Patent Abstract:
A shot glass system has means for holding frozen water, i.e. ice against the alcohol-retaining walls comprising circumferential detents and lips placed within a chamber which is formed adjacent the walls.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to double-walled glasses and more particularly to shot glasses enclosing ice or cooling means within their walls.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Numerous innovations for Ice Shot Glasses have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly they differ from the present invention.  
         [0005]     A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,594,127 to Collier teaches an ice cube tray comprising a vessel including top and downwardly directed side walls, spaced cups depending from said top wall defining ice block molds, the depth of said cups being no greater than the height of said side walls, and partitions intermediate certain of said cups attached to the lower face of said top wall and the inner faces of opposed side walls.  
         [0006]     A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,632 to Marchewka, et al. teaches the beverage cooling device includes a semi-flexible plastic container and a liquid foodstuff which is totally enclosed within the container. The container and its contents are adapted to be frozen and utilized as a beverage cooling device. While the liquid foodstuff is in the frozen state within the container, the container may be broken open to remove the frozen liquid to permit the same to be used simultaneously as a coolant and as a flavoring for the beverage. Alternatively, the frozen foodstuff can be consumed directly. On the other hand the device can be allowed to cool within a drinking vessel to cool a liquid or beverage therein and then refrozen for reuse.  
         [0007]     A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,25∅,315 to Loew. et al. teaches a mold for making shot-sized drinking glasses formed of ice having a substantially cylindrical outer wall having an upper end situated in an upper horizontal plane and a lower end situated in a horizontal lower plane, and a downwardly-opening cup-shaped inner wall comprising an inner side wall portion and an inner top wall portion, the latter being situated below the upper plane in which the upper end of the outer wall is situated. Rack apparatus for making a plurality of shot-size drinking glasses formed of ice includes a multi-cavity grid in combination with a cooperating frame and a plurality of molds. Apparatus for facilitating the use of shot-size drinking glasses formed of ice include one or more holding members formed of flexible sheet material in combination with a caddy including a recess for positioning the holding member with respect to the glass.  
         [0008]     A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. D363,854 to Katz shows the ornamental design for a shot glass.  
         [0009]     A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. D369,114 to Davidov shows the ornamental design for a helmet shot glass.  
         [0010]     A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. D384,859 to Cundieff shows the ornamental design for a shot glass.  
         [0011]     A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,∅65 Kalamaras teaches a shot glass is formed with a sloping, slightly tapered side wall. A curved cup bottom wall extends across the bottom of the shot glass and is spaced upward from the bottom edge of the shot glass side wall. The cup bottom wall has a thicker central portion and a thinner annular peripheral portion, and upper and lower surfaces of the cup bottom wall are formed with different radii of curvature. The bottom surface has a larger radius and the upper surface has a smaller surface for forming a lens. The base has a base wall and a peripheral side wall which extends upward from the base wall. A thin peripheral ring extends downward from outer edges of the base wall to form a foot. The cylindrical side wall of the base has a flat upper surface on which is formed an energy directing bead. The side wall of the base fits inside a bottom edge of the shot glass, and the energy directing bead contacts an inner step in the shot glass side wall slightly above the lower edge. When the base and shot glass are pressed together and ultrasonic energy is applied, the energy-directing bead focuses energy to soften the step and the flat wall and fuse the two together, sealing the base and shot glass. Objects are placed between the base wall and cup bottom wall in the cavity formed therebetween before sealing the base to the shot glass. One base wall has upward formed lenticules, which lift and tip precision-cut confetti shapes, which are magnified by the cup bottom wall.  
         [0012]     AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. D448,241 to Morris, Jr. shows the ornamental design for a shot glass.  
         [0013]     A NINTH EXAMPLE is found in www.iceshots.com which sells a hollow mold from which one may produce a shot ‘glass’ made of frozen foodstuffs itself. Although the mold is hollow in the typical fashion of molds, a frozen and edible shot container itself is minimally relevant to the instant invention.  
         [0014]     A TENTH EXAMPLE if found at www.get . . . That website sells products which are also minimally related to the instant invention. Its “Arctic Ice Shot” freezes a solid shot ‘glass’ which is itself edible once the liquor is gone.  
         [0015]     Of the prior art, Loew et al is the most closely related. Its failing arises in that gravity will pull the frozen coolant away from the alcohol. Thus, it does not do a proper job.  
         [0016]     Contrarily, the instant invention provides at least one lip that holds the ice to the alcohol retaining wall far longer than does the prior art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]     AN OBJECT of the present invention is to provide an ice shot glass that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.  
         [0018]     ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide an ice shot glass that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.  
         [0019]     STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide an ice shot glass that is simple to use.  
         [0020]     BRIEFLY STATED, STILL YET ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention is to provide an ice holding structure that can hold ice to the liquor-retaining wall of a shot glass far longer than can any of the prior art.  
         [0021]     The novel features which are considered characteristic of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiments when read and understood in connection with the accompanying drawing.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0022]     The figures of the drawings are briefly described as follows:  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of just the shot glass portion of the present invention provisioned to capture the ice frozen therein by a circumferential detent located at the bottom interior of the glass.  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the cap component of the present invention.  
         [0026]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of a third embodiment of the shot glass with the cap installed thereon of the present invention provisioned to capture the ice frozen therein by a circumferential lip located at the rim interior of the glass.  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic cross sectional view taken on line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the prior art.  
     
