US20200069096A1

US20200069096A1 - Disposable Beverage Container Sleeve

Info

Publication number: US20200069096A1
Application number: US16/412,570
Authority: US
Inventors: Joanne Pignataro
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-08-28
Filing date: 2019-05-15
Publication date: 2020-03-05

Abstract

A disposable beverage container sleeve. The disposable beverage container sleeve has a body which includes a base and at least one sidewall extending from a perimeter of the base, defining an interior volume. The interior volume of the body is sized to receive a beverage container. The base and the at least one sidewall have an interior surface and an exterior surface. The interior surface of the base and the at least one sidewall include an absorbent material that absorbs moisture, condensation, and spills from the beverage container. The exterior surface of the base and the at least one sidewall have a moisture barrier that contains the moisture, condensation, and spills to the interior volume and the absorbent material. The interior surfaces of the disposable beverage container sleeve absorb moisture, condensation, and spills from the beverage container while keeping the exterior surfaces dry.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/723,562 filed on Aug. 28, 2018. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to beverage container holders. More particularly, the present invention provides for a disposable beverage container sleeve that contains moisture, condensation, and spills and provides a user with a dry surface with which to hold a beverage container.
Many people enjoy an ice-cold drink on a hot summer's day. The large differential in temperature between the cold contents of the beverage container and the warmer outside temperatures can cause condensation to form on the exterior surface of the beverage container. When an individual holds a beverage container, such as a glass, covered in condensation, their hands get wet and the glass can be more difficult to grasp. In some situations, the glass becomes slick with moisture and condensation, and the individual may drop the glass resulting in a spilled beverage, and possibly a broken container. Over time, such condensation can accumulate and flow down the sides of the container, pooling at the base. Such pooling can result in staining and water rings to form when the beverage container is placed on a susceptible surface such as the wood of a dining room table, coffee table or night stand.
Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to beverage container holders. These include devices that have been patented and disclosed in patent application publications. However, the devices in the known art have several drawbacks. Some people attempt to battle condensation by wrapping large amounts of paper-towels and napkins around the beverage container, resulting in a large mass of wet paper products. Such a mass of paper products is wasteful and does not effectively protect the user's hands where large amounts of condensation are present as the paper products trap the moisture and have no moisture barrier, thereby resulting in the moisture seeping through. Traditional coasters can be used to protect a surface of a piece of furniture, but such coasters are not always available, and only protect the furniture from the bottom of the beverage container. Additionally, traditional coasters do not secure to the beverage container. Therefore, when an individual picks-up the beverage container, the user is not protected from the condensation. Additionally, where the user desires to put the beverage down in a new location, the individual must first retrieve the coaster and position it in the new location prior to setting down the beverage. Other beverage container holders fit over beverage containers but are not disposable. Such beverage container holders are expensive to produce and are not always available as they typically are not carried by individuals at all times.
The present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing beverage container holders. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of beverage container holders now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a disposable beverage container sleeve wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when holding and/or transporting wet beverage containers. The present disposable beverage container sleeve comprises a body which includes a base and at least one sidewall extending from a perimeter of the base, defining an interior volume. The interior volume of the body is sized to receive a beverage container. The base and the at least one sidewall have an interior surface and an exterior surface. The interior surface of the base and the at least one sidewall have an absorbent material that absorbs moisture, condensation, and spills from the beverage container. The exterior surface of the base and the at least one sidewall have a moisture barrier that contains the moisture, condensation, and spills to the interior volume and the absorbent material. The interior surfaces of the disposable beverage container sleeve absorb moisture, condensation, and spills from the beverage container while keeping the exterior surfaces dry.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable beverage container sleeve.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable beverage container sleeve, in use.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of an embodiment of the disposable beverage container sleeve, with a focus on various layers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the disposable beverage container sleeve. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for the disposable beverage container sleeve. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable beverage container sleeve. The disposable beverage container sleeve 100 comprises a body 110 which includes a base 120 and at least one sidewall 130 extending from a perimeter 140 of the base 120, defining an interior volume 150. In the shown embodiment, the base 120 is circular. In such an embodiment a diameter of the base 120 is sized to be larger than a diameter of a beverage container (as shown in FIG. 2, 200). In such a manner, the bottom of the beverage container can rest on top of, and inside a diameter of, the base 120 of the disposable beverage container sleeve 100. In one embodiment, the body 110 is comprised of materials which are biodegradable, wherein the materials are capable of being broken down by micro-organisms, composting, and similar processes. In another embodiment, the body 110 is comprised of materials which are recyclable. In such an embodiment, the recyclable materials are those materials that are able to be processed by a recycling plant and reused, such as paper, plastic, paperboard, polystyrene, and other similar materials. In such embodiments, the body 110 is configured to be safe for the environment and reduces waste when disposed of after use.
The interior volume 150 of the body 110 is sized to receive a beverage container. The interior volume 150 of the body 110 is sized such that the at least one sidewall 130 is in contact with the sides of the beverage container. In one embodiment, the at least one sidewall 130 is angled and contoured to match the angles and contours of the beverage container. In various embodiments, the at least one sidewall 130 is sized to extend up and along the sides of the beverage container, thereby covering various heights thereof. In such a manner, the at least one sidewall 130 can be customized to provide ample coverage of the side of the beverage container while minimizing the amount of material needed.
In three such embodiments, the at least one sidewall 130 is sized to extend up and along ¼, ½, and ¾ of the height of the beverage container. In the embodiment in which the at least one sidewall 130 extends up and along ¼ of the height of the beverage container, a large portion of the beverage container is left exposed, thereby providing the benefit of allowing a user to determine how much of the beverage is left in the beverage container by sight. However, in such an embodiment a small portion of the beverage container is covered by the at least one sidewall 130 thereby leaving limited space in which a user can grasp the at least one sidewall 130, and similarly providing limited absorption of condensation as the at least one sidewall 130 does not cover a large portion of the beverage container. On the other hand, in the embodiment in which the at least one sidewall 130 extends up and along ¾ of the height of the beverage container, the extended length of the at least one sidewall 130 provides the benefits to the user of a large amount of space in which to grasp the at least one sidewall 130, and a large amount of coverage of the beverage container by the at east one sidewall 130, thereby providing more absorption of condensation. This additional coverage provides more stability, and in some embodiments, provides a larger surface onto which indicia, such as a corporate logo, is placed. The embodiment in which the at least one sidewall 130 extends up and along ½ of the height of the beverage container provides the benefit of providing the user with ample surface area in which to comfortably grasp the at least one sidewall 130, as well as coverage of the surface of the beverage container such that condensation can be absorbed, but also leaves a sizeable portion of the beverage container exposed so as not to interfere with the aesthetics of the beverage container, and also allows the user to determine the amount of the beverage remaining in the beverage container. Such a variety of heights in the at least one sidewall 130 in various embodiments allows a user to customize the size and coverage of the beverage container that the user requires.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a perspective view of an embodiment of the disposable beverage container sleeve, in use. The base 120 and the at least one sidewall 130 have an interior surface 210 and an exterior surface 220. The interior surface 210 of the base 120 and the at least one sidewall 130 comprise an absorbent material (as shown in FIG. 3, 300). In various embodiments, the absorbent material comprises an absorbent powder, a fiber, or a gel, or a combination thereof. The absorbent powder and/or gel provides the benefit of being able to be added onto a surface of the absorbent material, whereas the absorbent fiber provides the benefit of being able to be integrated into the absorbent material itself. In another embodiment, the absorbent material is a sponge. In such a manner the absorbent material is able to absorb moisture, condensation, and spills.
The exterior surface 220 of the base 120 and the at least one sidewall 130 have a moisture barrier that contains the moisture, condensation, and spills to the interior volume and the absorbent material. The moisture barrier is configured to confine any moisture to one side of the barrier and will not allow moisture to pass therethrough. In the shown embodiment, the moisture barrier is on a surface of the absorbent material, opposite the interior volume. In such a manner, moisture absorbed by the absorbent material is confined to the absorbent material, and interior volume, and is not able to pass through the moisture barrier. In one embodiment, the exterior surface 220 is comprised of wax paper, which is a paper product wherein wax, a hydrophobic material, is disposed on one side of the paper. In such an embodiment, the waxed side of the paper is disposed adjacent to the absorbent material, such that the wax is the moisture barrier as moisture is unable to pass through a layer of wax to the paper.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an exploded view of an embodiment of the disposable beverage container sleeve, disposed on a clear glass containing a beverage. In various embodiments, the body 110 comprises a plurality of layers. The plurality of layers can separately provide distinct roles. In one embodiment the absorbent material 300 is one layer and the moisture barrier 310 is a separate layer. Such a division of layers ensures that the moisture barrier 310 is not penetrated by the absorbent material 300. In various embodiments additional layers are utilized. For example, in the shown embodiment, a textured layer 320 is disposed on the exterior surface 220 of the body 110. Such a textured layer 320 provides a user with greater surface area, and therefore aids the user in gripping and holding the disposable beverage container sleeve. Further, in the shown embodiment, the textured layer 320 is disposed on an opposing side of the moisture barrier 310 as the absorbent material 300. Such a configuration of layers ensures that the exterior surface 220 remains dry as moisture, condensation, and spills are confined to the absorbent material 300 and interior volume by the moisture barrier. In such a manner, the interior surfaces of the disposable beverage container sleeve absorb moisture, condensation, and spills from the beverage container while keeping the exterior surfaces dry.
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

I claim:

1) A disposable beverage container sleeve, comprising:

a body including a base and at least one sidewall extending from a perimeter of the base, defining an interior volume;

the interior volume sized to receive a beverage container;

the base and the at least one sidewall having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

the interior surface of the base and the at least one sidewall comprising an absorbent material;

the exterior surface of the base and the at least one sidewall comprising a moisture barrier.

2) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the base is circular.

3) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the body is biodegradable.

4) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the body is recyclable.

5) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall is sized to extend up and along ¼ of a height of a beverage container.

6) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall is sized to extend up and along ½ of a height of a beverage container.

7) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the at least one sidewall is sized to extend up and along ¾ of a height of a beverage container.

8) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material is a sponge.

9) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material comprises an absorbent powder.

10) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material comprises an absorbent fiber.

11) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the absorbent material comprises a gel.

12) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the body comprises plurality of layers.

13) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the moisture barrier comprises wax paper.

14) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein an exterior surface of the moisture barrier is dry to the touch.

15) The disposable beverage container sleeve of claim 1, wherein the textured layer is disposed on an opposing side of the moisture barrier as the absorbent material.