DEVICE FOR RECEIVING CONDENSATION

Abstract

An condensation receiving device includes a base having a top surface, a bottom surface, and an outer wall coupled with the bottom surface at a first end and having a second end and an inner wall having an outwardly facing surface coupled with the outer wall at the second end. The device further includes a cup having an outer surface coupled with the base. A gap is formed between the outer surface of the cup and the outwardly facing surface of the inner wall and a reservoir is formed by two or more of the bottom wall, the outer wall, and the inner wall.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable

REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a device for receiving condensation, and more particularly, to a device for receiving condensation that is coupled or integrally formed with a drinking cup.

2. Background

In the use of drinking cups, especially those made from glass or a polymer, condensation can occur when certain atmospheric conditions are satisfied. Condensation is an exothermic process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water, i.e., the reverse of evaporation, because the surface on which the water vapor condenses removes the thermal energy from the surrounding water vapor, thereby condensing the surrounding vapor into liquid water. Said another way, condensation of water in the air occurs when water vapor is cooled to its saturation limit and the molecular density of the water vapor reaches its maximal threshold. When this stage of the water cycle occurs, and water vapor in the air comes into contact with something cool, such as the outside of a cold drinking cup, the water molecules slow down, get closer together, and condense into water droplets.

In the drinking cup context, water vapor can condense onto many different types of drinking cup surfaces. For instance, water vapor can condense onto glass, ceramics, metals, papers, wax, polymers, or any other material that forms a drinking cup. Under constant pressure, temperature, and dew point, condensation typically occurs at a faster rate on higher density materials, such as glass, than on lower density materials, such as expanded polystyrene, due to the differing surface tensions of the materials. After condensation in the form of water droplets has formed on the outer surface of a drinking cup, the water droplets will typically form into larger droplets and, due to gravity, will bead along the outer surface of the cup to the base of the cup, which may be resting on any number of surfaces including a desk, a table, or any other surface. After condensed water pools along these surfaces, cleanup of the water is required, and damage may result with surfaces that are not waterproof.

Additionally, the flow of condensation along the exterior of a cup may be exacerbated during drinking, when the cup is inclined and inverted relative to its resting configuration. In that case, the condensation may flow toward a lip of the cup, getting the user's hand and/or face inadvertently wet.

Currently, methods exist for reducing the amount of condensation that results on the outside of a drinking cup. For instance, a drinking cup may include both an inner wall and an outer wall separated by an air gap. The air gap inhibits the temperature of the outer wall from being lowered to the temperature of the liquid inside the cup, thereby reducing the condensation that forms on the outer surface of the cup. In other cup designs, insulation is added between the inner surface of the cup and the outer surface of the cup to similarly inhibit the temperature of the outer surface from lowering to the temperature of the inner surface. However, these methods of reducing condensation are costly, due to the more complex design of the cup, and are difficult to implement with existing cups. Moreover, these solutions to reducing condensation on the outer surface of specially designed cups do not completely eliminate resulting condensation, and, importantly, these designs do not prevent the even-diminished resulting condensation from beading down the outer surface of the cup to the surface upon which the cup is resting.

There is therefore a need for an effective device that is either coupled with a cup or attachable to a cup, which eliminates resultant condensation from pooling at the base of a cup on the surface upon which the cup is resting.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to one aspect, a condensation receiving device is disclosed. The device includes a base having a bottom wall, an outer wall coupled with the bottom wall at a first end and having a second end, and an inner wall coupled with the outer wall at the second end. The device further includes a drinking cup coupled with the base. A reservoir is defined by two or more of the bottom wall, the outer wall, and the inner wall.

According to a different aspect, a condensation receiving device is disclosed. The device includes a base having a bottom wall having a top surface, an outer wall having a first end and a second end and being attached to the bottom wall at the first end, and an inner wall attached to the second end of the outer wall and having a gap end. A gap is formed between the gap end of the inner wall and the top surface of the bottom wall to allow water to enter a chamber.

