U.S. patent application number 14/277210 was filed with the patent office on 2014-11-20 for beverage sleeve insulator.
The applicant listed for this patent is Frank W. Arnold. Invention is credited to Frank W. Arnold.
Application Number | 20140339244 14/277210 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51894974 |
Filed Date | 2014-11-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140339244 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Arnold; Frank W. |
November 20, 2014 |
BEVERAGE SLEEVE INSULATOR
Abstract
An insulated sleeve for a container is disclosed. A flat
rectangular strip of flexible, thermal insulating material having
high elastic properties has a pair of opposing side surfaces
defined by a pair of parallel, opposing end edges that are
contiguous with a pair of opposing parallel side edges. The end
edges are adorned with an over edge stitch and side edges are
butted together and attached creating a cylindrical open ended
sleeve constructed with one flat seam running the length of sleeve.
In use, the sleeve assumes the shape of a cylindrical frustum for
fitting tightly over the sidewall of a multitude of containers of
various shapes and sizes.
Inventors: |
Arnold; Frank W.; (Chaska,
MN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Arnold; Frank W. |
Chaska |
MN |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51894974 |
Appl. No.: |
14/277210 |
Filed: |
May 14, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61823727 |
May 15, 2013 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
220/739 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 81/3886 20130101;
A47G 2023/0291 20130101; A47G 23/0216 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/739 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/38 20060101
B65D081/38; A47G 23/02 20060101 A47G023/02 |
Claims
1. An insulated sleeve for a multitude of sized and shaped
containers comprising: a single highly elastic panel having joined
end edges, the panel forming a cylindrical tube having open
unobstructed ends that are defined by opposing side edges adorned
with over edge stitching; and the entirety of the tube including
the over edge stitching having conforming capabilities allowing
accommodation of various sized and shaped containers; and wherein
the singular panel in free form is constructed in the shape of a
rectangle, the end edges of which are parallel and butt-seamed
together, thereby forming the parallel opposing side edges adorned
with over edging stitching.
2. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the single elastic panel
is made of a polymer with excellent compression set, elastic
recovery and elongation properties.
3. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the over edge stitching
locate on the side edges has conforming capabilities my means of
stretch through its design and stitch tension.
4. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the over edge stitching
connects the end edges and forms a butt seam with a non-overly
protruding stitch.
5. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the butt seam and over
edge stitch create grip.
6. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the end edges is to be
rolled up to accommodate shorter beverage containers.
7. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the entirety of the
cylindrical tube adorned with over edge stitching can be turned
inside out for reversibility functionality.
8. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the highly elastic panel
has opposing surfaces which can be decorated with direct indicia on
an elastic polymer that comprises the panel.
9. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the cylindrical tube is
formed with a single butt seam creating minimal interruption of
panoramic indicia on the sleeve.
10. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the highly elastic panel
of the cylindrical tube has material compression set properties
that permit the material to regain its form after being manipulated
under direct pressure.
11. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the cylindrical tube
including over edge stitching of the side edges tightly conforms to
the shape and contours of beverage containers.
12. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the highly elastic panel
is laminated with several layers of fabric to increase thermal
insulation properties.
13. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the highly elastic panel
is laminated with unilateral directional stretch fabric to control
the highly elastic panel's direction.
14. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the entire sleeve
consists solely of a single panel and one stitch type.
15. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the over edge stitching
of the sleeve is constructed to prevent peeling of a fabric
laminate from the highly elastic panel.
16. The insulated sleeve of claim 1, where the highly elastic panel
may be laminated with elastic material bearing indicia.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is an application for a patent which is
also disclosed in Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/823,727,
filed on May 15, 2013 by the same inventor, namely Frank W. Arnold,
and entitled "BEVERAGE SLEEVE INSULATOR," the benefit of the filing
date of which is hereby claimed.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates generally to beverage and food
container insulators, and more particularly, is directed towards an
insulated sleeve for a multitude of sized and shaped
containers.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Conventional beverage container insulators, commonly
referred to as "koozies," are used to thermally insulate a hot or
cold beverage and allow a user to comfortably grasp the container
regardless of the temperature of the beverage and container. Such
insulators are well known in the art. A few examples of
conventional insulators are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,381,922,
5,653,124, and 4577474. Although each of these prior art provide
good beverage insulation, they are specifically designed to fit
beverage containers of a very limited size and shape and, thus, are
not adaptable for different sized containers.
