CN215874182U - Tableware - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application relates to a cutlery item selected from the group consisting of a drinking glass, a drinking cup, a mug or a bowl, the cutlery item having a base with a peripheral edge, a side wall bordering on the peripheral edge of the base and extending upwards to a top rim, the top rim being substantially horizontal and continuous except for at least one side wall section, wherein the level of the top edge of the at least one side wall section is recessed to a level below the level of the top rim. The tableware can improve the cleanliness; reducing the likelihood of transmission of pathogen contaminants during use or during handling prior to use; improve user comfort and reduce the likelihood of spillage upon drinking; and faster drying when inverted on a towel, storage rack or draining rack after washing.

Description

Tableware

Technical Field

The present invention relates to improvements in the structural configuration of a vessel selected from the group consisting of a drinking glass, a goblet, a drinking cup or a bowl from which a user can drink beverages or consume other pourable food products directly. Such vessels can be used for serving beverages or pourable food in bars or dining areas of private homes or in food service points or public restaurants of public institutions. Improvements to the subject matter confer functional benefits not achievable through the use of previously known devices. Such benefits may include, for example: the cleanliness is improved; reducing the likelihood of transmission of pathogen contaminants during use or during handling prior to use; improve user comfort and reduce the likelihood of spillage upon drinking; and faster drying when inverted on a towel, storage rack or draining rack after washing.

Background

When dishes such as drinking glasses, drinking cups or soup bowls are washed by hand or in a dishwasher and removed before the interior is partially completely dried to save time or energy, it is often observed that water droplets "stick" to the inner surface of the side walls or bottom due to surface tension. Such droplets may be difficult to remove using a dishwashing towel, particularly if the drinking glass is a goblet whose top opening may be smaller in diameter than the hand of a person attempting to remove the water droplets hanging inside. Such droplets can also leave "spots" of deposits on the inward-facing surface of the drinking glass if allowed to remain in place until they naturally evaporate. Furthermore, if the glass is simply placed in a resting, inverted position on a towel, drain board or other substantially flat surface and allowed to dry naturally, any minimum vertical space between the top rim of the inverted glass and the underlying support surface is generally insufficient to allow circulation of the air required to dry the interior of the glass, particularly in a wet kitchen environment. Any moisture left inside the glass may further promote undesirable mold growth to an extent that is not visually apparent to subsequent users.

In addition, concerns associated with how to avoid the transmission of viruses or other pathogens to previously uninfected persons make it highly desirable to reconsider the configuration of many items commonly used in daily life from the standpoint of not readily facilitating the transmission of infectious diseases. A primary area of concern is an object, item or surface that may be contacted by one person's hand and then subsequently contacted by another person's face, mouth or hand.

As one example, conventional drinking and beverage cups typically have a circumferentially extending sidewall with a top edge or rim that defines a horizontal circular opening to an interior portion, wherein the interior portion is defined by the sidewall and an adjoining bottom portion configured to rest on an underlying support surface. Since the top rim of a glass, drinking cup or bowl is typically horizontal (within conventional manufacturing tolerances), the user is typically not drinking or pouring the contents from which particular location around the circumference or periphery of the top rim during intended use. One exception is beverage cups or bowls that have one or more fixed handles on the outside wall that affect the drinking position of the user and that position typically varies depending on whether the user is left-handed or right-handed. Any portion of the top rim of a conventional drinking glass or beverage cup that is intentionally or unintentionally contacted by the fingers, thumb, or palm of a food preparation or service person who may be carrying an infectious pathogen results in a risk of transferring the pathogen to the consumer's mouth either by direct contact or by beverage or other pourable food that flows over the contaminated portion of the cutlery or utensil prior to ingestion by the user.

The structural configuration and function of the present invention is readily distinguishable from measuring cups used in cooking, those beverage serving jugs having a single outwardly projecting pouring spout that users typically do not use for drinking, and child drinking cups having removable lids with upwardly or outwardly projecting drinking spouts configured to avoid spillage of liquid during use by a young child or toddler.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Disclosed herein are cutlery or vessels, such as drinking glasses and drinking cups, each comprising a continuous bottom and an adjoining, upwardly extending side wall, the cutlery or vessels having a top rim that is generally circular, substantially horizontal relative to the bottom and underlying support surface, in addition to the top rim, the cutlery or vessels further comprising at least one recessed section having a width, depth and edge configuration sufficient to allow convenient drinking from the recessed section without accidental spillage of the beverage. Such protective structures are suitably provided in combination with one or more structural elements or features that passively affect the orientation of such glasses or cups when the user is drinking, such that the recessed rim portion is proximate to and properly aligned with the user's mouth when such glasses or cups are gripped by the user and lifted upwardly toward the drinking position.

