Adaptive Drinkware.

Abstract

Vessels systems are disclosed which change their shape as a function of their environment. This can include adopting to the amount of fluid held by the drinkware or the surface upon which it resides. The drinkware is therefore designed well for reside on both flat and irregular surfaces. As mass is added or removed from a vessel portion, a support system provides features such as measure, signaling, increased stability, and associated entertainment value corresponding to such features. The support system can serve to lower the center of gravity of a vessel when it is relatively full compared to when it is relatively empty.

Description

This application claims the benefit of U.S. No. 60/913,824, entitled “Adaptive Drinkware”, filed Apr. 25, 2007.

DESCRIPTION & BACKGROUND

The invention is in the field of drinkware.

Various types of specialized drinking vessels are commonly used, in our modern world. Often the designs of these vessels have been tailored with respect to the types of beverages they will hold. Due to the success of these designs, there have emerged some commonly recognized associations between particular drinking vessels and their usage. A wine glass, for example, is advantageous for the drinking of wine as its colorless transparent quality allows an individual to evaluate the bouquet of the wine, which is thought to relate to its value, it may be shaped to assist in smelling the wine and/or allowing the wine to breath, A “shot glass” is useful for the aiding the rapid distribution and consumption of measured quantities of undiluted alcohols. In the case of espresso style coffee, a very small mug is often used for consumption since this beverage is served without the addition of a large portion of milk, while a latte or café au-lait may be served in a bowl. Other well known associations are primarily stylistic in nature. A martini glass for the drinking of martinis is somewhat arbitrary, yet many might become un-agreeable if served a martini in a wine glass. Over time the shape of a particular drinking vessel has led to common conventions that various types of vessel are appropriate for serving particular beverage.

In order to make a drinking vessel more stable a receptacle accessory may be relied upon. Often a portion of the receptacle contacts and restricts the drinking vessel in order to prevent tipping of, or spilling from, the drinking vessel from occurring. For example, a common receptacle constrains movement of a drinking vessel within a moving vehicle. A holding portion of this device acts as a clip for the base of a drinking vessel and thereby prohibits motion. This type of a design has limited utility and particular disadvantages. For example, it is sized to work with a particular size and shape of vessel. These types of stabilizing systems are also of limited practicality since they require an additional object to function in conjunction with the drinking vessel, i.e. drinking holders are normally separate from drinking vessels. While providing additional stability, this solution requires the provision of a receptacle for the securing a drinking vessel, and therefore 2 rather than 1 objects are needed.

Various drinking vessels have been developed for generating special effects In response to certain conditions of the drinking vessels and mainly for enhancing amusement for their users. International Publication No. WO 94/17691 is for a cup adapted to generate sounds when the cup is filled with water and/or when the cup is emptied of its contents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,548 discloses a glass adapted to display an image in response to the level of liquid held inside. Although the cup and glass are responsive to the level, or change in level, of liquids contents, these do not provide advantages such as increasing stability (e.g., as may be related to lifting from or placement upon a supporting surface) as is contemplated in the current invention. Known vessels also do not change their shape or form to indicate the level of liquid inside the glass. Known vessels do not change their shape or form as a function of the amount of liquid held, and do not use this change in shape or form to provide, initiate, or a change the state of a secondary feature such as turning on a light, emitting a sound, or the like.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,765,465, 5,536496, 5,785,407 and 5,119,279 relate to drinking vessels having generating mechanisms for generating sounds or lights in response to placement or lifting of the drinking vessels on or from a supporting surface. With respect to increasing stability, cup holders and other adapting devices are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices: U.S. Pat. No. 1,778,545 to Allen, 1930; U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,974 to Bellow, Oct. 29, 1940; U.S. Pat. No. 2,745,616 to Gomes, May 1956; U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,131 to Palmer; U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,436 to Beghetto, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,263 to Roericht,; U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,696; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,510,401 and 4,501,401 both to Conee; U.S. Pat. No. 4,596,370; U.S. Pat No. 4,771,911; U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,048; U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,916; U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,921; U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,302 to Tucker; U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,147 to Paganus; U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,313 to Armstrong; U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,902 to Hiles: and U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,888 to Castillo.

