Round top cup with folding closure

Abstract

A closure for a round top cup, the closure including a pair of gabled lid sections and a pair of curved lateral lid sections, the gabled lid sections oriented to be linearly aligned and abutting one another at the center of the cup in an end-to-end relationship and the lateral lid sections oriented to be linearly aligned with one another and abutting opposite sides of the gabled lid sections.

1 . A cup, comprising a sidewall having a substantially circular cross-section and a folding closure inhibiting leakage or spillage from the cup, the sidewall and the closure both formed from a one-piece blank, the folding closure being located adjacent an edge of the blank, being located adjacent the sidewall and being configured to provide a substantially open passage in an unfolded orientation and to provide a substantially closed structure in a folded orientation that substantially inhibits leakage or spillage from the cup, the substantially closed structure including a pair of gabled lid sections oriented to be linearly aligned and abutting one another in an end-to-end relationship, and a pair of lateral lid sections oriented to be linearly aligned with one another and each abutting opposite sides of the gabled lid sections. 
   
   
       2 . The cup of  claim 1  wherein the sidewalls and the folding closure in an unfolded orientation have a frustro-conical shape with the unfolded closure forming an upper edge lying in a plane. 
   
   
       3 . The cup of  claim 1  wherein the sidewalls and the folding closure in an unfolded orientation have a frustro-conical shape with the unfolded closure forming an upper edge that is circular and lies in a horizontal plane. 
   
   
       4 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the blank comprises a paperboard blank. 
   
   
       5 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the blank comprises a plastic blank. 
   
   
       6 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the cup further includes a bottom opposite the folding closure. 
   
   
       7 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the blank in a planar unfolded orientation has a length, a width, and an upper edge, and includes a plurality of longitudinal fold segments that are linear fold segments, a plurality of lateral fold segments that are curved fold segments, and a plurality of angled fold segments that are linear fold segments; wherein the longitudinal fold segments are each oriented to be substantially parallel to the length of the blank and extend from the upper edge of the blank to an intersection with one of the lateral fold segments which are each oriented to be substantially parallel to the width of the blank; and wherein the angled fold segments each extend diagonally from the upper edge of the blank to an intersection of two of the lateral fold segments and one of the longitudinal fold segments. 
   
   
       8 . The cup of  claim 1 , wherein the lateral lid sections provide curved surfaces. 
   
   
       9 . The cup of  claim 1 , further comprising a flat rim incorporated onto the cup. 
   
   
       10 . The cup of  claim 9 , wherein the flat rim is located to be present on the abutting portions of the gabled lid sections and on the lateral lid sections where the lateral lid sections abut the gabled lid sections. 
   
   
       11 . A closure for a round top cup, the closure comprising a pair of gabled lid sections and a pair of curved lateral lid sections, the gabled lid sections oriented to be linearly aligned and abutting one another at the center of the cup in an end-to-end relationship and the lateral lid sections oriented to be linearly aligned with one another and abutting opposite sides of the gabled lid sections. 
   
   
       12 . The closure of  claim 1 , further comprising a flat rim is located to be present on the abutting portions of the gabled lid sections and on the lateral lid sections where the lateral lid sections abut the gabled lid sections. 
   
   
       13 . A cup blank, comprising a foldable sheet material having a foldable closure portion defined adjacent an edge of the sheet material, the foldable closure portion having a plurality of first fold segments which are linear fold segments, a plurality of second fold segments which are curved fold segments, and a plurality of third fold segments which are linear fold segments; wherein the first fold segments extend from the edge of the sheet material to an intersection with one of the second fold segments, wherein the closure portion is void of any of the third fold segments intermediate at least one pair of adjacent and spaced apart ones of the first fold segments; and wherein the third fold segments each extend diagonally from the edge of the sheet material to an intersection of two of the second fold segments and one of the first fold segments, wherein the foldable closure portion is foldable to define a lid having a pair of gabled lid sections and a pair of lateral lid sections, and wherein the gabled lid sections are oriented to be linearly aligned and abutting one another in an end-to-end relationship and the lateral lid sections are oriented to be linearly aligned with one another and abutting opposite sides of the aligned gabled lid sections. 
   
   
       14 . The blank of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of first fold segments comprises six first fold segments, the plurality of second fold segments comprises six fold segments, and the plurality of third fold segments comprises eight fold segments. 
   
   
       15 . The blank of  claim 13  wherein the blank has one edge lying in an arc that forms a circular top edge when the blank is formed into a cup and the foldable closure portion is not folded.