U.S. patent application number 12/072216 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-11 for drinking cup identification method and system comprising individal identifying indicia associated with each cup in a group of identical cups so as to facilitate visual discrimation of one cup form another.
Invention is credited to Robert Coon, Daniel L. Doeden, Mark D. Kiel.
Application Number | 20080217198 12/072216 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39740547 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080217198 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Doeden; Daniel L. ; et
al. |
September 11, 2008 |
Drinking cup identification method and system comprising individal
identifying indicia associated with each cup in a group of
identical cups so as to facilitate visual discrimation of one cup
form another
Abstract
According to the invention, an identification system for
disposable drinking cups is provided, which system comprises an
identification system for a plurality of disposable drinking cups,
said drinking cups being made from plastic, plastic composites,
bio-based materials, fiber-based materials or other configurable
materials, each of the drinking cups being provided with a unique
identifying indicia by way of selection from a plurality of
indicia, said indicia being a plurality of distinct areas
associated with said cup, each area being configurable from an
original condition to a visibly different condition, wherein said
plurality of distinct areas are depressible dimples, blisters, or
other raised surfaces, and wherein depressing said distinct area
configures said area to said visibly different condition and
whereas each area provides a unique identifier.
Inventors: |
Doeden; Daniel L.;
(Glenview, IL) ; Kiel; Mark D.; (Bensenville,
IL) ; Coon; Robert; (Chicago, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Daniel Doeden
2420 Violet St.
Glenview
IL
60025
US
|
Family ID: |
39740547 |
Appl. No.: |
12/072216 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60905485 |
Mar 8, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
206/459.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 1/265 20130101;
B65D 2203/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
206/459.5 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/72 20060101
B65D085/72 |
Claims
8. An identification system for a disposable drinking cup,
comprising: a disposable drinking cup; said cup being made from
plastic, plastic composites, bio-based materials, fiber-based
materials or other configurable materials.
9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said cup comprises a
cylindrical side wall portion.
10. A system according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of
distinct areas is formed in said side wall portion, either on the
exterior side wall or on the interior side wall.
11. A system according to claim 3, wherein said distinct areas are
configurable from an original condition to a visibly different
condition, wherein said distinct areas are depressible blisters,
dimples, or other raised surfaces, and wherein depressing said
distinct area configures said area to said visibly different
condition and whereas each distinct area provides a unique
identifier.
12. A system according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of
distinct areas comprise a plurality of differentiable areas.
13. A system according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of
differentiable areas are areas bearing different identifying
indicia.
14. A system according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of
differentiable areas each have a different shape.
Description
[0001] An identification method and system for disposable drinking
cups comprising individual identifying indicia associated with each
cup in a group of identical cups so as to facilitate visual
discrimination of one cup from another, said indicia including a
visually discernible identifying symbol integrated into each cup,
said identifying symbol being individually selectable from a
plurality of identifying symbols, each symbol in the plurality
being different from other symbols in the plurality on said cup, so
as to distinguish the cups in said group from one another. The
unique identifying indicia can be any indicia, including numbers,
shapes, alphabet letters, icons, and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a personal identification
method and system for improving personal hygiene in which provision
is made for distinguishing one disposable drinking cup from another
within a plurality of like drinking cups, whereby said cup will be
identified with a particular person so that another person does not
inadvertently access the identified cup unintentionally.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
TABLE-US-00001 [0003] 3392468 July, 1968 Wolf 206/459. 3974916
August, 1976 Bartolucci 206/459. 4630733 December, 1986 Fear
206/459. 4858766 August, 1989 Tsai 229/242. 5191979 March, 1993
Nemeroff 206/217 5301802 Apr. 12, 1994 Nemeroff 206/459 5492077
February, 1996 Rose 116/307. 6244456 June, 2001 Hanlon 215/230.
6834763 December, 2004 Shrader 206/459.1
[0004] At social gatherings, people are often served the same or
similar types of beverages. These beverages are typically served in
disposable drinking cups which are typically purchased in bulk, and
typically all of the cups in a given package are similar, if not
identical, in appearance. As a result, the cup of one individual
user cannot be distinguished from the cup of another individual
user. This leads to situations in which an individual may set his
cup down amid a number of other individuals' cups and consequently
not be able to identify which among the identical cups is his. The
results are at the least unsanitary and at worst may cause the
spread of disease.
