IMPROVED LID FOR DRINK CONTAINERS

DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the industrial field of containers for beverages, like coffee, cappuccino, tea, hot milk, as well as fruit juice, fizzy drinks, etc.

In particular, the invention relates to an improved lid for drink containers.

Description of the prior art

As known, different typologies of lids exist for disposable containers that are used in many shops, and in particular in franchising shops specialized in "take away", for serving many kinds of drinks, like coffee, tea, hot milk, as well as fruit juice, fizzy drinks, etc.

The above disclosed containers for drink, typically plastic cups, are generally associated to a lid in order to avoid, on the one hand that the content can quickly become cold, but also to provide a physical barrier that is able to avoid that the beverage can spill out during its transport from a place to another one.

However, the above disclosed lids of prior art have many drawbacks. Firstly, the known lids have only one aperture, that is generally provided at a peripheral portion, at which the user places his lips for drinking the beverage.

However, during the transport of the container, the beverage can spill out through the above disclosed aperture, thus causing a loss of product, with the risk, if the beverage is very hot, of hitting the user's hand, burning the same and, therefore, the user can instinctively leave the container thus inevitably scattering its content in the surrounding environment.

Another drawback of the prior art lids is that, once they are applied to the respective containers, it is not easy to remove them in order, for example, to add to the beverage a sweetening agent, as for example sugar, or another agent. Furthermore, even if the lid is removed, it is inevitable to have a dispersion of heat from the beverage towards the external environment, both for the long time needed to remove and apply again the lid, and for the high exchange surface that is available, that is the whole free surface of the cup.

Examples of lids for beverage containers of prior art having the above disclosed disadvantages are described in US8381935 and in WO2012173869.

In particular, in US8381935 a lid and a container integrated to it are described, of the type that is normally used for containing foods to eat together with the beverage contained within the main container, or otherwise for containing little gifts for kids.

WO2012/173869 describes, instead, a lid for containers providing two portions an precisely a main portion, which is mounted on the container edge and that is used by the user for drinking the beverage contained within the container through an aperture. The lid provides, furthermore, a closing portion substantially flat and having two apertures. More in detail, the closing portion is housed within the side edge of the main portion and is able to rotate with respect to it in order to obtain two different working configurations, in which one of the two apertures is overlapped to the above disclosed aperture of the main portion, or in a third working configuration, in which the beverage contained within the container cannot be reached.

However, the solution proposed in WO2012/173869 has many drawbacks. Firstly, since the closing portion is positioned within the lateral edge of the main portion, in order to cause a rotation with respect to the main portion, it provides a handle portion protruding few mm from the upper surface. This solution does not allow, however, to easily rotate the closing portion, because the user has not a large handle portion available and therefore he is not able to firmly grasp it. In addition, since in working conditions, the closing portion is positioned above the free surface of the drink contained inside the container, if the drink is hot, for example a tea, the handle portion is very hot and the user is not be able to grasp the closing portion before the drink is not cold enough, otherwise it could warm the user's fingers, up to cause a little burn.

Another drawback of the solution described in WO2012/173869 is that the only purpose provided for the two apertures of the cover portion is to have two different options to drink the beverage, i.e. through the main aperture, or through a straw arranged through the aperture, which, therefore, has a size corresponding only to this aim. Therefore, the solution described in WO2012/173869 does not allow to easily introduce within the container, for example, sugar, or another sweetening agent, or any other agent, without completely removing the lid with consequent nuisance and loss of time for the user.

Summary of the invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention of the present invention to provide an improved lid for drink containers that is able to overcome the above disadvantages of similar products of prior art.

It is in particular an object of the present invention to provide an improved lid for drink containers that allows to safely transport the content of the container, but at the same time that allows to easily drink the beverage contained within, and to add sugar, as well as other agents to the beverage without removing the lid and, therefore, simplifying this operation and minimizing the heat dispersion from the beverage to the outside.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved lid for containers that allows to quickly and easily assemble together the different parts of which it is compounded, when it is used for drinking the beverage contained within the same, and of disassembling the different parts when they have to be cleaned, or when they have to be collocated in the waste containers.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved lid for containers that is completely recyclable in such a way to have no environmental impact.

These and other objects are obtained by the improved lid for drink containers, according to the present invention, comprising:

- a base portion comprising:

- a peripheral part configured to engage the edge of a container;

- a central part, which provides at least a first aperture;

- a connection edge between said peripheral part and said central part, said connection edge being, in use, raised with respect to said central part and provided with a second aperture, which communicates with the inside of said container;

- a cover portion comprising:

- a central part provided of at least a first hole;

- a peripheral edge that is raised with respect to the central part and provided of a second hole, said raised peripheral edge being hollow and being configured to overlap and engage, in use, said connection edge of said base portion in such a way to engage the cover portion to the base portion allowing, at the same time, to the cover portion to be free to rotate with respect to the above disclosed base portion;

wherein said first and said second aperture and said first and said second hole are provided in said raised portions and in said central portions of said base portion and said cover portion, respectively, and at predetermined positions such that it is possible to selectively and alternatively arrange the lid, by the above disclosed rotation of said cover portion with respect to said base portion, in a first working configuration, in which said second aperture and said second hole are overlapped one another and is, therefore, possible for the user to drink the content of the container, whilst said first aperture and said first hole are not overlapped one another, in a second working configuration in which said first aperture and said first hole are overlapped one another, whilst said second aperture and said second hole are not overlapped one another, whereby the cavity of the container can be reached from the outside, and in a third working configuration in which said first aperture is not overlapped to said first hole and said second aperture is not overlapped to said second hole, whereby it is possible to transport said container avoiding to spill off its content.