    
     A MARSHALLING OF REFERENCE NUMERALS UTILIZED IN THE DRAWING  
       [0000]    
       
           1 ∅ ice shot glass  
           2 ∅ outside vertical wall  
           22  base  
           24  ice-retaining curvature  
           26  lip  
           3 ∅ cap  
           32  cap side retainer  
           4 ∅ circumferential detent  
           42  freezable liquid container  
           5 ∅ alcohol containing shot glass container  
           52  fill line indicia  
       
     
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0040]     Referring now to the Figures, in which like numerals indicate like parts, and particularly to  FIG. 1 , an alcohol-retaining “shot” glass having containing space  50  therewithin is shown having alcohol-retaining shot glass side wall  34 . The instant ice-retaining shot glass system  1 ∅ encloses the otherwise-normal shot glass side wall  34  with an exterior wall  2 ∅, base  22  and a separate cap  3 ∅. Snugly fitting cover or cap  3 ∅ with vertical exterior circumferential retaining wall  32  is placed over both the exterior wall  2 ∅ and normal shot glass wall  34 —leaving the alcohol container  5 ∅ open.  
         [0041]     A space or chamber  42  is formed between circumferential exterior wall  2 ∅ and normal shot glass wall  34 . Within the chamber  42  is room for a freezable liquid such as water. When filled to the fill line indicia  52  and frozen, the resulting ice directly abuts the circumferential interior wall  36  of shot glass wall  34 . In doing so, the frozen water i.e. ice cools the alcohol placed inside the circumferential shot glass wall  34 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 3  shows a cap  3 ∅ having circumferential shot glass walls  34  integral with it. Thus, the alcohol containing space  5 ∅ is part of the cap  3 ∅. The placing of cap  3 ∅ by a user over exterior walls  2 ∅ causes ice-retaining chamber  42  to instantly form. Circumferential cap retaining wall  32  helps to hold cap  3 ∅ onto the outside of wall  2 ∅.  
         [0043]     Note that exterior walls  2 ∅ can be shaped with curvature  24  so to help in supporting and maintaining the interior ice in working position.  
         [0044]     The above system is generally found in the prior art and is shown in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0045]     The instant invention additionally adds novel ice-holding structures to the external wall  2 ∅. A first embodiment is both lip  26  and detent  4 ∅ placed upon circumferential wall  2 ∅. A second such embodiment of al ice holding structure is a circumferential detent  4 ∅ located ( FIG. 2 ) at the bottom of the exterior wall  2 ∅ near base  22 . Still a third such embodiment is a circumferential lip  26  ( FIG. 4 ) located near the top of wall  2 ∅.  
         [0046]     In operation, cap  3 ∅ having shot glass side walls  34  defining an alcohol-retaining area  5 ∅ is placed over exterior walls  2 ∅ to form an ice-retaining chamber  42 . Cap  3 ∅ has vertical walls  32  to maintain cap  3 ∅ in place over and against circumferential walls  2 ∅.  
         [0047]     Water then fills chamber  42  and is frozen in place.  
         [0048]     Lip  26  and/or circumferential detent  4 ∅ helps to retain the ice in place even as the ice melts and becomes slushy. Thus, the instant ice shot glass system  1 ∅ may be repeatedly picked up and set down again upon its base  22  while still maintaining cold the alcohol placed within area  5 ∅.  
         [0049]     It is to be noted that the third embodiment, has an additional benefit of permitting the user to selectively allow the ice chamber to be removable from the shot glass if he/she choose not to sufficiently fill the ice-retaining chamber  42  with respect to the fill line indicia  52  on the shot glass, in which case the ice will not come in contact with the circumferential lip  26  ( FIG. 4 ) located near the top of wall  2 ∅.  
         [0050]     It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.  
         [0051]     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodiments of the instant Ice Shot Glass, accordingly it is not limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.  
         [0052]     Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5