Although certain shapes may offer advantages for holding different beverages, regardless of the shape of the drinking vessel, the shape does not change after the time of manufacture. While a person may put a lid on a coffee cop, the cup itself is not responsive to the amount of coffee within the cup. The same is true for all prior art cups. The bottom of a wine glass will not normally expand in order to lower the center of gravity so that contents will not be less likely to spill if the glass is tipped. While the form of a drinking vessel may be designed intelligently to offer specific advantages, the form does not change as a function of the amount of liquid held within the vessel. The invention provides these and other features lacking in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Drinkware is a general term for the class of vessels from which people drink. Stemware is drinkware in which the vessel portion stands on a stem above a base. The invention relates to drinkware, with specific relevance for stemware, and provides dynamic, adjustable, signaling and/or responsive support systems for drinkware.

The present invention discloses drinking vessels that adapt to the level of their contents. A number of embodiments are shown in which the supporting portions of the vessels become more stable as the amount of fluid held in the vessel portion increases. The disclosed vessel designs are planned with a greater degree of flexibility and stability compared to rigid designs. The vessels can have a signaling aspect which indicates the level of liquid held in the vessel. This may occur by change in position or shape of the vessel and can also occur using visual signaling.

The invention provides dynamic, adjustable, and responsive support systems and other responsive features for drinkware. Circuitry configured to detect an amount or level of liquid held in the vessel can be provided as well, as powering means which can be rechargeable via wired or wireless methods.

In one preferred embodiment the drinking vessel is realized with a base section that consists of a plurality of flexible rods. The rods are attached to the bottom of the vessel portion and are secured at an angle of between 10 and 50 degrees thereby forming a conical support structure. The rods may be of a flexibility that causes compression of the base section so that, the vessel portion changes its elevation at least once as a function of the amount of beverage held by the vessel. The rods may all be of the same length or may be of different lengths and may be advantageous when the vessel is placed on an irregular surface.

An object of the invention is to provide vessels whose shape changes after the time of manufacture. In some embodiments, base of the vessel can expand, compress, or slide and may thereby lower the center of gravity of the vessel for example when liquid is poured into the vessel portion. This can cause the advantage of making the vessel, less likely to spill due to tipping.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible and adjustable base for the vessel which can adopt to different contours such as rough or otherwise uneven support surfaces (e.g. sand).

Another object of the invention is to use the change in shape as a trigger to generate or adjust sensory stimuli such as sounds or lights when the cup is filled and/or emptied of its contents.

Additional objects of the invention provide advantages such as increasing stability through various features such as base structures that adapt to the support surfaces. The support structures can also change their shape or form, as a function of, or in order to indicate, the level of liquid is the vessel. Changes in shape or form can be used to provide, initiate, or a change the state of a secondary feature such as turning on a light emitting a sound, or the like. The support structure(s) can expand in order to lower the center of gravity so that contents will not be less likely to spill.

These aid other advantages and features of the invention will be described and disclosed in the descriptions, figures, and claims of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a cross sectional plan view a drinking vessel and dynamic support system, the vessel containing relatively less mass than FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1B is a cross sectional plan view a drinking vessel and dynamic support system, the vessel containing relatively more mass than FIG 1A.

FIG. 2A is a cross-section plan view of an alternative type of drinking vessel and dynamic support system, wherein the support system is configured to become lower and wider with increased fluid is held in the vessel.

FIG. 2B is a cross-section plan view of an alternative type of drinking vessel and dynamic support system of FIG. 2A, wherein more mass has been added to the vessel portion.

FIG. 3A is a cross-section plan view of an alternative embodiment of a drinking vessel and dynamic support system, wherein the support system is a series of flexible rods or “legs” having heads on their ventral ends.

FIG. 3B is a cross-section plan view the vessel of FIG. 3A having flexible rods and ventral tip beads, and the beads are capable of being stored in a based member accessory.

FIG. 4A is a cross-section plan view of an alternative embodiment of a drinking vessel and dynamic support system, wherein the support system has a light emitter module that is configured to emit one color of light when the amount of a beverage held by the vessel is more than a specified above and another color the amount is less than this value.

