权利要求：
CLAIMS
1. A polymeric material comprising a film layer, an insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material comprising a high density polyethylene spaced apart from the film layer, and a polymeric-lamination layer extending between and interconnecting the film layer and the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material.
2. The polymeric material of claim 1, wherein the polymeric- lamination layer comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, or a mixture thereof.
3. The polymeric material of claim 2, wherein the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material comprises a low density polyethylene.
4. The polymeric material of claim 3, wherein the polymeric material has an ambient rigidity of at least about 220 gf.
5. The polymeric material of claim 4, wherein the polymeric material has a percentage weight gain of less than about 1% at about 73 °F in the presence of about 80% humidity for 30 minutes.
6. The polymeric material of claim 2, wherein the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymer material comprises a low density polyethylene.
7. The polymeric material of claim 2, wherein the film layer comprises polyethylene.
8. The polymeric material of claim 2, wherein the polymeric- lamination layer further comprises regrind, a colorant, or a mixture thereof.
9. The polymeric material of claim 8, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer is up to about 99% by weight of the polymeric polymeric- lamination layer.
10. The polymeric material of claim 9, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer is at least about 50% by weight of the polymeric polymeric- lamination layer.
11. The polymeric material of claim 10, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer is at least about 60% by weight of the polymeric polymeric - lamination layer.
12. The polymeric material of claim 11, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer is at least about 80% by weight of the polymeric polymeric- lamination layer.
13. The polymeric material of claim 8, wherein the polymeric- lamination layer comprises a crystallinity modifier.
14. The polymeric material of claim 13, wherein crystallinity modifier is present up to about 5% by weight of the polymeric polymeric-lamination layer.
15. The polymeric material of claim 8, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer comprises ink.
16. The polymeric material of claim 8, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer is substantially free of ink.
17. The polymeric material of claim 8, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer is substantially free of an epoxy.
18. The polymeric material of claim 8, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer is substantially free of an adhesive.
19. The polymeric material of claim 8, wherein the polymeric material has an ambient rigidity of at least about 220 gf.
20. The polymeric material of claim 19, wherein the polymeric material has a percentage weight gain of less than about 1% at about 73 °F in the presence of about 80% humidity for 30 minutes.
21. The polymeric material of claim 1, wherein the high density polyethylene has a 2% secant flexural modulus of at least 200,000 psi as measured by ASTM 790B, molded and tested in accordance with ASTM D4976.
22. A method of producing a multi-layer sheet for use in forming an insulative cup, the method comprising extruding an insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material,
-109- extruding a polymeric-lamination layer onto the extruded insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material to form a co-extruded sheet, and coupling a film layer to the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material to form a multi-layer sheet, wherein the polymeric-lamination layer extends between and interconnects the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material and the film layer.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of coupling occurs concurrently with the step of extruding the polymeric-lamination layer.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the polymer-lamination layer adheres the film layer to the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material.
25. The method of claim 22, further comprising printing an ink layer on one of a first and a second side of the film layer to provide a printed film.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the ink layer is printed on the second side of the film during the printing step so that the second side forms an outer surface of the multi-layer sheet.
27. A method of producing an insulative cup, the method comprising the steps of providing a strip comprising polyethylene, the strip having a first side and an opposite second side, printing graphics on a film to provide a first printed film, coupling the first printed film to the strip to form a multi-layer sheet, cutting the laminated sheet to form a body blank and a floor blank, compressing portions of the body blank to cause the body blank to include a first portion having a first density and a second portion having a relatively greater second density, forming a base from the body blank, the base including an inner wall and an opposite outer wall, and the base including a first end and an opposite second end, forming a floor from the floor blank, and
-110- joining the floor to the second end of the base to establish a body included in the container and formed to include an interior region defined by the floor and the base.
28. A container comprising the multi-layer sheet of any one of claims 1-21.
29. A container formed by the process of any one of claims 22-27.
30. An insulative cup comprising a container comprising polyethylene, the container formed to include an interior region bounded by a side wall and a floor, wherein the side wall includes an inner surface and an outer surface and the container comprises an insulative cellular nonaromatic polymeric material, a film layer having an inner surface coupled to the side wall of the container, a polymeric-lamination layer extending between and interconnecting the film layer and the outer surface of the side wall, and an ink layer comprising relatively high resolution graphics printed on the outer surface of the film.
