Light-up coaster for beverage containers

A device for supporting a can, mug, bottle, and can comprising:

• an outer housing having a hollow interior comprising an annular, side wall-surface, an open upper end, and a bottom;
• an inner housing slidably mounted in said outer housing comprising an annular, side wall-surface, and an upper support-surface;
• biasing means mounted in said outer housing for upwardly biasing said inner housing in said outer housing;
• said outer housing comprising an interiorly-projecting limit member, and said upper support-surface of said inner housing comprising cooperating stop means for abutting against said limit member of said outer housing, whereby, when no container is supported on said upper support-surface, said biasing means forces said inner housing upwardly until said stop means abuts against said limit member;
• said upper support-surface being recessed from said open upper end of said outer housing, whereby a beverage container is supported with greater stability, the more full the container, the lower said inner housing is positioned in said outer housing, and the greater stabilizing forces provided to retaining the container upright and supported on said upper support-surface;
• normally-inactivated output means that is inactivated for most positions of a beverage-container supported on said upper support-surface, that, when activated, indicates a state of said inner housing in said outer housing, said output means being actuated by the movement of said inner housing within said outer housing when said inner housing is located at a specified position within said outer housing;
• and
• means for activating said output means when said position of said inner housing is raised a specific distance within said outer housing by said biasing means in response to one of an empty container and near-empty container being supported on said upper support-surface.

A method of supporting a beverage-container, and the like, on a coaster, which coaster comprises an outer housing having a hollow interior comprising an annular, side wall-surface, and an open upper end;

• an inner housing slidably mounted in the outer housing comprising an annular, side wall-surface, and an upper support-surface;
• biasing means mounted in the outer housing for upwardly biasing the inner housing in the outer housing;
• a normally-inactivated output means which, when activated, gives off a indication whenever the beverage-container is empty or near-empty, said method comprising:
• a) placing a beverage-container that is one of empty and near-empty on the upper support-surface of the inner housing;
• b) said step (a) causing the inner housing to descend within the outer housing against the biasing force of the biasing means;
• c) said step (b) causing the inner housing to descend within the outer housing a specific distance to a position that activates the output in order to generate an indication that indicates the container is one of empty and near-empty.