Coffee cup lid with hook

Abstract

A disposable coffee cup lid has a hook having a portion which snaps or hangs from the rim of the coffee cup. The hook may have a snap portion. In embodiments the snap portion may be a trough in the top of the lid, or may be a wave-like part of the hook, with the hook projecting from the side of the lid. The hook may instead have a flat wide shape which hangs from the cup rim, or may be a flat, arcuate projection from the top of the lid. The lid may be made of a polymer material and may have two substantially flat portions, one lower than the other, to provide the feel of a cup rim.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A lid for a disposable coffee cup having a circular rim, the rim having a first radius and a first thickness, the lid comprising:
 a body molded of a polymer material;   the body having a circular planform defining a plane of the body, the body having a circular edge portion, the edge being oriented in a substantially vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the body, the edge of the body having a second radius seen in planform, the second radius approximately equal to such first radius of such cup rim, whereby the lid may be secured to such cup by snapping it onto such rim;   the body having an elevated portion, the elevated portion having a third radius smaller than such first and second radii;   the body having first and second substantially flat portions within the third radius, the second substantially flat portion being elevated less than the remainder of the elevated portion;   a dispensing hole disposed on the elevated portion adjacent to the second substantially flat portion;   the body having a hook;   the hook projecting from the circular edge of the body and extending beyond the circular edge portion;   the hook having a snap portion, the snap portion wave-shaped in side view and having two crests defining one trough therebetween, the trough being an arc when seen in planform, the trough having a fourth radius, the fourth radius being equal to such first radius of such cup rim;   the trough having a width, the width of the trough being approximately equal to such first thickness of such rim, whereby when the lid is removed from such coffee cup and inverted, the trough may snap onto such cup rim, thereby securing the lid to such coffee cup.   
     
     
         2 . The lid of  claim 1 , wherein the wave-shaped snap portion further comprises a third crest defining a second trough, the second trough also having an arc seen in planform, the second trough having a fifth radius different from the fourth radius. 
     
     
         3 . A lid for a disposable coffee cup having a circular rim, the rim having a first radius and a first thickness, the lid comprising:
 a body molded of a polymer material;   the body having a circular planform defining a plane of the body, the body having a circular edge portion, the edge being oriented in a substantially vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the body, the edge of the body having a second radius seen in planform, the second radius approximately equal to such first radius of such cup rim, whereby the lid may be secured to such cup by snapping it onto such rim;   the body having an elevated portion, the elevated portion having a third radius smaller than such first and second radii;   the body having first and second substantially flat portions within the third radius, the second substantially flat portion being elevated less than the remainder of the elevated portion;   a dispensing hole disposed on the elevated portion adjacent to the second substantially flat portion;   the body having a trough on the elevated portion;   the trough being an arc when seen in planform, the trough having a fourth radius, the fourth radius being equal to such first radius of such cup rim;   the trough having a width, the width of the trough being approximately equal to such first thickness of such cup rim, whereby when the lid is removed from such coffee cup and inverted, the trough may snap onto such cup rim, thereby securing the lid to such coffee cup.   
     
     
         4 . A lid for a disposable coffee cup having a circular rim, the rim having a first radius and a first thickness, the lid comprising:
 a body molded of a polymer material;   the body having a circular planform defining a plane of the body, the body having a circular edge portion, the edge being oriented in a substantially vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the body, the edge of the body having a second radius seen in planform, the second radius approximately equal to such first radius of such cup rim, whereby the lid may be secured to such cup by snapping it onto such rim;   the body having an elevated portion, the elevated portion having a third radius smaller than such first and second radii;   the body having first and second substantially flat portions within the third radius, the second substantially flat portion being elevated less than the remainder of the elevated portion;   a dispensing hole disposed on the elevated portion adjacent to the second substantially flat portion;   the body having a hook;   the hook projecting from the elevated portion of the body and having a first portion extending beyond the third radius of the elevated portion, the first portion having first and second edges;   the hook having a second portion, the second portion projecting downward, whereby when the lid is removed from such coffee cup and the second portion of the hook is placed over such cup rim with the plane of the lid horizontal, the first and second edges of the hook prevent the cap from leaving the horizontal, thereby securing the lid to such coffee cup.   
     
     
         5 . A lid for a disposable coffee cup having a circular rim, the rim having a first radius and a first thickness, the lid comprising:
 a body molded of a polymer material;   the body having a circular planform defining a plane of the body, the body having a circular edge portion, the edge being oriented in a substantially vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the body, the edge of the body having a second radius seen in planform, the second radius approximately equal to such first radius of such cup rim, whereby the lid may be secured to such cup by snapping it onto such rim;   the body having an elevated portion, the elevated portion having a third radius smaller than such first and second radii;   the body having first and second substantially flat portions within the third radius, the second substantially flat portion being elevated less than the remainder of the elevated portion;   a dispensing hole disposed on the elevated portion adjacent to the second substantially flat portion;   the body having a hook;   the hook flat and projecting from the elevated portion of the body and having in planform an arcuate shape, the hook having a radius approximately equal to the third radius;   
       the hook having two ends, the first end of the hook secured to the elevated portion of the body. 
     
     
         6 . A lid for a disposable coffee cup having a rim having a shape and a first thickness, the lid comprising:
 a body molded of a polymer material;   the body having a planform defining a plane of the body, the body having an edge portion, the edge being oriented in a substantially vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the body, the body seen in planform having the same shape as such cup rim, whereby the lid may be secured to such cup by snapping it onto such rim;   the body having an elevated portion;   the body having first and second substantially flat portions within elevated portion, the second substantially flat portion being elevated less than the remainder of the elevated portion;   a dispensing hole disposed on the elevated portion adjacent to the second substantially flat portion;   the body having a hook;   the hook projecting from the edge of the body and extending beyond the edge portion in the plane of the body;   the hook having a hook gap portion having a width, the width of the hook gap portion being approximately equal to such first thickness of such rim, whereby when the lid is removed from such coffee cup, the hook may engage onto such cup rim, thereby securing the lid to such coffee cup.   
     
     
         7 . The lid of  claim 6 , wherein the width of the hook gap portion is approximately equal to such first thickness of such rim, and additionally is greater than such first thickness of such rim.