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[0001] This invention relates to a container that can be placed in an inverted position so that liquid contents within the container will drain out but the lip of the container will not contact the surface upon which the container rests. In particular, it relates to a container having at least one projection that supports the container in a vertical position when it is inverted so that the lip of the container is off the surface.
[0002] After cups, glasses, and other containers have been emptied and washed they are turned upside-down (inverted) and placed on a horizontal surface. This inverted position permits liquid in the container to drain out and keeps dust, bugs, and other things from falling into the container. However, since the lip of the container contacts the surface upon which the container rests, substances on that surface may adhere to the lip. If the container is a glass or a cup used for drinking, then these substances may be ingested by a person drinking from it. This can be especially important when the cup is used in a laboratory or an industrial facility, where toxic materials may be on the surface. Even if the container is not used for drinking it may still be desirable to keep lip off the surface to prevent materials on the surface from entering the container.
[0003] Japanese Patent 2,955,852B shows a cup having a handle that can support the cup so that the walls of the cup are at an angle to a horizontal surface. Liquid in the cup drains out and the lip of the cup does not touch the surface. However, the force due to gravity that moves liquids down along the inside of the cup is reduced due to the angle and, if that force is less than the frictional and surface tension forces between the liquid and the cup, some of the liquid will remain in the cup. This is especially true when the liquid is viscous.
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[0023] This invention is applicable to any open-ended container including buckets, pails, drums, and vessels, as well as the cups and glasses shown in the drawings. While the containers are preferably circular in cross-section, they can also have other shapes, such as elliptical, square, or rectangular. The container can have the same internal sectional area throughout its length (i.e., it can be cylindrical), but that area could also vary so that it is less or greater near the top.
[0024] The container can be made of any suitable material, including plastic, glass, ceramic, and metal. When the container is inverted and is resting on a horizontal surface the lip is preferably about 1 to about 3 mm away from the surface.