Abstract:
Improvements in a compliant upright drink insulator attachment device that is works with a standard drink insulator. The attachment device uses two parts where one part mates with the second part to slip through a standard insulated drink holder. These insulated drink holders are commonly called coolies or koozies and are manufactured with a central hole to allow for draining. A clip connects a compliant cord to one or both of the two parts. The compliant cord is configured as a coiled cord. A weight is connected to the free end of the compliant cord to keep the insulated drink holder in an upright orientation in the water. The compliant cord allows the weight to move semi independent from the insulated drink holder, and further allows the weight to be stored within the insulated drink holder for storage when it is not being used.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to improvements in a beverage flotation device. More particularly the improvement relates to an attachment for a beverage cooler that retains the beverage in an upright orientation. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     Several products and patents have been filed an issued on drink insulators and retaining devices for beverages that are consumed while a person is in the water. Depending upon the amount of wakes that are encountered while on the water and the amount of natural or artificial topography that exists in the body of water the beverage can tip over. Some of these devices operate as stand-alone flotation devices or utilize existing beverage coolers coolies or koozies. Exemplary examples of patents covering these products are disclosed herein. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,194 issued Feb. 18, 1986 to James M. Kiss et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,090 issued Aug. 19, 2003 to Stephen Doerr disclose floating beverage holders that a user blows air into the inflate the float. The user can then open to filling valve to deflate the float when it is not being used. While this patent provides for a floatation device the amount of thermal insulation to the beverage is limited. The physical size of these devices is also significant because the floatation area must be significantly large to create enough width to make the float stable in the water. 
     U.S. Pat. No. D440,469 issued Apr. 17, 2001 to John J. Krist et al discloses a Floatation Holder For a Beverage Container. This design patent is a for a molded or formed beverage holder with an enlarged base that provides for a floatation device. This device requires a wide base for floatation. When a full soda container is placed within the container it is top heavy and can tip over with a large wave. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,764 issued Sep. 5, 1995 to Mark H. Langford and U.S. Pat. No. 6,616,493 issued Sep. 9, 2003 both disclose an essentially thick flat foam float that slides around the cylindrical side of the soda can. This is a simple version of a floatation device, but it provides minimal insulation to the beverage can and the location of the floatation device on the soda can is variable based upon placement by the user. If the floatation device is not placed properly on the can the can is more susceptible to tipping over. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,505 issued Jan. 31, 2006 to Robert Ray Wells discloses a Buoyant Apparatus for Attachment to Beverage Insulators Holding Beverage Containers. The device works with a standard beverage container insulator. The bottom of the beverage container insulator must be modified to allow the attachment to fit through the bottom of the insulator. The bottom of the buoyant apparatus is rigid and can tip over if the weighted end comes in contact with a rock or the ground. 
     What is needed is a compliant upright drink insulator attachment that works with an existing drink insulator. The bottom of the attachment device needs to be compliant to move with the waves of the water and compliant enough to still keep the drink in an upright orientation around rocks and shallow water. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the compliant upright drink insulator attachment device that starts as a two parts where one part mates with the second part to slip through a standard insulated drink holder. These insulated drink holders are commonly called coolies or koozies and are manufactured with a central hole to allow for draining. The two part clip mate through the drainage hole in an open configuration to allow for both draining and to prevent the insulator from sealing onto the beverage can where removal would require overcoming the vacuum of the seal. 
