DRINKING GLASS AID

Abstract

A drinking glass aid (10) is disclosed having a drinking glass (11), a lid (12), a weighted disc (13) and an elongated, hollow drinking straw (14). The drinking straw is generally cylindrical along its entire shaft (17) and includes a stop or collar (21) extending outwardly from the shaft in a position closely adjacent the bottom end (18) of the straw shaft. The disc is generally circular with an perimeter (23) and a central hole (24) configured to receive the straw shaft yet small enough to prevent the passage of the straw collar therethrough. The disc also includes a series of fluid passage channels (26) therethrough. The disc has a composition which allows it to force the ice into the bottom of the glass as the disc slides down the drinking straw within the glass.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to a device for use with a drinking glass, and more particularly to a device used in conjunction with a drinking glass and straw.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Drinking glasses have been used for centuries. To cool a beverage within a drinking glass or to keep a beverage cold, ice is typically added to a beverage contained within a drinking glass to lower the temperature and maintain a low temperature of the beverage.

One problem associated with beverage ice is that a portion of the ice protrudes from the beverage and into the air above it. This exposure of the ice to air causes it to melt at a faster rate, thereby decreasing its cooling ability and diluting the beverage with water.

Another problem associated with ice is that it floats within the top portion of a contained beverage. However, a straw utilized with a drinking glass extends to the bottom of the glass. As such, the ice is primarily cooling the beverage at the top portion of the beverage while the person is drinking the beverage located at the bottom portion of the beverage. It is generally understood that the temperature difference between the cooled top portion and the bottom portion may be as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Obviously, it would be best for a person to drink from the coldest portion of the contained beverage rather than the warmest portion.

Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for a drinking device that may be used in conjunction with a straw to enable one to drink the coldest portion of a contained beverage. It is to the provision of such therefore that the present invention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred form of the invention a drinking glass aid comprises a drinking glass having an interior width, a plate having a straw hole therethrough, the plate having a size and shape less than at least the majority of the widths of the interior of the drinking glass along the height of the drinking glass, and a straw having an elongated shaft and a projection extending outwardly from the elongated shaft. The plate straw hole is sized and shaped to allow the passage of the straw shaft therethrough yet being sized and shaped to prevent the passage of the shaft and projection therethrough.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a drinking glass aid embodying principles of the invention in a preferred form, shown used in conjunction with a drinking glass with a beverage and ice therein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drinking glass aid of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the disc of the drinking glass aid of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference next to the drawings, there is shown a drinking glass aid 10 in a preferred form of the invention. The drinking glass aid 10 includes a drinking glass 11, a top or lid 12, a weighted plate or disc 13 and an elongated, hollow drinking straw 14. The drinking glass 11 may be made of any conventional material, such as glass, metal, or plastic. The drinking glass 11 has an interior size and shape with a width along at least the majority of the glass height which is generally greater than the size and shape of the disc 13, so that the disc may move freely within the drinking glass along the length of the straw 14. The lid 12 also may be made of any conventional material, such as plastic. The lid 12 includes a straw hole or opening 16 therethrough configured to allow the passage of the drinking straw 14. Preferably, the lid 12 is configured to snap fit or thread onto the top of the drinking glass 11 to maintain the position of the lid.

The drinking straw 14 is generally cylindrical along its entire shaft 17 from a bottom end or tip 18 to a top end 19. The straw also includes a swollen, enlarged, bulging or protruding portion, projection, stop or collar 21 extending outwardly from the shaft in a position closely adjacent the bottom end 18 of the straw shaft 17. The straw shaft 17 has a first or shaft diameter while the straw collar 21 has a second or collar diameter which is greater than straw shaft diameter. It should be understood that the collar 21 may be a separate and distinct portion from the straw shaft or may be integrally made with the straw shaft. Should the collar 21 be separate from the straw shaft, it may be slidable or moved along the shaft to provide a degree of adjustment to the positioning of the collar, and thereby limit the movement of the disc 13 along the straw shaft 17. The straw may be made of any conventional material, but is preferably made of a plastic.

