CA2984782A1 - Hand warmer cup sleeve - Google Patents

Description

Hand Warmer Cup Sleeve This invention relates to cup sleeves or cup jackets.
Background Cup sleeves are well known and widely used to insulate the user's hand from the heat of a beverage inside of a container. An example of a cup sleeve is given in patent # CA
2822386. Beverage containers are also known to utilize flexible sleeves, such as is given in patent # CA 2823498. Hand warmers of various designs, both self-heating and unheated, are also widely known and used. An example of a flexible insulating hand warmer is given in patent # CA 2920923.
Additionally, unpatented examples exist of ceramic mugs with integrated ceramic hand pockets, known as "hand warmer mugs".
Previous cup sleeves served to insulate the user's hands from the beverage heat, but do not contain and utilize this heat for warming the hands. Previous hand warmers did not function to simultaneously insulate a beverage container, nor to capture and redirect heat lost from the beverage.
Previous designs of hand warming mugs did not allow removal of the hand warming device, nor did they insulate the mug. Prior to this invention, it is not believed that insulating cup sleeves have been integrated with hand warmers into a single removable insulating hand warming cup sleeve.
Summary of the Invention Fabric or neoprene rubber or other flexible material is shaped into a cover sleeve for a mug or cup or beverage container, in a double layer, with dual openings for hands to be inserted within, for the primary purpose of warming hands by capturing heat lost from the container's heated contents and holding it where it can be absorbed by a single hand or a pair of hands, and for the secondary purpose of reducing heat transfer from the heated beverage and beverage container to the surrounding environment.
While simultaneously heating the hands, this invention provides protection of the user's hands from overheated beverage container surfaces and decreases the rate of heat loss from the heated contained beverage. This invention integrates both the insulating properties of existing cup sleeves and the hand warming properties of existing hand warmer devices, both fabric and ceramic, into one product.

Drawings Figure 1: Main view of cup sleeve with hand openings open, mounted on a sample cup Figure 2: Side view of cup sleeve, mounted on a sample cup Figure 3: Top view of cup sleeve, mounted on a sample cup Figure 4: Main view of empty cup sleeve, removed from the cup Detailed Description With reference to the drawings and the features marked thereon, and in particular Figure 1, the flexible insulated hand warmer cup sleeve is in the form of a double-walled cylinder to encase the vertical sides of a beverage container or cup. It is slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the cup, but is smaller in height than the vertical height of the cup, and utilizes integrated tensioning materials (tensioning bands C and D) to tightly grip the cup around the upper and lower circumferences. The sleeve has an open bottom and an open top.
The double-layer design of the sleeve includes an inner layer B of material against the surface of the cup, and an outer, looser layer A, attached to the inner layer B, with dual openings E and F to the left and right of the centre, for one or two hands to be inserted between the layers, and a space or pocket H between the layers to envelope the hands. This design also provides protection for the hands against a too-hot cup.
The inner layer B of the sleeve runs continuously around the cup, unless the cup handle opening G
(described below) is integrated, and covers much of the vertical surface of the cup with which it is in contact.
The outer layer A of the sleeve runs continuously around the cup for approximately 3/4 of the circumference of the cup only, and is attached at the top and bottom edges to the inner layer B. At the respective ends of outer layer A, hand openings E and F exist for the purpose of allowing insertion of the left and right hands respectively into the hand pocket H
between the outer layer A
and the inner layer B. If the cup handle opening G (described below) is integrated into the sleeve, the cup handle protrudes from the opening between the respective ends of outer layer A.
The hand pocket H formed between the outer layer A and inner layer B runs continuously around the

2 "back" portion of the cup (i.e. the side facing away from the user) from the hand opening E to the other hand opening F, and is loose enough to allow for the insertion of the fingers around the "back"
side of the cup. In this manner, the hands may be wrapped around the circumference of the cup while they are inserted into the hand pocket H between the outer layer A and inner layer B of the sleeve. The outer layer A is larger than the inner layer B, and the outer layer A flares outwards from the cup and from inner layer B at both open ends of outer layer A, expanding in shape to allow the palms of the hands to fit within the hand pocket H.
The outer layer A and/or the inner layer B of the sleeve may be constructed of fleece fabric, neoprene, or other suitable natural or artificial materials, possibly including but not limited to materials which are insulating, stretchy, and/or soft to the touch, both flexible and semi-rigid. The outer layer A and inner layer B may be constructed of different materials, or of the same material.
The layers may be attached to each other with a sewing machine in the case of fabrics, or via alternative methods such as gluing or heat bonding, or molding or forming the layers as a single unit.
For the use of a beverage container or cup with a handle, the invention may include an optional handle opening G through both of the outer layer A and the inner layer B for the cup handle to protrude. The handle opening G increases the safety of the device by allowing access to and use of the cup handle. When the handle opening G is integrated into the sleeve, the sleeve may still be used with a handle-less cup. The handle opening G will not have a handle protruding from it in this case.
For use with a beverage container or cup without a handle, the invention will not need to include the optional handle opening G in the inner layer B, and therefore this version of the sleeve will have the inner layer B running continuously around the circumference of the cup.
The tensioning bands C and D are made of narrow strips of a stretchy, elastic-like material, and are mounted on the inner (cup-facing) surface of the inner layer B of the sleeve.
They function to hold the upper and lower edges of the sleeve in place around the cup circumference, allowing for insertion of one or two hands into the hand openings E and F, and helping to ensure safe use of the product and its cup insulating properties. The tensioning bands C and D are attached to inner layer B
via sewing, gluing or other bonding methods. If outer layer A and inner layer B are made of flexible

