INSULATED CUP SLEEVE WITH FOLDABLE HANGERS

Abstract

The insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers disclosed herein may comprise a plurality of folding hangers that may be extended or retracted so that the device, and a cup contained therein, may be suspended from an appropriate surface. The insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers may further comprise a disposable, low cost material of construction so that it is easy and inexpensive to make, while also having a minimized impact on the environment. The device may be made as a single strip of material containing the perforations for the hangers, and its first end and second end may be adhered to one another to form a ring into which a cup may be inserted.

Claims

1. An insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers, comprising: a main body; and a plurality of folding hangers; wherein said main body comprises an outer surface, an inner surface, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first end, and a second end; and wherein said plurality of folding handers are attached to said main body.

2. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said first end of said main body is attached to said second end of said main body to form a substantially cylindrical shape.

3. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said upper edge of said main body is longer than said lower edge of said main body to form a substantially cylindrical shape having a wider top opening and a narrower bottom opening.

4. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said plurality of folding hangers are integrated into a thickness of said main body; and wherein said plurality of folding hangers are defined by a plurality of perforations.

5. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 4, wherein said plurality of folding hangers are separated from said main body along said plurality of perforations by an applied force; and wherein said plurality of folding hangers are reversibly folded at an angle relative to said main body.

6. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said main body further comprises a plurality of layers.

7. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said main body further comprises an insulating layer.

8. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said main body further comprises a corrugated layer.

9. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said main body further comprises a textured layer.

10. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said main body comprises a disposable material of construction.

11. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said main body comprises a biodegradable material of construction.

12. The insulated cup sleeve of claim 1, wherein said main body comprises a reusable material of construction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Elements in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale in order to enhance their clarity and improve understanding of these various elements and embodiments of the invention. Furthermore, elements that are known to be common and well understood to those in the industry are not depicted in order to provide a clear view of the various embodiments of the invention.

[0031] FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers hanging from an exemplary shopping cart, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers showing an exemplary cup placed within the sleeve and the folding hangers extended, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 3 is a front plan view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in a flattened ring configuration, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 4 is a rear plan view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in a flattened ring configuration, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 5 is front plan view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open configuration, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 6 is an isometric perspective view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 7 is a front plan view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 8 is rear plan view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 9 is left side elevation view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0040] FIG. 10 is right side elevation view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0041] FIG. 11 is a front plan view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration with hangers extended, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0042] FIG. 12 is rear plan view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration with hangers extended, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG. 13 is left side elevation view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration with hangers extended, as contemplated by the present disclosure;

[0044] FIG. 14 is right side elevation view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration with hangers extended, as contemplated by the present disclosure; and

[0045] FIG. 15 is an isometric perspective view of an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers in an open ring configuration with hangers extended, as contemplated by the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] Certain terminology is used in the following description for reference only and is not limiting. The words “front,” “rear,” “anterior,” “posterior,” “lateral,” “medial,” “upper,” “lower,” “outer,” “inner,” and “interior” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the invention, and designated parts thereof, in accordance with the present disclosure. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are not limited to one element, but instead should be read as meaning “at least one.” The terminology includes the words noted above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

[0047] The insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers disclosed herein may comprise a plurality of folding hangers that may be extended or retracted so that the device, and a cup contained therein, may be suspended from an appropriate surface. The insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers may further comprise a disposable, low cost material of construction so that it is easy and inexpensive to make, while also having a minimized impact on the environment. The device may be made as a single strip of material containing the perforations for the hangers, and its first end and second end may be adhered to one another to form a ring into which a cup may be inserted.

[0048] The illustrations of FIGS. 1-15 illustrate an insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers, as contemplated by the present disclosure. The device may comprise, generally, a main body 100 integrating a plurality of folding hangers 102 defined by a plurality of perforations 104.

