FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to vessels for holding a beverage, and in particular to drinking cups.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Often the preparation of a drink for enjoyment by a consumer requires careful measurement of the ingredients that are required to make up the drink. It may not always be convenient to have a suitable measuring apparatus, such as a tot measure, at hand, in particular if the consumer is outdoors or camping. This can lead to frustration and wastage when poorly measured out drinks are not to the taste of the consumer. Judging volumes of liquid visually is not accurate enough for preparing certain types of drinks, especially when ice has already been placed in a cup or glass, as is often the case.

The present invention seeks to address the abovementioned difficulty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a drinking vessel including:

a receptacle defining a first chamber for receiving a beverage; and

a handle which is attached to the receptacle, the handle defining a second chamber and an operatively upwardly open mouth for receiving a fluid into the second chamber;

wherein the handle is displaceable relative to the receptacle between:

an operative handling position in which the handle is disposed adjacent to the receptacle; and

a discharging position in which the handle is spaced away from the receptacle such that the fluid within the second chamber can be discharged via the mouth into the first chamber of the receptacle. The handle may be hingedly connected to the receptacle. The drinking vessel may include complementary mating formations, one on the receptacle and one on the handle, for disengageably securing the handle to the receptacle in the handling position. The handle may be elongate and may have operatively upper and lower ends. The upper end of the handle may be hingedly connected to the receptacle and the mating formation may be formed toward the lower end of the handle.

The mating formations may be configured to engage by way of an interference or snap fit. To this end, the mating formations may comprise a protruding male formation which is receivable within a complementary female formation. The male formation may be formed on the handle and the female formation, in the form of a recess, may be formed in the receptacle. The male mating formation may be in the form of a spigot which has at least one recessed seat which is configured frictionally to engage a complementary protuberance provided on a surface of the recess.

The handle may be calibrated for measuring different volumes of liquid held in the second chamber. The vessel may include a lid which is receivable over the mouth of the handle in order to close the second chamber.

The receptacle may be circular cylindrical having an open top. The handle may be cylindrical with a step-wise increase in diameter towards an operatively upper end.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of illustrative example only, with reference to the following diagrammatic drawings:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows, in three dimensional view, a drinking vessel in accordance with the invention in a handling position; FIGURE 2 shows the drinking vessel of figure 1 in partial cross-sectional side view;

FIGURE 3 shows, in side view, the drinking vessel of figure 1 in a discharging position wherein a handle is disengaged from and pivoted towards a receptacle of the vessel.

Referring now to the drawings and in particular to Figure 1 , reference numeral 10 generally indicates a drinking vessel in accordance with the invention as is described in more detail hereinafter.

The drinking vessel 10 comprises a circular cylindrical receptacle 12 defining a first chamber therein, the receptacle 12 having an open top for receiving a beverage into the first chamber and a hollow, elongate handle 14 which is connected to the receptacle 12 and defines a second chamber and an operatively upwardly open mouth for receiving a fluid into the second chamber. The vessel 10 is of a polymeric material, preferably a rigid polymeric material.

The handle 14 is cylindrical and is annular in cross-section, thus having a circular or round cross-sectional outline or profile. The diameter of the handle increases step wise towards an operatively upper end of the handle 14. The handle 14 is calibrated into sections 14.1 , 14.2, 14.3, and 14.4 such that fixed volumetric amounts of liquid can be measured and received within the second chamber of the handle 14. A first attachment member 16 hingedly connects the handle 14 to the receptacle 12. The first attachment member 16 is foldable or elastic and attaches an operatively upper end of the handle 14 to an operatively upper end of the receptacle 12.

The vessel 10 further includes a pair of complementary mating formations which comprises a second attachment member in the form of a protruding male mating formation 18 or spigot which is disengageably receivable within a complementary female mating formation or recess 22, defined within the receptacle 12, by way of an interference fit or snap fit (see figure 2). The male mating formation 18 extends laterally away from an operatively lower end of the handle 14 and includes a pair of recessed seats 21 on opposing sides of the mating formation 18 or spigot. In turn, the recess 22 has a pair of complementary protuberances (not shown) on opposing sides of an inner surface thereof. The protuberances are configured frictionally to engage the seats 21 when the mating formation 18 is inserted into the recess 22 and hence to secure the handle 14 to the receptacle 12 by way of a snap fit.

A lid 20 is attached to the handle 14, and may be opened and closed as required. The lid 20 closes the mouth of the handle 14 leading to the second chamber in order to prevent spillage.

In an operative handling position illustrated in figure 1 , the male mating formation 18 engages the recess 22 such that the handle 14 is secured in place adjacent to the receptacle 12. In this position, a user can grip the handle 14 and drink a beverage held within the first chamber in conventional fashion. In use, the handle 14 is pivotally or hingedly displaceable relative to the receptacle 12 from the handling position to a discharging position, shown in figure 3, by disengaging the male mating formation 18 from the recess 22 by pulling the formation 18 out of and away from the recess 22.

In order to prepare a drink a measure of fluid, brandy for example, is poured into the second chamber of the handle 14 whilst another ingredient, coke for example, is poured into the first chamber of the receptacle 12. The exact amount of brandy can be accurately measured off by having regard to the calibrated sections 14.1 , 14.2, 14.3, 14.4 of the handle 14. The measured volume of brandy within the handle 14 is then poured into the receptacle 12 by ensuring that the lid 20 is open and pivoting the handle 14 relative to the receptacle 12 from the handling position to the discharging position. In this manner, the drinking vessel allows a user to prepare a drink accurately according to his/her liking without the need of an additional loose standing tot measure.

The Applicant believes that the present invention provides an effective, practical and economically attractive solution to the difficulties associated with preparing beverages which require individual ingredients to be measured and then mixed together.