Insulating Beverage Container Sleeve and Label

Abstract

The invention relates to a sleeve adapted to slidably receive and engage the outer sidewall of a container such as a cup, a conic object or a cylinder. The sleeve is comprised of a minimum of 40% less material currently used in the industry, by creating a cylinder from a cut, or several cuts of a flat material. The basis of the invention is that current similar objects engage in covering the complete diameter of a cup, conic object or a sleeve in order to engage the outer sidewall. The innovation comprises of using half the circumference plus 5% to 10% depending on the surface and material used—still producing the same result, while saving material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beverage cup sleeve capably of slidably receiving and engaging a beverage container, the sleeve comprising:
 a. a sleeve body manufactured from a flat section of malleable material, the sleeve body comprising a top length, a bottom length, a right edge, a left edge, an outside surface and an inside surface; and   b. one or more slits through the material starting to the right of the left edge and ending to the left of the right edge, a right flap the area between the termination of the slits and the right edge, and a left flap in the area between the termination of the slits and the left edge, the body further comprising strips of material above and below the slits, each slit's length being one half the circumference of a corresponding section of a beverage cup for which the sleeve is manufactured.   
     
     
         2 . The beverage cup sleeve capably of slidably receiving and engaging a beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage cup sleeve is manufactured from a malleable material selected from the group consisting of cardboard, corrugated cardboard, paperboard, plastic mesh, solid plastic, neoprene, cotton and thick fabric. 
     
     
         3 . The beverage cup sleeve capably of slidably receiving and engaging a beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the inside surface, outside surface, or inside and outside surfaces can be printed with ink to show a color, a logo, words, pictures or other pre-determined symbols or shapes. 
     
     
         4 . The beverage cup sleeve capably of slidably receiving and engaging a beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the inside surface, outside surface, or inside and outside surfaces can be receive a label, the label being selected from the group consisting of a logo, a pre-determined set of symbols capably of forming words, pictures or other pre-determined symbols or shapes. 
     
     
         5 . The beverage cup sleeve capably of slidably receiving and engaging a beverage container of  claim 1 , wherein the inside surface, outside surface, or inside and outside surfaces can be embossed with a series of lines, the series of lines creating an image being selected from the group consisting of a logo, words, pictures or other pre-determined symbols or shapes. 
     
     
         6 . A method of manufacturing a beverage cup sleeve, the method comprising the steps of:
 a. stamping or cutting a flat piece of material to create a top, a bottom, and two sides and one or more slits between the two sides, and scoring the material in such a way that the areas above and below the slits can be separated in opposite directions;   b. applying paste to two flaps made up of material between the slits and the each side of the material;   c. separating the material above and below the slits in opposite directions;   d. folding the material along the score marks; and   e. pressing the flaps downward against the adjacent material to result in a round cross-section.