In a preferred embodiment of the utility model, a drinking cup having a side wall with a single fixed-position handle is suitably provided with two recessed rim sections circumferentially spaced from the fixed handle and diametrically opposed to each other for convenient use by a left-handed or right-handed user.

In another preferred embodiment of the utility model, a drinking glass having a top rim with at least one recessed rim section also implements a sidewall configuration shaped to passively affect a user's grip on the glass such that the user comfortably and in the following manner grips the glass: when the glass is lifted upwardly off the underlying support surface, the sidewall section with the recessed top edge is adjacent to and naturally oriented toward the user's mouth.

In another embodiment of the utility model, the top rim of a beverage cup or soup bowl, with or without a fixed handle, is provided with at least one side wall section, and preferably two or three side wall sections, having recessed top edges spaced circumferentially around the top rim and positioned to facilitate drinking of beverages or food from either of two opposing sides of the cutlery.

Articles of manufacture within the scope of the present invention may selectively implement a sidewall having one or more sections that are vertical, inwardly or outwardly tapered, curvilinear, or combinations thereof, such that the subject article otherwise implements the desired elements of the utility model as described herein. The upwardly facing edge or surface portion of the side wall section with the recessed top edge may lie in the plane of the side wall section of the subject cutlery or ware, but may also be made with a top edge portion that projects slightly radially outwardly relative to the plane of the adjacent side wall section(s), the radius of the top rim of the cutlery or ware and/or the arcuate width of the recess.

As used in this disclosure, a "substantially horizontal" top rim of a drinking glass or cup is generally understood to be a top rim that is substantially parallel to the bottom-most surface of the glass or cup when the glass or cup is positioned on an underlying support surface, within ordinary and customary manufacturing tolerances. However, when applied to a goblet, the side wall adjoins the bottom of the fluid-containing portion of the glass, which in turn is supported by a bar or foot located above a base (typically circular) configured to sit on an underlying support surface, in which case the base is suitably "substantially horizontal" to the top rim of the glass.

The reader should understand and appreciate that while the embodiments of the utility model disclosed herein relate primarily to glasses, cups and bowls having rounded top and bottom rims, the utility model is not so limited and is similarly applicable to drinking glasses, cups and cutlery where the top rim, bottom, both top rim and bottom, one or more sidewall sections or goblet bases are non-circular, so long as there are the constituent elements of the utility model described herein.

A utensil selected from the group consisting of a drinking glass, drinking cup, mug or bowl, the utensil having a base with a peripheral edge, a sidewall bordering the peripheral edge of the base and extending upwardly to a top rim, the top rim being substantially horizontal and continuous except for at least one sidewall section, wherein a level of a top edge of the at least one sidewall section is recessed to a level below the level of the top rim.

According to one embodiment, the top rim is substantially horizontal except for two oppositely arranged side wall sections, wherein the level of the top edges of the two side wall sections is recessed below the top rim.

According to one embodiment, the at least one side wall section comprises an outwardly curved lip, wherein the level of the top edge of the at least one side wall section is recessed below the top rim.

According to one embodiment, the side wall and the top edge of the at least one side wall section having a recessed top edge are cooperatively configured to reduce the likelihood of liquid spillage when drinking from the recessed top edge.

According to one embodiment, the width, depth and edge configuration of the top edge of the recess of the at least one sidewall section having a recessed top edge are cooperatively configured to reduce the likelihood of liquid spillage when drinking from the top edge of the recess.

According to one embodiment, at least a portion of the sidewall includes one or more structural features that passively affect a user's orientation of the utensil such that when the utensil is grasped by the user and lifted upward to a drinking position, a recessed rim portion is proximate and properly aligned for drinking.

