Floating beverage container

Abstract

A beverage container, such as a beverage can, having a floatation device enclosed therein to provide the beverage container with positive buoyancy so that the container will float when discarded into a body of water. In one arrangement, the floatation device is a gas-filled element enclosed within the beverage container. Preferably, the floatation device is larger than the opening of the container so that the device is prevented from exiting the container after the container has been opened.

1 . A beverage can, comprising: 
 a cylindrical can base having an open upper end and defining an interior space configured to receive a beverage;    a lid configured to close said open upper end, said lid including a region defined by a score line and configured to be folded relative to the remainder of said lid to define an opening to permit a beverage within said can to be dispensed from said interior space;    a floatation element including at least one wall defining a sealed, gas-filled chamber sized to provide a positive buoyancy force, when said can is placed into a body of liquid, such that said can floats in said liquid;    wherein said opening is sized to prevent said floatation element from passing through said opening.    
     
     
         2 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , wherein said floatation element is loosely received within said can.  
     
     
         3 . The beverage can of  claim 1 , additionally comprising an indicia on an external surface of said can to indicate the presence of said floatation element within said can.  
     
     
         4 . A beverage container, comprising: 
 a container body defining an interior space configured to contain a beverage, said body defining an opening to permit said beverage to be dispensed from said container body;    a floatation element within said interior space of said container body and sized such that said floatation element is prevented from escaping said container body through said opening;    wherein, when said container is placed into a body of water, said floatation element is configured to produce a positive buoyancy force sufficient to prevent said container from sinking to the bottom of said body of water.    
     
     
         5 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein said floatation element comprises a least one wall defining a sealed, gas-filled chamber.  
     
     
         6 . The beverage container of  claim 5 , wherein said chamber of said floatation element is filled with air.  
     
     
         7 . The beverage container of  claim 5 , wherein said floatation element comprises a hollow sphere.  
     
     
         8 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein said floatation element is loosely received within said container body such that said floatation element is movable within said interior space.  
     
     
         9 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein said container comprises a can, said can including a base and a lid closing an open end of said base, said opening defined in said lid and being smaller than said open end of said base.  
     
     
         10 . The beverage container of  claim 1 , additionally comprising an indicia on an external surface of said container which indicates, prior to opening of said container, that said container includes said floatation element.  
     
     
         11 . A method of producing a beverage in a container, comprising: 
 providing a container base defining an interior space configured to accept a quantity of a beverage;    providing a floatation element configured to, when said floatation element is within said container and said container is placed within a body of water, produce a positive buoyancy force configured to prevent said container from sinking to the bottom of said body of water;    placing said floatation element within said interior space;    introducing said quantity of said beverage into said interior space; and    closing an open end of said container base with a lid.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said placing of said floatation element within said interior space occurs prior to said introduction of said beverage into said interior space.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said providing said floatation element comprises providing an element including a gas-filled, sealed chamber, which provides at least a significant portion of said positive buoyancy force.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said providing of said floatation element comprises selecting a floatation element sized to be loosely received in said interior space so as to be movable within said container.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , additionally comprising placing an indicia on an outer surface of said container to indicate the presence of said floatation element within said container.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said providing a container base comprises providing a cylindrical can.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said closing said open end of said container base with said lid comprises securing permanently securing said lid to said can, said lid including a region defined by a score line, said region being foldable relative to the remainder of said lid to define an opening to permit said beverage to be dispensed from said can.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , additionally comprising sizing said opening to prevent said floatation element from passing through said opening.