
against the circular side wall 25 and down against the beverage
concentrate 29 by a vacuum device as known in the art. The cup 24
is then dipped into a fast drying film forming liquid forming a seal
31 permanently closing the apertures 2~.
It will thus be seen that a coffee cup and container for a
beverage concentrate or the like has been disclosed which is readily
adaptable to various forms of single use cups and the like including
the expanded polystyrene cups illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the
drawings and the paper or thin walled plastic cup of Figure 2 of
the drawings. The cup of the invention is germ free, sterilized
at the time of manufacture. Additionally the cup in Figure 2 can
be one of the cups which is packaged in flattened shape and is
opened into its cup-shape at the time of use whereupon the plastic
liner would be removed to expose the tablet or the like.
Although but three embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein
~0 without departing from the spirit of the invention and having thus
described my invention what I claim is.