PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application claims priority to Singapore patent application no. 10201705560 .

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates broadly, but not exclusively, to a sleeve for a beverage holder and methods for manufacturing a sleeve for a beverage holder.

BACKGROUND

A common beverage holder sleeve is used as an insulator to protect the fingers from the heat of the beverage. It is typically constructed in an inverted cone shape such that it fits around the body of a typical frustoconical shaped beverage cup, allowing the user to hold the cup vertically.

As such, the material from which the sleeve is made must be cut in a fan shape to form the inverted cone form of the sleeve. Further, most coffee sleeves are produced with a paper material, and glue must be used, or the ends must be cut in a complex slit-and-arrow form to give it its circular form.

Thus production on a large scale of the conventional beverage holder sleeve could only be done by specialized factories with the required tools and machinery to glue the ends together or cut the fan shape with a complex slit-and-arrow form. This means that the initial setup of the production is expensive, so the price for small batch productions is an issue. Further, nowadays it is very popular for coffee lovers to make custom beverage holder sleeves, but when beverage holder sleeves were required on a personal consumer level, it is common to obtain generic store-bought beverage holder sleeves, break it down and reconstruct it to have the desired shape. This meant that it was especially expensive and troublesome if more than one size was required, meaning surplus needed to be produced for multiple sizes.

There is evidently a need for a revised design that functions as a beverage holder sleeve, is aesthetically pleasing, cost effective, easy to produce on a small scale and operationally easy to use. SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, there is provided a sleeve for a beverage holder, the sleeve comprising: a flexible material having an at least substantially rectangular shape with a first end and a second end opposite the first end; and one or more connecting members configured to connect the first end and the second end together so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder.

According to a second aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a sleeve for a beverage holder, the method comprising: providing a flexible material; shaping the flexible material into an at least substantially rectangular shape with a first end and a second end opposite the first end;

providing one or more connecting members; connecting the first end and the second end together using the one or more connecting members so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments and implementations are provided by way of example only, and will be better understood and readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from the following written description, read in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method of manufacturing a sleeve for a beverage holder according to various embodiments;

Figures 2a to 2d show examples of conventional beverage holder sleeves according to various embodiments;

Figures 3a and 3b show an illustration of how a flexible material of the present invention may be shaped according to an embodiment;

Figures 4 to 7 shows illustrations of sleeves of the present invention formed according to the embodiment of Figure 3; and Figure 8 to 14 shows further illustrations of how a sleeve of the present invention may be formed according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

Various embodiments provide methods of manufacturing a sleeve for a beverage holder, and products thereof.

A sleeve for a beverage holder is a piece of material that wraps around and fits over a beverage holder, where the beverage holder preferably has an at least substantially frustoconical body. The beverage holder can be, for example, a paper or Styrofoam or plastic coffee cup, a tumbler, an at least substantially frustoconical shaped mug or any other similar beverage holder.

Conventional beverage holder sleeves are typically cut in a fan shape to form the inverted-cone frustoconical form, as shown in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c. Figures 2a and 2b each shows a variant of a conventional beverage holder sleeve with an arrow-and-slit form, such that both ends of the sleeve are brought together by inserting the arrow(s) 202 into the slit(s) 204 to give the sleeve its frustoconical form. In another example of a conventional beverage holder sleeve shown in Figure 2c, sections 206 and 208 of the sleeve are connected together by an adhesive material such as glue to form the frustoconical form. As a result, the conventional sleeve 210 wraps around a beverage holder 212 as shown in Figure 2d. Due to the fan shape, production on a large scale of such sleeves can only be done by specialized factories with the required tools and machinery to cut the fan shape, at times made more difficult with the complex slit-and-arrow form.

However, according to various embodiments, a sleeve for a beverage holder can be manufactured with an at least substantially rectangular shape. Such an at least rectangular shape is much easier to achieve as opposed to the typical fan shape and also obviates the need for complex machinery to cut the typical fan shape of conventional sleeves.

According to various embodiments, methods and products are provided with which a sleeve for a beverage holder can be manufactured with an at least substantially rectangular shape. In an example, a flexible material is provided. The flexible material is shaped into an at least substantially rectangular shape with a first end and a second end opposite the first end. One or more connecting members are also provided. The first end and second end are then connected together using the one or more connecting members so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder.

Advantageously, the various embodiments can provide a boost in terms of time savings and greater efficiency in manufacturing the beverage holder sleeve of the present invention.

Exemplary Embodiments Embodiments will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings. Like reference numerals and characters in the drawings refer to like elements or equivalents.

