Sweetheart Cup Company Inc.

Larry S Maccherone

Kenneth H Bealer

Edward M Earnest

Kenneth H Kuykendall, Sr

Peter T Van De Geijn

David W Norwood

Two-piece cups formed, e.g., from a thermoformable plastics material, include a bottom wall disc which is bonded to an inwardly turned annular bottom flange of the side wall by an upwardly and inwardly sloped transition wall. The transition wall allows the bottom wall disc to be bonded to the sidewall flange in such a manner that the annular bottom edge is substantially unaffected by the heat and pressures during the bonding process. The bottom wall disc may be in the form of multiple concentrically disposed, annular bottom wall segments which are connected to one another by respective ones of a plurality of transition walls.

Modified two-piece thermoformed cup

A tamper evident container assembly includes a container body having a bottom wall and peripheral side wall, the side wall terminating in an outwardly curled rim. A reusable lid includes a top wall portion and a depending skirt portion, the depending skirt portion constructed of spiral wound stock and having a free end, a major peripheral portion of the free end tucked under the upper rim and upwardly into engagement with the side wall, with a minor peripheral portion of the free end left untucked to thereby provide a gripping area to facilitate tearing and removal of the tear strip. The depending skirt portion is further provided in a lower portion thereof with a line of weakening extending annularly about the skirt portion to thereby define an annular removable tear strip inclusive of the free end, with the line of weakening lying on the rim, between upper and lower edges of the rim. Apparatus for forming the assembly includes a device for pressing a lower portion of the depending skirt portion of the lid under and into engagement with the rim of the container to form a curl about a major peripheral portion of the lid while leaving a minor peripheral portion uncurled while simultaneously forming a vertical slit in the lower portion of the depending skirt portion at an interface between the curled and uncurled portions to thereby simultaneously form a grip tab. Another device is provided for orienting the container to a predetermined rotational position prior to securing the lid. A related method of securing the lid to the container is also disclosed.

Tamper evident container and related apparatus

A tamper evident container assembly includes a container body having a bottom wall and peripheral side wall, the side wall terminating in an outwardly curled rim. A reusable lid includes a top wall portion and a depending skirt portion, the depending skirt portion constructed of spiral wound stock and having a free end, a major peripheral portion of the free-end rocked under the upper rim and upwardly into engagement with the side wall, with a minor peripheral portion of the free end left untucked to thereby provide a gripping area to facilitate tearing and removal of the tear strip. The depending skirt portion is further provided in a lower portion thereof with a line of weakening extending annularly about the skirt portion to thereby define an annular removable tear strip inclusive of the free end, with the line of weakening lying on the rim, between upper and lower edges of the rim. Apparatus for forming the assembly includes a device for pressing a lower portion of the depending skirt portion of the lid under and into engagement with the rim of the container to form a curl about a major peripheral portion of the lid while leaving a minor peripheral portion uncurled while simultaneously forming a vertical slit in the lower portion of the depending skirt portion at an interface between the curled and uncurled portions to thereby simultaneously form a grip tab. Another device is provided for orienting the container to a predetermined rotational position prior to securing the lid. A related method of securing the lid to the container is also disclosed.

A film cover is heat-sealed to the open end of containers and cut from a film stock by a cam-actuated, orbitally moving knife blade which severs the film stock along a circumferential region closely adjacent the container's open end. A major extent of the orbital movement of the cam-actuated knife blade about the open-ended container is preferably substantially circular (to closely conform to the circular cross-sectional geometry of open-ended containers to be film-covered). However, a minor segment of the knife blade's orbital movement is cam-actuated so as to follow a segment of an arcuate non-circular (e.g., elliptical) path to form a protruding tab on the film cover so as to allow a consumer to more easily grasp and remove the same. The film is preferably continuously supplied to the sealing and cutting zone, while the waste web (i.e., the film remaining after the film cover has been cut from the film stock) is continuously retrieved from the sealig and cutting zone at substantially constant rates. Meanwhile, discrete sections of the film stock are sequentially indexed into the momentarily stopped within the zone to allow for sealing of the film cover to the open-ended container. During such momentary stoppages, a dancer roll assembly accommodates the continuous supply and retrieval of film stock and waste web to and from the sealing and treating zone, respectively.

Growing community of inventors

Severna Park, MD, United States of America

Larry S Maccherone