FIG. 4B is a diagrammatic view of a light emitter module.

FIG. 4B is a diagrammatic view of a light emitter module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Although a dandy or purveyor of social environments may often desire to enjoy a drink, these individuals do not have an in vogue manner of demonstrating or signaling the status of their beverage. Known drinking vessels fail to adequately demonstrate or signal to those nearby the quantity of liquid within a cocktail vessel at a particular moment in time. In the case of a cocktail enjoyed in a common setting the host must provide additional attentions the guests by cumbersomely taking notice of individual drinks in order to determine whether a drink is finished, in which case the guest may wish to be served an additional cocktail. In a commercial setting, this may result in diminished sales because the existence of empty cocktails may not be known and further time may be spent evaluating the current state of the cocktails at the bar rather than mixing additional beverages. In a private setting, this may result in a sobering of guests and a subsequent decrement in a festive atmosphere so that the party fails to remain “fabulous”. Further a long standing need has existed to increase the stability of drinking vessels upon non-uniform and heterogeneously distributed support surfaces, especially in establishments where alcoholic beverages are being enjoyed. Even within modern bohemian contexts, the spilling of beverage may upset, rather than delight, the host.

In particular, known types of drinking vessels fail to increase in stability when these are most full. Ironically, when these contain their greatest quantity of possible liquid mass (excluding ice-cubes) drinking vessels are most unstable. This is primarily because the center of gravity is at the highest elevation from the support surface on which the base resides leading to an increased likelihood that the cocktails may tip or turn over. It is argued that drinking vessels with higher stem portions are particularly prone to the aforementioned behavior, and that decreasing the height of the stem portion when the vessel portion is fuller should lead to advantages of increased stability.

Rather than causing the drinking vessel to become more stable by relying upon a receptacle that is configured for the securing the drinking vessel and restricting the movement of the drinking vessel to deter tipping/spilling of the drinking vessel from occurring, the current invention provides alternative strategies. Although this type of securing receptacle may be beneficial when implemented for use within an automobile, this is less appealing for use in the home and especially while entertaining. Further, the receptacle solution has limited utility since this design is designed to work with a particular size and shape of glass and to attach to something such as a dashboard of an automobile. This solution is therefore of limited practicality, since these types of stabilizing systems require an additional object to function in conjunction with a drinking vessel i.e. drinking holders separate from drinking vessels. This solution requires that the size and shape of the drinking vessel be known ahead of time, it is not adaptable for use with stemware or oddly shaped glasses, and it is inappropriate for use in the contexts in which drinks are frequently consumed.

FIG. 1A shows a drinking vessel with a vessel portion 10, a stem portion 12 and a base portion 14, and the vessel is in a non-compressed state. The stem portion 12 contains a compressible portion 16 which compresses as a function of the fluid held by the vessel portion 10 such that when there is more mass the compression portion 16a decreases the distance (D1) between the vessel portion 10 and the base 14, while less mass permits this distance to increase. FIG. 1B, shows the vessel in a compressed state which may occur when the vessel portion is filled with beverage causing the distance between the vessel portion 10 and the base 14 to be decreased to become the distance (D2) shown. As an individual drinks the beverage the vessel shown in FIG. 1B will again approximate that of FIG. 1A. The compression portion 16 may realized using a number of designs and principles such as using a spring, a clear compressible gas cylinder, a set of opposing magnets. The compression portions may be adjustable to provides forces that are adjusted to allow compression to occur in accordance with various amounts of beverage. Rather than simply using a compression portion 16, the entire stem 12 or base 14 portion may change a characteristic such as shape or size as a function of mass held in the vessel portion 10.

FIG. 2A shows another type of drinking vessel with a vessel portion 10, a stem portion 12 and a base portion 14b. In this case the entire base portion 14b is implemented as a compressible component. The base portion 14b compression feature can be realized using a spring-like material which reacts to the addition of liquid in the vessel. This reaction may entail at least one of: lowering the vessel portion thereby decreasing the center of gravity of the vessel; as well as laterally or radially expanding the ventral section of the base-portion 14b along a supporting surface in order to provide increased support and stability, as can be seen in FIG. 2B.

