MAGNETICALLY COUPLED SHOT GLASS AND CHASER GLASS ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A drinking glass assembly comprises a chaser glass, a chaser magnet, a shot glass, and a shot magnet. The chaser glass includes a sidewall and a base. The chaser magnet is positioned within the base of the chaser glass. The shot glass includes a sidewall and a base and is configured to fit within the chaser glass such that the base of the shot glass is positioned on the base of the chaser glass. The shot magnet is positioned within the base of the shot glass and oriented so as to attract the chaser magnet when the base of the shot glass is positioned on the base of the chaser glass.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a nonprovisional patent application and claims priority benefit, with regard to all common subject matter, of earlier-filed U.S. provisional patent application titled, “Magnetically Coupled Shot Glass and Chaser Glass”, Ser. No. 61/601,598, filed Feb. 22, 2012, incorporated by reference into the present document in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shot glasses are traditionally small vessels, in the shape of miniaturized drinking glasses, which are used to serve small volumes of liquor (typically between 1.0 and 1.5 ounces) called “shots.” Generally, shots are not sipped like a traditional drink, but are instead consumed in the “shooting” form of imbibing the contents of liquor from the shot in a single act. The types of shot drinks and the methods of imbibing them have expanded and evolved. Currently, there are countless varieties of mixed alcoholic concoctions which are served as shots.

“Chasers” are generally drinks consumed after taking a shot to help offset the harsh taste of the liquor in the shot. Common chasers are soda pop, fruit juices, highly caffeinated energy drinks or other alcoholic beverages such as beer. “Chaser glasses” are traditionally drinking vessels that are typically 8 to 16 ounces in volume and are commonly known as pints, pint glasses, or bar glasses.

It is popular to mix a shot into a chaser rather than “shoot” the shot then drink the chaser. One method of mixing a shot into a chaser is commonly known as the “bomb shot.” In this method, the shot glass is filled with one or more liquors and the chaser glass is filled with either alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage (e.g., beer, energy drink). The shot glass is then dropped into the chaser glass to mix with the chaser when the chaser glass is up ended/tilted for consumption. Common drinks which use this method include Jaeger Bombs, Irish Car Bombs, Boilermakers and Sake Bombs.

While using a conventional shot glass in preparing and serving these types of drinks is useful in achieving the general mixing effect, dropping a conventional shot glass into a chaser glass has several drawbacks. After a typical shot glass has been “dropped” into the chaser glass, it is very common for the shot glass to slide and move within the chaser glass when the chaser glass is up ended/tilted for consumption. Due to this sliding or moving within the chaser glass, the shot glass sometimes suddenly and/or unexpectedly hits the consumer in the mouth and/or teeth, potentially causing injury to the consumer. The same sudden and/or unexpected movement of the shot glass within the chaser glass can also cause the consumer to have quick or sudden reactions while trying to prevent the shot glass from hitting his or her mouth and/or teeth. This sudden reaction can cause the drink to spill on the consumer or others and cause the shot glass to slide back into the chaser glass violently enough to cause damage to the shot glass, chaser glass, or both.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the current invention solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a distinct advance in the art of shot glass and chaser glass construction.

Various embodiments of the current invention provide a drinking glass assembly comprising a chaser glass, a chaser magnet, a shot glass, and a shot magnet. The chaser magnet may be positioned within the base of the chaser glass. The shot glass may include a sidewall and a base and may be configured to fit within the chaser glass such that the base of the shot glass is positioned on the base of the chaser glass. The shot magnet may be positioned within the base of the shot glass and oriented so as to attract the chaser magnet when the base of the shot glass is positioned on the base of the chaser glass.

Some embodiments of the current invention further comprise a chaser plug and a shot plug. The chaser plug may be configured to maintain the chaser magnet within a cavity of the base and may be positioned between the chaser magnet and an outer surface of the base of the chaser glass. The shot plug may be configured to maintain the shot magnet within a cavity of the base and may be positioned between the shot magnet and an outer surface of the base of the shot glass.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the current invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Embodiments of the current invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a magnetically-coupled shot glass and chaser glass assembly, constructed in accordance with various embodiments of the current invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a chaser glass alone;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the chaser glass alone;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a shot glass alone; and

FIG. 5 is a top view of the shot glass alone.

The drawing figures do not limit the current invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the current invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the current invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. For example, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included. Thus, the current technology can include a variety of combinations and/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

A magnetically-coupled shot glass and chaser glass assembly 10, constructed in accordance with various embodiments of the current invention, is shown in FIG. 1. The assembly 10 broadly comprises a chaser glass 12, a chaser magnet 14, a shot glass 16, and a shot magnet 18. The assembly 10 may optionally include a chaser plug 20 and a shot plug 22.

