Lid assembly and method for use thereof

Abstract

A cup and lid combination that includes a cup having a side wall, a closed bottom and an open top, and a lid assembly. The lid assembly includes a band extending around a portion of the cup, a lid configured to close the open top of the cup, and a tether having first and second ends. The first end of the tether is connected to the band and the second end of the tether is connected to the lid.

1 . A cup and lid combination comprising: 
 a. a cup having a side wall, a closed bottom and an open top, and    b. a lid assembly, wherein the lid assembly includes 
 i. a band extending around a portion of the cup,  
 ii. a lid configured to close the open top of the cup, and  
 ii. a tether having first and second ends, wherein the first end of the tether is connected to the band and the second end of the tether is connected to the lid.  
   
   
   
       2 . The cup and lid combination of  claim 1  wherein the cup includes a lip adjacent the top thereof, and wherein the band is secured around the lip.  
   
   
       3 . The cup and lid combination of  claim 2  wherein the lid is separable from the band by tearing the tether.  
   
   
       4 . The cup and lid combination of  claim 2  wherein the band includes a channel defined therein, and wherein at least a portion of the lip of the cup is received in the channel.  
   
   
       5 . The cup and lid combination of  claim 1  wherein the cup has an outer surface and an inner surface and the band has an outer surface and an inner surface, and wherein the inner surface of the band contacts the outer surface of the cup and the band does not contact the inner surface of the cup.  
   
   
       6 . The cup and lid combination of  claim 3  wherein the tether includes score marks defined therein.  
   
   
       7 . The cup and lid combination of  claim 5  wherein the inner surface of the band contacts the lip.  
   
   
       8 . The cup and lid combination of  claim 1  wherein the band includes an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the upper portion has a greater circumference than the lower portion.  
   
   
       9 . A method of placing a lid on a cup, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing a stack of nestable cups,    b. removing a cup from the stack,    c. tearing a tether that connects a band extending around the cup to the lid, thereby separating the lid from the band,    d. disposing of the band, and    e. placing the lid on the cup.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the method includes the step of snap fitting the band onto a lip of the cup before step (a).  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein each of the cups in the stack includes a band therearound, and wherein each of the bands have a lid connected thereto by a tether.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the band is snap fit onto the lip from the bottom of the cup.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the band includes an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the upper portion has a greater circumference than the lower portion.  
   
   
       14 . A lid assembly for a cup comprising: 
 a. a band configured to extend around a cup,    b. a lid, and    c. a tether having first and second opposite ends, the first end being secured to the hand and the second end being secured to the lid.    
   
   
       15 . The lid assembly of  claim 14  wherein the band has a channel defined therein, wherein the channel is configured to receive at least a portion of a lip of the cup.  
   
   
       16 . The lid assembly of  claim 15  wherein the band includes an upper portion and a lower portion, and wherein the upper portion has a greater circumference than the lower portion.  
   
   
       17 . The lid assembly of  claim 16  wherein the tether has score marks defined therein.