Square foldable insulated cup sleeve

Abstract

An insulating cup sleeve is provided. The sleeve can be formed from a blank sheet of material and has a plurality of connected sidewall panels formed into a trapezoidal shape. The formed sleeve has an open top and a bottom end configuration. The end configuration can include major end flaps and minor end flaps, each connected to a lower edge of one of the plurality of sidewall panels. The major end flaps include locking means for placing the end configuration into a locked position. The sleeve can be configured for receiving a container such that when the container is inserted into the sleeve, one or more air gaps are created between the sleeve and container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An insulating sleeve for a container, the sleeve comprising:
 a sidewall foamed from a plurality of hingedly connected sidewall panels;   a plurality of longitudinal ridges, each longitudinal ridge defined longitudinally between two hingedly connected sidewall panels;   a plurality of conformable sidewall panel upper edges, each panel upper edge defined between two longitudinal ridges;   a plurality of generally rigid sidewall panel lower edges, each panel lower edge defined between two longitudinal ridges; and   a bottom end closure comprising at least one end flap.   
     
     
         2 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of sidewall panels has a quadrilateral shape with perimeter defined by two of the longitudinal ridges, one of the conformable sidewall panel upper edges, and one of the generally rigid lower edges. 
     
     
         3 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conformable sidewall panel upper edges define a generally rectangular opening of the insulating sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve has a generally rectangular lower portion. 
     
     
         5 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom end closure comprises two minor end flaps and two major end flaps. 
     
     
         6 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 5 , wherein each minor end flap is connected to a portion of an adjacent major end flap, and wherein each major end flap includes a notched edge configured for interlocking with the notched edge of the opposing major end flap. 
     
     
         7 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 1 , wherein the insulating sleeve is adapted for being maneuvered between a flat position and an open position, wherein the insulating sleeve is in the flat position when the sidewall panels are in an overlapping configuration, and wherein the insulating sleeve is in the open position when the sidewall of the sleeve has a generally rectangular cross section. 
     
     
         8 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 7 , wherein the insulating sleeve is configured for receiving the container when the insulating sleeve is in the open position. 
     
     
         9 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 8 , wherein the conformable sidewall panel upper edges at least partially conform to a container sidewall of the container when the container is received within the insulating sleeve. 
     
     
         10 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 9 , wherein an air gap is defined between at least one of the longitudinal ridges and the container when the container is received by the insulating sleeve. 
     
     
         11 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 10 , wherein the air gap extends an entire height of the longitudinal ridge. 
     
     
         12 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 8 , wherein each of the longitudinal ridges form an angle between the two hingedly connected sidewall panels along an entire height of the longitudinal ridges when the insulating sleeve is in the open position. 
     
     
         13 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 12 , wherein the angle is approximately 90 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 12 , wherein the angle is greater near the sidewall panel upper edges than near the sidewall panel lower edges when the container is received by the insulating sleeve. 
     
     
         15 . An insulating sleeve for a container having a generally frustoconical sidewall, the insulating sleeve comprising:
 a generally rectangular base having perimeter edges;   a plurality of sidewall panels, each of the sidewall panels connected to one of the perimeter edges of the rectangular base and extending upwards therefrom;   a plurality of longitudinal ridges connecting adjacent sidewall panels to one another; and   a generally rectangular open top defined by the sidewall panels;   wherein each of the sidewall panels includes a sidewall upper edge defining the perimeter of the open top and are adapted for generally conforming to the frustoconical sidewall of the container when the container is inserted into the insulating sleeve.   
     
     
         16 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 18 , wherein a plurality of air gaps are created along the longitudinal ridges when said container is inserted into said insulating sleeve. 
     
     
         17 . The insulating sleeve of  claim 19 , wherein the air gaps are larger near the rectangular base than near the open top. 
     
     
         18 . A foldable blank for forming an insulating sleeve for a container, the blank comprising:
 a plurality of sidewall panels connected to one another by longitudinal fold lines;   a bottom end configuration comprising:
 two major end flaps, each hingedly connected to a bottom edge one of the sidewall panels; and 
 two minor end flaps, each hingedly connected to a bottom edge of one of the sidewall panels; 
   wherein each major end flap includes a notched edge.   
     
     
         19 . The foldable blank of  claim 15  further comprising an overlapping panel hingedly connected to one of the sidewall panels. 
     
     
         20 . The foldable blank of  claim 15 , wherein each of the major end flaps includes an intermediate fold line diagonally extending from the bottom edge of the sidewall panel to the notched edge.