WO2008018798A1

WO2008018798A1 - Method for manufacture of lids for beakers, lid and apparatus for manufacture thereof, and container and application thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2008018798A1
Application number: PCT/NO2007/000274
Authority: WO
Inventors: Henry Helgheim
Original assignee: Henry Helgheim
Priority date: 2006-07-24
Filing date: 2007-07-24
Publication date: 2008-02-14
Also published as: NO327186B1; NO20063409L

Abstract

A method is described for manufacture of a lid (10) for a beaker (11), a can or the like where the lid comprises a rim section (12) arranged to be fitted onto the opening edge of the beaker and close the access to it, and where the flat surface section of the lid inside said rim comprises a number of mutually adjoining flaps (16) formed by making through-going slits (16) in the flat surface section where the flaps are produced in that a cutting tools (41) is brought to and pressed down against the flat surface section of the lid from its top side and cuts the slits while the flat surface section rests against a base, and the method is characterised by, during the cutting the lower flat surface section of the lid is arranged onto and pressed against a support section that gives the flaps a downward curvature in the area adjoining the rim section while the flaps forward toward the centre of the lid/flap points run gently downward and approximately straight. Also described are two variants of the product itself, and also a tool for manufacture of flaps in the lid that can be bent down.

Description

METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE OF LIDS FOR BEAKERS, LID AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE THEREOF, AND CONTAINER AND

APPLICATION THEREOF.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacture of lids for beakers, cans or the like, where the lid comprises a rim section arranged to be fitted onto the opening edge of the beaker, and to close the access thereto, and where the flat surface section of the lid inside said rim comprises a number of mutually adjoining flaps formed by the making of through-going slits in the flat surface section where the flaps are manufactured in that a cutting tool is led up to and pressed down against the flat surface section of the lid from its upper side and cuts out the slits while the flat surface section rests against a support as described in the preamble of claim 1.

The invention relates, in particular, to lids for a beaker, a can and the like made from plastic, but they can also be made from metal (metal foil), paper, cardboard, polystyrene or the like.

The invention also relates to the lid construction itself as given in the preamble of claim 13. Furthermore, the invention relates to an apparatus (tool) for manufacture of slits in lids according to the preamble of claim 25, and also a method for organising combinations of a number of beakers with lids as given in claim 22.

According to one variant, the beaker can comprise a container without a lid, where the container initially is without openings into the container chamber, but where the access to the chamber of the beaker is made with the help of flaps that can be bent down which are formed in one of the flat surface sections of the container by cutting out slits as described in claim 28.

Furthermore, the invention relates to application of the lid construction according to the preceding claims for a container or a beaker for snuff clots, clumps of chewing gum, paper serviette balls and the like. The invention also relates to beakers with lids and an embodiment of a new combination for storage and transport/depositing of a number of used beakers with fitted lids. The container according to the invention is a can, a container or a beaker which is intended for people to deposit snuff clots, chewing gum and the like in an attractive and hygienic way. The invention is, in particular, intended for use in food courts, restaurants, hospitals and/or other public/private locations and the like, where the container can be placed on the tables. In addition, the application areas are more or less unlimited.

Containers with lids where the central lid surface has slits with a number of through-going flap-formed cuts are previously known, so that when a person shall deposit a waste material, this is pressed down against the lid flaps which are thereby bent downward and the waste falls down through the Ud and into the container. When the finger/fingers are withdrawn then the lid covers the content of the container and the waste cannot be seen. This is particularly developed with the view of depositing used needles.

Today it is common that guests throw away their used chewing gum and snuff clots in ordinary ashtrays and, for example, in beer glasses on the table. In addition to this being very unattractive, it is a big problem when people deposit these items in a beer glass as the glasses cannot be reused even if they are washed as the taste of the snuff remains in the glasses even after washing. Some restaurants have placed non-returnable mugs in which the guests deposit their snuff clots.

It is not particularly attractive to see these clots, particularly if the person next to you wants to eat. Therefore, the product according to the present invention is developed such that snuff clots are deposited in closed, plastic cans. People do not have to look at and smell the unpleasant content of the can. The cleaning can may also be used in hospitals for blood soaked cotton wool balls, etc. The waste is consequently placed in an enclosed can, which is more hygienic than having the waste in open boxes and beakers.

