Reinforced plastic foam cup, method of and apparatus for manufacturing same

1. A method of reinforcing a plastic foam cup, said method comprising:

(a) providing a plastic foam conical body which has:

(i) an open top end having a first diameter, said open top end including an outwardly rolled lip,

(ii) a closed bottom end having a second diameter less than the first diameter of the open top end, and

(iii) a tapered wall extending from the closed bottom end to the open top end, said tapered wall having an outer surface and an inner surface;

(b) providing a flat reinforcing member having:

(i) a material layer having an inner surface and an outer surface,

(ii) a pressure sensitive adhesive layer which covers substantially the entire inner surface of the material layer,

(iii) a concave edge having a trough,

(iv) a convex edge having an apex,

(v) a leading edge extending along a first line,

(vi) a sensing edge, said leading edge and said sensing edge extending between the concave and convex edges at a first end of the material layer,

(vii) a trailing edge extending along a second line, and

(viii) an adhesive relief edge, said trailing edge and said adhesive relief edge extending between the concave and convex edges at a second, end of the material layer which is opposite the first end of the material layer, said first line intersecting said second line, said sensing edge and said adhesive relief edge extending substantially parallel to each other;

(c) prior to affixing the pressure sensitive adhesive layer of the reinforcing member around the outer surface of the tapered wall, sensing the sensing edge to determine a location of the trough of the concave edge and the apex of the convex edge; and

(d) affixing the pressure sensitive adhesive layer of the reinforcing member to the outer surface of the tapered wall by initially affixing a first portion of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer between the trough of the concave edge and the apex of the convex edge and thereafter affixing a plurality of remaining portions of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer including said leading edge, said sensing edge, said trailing edge and said adhesive relief edge, wherein said plurality of remaining portions of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer are affixed around the outer surface of the tapered wall such that:

(i) the concave edge is adjacent to the closed bottom end of the plastic foam conical body,

(ii) the convex edge is adjacent to the open top end of the plastic foam conical body,

(iii) the leading edge and said trailing edge extend substantially parallel to each other, and

(iv) the sensing edge extends along a third line, and the adhesive relief edge extends along a fourth line which intersects the third line.

2. The method of reinforcing a plastic foam cup of claim 1 , which includes graphics on the reinforcing member.

3. The method of reinforcing a plastic foam cup of claim 1 , which includes graphics printed on the outer surface of the material layer.

4. The method of reinforcing a plastic foam cup of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive relief edge and the sensing edge are approximately the same height.

5. A method of reinforcing a plastic foam cup, said method comprising:

(a) providing a plastic foam cup having:

(i) a bottom wall,

(ii) a conical shaped side wall integrally formed at one end with the bottom wall and extending from the bottom wall to a top end, said side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, said bottom wall and side wall defining a cavity, said top end defining an opening for the cavity, the top end having a greater diameter than the bottom end,

(iii) an outwardly extending lip integrally formed with the top end of the side, and

(iv) a downwardly extending lip integrally formed with the side wall and extending below the bottom wall;

(b) providing a reinforcing member including:

(i) a paper material layer having an inner surface and an outer surface,

(ii) a pressure sensitive adhesive layer which covers substantially the entire inner surface of the paper material layer,

(iii) a concave edge having a trough,

(iv) a convex edge having an apex,

(v) a leading edge extending along a first line,

(vi) a sensing edge, said leading edge and sensing edge extending between the concave and the convex edges at a first end of the material layer,

(vii) a trailing edge extending along a second line, and

(viii) an adhesive relief edge, said trailing edge and said adhesive relief edge extending between the concave and the convex edges at a second, end of the material layer which is opposite the first end of the material layer, said first line intersecting said second line, said sensing edge and said adhesive relief edge extending substantially parallel to each other;

(c) prior to affixing the pressure sensitive adhesive layer of the reinforcing member around the outer surface of the side wall sensing the sensing edge to determine a location of the trough of the concave edge and the apex of the convex edge; and

(d) affixing said pressure sensitive adhesive layer of the reinforcing member to the outer surface of the side wall by initially affixing a first portion of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer between the trough of the concave edge and the apex of the convex edge and thereafter affixing a plurality of remaining portions of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer including said leading edge, said sensing edge, said trailing edge and said adhesive relief edge, wherein said plurality of remaining portions of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer are affixed around the outer surface of the side wall such that:

(i) the concave edge is adjacent to a bottom edge of the downwardly extending lip,

(ii) the convex edge is adjacent to the outwardly extending lip,

(iii) the leading edge and said trailing edge extend substantially parallel to each other, and

(iv) the sensing edge extends along a third line, and the adhesive relief edge extends along a fourth line which interests the third line.

6. The method of reinforcing a plastic foam cup of claim 5 , which includes graphics on the reinforcing member.

7. The method of reinforcing a plastic foam cup of claim 5 , which includes graphics printed on the outer surface of the paper material layer.

8. The method of reinforcing a plastic foam cup of claim 5 , wherein the adhesive relief edge and the sensing edge are approximately the same height.