A drinking vessel normally has either 2 or 3 sections. The first section is a “vessel” portion, which contains the beverage that will be consumed. The vessel portion is normally supported by a “base” portion which, makes contact with the supporting surface on which the drinking vessel rests when it is not being held by a person. A drinking vessel may also commonly have a “stem” portion located between the vessel and base sections and serves to lift the vessel section vertically above the base. Although the vessels of FIGS. 2A and 2B have all three sections, the stem section 12 could be done away with and the base portion 14 could have been connected directly to the vessel portion 10. In general, any portion of the drinkware that supports the vessel portion 10, can be considered as part of the vessel's support system.

Although the drinkware of the FIGs are illustrated using a martini-like design, the drinking vessels could be of any shape or size for containing liquid. Many conventional drinking vessels are usually of a size for holding between 4 and 20 ounces of fluid in their vessel portion. A wine glass may often contain about 8-10 fluid ounces which is about half of the 20 ounces capacity (since wine is often poured only half-way to capacity of the glass). A large cup of coffee from Dean and Delucca may hold approximately 20 fluid ounces. The various portions of the vessels can be made from a single material or a mixture of materials including glass, plastic, metal, paper, foam, or any other suitable material.

The base portion 14 may simply be the external and ventral surface of the vessel portion 10 as could occur with a traditional coffee cup, jar, or water glass. With many conventional water glasses, the base portion 14 is thicker than the more dorsal/elevated sections of the drinking vessel 10 and may be of a different color or may have a unique design etched upon its surface. A thicker base portion 14 also promotes increased stability by shifting the center of gravity of the drinking vessel lower and making it less likely to tip over. Many conventional paper coffee cup designs have ridges along their ventral surface to slightly elevate the bottom of the cup away from a surface.

The stem section normally intervenes between the vessel section and the base section. Combined with the base section the stem determines the elevation of the vessel section above the support surface on which the drinking vessel is placed. Commonly the stem section is designed to be narrower that the base section. The narrowness of the stem section may serve to increase the height at which the vessel section is supported, without greatly increasing the total weight of the drinking vessel, and may also be designed for a person to more easily hold the drinking vessel.

The support system of a drinking vessel can comprise the base portion 14, the stem portion 12, or a combination of the two. The support systems of prior art provide constant and unchanging physical support for the vessel section and do not respond to or provide indication of the amount of liquid contained in the vessel section. Regardless of the support system used, the prior art does not provide for a manner or method of adjusting the height or width of any portion of the vessel after the drinking vessel is manufactured.

FIG. 3A shows a preferred embodiment of a drinking vessel with a vessel portion 10, a stem portion 12 and a base portion 14c. In this embodiment the base portion 14c consists of flexible “legs” each having a leg dorsal end 15a which is attached to a stem portion 12 and a leg ventral end 15b which may contact the support surface, in this embodiment, the leg ventral end 15b, each terminate as a bead 20. The beads 20 contact the supporting surface and may slide across this surface as the beverage is poured into the vessel section 10 causing the legs 15 of the base portion 14 to flex and/or redistribute. The redistribution of the legs can occur if the leg ventral ends stretch laterally or radially or both, in this design the legs are configured so that the person using the vessel can assemble the beads of the legs to fit into a base section accessory 18 as is shown in FIG. 3B. The base section accessory 18 is designed with an inner chamber 19 for accepting the beads 20. In this embodiment, the base portion 14 can approximately assume a first or a second shape depending upon whether or not the legs are used in conjunction with the base section accessory 18.

In a preferred embodiment the number of legs may be at least 10 and less than 200. The preferred length of each leg is between 3 and 6 inches. This type of support system not only to flexibly support a drinking vessel, but can be designed to change in relation to the amount of fluid contained within the vessel. The stem can also change according to the surface on which the drinking vessel is placed, for instance some legs may sit higher than others when the vessel is placed on a bumpy surface. Further, the although the legs are show as pointing radially outwards, the legs can be arranged as a spiral or conical design or using a different helix or torsion-like design.

