# US 10,477,998 B2 · Drink cup > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,477,998 B2 - Document ID: US10477998B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/444,944 - Filed: 2017-02-28 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-01 - Assignees: Berry Plastics Corporation - Applicants: Berry Plastics Corporation - Inventors: David Y. O'Nan; Brad A. Ruminer; Jeffrey A. Mann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10477998B2 ## CPC - A47G 19/23: of stackable type - A47G 19/2205: {Drinking glasses or vessels (A47G19/23 takes precedence)} - B65D 1/265: {Drinking cups (B65D81/3865 takes precedence, holders for plastic cups A47G23/0208)} - B65D 1/46: Local reinforcements, e.g. adjacent closures - B65D 21/0212: {Containers presenting local stacking elements protruding from the upper or lower edge of a side wall, e.g. handles, lugs, ribs, grooves (B65D21/0211, B65D21/0215, B65D21/023 take precedence)} - A47G: HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT (book-ends A47B5/00; knives B26B) - B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES ## Abstract A drink cup includes a body formed to include an interior region providing a fluid-holding reservoir and a brim. The brim is coupled to the body to form an opening into the interior region. The body includes a floor and a side wall that extends away from the floor. The drink cup further includes a body-strengthening system coupled to the body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drink cup comprises a body including a floor and a side wall coupled to the floor to extend along a central axis away from the floor to define an interior region configured to provide a fluid-holding reservoir, a brim coupled to the body to locate the side wall between the brim and the floor and configured to define an opening into the interior region, and a body-strengthening system coupled to the body between the floor and the brim and configured to increase rigidity of a selected portion of the drink cup when compared to a rigidity of the side wall of the drink cup without increasing a weight of the drink cup, wherein the body-strengthening system includes a first strengthening unit located between a lower portion of the side wall and a middle portion of the side wall and a second strengthening unit located between the first strengthening unit and the brim, wherein the first strengthening unit includes an upper-strengthening segment and a C-shaped lower-strengthening segment, the upper-strengthening segment is located between the C-shaped lower-strengthening segment and the middle portion of the side wall and the C-shaped lower-strengthening segment is located between the upper-strengthening segment and the lower portion of the side wall, wherein the upper-strengthening segment is spaced apart from the central axis a first distance and the C-shaped lower-strengthening segment is spaced apart from the central axis a second distance and the second distance is greater than the first distance, and wherein the second strengthening unit includes a C-shaped annular ring coupled to an upper portion of the side wall and an annular strip extending between and interconnecting the C-shaped annular ring and the middle portion of the side wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The drink cup of claim 1, wherein the upper-strengthening segment includes an annular band that has a distance from the central axis that is greater than a distance from the central axis to the lower portion of the side wall and less than a circumference of the middle portion of the side wall. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The drink cup of claim 2, wherein the C-shaped lower-strengthening segment includes an annular band that has a distance from the central axis that is greater than the distance from the central axis to the lower portion of the side wall and the distance from the central axis to the middle portion of the side wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The drink cup of claim 1, wherein the body includes a stack shoulder located between the first strengthening unit and the brim. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The drink cup of claim 1, wherein the C-shaped annular ring includes an annular band that has a distance from the central axis greater than a distance from the central axis to the upper portion of the side wall and the middle portion of the side wall. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The drink cup of claim 5, wherein the body further includes a stack shoulder located between the second strengthening unit and the brim. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The drink cup of claim 6, wherein the distance from the central axis to the annular band of the C-shaped annular ring is less than a distance from the central axis to the stack shoulder. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The drink cup of claim 1, wherein the upper-strengthening segment has a first length extending along a portion of the side wall and the C-shaped lower-strengthening segment has a second length extending along a portion of the side wall, and the second length is greater than the first length. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The drink cup of claim 8, wherein a rigidity measured at the middle portion is greater than about 400 grams, wherein a rigidity measured at the first strengthening unit is greater than about 1,000 grams, wherein a mass of the drink cup is less than 17 grams. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The drink cup of claim 9, wherein the drink cup has a mass, a stack-shoulder rigidity measured at the stack shoulder, a middle-portion rigidity measured at the middle portion, and a strengthening-unit rigidity measured at the first strengthening unit and a ratio of the mass to the stack shoulder rigidity is less than 0.019, wherein a ratio of the mass to the strengthening-unit rigidity is less than 0.016, and wherein a ratio of the mass to the middle-portion rigidity is less than about 0.368. ### Claim 11 A drink cup comprises a body including a floor and a side wall coupled to the floor to extend along a central axis away from the floor to define an interior region configured to provide a fluid-holding reservoir, a brim coupled to the body to locate the side wall between the brim and the floor and configured to define an opening into the interior region, and a body-strengthening system coupled to the body between the floor and the brim and configured to increase rigidity of a selected portion of the drink cup when compared to a rigidity of the side wall of the drink cup without increasing a weight of the drink cup, wherein the body-strengthening system includes a first strengthening unit located between a lower portion of the side wall and a middle portion of the side wall, wherein the first strengthening unit includes an upper-strengthening segment and a C-shaped lower-strengthening segment, the upper-strengthening segment is located between the C-shaped lower-strengthening segment and the middle portion of the side wall and the C-shaped lower-strengthening segment is located between the upper-strengthening segment and the lower portion of the side wall, wherein the upper-strengthening segment is spaced apart from the central axis a first distance and the C-shaped lower-strengthening segment is spaced apart from the central axis a second distance and the second distance is greater than the first distance, and wherein the body further includes a stack shoulder, the side wall includes an upper portion located between the stack shoulder and a second strengthening unit, a bottom portion located between the floor and the first strengthening unit, and the middle portion extending between and interconnecting the first strengthening unit and the second strengthening unit. ### Claim 12 A drink cup comprises a body including a floor and a side wall coupled to the floor to extend along a central axis away from the floor to define an interior region configured to provide a fluid-holding reservoir, a brim coupled to the body to locate the side wall between the brim and the floor and configured to define an opening into the interior region, and a body-strengthening system coupled to the body between the floor and the brim and configured to increase rigidity of a selected portion of the drink cup when compared to a rigidity of the side wall of the drink cup without increasing a weight of the drink cup, wherein the body-strengthening system includes a first strengthening unit located between a lower portion of the side wall and a middle portion of the side wall, wherein the body further includes a stack shoulder, the side wall includes an upper portion located between the stack shoulder and a second strengthening unit, a bottom portion located between the floor and the first strengthening unit, and the middle portion extending between and interconnecting the first strengthening unit and the second strengthening unit, and wherein a rigidity measured at the stack shoulder is greater than 800 grams. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The drink cup of claim 12, wherein a rigidity measured at the middle portion is greater than about 400 grams. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The drink cup of claim 13, wherein a rigidity measured at the first strengthening unit is greater than about 1,000 grams. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The drink cup of claim 14, wherein a mass of the drink cup is less than 17 grams. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The drink cup of claim 15, wherein the mass of the drink cup is about 16.5 grams. ### Claim 17 A drink cup comprises a body including a floor and a side wall coupled to the floor to extend along a central axis away from the floor to define an interior region configured to provide a fluid-holding reservoir, a brim coupled to the body to locate the side wall between the brim and the floor and configured to define an opening into the interior region, and a body-strengthening system coupled to the body between the floor and the brim and configured to increase rigidity of a selected portion of the drink cup when compared to a rigidity of the side wall of the drink cup without increasing a weight of the drink cup, wherein the body-strengthening system includes a first strengthening unit located between a lower portion of the side wall and a middle portion of the side wall, wherein the body further includes a stack shoulder, the side wall includes an upper portion located between the stack shoulder and a second strengthening unit, a bottom portion located between the floor and the first strengthening unit, and the middle portion extending between and interconnecting the first strengthening unit and the second strengthening unit, and wherein the drink cup has a mass, a stack-shoulder rigidity measured at the stack shoulder, a middle-portion rigidity measured at the middle portion, and a strengthening-unit rigidity measured at the first strengthening unit and a ratio of the mass to the stack shoulder rigidity is less than 0.019. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The drink cup of claim 17, wherein a ratio of the mass to the strengthening-unit rigidity is less than 0.016. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The drink cup of claim 18, wherein a ratio of the mass to the middle-portion rigidity is less than about 0.368.