The basic cup shape- that of a bullet- has been more than perfected since the invention of the cup in 1937 by Leona Chalmers. You can now find hundreds of bullet/bell shaped cups and virtually all cups maintain that basic design principle. Some, like the round "ball" shaped cups are a whole other animal! These ball shaped cups are "love it or hate it" but those who love them LOVE them. I'll also go into another variation on the bullet, the "ergonomic" tapered cup.