SHOT GLASS OR PIPE WITH MECHANICAL COUNTER

Abstract

A shot glass or pipe includes a counter in the form of a sleeve rotatably coupled to a main body or stem of the shot glass or marijuana pipe, the sleeve including a window through which a number indicative of the number of units of alcohol or marijuana consumed is visible. A ratcheting mechanism prevents reverse rotation of the sleeve, and ensures that the window stays in place in front of a particular number until the user intentionally applies force to rotate the sleeve to a next number.

Claims

1. A drinking vessel combined with a mechanical counter for indicating a number of alcohol units consumed by a user of the drinking vessel, comprising: a main body, configured to hold approximately one of said alcohol units; numbers, symbols, and/or pictures extending at least partially around a circumference of the main body, said numbers, symbols, and/or pictures including at least one of: (a) a series of numbers that increase in increments of one, starting with number 1, and (b) symbols or pictures that represent a number of said alcohol units consumed or effects of the number of said alcohol units consumed; a sleeve rotatably mounted on the main body, the sleeve having a window through which one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible at a time; and a ratcheting mechanism configured to enable rotation of the sleeve relative to the main body in a single direction, and that maintains the window in a first stationary position, in which one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible through the window, until force is applied by the user to rotate the sleeve from the first stationary position to a second stationary position, in which an incrementally higher one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible through the window, whereby rotation of the sleeve relative to the main body causes the sleeve to move from one number to the adjacent, incrementally higher number, or from one symbol or picture to a symbol or picture representative of an incrementally higher number, in order to maintain a running count of a number of said alcohol units consumed by the user.

2. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drinking vessel is a shot glass and the alcohol units are shots.

3. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sleeve is cup-shaped and fits over a bottom portion of the shot glass, and wherein the ratcheting mechanism includes pawls or detents extending from an upper surface of a base of the sleeve and a stepped surface on an bottom surface of the main body that faces the upper surface of the base.

4. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pawls or detents each includes a vertical end surface and an inclined surface, and wherein the stepped surface includes spaced inclined surfaces, horizontal surfaces extending from respective spaced inclined surfaces, and vertical surfaces extending between ends of the horizontal surfaces and the spaced inclined surfaces, the vertical surfaces being respectively aligned so that, as the sleeve is rotated relative to the main body, the inclined surfaces of the pawls or detents encounter and pass over the spaced inclined surfaces of the stepped surface, resulting in an increased resistance to rotation that is felt by the user and maintained as the inclined surfaces of the pawls or detects continue to pass over the horizontal surfaces until the vertical surfaces of the notches are reaches, at which time reverse rotation of the sleeve relative to main body is prevented and the increased resistance to rotation abruptly ceases, providing tactile feedback that the window is now aligned with the incrementally higher number.

5. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the sleeve is rotatably secured to the main body by a fastener that passes through an opening in the sleeve and threaded into a pillar extending from the main body, the pillar also extending through the opening in the sleeve to serve as bearing about which the sleeve is rotatable.

6. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sleeve is cup-shaped and fits over a bottom portion of the shot glass, and wherein the ratcheting mechanism includes pawls extending inwardly from an inner surface of the sleeve and asymmetric notches extending around an outer surface of the main body.

7. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pawls form tines formed by cuts on three edges of the tines, the fourth edge joining the tines to the sleeve.

8. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tines are further cut from the sleeve along a principal outer surface of the tines, so that the cuts do not extend through to the outer surface of the sleeve and the tines are not visible from outside the sleeve.

9. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 7, wherein bottom edges of the tines engage a rim extending around bottom edge of the main body below the notches to retain the sleeve on the main body.

10. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sleeve is generally annular and arranged to rotate within a groove in the main body, the groove also containing said numbers, and wherein the ratcheting mechanism includes pawls extending downwardly and inwardly from an inner surface of the sleeve and asymmetric notches extending around an outer surface of the main body within the groove.

11. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the pawls are formed by tines cut out of an inner surface of the sleeve but not visible from an outside of the sleeve.

12. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sleeve is retained on the main body by engagement between bottom edges of the tines and a horizontal shoulder at a bottom of the groove.

13. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is cup-shaped and fits over a bottom portion of the drinking vessel, and wherein the ratcheting mechanism includes pawls or detents extending from an upper surface of a base of the sleeve and a stepped surface on an bottom surface of the main body that faces the upper surface of the base.

14. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is cup-shaped and fits over a bottom portion of the drinking vessel, and wherein the ratcheting mechanism includes pawls extending inwardly from an inner surface of the sleeve and asymmetric notches extending around an outer surface of the main body.

15. A drinking vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sleeve is generally annular and arranged to rotate within a groove in the main body, the groove also containing said numbers, and wherein the ratcheting mechanism includes pawls extending inwardly from an inner surface of the sleeve and asymmetric notches extending around an outer surface of the main body within the groove.

16. A marijuana pipe combined with a mechanical counter for indicating a number of marijuana units consumed by a user of the pipe, comprising: a pipe stem and bowl in communication with the pipe stem, the bowl being configured to hold marijuana for smoking; numbers, symbols, and/or pictures extending at least partially around a circumference of the pipe stem, said numbers, symbols, and/or pictures including at least one of: (a) a series of numbers that increase in increments of one, starting with number 1, and (b) symbols or pictures that represent a number of said marijuana units consumed or effects of the number of said marijuana units consumed; a sleeve rotatably mounted on the pipe stem, the sleeve having a window through which one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible at a time; and a ratcheting mechanism configured to enable rotation of the sleeve relative to the pipe stem in a single direction, and that maintains the window in a first stationary position, in which one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible through the window, until force is applied by the user to rotate the sleeve from the first stationary position to a second stationary position, in which an incrementally higher one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible through the window, whereby rotation of the sleeve relative to the pipe stem causes the sleeve to move from one number to the adjacent, incrementally higher number, or from one symbol or picture to a symbol or picture representative of an incrementally higher number, in order to maintain a running count of a number of said marijuana units consumed by the user.

17. An implement for consuming an intoxicating substance combined with a mechanical counter for indicating a number of units of the intoxicating substance consumed by a user of the implement, comprising: a main body; numbers, symbols, and/or pictures extending at least partially around a circumference of the main body, said numbers, symbols, and/or pictures including at least one of: (a) a series of numbers that increase in increments of one, starting with number 1, and (b) symbols or pictures that represent a number of said units consumed or effects of the number of said units consumed; a sleeve rotatably mounted on the main body, the sleeve having a window through which one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible at a time; and a ratcheting mechanism configured to enable rotation of the sleeve relative to the main body in a single direction, and that maintains the window in a first stationary position, in which one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible through the window, until force is applied by the user to rotate the sleeve from the first stationary position to a second stationary position, in which an incrementally higher one of the numbers, symbols, and/or pictures is visible through the window, whereby rotation of the sleeve relative to the main body causes the sleeve to move from one number to the adjacent, incrementally higher number, or from one symbol or picture to a symbol or picture representative of an incrementally higher number, in order to maintain a running count of a number of said units consumed by the user.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 is a disassembled isometric view of a shot glass with shot counter constructed in accordance with the principles of a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional front view of a shot glass main body for the first preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective view, taken from below, of a sleeve for use in first preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a sleeve for use in the first preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1-3.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional front view of the assembled shot glass main body of FIG. 7 and sleeve of FIGS. 3 and 4

[0030] FIG. 6 is an isometric view, taken from the bottom, of the assembled shot glass with counter whose parts are illustrated in FIGS. 1-5.

[0031] FIGS. 7 and 8 are isometric views, taken from the front, of the assembled shot glass of FIG. 6.

[0032] FIG. 9 is a disassembled isometric view of a shot glass with shot counter constructed in accordance with the principles of a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0033] FIG. 10 is an isometric view, taken from below, of a shot glass main body for use in the embodiment of FIG. 9.

[0034] FIG. 11 is an isometric view, taken from above, of a sleeve for use in the embodiment of FIG. 10.

