Comments on: Annoyances http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/ Tasty Little Nuggets of Design and Innovation Goodness Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:18:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: joe http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-6068 joe Wed, 22 Nov 2006 22:32:33 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-6068 this is what Ikea has done regarding the issue: http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/ikea-trofe-mug-dishwasherowned-199374.php you see a little drain cleft in the bottom edge, they appear very proud of it. this is what Ikea has done regarding the issue:

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/ikea-trofe-mug-dishwasherowned-199374.php

you see a little drain cleft in the bottom edge, they appear very proud of it.

]]> By: Felipe Budinich http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-2965 Felipe Budinich Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:28:53 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-2965 Another advantage that comes with the indent is the fact that it avoids direct contact with the surface you place it, that way your coffee takes longer to cool (you can see that on cardboard coffee cups also) Another advantage that comes with the indent is the fact that it avoids direct contact with the surface you place it, that way your coffee takes longer to cool (you can see that on cardboard coffee cups also)

]]> By: masukomi http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-2572 masukomi Wed, 06 Sep 2006 04:14:57 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-2572 There's a perfectly good reason for it that has nothing to do with air cushons (although that may be true too). Notice how, on most mugs, the ring around the bottom of the cup isn't shiny but the bubble area is? That's because the glaze (which is essentially glass) isn't usually applied to the edge that will be touching because a) you don't want to deal with molten glass hardening into the surface of whatever it's sitting on and b) it wouldn't be shiny even if it didn't stick to it because it's touching something with it's own texture. The depression isn't touching anything during the firing so the glaze is allowed to become all smooth. On a related note white ceramic mugs are frequently (always?) made from porcelan which is very smooth even without a glaze. There’s a perfectly good reason for it that has nothing to do with air cushons (although that may be true too). Notice how, on most mugs, the ring around the bottom of the cup isn’t shiny but the bubble area is? That’s because the glaze (which is essentially glass) isn’t usually applied to the edge that will be touching because a) you don’t want to deal with molten glass hardening into the surface of whatever it’s sitting on and b) it wouldn’t be shiny even if it didn’t stick to it because it’s touching something with it’s own texture. The depression isn’t touching anything during the firing so the glaze is allowed to become all smooth. On a related note white ceramic mugs are frequently (always?) made from porcelan which is very smooth even without a glaze.

]]> By: Chris Spurgeon http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-2203 Chris Spurgeon Sun, 27 Aug 2006 00:36:53 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-2203 But would that actually work? I don't see how there would be any "cushion of air" since the cup never gets compressed. There's a pocket of air trapped under there once the cup is set down, but it wouldn't be compressed, so wouldn't act as a cushion. But I could see other advantages to a concave cup bottom. I wonder if cup bottoms are concave because that way you can be absolutely sure that they're not even a tiny bit convex, which could cause them to wobble. It also possibly makes them sit better on a irregular surface. But would that actually work? I don’t see how there would be any "cushion of air" since the cup never gets compressed. There’s a pocket of air trapped under there once the cup is set down, but it wouldn’t be compressed, so wouldn’t act as a cushion.

But I could see other advantages to a concave cup bottom. I wonder if cup bottoms are concave because that way you can be absolutely sure that they’re not even a tiny bit convex, which could cause them to wobble. It also possibly makes them sit better on a irregular surface.

]]> By: niblettes » Blog Archive » Puddle Recepticle Redux http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-1867 niblettes » Blog Archive » Puddle Recepticle Redux Wed, 16 Aug 2006 18:41:46 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-1867 [...] I got some really good answers from some bright people about why cup have that indent. [...] [...] I got some really good answers from some bright people about why cup have that indent. [...]

]]> By: niblettes http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-994 niblettes Fri, 14 Jul 2006 21:16:27 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-994 I knew someone had to have the answer! Cheers. I knew someone had to have the answer! Cheers.

]]> By: Victor http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-978 Victor Fri, 14 Jul 2006 02:00:47 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-978 The indent creates a tiny pocket of air that cushions the cup just a little as you put it down to keep the material from chipping. It's called the "denteler" and was invented by Alexis Menatti in France in 1894. The indent creates a tiny pocket of air that cushions the cup just a little as you put it down to keep the material from chipping. It’s called the “denteler” and was invented by Alexis Menatti in France in 1894.

]]> By: niblettes http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-976 niblettes Thu, 13 Jul 2006 21:23:17 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-976 That's a good point. Makes me wonder how many other manufacturing artifacts we experience every day that we just live with, work around, or have become desensitized to? That’s a good point. Makes me wonder how many other manufacturing artifacts we experience every day that we just live with, work around, or have become desensitized to?

]]> By: Steve Portigal http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-975 Steve Portigal Thu, 13 Jul 2006 21:14:16 +0000 http://www.niblettes.com/blog/2006/07/13/annoyances/#comment-975 Is this an artifact of manufacturing? If this sits on a flat surface with a flat bottom, isn't it going to be harder to get off the kiln/mold ? Just a thought. Is this an artifact of manufacturing? If this sits on a flat surface with a flat bottom, isn’t it going to be harder to get off the kiln/mold ?

Just a thought.

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