# US 2014/0196838 A1 · Insulated Container, Method of Fabricating Same and Apparatus for Fabricating > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196838 A1 - Document ID: US20140196838A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/187,121 - Filed: 2014-02-21 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2005-04-15 - Assignees: Seda S.p.A. - Applicants: Seda S.P.A. - Inventors: Gianfranco D'Amato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196838A1 ## CPC - B29C 65/18: using heated tools - A47J 41/0072: {Double walled vessels comprising a single insulating layer between inner and outer walls} - B29C 66/81: {General aspects of the pressing elements, i.e. the elements applying pressure on the parts to be joined in the area to be joined, e.g. the welding jaws or clamps (holding or clamping means for handling purposes B29C65/7841)} - B65D 81/3869: {formed with double walls, i.e. hollow} - B65D 81/3874: {formed of different materials, e.g. laminated or foam filling between walls} - Y10T 156/1051: by folding - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - 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 - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The invention relates to an insulated container for hot drinks or the like comprising an inner cup having a generally frusto-conical cup body and a generally frusto-conical outer shell. The cup is seated within the shell so that a contact path is disposed near the upper edge of the shell, along which contact path the outer surface of the cup body and inner surface of the shell are in contact. At least one bonding spot and/or bonding area for bonding said shell to said cup body is locally formed within said contact path. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-35. (canceled) ### Claim 36 A method of fabricating an insulated container, comprising the steps of: a) forming a generally frusto-conical shell; b) providing a bonding material on an inside of said shell and/or on an outside of a generally frusto-conical cup; c) inserting said cup into said shell until the inside of the shell or the outside of the cup wall seats against the bonding material along a contact path, and d) pressing the shell and the cup wall together in a substantially radial direction at a plurality of bonding spots to form a plurality of bonding spots in less than an entirety of the contact path, wherein said bonding spots are separated from each other by unbonded areas along said contact path and the sections of the shell that are not bound to the cup are spaced apart from the cup wall.) ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method according to claim 36, further comprising: positioning an annular or first member with at least one radially displaceable or protruding pressing element inside the cup; and pressing with the pressing element against an external or second member to press the cup wall and the shell together to form the plurality of bonding spots. ### Claim 38 A method of fabricating an insulated container, comprising the steps of: a) forming a generally frusto-conical shell; b) heating a thermo sealable plastic coating provided on an inside of said shell and/or on an outside of a generally frusto-conical cup to its melting point; c) inserting said cup into said shell until the inside of the shell or the outside of a wall of the cup seats against the melted plastic along a contact path, and d) pressing the shell and the cup wall together in a substantially radial direction to form a plurality of bonding spots in less than an entirety of the contact path, wherein said bonding spots are separated from each other by unbonded areas along said contact path and the sections of the shell that are not bound to the cup are spaced apart from the cup wall. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The method according to claim 38 further comprising: applying the thermo sealable plastic coating as an annular strip on the inside of said shell and/or on the outside of the generally frustoconical cup; wherein heating the thermo sealable plastic coating comprises completely heating the annular strip. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The method according to claim 38 further comprising: applying the thermo sealable plastic coating as an annular strip on the inside of said shell and/or on the outside of the generally frustoconical cup, wherein heating the thermo sealable plastic coating comprises heating only parts of said annular strip, wherein the parts of the annular strip that are heated form or comprise said bonding spots. ### Claim 41 (depends on 38) The method according to claim 38 further comprising: positioning an annular or first member with a plurality of radially displaceable or protruding pressing elements inside the cup body; and pressing, with the plurality of radially displaceable or protruding pressing elements, against an external or second member to press the walls of the cup body and the shell together to form the one or more bonding spots. ### Claim 42 (depends on 36) The method according to claim 36 further comprising: positioning an annular or first member with a plurality of radially displaceable or protruding pressing elements inside the cup body; and pressing, with the radially displaceable or protruding pressing elements, against an external or second member to press the walls of the cup body and the shell together to form the one or more bonding spots. ### Claim 43 (depends on 36) The method according to claim 36, wherein said bonding material is a thermo sealable plastic coating the method comprising: applying the thermo sealable plastic coating as an annular strip on the inside of said shell and/or on the outside of the generally frustoconical cup; and heating the annular strip completely. ### Claim 44 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36 wherein the contact path extends about a perimeter of the cup and the shell adjacent to an upper