Food container attachable to cup

Abstract

A food container ( 14 ) that can be mounted on a cup ( 12 ), includes a container bottom recess ( 30 ) that receives the top ( 22 ) of the cup. Walls of the recess form a groove ( 44 ) that extends around the container axis ( 26 ) and snaps onto a bead ( 24 ) at the top of the cup to hold the container securely to the cup. The groove ( 44 ) lies at the top of a leadin wall ( 42 ) that extends at an inward and upward incline, so the leadin wall is deflected by the cup bead until the bead snaps into the groove.

1 . A food container system that can hold first and second foods, where the first food lies in a cup that has a vertical axis ( 26 ) and side walls of round cross-sections and a cup top ( 22 ) with an outward-projecting bead ( 24 ), comprising:
 a container ( 14 ) that forms a cavity ( 52 ) and that has a container lower portion ( 34 ) that forms a container bottom ( 36 ) that supports said container on a horizontal shelf when laid thereon, said container having bottom recess walls that form a bottom recess ( 30 ) that receives said cup top, said bottom recess walls forming a groove ( 44 ) that receives said outward-projecting bead of said cup;   said groove having a groove centerline ( 62 ) and the groove walls extend sufficiently along said groove centerline to securely hold to said bead;   said bottom recess walls form a primarily horizontal cavity bottom wall ( 46 ) at the bottom of said cavity, and said bottom recess walls form a leadin wall ( 42 ) that extends at an upward and inward incline to said groove.   
     
     
         2 . The system described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said bottom recess has walls that form groove portions ( 44   p ) spaced about said axis, that each has a groove opening that faces ( 50 ) at an inward and downward incline to the horizontal, with the downward incline being at least 10°. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system described in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said leadin wall has at least one interruption ( 42   i ).   
     
     
         4 . The system described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said leadin wall ( 42 ) has an upper end with an inwardly-facing convex surface ( 54 ) leading to said groove, said convex inwardly-facing surface lying a distance (G) radially outward of said groove centerline ( 62 ). 
 
     
     
         5 . The system described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said container bottom wall ( 46 ) has an upward projection ( 70 ) with a projection top wall ( 73 ) having a straw opening ( 72 ) for passing a straw, so a straw can be inserted through the container into the cup. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system described in  claim 5  wherein:
 said container has a top wall with a top wall hole ( 154 ,  180 ) therein, and said projection projects higher than said top wall and through said top wall hole. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system described in  claim 6  wherein:
 said top wall of said second container has a deflection recess ( 150 ,  182 ) that extends around said stop wall hole and allows said top wall hole to shift position, whereby to facilitate projecting the projection up through the top wall hole. 
 
     
     
         8 . The system described in  claim 1  wherein:
 said container comprises a double container ( 102 ) that includes bottom and top containers ( 104 ,  106 ), said bottom container ( 104 ) forming said double container lower portion and said bottom recess walls that form a groove ( 44 ); 
 said top container is pivotally joined along a hinge ( 108 ) to said bottom container and said bottom and top container are latchable together in a closed position of the double container. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system described in  claim 8  wherein:
 said bottom container bottom wall ( 46 ) has an upward projection ( 124 ) having a straw opening ( 125 ) for passing a straw; 
 said top container has top and bottom walls with said top wall forming a recess with a space ( 128 ) for passing a straw with the space extending down to the level of a top of said projection and with said bottom wall of said top container having a straw opening ( 129 ) that allows a straw to be projected through said two straw openings ( 125 ,  129 ) into said first container. 
 
     
     
         10 . A food container system that includes a container ( 14 ) that has a vertical axis and that can be mounted on a cup ( 12 ) that has a cup top ( 22 ) with an outwardly projecting cup bead ( 24 ), wherein:
 said container has walls forming a food-holding cavity ( 52 ) including a bottom wall ( 36 ) for resting on a horizontal surface ( 40 ) when the container is not mounted on the cup, and said container has bottom recess walls that form a recess ( 30 ) constructed to receive said cup top, said recess walls forming a groove ( 44 ) that extends about said axis for receiving said cup bead, and said recess walls including a cavity bottom wall ( 46 ) that lies within said circular groove and that forms at least part of the bottom of said food-holding cavity.   
     
     
         11 . The system described in  claim 10  wherein:
 said bottom recess walls also forms a leadin wall ( 42 ) that extends at an inward and upward incline from said bottom wall ( 36 ) to said groove ( 44 ) for guiding the cup bead as it moves into said groove. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system described in  claim 11  wherein:
 said leadin wall extends completely around said axis, but with at least one interruption ( 42   i ). 
 
     
     
         13 . The system described in  claim 11  wherein:
 said groove has a radius (R); 
 said bottom recess walls form a convex inside surface ( 54 ) at the intersection of said leadin wall and said groove, with the horizontal distance (C) between an inner side ( 64 ) of said groove and an outer side of said convex surface being at least 35% of the radius (R) of said groove. 
 
     
     
         14 . The system described in  claim 10 , wherein:
 said groove has a centerline ( 62 ) and has a groove inner side ( 60 ) that extends at an inward and downward incline to lie radially inside the cup bead.   
     
     
         15 . A food container that includes a cup ( 12 ) with a cup top ( 22 ) and a container ( 14 ) that has a vertical axis ( 26 ) and that is mountable on said cup top, wherein:
 said cup top has an outward projecting cup bead ( 24 ), and said container ( 14 ) has a bottom wall ( 46 ) forming a groove ( 44 ) for receiving said bead to hold said container on said cup, with said bead and groove forming an interference fit between them when the bead is received in the groove, to prevent spillage;   said container bottom wall has an upward projection ( 70 ) that lies over said cup top and that has an opening ( 72 ) through which liquid in said cup ( 12 ) can be withdrawn through said container ( 14 ).   
     
     
         16 . The system described in  claim 15  wherein:
 said projection has a height of between 10% and 60% of the width of a bottom of said container.