US20110192750A1

US20110192750A1 - Room For System

Info

Publication number: US20110192750A1
Application number: US12/579,320
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel Edward Kokin
Original assignee: Sector Labs
Current assignee: Sector Labs
Priority date: 2009-10-14
Filing date: 2009-10-14
Publication date: 2011-08-11

Abstract

A beverage cup having a measuring cavity and inverted indicia denoting a volume of at least a portion of the measuring cavity when measured down from the top of the measuring cavity. Said indicia is placed inside, outside, or both inside and outside the measuring cavity. Said indicia may denote a plurality of different types of volume measurements and may denote a plurality of different volumes for each one of said different type of volume measurements. Said indicia may be printed, embossed, or both, on an insulating sleeve configured for beverage cups without said indicia. Said indicia may be printed with pigment-based inks, dye-based inks, or with temperature sensitive inks. Said insulating sleeve may also function as base for said beverage cup when rotated.

Description

BACKGROUND

Water connects the physical and living environment. Fresh water is critical for economic and agricultural development. Unlike many other natural resources, society cannot exist without access to fresh water supplies. One of the fundamental challenges humanity currently faces is preservation of a fresh water supply. With ever increasing human demand and fluctuating precipitation due to climate change, corporations, consumers, and governing bodies must work together to reintegrate water into our culture. Ensuring a reliable water supply for personal consumption, agriculture, and industry may be the most significant issue of our time.
Today, ⅕ of the world's population is without access to safe drinking water. Regions with access are experiencing extreme drought levels, which has forced their governments to implement strict water rationing protocols. Yet, every day millions of people waste more water per day than some people can access all year.
Every year the coffee industry wastes billions of a gallons of water, coffee, electricity, and other resources, because coffee drinkers make room for cream. The Room For system eliminates the waste associated with “making room for cream” by giving customers a simple and intuitive system for indicating exactly how much room they need.
Coffee production has an voracious appetite for water and other natural resources. In fact, it takes about 2500 gallons of water to grow and process a single pound of coffee beans. In other words, it takes 1000 ounces of fresh water for each ounce of coffee.
Unfortunately very few coffee drinkers actually know just how much water and energy is wasted when they pour a few ounces of hot coffee in the garbage when they make room for milk or cream. Retailers have known about the problem for many years, yet there is still no solution. The Room For system specifically address this problem by eliminating the need for coffee drinkers to make room for cream. This uniquely American habit wastes billions of gallons of fresh water, coffee, electricity, fuel, time, and other natural resources.
Most coffee retailers ignore the problem because the waste seems insignificant, while others address it by under-pouring every cup. In either case, the retail coffee experience is compromised.
Until now, there has been no solution to the problem, and it costs small- to medium-sized coffee shops thousands of dollars every year; while large coffee retailers, simply let their customer dump millions of dollars worth of coffee down the drain.
Ordering
Customers need only say, “may I have a large coffee with room for 2?” This lets the employees know exactly when to stop dispensing coffee, thus the need for customers to make room is eliminated. Furthermore, the retailer saves 2 ounces of coffee, which can be dispensed to the next customer in line.

SUMMARY

Beverage cups having a measuring cavity and inverted indicia denoting a volume of at least a portion of the measuring cavity when measured down from the top of the measuring cavity allow customers to express exactly how much room should be left for milk, cream, or other liquids added to enhanced the flavor of beverages. Said indicia provides a simple and effective method for customers to indicate precisely the level at which a barista should should stop filling the cup. This configuration eliminates the need for customers to pour a portion of their beverage into a waste receptacle or drain in order to make room for milk or cream. The system can be easily adopted by coffee retailers, with little to no integration costs. Said indicia may be printed, embossed, or both, on any beverage container or insulating sleeve. This simple solution can significantly improve the customer experience, increase yields, and save water and energy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage cup and inverted indicia in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the beverage cup and inverted indicia;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the beverage cup and inverted indicia;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the beverage cup and inverted indicia;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of still another embodiment of the beverage cup and sleeve and inverted indicia;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of still another embodiment of the cup and sleeve and inverted indicia printed on an adhesive sticker;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of still another embodiment of the beverage cup and sleeve and inverted indicia;

