BEVERAGE CUP WITH NUCLEATION SITES

Abstract

A cup for containing therein a carbonated beverage is provided, comprising a smooth interior surface having distinct upper and lower portions. The interior surface is provided with one or more nucleation sites defining a predetermined total nucleation area and comprising an uppermost nucleation zone disposed on the upper portion of the interior surface, and a lowermost nucleation zone disposed on the lower portion of the interior surface. The lowermost nucleation zone comprises at least a quarter of the total nucleation area, and the lower portion does not extend above the lowermost third of the height of the cup.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to beverage cups, in particular those designed for use with carbonated beverages.

BACKGROUND

Carbonated beverages, such as beer, ale, stout, etc., are often considered to be more enjoyable when infused with a certain degree of effervescence, i.e., carbonation or bubbliness. Besides the effervescence of the beverage itself, this quality may be judged by the presence and/or size of a layer of foam, also called a “head,” on top of the beverage as it sits in a cup. A beverage with a suitable head may be assumed to have a correspondingly good level of effervescence. A carbonated beverage which lacks effervescence, i.e., which is “flat,” typically lacks this head, and is considered by many to be less enjoyable. This flatness may be due to an unsuitable fermentation process, lack of freshness, or a beverage which has been exposed to the air for too long a period, which resulted in a loss of most or all of its dissolved carbon dioxide.

It is known to provide a cup having a smooth interior surface, and a nucleation site which encourages the development of bubbles, leading to a fizzier beverage, and a pleasing head. These nucleation sites comprise a rough surface and/or points, on which bubbles form more easily, resulting in a beverage with increased effervescence. The parameters of the nucleation site, for example its size, is determined experimentally for a particular beverage. A larger nucleation site results in a faster release of bubbles. However, if the nucleation site is too large, carbon dioxide is released too rapidly, and the beverage may become prematurely flat.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, there is provided a cup for containing therein a carbonated beverage, the cup comprising a smooth interior surface having distinct upper and lower portions, the interior surface being provided with one or more nucleation sites defining a predetermined total nucleation area and comprising an uppermost nucleation zone (which is disposed at a higher vertical position than all other nucleation zones which constitute the nucleation sites) disposed on the upper portion of the interior surface, and a lowermost nucleation zone (which is disposed at a lower vertical position than all other nucleation zones which constitute the nucleation sites) disposed on the lower portion of the interior surface, wherein the lowermost nucleation zone comprises at least a quarter of the total nucleation area, and the lower portion does not extend above the lowermost third of the height of the cup.

It will be appreciated that herein the specification and claims, terms relating to vertical direction, such as “up,” “down,” “upper,” “lower,” etc., and related terms, refer to the cup when resting on a surface, with its base disposed substantially directly below the rim of the cup (for example as described below with reference to FIG. 1).

The interior surface may further comprise a substantially horizontal base portion (which constitutes a portion of the lower portion), at least a portion of the lowermost nucleation zone being disposed on the base portion.

The uppermost nucleation zone may be vertically spaced from the lowermost nucleation zone by a distance not less than about one third of the total height of the interior surface.

The upper portion of the interior surface may constitute the upper half of the height of the cup, with the uppermost nucleation zone comprising at least a quarter of the total nucleation area.

The uppermost nucleation zone may comprise a percentage of the total nucleation area substantially equal to the percentage of cup volume defined by the upper portion of the interior surface.

The uppermost nucleation zone may be formed as a substantially horizontal ring.

At least one of the nucleation sites may constitute at least a portion of a logo.

The one or more nucleation sites may be substantially contiguous.

At least some of the one or more nucleation sites may be separated from one another by smooth areas of the inner surface.

At least a portion of the nucleation sites may be etched onto the interior surface. The etching may be performed by a laser.

At least some of the nucleation sites may comprise an element applied to the interior surface. The element may comprise an enamel, for example being made of enamel.

At least some of the nucleation sites may comprise a plurality of non-smooth areas separated by smooth areas. It will be appreciated that herein the specification and claims, the terms “rough” and “non-smooth” are used interchangeably.

At least some of the nucleation sites may be constituted by a continuous non-smooth area.

The cup may be made of glass.

At least one parameter of the nucleation sites is configured to optimize a characteristic of a predetermined beverage when contained within the cup. The characteristic may be related to the rate of formation of bubbles from gas dissolved within the beverage. The parameter may comprise the total nucleation area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, an embodiment will now be described, by way of a non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a cup according to one example of the presently disclosed subject matter;

FIG. 2 is a closeup view of an example of a nucleation site of the cup illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an external element constituting part of another example of a nucleation site of the cup illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of another example of a cup according to the presently disclosed subject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

As illustrated in FIG. 1, there is provided a cup, which is generally indicated at 10. The cup 10 may be made of glass, plastic, or any other smooth material. It comprises sidewalls 12 and a base 14 at a lower end thereof, and an rim 16 at an upper end thereof, defining an opening 18. The sidewalls 12 and base 14 define therewithin an smooth interior surface 20, which is characterized by a vertical height h, and which defines a cavity 22 for receipt therein of a beverage.

