AU2004100664A4 - Vessel Allowing Visual Determination of an Amount of a Fluid Constituent - Google Patents

Description

15/88/2084 11:11 +61-2-95522894 WALSH AND ASSOCIATES PAGE 05/15 VESSEL ALLOWING VISUAL DRETERMINATION OF N AMOUNT OF A FUmID CONSTITUJrE

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to measured fluid dispensing and more particularly relates to a method of visual measurement of a quantity of an alcoholic beverage poured into a drinking vessel to indicate a set amount of alcohol. More particularly the invention relates to driking vessels having gradations and /or formations which enable a visual assessment of a quantity of fluid or a quantity of a constituent of the fluid in the vessel. Although the invention according to its embodiments will be described with reference to the service of alcohol beverages it will be appreciated that the invention is applicable in other areas where visual assessment of quantities of fluids is required.

PRIOR ART There are a wide variety of liquid containing vessels having measuring indicia enabling a user to measure a quantity of fluid discharged therefrom. Measure gradations are used for dispensing medicines, poisons and the like from measures and containers. The gradations define a volume of the particular vessel and therefore of fluid taking up that volume.

The existing fluid measures come is a wide variety of shapes and only indicate volume For several years there has been an increasing focus on Responsible Service of Alcohol. This manifests itself through legislation in the public arena (anywhere that alcohol is served, even if the alcohol is not purchased in that place eg in a BYO restaurant) and through increasing awareness in the home environment.

I1 COMS ID No: SBMI-00870936 Received by IP Australia: Time 11:14 Date 2004-08-15 15/088/2004 11:11 +61-2-95522894 WALSH AND ASSOCIATES PAGE 06/15 There is general acceptance and understanding of the concept of the "standard drink", and many meople attempt to keep track of the number of "standard drinks" consumed at one event to try to determine their own (or another persons) likely level of intoxication. Some people use this information to decide if they are legally able to drive or when to stop serving someone else alcohol. At present there is no accurate, convenient, practical and effective means to determine how many standard drinks have been consumed.

All packaged alcohol includes labelling information that discloses how many standard drinks are included in the package, and the alcoholic content. This information is useful for someone who individually drinks the whole container of alcoholic beverage (eg drinks a bottle of beer) but is significantly less useful for someone who only drinks part of the container (eg sharing a bottle of wine, or having part of a bottle of spirits). Some people understand that one "standard drink" is defined as set weight ofalcohol (ethanol) but there is no practical way of determining how much alcoholic beverage to pour, to give a measure of one standard drink.

There is a clear calculation that determines the volume of alcoholic beverage required, at any given alcoholic content, to provide one standard drink.

INVENTON

The present invention provides a simple method and apparatus for providing one standard drink from a single pouring action, without any need for an intermediate measuring step. Also the same method can be used for any predetermined number of standard drinks or to provide any predetermined amount of alcohol from ;my alcoholic beverage. According to an alternative embodiment the present invention is applicable in the measurements of constituents of medicines, poisons, and any other liquid with a known concentration of a given constituent 2 COMS ID No: SBMI-00870936 Received by IP Australia: Time 11:14 Date 2004-08-15 15/08/2004 11:11 +61-2-95522894 WALSH AND ASSOCIATES PAGE 87/15 According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of dispensing an alcoholic beverage comprising delivering a beverage into a vessel and providing means in or on the vessel to enable a visual determination of a predetermined quantity of the beverage, indicating a known quantity of alcohol, for example as in what is considered one standard drink for a given alcohol type.

The present invention further provides a vessel of predetermined volume including means thereon to enable determination of a quantity of an alcoholic serve introduced into said vessel According to one embodiment the vessel comprises at least one formation in the vessel wall which provides said means to enable determination of a predetermined quantity of an alcoholic beverage.

The present invention still further provides a method of preparing a vessel to receive a measured quantity of alcoholic beverage.

In its broadest form ihe present invention comprises: A drinking vessel capable of holding a consumable fluid; the vessel comprising a vessel wall defining a volumetric space for holding the fluid therein; characterised in that the vessel wall includes indicating means allowing a visual determination of a predetermined quantity of at least one constituent of the contents of the consumable fluid.

In another broad form the present invention comprises: a drinking vessel capable of holding an alcoholic beverage; the vessel comprising a vessel wall defining a volumetric space for holding the beverage therein; 3 COMS ID No: SBMI-00870936 Received by tP Australia: Time 11:14 Date 2004-08-15 15/88/2004 11:11 +61-2-95522894 WALSH AND A-CGWIATES PAGE 089/15 characterised in that the vessel wall includes indicating means allowing a visual determination of a predetermined quantity of at least one constituent of the contents of the beverage.

According to one embodiment, the means for visual detenmination comprises marked gradations on a surface of the wall; each gradation commensurate with a predetermined quantity of the at least one constituent of the fluid beverage According to another embodiment the means for visual determination comprises at least one formation in the vessel wall wherein the at least one formation is located such that itthey are commensurate with a predetermined quantity or concentration of said at least one constituent of said fluid.

