Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02405863 2002-10-O1
DISPOSABLE MULTICUP COFFEE CONTAINER
The invention provides a new multiple cup insulated coffee container. The
invention is used
to hold and keep warm multiple cups of coffee, including at least 12 eight
ounce cups for a total of 96
fluid ounces.
The invention addresses a long felt need in the area of disposable, insulated
coffee containers
that hold large quantities of coffee. Such containers are highly desired by
individuals who bring coffee
to multiple coffee drinkers as well as by coffee retailers who require a
disposable container for
distributing large quantities of brewed coffee.
Description of the drawings:
Fig. 1 is an elevation view of the structure.
Fig. 2 is a rear elevation view of the structure.
Fig. 3 is a planned view off the top of the container.
Fig. 4 is a planned view of an opened container top.
Fig. 5 is a planned view of a closed container bottom.
Figs. 6 and 7 are planned views of opposite halves of the container bottom
closure.
The invention is a disposable container 10. Its structure is illustrated
byFigs. l-8. Turning first
to Fig. 8, there is shown a cross- sectional view of the invention. It
includes an exterior paperboard
container 10 that holds an insulating sleeve 12 that carnes a collapsible bag
14 for holding hot fluid.
I~ag 14 may be made of any suitable material that can contain hot beverages.
Preferred materials for
the collapsible bag are nylon and metalized flexible materials. At one end the
bag is a narrow neck
16 with a threaded connection for receiving a threaded cap 17. The other end
has a folded gusset plate,
not shown. Insulating material 12 surrounds the bag and may be any suitable
material including
p~olystyrane or any open or closed cellular material. As an alternative, the
insulating sleeve 12 could
be replaced by loose insulation or other suitable material for reducing the
transfer ofheat from the hot
liquids contained in the bag 14 to the ambient environment.
The container 10 is made of paperboard. Paperboard has a a (brown) or
unfinished surface
as well as a finished surface. The finished surface may have any suitable
color. It is common that such
paperboard have a white finished surface. Paperboard is chosen in lieu of
corrugated materials
because paperboard is relatively stiffer and can form bent walls and integral
hinges. The entire
structure 10 is formed from a single sheet of paperboard that is suitably
scored, cut, bent and folded
t:o provide the structure shown in the figures. The structure 10 includes
seven walls 20-26 that form
a six sided hexagonal structure. The tow longest walls 23-24 overlap. The
container has a top 30 that
is integral with one of the longest walls. The container has a bottom SO that
includes multilobed
interfering flaps 52, 62. Those flaps are minor images of each other and are
mounted on the bottom
edges of the walls.
The walls have different lengths to provide a sloped upper suface. All of the
walls have their
lower edges in a continuous line. Turning to Fig. 1, the shortest wall 20 that
faces the front of the
device. Opposite front wall 20 are the backwalls 23, 24.
CA 02405863 2002-10-O1
They are the longest walls. Walls 21 and 26 are on opposite sides of wall 20
and their respective top
edges generally slope in an upward direction towards the rear. Walls 25 and 26
are integral,
respectively, with walls 26 and 21. The upper edges of walls 25, 22 also slope
up toward to top edge
of the back walls 23, 24. Wahs 25 and 22 are also integral with the rear walls
23, 24, respectively.
The rear walls 23, 24 overlap and are suitably fixed together by adhesive
materials such as glue or
any other suitable means including mechanical and chemical means for fixing
one of the walls to the
other. The rear walls 23, 24 have a aperture 18 that provides a thumb hole for
carrying or
manipulating the container.
Top flap 30 is integral with either the inside or the outside back walls 23,
24. The top flap 30
h~~s a central hexagonal planar surface 31 that includes an opening 32 for the
neck 16 of the bag 14.
The top flap 30 has three integral lobes 44, 46 and 42 that are disposed on
alternate sides of the
hexagonal flap 31. Flaps 44 and 46 have integral hinges 45 that allow the
outer flaps to bend and to
fit adjacent top ends of walls 25, 22, respectively. The outer flaps 44, 46
fold over retaining lobes
27 and 29 that are on the upper ends, respectively, of front slanted walls 26,
21. The retaining flaps
2'7, 29 cover the top of the bag 14. The flaps 44 and 46 fold into the
interior of the container 10. Small
cutouts 48, 49 along the integral hinge/score lines 45, 47 serve to capture
and lock onto the lobes 27,
29 of walls 26, Z 1 when the flap 30 is closed. The front lobe 42 of the flap
31 fits behind front wall
20. Front wall 20 has an integral, hinged vertical collar 34 with an opening
37 between a pair of yokes
36, 38. The yokes 36, 38 press against the neck 16 of the bag 14 in order to
secure the bag in the
opening 32. Bottom 50 of the container 10 is formed by the opposing multilobe
structure shown in
Figs. 6 and 7. Turning first to multilobe 52 there is shown a central lobe 53
that is integral with the
front wall 20. A single lobe 54 is integral with front wall 21 and a double
lobe structure 55, 57 is
integral with front wall 26. The double lobe structure 55, 57 is scored and
bends along an integral
hinge line 56. Fig. 7 shows a corresponding structure that is formed along the
bottom of walls 22, 23
or 24, and 25. The lobe 57 is glued to opposite lobe 64 and likewise lobe 67
is glued to opposite lobe
54. The central lobes 53 and 63 have interference cuts and a meeting line for
folding and locking
together to provide the bottom surface of the container.
To manufacture the container 10, a single paperboard sheet is suitably scored,
punched and
bent to provide the apertures, lobes and integral hinges described above. Then
the rear walls 23, 24
are glued together as are the bottom lobes 64/57 and 54/67. At that stage, the
entire assembly may be
stored in a flattened state until it is ready for use. When required, the
structure is manipulated to
expand and to lock the bottom lobes 5 3, 63 into place. A suitable insulating
sleeve I2 is added inside
of the container and a collapsible bag 14 is place inside the insulating
sleeve l2.The top flap 30 is
folded over the neck 16 of the bag 14. The collar 34 is also folded over the
neck in order to form the
final structure. The cap 17 on the bag may be removed from the bag may be
filled with hot beverage
>uch as coffee or hot tea or hot cocoa or any other suitable hot or even cold
beverage. After filling the
bag 14, cap.17 is screwed back onto the neck 16 and the customer may take the
disposable beverage
container from the retail establishment.
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CA 02405863 2002-10-O1
With the invention the container must be tipped from its upright position in
order to dispense
fluid. The relative vertical orientation of the container coupled with its
wide base, provides a stable;
upright container. A user must not only open the cap sealing the flexible bag,
but must also tip the
container. As such, at least two affirmative activities are required before
the container dispenses
fluid. Thi s construction and arrangement overcomes disadvantages of prior art
devices that rely upon
gravity for dispensing fluid. Those devices place the discharge spout
proximate the bottom of the
container. With such devices fluid may be accidentally dispensed if someone
opens the cap. In
contrast, the invention place the discharge spout far away from the bottom
ofthe container and put it
on the top sloping wall thereby minimizing the possibility of accidentally
pouring hot coffee.
Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled
in the art will
appreciate that other modifications, changes and variations may be made
including omissions and
additions of further structures without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention. For
example, the invention shows a six-sided structure that includes seven wall
pieces. Those skilled in
the art will appreciate that other multisided structures may be made where the
numbers of wall pieces
exceed the number of sides by one or more. If further strength of walls are
required, the structure may
have multiple overlapping sidewalk.
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