Patent Application
20160022072
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The invention relates generally to beverage holders and in particular to a floating beverage holder. When in a swimming pool, recreational swimmers may wish to keep a cold beverage close at hand. Floating beverage holders exist but they are inflatable, and prone to leaking and sinking to the bottom of the pool. A floating beverage holder that is not inflatable, and relies on a foam construction such as polystyrene for flotation, would resolve this problem.
Accordingly, the invention is directed to a non-inflatable floating beverage holder. The floating beverage holder preferably consists of a ring of foam flotation material, with a mesh pouch affixed around its inner circumference and suspended downward. The beverage container is inserted downward through the ring and secured in the mesh pouch.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directed to a non-inflatable floating beverage holder. The floating beverage holder would consist of a foam flotation ring 10, with a mesh pouch 11 affixed around the inner circumference of a central opening 12 in the floatation ring 10, and suspended downward. The beverage container is inserted downward through the central opening 12 foam flotation ring 10 and secured in the mesh pouch 11. Preferably, the mesh pouch 11 is reversible such that the apparatus may be inverted without changing its function. The foam floatation ring 10 preferably maintains its upper surface above the water level 31 of a swimming pool or other body of water forming the surroundings (it is assumed that the surroundings are within the range of ordinary atmospheric pressures on Earth at inhabited elevations) such that pool water does not get into the open beverage container.
The mesh pouch 11 would preferably be capable of limited stretching to accommodate beverage containers of various sizes and weights. Alternatively, different sizes of the mesh pouch 11 may be provided to accommodate a beverage bottle 30 with a longer mesh pouch 11, as shown in the first exemplary embodiment of
The foam flotation ring 10 would preferably be manufactured from a light, flexible, mold and fungus-resistant and highly buoyant material such as polystyrene. The mesh pouch 11 would preferably be manufactured from a durable, flexible, fungus-resistant fibrous material such as nylon. The foam floatation ring 10 is preferably buoyant enough to counterbalance the weight of drinks or other article s placed inside of it.
Component sizes and materials listed above are preferable, but artisans will recognize that alternate components, or different materials, could be selected without altering the scope of the invention.
While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should, therefore, not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.
