MODULAR GLASS

Abstract

The present invention discloses a modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts, and which is particularly simple and functional, with reduced costs. The modular glass includes a glass portion, a stem, a cork, and a lid. The stem portion is attached to the glass portion from its bottom. The cork is removably attached to a lower portion of the stem. The cork is removably attached to a hollow circular portion of the lid. The lid is usable as a cap as well as a stand for the glass. The modular glass further includes a seal for covering a top of the glass and is used to maintain freshness of a sealed beverage in the glass.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present application generally relates to a glass, and more particularly to a modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In general, a tableware made of glass consists, among other things, of various styles of drinking glasses, such as drinking glasses with stems, with long stems or without stems, and also vases, carafes, bowls, dishes, cups and other items. Currently these glass items are composed of a single piece. Following technical difficulties in production some of these items may also be formed of more than one part cemented or welded together in an inseparable manner. This prevalently concerns drinking glasses provided with bases, with or without a stem, prevalently produced in blown glass. As is well known, a complete set of table glasses comprises a large number of items of various shapes and sizes. For the user, this entails considerable expense at the time of purchase and a great deal of space to store the set. Moreover, in the event of breakage, even if only one piece of a drinking glass is involved, it is necessary to replace the whole item, while usually only one part of it has been damaged, with a subsequent high cost. The object of the present invention is to produce a modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts associable with one another.

SUMMARY

[0003] It will be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular apparatus described herein, as there can be multiple possible embodiments of the present disclosure which are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosure. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0004] It is an objective of the present invention to provide a modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts and which is particularly simple and functional, with reduced costs. Another object of the present invention is to produce a modular drinking glass which allows selective replacement of the damaged part only and re-use of the unbroken part.

[0005] The modular glass includes a glass portion, a stem, a cork, and a lid. The stem portion is attached to the glass portion from its bottom. The cork is removably attached to a lower portion of the stem. The cork is removably attached to a hollow circular portion of the lid. The lid is usable as a cap as well as a stand for the glass. The modular glass further includes a seal for covering a top of the glass and is used to maintain freshness of a sealed beverage in the glass. Further, at least the glass portion and stem are made up of a transparent material such as a glass, plastic, or crystal.

[0006] The glass is designed to include a hole or opening between the glass portion and the stem such that a poured beverage is passable from an interior of the glass portion to an interior of the stem through the hole. In some other examples, the glass is not designed to include a hole or opening between the glass portion and the stem such that a poured beverage is not passable from an interior of the glass portion to an interior of the stem.

[0007] The cork is a detachable component, made up of a plastic or metallic or rubber material, having a top portion and a bottom portion such that the top portion fits into the stem and bottom portion fits into the lid. The cork includes a hollow circular disc with a vertical pipe embedded therein in its center. The cork further includes a cork locking component, wherein the cork locking component locks with a stem locking component of the stem when the stem or the cork is rotated in an appropriate direction such as a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. In some other examples, the cork is a press and fit type of cork that is inserted into the stem and pressed to fit therein.

[0008] Further, the lid is provided with an extended portion that is used by a user to operate the lid during configuring the glass. The modular glass further includes a covering for covering the glass to obtain a packaged glass. The covering includes a zipper mechanism that can be pulled down by a user to open the packaged glass.

[0009] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description below, in light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

[0010] The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the present invention, as to its structure, organization, use and method of operation, together with further objectives and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following drawings in which a presently preferred embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of various examples. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of example in association with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram that illustrates a modular drinking glass, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] FIG. 2A is a diagram that illustrates a stem of the modular drinking glass, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 2B is a diagram that illustrates a stem of the modular drinking glass, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 3A is a diagram that illustrates a cross-sectional view of the modular drinking glass with a prefilled beverage, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 3B is a diagram that illustrates a cross-sectional view of the modular drinking glass with a prefilled beverage, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 3C is a diagram that illustrates an assembly environment of a cork with a stem of the modular drinking glass, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 3D is a diagram that illustrates an assembly environment of a cork with a lid of the modular drinking glass, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] FIG. 4A is a diagram that illustrates an assembly environment of another type of cork with a stem of the modular drinking glass, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 4B is a diagram that illustrates an assembly environment of another type of cork with a lid of the modular drinking glass, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams, each individually illustrates a lid design of the modular drinking glass, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams, each individually illustrates a cross-sectional view of the lid design of the modular drinking glass, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates different threading designs on the glass's stem, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0023] FIG. 8 is a diagram that illustrates the modular drinking glass enclosed in a covering, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be further understood that the detailed description of exemplary embodiments is intended for illustration purposes only and is, therefore, not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" may also include plural references. For example, the term "an article" may include a plurality of articles. Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated, relative to other elements, in order to improve the understanding of the present invention. There may be additional components described in the foregoing application that are not depicted on one of the described drawings. In the event such a component is described, but not depicted in a drawing, the absence of such a drawing should not be considered as an omission of such design from the specification.

