Drinking vessel holder

Abstract

A drinking vessel holder (1) includes a band (4) provided with a tab (10) adapted for registration with the lid (3) and being formable into a handle for a coffee cup (2).

Description

[0001] This invention concerns improvements in or relating to a holder for a drinking vessel and to a combination thereof.

[0002] In particular, although not exclusively, the present invention has reference to such holders as are used for handling disposable cups made of cellulosic material intended to hold hot or cold beverages.

[0003] It is commonplace for catering establishments, especially sandwich bars and other instant food shops and take-aways, to dispense their potable products in disposable cups usually provided with lids. Generally, the products are in the form of hot or cold drinks or indeed soup. In the case of hot drinks or soup, by virtue of the elevated temperature of its contents it is difficult to hold the cup by hand without scalding. Accordingly it is known to provide a separate cup holder into which the cup is temporarily placed, the holder having a handle which distances the hand from the source of heat. This type of holder is generally made of plastics material and is usually intended to be retained for further usage.

[0004] It is also known to provide some form of insulative band which may be applied to the cup and which allows a comfortable hand grip to be applied for carriage purposes for a limited period of time.

[0005] The conventional insulative band is usually constructed in hollow frusto-conical shape to fit and frictionally engage the tapering side of the cup. The material from which the band is made may be multi-ply, for example two-ply, cardboard with a ribbed or corrugated side intended to face the side of the cup thereby providing insulating pockets or channels through which air may be held or pass thereby to afford an insulative effect. A band of this kind may be stored in a flat, collapsed state for ease of storage and can be opened into the requisite hollow shape when required by a user. The assumption of a flat state is facilitated by the wall of the band being partly relieved or weakened at diametrally opposed points to allow a folding action to occur. When required for actual use a popping action will bring the band into the requisite shape for reception of the cup.

[0006] Whilst insulative bands of this kind are of value in preventing scalding, they do not facilitate the carrying of the cup since no means of positively holding the assembly of cup and insulative band is provided. This disadvantage is particularly acute when a number of cups are being carried or other food is also to be carried sometimes a little distance from the purchase point of the products, with the added problem of encountering other customers in a crowded scenario.

[0007] One object of the present invention is to provide an improved drinking vessel holder.

[0008] Another object of the invention is to provide a combination of a drinking vessel and a holder therefor.

[0009] A still further object of the present invention is to provide a combination of a drinking vessel having a releasable lid, and a holder therefor.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a drinking vessel holder including a collapsible hollow band suitable for engagement with the side of a drinking vessel, and an elongate tab located on the band and having a holding region on the band remote from the point of location of the tab on the band.

[0011] The tab conveniently has a means for registering the band with the drinking vessel or its lid when provided.

[0012] The holding region on the tab may be in the form of a finger hold or grip through which in practice a user would insert a finger thus carrying the holder with the entrained drinking vessel in suspension therefrom. The holding region thus allows a user to carry the drinking vessel with contents at a distance from the hand thereby affording ease of carriage and remoteness from the source of heat when a hot beverage is being transported.

[0013] The means for registering with the drinking vessel or a lid therefor may be in the form of a slot adapted for the registration of a detent provided either on the vessel itself or on the lid. More conveniently, the detent is provided on the lid and may be in the form of projection of such form as to give a positive registration of the tab with the vessel and/or its lid thereby to provide a greater stability during carriage. Advantageously the detent is integral with the lid or the vessel and is formed during manufacture.

[0014] The tab may further be capable of being shaped into a handle and for this purpose may be engageable with the band in a locking manner. In this respect the band may advantageously be provided with a suitable recess or slot with which the free end of the tab may register. The tab may be provided with points of weakness along its length to facilitate it being formed into the shape of a handle.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided in combination a drinking vessel and a drinking vessel holder according to the first aspect.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided in combination a drinking vessel, a releasable lid for the vessel and a drinking vessel holder.

[0017] By way of example only, two embodiments of a drinking vessel holder and a combination of the holder and a drinking vessel with a lid according to the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the holder;

[0019] FIG. 2 is a first side view of the holder of FIG. 1 including a drinking vessel held therewithin;

[0020] FIG. 3 is a second side view of the holder including a drinking vessel held therewithin;

[0021] FIG. 4 is a third side view of the holder including a drinking vessel held therewithin and a detail of the holder in a shaped condition in relation to the vessel;

[0022] FIG. 5 is a rear view of the holder in position on the drinking vessel;

[0023] FIG. 6 is an opened out view of a second embodiment;

[0024] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second embodiment in a first cup holding position; and

[0025] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the second embodiment in a second holding position in which an integral handle is formed.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5 of the drawings, a holder 1 is illustrated holding a drinking vessel in the form of a cup, e.g. a coffee cup 2 with a lid 3, shown in ghosted outline. The holder 1 is in the form of a band 4 produced from, for example, two-ply cardboard with a ribbed or corrugated interior surface 6 which performs a dual role in terms of providing an insulative layer and also of enhancing the frictional contact with the wall 8 of the cup 2. As will be observed, the band in its opened condition is of hollow frusto-conical form to correspond with the shape of the cup wall 8.