It will be appreciated that while the cup 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is substantially cylindrical, the presently disclosed subject matter applies as well to any shaped cup, including those which are rounded, those having a stem, etc., without departing from the scope of thereof, mutatis mutandis.

The interior surface 20 is provided with one or more nucleation sites 24 (in the presently disclosure and accompanying drawings, reference numeral 24 may be used to refer collectively to reference numerals 24a and 24b, which will be introduced later), configured to accelerate the release of carbon dioxide dissolved within the beverage to produce bubbles, e.g., by providing an area which is more suited therefor than is the smooth interior surface 20. The nucleation sites 24 may comprise rough areas and/or sharp corners extending into the cavity 22 of the glass. According to some examples, a continuous rough constitutes an entire nucleation site 24. According to other examples, such as is illustrated in FIG. 2, the rough area comprises a plurality of smaller rough areas 26, such as dots, etc., separated from one another by smooth areas (not indicated for clarity, but visible between rough areas 26), for example of the interior surface 20.

The nucleation sites 24 may be of any suitable design. According to some examples, one or more of them may be provided as a ring about the circumference of the interior surface 20. According to other examples, one or more of the nucleation sites 24 may constitute a logo or a portion thereof.

The nucleation sites 24 may be made by any suitable method. For example, a laser may be used to etch them into the interior surface 20, for example as is known in the art. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the nucleation sites 24 may comprise an external element 30 formed with one or more rough areas 28, for example as described above, and applied to the interior surface 20. The external element 30 may be made of any suitable material, such as an enamel, as is known in the art. The cup 10 may comprise nucleation sites made of different methods, for example some being etched into the interior 20, and some comprising an external element 30, as described above.

The nucleation sites 24 define a total nucleation area. This area is typically determined based on the effect on a beverage within the cup 10, fully filled. For example, it may be established experimentally that a given surface area of the nucleation sites 24 produces bubbles at a rate which optimally enhances the experience of consuming a given beverage (e.g., beer, lager, ale, etc.), for example by maintaining a desired amount of foam or froth (often referred to as a “head”) on the top surface of the beverage when within the cup 10, and/or by maintaining a suitable level of effervescence (“fizziness”) within the beverage during consumption. This optimization takes into account not only a rate of bubble production which is sufficient to maintain a desired head and/or fizziness, but also a rate which is not so high as to too rapidly release the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved within the beverage, leading to a beverage which is loses its carbonation (sometimes referred to as “flat”) prematurely.

The nucleation sites 24 are distributed such that an uppermost nucleation zone 24a (i.e., that portion of the nucleation sites 24 which is located highest along the height h of the interior surface 20) and a lowermost nucleation zone 24b (i.e., that portion of the nucleation sites 24 which is located lowest along the height h of the interior surface) are vertically spaced from each other. For example, the uppermost nucleation zone 24a may be disposed on an upper portion 20a of the interior surface 20, while the lowermost nucleation zone 24b is disposed on a lower portion 20b, distinct from and disposed below the upper portion 20a, of the interior surface. The upper portion 20a may comprise at least the uppermost third of the interior surface 20, for example measured along its height, while the lower portion 20b may comprise at least the lowermost third of the interior surface 20.

Accordingly, when the cup 10 is full with the beverage, all of the nucleation sites 24 are active (i.e., in contact with the beverage, thereby producing bubbles). When enough of the beverage has been consumed that at least the uppermost nucleation zones 24a are above the level of the beverage, for example when the cup 10 is at rest on a surface, fewer of the nucleation sites are active, thereby reducing the total amount of bubbles produced. This results in a dynamic nucleation, wherein the rate of nucleation is lower when the cup 10 contains less of the beverage, thereby mitigating the potential increase in the proportion of the nucleation rate when compared to the amount of beverage in the cup.

According to some examples, at least some of the lowermost nucleation zones 24b are disposed on the portion of the interior surface 20 defined by the base 14, i.e., below the cavity 22.

According to other example, the uppermost and lowermost nucleation zones 24a, 24b are spaced from each other by a distance which is at least about one third of the height h of the interior surface 20.

According to further examples, the upper portion 20a of the interior surface 20 constitutes about half of height h thereof, with each of the uppermost and lowermost nucleation zones 24a, 24b comprising at least a quarter of the total nucleation area.