[0005] Prior inventions have tried to solve this problem by
providing identification systems affixed to the drinking cups (i.e.
tags, labels, caps, lids, stickers and other identification
devices) (Nemeroff U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,802), however such systems
have significant drawbacks in that they add cost to the
manufacturer, inconvenience to the user, and additional material
waste to the environment.
[0006] Still other inventions have tried to solve the problem by
providing identification systems integral to the container in which
the beverage was originally purchased, (i.e. using a system of
selectable dimples integrated into the container itself) (Hanlon
U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,456), however such methods are inherently
flawed by their failure to address the problem of how to
distinguish the beverage of one user from that of another user
after the beverage has been transferred from the original
container.
[0007] As is commonly the case at social gatherings, the beverage
is typically transferred from the original container into a
disposable drinking cup, which makes the identification system
associated with the original beverage container useless because the
problem of distinguishing one container from another has now
shifted from the original container to a disposable drinking cup
separate from the original container.
[0008] It is therefore the object of the present invention to
improve upon prior methods by providing a personal identification
method and system for distinguishing one disposable drinking cup
from another within a plurality of like disposable drinking cups
that is: (1) simple to use, cost-effective to manufacture, and does
not add additional material waste to the environment; and (2) is
independent of any original beverage container, making it
universally useful for any type of beverage regardless of its
original container.
[0009] In view of the limitations now present in the prior art, the
present invention provides a new and useful identification system
for disposable drinking cups which is simpler in construction, more
universally usable, more cost-effective to manufacture, and more
environmentally-friendly than known apparatus of this kind.
[0010] According to the invention, an identification system for
disposable drinking cups is provided, which system comprises an
identification system for a plurality of disposable drinking cups,
said drinking cups being made from plastic, plastic composites,
bio-based materials, fiber-based materials or other configurable
materials, each of the drinking cups being provided with a unique
identifying indicia by way of selection from a plurality of
indicia, said indicia being a plurality of distinct areas
associated with said cup, each area being configurable from an
original condition to a visibly different condition, wherein said
plurality of distinct areas are depressible dimples, blisters, or
other raised surfaces, and wherein depressing said distinct area
configures said area to said visibly different condition and
whereas each area provides a unique identifier.
[0011] The identifier portion may be a distinct shape or comprise
text, graphics, raised lettering, color coding, or symbols,
including: seasonal symbols, holiday symbols, symbols related to
special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc., or a
combination thereof. The identifier will be integrally formed with
the configurable area by way of being drawn on, painted on, printed
on, sprayed on, inserted into, extracted from, molded into,
embossed, etched on, or permanently formed on the identifier
portion; or a combination thereof.
[0012] The use of the indicia enables identifying said cup with a
particular person and from other cups of the same type or set, so
that another person does not inadvertently access the identified
cup unintentionally.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0013] Accordingly several advantages and objects of the present
invention are:
[0014] A principal object of the present invention is to provide a
system for improving personal hygiene that will overcome the
deficiencies of the prior art devices, whereby provision is made
for distinguishing one disposable drinking cup from another within
a plurality of like drinking cups, whereby said cup will be
identified with a particular person so that another person does not
inadvertently access the identified cup unintentionally
[0015] Another object of the present invention is to integrate into
the disposable drinking cup itself a plurality of distinct areas in
the cup's side wall portion, wherein said distinct areas are
depressible blisters, dimples, or other raised surfaces, and
wherein depressing said distinct area configures said area to said
visibly different condition and whereas each distinct area provides
a unique identifier.
[0016] It is therefore the object of the present invention to
improve upon prior methods by providing a personal identification
method and system for distinguishing one disposable drinking cup
from another within a plurality of like disposable drinking cups
that is: (1) simple to use, cost-effective to manufacture, and does
not add additional material waste to the environment; and (2) is
independent of any original beverage container, making it
universally useful for any type of beverage regardless of its
original container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The following drawings further describe by illustration the
advantages and objects of the present invention. Each drawing is
referenced by corresponding figure reference characters within the
"DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION" section to follow.