[0027] At a location on the circumference of the band 4 is provided a tab 10 which may be integral therewith or affixed thereto. The tab is in elongate form as will be seen from the drawings and has at one end a holding region which in this embodiment of the invention is a hole 12 for use as a finger hold. The tab 10 has lines of weakness 14 disposed at a number of locations along its length to facilitate shaping for a purpose described below.

[0028] The tab 10 is formed with a slot 16 intermediate its free end and the point of intersection with the band 4.

[0029] The slot 16 is provided for the registration of a detent 18 provided on the lid 3 of the cup 2, the detent being integral with the lid and being formed during manufacture. The detent 18 is a deformable projection which is easily pressed through the slot 16 for engagement, and has wing extensions 17 providing a locking facility to prevent accidental withdrawal.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2 the tab 10 is distanced from the cup 2 and may be utilised in this way. However, in FIG. 3 the detent 18 on the lid 3 is shown in registration with the slot 16 thereby effecting more rigid, positive positioning and stability of the tab 10 and thus of the band 4 and of the cup when hand-held through the agency of the finger hold 12. The combination of the cup and holder in this mode, shown in FIG. 3, can be carried easily and safely without fear of the contents inadvertently escaping from the cup and simultaneously there is no heat factor adversely affecting the user since the finger hold is remote from the source of heat.

[0031] When the user has reached a destination at which the contents of the cup can be consumed, the tab 10 may be removed from registration with the lid 3 by simple pulling it away thereby disengaging the detent 18 from the slot 16. Once this action has been effected, the holder 1 is removed from the cup 2 and the tab 10 is then bent along the lines of weakness 14 and formed into a handle, the free end of the tab 10 being inserted into a slot 30 in the band 4 and folding over into the interior of the holder 1.

[0032] The holder 1 may then be reapplied to the cup 2 with the folded-over portion of the tab 10 engaging in frictional contact between the wall of the cup 2 and the inside of the band 4 to hold and clamp the now formed handle firmly in place. It has been found that this arrangement is sufficiently strong for the handle to support a full cup of coffee. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention the slot 30 is dispensed with and the free end of the tab 10 is merely folded over and pressed between the band 4 and the side of the cup 2, the frictional contact with the band and the wall of the cup being sufficient to ensure clamping to hold in place the handle thus formed.

[0033] Referring now to FIGS. 6 to 8 there is shown a second embodiment of drinking vessel holder 100 including a band 104 produced from, for example, two-ply cardboard with a ribbed or corrugated interior surface 106 which as in the first embodiment performs a dual role in terms of providing an insulative layer and also of enhancing the frictional contact with the wall of a cup (not shown in this embodiment). The band 104 is of generally hollow frusto-conical form as can be seen in FIG. 7 to complement the shape of the cup wall. As shown in FIG. 6 the band 104 is produced in one piece and the ends are secured one to the other on or adjacent the common lines A-B by means of bonding thereby to produce an annulus for accommodating the cup.

[0034] A tab 110 is formed at a location on the circumference of the band 104 and is conveniently integral therewith on a line of weakness 110′. The tab 110 has a central portion 103 provided at its distal end 105 from the band 104 with a hole 112 for use as a finger hold, the end 105 being integral with the tab but being provided with a line of weakness 107 for the purpose of facilitating the bending of the end 105. On either side of the central portion 103 is a wing 109 the base of which is integral with the band 104 but with lines of weakness in the form of perforations provided as at 111 which enable detachment of the base from the band when required. Each wing 107 is integral with the central portion 103 of the tab 110 through the agency of lines of weakness as at 113 which facilitate bending of the wings for the purpose as described below.

[0035] The band 104 has on the relatively lower edge (as viewed in use) opposite the location of the tab 110 an extension 120 integral with the band 104 provided with a detent 122. A slot 124 is provided in the band 104 intermediate the tab 110 and the extension 120 for the insertion of the distal end 105 of the tab 110 as described below. A corresponding extension 130 is provided diametrically opposite the extension 120 on the band 104.

