Assignment 5A: Coffee Sleeve Patent(s) Analysis

Hi everyone,

So for this week's assignment, I will briefly go over all of the patents that stake claims on the coffee sleeve that we know and love. I will tell a brief summary of each, in order of priority date:

1. US 2661889 A: 
• The priority date is Jul 20, 1948.
• The prior art includes US 1497159 A which refers to a "heat and cold insulating receptacle" to store hot and cold liquids cheaply.
• The product is an insulating jacket with removable cap containing a tearable hole.
• The claim is a summary of the product, saying that the jacket is conically-shaped and closed at the bottom end and open at the top end, attachable to a cap with a tearable hole.
2. US 6152363 A: 
• The priority date is May 3, 1999.
• The prior art is mentioned in the "description of related art." The author of this patent mentions 7 other patents that are similar to his.
• The product is an improved sleeve that the author of this patent quantitatively proves as superior to those previously invented.
• The claims are as follows:
1. A sleeve that is standardized in size, contains air gaps, and depicts a layer of graphics on the second side.
2. The sleeve is made of paperboard of X caliper and Y weight.
3. The air gaps are made of adhesive dots.
4. The air gaps are also made of foam.
5. The air gaps create a distance of Z between sleeve and container.
3. US 6343735 B1: 
• The priority date is May 4, 2000.
• The prior art includes all sleeves previously invented, as they serve the same function and look nearly identical.
• The product is an improved sleeve that provides two "wings" along the side of the sleeve. The main purpose of this product is to provide at least one portion of the sleeve spaced away from the cup. 
• The claims are summarized as follows:
• Claims 1-3 describe the physical structure of the sleeve, explaining the curves and angles associated with the wings as well as the sleeve itself.
• Claim 4 seems to be 60% a replica of Claim 1 but then focusing on the wing as "one portion" angled away from the cup.
• All further claims are more technical details regarding the construction of the sleeve and wings.
4. US 7922031 B1: 
• The priority date is Mar 1, 2006.
• The prior art is not listed. The author claims that this invention is intended for repeated use, so prior art is unnecessary.
• The product is a dual-sleeve mechanism in which the outersleeve is semi-transparent so that the writing on the undersleeve is visible. This makes it possible for customers to write the desired drink on the innersleeve, attach the outersleeve, and hand to barista for order.
• The claims are summarized as follows:
• Claim 1 is a physical description of the product.
• Claims 2-10 are various possible combinations of materials and physical constructions that the patent should cover.
• Claims 11-13 are yet again variations on construction.
5. US 20080078824 A1: 
• The priority date is Aug 23, 2006.
• The prior art includes all sleeves previously invented, as they serve the same function and look nearly identical.
• The product here is actually a method/application as the author presents a system by which a cup is outfitted by his company's designed sleeve. 
• The claims are summarized as follows:
• Claims 1-13 describe the cup insulating system as a sum of parts and the construction itself.
• Claims 14-17 describe the cup protector/sleeve itself and its materials.
• Claims 18-20 describe the insulating ring and its materials.
6. US 8118189 B2: 
• The priority date is Dec 15, 2006.
• The prior art includes all sleeves previously invented, but this invention has a specific function.
• The product is a sleeve with a temperature indicator on it that can predict the temperature of the liquid in the cup with an accuracy of +/- 4 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• The claims are summarized as follows:
• Claim 1 is a physical description.
• Claims 2-17 are variations/combinations by which the temperature indicator can be displayed.
• Claim 18 describes the manufacturing process necessary to build the product.
7. US 20100019023 A1: 
• The priority date is Jul 25, 2008.
• The prior art includes all sleeves previously invented, but this invention has a specific look.
• The product is an ordinary sleeve, but shaped differently to be arch-like. As a result, this design is more efficient and less wasteful.
• The claims are as follows:
• Claim 1 is a very basic description of the product--two edges to the sleeve, with one peaked.
• Claims 2-9 are physical descriptions and construction of the peak/arch.
• Claim 10 is a basic description of the process to make the sleeve.
• Claims 11-15 includes more detailed steps to cutting and creating the sleeve.
• Claim 16 focuses on the sheet material and its construction.
• Claims 17-20 are further details of the sheet material.
8. US 20140151385 A1: 
• The priority date is Feb 6, 2014.
• The prior art includes all sleeves previously invented.
• The product is an ordinary sleeve, but with 3 different layers. The inner layer absorbs water, the middle layer is a film that sticks the inner and outer layers together, and the outer layer is a synthetic fabric to keep the hand dry.
• The claims are as follows:
• Claim 1 is a very basic summary of the sleeve 3-layer composition.
• Claim 2 is a description of the material origins of each layer.
• Claims 3-5 are the physical dimensions of the layers.
• Claim 6 goes into more detail about the sleeve itself and its layers, as well as introducing the concepts of securing and perforation.
• Claims 7-12 expand on the physical dimensions by providing explanations on how the securing and perforation work.