According to another aspect, a method of reducing condensation on a cup includes the steps of providing a cup, providing a base having a bottom wall, an outer wall having a first end and a second end and coupled with the bottom wall at the first end, and an inner wall coupled with the outer wall at the second end and positioning the cup within the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front, top isometric view of a condensation receiving device including a cup standing upright;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the condensation receiving device of FIG. 1 taken through the line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is another cross-sectional view of the condensation receiving device of FIG. 2 at an approximately 15 degree angle offset from normal;

FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional view of the condensation receiving device of FIG. 2 at an approximately 140 degree offset from normal;

FIG. 5 is a front, top isometric view of another embodiment of a condensation receiving device including a cup standing upright; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the condensation receiving device of FIG. 5 taken through line 6-6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Before any embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The embodiments are capable of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Likewise, “at least one of A, B, and C,” and the like, is meant to indicate A, or B, or C, or any combination of A, B, and/or C. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “secured,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled,” and variations thereof, are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. More specifically, the term “coupled with” can include “being integrally formed with.” Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

FIG. 1 depicts an isometric view of one embodiment of a condensation receiving device 20. In a preferred embodiment, the device 20 includes both a cup 22 and a base 24. The cup 22 and the base 24 may be coupled by one of the following coupling methods, including, but not limited to an adhesive, a snap fit, a press fit, an interference fit, threading, or any other method of coupling known to those skilled in the art. The cup 22 and the base 24 may also be one unitary piece. The cup 22 and/or the base 24 may be formed by powder metallurgy, blow molding, compression molding, matrix molding, injection molding, rotational molding, spin casting, transfer molding, thermoforming, or any other method of molding known to those of ordinary skill in the art. The cup 22 and/or the base 24 may also be formed by any one of the following casting techniques including, but not limited to, sand casting, permanent mold casting, investment casting, lost foam casting, die casting, centrifugal casting, glass casting, or slip casting. The cup 22 and/or the base 24 may also be hand crafted or 3D printed. In some embodiments, the cup 22 and the base 24 may be manufactured separately and/or may be coupled by a user. Further, the base 24 may be produced and/or sold separately from the cup 22. As would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the cup 22 may be any shaped cup including, but not limited to, a cylinder, a cuboid, a prism, or any other volumetric container that is capable of holding a liquid. As such, the base 24 may be any shape that aligns with the cup 22 such that, when coupled together, the base 24 and the cup 22 form a tight fit.

The cup 22 and/or the base 24 may be made of any appropriate material known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as a polymer, a plastic, a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, an aluminum alloy, tin plated steel, glass, a cellulosic material, a laminated material, a recycled material, and/or combinations thereof. The cup 22 and/or base 24 may be formed from a wide variety of well known polymeric materials, including, for example, polyethylene (PE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), crystalline PET, amorphous PET, polyethylene glycol terephthalate, polystyrene (PS), polyamide (PA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene naphthalene (PEN), polyethylene furanoate (PEF), PET homopolymers, PEN copolymers, PET/PEN resin blends, PEN homopolymers, and/or combinations thereof. Further, the cup 22 and/or the base 24 may be opaque, translucent, or transparent.

Now referring to FIG. 2, the device 20 includes the base 24. The base 24 includes a bottom wall 26, an outer wall 28, and an inner wall 30. The base 24 may include more or fewer walls 26, 28, 30 depending on the desired method of entrapment of water within the device 20. The bottom wall 26 includes a bottom surface 32 and a top surface 34. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface 32 interacts with a resting surface (not shown) such as a table, a desk, a countertop, or any other surface upon which a cup may rest. The bottom surface 32 of the bottom wall 26 may be made of the same material as the walls 26, 28, 30 or may be formed of a different material. The bottom surface 32 of the base may be formed of, or coated with, a material that aids in providing friction between the bottom wall 26 and the resting surface.

