Abstract:
A sleeve containing an insert forming a cup holder is described. The inserts are placed in the sleeve. The sleeve is customizable by varying the color, writing and bar coding. The individual business may also display their logo on the sleeve or insert. These cup holders are personal to the user and can be repeatedly used. This enables the individual business to save money. The sleeve and insert as cup holder can be made up of recyclable material. The user may use a device implanted on or in a sleeve to pay and/or order the product using the sleeve.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/354,696 filed on Jun. 14, 2010. This application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entireties for all of its teachings. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is generally directed to an article of manufacture for use in conjunction with beverage cups of type having a smooth cylindrical surface or tapered sidewall and no handle. The present invention is directed to an insulating sleeve having an insert that is customizable for personal use. More particularly, the present invention is directed to reusable insulating sleeve and an insert to securely fit around a beverage cup such that the sleeve and the insert insulates the user&#39;s hand against temperature differences from the beverage of choice and assists the user in firmly grasping and handling the cup. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Conventional disposable cups, of formed paperboard or an appropriate food-compatible synthetic resin or plastic, are normally of a thin wall construction with a strength little more than that required to contain the beverage for which the cup is designed. Such cups are for the most part sufficient for their intended purposes, and require a minimal amount of material resulting in cost advantages. 
         [0004]    However, to overcome these deficiencies and to further protect the user, some use loose jacket paper holders, that are made of corrugated paper to provide insulation. Further, they can be used only once and they have to be disposed. In order to reduce waste a better solution needs to be proposed. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present disclosure provides an insulated protective sleeve which can be readily slipped onto the outside surface of a conventional tapered hot drink cup and which is effective to insulate the fingers of the user from the heat and cold of the content. 
         [0006]    In one embodiment, the cup holder is made of a surface A and surface B. In another embodiment, surface A has two sheets that are sealed together. In another embodiment, the two sheets enclose a third sheet before they are sealed together. In another embodiment, two sets of first sheet and second sheet enclosing a third sheet are sealed together at the edges to form a cup holder. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment, a synthetic material is used as first sheet and second sheet. In another embodiment, a thermal insulating material is used as a third sheet. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, the sleeve is folded in a flat configuration, using little space. The structure allows easy unfolding and quick attachment to a cup, thereby reducing the possibility of spilling the contents of the cup. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, the user, by writing on the sleeve, is able to customize their preference, name and order on the sleeve. The user can indicate his drink preference by writing on the insert. The user can write their name for the order and the service provider can be efficient to serve in a short time as he does not have to write the drink preference or the customer name. 
         [0010]    The insert is also made of insulating material, which would provide additional layer of insulation with the sleeve. The insert can be made of colored material and preprinted with service provider specific logo. In another embodiment the sleeve may be customizable with different non transparent colored material. 
         [0011]    In another embodiment, the sleeve may be transparent to show the logo or the writing of the insert. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, the surface A and surface B may be heat sealed at the edges. Edges of the sleeve may be closed at the ends with no openings, hence offered as a one piece product. In another embodiment, the insulating sleeve can be tapered or be uniform to fit the cup snugly and enables the user to comfortably grasp and hold the cup for use. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, surface B may have specific area for printing and/or writing personal name, a logo, product preference; request a barcode to indicate the preferences, a sensor for payment. In another embodiment, the sensor may be used for at least one of the following functions such as uploading the preference to preorder via internet, communicate with the store window to print a slip, make payment and a talking sign for hearing impaired, visually impaired and/or both to communicate their order with the store personnel. 
         [0014]    The product and method of making the product disclosed herein may be implemented in any means for achieving various aspects. Other features will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Example embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a view of the sleeve and the insert as a cup holder. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a view of the surface A design on the sleeve showing a print area for a logo. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  is a view of the surface B area with various areas for printing and/or writing on the sleeve. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  illustrates a diagrammatic view of using the sleeve with the cup. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic view illustrating different sheets and their configuration to form a sleeve according to one embodiment. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5B  shows a magnetic strip being implanted between the sheets for being used for various activities. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0022]    The present invention is directed to an insulating sleeve having an insert that is customizable for personal use and re-use. Although the present embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a representation of a sleeve  120  to be used as a cup holder and insulate an individuals hand from hot and cold temperature of the contents of the cup. The sleeve  120  comprises of a surface “A”  110  and a surface “B”  112 . The sleeve  120  is larger than the insert  130 . The insert  130  can be placed into the sleeve  120 . The sleeve  120  can be wrapped around a cup to insulate the users from temperature variances. The sleeve  120  has a surface A  110  and surface B  112  that are heat sealed on right side  122  and left side  126  to form a union of the surface A  110  and surface B  112 . The bottom side  124  and the top side  128  are sealed individually to create an opening for the sleeve  120  to be placed around the cup. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , in surface A design  200 , the sleeve  120  has a specific area for logo  210 . The logo may be imprinted, embossed and/or pasted on to surface A  110 . Surface A may be made up of transparent material and the logo  210  may be visible that has been printed on the inside insert  130 . The surface A and B may be made up of vinyl material or any flexible material that is pliable, soft and easy to grip. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 3A , the surface B design  300 A has specific areas to write a personal name  310 , to write a product preference  312  and for a request  318  that could indicate a specific request. In  FIG. 3B  it shows that there may be additional area wherein a sensor  320  may be placed that would enable the user to place orders and/or make payments. The surface B may also have a speaker  324  area attached to it for enabling personnel to communicate with a provider of goods. It may have an amplifier or a translator as well. 
