US3752320A

US3752320A - Ice guard for drinking glasses

Info

Publication number: US3752320A
Application number: US00266657A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Biro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-06-27
Filing date: 1972-06-27
Publication date: 1973-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-14

Abstract

This invention pertains to an ice guard particularly adapted to be placed within a drinking glass to hold solid or semisolid material within the glass while the glass is tilted for drinking from said glass. The guard is preferably a plastic unit molded so as to incorporate and provide an integral tongue member connected to the guard body by a U-shaped portion. This U-shaped portion acts as a spring and moves the tongue into engagement with and retains the tongue in engagement with the interior of the glass. The installed guard is perforated and provides a screen which prevents the larger particles of ice and like material from passing from the glass while the fluid is permitted to pass by and around the screen and from the glass.

Description

United States Patent Biro [76] Inventor: F. Joseph Biro, 209 Comly Rd, Apt.

K-12, Lincoln Park, NJ. 07035 [22] Filed: June 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 266,657

[52] US. Cl 210/469, 210/474, 210/478, D7/47 [51] Int. Cl Bold 35/28 [58] Field of Search 210/469, 477, 478; D7/47 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,753,050 7/1956 Langston 210/469 2,690,064 9/1954 Rupe 210/469 1:1 1] 1:1 [:1 E1 El El [:1 b 1:] 1:1 1:] 1:1 1:1 1 U 1:] 1:1 1:1 1:] 1 13121131355:

[1113131351 El 1:] U [:l 1:] 1:1 I [:1 E] 1:] I] El 1:1 I BUDDIES} 2O 1:1 1:] l3 [:1 1:1

ICE GUARD FOR DRINKING GLASSES Primary Examiner-Frank A. Spear, Jr. Assistant Examiner-F. F. Calvetti Attomey-Ralph R. Roberts ABSTRACT This invention pertains to an ice guard particularly adapted to be placed within a drinking glass to hold solid or semisolid material within the glass while the glass is tilted for drinking from said glass. The guard is preferably a plastic unit molded so as to incorporate and provide an integral tongue member connected to the guard body by a U-shaped portion. This U-shaped portion acts as a spring and moves the tongue into engagement with and retains the tongue in engagement with the interior of the glass. The installed guard is perforated and provides a screen which prevents the larger particles of ice and like material from passing from the glass while the fluid is permitted to pass by and around the screen and from the glass.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DUDE] JUUUU l'IlllllIllIllQl [11:11:11]: SUEDE] DSC11113 UUEIEJEJ IIIEJUEHIJF ICE GUARD FOR DRINKING GLASSES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention With reference to the classification of art as established in the United States Patent Office this invention pertains to the general class of Liquid Purification or Separation and more particularly to the subclass of a filter of the portable receptacle draining type and more particularly to the subclass thereunder further identified as an inserted holder."

2. Description of the Prior Art Screen or guard protectors for drinking vessels are, of course, well known and many attempts have been made to provide such guards for ready attachment to drinking glasses and the like to prevent the flow of ice cubes to and against the mouth or faces of the user as he or she drinks from the glass. In general most of these guard protectors are designed so as to grip an edge of the glass to which they are attached. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,744,631 to TOOMBS the guard is attached to a drinking glass by a U-shaped clip which engages the upper end or edge of the glass to retain the guard deep within the top of the glass. However, in this patent as well as the ice guard devices shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,357,063 to SWING as issued on Aug. 29, 1944; in U.S. Pat. No. 2,753,049 to GAINES as issued on July 3, 1956 and Pat. No. 3,150,084 to RODGES as issued on Sept. 22, 1964, the guards shown all mount on the edge of the glass and require that the user of the glass, to avoid the guard, orient the glass before drinking therefrom. These guards have been less than satisfactory since units of this style have not appeared on the market in any quantity and insofar as the inventor has been able to ascertain are not at present available to the public.

In the present invention a guard of determined diameter has a central tongue portion formed as a movable member which is attached to a U-shaped center portion which acts as and provides a spring disposed to urge the movable portion outwardly and into an engaged condition with the sidewall of the glass. Diametrically mounted on the rim portions of this guard are four small rubber suction-type cups which, when the guard is mounted, engage the sides of the inner surface of the glass to retain the guard in this mounted condition. This guard is made as an integral unit which is easily washed and is contemplated as being an inexpensive unit in that it is of molded plastic with the small rubber engaging cup portions being attached to holes or other means provided on the exterior of the guard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention may be summarized at least in part with reference to its objects.

It is an object of this invention to provide and it does provide a protector for retaining large portions such as ice cubes within a drinking glass, said protector being ofa simple design and construction leading toward economical manufacture.

It is another object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a protector which is easily and removably mounted within the top ofa glass or other drinking vessel and from which the user may drink without the mouth of the user touching the mounted protector.

