Abstract:
The invention is a beverage garnish holder for placement on the rim of a beverage glass and comprises: a bispherical cradle for supporting the beverage garnish; a rim incurvation configured to engage the beverage glass rim; a transition neck connecting the rim incurvation to the bispherical cradle; and a depending tab configured to extend from the rim incurvation into the beverage glass.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present Application is related to Provisional Patent Application entitled “Beverage Garnish Clip,” filed 7 Jul. 2015 and assigned filing No. 62/189,700, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a device for supporting a garnish at the rim of a beverage glass. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Adult beverages and cocktail drinks often include garnishes, such as a lemon wedge, a cherry, an olive, or a pearl onion, depending on the drink recipe. The bartender mixing the drink may typically be in view of the customer. It may upset the customer to observe the bartender or waiter using possibly soiled fingers to pluck a beverage garnish from a bowl and place it into the customer&#39;s drink, or onto the rim of the glass, even if it is appreciated that the bartender/waiter may be having a busy night and needs to work quickly. However, expecting a customer to serve himself from a garnish bowl may not be a better alternative method of garnishing a drink. 
         [0004]    What is needed is a method of keeping a beverage garnish, such as a lemon, out of a diner&#39;s water or iced tea, when the diner is patronizing a bar or a restaurant. Placement of the garnish into the beverage may then be done by the customer. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one aspect of the present invention, a beverage garnish holder for placement on the rim of a beverage glass comprises: a bispherical cradle for supporting the beverage garnish; a rim incurvation configured to engage the beverage glass rim; a transition neck connecting the rim incurvation to the bispherical cradle; and a depending tab configured to extend from the rim incurvation into the beverage glass. 
         [0006]    The additional features and advantage of the disclosed invention is set forth in the detailed description which follows, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description or recognized by practicing the invention as described, together with the claims and appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The foregoing aspects, uses, and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description of the present invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying figures, in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is an isometric illustration of a beverage garnish holder comprising a bispherical cradle, a transition neck, a rim incurvation, and a depending tab in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a rear view of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a top view of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 1  mounted on a beverage glass rim and showing an optional cradle opening for drainage; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 2  as indicated by the section lines A-A; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 2  as indicated by the section lines B-B; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is an isometric front view of an alternate embodiment of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 1  providing perimeter tabs; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is an isometric perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the beverage garnish holder of  FIG. 1  providing perimeter pegs. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention. 
         [0019]    The present invention relates generally to a garnish holder with a rim clip specifically configured for supportive attachment onto the rim of substantially any commercially-used beverage glass. A cocktail garnish such as a lemon wedge, for example, can be provided to a customer in the beverage garnish holder. When the garnish and the garnish holder is thus provided with the beverage glass, the customer can easily use the garnish from the holder instead of having to reach for the garnish from a garnish bowl, an action which would typically be done with unwashed customer fingers. Use of the drink garnish holder also avoids the need for a drink server to place the lemon, or lime, directly onto the rim of the beverage glass, using possibly dirty hands, which is a common sight in every public restaurant and bar. 
         [0020]    As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the beverage garnish holder is configured in conformance with a specified size, angle, and bend to assure proper fit onto beverage glasses used for drinking or cocktails. In an exemplary embodiment, the beverage garnish holder may be sized and shaped to hold a lemon or lime wedge, or two cherries, or two olives, and the size of the beverage garnish holder may be scaled for attachment to other types of glass rims, such as a beer mug for example. 
         [0021]    There is shown in  FIG. 1  a beverage garnish holder  10  suitable for use with a garnish or condiment, as described above. The beverage garnish holder  10  includes a bispherical cradle  20 , a transition neck  14 , a rim incurvation  32 , and a depending tab  16 . The bispherical cradle  20  functions to hold the beverage condiment or garnish. The depending tab  16  defines a slot  18  under the rim incurvation  32  which functions to engage the beverage garnish holder  10  with the rim of the beverage glass (shown in  FIG. 6 ). The transition neck  14  functions to position the bispherical cradle  20  at a predetermined distance below the rim of the beverage glass. As can be seen in the illustration, the bispherical cradle  20  has a generally concave upper surface  12  bordered by a cradle rim  22 , where the width of the cradle rim  22  is slightly greater than the thickness of a plastic, glass, or metallic material forming the bispherical cradle  20 . 