The improved lid according to the present invention, therefore, allows the user to comfortably drink the beverage contained in the container through the second hole of the cover portion, which is, in this case, overlapped to the second aperture of the base portion, when the lid is arranged in the first working configuration, to comfortably introduce a sweetening agent, for example sugar, or another desired agent, within the container through the first hole of the cover portion, which is, in this case, overlapped to the first aperture of the base portion, when the lid is arranged in the second working configuration, and to transport the container without the risk that the beverage contained in it can spill off, when the lid is arranged in the third working configuration, in which quale none of the holes of cover portion is overlapped to any of the apertures of the base portion.

Other features of the present invention and the relative embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be shown with the following description of its exemplary embodiments, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective side view of a base portion of the lid according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective side view of a cover portion which together with the base portion of figure 1 form the lid for drink containers, according to the present invention;

Figures 3 and 4 show, respectively, an exploded perspective view, and an assembled perspective view of the lid according to the present invention positioned on a drink container;

Figures from 5A to 5B show 3 possible working configurations that can be obtained with the lid according to the present invention;

Figure 6A shows a longitudinal section view of a drink container provided of the lid according to the invention;

Figure 6B shows an enlargement of section of figure 6A in order to highlight the guide elements of which the two portions of the lid are provided of;

Figure 7A shows a longitudinal section view of a drink container provided of the lid according to the invention;

Figure 7B shows an enlargement of the section of figure 7A in order to highlight the reference elements of which the two portions of lid are provided of;

Figure 8A shows a longitudinal section view of 2 drink containers provided of respective lids according to the invention;

Figure 8B shows an enlargement of the section of figure 8A in order to highlight some technical characteristics del lid according to the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment

With reference to figure 1 , an improved lid 1 , according to the invention, for drink containers 100 having a containment cavity 105, provides a base portion 10 and a cover portion 20. More in detail, the base portion 10 provides a peripheral part 1 1 configured to engage the edge of a container 100, a central part 12, which provides at least a first aperture 15a communicating with the cavity 105 of container 100, and a connection edge 13 adapted to connect the peripheral part 1 1 and the central part 12. The connection edge 13 is raised with respect to the peripheral part 1 1 and to the central part 12 and is provided of a second aperture 15b, which communicates with the containment cavity of container 100. The lid 1 comprises, furthermore, a cover portion 20 having a central part 22 having at least a first hole 25a, and a peripheral edge 21 having a second hole 25b and adapted to engage, in use, the connection edge 13 of the base portion 10 in such a way to be free to rotate with respect to it. More in detail, the peripheral edge 21 of the cover portion 20 is raised with respect to the above disclosed central part 22 and is hollow. In this way, in working conditions, the peripheral edge 21 of cover portion 20 can be overlapped to connection edge 13 of base portion 10 with respect to which is slightly over-dimensioned. In this way the peripheral edge 21 , in use, is overlapped to the connection edge 13 engaging the same, in particular at the lateral portion, but is, at the same time, free to rotate with respect to the same. In particular, the side wall 23 of peripheral edge 21 can be elastically yieldable, in such a way to be elastically forced when it has to be arranged on connection edge 13 of cover portion 10, in order to laterally engage the same, in an elastic way. In this way, therefore, the cover portion 20 is free to rotate with respect to the base portion 10 and it is assured a perfect tightening condition between the two.

At the moment to move from a working configuration to another one, the user grasps the cover portion 20 at the peripheral edge 21 , at which he can exert a firm and steady grasp, in order to cause the cover portion 20 to rotate with respect to the base portion 10. Therefore, the lid 1 , according to the present invention, in particular with respect to the solution of WO2012/173869 is simple to use and is easily movable from a working configuration to another one. Furthermore, since in lid 1 , the handle portion substantially coincides with the peripheral edge 21 , it is avoided that the user can be burnt when he grasps the cover portion 20 to rotate it with respect to the base portion 10, in case the container 100 contains a hot drink.

In an advantageously embodiment, both the base portion 10 and the cover portion 20 can be made of a recyclable material, in particular a recyclable plastic material, for example polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PTFE) and similar materials.