[0004] A few attempts have been made to overcome the adaptability
limitations of these conventional insulators. For example, U.S.
Pat. No. 6,655,543 is formed from a two curved panel design and
incorporates elastic bands on the top and bottom edges. This design
has adaptability with beverage containers of limited shapes and
sizes consisting of, "(1) a plurality of elastic panels, the top
and bottom edges of the panels are substantially straight, and each
of the panels also has two side edges that are curved. (2) each of
which consists of a single sheet of neoprene. (4) and elastic band
on each of the upper and lower ends." The curved panels create a
loose fitting bulbous center around containers with a continuous
top to bottom circumference while the edges fit snugly around
container top/bottom by means of elastic bands. Neoprene panels
lack elastic properties necessary to conform to the size and shape
of containers of a multitude of sizes and shapes while the complex
construction is unnecessary and burdensome for manufacturing.
[0005] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0084460 is a
beverage container sleeve containing numerous expanding slits
throughout and having inexpensive disposable construction while one
embodiment is constructed with environmentally friendly foams.
Insulating ability is greatly reduced by means of a purposely
porous sleeve and its construction is not environmentally friendly
lacking cited materials and because it is inheritably disposable
consisting of, "(1) An insulating sleeve for a beverage container
having a sidewall, comprising: wherein the beverage container is
received within the passageway through the first or second opening,
expanding the plurality of slits into an open position such that
the sleeve conforms to the sidewalls of the container, [0019] In
still another embodiment, other known types of insulating foam can
be used to form the sleeve. Advantageously these foams are
environmentally friendly, [0027] Additionally, the sleeve is
disposable due to its relatively low manufacturing cost and [0018]
In one embodiment the sleeve is constructed from an insulating
polyethylene foam material." The invention is undesirable for
insulation due to accelerated temperature exchange through said
slits when compared to sleeves without slits. One embodiment makes
and unsupported statement claiming the advantage of being made from
environmentally friendly foams but lacks any examples of such
materials while an disposable polyethylene foam product is not
considered environmentally friendly.
[0006] Further, the prior art container sleeves have the
disadvantage of having a protruding seam making it undesirable for
reversibility for reasons of unpleasing aesthetics and comfort. It
is desirable for an insulating beverage sleeve to be aesthetically
pleasing and comfortable or as result of lacking these attributions
it will likely go unused. Furthermore multiple decorative displays
resulting from reversibility of the sleeve is desirable.
[0007] Clearly, than there is need for a sleeve insulator, and more
particularly, for a reversible cylindrical shaped insulator for
beverage containers, such those universally used for canned or
bottled beverage containers. Further, such a needed invention would
be easy to manufacture and use, and would include two uniquely
distinct patterns on each side.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention is an insulated sleeve for a
cylindrical shaped container. A flat strip of flexible, thermal
insulating material has a pair of opposing side surfaces defined by
a pair of parallel, opposing end edges that are contiguous with a
pair of opposing, parallel side edges. A butt seam edge joining
means in included, one of each part being fixed to each one of the
side edges adjacent to each one of the opposing end edges forming a
butt seam by use of crochet stitch.
[0009] The present invention is a beverage container insulator that
is effective for use with a multitude of shaped and sized
containers. The present invention is relatively inexpensive to
manufacture, easy to use, and readily incorporates reversibility.
Further, the invention may be easily carried in pocket or stored
under or between objects as it will recover shape. Other features
and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from
the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawing, which illustrate, by way of example, the
principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such
drawings:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a front view of the beverage sleeve insulator in
accordance with the current invention.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a top view depiction of the beverage sleeve
insulator in accordance with the current invention.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a side view of the beverage sleeve insulator in
accordance with the current invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 is an interior side view with the location of the
view being marked in FIG. 3 in accordance with the current
invention.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross section view of the panel forming the
beverage sleeve insulator in accordance with the current
invention.
[0016] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the beverage sleeve insulator
in accordance with the current invention.
[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates the beverage sleeve insulator mounted on
a beverage with a rectangular prism shaped body.