         [0022]    As seen in  FIG. 2 , bispherical cradle  20  may be generally rectangular in shape, with rounded corners  24 . The cradle rim  22  may comprise a flat planar edge surface or, in alternative embodiments, the generally rectangular cradle rim  22  may have a rounded surface edge or other non-planar surface edge (shown in  FIG. 8  below) to provide a decorative appearance to the beverage garnish holder  10 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows the beverage garnish holder  10  from the beverage glass rim side. As can be seen from the illustration, the beverage garnish holder  10  has a plane of symmetry  26  passing through the bispherical cradle  20 , the transition neck  14  the rim incurvation  32 , and the depending tab  16 . In the illustration shown, the transition neck  14  has a substantially isosceles trapezoid shape, and the depending tab  16  is substantially rectangular in shape. A convex bottom surface  28  of the bispherical cradle  20  has a radius of R 1 , as viewed from the back side of the garnish holder  10 . In an exemplary embodiment, the dimension R 1  can be from approximately 40 mm to about 50 mm, and nominally, about 44.6 mm. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a side view of the garnish holder  10 . The convex bottom surface  28  of the bispherical cradle  20 , as seen from this direction, has a radius of ‘R 2 .’ In an exemplary embodiment, the dimension R 2  can be from about 15 mm to approximately 20 mm, and nominally, about 16.8 mm. Accordingly, the bottom surface  28  of the bispherical cradle  20  does not comprise a simply spherical shape with a constant spherical radius of curvature when viewed from front, rear, or side. The novel cradle  20  is herein described as “bispherical,” having one surface radius, a major radius, of curvature ‘R 1 ’ as viewed from one direction, that is, the from the front or rear direction, and as having another surface radius, a minor radius, of curvature ‘R 2 ’ as viewed from a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, that is, from either side. The bispherical cradle  20  thus functions to physically retain a round or oval garnish, such as a pearl onion, in the concave upper surface  12  and keep the round or oval garnish from falling out of the beverage garnish holder  10 . As best seen in this illustration, the slot  18  extends to a rim incurvation  32  connecting the depending tab  16  to the transition neck  14 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a top view of the garnish holder  10  with exemplary dimensions. The length ‘C’ of the bispherical cradle  20  may be approximately 50 mm, with a width ‘D’ of approximately 30 mm. The width ‘E’ of the depending tab  16  may be about 8 mm. The corners of the bispherical cradle  20  may have a radius ‘F’ of about 9.5 mm.  FIG. 6  shows that, in an exemplary embodiment, the garnish holder  10  may include an optional cradle opening  34  centrally located in the bispherical cradle  20  to prevent the accumulation of liquid from the beverage garnish by draining off fluid. A portion of the rim  30  of a beverage glass is shown to illustrate the placement of the garnish holder  10  on the beverage glass. 
         [0026]      FIG. 7  shows a cross-sectional front view of the garnish holder  10 , as indicated by the section lines A-A, shown in  FIG. 2 . In the illustration it can be seen that the width of the transition neck  14  tapers from ‘E’, the width of the depending tab  16  as shown in  FIG. 5 , to a width of ‘G’ where the transition neck  14  meets the bispherical cradle  20 . In an exemplary embodiment, the dimension ‘G’ may be about 22 mm. When used for a beverage or cocktail glass, the overall height ‘H’ of the garnish holder  10  may be about 20 mm to about 35 mm, and nominally, about 23.5 mm. The height ‘J’ of the bispherical cradle  20  may be about 7 mm to about 15 mm. The flat planar edge surface  22  can best be seen in this sectional view. 
         [0027]      FIG. 8  shows a cross-sectional side view of the garnish holder  10 , as indicated by the section lines B-B, shown in  FIG. 2 . In an exemplary embodiment, the rim incurvation  32  has an internal radius ‘R 3 ’ of about 2.0 mm. The center of curvature  36  for the rim incurvation  32  is laterally offset a distance ‘K’ from the center of curvature  38  for the ‘R 2 ’ radius of the bispherical cradle  20 , and is transversely offset by a dimension ‘L’ from the center of curvature  38 . In an exemplary embodiment, the lateral offset ‘K’ is about 16.2 mm and the transverse offset ‘L’ is about 3.2 mm, making the length of the transition neck approximately 10 mm. It can be appreciated that, if the garnish holder  10  is to be used for a beer mug with a thicker wall, the dimension R 3  can be increased to accommodate the rim of the beer mug. In the particular configuration shown in  FIG. 8 , the bispherical cradle  20  includes an optional rounded surface edge  48  to provide a decorative appearance to the beverage garnish holder  10 . The material forming the garnish holder may have a thickness ‘t’ of about 1.5 mm, and may have a rounded edge surface  48  as an alternative to the flat edge surface  22  shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 9  shows an alternate embodiment of a garnish holder  40  having the depending tab  16 , the transition neck  14 , the rim incurvation  32 , and the upper surface  12  as described for the beverage garnish holder  10  described above. The beverage garnish holder  40  has a discontinuous perimeter  42  with a perimeter corner tab  44  at each corner of the perimeter  42 . A perimeter edge tab  46  may be provided on the perimeter  52  between two edge tabs  46 . The edge tabs  46  and the corner tabs  44  may function to prevent a largely spherical garnish from rolling off the upper surface  12 . In an exemplary embodiment, the perimeter corner tabs may be approximately 12 mm in length, the perimeter edge tab  46  may be about 15 mm in length, and the tabs  44 ,  46  may all be about 3 mm in height. 
         [0029]      FIG. 10  shows another alternate embodiment of a garnish holder  50  having the depending tab  16 , the transition neck  14 , and the rim incurvation  32 . An upper surface  54  is similar to upper surface  12  as in the garnish holder  10  described above. The garnish holder  50  has a substantially continuous perimeter  52  with a plurality of perimeter pegs  56  spaced along the edges of the perimeter  52  to more positively retain a beverage garnish on the upper surface  54 . Two surface dimples  52  may be positioned in the upper surface  54  for placement of a beverage garnish. It should be noted that the surface dimples  52  may not extend through the bispherical cradle  20 . In an exemplary embodiment, the perimeter pegs  56  may be approximately 3 mm in height and approximately 2 mm in diameter. The perimeter pegs  56  and surface dimples  58  (i.e., shallow counter-bores) function to prevent a garnish from rolling or sliding off the upper surface  54 . 
         [0030]    It is to be understood that the description herein is only exemplary of the invention, and is intended to provide an overview for the understanding of the nature and character of the disclosed beverage garnish holder. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of various features and embodiments of the method and devices of the invention which, together with their description serve to explain the principles and operation of the invention.