Figure 1 shows a flow diagram 100 illustrating a method of manufacturing a beverage holder sleeve according to various embodiments. In step 102 of the flow diagram 100, a flexible material is provided. The flexible material refers to any material that is flexible such that it can be wrapped around a beverage holder. Such a material can be, for example, paper, cardboard, cloth, rubber, plastic or any other suitable material.

In step 104 of the flow diagram 100, the flexible material is shaped into an at least substantially rectangular shape with a first end and a second end opposite the first end. In an embodiment as shown in Figure 3a, the flexible material 301 is shaped into a rectangular design, with a first end 302 and a second end 304 opposite the first end 302. In another embodiment, the flexible material may be shaped into a substantially rectangular design such as shown in Figure 6, where shaded portions of a first end 602 and a second end 604 of a flexible material 601 are cut out, forming a substantially rectangular shape. In yet another embodiment, the flexible material may be shaped into a substantially rectangular design such as shown in Figure 7, where the shaded portions of a first end 702 and a second end 704 of a flexible material 701 are cut out, forming a substantially rectangular shape. It will be appreciated that other variations of the substantially rectangular design can be formed. Advantageously, the substantially rectangular design is more easily formed in contrast to the fan-shape design of the conventional beverage holder sleeve and obviates the need for complex machinery to cut the typical fan shape of conventional sleeves.

In step 106 of the flow diagram 100, one or more connecting members are provided. The one or more connecting members may be any material or any section of the flexible material that can be used for connecting the first end and second end of the flexible material with each other. In an embodiment as shown in Figure 3a, wherein the flexible material 301includes a first edge 314 disposed along a longitudinal axis of the flexible material 301 and a second edge 316 opposite the first edge 314, the one or more connecting members comprise a first slit 306 on the first edge 314 at the first end 302 and a second slit 308 on the second edge 316 at the second end 304 of the flexible material 301, such that the first slit 306 slides into the second 308 to connect the first end 302 and the second end 306 together. In an embodiment as shown in Figure 8, the one or more connecting members may comprise an adhesive material such as, for example, glue, double-sided tape or other similar material that can be applied to a first end 802 and a second end 804 of a flexible material to join both ends together, so the flexible material wraps around a beverage holder. In an embodiment as shown in Figure 9, the one or more connecting members comprise one or more rigid materials 906 such as, for example, staples, clips, pins, hook-and-loop fasteners or other similar materials for fastening a first end 902 and a second end 904 of a flexible material together, so that the flexible material wraps around a beverage holder. In an embodiment as shown in Figure 10 of a flexible material 1001, a first connecting member of the one or more connecting members is a section 1006 of a first end 1002 of the flexible material 1001, and a second connecting member of the one or more connecting members is a section 1008 of a second end 1004 of the flexible material 1001. In an embodiment as shown in Figure 11 of a flexible material 1101, a first connecting member of the one or more connecting members is a section 1106 of a first end 1102 of the flexible material 1101, and a second connecting member of the one or more connecting members is a section 1108 of a second end 1104 of the flexible material 1101.

In step 108 of the flow diagram 100, the first end and the second end are connected together using the one or more connecting members so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder. In the embodiment as shown in Figure 3a, the first connecting member of the one or more connecting members, which is the first slit 306, and the second connecting member of the one or more connecting members, which is the second slit 308, are configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds a beverage holder. In a variation of the present embodiment, as shown in Figure 3b, small incisions 310 and 312 can be cut, such that the first slit 306 is connected at its end to a first incision 310, and the second slit 308 is connected at its end to a second incision 312. The first incision 310 is disposed at an angle from the end of the first slit 306, where the angle is preferably approximately 90 or 270 degrees from the end of the first slit 306. Similarly, the second incision 312 is disposed at an angle from the end of the second slit 308, where the angle is preferably approximately 90 or 270 degrees from the end of the second slit 308. In an embodiment, the incisions 310 and 312 can be replaced with small holes instead. Advantageously, these small incisions or holes can act as non-slip mechanisms to hold the ends of the sleeve in place when the slits are connected into each other. Usually, the beverage holder sleeve can maintain its shape and not slip easily from the beverage holder. However, there may exist situations where this is not so, for instance when the beverage holder surface is slippery, or the surrounding atmosphere is too dry, or any other situation that may cause the beverage holder sleeve to be unable to maintain its shape and slip from the beverage holder. As an example, when a beverage holder contains a cold beverage, condensation over the beverage holder body may cause the beverage holder body surface to become slippery, causing the beverage holder sleeve to slip. In such situations, the small incisions or holes can provide additional holding power to prevent the beverage holder sleeve from slipping. Figure 4 further illustrates how the flexible material 301 can be formed into a sleeve for a beverage holder. The first slit 306 is being slide into the second slit 308, such that the first end 302 and the second end 304 of the flexible material 301 are connected together so that a beverage holder sleeve 320 is formed. As can be seen in Figure 4, when a frustoconical-shaped beverage holder 212 is inserted into the sleeve 320, the sleeve 320 surrounds the body of the beverage holder 212 diagonally relative to a longitudinal axis of the beverage holder 212.

