Stable wine glasses

Abstract

The present invention discloses a series of stable wine glasses comprising stemless wine glasses with internal container shapes appropriate to their respective types of wines and having improved stability. Appropriate internal container shapes provide the desired presentation of the bouquet of the wine. The stable wine glass provides a more stable foot which may be wider than the container of the wine glass. The stable wine glass may be insulated from the human hand by a thicker portion of container wall or by a second wall, exterior to the wine container, which may be of glass or other material and may form an air pocket between the container wall and the second wall. The second outer wall may be perforated or may be whole. Alternatively, the outer surface may be covered with an insulating material.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A stable wine glass, comprising: 
 a container, comprising an open top, a closed, rounded bottom, and sides radially symmetrical about an axis, the sides forming interior and exterior container surfaces, the interior surface shaped to present a bouquet of at least one predetermined type of wine; and    a foot, proximate to the exterior bottom of the container.    
     
     
         2 . The stable wine glass of  claim 1  wherein a second outer wall is fixed to at least one of the foot and the container.  
     
     
         3 . The stable wine glass of  claim 1  further comprising a filet against the second outer wall and the foot, the filet sized, shaped, and positioned to receive the inner surface of at least one digit of a human hand.  
     
     
         4 . The stable wine glass of  claim 1  wherein the sides of the container comprise sides sufficiently thick to provide thermal insulation between the exterior surface and the interior surface over at least a hand-held portion of the container.  
     
     
         5 . The stable wine glass of  claim 1  wherein an insulating material covers at least a portion of the exterior surface of the container.  
     
     
         6 . The stable wine glass of  claim 1  wherein the container comprises 
 a thermally insulating material;  
 a chemically inert material on the interior surface; and  
 a chemically inert material on at least a lip-engaging portion of the exterior surface.  
 
     
     
         7 . The stable wine glass of  claim 1  further comprising a filet against the container and the foot, the filet sized, shaped, and positioned to at least one of receive at least one digit of a human hand and provide structural support to the container.  
     
     
         8 . A stable wine glass, comprising: 
 a container comprising an open top, a closed bottom, and sides radially symmetrical about an axis, the sides forming interior and exterior container surfaces, the interior surface shaped to present a bouquet of a predetermined type of wine;    a foot, wherein the foot is at least one of integral to and in direct contact with the exterior bottom of the container; and    at least one of a filet against and a pad between the container and the foot.    
     
     
         9 . A stemless wine glass, comprising: 
 a container comprising an interior surface shaped to present a bouquet of at least one predetermined type of beverage;    a foot, proximate to the exterior bottom of the container; and    a second outer wall, configured 
 generally concentric with the container; and  
 fixed to at least one of the foot and the container.  
   
     
     
         10 . The stemless wine glass of  claim 9  wherein the second outer wall comprises a surface partially circumscribing the container.  
     
     
         11 . The stemless wine glass of  claim 9  wherein the foot comprises a generally disc-shaped mass with a diameter less than or equal to the diameter of the second outer wall, the foot shaped on its lower surface to contact level surfaces on its outer edge.  
     
     
         12 . The stemless wine glass of  claim 11  wherein the foot further comprises a pedestal portion.  
     
     
         13 . The stemless wine glass of  claim 11  wherein the foot has a diameter greater than the diameter of the container.  
     
     
         14 . A method for manufacturing a stable wine glass, the method comprising 
 forming a container comprising an internal surface shaped to present the bouquet of a wine, the container having a bottom;    forming a foot; and    bringing the foot into a relationship with the container wherein the container is maintained in an upright orientation by the relationship of the container to the foot.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the steps of forming a foot and bringing the foot into a relationship with the container are combined to comprise forming the foot and the container as a single unit.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of bringing the foot into a relationship with the container comprises at least one of fixedly and releasably attaching the foot to the bottom of the exterior of the container.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising forming a second outer wall fixed to at least one of the foot and the container.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising forming the second outer wall as a single unit with at least one of the foot and the container.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising the step of covering at least a portion of the exterior surface of the container with an insulating material.