According to still further example, the upper portion 20a of the interior surface 20 constitutes about half of height h thereof, and the upper nucleation site 24a comprises a percentage of the total nucleation area which is substantially equal to the percentage of the volume of the cavity 22 which is defined by the upper portion 20a. (It will be appreciated that in this connection, one having skill in the art will readily appreciate the range encompassed by “substantially equal.” For example, it may include a variation of up to about 20%.) It has been found that some drinkers consume the amount of beverage contained within the upper half of the height h of the interior surface 20 with the initial quaff, i.e., before the cup 10 is set down. Accordingly, this example provides for keeping an amount of active nucleation sites 24 proportional to the amount of beverage which remains after the first quaff thereof.

According to a modification of the above example, the total nucleation area may be determined based on a volume of beverage which fills about half of the height h of the cavity 22. This may be useful, for example, in situations wherein the typical drinker immediately consumes the amount of beverage contained within the upper half of the height h, and there is little time for nucleation to have a significant effect before the first quaff. Accordingly, the uppermost nucleation zone 24a may be located at or slightly below the midpoint of the height h of the interior surface, for example as illustrated in FIG. 4.

According to still further examples, all of the nucleation sites 24 are contiguous. For example, the nucleation sites 24 may be provided spanning a large portion of the height h of the interior surface 20, and designed such that the distribution thereof along the height provides for dynamic nucleation which is closely tailored to the amount of beverage within the cup 10, irrespective of drinking habits. For example, the nucleation sites 24 may form a single strip (not illustrated) along the interior surface 20, such that the amount of active nucleation sites is exactly proportional to the amount of liquid in the cup 10.

It will be appreciated that the above examples are non-limiting, and are not exclusive, i.e., the cup 10 may be provided according to two or more of the above examples in combination, and/or may be provided according to examples not explicitly disclosed herein.

It will be further appreciated that the scope encompassed by approximate and/or subjective terms as used herein, such as “about” and “substantially,” will be well understood by those having skill in the art. As the determination of parameters of nucleation sites, for example the total nucleation area, placement thereof, etc., is often done experimentally, and the distribution thereof according to the presently disclosed subject matter is configured to match expected behavior, some variation is possible without materially affecting the operation of the cup 10. Accordingly, one skilled in the art will readily be able to understand the metes and bounds of the description and the appended claims which are modified by approximating language.

Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains will readily appreciate that numerous changes, variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention mutatis mutandis.

Claims

1. A cup for containing therein a carbonated beverage, the cup comprising:

a smooth interior surface having distinct upper and lower portions, said smooth interior surface being provided with one or more nucleation sites defining a predetermined total nucleation area and comprising an uppermost nucleation zone disposed on said upper portion of the smooth interior surface, and a lowermost nucleation zone disposed on said lower portion of the smooth interior surface,

wherein the lowermost nucleation zone comprises at least a quarter of the total nucleation area, and said lower portion does not extend above the lowermost third of the height of the cup.

2. The cup according to claim 1, said smooth interior surface further comprises a substantially horizontal base portion, at least a portion of said lowermost nucleation zone being disposed on said base portion.

3. The cup according to claim 1, wherein said uppermost nucleation zone is vertically spaced from said lowermost nucleation zone by a distance not less than about one third of the total height of the smooth interior surface.

4. The cup according to claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the smooth interior surface constitutes the upper half of the height of the cup, and the uppermost nucleation zone comprises at least a quarter of the total nucleation area.

5. The cup according to claim 4, wherein the uppermost nucleation zone comprises a percentage of the total nucleation area substantially equal to the percentage of cup volume defined by said upper portion of the smooth interior surface.

6. The cup according to claim 1, wherein said uppermost nucleation zone is formed as a substantially horizontal ring.

7. The cup according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said nucleation sites constitutes at least a portion of a logo.

8. The cup according to claim 1, wherein said one or more nucleation sites are substantially contiguous.

9. The cup according to claim 1, wherein said at least some of said one or more nucleation sites are separated from one another by a smooth area of the smooth inner surface.

10. The cup according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said nucleation sites are etched onto said smooth interior surface.

11. The cup according to claim 10, wherein the etching is performed by a laser.

12. The cup according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said nucleation sites comprises an element applied to said smooth interior surface.

13. The cup according to claim 12, wherein said element comprises an enamel.

14. The cup according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said nucleation sites comprise a plurality of non-smooth areas separated by smooth areas.

15. The cup according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said nucleation sites are constituted by a continuous non-smooth area.

16. The cup according to claim 1, being made of glass.

17. The cup according to claim 1, wherein at least one parameter of the nucleation sites is configured to optimize a characteristic of a predetermined beverage when contained within said cup.

18. The cup according to claim 17, wherein said characteristic is related to the rate of formation of bubbles from gas dissolved within said beverage.

19. The cup according to claim 17, wherein said parameter comprises said total nucleation area.