The disc 13 is generally circular with an external circumference, periphery, or perimeter 23 and a central hole 24 configured to receive the straw shaft 17 yet small enough to prevent the passage of the straw collar 21 therethrough, i.e., the central hole 24 has a diameter which is larger than the straw shaft diameter but smaller than the straw shaft and collar diameter. The disc 13 also includes a series of fluid passage channels 26 extending from atop surface to a bottom surface of the disc. The fluid passage channels 26 may extend inwardly from the outside perimeter 23 of the disc. Alternatively, the fluid passage channels 26 may be in the form of passages, slots or holes 26′ extending through the disc within the disc body between the external perimeter 23 and the central hole 24, as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3.

The disc 13 is preferably made of food grade stainless steel with an external diameter of approximately 2.25 inches, a height or thickness of approximately 0.125 inch, a weight of approximately 3.4 ounces, and a central hole diameter of approximately 0.4 inch. The stainless steel may be a 11 gauge 304 or 316 food grade stainless steel. These measurements are provided only as an example and thus are not a requirement of the present invention. It should be understood that alternative materials may be utilized for the disc, such as synthetic materials such as acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate, glass, plastics, ceramics, or other metals, so long as their specific gravity is greater than that of water (greater than 1) so that the disc sinks in a common beverage such as water, tea, sodas, etc.

In use, with the lid 12, straw 14 and disc 13 removed from the drinking glass 11 a person places ice cubes I within the drinking glass 11. A beverage B is then poured into the drinking glass 11 over the ice cubes I. Because of the specific gravity of ice, the ice I within the drinking glass 11 will naturally float to the top of the beverage B.

The drinking straw 14 is then placed within the drinking glass with the straw 14 extending between the ice cubes I so that its bottom end or tip 18 is adjacent the bottom of the glass. The top end 19 of the drinking straw 14 passes through the central hole 24 of the disc 13 and the disc is lowered onto the ice cubes I. The weight and specific gravity of the disc 13 causes it to push the ice cubes I to the bottom portion of the drinking glass. The sizing of the disc prevents the ice cubes I from passing between the disc and the drinking glass. The fluid passage channels 26 allow the fluid beverage positioned below the disc 13 to pass through the disc fluid passage channels 26 to a position above the disc so as to allow the disc to sink if the spacing between the disc and the interior of the drinking glass is insufficient to allow the beverage to pass therebetween in an efficient manner. The straw shaft 17 is then passed through the straw hole 16 in the lid 12 and the lid is secured to the top of the drinking glass 11.

With the disc 13 in this position it forces the ice cubes Ito the bottom portion of the drinking glass 11, where it accomplishes the most cooling in the bottom portion of the beverage B where the bottom end or tip of the straw is located and is removing the beverage during the drinking process. The collar 21 prevents the disc 13 from falling off or passing completely off the bottom end of the straw 14 as the ice melts. The collar 21 also allows one to lift the disc 13 out of the drinking glass and may be utilized to main the position of the disc while tipping the glass to drain beverage from ice one wishes to maintain within the glass.

It should be understood that there may be as much as an approximately 20 degree Fahrenheit temperature difference between the beverage located at the top portion of the drinking glass and the beverage located at the bottom portion of the drinking glass due to the location of the ice, which is now completely submerged and located at the bottom portion of the glass to promote the most cooling at this location. As such, the forcing of the ice cubes I to the bottom causes the most cooling of the beverage to be located in the area at the bottom end or tip of the straw where the beverage is drawn into the straw. This also provides for a complete submersion of the ice cubes to prevent pre-maturing melting of the ice due to its exposure to the warmer air and its resulting dilution of a beverage other than water.

