Safety cup with net-like, multi-directional weakening structure

Abstract

A safety cup (10) having a multidirectional weakening structure (15), comprising at least one cup wall (11) and one cup base (12), wherein at least the cup wall (11) has a net-like, multidirectional weakening structure (15) on its inner wall and / or on its outer wall, which extends over the entire circumference, wherein in the weakening structure (15) the wall thickness of the cup wall (11) is reduced in such a way that buckling of the cup wall (11) under radial compressive load along at least one line or a partial area in the multidirectional weakening structure (15) is possible.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a safety cup with a net-like, multidirectional weakening structure.

[0002] For safety reasons, glasses are often not permitted for large events. The alternative, thin-walled disposable cups, such as those made of polystyrene, have the problem that they break easily when subjected to radial crushing loads on the shell, making them irreversible. Especially at public events with large numbers of people consuming beverages from such disposable cups, a high proportion of non-recyclable waste is generated. There is also a risk of injury, for example, from plastic splinters, although this is less pronounced than with broken glass.

[0003] The use of reusable plastic cups, which have thicker walls and are made of more resilient plastics such as polycarbonate, is not always possible, especially when there is a risk of people tripping, falling, or injuring themselves if they step on a reusable cup lying on the ground. These risks arise because reusable cups are designed so sturdily that they do not break even under the heavy load exerted on them by a person stepping on them and retain their three-dimensional structure. This makes their use problematic, for example, in marathon events where a large number of participants along the course need to be supplied with drinks.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to create a safety cup that can be used as a reusable cup, that remains dimensionally stable during normal use, and that is not destroyed by the forces exerted in the user's hand during drinking and holding. At the same time, the safety cup should assume a highly flattened, ideally largely two-dimensional structure when subjected to a high load, such as that exerted when stepping on it with a foot.

[0005] This object is achieved by a safety cup having the features of claim 1.

[0006] The solution of the invention provides that at least the shell, and preferably also the base, is provided with a net-like, multidirectional weakening structure. In the weakening structure, the structural connecting lines or partial surfaces are represented in a wall thickness that is reduced compared to other surface areas of the cup shell or base.

[0007] "Multidirectional" means that there are not exclusively parallel lines of weakness or partial areas of weakness, so that the probability that the cup wall will collapse along at least one line or partial area in the direction of the force exerted on the cup during a runner's impact is high. If the original cylindrical or conical-section structure of the cup wall initially collapses at a first location, the multidirectional weakening structure leads to the structure collapsing at other locations, causing the cup wall to fold flat, for example, under the sole of the runner's shoe.

[0008] In the following, reference is made to a "line of weakness." However, this does not imply any limitation regarding the width of such a line of weakness, nor does it restrict its application to a one-dimensional line in the geometric sense; rather, it can also refer to partial areas on the cup wall with a two-dimensional extension.

[0009] Because, according to the invention, there are always several lines of weakness in different spatial orientations in a net structure, a collapse of the cup wall can be triggered regardless of the angle of impact of the foot on the safety cup lying on the ground, i.e. no matter how a person hits the cup, at least one line of weakness is always found, which leads to maximum local overstress and consequently to buckling or, if necessary, to tearing of the cup wall, so that the cup wall loses its spatial, stable structure and is flattened under the foot of the person stepping on it.

[0010] The wall thickness in the weakening structure is reduced, depending on the remaining wall thickness of the cup wall and the mechanical load parameters of the selected plastic, at least to the extent that the cup structure collapses when stepped on, thus reducing the risk of tripping and twisting when stepping.

[0011] If the cup wall only buckles, it can return to its original structure through thermal treatment in a dishwasher, for example.

[0012] It is also possible to reduce the wall thickness to such an extent that, while a tight cup is obtained during normal use, when high radial forces are applied to the cup wall, the cup wall tears along one or more lines of the weakening structure. The surface areas adjacent to the weakening lines are not completely separated from one another, but remain partially attached to one another or to another surface area. This partial tearing does structurally destroy the cup. However, since it does not break into individual pieces, a large number of splinters are not generated, and at least the plastic can be recycled.

[0013] The weakening structure is formed in particular from polygons, the majority of which have at least 5 corners, since with such a shape at least three non-parallel directions are specified.

[0014] In the simplest case, the weakening structure can be a honeycomb pattern, in which hexagonal honeycombs are arranged one after the other. The opposing edges of the hexagons define three directions of weakening lines, each offset by 120 degrees.

[0015] In the case of regular structures, such as the preferred hexagonal honeycomb structure, the honeycomb structure is designed so that repeating patterns are arranged along the circumference and there are no cut edges of cut patterns. To simultaneously maintain the required cone angle, the hexagonal honeycombs are slightly distorted, meaning the width is slightly larger at the top than at the bottom.

[0016] Complex bionic mesh structures consisting of polygonal or ring-shaped individual patterns, which do not contain deliberately intended repetitions of geometrically identical patterns, are also possible as weakening structures. The weakening structure is modeled after a natural structure. While bionic structures are known to be able to absorb high loads using naturally occurring and human-like supporting structures with reinforced lines of ribs and webs, the invention proposes, on the contrary, using these structures to create a targeted weakening that acts in more than two directions; i.e., the weakening lines do not run exclusively at right angles to each other.

[0017] Since the base of a lying cup usually protrudes above the ground and is subjected to a different load than the cup wall when stepped on, an advantageous embodiment of the safety cup provides radial weakening lines on the base, with at least three diameter lines running from a center or center area as a weakening structure over the entire surface of the cup base to the outer edge.

[0018] The safety cup is preferably made of a thermoplastic and is preferably manufactured by injection molding. However, it can also be produced by deep drawing or blow molding. To enable demolding despite the undercuts created by the weakening lines, a cone angle of the cup wall of at least 1 to 3 degrees is provided. An even larger cone angle also makes the safety cup stackable.

