Drinking mug with wireless audio speakers and audio player docking station

Abstract

A drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station including: a mug adapted to retain and dispense liquids disposed therein, and further adapted to removably retain thereupon each of at least one speaker housing, a portable audio player dock, a base, and a lid; at least one speaker adapted to provide sound in response to signals received thereby; at least one speaker housing adapted to receive and retain at least one speaker in secure mechanical engagement therein; a portable audio player dock adapted to receive and retain a portable audio player thereupon in secure removable mechanical engagement; a mug base adapted to be selectively coupled or decoupled from the mug and including at least one compartment; and a lid adapted to be placed in secure removable mechanical engagement with the mug, whereby the lid operates to retain a liquid disposed within the mug.

1 . A drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station comprising:
 a mug, the mug adapted to retain and dispense liquids disposed therein, and further adapted to removably retain thereupon each of at least one speaker housing, a portable audio player dock, a base, and a lid;   at least one speaker, the at least one speaker adapted to provide sound in response to signals received thereby;   at least one speaker housing, the at least one speaker housing adapted to receive and retain at least one speaker in secure mechanical engagement therein;   a portable audio player dock, the portable audio player dock adapted to receive and retain a portable audio player thereupon in secure removable mechanical engagement;   a mug base, the mug base adapted to be selectively coupled or decoupled from the mug and including at least one compartment; and   a lid, the lid adapted to be placed in secure removable mechanical engagement with the mug, whereby the lid operates to retain a liquid disposed within the mug.   
   
   
       2 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a cylindrical mug outer body;   a handle integrally formed with the mug outer body and adapted to be grasped by a user;   a dock tab integrally formed with the mug outer body and adapted to mechanically engage and removably retain thereupon a portable audio player dock;   at least one speaker housing mounting bore, the at least one speaker housing mounting bore integrally formed with the mug outer body and adapted to mechanically engage and removably retain thereupon at least one speaker housing; and   a cylindrical mug inner body, the mug inner body formed within the mug outer body and adapted to receive liquids for drinking therein.   
   
   
       3 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 2 , wherein the handle further comprises:
 a textured surface adapted to provide a non-slip grip for a user grasping the handle.   
   
   
       4 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 2 , wherein the dock tab further comprises:
 an upper tab end;   a lower tab end adapted to cooperate with the upper tab end to define a predefined dock tab length;   a predefined dock tab length defined by the upper tab end and the lower tab end;   a predefined dock tab width; and   a T-shaped cross-sectional profile adapted to mechanically engage and removably retain thereupon a correspondingly formed tab channel formed upon a portable audio player dock  16 .   
   
   
       5 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 2 , wherein the portable audio player dock further comprises:
 a peripheral dock sidewall including a cord notch integrally formed therewith adapted to provide clearance for a cord end formed thereupon;   and a predefined angle, the peripheral dock sidewall and the predefined angle cooperating to receive and removably retain a portable audio player therein.   
   
   
       6 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 5 , wherein the portable audio player dock further comprises:
 a tab channel formed upon a rear surface of the portable audio player dock and adapted to mechanically engage the dock tab formed upon the outer mug surface.   
   
   
       7 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 6 , wherein the portable audio player dock further comprises:
 a tab stop formed at an upper end of the tab channel and adapted to limit the progress of the dock tab through the tab channel, such that the portable audio player dock is located at a desired position when the dock tab fully engages each of the tab channel and the tab stop.   
   
   
       8 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 4 , wherein the outer mug surface further comprises:
 a pair of opposing speaker housing mounting bores formed thereupon, each respective speaker housing mounting bore adapted to mechanically engage and removably retain therein a speaker housing.   
   
   
       9 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 2 , wherein each respective speaker housing mounting bore further comprises:
 a bore threaded portion, the bore threaded portion having female helical threads formed thereupon, the female helical threads adapted to mechanically engage corresponding male helical threads formed upon a bore threaded portion of a speaker housing, wherein the corresponding helical threads formed upon each of the speaker housing and the speaker housing mounting bore cooperate to allow a speaker housing to be easily engaged to, or removed from a speaker housing mounting bore by selectively engaging or disengaging the bore threaded portion.   
   