31. An insulative cup comprising a body including a sleeve-shaped side wall and a floor coupled to the body to define an interior region bounded by the sleeve-shaped side wall and the floor, wherein the body comprises a sheet comprising a insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material configured to provide means for enabling localized plastic deformation in at least one selected region of the body to provide a plastically deformed first material segment having a first density located in a first portion of the selected region of the body and a second material segment having a second density lower than the first density located in an adjacent second portion of the selected region of the body without fracturing the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material so that a predetermined insulative characteristic is maintained in the body,
-111- wherein the sheet comprises polyethylene.
32. The insulative cup of claim 31, wherein a first of the selected regions of the body in which localized plastic deformation is enabled by the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is in the sleeve-shaped side wall and wherein the sleeve-shaped side wall includes an upright inner tab arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and configured to provide the first material segment having the first density in the first of the selected regions of the body, an upright outer tab arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and to mate with the upright inner tab along an interface therebetween, and an upright fence arranged to interconnect the upright inner and outer tabs and surround the interior region and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density in the first of the selected regions of the body and cooperate with the upright inner and outer tabs to form the sleeve-shaped side wall.
33. The insulative cup of claim 32, wherein a second of the selected regions of the body in which localized plastic deformation is enabled by the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is in a rolled brim included in the body and coupled to an upper end of the sleeve-shaped side wall to lie in spaced-apart relation to the floor and to frame an opening into the interior region and wherein the rolled brim includes an inner rolled tab configured to provide the first material segment in the second of the selected regions of the body and coupled to an upper end of the upright outer tab included in the sleeve- shaped side wall, an outer rolled tab coupled to an upper end of the upright inner tab included in the sleeve-shaped side wall and to an outwardly facing exterior surface of the inner rolled tab, and a rolled lip arranged to interconnect oppositely facing side edges of each of the inner and outer rolled tabs and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density in the second of the selected region of the body and cooperate with the inner and outer rolled tabs to form the rolled brim.
34. The insulative cup of claim 33, wherein a third of the selected regions of the body in which localized plastic deformation is enabled by the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is in a floor mount included in the body and
-112- coupled to a lower end of the sleeve-shaped side wall to lie in spaced-apart relation to the rolled brim and to the floor to support the floor in a stationary position relative to the sleeve-shaped side wall to form the interior region and wherein the floor mount includes a web-support ring coupled to the lower end of the sleeve-shaped side wall and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density in the third of the selected regions of the body, a floor-retaining flange coupled to the floor and arranged to be surrounded by the web-support ring, and a web arranged to interconnect the floor-retaining flange and the web-support ring and configured to provide the first material segment having the first density in the third of the selected regions of the body.
35. The insulative cup of claim 34, wherein a fourth of the selected regions of the body in which localized plastic deformation is enabled by the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material is in the floor-retaining flange of the floor mount, the floor-retaining flange includes an alternating series of upright thick and thin staves arranged in side-to-side relation to extend upwardly from the web toward the interior region bounded by the sleeve- shaped side wall and the floor, a first of the upright thick staves is configured to include a right side edge extending upwardly from the web toward the interior region, a second of the upright thick staves is configured to include a left side edge arranged to extend upwardly from the web toward the interior region and lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to the right side edge of the first of the upright thick staves, and a first of the upright thin staves is arranged to interconnect the left side edge of the first of the upright thick staves and the right side edge of the second of the upright thick staves and to cooperate with the left and right side edges to define therebetween a vertical channel, the first of the upright thin staves is configured to provide the first material segment in the fourth of the selected regions of the body, and the first of the upright thick staves is configured to provide the second material segment in the fourth of the selected regions of the body.
36. The insulative cup of claim 35, wherein the first of the upright thin staves is located relative to the first and second of the upright thick staves to cause the vertical channel to open inwardly into a lower interior region bounded by the floor-
-113- retaining flange and a horizontal platform included in the floor and located above the floor-retaining flange.
