GB1286154A - Manufacture of drinking vessels - Google Patents

Abstract

1286154 Cups LILY CUPS OVERSEAS Ltd 24 June 1969 [24 June 1968] 31711/69 Heading A4A [Also in Divisions B2, B4-5 and C3] A drinking cup includes at least part thereof of a photo-polymerizable thermoplastic monomer polymerized by visible or ultraviolet irradiation, which may effect some cross-linking whereby the heat and chemical resistance properties of the polymer are enhanced. Depending upon the monomer employed, the radiation energy may be applied in a spectrum over the visible range of 7, 700 to 4, 000‹ A, and the ultraviolet range of 400 to 4, 000A. The radiation may be obtained from a quartz light, or mercury, or mercury xenon high-pressure point arc sources, may be interrupted by high intensity stroboscopic systems, and may be rendered mono-chromatic in the ultraviolet region by interference filters. Lasers may be employed such as the red light ruby flash and continuously operated helium neon, or argon lasers producing light in the near-ultraviolet as well as the visible range. The monomers may comprise acrylic acid, acrylonitrile, butyl acrylate, butyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl benzene, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid, styrene, vinyl acetate, vinyl alcohol, vinyl benzene, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, and vinyl methacrylate. Copolymers of various mixtures or monomers may also be employed such as acrylonitrile, butadiene, styrene or alpha - methyl styrene, or grafted polymers wherein styrene or acrylonitrile are polymerized in the presence of polybutadiene or styrene butadiene rubbers. The monomer may be applied e.g. by spraying one or more coats of the same or different monomer, as an impregnant and surface coating (See Division B2) to a pre-formed cup member 25, Fig. 2, e.g. to the exterior and/or interior surfaces of a plastics or paper board drinking cup, or other preformed cup of synthetic fibre paper of nylon, vinyl, or other materials of the registered Trade Marks Dacron, Dynel, Orlon, or of mineral fibre such as glass or asbestos. The cup 11a may also be formed, as a drinking cup entirely, or partially (upon a preformed member), from monomer within a moulding cavity defined between an upper male plunger 90a and a lower female member 91a. The moulding cavities 92a may also be defined between the lower members 91a and the exterior of a preformed container. The preformed member may be of À001 to À25" thickness, and monomer coatings may be spray applied thereto in thickness of À0001 to À10" and preferably À0005 to À01", with thickness pentration into the member of 10 to 90%. The moulded cup may be of À001 to À50" thickness.