U.S. patent application number 10/975159 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-04 for weighted drink holder.
Invention is credited to Jason P. Scott.
Application Number | 20060091141 10/975159 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36260617 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060091141 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Scott; Jason P. |
May 4, 2006 |
Weighted drink holder
Abstract
A drink holder holds a drink container such as a can, cup, or
glass in a body of water. The drink container includes an upper
end, a lower end, and a housing extending between the upper end and
the lower end. The drink holder comprises a sleeve including an
interior, an upper opening to the interior, and a lower opening to
the interior. The upper opening receives the drink container at
least partially into the interior. A floor at least partially
closes the lower opening of the sleeve, and includes a through hole
passing to the interior. An annular weight is at least partially
supported on the sleeve or the floor. A foam collar positioned
above a lower end of the sleeve substantially encircles the
exterior of the sleeve and extends radially outwardly.
Inventors: |
Scott; Jason P.; (Houston,
TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LOREN G. HELMREICH
5718 WESTHEIMER
SUITE 1800
HOUSTON
TX
77057
US
|
Family ID: |
36260617 |
Appl. No.: |
10/975159 |
Filed: |
October 28, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/560 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 2200/02 20130101;
A47G 23/0216 20130101; B65D 81/3879 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/560 |
International
Class: |
B65D 88/78 20060101
B65D088/78 |
Claims
1. A drink holder for holding a drink container in a body of water,
the drink container including an upper end, a lower end, and a
housing extending between the upper end and the lower end, the
drink container for containing liquid and selectively passing
liquid from the drink container through an opening at the upper
end, the drink holder comprising: a sleeve including an interior,
an upper opening to the interior, and a lower opening to the
interior, the upper opening receiving the drink container at least
partially into the interior; a floor at least partially closing the
lower opening, the floor including a through hole passing to the
interior; and an annular weight at least partially embedded within
a lower portion of the sleeve or the floor, the annular weight
having a density greater than 1 g/cm.sup.3.
2. A drink holder as defined in claim 1, wherein one or both of the
sleeve and the floor comprise an elastic foam.
3. A drink holder as defined in claim 1, wherein the annular weight
comprises: an annular ring radially outward of the through hole of
the floor.
4. A drink holder as defined in claim 1, wherein the annular weight
has a density of at least 3 g/cm.sup.3.
5. A drink holder as defined in claim 1, wherein the annular weight
weighs between about 5 and 10 ounces.
6. A drink holder as defined in claim 1, wherein the annular weight
is vertically positioned less than 1/2'' from a lower end of the
sleeve.
7. A drink holder as defined in claim 1, wherein the annular weight
is substantially embedded within the lower portion of the sleeve or
the floor.
8. A drink holder as defined in claim 1, wherein the floor further
comprises: one or both of a generally circular upper foam layer
substantially covering an upwardly facing surface of the annular
weight and a generally circular lower foam layer substantially
covering a downwardly facing surface of the annular weight.
9. A drink holder as defined in claim 8, the drink holder including
both of the upper foam layer and the lower foam layer, wherein the
upper foam layer radially extends to an interior surface of the
sleeve and the lower foam layer radially extends to or beyond the
interior surface of the sleeve.
10. A drink holder for holding a drink container in a body of
water, the drink container including an upper end, a lower end, and
a housing extending between the upper end and the lower end, the
drink container for containing liquid and selectively passing
liquid from the drink container through an opening at the upper
end, the drink holder comprising: a sleeve including an interior,
an upper opening to the interior, and a lower opening to the
interior, the upper opening receiving the drink container at least
partially into the interior; a floor at least partially closing the
lower opening, the floor including a through hole passing to the
interior; an annular weight at least partially supported on the
sleeve or the floor, the annular weight having a density greater
than 1 g/cm.sup.3; and a foam collar substantially encircling the
exterior of the sleeve and extending radially outwardly, the foam
collar positioned above a lower end of the sleeve.
11. A drink holder as defined in claim 10, wherein the foam collar
has a radial thickness of at least 1/4''.
12. A drink holder as defined in claim 10, further comprising: a
ring secured to the sleeve for attachment to a tether.
13. A drink holder as defined in claim 10, wherein a midpoint
between an upper and lower end of the foam collar is above a
midpoint between an upper and lower end of the sleeve.
14. A drink holder as defined in claim 10, wherein one or both of
the sleeve and the floor comprise an elastic foam.