     It is another object of the compliant upright drink insulator attachment device to have a pass though hole or holes to allow connection of a clip with a cord. The hole or holes allow a user to connect the cord on a variety of sides or orientations. A standard clipping device is used to connect to the hole(s) by passing an open clip through two opposing holes. 
     It is another object of the compliant upright drink insulator attachment device to utilize a compliant cord. The compliant cord is preferably coiled to allow the cord to bend when the cord comes in contact with rocks or the ground in shallow water. At the end of the cord is a weight that provides a pendulum and ballast to keep a can installed in the insulator in an upright orientation. 
     It is still another object of the compliant upright drink insulator attachment device to utilize a buoyant weight that can customizable to match the owner&#39;s name, sporting team, zodiac sign, company, color or a simple number of letter. When not used the weight can be stored in the empty insulator to reduce storage space and make transportation easier. 
     Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  shows an overall perspective view of the drink insulator attachment. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the inner collar or first member. 
         FIG. 3  shows a sectional view of the inner collar. 
         FIG. 4  shows a second preferred embodiment of a perspective view of the outer snap button or second member. 
         FIG. 5  shows a sectional view of the outer snap button. 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective exploded assembly view of the drink insulator attachment with an insulated drink holder. 
         FIG. 7  shows a sectional view of the drink insulator attachment secured to an insulated drink holder. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows an overall perspective view of the drink insulator  10  attachment. The insulated drink holder  10  is known as coolies or koozies. The attachment device connects through a central hole in the bottom of the insulated drink holder  10 . The attachment device has an inner collar or first member  20 , and an outer snap button or second member  30 . A clip  40  connects through the first  20  and or second  30  members. The clip  40  has a swivel that reduces knotting or kinking and further allows for free rotation of the tether, lanyard or plastic coiled cord  50 . The lanyard  50  can be made out of numerous materials such as plastic, rubber, fabric material or a light rod of types. The Lanyard needs to be able to hang down below the koozie cup, swing freely in any vertical direction. A weight  60  is connected to the other end of the lanyard  50 . 
     The weight  60  creates a pendulum. The pendulum weight  60  can be any color, made out of any material and can have any type of indicia  61  shape or design on it for decoration. The indicia can be a company logo, slogan, sport logo, football helmet, baseball, soccer ball, basketball zodiac sign, hobby or animal(s). The indicia can also include a logo  62  and or a website  63  for advertising. In the preferred embodiment the pendulum weight  60  is shaped like a disk, but other shapes such as square, spherical, triangular, diamond and others are contemplated. The disk or a sphere is preferred because there is less potential for injury is a person steps onto the pendulum weight  60 . When not used the weight can be stored in the empty insulator to reduce storage space and make transportation easier. 
     The pendulum weight  60  is at the end of the Lanyard and is keeping constant pressure on the container in order to keep the beverage afloat. Lifting up on the Pendulum Weight could possibly tip the beverage over. 
     The Pendulum Weight is between 5.0 ounces and 5.5 ounces. 
     How it Works 
     The manner of how the CooLeeBob works is the basic principles of a Conical Pendulum. The CooLeeBob consists of a Weight suspended from a cord, spring coil or a light rod and made to rotate in a horizontal circle about a vertical axis with a constant angular velocity of N r/min. For any given constant speed of rotation, the angle θ, the radius r, and the height h, will have fixed values. 
     The figure below shows that the forces in the vertical direction must be balanced, T cos θ=w. The forces in the direction normal to the circular path if rotation are unbalanced such that T sin θ=(w/g) a/n=(w/g) w\2r. Substituting r=1 sin θ in the last equation the value of the tension in the cord T=(w/g) Iw\2. 
     Dividing the second equation by the first and substituting the tan θ=r/h yield the additional relation the h=g/w\2. 
     