According to one embodiment, the structural feature is a plurality of relatively flat sidewall segments on which the top edge of the recess is disposed.

According to one embodiment, the cutlery comprises a base configured to rest on an underlying support surface and a stem configured to support the sidewall above the base.

According to one embodiment, the cutlery comprises a side wall with a fixed position handle and at least one side wall section with a recessed top edge, said recessed top edge being positioned for convenient use by one of the group consisting of left-handed and right-handed users.

According to one embodiment, the cutlery, when configured as a drinking glass, the drinking glass has a top rim with at least one recessed sidewall section and a sidewall, the drinking glass has the sidewall configured to passively affect a user's grip of the glass such that the user comfortably and in the following manner grips the glass: the at least one sidewall section with a recessed top edge is proximate to and naturally oriented toward the user's mouth as the user lifts the glass upwardly off of an underlying support surface.

According to one embodiment, the cutlery comprises two or three side wall sections with recessed top edges spaced circumferentially around the top rim and positioned to facilitate drinking of beverages or eating of food from the cutlery.

According to one embodiment, the cutlery comprises a side wall having one or more sections that are vertical, inwardly or outwardly tapered, flared, curved or a combination thereof.

According to one embodiment, the at least one side wall section with a recessed top edge has a top edge recessed from about 3/16 inches to about 1/2 inches below the top edge of the cutlery.

According to one embodiment, the at least one side wall section with a recessed top edge has a top edge recessed from about 1/4 inches to about 3/8 inches below the top edge of the cutlery.

According to one embodiment, the at least one side wall section with a recessed top edge has a usable width sufficient to enable a user to comfortably drink from the top edge of the recess without liquid spillage.

According to one embodiment, the at least one sidewall segment with a recessed top edge has a recessed top edge having a usable arcuate width in a range of about 1.5 inches to about 2.5 inches.

According to one embodiment, the available arcuate width of the top edge of the recess is in a range of about 1.25 inches to about 2 inches.

According to one embodiment, at least one of the base, the side wall and the top rim is rounded.

According to one embodiment, at least two of the base, the side wall and the top rim are rounded.

According to one embodiment, the base, the side wall and the top rim are all circular.

According to one embodiment, the side wall is substantially vertical between the base and the top rim.

According to one embodiment, the side wall is outwardly inclined or flared between the base and the top rim.

According to one embodiment, the sidewall is continuously curvilinear between the base and the top rim.

Benefits of the cutlery items described in the present disclosure may include improved cleanliness; reducing the likelihood of transmission of pathogen contaminants during use or during handling prior to use; improve user comfort and reduce the likelihood of spillage upon drinking; and faster drying when inverted on a towel, storage rack or draining rack after washing.

Drawings

The utility model will be further described and illustrated in conjunction with the following drawings (not to scale), in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the drinking glass of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the drinking glass of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the drinking glass of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the drinking glass of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the drinking glass of FIG. 1 taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional elevation view of the drinking glass of FIG. 1 taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a front view of another embodiment of a drinking glass of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a front view of the mug of the utility model;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a front view of another embodiment of the drinking glass of the present invention configured as a stemware; and

fig. 13 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention configured as a bowl.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1-7, a drinking glass 20 illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. It should be understood that the term "drinking glass" is used as a general feature of one type of cutlery or utensils wherein the defining elements of the utility model may be embodied and are not intended to limit the materials from which any cutlery or utensils of the utility model or any portion thereof are made or composed. Thus, materials suitable for use in making or composing the articles of the present invention can include, for example, glass, plastic, metal, wood, ceramic, stone, combinations of such materials, and the like.

