Field of the invention

The present invention is generally applicable to the technical field of the appliances for human feeding and particularly relates to a glass assembly for allowing simultaneous drinking by two or more persons mutually facing each other.

The invention also relates to a glass forming part of such assembly.

Background art

Various assemblies are known for simultaneous drinking by two or more persons.

Such prior art assemblies generally comprise two or more glasses and means for pivotal connection thereof, allowing a glass to rotate relative to the other.

Examples of such known assemblies are disclosed, for instance in US-A- 898142, DE-U1 -20310721 , DE-A1 -2534900, DE-A1 -1074238, DE-A1- 3017277.

Nevertheless, these solutions are of rather cumbersome to use and difficult to fabricate.

Disclosure of the invention

The object of the present invention is to at least partially overcome the above drawbacks, by providing an assembly for simultaneous drinking by two or

- l- more persons facing each other, that is highly efficient and relatively cost- effective.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly for simultaneous drinking by two or more persons facing each other that affords easy use and fabrication.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly for simultaneous drinking by two or more persons facing each other that ensures stability when it lies on a planar surface.

These and other objects, as better explained hereafter, are fulfilled by an assembly as defined in claim 1.

In its most general form, this assembly may comprise at least one first glass and one second glass, with respective first and second bases, first and second upper edges and first and second side walls, which define respective first and second longitudinal axes, at a predetermined distance from each other.

Such first and second glasses are capable of being coupled together in mutually pivotal relationship.

Namely, the first and second glasses may mutually pivot about a third axis substantially perpendicular to the first and second axes, while maintaining the predetermined distance substantially unchanged.

For this purpose, at least one first female member may be provided, which is designed to be coupled to one of the side walls of the glasses, and at least one male member, which is designed to be fitted into the first female member and to be coupled to the other of the side walls of the glasses. The male member has a substantially elongate shape to define the third axis.

Thus, two or more persons facing each other may rotate the glasses and drink at the same time in a simple and effective manner.

The invention also affords easier fabrication, e.g. by molding, as compared with prior art assemblies.

Conveniently, the bases of the glasses may be identical and thicker than their respective side wall.

Thus, the glasses may stably lie on a support surface, without risk of their contents being poured off.

Also, advantageously, the bases of the glasses may have a tapered peripheral edge, preferably having a taper angle of 15° to 45° for stable support of the corresponding glass even when it is inclined.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a first glass designed to be coupled to a second glass to define a glass assembly as defined in claim 18.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are defined in accordance with the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of a few preferred, non exclusive embodiments of the assembly according to the invention, presented by way of non limiting examples in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a first embodiment of the assembly of the invention; FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the assembly of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of certain details of the assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial view of one alternative embodiment of the assembly Of FIG. 1 ; FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of the assembly of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a partial view of one alternative embodiment of the assembly of FIG. 5.

Detailed description of a few preferred embodiments

Referring to the above figures, several embodiments of the assembly 1 of the invention are shown, which allows two or more persons mutually facing each other to drink at the same time.

The assembly 1 generally comprises a first glass 2 and a second glass 2' which, in a preferred, non exclusive embodiment of the invention, may be identical.

The glasses 2, 2' have first and second bases 3, 3', first and second upper edges 4, 4 ¹ and first and second side walls 5, 5 ¹ respectively, which may join the bases 3, 3' to their respective upper edges 4, 4'.

The side walls 5, 5' define respective longitudinal axes X ₁ X' that may be substantially parallel and at a predetermined distance d from each other.

The two glasses 2, 2' are designed to be pivotally coupled by suitable pivotal connection means, generally designated by numeral 6.

Such pivotal connection means 6 are configured for the two glasses 2, 2' to rotate relative to each other about a third axis Y, substantially perpendicular to the axes X ₁ X', while maintaining the predetermined distance d substantially unchanged.

Advantageously, such predetermined distance d may be greater than the maximum diameter D ₁ D ¹ of the side walls 5, 5 ¹ .

Suitably, the first and second glasses 2, 2 ¹ may be coupled together by mutual alignment, fitting and rotation thereof about said third transverse axis Y.

For this purpose, the assembly 1 may generally comprise at least one first female member 7 that is designed to be coupled to one of the first and second side walls 5, 5 ¹ and at least one male member 8 designed to be fitted into the first female member 7 and coupled to the other of the first and second side walls 5, 5'.

For easier coupling, such at least one female member 7 and male member 8 may be aligned along the axis Y.

Suitably, the male member 8 may have a substantially elongate shape defining the third axis Y, to allow mutual rotation of the glasses about such axis.

Advantageously, the pivotal connection means 6 may be designed to allow an angle of rotation α between the axes X and X ¹ from 15° to 135°, and preferably from 30° to 60°.

In a preferred, non exclusive embodiment, the pivotal connection means 6 may include a male member 8 having a specially shaped expanded portion 9 designed to be fitted into a matingly shaped 15 formed in the female member T.

Once the expanded male portion 9 has been fitted into the female seat 15, it may be rotated to cause the two glasses 2, 2' to cover the desired angle of rotation α, so that the peripheral edge 9' of the expanded male portion 9 can be locked under the peripheral edge 15' of the seat 15.

5 In a preferred embodiment, without limitation to the invention, the thickness S1 of the bases 3, 3 ¹ may be greater than the thickness S2 of the side walls 5, 5', to allow the glasses 2, 2' to firmly lay on a support surface without risk of their contents being poured off.

10. Also, advantageously, the bases 3, 3' of the glasses 2, 2' may have a tapered peripheral edge 10, 10', preferably having a tapering angle β of 15° to 45° for stable support of the corresponding glass even when it is inclined.

In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, each glass 2, 2' comprises a male 15 member, designated by numeral 8, 8' respectively, and a female member, designated by numeral 7, T respectively, located on the opposite side on the respective side wall.

That is, each side wall 5, 5 ¹ has a female member 7, T and a male member 20 8, 8' on opposite sides with respect to a median plane that passes through the corresponding axis X, X'.

The male members 8, 8' and the female members 7, T may be formed of one piece with their respective side walls 5, 5 ¹ or, as shown in FIG. 4, may be 25 fitted, possibly in a sliding fashion, into suitable seats 11 , 11' formed therein. Here, appropriate means may be provided for locking the male 8, 8' and female 7, 7' members in their seats, which means are not shown and known per se.

30 In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, each glass 2, 2' comprises a corresponding pair of female members, designated by numerals 7, 7" and T, 7'" respectively, located on opposite sides on the respective side wall. That is, each side wall 5, 5' has a pair of female members 7, 7" and T, 7"' on opposite sides with respect to a median plane that passes through the corresponding axis X ₁ X ¹ .

In this embodiment, the maie member 8 has an elongate central portion 12 and two expanded male end portions 9, 9 ¹ designed to be fitted into the females 7, T of two successive glasses 2, 2'.

The female members 7, 7\ 7", 7'" may be formed of one piece with their respective side walls 5, 5 ¹ or, as shown in FIG. 6, may be fitted, possibly in a sliding fashion, into suitable seats 11", 11"' formed therein. Here, appropriate means may be provided for locking the female members 7, T in their seats, which means are not shown and known per se.

In all the above embodiments, the female members 7, 7', 7", 7'" and/or the male member 8 may be formed at any point of the corresponding side wall 5, 5 ¹ .

However, they may be advantageously formed above the radial median plane that passes through the first and/or the second axis X, X', or between the latter and the upper edges 4, 4'.

The above disclosure clearly shows that the invention fulfills the intended objects and particularly meets the requirement of providing a glass assembly that allows simultaneous drinking by two or more persons facing each other.

The assembly of this invention is susceptible of a number of changes and variants, within the inventive concept disclosed in the appended claims. All the details thereof may be replaced by other technically equivalent parts, and the materials may vary depending on different needs, without departure from the scope of the invention. While the assembly has been described with particular reference to the accompanying figures, the numerals referred to in the disclosure and claims are only used for the sake of a better intelligibility of the invention and shall not be intended to limit the claimed scope in any manner.