37. The insulative cup of claim 35, wherein the first of the upright thin staves is located relative to the first and second of the upright thick staves to cause the vertical channel to open outwardly in a direction toward the web-support ring.
38. The insulative cup of claim 32, wherein the upright inner tab includes an inner surface bounding a portion of the interior region and an outer surface facing toward the upright outer tab, the upright outer tab includes an inner surface facing toward the interior region and mating with the outer surface of the upright inner tab to define the interface between the upright inner and outer tabs, and the upright outer tab further includes an outer face facing away from the upright inner tab.
39. The insulative cup of claim 38, wherein each of the inner and outer surfaces of the upright inner and outer tabs has an arcuate shape in a horizontal crosssection and subtends an acute angle of less than 20°.
40. The insulative cup of claim 32, wherein the upright fence is C-shaped in a horizontal cross-section and each of the upright inner and outer tabs has an arcuate shape in a horizontal cross-section.
41. The insulative cup of claim 32, wherein the upright fence includes an upright left side edge and an upright right side edge arranged to lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to the upright left side edge and the upright outer tab is configured to have the first density and mate with the upright inner tab to establish a bridge arranged to interconnect the upright left and right side edges of the upright fence and formed of plastically deformed material having the first density.
42. The insulative cup of claim 41, wherein the upright fence has an inner surface bounding a portion of the interior region and an outer surface facing away from the interior region and surrounding the inner surface of the upright fence and cooperating with the inner surface of the upright fence to define a first 0.066 therebetween, the upright inner tab includes an inner surface bounding a portion of the interior region and an outer surface facing toward the upright outer tab, the upright outer
-114- tab includes an inner surface facing toward the interior region and mating with the outer surface of the upright inner tab to define the interface between the upright inner and outer tabs, and the upright outer tab further includes an outer face facing away from the upright inner tab, the inner and outer surfaces of the upright inner tab cooperate to define a second thickness therebetween that is about half of the first thickness, and the inner and outer surfaces of the upright outer tab cooperate to define a third thickness that is about half of the first thickness.
43. The insulative cup of claim 31, wherein the body further includes a rolled brim comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material, the rolled brim is coupled to an upper end of the sleeve-shaped side wall to lie in spaced-apart relation to the floor and to frame an opening into the interior region, and the rolled brim includes an inner rolled tab configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment having the first density and to include oppositely facing left and right side edges and a rolled lip arranged to interconnect the oppositely facing left and right side edges of the inner rolled tab and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density.
44. The insulative cup of claim 43, wherein the rolled brim further includes an outer rolled tab coupled to an outwardly facing surface of the inner rolled tab to provide an outer shell covering the inner rolled tab and formed of plastically deformed material having the first density.
45. The insulative cup of claim 44, wherein the outer rolled tab includes oppositely facing left and right side edges and the rolled lip is arranged to interconnect the oppositely facing left and right side edges of the outer rolled tab.
46. The insulative cup of claim 45, wherein the rolled lip is C-shaped in horizontal cross-section and each of the inner and outer rolled tabs has an arcuate shape between the oppositely facing left and right side edges thereof to provide the rolled brim with an annular shape.
47. The insulative cup of claim 43, wherein the body further includes a sleeve-shaped side wall comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric
-115- material and the sleeve-shaped side wall includes an upright inner tab arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment having the first density, an upright outer tab arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and to mate with the upright inner tab along an interface therebetween, and an upright fence arranged to interconnect the upright inner and outer tabs and surround the interior region and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density.
48. The insulative cup of claim 43, wherein the body further includes a floor mount comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material and the floor mount includes a web-support ring coupled to a lower end of the sleeve-shaped side wall and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density, a floor-retaining flange coupled to the floor and arranged to be surrounded by the websupport ring, and a web arranged to interconnect the floor-retaining flange and the websupport ring and configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment having the first density.
