Stack shoulder for insulated container
An insulative cup includes a side wall having an upper end formed to include a brim defining a mouth opening into an interior region formed at least in part by the side wall and a floor coupled to side wall. A stack shoulder configured to provide a support surface is formed in the side wall.
1. An insulative cup comprising
a side wall formed from an insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material having an upper end formed to include a brim defining a mouth opening having a central axis extending into an interior region formed at least in part by the side wall,
a floor retaining flange configured at a lower end of the side wall, the floor retaining flange adapted to secure a floor mount supporting a platform to close off a lower portion of the interior region, and
a stack shoulder formed in the side wall, the stack shoulder comprising an annular seat located in a lower portion of the side wall above the platform, the annular seat providing a support surface for another cup,
wherein the side wall inclines inward with respect to the central axis between the platform and the stack shoulder
wherein a first portion of the side wall along a first linear edge overlaps a second portion of the side wall along a second edge and are heat sealed together to form a body seam,
wherein a floor includes the platform and a platform support member, the platform support member is coupled to the floor retaining flange by use of a heat seal, and
further including a web support ring portion coupled to the lower portion of the side wall and arranged to surround the platform support member,
wherein the seat-support ring portion forms an obtuse included angle with the web support ring portion facing the central axis when viewed in cross section.
2. The insulative cup of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the side wall below the annular seat is of a reduced diameter.
3. The insulative cup of claim 1 , wherein the stack shoulder is formed in the side wall by the application of pressure and heat to the side wall.
4. The insulative cup of claim 1 , wherein the annular seat extends generally horizontally in a plane generally perpendicular to the central axis of the insulative cup and generally parallel to the horizontal platform of the floor.
5. The insulative cup of claim 1 , wherein the stack shoulder extends uninterrupted and continuously in a generally circular manner about the central axis of the insulative cup.
6. A method for assembling an insulative cup, the method comprising
forming a body blank of an insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material,
forming a side wall using the body blank without shrinking, the side wall having an upper end comprising a brim defining a mouth opening having a central axis extending into an interior region bounded at least in part by the side wall,
securing a floor mount supporting a platform via a floor retaining flange, at a lower end of the side wall, to close off a lower portion of the interior region, and
forming a stack shoulder in the side wall of the cup, the stack shoulder comprising an annular seat located in a lower portion of the side wall, the annular seat providing a support surface,
wherein the side wall inclines inward with respect to the central axis between the platform and the stack shoulder,
wherein forming the side wall comprises
overlapping a first portion of the side wall along a first linear edge to a second portion of the side wall along a second edge and
heat sealing the overlapping portions to form a body seam,
wherein a floor comprises the platform and a platform support member, and wherein securing the floor mount comprises coupling the platform support member and the floor mount to the floor retaining flange by use of a heat seal, and
further comprising coupling a web support ring portion to the lower portion of the side wall to surround the platform support member,
wherein the stack shoulder includes a seat-support ring portion that extends to the web support ring portion, and
wherein the seat-support ring portion forms an obtuse included angle with the web support ring portion facing the central axis when viewed in cross section.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a portion of the side wall below the annular seat is of a reduced diameter.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising forming the stack shoulder in the side wall by the application of pressure and heat to the side wall.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the annular seat extends generally horizontally in a plane generally perpendicular to the central axis of the cup and generally parallel to the horizontal platform of the floor mount.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the stack shoulder extends uninterrupted and continuously in a generally circular manner about the central axis of the cup.
11. An insulative cup comprising
a body comprising insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material and a side wall having an upper end defining a mouth opening into an interior region formed in the body, a floor mount coupled to a lower end of the side wall, and a floor coupled to the floor mount and
a stack shoulder including an annular seat coupled to the lower end of the side wall to extend into the interior region and located between the upper end of the side wall and floor mount and seat-support ring arranged to extend between and interconnect the annular seat and the floor mount,
wherein the floor includes a horizontal platform and a platform-support member coupled to the horizontal platform to extend away from the interior region and couple to the floor mount,
wherein the floor mount includes a floor-retaining flange coupled to the platform-support member, a connecting web coupled to the floor-retaining flange to extend radially outward away from the floor-retaining flange and lie in spaced-apart relation to the platform-support member, and a web-support ring arranged to extend between and interconnect the connecting web and the seat-support ring and locate the floor-retaining flange therebetween,
wherein the horizontal platform is located a first distance from the connecting web and the web-support ring couples to the seat-support ring about the first distance from the connecting web, and
wherein the seat-support ring portion forms an obtuse included angle with the web support ring portion facing a central axis when viewed in cross section.