There are a huge variety of dual chamber containers designed for beverages, one chamber may hold the beverage while the other chamber may hold gas, ice, flavour and so on. The number and variety of types and configurations is enormous. The construction may be purely functional or may include aesthetic purposes as may be the case where the container holds different colored liquids for visual effect.

Various devices and methods have been proposed for dual chamber containers as is evident from U. S. Pat. No. 1, 634, 569. This patent teaches a reversible ice cream can which includes an intermediate partition to join to the inside of the can by means of a double or forked edge to best provide two chambers, each having a dished bottom.

U. S. Pat. No. 2,611, 499 discloses a double container receptacle capped at opposite ends which enhances the interface between the two compartments by utilizing shaped dividers so that the so-called"head space"or entrapped air has different aesthetic qualities, particularly when liquids of different colors are combined.

U. S. Pat. No. 5,279, 841, discloses a dual container connecting ring for connecting two metal cans together in an easily separable manner. Doing so permits utilizing smaller cans to help preserve flavor when consuming a drink, and also to provide a variety of easily carried combinations of canned comestibles.

U. S. Pat. No. 5,499, 738 discloses a dual containerfor holding pressurized liquids being a cylindrical plastic container with a double-ended bottle shape having a central divider which divides the interior of the container into two separate compartments.

U. S. Pat. No. 5,630, 523, describes interconnected containers an"upper" container connects to a"lower"container wherein the"upper"container has a cavity in its bottom which has an annular friction shoulder, while the"lower" container has a protruding shoulder on its bottom comparable in size to the cavity on the"upper"container.

US Patent 5,706, 980 describes a dual container for simultaneous consumption of a liquid and a dry comestible and while primarily concerns milk and cereal also refers to an embodiment where the liquid is beer.

Simultaneous consumption of two liquids is used in nursing bottles where dual chamber container arrangements are equipped with means for simultaneous consumption of two liquids. For example, US Patent 5,897, 007 discloses a nursing bottle with concentric chambers and a mechanical arrangement of teat holes to effectively insulate an infants teeth with water to promote washing of an infants teeth while drinking to inhibit tooth decay.

All the foregoing have special constructions applicable to the delivery of the comestible from the container.

Similar to the present invention are dual chamber shot glasses used for the simultaneous consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually of different colours as a novelty. Due to the size of a shot glass there is no special requirement for construction and a simple divider is all that is required. In some cases a flat wall divider is employed in other cases a curved or convolute divider is employed but generally the whole of the upper part of the shot glass is able to be fitted into the drinkers mouth and consequently no special considerations as to construction is required. The contents of the glass are always non- carbonated so there are no special requirements to account for carbonation. In addition it is considered mixing of the content is undesirable and so the contents are held separate until consumed where they mix in the drinkers mouth.

In all the above examples the contents of the two chambers are kept apart and where mixing occurs is in the mouth of the drinker upon consumption. In the case of the nursing bottle the teat construction is such that separate flows occur in the mouth in the region of the teeth and mixing occurs still later in the process.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-chamber container where upper layers of the contents of the containers are in contact but there is minimal mixing of the upper layer.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multi-chamber novelty container particularly suited to a frothing beverage such as beer where the container facilitates the construction in the container of at least two columns of contrasting beer of the type having a foam head, where in a pouring process the columns are separated by a divider and above an upper edge of the divider the respective foam heads are in liquid-liquid contact at a juncture between the heads so that, the columns are topped with clearly defined foam collars with minimal mixing at the juncture while essentially maintaining the beers and their respective heads separate.

In the following description the juncture is the froth boundary or also referred to as the froth to froth boundary, it will be understood that the objective is to control the froth to froth boundary to prevent uncontrolled mixing that would disturb the effect of the two contrasting beverages. It will be appreciated that once the clearly defined boundary is constructed it may then be disturbed in controlled manner to achieve visual effect, eg. swirls etc OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION In one aspect therefore the present invention resides in a novelty beverage container having a rim and holding contrasting frothing beverages, the beverage container having at least one divider separating the contrasting beverages in a major portion of the interior of the container, the divider extending to an upper edge marginally below the rim of the beverage container so that froth generated by the beverages may blend along a region adjacent the upper edge of the divider, the upper edge of the divider being positioned just below the rim of the container so that a user may drink from the glass adjacent the divider and the beverages may mix during the drinking process, the dimensions and position of the divider being so chosen and arranged that the upper edge of the divider does not interfere with the drinking process so that the beverages flow into the mouth of the drinker and mix as the beverages are being drunk. Where more than one divider is employed, the dividers converge to a position so that the

beverages flow into the mouth of the drinker and mix as the beverages are being drunk.

In a further aspect the invention resides in a process whereby a uniform head with clearly defined froth to froth boundaries may be obtained in two frothing beverages where the beverages comprises two contrasting coloured beverages dispensed into a partitioned novelty beverage container.