The first end 302 and second end 304 of the beverage holder sleeve 320 are connected such that both ends are exposed to the exterior of the sleeve. In a variation of the sleeve as shown in Figure 5, the ends of the sleeve can be connected such that both ends are not exposed to the exterior, but instead facing the interior as depicted by a sleeve 520 in Figure 5.

In the embodiment of Figure 8, where the one or more connecting members comprise an adhesive material, the first end 802 and the second end 804 of a flexible material are connected together by application of the adhesive material either one or both of first end 802 and second end 804, thus forming a beverage holder sleeve 820. In an example where the adhesive material is glue or a double-sided tape, the adhesive material is preferably applied when the flexible material is wrapped around the beverage holder 212, so that the flexible material takes the shape of the beverage holder when the adhesive is applied at the ends of the flexible material. This enables the completed beverage holder sleeve 820 to assume the body shape of the beverage holder 212. As can be seen in Figure 8, the sleeve 820 surrounds the body of the beverage holder 212 diagonally relative to a longitudinal axis of the beverage holder 212.

In the embodiment of Figure 9, where the one or more connecting members comprise the one or more rigid materials 906, the first end 902 and the second end 904 of the flexible material are brought into proximity with each other and connected together by utilising the rigid materials 906 to fasten the first end 902 and second end 904 together, thus forming a beverage holder sleeve 920. In an example where the one or more rigid materials comprise staples, clips or pins, the rigid materials are preferably applied onto the ends 902 and 904 when the flexible material is wrapped around the beverage holder 212 or other similarly shaped body, such that the flexible material takes the shape of the beverage holder when the rigid material is applied at the ends of the flexible material. This enables the completed beverage holder sleeve 920 to maintain a frustoconical shape similar to the beverage holder 212. In an example where the rigid material is a hook and loop fastener, the fastener can be applied on the first end 902 and the second end 904 without first wrapping the flexible material around the beverage holder 212, since a hook and loop fastener can allow both ends to be releasably connected to each other and therefore easily adjustable to fit the sleeve 920 with the beverage holder 212. As can be seen in Figure 9, the sleeve 920 surrounds the body of the beverage holder 212 diagonally relative to a longitudinal axis of the beverage holder 212.

In the embodiment of Figure 10, where the first connecting member of the one or more connecting members is the section 1006 of the first end 1002 of the flexible material 1001, and the second connecting member of the one or more connecting members is the section 1008 of the second end 1004 of the flexible material 1001, the first end 802 and the second end 804 of the flexible material are brought into proximity with each other and connected together by twisting the section 1006 and the section 1008 together, such that the first end 1002 and the second 1004 are intertwined together, thereby constructing a beverage holder sleeve 1020. The twisting can be applied when the flexible material 1001 is wrapped around the beverage holder 212, so that the flexible material 1001 takes the shape of the beverage holder 212 when the ends of the flexible material are intertwined together. Alternately, the twisting can be done without first wrapping the flexible material 1001 around the beverage holder 212, and when the completed sleeve 1020 is fitted onto the body of the beverage holder 212, further twisting can be done so that sleeve 1020 fits the body of the beverage holder 212 more tightly. As can be seen in Figure 10, the sleeve 1020 surrounds the body of the beverage holder 212 diagonally relative to a longitudinal axis of the beverage holder 212.

In the embodiment of Figure 11, where the first connecting member of the one or more connecting members is the section 1106 of the first end 1102 of the flexible material 1101, and the second connecting member of the one or more connecting members is the section 1108 of the second end 1104 of the flexible material 1101, the first end 1102 and the second end 1104 of the flexible material are brought into proximity with each other and connected together by tying the section 1106 and the section 1108 together, such that the first end 1102 and the second 1104 forms a knot, thereby constructing the beverage holder sleeve 1120. In Figure 11, the constructed beverage holder sleeve 1120 is tied into a knot that resembles a traditional Japanese kimono sash. It will be understood that the ends 1102 and 1108 can be tied into many other different types of knots to construct the beverage holder sleeve 1120. As can be seen in Figure 11, the sleeve 1120 surrounds the body of the beverage holder 212 diagonally relative to a longitudinal axis of the beverage holder 212.