In another embodiment the stem or base portion 12, 14 can approximately assume a first or a second shape depending upon the mass of the liquid in the vessel portion, the second shape being at least five percent wider than the first shape with respect, to the support surface on which it rests.

The vessels shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, may rely primarily upon a support, system having single stem portion 12 which is comprised of a flexible material (or compression portion), elastomeric member, or compartment that is configured to deflect with the addition of a mass to the vessel portion. An elastomeric material can be derived, in part, from a material such as neoprene, plastic or rubber, and may also include other stretchable types of materials. The drinkware of FIG. 3 shows a vessel support system which is comprised of a multiple components (legs) of a base portion that together form the support system for the vessel. The vessel support system of FIG. 3 can be implemented so as to be very flexible and able to adjust and adapt to the contours of a sloped or irregular surface while deterring spilling of a liquid contained in the vessel portion. The vessel support system includes any preferred type of art that might adapt to the addition of mass to the vessel portion 10 by lowering the vessel portion 10 and raising the vessel portion as mass is removed from the vessel portion.

While known drinking vessels may generate various effects when placed on or lifted from a supporting surface, these are not responsive to the level of liquid therein, to the presence or absence of liquid, to the contour of the support surface which holds the vessel, and do not change their size, shape, or height responsively or otherwise.

FIG. 4A shows another type of drinking vessel with a vessel portion 10, a stem portion 12 and a base portion 14, having a compression portion 16C which compresses under the mass of the liquid in the vessel and thereby adjusts the state of a signaling feature. The signaling feature can be realized as light that emits a visual signal, or a device that emits an auditory signal. The signaling feature can use energy from a power source that is preferably rechargeable. For example, the vessel may emit a purple, blue, or green tight when the amount of beverage is above a selected value and a red or orange light when it is below this selected value, indicating the beverage must be refilled. The color of the light can be determined by the amount of pressure exerted on the compression portion 16c. Alternatively, another characteristic of the light such as the brightness of the light, being constant or flickering, or a rate of flicker may be varied as a function of the mass held within the vessel portion 10 (which may occur in a binary manner related to the amount of beverage being above or below a selected level of a contained beverage, or in a graduated or correlated manner). An illustrative embodiment of a compression portion 16C is shown in FIG. 4B. The compression section contains an outer wall section which provides a water-resistant seal to form a light emitting “pill” that can be situated within the stem portion 12 of the vessel. In its expanded position conductive arm 34A and 36A make contact between the positive side of a power supply 38 and a positive contact of light source L1 within a light emitting structure 40. In a compressed position conductive arm 34B and 36B make contact between the positive side of a power source 38 and a positive contact of light source L2 within a light emitting structure 40. L1 and L2 are of different colors and are both in electrical contact with spring 32 which also makes contact with the negative terminal of battery 38. Thus, as the spring 32 compresses under the weight of the beverage contained in the vessel, light L1 or tight L2 will function as part of a complete circuit with respect to the charge of power source 38 and will cause a different color to be emitted. The design of compression portion 16C can be adjusted so that rather than two lights L1 and L2, two different circuits activate different levels or temporal patterns of light to be emitted. Alternatively the light can be turned “on” (or ‘off’) when the vessel is full and “off” (or ‘on’) when the beverage contained therein is below some level. The power source 38 can be a rechargeable battery and may be charged using inductive means such as magnetic means or using radiofrequency or other type of energy which may be ambient and present or which may be provided by an energy transmitter. The energy system may be based upon wireless energy technology developed by companies such as Powercast and Splashpad, or can rely upon a similar technology for providing power in an automatic and easy manner without the need for physical connection of the power supply and storage device. Power harvesting circuitry, antenna, and other components of rechargeable power systems are understood to be implemented with the stem 12 and within the environment in which the drinking vessel will be utilized. In one embodiment the resistance or capacitance of a circuit is varied as a function of relative amounts of surface contact, between components 34 and 36, so that the circuit sends differential control signals to the light emitting structure 40 in order to provide a signaling related to the amount of beverage held in the vessel portion 10. The compression portion may not compress much but may primarily serve to weigh the amount of fluid in the vessel.