[0035] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional front view of the assembled shot glass main body of FIG. 10 and sleeve of FIG. 11.

[0036] FIG. 13 is an isometric view taken from the front of the assembled shot glass whose parts are shown in FIGS. 9-12.

[0037] FIG. 14 is a disassembled isometric view of a shot glass with counter constructed in accordance with the principles of a third preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0038] FIG. 15 is an isometric view, taken from below, of a sleeve for use in the embodiment of FIG. 14.

[0039] FIG. 16 is an isometric view, taken from the front, of the shot glass with counter of FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0040] FIG. 17 is a photograph of a marijuana pipe constructed in accordance with the principles of another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a shot glass with a drink counter constructed in accordance with the principles of a first preferred embodiment of the invention. The shot glass includes a shot glass main body 30 and an indicator sleeve 31 fitted onto and rotatably coupled to the shot glass main body 30 to form a shot glass/counter assembly.

[0042] In this embodiment, the shot glass main body 30 and sleeve 31 include a ratcheting mechanism that extends along generally vertically extending side surfaces rather than horizontal surfaces of the main body 30 and sleeve 31. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the shot glass main body 30 is frustoconical in shape and also includes an upper section forming a collar 32. The upper section 45 and the lower section 46 together form a continuous frustoconical inner surface 44. The outer diameter of the lower section 46 is reduced by an amount that is equal to a thickness of the sleeve 31, so that when the sleeve 31 is fitted over the main body 30, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the outer body of the shot glass also forms a continuous frustoconical outer surface.

[0043] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower section 46 of the main body 30 includes a series of numbers 33 arranged around the external circumference of the main body 30, in an area covered by the sleeve 31. These numbers are positioned so that they can be viewed through a window 34 in the sleeve 31 when the sleeve 31 is assembled to the main body 30. As the sleeve 31 is rotated around the main body 30, different numbers will appear in the window 34, the adjacent numbers differing in the illustrated embodiment by 1 to increment the count appearing in the window 34 as the sleeve 31 is rotated. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the numbers 33 may take any form, including numbers that are engraved or physically formed in or on the main body 30, and/or printed, painted, silkscreened, or otherwise drawn on a surface of the main body, or provided in the form of stickers. In addition, it will be appreciated that the numbers are not limited to Arabic numerals, and that the numbers may further be replaced or supplemented by pictures or symbols that represent the effects or consequences associated with the number of shots that have been consumed.

[0044] To ensure that the count is advanced by just one step each time the sleeve 31 is rotated relative to the main body 30, and thereby make it simple for a user to increment the counter even when impaired or intoxicated, the shot glass of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-8 includes a ratcheting mechanism made up of cooperating pawls 35 and notches 37. Pawls 35 extend downwardly and inwardly from an interior surface of a base 36 of sleeve 31 to form tines that engage notches 37 in the exterior surface of lower section 46 of main body 30. Pawls 35 may be formed by cutting or stamping sections of the base 36 surrounding each pawl 35 to form openings 38 that define three edges and one principal surface of the pawls, and bending the pawls 35 inwardly about an upper edge or edges 39. The thickness of the pawls 35 is less than the thickness of the sleeve 31, so that the cuts do not extend to the exterior of the sleeve 31. As a result, the pawls 35 are not visible when the sleeve 31 is assembled to the main body 30.

[0045] In operation, when the sleeve 31 is rotated relative to main body 30 to move the window 34 from one of the numbers 33 to a higher one of the numbers 33, the pawls 35 are moved from one notch 37 aligned with one of the numbers 33 to an adjacent notch 37 aligned with the next higher one of the numbers 33. Single-direction rotation, i.e., ratcheting, is achieved as a result of the asymmetric shape of notches 37, which include a sloped surface 40 on one side and a perpendicular surface 41 on the other side. When the sleeve 31 is rotated in an incrementing direction, the pawls 35 exit the notches 37 by passing over the sloped exit surfaces 40. When the pawls 35 are within one of the notches 37, reverse rotation is prevented by engagement of edges of the pawls 35 with the perpendicular surfaces 41.