It will be understood that it is possible to implement combinations of the above methods of manufacturing the beverage holder sleeves, such as using the rigid material such as staples to fasten the ends of a beverage holder sleeve, where these ends are connected via the first and second slits or by tying both ends together. The beverage holder sleeve of the present invention can be customised to provide better functionality. In an embodiment as shown in Figure 12, based on the beverage holder sleeve 320, a layer of material 1222 can be introduced between the beverage holder sleeve 320 and the beverage holder 212. The layer of material 1222 may differ according to the functionality that is desired. For example, the layer of material 1221 can be a thermal resistant material so that a user of the beverage holder will not get his or her fingers burnt when the beverage holder 212 contains a beverage of a high temperature. In another example, the layer of material may be a moisture resistant material to improve the reusability of the beverage holder sleeve 320. In yet another example, the layer of material may be a moisture absorbent material to absorb moisture and condensation when the beverage holder 212 contains a cold beverage. While the beverage holder sleeve 320 is used in this embodiment, it will be understood that the additional layer of material 1222 can be applied to all other beverage holder sleeves as described in the present specification.

In another embodiment as shown in Figure 13, a flexible material 1301 is first folded in half to construct a beverage holder sleeve 1320, such that flexible material 1301 has two folded layers. Thereafter, the additional layer of material 1222 can be inserted between the two folded layers of the flexible material 1301 so that the layer of material 1301 is in contact with the beverage holder sleeve 1320 and not in contact with the beverage holder 212. Advantageously, the beverage holder sleeve 1320 will be stronger since it now comprises two layers of the flexible material instead of one. While the beverage holder sleeve 1320 is constructed in essentially the same way as the beverage holder sleeve 320, for example by connecting both ends of the flexible material with a first slit on a first end of the flexible material and a second slit on a second end of the flexible material, it will be understood that all other variations of the manufacturing methods of the beverage holder sleeves as described in the present specification can also be used for this embodiment.

In yet another embodiment as shown in Figure 14, yet another additional layer of material 1422 can be introduced to form a beverage holder sleeve 1420 of better functionality. In this embodiment, the additional layer of material 1422 may be of the same material as the flexible material, or any other material such as a thermal resistant material, moisture absorbent material, moisture resistant material or any other material that may provide better functionality of the beverage holder sleeve 1420. Therefore, the beverage holder sleeve 1420 may have two additional layers of material 1422 and 1222, where the layer of material 1422 in contact with the beverage holder sleeve 1420 may be thermal resistant, and the layer of material 1222 in contact with the beverage holder 212 may be moisture absorbent. While the beverage holder sleeve 1420 is constructed in essentially the same way as the beverage holder sleeve 320, for example by connecting both ends of the flexible material with a first slit on a first end of the flexible material and a second slit on a second end of the flexible material, it will be understood that all other variations of the manufacturing methods of the beverage holder sleeves as described in the present specification can also be used for this embodiment. It is also understood that any number of additional layers of materials can be introduced into the beverage holder sleeve as required.

While the beverage holder sleeve of the present invention preferably has a rectangular shape so as to facilitate ease of construction, especially during mass production, it is still possible for the beverage holder sleeve to be customised in terms of aesthetics if desired, such as the embodiment as shown in Figure 6. A rectangular shaped flexible material 601 comprises a first edge 614 along a longitudinal axis of the flexible material 601 and a second edge 616 opposite the first edge 614, a third edge 632 along a lateral axis of the flexible material 601 and a fourth edge 634 opposite the third edge 632, a first end 602 and a second end 604. In the present embodiment, the third edge 632 and the fourth edge 634 has shaded portions that are cut away, so that the edges 632 and 634 forms a heart shape when the ends 602 and 604 are connected together to form a beverage holder sleeve 620 as shown in Figure 6. While the beverage holder sleeve 620 is constructed in essentially the same way as the beverage holder sleeve 320, for example by connecting both ends of the flexible material with a first slit on a first end of the flexible material and a second slit on a second end of the flexible material, it will be understood that the cutouts can also be applied to all other variations of the manufacturing methods of the beverage holder sleeves as described in the present specification. In another embodiment as shown in Figure 7, cutouts of a different design are made at edges 732 and 734, such that a butterfly shape is formed by the edges 732 and 734 when the first end 702 and the second end 704 are connected together. In a further customisation, an attachable material 728 can be configured to attach to flexible material 701 at or around a location at which the first end 702 and the second end 704 connect to each other. In the present embodiment, the attachable material 728 is shaped like a butterfly antenna and attached at the top centre location of the butterfly shape where the first end 702 and second end 704 are connected. The attachable material may also take other forms such as a small flag, where words can be written on the flag. This is advantageous in the food services industry, where a customer's name or table number can be written on the flag so that a waiter or waitress can identify who or where the drinks should be served, as well as providing personalisation of the beverage to the customer. It will be understood that many other different designs can be used for the cutouts and attachable material. Further, the cutouts may also be disposed along the first and/or second edges of the flexible material, for example in the form of long decorative edges along the longitudinal axis of the flexible material. Further described below are statements applying to various embodiments of the present invention. Statement 1. A sleeve for insulating a beverage holder, comprising: a flexible material having a first edge along a longitudinal axis of the flexible material, the flexible material comprising a first slit on the first edge and a second slit on a second edge opposite the first edge, wherein the first slit and the second slit of the flexible material are configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder.