But this is not satisfactory either because it is not satisfactorily hygienic, as the fingers must come into contact with the lid flaps and the topside of the lid during the pushing of, for example, the snuff clots down through the lid. The arrangement of pushing through the lid will be unsavoury and unhygienic for the second and third persons whose fingers come into contact with the part of the lid that others have been previously with their used snuff, chewing gum, etc., that has been in the mouth. Therefore, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a new Hd with a shape that renders such finger-operated waste depositing operation unnecessary. Furthermore, it is an aim of the invention that depositing waste materials in an enclosed container should be able to be carried out in a hygienic way, and the waste should not be able to fall out again if the container falls over or is turned on its head. It is also an aim of the invention to provide a new method of making slits in the lid, and which will give the lid such favourable properties. The construction means that one neither needs to touch the lid nor the beaker with the fingers to transfer and deposit the waste.

It is also an aim of the invention to provide a new construction of an apparatus/tool that gives the lid the favourable user properties and functional characteristics as mentioned above.

Furthermore, it is an aim to provide a new beaker/lid solution as a combination, which implies a considerable user-friendly improvement with regard to storage and transportation of containers with lids in place that shall be deposited, for example, as waste.

The lid and its container are intended to be non-returnable, or if possible, can be washed and reused.

It is further aim of the invention to provide a new construction of a closed beaker intended for waste materials and which does not require any particular lids as one of the surfaces of the lid encompasses flaps formed by slitting, mainly in the same way as for the above mentioned lid production.

The mentioned aims are achieved by the present invention as the method is characterised in that during the cutting out, the lower flat surface section of the lid is arranged onto and pressed against a support section that bends the flaps downwards in the area adjoining the rim section whilst the flaps forward toward the centre of the lid/flap points run gently downward and approximately straight. Preferably, the tool cuts slits that extend from the centre of the lid and radially out all the way to the rim section or adjoining the rim section, preferably to about 2 mm from said rim section. The preferred embodiments of the method are described in the dependant claims 2-12.

The device according to the introduction is characterised in that each flap is formed with a curvature downward in the flap area adjoining the rim section while the flaps forward toward the lid centre/flap points run approximately straight forward or gently downward. The slits run preferably up to about 2 mm from the rim section of the lid, particularly when the lid is round and has a diameter in the area of 8-10 cm. Furthermore, it is preferred that the central section of the lid with flaps runs gently downward and inward toward the centre of the lid, so that the lid, with the lid's surface, forms an approximately conical shape. Preferred embodiments appear in the claims 14-21. To organise storage of used containers with lids, a first beaker with lid can, with its bottom, be led through the lid part standing on a second beaker under a permanent bending down and deformation of the flaps until the first upper beaker is approximately completely pressed down into the lower beaker as given in patent claims 22-24. The apparatus according to the invention is characterised in that each support section for the flap support surface between each slitting body, is formed with a downward curvature in the flap area adjoining the rim section whilst the flap support surface forward toward the centre of the lid/flap points runs approximately straight forward or gently downward in relation to the main plane of the lid. Each surface can also have a curvature in that the support surface has an upwardly turned, back-forming side. According to a preferred embodiment the holder of the slitting tool has an extended stem with a number of knife edges, where each knife edge from the point end (centre) inclines upward and away from the stem so that when the holder is brought down to cut out the slits, the cutting starts from the centre and continues out toward the rim section of the lid.

A variant of the invention implies that an initially closed container which is formed with flaps that can be bent down as given in claim 28, i.e. that one of the flat surface sections of the beaker contains a number of mutually adjoining flaps formed by making through-going slits in the flat surface section, each flap being formed with a downward curvature in the flap area adjoining the rim section of the surface of the beaker while the flaps forward toward the centre of the beaker/flap points run approximately straight forward or gently downward.

The preferred embodiments of this variant are given in the claims 29-35, and how these are stacked is given in the dependent claims 36-38.

According to the invention a container with a lid construction or a clean container with slits, is used as a beaker for snuff clots and chewing gum and the like, according to claims 38-40.

The invention shall be described in closer detail with reference to the enclosed figures, in which;

Figure 1 shows a perspective diagram of a beaker with a lid construction according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a plane diagram of the lid. Figure 3 shows a side section through the centre of the lid.

Figures 4 A-B show respective perspectives of a detailed section of a flap in the lid in non-charged position and charged position.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged perspective of a flap in the lid's surface and suggests a gentle sideways curvature that gives the lid advantageous characteristics.

Figures 6A-6E show the process when an object (a snuff clot) falls through a lid and down into a beaker.