[0046] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the sleeve 31 is preferably retained on the main body 30 by cooperation between pawls 35 and an outwardly extending rim 42 that is shaped to allow the pawls 35 to pass over the rim 42 as the sleeve 31 is assembled to the main body 30 from below, and to prevent disassembly by engagement between bottom edges 43 of the pawls 35 with an upper surface of the rim 42, thereby eliminating the need for a separate fastener to secure the sleeve 31 to the shot glass main body 30.

[0047] FIG. 7 shows an initial position of the assembled main body 30 and sleeve 31, while FIG. 8 shows a subsequent position after the sleeve 31 and main body 30 have been rotated by a user from the initial position, in which the pawls 35 are position in notches 37, to a second position in which the pawls 35 have been moved to adjacent notches 37, incrementing the number 33 visible through window 34.

[0048] It will be appreciated that although the pawls 35 of this embodiment are illustrated as extending from an inner surface of sleeve 31, while the corresponding notches 37 are illustrated as extending from an exterior surface of main body 30, it is also within the scope of the invention to extend the pawls from the main body 30 and to form the corresponding notches on sleeve 31. In addition, it will be appreciated that the main body 30 and sleeve 31 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8 may be molded from a resin or plastic material, formed of cast or sheet metal, or made of any other suitable material or combination of materials without departing from the scope of the invention. Similar variations in pawl/detent and notch positions, and materials of the main body and sleeve, may also be made with respect to the embodiments shown in FIGS. 9-16, described below.

[0049] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-13, pawls 35 and notches 37 of the first preferred embodiment are replaced by a stepped surface 11 on a bottom surface of a shot glass main body 1 and pawls or detents 7 on a top surface of a base 8 of sleeve 2.

[0050] In this embodiment, an externally threaded fastener 18 rotatably couples the main body 1 to the sleeve 2 by extending through a central opening 19 in a base 8 of the sleeve 2. The fastener 18 is threaded into internally threaded pillar 20, which extends from the bottom of main body 1 and through the central opening 19 to capture the base 8 of sleeve 2 between the bottom of main body 1 and a head portion 21 of the fastener 18, as best shown in FIG. 4. An exterior surface of the pillar 20 serves as a bearing surface that engages edges of opening 19 and about which the sleeve 2 rotates relative to the main body 1.

[0051] As illustrated in FIG. 10, a lower section 3 the main body 1 includes a series of numbers 4 similar to those of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, which are arranged around the external circumference of the main body 1, in an area covered by the sleeve 2. These numbers are positioned so that they can be viewed through a window 5 in the sleeve 2 when the sleeve 2 is assembled to the main body 1. As the sleeve 2 is rotated around the main body 1, different numbers will appear in the window 5, the adjacent numbers differing by 1 to increment the count appearing in the window as the sleeve 2 is rotated. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the numbers 4 may take any form, including numbers that are engraved or physically formed in or on the main body 1, and/or printed, painted, silkscreened, or otherwise drawn on a surface of the main body, or provided in the form of stickers. In addition, it will be appreciated that the numbers are not limited to Arabic numerals, and that the numbers may further be replaced or supplemented by pictures or symbols that represent the effects or consequences associated with the number of shots that have been consumed.

[0052] Similarly to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-8, to ensure that the count is advanced by just one step each time the sleeve 2 of FIGS. 9-13 is rotated relative to the main body 1, and thereby make it simple for a user to increment the counter even when impaired or intoxicated, the shot glass of FIGS. 9-13 also includes a ratcheting mechanism, which in this embodiment is made up of a stepped surface 6 at the bottom of the main body 1, and corresponding detents or pawls 7 on an upper surface of base 8 of the sleeve 2. Each pawl 7 includes a vertical end surface 9 and an inclined surface 10, while the stepped surface 6 of the shot glass main body 1 includes spaced inclined surfaces 11, horizontal surfaces 12 extending from ends of the spaced inclined surfaces 11, and vertical surfaces 13 separating and extending between the ends of the horizontal surfaces 12 and the inclined surfaces 11.

