US20250011069A1

US20250011069A1 - Flexible Insulating Sleeve

Info

Publication number: US20250011069A1
Application number: US18/347,851
Authority: US
Inventors: Connie Sue Szczypkowski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2023-07-06
Filing date: 2023-07-06
Publication date: 2025-01-09

Abstract

A flexible and elastic sleeve adapted for attachment to squeeze bottles that protect the users from the heat of molten candy, soap, resin, or other liquids up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The sleeve comprising of an external surface and a ridged interior surface. The sleeve may be removed and attached from the squeeze bottles. The sleeve is made from an elastic plastic polymer that minimizes or prevents heat transfer from the sleeve's interior surface to its exterior surface while maintaining the desired flexibility. The interior ridges are spaced to create pockets of air that act to reduce the transfer of heat through convection to the exterior surface of the sleeve.

Description

BACKGROUND

Candy and other confections are often heated to make them pliable and easily manipulated into various shapes. To achieve the desired pliability, temperatures of the confectionary substance may reach temperatures of 300 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side perspective of the sleeve and the ridges therein, according to embodiments.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the interior face of the sleeve, according to embodiments.

FIG. 3A shows a bottom perspective of the sleeve and the circular hole in the center of the bottom face, according to embodiments.

FIG. 3B shows another potential embodiment of said flexible sleeve wherein the bottom face is fully enclosed with no hole.

FIG. 3C shows yet another potential embodiment, where the hole 5 encompasses the full bottom face of said flexible sleeve, resulting in the sleeve forming a tube-like shape.

FIG. 4 shows a side perspective of the sleeve when attached to a squeeze bottle, according to embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of a method of utilizing the flexible heat insulating sleeve.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method of manufacturing the flexible heat insulating sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate various embodiments of an insulating sleeve. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the embodiments should not be construed as being strictly defined/limited in the appended claims of this or subsequent applications.
Candy and other confections are heated to make them pliable and easily manipulatable into desired shapes. The molten confections may reach temperatures in excess of 300 degrees Fahrenheit. This can create a burn risk and discomfort for candy makers when handling the thin silicone squeeze container used to transfer the molten candy into a mold. Moreover, soap making and other small batch goods created by placing a heated fluid into a mold create a substantially similar problem.
Utilizing a barrier between the container and the user's hand greatly reduces this risk. Even in more automated processes, a heat shield may be desirable to protect mechanical parts, sensors, etc. Additionally, a sleeve that attaches to the container provides greater control over the squeeze bottle, which is favorable for candy makers. In one embodiment, the material of said sleeve is an elastic plastic polymer. In other embodiments the material is resin, elastic organic materials, or a hybrid of materials.
In some embodiments, manufacturing of said attachable sleeve consists of consecutively deposited layers of material forming the shape of said sleeve. In other embodiments, said sleeve may be manufactured through the insertion of a heated material into a mold of said sleeve, said sleeve is then removed from said mold and the mold may be reused.
In some embodiments, the sleeve is attached to the squeeze bottle through a twistable locking mechanism, an adhesive, friction, magnetism, a hook and loop fastener, or other mechanisms for attachment. In other embodiments, said sleeve is permanently affixed to a squeeze bottle.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a cylindrical exterior face 1 from the side. The interior face 3 and the ridges 2 may be aligned horizontally around the circumference of the cylindrical sleeve and are described in more detail herein. In some embodiments, each component may be fully integrated and incapable of disassembly, according to embodiments.
FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the interior face 3 of the sleeve. The ridges 2 are shown evenly spaced and sized from the top to the base of the sleeve; however, according to embodiments, ridges 2 and spacing may be less uniform. For example, in some embodiments, the ridges may be designed in a pattern configured to maximize heat draw away from a user's points of contact. For example, according to embodiments, the exterior face 1 may have designated, ergonomically placed points for a user's fingertips and/or hand, and the interior face 3 may include corresponding ridge patterns configured to draw heat away from the fingertips and/or hand. The ridges 2 may protrude from the interior face 3 and may be positioned at a 20 to 120-degree angle, relative to the interior face 3.
FIG. 3A shows one potential embodiment of said flexible sleeve from beneath, the bottom face 4, and a hole 5 may be centered on the bottom face. In embodiments, the hole 5 may have a diameter between 49 and 76 millimeters. According to embodiments, bottom face 4 may include multiple holes 5, and hole(s) 5 may be symmetrically placed, asymmetrically placed, or un-centered.
FIG. 3B shows another potential embodiment of said flexible sleeve wherein the bottom face 4 is fully enclosed with no hole 5. In another embodiment, the bottom face 4 is removable from said flexible sleeve through a twistable locking mechanism, an adhesive, friction, magnetism, a hook and loop fastener, or other mechanisms for attachment. In other embodiments, the bottom face 4 can be detached from the sleeve and replaced with a bottom face 4 which has a different hole 5 diameter.
FIG. 3C shows yet another potential embodiment, where the hole 5 encompasses the full bottom face 4 of said flexible sleeve, resulting in the sleeve forming a tube-like shape.
FIG. 4 shows a side profile wherein the sleeve's exterior face 1 is transparent so that the attached squeeze bottle 6 fitted inside of the sleeve can be visualized.
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart for an example of a method of utilizing the flexible heat insulating sleeve, according to embodiments. The method may begin at 501, where the sleeve is attached to a flexible container that contains a fluid heated to a temperature near to, at, or in excess of 300 degrees Fahrenheit. At 502, a nozzle of said flexible container is directed at a target. At 503, pressure is applied to the insulated flexible container so as to dispense the heated fluid. Said sleeve and said flexible container may then be concurrently moved at 504. At 505, the result of the dispensed heated fluid forming a desired shape and size may be realized.
FIG. 6 shows a flowchart for an example method of manufacturing a flexible heat insulating sleeve, according to embodiments. At 601, a layer of material is deposited in accordance with a predetermined three-dimensional pattern. If, at 602, said layer forms the completed predetermined three-dimensional pattern, then the manufacturing is complete at 604. If, at 602, said layer does not result in the sum of all prior consecutive layers forming the completed predetermined three-dimensional pattern, another layer of material is deposited at 603. The method may then repeatedly add layers until the sum of all prior consecutive layers form the completed predetermined three-dimensional pattern.