The (kinking vessels of FIGS. 1-4 may be utilized in the preparation of mixed drinks to provide a ‘measure’ or standard that demonstrates for any observer the quantity of at least one fluid. This may be important for both the drink maker and the recipient of the drink. In the first instance, the maker of the drink may want to demonstrate to himself or others the quantity of a particular addition to the drink, in the latter case a client may wish to ensure that a sufficient amount of alcohol was provided in return for payment. Additionally, the quantity of alcohol that is added to a drink can be regulated by law. A drinking vessel may have a vessel portion, a stem portion, and a base portion, and at least one of these portions can have a characteristic that is responsive to the amount of beverage held within the vessel section. The characteristic can relate to a measuring aspect so that the amount of beverage held in the vessel portion can be known. For example, the measuring aspect can occur by the change in the vessel or a portion of the vessel as compared to an unchanging reference. A diagrammatic reference may be used such as a series of concentric circles on a bar, each of which is associated with an amount of alcohol so that when the base portion of the vessel expands the amount of alcohol may become known. Alternatively, a graduated reference may be used such as a ruler which is placed at the bar and is marked so that as the vessel fills with alcohol the decrease in elevation is related to units of alcohol contained in the vessel portion. In other words the notches on the ruler or the markings on the concentric circles may be labeled as 1 ounce, 2 ounces, etc. Further, when the base portion is compressible, it may indicate the amount of alcohol contained in the vessel without needing an external reference, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the compression module may have notches which align as it is compressed to various amounts in order to indicate amount of a beverage, or the light source maybe designed to monitor mass of a fluid contained in the vessel in order to provide a light based signaling aspect.

Some of the embodiments of the current invention provide clear benefit of causing a drinking vessel to become more stable as a result of having contents added. Further there are added associative and entertainment values to a drinking vessels having the aforementioned characteristics of altering their height as a function of liquid mass. Additionally, the base of the drinking vessel can adapt well to uneven and non-rigid surfaces where people may enjoy their drinks, such as sand of a beach.

The drinking vessels of the current invention have a number of innovative features which have not been implemented in known drinkware. Generally these have a support system that adapts when the vessel is filled with a liquid or other additional mass. One manner of adapting is to increase stability and prevent tipping by lowering the center of gravity of the drinking vessel or widening of the base portion, and this may occur in a measured relation to the amount of beverage held. In one embodiment the support system overcome small variations in the quality of the support surface, for example, by relying upon a series of flexible rods having beads on their distal tips. While the support systems may be primarily realized with respect to cocktail vessels, a variety of different drinkware may be realized including wine glasses, shot glasses, martini glasses, cups and mugs. The support systems for these vessels can be part of the drinking vessel itself rather than being realized as a separate receptacle, although support systems which respond to the mass of liquid held can also be implemented using designs in which these are separate from, and join with, a vessel, stem, or base portion of a drinking vessel. There are also provided systems of measure and signaling methods that approximately reflect the quantity of liquid in the drinking vessel portion.

The support system cam includes any and all types of materials or systems that change location or position of the vessel portion due to the addition of mass to the drinking vessel portion. The support system may include any combination of single or multiple supports, such as many radiating rods, or it may include any single material or method that produces a similar response when mass is added to the drinking vessel. The support system may include a single stem, such that the stem is filled with a liquid or gas that is compressed or displaced when mass is added to the drinking vessel. The drinking vessel may be situated in the center of the support system's structure, but it may also sit so that the load rests with a bias to the center of the strongest point of support. Further, the support system may be adapted into a changed position, relative to the vessel portion, so that is able to receive a portion of a drinking vessel portion which is strategic with respect to amounts of mass, angles of support surfaces, and other properties of the beverage or support surface.

