Abstract: A thermally insulated cup is formed from a single-walled paper or plastic inner cup and an insulating outer wrapper. The insulating outer wrapper comprises a paper base sheet or outer sidewall blank, optionally printed on one side, and a corrugated paper or foamed plastic insulating insert. The insulating insert is similar in shape to the outer sidewall blank but smaller in size. The insert is glued in a centered position to the non-printed side of the sidewall blank to form a two-layered insulating wrapper. Less than 20% of the area of the insert is glued to the base sheet. Specifically, no glue is applied to the area adjacent to the cut side edges of the insert, and as such these edges are not attached to the base sheet. The wrapper is then wrapped around the single walled inner cup. The side edges of the base sheet of the wrapper overlap and are sealed directly together to form a side seam. The side seam is itself adhesively secured to the side wall of the inner cup.

Abstract: A lid with a raised drink-through spout (24) has a hinged flap valve (28) covering a drink opening (26?) formed in the surface of the spout. The user opens the valve by pushing the top of a post (28P) on the flap (28F) down. A hinge (28H) holding the flap urges the flap to return to its closed and horizontal orientation, but the top edge of the post will catch under a catch edge of the opening opposite the hinge. This holds the flap open. The user can then drink from the spout. To re-close the valve, the user applies inward force to the outer sidewall (16) below the catch edge. This causes the wall to deflect inwardly and the catch edge to distort outwardly, widening the hole. This releases the post, allowing it to move upwardly so that the flap can spring back to its horizontal and closed position.

Abstract: A cup and lid holder has two parts: a bottom part holds two stacks of insulated paper cups and a top part holds two stacks of mating lids. The holder is folded from a flat blank. The blank is one piece and folds into a two-level structure with three horizontal parts: a bottom, a partition to separate the lids from the cups, and a top. The bottom has two fold-up tabs that fit into the bottoms of the bottom cup of each stack to hold them in place. The top comprises two rings that fit around the turrets of the top lid of each stack to hold them in place. The middle partition rests against the tops of the top cup in each stack to hold the stack in position. The middle partition is formed of two sets of two tabs each that interfit and extend from the tops of the front and bottom walls. Two stacks of lids are loaded into the top part and two stacks of cups are loaded into the bottom part. The holder with the loaded lids and cups is shrink-wrapped and printed.

Abstract: A thermally insulated cup is formed from a single-walled paper or plastic inner cup and an insulating outer wrapper. The insulating outer wrapper comprises a paper base sheet or outer sidewall blank, optionally printed on one side, and a corrugated paper or foamed plastic insulating insert. The insulating insert is similar in shape to the outer sidewall blank but smaller in size. The insert is glued in a centered position to the non-printed side of the sidewall blank to form a two-layered insulating wrapper. Less than 20% of the area of the insert is glued to the base sheet. Specifically, no glue is applied to the area adjacent to the cut side edges of the insert, and as such these edges are not attached to the base sheet. The wrapper is then wrapped around the single walled inner cup. The side edges of the base sheet of the wrapper overlap and are sealed directly together to form a side seam. The side seam is itself adhesively secured to the side wall of the inner cup.

Abstract: An insulating cup or container (50) and a method of manufacturing it comprises (first embodiment) a sidewall blank (12B) having two sections separated by a fold score (15), and a separate insulating sheet (18)(corrugated, ribbed, embossed, foamed, perforated, etc.) which is adhesively fastened to one of the sections. The blank is folded in half along the fold score, to form a three-layered assembly with the insulating sheet in the middle. To reduce the thickness of the seam, the blank is thinned in the area adjacent a fold score prior to folding. The assembly is wrapped around a mandrel to bring the outer edges together at a side seam (22S) to form a sidewall 12. The side seam is sealed, the bottom is added, and the rim is formed. In a second embodiment, the insulating layer can be a coating on one or both of the sections of the two-section starting blank. In a third embodiment, the insulating section (40) can be integral with, and extend from, one edge of the starting blank.

Abstract: An insulating cup or container (50) and a method of manufacturing it comprises (first embodiment) providing a sidewall blank (12B) having two sections separated by a fold score (15), and a separate insulating sheet (18)(corrugated, ribbed, embossed, foamed, perforated, etc.) which is adhesively fastened to one of the sections. The blank is folded in half along the fold score, to form a three-layered assembly with the insulating sheet in the middle. To reduce the thickness of the seam, the blank is thinned in the area adjacent a fold score prior to folding. The assembly is wrapped around a mandrel to bring the outer edges together at a side seam (22S) to form a sidewall 12. The side seam is sealed, the bottom is added, and the rim is formed. In a second embodiment, the insulating layer can be a coating on one or both of the sections of the two-section starting blank. In a third embodiment, the insulating section (40) can be integral with, and extend from, one edge of the starting blank.

Abstract: An insulating cup or container (50) and a method of manufacturing it comprises (first embodiment) providing a sidewall blank (12B) having two sections separated by a fold score (15), and a separate insulating sheet (18) (corrugated, ribbed, embossed, foamed, perforated, etc.) which is adhesively fastened to one of the sections. The blank is folded in half along the fold score, to form a three-layered assembly with the insulating sheet in the middle. To reduce the thickness of the seam, the blank is thinned in the area adjacent a fold score prior to folding. The assembly is wrapped around a mandrel to bring the outer edges together at a side seam (22S) to form a sidewall 12. The side seam is sealed, the bottom is added, and the rim is formed. In a second embodiment, the insulating layer can be a coating on one or both of the sections of the two-section starting blank. In a third embodiment, the insulating section (40) is integral with, and extends from, one edge of the starting blank.

Abstract: An insulating cup or container (50) and a method of manufacturing it comprises (first embodiment) providing a sidewall blank (12B) having two sections separated by a fold score (15), and a separate insulating sheet (18)(corrugated, ribbed, embossed, foamed, perforated, etc.) which is adhesively fastened to one of the sections. The blank is folded in half along the fold score, to form a three-layered assembly with the insulating sheet in the middle. To reduce the thickness of the seam, the blank is thinned in the area adjacent a fold score prior to folding. The assembly is wrapped around a mandrel to bring the outer edges together at a side seam (22S) to form a sidewall 12. The side seam is sealed, the bottom is added, and the rim is formed. In a second embodiment, the insulating layer can be a coating on one or both of the sections of the two-section starting blank. In a third embodiment, the insulating section (40) can be integral with, and extend from, one edge of the starting blank.

Abstract: An insulating cup or container (50) and a method of manufacturing it comprises (first embodiment) providing a sidewall blank (12B) having two sections separated by a fold score (15), and a separate insulating sheet (18)(corrugated, ribbed, embossed, foamed, perforated, etc.) which is adhesively fastened to one of the sections. Adhesive is applied to an area (21) adjacent the fold score. The blank is folded in half along the fold score, to form a three-layered assembly with the insulating sheet in the middle. The adhesive that was applied adjacent the fold score bonds the two sections together at an area (21) adjacent a fold edge (22) on the inside surfaces of the folded blank. The assembly is wrapped around a mandrel to bring the outer edges together at a sideseam (22S) to form a sidewall 12. The side seam is sealed, the bottom is added, and the rim is formed.