[0026] Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be observed that the present invention utilizes a combination of components, which constitutes a modular drinking glass. Accordingly, the components have been represented, showing only specific details that are pertinent for an understanding of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the present invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the present invention.

[0027] References to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "another embodiment", "yet another embodiment", "one example", "an example", "another example", "yet another example", and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase "in an embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.

[0028] The words "comprising", "having", "containing", and "including", and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items.

[0029] Unless stated otherwise, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to arbitrarily distinguish between the elements or entities. Thus, these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such elements or priorities. While various exemplary embodiments of the disclosed apparatuses have been described below, it should be understood that they have been presented for purposes of example only, and not limitations. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the present invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the below teachings or may be acquired from practicing of the present invention, without departing from the breadth or scope.

[0030] The modular drinking glass of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which should be regarded as merely illustrative without restricting the scope and ambit of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1-8.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a diagram that illustrates a modular drinking glass 100, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The modular drinking glass 100 includes a plurality of portions such as a glass 102, a cork 104, and a lid 106. Further, a top of the glass 102 may be temporarily sealed with a freshness seal 108 that is generally used to maintain the freshness of the sealed beverage in the glass 100.

[0032] In an embodiment, the glass 102 includes a glass portion 102a and a stem 102b. The glass portion 102a may be a vertical bowl that is formed in one piece of a suitable material, which may be a transparent material such as, but not limited to, glass, plastic, or crystal. Further, an opening of the glass portion 102a (that is sealed with the freshness seal 108) may be defined by a circular rim. The glass portion 102a, the rim, the interior, and the opening are all axially symmetric about a central vertical axis of the modular drinking glass 100. The interior of the glass cup or bowl 102a may be configured to hold a liquid beverage such as, but is not limited to, wine, water, gin, or whiskey.

[0033] In an embodiment, the cork 104 is designed to removably connect the stem 102b of the modular drinking glass 100 to the lid 106 (here, the lid 106 is used as a stand for the modular drinking glass 100). The cork 104 is a detachable component, made up of silicon, a plastic or metallic or rubber material, having a top portion and a bottom portion such that the top portion fits into the stem 102b and bottom portion fits into the lid 106. In an embodiment, the lid 106 may be designed to be used as a cap for covering or closing the opening of the glass 102 or as a stand of the glass 102. In some embodiments, the cork 104 may be fixedly attached/connected to the stem 102b of the modular drinking glass 100.

[0034] FIG. 2A is a diagram that illustrates the stem 102b of the modular drinking glass 100, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The glass portion 102a and the stem 102b may be formed in one piece of a suitable material, which may be a transparent material such as, but not limited to, glass, plastic, or crystal. As shown in FIG. 2A, the glass portion 102a is provided with a hole 102c at its bottom along its central vertical axis that passes through the stem 102b. Since there is the hole 102c from the glass portion 102a to the stem 102b, any liquid that is poured into the interior of the glass portion 102a will also enter into the stem 102b through the hole 102c. Further, the top opening of the glass portion 102a has an inclined edge (towards outside). The inclined edge is useful establishing a tight gripping of the seal. Also, this inclined edge may be useful for providing a stable and tight gripping while using the lid for closing the top opening.

