Plastic cup with integral handle and method of forming plastic cup with integral handle

A molded plastic beverage cup, comprising:

• a generally cylindrical body portion having an open upper end;
• a rim extending radially outwardly from the perimeter of the open end of said body portion;
• and
• a handle formed as an integral part of the cup and extending outwardly from substantially diametrically opposed portions of said rim and then along said rim on one side of the cup between said diametrically opposed portions, the end portions of said handle extending from said rim being sufficiently flexible to allow said handle to be bent upwardly from said rim so that said handle arches diametrically across the upper end of the cup, said handle having a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-section along the major portion of its length, said U-shaped cross-section tapering to substantially flat webs at the end portions of said handle extending outwardly from said rim and the inner edge of said handle is detachably joined to said rim by multiple tabs, the remainder of the inner edge of said handle being spaced from said rim.

A plastic cup, comprising:

• a generally cylindrical body portion having an open upper end;
• a rim extending radially outwardly from the perimeter of the open end of said body portion;
• and
• a handle formed as an integral part of the cup and extending outwardly from substantially diametrically opposed portions of said rim and then along said rim on one side of the cup between said diametrically opposed portions, said handle being detachably joined to said rim at spaced points between said diametrically opposed portions, the end portions of said handle extending from said rim being sufficiently flexible to allow said handle to be bent upwardly from said rim so that said handle arches diametrically across the upper end of the cup;
• wherein the entire cup is thermoformed from a sheet of plastic.

A molded plastic beverage cup, comprising:

• generally cylindrical body portion having an open upper end;
• a rim extending radially outwardly from the perimeter of the open end of said body portion;
• and
• a handle formed as an integral part of the cup and extending outwardly from substantially diametrically opposed portions of said rim and then along said rim on one side of the cup between said diametrically opposed portions, said handle being detachably joined to said rim at spaced points between said diametrically opposed portions, the end portions of said handle extending from said rim being sufficiently flexible to allow said handle to be bent upwardly from said rim so that said handle arches diametrically across the upper end of the cup, said handle having a substantially U-shaped transverse cross-section along the major portion of its length, said U-shaped cross-section tapering to substantially flat webs at the end portions of said handle extending outwardly from said rim.