(July 1948)
In my opinion, this is the most original and unique invention. It could appear to be so because it is the oldest, but I think in terms of necessity and practicality, this invention trumps the others. I personally really appreciate cup lids that can remain on while I drink from it, since it keeps the drink warm and prevents spills.
US 6152363: Sleeve construction for improved paperboard cup insulation
(May 1999)
I think this is a very original method of creating air gaps between the cup and the user's hand with hot-melt glue dots. A lot of other beverage cup sleeves have already been created that use air gaps, however, so the originality and prior art of this patent can be questionable. Just the method of how the air gaps are created is different, so I think it's arguable, but in my opinion, it is sufficiently original.
US 6343735 B1: Insulating sleeve
(May 2000)
Unique points: wings for air gaps, place to hang lid
US 7922031 B1: Insulator sleeve for a beverage container
(March 2006)
This reusable sleeve, in my opinion, is not as plausible as the other sleeves since most people like to get their drinks in disposable cups. And although this sleeve is generally designed to be used with reusable cups, people won't be willing to go out of their way to separate the sleeve from the cup and reuse the sleeve. It's more convenient to throw the cup and sleeve away together. However, this patent is certainly valid with little prior art and has good inventions, especially for environmental concerns.
US 8251277 B1: Thermal sleeve, method for manufacturing a thermal sleeve, and combination cup and thermal sleeve
(October 2006)I find it unclear how this patent claims unique way of manufacturing/using a thermal sleeve, even if it claims the combination of the cup and sleeve. I think out of all the patents/applications discussed here, this is the least original patent.
US 8118189 B1: Temperature-indicating sleeve and related container
(June 2008)I think this idea is sufficiently original and without any significant prior art, but this is an improvement/change on the existing cup sleeves that I do not think is necessary. Most people can get a good idea of the temperature of the cup by briefly touching the non-insulated portions of the cup, and a brief contact with the cup will not be enough exposure for the user to get burned. The patent states that previous similarly patented inventions were not meant for hot beverages or are too difficult/expensive to produce. So even with such an original patent, I don't think the invention was necessary.
US 20080078824 A1: Beverage cup sleeving system and method
(August 2006)The only new change this patent offers is a slight change in design to reduce material use and costs. However, a slight improvement like this should certainly not be significant enough to actually be granted a patent for, in my opinion.
US 20100019023 A1: Protective sleeve
(July 2008)
The only significant change I see proposed by this patent is a change in material to elastomer, and I don't think the extra benefits it provides is a change great enough for it to get a patent on its own. There aren't any significant changes in design or function.
US 20140151385 A1: Hot and Cold Cup Sleeve
(February 2014)I personally don't believe it's completely necessary to have a sleeve that can handle both hot and cold drinks. It's sufficient for there to be separate sleeves that work with their respectively intended temperature of drinks. However, I do think this is an original application that doesn't have prior art with the exact specifications that this invention uses. No previously made sleeve can actually handle both hot and cold drinks simultaneously, but again, I don't see a need for such sleeves.
Video Summary:
I like how you summarized everything into one paragraph. I found that really hard to do and can respect your ability to condense the information. Nice job! Just a small point - you could elaborate a little more on the Insulating Sleeve patent, but other than that, looks good. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nate good job with summaries. I thought overall you did great!
DeleteI agree with Nate good job with summaries. I thought overall you did great!
DeleteNate, good comment. I agree with what you said. Grace did a good job of condensing all of the complex information into small summaries which are easy to read, and furthermore, some more explanation about the Insulating Sleeve patent would be helpful.
DeleteI appreciate how for a few of the patents you provided analysis from the perspective of how the technology would affect the user.
ReplyDeleteI also like how you justify most of your opinions, however I was a bit distracted by all the "I think" comments which weakened your overall argument.
Also for US 8251277 B1 why do you find it to be the least original, how is the manufacturing process similar to others and does this threaten the validity?
Hi Alexandra,
DeleteI liked your comment because it highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of this post. You really gave Grace some good tips to work with to strengthen her arguments and improve her analysis of her opinions. I think these types of comments are important for us to grow when reading more into patents and trying to understand them.
Hi Alexandra!
DeleteI liked how you started by describing the strengths of her blog post, then transitioned into a weakness that is related to the strength. This way, she can easily see how she can improve for next time.
I also liked how you pointed out the specific patent number when you posed your question. Good work.
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