Bullhorn cup

Abstract

A beverage cup or container that is usable as a bullhorn device is disclosed. The cup is preferably made of a disposable material, such as paper, molded plastic or foam. The cup has a hollow body portion, shaped to form a cylinder or cone, with an open first end, and a second end located distal from the first end. The second end has a removable, or selectively separable, portion formed by a perforation in a base portion. A pull tab or other device may be provided to aid in separation of the removable portion from the body portion.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED DOCUMENTS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 888,945, filed Jul. 8, 2004, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 749,393, filed Aug. 4, 2003.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to a drinking cup assembly that is convertible into a bullhorn. Specifically, the invention relates to a drinking or beverage cup having a base separation apparatus to easily remove the base of the cup that is better suited for inexpensive or disposable cups and the like. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Disposable cups fall under three major categories: paper cups, plastic cups and foam cups. Today's paper cups are generally made of a paperboard produced at a mill in large rolls. The large rolls are placed on an extrusion line, and a thin layer of polyethylene coats the paperboard. The polyethylene layer gives the cup a gloss, and once it is applied, the paper is sealed inside a ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] The seal may incorporate a separation apparatus that can be pulled or actuated to separate the base portion from the body portion. For example, the separation apparatus may be a pull string made out of string material, thin paper or plastic, that is disposed between the removable base portion and the body portion. The pull string can be pulled from in between the removable base portion and the body portion to break the seal and to release the base portion from the body por

Problems solved by technology

Due to its complexity, the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,363 is relatively expensive to manufacture, and therefore not well suited for mass distribution, or in disposable form, as is the cup of the present invention.

Heretofore, there has been no reasonably inexpensive means to combine a cup with a voice amplification device in a way that would be better suited for regular or disposable distribution with beverages at sporting events, and the like.

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