The figures 7A-7B show an example of a cutting tool with knife blades and how the slits are cut in a lid.

Figure 8 shows a situation where three lids, the one on top of the other, are placed inside the mould and the flaps are cut in a single operation by the knives of the tool.

The figures 9-11 show how two beakers are put together without the lid being taken off.

Figure 12 shows a stack of beakers with lids, which are placed one inside the other.

Figure 13 shows an initially closed container with flaps that can be bent down.

The construction of a lid for a beaker.

Reference is initially made to the figures 1-3. Figure 1 shows a perspective of a beaker 11 with a lid 10. One example of a beaker can be the type that is used for yoghurts and is normally made from plastic. The lid comprises an outer profiled rim section 12 that is made to be squeezed into position onto the peripheral upper edge of the beaker 11. The rim section 12 is profiled with an inner 13 and an outer 15 vertical ring formed wall part that together form a downwardly directed hollow space 19, a cap 17, which in a sealing way, takes up the upper peripheral edge of the beaker 11 , indicated by 11 A in figure 3. The gently curved flat lid surface, radially inside the rim section, is also clearly shown in the figures 1 and 3. The flat lid surface of plastic is cut up for the formation of flaps 16. It is cut by a number of diametrical slits 18 which run a distance from the edge of the lid, through the centre 15 and up to the lid edge lying diametrically opposite. According to the preferred embodiment, four such diametric slits are formed which thereby divide the lid into eight equal triangular flaps 16. The point of each of the flaps meets at a common centre point 15. A Hd according to the invention can, of course, be cut up into more or fewer such flaps and the lid itself and the adapted beaker can also be square or have other shapes.

Each slit runs to a short distance from the vertical edge 13 of the rim section 12, as shown in figure 3. With a lid of a diameter of about 10 cm, each slit 18 runs up to about 2 mm from the edge 13 of the rim section 12. The central flap section has a diameter of about 8 cm, so that the slits diagonally through the centre 15 are cut with a length of about 7.6 cm, 2 mm from each, approximately vertical edge 13, in the ring-formed rim section. Said distance of 2 mm is marked A in figure 2. The flap 16 is connected to the rest of the lid parts via an elevated root section 21 indicated by a dotted arched line in figure 2. The lid is preferably made with the central flip section having a thickness of 0.2 mm and with four diagonal slits that form eight flaps 16. Then one achieves the desired use characteristics for the lid in relation to a safe deposition of snuff clots, chewing gum, paper balls and the like. During the construction of the flaps 16, for example, where the cutting of the flaps starts at the centre and moves radially outward on the lid, the solid material in each flap of the root section 21 gets a permanent downward curvature in relation to the horizontal plane of the lid. This downward curvature of the lid surface can be seen clearly in the figures 1 and 3. It is essential that the slits run out as far as 2 mm from the edge 13/12, to take account of the later storage of used beakers, where one beaker is led down through the lid of another beaker as the flap sections are deformed and are bent downward. With this, one achieves that there is tension in the plastic, which makes the central lid part (in the middle) more stable than when slits are cut in the surface. Figure 5 shows an alternative solution with a gentle sideways curvature, which strengthens the favourable characteristics of the lid, i.e., that it easier bends down but yields a resistance to being bent upward. Each flap gets a gentle downward curvature sideways to both sides 23' and 23", respectively, from a central elevation 21 from the edge 22 and up to the point 15' so that the flap forms a downwardly facing curvature.

The feature that the slits are cut to about 2 mm from the edge (the beginning of the profiled rim section) ensures that the flaps become more stable and retain the direction, they hang better together mutually and are made stiffer. If the cutting/slits are taken further out towards the edge 12, the flaps become too loose. And, on the contrary, if the slits have a larger distance from the edge, for example 3 mm or more, one loses the possibility of stacking the beakers inside each other while the lids are still fitted. These two features must be weighed up against each other. The lid can be manufactured from a plastic material of the type polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or an APET (APET means amorphous polyester terephthalate).

It can be vacuumed-formed from propylene. To achieve the desired characteristics of the lid, the thickness of the lid surface is in the area 0.15 mm and up to 0.5 mm and especially preferred 0.2 mm. A plastic material thickness of 0.2 mm is adapted to the weight of the waste of the kind chewing gum and snuff clots that shall be put into the beaker.

