Combination Beverage Cup and Lid or Base

Abstract

Disclosed is a design for a combination cup and base structure, including cooperating structural features such that the cup snaps into the base structure. Disclosed are embodiments for a combination cup and lid which include features such that the lid may act as a lid, a coaster, and a stable supporting base for the beverage cup in different configurations, including a single or multi-beverage tray, or stacked beverages. In a disclosed combination design cup and base, the cup includes an annular bead on a protruding edge of the bottom of the cup. The base design includes an inner annular protrusion sized to guide the annular bead on the bottom of the cup into an annular grove on the top inside surface protrusion. The annular groove is sized to fit the bead firmly, forming a stabilizing structure for the beverage cup.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A cup and base comprising:
 a cup wherein the cup includes an open end and a closed end wherein a lower rim of the cup extends below the closed end and has an annular bead shape;   a base wherein the base includes a circular protrusion which fits the closed end of the cup and an annular groove inside the circular protrusion where the groove shaped to fit said cup lower rim bead from below;   whereby the cup is stabilized by fitting the cup bead into the base groove.   
     
     
         2 . A cup and base as in  claim 1  wherein one or more bases are part of a single carrier platform. 
     
     
         3 . A cup and base as in  claim 1  wherein the base groove is formed by one or more segments which are partial segments of the full circumference of said circular protrusion. 
     
     
         4 . A cup and base as in  claim 1  wherein:
 said cup has a tapered shape from a larger open end to a smaller closed end; 
 said cup includes a second annular bead on a rim of said open end of the cup; 
 said base includes a second annular groove of a larger diameter than the first groove wherein said second groove is on a bottom surface of the base and cooperates by firmly fitting the bead on the open end of the cup; 
 whereby said base may act as either the base or a lid of the cup. 
 
     
     
         5 . A cup and base as in  claim 1  wherein a least a portion of the base is formed of a liquid absorbent material. 
     
     
         6 . A cup and base as in  claim 1  wherein the base includes a non-slip element forming at least part of the base. 
     
     
         7 . A cup carrier comprising:
 one or more cylindrically shaped receptacles shaped to receive the bottom of a cup;   an annular groove at the bottom periphery of the indentation;   wherein the receptacles are configured to guide an annular bead on the bottom of a cup into the annular groove at the bottom of the indentation, and wherein the annular groove is configured to accept the annular bear of the cup and to removably hold the cup in the carrier.   
     
     
         8 . A cup carrier as in  claim 7  wherein the carrier is configured with an element for receiving food containers. 
     
     
         9 . A cup holder comprising:
 a base;   wherein the base structure includes a means for removably attaching the base to the bottom of a cup.   
     
     
         10 . A cup holder as in  claim 9  wherein said base includes a means for removably attaching said base to the top of said cup. 
     
     
         11 . A cup holder as in  claim 9  further comprising:
 one or more additional bases configured as part of the cup holder structure, wherein each additional base structure includes the same means for removably attaching the additional base to the bottom of additional cups. 
 
     
     
         12 . A cup holder as in  claim 9  further comprising:
 one or more additional bases configured as part of the cup holder structure, wherein each additional base structure includes the same means for removably attaching the additional base to the bottom of additional cups, wherein the means for removably attaching the base is a groove structure configured to accept a bead on a bottom edge or the cup, wherein after accepting the bead the groove restricts upward movement of the cup. 
 
     
     
         13 . A cup holder as in  claim 9  wherein base structure includes means for stacking multiple bases together.