[0018] FIG. 8 illustrates the beverage sleeve insulator mounted on
a beverage with a cylindrical shaped body.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Referring to FIG. 6, the present invention is shown as
beverage sleeve insulator 12. Beverage sleeve insulator 12 is an
improved beverage insulation sleeve, which is commonly referred to
by the generic name, "koozie". The beverage sleeve insulator may be
constructed in many size configurations to accommodate a wide range
of container sizes with each configuration having applications on a
range of sizes and shapes. For example, comparing FIGS. 7, 8 the
same insulator 12 may be used interchangeably on a 10 oz.
rectangular prism shaped container body and on the cylindrical
shaped body of a 12 oz. glass bottle container. Insulator 12 also
fits and conforms to a standard 12 ounce can and 250 ml. oblong
containers. Other embodiments may include but are not limited to
size configurations for small cylindrical 8 oz. cans, 40 oz. glass
bottles of multiple shapes and 1-2 liter bottles of multiple
shapes. FIGS. 7,8 show insulator 12 conforming to contours of
beverage container corners 13 and container walls 14. Beverage
sleeve 12 is a true conforming "koozie" that mimic's container size
and shape.
[0020] Beverage sleeve Insulator 12 has a tubular shape with open
upper and lower ends 15 containing no bottom support (FIG. 2). In
the preferred embodiment the insulator 12 is formed from a singular
rectangular panel comprised of highly elastic material such as
natural rubber (NR) that has a thickness ranging from 2 to 4 mm
thick. The sleeve is reversible (see FIG. 4) since each surface 16
(FIG. 3), 17 (FIG. 4) of the highly elastic panel 24 (FIG. 5) is
covered and bonded with a patterned elastic fabric 22, 23 (FIG.
5).
[0021] The highly elastic panel (FIG. 5) is comprised of a flat
strip of rectangular flexible thermally insulating material 24
bonded with elastic fabric 22, 23 halving a pair of opposing side
surfaces 16 (FIG. 3), 17 (FIG. 4) defined by a pair of parallel,
opposing end edges 18, 19 (FIG. 1) that are contiguous with a pair
of opposing, parallel side edges 20, 21 (FIG. 1).
[0022] The side edges of the highly elastic rectangular panel 20,
21 are adorned with an over edging stitch 25 (FIG. 6). The over
edging stitch 25 can be made with a variety of thread yarn types
including but not limited to size 5/2 pearl cotton yarn. An over
edging stitch 25 made with yarn creates a surface that enhances
grip for the users fingers while mounting beverage sleeve insulator
on containers.
[0023] The adjacent end edges 18, 19 are joined together by
stitching 26 (FIG. 6) forming a butt seam 27 (FIG. 2). Joining the
adjacent end edges 18, 19 of the highly elastic rectangular panel
by means of a butt seam 27 creates a cylindrical tube shaped
apparatus (FIG. 6). The non-protruding butt seam 27 creates a
comfortable non-overly protruding seam on both interior and
exterior surfaces which is ideal for reversibility of the beverage
sleeve insulator. When the butt seam stitching 26 is created using
yarn it offers grip similar to laces found on a footballs or
baseballs.
[0024] While the invention has been described with reference to a
preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those
skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto.
Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in
conjunction with the appended claims.
[0025] The embodiment of the present invention 12 has a panel with
a rectangular shape containing four ninety degree angles, a pair of
parallel side edges 20, 21 each running perpendicular to a pair of
end edges 18,19. The side edge of the rectangular panel 20, 21
measures approximately 7.25 inches in width between the ends while
the end edges 18, 19 measures approximately 3.75 inches. The side
edges 20, 21 make up the respective "top and bottom" of the
insulator while the invention is in "traditional use". In this
description the phrase "traditional use" refers to the insulator
being used on a beverage container maintaining a roughly vertical
position.
[0026] The two side edges 20, 21 of the panel are adorned with an
over edging stitch created with sufficient tension and style to
allow the panel to stretch to its maximum capabilities. The side
edges 20, 21 with the over edging stitch returns to its original
shape and style after being repeatedly stretched and manipulated.
The over edge stitching on the side edges 20, 21 has aesthetically
pleasing attributes in regards to overall appearance of stitch and
function of covering raw/unfinished edges which prevents peeling
and fraying of bonded elastic fabric 22, 23.
[0027] The panel has a pair of side ends 18, 19 that extend
perpendicular between the top and bottom edges creating four ninety
degree angles that make up the rectangular panel. The highly
elastic panel with perpendicular side ends 18, 19 allows for a true
conforming fit over contours of beverage container shapes with
examples being but not limited to perfect cylindrical 14, bulbous,
square 13 and oblong shaped containers.
