A CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER

FERMETURE POUR RECIPIENT

English Abstract

A lid or closure (10) for a container (11), together with a lid or closure assembly (30) formed therfrom, the assembly (30) comprising the lid (10) havinga cavity (21) therein with a substantially flat base (13) surrounded by a raised peripheral rim (12) for securingjhe lid (10) to a container (11), the base (13) of the lid havingjhereon a lattice of interconnecting ribs (14-19) raised above the base (13) and forming support for goods (20) housed in the cavity (21), which in the assembly (30) is covered by a removable seal (22) secured to the rim (12).

French Abstract

La présente invention concerne un couvercle ou une fermeture (10) destiné à un récipient (11), ainsi que l'ensemble couvercle ou fermeture (30) ainsi obtenu. L'ensemble (30) se compose du couvercle (10) pourvu d'une cavité (21) avec une base (13) sensiblement plane entourée d'un rebord périphérique surélevé (12) destiné à fixer le couvercle (10) à un récipient (11). La base (13) du couvercle possède un réseau de nervures d'interconnexion (14-19) surélevé au-dessus de la base (13) et formant un support pour les biens (20) logés dans la cavité (21), qui est couverte dans l'ensemble (30) par un joint amovible (22) fixé au rebord (12).

Claims

7
Claims
1. A lid or closure for a container, the lid having a cavity with a
substantially flat
base surrounded by a raised peripheral rim for securing the lid to a
container, the
base of the lid having thereon a lattice of interconnecting ribs raised above
the
base and forming support for goods housed in the cavity, the cavity in use
being
covered by a removable seal secured to the rim.
2. A lid as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the lid is circular and the ribs
comprise
interconnected circumferential and radial ribs.
3. A lid as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein some of said ribs are of
different
heights to other of said ribs.
4. A lid as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the circumferential ribs are higher
than
the radial ribs.
5. A lid as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the lid is provided
with
an upstanding central boss.
6. A lid as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the central boss is substantially level
with
the top of the peripheral rim.
7. A lid as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein the central boss is
provided
with a beverage dispensing opening, preferably in the form of crossed slits.

8
8. A lid as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein the peripheral rim is
provided on its outer portion with a radially outwardly inclined skirt to aid
location of
the lid over a container.
9. A lid or closure assembly for a container, the assembly comprising a lid
having
a cavity therein, a product housed within the cavity, and a removable seal
closing
the cavity, wherein the cavity has a substantially flat base surrounded by a
raised
peripheral rim for securing the lid to a container, with the base of the lid
having
thereon a lattice of interconnecting ribs raised above the base and forming
support
for the product, with the seal being secured to the rim.
10. A lid as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the film or film composite may be
opaque,
coloured, transparent or tinted as is required and/or may carry information,
advertising or other indicia.

Description

CA 02671935 2009-06-05
WO 2008/068449 PCT/GB2007/004104
A Closure for a Container
Field
This invention relates to a lid or closure for use with a drinking cup or
other open
container where the closure provides a compartment for holding products such
as
premiums e.g. a digital media disc and/or advertising material.
Background of the Invention
Closures for drinks containers which include a compartment for the storage of
io various items e.g. a media disc, are known. In US 474827 there is shown a
closure
formed from upper and lower members forming a cavity between the members for
holding various products. Another such closure is shown in EP 1123 245 which
comprises upper and lower members which snap through mutually engagable outer
peripheral rims. The compartment formed between the members houses a media
disc and its floor is raised above the outer rim so that the bottom of the
compartment is disposed above the level of any liquid in the container. Yet
another
closure is shown in EP1673287 which again comprises two members connected by
their rims, the compartment being formed with an inclined floor. A further
closure for
storage of a media disc and other premiums is shown in US7100 787 in which the
lid is formed with a base having a plurality of raised spacers which.hold the
premium
above the base to allow cooling air to flow between the lid and the premium.
All the above closures comprise at least two separable components that must be
matched to co-operate with each other to form a compartment therebetween or
the

CA 02671935 2009-06-05
WO 2008/068449 PCT/GB2007/004104
2
hold the product to the lid and are relatively expensive to manufacture and
assemble.
The present invention provides a closure which can house a premium and which
is
of a simple construction:
Statements of Invention
According to the present invention there is provided a lid or closure for a
container,
the lid having a cavity with a substantially flat base surrounded by a raised
io peripheral rim for securing the lid to a container, typically a cup, the
base of the lid
having thereon a lattice of interconnecting ribs raised above the base and
forming
a support for goods housed in the cavity, the cavity in use being covered by a
removable seal secured to the rim.
is Preferably the lid is circular, and the ribs may comprise interconnected
circumferential and radial ribs. The radial ribs and circumferential ribs may
be of
different heights and preferably the circumferential ribs are higher than the
radial
ribs.
20 Where the lid in use houses a media disc within the cavity, the lid may be
provided
with an upstanding central boss sized to receive an aperture formed within the
disc.
The central boss is substantially level with the top of the peripheral rim.
The central boss may be provided with a beverage dispensing opening,
preferably
25 in the form of crossed slits.

