Plastic cup with integral handle and method of forming plastic cup with integral handle

The present invention relates generally to plastic cups and a method of forming the cups. More particularly, the present invention relates to molded plastic cups with integral handles and a method of thermoforming the cups. This invention is particularly useful for plastic beverage cups. A molded plastic cup comprising a generally cylindrical body portion, a rim and a handle, and a method of forming the cup. The body portion has an open upper end, and the rim extends radially outwardly from the perimeter of the open end of the body portion. The handle is formed as an integral part of the cup. The handle extends outwardly from substantially diametrically opposed portions of the rim and then along the rim on one side of the cup between the diametrically opposed portions. The end portions of the handle extend from the rim, and are sufficiently flexible to allow the handle to be bent upwardly from the rim so that the handle arches diametrically across the upper end of the cup. The entire cup is thermoformed from a single sheet of plastic.