US20010004080A1 - Medicine cup that enables a patient to consume contents without moving head or neck backwards - Google Patents
Medicine cup that enables a patient to consume contents without moving head or neck backwards Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20010004080A1 US20010004080A1 US09/767,666 US76766601A US2001004080A1 US 20010004080 A1 US20010004080 A1 US 20010004080A1 US 76766601 A US76766601 A US 76766601A US 2001004080 A1 US2001004080 A1 US 2001004080A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- cup
- ramp
- edge
- mouthpiece portion
- rim
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J7/00—Devices for administering medicines orally, e.g. spoons; Pill counting devices; Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine
- A61J7/0015—Devices specially adapted for taking medicines
- A61J7/0046—Cups, bottles or bags
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
- A47G19/00—Table service
- A47G19/22—Drinking vessels or saucers used for table service
- A47G19/2205—Drinking glasses or vessels
- A47G19/2266—Means for facilitating drinking, e.g. for infants or invalids
Definitions
- This invention relates a medicine-dispensing cup for liquid or solid medication that allows an individual to consume the entire contents within the cup without moving the head or neck backwards.
- a number of patents are concerned with containers designed to ease ingestion of liquids or solids by an individual.
- Hucknall in U.S. Pat. No. 2,599,919, shows a container fitted with an integral straw-like passage that extends above the container top.
- Povitz discloses a plastic lip and handle that attaches to a beverage can.
- Hostetter in U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,523, shows a hospital cup with a foldable top edge that contains a small conduit to allow a prone individual to drink from the conduit.
- a drinking attachment for a can that includes an extended lip portion is described by Ward in U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,478.
- a closure device with a pouring lip for containers is disclosed by Kapples in U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,453.
- Watson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,348, describes a drinking container with an open trough-like spout projecting laterally from one side.
- Junkman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,729, discloses a two-handled cup for handicapped persons.
- Stevens describes a dysphagia cup having sloping interior surfaces and an elliptically-shaped top opening to accommodate a user's nasal bridge during drinking such that substantial backwards angulation of the head is not required.
- Sang-Seo in U.S.
- Pat. No. 5,415,313 shows a beverage can with a lip that protrudes from the top of the can upon removing a pull tab to open it.
- Neville U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,191 discloses a disposable safety cup with a spout formed by the container side and attached cup cover.
- the invention is concerned with a dispensing cup for liquid and solid medication.
- the cup has a bottom, two sides, extending upwardly from the bottom to form a rim at a top of the cup, and a ramp extending outwardly from the bottom, part way or all the way to the rim.
- the two sides and the ramp join to form a mouthpiece of the cup.
- An advantage of the invention is that it provides a dispensing cup for liquid or solid medication that allows an individual to consume the entire contents within the cup without moving the head or neck backwards.
- the invention has the further advantage that liquid or solid contents that would otherwise settle at the bottom of the cup are dislodged when the cup is tilted.
- the invention has the further advantage that the shape of the cup allows stacking of a number of cups for storage.
- FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a medical cup, in which the present invention is embodied
- FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cup shown in FIG. 1;
- FIG. 3 is a top view of the cup shown in FIG. 1;
- FIG. 4 is a side view of the cup shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 ;
- FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a second preferred embodiment of a medical cup in accordance with the present invention wherein the ramp-like mouthpiece portion has a triangular shape.
- the design of the cup is to benefit people that have restricted movement of the head and neck region.
- the design of the cup enables a person with these restrictions, to easily consume the entire contents within the cup without moving the head or neck backwards.
- the cup will be used in the medical field and the private sector. Typical users that will benefit from this design include, but are not limited to, the physically handicapped, bedridden patients, those with loss of muscle control and the elderly.
- the medical 10 is illustrated in upper perspective view.
- the medical 10 is exemplary of a medical cup in which the present invention is embodied.
- the bottom 12 has a curved edge 23 and a linear edge 21 .
- a ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 extends outwardly from the bottom 12 to a top rim 26 .
- Two curved sides, 14 , 16 extend from the bottom 12 to the top rim 26 .
- the two curved sides join the ramp-like mouthpiece portion and meet at a short edge 18 opposite the mouthpiece portion 19 .
- the short edge 18 is shorter than the extended ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 .
- the short edge 18 extends outwardly from the bottom 12 at an angle ⁇ from the bottom 12 .
- the bottom 12 is also angled at an angle ⁇ from the short edge 18 to the ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 .
- the ramp-like mouthpiece portion has an upwardly and outwardly tapering curvilinear shape that extends from the linear edge 21 to an uppermost portion 22 of the top rim 26 to form the ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 .
- the medical cup 10 is shown in bottom, top and side views in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
- the ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 may also have a polygon shape rather than a curvilinear shape.