It is another object of this invention to provide, and it does provide, a drinking glass protector in which the guard portion is disposed within the interior of the glass and where there is a spring actuated tongue portion permitting removable installation in a drinking vessel, which vessel may be one of various sizes.

The guard of this invention is contemplated to be a one-piece molded plastic member in whose peripheral rim portion there is mounted at least three rubber suction cups or buttons disposed to frictionally engage the interior walls of the glass and retain the guard in a determined mounted position. The guard is retained in this mounted condition by means of an integral tongue member which is attached to a biased U-shaped spring portion. The body plate portion of the guard may have either rectangular or round holes formed in its midportion which permit the flow of fluid therethrough. The guard engages the inside of the glass at four points providing an outside passage which permits the fluid to flow by the guard and down the inside of the drinking glass to the user.

In addition to the above summary the following disclosure is detailed to insure adequacy and aid in understanding of the the invention. This disclosure, however, is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or additions of further improvements. For this reason there has been chosen a specific embodiment of the ice guard as adopted for use within a drinking glass and showing a preferred means for providing a spring means for urging a movable tongue into retaining condition. This specific embodiment has been chosen for the purposes of illustration and description as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 represents a plan view of the ice guard of this invention and is shown in a mounted condition in a drinking glass which is depicted in phantom outline;

FIG. 2 represents a side view of the guard of FIG. 1, this view being taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. I and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 represents an alternate construction of the guard of FIGS. 1 and 2 and shows the U-shaped spring portion formed to extend from the opposite side of the guard or strainer midportion, and

FIG. 4 represents a fragmentary plan view of the midportion of the guard with the perforations being round rather than square.

In the following description and in the claims various details will be identified by specific names for convenience, these names, however, are intended to be generic in their application. Corresponding reference characters refer to like members throughout the several figures of the drawing.

The drawing accompanying, and forming part of, this specification discloses certain details of construction for the purpose of explanation of the broader aspects of the invention, but it should be understood that structural details may be modified in various respects without departure from the concept and principles of the invention.

Description of the Guard of FIGS. 1 and 2 Referring now in particular to the drawing and to FIGS. 1 and 2 as shown, it is to be noted that the guard assembly includes an outer rim member 10 which encloses approximately three-quarters of the guard. This outer rim is interrupted to accept a movable tongue member 12. This tongue member is attached to a midportion 14 of the guard by means of a U-shaped spring member 16. This U-shaped portion provides a spring actuation to the tongue portion 12 of the guard. The outer rim portion 18 of the tongue 12 has mounted therein a pair of rubber cups 20 a and b. These cups have stem portions which are mounted in holes or slots formed in this rim. These little cups are shown as substantially in full size as is also the guard as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. Two other cups c and d which are like the resilient cups in rim 18 are mounted substantially diametrically opposite the cups 20 in the tongue portion 12. As seen in FIG. 1, the depicted openings in the guard or separator are rectangular in shape. These openings are identified as 26, and may be of any regular size as determined by the desired aesthetic design of the strainer.

Alternate Spring Design as Seen in FIG. 3

It is to be noted that the guard of FIGS. 1 and 2 has U-shaped spring portion 16 formed to extend upwardly from the midportion 14 while rim

portions

10 and 18 extend downwardly from this midportion.

In FIG. 3 a spring 116 is formed to extend from the bottom or opposite side of the midportion 14. This guard of FIG. 3, in the installed condition within the inside of the glass, has the midportion disposed toward the bottom of the glass rather than toward the top of the glass.

Alternate Opening in the Midportion.

As Seen in FIG. 4

A midportion member 114 as seen in FIG. 4 is depicted as having circular openings 126 rather than the rectangular openings 26 as seen in FIG. 1. As the form or shape of the openings are merely a matter of decision by the manufacturer or purchaser no importance is made as to their configuration. The passageways may be made rectangular, oblong, square or any other design which will provide a desired aesthetic appearance. Of course, combinations of one or more configurations may be provided to spell out words, letters or the like.

Use and Operation of the Strainer As seen in FIG. 1 a drinking glass 50 has a generally round open top within which the guard is disposed to be mounted. T0 mount the guard within the glass after the glass has been filled with liquid, ice cubes and the like, it is only necessary that the U-shaped spring portion 16 (or 116) be gripped and squeezed to cause the tongue portion 12 to be moved inwardly or leftwardly toward the main body portion 14 so that the guard may be pushed into the open top of the glass a determined distance. After the guard has been pushed into this glass to the desired depth the spring portion 16 (or I16) is released to allow the cups 20 to engage the inner sides of the glass to retain the guard in the desired position prior to and during drinking from the glass. To remove the guard it is only necessary to grip and squeeze the upwardly extending spring portion 16 (or 116) to cause the tongue member to be moved toward the center portion of the guard and lift the released guard from the inside of the glass. The glass may be rinsed, refilled and the like after which the guard may be reinstated.

