Receptacles – Container attachment or adjunct – Drinking device
Reexamination Certificate
1994-09-30
2003-11-18
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Container attachment or adjunct
Drinking device
C220S269000, C220S270000, C220S671000, C220S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648169
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to user friendly beverage cans. More particularly, the invention provides a unique can design which accommodates comfortable no-spill consumption of a contained beverage.
BACKGROUND ART
Beverages are easily and comfortably consumed from open top vessels such as glasses and cups. In contrast, conventional beverage cans have flat tops fitted with lever means positioned at 90° with the can sidewall to provide only a small can top opening when the lever is raised.
The combination of these small openings, the flat can tops and the associated sidewall renders consumption of the contained beverage awkward and uncomfortable. The beverage consumer is compelled on pain of messy spillage to maintain fluid tight pressure by the upper lip against the can top and by the lower lip against the can sidewall.
This necessary manipulation is the more difficult because the impact of the users nose with the flat can top as the can is raised to permit beverage consumption tends to disrupt the relationship necessary for tidy beverage consumption. Nose discomfort and distasteful dribbling occur with disappointing frequency. Particularly so when the can is rotated to facilitate consumption of all of the contained beverage.
U.S. design Pat. No. 282,442 depicts three variations of a beverage can design, each including a single apparent indentation in the upper portion of the cylindrical surface of the can wall. No description of the indentation or of its purpose is set forth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a user friendly beverage can design which facilitates comfortable dribble-free consumption of the contained beverage.
One embodiment of the invention subsumes a combination of a can wall indentation so positioned with respect to the ridge between the edge at the junction of the can wall and can top as to accommodate the lower lip of the user to the extent desirable for dribble-free consumption of the contained beverage. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, such a can wall indentation is combined with a nose accommodating indentation in the flat can top into which the top opening lever may be depressed.
In some embodiments of the invention, the can sidewall indentation extends along the entire length of the can and preferably includes the rim by which the flat can top is joined to the cylindrical can sidewall.
The sidewall recess, in each embodiment of the invention, provides both for comfortable positioning of the lower lip against the can wall and for an index to be used by the beverage consumer to register the opening of the can by feel, using the thumb, for example, without having to look at the can. It also accommodates a firm grip on chilled beverage cans notwithstanding moisture condensation on the exterior can surface. In this embodiment, the continuous extent of the recess, without a ridge adjacent the joint between the can wall and top, allows comfortable positioning of the lower lip up to the joint with the top. This is the natural positioning of the lower lip, i.e. adjacent the joint with the top. The conventional ridge between the sidewall and can top which disturbs this relationship is eliminated by this embodiment of the invention.
Another embodiment of the invention includes a flattened circular rim at the joint between the can wall and the top adjacent the opening in the top from which the sidewall recess extends. This combination of flattened rim portion and a sidewall recess also facilitates comfortable positioning of the lower lip for drinking.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3420367 (1969-01-01), Carmichael
patent: 3704805 (1972-12-01), Sheafe, III
patent: 4024981 (1977-05-01), Brown
patent: D282442 (1986-02-01), Kohnle
patent: 4728002 (1988-03-01), Ybanez
patent: 4925050 (1990-05-01), Yu
patent: 5301830 (1994-04-01), Muller
patent: 5346095 (1994-09-01), Deal
Cronin Stephen K.
Irons Edward S.
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