[0053] The respective vertical surfaces 9 and 13 of the pawl or detents 7 and the stepped surface 6 are respectively aligned with the numbers 4 and window 5 so that, as the sleeve 2 is rotated relative to the main body 1, inclined surfaces 9 of the pawls 7 encounter and pass over inclined surfaces 11 on the base, resulting in an increased resistance to rotation that is felt by the user and maintained as the inclined surfaces 9 continue to pass over the horizontal surfaces 12 until the vertical surfaces 13 are reached. When the inclined surfaces 9 reach the vertical surfaces 13 upon continued rotation of the sleeve 2 relative to the main body 1, the resistance to rotation caused by passage of the inclined surfaces 9 over the horizontal surfaces 12 abruptly ends, providing feedback to the user that the window 5 has been moved to a next number 4, prompting the user to stop rotating the cup. In addition, the intersection between vertical surfaces 13 and inclined surfaces 11 forms an indentation 14 to bias the sleeve 2 in a position in which the window 5 is centered relative to one of the numbers 4, thereby preventing further relative rotation between the base 1 and the sleeve 2 until force is again applied by a user to intentional increment the count by rotating the sleeve 2 relative to the main body 1. Finally, the vertical surfaces 10 and 13 also prevent the sleeve from rotating in an opposite direction, so as to prevent the user from unintentionally decrementing rather than incrementing the shot count.

[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the shot glass main body 1 is frustoconical in shape and also includes an upper section 15 forming a collar 16. The upper and lower sections 3 and 15 together form a continuous frustoconical inner surface 17. The outer diameter of the lower section 3 is reduced by an amount that is equal to a thickness of the sleeve 2, so that when the sleeve 2 is fitted over the main body 1 as shown in FIG. 12, the outer body of the shot glass also forms a continuous frustoconical outer surface.

[0055] FIGS. 14-16 show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the sleeve of the first two embodiments is replaced by an annular sleeve 50 positioned in an annular groove 51 extending around a midsection of the shot glass main body 52. Pawls 53 in the sleeve 50 are arranged to engage notches 54 in the main body 51 to permit incrementing of numbers 55 display in window 56 in the same manner as with the embodiment of FIGS. 6-13. In this embodiments, the ratcheting effect is achieved by shaping the notches 54 so that they slope radially inwardly from a leading edge 57 to a perpendicular surface 58 on a trailing edge of the notch. Bottom edges 59 of the pawls 53 engage a horizontal shoulder 60 at the bottom of the circumferential groove 51 to allow the sleeve 50 to be snapped into and retained within the groove 51.

[0056] Operation of the sleeve of this embodiment to keep a shot count is the same as with the embodiments of FIGS. 1-13, with rotation of the sleeve 50 relative to the main body 52 causing the pawls 53 to move from notches 54 to adjacent ones of the notches 54.

[0057] FIG. 17 shows exemplary embodiment of the invention, in which the shot glass main body is replaced by a stem 60 of a marijuana pipe 61 having a bowl 62. The indicator is provided by numbers and/or drawings arranged around the stem, and a corresponding sleeve 63 having a window 64 through which one of the numbers, symbols, and/or drawings 65 may be viewed to indicate the number of hits consumed by the user. The sleeve 63 is rotatable relative to the stem 60 and preferably includes a ratchet mechanism, which can be similar to any of the ratchet mechanisms described above to prevent reverse rotation of the sleeve 63 and provide tactile feedback when the count has been incremented.

[0058] Although four embodiments of the invention have been described in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that modifications of the illustrated embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the shapes and locations of the pawls and notches that form the ratcheting mechanism may be varied in any way that still permits one movement of the sleeve relative to the main body, and stable positioning of the window relative to a number until the force is applied by a user to intentionally increment the number displayed in the window. The shape and size of the shot glass may also be varied, as may such mechanical expedients as the manner in which the sleeve is retained on the main body. As a result, the invention is not to be limited by the above description or the accompanying drawings, but rather is to be defined solely in accordance with the appended claims.