Fast food restaurants in particular sell drinks in paper or plastics drinking cups. These cups are often provided with a lid that fits onto the rim of the cup.

The lid is made of thin plastics material and has its periphery shaped to provide a groove into which the rim of the cup can be push-fitted. The lid will usually have a cross cut in its middle section through which a straw can be inserted into the cup contents for them to be drunk. The lid may also have a breather hole for pressure equalisation to prevent the cup from collapsing as its contents are withdrawn.

These cup and lid combinations can be used reasonably safely by very young children in the confines of a restaurant but if they are taken away still containing some or all of the drink to be consumed later, such as in a motor vehicle, the risk of spillage is significant. The main reasons for spillages include that the sides of a cup can be squeezed and that can distort the rim of the cup to the extent that the lid detaches from the rim of the cup. Furthermore, sideways pressure on the drinking straw can also act to detach the lid from the rim of the cup.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved lid for drinking cups, whereby incidence of drink spillage by young children may be reduced.

According to this invention there is provided a lid for a drinking cup of the type made from paper or plastics material having a drinking spout formed integrally therewith.

The invention further provides a drinking cup and lid combination, wherein the cup is of the type made from paper or plastics material and the lid has a drinking spout formed integrally therewith.

The lids of the invention are preferably stackable.

The lids of the invention are preferably made of relatively thin plastics material.

The lids of the invention will preferably be designed so as to be difficult to remove once applied to a drinking cup. Typically plastics and paper drinking cups are formed with an outer lip. A preferred lid of the invention will be shaped to locate on that lip. Such shaping may be in the form of a peripheral groove or channel in the intended underside of the lid to fit over the lip of a drinking cup.

Alternatively, the lid may have a depending rim formed with an annular groove, in which the lip of a drinking cup can locate. Any other suitable shaping of the lid may be used for locating the lid on a drinking cup.

The spout will preferably be oblong in section laterally of a radius of the lid and will preferably have rounded ends. The spout may have more than one drinking hole therethough to allow the contents of the drinking cup to be drawn though the spout with a little suction. In another preferred embodiment the spout may have a single aperture, which is preferably in the form of an elongate slot.

The lids of the invention may also have one or more breather holes for pressure equalisation within the cup as its contents are removed.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the spout has a drinking straw associated therewith for extending into a drinking cup. The drinking straw is preferably incorporated into the spout and may be moulded together with the spout. Preferably, the drinking straw component is tapered to its free end, whereby lids having the drinking straw feature may be stacked one on top of the other.

This invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a drinking cup with a lid ; Figure 2 is a section through the drinking cup and lid combination of Figure1 ; Figure 3 shows a lid with a handle ; Figure 4 shows lids of Figure 3 in stacked formation; Figure 5 shows a lid with a drinking straw; and Figure 6 shows lids of Figure 5 in stacked formation.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a drinking cup 10 of a conventional type as used in fast food restaurants, for example, is made from paper or from plastics material. The plastics material may be relatively thin or may be of thicker expanded polystyrene. The drinking cup has an enlarged lip 12 around its top edge.

A lid 14 is fitted onto the drinking cup 10. The lid is made of relatively thin plastics material and is shaped to be retained on the lip 12 of the drinking cup 10.

The lid has a central part 16, on which is formed a drinking spout 18. The drinking spout 18 is generally oblong in section with rounded ends 20 and has a flat top surface 22 through which are three apertures 24 through which the contents of the cup can be drawn by suction.

The lid 14 further has a downwardly open channel 26 around the central part, the channel being shaped to locate on the lip 14 of the drinking cup. The lid outwardly from the central part extends downwardly and then upwardly to form the channel inner wall 28, outwardly to form the channel base 30 and then downwardly to form outer channel wall 32. The outer channel wall 32 has a rib 34 or the like on its inner face that snap fits over the lip of the drinking cup as the lid is pressed onto the cup. The shaping of the lid to fit onto the lip of the cup is such that as more force is applied to grip the edge of the lid to lift it off the cup, the grip on the cup is increased. Alternatively, the lid may not have the channel but rather an outer rim that is shaped and distortable to snap over the rim of a drinking cup.

It is preferred that the channel be relatively deep compared to those of conventional drinking cup lids. The depth of the channel is aimed at reducing the risk of crushing of the lid and the cup.

Turning to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings, a lid 50 for a drinking cup is shown that is formed as an injection moulding. The lid 50 is similar to the lid of Figures 1 and 2 except for the form of its spout 52 and the optional provision of handles 54.

The spout 52, instead of having a series of holes in its top, has a single slot type opening 56, the edges of which are folded back into the spout to avoid sharp edges and a child's tongue being trapped in the spout.

The handles 54 are shown as arcuate extensions from the side of the lid.

As can be seen in Figure 4 of the drawings, the lids 50 are stackable for space saving during transportation and storage.

Finally in Figures 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings, a lid 100 for a paper or plastics drinking cup is of the same general type as shown in Figures 3 and 4 without handles but with a drinking straw 102 incorporated into the spout 104. The drinking straw is tapered towards its free end and the spout has a full opening 106, so that the lids 100 can be stacked as shown in Figure 6.

The lids of Figures 3 and 5 will both have one or more vent holes (not shown) for pressure equalisation within a drinking cup as its contents are sucked out.