U.S. patent application number 11/290345 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-08 for water shedding designs for receptacle bottoms.
Invention is credited to Warren M. Schur.
Application Number | 20060118560 11/290345 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36573056 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060118560 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Schur; Warren M. |
June 8, 2006 |
Water shedding designs for receptacle bottoms
Abstract
A design for water shedding receptacle bottoms is presented in
this invention. For ease in understanding, the specific case of a
water shedding mug is presented and described in detail. The mug is
designed such that water will run off the bottom of the mug when it
is inverted in a dishwasher. The design is comprised of a convex
bottom with equally spaced feet around the periphery of the bottom
of the mug. The convex bottom and feet combine to form flow
channels through which water will flow via normal gravitational
forces when the mug is inverted in a dishwasher.
Inventors: |
Schur; Warren M.; (Boston,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RICHARD L. BIGELOW
203 TREMONT STREET
NEWINGTON
CT
06111
US
|
Family ID: |
36573056 |
Appl. No.: |
11/290345 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60633014 |
Dec 3, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/508 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/12 20130101;
A47G 19/22 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/508 |
International
Class: |
B65D 1/36 20060101
B65D001/36 |
Claims
1. A drinking mug with a convex external bottom and at least three
external feet arranged symmetrically around the external periphery
of the mug.
2. A drinking mug as in claim 1 whereby the external feet are so
configured that the mug rests on the external feet when the mug is
right side up.
3. A drinking mug as in claims 1 and 2 whereby the feet are so
configured that water runs off the bottom of the external of the
mug when the mug is inverted.
4. A drinking glass with a convex external bottom and at least
three external feet arranged symmetrically around the external
periphery of the mug.
5. A drinking glass as in claim 4 whereby the external feet are so
configured that the mug rests on the external feet when the mug is
right side up.
6. A drinking glass as in claims 4 and 5 whereby the feet are so
configured that water runs off the bottom of the external of the
mug when the mug is inverted.
7. A kitchen bowl with a convex external bottom and at least three
external feet arranged symmetrically around the external periphery
of the mug.
8. A kitchen bowl as in claim 7 whereby the external feet are so
configured that the mug rests on the external feet when the mug is
right side up.
9. A kitchen bowl as in claims 7 and 8 whereby the feet are so
configured that water runs off the bottom of the external of the
mug when the mug is inverted.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Non-Provisional Patent Application claims priority from
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/633,014 dated Dec. 3,
2004.
FEDERAL RESEARCH STATEMENT
[0002] None
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates to the design of the bottoms of mugs,
cups, bowls and other kitchen receptacles that facilitates the
runoff of water from the dishwashing process. More specifically,
the invention relates to the design of the bottoms of said mugs,
cups, bowls and other kitchen receptacles such that water will
automatically run off the bottom surface of said vessels when the
vessel is inverted during or after the dishwashing process.
[0004] One of the more persistent problems associated with the
dishwashing process, whether hand dishwashing or automatic
dishwashing, is the presence of standing water in the concave
surfaces of most mugs, cups, bowls and other kitchen receptacles,
when any of the aforementioned items are inverted and placed on a
rack in an automatic dishwasher or are inverted for drying after
hand washing. When such items are removed from the dishwashing area
and placed in cupboards or other areas of the kitchen before the
water has had an opportunity to evaporate, the water may remain in
the concave bottom of the items or it may spill out and cause
dampness on other items or on surface areas. This can be a
significant problem in that such surfaces with standing water can
be fertile breeding grounds for germs, insects, mold and diseases
attendant with these organisms. The health impacts of having such
organisms near or even on surfaces that eventually find their way
into the mouths of family members, hospital patients, dining hall
patrons, or restaurant customers is obvious. Also, it is an
annoyance and makes for extra work in the kitchen, as the handler
of such items will generally take the trouble to empty the concave
surface into the sink and then wipe it dry with a dishcloth or
paper towel (which results in the consumption of additional paper
towels).
[0005] The water shedding designs inherent in this invention
provide mechanisms whereby virtually all water will automatically
run off from the bottom surfaces of mugs, cups, bowls and other
kitchen receptacles without any further action on the part of any
person in the kitchen. The fact that water runs off automatically
eliminates the extra work of disposing of the water and drying the
surfaces with a dishcloth or paper towel, and provides a
significant reduction in standing water in kitchens, thereby
reducing the potential for the proliferation of mold and other
infectious microbes in kitchens, cupboards, and other storage
areas.
