- Priority date: May 4, 2000
- Background: In the past, hot beverages were served in foamed plastic cups, which have found disfavor due to environmental reasons. Inexpensive, biodegradable cups generally don't have enough insulation for hot beverages, so restaurants often "double-cup" them, which uses more material and doesn't do enough to insulate. Another previously used solution is using a cup sleeve, which uses air spaces than can be crushed by the user, so it often doesn't provide enough protection.
- The invention/claims: It's a cup sleeve that uses a thin, inexpensive material like paperboard "that includes at least one portion spaced apart from the side wall of the beverage container to create an air gap." It can be used for most types of cups, especially the types commonly used in restaurants and coffee shops as well as for both hot and cold beverages. The sleeve has two wings or ridges that extends outwards so that the user can hold the cup without directly touching the hot portions. Also, the lid can be hung on these wings while adding sugar or cream.
US 2661889 A: Thermal coffee cup
- Priority date: July 20, 1948
- The invention/claims: The claim is for a cup and lid assembly, where a small portion on the edge the cap can be removed so that the user can drink from the cup without removing the whole lid while still keeping the drink covered and heated. The claim also encompasses an insulating jacket that prevents the hands of the user from being overheated.
US 8251277 B1: Thermal sleeve, method for manufacturing a thermal sleeve, and combination cup and thermal sleeve
- Priority date: October 19, 2006
- Background: Cup sleeves have previously commonly been used for insulating disposable coffee cups, intended to prevent burns for the person holding the cup. These reduce the use of material compared to double cupping.
- The invention/claims: This patent claims a cup sleeve with creped paper attached to smooth paper, with very specific measurements related to the design of the sleeve.
US 7922031 B1: Insulator sleeve for a beverage container
- Priority date: March 1, 2006
- Background: Although disposable sleeves use much less paper/cardboard than double cupping, they are still disposed after one use, which does still pose an environmental harm through the repeated disposing. Previously used non-disposable devices were generally opaque, so customization details cannot be shown.
- The invention/claims: The invention is an insulating sleeve that has an inner opaque sleeve and an outer sleeve with at least a portion that is transparent, made of material like silicon rubber that can insulate a person's hand from the hot beverage. The claim includes this invention as well as the combination of this sleeve and the cup.
US 8118189 B1: Temperature-indicating sleeve and related container
- Priority date: June 19, 2008
- Background: Beverages in insulated cups make it difficult for the user to tell whether or not the beverage is too hot to drink, and this often leads to the drinkers to burn themselves. Previous inventions are not meant for hot beverages or are too expensive/too difficult to produce.
- The invention/claims: This patent claims and invention that both insulates the beverage and indicates how hot the beverage is.
US 6152363: Sleeve construction for improved paperboard cup insulation
- Priority date: May 3, 1999
- Background: Against the superior insulation properties of the less environmentally-friendly styrofoam foam cups, previously used cup sleeves do not effectively use air gaps so that the insulation properties are maximized.
- The invention/claims: The invention uses hot-melt glue dots and/or pieces of syntactic foam on the cup sleeve, which is said to have the same level insulation as common polystyrene cups. The patent claims both methods of creating air gaps between the cup and the user's hand.
US 20080078824 A1: Beverage cup sleeving system and method
- Priority date: August 23, 2006
- Background: Previously used cups are not environmentally friendly. Previously used cup sleeves are not sufficiently effective in insulating against heat or functioning when wet. The patent says it is "desirable to provide an insulating cup sleeve that is effective when wetted, effective against extremely high and low temperatures, is reusable and easily manufactured"
- The invention/claims: A sup sleeve that is comprising of a layer of elastomer. It claims any conical sleeve comprised of one of: silicon, rubber, and Butyl.
US 20100019023 A1: Protective sleeve
- Priority date: July 25, 2008
- Background: Drinking cups on their own do not provide enough protection against the head of hot beverages.
- The invention/claims: This patent claims a cup sleeve with peaks on one or more edges. This peak allows for the same amount of insulation as other cup sleeves with less material use in manufacturing.
US 20140151385 A1: Hot and Cold Cup Sleeve
- Priority date: February 6, 2014
- Background: There are not previously produced cup sleeves that single-handedly and efficiently work on both hot and cold beverages.
- The invention/claims: The patents claims an invention for a disposable cup sleeve with a water-absorbent lining, a water-repellent outer layer, and a polyethylene coating laminate film layer as an adhesive to bind said lining to said outer layer. It also claims such an invention with different materials as well as other specifications.
Video Summary:
Nice summary! I like how you discussed each patent in great detail. Also, I enjoyed the pictures. I think it would be good to order these patens by priority date as that is important when looking at prior art. Great work!
ReplyDeleteGreat organization and summary of the patents! The diagrams were very helpful for recognizing the visual differences in the patents! I enjoyed reading your backgrounds especially.
ReplyDeleteHey Grace, fantastic work. I thought your post was super easy to understand and is very detailed. I like how you incorporated pictures for every patent. Great work!
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