US20030209556A1

US20030209556A1 - Introduced in disposable cup

Info

Publication number: US20030209556A1
Application number: US10/418,903
Authority: US
Inventors: Heleno Gruber
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-04-18
Filing date: 2003-04-18
Publication date: 2003-11-13
Also published as: BR0201311A

Abstract

“IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN DISPOSABLE CUP”, according to which, the external surface of the side wall (3) of the body (1) of the cup, is provided with solid projections (4), configuring thermal insulation elements, as well as elements of structural reinforcement for the cup (1), these projections (4) may vary as to shape, dimensions, number and position.

Description

This Invention patent is relative to an improvement introduced in the disposable cup, this cup preferably in cone section shape, manufactured in plastic and produced with the traditional injection molding process, or vacuum forming, and whose present improvement represents a substantial improvement of the use conditions for these disposable cups relative to those actually existing in the market, specially when these are used with hot beverages.

According to technical knowledge, when these disposable cups are used to serve hot beverages, the intense heat transmitted through the thin walls of the cup burns the hands of the user, who, to avoid this discomfort, is obliged to hold the cup by its upper rim, where there is a small edge turned outside, and where the liquid, and consequently its temperature, do not arrive. However, this rim is the region of contact with the user lips, so that the act of holding the cup at this part, besides being uncomfortable, is also anti-hygienic.

And similarly, these disposable cups are also inappropriate to serve ice cold beverages, since as a function of the low temperature of the beverage, that on itself is uncomfortable to touch, the cup “sweats”, that is, the water condensates in the external part of the cup, wetting the user hands, and sometimes, even running down the user fingers, generating thus, a momentary discomfort situation.

Besides, even when the user of this disposable cup could holds it by its sidewall, he ends up holding it by the upper rim, since this provides more structural stability to the cup. This because, many times, when holding the cup by its side walls, due to the thin wall thickness, associated to the malleability of the manufacture material, this cup is easily deformed and crushed, causing discomfort due to liquid spills, caused by overflow and side spills between the rim and the user mouth.

Thus, considering these disadvantages, the user generally uses two cups simultaneously, one inside the other, trying to improve the use conditions.

In order to solve these problems, this “IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN DISPOSABLE CUP” was created, with the main purpose of avoiding the direct contact of the user fingers with the side wall of the cup, thus isolating the temperature of the product contained inside the cup from the fingers of this user.

For this, this improvement consists in the provision, on the external surface of the cup sidewall, of several solid projections, orthogonal to the mentioned external surface, and configured as ribs, wings, fins, protuberances, etc., and which may vary in number, size, shape, location, etc.

Such projections configure “holding” elements as well as spacers for the direct contact of the user fingers with the cup side wall; that is, applied to disposable cups, besides serving as support for the user to hold this cup, they have the main function of isolating the temperature of the liquid inside the cup from the user finger, particularly when this liquid is hot, avoiding, for this user, the risk of burning his fingers when holding the cup to drink the liquid.

Thus, these projections, solid and orthogonal relative to the external surface of the cup side wall, added to the intrinsic thermal insulation property of the plastics, do not propagate heat, protecting, thus, the user when he holds the cup to drink the liquid, through these projections.

Also, these projections protect the user fingers against ice-cold beverages, isolating him from the contact with the low temperature, and also from the contact with the moisture generated at the external surface of the cup wall, thus, this user maintains his fingers dry.

Additionally, these projections, besides the “holding” function with thermal insulation, have the function of structure and reinforcement of the cup sidewall itself, avoiding its deformation or crushing at the moment when the user holds it to drink the liquid inside it. This characteristic presents the advantages of the fact that the use of only one cup each time is sufficient, as well as the fact of extending the cup life, allowing it to be used more than once, which does not happen this the usual disposable cups.

Although this improvement was developed more specifically for disposable cups, it is obvious it can be applied to non-disposable cups and glasses, thus these objects improved as such are equally protected by this invention.

For illustration, the drawings of this invention are attached, through which it will be visualized better: FIG. 1 is a perspective of a disposable cup, provided with this improvement in one of its possible realization shapes; FIG. 2 is a cross section of this cup, per line A-A shown in the former figure; FIGS. 3 and 4 are side views of two other possible cup realization formats thus improved; FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate, respectively, cross sections of the mentioned improved cups; FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate, respectively, a side view and cross section of a disposable cup provided with another possible realization shape for the improvement object of this claim.[0013]
The purpose of this Invention patent is an “IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN DISPOSABLE CUP”, cup whose body ([0014] 1) presents preferably cone section shape, manufactured in plastic and produced by the traditional injection molding process, and whose upper rim is provided with a short external edge (2), according to this improvement, the external surface of the side wall (3) of the body (1) of the cup is provided with solid projections (4), configuring elements for thermal insulation between the temperature of the product contained inside the cup (1) and the user fingers, when holding this cup, as well as structural reinforcement elements for the said cup (1).
These insulating projections ([0015] 4) may vary as to shape, dimensions, number and position, in one among the infinite possible realization shapes, they may consist of thin radial walls (4 a) configuring ribs or wings, arranged longitudinally relative to the body (1), with a length equal or less that the height of the mentioned body (1), arranged equidistantly among themselves or not.
In another possible realization shape, they may also consist of several projections ([0016] 4 b) of semi-spherical shape, distributed along all the external surface of the wall (3), or only in a region of the same.
Even when this improvement was developed more specifically for disposable cups, it is obvious it can be applied to non-disposable cups and glasses, thus these objects improved as such are equally protected by this invention. [0017]

Claims

1 ^st) “IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN DISPOSABLE CUP”, cup whose body (1) presents preferably cone section shape, manufactured in plastic and produced with the traditional injection molding process, and whose upper rim is provided with a short external edge (2), characterized by the fact that, the external surface of the side wall (3) of the body (1) of the cup is provided with solid projections (4), configuring thermal insulation elements, as well as elements for structural reinforcement for the body (1), these projections (4) may vary as to shape, dimensions, number and position:

2 ^nd) “IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN DISPOSABLE CUP”, according the claim 1, and at a first, among infinite other possible realization shapes, characterized by the fact that the projections (4) consist of thin radial walls (4 a), configuring ribs or wings, arranged longitudinally relative to the body (1), with a length equal or less than the height of the mentioned body (1), arranged equidistant among themselves or not.

3 ^rd) “IMPROVEMENT INTRODUCED IN DISPOSABLE CUP”, according to claim 1, and another possible realization shape, characterized by the fact that the projections (4) consist of several projections (4 b) of semi-spherical shape, distributed along all the external surface of the wall (3), or only at a region of the same.