U.S. patent application number 10/270985 was filed with the patent office on 2003-05-29 for modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts.
Invention is credited to Parentini, Franco.
Application Number | 20030098311 10/270985 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 11447353 |
Filed Date | 2003-05-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030098311 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Parentini, Franco |
May 29, 2003 |
Modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts
Abstract
A modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts comprising a
base (12), a bowl (14) and if necessary also one or more portions
of stem (13) provided, on surfaces facing each other, with coupling
means (15) providing a freely associable and disconnectable bond
between the parts.
Inventors: |
Parentini, Franco; (Milan,
IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
James V. Costigan, Esq.
Hedman & Costigan, P.C.
Suite 2003
1185 Avenue of the Americas
New York
NY
10036-2646
US
|
Family ID: |
11447353 |
Appl. No.: |
10/270985 |
Filed: |
October 15, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/630 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 19/2255
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/630 |
International
Class: |
B65D 025/24; B65D
090/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 27, 2001 |
IT |
MI2001U 000621 |
Claims
1. Modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts, characterized
in that it is composed of parts comprising at least a base (12) and
a bowl (14), in which each of said parts is provided with coupling
means (15) producing a freely associable and disconnectable bond
with facing parts.
2. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 1, characterized in
that between said base (12) and said bowl (14) there is at least
one portion of stem (13), said portion of stem (13) also being
provided with coupling means (15) producing a freely associable and
disconnectable bond with facing parts.
3. Modular drinking glass as claimed in any one of the previous
claims, characterized in that said coupling means (15) are composed
of complementary coupling elements.
4. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 3, characterized in
that said complementary coupling elements are threaded male (15')
and female (15") coupling elements.
5. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 3, characterized in
that said coupling elements (15) are bayonet type male (15') and
female (15") coupling elements.
6. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized
in that said coupling means (15) are pressed in a single piece with
said parts of drinking glass (12, 13, 14).
7. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 6, characterized in
that said coupling means are pressed in the same material as said
parts (12, 13, 14).
8. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 6, characterized in
that said coupling means are pressed in a different material
compared with said parts (12, 13, 14).
9. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized
in that said coupling means (15) are inserts firmly bonded to said
parts of drinking glass (12, 13, 14).
10. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 9, characterized in
that said inserts are made of metal, plastic or glass.
11. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 9, characterized in
that said inserts are cemented.
12. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that it is made of glass or crystal.
13. Modular drinking glass as claimed in claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that said parts (12, 13, 14) may have general
shapes, dimensions and colours.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a modular drinking glass
with interchangeable parts.
[0002] Tableware made of glass or crystal 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.
[0003] Currently these glass or crystal 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.
[0004] 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.
[0005] 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.
[0006] The object of the present invention is to produce a modular
drinking glass with interchangeable parts associable with one
another in order to produce a high number of combinations of
dimensions, shapes and colours.
[0007] 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.
[0008] A further object of the present invention is to produce a
modular drinking glass which is particularly simple and functional,
with reduced costs.
[0009] These objects according to the present invention are
attained by producing a modular drinking glass with interchangeable
parts as set forth in claim 1.
[0010] Further characteristics of a modular drinking glass with
interchangeable parts are set forth in the dependent claims.
[0011] The single parts of a glass or crystal drinking glass
comprise a base, a stem, which in turn may comprise more than one
part, and a bowl, interchangeable with one another, meaning that
they are freely associable and disconnectable to alternatively
form, for example, a stemmed drinking glass, a long stemmed
drinking glass or a drinking glass without a stem in various shapes
and colours.
[0012] The characteristics and advantages of a modular drinking
glass with interchangeable parts according to the present invention
shall become more evident in the description below, provided purely
as a non-limiting example, with reference to the attached schematic
drawings, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a modular stemmed
drinking glass with interchangeable parts, according to the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic view of the drinking glass
in FIG. 1;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an exploded schematic view of a modular long
stemmed drinking glass with interchangeable parts;
[0016] FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic view of a modular drinking
glass without a stem with interchangeable parts;
[0017] figures from 5 to 9 show exploded schematic views of
different styles of modular drinking glasses with interchangeable
parts;
[0018] FIG. 10 is an exploded and partly sectional side elevation
view of a threaded coupling means between parts of a modular
drinking glass;
[0019] FIG. 11 is a partly sectional elevation view of a bayonet
coupling means between parts of a modular drinking glass in an
exploded position;
[0020] FIGS. 12 and 13 are respectively partly sectional views
according to the line XII-XII in FIG. 13 and according to the line
XIII-XIII in FIG. 12 of the bayonet coupling means between parts of
a modular drinking glass in FIG. 11, in an assembled position;
[0021] FIGS. 14 and 15 are respectively partly sectional views
according to the line XIV-XIV in FIG. 15 and according to the line
XV-XV in FIG. 14 of a second bayonet coupling between single parts
of a modular drinking glass, according to the present invention, in
an assembled position.
[0022] With reference to the figures, these show a modular glass or
crystal drinking glass with interchangeable parts, indicated as a
whole with 10. The individual parts, or components, freely
associable and disconnectable, are composed of a base 12, of one or
more stem portions 13 and of a bowl 14.
[0023] According to the previously chosen compositions, the
drinking glass 10 may for example alternatively be in the form of a
stemmed drinking glass 10A (FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8), of a long stemmed
drinking glass 10B (FIGS. 3, 5 and 6) or of a drinking glass
without a stem 10C (FIGS. 4 and 9).
[0024] In turn the individual parts 12, 13 and 14 are available in
various dimensions, shapes, colours and decorations making it
possible to produce different styles of drinking glasses 10.
[0025] Purely as a non-limiting example the attached figures show
some of the many possible combinations of these parts with one
another.
[0026] The modular drinking glasses 10, according to the present
invention, are equipped with coupling means 15, which form a
disconnectable bond between the parts that are associable with one
another.
[0027] The coupling means 15 are composed of complementary male 15'
and female 15" elements, respectively present on the facing
surfaces of these associable parts, that is the base 12, the
portions of stem 13 and the bowl 14, to produce the different
drinking glasses 10A, 10B and 10C, represented schematically in
FIGS. from 1 to 9 and which, for example, are composed of the
elements represented in FIGS. from 10 to 15.
[0028] The coupling means 15 may for example be of the threaded,
bayonet or jointed type, or other means capable of producing a
freely associable and disconnectable bond with facing parts.
[0029] To produce the drinking glass without a stem 10C (FIGS. 4
and 9) both the bowl 14 and the base 12 must be provided with
coupling elements complementary to each other 15' and 15" produced
on facing surfaces.
[0030] The stem portions 13 must instead be provided with both
coupling elements 15' and 15", one on each surface positioned at
the ends of the stem portion 13, so that a portion of stem 13 may
be connected between the bowl 14 and the base 12 to produce a
stemmed drinking glass 10A, shown assembled in FIG. 1. It is
therefore equally possible to join more than one portion 13
together to produce a long stemmed drinking glass 10B (FIGS. 3, 5
and 6).
[0031] The coupling means 15 may consist in inserts firmly
connected to the glass or crystal part, for example cemented or
melted into the glass itself. The inserts may for example be
produced in metal, plastic or in glass or crystal.
[0032] In the case of drinking glasses in pressed glass, the
coupling means 15 may be produced in one piece with the base 12,
the portions of stem 13 and the bowl 14, by pressing the
complementary profiles directly during pressing of the single
parts. The coupling means 15 are in this case pressed in the same
material or in a different material without distinction.
[0033] Figures from 10 to 15 show purely as an example some
coupling means 15 consisting, without distinction, of inserts
applied to end portions of the parts of drinking glass or of
pressed profiles.
[0034] FIG. 10 shows a coupling means 15 with complementary threads
17 producing the male element 15' and the female element 15".
[0035] Figures from 11 to 15 shows two examples of coupling means
15 of the bayonet type.
[0036] In a first example the hollow female element 15" is provided
internally with two hemispherical bosses 18 diametrally opposite
and the male element 15' has two circumferential sections with
slots 19 in a complementary shape to the bosses 18 also diametrally
opposite each other. Moreover, two longitudinal grooves 20 leading
towards the slots 19, in a complementary shape to the bosses 18,
allow the male element 15' to be fitted axially into the female
element 15" when specifically aligned (FIG. 11). Subsequent
relative rotation between the two elements of the coupling means 15
causes the bosses 18 to engage in the slots 19 and the secures the
bond between associated parts, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.
[0037] FIGS. 14 and 15 show a second example of bayonet coupling
means 15 in an assembled position.
[0038] In the underneath view (FIG. 15) the male element 15' is
shown partly in view and partly concealed, where it is engaged in
the female element 15".
[0039] The male element 15' is provided with a cylindrical portion
24, connected to end portions of the parts of drinking glass, free
to rotate inside a seat 23 of the female element 15".
[0040] The male element 15' is also provided with portions which
may be inserted by rotation inside two opposite fissures 22 in the
female element 15".
[0041] Coupling between the elements 15' and 15" is produced by
fitting the male element 15' axially into the seat 23 in the female
element 15", which houses it with clearance. Relative rotation
between the two elements causes the side portions 21 to engage in
the fissures 22 as shown in the figures and secures the bond.
[0042] Each part of the drinking glass is therefore associated or
disconnected through axial movements and/or rotation without the
aid of further instruments or devices.
[0043] It is thus possible to replace parts of the drinking glass
10 with different parts provided with the same coupling means
15.
[0044] In addition to being firm, these connections remain freely
associable or freely disconnectable in time.
[0045] The modular drinking glass with interchangeable parts
according to the present invention has the advantage of allowing a
wide range of possible combinations of dimensions, shapes, colours
and decorations using a low number of single components. It is thus
possible to produce complete and more personalized sets of
tableware according to circumstances or the user's taste.
[0046] Moreover, the modular drinking glass with interchangeable
parts advantageously permits replacement of any single part that is
damaged with a noteworthy saving in cost.
[0047] A set composed of modular drinking glasses according to the
present invention is distinguished by its low overall dimensions to
the advantage of the trader and the user, both during transport and
storage.
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