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US 7,111,753 B2Granted
Insulating sleeve for a beverage container
OwnerThomas J. Scheetz, II, Amy D. Downsinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A beverage container insulating sleeve for insulating a user's hand from a cold or hot beverage container while maintaining the serving temperature of the beverage. The material of the sleeve comprises insulating polyethylene foam. The sleeve is a low cost, lightweight, ergonomic, solution for consumers, advertisers, and anyone who sells hot or cold bottled beverages. The sleeve is further conformable to various beverage container styles and shapes due to a plurality of vertical slits formed therein.
Claims12
An insulator for a container having sidewalls, comprising:
- an expansible sleeve defining first and second opposingly oriented openings and a passageway therebetween, wherein the sleeve defines a plurality of expansible slits therein;
- and
- wherein the container is received within the passageway through the first or the second opening, expanding the plurality of slits into an open condition thereby expanding a diameter of the sleeve such that the sleeve conforms to the sidewalls of the container, and wherein the sleeve assumes a collapsed state when the container is not present in the passageway, and wherein in the collapsed state the slits are in a closed condition and the sleeve is deformable into a flattened configuration.
An insulator for a container having sidewalls, comprising:
- an expansible sleeve defining first and second opposing openings and a passageway therebetween, a material of the sleeve defines a plurality of expansible slits therein;
- and
- a substantially non-expansible band region at the first opening;
- wherein a narrower region of the container is received within the passageway through the second opening, expanding the plurality of slits into an open condition such that the sleeve conforms to the sidewalls of the container, wherein insertion of the container into the sleeve continues until the band region exerts an inwardly directed force on the sidewall that prevents further insertion and wherein the sleeve assumes a collapsed state when the container is not present in the passageway, and wherein in the collapsed state the slits are in a closed condition and the sleeve is deformable into a flattened configuration.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.