- An example of an embodiment of the medical cup of present invention wherein the ramp-like mouthpiece portion is an isosceles triangle is shown in perspective view at numeral 50 in FIG. 5.
- the uppermost portion 22 of the rim 26 is the vertex of an isosceles triangle wherein the base of the triangle 51 is congruent with the linear edge 21 of the bottom 12 .
- the curved edge 23 of the bottom of the cup may be partially circular in shape or partially elliptical in shape.
- the rim 26 of medical cups 10 and 50 preferably have a greatest height of about 2.5 inches, a least height of about 2.5 inches and a bottom having a greatest diameter of about 1.2 inches.
- the total volume of the cup is preferably approximately 1 oz.
- the extended mouthpiece allows the contents to enter the mouth without the users nose hitting the rim of the cup.
- the displacement angle of the ramp displaces the contents that would normally settle at the bottom of the cup.
- the cup would normally become unstable and could fall over and spill.
- the bottom 12 is inclined by an angle ⁇ from the shorter side 18 to counterbalance the longer mouthpiece side 19 . This compensates for this potential loss of stability, since the counterbalance angle ⁇ shifts the center of gravity of the cup.
- This design allows the cup contents to enter the mouth of an individual without the nose of the user contacting the rim of the cup.
- a dispensing cup for liquid and solid medication comprises a bottom 12 two sides 14 , 16 , extending upwardly from the bottom to form a rim 26 at a top of the cup and, a ramp 19 extending outwardly from a linear edge 21 of the bottom part way or all the way to the rim, the two sides and the ramp 19 joining at 22 to form a mouthpiece of the cup.
- the cup may be constructed of any suitable material, such as paper, Styrofoam, or a plastic material. If a plastic such as polyethylene is used, the cup may be formed through an injection molding process. Identical cups will fit within each other to save space in packaging and delivery and in storage or in cup dispensers.
- the cup may have graduated markings as a guide for measuring the volume of the contents.
- the ramp may extend only part way to the rim of the cup.
- the ramp may not form a triangle.
- the vertex 22 may be changed to form a fourth side of a polygon, with the shorter side of the polygon being the vertex, resulting in a wider mouthpiece, the ramp 19 extending all the way or part way to the rim 26 .
- the bottom of the cup has been shown as a somewhat elliptical shape. The bottom may be modified to be more circular in shape at the curved edge opposite the linear edge 21 at the base of the ramp 19 . This would cause the sides 14 , 16 to become more circular in shape.
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- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Pediatric Medicine (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
- Table Devices Or Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
A cup for dispensing liquid and solid medication. The cup has a bottom 12, two sides 14, 16, extending upwardly from the bottom to form a rim 26 at a top of the cup, and a ramp 18 extending outwardly from the bottom 12 at least part way to the rim. The two sides and the ramp 19 join to form a mouthpiece of the cup. An upper vertical portion 24 extends downward from the rim 26. The ramp 19 extends outwardly from the bottom 12 to the upper vertical portion 24 such that the two sides 14, 16, the ramp 19, and the upper vertical portion 24 join to form a mouth piece of the cup. The cup allows an individual to consume the entire contents within the cup without moving the head or neck backwards.
Description
- This application is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 09/412,885, filed Oct. 5, 1999, which is a continuation of Provisional application Ser. No. 60/103,341 filed Oct. 7, 1998, which are incorporated herein by reference.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- This invention relates a medicine-dispensing cup for liquid or solid medication that allows an individual to consume the entire contents within the cup without moving the head or neck backwards.
- 2. Description of the Prior Art
- A number of patents are concerned with containers designed to ease ingestion of liquids or solids by an individual. Hucknall, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,599,919, shows a container fitted with an integral straw-like passage that extends above the container top. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,014,621, Povitz discloses a plastic lip and handle that attaches to a beverage can. Hostetter, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,523, shows a hospital cup with a foldable top edge that contains a small conduit to allow a prone individual to drink from the conduit. A drinking attachment for a can that includes an extended lip portion is described by Ward in U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,478. A closure device with a pouring lip for containers is disclosed by Kapples in U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,453. Watson, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,348, describes a drinking container with an open trough-like spout projecting laterally from one side. Junkman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,729, discloses a two-handled cup for handicapped persons. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,928, Stevens describes a dysphagia cup having sloping interior surfaces and an elliptically-shaped top opening to accommodate a user's nasal bridge during drinking such that substantial backwards angulation of the head is not required. Sang-Seo, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,313, shows a beverage can with a lip that protrudes from the top of the can upon removing a pull tab to open it. Neville U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,191 discloses a disposable safety cup with a spout formed by the container side and attached cup cover.
- It is desirable to provide a dispensing cup for liquid or solid medication that allows an individual to consume the entire contents within the cup without moving the head or neck backwards.
