Drinking glass with a removable magnetic marker

Abstract

Drinking glasses are used to drink water and wine. A glass has a cup and a base. A wine glass has a cup portion, a stem and a circular base. A magnet that is attached to the drinking glass. A marker has a magnet and an ornamental side. The marker is held in place against an outer surface of the glass by the magnetic attraction of the cup magnet and the marker magnet.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]Drinking glasses have been in existence for many years. Various shapes of drinking glasses have been used for specific types of beverages. Water, sodas, milk and juice are typically poured into glasses that typically have a flat base and cylindrical body that maximizes the volume of liquid that can be contained. The cross section of the glass is typically circular but may be any other geometric shape. The sidewalls may be straight or curved. In contrast, a wine glass has a very different shape because it is used to drink and taste wine. The wine glass has a smaller volume than a drinking glass. The base is a circular disk that is coupled to the rounded cup with a thin stem. The shape of the cup is designed to concentrate the aroma or bouquet of the wine making it easier to distinguish the varietals' characteristics. The wine glass is typically made from blown glass.[0002]Many glasses are designed for specific types of wines. Glasses for red wine are characterized by ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]To further improve the adhesion of the marker to the cup, indentations may be formed in the cup to secure a portion of the marker in place. In an embodiment, the marker has a specific shape and the cup has a corresponding indentation that engages the outer edges of the marker. For example, if the marker is circular, the cup may have a corresponding circular indentation. When the marker is attached to the cup, the edges of the indentation will engage the outer diameter of the marker to prevent the marker from being moved across the surface of the cup. Thus, the marker may only be pulled straight off the cup surface.

[0010]To further improve the adhesion of the marker to the cup, the magnetic markers may have a surface that corresponds to the mounting surface on the glass. A marker may have a curved surface that corresponds to the curvature of the glass. The radius of curvature may correspond to the cup feature. A marker that is used with a magnet in the stem of a wine glass will have a smaller radius curvature than a marker that is attached to the base or cup portions of the glass.

[0014]There are various ways to attach the magnets to the drinking glasses. In an embodiment, the magnets may be simply attached to a surface of the container. The attachment mechanism may be an adhesive or the cup material may be partially melted to bond the magnet. To help retain the magnet, a bore or a through hole may be formed in the cup and the magnet may be bonded within the bore or through hole. The magnet may be mounted flush with the outer surface of the cup or it may be mounted below the surface. If the magnet is mounted below the surface, the marker magnet may also fit within the bore so that edges of the marker may fit within the hole to prevent accidental removal.

Problems solved by technology

A problem with both drinking and wine glasses is that they are typically bought in sets that look identical.

While this identical appearance is aesthetically pleasing, it is very easy to set a drinking glass down and not be able to distinguish one glass from another.

While the wine glass tags are useful, they must be removed before the glasses are washed and are easily lost once they are removed from the glasses.

A problem with these tags is that they can be fragile and difficult to secure around the stems of the wine glasses.

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