The bottom wall 26 intersects with an outer surface 36 of the outer wall 28 at a mating point 38, or, more accurately, a mating line (because it is 3-D). As illustrated in FIG. 2, in a preferred embodiment, the outer surface 36 of the outer wall 28 is generally flat and circumscribes the cylindrically shaped base 24. However, in other embodiments the outer wall 28 may be bowed, curved concavely or convexly, or angled either toward or away from an axis A. The outer surface 36 terminates at an intersection point 40 or line with the inner wall 30. The intersection point 40 may be a surface rather than a point or line, and may further be rounded, curved, beveled, angled, or have any other shape known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In one embodiment, the outer wall 28 and the inner wall 30 form a concave angle, e.g., an angle of between about 2 degrees and about 45 degrees, or between about 3 degrees and about 30 degrees, or about 10 degrees. The inner wall 30 includes an inwardly facing surface 42, an outward facing surface 44, and a reservoir surface 46 disposed therebetween. The reservoir surface 46 may be a planar surface, or may be a line at which the outwardly facing surface 44 and the inwardly facing surface 42 of the inner wall 30 intersect. The inner wall 42 may be any length that is suitable to ensure entrapment of fluid within the device 20 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter below. For example, the inner wall 42 may have a length of between about 5 mm and about 80 mm, or between about 15 mm and about 60 mm, or about 35 mm.

Still referring to FIG. 2, a chamber 48 is defined by an inner surface 50 of the outer wall 28, the inwardly facing surface 42 of the inner wall 30, and the top surface 34 of the bottom wall 26. A gap 52 exists between the reservoir surface 46 and the top surface 34. In a preferred embodiment, the gap 52 has a height of between about 5 mm and about 60 mm, or between about 10 mm and 50 mm, or about 15 mm. As will be described in greater detail below, increasing the height of the gap 52 increases the amount of fluid that can be stored within the chamber 48 when the cup 22 is tilted for drinking. A reservoir 54 is defined by the chamber 48 and is further defined by an outer surface 56 of the cup 22. The reservoir 54 includes the entire volumetric space wherein water may pool after condensing on the outer surface 36 of the cup 22 and beading downward due to gravity toward the base 24. For purposes of illustrating the flow of water when the device 20 is manipulated from one orientation to another, a right reservoir 58 is illustrated on the right side of the device and a left reservoir 60 is illustrated on the left side of the device 20. The right reservoir 58 and the left reservoir 60 are in fluid communication with one another such that water can flow freely from one reservoir to another. For example, the reservoir 54 may be a substantially uniform void extending around a perimeter of the device 20.

In one aspect, the cup 22 has a top portion 64 and a bottom portion 66, wherein the top portion 64 is generally cylindrical and the bottom portion 66 tapers slightly inward toward a central axis A of the cup 22. In one aspect, the bottom portion 66 has a smaller diameter than the top portion 64. Alternatively, the bottom portion may have the same or substantially the same diameter as the top portion 64. The bottom portion 66 may also be cylindrical or may taper outward when moving longitudinally from the bottom portion 66 towards the top portion 64. The top portion 64 of the cup 22 terminates at a lip 68 where a user places his or her mouth to receive liquid from inside the cup 22. The bottom portion 66 of the cup 22 terminates at the top surface 34 of the bottom wall 26 of the base 24 along an intersection line 70. In a preferred embodiment, the intersection line 70 circumscribes the cup 22. In some embodiments, a flange (not shown), may protrude from the intersection line 70 to provide more stability for the cup 22 when attached to the base 24. The flange may be formed with the base 24 or may be a separable piece. As previously described, the bottom portion 66 of the cup 22 may be detachable from the base 24, or the cup 22 and the base 24 may be one unitary piece.

As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the device 20 includes a slit 72 between the intersection point 40 and the outer surface 56 of the cup 22. The slit 72 may have an exemplary width W of between about 2 mm and about 15 mm, or between about 4 mm and about 12 mm, or about 5 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the slit 72 is large enough to receive a bead of condensed water without contacting both surfaces of that channel. The slit 72 circumscribes the outer surface 56 of the cup 22 and the outwardly facing surface 44 of the inner wall 30 and allows the condensed water that forms along the outer wall 28 on the top portion 64 of the cup 22 to fall through the slit into the reservoir 54.

In another embodiment and referring to FIG. 2, the reservoir 54 may include a sponge 74 or another absorbent material that can capture the pool of condensation that beads into the reservoir. The sponge 74 may be made from cellulose wood fibers, foamed plastic polymers, low-density polyether, polyvinyl acetate (PVA), or polyester. The sponge 74 may also be made of a natural material. The sponge 74 acts to entrap condensed water within the reservoir 54 and prevent the water from spilling back out of the reservoir 54 when the cup 22 is tilted more than 90 degrees from a normal axis N.

In one aspect, the reservoir 54 may include a drain 76 to allow any pooled fluid to escape the reservoir 54 when the drain 76 is in an open configuration. The drain 76 may be circular in shape and may be positioned along the top surface 34 of the bottom wall 26 of the base 24 or may be situated along the outer surface 36 of the outer wall 28. A plug 78 may be placed within the drain 76 to prevent water from escaping the reservoir 54 during use of the device 20. The plug 78 may be threadably engaged with the device 20 or may be secured with a snap or interference fit. The plug 78 may be made of any of the aforementioned materials and may further be made of any material known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate an embodiment of the device of FIG. 2 without the sponge 74, the drain 76, or the plug 78. Referring to FIG. 3, the device 20 is shown tilted at approximately a 15 degree offset from a normal axis N. In this configuration, the cup 22 and the base 24 are shown in a configuration similar to a configuration that a user of the device 20 may position the device 20 before drinking out of the cup 22. As illustrated in FIG. 3, condensed water 80 is shown within the reservoir 54. The condensed water 80 includes a surface 82 that, when the cup 22 is at rest, is generally orthogonal to the normal axis N. In one aspect, the gap 52 has a height that allows all or substantially all of the condensed water 80 to enter the chamber 48 when the cup 22 is disposed in a position such as the orientation illustrated in FIG. 3. The height of the gap 52 may be increased or decreased depending on the desired amount of condensed water 80 to be entrapped within the chamber 48 when the cup 22 is used for drinking.

Referring to FIG. 4, the device 20 is shown approximately 140 degrees offset from the position of the device 20 shown in FIG. 1. In this orientation, the base 24 is positioned above the lip 68 of the cup. As illustrated in FIG. 4, when the device is so oriented, the condensed water 80 is generally entirely within the chamber 48 of the reservoir 54. The surface 82 of the condensed water 80 remains generally orthogonal to the normal axis N defined by the direction of gravity.

Turning now to how the condensed water 80 flows when the device 20 is manipulated from the orientation illustrated in FIG. 2 to the orientation illustrated in FIG. 4, the condensed water 80 preferably remains within the reservoir 54 at all times during manipulation of the device 20. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the device 20 is angled in a direction off of center, the condensed water 80 will flow due to gravity to a lowest point within the reservoir 54. As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the device 20 is tilted, the condensed water 80 flows from the right reservoir 58 to the left reservoir 60. As noted above, the right reservoir 58 and the left reservoir 60 form the continuous reservoir 54. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the condensed water 80 remains within the left reservoir 60. In a preferred embodiment, the height of the gap 52 is high enough to allow all or substantially all of the condensed water 80 to enter the chamber 48 when the device is tilted to the orientation illustrated in FIG. 4.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the condensed water 80 is shown within the chamber 48. In a preferred embodiment, when the device is rotated 140 degrees as shown in FIG. 4, all or substantially all of the condensed water 80 flows into the chamber 48. Thus, the condensed water 80 is only interfacing with the inner surface 50 of the outer wall 28 and the inwardly facing surface 42 of the inner wall 30. In another embodiment, the sponge 74 may entrap the condensed water 80 to prevent the condensed water 80 from pooling in the chamber 48 as illustrated in FIG. 4. Regardless of how much of the condensed water 80 flows into the chamber 48 or how much may remain absorbed within the sponge 74 in the reservoir 54, the object of the reservoir/chamber combination is to entrap all or substantially all of the condensed water 80 such that when a user drinks from the cup 22, no or minimal condensed water spills out of the reservoir 54. After use of the cup 22, the reservoir 54 may be emptied of the condensed water 80 by opening the drain 76 and allowing the condensed water 80 to exit, by inserting a towel or other absorbent/wicking element into the reservoir, or by permitting the water to evaporate.

