Cup lid with hook for hanging lid on upper rim of cup

Abstract

A lid for a beverage container is provided with a “hanger member”, joined to the lower edge an annular retaining rim of the lid, which forms a U-shaped hook allowing the lid to be hung from the upper lip of the container. In use, the lid may be removed and hang from the top of container while adding a substance, such as a whitener and/or sweetener, to a beverage, such as coffee, in the container.

1 . A removable lid for a beverage container having an upper rim surrounding an open top, said lid comprising, in combination: 
 (a) a top cover for covering the open top of the container with an upper surface facing outward away from the container, an opposite lower surface facing the container and the beverage in the container, the upper and lower surfaces have a circular periphery, said top cover including means providing an opening therein permitting a beverage in the container to be accessed through the cover by a user;    (b) an annular retaining rim extending downward from the periphery of the top cover and integral therewith for circumscribing the upper rim of the container and retaining the cover when in a covering position on the top of the container; and    (c) a hanger member, joined to a lower edge of the retaining rim, forming a U-shaped hook, said hook being configured to extend over the upper rim of the container to hang and hold the lid from said upper rim in a position with the lower surface of the cover facing the container; 
 whereby the lid may be hung from the upper rim of the container by means of said hanger member to allow the user to add ingredients to the beverage in the container prior to applying the lid to the open top thereof.  
   
   
   
       2 . The beverage container lid defined in  claim 1 , wherein said hanger member is a separate member attached to the annular retaining rim.  
   
   
       3 . The beverage container lid defined in  claim 2 , wherein said hanger member is attached to the annular retaining rim by an adhesive.  
   
   
       4 . The beverage container lid defined in  claim 2 , wherein said hanger member is attached to the annular retaining rim by a weld.  
   
   
       5 . The beverage container lid defined in  claim 1 , wherein said hanger member is made of the same material as the annular retaining rim and forms an integral extension thereto.  
   
   
       6 . The beverage container lid defined in  claim 1 , wherein the hanger member is in the range of ¼ inch to ½ inch in width.  
   
   
       7 . The beverage container lid defined in  claim 1 , wherein said hanger member is perforated along a line adjacent and parallel to the retaining rim, to facilitate its removal by tearing along the perforation.  
   
   
       8 . The beverage container lid defined in  claim 1 , wherein said hanger member is so configured that the container lid, including the top cover, the annular retaining rim and the hanger member, is stackable with other like container lids, with one inside the other.  
   
   
       9 . A method of adding a substance to a beverage in a beverage container having an upper rim surrounding an open top, said container having a removable lid disposed on, and supported by, said upper rim to close said top, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) removing said lid from said container;    (b) hanging said lid on said rim of said container by means of a hanger member joined to an edge of said lid;    (c) inserting said substance in said beverage through said open top; and    (d) replacing said lid on said top of said container.    
   
   
       10 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein said beverage is coffee and said substance is selected from the group consisting of a whitener and a sweetener.