U.S. patent application number 14/162760 was filed with the patent office on 2015-07-30 for dual drinking cup.
The applicant listed for this patent is Adam Shalmoni. Invention is credited to Adam Shalmoni.
Application Number | 20150208839 14/162760 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53677883 |
Filed Date | 2015-07-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150208839 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shalmoni; Adam |
July 30, 2015 |
Dual Drinking Cup
Abstract
The invention provides a reversibly-attached and
easily-separated set of nested cups. The outer cup can quickly and
easily be detached from the inner cup, and the two cups used to
share a single drink. When not in use, the outer cup remains
securely attached, and provides a degree of insulation for the
contents of the inner cup.
Inventors: |
Shalmoni; Adam; (Brooklyn,
NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Shalmoni; Adam |
Brooklyn |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
53677883 |
Appl. No.: |
14/162760 |
Filed: |
January 24, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
206/514 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 1/265 20130101;
A47G 19/23 20130101; A47G 19/2288 20130101; B65D 21/0233
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 19/23 20060101
A47G019/23; A47G 19/22 20060101 A47G019/22; B65D 21/02 20060101
B65D021/02 |
Claims
1. A pair of nested drinking cups, consisting of an inner cup and
an outer cup, the inner and outer cups each comprising a sidewall
and a bottom portion and being suitable for containing a drink,
wherein the inner cup nests within the outer cup and is fastened to
the outer cup by a reversible means of attachment, said reversible
means of attachment consisting of either: (a) two or more lugs
formed on the outer cup, the lugs being engageable with two or more
channels formed on the inner cup; or (b) two or more lugs formed on
the inner cup, the lugs being engageable with two or more channels
formed on the outer cup.
2. (canceled)
3. The pair of nested cups according to claim 1, wherein the
channels further comprise detent means for reversibly detaining the
lugs.
4-20. (canceled)
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to drinking cups and, more
particularly, to a cup assembly formed by the reversible nesting of
two drinking cups.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It has become a common practice to offer for sale very large
soft drink portions, with 32-ounce and even 40-ounce cups being
made available to consumers at fast-food restaurants. Souvenir cups
of such sizes are commonly sold, or included with a drink purchase,
at theme parks, amusement parks, and other tourist destinations.
Many consumers have no intention of drinking such a large portion,
but purchase it with the intent of sharing the drink with a
partner. Some consumers, however, hesitate to share a cup or a
straw, or even use a separate straw in a single drink, out of
sanitary concerns. Even if that hesitation is not present, it is
inconvenient to pass a bulky, cold, and usually wet drink container
back and forth between the individuals. Few people plan their days
so meticulously that they will be carrying with them a second cup
for use in such a situation.
[0003] The problem has attracted some attention from inventors. For
example, US patent publication No. 2002/0195451 describes a
multi-sectioned cup, where different individuals are expected to
drink from separate compartments, each having its own straw. The
need to pass such a device from person to person remains a
disadvantage.
[0004] Cups have been attached by various means to the exterior of
bottles and cans; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,505,390 and
4,984,723. Such an attached cup could be used to share the contents
of the can or bottle, but the disclosed means for attachment are
inconvenient when dealing with a large, wet, and not necessarily
rigid cup full of liquid. In general, the prior art means for
attachment involve spiral threads requiring several revolutions to
effect disengagement of the parts, or call upon additional parts
such as handles, straps, and the like. In dealing with an inner cup
full of liquid, however, where the contents are not effectively
sealed, there is a need for means of attachment which permit rapid
engagement and disengagement of the outer cup, without inducing
large or sudden movement that might spill the contents.
[0005] There is a need for a set of mutually engaged cups, that
enables a couple to share a large drink that is provided in a
single cup, with the conveniences of having individual cups.
Designs for such a device, which requires minimal force and
minimizes motion of the cups during the engagement and
disengagement, are accordingly provided in the present
invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides a first cup, intended to
contain a drink dispensed as a single portion by a vendor or
vending apparatus. Nested around the bottom of the first cup is a
second cup, which is affixed to the first cup by an easily
reversible means of attachment. The means of attachment may take
several forms, but in general they are molded into the mutually
facing surfaces of the cups, and are of such design as to permit
disengagement of the two cups with a simple pull along the axial
direction, optionally accompanied by a short twisting motion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first cup of the
invention, in an embodiment that features L-shaped slots in the
outer surface.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a side view of the first cup of FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second cup of the
invention, in an embodiment that features four inwardly-projecting
lugs on the inner surface.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a side view of the second cup of FIG. 3.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a side view of a channel with a restriction type
of detent.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a top view, in cross section, of a channel with a
well type of detent.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a side view, in cross section, of nested cups,
featuring threaded attachment means on the bottoms of the cups.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] The present invention provides a first or inner cup, and a
second or outer cup nested around the bottom of the first cup. The
cups are fastened to one another by an easily reversible means of
attachment. The means of attachment comprises mutually interlocking
structures on the opposing surfaces of the nested cups.
