Cup carrier
A carrier for one or a plurality of beverage containing cups such as those supplied to carry out customers of carry out restaurants, fast food restaurants and the like. The cup carrier constructed in accordance the present invention includes a one piece blank which can be folded to form a base with one or a plurality of openings for receiving a beverage cup to provide an easily set up cup carrier that stably suspends the cup or cups in an upright position when the carrier is supported by a handle structure positioned above the cups so that the force of gravity will maintain the cup or cups in an upright suspended position.
This application is entitled to and hereby claims the priority of co-pending U.S. Provisional application Ser. No. 60/552,194, filed Mar. 12, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a carrier for one or a plurality of beverage containing cups such as those supplied to carry out customers of carry out restaurants, fast food restaurants and the like. The cup carrier constructed in accordance the present invention includes a one piece blank which can be folded to form a base with one or a plurality of openings for receiving a beverage cup or cups to provide an easily set up cup carrier that stably suspends the cup or cups in an upright position when the carrier is supported by a handle structure positioned above the cups so that the force of gravity will maintain the cup or cups in an upright suspended position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Spillage of beverages from hand carried cups is a well known problem to customers of carry out or fast food restaurants. Even when beverage cups are provided with a frictionally attached closure lid, it is difficult for a customer to carry a beverage cup or cups without spilling the beverage contents, especially when also carrying food products in a bag or the like during normal handling and transportation to a site of consumption of the beverage.
Various efforts have been made to facilitate the transportation of multiple cups from a point of purchase to a point of use. Such efforts include, placing the cups in an upright position in a paper bag which frequently results in the beverage cup tilting over and spilling the beverage internally of the bag. Another effort includes the provision of a compartmented tray constructed of cardboard or similar material to receive and frictionally engage the bottom ends of a plurality of beverage cups. While the use of such trays is more effective than using a paper bag and more effective than a customer gripping and carrying a plurality of cups in their hands, such trays provide a somewhat unstable carrier since the cups tend to tilt out of the trays especially if the trays are tilted or come into contact with a door, door frame or other stationery building structure, vehicle body or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe cup carrier in accordance with the present invention includes a one piece carrier preferably constructed of stiff cardboard, such as corrugated cardboard or the like formed from a a single blank having a planar base having at least one or a plurality of circular openings therein for receiving one or plurality of tapered beverage cups with the periphery of each circular opening engaging the beverage cup received therein intermediate the ends thereof in order to stably support the beverage cup in an upright position and to prevent the beverage cup from tilting out of the opening in the base since the frictional engagement between the cup and the periphery of the opening and force of gravity will retain the beverage cup or cups in the openings in the base. Opposite edges of the base include upwardly converging support members which terminate in a handle structure located above the center of the base and the center of any cup or cups being supported by the base with the weight of the cups and beverages and the force of gravity maintaining the base generally in a horizontal position below the handle structure to effectively support a beverage cup or cups in an upright suspended position within the opening or openings in the base of the carrier.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a one piece cup carrier constructed from a cardboard blank having a central circular opening or a plurality of circular openings formed in a rectangular central portion of the blank when the blank is folded in a manner to form a cup carrier.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cup carrier in which a fold line is provided outwardly from the openings in the base of the cup carrier to enable upwardly extending portions of the blank to converge upwardly to form a handle structure with the upwardly converging handle structure being spaced from any upper lip on the beverage cups or container and also spaced from any closure lid placed thereon to enable suspension of the beverage cups in a vertical position in the base.
A further object of the invention to provide fold lines in the upper portions of the handle structure to enable a short terminal end of each blank to be oriented in contacting relation with an opening formed therein to receive the fingers of a person carrying the cup carrier with the handle structure also being provided with a tab structure to retain the portions of the handles to be engaged by the fingers of a person carrying the carrier in contacting relation to maintain the carrier in a set up position to stably support the beverage cups when the cup carrier is being transported with a beverage cup or cups suspended through the openings in the base of the carrier.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Although only four preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
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The foregoing should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A cup carrier constructed from a one piece blank of cardboard material comprising a base having at least one opening for receiving a beverage cup therein, upwardly extending support members extending from opposite side edges of said base, each of the support members including a handle forming member at the upper end thereof with the handle forming members being in close association to orient the support members in upwardly converging relation in facing relation to a beverage cup lip or closure lid to facilitate transport of one or more beverage cups.
2. The cup carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said handle forming members are connected together in a face to face relation and provided with openings to enable insertion of fingers of a hand of a person carrying the cup carrier.
3. The cup carrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein said handle forming members include folding tabs to retain said handle forming members in adjacent relation.
4. The cup carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base is elongated and rectangular in shape and including a plurality of openings oriented in aligned relation.
5. The cup carrier as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base includes a fold line at opposite edges thereof to facilitate upward folding of said support members.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 11, 2005
Publication Date: Sep 29, 2005
Inventor: Jeanne Libit (Arlington, VA)
Application Number: 11/077,546