In the embodiment depicted and described with respect to fig. 1-7, the drinking glass 20 includes two primary features that are believed to structurally and functionally distinguish the present invention from the known prior art. First, the glass 20 is provided with a top rim 22 having at least one sidewall section 24, 26 with a recessed top edge 32, 34 that provides several functional advantages over conventional commercially available products. When a user drinks from the portion of top rim 22 having recessed top edges 32, 34, the user's lips are less likely to contact other portions of top rim 22, which are more likely to be touched by the hands of other kitchen staff, waiters, or patrons who have previously taken glass 20. The health benefits of reducing hand contact with dishware are widely recognized as a means of limiting the spread of pathogen contamination. In addition, the provision of recessed top edges 32, 34 cooperatively configured and positioned with a desired recess width and depth enables a user to drink from the glass 20 with less likelihood of accidental liquid spillage that often occurs when drinking from glasses having wide mouths without the intended drinking location. This benefit may be further enhanced by providing the recessed top edges 32, 34 with lips that are configured to be more comfortable and "user friendly" to drink than from the top rim 22 of the glass. Furthermore, by providing at least one sidewall section with a recessed top edge, additional functional benefits are achieved when the drinking glass 20 or other cutlery or utensils is inverted and placed on an underlying surface or substrate for drying. When the glass 20 has at least one concave top edge 32, 34, drying of the inner wall of the glass 20 is enhanced and accelerated by improved air circulation, which is not available for glasses having a horizontal top rim without any concave side wall sections.

As disclosed with respect to fig. 1-7, the second major benefit provided by the drinking glass 20 can be thought of as the shape of the sidewall sections 24, 26, 46, 48 in relation to the cooperatively configured and aligned recessed top edges 32, 34. Because the side wall sections 24, 26 are "squeezed" inwardly (relatively) relative to the widely separated side wall sections 46, 48, the user naturally tends to grip the glass 20 between the thumb and fingers in the following manner: one of the recessed top edges 32, 34 is positioned to face the user's mouth when the user lifts the glass 20 off of the underlying support surface. It is believed that the use of this preferred sidewall configuration further enhances the health and comfort benefits obtained through the use of the present invention. Referring to fig. 10, 11, similar functional advantages are achieved by using a recessed top edge 64 of the top rim 62 in association with a handle 69 projecting outwardly from a cylindrical side wall 68 of the mug 60 adjacent to the circular bottom 66. As depicted in fig. 10, the mug 60 is configured for use by a right-handed user. The mug 60 is also easy to use by a left handed user by providing a matching concave top edge on the side diametrically opposite the concave top edge 64.

Referring to fig. 1, 4, suitably, tapered transition regions 40, 42 and 36, 38 are provided between the recessed top edges 32, 34 of the sidewall sections 24, 26 and the adjacent sections of the top rim 22, respectively. Referring to fig. 2 and 4, it can be seen that the compound curvature of the side wall sections of the drinking glass 20 is such that the vertical centerlines of the side wall sections 24, 26 appear curved and relatively narrow at the vertical neutral position of the glass 20, while the vertical centerlines of the side wall sections 46, 48 appear straight, outwardly inclined and relatively wide at the vertical neutral position of the glass 20. Fig. 1, 3 and 5 further illustrate the symmetry and eccentricity of the top, waist 28 and bottom sidewall portions of the drinking glass 20. A comparison of fig. 1, 2 and 7 with fig. 4 and 6 further demonstrates the relative position and symmetry of the recessed top edges 32, 34 with respect to the respective sidewall sections.

Referring to fig. 8 and 9, there is shown another embodiment of the drinking glass 50 of the present invention wherein a continuous frustoconical side wall 58 extends between a rounded bottom 56 and a flared top rim 52, with at least one outwardly curved concave top edge 54 disposed adjacent the top rim 52 to provide the health and comfort benefits of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 12, a piece of stemware 70 is disclosed, the stemware comprising an interior volume (indicated by dashed line 75) bounded by a sidewall 78 having a top rim 72 and at least one sidewall section having a recessed top edge 74, wherein the sidewall 78 is supported by a tapered rod 77 projecting upwardly from a circular base 76.

Referring to fig. 13, a bowl 80 is disclosed that includes a continuously curvilinear sidewall 88 supported on a base 86. The bowl 80 includes a top rim 82 and a visible recessed top edge 84. The downwardly tapering sides of the top rim 82 on the back side of the bowl 80 indicate that two further sidewall sections with recessed top edges 84 may also be provided, with points circumferentially spaced 120 ° apart, to provide three recessed top edges 84 to facilitate drinking or pouring of liquid from the bowl 80 regardless of the position from which the user grasps the bowl 80.

While the figures depict embodiments in which the cutlery or utensils and their base support elements are generally circular, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure that glasses or cutlery and non-circular bottoms or bases having non-circular or elliptical cross-sections may be obtained within the scope of the utility model. Other variations and modifications of the utility model will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the specification in light of the accompanying drawings, and it is intended that the scope of the utility model disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the applicant(s) is legally entitled.