[0015] The reversible means of attachment may comprises two or more
lugs formed on the outer cup, the lugs being engageable with two or
more channels formed on the inner cup. The structures may be
reversed, in that the lugs can be formed on the inner cup and the
channels formed on the outer cup. The channels optionally include
detent means for reversibly detaining the lugs, which are formed at
the ends of the channels.
[0016] The reversible means of attachment may, alternatively,
comprise two or more male threads formed on one cup, the threads
being engageable with two or more female threads formed on the
other cup. Here also, the roles of the inner and outer cup can be
interchanged. Preferably, the male threads subtend an angle of less
than 180 degrees, more preferably less than 90 degrees, and most
preferably less than 45 degrees, so as to minimize the amount of
twisting required to engage and disengage the two cups. The threads
will preferably have a large pitch, on the order of at least 0.25
inches, more preferably on the order of 0.5 inches or more. In
these embodiments, engagement and disengagement of the two cups is
a simple matter of screwing and unscrewing them.
[0017] In an alternative embodiment, the outer cup features a
threaded protrusion on the bottom of the cup, and the inner cup
features a complimentary threaded recess on its bottom. Threading
the protrusion into the recess effects the reversible engagement of
the two cups.
[0018] One preferred means of attachment is a set of projecting
lugs on one cup that engage channels in the opposing surface of the
other cup. The path of the channels on the surface may be linear,
angular, spiral, or a combination thereof; in a preferred
embodiment the channels are L-shaped. Each channel preferably
guides an engaging lug to a detent means, also molded in the outer
surface of the inner cup, which can reversibly trap the engaging
lug. Depending upon the shape of the channels , the two cups are
readily disengaged with a simple pulling action and/or a short
twisting motion, which draws the lugs out of any detents and out
through the channels. The lugs, channels , and detent means are
preferably molded into the surfaces of the cups during
manufacturing.
[0019] An alternative means of attachment is an annular ridge on
one cup which engages a mating annular groove or channel on the
other cup. Application of a light force, by hand, causes the outer
cup to stretch slightly in diameter, to a degree sufficient to
permit the annular ridge on one cup to enter or escape the
complimentary groove on the other cup. An example of such a means
of attachment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,348 (Oct. 22,
1985 to Clements), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein
by reference for the purpose of providing an enabling description
of an annular ridge and a complimentary groove as reversible means
of attachment between nested cups.
[0020] Preferred means of attachment will be those which permit
engagement and disengagement of the cups without inducing large
and/or sudden motions that would risk spilling the contents of the
inner cup. Designs which require minimal force and minimize motion
of the cups during the engagement and disengagement are accordingly
provided.
[0021] For comfort and ease of use of the outer cup, the means of
attachment are preferably located within the cup, and do not
impinge on the lip of the cup. The means for attachment are
preferably situated at a distance from the lip, so as not to
interfere with liquid flow to and past the rim. This permits the
rim to be rolled out, or otherwise thickened and made smooth and
suitable for drinking.
[0022] Referring now to the drawings, where corresponding reference
characters indicate corresponding components, the inner cup of the
present invention is exemplified by the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1
and 2, and indicated by reference character 10. The inner cup in
this example features an L-shaped channel 12 for receiving a lug
(22 in FIG. 3) when the inner cup 10 and outer cup 20 are
engaged.
[0023] The cups 10 and 20 are typically of integral thermoplastic
construction. In this particular embodiment, the horizontal portion
of the L-shaped channel subtends approximately twenty degrees of
the circumference of the cup, and therefore the engagement and
disengagement of the cups involves only a twenty-degree rotation of
the outer cup relative to the inner cup, followed by separation
along the axial direction. Variations in the length of the channel
will be readily envisioned by those of skill in the art. In
general, a channel subtending less than 180 degrees is greatly
preferred, so that the cups can be disengaged in a single motion,
without the need to release either cup to re-position one's grip.