Claims

1. A flexible, heat-insulating, sleeve, comprising:

an exterior face;

a base;

an interior surface with ridges.

2. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the material of the sleeve is an elastic-plastic polymer.

3. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the interior wall diameter and sleeve height is adapted for attachment to squeeze bottles.

4. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the ridges are perpendicular to the bottom face.

5. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the ridges are parallel to the bottom face.

6. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the ridges have a slanted orientation in relation to the bottom face.

7. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the ridges include between 15 and 25 ridges.

8. The sleeve, according to claim 7, wherein the ridges allow for pockets of air, the pockets of air reducing the rate of transfer of heat to the exterior surface of the sleeve.

9. The sleeve, according to claim 7, wherein the sleeve is adapted to reduce the heat transfer rate to keep the exterior surface under 120 degrees Fahrenheit at the ten-minute mark from the initial heat contact.

10. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is removably attached to a first squeeze bottle, the first squeeze bottle containing a fluid with a temperature of up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

11. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the midpoint of each ridge is spaced between 2.5 and 4 millimeters apart from the midpoint of the adjacent ridges.

12. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the ridges have a depth between 2.5 and 4 millimeters when measured from peak to trough.

13. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the internal diameter of the sleeve is between 50 and 77 millimeters, when measured from the peak of ridges.

14. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the height, measured from the base to the opposite end of the base, is between 100 and 230 millimeters.

15. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the wall of the sleeve is between 4.0 and 7.0 millimeters when measured from the exterior face to the trough of the ridges.

16. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the base is fully enclosed with a wall thickness between 4.0 and 7.0 millimeters.

17. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the base is fully open.

18. The sleeve, according to claim 1, wherein the base is partially enclosed with an opening between 49 and 76 millimeters.

19. A method of utilizing a flexible, heat-insulating sleeve, the method comprising:

attaching the flexible, heat-insulating sleeve to a flexible container, the flexible container holding a heated fluid with a temperature in excess of 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and wherein the flexible, heat-insulating sleeve includes an exterior face, a base, and an interior surface with ridges;

directing a nozzle of the flexible container at a target;

squeezing the flexible container to dispense the heated fluid; and

moving, concurrently with the squeezing, the flexible container such that the heated fluid creates a desired shape and size of the heated fluid.

20. A method of manufacturing a flexible, heat-insulating sleeve, the method comprising:

depositing consecutive layers of an elastic-plastic polymer in a predetermined pattern adapted for attachment to squeeze bottles;

the sum of each consecutive layer forming a three dimensional object;

the three dimensional object consisting of an exterior face, a base, and an interior surface with ridges.