49. The insulative cup of claim 43, wherein the body further includes a floor-retaining flange comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material and wherein the floor-retaining flange is coupled to the floor and is formed to include an alternating series of upright thick and thin staves arranged in side-to-side relation to extend upwardly toward the interior region bounded by the sleeve-shaped side wall and the floor, a first of the upright thick staves is configured to include a right side edge extending upwardly toward the interior region, a second of the upright thick staves is configured to include a left side edge extending upwardly toward the interior region and lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to the right-side edge of the first of the upright thick staves, and a first of the upright thin staves is arranged to interconnect the left and right side edges to define therebetween a vertical channel, the first of the upright thin staves is configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment, and the first of the upright thick staves is configured to provide the second material segment.
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50. The insulative cup of claim 31, wherein the body further includes an annular rolled brim comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material, the annular rolled brim is coupled to an annular upper end of the sleeve- shaped side wall to lie in spaced-apart relation to the floor and to frame an opening into the interior region, the annular rolled brim includes a rolled tab configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment having the first density and to include oppositely facing left and right side edges, and the annular rolled brim further includes a rolled lip coupled to the annular upper end of the sleeve-shaped side wall and arranged to interconnect the oppositely facing left and right side edges of the rolled tab and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density.
51. The insulative cup of claim 31 , wherein the body further includes a floor mount comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material, the floor mount is coupled to a lower end of the sleeve- shaped side wall and to the floor to support the floor in a stationary position relative to the sleeve-shaped side wall to form the interior region, and the floor mount includes a floor-retaining flange coupled to the floor, a web-support ring coupled to the lower end of the sleeve-shaped side wall and arranged to surround the floor-retaining flange, and a web arranged to interconnect the floorretaining flange and the web-support ring and configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment having the first density, and the web- support ring is configured to provide the second material segment having the second density.
52. The insulative cup of claim 51, wherein each of the web and the web-support ring has an annular shape.
53. The insulative cup of claim 52, wherein the floor-retaining flange has an annular shape.
54. The insulative cup of claim 51, wherein each of the floor-retaining flange, the web, and the web-support ring includes an inner layer having an interior surface mating with the floor and an overlapping outer layer mating with an exterior surface of the inner layer.
55. The insulative cup of claim 51, wherein the floor includes a horizontal platform bounding a portion of the interior region and a platform- support member coupled to the horizontal platform and arranged to extend downwardly away from the interior region into a space provided between the floor-retaining flange and the web-support ring to mate with each of the floor-retaining flange and the web-support ring.
56. The insulative cup of claim 55, wherein the platform-support member has an annular shape and is arranged to surround the floor-retaining flange and lie in an annular space provided between the horizontal platform and the web.
57. The insulative cup of claim 55, wherein each of the floor-retaining flange, the web, and the web-support ring includes an inner layer having an interior surface mating with the floor and an overlapping outer layer mating with an exterior surface of the inner layer and the inner layer of each of the floor-retaining flange, the web, and the web-support ring is arranged to mate with the platform- support member.
58. The insulative cup of claim 51, wherein the body further includes a sleeve-shaped side wall comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material and the sleeve-shaped side wall includes an upright inner tab arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment having the first density, an upright outer tab arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and to mate with the upright inner tab along an interface therebetween, and an upright fence arranged to interconnect the upright inner and outer tabs and surround the interior region and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density.
59. The insulative cup of claim 51, wherein the body further includes a floor-retaining flange comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material and wherein the floor-retaining flange is coupled to the floor and is formed to include an alternating series of upright thick and thin staves arranged in side-to-side relation to extend upwardly toward the interior region bounded by the sleeve-shaped side wall and the floor, a first of the upright thick staves is configured to include a right side edge
extending upwardly toward the interior region, a second of the upright thick staves is configured to include a left side edge extending upwardly toward the interior region and lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to the right-side edge of the first of the upright thick staves, and a first of the upright thin staves is arranged to interconnect the left and right side edges to define therebetween a vertical channel, the first of the upright thin staves is configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment, and the first of the upright thick staves is configured to provide the second material segment.
60. The insulative cup of claim 31, wherein the body further includes a floor-retaining flange arranged to lie in a stationary position relative to the sleeve-shaped side wall and coupled to the floor to retain the floor in a stationary position relative to the sleeve-shaped side wall, the floor includes a horizontal platform having a perimeter edge mating with an inner surface of the sleeve-shaped side wall and an upwardly facing top side bounding a portion of the interior region, and the floor-retaining flange includes an alternating series of upright thick and thin staves arranged to lie in side-to-side relation to one another to extend upwardly toward a downwardly facing underside of the horizontal platform, a first of the upright thick staves is configured to include a right side edge extending upwardly toward the underside of the horizontal platform, a second of the upright thick staves is configured to include a left side edge arranged to extend upwardly toward the underside of the horizontal platform and lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to the right side edge of the first of the upright thick staves, and a first of the upright thin staves is arranged to interconnect the left and right side edges and cooperate with the left and right side edges to define therebetween a vertical channel, the first of the thin staves is configured to provide the first material segment having the first density, and the first of the thick staves is configured to provide the second material segment having the second density.
61. The insulative cup of claim 60, wherein the first of the upright thin staves is located relative to the first and the second of the upright thick staves to cause the vertical channel to open inwardly into a lower interior region bounded by the horizontal platform and the floor-retaining flange.
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62. The insulative cup of claim 60, wherein the body further includes a web-support ring coupled to a lower end of the sleeve-shaped side wall and arranged to surround the floor-retaining flange and a web arranged to interconnect the web-support ring and the floor-retaining flange, and the first of the upright thin staves is located relative to the first and second of the upright thick staves to cause the vertical channel to open outwardly in a direction toward the web-support ring.
63. The insulative cup of claim 60, wherein the floor-retaining flange has an annular shape and is arranged to surround a vertically extending central axis intercepting a center point of the horizontal platform and the first of the thin staves has an inner wall facing toward a portion of the vertically extending central axis passing through the lower interior region.
64. The insulative cup of claim 63, wherein the floor further includes a platform-support member arranged to surround the floor-retaining flange and cooperate with the horizontal platform to form a downwardly opening floor cavity containing the alternating series of upright thick and thin staves therein.
65. The insulative cup of claim 60, wherein the body further includes a sleeve-shaped side wall comprising the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material and the sleeve-shaped side wall includes an upright inner tab arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and configured to provide the plastically deformed first material segment having the first density, an upright outer tab arranged to extend upwardly from the floor and to mate with the upright inner tab along an interface therebetween, and an upright fence arranged to interconnect the upright inner and outer tabs and surround the interior region and configured to provide the second material segment having the second density.
66. The insulative cup of claim 31, wherein the first material segment in the sheet of insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material has a relatively thin first thickness and the second material segment in the sheet of insulative cellular non- aromatic polymeric material has a relatively thicker second thickness.
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67. The insulative cup of claim 66, wherein the body further comprises a film layer comprising a polyethylene coupled to the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material.
68. The insulative cup of claim 31, wherein the body further comprises a graphics skin coupled to an exterior surface of a strip of the insulative cellular non- aromatic polymeric material and configured to include a film layer and an ink layer printed on the film to provide a graphics design.
69. The insulative cup of claim 68, wherein the film layer comprises a HDPE.
70. The insulative cup of claim 31, wherein the insulative cellular non- aromatic polymeric material comprises a base resin blend and a physical nucleating agent.
71. The insulative cup of claim 70, wherein the base resin blend comprises at least one polyethylene.
72. The insulative cup of claim 70, wherein the base resin blend comprises a blend of HDPE and LDPE.
73. The insulative cup of claim 71, wherein the base resin blend comprises at least 50% HDPE.
74. The insulative cup of claim 31, wherein the insulative cellular non- aromatic polymeric materials comprises a base resin blend, a physical nucleating agent, and up to about 50% regrind.
75. The insulative cup of claim 74, wherein the cup further comprises a polymeric-lamination layer in direct contact with the insulative cellular non-aromatic polymeric material .
76. The insulative cup of claim 75, wherein the polymeric-lamination layer includes up to about 99% by weight regrind.
77. The insulative cup of claim 76, wherein the regrind of the polymeric-lamination layer comprises polyethylene, ink, or a combination thereof.