Polymeric replacement for a glass drinking container

Abstract

A polymeric replacement vessel, or container, for glassware and glass containers and a method of making the same. polymeric drinking container simulates a glass drinking container having a glass drinking container volume. The polymeric drinking container comprises a base and an enclosed wall composed of the polymer. The wall is formed with the base and extends from the base while defining an opening opposite the base. The enclosed wall includes an inside surface and an outside surface. The base and enclosed wall form a polymeric drinking container volume made of the polymeric material. This polymeric drinking container volume is equal to the glass component drinking container volume plus an amount equal to the glass component drinking container volume multiplied times the ratio of the specific gravity of the glass to the specific gravity of the polymer.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims benefit of the following Provisional Patent Application which is hereby incorporated by reference:[0002]Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 627,659 Filed Oct. 17, 2011 for:[0003]“UTILITY FUNCTIONAL POLYMERIC REPLACEMENT FOR SODA LIME GLASS AND / OR CONTAINERS AND / OR DRINKING GLASSES”[0004]A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0005]The present disclosure relates generally to the use of a polymeric material to create a drinking container that is similar in functionality to a glass drinking container without the drawbacks of the glass material. More particularly, the current disclosu...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a polymeric replacement for glassware and containers. The new containers are made using thermoplastic materials and innovative manufacturing techniques. They have the benefits of glass while eliminating its downsides. The new containers have the same design and size as the original glass ones. The method includes using cooling lines to solidify the polymer within the mold, which reduces parting lines and secondary finishing operations. The new containers can be stacked securely and have improved physical characteristics. The new containers also match the angle and diameter of glass containers, which increases surface contact and reduces toppling. The new polymeric container has the benefits of glass with fewer downsides.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, the soda lime glass has several unacceptable characteristics and features when used in beverage containers.

For example, one huge issue is the fact that the soda lime glass is very brittle and is thus prone to breaking.

This breakage creates two issues: reduces the useful life span of the glass beverage containers and creates a safety issue upon breakage.

Due to the brittle nature of the glass, the glass beverage containers have a tendency to break, sometimes in just normal handling and cleaning.

This breakage reduces the useful life and increases the cost for those glass beverage containers.

Glass beverage containers also have potential health hazards due to shards, splinters, knife-like edge pieces, etc., that can pierce and cut the skin.

This hazard is so detrimental to workers and patrons in the United Kingdom that the British Government has instituted a directive to improve the safety of glassware in restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs.

The article explained that glass containers can be dangerous and cause many issue when accidentally broken, but they can be a huge issue if purposely broken and used as weapons.

Further, the actual brittleness of the glass requires the glass beverage container to have a rounded thick lip at the open end, or mouth, in order to protect a user from actually cutting themselves during proper use of that glass beverage container.

This requires high energy to manufacture the glasses, which again increases costs.

This leads to the glass “sweating” and “dripping” when filled with liquids that are colder than the ambient air temperature.

This “sweating” can cause the glass beverage container to slip or drop from the hand of a user when wet leading to the afore mentioned breaking.

Again, this raises the dangers and associated cost for the restaurant, bar, pub, etc.

The move to polymeric material for glass replacement has been slow.

This is due to the lack of the same experience provided to the drinkware user and the difficulties in the manufacturing of the polymeric material.

This creates “parting lines” which typically then are removed during a finishing process that adds expense and can be athletically unappealing.

Another issue with conventional drinkware in restaurants, bars, pubs, and the like is the transport of those from location to location.

Typically these drinking containers are moved stacked inside one another and yet are not designed to properly hold their position when so stacked.

Once several of these drinking containers are stacked on top of each other, the top containers tend to exaggerate this sliding movement and fall over to one side, typically falling outside the footprint of the bottom container therefore causing a tumbling and / or falling effect of the stacked drinking containers.

This needed improved container for glass containers is lacking in the art.

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