[0006] The invention has further application to receptacles of all
sizes that are susceptible to the standing water problem. For
example, large industrial drums which are stored outside in either
an upright or inverted position tend to accumulate rain water on
the upper surface. This accumulated rain water leads to a more
rapid onset of rust and deterioration of the drum. In addition,
standing water on the drums presents a health hazard as it presents
a significant mosquito breeding problem.
[0007] While the present invention is applicable to a wide variety
of receptacles ranging from kitchen receptacles (such as mugs,
glasses, and bowls) to large industrial drums, for ease in
understanding, the invention is described in detail using a basic
kitchen mug as an example. The attributes of the invention
described in the kitchen mug example are applicable to all other
types of receptacles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] This invention is a design of the bottoms of mugs, cups,
bowls and other kitchen receptacles that facilitates the runoff of
water from the dishwashing process. A possible second component
might be water-shedding caps that can be placed on the inverted
bottoms of mugs, cups, bowls and other kitchen receptacles that
would ordinarily accumulate standing water in their concave
bottoms.
[0009] Standing water inherent in the dishwashing process is at
best an annoyance and a cause of extra work in the kitchen, and at
worst a potential source of microbes that can accumulate in such
standing water in the bottoms of such items. The standing water
accumulates because many such items have concave bottoms, which
collect water when the items are placed bottom-up in a dishwasher
or dish drying rack.
[0010] Using the design of a coffee mug as an example, most mugs
are designed such that the bottom of the mug is concave--that is,
they curve inward from the bottom. This is not a problem when the
mug is upright. However, when the mug is inverted, water will
accumulate in the concave surface of the bottom of the mug. Most
mugs are inverted and positioned on a rack when they are placed
into a dishwasher. This combination of concave bottom design and
inverted positioning in a dishwasher results in the accumulation of
standing water.
[0011] The same type of standing water problem exists for bowls,
pitchers, glasses, cups etc. Note that the problem does not exist
for some other kitchen items including plates because these items
are rarely placed into a dishwasher in such a position that they
can accumulate standing water.
[0012] Many dishwashers have a drying cycle in order to ensure that
all surfaces are dry upon completion of the entire dishwashing
process. However, many people, in an effort to save energy, do not
use this drying cycle. In addition, some mugs accumulate so much
standing water that it can not all be dissipated by the drying
cycle. The problem occurs when mugs are removed while still
containing standing water. If a mug is turned right side up, water
spills out onto whatever surface or other items are below, and a
film of water remains on the bottom of the mug. If the mug is
stored bottom-up, some or all of the water that accumulated in the
concave surface will remain there, presenting a perfect opportunity
for microbes and mold to form.
[0013] The design of the integral mug is such that the bottom of
the mug is a convex shape with at least three "feet" extending from
the center of the convex surface to allow the mug to rest stably in
the upright position. The feet are so configured such that they
allow for no standing water to accumulate if the mug is tilted up
to 45 degrees from the vertical in dishwasher rack. At least three
"feet" are required in order to ensure stability. However, the
preferred mode is to have at least four feet and the ideal design
appears to have five feet.
[0014] The concept of the invention could be extended to a convex
shaped cap that is placed snuggly over the bottom of a mug, cup,
bowl or other kitchen receptacle. The cap can be constructed of any
material that is impervious to water and able to withstand the
water temperature and drying temperatures in a dishwasher,
including, but not limited to plastic, rubber, and neoprene.