The design of the openings whether 26 or 126, or other configurations is merely a matter of selection and usually corresponds to the general size of the guard. It is contemplated that the guard may be made in two or three sizes to accommodate the present sizes of glasses which are generally used. The guard is contemplated, by means of its spring action, to accommodate variations in a size range of approximately one half inch in diameter. The guard is contemplated to be a molded plastic unit except for the little rubber cup portions 20 which may be inserted into holes molded into the rim or may be pushed into slots formed in the rim. These cups have a high coefficient of friction so as to retain the guard in the installed position and withstand the bumping caused by the forward propulsive action of an ice cube as it is carried by the flow of fluid toward and into the mouth of the user.

The guard of this invention is disposed to be completely retained within the glass so that the guard does no obstruct the use of the glass at any of its lip portion and eliminates possible disease transmission from one user to .the lips of another user. The guard after removal from the glass is readily washed by means of hot water, soapy water and the like, the material contemplated for use in the guard being resistant to hot water to the extent necessary to permit ready washing and sterilizing of the guard in the usual manner of washing and/0r sterilizing dishes and glasses.

Terms such as left, right, up, down, bottom," top," front," back, in, out, and the like are applicable to the embodiments shown and described in conjunction with the drawing. These terms are merely for the purposes of description and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the ice guard may be constructed or used.

While a particular embodiment of the ice guard and an alternate embodiment has been shown and described it is to be understood the invention is not limited thereto and protection is sought to the broadest extent the prior art allows.

What is claimed is:

1. A guard adapted for mounting within the open top of a drinking glass absent engagement of and over the rim of the glass and when mounted therein to restrain within the glass all solid, semisolid and like materials larger than a predetermined size when and while the glass is tilted as for drinking to permit the fluid to pass through and around the guard, said guard including:

a. a screen-like guard member substantially circular in configuration except for a cutout portion formed in one side thereof in which is movably mounted;

b. a tongue member substantially coplaner with the guard member, said tongue member movable toward and from the central portion of said guard member and connected to the guard member by;

c. a spring means disposed to urge the tongue member outwardly from the center of the guard member. and

d. engaging means provided on the rim portion and also on the outer portion of the tongue with said engaging means having a high coefficient of friction and with the engaging means disposed to contact the inside surface of a glass and retain the mounted guard in the glass at a selected position near the open top thereof when the tongue is urged outwardly by the released spring.

6 2. A guard as in claim 1 in which the guard and of molded rubber. tongue are integrally molded of plastic, the tongue con- 5. A guard as in claim 3 in which the suction cups are nected to the guard member by the spring means which arranged on the rim of the guard and tongue to provide is a U-shaped spring which is grasped and squeezed to a four point engaging condition. move the tongue from its normal expanded condition 5 6. A guard as in claim 1 in which the central portion which is the normal engaging condition. of the guard member and the coplanar portion of the 3. A guard as in claim 2 in which the guard and tongue have through perforations. tongue have their exterior rim portion provided with 7. A guard as in claim 6 in which the perforations are cutouts and the like in which are mounted the engaging of a circular configuration. means which are small suction cups of resilient mate- 10 8. A guard as in claim 6 in which the perforations are rial. of a rectangular configuration.

4. A guard as in claim 3 in which the suction cups are

Claims

1. A guard adapted for mounting within the open top of a drinking glass absent engagement of and over the rim of the glass and when mounted therein to restrain within the glass all solid, semisolid and like materials larger than a predetermined size when and while the glass is tilted as for drinking to permit the fluid to pass through and around the guard, said guard including: a. a screen-like guard member substantially circular in configuration except for a cutout portion formed in one side thereof in which is movably mounted; b. a tongue member substantially coplaner with the guard member, said tongue member movable toward and from the central portion of said guard member and connected to the guard member by; c. a spring means disposed to urge the tongue member outwardly from the center of the guard member, and d. engaging means provided on the rim portion and also on the outer portion of the tongue with said engaging means having a high coefficient of friction and with the engaging means disposed to contact the inside surface of a glass and retain the mounted guard in the glass at a selected position near the open top thereof when the tongue is urged outwardly by the released spring.

2. A guard as in claim 1 in which the guard and tongue are integrally molded of plastic, the tongue connected to the guard member by the spring means which is a U-shaped spring which is grasped and squeezed to move the tongue from its normal expanded condition which is the normal engaging condition.

3. A guard as in claim 2 in which the guard and tongue have their exterior rim portion provided with cutouts and the like in which are mounted the engaging means which are small suction cups of resilient material.

4. A guard as in claim 3 in which the suction cups are of molded rubber.

5. A guard as in claim 3 in which the suction cups are arranged on the rim of the guard and tongue to provide a four point engaging condition.

6. A guard as in claim 1 in which the central portion of the guard member and the coplanar portion of the tongue have through perforations.

7. A guard as in claim 6 in which the perforations are of a circular configuration.

8. A guard as in claim 6 in which the perforations are of a rectangular configuration.