Illumination – With liquid container
Reexamination Certificate
1994-04-08
2001-09-04
Quach, Y. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
With liquid container
C362S276000, C362S806000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283605
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a container and, more particularly, to a container having an open compartment and a sealed base compartment. The sealed base compartment may contain therein an entertaining or advertising device, such as a battery-powered entertaining device or a motion-activated ornament.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide a decoration on a beverage container. A typical method of decorating a beverage container is to form a compartment in the lower base thereof. This lower compartment may be applied to other containers or beverage vessels of different shapes.
Any number of features are usable in the compartment. One may place an appropriate design, decoration or device within that lower compartment. These designs or decorations can make the glass make more attractive and more of an attention getting device. With increased attention getting capabilities, the value of the beverage container or similar device, as either an entertaining medium or an advertising medium, is greatly increased. Entertaining medium or an advertising medium may be used interchangeably in the device of this invention.
One known advertising medium is a molded sheet of plastic. A shapeable sheet is an appropriately colored with one or more colors. The sheet is then shaped on a mold to create a three-dimensional shape. The size of a bottom compartment of a beverage container minimizes the use of such a molded sheet therein. Yet that use of a molded sheet is highly desirable.
However, to increase the moving capabilities of the devices in the bottom of the glass and attractiveness leads to complications. Complications lead to increase in size and a corresponding problem with fitting a desired device or design in the lower compartment of the beverage container.
For advertising, decorating, entertaining and other purposes, it is known to provide a beverage vessel having an open compartment and a sealed lower compartment. The open compartment contains a beverage desired to be consumed. The sealed lower compartment provides the lower portion of the beverage vessel.
While it is well known to put a display in the lower compartment of beverage vessel, an improvement in that field is still desirable. It is desirable to adjust the size or volume of the lower compartment of the two-compartment beverage vessel in a simple fashion so that the size of the item contained in the sealed compartment can be larger. The developing of a molding process for forming the two-compartment beverage vessel can be very costly. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to adjust the size of the lower compartment without having to create new molds for the entire beverage vessel. This provides an economical method of producing different beverage vessels to satisfy customer needs. It is also desirable to be able to increase the size of the lower compartment in such a way as to not detract from the appearance of an existing beverage vessel.
Desirable features, as described above, are not found in prior two-compartment beverage vessels. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,928 issued to Runge and U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,699 issued to Tipton disclose two-compartment containers. However, both Runge and Tipton teach the use of a flat lower panel or bottom which seals a lower compartment flush to the container. The size of the lower compartment is dictated solely by the height of the cylindrical sidewalls of a main housing that form the lower compartment. Therefore, modifications to increase the size of the lower compartment would require a changes to the container as a whole.
Another common design for a two-compartment beverage vessel involves creating a lower compartment structure that connects to the bottom of a single compartment vessel to create two compartments. This type of design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,654,974, issued to Rosenthal, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,510,337 issued to Mahoney. However, in this type of design, the bottom of the lower compartment is flat and formed integral with the sides of the lower compartment. Increasing the size of this lower compartment would require modifications of this entire lower compartment section, and not simply a bottom or base member, which can be modified and produced more inexpensively. Furthermore, because the lower compartment is not formed as an continuous extension of the upper compartment, a circular seam, ridge, or edge will be present at a point where the two compartment sections connect. This seam, ridge, or edge will be visible from any side view of the vessel and will detract from its appearance.
It is furthermore desired to provide for the option of having a wide variety of devices in the sealed compartment. This adjustability in size of the lower compartment combined with the wide variety of devices placeable therein inherently provides for a more entertaining device or beverage vessel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention a beverage vessel or container comprises an optically transparent housing having a cylindrical portion extending between a top circular edge and a bottom circular edge. The bottom circular edge having an inner circular recess forming an inner circular shoulder. The housing having a circular dividing platform forming an upper compartment and a lower compartment. The lower compartment having a volume determined approximately by a height between the bottom circular edge and the circular dividing platform and a diameter of the cylindrical portion. A base having a cylindrical base portion is provided. The cylindrical base portion having an upper circular edge. The upper circular edge engaging the inner circular recess and abutting the inner circular shoulder. The base having a circular base bottom parallel to the circular dividing platform and in a spaced apart planar relation from the bottom circular edge of the cylindrical portion of the housing, so that the volume of the lower compartment is increased by an amount determined approximately by second height between the bottom circular edge and the circular base bottom and a diameter of the cylindrical base portion. Within the lower compartment, a decorative, entertaining, or refreezable device may be included.
In another embodiment, a beverage vessel or container comprises an optically transparent housing having a cylindrical portion extending between a top circular edge and a bottom circular edge. The bottom circular edge having an inner circular recess forming an inner circular shoulder. The housing having a circular dividing platform forming an upper compartment and a lower compartment. A cylindrical spacer having an upper circular spacer edge is provided. The upper circular spacer edge engaging the inner circular recess and abutting the inner circular shoulder. The cylindrical spacer having a threaded outer portion below the upper circular spacer edge. A threaded base having a cylindrical base portion is also provided. The cylindrical base portion having a threaded inner portion threadably engaging the threaded outer portion of the cylindrical spacer. The threaded base having a circular base bottom parallel to the circular dividing platform and in a spaced apart planar relation from the bottom circular edge of the cylindrical portion of the housing, so that the volume of the lower compartment is increased.
A method of producing a two-compartment beverage vessel or container is provided. The beverage vessel has a lower compartment formed as a continuous extension of an upper compartment. The lower compartment being increasable in size without having to modifying an optically transparent housing that forms the upper compartment and the lower compartment. The method comprising the steps of: molding the optically transparent housing having a cylindrical portion, the housing having a circular dividing platform forming the upper compartment and the lower compartment; molding a base that will increase the size of the lower compartment when the base is connected to the housing; inserting means for attracting
Creighton Wray James
Narasimhan Meera P.
Quach Y.
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