Cup holder sleeve

Abstract

A cup holder sleeve is provided with a hanger for suspending a sleeve and cup combination from objects (e.g. shopping carts). The sleeve includes a body and a hanger connected to the body. The hanger is deformable to define a hook. The sleeve is expandable to receive the cup and collapsible to a substantially flat configuration for storage. When the body is flat, the sleeve is substantially co-planer. The hanger may be made using an elongate hanger element, such as a deformable strip of aluminium, extending from an upper edge of the body. Preferably, the elongate hanger element is covered in a same material (e.g. paper, foam) used for the body. The body is composed of a material strip material fastened at overlapping ends to define an annular shape. Preferably, the hanger extends from the body at the overlapping ends and may be fastened to the body between the overlapping ends.

1 . A cup holder sleeve comprising:
 a body defining a sleeve for receiving a cup; and   a hanger connected to the body for hanging the sleeve and cup combination.   
   
   
       2 . The cup holder sleeve of  claim 1  wherein the hanger is deformable to define a hook for hanging the sleeve and cup combination. 
   
   
       3 . The cup holder sleeve of  claim 1  wherein the body is expandable to receive the cup and collapsible to a substantially flat configuration for storage. 
   
   
       4 . The cup holder sleeve of  claim 3 , wherein, when the body is flat, the hanger and body are substantially co-planer. 
   
   
       5 . The cup holder sleeve of any one of the preceding claims wherein the hanger comprises an elongate hanger element extending from an upper edge of the body. 
   
   
       6 . The cup holder sleeve of  claim 5  wherein the elongate hanger element comprises a deformable strip of aluminium. 
   
   
       7 . The cup holder sleeve of  claim 5  or  claim 6  wherein the elongate element is covered in a material of the body. 
   
   
       8 . The cup holder sleeve of any one of  claims 5  to  7  wherein the body comprises a strip of material fastened at overlapping ends to define an annular shape for receiving the cup. 
   
   
       9 . The cup holder sleeve of  claim 8  wherein the hanger extends from the body at the overlapping ends. 
   
   
       10 . The cup holder sleeve of  claim 8  wherein the elongate element is fastened to the body between the overlapping ends. 
   
   
       11 . A method of making a cup holder sleeve comprising:
 (a) receiving a strip of material having opposing ends for overlapping to define a body of the sleeve;   (b) receiving an elongate hanger element for defining a hanger, the hanger element having a first end for connecting to the body; and   (c) fastening the overlapping opposing ends of the strip with the end of the elongate element therebetween.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  comprising covering a second end of the hanger element opposing the first end with a material used to define the strip. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein said step of covering is performed before said step of fastening. 
   
   
       14 . A method of using a cup holder sleeve comprising:
 (a) receiving a recyclable/disposable cup holder sleeve having a deformable hanger;   (b) deforming the hanger to hang on an object; and   (c) hanging the cup holder sleeve and a cup received within the sleeve on the object.