The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 13, 2011
Filed:
Nov. 05, 2009
Donald Roy Pettit, Houston, TX (US);
Mark Milton Weislogel, Tigard, OR (US);
Paul Concus, Kensington, CA (US);
Robert Finn, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Donald Roy Pettit, Houston, TX (US);
Mark Milton Weislogel, Tigard, OR (US);
Paul Concus, Kensington, CA (US);
Robert Finn, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A beverage cup comprised by an open top and at least one channel defined by a corner with an acute angle so placed that the channel runs along the cup side from the cup bottom to the cup rim. In the absence of significant gravitational force as found in microgravity, weightless or weightlessness of spacecraft or the International Space Station, capillary forces between the beverage and the cup wall allow the beverage to creep along the channel and be in near proximity to the open cup rim. Lips placed at or near the channel at the rim can readily sip, drink, and consume the beverage without the need for a straw and without undue spillage for normal drinking motions including toasting. The channel conducts the beverage via capillary forces from the bottom of the cup to the rim until the beverage has been consumed.