Typicallythe beverage container holds beverage poured into the container in chambers defined by the divider (s), the container being filled using the following process:- (i) partially filling one chamber of the beverage container with beverage and allowing it to settle ; (ii) subsequently partially filling another chamber (s) with a contrasting beverage and allowing to settle; (iii) alternately topping up to a level adjacent the upper edge of the divider (s) each of the beverages and allowing to settle at each stage of the topping up process until all beverages are level with the upper edge of the divider (s) and maintaining a froth boundary between the beverages by reason of the influence of the upper edge of the divider (s); (iv) alternating in rapid succession the generation of froth above the divider (s) and above the respective chambers using each of the respective beverages and minimising mixing at the froth to froth boundaries ; and (v) subsequently serving the beverage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the present invention may be more readily understood and be put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein:- Figure 1 is a perspective view from above illustrating a beverage container according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view from below illustrating a beverage container according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a section through four-four; Figure 4 is a plan view from above;

Figures 5 to 8 illustrate the process by which a beverage container according to the invention is typically filled ; and Figure 9 is a section similar to Figure 3 but including a digit locating recess to aid positioning a thumb or finger of a drinkers so that the divider is in the correct position for drinking; Figure 10 is a plan view illustrating the preferred range of positions of digit locating recesses.

METHOD OF PERFORMANCE "Glass"is used herein but also embraces moulded plastics containers.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 to 4 there is illustrated a beverage container in the form of a"schooner"or other beer glass but may typically be any of the standard size beer glasses. The beer glass has a divider 11 centrally located within the glass and separating the glass into two chambers 12 and 13. The chambers effectively converge to a position whereby a drinkers mouth is positioned near the divider so that the separately held beers mix while being drunk. The divider 11 has an upper edge at 14 just below the rim 15 of the glass 10. In the illustrated embodiment the distance from the rim 15 to the upper edge 14 of the divider is approximately 9mm. However, the distance will depend on the nature of the beverage and its frothability since the position of the divider has two factors, firstly, to enable a continuous head of froth across the top of the glass and, secondly, to permit the drinker to drink beverage from a mouth position adjacent to the divider and not have the divider interfere with the drinking process.

In this sense the partition may be anywhere from 5mm to typically 15mm or perhaps even 20mm from the rim of the glass.

In terms of the drinking process the beverage container may be equipped with strategically positioned indentations for a finger grip to automatically help to locate the position of the divider upper edge 14 relative to the drinking position to aid a drinker in placing the beverage container in position preparatory to drinking so that it automatically locates the hand position for drinking with a mouth position adjacent the upper edge of the divider thereby ensuring the beverage is mixed. A spot or other indicia may also be marked on the glass

indicating the appropriate mouth position for drinking purposes. It should be noted that positioning of the mouth adjacent the divider is important in relation to the drinking process to prevent spillage as well as to experience the mixing of the beverages in that process. Multiple dividers would typically converge to the drinking position. This aspect will be described in greater detail below in relation to Figures 9 and 10.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 8, the preferred filling process is illustrated whereby a light coloured beverage is poured in one side of the container at chamber 12 and a dark coloured beverage 18 is poured in the other side at chamber 13. The pouring process will be subject to the viscosity, settling time and other factors peculiar to the particular beverages being dispensed but generally speaking will adopt a preferred process involving partially filling each side of the containerwith the different beverages and allowing them to settle until they reach the top of the divider as illustrated in Figure 7 and then rapidly alternating or simultaneously filling the final stages to generate a froth or head as illustrated in Figure 8. This minimises mixing of the head to give the desired separation and novelty effect. Once the pour is completed other novelty effects may be achieved such as swirls and the like. A swirl or spiral effect may be achieved by spinning the full glass. Tools may be used to"draw"in the froth etc.

Referring to Figure 9 there is illustrated a further embodiment showing a section along the same line as Figure 4 of a container 19 where a digit locating site in the form of a recess or indentation 20 is formed in the side wall 21 in the region of a normal hand grip and adjacent the juncture of the divider and the side wall. The recess is positioned so as to aid the drinker gripping the glass and in a tactile fashion comfortably hold the glass so the divider is automatically located in a drinking position generally centrally in the line with the midline of the drinkers mouth. If there were multiple dividers converging to point 22 then there would be only one recess as depicted in Figure 9. In the case of a single divider two recesses could be used on opposite sides adjacent each edge of the divider as the drink may be consumed from opposite sides and in that sense may be considered right and left handed. In the most preferred form of a single divider four digit locating sites are employed positioned in diametrically opposed pairs

on opposite sides of the container and just offset from the juncture of the partition and side wall. In this case the container is therefore automatically left and right handed the fingers and thumb being generally opposed and when reaching for a glass are slightly inclined to the anatomical midline of the drinker.

The centre of each recess typically is located in a region between about 15-30 degrees from the juncture of the divider and side wall. This is illustrated in Figure 10 where lines 23 and 24 show the region where the medial part of each recess would optimally be located at the ends of those lines and therefore 30 degrees from the juncture. It will be appreciated that the position will depend on the size and shape of the recess, it is generally preferred that the recesses be offset slightly from the divider.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.