AU2001100073A4

AU2001100073A4 - A vessel

Info

Publication number: AU2001100073A4
Application number: AU2001100073A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Marc Benjamin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-14
Filing date: 2001-06-14
Publication date: 2001-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-14

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: A vessel The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: vessel INNOV.doc A vessel Field of the invention This invention relates generally to a vessel suitable for holding liquid. More specifically, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a drinking vessel.

Background of the invention Establishments, such as hotels, bars, nightclubs and the like typically serve alcoholic beverages in transparent glass vessels. To encourage customers to purchase these alcoholic beverages such establishments may employ various means to enhance the visual appearance of the beverage. For example additional ingredients may be added to the beverage to alter its colour, or alternatively the glass from which the vessel is constructed may vary in colour.

Many alcoholic beverages, for example gin, vodka, and schnapps, are clear liquids and are often sold and consumed with no additives. It would be advantageous to be able to enhance the visual appearance of such liquids without the need for additives. Other liquids may also be enhanced in appearance by altering the colour or other aspect of appearance of the liquid.

Summary of the invention In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a vessel for holding liquid, said vessel including a first cavity for receiving liquid and at least one second cavity which is separated from said first cavity and is adapted to receive a device containing a chemiluminescent substance, which when activated enables said liquid in said vessel to be illuminated by said substance.

The vessel is preferably made at least in part from a translucent material. Optionally a wall separating the two cavities is formed of a translucent material.

vessel lNNOV.doc Preferably said second cavity is a chamber extending upwardly from the underside of said vessel protruding into said vessel, said chamber having a larger diameter at its base on the underside of said vessel than at its apex.

Preferably said substance is configured in the form of an elongated flexible member adapted to be removably inserted into said cavity, flexing of said member adapted to activate said substance.

In a preferred embodiment said vessel is constructed from transparent glass.

Preferably a wall of said second cavity or said flexible member contains printing.

Brief description of the drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawing in which: Fig. 1 illustrates a vessel according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the embodiments Figure 1 shows a vessel in the form of a glass for serving small quantities of liquid, such as an alcoholic beverage, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vessel shown is substantially the same in size as a glass otherwise known as a 'shot' glass.

It will be appreciated that the size and shape of the glass is not part of the present invention and may be varied without limiting the scope of the present invention.

The vessel may be constructed of any suitable material, preferably being made at least in part of a translucent material, for example glass.

The glass 10 shown in Figure 1 contains a first cavity 11 which is adapted to receive and hold a liquid. A second cavity 12 extending from the base of the glass 10 vertically into the glass. The second cavity 12 is accessible through an opening 14 on the underside of the vessel INNOV.doc glass 10 and is closed on the upper end 16 such that any liquid present in the first cavity of the glass 10 is prevented from entering the second cavity 12.

The second cavity 12 is designed to be of suitable size and shape to accommodate a tubular device within it, such that the tubular device can be retained in the second cavity 12 without the need for any external additions or modifications. For example, preferably the second cavity 12 is tapered being of narrower diameter at the uppermost end and wider at the base thus allowing the tubular device to be secured in palce in the second cavity 12 without the need for any attachment means. Further the second cavity 12 is designed such that a tubular device can be readily removed from the cavity and replaced with a new tubular device.

The tapering of the second cavity 12 also makes it possible to stack glasses on top of one another for ease of transport and storage. Tapering allows the upper end 16 of the second cavity 12 of one glass fits inside the base portion 14 of the second cavity 12 of another glass.

The tubular device contains an activatable substance which when activated is chemiluminescent and is illuminated thus making it capable of being seen under low light situations and in darkness. Further, the tubular device is preferably flexible. The chemiluminescent substance and tubular member may be of any suitable type, for example a Cyalume light stick as manufactured by the American Cyanamid Corporation. In this case the tubular device is flexible and the chemiluminescent substance is activated by flexing the device containing the substance.

Preferably the chemiluminescent substance contained in the tubular device includes a dye such that upon activation a coloured light is transmitted. In this way when such a substance is activated and the tubular device is inserted into the second cavity 12 of the glass 10, the glass and the liquid held in the glass are illuminated by the activated chemiluminescent substance. If the liquid held in the glass is clear, the liquid will appear to glow in a colour according to the coloured dye present in the tubular member.

vessel INNOV.doc It is alos envisaged that printing, for example in the form of advertising, may be incorporated onto the vessel or the tubular device such that the printing is illuminated when the chemiluminescent substance is activated. For example printing may be added to a wall of the second cavity 12 or the outside of the tubular device.

The ability to readily remove and replace a tubular device from the second cavity of a glass enables the rapid and simple modification to the chemiluminescent properties and the visual appearance of the glass and liquid contained therein. For example the appearance of a clear liquid in a glass according to the invention may be simply changed from one colour to another (eg yellow to blue or red) simply be replacing the tubular device held in the second cavity of the glass.

It will be understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text or drawings. All of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the invention.

The foregoing describes embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vessel for holding liquid, said vessel including a first cavity for receiving liquid and at least one second cavity which is separated from said first cavity and is adapted to receive a device containing a chemiluminescent substance, which when activated enables said liquid in said vessel to be illuminated by said substance.

2. A vessel according to claim 1 wherein said second cavity is a tapered chamber extending upwardly from the underside of said vessel protruding into said vessel, said chamber having a larger diameter at its base on the underside of said vessel than at its apex.

3. A vessel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said substance is configured in the form of an elongated flexible member adapted to be removably inserted into said cavity, flexing of said member adapted to activate said substance.

4. A vessel according to any of the preceding claims wherein said vessel is made at least in part from a translucent material. A vessel according to any of the preceding claims wherein a wall of said second cavity or said flexible member contains printing.