More preferably, the angle subtended (and thus the necessary
rotation) is less than 90 degrees, and most preferably it is less
than 45 degrees. The channel 12 may be formed by machining or
impressing, but it is most preferably molded into the outer surface
of cup 10 during manufacture. In FIG. 4, the sidewalls of outer cup
20 are thin, so that the lugs give rise to visible indentations 23
on the outer surface of the cup.
[0024] In preferred embodiments, the channel 12 will terminate in a
detent means 13 as shown in FIG. 2. The detent means shown in the
drawings is a cavity into which a lug 22 can snap into place.
Referring to FIG. 5, the cavity may be defined by a necking, or
restriction, 14 at the end of the channel 12, through which the lug
must be forced before entering the cavity 13a. Alternatively, it
may take the form of a well 13b extending deeper into the surface
of the cup than the channel 12, as shown in FIG. 6. In the latter
embodiment, the depth of the channel will preferably decrease as
the lug approaches the detent means, so that a moderate force and
accompanying deformation are required for entry of the lug into the
well. In either embodiment, the lug 22 cannot enter or escape the
detent means 13 without application of a force sufficient to cause
slight deformation of the plastic, to the extent needed to force
the lug out of the detent means. The dimensions of the detent means
and lugs are chosen so that the lugs will not accidentally or
inadvertently disengage from the detent means, yet can be
intentionally disengaged upon gentle, deliberate application of
force by the user.
[0025] In the embodiments shown, simply grasping the outer cup 10,
and rotating it with respect to the inner cup 20, will cause mutual
deformation of the lugs 22 and detent means 13, sufficient to
effect the release of the lugs from the detent means. The user then
completes the rotation, so the lugs 22 traverse the channels 12,
and separates the cups by pulling them apart axially.
[0026] FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment, wherein the means of
attachment are male and female threads (72 and 73, respectively)
formed in the bottoms of the cups. A single-start thread is
illustrated, but two or more threads of comparable or higher pitch
are alternatives that can provide the user with more rapid
engagement and disengagement of the cups. Embodiments with
two-start, three-start, and four-start threads are particularly
contemplated.
[0027] Both cups may be shaped from sheets of extruded plastic
material using a vacuum forming process, or alternatively, one or
both may be manufactured by injection molding. Selection of an
appropriate means for forming the cups, including for example
injection molding or thermo-forming, will be a function of such
technical considerations as the particular polymer to be used and
the intended thickness of the cup. Making such a selection is
routine, and well within the abilities of those skilled in the art
of manufacturing plastic items. The processes themselves are
well-known to those of skill in the art, and need not be further
discussed here.
[0028] The thickness of the cups' sidewalls and bottom portions are
not limited, but typically they will independently range from about
0.01 inches to about 3/16 inch, depending on how sturdy and durable
a cup one wishes to manufacture. Cups of the invention may be
formed from any of the polymer resins commonly used in the art, and
known to be suitable for disposable, re-usable and souvenir
drinking cups, including but not limited to polyethylene (LDPE and
HDPE), polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET),
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polystyrene (PS, OPS, and
closed cell foam), as well as the known blends and co-polymers
thereof. Re-usable and souvenir cups can also be formed from
aluminum or other metals, if desired, with the means for attachment
formed directly in the metal or in a polymer layer covering the
metal surface.
[0029] The inner and outer cups need not be of the same material.
In certain embodiments, the outer cup will be made of an
insulating, foamed plastic, and/or will feature an elastomeric
surface, thereby providing a dry, comfortable, and secure grip for
the inner cup, when not being used to serve a separate portion of
the drink. A multi-functional outer cup of this nature can be
affixed to a plastic or metal inner cup, giving the present
invention additional functionality. One of the cups may be
customized with vendor logos, team or school insignia, souvenir
images and messages, and the like, while the other cup can be
standardized and produced in high volume at low cost. The durable
and re-usable embodiments of the present invention, if adopted by
vendors and made attractive to consumers, will also reduce the
volume of plastic waste currently being generated by the fast-food
industry, and accordingly reduce the operating costs of the
vendors.
[0030] Several embodiments having been described in the present
specification and drawings, it will be recognized by those of skill
in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,
and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of
the invention. The invention is not limited to the embodiments
shown in the drawings, which are intended to be illustrative and
not limiting in any way.
* * * * *