Drink holder with stabilizer

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure provide drink holders with stabilizers. The drink holders adhere to a surface when set down yet release from the surface when raised. The drink holders include a base with a base seal. The base is slidably mounted to a beverage container assembly. When the beverage container assembly is in the fully lowered position, an inner seal engages the base forming a vacuum in a sealed air chamber between the base seal and the surface. When a user desires to take a drink, the user lifts the drink holder. As the beverage container assembly is raised the inner seal initially remains in sealed engagement with the base assembly. After a delay the airtight seal releases the vacuum within the air chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drink holder with stabilizer, comprising:
 a. a base assembly having a central portion and a base seal, wherein the base seal is configured to engage a support surface and define an air chamber as a volume enclosed by the base seal, the central portion and the surface, the central portion having an upward facing surface encircling an air vent defined through the central portion between the air chamber and an area of ambient pressure;   b. a beverage container assembly slidably engaged with the base assembly, the beverage container assembly including a beverage holding compartment and having a base plate;   c. an inner seal mounted to the base plate, the inner seal including a core mounted to the base plate and a flexible skirt portion extending from the core, wherein the flexible skirt portion is not attached to the base plate other than via the core;   d. the beverage container assembly being slidably attached to the base assembly with a range of movement so that the beverage container assembly can freely translate between a lowered position and a raised position relative to the base assembly;   e. wherein in the lowered position the inner seal seals the air vent; and   f. wherein as the beverage container assembly is raised from the lowered position toward the raised position the beverage container assembly translates upward relative to the base assembly a distance before the inner seal is disengaged from the air vent.   
     
     
         2 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage container assembly travels upward 1.2 to 1.5 mm before the inner seal is pulled away from the air vent. 
     
     
         3 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 1 , wherein the upward facing surface of the central portion and the skirt portion of the inner seal are circular with a circular edge of the inner seal engaging the upward facing surface. 
     
     
         4 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible skirt portion bends into a domed shape during while the beverage container assembly translates upward relative to the base assembly and while the inner seal remains sealed to the air vent. 
     
     
         5 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible skirt portion includes a lobe shaped circumferential edge. 
     
     
         6 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 1 , wherein the base assembly includes a series of extensions defining downward facing hooks and wherein the beverage container assembly includes a series of extensions defining upward facing hooks, wherein the upward facing hooks are aligned with the downward facing hooks, and wherein the range of movement of the beverage container assembly relative to the base assembly is defined between the lowered position where the upward facing hooks and downward facing hooks are spaced apart and the raised position where the upward facing hooks and downward facing hooks are in contact and prevent the beverage container assembly and the base assembly from being separated. 
     
     
         7 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage holding compartment is configured to receive a beverage container. 
     
     
         8 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 7 , wherein the beverage holding compartment is insulated. 
     
     
         9 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 8  wherein the base plate is concealed by a sidewall. 
     
     
         10 . The drink holder with stabilizer of  claim 8  wherein the base assembly includes a peripheral mount and an inner plug which engage in a clamped arrangement to hold the base seal. 
     
     
         11 . A method of using a drink holder with a stabilizer, comprising:
 a. placing a drink holder on a support surface, the drink holder having a base assembly having a central portion and a base seal arranged so that the base seal engages the support surface and defines an air chamber enclosed by the base seal, the central portion and the surface, the base assembly defining an air vent through the central portion between the air chamber and an area of ambient pressure, the drink holder further having a beverage container assembly slidably engaged with the base assembly, the beverage container assembly including a beverage holding compartment and having a base plate with an inner seal;   b. sealing the air vent by lowering the beverage container assembly toward the base assembly so that the inner seal engages the base assembly;   c. raising the beverage container assembly relative to the base assembly an initial distance while the inner seals continues to seal the air vent; and   d. disengaging the inner seal from the air vent after the beverage container assembly has translated upward a distance exceeding the initial distance.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the initial distance is at least 1.2 to 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the base assembly central portion has an upward facing circular surface and the inner seal has a circumference which engages the upward facing surface to seal the air vent. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising bending the inner seal into a domed shape during while the beverage container assembly translates upward relative to the base assembly and while the inner seal remains sealed to the air vent. 
     
     
         15 . A method of using a drink holder with a stabilizer, comprising:
 a. placing a drink holder on a support surface, the drink holder having a base assembly having a central portion and a base seal arranged so that the base seal engages the support surface and defines an air chamber enclosed by the base seal, the central portion and the surface, the base assembly defining an air vent through the central portion between the air chamber and an area of ambient pressure, the drink holder further having a beverage container assembly slidably engaged with the base assembly, the beverage container assembly including a beverage holding compartment and having a base plate with an inner seal;   b. after the base seal engages the support surface, lowering the beverage container assembly toward the base assembly so that the inner seal engages the base assembly and seals the air vent generating a partial vacuum in the air chamber;   c. maintaining a partial vacuum in the air chamber while raising the beverage container assembly an initial distance relative to the base assembly; and   d. disengaging the inner seal from the air vent after the beverage container assembly has been raised from the base assembly by a distance exceeding the initial distance.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the initial distance is at least 1.2 to 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the base assembly central portion has an upward facing circular surface encircling the air vent and the inner seal has a circumference which engages the upward facing surface to seal the air vent. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising bending a skirt portion of the inner seal into a domed shape while the beverage container assembly translates upward the initial distance. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising preventing the beverage container assembly and the base assembly from being separated as the drink holder is raised. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , comprising preventing the beverage container assembly from being separated from the base assembly by a series of downward facing hooks extending from the base assembly which are aligned with a series of upward facing hooks extending from the beverage container assembly and wherein a range of movement of the beverage container assembly relative to the base assembly is defined between a lowered position where the upward facing hooks and downward facing hooks are spaced apart and a raised position where the upward facing hooks and downward facing hooks are in contact.