   
       10 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one speaker housing further comprises:
 a cylindrical body having
 an housing open end, the housing open end adapted to receive a speaker therein, and further adapted to retain the speaker in secure mechanical engagement therein, and further adapted to receive a grille thereupon, the grille adapted to shield each of the speaker and an interior of the speaker housing from the entry of undesired objects; and 
 a housing closed end, the housing closed end including
 a housing base, the housing base including 
 a battery compartment adapted to receive in secure mechanical engagement at least one battery and may include a battery receptacle and a compartment cover plate, 
 a receiver compartment adapted to receive in secure mechanical engagement a receiver and covered by the compartment cover plate, and 
 a housing threaded portion, the housing threaded portion including male helical threads formed thereupon and adapted to mechanically engage the threaded portion of the speaker housing receiving bore and further adapted to cooperate therewith to removably retain the speaker housing in mechanical engagement with the speaker housing receiving bore. 
 
   
   
   
       11 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 the battery compartment including associated contacts and wiring adapted to place a battery disposed therein in electrical communication with each of a receiver and a speaker; and   the receiver compartment including associated contacts and wiring adapted to place a receiver disposed therein in electrical communication with the battery and in electrical and signal communication with the speaker.   
   
   
       12 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 2 , wherein the mug base further comprises:
 a base threaded portion, the base threaded portion including male helical threads and adapted to mechanically engage a correspondingly threaded lower mug end and removably retain the mug base thereto;   a mug base battery compartment, the mug base battery compartment adapted to mechanically engage and removably retain therein at least one battery;   a transceiver compartment, the transceiver compartment adapted to mechanically engage and securely retain therein a transceiver; and   a signal plug port, the signal plug port adapted to allow a signal plug to pass therethrough, whereby the signal plug may mechanically engage, and be in signal communication with, the transceiver.   
   
   
       13 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 12 , wherein the transceiver is adapted to be placed in signal communication with a portable audio player and may be further adapted to convert signals received from the portable audio player to signals that the transceiver may wirelessly broadcast to each respective receiver, each respective receiver disposed within an associated speaker housing. 
   
   
       14 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 13 , wherein the transceiver receives signals from the portable audio player via a cable having
 a first cable end in mechanical and signal communication with the portable audio player, and   a second cable end adapted to mechanically engage and be in signal communication with the signal plug port, the signal plug port in signal communication with the transceiver.   
   
   
       15 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 14 , wherein transceiver wirelessly broadcasts signals to each respective receiver at a broadcast frequency ranging from 800 MHz to 1000 MHz. 
   
   
       16 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 2 , wherein the mug base further comprises:
 a power port integrally formed with the mug base in electrical and mechanical communication with the battery and, and adapted to receive therethrough a power plug, the power plug in electrical communication with an AC/DC converter, and adapted to recharge the battery by being placed in electrical communication therewith via the power port.   
   
   
       17 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 2 , wherein the mug further comprises:
 an inner mug body adapted to receive and hold liquids for drinking therein.   
   
   
       18 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 17 , wherein the mug inner body is integrally formed with the outer mug body and is separated from the outer mug body by a predefined distance, the predefined distance providing a cavity, whereby the cavity acts as an insulator, minimizing heat dissipation from a liquid disposed within the inner mug body to the ambient atmosphere, or from the ambient atmosphere to the liquid disposed in the inner mug body. 
   
   
       19 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 18 , wherein the mug inner body includes a capacity ranging between and including six fluid ounces and seventy fluid ounces. 
   
   
       20 . The drinking mug with detachable speakers and audio player docking station of  claim 2 , wherein the lid further comprises:
 a fixed lid section adapted to mechanically engage an upper mug portion and having each of a vent hole and a drinking hole integrally formed therewith; and   a lid cover, the lid cover affixed to, and adapted to rotate about, a center point of the fixed lid section, and having a pair of opposing hole covers integrally formed thereupon, wherein the pair of opposing hole covers cooperate to selectively cover or expose each of the vent hole and the drinking hole, whereby the vent hole and drinking hole may be covered to prevent inadvertent communication of fluid therefrom.