Foldable Absorbent Cup Sleeve for Heat Insulation and Spill Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cup sleeves provide inadequate thermal insulation and are single-use products that contribute to waste due to their limited functionality and material properties, often requiring additional items like napkins and lid plugs for liquid absorption.
Innovation Solution
A liquid absorbent thermal insulating sleeve that can be folded into a shape to engage with a cup, providing thermal protection and absorbent properties, allowing it to be unfolded as a napkin or towel, and is made from a high-absorbency material like paper towel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If existing cup sleeves are made from paperboard or similar materials, then they provide basic structural support, but they have poor insulating properties and inadequate thermal insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The cup sleeve is constructed from multiple layers of paperboard with different properties. The inner layer is fluted corrugated paperboard providing air pockets for insulation, while the outer layer is smooth paperboard providing structural integrity. This composite structure achieves both thermal insulation and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The sleeve has varying thickness and layering at different locations. The bottom portion has additional layers and a reinforcing ring structure to handle the greatest thermal stress from the cup bottom, while the sides have standard insulation. This localized enhancement optimizes insulation where most needed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If existing cup sleeves are designed as single-use products, then they are simple in structure, but they contribute to waste and require additional disposable items like napkins and lid plugs
Solution Approach 1:
The cup sleeve is designed to perform multiple functions: thermal insulation, liquid absorption, and structural reinforcement. The absorbent inner layer can soak up spills and condensation, eliminating the need for separate napkins. The reinforcing ring provides structural support, reducing the need for additional disposable supports.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate functions into a single integrated structure. The fluted corrugated paperboard serves both as the structural body of the sleeve and as an absorbent material for liquids. The reinforcing ring integrates structural support directly into the sleeve construction rather than requiring separate components.
3Ease of operation
If existing cup sleeves have a symmetrical shape, then they are easy to manufacture, but they fail to provide insulation protection to the natural finger placement of the entire human hand
Solution Approach 1:
The cup sleeve features an asymmetric design with a protruding section that extends beyond the main body. This protrusion is positioned to provide additional insulation and coverage for the thumb and fingers that naturally grip the cup, creating a more ergonomic fit that conforms to hand anatomy rather than requiring a perfectly symmetrical shape.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The sleeve offers effective thermal insulation and liquid absorption, reducing the need for multiple disposable items by combining insulation and absorbency functions into a single reusable product.
Implementation Method 1
The material is a liquid absorbent material, such as a napkin, and the cup sleeve may be utilized as a napkin or paper towel
Implementation Method 2
The cup sleeve includes a material folded into a shape adapted to receive a cup and to engage with an outer circumference of the cup. The material is adapted to provide thermal protection.
Data Source
AI summary
Sleeves for containers (e.g., cups), and methods of manufacturing such sleeves, are presented. The sleeves are configured to be utilized as a thermal protective and liquid absorbent container/cup sleeve, or as a napkin, towel or the like. The sleeves are selectively manually configurable between the container/cup sleeve and napkin configurations. When configured as a container/cup sleeve, the sleeve is formed of at least one sheet of material that is freely folded into an annular shape with an inner cavity adapted to receive a cup container/cup therein, and to engage with an outer periphery of the container/cup. The sheet of material is adapted to provide thermal protection, and is liquid absorbent. In the sleeve configuration, one end portion of the sheet of material is folded over the other end portion such that the sleeve arrangement is maintained and the sleeve includes at least three layers of the material.