It should be understood that the disc central hole 24 is not actually required to be positioned centrally so long as a straw can pass therethrough, i.e., it may be positioned closer to one side of the disc than the other similar to many conventional drink lids. It should also be understood that the collar is not required or limited to an annular shape, as shown in the preferred embodiment, as any outward projection or set of projections that can arrest or prevent the passage of the disc completely off the straw will suffice. It should be understood that the very bottom portion of the drinking glass interior width need not be greater than the width of the disc as the disc is not intended to move past the collar. Also, the lid is optional but preferred to maintain cool air over the beverage. Lastly, it should be understood that as an alternative to the plate or disc shown in the preferred embodiment, the plate may be substituted by a device or structure which is capable of preventing the passage of ice withing a beverage through the device as the device forces it downwardly into the bottom of the glass, such as a metal mesh, an arrangement of radially extending arms or spokes, or the like. As such, the term “ice sinking device” as used herein is intended to include any structure described herein or the like.

It thus is seen that a drinking glass aid is now provided which completely submerges ice and enables a person to drink from the coldest portion of the contained beverage within the glass. Although the drinking glass aid has been illustrated and described in its preferred form, it should be understood that many modifications, additions and deletions may be made to that specific form without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A drinking glass aid comprising:

a drinking glass having an interior width,

a plate having a straw hole therethrough, said plate having a size and shape less than at least the majority of the widths of the interior of the drinking glass along the height of the drinking glass, and

a straw having an elongated shaft and a projection extending outwardly from said elongated shaft, said plate straw hole being sized and shaped to allow the passage of said straw shaft therethrough yet being sized and shaped to prevent the passage of said shaft and said projection therethrough.

2. The drinking glass aid of claim 1 wherein said plate is made of a material having a specific gravity greater than the specific gravity of water.

3. The drinking glass aid of claim 1 wherein said plate has a material composition which enables said plate to sink in water.

4. The drinking glass aid of claim 1 wherein said projection is an annular projection extending from said shaft.

5. The drinking glass aid of claim 4 wherein said projection is slidable along said shaft to different locations along said shaft.

6. The drinking glass aid of claim 1 wherein said plate is a metal plate.

7. The drinking glass aid of claim 1 wherein said plate includes fluid passages extending through said plate.

8. The drinking glass aid of claim 7 wherein said fluid passages extend inwardly from a peripheral edge of said plate.

9. The drinking glass aid of claim 7 wherein said fluid passages extend through said plate at a location between said straw hole and a peripheral edge of said plate.

10. The drinking glass aid of claim 1 further comprising a lid adapted to be coupled to a top edge of said drinking glass, said lid including a lid straw opening therethrough.

11. A drinking glass aid to be used in conjunction with a drinking glass, the drink aid comprising:

an ice sinking device having a straw opening therethrough, and

a straw having an elongated shaft and an ice sinking device stop extending outwardly from said elongated shaft, said ice sinking device straw opening being sized and shaped to allow the passage of the straw shaft therethrough yet being sized and shaped to prevent the passage of said ice sinking device stop therethrough.

12. The drinking glass aid of claim 1 wherein said ice sinking device is a plate having a physical composition which enables said ice sinking device to sink in water.

13. The drinking glass aid of claim 11 wherein said straw stop is an annular projection extending from said shaft.

14. The drinking glass aid of claim 11 wherein said stop is slidable along said shaft to different locations along said shaft.

15. The drinking glass aid of claim 11 wherein said ice sinking device is a metal plate.

16. The drinking glass aid of claim 12 wherein said plate includes fluid passages extending through said plate.

17. The drinking glass aid of claim 16 wherein said fluid passages extend inwardly from a peripheral edge of said plate.

18. The drinking glass aid of claim 16 wherein said fluid passages extend through said plate at a location between said straw opening and a peripheral edge of said plate.

19. The drinking glass aid of claim 11 further comprising a drinking glass.

20. The drinking glass aid of claim 19 further comprising a lid adapted to be coupled to a top edge of said drinking glass, said lid including a lid straw opening therethrough.