US3218447A - Drinking glass - Google Patents

Description

Ndv. 16, 1965 E. PARDUE DRINKING GLASS Filed Feb. 25, 1963 13b 26 25b 25a 21c. 21c. Zlb

INVENTOR. EDWARD PARDUE QM/haw ATTORNEY ited States Patent 3,218,447 DRENKING GLASS Edward Pardue, Atherton, Califl, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to 30s. Schlitz Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 260,773 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-641) The present invention relates in general to drinking glasses, and more particularly to a self-illuminating drinking glass.

An object of the present invention is to provide a selfilluminating drinking glass.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a self-illuminating glass that automatically lights up when resting on its base and that automatically extinguishes the light thereof when resting on the rim of the bowl thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drinking glass without manually operated switches and which has a light extinguished when resting on the rim of the bowl thereof and which automatically becomes illuminated when resting on the base thereof.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the self-illuminating drinking glass of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is the self-illuminating drinking glass of the present invention which comprises a wide base 11, a narrow stem 12 merging downwardly and outwardly into base 11, and a conically shaped bowl 13 merging downwardly and radially inwardly into the top end of stem 12 and supported thereby. As shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical opening 15 is formed in the lower section of the base 11 and is adapted to snugly receive a removable cover 16. Communicating with the opening 15 is a cylindrical bore 17 of reduced diameter formed in the base 11.

Disposed within the bore 17 of base 11 and seated on the removable cover 16 is a suitable battery 18 which is substantially larger than stem 12. In the preferred embodiment, the battery 18 is a relatively fiat battery. It is to be noted that the base 11, the cover 16 and the stem 12 are made of suitable metallic material and are conductors of electricity. Thus, a lower terminal 18a of the battery 18 is electrically connected to the cover 16, the base 11 and the stem 12.

Communicating with the bore 17 is an axial reduced diameter cylindrical bore 20 formed substantially in the stem 12. Fixedly mounted within the bore 20 is a conventional mercury switch 21 which is thin and elongated in shape. The mercury switch 21 includes a cylindrical glass tube 21a .and is thus insulated from or out of electrical contact with the metallic stem 12. A lower terminal 21b of the mercury switch 21, which is not electrically connected to the stem 12, is connected by a suitable insulated conductor 22 to an upper terminal 18b of the battery to establish an electrical connection therewith. However, the upper'terminal 18b of the battery 18, the conductor 22, and the lower terminal 21b of the mercury switch 21 are not electrically connected to the stem 12 and the base 11, excepting through the switch 21 and the battery 18.

3,213,447 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 The mercury switch 21 is constructed and arranged so as to provide a closed on or electrically conducting switch when the drinking glass 10 is resting on the base 11, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, when the position of the glass is reversed so that the glass is resting on a rim 13a of the glass bowl 13, the mercury switch 21 is in an open or non-conducting otf position.

Received in threaded engagement with the wall of the bore 20 in the stem 12 and disposed above the mercury switch 21, and beneath bowl 13 in the merging portion between the bowl and the narrow portion of the stem, is a conventional light bulb 25. A lower terminal 25a of the light bulb 25 is in contact with an upper terminal 210 of the mercury switch 21 to establish an electrical connection therewith. A cylindrical terminal 25b of the light bulb 25 is in threaded engagement with the stem 12 to establish an electrical connection therewith.

For forming a rigid support for the conical bowl 13, a cylindrical flange 26 is received in threaded engagement by the stem 12. The annular rim of the flange 26 rests on the upper wall of the stem 12. The conical glass bowl 13 is fixedly secured to the flange 26. This may be accomplished in any suitable manner such as by employing an adhesive or bonding agent or by forming a threaded groove in the upper surface of the flange 26 with corresponding threaded lower section of the glass bowl 13. As shown in the drawings, the lower section of the glass bowl 13 includes a transparent bell-shaped raised portion 13b that is disposed over the light bulb 25 and over the annular flange 26.

In the operation of the self-illuminating drinking glass 10, the light bulb 25 is lighted when the drinking glass 10 is resting on the base 11 thereof, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The light bulb 25 is energized over the following path: terminal 25a of the light bulb 25, terminal 210 of the mercury switch 21, mercury switch 21, terminal 21b of the mercury switch 21, conductor 22, terminal 18b of the battery 18, battery 18, terminal 18a of the battery 18, cover 16, base 11, stem 12, terminal 25b of the light bulb 25 and light bulb 25. During the time the drinking glass 11 rests on the base 11 thereof, the mercury switch 21 is automatically closed in a conventional and well-known manner by means of the liquid mercury completing the connection between spaced conductors.

When the drinking glass 10 is placed so that the drinking glass 10 rests on the rim 13a of the bowl 13, the mercury switch 21 is automatically opened in a conventional and well-known manner to extinguish the light bulb 25. This may be accomplished by the liquid mercury flowing away from the position in which it establishes a connection between spaced conductors.

It is to be understood that modifications and variations of the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A goblet-type drinking glass comprising: a wide base, a narrow stem merging downwardly and radially outwardly into said base, a bowl merging downwardly and radially inwardly into the top end of said stern and supported thereby, a battery substantially larger than said stem and disposed in said base, a thin elongated mercury switch disposed in said stem and adapted to be in on position when the glass is in one vertical position and in 011 position when the glass is in the other vertical position, an electric connection disposed in said stem between References Cited by the Examiner said battery and said switch, a light bulb disposed beneath UNITED STATES PATENTS said bowl 1n the merging portion between the bowl and A I the narrow portion of said stern, an electrical connection 2,177,337 10/1939 Stem extending between said bulb and said mercury switch, an 5 2,224,319 12/1940 Schroyer 2406-4 electrical connection between said bulb and said battery, g z

t h b mp 11 and a cover on t e bottom of sa1d ase and closely a 2,995,650 8/1961 Kiekhaefer 240 2 jacent said battery, said cover being removable to permit access to said battery without disturbing said switch, NORTON ANSI-1BR, primary Examiner

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