The beaker can also be made from plastic of such material thickness. This corresponds to thickness of, for example, disposable drinking beakers for, for example, water. These are so thin walled that they do not withstand much pressure before they are deformed when they are stacked inside each other. The beaker can consequently be made in much thinner plastic than that used in, for example, yoghurt beakers and ice cream beakers. In the cutting, the flaps get the characteristics that they are relatively easy to bend inward and down toward the beaker opening, while they resist being bent upward/outward. Furthermore, the flap plastic retains a so-called memory characteristic; the flap remembers that it shall be bent back up to the initial position so that the lid surface is complete. The lid can be manufactured by an, in itself, known method by compression moulding, vacuum moulding or spray moulding. The lid can be circular, oval, square or rectangular or have other suitable shapes corresponding to the shape of the beaker.

Figure 4A shows a vertical section of one of the flaps 16 of the lid without any load, while figure 4B shows how the flap 16 is bent downward when a snuff clot 20 is dropped down onto the lid. The flaps are bent down, in the main, about the line 21 at the root of the flaps.

According to preferred embodiments, the lid can be completely plain without peripheral profiling as mentioned above and can be manufactured from metal foil, from paper/cardboard covered in a waterproof layer of wax or a plastic film, or from polystyrene. Lids from these materials and also plain plastic lids can also be glued, hot moulded or welded to the rim section of the beaker in the way such lids of aluminium foil are fastened to yoghurt beakers.

Application of beaker with lid, deposition of waste. The course of the curvature of the flaps in the lid when an object (a snuff clot) that is held between the fingers is dropped down and the flaps are bent and the clot falls through is shown in figures 6A to 6E. During the use, the lid functions in the following way: the object falls down between the flaps and into the container solely under the influence of gravitational forces without any manual pressure. Thereafter, the flaps are bent upward and return to their original position and automatically close the opening, as can be seen in figure 6E. If one turns the beaker upside down the flaps resist being bent outward and the content of the beaker will not immediately be able to fall through the flaps and out through the lid.

Manufacture of lids for beakers. As mentioned previously, the flaps in the lid are manufactured by cutting slits. The slits in the lid are always cut from the above and downward. The flaps get a small curvature/downward turn and will then open easily even with a small weight, and there will be more resistance for the waste to fall out of the beaker again. Figures 7A and 7B show the knife section of a cutting tool that is used to cut slits and possibly to form the gently curved flaps.

The lid 10 is placed on a holding surface (not shown) in the tool. The holding surface is formed in a way corresponding to how one wants the flaps, i.e. with an arched-formed elevation or back to form said curvature 1 in the root 21 of the lid in toward the rim edge 13. Between each flap holding surface, the tool comprises grooves into which the knife blades go during the cutting.

The flap-formed surfaces can also have a gentle sideways curvature corresponding to the sideways shape one wishes to give to the flaps.

Figure 7 shows the cutting section in a cutting tool set up to be moved backward and forward as the cutting of the slits in the lid 10 starts with the pointed end 42 directed toward the centre 15 of the lid. The cutting section comprises an extended stem 40 with fitted, tilted knife blades 41 with cutting edges 44. The knife blades are secured to the stem 40 vertically and the knife edges 44 are tilted so that the cutting of the lid starts at the centre 15 and moves outward toward the rim section 13/14 of the lid.

The figure shows eight such knife blades 41 that extend from the stem to form four diametrical slits in the lid.

At the same time as the slits are cut, each flap 16 is slightly deformed and gets the curvatures and curved shapes which are described above. Figure 8 shows an alternative method for the cutting of the slits. A number of lids 10 (here three lids) are placed on top of each other and placed in a mould that can have the same curvatures and bends as shown in figure 6, but the holding surface can also be flat. The cutting section is led downward and the knife blades 40 cut up the slits through all the lids 10. When many lids 10 are lying on top of each other, this promotes the formation of the curvature that ensures that the lid flaps easily swing downward when in use, but resist swinging upward. Preferably, up to 20 such lids can be placed on top of each other to be cut up by the cutting tool. This results in a very good flap shape with the characteristics that are preferred. The cutting must be given extra high pressure/speed to go through the lids so that the flaps get the desired downward curvature.

The above mentioned slits in a complete lid surface of metal foil (aluminium), plastic, paper/cardboard can be made in a corresponding way. For the beaker product according to the present invention, plastic lids according to figure 2 are especially preferred.

