Stackable stay-cold stein or drinking glass

Abstract

A drinking vessel that has the capability to be stackable and which, by using regular water ice or dry ice, has the ability to maintain a cold temperature for the beverages while not diluting the potency of the liquid or diminishing the quality of the taste. The stackable aspect of the design allows the containers to be nestled within each other allowing for greater quantities of the vessels to be shipped at a single time. A sealable, removable bottom allows for the ice to be secured with the hollow chilling chamber. A handle, which may be formed into the vessel at the time of casting or may be attached after shipping, along with the base that is larger in diameter than the top because to the stacking feature, create the appearance of a traditional beer stein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stackable stein, comprising:
 a body, said body comprising:
 an outer cylindrical wall wider at a first base end than at an opposite first upper end; 
 an inner cylindrical wall having a second base end and an opposite second upper end; wherein:
 the second base end comprises a closed base region, 
 the first upper end and the second upper end form a common upper region, and 
 the first base end and the second base end extend to substantially a same orthogonal distance from the common upper region; 
 
 a frustoconical annular region formed between an outer surface of the inner cylindrical wall and an inner surface of the outer cylindrical wall; and 
   a detachable bottom configured to releasably attach to the first base end.   
     
     
         2 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a detachable handle configured to releasably attach to at least an outer surface of the outer cylindrical wall.   
     
     
         3 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein at any particular orthogonal distance from a top of the common upper region towards the first base end:
 an outer diameter of the outer cylindrical wall is less than or substantially equal to an outer diameter of the frustoconical annular region at approximately that same particular orthogonal distance from a bottom of the common upper region.   
     
     
         4 . The stackable stein of  claim 3 , wherein the outer diameter of the outer cylindrical wall at that particular orthogonal distance is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the frustoconical annular region at approximately that same particular orthogonal distance. 
     
     
         5 . The stackable stein of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the outer cylindrical wall comprises an indentation on an outer surface of the outer cylindrical wall; and   wherein the detachable handle comprises a protruding region complementary in shape to the indentation, wherein the protruding region engages the indentation to releasably attach the detachable handle to the outer surface of the outer cylindrical wall.   
     
     
         6 . The stackable stein of  claim 2 ,
 wherein the outer cylindrical wall comprises a plurality of holes between an outer surface and the inner surface of the outer cylindrical wall; and   wherein the detachable handle comprises a respective complimentary protruding region complementary in shape to one of the plurality of holes, wherein each protruding region engages one of the plurality of holes to releasably attach the detachable handle to the outer surface of the outer cylindrical wall.   
     
     
         7 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein the detachable bottom screws into the first base end. 
     
     
         8 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein the detachable bottom snaps into the first based end. 
     
     
         9 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein the detachable bottom comprises a central opening configured to fit around the closed base region. 
     
     
         10 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein a seal between the detachable bottom and the first base end is water-tight. 
     
     
         11 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the inner cylindrical wall and the closed base region form a container for holding liquid;   the annular region is shaped to accept a mass of frozen coolant, wherein the mass of frozen coolant is kept separate from any contents of the container for holding liquid.   
     
     
         12 . The stackable stein of  claim 11 , wherein the detachable bottom forms a reservoir for collecting portion of the frozen coolant that melt. 
     
     
         13 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the outer cylindrical wall includes a region for affixing a logo to the stackable stein. 
     
     
         14 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein a first diameter of the second base end of the inner cylindrical wall is substantially equal to a second diameter of the second upper end. 
     
     
         15 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , wherein a first diameter of the second base end of the inner cylindrical wall is less than a second diameter of the second upper end. 
     
     
         16 . The stackable stein of  claim 2 , wherein the detachable handle is attached using at least an adhesive. 
     
     
         17 . The stackable stein of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a grip-enhancing surface around at least a portion of an outer surface of the outer cylindrical wall.   
     
     
         18 . A plurality of stackable steins, comprising:
 a plurality steins, each stein comprising:
 a body, said body comprising:
 an outer cylindrical wall wider at a first base end than at an opposite first upper end; 
 an inner cylindrical wall having a second base end and an opposite second upper end; wherein the first upper end and the second upper end form a common upper region and the first base end and the second base end extend to substantially a same orthogonal distance from the common upper region; 
 a frustoconical annular region formed between an outer surface of the inner cylindrical wall and an inner surface of the outer cylindrical wall; 
 
   wherein the plurality of steins are nested together in an arrangement from a bottom stein to a top stein whereby the common upper region of a lower stein in the arrangement is fitted within the frustoconical annular region of an adjacent, next-higher stein in the arrangement.   
     
     
         19 . A kit of disposable steins comprising:
 a plurality stackable steins, each stein comprising:
 a body, said body comprising:
 an outer cylindrical wall wider at a first base end than at an opposite first upper end; 
 an inner cylindrical wall having a second base end and an opposite second upper end; wherein the first upper end and the second upper end form a common upper region and the first base end and the second base end extend to substantially a same orthogonal distance from the common upper region; 
 a frustoconical annular region formed between an outer surface of the inner cylindrical wall and an inner surface of the outer cylindrical wall; 
 
   wherein the plurality of steins are nested together in an arrangement from a bottom stein to a top stein whereby the common upper region of a lower stein in the arrangement is fitted within the frustoconical annular region of an adjacent, next-higher stein in the arrangement.   a plurality of detachable bottoms, each bottom configured to releasably attach to the first base end of one of the plurality of stackable steins; and   a plurality of detachable handles; each handle configured to releasably attach to at least an outer surface of the outer cylindrical wall of one of the plurality of stackable steins.   
     
     
         20 . The kit of  claim 19 , comprising:
 a freezing tray with a structure for holding liquid coolant to be frozen, wherein the structure is complementary in shape to the frustoconical annular region whereby coolant frozen in the structure fits within the frustoconical annular region.