The chaser glass 12, shown in FIGS. 2-3, may include a variety of drinking vessels that are generally larger than the shot glass 16, such as a pint glass, a pilsner glass, a mug, a jug, a tankard, a stein, or the like. The chaser glass 12 may include a sidewall 24 and a base 26 attached thereto. As with the shot glass 16, the sidewall 24 of the chaser glass 12 is typically frustoconical, although the shape of the sidewall 24 may be inverted frustoconical, cylindrical, barrel, flared outward, flared inward, or the like. The chaser glass 12 may optionally include a handle attached to the sidewall 24. The chaser glass 12 may hold a volume of liquid from approximately 8 ounces to approximately 16 ounces and may be constructed from any suitable materials including of glass, ceramic, plastic, or metal, as is known in the art.

The chaser magnet 14 may be constructed from permanent magnetic material, such as alloys of neodymium iron boron (“Neodymium”), aluminum nickel cobalt iron (“Alnico”), samarium cobalt (“SmCo”), ceramic/ferrite, and the like. The chaser magnet 14 may be generally cylindrical or disk shaped, although other shapes are possible. An exemplary chaser magnet 14 may be constructed from Neodymium and may have a diameter of approximately 0.5 inches and a thickness of approximately 0.125 inches.

The shot glass 16, shown in FIGS. 4-5, may be a shot glass as is known in the art with a sidewall 28 and a base 30 attached thereto. The sidewall 28 may have a generally frustoconical shape, but variations of the shape may be cylindrical, barrel, flared outward, or the like. The shot glass 16 may hold a volume of liquid from approximately 1 ounce to approximately 1.5 ounces and may be constructed from any suitable materials including glass, ceramic, plastic, or metal, as is known in the art. Generally, the dimensions of the shot glass 16 are smaller than those of the chaser glass 12. For example, the diameter of the base 30 of the shot glass 16 is smaller than the diameter of the base 26 of the chaser glass 12 to allow the base 30 of the shot glass 16 to sit upon the base 26 of the chaser glass 12.

The shot magnet 18 is typically identical to the chaser magnet 14 in composition, shape, and size. The strength of the magnetic field of the two magnets 14, 18 is often the same as well. Exemplary chaser and shot magnets 14, 18 may have a grade of magnetic field strength of N42. The magnetic field strength may depend on factors such as the weight of the shot glass 16 and the distance between the chaser magnet 14 and the shot magnet 18 during usage of the assembly 10. For example, as a general rule, a heavier shot glass 16 may require stronger magnets 14, 18, while a lighter weight shot glass 16 may lead to the usage of weaker magnets 14, 18. Similarly, a greater distance between the chaser magnet 14 and the shot magnet 18 may require stronger magnets 14, 18, while a smaller distance may lead to the usage of weaker magnets 14, 18. Furthermore, if the magnetic field strength of one magnet is reduced, then the magnetic field strength of the other magnet may be increased in order to maintain a constant force of attraction.

In some situations, the magnetic field strength of both magnets 14, 18 may be increased or decreased as necessary. For example, the magnetic field strength of both magnets 14, 18 may be decreased if the glasses 12, 16 are becoming stuck to surfaces, such as stainless steel, or other magnetic objects, such as bartending or eating utensils. In addition, the magnetic field strength of either one or both of the magnets 14, 18 may be decreased if it is difficult to separate the glasses 12, 16 after usage of the assembly 10.

The shot magnet 18 may be positioned within the base 30 of the shot glass 16, and the chaser magnet 14 may be positioned within the base 26 of the chaser glass 12. Each magnet 14, 18 may be roughly centered both horizontally and vertically within their respective bases 26, 30. In addition, the polar orientation of the shot magnet 18 aligns with and matches the polar orientation of the chaser magnet 14. For example, if the shot magnet 18 is positioned in the base 30 of the shot glass 16 with the north pole facing up, then the chaser magnet 14 is positioned in the base 26 of the chaser glass 12 with the north pole facing up as well. Thus, when the shot glass 16 is placed in the chaser glass 12 during usage of the assembly 10, as discussed in more detail below, the north pole of the chaser magnet 14 faces the south pole of the shot magnet 18, thereby creating a force of attraction between the two magnets 14, 18.

The glasses 12, 16 with the magnets 14, 18 embedded therein may be created in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, each glass 12, 16 may be constructed or formed with the appropriate magnet 14, 18 positioned within the base 26, 30. In other embodiments, each glass 12, 16 may be formed without a magnet, using standard techniques for creating a chaser glass 12 and a shot glass 16. Then, in both the chaser glass 12 and the shot glass 16, a cavity 32 may be formed in the bases 26, to retain the magnets 14, 18. The cavity 32 may be formed using techniques such as drilling, milling, cutting, etching, or the like. Alternatively, the glasses 12, 16 may be formed with the cavity 32 in place. In order to form and access the cavity 32, an access path may be created in the bases 26, 30 through a top surface, a bottom surface, or a side surface. In embodiments shown in the figures, the access path is created in the bottom surface of the bases 26, 30.