Stacking of used beakers with waste material. According to the invention the beakers, after they are used and shall be deposited and thrown away, can be stacked together without it being necessary to remove the lids first.

Each beaker with lid is led, with its bottom, through the lid part of the beaker below in that the flaps in the lid are permanently bent down and deformed. The first upper beaker can be pressed completely down into the lower beaker. Such a stacking without removing the lids is possible because the flaps go nearly all the way to the periphery, just 2 mm from the edge.

This stacking is shown in the figures 9-11. Figure 9 shows a first beaker

11' with a lid 10 that is about to be pushed down into a second beaker 11" lying below where the waste lumps 20 lie at the bottom. In figure 10 the first beaker is pushed all the way down into a second beaker. The flaps 16 are pushed down into an approximately vertical position and squeezed between the inside of the beaker 11 ' and the outside of the beaker 11". The waste lumps 20, such as snuff, are shut in at the bottom of the beaker. Figure 11 shows a perspective of the joined together beakers, with a flap

16 clearly shown.

In figure 12, shown in perspective, are five used beakers with waste material (snuff, chewing gum, etc.) which are stacked one upon the other, as they are intended to be used in restaurants, pubs or the like.

PREFERRED CONSTRUCTION OF A BEAKER

According to a preferred embodiment, a beaker for placing and storage of waste material is formed as a container 110 with an internal chamber, and one of the flat surface sections of the container defines the access to the chamber in that it comprises a number of mutually adjoining flaps 16 created by the making of through-going slits 18 in the flat surface section, and each flap is formed with a downward curvature in the flap area adjoining the rim section of the beaker surface while the flaps forward toward the centre of the beaker's surface/flap points run approximately straight forward or gently downward.

Initially the container has a cylindrical shape, but especially preferred is the shape gently tapered down toward the bottom 111 corresponding to the beaker that is described above. The beaker in this version can be manufactured as a closed container, such as by injection moulding, at the same time as gas is sprayed in to form the inner chamber. Thereafter, the container is brought to a station where a knife tool corresponding to that which is mentioned above is brought down to the flat surface section and forms the flaps by cutting slits in the surface but one cannot use support surfaces to pressure mould the flaps as described above for the lids. The container and also the flap surface can be manufactured with a material/wall thickness, including the flap surface, of about 0.5 mm and in particular 0.2 mm. Even with said material thickness of 0.2 mm, the beaker is relatively stable as it has a cylindrical base with round sidewalls. Additionally, the slits have the same characteristics as in the lid mentioned above so that the user can drop, for example, a snuff clot, down to the opening and it falls down through the slits and is hidden down at the bottom of the container.

The stacking of these beakers is carried out in the same way as mentioned above, i.e. that the bottom of a beaker is pushed down through a flap surface of an underlying container.

Advantages with the present invention.

It is a great advantage with the new solution that the beakers with the lid can be stacked in large stacks in a space saving and environmentally friendly way. In particular, the invention will be of use in service facilities. Such waste materials which lay visible in ashtrays and dishes on the tables can now be deposited such that they are not visible to the guests. Furthermore, the guest does not need to touch either the can or the lid, because the waste material is dropped directly down through the flaps of the lid. Furthermore, it is an advantage that the construction is such that the waste material cannot fall out of the beaker if this falls on the floor or is upended. When the beakers from a given number of tables in the service location are collected they can simply be put together in stacks, one inside the other, without the lids having to be taken off. It is also a great advantage that the beakers have a shape with an attractive appearance, contrary to open ashtrays and spittoons for snuff, which are not particularly attractive on a restaurant table.

The above mentioned stacking of beakers, without the lids being taken off, is both less time consuming and space consuming than known solutions. In this way, the present invention also represents a considerable environmental gain.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S

1. Method for manufacture of lids to beakers, cans or the like, where the lid comprises a rim section adapted to be fitted onto the opening edge of the beaker, and shut the access to it, and where the flat surface section of the lid within said rim comprises a number of mutually adjoining flaps formed by making through-going slits in the flat surface section where the flaps are made in that a cutting tool is led to, and pressed down onto the flat surface section of the lid from its top side and cuts the slits while the flat surface section rests against a support, characterised in that the during the cutting the cutting tool is arranged and presses the lower flat surface section of the lid against a support section that gives the flaps a downward curvature in the area adjoining the rim section while the flaps forward toward the lid centre/flap points run gently downward and approximately straight.