Referring now to FIG. 5, another embodiment of a condensation entrapment device 100 is shown. The device 100 includes both a cup 102 and a base 104. The cup 102 and the base 104 may be coupled by one of the following coupling methods, including, but not limited to an adhesive, a snap fit, a press fit, an interference fit, threading, or any other method of coupling known to those skilled in the art. The cup 102 and the base 104 may also be one unitary piece. The cup 102 and/or the base 104 may be formed by any one of the aforementioned methods of forming and may further be made of any one of the aforementioned materials as described for the device 20 of FIG. 1. The cup 102 and the base 104 may be manufactured separately and/or may be coupled by a user. The base 104 may be produced and/or sold separately from the cup 102. As would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the cup 102 may be any shaped cup, such as the shapes described above for the device 20 of FIG. 1. In one embodiment, the base 104 of FIG. 5 is made of a material such as paper or cardboard and includes a peel-away adhesive (not shown) such that the cup 102 may be adhesively attached to the base 104. Still further, the base 104 may be a disposable device that can collect condensation fluid for any cup.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the device 100 includes the base 104. The base 104 includes a bottom wall 106, an outer wall 108, and an inner wall 110. The base 104 may include more or fewer walls 106, 108, 110 depending on the desired method of entrapment of liquid within the device 100. The bottom wall 106 includes a bottom surface 112 and a top surface 114. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom surface 112 interacts with a resting surface (not shown) such as a table, desk, countertop, or any other surface upon which a cup may rest. The bottom surface 112 of the bottom wall 106 may be made of the same material as the walls 106, 108, 110 or may be formed of a different material. The bottom surface 112 of the base 104 may be formed of or coated with a material that aids in providing friction between the bottom wall 106 and a table, countertop, desk, etc.

The bottom surface 112 of the bottom wall 106 intersects with an outwardly facing surface 116 of the outer wall 108. As illustrated in FIG. 6, in one aspect, the outwardly facing surface 116 of the outer wall 108 is generally angled down and away from the cup 102 and surrounds the cylindrically shaped bottom surface 112. However, in other embodiments the outer wall 108 may be bowed or curved. The outwardly facing surface 116 terminates at an intersection line 118 with the inner wall 110. The inner wall 110 includes an inwardly facing surface 120, an outwardly facing surface 122, and a reservoir surface 124. The reservoir surface 124 may be a planar surface, or may be a line at which the outwardly facing surface 122 and the inwardly facing surface 120 of the inner wall 110 intersect.

Still referring to FIG. 6, a chamber 130 is defined by an inner surface 132 of the outer wall 108, the inwardly facing surface 120 of the inner wall 110, and the top surface 114 of the bottom wall 106. A gap 134 exists between the reservoir surface 124 and the top surface 114. In one aspect, the gap 134 may have a height of between about 5 mm and about 60 mm, or between about 10 mm and 50 mm, or about 15 mm. As described above, increasing the height of the gap 134 increases the amount of water that can be stored within the chamber 130 when the cup 102 is tilted for drinking. A reservoir 136 is defined by the chamber 130 and is further defined by an outer wall 138 of the cup 102. The reservoir 136 includes the entire volumetric space wherein water may pool after condensing on an outer surface 140 of the cup 102 and beading toward the base 104.