3 yet strong, snugly-fitting high friction materials, the addition of the tensioning bands C and D may not be required.
For aesthetic purposes, particularly when using fabrics, outer layer A may come up and over the top edge of inner layer B, attaching to the inner surface of inner layer B instead of to the outer surface of inner layer B, and therefore the top edge of outer layer A will be in contact with the top edge of the outer surface of the cup. In this case, the upper tensioning band C may be attached to the surface of outer layer A such that the tensioning band C is in contact with the top edge of the outer surface of the cup as well. If desired, the same technique may be applied to the lower edge of outer layer A, resulting in the attachment of lower tensioning band D to the lower edge of outer layer A on the side facing, and in contact with, the lower edge of the cup surface.
The sleeve may also include a high-friction material such as a rubber coating on the inner surface of the inner layer B which is positioned against the beverage container or cup outer surface, to increase the friction between the cup and the sleeve and to reduce the risk of the sleeve being unintentionally pulled free of the cup and contained hot beverage. The tensioning bands C and D may be made of a high-friction elastic material, to serve this gripping purpose.
Various sizes of this invention may be used to fit various reusable and disposable beverage containers and cups, including, but not limited to, coffee mugs, tea cups, soup mugs, and disposable beverage/product cups. Sizing of the finished product may be adjusted to allow unusually large hands to fit within hand pocket H.
This invention may potentially include a base under the beverage container, and/or a cover/lid over the beverage or container lid.
Potentially, flexible phase change materials or other insulating materials may be substituted for, or used in conjunction with the fabric of the inner layer B and the outer layer A, for the same purposes, although if the insulating material is a particularly good insulator, the sleeve hand pocket H will not receive any heat to be transferred to the hands.
Additionally, the possible installation of a fastener strap onto the inner layer B and passed through

4 the cup handle may be used to better secure the sleeve to the cup by holding the inner layer B more firmly around the circumference of the cup. This may also serve to close off most of the handle opening G, better insulating the cup.
It is envisioned that the invention could potentially also be produced in a single (outer) layer version, with the outer layer A loose enough to contain a space or pocket H
for two hands, and including the necessary dual openings E and F for hands, without including the inner layer B of material against the surface of the beverage container or cup, and therefore without providing protection for the user's hands against an overheated beverage container or cup.
How to Use The cup is inserted into the sleeve via the open top or via the open bottom.
When using a handled cup and a sleeve with a handle opening G, the handle opening G is aligned with the cup handle and the sleeve is stretched down or up over the protruding handle, securing the upper tensioning band C
across or above the top of the cup handle and the lower tensioning band D
across or below the bottom of the handle. The upper edge of the sleeve is positioned below the upper rim of the cup, ensuring that the upper tensioning band C lies around the circumference of the upper cup rim, but not above the upper cup rim in any location. The lower edge of the sleeve is positioned above the lower rim of the cup, ensuring that the lower tensioning band D lies around the circumference of the lower cup rim, but not below the lower cup rim in any location. The exact position of the sleeve on the cup will depend on the relative heights of the sleeve and the cup, and the selection of sleeve size should be determined by the size of the cup to be used. At all times, the sleeve tensioning bands C
and D must never be loosely fitted to the cup. The tensioning bands C and D
must fit snugly around the circumference of the cup to maximize the adherence of the sleeve to the cup.
When utilizing a handle-less cup, the cup is inserted into the sleeve via the open top or via the open bottom, again positioning the upper edge of the sleeve below the upper rim of the cup, ensuring that the upper tensioning band C lies around the circumference of the upper rim, but not above the upper rim in any location. The lower edge of the sleeve is positioned above the lower rim of the cup, ensuring that the lower tensioning band D lies around the circumference of the lower rim, but not below the lower rim in any location. Again, the sleeve tensioning bands C and D must never be loosely fitted to the cup. The tensioning bands C and D must fit snugly around the circumference of the cup to maximize the adherence of the sleeve to the cup. This is particularly important when utilizing a handle-less cup. For this reason, only tapered handle-less cups should be used, i.e. cups with a larger upper rim diameter and smaller lower rim diameter, as this will reduce the risk of the cup dropping out of the bottom of the sleeve when the sleeve is handled or picked up.
For safety reasons, the empty cup should first be inserted into the sleeve, prior to the cup being filled with a hot beverage. Additionally, the sleeve and cup combination must always be handled with caution, using the cup handle if one is present, and with the bottom of the cup supported, to prevent the cup from exiting the bottom of the sleeve inadvertently. For this reason, the addition of a sleeve base portion positioned beneath the bottom of the cup has been considered, although this may destabilize the cup when it is set onto a surface.
If the sleeve is used on an already-insulated beverage container or cup, the sleeve hand pocket H
will not receive any heat to be transferred to the hands, and the sleeve may not add noticeable insulation levels to an already well insulated cup.
Additional Uses This product may also be used to keep a beverage container's contents cool, while potentially cooling hands simultaneously.
When hands are not inserted into the cover, the invention functions solely as an insulating sleeve for the beverage container.
This invention may also serve as a marketing tool, if produced to include marketing information on the exterior surface of the outer layer A, such as a company logo or other advertising material.
Many further uses of and modifications to the basic design of this invention can be imagined, and this document does not attempt to list them all here, but they are covered in the scope of this patent nonetheless. It is assumed that a competent designer may be able to construct this product, with or without variations or modifications.