         [0026]    The sleeve  120  can be used to surround a cup  410 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , to prevent the user from getting injured from thermal differences between the body and the cup  410 . The sleeve  120  may be adjusted up or down to fit the contour of the cup  410 . The sleeve may be reused as it is made of reusable material and will reduce waste production. It can be used as a personal or promotional item and companies may promote their brand by providing logos to be printed in area logo  210 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  shows a view of the sleeve  120 . The sleeve  120  is made of dual layer material and has two surfaces, surface A  110  and surface B  112 . Both the surfaces are parallel to each other and are bound on two sides. The sealing of the edges can be done by contiguous manufacturing in one embodiment, heat sealed or glued. The bonding enables the surface A  110  and surface B  112  to form a opening and accommodate the cup  410  within the opening. 
         [0028]    The sleeve  120  may be made of transparent material in one embodiment. The transparent and/or opaque material may be temperature resistant, humidity resistant, slip resistant, and stain resistant. In one embodiment the material for the first sheet, the second sheet and third sheet may be biodegradable, plastic, nylon, polymers, vinyl, styrofoam and/or card board. The material may be rigid or elastic. For example, if the cup size is different elastic material would enable a user to expand the sleeve  120  to wrap around the cup  410  and hold it safely. 
         [0029]    In one embodiment the sleeve may be semi-transparent or opaque on both surface A  110  and surface B  112  of the sleeve. In another embodiment it can be transparent on surface A  110  and semi-transparent on surface B  112 . In another embodiment surface A  110  can be transparent and surface B  112  can be opaque. 
         [0030]    In another embodiment, the sleeve is made of unitary piece of insulated material. Yet another embodiment, the insulating sleeve is unitary, seamless and transparent in nature such that indicia and graphics on the insert may be viewed through the sleeve. The shape of the sleeve  120  may be such that it is convenient to wrap it around a cup  410  of any size. 
         [0031]    In  FIG. 5 , the sleeve  120  parts are shown in greater detail. The third sheet  512  is smaller in size than the first sheet  510  and second sheet  514 . The smaller size makes it easy to place it in between the first and second sheets. The sealing of the edges comprising of the first sheet and the second sheet is convenient and stronger. The third sheet  512  can be made of a thin material or a thicker material to provide extra insulation to the user from thermal variations of the content of the cup  410 . The edges A 1  and A 2 , B 1  and B 2 , C 1  and C 2  and D 1  and D 2  are sealed together to form an edge. A first pair of first sheet and second sheet form surface A and second pair of first sheet and the second sheet form surface B and both pairs have a third sheet between the first sheet and the second sheet to provide insulation. 
         [0032]    The insert  130  may be made of iridescent material or plain colored material. It may have a magnetic strip or any other means for payment, as shown in  FIG. 3B . The strip may be pre-programmed to contain the user product preference  312 , personal name  310  and request  318 . A provision for a prepaid card to be installed inside the first surface and the second surface may be made as well. The payment mode may be enabled to be recharged using internet type of mode. 
         [0033]    The service provider can preprint their logo  210  or sell blank sleeves to users with or without the logo  210 . The logo may be placed by at least one of printing, embossing, drawing and hand crafting. The third sheet  512  can be made of foam material to provide comfort and insulation. The light button may be placed underneath each preference and may be activated to display the product preference  312  or request  318  for the service provider by the user. The color code  330  may be press activated to create a color of choice. All the areas such as request  318 , product preference  312 , and the bar code  322  may be made of the same material for color coded information display. 
         [0034]    The surface of the sleeve  120  may be smooth, rough or raised. For example, the rough surface may prevent it from slipping. 
         [0035]    In addition, it will be appreciated that the various embodiments, materials, and shapes can be interchangeable used in the current embodiments and various combinations of the cup and the cup holder may be possible. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.