Receptacles – Container attachment or adjunct – Handle – handle component – or handle adjunct
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-21
2001-10-30
Pollard, Steven (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Container attachment or adjunct
Handle, handle component, or handle adjunct
C220S738000, C229S402000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308859
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communion cup for religious services.
Relatively small communion cups held in a serving tray are used by various religious denominations in their communion services. These conventional cups are typically cylindrical or truncated and fit into holes in a top surface of the serving tray. A relatively small portion of the cup extends above the tray for manual grasping. This conventional arrangement presents problems for many individuals.
For example, individuals suffering from arthritis or other physical ailments that impair the mobility of the fingers and joints have an extremely difficult time grasping and withdrawing the communion cups from the service tray. Elderly individuals have a particularly difficult time. Even if the communion cups are successfully withdrawn from the tray, it is a relatively difficult task to manipulate the small cup to a drinking position, particularly if the individual's grasp must somehow be changed in the process. The communion service tends to be an unnecessarily anxious moment for many individuals due simply to the conventional communion cup and tray apparatus. The present invention provides an improvement to conventional communion cups.
SUMMARY
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a communion cup for religious communion services that is relatively easy for an individual to grasp and remove from a service tray and to raise the cup for drinking.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In accordance with the invention, a communion cup is provided for religious communion services. The cup includes a body that defines a top open rim. The body may take on various configurations, including a truncated body, cylindrical body, etc. The body may include a flange portion at the top thereof that defines the position of the cup within a communal service tray.
A handle member is connected to the body and extends upwards from a plane through the rim. The handle member comprises a manual grasping section such that a person can manually lift the cup from the service tray by grasping the handle at its grasping section. In a preferred embodiment, the handle member also extends laterally from the rim. For example, the handle member may comprise a first vertical section connected to a second horizontal section. The horizontal section is connected to the body, for example at the rim of the body.
It should be appreciated that the communion cup according to the invention is not limited in any way to the material or process by which it is formed. For example, the communion cup may be formed of a single integrally molded plastic component. The communion cup may also be formed from metal, or any other conventional material.
In a preferred embodiment, the handle member may be formed integral with the body of the communion cup so that the two components are defined by a single integral piece.
In an alternative preferred embodiment, the handle member may comprise a component that is separate from the body member. In this embodiment, the handle member is connectable to or engaged with the body and is reusable with other body members. For example, a handle member may comprise a holder in which the body is inserted and seated. For example, the holder may comprise a closed circumferential member, such as a closed loop or circle, into which the body fits. The flange section at the top of the body will define the position of the body within the holder. The holder includes an upstanding vertical section, as well as the grasping section discussed above. The holder may also include a horizontally extending section.
The invention will be described below in greater detail through use of the figures.
REFERENCES:
patent: 952365 (1910-03-01), Sharon
patent: 1530256 (1925-03-01), Garland
patent: 2796067 (1957-06-01), McCutcheon et al.
patent: 3409207 (1968-11-01), Eicholtz et al.
patent: 4791030 (1988-12-01), DeMars
patent: 5174965 (1992-12-01), Jones et al.
Dority & Manning P.A.
Pollard Steven
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