15. A drink holder as defined in claim 10, wherein the annular
weight has a density of at least 3 g/cm.sup.3.
16. A drink holder as defined in claim 10, wherein the annular
weight weighs between about 5 and 10 ounces.
17. A drink holder as defined in claim 10, wherein the floor
comprises: one or both of a generally circular upper foam layer
substantially covering an upwardly facing surface of the annular
weight and a generally circular lower foam layer substantially
covering a downwardly facing surface of the annular weight.
18. A drink holder as defined in claim 17, the drink holder
including both of the upper foam layer and the lower foam layer,
wherein the upper foam layer radially extends to an interior
surface of the sleeve and the lower foam layer radially extends to
or beyond the interior surface of the sleeve.
19. A drink holder for holding a drink container in a body of
water, the drink container including an upper end, a lower end, and
a housing extending between the upper end and the lower end, the
drink container for containing liquid and selectively passing
liquid from the drink container through an opening at the upper
end, the drink holder comprising: a sleeve including an interior,
an upper opening to the interior, and a lower opening to the
interior, the upper opening receiving the drink container at least
partially into the interior; a floor at least partially closing the
lower opening, the floor including a through hole passing to the
interior; an annular weight at least partially supported on the
sleeve or the floor, the annular weight comprising a ring radially
outward of the through hole of the floor, the annular weight having
a density greater than 1 g/cm.sup.3 and weighing between about 5
and 10 ounces; and a foam collar substantially encircling the
exterior of the sleeve and extending radially outwardly with a
radial thickness of at least 1/4'', the foam collar positioned
above a lower end of the sleeve, a midpoint between an upper and
lower end of the foam collar being above a midpoint between an
upper and lower end of the sleeve.
20. A drink holder as defined in claim 19, wherein the foam collar
has a radial thickness of between 1/2'' and 1'' and an axial length
of between 1/4'' and 2''.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The invention generally relates to a weighted drink holder.
More specifically, the invention relates to a weighted drink holder
for holding a can, cup, glass, or other container in a body of
water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A popular way to enjoy beverages is to drink them straight
from a can. Countless beverages are sold in cans, which offer
convenient portion sizes, preserve the freshness of the beverage
until opened, and are easily held by hand. A common problem with
drinking beverages from a can, cup, or glass, however, is that cold
beverages quickly warm up and hot beverages quickly cool down when
exposed to room temperature, a process which is further hastened
when the container is in direct contact with the user's hand.
[0003] A number of manufacturers have created foam-insulated
beverage holders to help slow temperature changes and prolong the
desired temperature range of beverages. One well known example is
the Koozie.RTM., which generally comprises a foam cylinder that may
be slid around an individual can, or even around a cup or a glass.
The Koozie.RTM. has enough thickness to provide insulation from the
atmosphere and the user's hand. A circular foam plug or floor is
typically inserted into the bottom of the Koozie.RTM. to close its
lower end. The foam plug usually has a small hole through which air
may pass to facilitate insertion and removal of the beverage
container.
[0004] Unfortunately, one of the more popular places to enjoy a
beverage is in the water, such as at a swimming pool, and the
beverage container would immediately tip over and spill if released
in the water. Although a conventional foam insulator may provide
buoyancy, this does not prevent the container from tipping over.
This limits the enjoyment of the person drinking the beverage, who
must either continuously hold the container while in the pool, or
else make repeated trips to the pool's edge where he or she can set
the beverage down on the pool deck. It is more difficult, for
example, for the drinker to mingle with other pool guests while
enjoying the beverage, and to enjoy the full expanse of the pool.
It is even more difficult for the user to enjoy a beverage at a
lake, for instance, where there may not be a convenient flat
surface on which to set down the beverage. An improved insulated
drink holder is therefore desired which may enhance enjoyment and
freedom of use while in the water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In one embodiment, a drink holder holds a drink container
upright in a body of water. The drink container includes an upper
end, a lower end, and a housing extending between the upper end and
the lower end. The drink container, such as a can, cup, or glass,
is for containing liquid and selectively passing liquid from the
drink container through an opening at the upper end. The drink
holder comprises a sleeve including an interior, an upper opening
to the interior, and a lower opening to the interior. The upper
opening receives the drink container at least partially into the
interior. A floor at least partially closes the lower opening of
the sleeve, and includes a through hole passing to the interior. An
annular weight is at least partially supported on the sleeve or the
floor, and preferably has a density greater than 1 g/cm.sup.3
and/or a weight of between 5 and 10 ounces. A foam collar
positioned above a lower end of the sleeve substantially encircles
the exterior of the sleeve and extends radially outwardly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 conceptually shows one embodiment of a drink holder
holding a drink container, the drink holder including an annular
weight and a foam collar.
[0007] FIG. 2 conceptually shows a drink holder having a weight
substantially embedded in the sleeve.
[0008] FIG. 3 conceptually shows a drink holder lacking a foam
collar, and having a weight substantially embedded in the
floor.
[0009] FIG. 4 conceptually shows a drink holder with a foam collar
and a weight substantially embedded in the sleeve.
[0010] FIG. 5 conceptually shows the drink holder of FIG. 1 absent
the drink container.
[0011] FIG. 6 conceptually shows an exploded view of an alternate
floor construction including an upper foam layer on an upwardly
facing surface of the annular weight and a lower foam layer on a
downwardly facing surface of the annular weight.
[0012] FIG. 7 conceptually shows an assembled view of the floor in
FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a drink holder
generally indicated at 10 holding a drink container 12 in a body of
water 5, such as a swimming pool or a lake. The drink container 12
as conceptually shown in the figure is typically a can, glass,
bottle, or cup, all of which include an upper end 14, a lower end
16, and a housing 18 extending between the upper end 14 and the
lower end 16. The drink container 12 contains a liquid 15 such as
beer, soda, or water. As is commonly known, drinking from the drink
container 12 comprises selectively passing liquid from the drink
container 12 through an opening 20 at the upper end 14, such as by
tilting and pouring the drink into one's mouth, or by inserting a
straw (not shown) into the liquid 15 through the opening 20 and
sucking the liquid through the straw and into one's mouth.
[0014] FIG. 5 shows the FIG. 1 embodiment absent the drink
container 12 and body of water 5. FIGS. 2-4 conceptually illustrate
alternate drink holder embodiments, wherein like reference numerals
refer to like features. The FIG. 3 embodiment is similar to the
FIGS. 1 and 5 embodiment, except that it lacks the foam collar
36.
[0015] The drink holder 12 comprises a sleeve 22 that has an
interior 24, an upper opening 26 to the interior 24, and a lower
opening 28 to the interior 24. The lower opening 28 to the sleeve
22 is nearly fully closed by (and in other embodiments is at least
partially closed by) a floor generally indicated at 30. The floor
30 includes a through hole 32 passing to the interior 24 so that
the lower opening 28 is not fully closed and air can pass to and
from the interior 24. The upper opening 26 receives the drink
container 12 at least partially into the interior 24. The interior
surface 25 of the sleeve 22 is preferably snug with the drink
container 12 to retain the drink container 12. This snug fit may
limit air from passing between the container 12 and the sleeve 22.
As the container 12 is inserted into the sleeve 22, however,
pressure between the container 12 and the sleeve 22 may equalize
via the through hole 32.
[0016] It is desirable for the sleeve 22 to provide insulation to
the drink container 12. The sleeve 22 and/or the floor 30 therefore
typically comprise foam, such as closed cell foam, which provides
insulation. Closed cell foam may also desirably be elastic, which
helps the sleeve 22 snugly fit around the drink container 12.
Closed cell foam may also allow the sleeve 22 to conform somewhat
to the drink container 12, which is especially desirable for
irregularly-shaped containers such as hourglass-shaped plastic soda
bottles. Yet another advantage of using foam is that foam generally
is buoyant in water, which helps keep the drink container 12 afloat
when placed in a body of water. In less preferred embodiments, the
sleeve 22 and/or floor 30 may alternatively comprise vacuum-sealed
insulating walls, such as used in insulating beverage holders made
by Thermos.RTM..
[0017] In FIGS. 1 and 5, an annular weight 34 is embedded in and
supported on the floor 30. In the alternate embodiments of FIGS. 2
and 4, an alternative annular weight 40 is embedded in and
supported on the sleeve 22. Correspondingly, the floor 30 in FIGS.
1 and 5 looks different than the floor 30 in FIGS. 2 and 4.
Generally speaking, an annular weight is at least partially
supported on the sleeve 22 and/or the floor 30. The annular weight
places the center of gravity of the drink holder 10 well below the
midpoint 45 between an upper and lower end of the sleeve. The
weight thereby pulls the lower end 23 of the sleeve 22 downward
into the body of water 5, effectively up-righting the drink holder
10 to prevent it from tipping over and spilling.
