Abstract:
A bottomless measuring cup system having a tubular container with a hollow interior and opposite open ends and a plunger having a base adapted to slidingly fit within the hollow interior of the container.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to measuring cups. More specifically, the present invention relates to a combination of a measuring cup and a dispensing device, which combination is particularly useful in the culinary arts. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Many consumers love to bake, and baking often requires certain ingredients, such as brown sugar or shortening, to be packed into a measuring cup for accurate measuring. Once such ingredients are packed into the measuring cup, it can be difficult or time consuming to remove them from the measuring cup for placement into, for example, a mixing bowl. If one has to struggle to remove all of the entire ingredients from a measuring cup with a spoon or knife, the cup may be damaged or there may be an inaccurate measurement due to ingredients that are left behind. Without a more effective way to remove ingredients, a baker can have improper measurements, which can ruin the entire recipe. 
         [0003]    The bottomless measuring cup of the present invention offers a chef, cook, or baker a better way to measure and pour ingredients, such as brown sugar, shortening or peanut butter, into a mixing bowl. The present invention allows its user to fill the bottomless measuring cup with the intended ingredient, pack it to measure, and then simply push the ingredient through the cup and into the bowl. This will ensure proper measuring of certain things that need packed or should have air bubbles removed and will also ease their placement into the mixing container. The bottomless measuring cup of the present invention will reduce the effort required when cooking and baking, especially for those suffering from arthritis or other physical limitations. The convenience of using the bottomless measuring cup will even encourage kids to help bake. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A bottomless measuring cup system comprising a tubular container with a hollow interior and opposite open ends and a plunger having a base adapted to slidingly fit within the hollow interior of the container. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view, in perspective, of a preferred embodiment of a bottomless measuring cup system of the present invention; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2  shown in use with a packed, measured ingredient and a mixing bowl. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention offers a simple way to measure and add ingredients to a mixing bowl when cooking and baking. Right and left-handed users will find the bottomless measuring cup system of the present invention simple to use. Broadly speaking, the bottomless measuring cup system of this invention comprises a bottomless measuring cup and a plunger. The measuring cup or container can be made of transparent or semi-transparent glass or plastic material, can have preprinted measurements that are easy to read, and can have a handle. The system includes a plunger which can be tethered to the container. The plunger has a base that fits closely but slides within the cup so that it can be used to push ingredients out of the cup through the open bottom of the cup. The plunger facilitates the pushing of the entirety of the collected ingredients out of the cup, making entirety of the contents easy to add into the mixing bowl. The system can be made of materials which are dishwasher safe. The measuring cup can be placed on top of wax paper, a plate or countertop during filling. The bottomless measuring cup system can be made in a convenient 2-cup size or other sizes, as needed. The cup can be used with food ingredients or other items that would normally leave the hands a sticky mess. Packing mixed ingredients inside the cup will allow for a uniform size such as the case with hamburger patties and crab cakes. Use of the cup system can reduce the need to use the user&#39;s hands. The bottomless measuring cup is a universal design that is ideal for use with a number of ingredients including canned pumpkin and ricotta cheese. 
         [0009]    Now referring to  FIG. 1 , a preferred embodiment of a bottomless measuring cup system of this invention is shown in exploded view and indicated generally by the numeral  10 . Broadly speaking, bottomless measuring cup system  10  comprises cup or container  12  and plunger  14 . 
         [0010]    Cup  12  has a tubular body  16  with a frusto-conical or funnel-shaped top  18  and base flange  20 . The interior  22  of cup  12  is, of course, hollow to allow for containment of ingredients and both upper end  24  and lower end  26  of cup  12  are open. The interior  22  of cup  12  is intended to be used for containment of comestibles or other materials to be measured. Funnel-shaped top  18  facilitates addition of material into cup  12  without spillage. Tubular body  16  has an optional cup handle  28  which can be molded integrally therewith or otherwise attached to body  16  and is intended to facilitate manipulation of cup  12  by the user. Calibrated measurement markings  30  are provided on body  16  to indicate the measure of contents therein. It is contemplated that cup  12  will be made of glass or dishwasher safe polymeric plastic, with markings  30  etched or molded therein, but cup  12  can be made of any other suitable material. Container  12  is preferably made of transparent or semi-transparent material so as to provide the user a view of measured material. Body  16  is shown in its preferable round tubular or cylindrical form but could be any shape suitable for its intended function as disclosed herein. 
         [0011]    Plunger  14  has round base  32  with scraping edge portion  34  which slidingly fits within body  16 . Plunger  14  also has plunger handle  36  which is connected to round base  32  by shaft  38 . Scraping edge portion  34  is made of a resilient material such as synthetic rubber or the like well-adapted to scrape the inwardly facing surface of tubular body  16  of cup  12 . Scraping edge portion  34  acts in combination with round base  32  to eject substantially all ingredients within tubular body  16  when plunger  14  is manipulated downwardly by the user. Retention line  40  loosely attaches plunger  14  to cup handle  28 . 
         [0012]    As best shown in  FIG. 2 , bottomless cup system  10  is designed to be readily packaged in a convenient and efficient manner. Thus,  FIG. 2  shows, in cross-section, bottomless cup system  10  neatly packaged within a carton or cardboard box  42 . As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , both funnel-shaped top  18  and base flange  20  extend radially outwardly the same distance. Cup handle  28  extends radially outwardly from cup  12  a radial distance that is not greater than the radial distance of the outward edges of funnel-shaped top  18  and base flange  20 . Thus outward facing edge  44  of funnel-shaped top  18  and outward facing edge  46  of base flange  20  are substantially coplanar. Furthermore, plunger handle  36  is designed to nestle within funnel-shaped top  18  as shown in  FIG. 2  and does not extend above cup  12 . It should also be noted that plunger  14  has a height such the lower surface  48  of round base  32  is coplanar with the lower surface  50  of base flange  20  when plunger handle  36  is nestled within funnel-shaped top  18  to ensure complete ejection of ingredients during use of bottomless cup system  10 . Plunger handle  36  has a width greater than the interior width of interior  22  of tubular body  16  to prevent any further movement of plunger  14  downwardly from its position shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0013]    In use, bottomless measuring cup system  10  provides a convenient and efficient means by which a user can measure and deliver ingredients to a mixing bowl or the like. Referring to  FIG. 1 , a user can place cup  12  onto a surface such as waxed paper  52  on countertop  54  and then add ingredient material  56  into cylindrical body  16  through funnel-shaped top  18  without spillage. Then the user can insert plunger  14  into cylindrical body  16  and, if desired, force can be applied against material  56  with round base  32  of plunger  14  to compress material  56 . Then, and as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the user can lift cup  12  and peel waxed paper  52  from material  56  and surface  50  of base flange  20 . Finally, plunger  14  is used as shown in  FIG. 3  to eject material  52  out of cylindrical body  16  into mixing bowl  58 . 
         [0014]    While a preferred embodiment of a bottomless measuring cup system of the present invention has been described herein, it will be appreciated that the present invention is subject to some modification and variation and such modifications and variations are within the broad scope of this invention which is to be limited only by the following claims.