Fold-Out Cup Sleeve Bottom for Cold Drink Condensation Containment

The patent applies the 'Blessing in disguise' principle by converting the harmful condensation that forms on cold drink cups into a beneficial contained feature. The sleeve design includes a bottom portion with radially extending fingers that fold upward to form a barrier, and an absorbent pad that captures the condensation. Instead of allowing the condensation to drip messily onto surfaces and clothing (harmful effect), the structure channels and contains it within the sleeve (beneficial effect), thus converting the harmful condensation into a managed feature.

The patent applies the 'Segmentation' principle by dividing the bottom portion of the sleeve into multiple radially extending fingers instead of a solid continuous bottom. These fingers are segmented structures that fold upward to create containment barriers. This segmentation achieves effective condensation containment while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, as the segmented design can be easily formed from flat sheet material through standard cutting and folding processes, rather than requiring complex molded or assembled components.

The patent applies the 'Merging (Combining)' principle by integrating the absorbent pad directly into the bottom portion of the sleeve structure. The absorbent pad is combined with the radially extending fingers in a single integrated component rather than being a separate attached element. This merging approach prevents moisture dripping while simplifying manufacturing, as the combined structure can be produced in a single forming operation from flat sheet material, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps to attach a standalone absorbent component.