Abstract:
A beverage sleeve with a phase-change material is provided. When used on a hot beverage, the sleeve facilitates the rapid cooling of the beverage to an acceptable temperature and then maintains the beverage at that temperature for a long period of time. When used on a cold beverage, the sleeve maintains the temperature of the beverage for a long period of time. The phase-change material is provided as an insert placed within a pouch of an outer sleeve. The outer sleeve has a thermally insulating material to help thermally regulate the phase-change material.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a non-provisional of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/808,366 (filed Apr. 4, 2013) the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The subject matter disclosed herein relates to packaging for beverage containers. 
         [0003]    Many hot beverages are served at a temperature higher than that which would be safe for consumption. In such situations, a user may wait for the beverage to cool to an acceptable temperature before consumption. For example, coffee is often served too hot to immediately consume. Many hot beverages are consumed from disposable paper cups which offer little insulation. Heat from the beverage is lost to the environment and, as a result, an undesirably excessive amount of cooling of the beverage occurs. Similarly, cold beverages have a tendency to warm to an undesirable temperature. 
         [0004]    The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    A beverage sleeve with a phase-change material is provided. When used on a hot beverage, the sleeve facilitates the rapid cooling of the beverage to an acceptable temperature and then maintains the beverage at that temperature for a long period of time. When used on a cold beverage, the sleeve maintains the temperature of the beverage for a long period of time. The phase-change material is provided as an insert placed within a pouch of an outer sleeve. The outer sleeve has a thermally insulating material to help thermally regulate the phase-change material. 
         [0006]    In a first embodiment, a beverage sleeve for maintaining a temperature of a beverage is provided. The beverage sleeve comprises an outer sleeve comprising a thermal insulating material. The outer sleeve defines a cylinder with a pouch with the thermal insulating material disposed in the outer layer. The pouch is closed at a bottom end by a seal. An insert is disposed within the pouch, the insert comprising a sealed package enclosing a phase-change material. 
         [0007]    In a second embodiment, a beverage sleeve for maintaining a temperature of a beverage is provided. The beverage sleeve comprising an outer sleeve comprising a neoprene thermal insulating material. The outer sleeve defines a cylinder with a pouch with the neoprene thermal insulating material disposed in the outer lay. The pouch is closed at a bottom end by a seal. An insert is disposed within the pouch, the insert comprising a sealed package enclosing a paraffin wax phase-change material have a melting point between about 55° C. and about 70° C. The sealed package of the insert is segmented to provide a plurality of storage areas, the phase-change material being disposed within the plurality of storage areas. 
         [0008]    This brief description of the invention is intended only to provide a brief overview of subject matter disclosed herein according to one or more illustrative embodiments, and does not serve as a guide to interpreting the claims or to define or limit the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the appended claims. This brief description is provided to introduce an illustrative selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This brief description is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    So that the manner in which the features of the invention can be understood, a detailed description of the invention may be had by reference to certain embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the drawings illustrate only certain embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the scope of the invention encompasses other equally effective embodiments. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis generally being placed upon illustrating the features of certain embodiments of the invention. In the drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views. Thus, for further understanding of the invention, reference can be made to the following detailed description, read in connection with the drawings in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a depiction of an assembly that includes a beverage sleeve; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  are perspective views of an outer sleeve of the beverage sleeve of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B  are schematic depictions of the outer sleeve of  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B , shown in a flat configuration for simplicity of illustration; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A  is a depiction of an insert that has a phase-change material while  FIG. 4B  is a schematic depiction of the insert disposed within a pouch of the outer sleeve; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a graph depicting thermal performance data for various examples. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a depiction of an assembly  100 . The assembly  100  comprises a beverage sleeve  102  wrapped about a container  104 . The container  104  may hold a hot beverage (e.g. hot coffee, tea, etc.) or a cold beverage (e.g. iced coffee, ice tea, cold  7971717 . 4  water, etc.). The beverage sleeve  102  depicted in  FIG. 1  comprises a phase-change material  404 . The phase-change material  404  permits the beverage sleeve  102  to both (1) cool to an acceptable temperature faster and (2) maintain the beverage at the acceptable temperature for a longer period of time compared to a container that lacks a phase-change material. The phase-change material  404  is a material that changes phase (e.g. solid to liquid or liquid to solid) at certain temperature and absorb or release large amounts of energy in the process—far more than conventional insulation materials. 
         [0016]    When used on a hot beverage, the phase-change material  404  absorbs the heat of the beverage and increases in temperature. When the beverage is warmer that the phase-change material, this accelerates cooling of the beverage to an acceptable temperature. When the phase-change material  404  reaches its melting point, a large amount of heat is absorbed without a significant increase in temperature until the phase-change material is completely melted. Should the temperature of the beverage begin to drop, the phase-change material  404  solidifies to release its stored heat and re-warms the beverage. This helps maintain the beverage at a predetermined temperature near the melting point of the phase-change material. A wide variety of phase-change materials with melting points within a useful range for hot beverages (e.g. 65° C. to 85° C.). 
         [0017]    A similar effect can be produced for cold beverages by selecting a phase-change material with a different melting point (e.g. 0° C. to 15° C.). Phase-change materials for use in cold beverages may be stored in a cold environment (e.g. freezer or refrigerator) prior to use. 
         [0018]    Examples of suitable phase-change materials are provided in Table 1. The selected phase-change material generally has a melting point between 0° C. and 100° C. and a latent heat between 100 J per gram and 400 J per gram. In another embodiment, the melting point is between 50° C. and 70° C. and a latent heat of fusion between 150 J per gram and 250 J per gram. In yet another embodiment, the melting point is between 58° C. and 62° C. and a latent heat of fusion between 200 J per gram and 220 J per gram. Thickeners may be added to adjust the viscosity of the phase-change material when in its liquid state. Colorants may be added to customize the appearance. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Examples of suitable phase change materials 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Phase-change material 
                 Melting Point: 
                 Intended use 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Paraffin Wax 
                 37° C.-80° 
                 C. 
                 Hot Beverage 
               
