Patents by Inventor Jonathan E. Rush

Jonathan E. Rush has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7874447
    Abstract: A reclosable cup lid thermoformed from a polymeric material includes a domed member and a closure panel. The thermoformed domed member is provided with a sidewall and a top wall, the top wall having upper and lower surfaces and a drinking aperture at a periphery of the top wall. The top wall further defines a pair of engagement tracks depending from the lower surface of the top wall and also defines a post aperture disposed inwardly with respect to the drinking aperture. The closure panel has opposed engagement edges, an upper surface provided with a post projecting upwardly therefrom, and a drinking aperture sealing area. As assembled, the domed member and closure panel are configured such that the opposed engagement edges of the closure panel are slidingly mounted in the engagement tracks for generally radial displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Alois A. Schmidtner, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Patent number: 7850037
    Abstract: A reclosable cup lid thermoformed from a polymeric material. The lid includes a closure panel and a lid member having a sidewall and a top wall. The top wall can have an upper and lower side and a drinking aperture at a periphery of the top wall. The top wall can define a pair of engagement tracks disposed on the lower side of the top wall. The engagement tracks can include a scalloped configuration and an undercut depth. The closure panel can be insertable into the scalloped engagement tracks by application of a bending force to the lid member suitable to widen the distance between the tracks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Alois A. Schmidtner, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Patent number: 7845514
    Abstract: The invention relates to tear-back thermoformed high impact polystyrene lids having from at least 10% to about 15% of filler and the specified configuration of the tear-back portion. In particular, the tear back lid comprises a tear back portion defined by two sets of tear back indentations and a left and a right notch cut into a skirt defined by the outer diameter of the lid. The combination of the filler amount and tear-back configuration allows an improved tearability for the filled polystyrene lids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Rush, Trung Tran, Virginia Lam, legal representative
  • Patent number: 7845510
    Abstract: A reclosable cup lid thermoformed from a polymeric material includes a domed member and an elongate closure panel. The thermoformed domed member is provided with a sidewall and a top wall, the top wall having upper and lower surfaces and a drinking aperture at a periphery of the top wall. The top wall further defines a pair of slide tracks depending from the lower surface of the top wall and also defines a post aperture disposed inwardly with respect to the drinking aperture. The elongate closure panel has opposed engagement edges, an upper surface provided with a post projecting upwardly therefrom, and a drinking aperture sealing area. As assembled, the domed member and elongate closure panel are configured such that the opposed engagement edges of the elongate closure panel are slidingly mounted in the slide tracks for generally radial displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Alois A. Schmidtner, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Patent number: 7802695
    Abstract: An improved lidded container includes a receptacle portion with a brim having a plurality of lateral substantially straight brim wall segments provided with medial sealing beads extending between corners of the brim. The medial sealing beads are characterized in that they project away from the respective walls upon which they are disposed a maximum distance at a central portion of the wall and the medial sealing beads extend over a major portion of the length of the lateral sealing wall upon which they are disposed. Most preferably, the beads are tangent with and terminate at rounded corners between the wall segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Loren G. Baker, Jonathan E. Rush, Rebecca E. Whitmore, Gerald J. Van Handel
  • Patent number: 7658296
    Abstract: A container ensemble for food packaging comprising a substantially planar lid member formed of a polymeric material which has a plurality of substantially planar lids which are integrally formed and separably joined to each other, each of the lids including a sealing channel around its perimeter and a skirt extending outwardly therefrom. The lid member is provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation. The other component of the ensemble is a cup member formed of a polymeric material defining a plurality of cups which are integrally formed and also separably joined to each other, the cups including a bottom, a sidewall, and a brim about an upper opening of each cup. Each cup has a skirt extending outwardly from its brim provided with tearable portions to facilitate separation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Gerald J. Van Handel, Rebecca E. Whitmore, Loren G. Baker, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Publication number: 20080217346
    Abstract: The invention relates to tear-back thermoformed high impact polystyrene lids having from at least 10% to about 15% of filler and the specified configuration of the tear-back portion. In particular, the tear back lid comprises a tear back portion defined by two sets of tear back indentations and a left and a right notch cut into a skirt defined by the outer diameter of the lid. The combination of the filler amount and tear-back configuration allows an improved tearability for the filled polystyrene lids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Rush, Trung Tran, Virginia Lam
  • Publication number: 20040232154
    Abstract: A splash minimizing lid assembly for a container comprises a lid and a baffle insert with a number of openings. The lid comprises a continuous lid bead having a horizontal portion and a radially extending portion. The lid snaps onto the brim of the container and sandwiches the baffle insert between the horizontal portion of the lid bead and the brim. The bead is designed to accommodate the baffle insert which can be snapped into the bead, wherein the height of the bid should be sufficient to accommodate the thickness of the baffle insert and the brim of the container. The lid typically stacks or nests in a conventional manner separately from the baffle insert. The baffle insert can be snapped into the lid bead when the lid is used to close a container. The lid and the baffle insert can be manufactured from the same material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: FORT JAMES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce R. Smith, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Publication number: 20040195239
    Abstract: The present invention is a tear-back, drink-through lid for a beverage container. The lid includes a tear-back portion. A raised protrusion extends from an upper surface of the tear-back portion and has two opposite side walls that each includes a first latching member. A first recess is formed in a top wall of the lid radially inward from the tear-back portion and has two opposing side walls that each includes a second latching member. To retain the tear-back portion of the lid in an open position, the raised protrusion is inserted within the first recess so that the first latching members are pushed past the second latching members to engage the second latching members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Applicant: Fort James Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Rush, Alois A. Schmidtner, Wayne A. Brown, Trung Tran
  • Publication number: 20040164076
    Abstract: An improved lidded container includes a receptacle portion with a brim having a plurality of lateral substantially straight brim wall segments provided with medial sealing beads extending between corners of the brim. The medial sealing beads are characterized in that they project away from the respective walls upon which they are disposed a maximum distance at a central portion of the wall and the medial sealing beads extend over a major portion of the length of the lateral sealing wall upon which they are disposed. Most preferably, the beads are tangent with and terminate at rounded corners between the wall segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Publication date: August 26, 2004
    Inventors: Loren G. Baker, Jonathan E. Rush, Rebecca E. Whitmore, Gerald J. Van Handel
  • Publication number: 20030218017
    Abstract: The present invention is a leak resistant, automatically-sealing, drink-through lid for a beverage container. The lid is capable of being releasably sealably engaged with a top end of the container. The lid includes a tab portion. The tab portion is capable of being depressed so as to provide an opening in the lid. Upon removal of pressure against the tab portion, the tab portion is biased so as to return to a closed position to close the opening. In particular, the tab portion is biased by a curved hinge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2002
    Publication date: November 27, 2003
    Applicant: Fort James Corporation
    Inventors: Alois A. Schmidtner, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Patent number: 6338421
    Abstract: A container lid that is adapted to be placed on a container includes an upstanding side wall and a top wall. The top wall is provided with an opening or through hole for allowing the contents within the container to be mixed while the lid remains on the container. The top wall of the container lid is configured to strengthen and increase the rigidity of the portion of the top wall surrounding the opening. The container lid can also be provided with characteristics allowing the portion of the lid surrounding the opening to flex when a force is applied to the periphery of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2002
    Assignee: Fort James Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Rush, Philip D. Scalvini, Jr., Thomas R. Toczek
  • Patent number: 6056145
    Abstract: A lid for use on a cup having a radially outwardly projecting non-helical brim extending around a mouth thereof. The lid is formed of plastic and comprises a center portion, and a flexible skirt extending downwardly from an outer periphery of the center portion. The skirt includes a radially inwardly projecting annular restriction ring adapted to be positioned beneath the cup brim. The skirt includes a plurality of threads spaced apart circumferentially around the skirt. Each thread extends generally helically upwardly from a location disposed between the restriction ring and a bottom edge of the skirt. The threads intersect the restriction ring to form circumferentially spaced caesurae in the restriction ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2000
    Assignee: Fort James Corporation
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Rush, Bruce R. Smith, Thomas R. Toczek, Daniel J. Geddes, Warren G. Wiedmeyer
  • Patent number: D531033
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Fort James Corporation
    Inventors: Alois A. Schmidtner, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Patent number: D533779
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Fort James Corporation
    Inventors: Alois A. Schmidtner, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Patent number: D550041
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Rush, Donald B. Campbell, Robert J. Linnander, Margaret P. Hoks, Gerald J. Van Handel, Anthony J. Swiontek
  • Patent number: D481633
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: Fort James Corporation
    Inventors: Alois A. Schmidtner, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Patent number: D487399
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Fort James Corporation
    Inventors: Alois A. Schmidtner, Jonathan E. Rush
  • Patent number: D572587
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Rush, Trung Tran
  • Patent number: D716141
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Dixie Consumer Products LLC
    Inventor: Jonathan E. Rush