[0035] FIG. 2B is a diagram that illustrates the stem 102b of the modular drinking glass 100, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The glass portion 102a and the stem 102b may be formed in one piece of a suitable material, which may be a transparent material such as, but not limited to, glass, plastic, or crystal. As shown in FIG. 2B, the glass portion 102a is not provided with any hole at its bottom and is actually sealed along the bottom portion 102d. Since there is no hole at the bottom of the glass portion 102a, any liquid that is poured into the interior of the glass portion 102a will remain within the interior of the glass portion 102a and will not enter into the stem 102b.

[0036] FIG. 3A is a diagram that illustrates a cross-sectional view of the modular drinking glass 100 with a prefilled beverage 110, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Here the interior of the glass portion 102a is filled with the beverage 110. Further, the stem 102b is attached to the cork 104 that is further fitted into the lid 106 (as being used as a stand). The lid 106 is provided with an extended portion 106a that is used to operate the lid 106 during configuring the modular drinking glass 100. Further, the top opening of the glass portion 102a is sealed with the freshness seal 108.

[0037] FIG. 3B is a diagram that illustrates a cross-sectional view of the modular drinking glass 100 with the prefilled beverage 110, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Here the interior of the glass portion 102a is filled with the beverage 110. Further, the stem 102b is attached to the cork 104. Here, the cork 104 is not fitted into the lid 106. Instead, the lid 106 has been used as a cap for covering the sealed top portion of the glass portion 102a. Further, as shown, the lid 106 fits around the edge (that is inclined outside) of the glass portion 102a, as shown. In some embodiments, the lid 106 may include a bottom surface or plate 106g that encloses the hollow circular portion 106b from the bottom. In such a case, the prefilled liquid 110 may not be directly accessed through the hollow circular portion 106b since the bottom of the hollow circular portion 106b is closed by the bottom surface or plate 106g. In some other embodiments, the lid 106 may not include the bottom surface or plate 106g. In such a case, the prefilled liquid 110 may be directly accessed through the hollow circular portion 106b since the bottom of the hollow circular portion 106b is not closed by the bottom surface or plate 106g.

[0038] FIG. 3C is a diagram that illustrates an assembly environment of the cork 104 with the stem 102b of the modular drinking glass 100, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cork 104 includes a hollow circular disc 104a with a vertical pipe 104b embedded therein in its center. The cork 104 further includes a cork locking component 104c. The stem 102b includes a stem locking component 102d. Here, the cork 104 is inserted into the stem 102a such that the vertical pipe 104b goes into a hollow portion of the stem 102a and then the cork locking component 104c locks with the stem locking component 102d when the stem 102b or the cork 104 is rotated in an appropriate direction such as a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.

[0039] FIG. 3D is a diagram that illustrates an assembly environment of a cork with a lid of the modular drinking glass, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cork 104 further includes a cork locking component 104d. The lid 106 includes a hollow circular portion 106b having an interior portion that is integrated with a lid locking component 106c. Here, the cork 104 is inserted into the hollow circular portion 106b of the lid 106 and then the cork locking component 104d locks with the lid locking component 106c when the cork 104 or the lid 106 is rotated in an appropriate direction such as a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.

[0040] FIG. 4A is a diagram that illustrates an assembly environment of another type of cork 104 with the stem 102b of the modular drinking glass 100, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Here, the cork 104 is a press and fit type of cork that is inserted into the stem 102b and pressed to fit therein.

[0041] FIG. 4B is a diagram that illustrates an assembly environment of another type of cork 104 with the lid 106 of the modular drinking glass 100, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cork 104 further includes a cork locking component 104d. The lid 106 includes a hollow circular portion 106b having an interior portion that is integrated with a lid locking component 106c. Here, the cork 104 is inserted into the hollow circular portion 106b of the lid 106 and then the cork locking component 104d locks with the lid locking component 106c when the cork 104 or the lid 106 is rotated in an appropriate direction such as a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.

[0042] FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams, each individually illustrates a lid design 106 of the modular drinking glass 100, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5A shows 3-dimensional view of the lid design 106 when the glass cum bottle 100 is sold empty and not as prefilled. FIG. 5A shows cross-sectional view of the lid design 106 when the glass cum bottle 100 is sold empty and not as prefilled. The lid 106 has a base portion 106d. The base portion 106d further has threading designs 106e on its top. The lid 106 further has the extended portion that can be used to handle or operate the lid as and when required, for example, to remove the lid 106 from the cork 104.