       
                 
         
             
             
         
      
     
     The exact Weight depends on the amount of the beverage (ounces) left inside the container and the thickness of the foam koozie itself. Mathematically; after every sip of the beverage from the container the Weight distribution changes but the constant is still there. Testing has shown that the pendulum weight  60  should be between 2 and 8 ounces and more preferably between 5.0 and 5.5 ounces. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the inner collar or first member.  FIG. 3  shows a sectional view of the inner collar. Inner collar or first member  20 . The inner collar  20  consists of a piece you insert into the koozie cup (not shown) and press down into the hole in the bottom of the holder. The size of the inner collar  20  can be various sizes but needs to be larger than the relief hole at the bottom of the koozie cup but not larger than the inner diameter of the cup. The inner collar  20  should have an access hole  25  to allow air and drainage to get into the bottom of the koozie to help release the beverage container. 
     The inner collar  20  has a central hole  25  with a plurality of extensions  22  that extend from said central hole  25  in an essentially planar arrangement that is perpendicular to the central hole  25 . In the preferred embodiment there are four extensions  22 , but it is contemplated that as few as two or three to more than four extensions  22  can be used. The inner collar  20  further has a vertical circular wall  23  with a crown top  24  that extends concentric around the central hole  25  and is configured to fit through the bottom hole of a beverage insulator. The inner collar  20  is preferably made from plastic but it is also contemplated that the inner collar  20  can be made from steel, stainless steel, rubber, plastic, carbon fiber, acrylic, wood or fiberglass. It is further contemplated that the inner collar  20  can also come in any color or a mixture of colors. The inner collar  20  is preferably flexible to allow the upper surface  26  of the inner collar  20  to be used to assist in pushing an installed beverage can out of the insulated beverage holder. The bottom surface  21  of the inner collar  20  rests against the inside bottom of the insulated beverage holder when properly installed. The crown of the inner collar  20  has a series of voids  27  where the clip (Item  40  from  FIG. 1 ) connects through the inner collar  20 . The outer edge  28  of the inner collar  20  allows for engagement with tabs  36  of the outer snap button  30  shown in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a second preferred embodiment of a perspective view of the outer snap button  30  or second member.  FIG. 5  shows a sectional view of the outer snap button  30 . The outer snap button  30  presses up to the inner collar  20  until it snaps on. It is also contemplated that the outer snap button  30  could also screw into the inner collar  20 . The outer snap button  20  should stay relatively small, but should be large enough not to slip into the relief hole of the koozie and to clip the lanyard on it. The outer snap button should have an access hole to allow air to get into the bottom of the koozie to help release the beverage container while attached to the Inner collar. 
     The outer snap button  30  has an essentially planar base with an upper surface  31  with a plurality of elongated finger  32  with tabs  36  located along the elongated finger  32 . The tabs  36  are configured to engage into the central hole  25  (In  FIG. 3 ) in the inner collar  20 . The plurality of elongated fingers  32  are also configured for placement through a bottom hole of an insulated drink holder  14  (shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 ). The elongated fingers  32  have a snap ramp  33  and a head  39  on top of each finger to guide the fingers  32  into the central hole of the inner collar. A hook slot  34  allows a clip to pass between the fingers  32  for securing the snap onto a hook boss or land  35 . The lower surface  37  of the outer snap button  30  exists on the outside of the assembly. A void  38  exists on the outer snap button to provide a shut-off opening to form the snap tabs  36 . 
     The outer snap button  30  can be made from steel, stainless steel, rubber, plastic, carbon fiber, acrylic, wood or fiberglass. It is further contemplated that the inner collar  20  can also come in any color or a mixture of colors. 
       FIG. 6  shows a perspective exploded assembly view of the drink insulator attachment with an insulated drink holder  10 . The insulated drink holder  10  has a bottom hole  14  through which the attachment device is secured. The inner collar  20  is brought down so the sides of the perpendicular central hole extension  23  extends into and through the relief hole  14 . When the inner collar  20  is placed within the central hole  14 , the lower surface  21  of the plurality of extension arms are in contact with the bottom of the insulated drink holder  10 . The outer snap button  30  is moved into the inner collar such that the top of the snap  39  is placed through the central hole of the inner collar  20 . When the snap button  30  is further pressed into the inner collar  20 , the elongated fingers  32  will bend and then open to engaged the snap ramp  33  and the bottom of the snaps onto the outside of the inner collar  20 . The clip finger  42  of the clip  40  is opened with the clip lever  43  and connected  70  through the outer snap button  30  and through the crown of the inner collar  30 , where it is closed on the clip tongue  41  to secure the plastic coiled cord  50 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a sectional view of the drink insulator attachment secured to an insulated drink holder  10 . The insulated drink holder  10  is typically formed with two parts having an outer cylindrical body  12  that is bonded to a circular base  11  with a relied hole  14 . The inner collar  20  is shown secured to the snap button  30  with the clip finger  42  of the clip  40  secured through the snap button  30  and around the hook boss or land  35 . The clip lever  43  can be depressed to install or remove the clip  40  from the assembly of the inner collar  20  and the outer snap button  30 . A ring  44  connects the clip  40  to the plastic coiled cord through a swivel  45  connection that allows the clip to turn independently from the plastic coiled cord  50 . 
     The attachment device is removable from said beverage insulator by squeezing the elongated fingers  32  of the outer snap button  30  and pressing the outer snap button  30  through the central hole of both the inner collar and the relief hole  14  of the insulated drunk holder  10 . 
     Thus, specific embodiments of a CooLeeBob compliant upright drink insulator attachment device have been disclosed. It should be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims.