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US 2026/0285580 A1Published application
Thermally insulating holder for disposable beverage cups
OwnerRichard Patrick Welleinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An insulating holder is provided for a conventional disposable beverage cup. The insulating holder includes an upward-facing flange that supports the beverage cup at its peripheral bead and without interfering with a disposable lid that may be fitted to the cup by snap fit over the peripheral bead. The insulating holder further includes a retaining mechanism that holds the disposable cup and lid in the holder without interfering with the ability of the user to drink from the cup.
Claims28
An assembly for holding a beverage cup comprising a peripheral bead, the assembly comprising:
- a cup holder comprising a closed bottom, a generally cylindrical or frustoconical side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, and an upper access opening configured to receive the beverage cup,
- wherein the side wall of the cup holder comprises an upward-facing flange configured to support the peripheral bead;
- and
- a retaining ring comprising a skirt, an inward facing lobe, and a central opening,
- the skirt and the outer surface of the side wall comprising attachment means that engage at a location on the outer surface of the side wall, such that when the attachment means fully engages the retaining ring to the cup holder, the inward facing lobe is spaced at a predetermined distance from the upward-facing flange so as to define a gap between the inward facing lobe and the upward-facing flange,
- wherein when the beverage cup is inserted into the cup holder and the attachment means are engaged, the peripheral bead fits within the gap between the inward facing lobe and the upward-facing flange.
3 more elements
A method of preparing an assembly, the method comprising:
- inserting a beverage cup comprising a peripheral bead into a cup holder, the cup holder comprising a closed bottom, a generally cylindrical or frustoconical side wall comprising an inner surface, an outer surface, an upward-facing flange, and an upper access opening receiving the beverage cup;
- supporting the peripheral bead using the upward-facing flange;
- and
- engaging a retaining ring with the outer surface of the side wall using attachment means, the retaining ring comprising a skirt and an inward facing lobe, the attachment means fully engaging at a location on the outer surface of the side wall such that the inward facing lobe is spaced at a predetermined distance from the upward-facing flange so as to define a gap between the inward facing lobe and the upward-facing flange within which the peripheral bead fits.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.