The invention describes drinking vessels that have at least one portion that is configured to realize a movement characteristic that is responsive to the amount of the beverage that is in the vessel portion. The movement characteristic can be primarily a change in elevation which lowers the center of gravity as liquid is added or can be a increase in the size of the base portion to increase the area of the support system and the associated vessel stability, or both. The movement characteristic can be realized by using an adaptive support structure that is realized as a hydraulic-based compressive module; a spring-based compressive module; a mechanical component such as a biased sliding member or a mechanical electrical component that activates a circuit in response to different vessel elevations; a flexible component such as flexible base legs: or a compressive portion. The base can include a plurality of flexible support rods or ‘legs’ which assist in displacing the weight of the drinking vessel onto a support surface. These can have beads on their distal ends to assist with allowing the support rods to perform sliding along a support surface. The beads an fit into a base member accessory which is configured to removably secure the distal portions of the flexible support rods.

The drinking vessel can be realized so that the movement characteristic provides a measuring aspect so that an observer may learn the amount of beverage held within the vessel. The measuring aspect is produced by a change in the vessel as compared to an unchanging reference that can be graduated or diagrammatic such as a ruler.

The invention has been shown, described, and illustrated in substantial detail with reference to the presently preferred embodiment. It will be understood by those skilled in this art that other and further changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is defined by the claims appended hereto. Drawing are not to scale, and the relative scales and shapes of the portions may be changed substantially without departing from the invention.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.

Claims

1. A drinking vessel for containment of a drinking beverage comprised of at least one of:

a vessel portion;

a stem portion;

a base portion; and,

wherein at least one portion is configured with a movement component to realize a movement characteristic that is responsive to the amount of beverage held therein.

2. The drinking vessel of claim 1, said movement characteristic is a change in elevation.

3. The drinking vessel of claim 2 wherein the change in elevation is lowering the center of gravity of the vessel when fluid mass is added to the vessel portion.

4. The drinking vessel of claim 1, said characteristic is a change in the area of a support system.

5. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein at least one of the stem portion and the base portion includes a hydraulic-based compressive module.

6. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein at least one of the stem portion and the base portion includes a spring-based compressive module.

7. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein the movement characteristic is realized by a mechanical component within at least one of the vessel, stem or base portion.

8. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein the movement characteristic is realized by a flexible component within at least one of the vessel, stem or base portion.

9. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein the movement characteristic is realized by a compressive portion within at least one of the vessel, stem or base portion.

10. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein the movement characteristic changes the elevation of the vessel by causing a displacement in the location of at least one of the vessel portion, stem portion and base portion, as a function of amount of beverage stored in the vessel portion.

11. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein said base includes a plurality of flexible support rods which assist in displacing the weight of the drinking vessel onto a support surface.

12. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein said base includes a plurality of flexible support rods having rounded beads on their distal ends to assist with allowing the support rods to perform sliding along a support surface, whereby variations in the support surface texture become less of an obstruction to said sliding.

13. The drinking vessel of claim 12 wherein said base portion further includes a base member accessory which is configured to removably secure the distal portions of the flexible support rods.

14. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein the movement characteristic provides a measuring aspect whereby an observer may learn the amount of beverage held within the vessel.

15. The drinking vessel of claim 14 wherein the measuring aspect is produced by a change in the vessel as compared to an unchanging reference that is selected to be at least one of: graduated, and diagrammatic.

16. The drinking vessel of claim 1 wherein the movement characteristic realizes a change in elevation that produces a light-based signaling aspect that can be viewed by people who view the drinking vessel.

17. A drinking vessel comprised of a vessel portion and a support system, wherein the support system is configured with at least one responsive member that responsively changes its shape due to the amount of a fluid held in said vessel portion.

18. The drinking vessel of claim 17 wherein the responsive member causes a change in elevation which provides as least one of the following: an increase in the stability of the drinking vessel; a decreased risk of the vessel portion overturning; an increase in the width of the base portion; an increase in the rigidity of the support system.

19. The drinking vessel of claim 17 in which the characteristic is at least one of: the color of a light which is emitted; the brightness of a light which is emitted; and the temporal pattern of a light which is emitted.

20. The drinking vessel of claim 17 further comprising a light, a rechargeable power supply, a wireless energy harvester; and, a control circuit.

21. A drinking vessel for containment of a drinking beverage comprised of at least one of:

a vessel portion;

a stem portion;

a base portion; and,

wherein at least one portion contains a compression member that is responsive to the amount of beverage.