2. Method according to claim 1 , characterised in that the tool cuts slits that extend from the centre of the lid and radially outward to the rim section or adjoining the rim section, preferably to about 2 mm from said rim section.

3. Method according to any of claims 1-2, characterised in that the slits are cut so that the central section of the lid with the flaps are curved slightly downward so that it gets an approximate conical shape.

4. Method according to any of claims 1-3, characterised in that the cutting tool is arranged and presses the lower flat surface section of the lid against a support surface where each flap support surface between each slitting body in the tool has an upwardly facing upper side with the reverse side facing downward to form corresponding shapes in every single flap.

5. Method according to any of claims 1-4, characterised in that four diagonally running slits are cut with the help of a through-going slitting body, so that eight flaps are formed with respective pointed ends adjacent to each other in the centre of the flat surface section.

6. Method according to any of preceding claims, characterised in that the flaps in the flat surface section have a thickness of a size which makes it possible for smaller waste objects to fall through the lid with a curving of the lid flaps under the influence of the force of gravity on its own.

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the slits are cut with a slitting tool with a holder having an extended stem with a number of knife edges where each knife edge from the pointed end (centre) tilts upward and away from the stem so that when the holder is brought down to cut the slits the cutting starts from the centre and continues out toward the rim section of the lid.

8. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the flat surface section of the lid has a thickness up to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.15 to 0.30 mm, and most preferably 0.2 mm.

9. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lid material can be plastic, such as the types PE, PVC, or APET, or metal, paper, cardboard, polystyrene or the like.

10. Method according to any of the preceding claims, where the lid is manufactured by injection moulding of a plastic material, characterised in that the slits are formed in the flat surface section of the lid immediately after the lid has been manufactured, with the slits being cut while the lid material (the plastic) still has a temperature approximately equal to, or somewhat lower than, the injection mould temperature, i.e. higher than the ambient temperature.

11. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that slits are cut in a number of lids arranged in a stack one on top of the other, with the cutting being carried out by creating an extra high pressure and speed to force the slitting knives through the lids which then ensure that the flaps get a downward curvature.

12. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that slits are cut in one operation on a stack of 20 to 25 lids, the one upon the other, preferably about 20 lids.

13. Lid construction for a beaker, can and the like, where the lid comprises a rim section made to fit onto and close an opening of the beaker, and the flat surface section of the lid inside said rim comprises a number of mutually adjoining flaps formed by making through-going slits in the flat surface section, characterised in that each flap is formed with a downward curvature in the flap area (21) adjoining the rim section while the flaps forward toward the centre of the lid/flap points run approximately straight forward or gently downwards.

14. Lid construction according to claim 13, characterised in that the slits run from the centre and radially outward adjoining the rim section to about 2 mm from the rim section of the lid.

15. Lid construction according to claims 13-14, characterised in that the central section of the lid with the flaps runs gently downward and inward to the centre of the lid so that the lid with the surface forms an approximate conical shape.

16. Lid construction according to claims 13-15, characterised in that each flap forms an upwardly facing topside and a downwardly facing underside.

17. Lid construction according to claims 13-16, characterised in that it comprises four diagonally running slits with mutually equal or unequal angular distance so that eight flaps are formed, the respective pointed ends of which adjoin each other at the centre of the flat surface section.

18. Lid construction according to any of the preceding claims 13-17, characterised in that the material of the flaps in the flat surface section has a thickness of a magnitude so that smaller waste objects such as snuff clots and chewing gum can fall down through the lid under curvature of the lid flaps under the influence of the forces of gravity alone.

19. Lid construction according to any of the preceding claims 13-18, characterised in that the flat surface section of the lid has a thickness up to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.15-0.30 mm, and most preferred 0.20 mm.

20. Lid construction according to any of the preceding claims 13-19, characterised in that the lid is made from a plastic material such as, for example, PE, PVC, or APET, from other plastic materials, metal, paper, polystyrene or the like.

21. Lid construction according to any of the preceding claims 13-20, characterised in that the rim section of the lid is fitted to the rim section of the beaker, in that: the lid forms a profile enabling it to be snapped onto the corresponding profile of the beaker to close the opening of the beaker, or the rim section of the lid is set up to be fastened to the rim section of the beaker by compression adaption, by welding, by fusing, gluing, and the like.

