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  Drinking glass with a modular stemDrinking glass with a modular stem description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070257048, Drinking glass with a modular stem. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND [0001]Drinking glasses have been in existence for many years. Various shapes of drinking glasses have been used for specific types of beverages. While water, sodas, milk and juice are typically poured into plain glasses that typically have a flat base and cylindrical body, wine is typically served in a wine glass. A wine glass is a type of glass stemware that is used to drink and taste wine from that has a specific shape. The wine glass has a circular base, a thin stem and a rounded cup having a thin lip. Blown glass is typically used to make the wine glasses and the opening of the cup is not wider than the widest portion of the cup. The shape of the cup is designed to concentrate the aroma or bouquet of the wine making it easier to distinguish the varietal's characteristics. [0002]Many glasses that are designed for specific types of wines. Glasses for red wine are characterized by their rounder, wider cup, which gives the wine a chance the breath. Bordeaux glasses are tall with a wide cup for full bodied red wines such as Cabernet and Merlot. Burgundy glasses are larger than Bordeaux glasses with a larger bowl for more delicate wines such as Pinot Noir. White wine glasses are narrower than red wine glasses and champagne flutes are narrower than white wine glasses. White wines and champagnes are intended to be served chilled and these narrower glasses help to retain the cooler temperature. There are other glasses having shapes for port, sparkling wine, brandy, liqueur, cocktail and water. [0003]A problem with wine glasses is that the glasses look identical and it is very easy to set a glass down and not be able to distinguish one glass from another. One method for identifying a wine glass has been the use of tags that each have a unique shape, markings or patterns. These tags may include a metal ring that fits around the stem of the glass. With these devices, a drinker can identify her glass by remembering the appearance of the stem tag. 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. [0004]Another problem with wine glasses is storage. Because the glasses have a wide cup and base but a thin stem, the wine glasses cannot be stored in a space efficient manner. Also, because each type of wine may require a specific type of cup it may be necessary to store a set of each shape of wine glass. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005]The inventive drinking glass includes cup, a stem and a base. The cup is preferably a blown glass bulb. The cup is attached to an upper fitting that is used to couple the cup to the stem. In an embodiment, the upper fitting is an inverted conical member that has a threaded bore. The upper surface of the upper fitting may be attached to the bottom of the cup with an adhesive or other fastener. [0006]The base has a lower planar surface that allows the glass to sit upright when placed on a planar surface. The base is typically a circular member that has a lower fitting. The upper and lower fitting engages a rod that functions as the stem of the drinking glass. In an embodiment, the ends of the rod are threaded and engage corresponding internal threads in the upper and lower fittings. [0007]A plurality of beads are placed around the rod. These beads can very in shape, color and finish. The beads may also be marked with patterns or alpha numeric characters. Because the rod is releasably fastened to the upper and lower fittings, the beads are interchangeable. The interchangeability of the beads allows the user to create glasses that are distinct and individually identifiable. Each of he glasses may have beads indicating the person using the glass. For example, users can create stems with beads to create monogram lettering for the guests. Alternatively, the beads may be color coded to indicate the guest or the type of beverage served in the glass. [0008]In addition to the beads of the stem being interchangeable, the cup and base are also interchangeable. In an embodiment, the cup may be a wide Bordeaux shape, a thinner Burgundy shape, a conical cocktail shape, etc. The bases are typically circular in shape although any other shape that provides a planar base may also be used. Optional base shapes include squares, triangles, pentagons, etc. In an embodiment, a set of glasses may be a gift box that includes a single set of stems with a plurality of beads, cups and bases. The set may come with different beads and different shaped cups so that much of the same glass can be used to properly server a variety of beverages. The modular design also has the benefit of being storable in a compact manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009]FIG. 1 is a cross section of a red wine embodiment of the inventive drinking glass; [0010]FIG. 2 is a cross section of a white wine embodiment of the inventive drinking glass; [0011]FIG. 3 is a cross section of a martini embodiment of the inventive drinking glass; [0012]FIGS. 4a through 4h are illustrations of different stem beads; [0013]FIG. 5 is a cross section of an embodiment of the rod and base; [0014]FIG. 6a illustrates a fork having a bead and rod handle; [0015]FIG. 6b illustrates a knife having a bead and rod handle; and [0016]FIG. 7 illustrates a tray having bead and rod handles. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0017]With reference to FIG. 1, the present invention is a modular wine glass that has separate cup 103, stem 107 and base 111. The cup 103 is a glass bulb that is preferably made from clear blown glass. The upper portion of the cup 103 has a circular opening with a thin rounded lip and a thin wall section. In FIG. 1, the cup 103 has a wide round cup that is intended for red wines. [0018]An upper fitting 105 is a conical piece that is mounted to the bottom of the cup 103. The fitting 105 is preferably made of a metal which is easy to machine and conceals the bore 121. The upper fitting 105 may have a concave surface which is attached to the bottom of the cup 103. The fitting 105 may be attached to the cup 103 with an adhesive or via various other coupling methods including: threads, melting of the glass to fuse the cup to the fitting 105, fasteners, etc. In an embodiment, the upper fitting 105 may have a hollow interior and be attached to the cup 103 at the upper perimeter surface. The upper fitting 105 may be plated with a reflective or metallic material such as: silver, gold and chrome for enhanced appearance. The upper fitting 105 may alternatively have a translucent, transparent or painted finish. The bottom of the upper fitting 105 has a bore that may be tapped with internal threads. The bore 121 may be a hole that passes through the entire upper fitting 105. In other embodiments, the upper fitting is an insert that fits within a recess in the bottom of the cup 103. The fitting may be held within the recess with an adhesive. [0019]The upper fitting 103 is coupled to an elongated rod 107 that is preferably made of an inert metal such as stainless steel. In an embodiment, the ends of the rod 107 are externally threaded to match the internal threads in the upper fitting 103. In all of the figures, the threads are shown as being formed on the outer diameter of the rod. It is also contemplated that the internal threads may be formed at the ends of the rod and the upper fitting may have an externally threaded piece that engages the internal threads of the rod. While the rod is described as having a circular cross section, it is also possible for the rod 107 to have any other cross sections such as: rectangular, square, triangular, etc. [0020]A plurality of beads 131 are placed onto the rod 107. The beads 131 each have geometric shapes such as spheres, cubes, cones, etc. The beads 131 each have a hole that preferably runs through the center axis. The through holes may have a circular cross section but may also have cross sections that are different in shape. For example, if the rod 107 has a square cross section, the hole may have a corresponding square cross section. These corresponding shapes prevent the bead 131 from rotating when they are mounted on the rod 107. Continue reading about Drinking glass with a modular stem... Full patent description for Drinking glass with a modular stem Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Drinking glass with a modular stem patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Drinking glass with a modular stem or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Pouch and method of producing pouch container with spout Next Patent Application: Insulating, adjustable, and reversible container holder Industry Class: Receptacles ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Drinking glass with a modular stem patent info. 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