In one aspect, the cup 102 has a top portion 144 and a bottom portion 146, wherein both the top portion 144 and the bottom portion 146 are generally parallel and cylindrical, and also wherein they may be generally continuous with respect to one another. The top portion 144 of the cup 102 terminates at a lip 148 where a user places his or her mouth to receive liquid from inside the cup 102. The bottom portion 146 of the cup 102 terminates at the top surface 114 of the bottom wall 106 of the base 104 along an intersection line 150. In a preferred embodiment, the intersection line 150 circumscribes the cup 102. In some embodiments, a flange 152 protrudes from the intersection line 150 to provide more stability for the cup 102 when it is attached to the base 104. The flange 152 may be formed with the base 104 or may be a separable piece. As previously described, the bottom portion 146 of the cup 102 may be detachable from the base 104 or the cup 102 and the base 104 may be one unitary piece.

As further illustrated in FIG. 6, the device 100 includes a slit 154 between the intersection line 118 and the outer surface 140 of the cup 102. The slit 154 may be between about 2 mm and 15 mm, or between about 4 mm and about 12 mm, or about 5 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the slit 154 is large enough to receive a bead of condensed water. The slit 154 circumscribes the outer surface 140 of the cup 102 and the outer surface 122 of the inner wall 110 and allows the condensed water that forms along the outer wall 108 on the top portion 144 of the cup 22 to fall through the slit into the reservoir 136.

Any of the embodiments described herein may be modified to include any of the structures or methodologies disclosed in connection with different embodiments. Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying out same. The exclusive rights to all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims are reserved.

Claims

1. A condensation receiving device, comprising:

a base including; a bottom wall; an outer wall coupled with the bottom wall at a first end and having a second end; and an inner wall coupled with the outer wall at the second end; and

a drinking cup coupled with the base;

wherein a reservoir is defined by two or more of the bottom wall, the outer wall, and the inner wall.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a chamber is defined by an inner surface of the outer wall and an inner surface of the inner wall.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein a reservoir is defined by an outer surface of the drinking cup and the chamber.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the drinking cup is attached to the base with one of threading, a snap fit, or an interference fit.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the base and the drinking cup are integrally formed.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a bottom portion of the cup has a smaller diameter than a top portion of the cup.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the drinking cup and the base are formed from a same material.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the same material is one of a polymer, a metal, or glass.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the base is generally cylindrically shaped, wherein the bottom wall is circular and the outer wall is generally cylindrical with respect to a central axis of the drinking cup.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the drinking cup is generally cylindrical.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the outer wall and the inner wall form an angle of less than 30 degrees.

12. A condensation receiving device, comprising:

a base including: a bottom wall having a top surface; an outer wall having a first end and a second end and being attached to the bottom wall at the first end; and an inner wall attached to the second end of the outer wall and having a gap end;

wherein a gap is formed between the gap end of the inner wall and the top surface of the bottom wall to allow water to enter a chamber.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the chamber is formed by an inner surface of the outer wall, the top surface of the bottom wall, and an inner surface of the inner wall.

14. The device of claim 12 further including a drinking cup integrally formed or otherwise coupled with the base.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein a bottom portion of the drinking cup has a smaller diameter than a bottom portion of the drinking cup.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein a bottom portion of the drinking cup has the same or substantially same diameter as a top portion of the drinking cup.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall form an angle less than 30 degrees.

18. The device of claim 12 further comprising a flange positioned along an intersection line of the base, wherein the flange secures a cup in place during use of the device.

19. A method of reducing condensation on a cup, comprising the steps of:

providing a cup having an outer surface;

providing a base having a bottom wall, an outer wall having a first end and a second end and coupled with the bottom wall at the first end, and an inner wall coupled with the outer wall at the second end wherein a gap is formed between the outer surface of the cup and an outwardly facing surface of the inner wall; and

positioning the cup within the base.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:

providing a reservoir defined by two or more of the base, the outer wall, and the inner wall.