Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~4S~3A
BEVERAGE CUP COVER
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to drinking
containers for beverages and more particularly to a
specially constructed cover for a beverage cup.
Background of the Invention
Many beverages sold today at amusement parks, by
street vendors and in drugstores utilize crushed ice
in combination with other ingredients providing a flavor-
ful drink. In other instances, the beverage might include
soda water, sparkling water, or equivalent fizzy mediums
which cause generation of foam or a "head". Often when
a beverage is rapidly mixed, a foamy type "head" wlll
develop.
While such "foamy heads" are fairly cohesive,
where crushed ice forms a part of the foamy beverage,
the substance will invariably spill over the rim of the
cup. It is difficult to control this spillage since the
foaming action continues to occur even after the pouring
of the beverage ln the cup has stopped.
It would be very helpful if some means were
available to inhibit such spillage of a beverage over
the cup rim without appreciably adding to the cost of
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the beverage and without detracting from the overall
appetizing appearance of the beverage in question.
Brief Description of the Present Invention
With the foregoing in mind, the present invention
contemplates the provision of a beverage cup cover which
solves the foregoing problems.
More particularly, in its broadest aspect, the
cover has a top opening of lesser size than the top of
the cup so that a beverage received in the cup is prevent-
ed from spilling over the top rim of the cup. This top
opening however, is sufficiently large that a straw can
be easily inserted through the opening to permit a person
to drink the beverage without having to remove the cover.
In the preferred embodiment, the cover is hemis-
pherically shaped so as to permit foaming up action and
ls transparent so that the aesthetic appearance of the
drink is not materially impaired.
Brief Description of the DraWinRs
A better understanding of this inventlon wlll be
had by now referring to the accompanyLng drawingD in
which7
FIGURE 1 is a perspective exploded view of the
beverage cup cover of this invention preparatory to being
inserted on the top of a beverage cup;
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FIGURE 2 ls another perspective view of the cup
and cover of FIGURE 1 assembled together preparatory to
receiving a beverage; and,
FIGURE 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary cross
section taken in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of
FIGURE 2.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring first to FIGURE 1, there is shown a
beverage cup 10 and a cover 11 exploded away therefrom
and constructed in accord with the present invention.
The cup 10 itself includes an integrally formed
bead 12 extending radially beyond the top rim 13 of the
cup wall to define an annular underledge 14. The signi-
ficance of this underledge will become apparent as the
description proceeds.
Referring to the cover 11, this cover is pre-
ferably of ~emispherical shape and made of transparent
plastic material. It includes a top opening 15 having
a diameter less than ~ the diameter of the cup opening
at the rim 13 of the cup shown, The diameter of this
small opening is designated by the letter d while the
cup opening diameter is designated by the letter D in
FIGURE 1.
The base of the hemispherically shaped cover 11
in turn, flares radially outwardly as indicated at 16
to define an annular surface 17 for seating on the
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top edge of the cup opening. This outwardly flaring
portion of the base of the cup thence turns downwardly
to define a skirt 18 dimensioned to overlie the bead 12
of the cup 10.
Referring particularly to FIGURE 2, it will be
noted that the side wall of the skirt has a series of
uniformly circumferentially spaced inward radially direct-
ed indentations l9 over 360. These indentations define
upwardly facing segments 20 for engaging the annular
underledge 14 of the cup bead 12 upon forcing the cover
skirt over the annular bead to deform the indentations
until they snap over the bead and the referred to upward-
ly facing segments 20 are free to engage under the annular
underledge 14 upon return of the indentations to their
original form.
The foregoing action can best be vLsualized by
referring to FIGURE 3 which shows the initial deformation
of the indentations such as the lndentatlon 19 by the
phantom or dotted line posltion as the cup cover ls
being positioned over the bead 12 of the cup. When the
upwardly facing segments 20 pass over the bead 12, then
the indentations 19 can return to their orlginal form
and the cover is held secure on the cup. It will be
appreciated that where the cup comprises a thin plastic
material, the deformations described can readily take
place and there results a "snapping" type action to
assure a user that the cup cover 11 is securely seated
on the top of the cup 10.
12~51~34L
Referring back to EIGU~E 2, there is indicated
schematically at 21 a fill tube for dispensing a beverage
directly through the top opening 15 of the cover into
the cup. The beverage from the dispenser 21 might include
a slurry of crushed ice with flavoring; different combina-
tions of syrups, soda water, and the like, all of which
can result in a foamy head on the beverage as the cup is
being filled.
It will be appreciated from FIGURE 2 that the
cover 11 will permit upward foaming because of the hemis-
pherical shape and yet prevent spillage over the rim of
the cup.
The top opening 15 is sized to easily receive a
drinking straw shown at 22 so that a user can drink from
the cup without having to remove the cover 11.
From all of the foregoing, it will be evident
that the present inventLon has provided a unique and
useful beverage cup cover which will prevent spillage of
foamy type drinks without detracting from the overall
aesthetic appearance.
In the preferred embodiment, as described, the
hemispherically shaped cover is made of plastic and
can easily be economically manufactured and thus consti-
tute a disposable item along with the cup itself when a
person has finished drinking,
Changes falling within the scope and spirlt of
this invention will occur to those skilled in the art.
The beverage cup cover is therefore not to be thought of
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as limited to the exact e~bodiment set forth merely
for illustrative purposes.
