US20060091141A1

US20060091141A1 - Weighted drink holder

Info

Publication number: US20060091141A1
Application number: US10/975,159
Authority: US
Inventors: Jason Scott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-10-28
Filing date: 2004-10-28
Publication date: 2006-05-04

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.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

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

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.
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®, which generally comprises a foam cylinder that may be slid around an individual can, or even around a cup or a glass. The Koozie® 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® 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.
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

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/cm³and/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

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.
FIG. 2 conceptually shows a drink holder having a weight substantially embedded in the sleeve.
FIG. 3 conceptually shows a drink holder lacking a foam collar, and having a weight substantially embedded in the floor.
FIG. 4 conceptually shows a drink holder with a foam collar and a weight substantially embedded in the sleeve.
FIG. 5 conceptually shows the drink holder of FIG. 1 absent the drink container.
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.
FIG. 7 conceptually shows an assembled view of the floor in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

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.
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.
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.
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®.
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.
Under typical conditions, water has a density of approximately 1 g/cm³. It is therefore preferable for the annular weight to have a density greater than 1 g/cm³. 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/cm³is desirable. In some embodiments, particularly in embodiments having proportions similar to that of a Koozie®, 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 ½″ from lower end 23 of the sleeve 22.
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.
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.
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 ¼″, and preferably between ⅜″ and 1″. The foam collar preferably has an axial length of between ¼″ and 2″.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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/cm³.

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/cm³.

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 ½″ 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 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/cm³; 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 ¼″.

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/cm³.

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:

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/cm³and 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 ¼″, 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 ½″ and 1″ and an axial length of between ¼″ and 2″.