FIG. 8 is a another perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the beverage cup cup and inverted indicia;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While particular preferred and alternative embodiments of the present intention have been disclosed, it will be appreciated that many various modifications and extensions of the above described beverage cup may be implemented using the teaching of this invention. All such modifications and extensions are intended to be included within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cup and inverted indicia combination accordance with the invention. The cup 1, inverted indica 2, and liquid 3 combination is shown in an perspective view. The cup 1 body is formed from a substantially non-transparent material. The inverted indicia 2 is outside the cup 1.
FIG. 2 illustrates a cup and inverted indicia combination accordance with the invention. The cup 4, inverted indica 4 and 7, and liquid 6 combination is shown in an perspective view. The cup 4 body is formed from a substantially non-transparent material. The inverted indicia 5 is outside the cup 1. An additional inverted indicia 7 is outside the cup 4.
FIG. 3 illustrates a cup and inverted indicia combination accordance with the invention. The cup 8, inverted indica 9, and liquid 11 combination is shown in an perspective view. The cup 8 body is formed from a substantially transparent material. The inverted indicia 9 is outside the cup 8. The inverted indicia 10 will be reversed when viewed from inside the cup 8.
FIG. 4 illustrates a cup and inverted indicia combination accordance with the invention. The cup 12, inverted indica 14, and liquid 15 combination is shown in an perspective view. The cup 12 body is formed from a substantially non-transparent material. The inverted indicia 14 is outside the cup 12. The inverted indica 14 is printed with temperature sensitive ink. The dark portion of said inverted indica 13 changes color when a liquid 15 fills the cup 12 to the 3rd position.
FIG. 5 illustrates a cup, insulating sleeve, and inverted indicia combination accordance with the invention. The cup 16, insulating sleeve 18, inverted indica 17, and liquid 19 combination is shown in an perspective view. The inverted indicia 17 is printed outside the insulating sleeve 18.
FIG. 6 illustrates a cup, adhesive sticker with inverted indicia combination accordance with the invention. The cup 20, adhesive sticker with inverted indicia 21, and liquid 22 is shown in an perspective view. The adhesive sticker with inverted indicia 21 is positioned on the cup 20 so that the measurement coincides with volume of the cup 20.
FIG. 7 illustrates a cup and inverted indicia combination accordance with the invention. The cup 23, inverted indica 24, and liquid 25 combination is shown in an perspective view. The inverted indicia 24 stops half way down the cup 23 an is printed outside the cup 23.
FIG. 8 illustrates a cup and inverted indicia combination accordance with the invention. The cup 26, inverted indica 27, inverted indicia 29, and liquid 28 combination is shown in an perspective view. The cup 26 body is formed from a substantially non-transparent material. The inverted indicia 27 is outside the cup 26. The inverted indicia 29 is printed inside the cup. Invered indicia 27 and inverted indicia 29 stop half way down the cup 26.

Claims

1. A beverage cup, comprising: a cup body having a measuring cavity; and inverted indicia denoting a volume of at least a portion of the measuring cavity when measured down from the top of the measuring cavity.

2. The beverage cup of claim 1 wherein said indicia is outside the measuring cavity.

3. The beverage cup of claim 1 wherein: said indicia denotes a plurality of different types of volume measurements; and said indicia denotes a plurality of different volumes for each one of said different type of volume measurements.

4. The beverage cup of claim 1 wherein said indicia is inside the measuring cavity.

5. The beverage cup of claim 1 wherein said indicia is inside and outside the measuring cavity.

6. The beverage cup of claim 2 wherein the cup body is formed from a substantially non-transparent material.

7. The beverage cup of claim 4 wherein said cup is formed from a substantially transparent material.

8. The beverage cup of claim 2 wherein said indicia is printed with color sensitive ink.

9. The beverage cup of claim 1 wherein said indicia is embossed.

10. The beverage cup of claim 1 where in said indicia is embossed and printed.

11. The beverage cup of claim 1 wherein the cup body is formed from a biodegradable material.

12. The beverage cup of claim 1 wherein said indicia is printed on an insulating sleeve.

13. The beverage cup of claim 1 wherein said insulating sleeve functions as a base for said cup when inverted.