- Briefly, the invention is concerned with a dispensing cup for liquid and solid medication. The cup has a bottom, two sides, extending upwardly from the bottom to form a rim at a top of the cup, and a ramp extending outwardly from the bottom, part way or all the way to the rim. The two sides and the ramp join to form a mouthpiece of the cup.
- An advantage of the invention is that it provides a dispensing cup for liquid or solid medication that allows an individual to consume the entire contents within the cup without moving the head or neck backwards.
- The invention has the further advantage that liquid or solid contents that would otherwise settle at the bottom of the cup are dislodged when the cup is tilted.
- The invention has the further advantage that the shape of the cup allows stacking of a number of cups for storage.
- The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings in which:
- FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a medical cup, in which the present invention is embodied,
- FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the cup shown in FIG. 1; and,
- FIG. 3 is a top view of the cup shown in FIG. 1; and
- FIG. 4 is a side view of the cup shown in FIGS.1-3;
- FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a second preferred embodiment of a medical cup in accordance with the present invention wherein the ramp-like mouthpiece portion has a triangular shape.
- In these figures, similar numerals refer to similar elements in the drawing. It should be understood that the sizes of the different components in the figures may not be to scale, or in exact proportion, and are shown for visual clarity and for the purpose of explanation.
- The design of the cup is to benefit people that have restricted movement of the head and neck region. The design of the cup enables a person with these restrictions, to easily consume the entire contents within the cup without moving the head or neck backwards. The cup will be used in the medical field and the private sector. Typical users that will benefit from this design include, but are not limited to, the physically handicapped, bedridden patients, those with loss of muscle control and the elderly.
- Referring now to FIG. 1, a
medical cup 10 is illustrated in upper perspective view. The medical 10 is exemplary of a medical cup in which the present invention is embodied. Thebottom 12 has a curved edge 23 and alinear edge 21. A ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 extends outwardly from thebottom 12 to atop rim 26. Two curved sides, 14, 16, extend from thebottom 12 to thetop rim 26. The two curved sides join the ramp-like mouthpiece portion and meet at ashort edge 18 opposite themouthpiece portion 19. Theshort edge 18 is shorter than the extended ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19. Theshort edge 18 extends outwardly from thebottom 12 at an angle θ from thebottom 12. The bottom 12 is also angled at an angle Φ from theshort edge 18 to the ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19. The ramp-like mouthpiece portion has an upwardly and outwardly tapering curvilinear shape that extends from thelinear edge 21 to anuppermost portion 22 of thetop rim 26 to form the ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19. Themedical cup 10 is shown in bottom, top and side views in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 respectively. - The ramp-
like mouthpiece portion 19 may also have a polygon shape rather than a curvilinear shape. An example of an embodiment of the medical cup of present invention wherein the ramp-like mouthpiece portion is an isosceles triangle is shown in perspective view atnumeral 50 in FIG. 5. Inmedical cup 50, theuppermost portion 22 of therim 26 is the vertex of an isosceles triangle wherein the base of thetriangle 51 is congruent with thelinear edge 21 of the bottom 12. Furthermore, the curved edge 23 of the bottom of the cup may be partially circular in shape or partially elliptical in shape. Therim 26 ofmedical cups - When the cup is tilted toward the user, the extended mouthpiece allows the contents to enter the mouth without the users nose hitting the rim of the cup. Simultaneously, the displacement angle of the ramp displaces the contents that would normally settle at the bottom of the cup. Because creating a displacement angle θ requires the loss of material on the bottom of the cup, the cup would normally become unstable and could fall over and spill. In order to counteract the tendency of the inclined ramp-
like mouthpiece portion 19 to shift the center of gravity of the cup causing instability and to stabilize the cup, the bottom 12 is inclined by an angle Φ from theshorter side 18 to counterbalance thelonger mouthpiece side 19. This compensates for this potential loss of stability, since the counterbalance angle Φ shifts the center of gravity of the cup. The plane caused by the creation of this counterbalance angle Φ, runs from theshorter edge 18 of the cup and meets the plane of the displacement angle at the bottom of the cup. This design allows the cup contents to enter the mouth of an individual without the nose of the user contacting the rim of the cup. - A dispensing cup for liquid and solid medication is disclosed. The cup comprises a bottom12 two
sides 14, 16, extending upwardly from the bottom to form arim 26 at a top of the cup and, aramp 19 extending outwardly from alinear edge 21 of the bottom part way or all the way to the rim, the two sides and theramp 19 joining at 22 to form a mouthpiece of the cup. The cup may be constructed of any suitable material, such as paper, Styrofoam, or a plastic material. If a plastic such as polyethylene is used, the cup may be formed through an injection molding process. Identical cups will fit within each other to save space in packaging and delivery and in storage or in cup dispensers. The cup may have graduated markings as a guide for measuring the volume of the contents. - It should be understood that various modifications could be made to the shape of the cup without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the ramp may extend only part way to the rim of the cup. Furthermore the ramp may not form a triangle. For example, the
vertex 22 may be changed to form a fourth side of a polygon, with the shorter side of the polygon being the vertex, resulting in a wider mouthpiece, theramp 19 extending all the way or part way to therim 26. The bottom of the cup has been shown as a somewhat elliptical shape. The bottom may be modified to be more circular in shape at the curved edge opposite thelinear edge 21 at the base of theramp 19. This would cause thesides 14, 16 to become more circular in shape. - While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.
Claims (6)
1. A medical cup for dispensing liquids and solids comprising:
a flat bottom 12 having a linear edge 21;
two sides 14, 16, extending upwardly from said bottom to form a rim 26 at a top of said cup; and,
a ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 extending outwardly and upwardly from said linear edge 21 of said bottom at least part way to said rim;
said two sides 14, 16, and said ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 joining to form a fluid container.
2. A medical cup for dispensing liquids and solids comprising:
a bottom 12 having a curved edge 23 and a linear edge 21;
a top rim 26;
a ramp-like mouthpiece portion 19 extending outwardly from said linear edge of said bottom 12 to a top rim 26; and,
two curved sides, 14, 16, extending upwardly from said curved edge 23 of said bottom 12 to said top rim 26, said two curved sides joining said ramp-like mouthpiece portion and meeting at a short edge 18 opposite said ramp-like mouthpiece portion;
said short edge being shorter than said extended ramp-like mouthpiece portion;
said short edge 18 extending from said bottom 12 outward at an angle Φ from said bottom 12.
3. A medical cup for dispensing liquids and solids comprising:
(a) a flat bottom having a perimeter comprising an arcuate edge and a linear edge;
(b) an arcuate side portion coextensive with and extending upwardly and outwardly from said arcuate edge of said bottom; and
(c) a triangular ramp-like mouthpiece portion extending upwardly and outwardly from said linear edge of said bottom, said triangular mouthpiece portion having a shape defined as an isosceles triangle, the isosceles triangle having a base that is congruent with said linear edge of said bottom.
4. The medical cup in accordance with wherein said triangular mouthpiece portion has two edges having equal length and wherein said two edges having equal length are attached to and continuous with said arcuate side portion and wherein said bottom, said arcuate side portion and said triangular mouthpiece portion define a container.
claim 3
5. The medical cup in accordance with wherein said medical cup is of unitary construction.
claim 3
6. The dispensing cup in accordance with wherein said medical cup has unitary construction.
claim 4
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/767,666 US20010004080A1 (en) | 1998-10-07 | 2001-01-22 | Medicine cup that enables a patient to consume contents without moving head or neck backwards |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10334198P | 1998-10-07 | 1998-10-07 | |
US41288599A | 1999-10-05 | 1999-10-05 | |
US09/767,666 US20010004080A1 (en) | 1998-10-07 | 2001-01-22 | Medicine cup that enables a patient to consume contents without moving head or neck backwards |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US41288599A Continuation-In-Part | 1998-10-07 | 1999-10-05 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20010004080A1 true US20010004080A1 (en) | 2001-06-21 |
Family
ID=26800351
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/767,666 Abandoned US20010004080A1 (en) | 1998-10-07 | 2001-01-22 | Medicine cup that enables a patient to consume contents without moving head or neck backwards |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20010004080A1 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20060124718A1 (en) * | 2004-12-10 | 2006-06-15 | Matty Audrey I | Dual-purpose cup |
US20080083766A1 (en) * | 2006-10-04 | 2008-04-10 | Maurizio De Rosa | Wine goblet |
US20160067145A1 (en) * | 2013-07-25 | 2016-03-10 | Dennis Christopher Riordan | Medicine cup with infection control tab |
USD830129S1 (en) | 2018-03-15 | 2018-10-09 | Sheldon Hochman Cohn | Reclining mug |
USD948281S1 (en) * | 2019-08-27 | 2022-04-12 | Maureen Flanagan | Cup |
-
2001
- 2001-01-22 US US09/767,666 patent/US20010004080A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20060124718A1 (en) * | 2004-12-10 | 2006-06-15 | Matty Audrey I | Dual-purpose cup |
US20080083766A1 (en) * | 2006-10-04 | 2008-04-10 | Maurizio De Rosa | Wine goblet |
US20160067145A1 (en) * | 2013-07-25 | 2016-03-10 | Dennis Christopher Riordan | Medicine cup with infection control tab |
US10857069B2 (en) * | 2013-07-25 | 2020-12-08 | Dennis Christopher Riordan | Medicine cup with infection control tab |
USD830129S1 (en) | 2018-03-15 | 2018-10-09 | Sheldon Hochman Cohn | Reclining mug |
USD948281S1 (en) * | 2019-08-27 | 2022-04-12 | Maureen Flanagan | Cup |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |