Patent Publication Number: US-2002000446-A1

Title: Cup-holder napkin

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a cup and cup-holder for beverages, and in particular, to a cup-holder having an absorbent portion for cleaning up spillage.  
       [0002] It is common in the Food and Beverage Industry when serving heated beverages to provide a cup with a cup-holder portion for insulating the hand of the user when holding the cup containing the heated beverage. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,473 (hereinafter, “the &#39;473 Pat.”) issued to Design By Us Company describes a typical embodiment in the Art for a cup and cup-holder provided in combination.  
       [0003] The cup-holder described in the &#39;473 Pat. is comprised of both an inner portion and an outer portion. The outer portion is typically comprised of a surface that engages a surface on the cup for securing the cup-holder to the cup. The inner portion is typically formed with a small air-gap between the inner portion and the surface of the cup to insulate the hand of the user from the heated beverage contained within the cup.  
       [0004] The cup-holder is typically made from a corrugated medium, a web of paperboard, or virgin kraft or similar easily recyclable cellulosic material. Typically, the cup-holder may also be made from a wax-covered paper product, or polystyrene. Generally, by nature these products are designed to withstand temperature and moisture from the beverage which may degrade or interfere with the utility of the cup-holder. These products generally provide poor liquid-absorptive qualities for the cup-holder due to the utility mentioned previously.  
       [0005] Up to the present, the cup and cup-holder was intended for generally the purpose mentioned above. The cup and cup-holder represent a major source of waste since they are generally discarded after use. Notwithstanding the associated waste of these products, the amount of waste created by these products are compounded by using disposable napkins for cleaning-up spillage. Therefore, a need exists for a cup and cup-holder that may be used in combination and which may be used to replace the traditional use of disposable napkins.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006] In accordance with the present invention, in an apparatus form, an absorbent cup-holder sleeve is provided in combination with a beverage cup for containing heated beverages. Generally, the cup-holder sleeve includes in one embodiment:  
       [0007] an inner portion having a heat insulating section to protect the hand of the user from heat conduction across the cup between the heated beverage and the hand of the user; and  
       [0008] an outer portion having a liquid-absorbent portion for cleaning up spillage of liquid beverage contained therein.  
       [0009] According to the present invention a method is also provided for producing a liquid cup-holder sleeve. Generally, the method includes:  
       [0010] forming a sleeve from a liquid-absorbent material, said sleeve having an outer portion formed from the liquid-absorbent material; and  
       [0011] attaching the cup-holder to the cup such that the cup-holder supports the weight of the cup when held by the hand of the user.  
       [0012] Reference to the remaining portions of the specification, including the drawings and claims, will realize other features and advantages of the present invention. Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with respect to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0013]FIG. 1 illustrates a cup-holder sleeve having an inner portion and an outer portion;  
     [0014]FIG. 2 is a first embodiment of the cup engagement member for the inner portion;  
     [0015]FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of the cup engagement member for the inner portion;  
     [0016]FIG. 4 is a first embodiment of the outer portion showing the fibrous liquid-absorbent material;  
     [0017]FIG. 5 is a second embodiment of the outer portion showing the sponge-like liquid-absorbent material;  
     [0018]FIG. 6 illustrates the cup-holder used in combination with a cup;  
     [0019]FIG. 7 illustrates the cup-holder removed from the cup and used to clean-up spillage from a surface;  
     [0020]FIG. 8 shows a cup-holder discarded within the cup;  
     [0021]FIG. 9 illustrates a cup-holder with two free ends and; and  
     [0022]FIG. 10 illustrates a cup-holder with a slit on free end which is intended to be mated with a groove on the other free end to form the cup-holder.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     [0023] As shown in FIG. 1, a cup-holder  1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes an inner portion  5  and an outer portion  10 .  
     [0024] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the inner portion  5  has an inner wall  6  having a plurality of cup engagement members  7 . In one embodiment, the cup engagement members  7  include nubbins  8  as shown in FIG. 2. In a second embodiment, the cup engagement members  7  include ribbed members  9 , as shown in FIG. 3. The invention contemplates any shape, or any combination of cup engagement members  7 , as long as the cup  20  is located in a spaced relationship with the cup-holder  1 . The spaced relationship between the cup  20  and cup-holder  1  is used to form an air-gap between the cup  20  and cup-holder  1  which limits the conduction of heat between the heated beverage and the hand of the user.  
     [0025] Preferably, the cup-holder includes a cup engagement member  7  as mentioned previously, although this feature is not essential if the cup-holder  1  is made from a material which is sufficiently limiting in terms of heat conduction between the heated beverage and the hand of the user.  
     [0026] Having reference to FIG. 1, an outer portion  10  of the cup-holder  1  is shown. The outer portion  10  is comprised of a liquid-absorbent material, such as recycled paper product of the variety commonly used as napkins. Preferably, the outer portion  10  is made from the same material as the napkin material mentioned previously, however, any liquid-absorbent material may be used.  
     [0027] Preferably, the outer portion is made of a liquid-absorbent material, however, both the inner portion  5  and the outer portion  10  may be made from a liquid-absorbent material, or either the inner portion  5  or the outer portion  10 , or a portion of either or both inner and outer portions may be made from a liquid absorbent material, so long as at least a portion of the cup holder includes a liquid-absorbent material for providing a liquid absorbent surface.  
     [0028] In FIG. 4, a first embodiment of the outer portion  10  is shown. The outer portion  10  is comprised of a fibrous recycled paper product  12  such as the variety commonly used as napkins, although other materials may be used. The outer portion  10  may be individually fixedly attached to the inner portion  5  to form the cup-holder portion. Alternatively, the outer portion  10  and the inner portion  5  comprise an integral one-piece design.  
     [0029] In FIG. 5, a second embodiment of the outer portion  10  is shown. The outer portion  10  is comprised of a sponge-like liquid-absorbent material  13 . The outer portion  10  may be individually fixedly attached to the inner portion  5  to form the cup-holder portion. Alternatively, the outer portion  10  and the inner portion  5  comprise an integral one-piece design. The sponge-like material is preferably sufficiently constructed so as to resist tearing or splaying when inserted over the cup, while still maintaining sufficient insulating qualities.  
     [0030] The inner and outer portions of the cup holder may be separately or integrally constructed. What is important is that a rigid one-piece cup-holder is achieved that may be securely fastened to the cup  20  for insulating the cup. As shown in FIG. 7, the cup-holder  1  may be torn away from the cup prior to disposal of the cup and used to clean spillage or condensate  22  from the surface  23  such as a tabletop, for example. Alternatively, the cup-holder  1  may be left on the cup  20  and used as a liquid-absorbent substrate for wiping-up liquid condensate  22 , e.g., from the hand  25  of a user, as shown in FIG. 6. Having reference to FIG. 8, the cup-holder  1  may then be disposed of inside the cup  1 , thereby eliminating the need for separate individual napkins.  
     [0031] Although, the aforementioned cup  20  and cup-holder  1  is intended primarily for use in conjunction with heated beverages, the present invention is useful with unheated beverages. In this case, the inner portion  5  and the outer portion  10 , or the inner portion  5  or outer portion  10  need not be comprised of a heat insulative material.  
     [0032] Preferably, for unheated beverages, both the inner portion  5  and outer portion  10  are comprised of the same material, however, the inner portion  5  and outer portion  10  may be comprised of different materials.  
     [0033] According to one embodiment, a process is provided for producing a liquid absorbent cup-holder for a cup and cup-holder in combination. In one embodiment, for example, the process of producing the cup-holder includes:  
     [0034] forming a sleeve from a liquid-absorbent material, which sleeve is comprised of an outer portion formed from the liquid-absorbent material; and  
     [0035] attaching the cup-holder to the cup such that the cup-holder supports the weight of the cup when the cup is held in the hand of the user.  
     [0036] In a first embodiment, forming a sleeve involves forming a strip from a liquid absorbent material. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 9, the strip  30  is rectangular to encompass the distance around the entire circumference of the cup. Also, the free ends  35  and  36  of the rectangular strip  30  are fastened together, using an adhesive substance as one example. Any adhesive that secures the free ends of the strip  30  together may be used. Preferably, however, the adhesive used should not degrade or interfere with the absorptive qualities of the cup-holder nor degrade the cup itself. Also, preferably, the adhesive used to secure the cup-holder together is biodegradable with the environment.  
     [0037] In a second embodiment, forming a sleeve includes producing a rectangular strip  30  which includes a slit  31  on one free end  35  that is engaged by a groove  32  on the other free end  36 . The groove  32  engages into the slit  31  for holding the sleeve together.  
     [0038] Attaching the cup-holder to the cup includes sliding the sleeve over the upstanding sidewall of the cup. Alternatively, attaching the cup-holder to the cup  20  includes inserting the groove  31  into the slit  32  directly on the cup  20 , in accordance with the embodiments of the invention.  
     [0039] It should be apparent to one skilled in the art that other methods for securing the free-ends  35  and  36  are within the scope of the present invention.  
     [0040] While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to one skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.