[0036] The holder 100 of the second embodiment can be used for carrying a cup when in the condition shown in FIG. 7, the cup being inserted within the band 104 which matches the outside shape of the cup thereby to provide positive location of the cup in the holder by dint of the tapering contour. The tab 110 is used initially as a carrying medium whereby the hole 112 enables the insertion of a finger for suspension of the holder and the cup. A number of cups and holders can be carried in this way.

[0037] Once carriage of the cup and holder has been completed to a table, for example, the tab 110 can be formed into a handle 132 as shown in FIG. 8. In order to produce the handle, it is necessary to disengage the wings 109 from the band along the perforations 111. The wings 109 are then folded over one another to the rear of the tab 110 along the lines of weakness 113 thereby to afford to the tab 104 an added thickness and stiffness. The tab 110 is subsequently bent over along the line of weakness 110′ and also an intermediate line of weakness 110″ in order to give the shape of the handle 132. The distal end 105 of the tab 110 is then inserted through the slot 124 and bent inwardly and either upwardly or downwardly thereby to be in frictional contact between the band 104 and the cup wall. In the case of downward bending the distal end 105 may be bent outwardly for the hole 112 to engage the detent 122 to lock the now formed handle positively into position as shown in FIG. 8. It will be understood however that the frictional engagement of the distal end as mentioned above should be sufficient to prevent disengagement.

[0038] The invention thus provides a unique drinking vessel holder which affords the user a simple and yet effective means of hand carrying a cup of a beverage without any danger of scalding since the grip area is remote from the source of heat. Additionally, stability is provided by the interengagement of the tab of the holder with a detent on the cup lid or the cup itself when provided. Such interengagement is however not an essential feature of the invention as evidenced by the second embodiment. Further, the invention provides a tab which can be shaped into a handle which is firm and which is sufficiently strong to support the cup for drinking purposes.

[0039] Although the specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described as being provided with ribbing or corrugations it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to such features and accordingly the internal surface of the band in both embodiments may be plain.

[0040] It is to be understood that the method of registration as between the tab and thus the holder and the lid or the cup may be effected by any suitable means and the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed herein.

[0041] The present invention may be produced by stamping out the required shape with the ends of the band being suitably secured one to the other. In this respect such securement whilst being described herein as being effected by bonding may be effected mechanically by interengagement of the band ends through the agency of a suitable latching arrangement.

Claims

1. A drinking vessel holder (1, 100) including a collapsible hollow band (4, 104) suitable for engagement with the side of a drinking vessel (2) characterised by an elongate tab (10, 110) located on the band (4, 104) and having a holding region (12, 112) on the band (4, 104) remote from the point of location of the tab (10, 110) on the band (4, 104).

2. A holder according to claim 1 characterised in that the tab (4) has a means (16) for registering the band (4) with the drinking vessel (2) or a lid (3) therefor when provided.

3. A holder according to claim 1 characterised in that the holding region on the tab is in the form of a finger hold (12) or grip.

4. A holder according to claim 1 characterised in that the means for registering with the drinking vessel (2) or a lid (3) therefor is in the form of a slot (16) adapted for the registration of a detent (18) provided either on the vessel itself or on the lid thereof.

5. A holder according to claim 1 characterised in that the tab (4, 104) is capable of being shaped into a handle.

6. A holder according to claim 5 characterised in that the tab (10, 110) is engageable with the band (4, 104) in a locking manner.

7. A holder according to claim 6 characterised in that the band (4, 104) is provided with a recess or slot (30, 124) with which the free end of the tab (10, 110) is adapted to register.

8. A holder according to claim 5 characterized in that the tab (10, 110) is provided with points of weakness (14, 110′, 110″) along its length to facilitate it being formed into the shape of a handle (132).

9. A holder according to claim 5 characterized in that the tab (110) includes a central portion (103) integral with the band (104) along a line of weakness (110′) and is provided with side wings (109) integral therewith along lines of weakness (113) and disengageably connected to the band (104).

10. A holder according to claim 9 characterized in that the disengageable connection is formed by perforations (111).

11. A holder according to claim 9 characterized in that the distal end (105) of the tab provided with a finger hole (112) or grip has a line of weakness (107) enabling the said end to be bent over.

12. A holder according to claim 11 characterized in that the band (104) is provided with a detent (122) on its lower edge for locking engagement with the finger hole (112) or grip when the tab (110) is in its folded handle (132) forming position.

13. A holder according to claim characterized in that the wings (109) are foldable against the central portion (103) of the tab (110) prior for strengthening the tab in its handle forming position.

14. A combination of a drinking vessel holder (1, 100) according to claim 1 and a drinking vessel.

15. A combination of a drinking vessel holder according to claim 1 and a drinking vessel (2) and a releasable lid (3) therefor.