CUP-HOLDER

PORTE-TASSE

English Abstract

The cup-holder is provided with a number of cells for
receipt of a cup. Each cell has a side limit which diverges
upwardly and is defined by inter-connected alternatively
inwardly and outwardly curved walls. The inwardly curved wall is
formed of flexible material which deforms resiliently
outwardly as the cup is inserted into the cell to frictionally
secure the cup therein. Each inwardly curved wall has a
continuous inner surface free of any openings therein save and
except for a slit formed adjacent to its intersection with the
lower wall and, optionally, a vertically-extending line of
weakness. The line of weakness is formed by a cut into but not
through the latter said wall. The slit and line of weakness
are provided to facilitate deformation of the curved wall.

French Abstract

Support à gobelets comportant plusieurs cellules pour recevoir des gobelets. Chaque cellule a un bord divergeant vers le haut et est définie par des parois reliées entre elles et incurvées alternativement vers l'intérieur et vers l'extérieur. La paroi incurvée vers l'intérieur est formée d'un matériau souple qui se déforme élastiquement quand on insère le gobelet dans la cellule pour qu'il y soit retenu par frottement. Chaque paroi incurvée vers l'intérieur a une surface intérieure continue sans ouverture, à l'exception d'une fente adjacente à son intersection avec la paroi inférieure et, optionnellement, une ligne de faiblesse s'étendant verticalement. La ligne de faiblesse est formée par découpe partielle et non traversante dans la paroi latérale. La fente et la ligne de faiblesse visent à faciliter la déformation de la paroi incurvée.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A cup-holder including: a cell for receipt of a cup and
having a lower limit, a side limit which diverges upwardly
from the lower limit and terminates at an upper wall, the side
limit being defined by interconnected alternatively inwardly
and outwardly curved walls, each outwardly curved wall
extending between a pair of inwardly curved walls, each latter wall
being formed of flexible material which deforms resiliently
outwardly as the cup is inserted into the cell to frictionally
secure the cup therein, each said inwardly curved wall having
a continuous surface free of any openings therein save and
except for a slit formed adjacent to its intersection with the
lower wall, said slit facilitating such deformation.
2. The cup-holder as claimed in claim 1 further including a
line of weakness formed in each said inwardly extending wall,
said line extending into but not through the latter said wall.
3. The cup-holder as claimed in claim 2 wherein each said
line of weakness coincides with the intersection of said
inwardly extending wall with an adjacent said outwardly curved
walls.

4. The cup-holder as claimed in claim 2 wherein a plurality
of said lines of weakness are formed in each said inwardly
extending wall, one said line coinciding with the intersection
of said inwardly extending wall with an adjacent said
outwardly curved walls and a second said line lying on said
inwardly extending wall midway between the intersection of
said latter wall and the adjacent outwardly extending walls.
5. The cup holder as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4
where said line of weakness extends upwardly from said slit
and terminates at said upper wall.

Description

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to holders for cups and more part-
icularly to cup-holders which nest with like cup-holders and
which have provision for frictionally engaging one or more
cups therein.
Beverages sold at fast food outlets are usually served in
disposable plastic or wax-coated paper cups. Cup-holders are
provided if the beverages are to be consumed off the premises.
The cup-holders allow a number of cups, usually four, to be
carried by one person. They also stabilize the cups when they
are resting on a table to lessen the possibility of spillage.
Cup-holders are usually composed of moulded paper pulp or
plastic having openings for the cups. The openings are usually
referred to as "cells" and they are provided with inwardly
extending protrusions which press into contact with the side
walls of the cups. The protrusions may be in the form of
flaps, beads or rings and they act to prevent the cups from
rocking or wobbling in the cells when the cup-holders are
being carried.
Cup-holders are designed to nest together to facilitate
transportation and storage. A shortcoming of many known cup-
holders is that they do not nest very well. When the cup-
holders are stacked, the outer walls of the cells of one

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holder fit into the openings of the cells of the holder
immediately beneath it but the protrusions in the cells of the
lower holder may engage the outer cell walls of the upper
holder and impede the two holders from being separated.
Other known cup-holders have openings or "windows" formed
in the walls of their cells. The windows are provided to
weaken the walls so that they flex outwardly when cups are
inserted into the cells. Windows have several disadvantages.
First their edges, particularly their lower edges, tend to
catch the edges of the windows of adjacent cup-holders in a
stack and interfere with the separation of the cup-holders.
Secondly such windows tend to impede the manufacture of the
cup-holders. Cup-holders are formed by drawing paper pulp or
plastic against the walls of a mould by means of heat and a
vacuum. Any windows in the holders tend to cause a loss or an
undesirable reduction in the pressure and hence impede the
forming process. In general, the fewer the openings in the
cup-holders during manufacture the better their "formability"
or ease of manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the subject invention, selected areas of the
walls of the cells frictionally engage the side walls of the
cups. The cells lack flaps, beads, rings or windows and are to