The chaser plug 20 may fill the access path in the chaser glass 12, while the shot plug 22 may fill the access path in the shot glass 16. Each plug 20, 22 may secure its respective magnet in the cavity 32. In some embodiments, the plugs 20, 22 may include epoxies, polymers, resins, or other materials that are inserted or filled into the access path. In other embodiments, the plugs 20, 22 may include pieces of glass, ceramic, plastic, or metal that are glued or otherwise adhered in the access path. In yet other embodiments, the access path may be formed to include threads. Likewise, the plugs 20, 22, formed from glass, ceramic, plastic, or metal, may include complementary threads. Thus, the plugs 20, 22 may be screwed into the bases 26, 30.

The assembly 10 may be used as follows. A chaser glass 12 may be filled with a desired chaser beverage, while the shot glass 16 may be filled with a desired shot beverage. The shot glass 16 may be dropped into the chaser glass 12, and the base 30 of the shot glass 16 may land on the base 26 of the chaser glass 12, as seen in FIG. 1. There may be a mutual force of attraction between the chaser magnet 14 and the shot magnet 18. The chaser glass 12 may be tipped or tilted in order for the consumer to drink the combined beverages. As the chaser glass 12 is inverted, the attractive force between the chaser magnet 14 and the shot magnet 18 strongly holds the shot glass 16 in place within the chaser glass 12.

When the glasses 12, 16 are ready to be cleaned, a bartender, dishwasher, or other person may hold the chaser glass 12 with one hand and pull the shot glass 16 away with the other hand to separate the two glasses 12, 16. Alternatively, the cleaner may invert the assembly 10 and gently hit, tap, or shake the chaser glass 12 to overcome the attraction of the magnets 14, 18 so that the shot glass 16 will fall from the chaser glass 12.

The assembly 10 of the current invention may provide the following advantages. The positioning and orientation of the magnets 14, 18 within their respective bases 26, 30 prevents the shot glass 16 from falling out of the chaser glass 12 when the chaser glass 12 is inverted so that the consumer can drink the combined beverages. As a result, the consumer can enjoy the experience of the bomb shot without worrying about being injured by the shot glass 16 while drinking. In addition, after the drink is finished, there is no danger of the shot glass 16 falling back into the chaser glass 12 and breaking either one or both of the glasses 12, 16. Furthermore, the shot glass 16 and the chaser glass 12 are of standard construction so that they can be handled and cleaned in a traditional manner.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

Claims

1. A drinking glass assembly comprising:

a chaser glass including a sidewall and a base;

a chaser magnet positioned within the base of the chaser glass;

a shot glass including a sidewall and a base, the shot glass configured to fit within the chaser glass such that the base of the shot glass is positioned on the base of the chaser glass; and

a shot magnet positioned within the base of the shot glass and oriented so as to attract the chaser magnet when the base of the shot glass is positioned on the base of the chaser glass.

2. The drinking glass assembly of claim 1, wherein the chaser magnet and the shot magnet are each disc shaped.

3. The drinking glass assembly of claim 2, wherein the chaser magnet and the shot magnet each have a diameter of approximately 0.5 inches and a thickness of approximately 0.125 inches.

4. The drinking glass assembly of claim 1, wherein the chaser magnet and the shot magnet are each formed from a neodymium iron boron alloy with a magnetic field strength grade of N42.

5. The drinking glass assembly of claim 1, further comprising a shot plug configured to maintain the shot magnet within a cavity of the base and positioned between the shot magnet and an outer surface of the base of the shot glass.

6. The drinking glass assembly of claim 5, wherein the shot plug is removable from the base of the shot glass.

7. The drinking glass assembly of claim 1, further comprising a chaser plug configured to maintain the chaser magnet within a cavity of the base and positioned between the chaser magnet and an outer surface of the base of the chaser glass.

8. The drinking glass assembly of claim 7, wherein the chaser plug is removable from the base of the chaser glass.

9. A drinking glass assembly comprising:

a chaser glass including a sidewall and a base;

a chaser magnet positioned within the base of the chaser glass;

a chaser plug configured to maintain the chaser magnet within a cavity of the base and positioned between the chaser magnet and an outer surface of the base of the chaser glass;

a shot glass including a sidewall and a base, the shot glass configured to fit within the chaser glass such that the base of the shot glass is positioned on the base of the chaser glass;

a shot magnet positioned within the base of the shot glass and oriented so as to attract the chaser magnet when the base of the shot glass is positioned on the base of the chaser glass and

a shot plug configured to maintain the shot magnet within a cavity of the base and positioned between the shot magnet and an outer surface of the base of the shot glass.

10. The drinking glass assembly of claim 9, wherein the chaser magnet and the shot magnet are each disc shaped.

11. The drinking glass assembly of claim 10, wherein the chaser magnet and the shot magnet each have a diameter of approximately 0.5 inches and a thickness of approximately 0.125 inches.

12. The drinking glass assembly of claim 9, wherein the chaser magnet and the shot magnet are each formed from a neodymium iron boron alloy with a magnetic field strength grade of N42.

13. The drinking glass assembly of claim 9, wherein the shot plug is removable from the base of the shot glass.

14. The drinking glass assembly of claim 9, wherein the chaser plug is removable from the base of the chaser glass.