annular shoulder of the cup. ### Claim 45 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38 wherein the contact path extends about a perimeter of the cup and the shell adjacent to an upper annular shoulder of the cup. ### Claim 46 A method of fabricating an insulated container, the method comprising: a) forming a generally frusto-conical cup having an annular upper shoulder; b) forming a generally frusto-conical shell having an inward curl at a lower edge thereof; c) providing a bonding material on an inside of the shell or on an outside the cup; c) inserting the cup into the shell until the inside of the shell or the outside of the cup seats against the bonding material along a contact path, thereby forming a substantially uniform air gap between the cup and the shell having a predetermined spacing provided by the inward curl and the annular upper shoulder; and d) pressing the shell and the cup together in a substantially radial direction to form a plurality of bonding spots in less than an entirety of the contact path wherein said bonding spots are separated from each other by unbonded areas along said contact path. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46 wherein the contact path extends about a perimeter of the cup and the shell adjacent to an upper annular shoulder of the cup. ### Claim 48 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46 further, wherein the bonding material is a thermo sealable plastic coating, the method further comprising: heating the thermo sealable plastic coating to its melting point; wherein the cup is inserted into the shell while the thermo sealable plastic coating is melted, so that the inside of the shell or the outside of the cup wall seats against the melted plastic along the contact path, and wherein the plurality of bonding spots are separated from each other in a circumferential direction by non-bonded spots along the contact path. ### Claim 49 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38 wherein the contact path includes every portion of the shell and cup wall that are in contact with one another. ### Claim 50 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36 wherein pressing the shell and the cup wall together comprises pressing the shell and the cup wall together in less than the entirety of the contact path. ### Claim 51 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40 wherein pressing the shell and the cup together in the substantially radial direction comprises pressing the shell and the cup together in less than the entire contact path. ### Claim 52 A method of fabricating an insulated container, the method comprising: providing a generally frusto-conical cup and a generally frusto-conical shell, wherein at least one of the cup and shell has a surface that is selectively coated with a thermo-sealable plastic; seating the generally frusto-conical shell inside a receiving member that has a skirt portion to engage an outer surface of the generally frusto-conical shell; positioning an annular heating element proximate the generally frusto-conical cup or the generally-frustoconical shell so as to melt a strip in the thermo-sealable plastic coating; inserting the generally frusto-conical cup into the generally frusto-conical shell so that the inside of the shell or the outside of the cup seats against the melted strip of thermo-sealable plastic; positioning an annular disk inside the generally frusto-conical cup at a level of the melted strip of thermo-sealable plastic; placing an annular ring with a plurality of radially-extendable plungers around the frustoconical shell at the level of the melted strip of thermo-sealable plastic; and extending the radially-extendable plungers in a radial direction toward the annular disk to press the generally frusto-conical shell against the generally frusto-conical cup until the generally frusto-conical shell is bonded to the generally frusto-conical cup at a plurality of spots corresponding to positions of the radially-extendable plungers. ### Claim 53 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36 wherein said bonding spots are separated from each other in a circumferential direction by the unbonded areas along said contact path. ### Claim 54 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36 further comprising: forming an outward curl at an upper edge of the cup; forming an annular upper shoulder five millimeters or more below the outward curl; and forming an upper wall section with a cylindrical outer surface between the outward curl and the annular upper shoulder, wherein forming the plurality of bonding spots in less than an entirety of the contact path comprises forming the bonding spots in a lower portion of the cylindrical outer surface. ### Claim 55 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54 further comprising: folding a segment of a lower edge of the cup inwardly and upwardly; wherein, upon inserting said cup into said shell, the lower portion of the cylindrical outer surface comprises the contact path and the folded segment at the lower edge of the cup ### Claim 56 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38 wherein said bonding spots are separated from each other in a circumferential direction by the unbonded areas along said contact path. ### Claim 57 (depends on 40) The method of claim 40 wherein pressing the shell and the cup wall together comprises pressing the shell and the cup wall together in less than the entirety of the contact path. ### Claim 58 (depends on 52) The method of claim 52 wherein said plurality of bonded spots are separated from each other by unbonded areas along said contact path. ### Claim 59 (depends on 52) The method of claim 52 wherein the cup comprises paperboard. ### Claim 60 (depends on 52) The method of claim 52 wherein the shell comprises paperboard. ### Claim 61 (depends on 59) The method of claim 59 wherein the inside of the paperboard is lined with a thermo-plastic material.