[0018] Under typical conditions, water has a density of
approximately 1 g/cm.sup.3. It is therefore preferable for the
annular weight to have a density greater than 1 g/cm.sup.3. This
allows the weight to pull the lower end 23 of the sleeve 22
downward as discussed above. An annular weight having an average
density of at least 3 g/cm.sup.3 is desirable. In some embodiments,
particularly in embodiments having proportions similar to that of a
Koozie.RTM., an annular weight weighing between 5 and 10 ounces is
effective to keep the drink holder 10 upright. The annular weight
34 or 36 is vertically positioned less than 1/2'' from lower end 23
of the sleeve 22.
[0019] As further shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a foam collar 36 may be
included that fully encircles (and in other embodiments at least
substantially encircles) the exterior 37 of the sleeve 22, and
extends radially outwardly with respect to the sleeve 22. The foam
collar 36 is positioned above a lower end of the sleeve 22. A
primary benefit of the foam collar 36 is to increase buoyancy
toward the upper end 21 of the sleeve 22. When placed in the body
of water 5, as shown in FIG. 1, the drink holder 10 is submerged to
the point that the foam collar 36 at least touches the surface of
the water or is partially submerged. The buoyancy of the foam
collar 36 prevents or at least reduces the likelihood that the
upper end 21 of the sleeve 22 will be submerged, thus maintaining
the drink holder 10 upright to prevent the drink container 12 from
tipping over.
[0020] In combination, the annular weight 34 and the foam collar 36
work cooperatively to keep the drink holder 10 substantially
upright and prevent the drink container 12 from tipping over. The
annular weight 34 does its job as described above to pull the lower
end 23 downward, while the foam collar does its described job to
pull the upper end 21 upward. This embodiment includes both a
weight (e.g. annular weights 34 or 40) and a foam collar (e.g.
collars 36 or 38). In some embodiments, however, only a weight or a
collar will be included, such as to simplify manufacturing and
reduced costs.
[0021] The buoyancy of the foam collar is a function of its volume,
which is itself a function of both the collar's axial length (e.g.
the distance between points 61 and 63) and the collar's radial
thickness (e.g. the distance between points 63 and 65). The foam
collar preferably has a radial thickness of at least 1/4'', and
preferably between 3/8'' and 1''. The foam collar preferably has an
axial length of between 1/4'' and 2''.
[0022] Axial positioning of the foam collar 36, 38 is also
important. As shown in FIG. 5, sleeve 22 has an axial midpoint 44
between upper end 21 and lower 23. Collar 36 has an axial midpoint
46. Midpoint 46 of the collar 36 is preferably above midpoint 44 of
the sleeve.
[0023] The embodiment of FIGS. 1, 3, and 5 show a weight 34 that is
substantially fully embedded in foam floor 30. An alternate
construction is depicted in FIGS. 6 (exploded view) and 7
(assembled view). The floor 50 comprises a generally circular upper
foam layer 52 substantially covering an upwardly facing surface 53
of the annular weight 55, and a generally circular lower foam layer
54 substantially covering a downwardly facing surface 55 of the
annular weight 51. The upper foam layer 52 radially extends to an
interior surface 25 of the sleeve 22, and the lower foam layer 54
radially extends to the interior surface 25 of the sleeve 22. In
other embodiments (not shown), the lower foam layer may radially
extend past the interior surface 25 of the sleeve 22, such as if
the foam layer is in contact with and caps off the lower end 23 of
the sleeve 22.
[0024] FIG. 7 also depicts a ring or clip 70 glued or otherwise
secured to the outer surface of the sleeve 22 at substantially the
axial midpoint of the sleeve. The ring or clip 70 may be used to
secure the drink holder to a line or tether (not shown), which may
be tied at its other end to a garment of the user, to a floating
chair, or to another device for limiting movement of the drink
holder in the water. The ring or clip 70 may be provided in any of
the embodiments discussed herein.
[0025] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been
described herein in some detail, this has been done solely for the
purposes of explaining the various aspects of the invention, and is
not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the
claims which follow. Those skilled in the art will understand that
the embodiment shown and described is exemplary, and various other
substitutions, alterations, and modifications, including but not
limited to those design alternatives specifically discussed herein,
may be made in the practice of the invention without departing from
its scope.
* * * * *