U.S. patent application number 12/590899 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-17 for brown-bag-it insulation cup sleeve.
Invention is credited to Tasha Renee Powell, Ian Kekeoaokalani Reid.
Application Number | 20100147937 12/590899 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42239326 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100147937 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reid; Ian Kekeoaokalani ; et
al. |
June 17, 2010 |
Brown-bag-it insulation cup sleeve
Abstract
An insulating cup sleeve comprised of an arcuate strip with a
top convex edge longer than a bottom concave edge, flaps on both
edges, and two distal ends. The insulating cup sleeve contains a
plurality of flaps on both the convex edge and concave edge that
are to be folded over one another to create a multi-layered arcuate
strip roughly one third its total original arcuate width. The
insulating cup sleeve is assembled by interlocking the distal ends
by engaging cuts made near each distal end originating from
opposite edges of the arcuate strip
Inventors: |
Reid; Ian Kekeoaokalani;
(Kernersville, NC) ; Powell; Tasha Renee;
(Anchorage, AK) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Ian Reid;Tasha R. Powell
15119 Donna Drive
Silver Spring
MD
20905
US
|
Family ID: |
42239326 |
Appl. No.: |
12/590899 |
Filed: |
November 16, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61199443 |
Nov 17, 2008 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
229/403 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/3876 20130101;
A47G 23/0216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
229/403 |
International
Class: |
B65D 3/00 20060101
B65D003/00 |
Claims
1. A multi-layered insulating cup sleeve comprising: an arcuate
strip having a top edge that is convex with a length and a
plurality of integral flaps, a bottom edge that is concave with a
length and a plurality of flaps, a distal end with a cut near that
distal end that originates from the convex edge and transects 1/2
through the arcuate strip towards the concave edge, a second distal
end with a cut near that distal end that originates from the
concave edge and transects 1/2 through the arcuate strip towards
the convex edge. a plurality of flaps on both the convex and
concave edges of the arcuate strip, wherein they are folded over
180 degrees to form a multi-layered insulating barrier.
2. The sleeve of claim 1 wherein the convex edge of the arcuate
strip is longer than the concave edge.
3. The sleeve of claim 1 comprising a plurality of integral flaps,
wherein the flaps of the concave and convex edges are to be folded
over one another to create a multi layered arcuate strip that is
assembled and used in conjunction with a conical container.
4. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the cuts near the distal ends can
be interlocked to secure the sleeve so it can be placed around a
conical container such as a paper coffee cup.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to a provisional
application entitled "Brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve," No.
61/199,443, filed on Nov. 17, 2008 which is incorporated in its
entirety by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The advent of the cup holder has been around with many
variations available. Cup holders are utilized in many restaurants,
coffee shops, or other establishments where beverages are served in
disposable cups. The cup holder allows people to hold cups or
containers that are filled with extreme temperature liquids while
not causing discomfort. Furthermore, the cup holder is usually made
of paperboard, paper, plastic or other material easily formed that
allow for slow transfer of heat. These cup holders are usually
formed from arcuate shaped pieces of texturized paperboard, plastic
or other material with two distal ends that are affixed together.
Many sleeves are glued or stapled together while others are affixed
by simpler means such as slits or tabs that interlock to form a
sleeve. The majority of the sleeves available to the market need
improvements to accommodate an increasing demand for green
products. To sustain the increased demand for green goods within
this industry the sleeves need to be produced in a fashion that
minimizes energy requirements and employs easily available
materials. Currently, many sleeves are already utilizing recyclable
materials; however their production can be even more
environmentally friendly by reducing shipping weight, and by
utilizing materials with improved decomposition times relative to
the conventionally used materials for this type of product.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The novel design of the brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve
is environmentally friendly by utilizing recycle, although not
necessary, material and no glue or staples to maintain its shape.
The brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve is made from a single layer
of material, preferably recycled paper, cut into an arcuate shape
with two distal ends determining the length. The general shape of
the brown-bag-it insulating sleeve is such that the top portion is
convex and the bottom portion is concave. The width (w) of the main
strip of the brown-bag-it insulating cup sleeve is the distance
between the convex and concave edges at its distal ends, the total
arcuate width (w.sup.2) can be anything greater than the main strip
width (w) so that additional width can be folded over, however,
preferably the arcuate width (w.sup.2) is no more than three times
w. The arcuate length (l) is the distance between the two distal
ends. There is one slit made near each distal end of the arcuate
shape, the first slit originates near one distal end of the convex
edge and transects halfway to the concave edge, the second slit
near the opposite distal end originates from the concave edge and
slices halfway to the convex edge. The arcuate shape contains a
plurality of flaps spaced apart from one another on both the convex
and concave edge. These flaps have a length slightly less than the
width (w) of the distal end of the arcuate shape. The flaps of the
convex edge are staggered, though not necessary, to the flaps of
the concave edge and all flaps are designed to fold over 180
degrees with the concave flaps being folded first followed by the
flaps of the convex edge, though this could be done in opposite
order. The folding of the flaps produce a multi-layered arcuate
strip with sections of various layers interspaced. The folded
arcuate strip can be stored flat or rolled into a section of a cone
shape and fixed into position by sliding the slits near each distal
end into one another. One advantage of utilizing locking slits, due
to the flexible joint formed, is that it will allow the sleeve to
fit on cups of slightly varying dimensions. The formed sleeve can
then be slid onto a cup for use or stored. The brown-bag-it
insulating cup sleeve design allows multi-layer insulation to be
accomplished while being made from a single layer of suitable
material and fixed into its final configuration without glue or
other mechanical means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1--is a top plan view of an unassembled insulating cup
sleeve of the present invention.
[0005] FIG. 2--is a plan top view of the present invention
partially assembled with the flaps of the concave side folded over
the main arcuate strip.
[0006] FIG. 3--is a view similar to FIG. 2 but shows the flaps
along the convex side folded over the main arcuate strip and on top
of the folded flaps of the concave side as illustrated in FIG.
2.
[0007] FIG. 4--is a perspective view of the assembled invention in
one embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 5--is a perspective view of the insulating cup sleeve
of this invention surrounding a conical container.
[0009] FIG. 6--is a plain top view of another embodiment of this
invention where as the integral flaps are shifted slightly and the
slits near the distal ends are incorporated into the distal flaps
and the main arcuate strip.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0010] Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a single piece of
elongated material 20 with an arcuate shape is illustrated, having
both a concave 14 bottom and convex top 13. The total width of the
invention unassembled is is roughly three times the arcuate width
10 of main strip. The concave 14 and convex 13 edges contain a
plurality of flaps 15(a,b,c, . . . ) & 16(a,b,c, . . . ) that
extend perpendicular to arcuate shape. This drawing shows one
embodiment of the invention with four flaps on the convex side and
three on the concave side however, there may be more or less. Near
the distal ends of the arcuate strip 20 there are two cuts 11, 12
that transect half way through the strip 20. These cuts 11,12 form
a tab on each distal end which are interlocked for final sleeve
assembly as shown in FIG. 4. The flaps 15(a,b,c,. . . ) &
16(a,b,c, . . .) of the invention are designed to to fold over 180
degrees to form a multi-layered insulating barrier. Another
embodiment of this invention may include perforations or cut lines
along the convex and concave edges of the arcuate width 10 where
the integral flaps 15(a,b,c . . . ) & 16 (a,b,c . . . ) project
to help facilitate the folding over of the flaps 15(a,b,c . . . )
& 16 (a,b,c . . . ).
[0011] Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the integral flaps
of the concave side 16 (a,b,c . . . ) are shown in a position
whereas they have been folded over 180 degrees so they lie on the
main portion of the arcuate strip 20.
[0012] Referring to FIG. 3 now, the current embodiment of this
invention is shown with the flaps of the convex side 15(a,b,c . . .
) folded over 180 degrees so they lie on top the flaps of the
concave side 16(a,b,c . . . ) which have been folded as in FIG.
2.
[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates how the sleeve is formed into a conical
shape and held into position with the tabs, formed by cuts 11, 12,
at each distal end interlocking.
[0014] FIG. 5 is perspective view of the current embodiment of this
invention encircling a conical container such as a cup.
[0015] FIG. 6 is an alternative embodiment of the brown bag it
sleeve, with the integral tabs shifted when compared to the tabs in
FIG. 1.
REFERENCES
[0016] I. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,497 7/1995 Sorensen [0017] II. U.S.
Pat. No. 4,685,583 8/1987 Noon [0018] III. U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,754
9/2001 Stier [0019] IV. U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,363 11/2000 Rule
* * * * *