Claims (23)

1. A utensil selected from the group consisting of a drinking glass, mug or bowl, the utensil having a base with a peripheral edge, a sidewall bordering the peripheral edge of the base and extending upwardly to a top rim, the top rim being substantially horizontal and continuous except for at least one sidewall section, characterized in that the level of the top edge of the at least one sidewall section is recessed to a level below the level of the top rim.

2. The cutlery item of claim 1, wherein the top rim is substantially horizontal except for two oppositely disposed side wall sections, wherein a level of a top edge of the two side wall sections is recessed below the top rim.

3. The cutlery implement of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall segment comprises an outwardly curved lip, wherein a top edge of the at least one sidewall segment is recessed below the top edge at a level.

4. The tableware of claim 1, wherein the sidewall and the top edge of the at least one sidewall section having a recessed top edge are cooperatively configured to reduce the likelihood of liquid spillage when drinking from the recessed top edge.

5. The cutlery implement of claim 4, wherein the width, depth and edge configuration of the recessed top edge of the at least one sidewall section having a recessed top edge are cooperatively configured to reduce the likelihood of liquid spillage when drinking from the recessed top edge.

6. The cutlery implement of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the side wall comprises one or more structural features that passively affect a user's orientation of the cutlery implement such that when the cutlery implement is grasped by the user and lifted upward to a drinking position, a recessed rim portion is proximate and properly aligned for drinking.

7. The cutlery implement of claim 6, wherein the structural feature is a plurality of relatively flat side wall sections on which the top edge of the depression is disposed.

8. The cutlery implement of claim 1, comprising a base configured to rest on an underlying support surface and a stem configured to support the sidewall above the base.

9. The cutlery implement of claim 1, comprising a side wall with a fixed position handle and at least one side wall section having a recessed top edge, the recessed top edge being positioned for convenient use by one of the group consisting of left-handed and right-handed users.

10. The cutlery of claim 6, wherein when configured as a drinking glass, the drinking glass has a top rim with at least one recessed sidewall section and a sidewall configured to passively affect a user's grip of the glass such that the user comfortably and in the following manner grips the glass: the at least one sidewall section with a recessed top edge is proximate to and naturally oriented toward the user's mouth as the user lifts the glass upwardly off of an underlying support surface.

11. The cutlery implement of claim 1, comprising two or three side wall sections with recessed top edges spaced circumferentially around the top rim and positioned to facilitate drinking of a beverage or eating of food from the cutlery implement.

12. The cutlery implement of claim 1, comprising a side wall having one or more sections that are vertical, inwardly or outwardly tapered, flared, curved, or a combination thereof.

13. The tableware of claim 1, wherein said at least one sidewall section with a recessed top edge has a top edge recessed from about 3/16 inches to about 1/2 inches below a top edge of said tableware.

14. The tableware of claim 13, wherein said at least one sidewall section with a recessed top edge has a top edge recessed from about 1/4 inches to about 3/8 inches below a top edge of said tableware.

15. The tableware of claim 1, wherein said at least one sidewall section with a recessed top edge has a usable width sufficient to enable a user to comfortably drink from said top edge of the recess without liquid spillage.

16. The tableware of claim 1, wherein said at least one sidewall section with a recessed top edge has a recessed top edge having an available arcuate width in the range of about 1.5 inches to about 2.5 inches.

17. The tableware of claim 16, wherein said available arcuate width of said top edge of the depression is in the range of about 1.25 inches to about 2 inches.

18. The cutlery implement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the base, the side wall, and the top rim is rounded.

19. The cutlery implement of claim 18, wherein at least two of the base, the side wall, and the top rim are rounded.

20. The cutlery implement of claim 19, wherein the base, the side wall, and the top rim are all rounded.

21. The cutlery implement of claim 1, wherein the side wall is substantially vertical between the base and the top rim.

22. The cutlery implement of claim 12, wherein the side wall is outwardly sloped or flared between the base and the top rim.

23. The cutlery implement of claim 12, wherein the side wall is continuously curvilinear between the base and the top rim.

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