[0043] FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams, each individually illustrates a cross-sectional view of the lid design 106 of the modular drinking glass 100, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The lid 106 has a base portion 106d. The base portion 106d further has threading designs 106e on its top. The lid 106 further has the extended portion that can be used to handle or operate the lid as and when required, for example, to remove the lid 106 from the cork 104. In some examples, the glass's stem 102b may be attached directly to the lid 106 without having any intermediate component such as the cork 104. In such a case, the glass's stem 102b is directly inserted into engagement or locking sections 106f of the lid 106. In some other examples, the glass's stem 102b may be first attached to the cork 104 that is further inserted into the lid 106 of the modular drinking glass 100.

[0044] FIG. 7 is a block diagram that illustrates different threading designs on the glass's stem 102b, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The different threading designs on the glass's stem 102b may include as shown by reference numerals 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d, without limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Further, a person having ordinary skills in the art would understand that the threading designs has been shown for illustrative purpose only and should not be construed as limiting to the scope of the present invention. Also, in some embodiments, the glass's stem 102b may be designed and used without including any thread therein.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a diagram that illustrates the modular drinking glass 100 enclosed in a covering or enclosure 200, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The covering 200 may be made up of a plastic or paper or cloth or any other material known in the art. The covering 200 may include a zipper kind of mechanism (as shown by 202) that can be pulled down by a user to open the packaged glass 100. In an embodiment, the modular drinking glass 100 is enclosed using the removable covering 200 while the glass 100 is sold prefilled with some drinks. In some examples, the removable covering 200 may be a covering that extends from top to bottom of the modular drinking glass 100. In such a case, the zipper may be pulled down from the top to the bottom of the modular drinking glass 100 in order to access the prefilled drinks. In another examples, the removable covering 200 may be a covering that extends from top to half of the modular drinking glass 100. In such a case, the zipper may be pulled down from the top to the half of the modular drinking glass 100 in order to access the prefilled drinks.

[0046] Techniques consistent with the disclosure provide, among other features, a modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts. While various exemplary embodiments of the disclosed glass have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented for purposes of example only, and not limitations. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practicing of the disclosure, without departing from the breadth or scope.

[0047] While various embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as described in the claims.

Claims

1. A modular glass, comprising: a glass portion, a stem, a cork, and a lid, wherein the stem portion is attached to the glass portion from its bottom, the cork is removably or fixedly attached to a lower portion of the stem, the cork is removably attached to a hollow circular portion of the lid, and the lid is usable as a cap as well as a stand for the glass.

2. The modular glass of claim 1, further comprising a seal for covering a top of the glass and is used to maintain freshness of a sealed beverage in the glass.

3. The modular glass of claim 1, wherein at least the glass portion and stem are made up of a transparent material such as a glass, plastic, or crystal.

4. The modular glass of claim 1, wherein the glass is designed to include a hole or opening between the glass portion and the stem such that a poured beverage is passable from an interior of the glass portion to an interior of the stem through the hole.

5. The modular glass of claim 1, wherein the glass is not designed to include a hole or opening between the glass portion and the stem such that a poured beverage is not passable from an interior of the glass portion to an interior of the stem.

6. The modular glass of claim 1, wherein the cork is a detachable component, made up of a plastic or metallic or silicon or rubber material, having a top portion and a bottom portion such that the top portion fits into the stem and bottom portion fits into the lid.

7. The modular glass of claim 6, wherein the cork includes a hollow circular disc with a vertical pipe embedded therein in its center.

8. The modular glass of claim 7, wherein the cork further includes a cork locking component, wherein the cork locking component locks with a stem locking component of the stem when the stem or the cork is rotated in an appropriate direction such as a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.

9. The modular glass of claim 6, wherein the cork is a press and fit type of cork that is inserted into the stem and pressed to fit therein.

10. The modular glass of claim 1, wherein the lid is provided with an extended portion that is used by a user to operate the lid during configuring the glass.

11. The modular glass of claim 1, further comprising a covering for covering the glass to obtain a packaged glass.

12. The modular glass of claim 11, wherein the covering includes a zipper mechanism that can be pulled down by a user to open the packaged glass.