Statement 2. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 1, wherein the flexible material is configured to surround the beverage holder diagonally relative to the longitudinal axis of the beverage holder.

Statement 3. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 2, wherein the flexible material is configured to surround the beverage holder diagonally relative to a longitudinal axis of the beverage holder and towards an opening of the beverage holder.

Statement 4. The sleeve in accordance with any one of Statements 1 to 3, wherein at least one of a third edge along a lateral axis of the flexible material and a fourth edge opposite the third edge comprises a cut-out.

Statement 5. The sleeve in accordance with any one of the above Statements, further comprising: an attachable material configured to attach to the flexible material.

Statement 6. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 5, wherein the attachable material is configured to attach to the flexible material at or around a location at which the first slit and the second slit are configured to connect to each other.

Statement 7. A sleeve for insulating a beverage holder, comprising: a flexible material having a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are so configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder diagonally relative to a longitudinal axis of the beverage holder.

Statement 8. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 7, wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is configured to receive an adhesive material which is configured to connect the first portion and the second portion each other.

Statement 9. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 7, wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is configured to receive a rigid material which is configured to connect the first portion and the second portion each other.

Statement 10. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 7, wherein a section of the first portion is configured to connect around a section of the second portion so as to intertwine the first portion and the second portion.

Statement 11. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 7, wherein a section of at least one of the first portion and the second portion is configured to connect to the other of the first portion and the second portion at a first point of the first portion and a second point of the second portion so as to form a knot.

Statement 12. The sleeve in accordance with any one of Statements 7 to 11, wherein the flexible material is configured to surround the beverage holder diagonally relative to the longitudinal axis of the beverage holder and towards an opening of the beverage holder.

Statement 13. The sleeve in accordance with any one of Statements 7 to 12, further comprising: a layer of thermal insulating material in contact with the flexible material; wherein the first portion and the second portion are so configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder to position the layer of thermal insulating material between the flexible material and the beverage holder.

Statement 14. The sleeve in accordance with any one of Statements 7 to 12, further comprising: a layer of thermal insulating material in contact with the flexible material; wherein the flexible material comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first portion and the second portion are so configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder and positions the layer of thermal insulating material between the first layer and the second layer of the flexible material. Statement 15. The sleeve in accordance with any one of Statements 1 to 6, further comprising: a layer of thermal insulating material in contact with the flexible material, wherein the first slit and the second slit of the flexible material are configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder and positions the layer of thermal insulating material between the flexible material and the beverage holder.

Statement 16. The sleeve in accordance with any one of Statements 1 to 6, further comprising: a layer of thermal insulating material in contact with the flexible material, wherein the flexible material comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first slit and the second slit of the flexible material are so configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder and positions the layer of thermal insulating material between the first layer and the second layer.

Statement 17. The sleeve in accordance with any one of Statements 1 to 6, wherein the flexible material comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer comprises a thermal insulating material.

Statement 18. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 16 or 17, further comprising: a layer of moisture absorbing material in contact with the flexible material, wherein the first slit and the second slit of the flexible material are so configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder and positions the layer of moisture absorbing material between the flexible material and the beverage holder.

Statement 19. The sleeve in accordance with any one of Statements 7 to 12, wherein the flexible material comprises a first layer and a second layer, wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer comprises a thermal insulating material. Statement 20. The sleeve in accordance with Statement 14 or 19, further comprising: a layer of moisture absorbing material in contact with the flexible material, wherein the first portion and the second portion are so configured to connect to each other so that the flexible material surrounds the beverage holder to position the layer of moisture absorbing material between the flexible material and the beverage holder.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the present invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive.