Drinking vessel with ergonomic rim

Abstract

A drinking vessel with an ergonomic rim for maximizing the contact area between the rim of the drinking vessel and the lips of a user is provided for. The drinking vessel includes a concave surface proximal the rim of the drinking vessel that mimics the curvature of a user's lower lip, thereby increasing contact area and reducing spillage. The drinking vessel may also include a rim configured to engage with a lid. An angled rim may also reduce the amount of wrist rotation required by a user to drink from the vessel.

1 . A drinking vessel comprising:
 a base, one or more side walls having an exterior and an interior wall surface that together define an interior chamber;   a rim at a top end of said one or more side walls;   one or more concave surfaces on said exterior wall surface proximate said rim; and   wherein said one or more concave surfaces are configured to ergonomically engage with the labium inferius oris of an intended user.   
     
     
         2 . The drinking vessel of  claim 1 , wherein said rim is configured to releasably engage with a lid. 
     
     
         3 . The drinking vessel of  claim 2 , wherein said concave surface substantially mimics the contours of the vermillion zone of a labium inferius oris. 
     
     
         4 . The drinking vessel of  claim 2 , wherein said concave surface has an effective radius of less than 30 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The drinking vessel of  claim 2 , wherein said concave surface has an effective radius of about 10-20 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The drinking vessel of  claim 4 , wherein said concave surface extends around the entire circumference of said drinking vessel. 
     
     
         7 . The drinking vessel of  claim 4 , wherein said concave surface extends over a portion, but not the entire circumference of said drinking vessel. 
     
     
         8 . The drinking vessel of  claim 4 , wherein said effective radius covers more than a 20-degree rotation, but less than 110-degree rotation. 
     
     
         9 . The drinking vessel of  claim 8 , wherein said drinking vessel further comprises a rim with a lip contact region on the exterior wall surface of said drinking vessel that measures between 5 and 20 mm from the midpoint of concave surface to the rim. 
     
     
         10 . The drinking vessel of  claim 9 , wherein said lip contact region measures about 10 mm. 
     
     
         11 . The drinking vessel of  claim 2 , further comprising a handle wherein said handle comprises:
 a grip having a top end, a bottom end, a first side distal from a container, a second side opposite said first side, a third left-hand side, and a fourth right-hand side, combining to form an entire outer surface of the grip, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth sides extend between said top and said bottom end;   wherein the first side comprises a convex curvature, originating from the top end and extending across a horizontal midpoint of the grip, the convex curvature transitioning to a concave curvature prior to a vertical midpoint of the grip, the concave curvature then transitioning to a second convex curvature that extends across the horizontal midpoint of the grip at the bottom end;   wherein said horizontal midpoint comprises a center line between said first side and said second side and said vertical midpoint comprises a center line between said top end and said bottom end; and   at least one of said third or fourth side comprises an indented region that is configured to receive at least on metacarpophalangeal joint on a palm side of a user's hand.   
     
     
         12 . A drinking vessel comprising:
 a base, one or more side walls having an exterior and an interior wall surface that together define an interior chamber;   a rim at a top end of said one or more side walls;   one or more concave surfaces on said exterior wall surface proximate said rim; and   wherein said rim is configured to releasably engage with a lid.   
     
     
         13 . The drinking vessel of  claim 12 , wherein said one or more concave surfaces are configured to ergonomically engage with the labium inferius oris of an intended user. 
     
     
         14 . The drinking vessel of  claim 13 , wherein said concave surface is formed by taking a cast of a user's lip, and forming a mold, at least in part, from the cast. 
     
     
         15 . The drinking vessel of  claim 13 , wherein said drinking vessel is formed at least partially of ceramic material. 
     
     
         16 . The drinking vessel of  claim 13 , wherein said drinking vessel is formed at least partially of plastic material. 
     
     
         17 . The drinking vessel of  claim 13 , wherein said drinking vessel is formed at least partially of paper material. 
     
     
         18 . The drinking vessel of  claim 13 , wherein said drinking vessel is formed at least partially of glass material. 
     
     
         19 . The drinking vessel of  claim 13 , wherein said drinking vessel is formed at least partially of metal material. 
     
     
         20 . The drinking vessel of  claim 13 , wherein said exterior wall surface proximal said rim has an angle of greater than or equal to 110 degrees and less than or equal to 200 degrees from horizontal. 
     
     
         21 . The drinking vessel of  claim 13 , further comprising a handle wherein said handle comprises:
 a grip having a top end, a bottom end, a first side distal from a container, a second side opposite said first side, a third left-hand side, and a fourth right-hand side, combining to form an entire outer surface of the grip, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth sides extend between said top and said bottom end;   wherein the first side comprises a convex curvature, originating from the top end and extending across a horizontal midpoint of the grip, the convex curvature transitioning to a concave curvature prior to a vertical midpoint of the grip, the concave curvature then transitioning to a second convex curvature that extends across the horizontal midpoint of the grip at the bottom end;   wherein said horizontal midpoint comprises a center line between said first side and said second side and said vertical midpoint comprises a center line between said top end and said bottom end; and   at least one of said third or fourth side comprises an indented region that is configured to receive at least on metacarpophalangeal joint on a palm side of a user's hand.   
     
     
         22 . A container comprising:
 a base, one or more side walls having an exterior and an interior wall surface that together define an interior chamber;   a rim at a top end of said one or more side walls;   one or more concave surfaces on said exterior wall surface proximate said rim;   wherein said rim is configured to releasably engage with a lid;   wherein said one or more concave surfaces are configured to ergonomically engage with the lower lip of an intended user.