CA 02671935 2009-06-05
WO 2008/068449 PCT/GB2007/004104
3
The peripheral rim is provided on its outer portion with a radially outwardly
inclined
flexible skirt which in use aids location of the lid over a container and maY
also grip
the mouth of the container to hold the lid in place.
The lid may be formed from a suitable plastics material such as polystyrene,
PET
etc. by any suitable method for example thermoforming or vacuum forming,
injection
moulding and has a thickness of about 0.2mm.
A second aspect of the present invention provides a lid or closure assembly
for a
[o container, the assembly comprising a lid having a cavity therein, a product
housed
within the cavity, and a removable seal closing the cavity, wherein the cavity
has a
substantially flat base surrounded by a raised peripheral rim for securing the
lid to
a container, typically a cup, with the base of the lid having thereon a
lattice of
interconnecting ribs raised above the base and forming support for the
product, with
the seal being secured to the rim.
The seal is a thin seal which may be formed from a film or film composite,
aluminium foil, or paper, for example a wax impregnated paper, and may be
opaque or transparent as is required and/or may carry information, advertising
or
other indicia.
The premium is preferably substantially two dimensional for example a card,
media
disc, or advertising .

CA 02671935 2009-06-05
WO 2008/068449 PCT/GB2007/004104
4
Description of the Drawings
The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
Fig.1 is an isometric view from above of a lid according_to the present
invention,
Fig2 a plan view of the lid shown in Fig. 1,
Fig 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig.2
Fig 4 is an enlarged detail of the circled area C of Fig, 3, and
Fig 5 is a section of the line II1-III of Fig 2 showing a lid assembly in situ
LO amer the- moutti. of acontainer.
Detailed Description of the Invention
With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, there is shown a circular lid or closure 10
about
55mm in diameter for a container 11 (see Fig. 5), typically a cup and with
reference
to Fig_5 there is shown a lid assembly 110 including_the lid of Figs. 1 to 4.
The lid
10 has a substantially flat base 13 surrounded by a raised peripheral rim 12
for
securing,the closure to the container 11 and which forms a shallow cavity 21
within
the rim. The lid is formed from a thin plastics material having a thickness of
about
0.2 mm and the flat base 13 of the lid has thereon a lattice of
interconnecting
2o ribs 14-19 raised above the base to form a support for goods 20 housed in
the
cavity 21.
The interconnected ribs may comprise circumferential ribs 14 & 15 and four
equiangularly spaced radial ribs 16-19. Although, the present embodiment has
two
circumferential ribs and four radial ribs, other numbers of ribs may be formed

CA 02671935 2009-06-05
WO 2008/068449 PCT/GB2007/004104
dependant upon the size of the lid. The raaial ribs 16-19 and circumferential
ribs
14& 15 may be of different heights and preferably the circumferential ribs are
higher
than the radial ribs so that any product 20 sitting on the circular ribs 14 &
15 is
spacpd from the radial ribs. The lid 10 in use forms part of a closure
assembly 30
in which a product 20 is housed in the cavity 21 and the cavity 21 is covered
by a
removable thin seal 22, such as a film or film composite 22, typically PET
(polyethylene teraphthallate), aluminium foil, paper, waxed paper etc.,
secured to
the rim 12 by weldingor by adhesive.
io In the present invention, the cavity 21 is used for housing a digital media
disc 20
therewithin and the lid 10 may be provided with an upstandingcentral boss 23
sized to receive an aperture 31 formed within the centre of the disc 20. The
central
boss 23 has a substantially flat top surface which is substantially level with
the top
surface of the peripheral rim 12. In this case, the seal 22 may also be
adhered or
welded to the top surface of boss 22 if required.
The central boss 23 may be provided with a beverage dispensing opening 24,
preferably in the form of crossed slits to permit entry of a drinking_straw
The boss
may also be provided with resilient detents 25 (shown only in Fig. 3) for
retaining
the media disc on the circumferential ribs whist permittingeasy release of the
disc.
The peripheral rim 12 is provided on its outer portion with a radially
outwardly
wicline_dflexible. skirt2& whLch irL u.se aids-lacation of the-liciavet
the.mouth of a
container 11 and which grips the container to hold the lid in place. The lid
may be

CA 02671935 2009-06-05
WO 2008/068449 PCT/GB2007/004104
6
tcsrmed by any suitable plastics processing method, for example thermoforming,
vacuurr~ formingl iniection moulding, matched die moulding, etc.

Representative Drawing