Paper Food Container with Injection Molded Top Rim Structure and Method of Making Same

A method of manufacturing a food container comprising the steps of:

• forming a fully assembled cup shaped paper container having a bottom, a side wall integrally bonded to said bottom and having an inside surface and an outside surface, an unrolled top edge and a side seam;
• placing the assembled paper container into a mold which provides an annular cavity around the top portion of the inside and outside surfaces as well as the top edge;
• injection molding an annular plastic rim structure around into the cavity so as to adhere to and encapsulate the top edge and to extend in an integral and fully circumferential fashion a first distance down the outside surface and a second distance down the inside surface, the first and second distances being short relative to the overall height of the cup-shaped container, such that the outside surface remains substantially fully exposed between the rim and the bottom, while providing a flat annular upper surface;
• and
• removing the cup-shaped paper container with the injection molded plastic rim structure adhered thereto from the mold