               
                   
                 Stearic Acid 
                 69.8° 
                 C. 
                 Hot Beverage 
               
               
                   
                 Palmitic Acid 
                 62.9° 
                 C. 
                 Hot Beverage 
               
               
                   
                 Water 
                 0° 
                 C. 
                 Cold Beverage 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0019]      FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  are perspective views of an outer sleeve  200  of the beverage sleeve  102  of  FIG. 1 . The outer sleeve  200  is comprised of a thermal insulating material. Examples of suitable thermal insulating materials include synthetic and natural rubbers, polyesters, batting, heat reflective substances, expanded foams, neoprene, etc. In one embodiment, the thermal insulating material is selected to render the outer sleeve  200  flexible. The outer sleeve  200  is generally cylindrical and provides a top opening  202  and a bottom opening  204  for receiving the container  104 . In one embodiment, the diameter of the top opening  202  is slightly larger than the diameter of the bottom opening  204  such that the outer sleeve  200  is tapered to secure attach to the container  104  without sliding off The top opening  202  comprises a flap  206  that seals a pouch  300 . In  FIG. 2A , the flap  206  is folded down to cover the opening of the pouch  300 , thereby securing its contents. In  FIG. 2B , the flap  206  is folded up to reveal the opening of the pouch  300 , thereby permitting access to its contents. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B  are schematic depictions of the outer sleeve  200 . For illustrative purposes, the outer sleeve  200  is shown in a flat configuration from the viewpoint of the inside of the outer sleeve  200 .  FIG. 3A  depicts the flap  206  folded up to reveal the opening of the pouch  300 .  FIG. 3B  depicts the flap  206  folded down over a top end  306  of the outer sleeve  200  to cover the opening to pouch  300 . The pouch  300  is closed at a bottom end  308  of the outer sleeve  200  by a seal  310 . The seal  310  may be, for example, a sewn seam or a thermally sealed closure. The pouch  300  is defined by an inner layer  302  and an outer layer  304 , at least one of which comprises the thermal insulating material. In one embodiment, the outer layer  304  comprises the thermal insulating material while the inner layer  302  is formed of a flexible material that is less thermally insulating. In another embodiment, both the outer layer  304  and the inner layer  302  comprise the thermal insulating material. The pouch  300  is configured to receive an insert  400 , shown in  FIG. 4A . 
         [0021]      FIG. 4A  is a depiction of an insert  400 . The insert  402  comprises a sealed package  402  enclosing the phase-change material  404 . In one embodiment, the sealed package  402  is segmented to provide a plurality of storage areas  406 . Each storage area is isolated from adjacent storage areas by a seal  408  which, in one embodiment, is formed by thermally sealing the sealed package  402 . Other suitable sealing means may also be used including, but not limited to, adhesives, ultrasonic welding, etc. The sealed package  402  may be formed from a material that is conducive to the formation of the seals  408 . Examples of suitable materials include polymers, metalized polymers, metal films, and the like. In one embodiment, the seal package  402  is formed from paraffin wax. Each storage area  406  encloses the phase-change material  404 . The sealed package  402  comprises a long edge  410  and a short edge  412  which, when formed into a cylinder, provides a tapered configured that matches the tapered configuration of the outer sleeve  200 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 4B  is a schematic depiction of the insert  400  disposed within the pouch  300  of the outer sleeve  200 . The outer sleeve  200  has a length  414  and a height  416 . Each storage area  406  of the insert  400  has a width  418  and a height  420  and is separated from adjacent storage area(s) by a space  422 . A sufficient number of storage areas  406  with the width  418  are provided to cover at least 60% of the length  414 . In one embodiment, at