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be contrasted with conventional cup-holders in this respect.
The walls of the cells of the subject cup-holder are not
damaged when the cup-holders are separated from each other in
a stack unlike the flaps, beads, rings or windows of con-
ventional cup-holders.
The cup-holder of the subject invention includes a cell
for receipt of a cup. The cell has a lower limit, a side limit
which diverges upwardly from the lower limit and terminates at
an upper wall. The side limit of the cell is defined by inter-
connected alternatively inwardly and outwardly curved walls.
Each outwardly curved wall extends between a pair of inwardly
curved walls and each latter wall preferably has the shape of
a wall of a truncated cone. The outwardly curved wall is form-
ed of flexible material which deforms resiliently outwardly as
the cup is inserted into the cell to frictionally secure the
cup therein. Each inwardly curved wall has a continuous inner
surface free of any openings therein save and except for a
slit formed adjacent to its intersection with the lower wall.
The slit is provided to facilitate deformation of the curved
wall.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The cup-holder of the invention is described with refer-
ence to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cup-holder;

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Figure 2 is an elevation of the cup-holder;
Figure 3 is a plan view of the cup-holder.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of
the cup-holder; and
Figure 5 is an elevation of the cup-holder illustrated in
Figure 4.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout
the description of the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to Figures 1 to 3, the cup-holder, gen-
erally 10, is in the form of a cellular tray having four cells
generally 12 14, 16 and 18. Each cell receives a separate
cup. Since the cells are of identical shape, only one 12 will
be described in detail.
Cell 12 has a lower limit 20 and a side limit, generally
22, which diverges upwardly from the lower limit. The side
limit terminates at an upper wall 24.
The lower limit is flat while the side limit is defined
by interconnected alternatively inwardly and outwardly curved
walls 26, 28 respectively. As illustrated each outwardly cur-
ved wall 28 extends between a pair of inwardly curved walls.
Each inwardly curved wall 26 has the shape of a portion
of a cone. With reference to Figure 2 cone 26a is truncated by

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an imaginary plane 30-30 and cone 26b is truncated by plane
32-32. The latter plane is oriented at right angles to the
plane of the sheet on which Figure 2 appears so that only its
edge is visible in the Figure. As illustrated plane 30-30
diverges downwardly from the axis 34-34 of cone 26a.
With reference to Figure 1 a slit 40 is formed in each
inwardly curved wall adjacent to its intersection with lower
limit 20. The slit extends between the two outwardly curved
walls 28a, b at opposite sides of the inwardly curved wall.
The slit extends from the inner surface of the curved wall to
its outer surface 41.
Each inwardly curved wall has a continuous uninterrupted
surface free of any openings therein save and except for the
slit.
With reference to Figures 1 and 3, a groove 50 extends
between adjacent cells in the upper wall 24. A dome 52 is
disposed at the top of each inwardly curved wall in the in-
terior of the cup-holder and an elongated dome 54 is disposed
at the top of each inwardly curved wall at the periphery of
the cup-holder. A ridge 56 is disposed along the outer edge of
the cup-holder.
At the centre of the cup-holder a downwardly extending
hemispherical bowl 60 is formed. The bowl is within a gen-
erally rectangular ridge 62 having inwardly curved walls 64.

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With reference to Figures 4 and 5, the illustrated cup-
holder differs from the cup-holder described above in that
three lines of weakness 70, 72 and 74 are formed in each out-
wardly curved wall 76 of the cells. The lines are formed by
scoring or cutting a narrow groove into the inner surface of
the cell wall. The grooves extend into the cell wall but do
not penetrate through to the outer surface of the wall.
Lines 70 and 74 coincide with the line of intersection of
the outwardly curved wall 76 with the adjacent inwardly curved
walls 78, 80 while line 72 lies midway between lines 70, 74.
Each line extends from slit 84 formed at the lower edge of
wall 76 and terminates at the upper wall 86 of the dome.
The lines of weakness serve to facilitate the outward
flexure of the cell walls when a cup is inserted into the
cells.
It will be understood of course that modifications can be
made in the preferred embodiment illustrated and described
herein without departing from the scope and purview of the
invention as defined in the appended claims.

Representative Drawing