[0018] A detailed description of preferred embodiments of the
present invention follows, with reference to the attached drawings,
wherein:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a disposable drinking cup
including an identification system in accordance with the present
invention.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a
disposable drinking cup with identification system in accordance
with the present invention.
[0021] It is further intended that any other embodiments of the
present invention that result from any changes in application or
method of use or operation, method of manufacture, shape, size, or
material which are not specified within the detailed written
description or illustrations contained herein yet are considered
apparent or obvious to one skilled in the art are within the scope
of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] An identification system for disposable drinking cups
includes: a plurality of disposable drinking cups; and a plurality
of distinct areas associated with each cup, each area being
configurable from an original condition to a visibly different
condition.
[0023] According to the invention, an identification system for
disposable drinking cups is provided, which system comprises an
identification system for a plurality of disposable drinking cups,
said drinking cups being made from plastic, plastic composites,
bio-based materials, fiber-based materials or other configurable
materials, each of the drinking cups being provided with a unique
identifying indicia by way of selection from a plurality of
indicia, said indicia being a plurality of distinct areas
associated with said cup, each area being configurable from an
original condition to a visibly different condition, wherein said
plurality of distinct areas are depressible blisters, dimples, or
other raised surfaces, and wherein depressing said distinct area
configures said area to said visibly different condition and
whereas each area provides a unique identifier.
[0024] The identifier portion may be a distinct shape or comprise
text, graphics, raised lettering, color coding, or symbols,
including: seasonal symbols, holiday symbols, symbols related to
special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc., or a
combination thereof. The identifier will be integrally formed with
the configurable area by way of being drawn on, painted on, printed
on, sprayed on, inserted into, extracted from, molded into,
embossed, etched on, or permanently formed on the identifier
portion; or a combination thereof.
[0025] The use of the indicia enables identifying said cup with a
particular person and from other cups of the same type or set, so
that another person does not inadvertently access the identified
cup unintentionally.
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a disposable
drinking cup 10 including an identification system 12 in accordance
with the present invention. Identification system 12 includes a
plurality of discrete raised areas 14, in this case positioned
around the periphery of the side 16 of disposable drinking cup 10,
which areas 14 can be configured, for example through depression,
deformation, puncturing and the like, so as to alter an original
appearance to a visibly different appearance or condition.
[0027] Areas 14 are also preferably differentiable so that one area
14a can be distinguished from another area 14b, and so on. In the
embodiment of FIG. 1, areas 14 are differentiable due to
consecutive alphabetical indicia associated with each area 14.
[0028] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, areas 14 are depressible
blisters which can be depressed and will retain a depressed shape,
so that a user of disposable drinking cup 10 can depress one or
more areas 14 so as to provide a visibly differentiated distinct
indicia corresponding to the depressed area(s) which will serve to
distinguish that disposable drinking cup 10 from the disposable
drinking cups of other people. It is noted that the provision of a
plurality of areas, wherein one or more can be depressed or
otherwise configured to be visibly different, advantageously
provides for a potentially large number of different identifying
patterns of areas.
[0029] Areas 14 may be formed as blisters as discussed above and as
shown in FIG. 1, or may be provided as any other suitable structure
which can be configured from an original condition to a visibly
different condition. For example, areas 14 can be any raised
structure which can be crushed or ruptured by a user so as to
provide a visibly different condition. Areas 14 could also be
located in any orientation on either the exterior side wall or the
interior sidewall. Of course, other configurations are also
possible within the scope of the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a disposable
drinking cup 10 including an alternate embodiment of identification
system 12 in accordance with the present invention. System 12 of
FIG. 2 operates in all other respects in a similar manner as the
embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0031] It should readily be appreciated that areas 14 could be
provided having different indicia for differentiating purposes, for
example letters, numbers, icons, symbols, different colors or
different shapes, and could also be provided having completely
different structures than the blisters as discussed above.
[0032] It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to
the illustrations described and shown herein, which are merely
illustrative of possible modes of carrying out the invention, and
which are susceptible to modification of form, size, arrangement of
parts and details of operation. The invention rather is intended to
encompass all such modifications which are within its spirit and
scope as defined by the claims.
[0033] It is intended that any other advantages and objects of the
present invention that become apparent or obvious from the detailed
description or illustrations contained herein are within the scope
of the present invention.
* * * * *