According to the present invention, the first and the second aperture 15a, 15b and the first and the second hole 25a, 25b, are provided at predetermined positions, respectively at the connection edge 13 and at the peripheral edge 21 , such that the lid 1 is adapted to be selectively arranged in a working configuration between 3 different working configurations, by rotating the cover portion 20 with respect to the base portion 10. More precisely, as diagrammatica!ly shown in the figures from 5A to 5C, in a first working configuration, the second aperture 15b and the second hole 25b are overlapped one another and, therefore, it is possible for the user to drink the content of container 100 (see figure 5A). In this working configuration, the first aperture 15a and the first hole 25a, instead, are not overlapped one another, in such a way to avoid that, when the user drinks the beverage contained in the container 100, the beverage can also exit through the first hole 25a. By causing the above disclosed rotation of the cover portion 20 with respect to the base portion 10, it is, furthermore, possible to arrange the lid 1 in a second working configuration shown in figure 5B, in which the first aperture 15a and the first hole 25a are overlapped one another, whilst the second aperture 15b and the second hole 25b are not overlapped one another, whereby the cavity of container 100 can be reached from the outside only through the first hole 25a, in order to introduce, for example, a sweetening agent, or a different substance, for example to give a particular taste to the beverage, or for any other reasons, thus simplifying this operation and minimizing the heat dispersion from the beverage towards the outside. The lid 1 as above described can be furthermore arranged in a third working configuration diagrammatically shown in figure 5C, In which the first aperture 15a is not overlapped to the first hole 25a, and the second aperture 15b is not overlapped to the second hole 25b, i.e. in a configuration in which is not possible to reach the beverage arranged inside the container 100, whereby it is possible to transport the container 100 avoiding to spill of the content. It is appropriate to note that in the figures from 5A to 5C, the "hatching" of first and/or the second, hole 25a, 25b is used with explanatory aims to indicate the positioning in a closing position of the same.

According to the present invention, the first aperture 15a and the second aperture 15b are made in the base portion 10 at respective angular positions P1 and P2 forming an angle Θ1 substantially equal to 120° going in an anticlockwise direction from the second aperture 15b towards the first aperture 15a (see figure 1 ). Instead, the first hole 25a and the second hole 25b are made in the cover portion 20 at respective angular positions PV and P2' forming an angle Θ2 substantially equal to 240° going in an anticlockwise direction from the second hole 25a to the first hole 25b (see figure 2). The above disclosed layout is only an example of possible layouts for the positions at which the apertures 15a and 15b and the holes 25a and 25b can be made.

Another advantage of the present invention is that it is possible to assemble the different parts of lid 1 , in particular the base portion 10 and the cover portion 20 at the moment of using the same, and that is possible to easily disassemble the lid 1 , by disengaging the base portion 10 both from container 100, and from cover portion 20, at the end of their use, in such a way that is possible, for example, to clean them, or to collect the different materials in respective waste containers for providing the disposal, or the recycling of the same.

According to an embodiment provided by the invention, the central part 22 of cover portion 20 and the central part 12 of base portion 10 provide respective reference elements 26 and 16 adapted to engage one another when the lid 1 is arranged in one of the working configurations. In this way, during the above disclosed rotation of cover portion 20 with respect to the base portion 10 in order to modify the working configuration of lid 1 is "guided" by the above disclosed reference elements 16 and 26. These, in fact, when the lid 1 is arranged in one of the possible working configurations, inform the user that one working configuration has been reached. In addition to the above, the reference elements 16 and 26 assures that cover portion 20 is maintained in the obtained working configuration with respect to the base portion 10.

As shown in detail in the figures 6A and 6B, in a preferred embodiment, each reference element 16 of base portion 10 consists in a lowered portion made in the central part 12, and analogously, each reference element 26 of cover portion 20 consists in a lowered portion of the respective central part 22. In particular, both the base portion 10 and the cover portion 20 can provide 3 respective reference elements 16 and 26, each at respective angular positions arranged at 120° one with respect to the other.

As shown in detail in the figures 7 A and 7B, the connection edge 13 of base portion 10 and the raised peripheral edge 21 of cover portion 20 have respective lateral guide elements 17 and 27. These are configured to mutually engage one another and to allow a guide rotation of cover portion 20 with respect to the base portion 10 during the movement from a working configuration to another one. As shown in detail in figure 6B, the lateral guide elements 17 and 27 can be circumferential recesses made, respectively, at the lateral surfaces 18 and 28 of connection edge 13 and of peripheral edge 21. In this way, it is assured that the two portions 10 and 20 remain in correct relative positions both during the movement from a working configuration to another one, and in the chosen working configuration in which they are positioned in a determined instant.

Finally, as shown in the figures 8A and 8B, the lid 1 according to the present invention is configured in such a way that is possible to stack containers, for example 2 containers 100a and 100b, on top of each other, each container providing a respective lid 1 a and 1 b. More in detail the distance H between the top of peripheral edge 21 of central part 22 of cover portion 20 can be advantageously set between 0.5 and 2.5 cm in order to assure that the container 100b is positioned above lid 1 a is highly firm during the transport of the stack of containers 100a and 100b.