least 80% of the length  414  is covered by the width  418  of all of the storage areas  406 . The height  420  of the storage area  406  covers at least 60% of the height  416  of the outer sleeve  200 . In one embodiment, at least 80% of the height  416  is covered by the height  420  of each storage area  406 . The height  416  of the outer sleeve  200  is selected to cover a significant portion of the container  104  and thereby provide good thermal contact with the storage areas  406  and the phase change material  404  disposed therein. In one embodiment, multiple storage areas are provided to permit the insert  400  to flex along the seals  408 . This permits the insert  400  to be fit around a container even when the phase-change material  404  is in a solid state. Additionally, the use of multiple storage areas provides a failsafe: should one storage area be punctured the remaining storage areas will still function. 
         [0023]    The removeably of the insert  400  from the pouch  300  provides numerous advantages. First, a variety of inserts may be provided, each with a difficult melting point. For example, a hot insert and a cold insert may be provided and the user selected the appropriate insert for use with the outer sleeve  200  depending on the type of beverage being consumed. Additionally, the cold insert may be stored in a refrigerator or freezer for later use while the hot insert is being used. 
       EXAMPLES 
       [0024]      FIG. 5  is a graph depicting the drop in temperature as a function of time for various hot beverages. 
         [0025]    Control: A 12 oz sample of water was heated to 180° F. in a paper cup. A thermocouple was used to record the temperature at 1 minute intervals and the cup remained covered under ambient conditions (about 22° C.). The data is presented as line  500  in  FIG. 5 . The control cooled to an acceptably low temperature (155° F., denoted by line  502 ) after 16 minutes but dropped below an acceptably hot temperature (125° F., denoted by line  504 ) after only 46 minutes. 
       Comparative Example 1 
       [0026]    A 12 oz sample of water was heated to 180° F. in a paper cup. The cup was enclosed with a competing beverage insulator, formed of a simple neoprene sleeve, sold under the brand name JOE JACKET®. A thermocouple was used to record the temperature at 1 minute intervals and the cup remained uncovered under ambient conditions (about 22° C.). The data is presented as line  506  in  FIG. 5 . The sample cooled to an acceptably low temperature (155° F.) after 16 minutes but dropped below an acceptably hot temperature (125° F.) after only 47 minutes. Despite the addition of the competitor&#39;s beverage insulator, no significant performance difference was detected relative to the control. 
       Comparative Example 2 
       [0027]    A 12 oz sample of water was heated to 180° F. in a paper cup. A thermocouple was used to record the temperature at 1 minute intervals and the cup remained covered under ambient conditions (about 22° C.). A phase-change material sealed within a stainless steel shell, sold under the brand name COFFEE JOULIES™, was added to the cup. The data is presented as line  508  in  FIG. 5 . The sample cooled to an acceptably low temperature (155° F.) after only 3 minutes but dropped below an acceptably hot temperature (125° F.) after only 44 minutes. The addition of phase-change material inside of the cup did not maintain the longevity of the beverage relative to the control. 
       Example 
       [0028]    A 12 oz sample of water was heated to 180° F. in a paper. The cup was enclosed with a beverage sleeve made in accordance with the teachings of this specification (outer layer formed from neoprene, phase change material was paraffin wax with a melting point of 62° C.). A thermocouple was used to record the temperature at 1 minute intervals and the cup remained uncovered under ambient conditions (about 22° C.). The data is presented a line  510  in  FIG. 5 . The sample cooled to an acceptably low temperature (155° F.) after 14 minutes (two minutes faster than the control) but dropped below an acceptably hot temperature (125° F.) until 64 minutes (18 minutes longer than the control; 17 minutes longer than comparative example 1 and 20 minutes longer than comparative example 2). 
         [0029]    This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.