Abstract: A thermally insulated foldable cup for hot or cold beverages including a flexible inner liner, an outer shell, and an insulating layer between the outer shell and inner liner. The foldable cup includes reinforcing rings at the bottom and top of the cup and two vertical reinforcing strips on opposing sides of the cup. The foldable cup can be folded from an expanded configuration, in which liquids can be poured into and held in the cup, to a folded configuration in which two sides of the cup can be folded about a vertical plane through the cup in order to reduce the size of the cup while it is not in use. The foldable cup further includes a base member and a cap member connected by a anchor strip. A locking strap extending from the base member can be used to maintain the folded cup in the folded configuration.

Abstract: A thermally insulated collapsible cup for hot or cold beverages. The collapsible cup includes a flexible inner liner and a multi-segmented outer shell including a top segment, a base segment, and one or more intermediate segments. Each segment of the outer shell includes an insulation layer adhered thereto. An integral rubber sleeve extends around the periphery of each intermediate segment. The flexible inner liner extends from the top to the bottom of the collapsible cup and is secured and sealed at the bottom of the base segment and at the rim of the top segment. In an expanded configuration, internal screw threads at the bottom of the top and intermediate segments engage external screw threads on the adjacent segment there below and thereby maintain the cup in an expanded configuration. The screw threads can be unscrewed in order to convert the cup to a collapsed configuration.

Abstract: A foldable or collapsible stovetop container that maintains a rigid shape while in use and can be folded into a smaller size for storage. The stovetop container includes rigid top and bottom portions separated by a flexible middle portion. The flexible middle portion includes thin wall sections that form predetermined bend areas. Pressure applied to the top portion causes the flexible middle portion to collapse in an orderly manner toward the bottom portion, with the middle portion folding at each of the predetermined bend areas to create one or more folds or pleats in the middle portion in the collapsed configuration. The foldable stovetop container may be used on residential stovetops for the heating and cooking of food.

Abstract: A foldable or collapsible ovenware container that maintains a rigid shape while in use and can be folded into a smaller size for storage. The ovenware container includes rigid top and bottom portions separated by a flexible middle portion. The flexible middle portion includes thick and thin wall sections. Pressure applied to the top portion causes the flexible middle portion to collapse in an orderly manner toward the bottom portion, with the middle portion folding at each of the thin wall sections to create a plurality of folds or pleats in the middle portion in the collapsed configuration.

Abstract: A lamp cover or shade comprising a hollow pliant shell having an exterior surface in the form of a decorative shape and an interior surface having pliant ribs extending inwardly from the interior surface, or an integral interior cylinder which ribs or cylinder are of a size and shape as to frictionally or elastically engage the exterior of a light fixture lens, bulb cover or bulb. According to a preferred embodiment, the lamp cover is fabricated from an elastic, pliable and high temperature resistant polymeric material that permits its close contact with a low voltage or conventional light bulbs.

Abstract: An impact and corrosion resistant lamp holder having a lamp housing formed of electrically non-conductive elastomer. The lamp housing includes a lamp receiving portion and external electrical contacts. A first electrically conductive pathway is provided leading from the lamp receiving portion to a first of the electrical contacts. A second electrically conductive pathway is provided leading from the lamp receiving portion to a second of the electrical contacts. The first and the second electrically conductive pathways are formed of electrically conductive elastomer and electrically conductive metal. The lamp housing eliminates any metal to metal contact between the lamp housing and its inserted lamp, thereby significantly reducing transmittance of vibrations to the lamp.

Abstract: A lamp cover comprising a hollow shell having an exterior surface in the form of a decorative shape and an interior surface having pliant ribs extending inwardly from the interior surface, which ribs are of a size and shape as to frictionally engage the exterior of a light fixture lens, bulb cover or bulb. According to a preferred embodiment, the lamp cover is fabricated from a pliable and high temperature resistant polymeric material that permits its close contact with a low voltage or conventional light bulb. According to further alternative preferred embodiments, the hollow pliant shell is translucent, portions of the hollow pliant shell are made opaque and the hollow pliant shell is colored. A lamp cover base assembly for attachment of a variety of decorative lamp covers to lamps and lamp bases is also described.

Abstract: A lamp cover comprising a hollow pliant shell having an exterior surface in the form of a decorative shape and an interior surface having pliant ribs extending inwardly from the interior surface, which ribs are of a size and shape as to frictionally engage the exterior of a light fixture lens, bulb cover or bulb. According to a preferred embodiment, the lamp cover is fabricated from a pliable and high temperature resistant polymeric material that permits its close contact with a low voltage or conventional light bulb. According to further alternative preferred embodiments, the hollow pliant shell is translucent, portions of the hollow pliant shell are made opaque and the hollow pliant shell is colored.

Abstract: An improved surgical stapler including a digital counter to facilitate easy accounting of the number of staples consumed during a procedure. The surgical stapler also includes audible feedback including a first audible sound to indicate when an individual staple has been formed and a second audible sound to indicate that the stapler is ready to begin another staple forming process. The surgical stapler is of simple construction that lends itself to low cost production and mass assembly techniques thereby enabling it to be a disposable device.

Abstract: A rest upon which a hot iron may be placed without scorching an underlying ironing board is made of a monolithic piece of flexible silicone polymer shaped to have a flat base panel, a perimetric retaining wall upwardly emergent from the upper surface of the base panel, a first series of projections directed upwardly from the upper surface, and a second series of projections downwardly directed from the lower surface of the base panel. The projections are preferably elongated ribs of uniform height in parallel arrays wherein the array of the first series is transverse to the array of the second series.