Hey everyone! This is my sixth IEOR 190G Blog Post.

background, priority date, technology, ideas, specifications, diagrams and the claims

This week I will be discussing a bunch of patents regarding thermal beverage insulation devices.

First is Patent US 2,661,889 patented in December 8, 1953 for a Thermal Coffee Cup: 

• The application for this patent was submitted on July 20th in 1948.
• The main technologies required for this invention were to have an insulating layer to allow the user to hold a cup of coffee that would normally be too hot to hold. It also requires a lid that can be taken off to permit drinking of the hot liquid.
• These concepts were made into reality via a container jacket that has a corrugated lining around a cup with a lid that has a partial opening to be opened with a fingernail as well as being fully detachable. There are four hand drawn figure showing all of the described features of the jacket, cup and cap.
• Suggestions were that advertising could be placed on the holder.
• What is claimed is the insulated jacket, the cup being sealed on the bottom and having a detachable cap on the top.

Next is Patent US 6,152,363 patented on November 28, 2000 for a Sleeve Construction For Improved Paperboard Cup Insulation:

• The application was filed on May 3, 1999
• The invention is related to the making of sleeves used to increase the insulating characteristics of regular paperboard cups in an effort to achieve the same level as polystyrene cups.
• The patent employs a mixture of currently existing patented sleeves and currently existing cup designs to emphasize insulation via an added air-gap layer while preserving the smooth outside surface for printing.
• The diagrams show the design of the hot-melt adhesive (or syntactic foam) dots that create the air-gap and multiple graphs illustrating the performance of the liquid surface temperature insulation over time and temperature of the cup with different air gaps.
• What is claimed is the sleeve comprised of a plurality of air gaps on side of the sleeve and a layer of printed graphics on the other side.

Next is Patent US 6,343,735 B1 patented on February 5, 2002 for an Insulating Sleeve:

• The application was filed on May 4, 2000
• This invention regards an improved sleeve for hot beverage containers required due to an increasing number of cups made out of biodegradable materials that have low insulation characteristics
• The shape of this sleeve is innovative also for having a design that has a flat storage configuration, two "hooks" where to hang the lid of the cup when it is removed, and sections that tear to allow it to fit on cups of multiple sizes, and a design that used non-corrugated materials but still providing an air gap.
• The diagrams in the document show many views of the sleeve in its storage and usage configurations. Much detail is provided for the exact manufacturing of the sleeve referring back to the diagrams for each described element
• What is claimed is the sleeve and all of the above mentioned features successful included in the design.

Next is Patent US 2008/0078824 A1 patented on April 3 2008 for a Beverage Cup Sleeving System and Method:

• The application was filed on Aug 23, 2007
• The invention related to the conical sleeve surrounding a cup containing a hot beverage to allow insulation without using materials in the cup that could hinder quality and taste of the beverage
• The drawings illustrate different embodiments of the invention with different features including a key ring, velcro straps, a pouch
• What is claimed is many cup insulating systems based around the same concept but with different variations being: microwave safe, corrugated, having a flat storage, having a pocket. A thermal cup protector and insulating ring for beverage containers are also claimed.

Next is Patent US 2010/0019023 A1 patented on January 28, 2010 for a Protective Sleeve:

• The application was filed on July 21, 2009.
• The handling of hot and cold beverages in uncomfortable in many cups hence there is a need for a protective sleeve.
• There are many diagrams illustrating views of the assembled and collapsed sleeve as well as the manufacturing methods for the making of the sleeve.
• The design is superior to honeycomb and expansion designs which leave rough surfaces making the latter design more uncomfortable.
• What is claimed is a protective sleeve made for a container comprising biodegradable paper and other materials including corrugated paper and paperboard amongst other design features and the method for forming such a sleeve.

Next is Patent US 7,922,031 B1 patented on April 12, 2011 for a Insulator Sleeve for a Beverage Container:

• The application was filed on March 1, 2007
• Disposable paperboard cups have dramatically increased in number following popularity in retail coffee establishments thus there is a need to have a sleeve for these cups which provide little insulation, however it is more beneficial to the environment if such sleeve is reusable and it is beneficial to the baristas that the sleeve be transparent/translucent to allow for easy viewing of the order oftentimes written on the cup.
• The diagrams include many views of the invention (including cross-sectional views) as well as specific diagrams focused on the gripping areas of the cup.
• What is claimed is an insulating sleeve for a frusta-conical cup including a peripheral lip portion that makes contact with the rim of the cup having a transparent portion and a U-shaped handle for the user to grasp 

Next is Patent US 8,118,189 B2 patented on February 21, 2012 for a Temperature-Indicating Sleeve and Related Container:

• The application was filed on Dec 14, 2007
• There is a growing need to see the temperature of a beverage or meal in a container for safety reasons whilst simultaneously shielding the user from injury via insulation.
• There are prior examples of such devices, but the inventor sees them lacking safety for the user or even practicality without the added feature of insulation
• There are multiple diagrams depicting the device, and the many representations of how it could display the contents' temperature for user viewing. The surface is also printable
• The temperature detection is accomplished using a thermally conducting part that is in contact with the contents of the container, even when minimally filled.
• What is claimed is a thermally insulated container with a detachable sleeve that comprise a container with know insulating property with a visually observable temperature gage accurate to 4 F. The sleeve having a non-numerical temperature scale that can be word-based or color-based and can be horizontal or vertical on the sleeve with respect to the cup. The use of thermotropic liquid crystals for this temperature indicating system is also claimed.

Next is Patent US 8,251,277 B2 patented on August 28, 2012 for a Thermal Sleeve, Method For Manufacturing a Thermal Sleeve, And Combination Cup and Thermal Sleeve:

• The application was filed on April 15, 2005
• As above the need for such a device is necessary to improve the insulating characteristics of hot beverage containers whilst avoiding "double cupping".
• The diagrams illustrate the invention in flattened and folded as well as open configurations.
• The invention and method for manufacturing it are explained in detail up to the construction of the web of fibers making up the paper substrate
• What is claimed is a cup sleeve made of creped paper comprising a laminate adhered to smooth paper formed into a wrap to enclose a cup. This sleeve is of tapered shape and the indications for the size of such sleeve are very specific. The combination of the sleeve and cup of many materials is also claimed.

Last is Patent US 2014/0,151,385 A1 patented on June 5, 2014 for a :

• The application was filed on February 6, 2014
• Hot beverage sleeves are widely distributed and used, however when used on cold beverages, they fail to work well as cold beverages gather moisture on their outer layer damaging the sleeve by making it soggy and often times undoing the glue keeping the wrap together.
• The diagrams illustrate many views of the invention, in particular a perspective view of the three dimensional structure of the sleeve pointing out its two visible layers.
• What is claimed is a disposable sleeve for cups made of water-absorbent lining, and a water-repellent outer layer embossed by a comfortable grip with the specified weight and dimensions.

Please see my Youtube video for a discussion on these patents!