Drinking vessel with detachable, decorative handle

[0001] The invention relates generally to drinking vessels. More particularly, the invention relates to a drinking vessel with a detachable handle.

[0002] Drinking vessels are decorated for a wide variety of purposes. Decorative and commemorative mugs, cups and glasses that occupy large portions of souvenir shops are just some of the examples of such drinking vessels. Typically, the vessel body itself is decorated. There are several known methods for decorating ceramic and glass vessel bodies. Examples include direct screening, water-slide decal transfer, heat-release decal transfer, and dye sublimation methods.

[0003] If a vessel has a handle, the handle is typically an integral part of the vessel. For example, a ceramic coffee mug typically has a ceramic handle that was a part of the same clay body as, and fired together with, the mug body. There are also examples of handles that are attached to a vessel body by other devices, such as one or more flexible metal bands or a metal sleeve over the vessel body.

[0004] Conventional methods of decorating drinking vessels typically involve permanent or irreversible modifications to the vessels and require specialized equipment and manufacturing expertise to accomplish. Given the large variety of decorative vessels that are typically needed, a manufacturer or vendor of such vessels often must keep a far larger number of vessels than is likely to be sold in a short period. In addition, decorative possibilities are limited when decorating the mug body is the only option.

[0005] Thus there is thus a need for a more flexible and economical way to supply decorative drinking vessels and for more options for decorating drinking vessel. The invention disclosed herein is aimed at providing a drinking vessel with substantially fewer drawbacks of the conventional approaches.

[0006] Generally, the invention provides a drinking vessel that can be assembled with ease by attaching a handle, which can be decorative, for example, in the form of a statuette, to a vessel body. In one embodiment, a drinking vessel comprises a vessel body and a handle insertably attached to the vessel body. The handle can be detachably inserted into to the vessel body. The handle and the vessel body can for locking engagement where the handle in inserted into the vessel. Such locking engagement can be formed by a locking mechanism including one or more locking teeth on the handle (or the vessel body) engaged in the corresponding recesses, or with the locking teeth, in the vessel body (or handle). The handle can be attached in this manner to the vessel body at one or more locations, with the handle being flexible so as to bias the handle in the inserted position and the locking mechanism in the locked configuration. The angle of handle insertion into the vessel body can be chosen to be within an optimum range, such as 30 to 150 degrees between the two ends of the handle, to ensure a combination of ease of insertion and secure attachment. The vessel body can be made of a ceramic material or glass, while the handle can be made of a non-ceramic material, such as metal or plastic.

[0013] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0014] Referring to FIG. 1, as an embodiment of the invention, a mug 100 includes a mug body 110 and a handle 120. The mug body 110 includes on its exterior surface 111 two mounting receptacles 112, 114 for attaching the handle 120 to the mug body 110. The receptacles 112 and 114 define channels 116 (not visible) or 118, respectively, into which the two ends 122 and 126 of the handle 120 can be inserted. The mug body 110 is made of porcelain in an illustrative embodiment of the invention but can be made of any suitable material, including other types of ceramic materials, metal, plastic and glass.

[0015] Referring also to FIG. 2, the channels 116 and 118 extend in directions apart from each other by an angle 230, which can be any size suited for a particular mug configuration. For example, the angle 230 can be between about 30 degrees and about 150 degrees. With further reference to FIG. 3, each channel 166 or 118 forms an angle 340 with the wall 350 of the mug body 110. The angle 340 is about 45 degrees for both top and bottom channels in one embodiment, but can be other suitable sizes. For example, the angle 340 can be from 30 to 60 degrees or 15 to 75 degrees.

[0016] The handle 120 is made of stainless steel in an illustrative embodiment of the invention but can be made of any suitable material, including other metals, plastics and ceramic materials. In the illustrative embodiment, when the handle is detached from the mug body 110 and is in a relaxed state, the distance between the two ends 122 and 124 of the handle 120 is larger than the distance between the tips of the mounting receptacles 112 and 114. The handle 120 includes two flexible portions 128 so that the handle can be elastically bent to position the two ends 122 and 124 for insertion into the channels 116 and 118, respectively. Once the ends 122 and 124 are inserted, the flexible portions 128 bias the ends to maintain them inside the channels.

[0017] It should be noted that for the inserting-type handle mounting described above and illustrated in FIGS. 1–3, it is advantageous, though not necessary, to have the channels 116 and 118 disposed at an angle that is not substantially perpendicular or parallel to the vessel wall 350. In the former case, it become more difficult to maintain the end of the handle inserted in the channel; in the latter, it become more difficult to bend the handle sufficiently to insert the ends. An intermediate angle, such as 30 to 60 degrees, or about 45 degrees, between the channel, or the end portion of the handle, and the vessel wall provides a reasonable combination of secure handle position and ease of insertion.

[0018] The ends 122 and 124 are in a locking engagement with the vessel body 110 via the locking mechanisms 300 once the ends 122 and 124 are inserted into the channels 116 and 118, respectively. Each end portion 122 or 124 has one or more locking teeth 126 that are engaged in the corresponding notches, or recesses, 310 inside the channel 116 or 118. Of course, the locking mechanism 300 can also be viewed as comprising two set of locking teeth, those 126 on the end portion of handle 120 and those 320 in the channel. The flexible portion 128 of the handle 120 maintains the locking engagement between the end portion 122 or 124 and the vessel body 120.

[0019] Each channel 116 or 118 defines a space that includes a sufficiently large gap 330 between the end portion 122 or 124 and the channel wall so that the locking teeth 126 on the end portion 122 or 124 can be removed from the recesses 310 by flexing the handle 120, thereby removing the handle 120 from the vessel body 110.

[0020] Referring to FIG. 4, in another embodiment of the invention, a similar locking mechanism 400 is used. Here, a locking arm 412 protrudes from the wall of a vessel body 410. A handle 420 is coupled to the vessel body by inserting the locking arm 421 into an end channel 416 of the handle 420. The locking arm has one or more locking teeth 414 that are received by the recesses 422 in the channel 416 to put the vessel body 410 in a locking engagement with the handle 420. A flexible portion 428 of the handle biases the handle 420 to maintain the locking engagement.

[0021] A drinking vessel according to the invention can thus be assembled by insertably attaching a handle to a vessel body. Such simple operation can be performed easily by a decorator or vendor in the field, such as in a souvenir shop, or even by a retail customer at his/her own convenience. Only a single, or relatively few, types of vessel bodies need to be made or stocked to be combined with a variety of decorative or other kinds of handles. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, to assemble an official team stein 500, a handle 520 can be made in the form of a statuette 522 (in this case of a hockey player) and attached to a stein body 510 by inserting the ends 530 and 540 into respective channels (not shown in detail) on the stein body 510. In this example, the stein body 510 also includes a patch for attaching an emblem, if desired, which further decorates the stein 500.

[0022] The invention offers, among other things, more options for creating decorative drinking vessels. A variety of decorative, detachable handle, can be made and attached to vessel bodies according the desired effects. For example, in addition to statuettes of sports figures, other types of statuettes can be used. Other possibilities include replicas of buildings, landmarks, animals, plants and manmade objects.

[0023] The invention thus provides more decorative options, ease of assembly and flexibility and economy for the decorative drinking vessel market.

[0024] The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.