Drink serving temperature maintainer

Abstract

A hot (cold) drink heat (chill) maintainer formed as a floating internal lid, in addition to the external sealed lid, that is placed on top of a drink poured into a suitable drink cup. The hot drink heat maintainer additionally insulates and maintains heat (or chill) within a drink poured for consumption. Because the hot drink heat maintainer floats directly on the top of the liquid, rather than being suspended above the liquid as with a common cup lid, insulating properties of the hot drink heat maintainer are brought directly to bear in maintaining heat in the drink, particularly as the drink is being consumed. The hot drink heat maintainer adds a layer of insulation directly and continuously to the top of a hot drink such as coffee, to prevent or slow heat from escaping from the drink to the surrounding air as it is being consumed.

1 . A drink temperature maintainer, comprising: 
 a floatable disk adapted for floating on top of, and in contact with a top surface of, a liquid as it is consumed through a cup.    
   
   
       2 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said liquid is a hot liquid.    
   
   
       3 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said liquid is a cold liquid.    
   
   
       4 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said floatable disk is formed from a plastic material.    
   
   
       5 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 4 , wherein: 
 said plastic material is Styrofoam.    
   
   
       6 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said floatable disk is able to float on said liquid from top to bottom as said drink is consumed, without substant friction caused by contact with an inner side of said cup.    
   
   
       7 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said cup is a ceramic mug.    
   
   
       8 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said cup is a disposable Styrofoam cup.    
   
   
       9 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said cup is a paper cup.    
   
   
       10 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said cup is a plastic cup.    
   
   
       11 . The drink temperature maintainer according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said cup is a glass.    
   
   
       12 . A method of maintaining temperature in a drink poured for consumption, comprising: 
 placing a floating, insulative temperature maintainer in a drink cup; and    pouring a drink for consumption from said drink cup;    wherein said floating, insulative temperature maintaining disk floats in direct contact with a top surface of said drink during an entire consumption of said drink from said drink cup by a consumer.    
   
   
       13 . The method for maintaining temperature in a drink poured for consumption according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said drink is poured after said drink temperature maintainer is placed in said cup.    
   
   
       14 . The method for maintaining temperature in a drink poured for consumption according to  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said drink is poured before said drink temperature maintainer is placed in said cup.    
   
   
       15 . Apparatus for maintaining temperature in a drink poured for consumption, comprising: 
 means for placing a floating, insulative temperature maintainer in a drink cup; and    means for pouring a drink for consumption from said drink cup;    wherein said floating, insulative temperature maintaining disk floats in direct contact with a top surface of said drink during an entire consumption of said drink from said drink cup by a consumer.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus for maintaining temperature in a drink poured for consumption according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said means for pouring pours said drink after said means for placing places said drink temperature maintainer in said cup.    
   
   
       17 . The apparatus for maintaining temperature in a drink poured for consumption according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said means for pouring pours said drink before said means for placing places said drink temperature maintainer in said cup.