1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to beverage glasses, particularly, wine glasses, containing an internal cell for decanting, filtering, mixing and/or aerating the beverage as it is poured into the glass.
2. Description of Related Art
A wine glass is generally composed of three parts: the bowl, stem, and foot. Glasses for red wine are characterized by a rounder, wider bowl with a larger opening, which permits the wine to breathe. The shape of the bowl concentrates the flavor and aroma to emphasize particular characteristics of the wine.
Beverages made from fruit often contain small solid particles from the skin or seeds of the fruit which may settle to the bottom of the beverage container. Wine, in particular, often contains these particles which may be transferred with the wine to the wine glass.
Wine glasses have been made with internal structures to enhance the swirling and mixing of the wine with air after it has been poured into the glass, for example, as shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. US2006/0032855. Other devices for decanting wine as it is poured are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. US2007/0256568. None of these devices provide a structure within the wine glass itself to permit the decanting, filtering, mixing and aerating of the wine as it is poured.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a beverage glass for aerating a beverage upon pouring the beverage into the beverage glass.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage glass having internal means for decanting, filtering, mixing and/or aerating a beverage upon pouring the beverage into the beverage glass.
A further object of the invention is to provide a beverage glass for changing or maintaining the temperature of a beverage.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a beverage glass having an interior cell for holding and mixing a flavored liquid with a beverage.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.
The above and other objects, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are achieved in the present invention which is directed to a drinking container for decanting, filtering, mixing and/or aerating a beverage. The drinking container comprises a bowl having an upper opening and an aerating cell having a wall, an upper opening along the top of the cell and at least one perforation through the wall. The cell is attached to and within the bowl, to decant, filter, mix and/or aerate a beverage that is poured through the bowl upper opening and into the cell upper opening, and subsequently flows through the at least one perforation into the bowl.
Preferably, the cell includes a plurality of cell perforations in at least a portion of the cell wall and more preferably the cell perforations are all located a distance above a bottom of the bowl a distance sufficient to permit a desired volume of the beverage to flow therethrough and into the bowl. Alternately, the cell perforations extend to a bottom of the bowl.
The drinking container may include a plurality of perforations in only a portion of the cell wall and may include a lower end supported above a bottom of the bowl a distance designating a desired volume of the beverage to be held in the bowl. The cell may be supported above a bottom of the bowl. Preferably, the drinking container is a wine glass having a base and stem supporting the bowl.
The drinking container may include a cell which is removably attached to the bowl. Alternately, the cell may have a lip supported by a rim along the bowl upper opening.
The drinking container may include a cell having an upper opening with a width less than half that of the bowl upper opening. Alternately, the cell upper opening may have a width greater than half that of the bowl upper opening.
The drinking container may include a cell having a separate, removable filter basket. The drinking container may have the bowl opening larger than the user's mouth.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of using a drinking container for decanting, filtering, mixing and/or aerating a beverage. The method includes providing a drinking container having a bowl with an upper opening and, within the bowl, an aerating cell having a wall, an upper opening along the top of the cell and at least one perforation through the wall. The method includes providing a beverage, pouring the beverage through the bowl upper opening into the cell upper opening and permitting the beverage to flow through the at least one perforation and into the bowl, thereby decanting, filtering, mixing and/or aerating the beverage.
Preferably, the method includes the cell having a plurality of cell perforations in at least a portion of the cell wall and more preferably the cell perforations are all located a distance above a bottom of the bowl a distance sufficient to permit a desired volume of the beverage to flow therethrough and into the bowl. The method includes, in the step of permitting the beverage to flow through the at least one perforation and into the bowl, terminating the pouring upon the beverage level reaching about the level of the cell perforations. Alternately, the cell perforations extend to a bottom of the bowl whereby a first beverage is poured into the cell and a second beverage is then poured into the bowl, initiating mixing of the first and second beverages and the step of permitting the beverage to flow through the at least one perforation and into the bowl includes terminating the pouring upon the beverage level reaching about the level of the cell lower end.
The method may include providing a plurality of perforations in only a portion of the cell wall and the cell may include a lower end supported above a bottom of the bowl a distance designating a desired volume of the beverage to be held in the bowl. The cell may be supported above a bottom of the bowl. Preferably, the drinking container is a wine glass having a base and stem supporting the bowl and the beverage is a wine.
The method may include providing a drinking container having a cell which is removably attached to the bowl wherein the cell is removed after permitting the beverage to flow through the at least one perforation and into the bowl. Alternately, the cell may have a lip supported by a rim along the bowl upper opening wherein the cell lip is placed in contact with the bowl rim prior to pouring the beverage through the bowl upper opening into the cell upper opening
The drinking container may include a cell having an upper opening with a width less than half that of the bowl upper opening. Alternately, the cell upper opening may have a width greater than half that of the bowl upper opening.
The drinking container may include a cell having a separate, removable filter basket and the filter basket may be removed after permitting the beverage to flow through the at least one perforation and into the bowl. The drinking container preferably has the bowl opening larger than the user's mouth.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a drinking container for changing or maintaining beverage temperature. The drinking container comprises a bowl having an upper opening and a sealed cell within the bowl containing a substance for cooling or heating the beverage in the glass without diluting the beverage. The cell has an upper end marking a desired volume of beverage within the bowl.
The features of the invention believed to be novel and the elements characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The figures are for illustration purposes only and are not drawn to scale. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the detailed description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
In describing the preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference will be made herein to
As shown in
A method of using the beverage glass 10 for decanting, filtering, mixing and/or aerating of a beverage is shown in
Preferably, the method includes providing the beverage glass having a bowl, an aerating cell having an exterior surface, an upper opening along the top of the surface and a plurality of perforations on the surface integrated within the bowl of the beverage glass. The method includes pouring the beverage into the upper opening 32 of the aerating cell 30 and allowing the beverage to permeate through the perforations of the exterior surface 31. The method decants, mixes, aerates and/or filters the beverage 62 flowing through the cell 30 and into the glass bowl 20 outside of and below the cell.
In
In another embodiment of the beverage glass shown in
In another embodiment of the beverage glass shown in the exploded view of
Although the drinking container is described herein as a glass, in the preferred embodiment it also encompasses cups, tumblers and other beverage containers having bowl openings larger than an individual user's mouth and intended for serving an individual portion of a beverage. The drinking container along with the internal cell may be made of a material other than glass, for example, acrylic or other plastic, and may be transparent, translucent or opaque.
Thus, the present invention provides an improved beverage glass having an internal cell for decanting, filtering, mixing and/or aerating a beverage upon pouring the beverage into the beverage glass. The invention also provides an improved beverage glass with an internal cell for changing the temperature of a beverage, or for holding and mixing a flavored liquid within a beverage.
While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims are not limited to the specific preferred embodiments disclosed herein and will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.