[0028] To form the insulator the ends are attached to each other by
means of stitching 26 that creates a butt seam 27. This seam is
created by sewing, fusing or any other method that does not produce
overly protruding seams which would create undue discomfort to the
hands of the individuals using the invention. The open ended nature
15 of the invention does not restrict the height of beverage
container that can be used. The entire panel 23 of the invention is
made from an highly elastic material such as vulcanized natural
rubber which allows the insulator to conform with the dimensions of
a wide variety of beverage sizes and shapes.
[0029] In use the beverage sleeve is placed around a beverage to
better insulate the beverage, and to create a comfortable layer
between the user's hand and the beverage while also enhancing the
beverage container's aesthetic appearance. The invention can be
made in a variety of sizes with each size having the capability to
properly fit a range of shapes and sizes. "Properly fit" is used to
describe the state in which the beverage sleeve fits a beverage
container by means of a tight fit in which the sleeve contours
completely to the shape of the container and does not create a void
between the sleeve and container which can be described as "loose
fitting". Loose fitting beverage insulators are not an attractive
feature for the end user of such invention because of the
discomfort they cause. The present embodiments of the invention may
be fitted with a optional loop found at one of the sleeve edges
which would be used to assist in the removal or installation of the
sleeve with a beverage container.
[0030] The beverage sleeve design of the present invention is
reversible where the opposing surfaces 16 (FIG. 3), 17 (FIG. 4) are
illustrated with unique indicia. The one panel design allows for
panoramic illustration to be used without interrupting the
illustration with multiple seams. One panel construction is ideal
for decoration applications for a sleeve insulator because of its
minimal interruption of any pattern or illustration that would
otherwise be caused by multiple seams.
[0031] The present invention has qualities making it ideal for
storage and in pocket possession. The streamline design of a
beverage sleeve made of a 2 mm-4 mm thick panel makes condensing
the sleeve for storing in various sized pockets as traditionally
found in clothing, handbags, car seats, etc. easily attainable. The
present invention's highly elastic one panel construction allows
the sleeve to regain its shape after long storage times under
significant pressure that would render other sleeves created from
other material types flat, wrinkled or otherwise malformed.
[0032] The present invention has many advantages as described
thoroughly throughout this disclosure. A main aforesaid advantage
of the present invention is the ability to insulate a beverage and
create a barrier between the users hand and beverage container by
preventing direct contact with a cold or hot surface. Another
advantage of the present invention is the simple one panel design
which makes manufacturing easily obtainable and creates minimal
interference with patterns and or illustrations that adorn the
invention. The streamline panel thickness is an attractive feature
for in pocket storage while the ability of the highly elastic panel
to regain its shape after being under pressure allows for it to be
stored flat without compromising the integrity or shape of the
sleeve. The highly elastic panel allows one single embodiment of
the beverage sleeve invention to accommodate a range of sizes and
shapes of beverage containers by means of stretch. Other materials
used in prior art such as neoprene, polypropylene and other foam
substrates lack the superior compression set and elongation
properties as found in vulcanized natural rubber (NR) sheeting.
Therefore the aforesaid materials do not have the ability to
stretch and truly conform around a range of beverage container
sizes and shapes that is achieved by vulcanized NR sheeting. The
excellent compression set properties found in vulcanized NR
sheeting allow for the beverage sleeve to return to its original
size/shape after its use or prolonged flat storage and the
elongation properties allow for a single embodiment to stretch
around containers of various sizes. Height of the beverage sleeve
is easily adjusted by rolling up one or both edges of the invention
reducing its height for use on shorter beverage containers.
[0033] The bottomless design in collaboration with an aesthically
appealing, comfortable to the touch over edging stitch allows the
beverage sleeve to be conveniently reversible. This over edging
stitch also simulates "laces" like those found on a football which
enhances gripping of the beverage sleeve by the users hand. Each
broadside of the panel can be decorated with its own unique artwork
without multiple interruptions that is caused by stitching found
with a multiple panel design. The beverage sleeve insulators design
made from specified highly elastic material allows for the
invention to properly fit/conform to a wide variety of shaped and
sized containers. The beverage sleeves simple design feature allows
for the device to be manufactured easily and cost effectively by
not requiring multiple elements in its construction as described in
prior designs.
[0034] All of the embodiments of the beverage sleeve insulator have
not been described in full and it should be apparent to those
skilled in the art that this invention is susceptible to changes
without deviating from the scope of the invention.
[0035] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in
nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of
the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the
disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure
from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
* * * * *