Cover for drinking containers

Claim 2

A cover for a drinking container having a rim, said cover made from a resilient non-metallic material and comprising a peripheral rim section adapted to fit snugly over the rim of the container, and a resilient cover panel extending between the confines of said rim section to cover the container and having a main body, said cover panel also having a generally U-shaped weakening line defining a corresponding shaped flap having flat side margins extending along and in adjacently spaced relation from said U-shaped weakening line, said flap having an outer edge portion located near said rim section and bounded by said side margins, and said flap having an inner portion hingedly and integrally connected to said main body, a raised transverse reinforcing contour on said main body extending across the ends of said U-shaped weakening line and including a portion located adjacent the junction between said flap inner portion and said main body, and a raised reinforcing contour on said flap and having a portion located adjacent the junction between said flap inner portion and said main body in parallel relation to said portion of said reinforcing contour on said main body so as to define a resilient, stable transverse hinge axis for said flap extending between said parallel portions of said reinforcing contours, said flap being depressible relative to said main body to provide an opening for drinking from one side of the container by causing rupture of said U-shaped weakening line adjacent said outer edge portion and said side margins, said flap returning to a normal redepressible position where it substantially closes the opening upon being released from a depressed position in response to the resiliency of said hinge axis.

Claim 3

A cover according to claim 1 wherein said main body includes a raised, rounded lip located adjacent said U-shaped weakening line and wherein said flap includes a raised rounded lip located adjacent said U-shaped weakening line.

Claim 4

A cover according to claim 2 wherein said U-shaped weakening line is formed with a thin frangible section between said lips which section can be ruptured by depressing said flap.

Claim 5

A cover according to claim 1 wherein said flap includes a raised button which is located to facilitate depressing said flap by the user with the thumb on the same hand holding the container.

Claim 6

A cover according to claim 4 wherein said button has a top surface including a plurality of indentations for minimizing slippage of the user's thumb off said button while depressing said flap.

Claim 7

A cover according to claim 4 wherein said button has a top surface which slopes upwardly in a direction toward said flap outer end portion so that it is substantially coplanar with said cover panel when said flap is depressed for drinking.

Claim 8

A cover according to claim 1 wherein said cover is vacuum formed as a one-piece unit from a sheet of polymeric thermoplastic material.

Claim 9

A single piece cover for a drinking container having a rim, said cover being made from a relatively rigid, resilient polymeric thermoplastic material and comprising a peripheral rim section adapted to fit snugly over the rim of the container and a cover panel extending between the confines of said rim section to cover the container and having a main body, said cover panel also having a generally U-shaped weakening line defining a correspondingly shaped flap having flat side margins extending along and in adjacently spaced relation from said score line, said flap having an outer edge portion located near said rim section and bounded by said side margins, and said flap having an inner portion hingedly and integrally connected to said main body, a raised transverse reinforcing contour on said main body extending across the ends of said U-shaped weakening line and including a portion located adjacent the junction between said flaps and said main body, and a raised reinforcing contour on said flap and having a portion located adjacent the junction between said flap inner portion and said main body in parallel relation to said portion of said raised reinforcing contour on said main body so as to define a resilient, stable transverse hinge axis for said flap being depressible relative to said main body to provide an opening in said cover panel for drinking from one side of the container by causing rupture of said weakening line adjacent said outer edge portion and said side margins, said flap returning to a normal redepressible position where it substantially closes said opening upon being released from a depressed postion in response to the resiliency of said hinge axis, said main body including a raised, rounded lip located adjacent said U-shaped weakening line, said flap including a raised button to facilitate depressing said flap by the user with the thumb on the same hand holding the cup, and said flap having a raised, rounded lip located adjacent said U-shaped weakening line.

Claim 10

A single piece cover for a drinking container having a rim, said cover being made from a relatively rigid, resilient polymeric thermoplastic material and comprising a peripheral rim section adapted to fit snugly over the rim of the container and a cover panel extending between the confines of said rim section to cover the container and having a main body, said cover panel also having a generally U-shaped weakening line defining a correspondingly shaped flap having flat side margins extending along and in adjacently spaced relation from said score line, said flap having an outer edge portion located near said rim section and bounded by said side margins, and said flap having an inner portion hingedly and integrally connected to said main body, a raised transverse reinforcing contour on said main body extending across the ends of said U-shaped weakening line and including a portion located adjacent the junction between said flaps and said main body, and a raised reinforcing contour on said flap and having a portion located adjacent the junction between said flap inner portion and said main body in parallel relation to said portion of said raised reinforcing contour on said main body so as to define a resilient, stable transverse hinge axis for said flap being depressible relative to said main body to provide an opening in said cover panel for drinking from one side of the container by causing rupture of said weakening line adjacent said outer edge portion and said side margins, said flap returning to a normal redepressible position where it substantially closes said opening upon being released from a depressed postion in response to the resiliency of said hinge axis, said main body including a raised, rounded lip located adjacent said U-shaped weakening line, said flap including a raised button to facilitate depressing said flap by the user with the thumb on the same hand holding the cup, and said flap having a raised, rounded lip located adjacent said U-shaped weakening line.