[0015] The concept of the invention can further be extended to
other types of receptacles such as industrial drums, garbage cans,
and other containers which may be stored outside in either an
upright or inverted position. Rain water often accumulates on the
exposed upper surfaces of these receptacles thereby leading to a
more rapid onset of rust while at the same time presenting a
breeding ground for mosquitoes and other organisms. The invention
can manifest itself in the manufacture of integral water shedding
upper and/or lower surfaces of these drums, cans, and other
containers or it can manifest itself as a convex shaped cap (as
discussed above) for these receptacles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a side view of the water shedding mug featuring
the convex bottom with feet interspersed throughout the bottom of
the mug to add stability.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the water shedding mug.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the water shedding mug
including five (5) feet.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the water shedding
mug.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020] This invention relates to water shedding designs for the
bottoms of receptacles such as mugs, cups, bowls, drinking glasses,
etc. In order to aid the understanding of the invention, the
specific case of a mug is used to demonstrate the features and
uniqueness of the invention.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, a side view of a mug 10 is shown. With
the exception of the bottom of the mug, the mug is just like other
mugs found on the market. The uniquely designed bottom of the mug
is comprised of a convex bottom 20 which slopes gently from the
center of the bottom of the mug to the periphery and at least three
feet 30 around the periphery of the mug. The feet 30 gently slope
in towards the center of the bottom of the mug. The combination of
the feet 30 and convex bottom 20 has the effect of forming a series
of flow channels 40 through which water will run off from the
bottom of the mug when it is inverted.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, an exploded view of the water shedding
mug 10 is presented. This view clearly shows the convex bottom 20
of the mug. It also clearly shows how the feet 30 are shaped such
that they contour to the convex bottom 20. There are at least three
feet associated with the design and they are positioned equidistant
around the periphery of the mug. This FIG. 3 shows five feet which
enhances stability of the mug. Furthermore, the feet should
generally be positioned such that they are slightly above the
highest point of the convex bottom when the mug is inverted in
order to enhance stability.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 3, a bottom view of the water shedding mug
is presented. This view clearly shows the flow channels 40 formed
by the convex bottom 20 and the equally spaced feet 30. The design
of the water shedding mug allows any water that would otherwise be
trapped in many traditional or standard mugs when inverted in a
dishwasher to flow down the flow channels 40 and eventually down
the sides of the inverted water shedding mug 10 and eventually off
the mug.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 4, a perspective view of the water
shedding mug 10 is shown. This view presents another view of how
the flow channels 40 are formed by the convex bottom 20 and equally
spaced feet 30. This view also shows how the bottoms 45 of the feet
can be leveled off in order to enhance the stability of the mug
10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] FIGS. 1-4 illustrate one preferred embodiment of the water
shedding designs for receptacle bottoms of the present
invention--more specifically, a mug. It can be appreciated that the
various aspects of this invention can be slightly modified and
combined in various ways while still achieving the basic benefits
encompassed within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
The essential components of the invention are: 1) the convex bottom
20 of the receptacle, 2) three or more feet 30 around the periphery
of the bottom of the receptacle, and 3) flow channels 40 formed by
the convex bottom and the feet. These basic components are embodied
in the preferred mode as shown in FIGS. 1-4.
[0026] The feet 30 as shown in FIGS. 1-4 are somewhat rounded in
order to preclude sharp edges that may more easily break under the
strain of frequent handling. Five feet 30 are shown in the
preferred embodiment in order to optimize the delicate balance
between stability of the upright mug 10 and sufficient width of the
flow channels 40 to effect nearly complete run off of water from
the bottom of the receptacle. Placement of more than five feet 30
around the periphery would necessarily mean more but narrower flow
channels 40. However, narrower flow channels would ultimately lead
to reduction of runoff flow due to the forces of adhesion and/or
cohesion.
[0027] The feet 30 are so designed such that they slope gently
towards the center of the inverted mug until they reach the convex
surface 20 of the mug. The gently inward sloping feet 30 and the
outwardly sloping convex surface combine to form the gently outward
sloping flow channels 40. In an inverted situation, water from, for
example, the automatic dishwashing process will gently flow off the
convex surface 20 and into the gently outward sloping 40 flow
channels and eventually off the periphery of the inverted mug 10,
down the sides of said mug and eventually into a drainage area.
[0028] Further stability is added to the preferred embodiment by
leveling off the bottoms 45 of the feet 20 in order that a
significant portion of the leveled off feet is in direct contact
with the surface of the object on which the mug is resting.
However, the leveling off must be accomplished in such a manner
that the tops of the leveled off feet 45 remain slightly higher
than the top of the convex surface 20 when the mug is inverted in
order to preserve the stability of the mug when it is placed right
side up on a surface. The ultimate benefit of the water shedding
design is that water which would ordinarily be trapped and
collected in the bottom of an inverted mug now flows harmlessly
into a drainage area.
* * * * *