MAGNETIC DRINKWARE
An article of drinkware is preferably made of a double walled stainless steel construction which forms a vacuum chamber. The top of the drinkware is closed with a lid, while the bottom is press fit into a base that contains a strong, permanent magnet. The magnet has a strength sufficient to form a strong, magnetic connection to any surrounding ferrous metal objects or surfaces, or to permanent magnets mounted on or in surrounding surfaces.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a container having a sidewall, a bottom and an open top, the bottom and sidewall defining an interior space capable of holding a volume of liquid;
a detachable lid in sealing engagement with the open top;
a base connected to the bottom of the container; and
a magnet disposed in the base.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container is made of non-ferrous material.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the non-ferrous material is stainless steel.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is a rare earth permanent magnet.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the rare earth permanent magnet is made of a neodymium alloy.
6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the magnet generates a magnetic field of sufficient force to magnetically couple the container to a ferrous metal surface and has a flux density selected to allow extraction of the container by hand with a few foot-pounds of energy and to resist separation from the surface except through the exertion by hand.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container is sized to hold between twenty and thirty-two ounces of fluid.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container has an upper rim, and the detachable lid has a threaded sidewall to threadedly engage the upper rim of the sidewall.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container has an upper rim, and the detachable lid includes a sidewall that engages an inner surface of the upper rim by interference fit, and a dispensing opening having a removable cap.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises a circular disc having a sidewall and a bottom wall, and wherein the magnet is a circular disc shape and is disposed within the base between the bottom of the container and the base.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall and bottom of the container are made of a double-walled stainless steel forming a vacuum chamber.
12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base has a cylindrical sidewall and a bottom wall, and the magnet is connected to an inner surface of the bottom wall.
13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the bottom of the container is press fit into the cylindrical sidewall of the base.
14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container is a double-wall stainless steel structure having a vacuum formed between the double walls to provide thermal insulation.
15 . A method of attaching a non-ferrous article of drinkware to a ferrous metal surface comprising:
forming a container having a sidewall, a base and an open top, the bottom and sidewall defining an interior space capable of holding a volume of liquid;
forming a detachable lid to be in sealing engagement with the open top;
connecting a base to the bottom of the container; and
positioning a magnet between the bottom of the container and the base.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the magnet is a rare earth permanent magnet made of a neodymium alloy.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the magnet generates a magnet field of sufficient magnetic force to bind the container to a ferrous metal surface with a force sufficient to allow extraction of the container by hand after applying a few foot-pounds of energy.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of forming a container includes forming a double-wall stainless steel structure with a vacuum sealed between the double walls.