[0049] The main body 100 may comprise any appropriate shape such as, for example, a square or rectangular shape having an outer surface, an inner surface, an upper edge, a lower edge, a first end 106, and a second end 108. The plurality of folding hangers 102 may be integrated centrally on the main body 100 and may be defined by the plurality of perforations 104 placed through the main body 100. The plurality of perforations 104 may be placed in a substantially “L” or “J”-shaped orientation such that they define a plurality of hangers 102 having a substantially “L” or “J” shape.

[0050] The upper edge and lower edge of the main body 100 may further comprise a curvature such that when the first end 106 is attached to the second end 108 at an ends closure 110, the main body 100 forms a ring wherein the upper edge has a different circumference than the lower edge. In one embodiment the circumference of the upper edge may be larger than the circumference of the lower edge so that the insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers may be placed snugly around a standard cup.

[0051] The main body 100 may further comprise a plurality of layers adhered to one another to provide additional thickness and insulating characteristics to the main body 100, or may further comprise a corrugated layer to provide additional thickness and insulating characteristics to the main body 100. In one embodiment the main body 100 may further comprise an outer traction layer, which may be a layer comprising some texture or other grip-enhancing features, to improve a user's ability to grip and carry the device.

[0052] To begin making the insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers an appropriate machine or device may stamp out sheets of main body 100, perhaps cut from a larger sheet of material, and then an appropriate machine or device may place the plurality of perforations 104 into the main body 100, perhaps by the use of a formed punch or other appropriate tool driven through the main body 100. After the plurality of perforations 104 have been placed into the main body 100 an appropriate machine or device may attach the first end 106 of the main body 100 to the second end 108 of the main body 100. This attachment may be made by any appropriate physical means such as, for example, heating, welding, gluing, riveting, or any other similar mechanism. The main body 100 may then be compressed into a flat orientation for ease of packaging, shipping, and storage.

[0053] To begin using the device a user may grasp a flattened main body 100 and press on its edges or open it such that the main body 100 is in a ring orientation. The user may then place a standard cup into the main body 100 and use the insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers as an insulated cup sleeve.

[0054] In the alternative, the user may open the main body 100 and then press out each of the plurality of folding hangers 102 by pushing outward from the interior of the ring orientation within the plurality of perforations 104. This pushing against the plurality of hangers 102 may cause them to separate from the main body 100 along the plurality of perforations 104, and allow the plurality of hangers 102 to be folded to an orientation substantially perpendicular to the outer surface of the main body 100. The user may then place a standard cup into the main body 100, and the main body 100 may then be hung from an appropriate surface by the plurality of hangers 102. In this way the insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers may suspend a standard cup on an appropriate surface, such as a crossbar on a standard shopping cart.

[0055] The insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers may be substantially constructed of any suitable material or combination of materials, but typically is constructed of a resilient material or combination of materials such that the device is easily manufactured, insulating, and biodegradable. As an example, and without limiting the scope of the present invention, various exemplary embodiments of the insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers may be substantially constructed of one or more materials of paper, cardboard, cellulose, cotton, wool, fabric, soy or vegetable oil-based foams, or combinations thereof In some embodiments the various components of the device may be coated, lined, or otherwise insulated to prevent contamination of the device.

[0056] It is noted that the insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers is preferably constructed from a material of construction that is inexpensive to acquire and easy to produce and modify, and is also disposable and biodegradable. As such, the insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers would not be made from such materials as metals, plastic, carbon fibers, fiberglasses, and the like as these materials would not provide the desired characteristics.

[0057] In one embodiment the insulated cup sleeve with foldable hangers may comprise a resilient material of construction that either comprises a material having antimicrobial properties or comprises a layering of antimicrobial material or coating. Antimicrobial properties comprise the characteristic of being antibacterial, biocidal, microbicidal, anti-fungal, anti-viral, or other similar characteristics, and the oligodynamic effect, which is possessed by copper, brass, silver, gold, and several other metals and alloys, is one such characteristic. Copper and its alloys, in particular, have exceptional self-sanitizing effects. Silver also has this effect, and is less toxic to users than copper. Some materials, such as silver in its metallic form, may require the presence of moisture to activate the antimicrobial properties.

[0058] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.