22. Lid construction according to any of the preceding claims 13-21, characterised in that the flap forming slits which cut through the lid material extend from the centre of the lid and radially out all the way or approximately all the way to the rim section so that a first beaker with fitted lid, with its bottom, is set up to be pushed through the lid part of another beaker, under a permanent downward bending and deforming of the flaps, until the first upper beaker is approximately pressed down into the beaker below.

23. Lid construction according to claim 22, characterised in that the bottom of the upper beaker is pushed down so that it rests against a waste material 20 which lies in the bottom of the beaker below, said waste material cannot exit the beaker.

24. Lid construction according to any of the claims 22-23, characterised in that it is set up so that a large number of beakers with lids can be stacked the one on top of the other, without having to remove the lid of the beaker first.

25. Apparatus for manufacture of through-going slits in a lid of a beaker, comprising a base for arranging of the lid for the slitting, and also a holder comprising a number of knives for formation of slits when the holder and the base are moved relatively toward each other, and where the base comprises a number of recesses which the knives go down into when these are pushed down through the material of the lid and the slits in the lid are cut characterised in that each base section for the flap support surface between each slitting body is formed with a downward curvature in the flap area (21) adjoining the rim section, while the flap support surface forward toward the centre of the lid/flap points, runs approximately straight forward or curves gently downward in relation to the main plane of the lid.

26. Apparatus according to claim 25, characterised bv a curvature in that the support surface has a back-forming side, facing upwards.

27. Apparatus according to claims 25-26, characterised in that the slitting tool holder comprises an extended stem with a number of knife edges where each knife edge tilts upward from the pointed end (centre) and out from the stem, so that when the holder is brought down to cut the slits, the cutting starts from the centre and continues out toward the rim section of the lid.

28. Construction of a beaker for placing of and storage of waste materials in a chamber inside the beaker, characterised in that any of the flat surface section of the beaker defines the access of the chamber in that it comprises a number of mutually adjoining flaps formed by making through-going slits in the flat surface section, each flap is formed with a downward curvature in the flap area (21) adjoining the rim section of the beaker surface while the flaps run approximately straight forward or gently downward toward the centre of the beaker surface/flap points.,

29. Beaker according to claim 28, characterised in that the slits run from the centre and radially outward and all the way to, or adjoining to, the rim section of the beaker, and preferably up to about 2 mm from the rim section of the side surface.

30. Beaker according to claims 28-29, characterised in that the flaps run gently downward and inward toward the centre of the beaker's surface so that the flap section of the beaker surface obtains an approximately conical shape.

31. Beaker according to claims 28-30, characterised in that each flap forms an upwardly facing topside and a downwardly facing underside.

32. Beaker according to claims 28-31 , characterised in that the flat surface section comprises four diagonally running slits with mutual equal or different angular distance, so that eight flaps are formed, the respective pointed ends of which adjoin each other at the centre of the flat surface section.

33. Beaker according to any of the preceding claims 28-32, characterised in that the material of the flaps in the flat surface section has a thickness which is of an order of magnitude so that smaller waste objects such as snuff clots and chewing gum can fall down through the lid during the bending of the beaker surface flaps under the influence of the forces of gravity alone.

34. Beaker according to any of the preceding claims 28-33, characterised in that said beaker flat surface section has a material thickness of up to 0.5 mm, preferably 0.15-0.30 mm, and most preferred, 0.2 mm.

35. Beaker according to any of the preceding claims 28-34, characterised in that the beaker is made from a plastic material such as, for example, PE, PVC, APET, other plastic materials, metal, paper, polystyrene, or the like.

36. Beaker according to any of the preceding claims 28-35, characterised in that the flap forming slits that cut through the flat surface section of the beaker run from the approximate centre of the surface and radially all the way out to the rim section, or approximately to the rim section of the surface, so that a first beaker is set up with its bottom to be pushed through said flat surface section of another beaker, under a permanent bending down and deformation of the flaps, until the first upper beaker is approximately pressed down into the beaker below.

37. Beaker according to claim 36, characterised in that the bottom of the upper beaker is pushed down so that it rests against a waste material 20 that lies at the bottom of a lower beaker, said waste material cannot exit the beaker.

38. Beaker according to any of the claims 36-37, characterised in that it is set up so that a large number of beakers can be stacked one inside the other.

39. Application of lid construction according to claims 13-24 of a container or a beaker for snuff clots, chewing gum, paper serviette balls and the like.

40. Application of container or beaker according to claims 28-38 for storage of used snuff clots, chewing gum, paper serviette balls and the like.