US2005230401A1PendingUtilityA1

Drinking cup

47
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Apr 19, 2004Filed: Apr 19, 2005Published: Oct 20, 2005
Est. expiryApr 19, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:John Hanson
B65D 1/265B65D 1/44
47
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
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Claims

Abstract

Disclosed is a drinking cup or other container that has a cup body having a generally circular periphery, a bottom, a top rim, and a side wall extending from the bottom to the top rim. The side wall has inside and outside surfaces. It also has a plurality of vertically-oriented, concave-shaped valleys on the outside surface about the periphery of the drinking cup or other container. The drinking cup or other container has a plurality of reinforcing projections on the outside surface. The reinforcing projections are between adjacent valleys. The reinforcing projections are useful in providing additional stiffness to the side wall.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A drinking cup or other container, comprising: 
 (a) a cup body having a generally circular periphery, a bottom, a top rim, and a side wall extending from the bottom to the top rim,    (b) the side wall having inside and outside surfaces, and the side wall comprising a plurality of vertically-oriented, concave-shaped valleys on the outside surface about the periphery of the drinking cup or other container, and    (c) a plurality of reinforcing projections on the outside surface, the reinforcing projections defined by respective pairs of adjacent valleys,    wherein the reinforcing projections provide additional stiffness to the side wall.    
   
   
       2 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 1 , wherein the valleys and reinforcing projections extend from the bottom to the top rim.  
   
   
       3 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 2 , further comprising a lip area below the top rim, wherein the lip area is devoid of valleys and reinforcing projections.  
   
   
       4 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 2 , wherein the valleys are located on the entire side wall.  
   
   
       5 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 1 , wherein the inside surface is generally smooth.  
   
   
       6 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 3 , wherein the periphery of the cup body at the top rim has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the periphery at the bottom.  
   
   
       7 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 3 , wherein the periphery of the cup body at the top rim has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the periphery at the bottom and the valleys have a width that decreases from the top rim to the bottom.  
   
   
       8 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 7 , wherein the width of the valleys at the top rim is from about 0.1 to about 0.2 inches, preferably about 0.14 inches, and the width of the valleys at the bottom is from about 0.08 to about 0.18 inches, preferably about 0.111 inches.  
   
   
       9 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 1  wherein the drinking cup is made of injection-molded plastic.  
   
   
       10 . A drinking cup or other container, comprising: 
 (a) a cup body having a generally circular periphery, a bottom, a top rim, and a side wall extending from the bottom to the top rim,    (b) the side wall having inside and outside surfaces, and the side wall comprising a plurality of vertically-oriented, concave-shaped valleys on the inside surface about the periphery of the drinking cup or other container, and    (c) a plurality of reinforcing projections on the inside surface, the reinforcing projections defined by respective pairs of adjacent valleys,    wherein the reinforcing projections provide additional stiffness to the side wall.    
   
   
       11 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 10 , wherein the valleys and reinforcing projections extend from the bottom to the top rim.  
   
   
       12 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 11 , further comprising a lip area below the top rim, wherein the lip area is devoid of valleys and reinforcing projections.  
   
   
       13 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 11 , wherein the valleys are located on the entire side wall.  
   
   
       14 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 10 , wherein the outside surface is generally smooth.  
   
   
       15 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 10 , wherein the periphery of the cup body at the top rim has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the periphery at the bottom.  
   
   
       16 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 12 , wherein the periphery of the cup body at the top rim has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the periphery at the bottom and the valleys have a width that decreases from the top rim to the bottom.  
   
   
       17 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 16 , wherein the width of the valleys at the top rim is from about 0.1 to about 0.2 inches, preferably about 0.14 inches, and the width of the valleys at the bottom is from about 0.08 to about 0.18 inches, preferably about 0.111 inches.  
   
   
       18 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 10  wherein the drinking cup is made of injection-molded plastic.  
   
   
       19 . A drinking cup or other container comprising: 
 (a) a base having a generally circular periphery,    (b) a side wall extending from the periphery of the base, and terminating at a lip,    (c) the side wall having an inner and an outer surface, and    (d) the side wall having on its outer surface repeating segments of conic cross-section.    
   
   
       20 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 19 , wherein the segments of conic cross-section are segments of circles.  
   
   
       21 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 19 , wherein the inner surface of the side wall is generally smooth.  
   
   
       22 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 19  wherein the cup at the lip has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the cup at the base.  
   
   
       23 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 19  wherein the side wall tapers from the lip to the base to permit nesting of the cups.  
   
   
       24 . A drinking cup or other container comprising: 
 (a) a base having a generally circular periphery,    (b) a side wall extending from the periphery of the base, and terminating at a lip,    (c) the side wall having an inner and an outer surface, and    (d) the side wall having on its inner surface repeating segments of conic cross-section.    
   
   
       25 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 24 , wherein the segments of conic cross-section are segments of circles.  
   
   
       26 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 24 , wherein the outer surface of the side wall is generally smooth.  
   
   
       27 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 24  wherein the cup at the lip has a first diameter that is larger than a second diameter of the cup at the base.  
   
   
       28 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 24  wherein the side wall tapers from the lip to the base to permit nesting of the cups.  
   
   
       29 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 1  comprising an upper portion and a lower portion of the side wall, wherein the lower portion of the cup is of reduced cross-section relative to the upper portion.  
   
   
       30 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 10  comprising an upper portion and a lower portion of the side wall, wherein the lower portion of the cup is of reduced cross-section relative to the upper portion.  
   
   
       31 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 1  wherein the cup has a lip area that is thickened to provide additional hoop strength.  
   
   
       32 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 10  wherein the cup has a lip area that is thickened to provide additional hoop strength.  
   
   
       33 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 19  wherein the cup has a lip area that is thickened to provide additional hoop strength.  
   
   
       34 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 24  wherein the cup has a lip area that is thickened to provide additional hoop strength.  
   
   
       35 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 1  wherein the cup is formed of a clear material and a graphic is etched onto the inside surface such that the graphic may be viewed through the side wall of the cup.  
   
   
       36 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 10  wherein the cup is formed of a clear material and a graphic is etched onto the inside surface such that the graphic may be viewed through the side wall of the cup.  
   
   
       37 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 19  wherein the cup is formed of a clear material and a graphic is etched onto the inner surface of the side wall such that the graphic may be viewed by looking through the outer surface of the cup.  
   
   
       38 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 24  wherein the cup is formed of a clear material and a graphic is etched onto the inner surface of the side wall such that the graphic may be viewed by looking through the outer surface of the cup.  
   
   
       39 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 37  wherein the cup is formed of an opaque or translucent material such that the graphic is obscured from view through the side wall of the cup.  
   
   
       40 . The drinking cup or other container of  claim 38  wherein the cup is formed of an opaque or translucent material such that the graphic is obscured from view through the side wall of the cup.

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