[0019] Preferably, the weakened structures are formed only on the outer perimeter of the cup wall and only on the underside of the cup base. This keeps the inner surface smooth. This prevents dried beverage residue from remaining in the recesses, thus facilitating subsequent rinsing.

[0020] The invention will be explained in more detail below with further advantageous embodiments with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawings. The figures show in detail: Fig. 1 shows a safety cup in a perspective view obliquely from above; Fig. 2 shows a safety cup in a perspective view obliquely from below; Fig. 3 shows a Fig. 2 marked surface detail of the cup wall in plan view; Fig. 4 an alternative design of a cup bottom in a schematic representation and Fig. 5 another alternative design of a cup bottom in a schematic inverted image.

[0021] In Figure 1 a safety cup 10 with a net-like, multidirectional weakening structure 15 according to the invention is shown in a perspective view obliquely from above.

[0022] The safety cup 10 comprises a cup wall 11 and a cup base 12, wherein the cup wall 11 is smooth on its inner wall 14 and has a net-like, multidirectional weakening structure 15 on its outer wall 13, which extends over the entire circumference. In the weakening structure 15, the wall thickness of the cup wall 11 is reduced in such a way that buckling of the cup wall 11 under radial compressive load is possible.

[0023] Figure 2shows the safety cup 10 in a perspective view obliquely from below, so that the cup base 12 is also visible. This has a weakening structure 16 comprising four diameter lines. The number of diameter lines in the weakening structure 16 of the cup base 12 and the size of the hexagonal honeycombs in the weakening structure 15 of the cup wall 11 are adapted to one another such that the ends of the diameter lines merge directly into the side edges of the honeycombs.

[0024] This detail follows the preferred characteristics of the weakening structures 15, 16 as bionic structures, because even in naturally grown structures there are no discontinuities and abrupt transitions.

[0025] In Figure 3 is the one in Figure 2The marked section of the outer wall 13 is shown enlarged. The weakened structure 15 is formed by valleys in the surface. The transitions from the valleys to the adjacent surface areas of the outer wall 13 are smooth. Sharp-edged transitions are avoided. This results in a pleasant surface feel.

[0026] Figure 4shows an alternative design of a cup base 12'. This has a primary weakening structure 16', which comprises several radial grooves with reduced wall thickness. Between adjacent radial grooves in the outer region, a substructure is formed as a secondary weakening structure 17', thus facilitating buckling under load even in the outer regions, where the distance between the radial grooves is large and correspondingly larger surface areas are present. A further secondary weakening structure 18' is formed in the center of the cup base 12'. This is a bionic, i.e. irregularly shaped honeycomb structure.

[0027] Figure 5shows a further alternative design of a cup base 12" in a schematic representation. The representation is made as an inverted image for better illustration of the structure, i.e. the groove-shaped lines with reduced wall thickness, which are actually intended for weakening according to the invention, are visualized here as upstanding webs with disproportionate height. The cup base 12" has a primary weakening structure 16", which is a bionic, irregularly shaped honeycomb structure. Within the honeycombs, which are formed by the primary weakening structure 16", sub-weakening structures 17" are formed, in which the weakening is less pronounced due to the smaller depth of the grooves. In the inverted representation of the Figure 5 The sub-attenuation structures 17" appear through bars with a lower height than the primary attenuation structure 16". The sub-attenuation structures 17" are also bionic, irregularly shaped honeycomb structures.

Claims

1. A safety cup (10) with a net-like, multidirectional weakening structure (15), at least comprising a cup wall (11) and a cup base (12), wherein at least the cup wall (11) has the net-like, multidirectional weakening structure (15) on its inner wall (14) and / or on its outer wall (13), which extends over the entire circumference, wherein in the weakening structure (15) the wall thickness of the cup wall (11) is reduced in such a way that buckling of the cup wall (11) under radial compressive load along at least one line or a partial area in the multidirectional weakening structure (15) is possible.

2. Safety cup (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the weakening structure (15) in the cup wall (11) is formed from polygons, the majority of which have at least 5 corners.

3. Safety cup (10) according to claim 2, characterized in thatthe weakening structure (15) in the cup wall (11) is formed from hexagonal honeycombs.

4. Safety cup (10) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the weakening structure (15) in the cup wall (11) contains at least one bionic mesh structure of polygonal or ring-shaped individual patterns.

5. Safety cup (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by - that the plastic cup (10) has a conical section-shaped cup wall (11) and is stackable; - that the weakening structure (15) between the cup bottom and the upper edge has several rows of polygons arranged one above the other, the size of which is determined in such a way that complete polygons are arranged one after the other around the circumference.

6. Safety cup (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the weakening structures (15) are each formed only on the outer circumference of the cup wall (11).

7. Safety cup (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cup base (12; 12'; 12") has a wall-thickness-reducing, net-like weakening structure (16; 16'; 16") on its top and / or bottom.

8. Safety cup (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the weakening structure (16; 16') in the cup base (12; 12') comprises a plurality of radially arranged weakening lines extending from a center to the outer edge.

9. Safety cup (10) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized by , the weakening structure (16") in the cup base (12") contains at least one bionic mesh structure of polygonal or ring-shaped individual patterns.

10. Safety cup (10) according to one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the weakening structures (15, 16, 16', 16") are formed only on the underside of the cup base (12).

11. Safety cup (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in thatwithin at least one honeycomb of a primary weakening structure (15, 16, 16', 16") at least one sub-weakening structure (17") is formed with a smaller wall thickness reduction compared to the primary weakening structure (15, 16, 16', 16").

12. Safety cup (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cup wall (11) and the cup bottom (12; 12'; 12") are made of thermoplastic material.

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