Preferably the means for visual determination allows a visual determination of a beverage serve quantity having a predetermined alcohol content According to preferred embodiments the vessel may be selected from a glass, bottle, jug, or carafe each having said at least one formation and/or gradations.

BRIEF DESCRIPT ON OF DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described aocording to preferred but non limiting embodiments of the present invention by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is an elevatioa view ofa beverage vessel according to a first embodiment of the invention where the vessel has gradations; and FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a beverage vessel according to an alternative embodiment of the invention where the vessel has formations; and FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a beverage vessel according to an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the vessel has gradations and formations.

4 COMS ID No: SBMI-00870936 Received by IP Australia: Time 11:14 Date 2004-08-15 15/88/2864 11:11 +61-2-95522894 WALSH ND ASSODCITES PAGE 09/15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION The formations in the vessel may comprise an indicating contour which may sit proud of the vessel wall or be recessed into the wall There are three preferred methods contemplated as embodiments of the method aspect of the invention each of which are manifest in a vessel as shown.

According to a first embodiment, as shown in figure I there is provided a drinking vessel 1 comprising a stand 2 and a vessel wall 3 defining a spac for receiving and retaining an alcoholic beverage Vessel 1 is characterised in having gradations or markings 4 which indicate a volume of alcoholic beverage to be poured. Vessel I may be a wine glass or the like Marks 4 on the side of the glass denote specific volume measurements. However, the number shown beside the mark is not the volume measurement but indicates the alcoholic content of the alcoholic beverage expressed as w/v, and can be read from the continer from whirh the beverage is poured. When an alcoholic beverage is poured to the selected mark 4 corresponding to its alcoholic content, the glass then contains one standard drink.

According to a second embodiment, as shown in figure 2 there is provided a drinking vessel 10 comprising a stand 11 and a vessel wall 12 defining a space for receiving and retaining an alcoholic beverage. Vessel 10 is characterised in having a formations 13 introduced into the vessel wall 12 which indicate a volume of alcoholic beverage to be poured. Vessel 10 may also be a wine glass or the like. Formations 13 in the glass are located so as to denote specific volume measurements. The formation therefore indicates the alcoholic content of the alcoholic beverage expressed as w/v, and can be visually easily determined when pouring and when drinking from the vessel. As before when an alcoholic beverage is poured to the selected formation corresponding to its alcoholic content, the vessel then contains one standard drink, It will be appreciated that more than one formation may be introduced into the vessel depending upon how many serves are required for visual measurement Thus COMS ID No: SBMI-00870936 Received by IP Australia: Time 11:14 Date 2004-08-15 15/08/2804 11:11 +61-2-95522894 WALSH AND ASSIIATES PAGE 10/15 the at least one formation show the volume of alcoholic beverage to be poured and hence the quantity of alcohol. The formation may be introduced by a recess, protrusion subtle or obvious) a discontinuity, retun denoting a specific volume of liquid.

According to this embodiment, since the formations are not accompanied by an adjacent indicating number, a number representing the alcoholic content of the alcoholic beverage (expressed as w/v, and can be read from the container of the alcoholic beverage) is marked on the drinking vessel (eg on the base).

According to the aforesaid embodiment, when an alcoholic beverage is poured to the formation in a vessel corresponding to its alcoholic content the glass then contains one standard drink. According to an alternative embodiment there are provided a series of drinking vessels with the turning point representing different liquid volumes is needed to allow accurate delivery of standard drinks ofdifferent alcoholic content In a further embodiment, a vessel is provided having a combination of the two aforesaid embodiments namely gradations and at least one formation indicating content of a constituent of a volume of the fluid as distinct from the volume ofthe fluid itelf The invention allows for and contemplates the reality that drinking vessels come in a wide variety of sizes. A change in volume will dictate gradations and /or formations. A series of drinking vessels of varying sizes allow for the wide range of alcoholic content of different alcoholic beverages.

For example, one stndard drink of "light" beer may be equivalent to 500ml while one standard drink of distilled spirits may be less than 30ml. Each drinking vessel has narks or gradations on the side of the vessel which denote specific volume measurements. The number shown beside the mark does not indicate the volume measurement but is the alcoholic content of the alcoholic beverage (expressed as w/v, and can be read from the container of the 6 COMS ID No: SBMI-00870936 Received by IP Australia: Time 11:14 Date 2004-08-15 15/80/2004 11:11 +61-2-95522894 WALSH AND ASSOCIATES PAGE 11/15 alcoholic beverage) Each drinking vessel in a series has a different maximum volume. For example, one vessel for high alcohol beverages such as distilled spirits, one for medium alcohol beverages such as wines, and one for low alcohol beverages such as beer.

It will be recognised by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the invention broadly described herein such as but not limited to using the invention for determining constituent volume and or concentrations of poisons or medicines without departing from the overall spirit and scope ofthe invetion.

7 COMS ID No: SBMI-00870936 Received by IP Australia: Time 11:14 Date 2004-08-15