Drinking Straw

Abstract

The invention relates to a drinking straw which is sealed and/or re-sealable at the ends and which can serve as a supply container for a dry food product or which can comprise multiple parts, and to its use.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE10200700867 filed Feb. 2, 2007.

STATEMENTS REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

N/A

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

N/A

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a drinking straw which can be filled with a food product, a procedure for its production and ways of its use.

2. Description of the Related Art

The prior art presents us with straws in a great variety of forms and uses. DE 20 2005010735 U1 concerns a straw which encases a second straw that is coated with ice. EP 963327 B1 describes a plastic container for liquids which contains a fully floating straw in the inside. It concerns a sealed plastic pouch for liquids where a straw-like object is held inside the container and is floating freely in the liquid contained in the bag. For such plastic containers, straws of a sufficient grade of rigidity are supplied in order to be able to pierce the pouch without having tapered the end of the straw and without any further devices attached to the straw to facilitate its handling and its movement in the container, since such additional measures have other disadvantages in the process of automated production of such containers and their contents. Furthermore, such containers for liquids must be highly hygienic and must be manufactured of a sort of plastic which does not lend any aftertaste (e.g. a sour taste) to the liquid contained therein, especially when the liquid is stored in the container for a long period of time. In addition, the plastic bag is equipped with a sealing around the straw when the latter is inserted and this admission sealing must resist mechanical impact during dispatch and handling.

A disadvantage of this method is that great attention must be paid to the sort of plastic used in order to ensure hygiene and taste neutrality. Additionally, this straw is retained inside the container and so the straw is moistened by the liquid upon piercing the bag.

Patent no. CH 496 428 describes a drinking straw consisting of transparent tubular sections with coils. Patent no. DE 203 09 272 UI concerns an adjustable straw equipped with an alterable admission opening.

Patent no. DE 199 61 725 AI describes a straw which, at a suitable distance from the bottom end has an expanded area with circular or oval radial cross-section. Upon piercing the bag with the straw at the according admission opening this expanded section on the straw causes the opening to widen to a degree that a gap is created between the wall of the container and the straw, which enables pressure balance to be reached.

Patent no. DE 19503 104 AI describes a straw with an area so expanded that it thus provides a container to take in an additional product.

DE 102 28 559 AI concerns a drinking straw with a sealable bellows range.

Patent no. DE 101 50 039 AI relates to a straw clip which enables attaching the straw to any container.

DE 10045 712 C2 describes an add-on device which can be inserted through the sealed admission opening of the container. Conical in shape, upon insertion into the container this device creates a sealing between the edges of the opening on the container and the straw, and thus makes the use of an additional sealing material superfluous.

G 88 11 410.4 concerns a straw containing air-filled floating particles.

Patent no. G 7529 324.2 describes a straw equipped with a pair of mouthpieces at one end, allowing two persons to drink from the same glass.

Disadvantages in the prior art are that straws are either attached to the outside of the respective liquid-filled containers and are likely to get lost or damaged, or that clothing may be contaminated with the liquids by spilling through the straw. Additionally, straws stored in the liquids may release ingredients from the straw material into the liquids.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention was to create a straw which can serve as a supply container for food products enabling long storage and ensuring great storage stability.

The above task is solved by the invention of a straw which, as appropriate, can be a one-piece design manufactured of one material, is sealed and/or re-sealable at the ends and which can serve as a supply container for dry food products. The straw is made out of its own material (no moving parts) in one piece by welding, punching (making the holes on it) and folding/iterating.

In a possible variation on the present invention it is a one-piece design and is equipped with a mouthpiece at each end which is conical and tapering towards the straw. Below this range the straw is deformed by 90° so that a cross-shaped opening is created. This opening is sufficiently large to ensure the flow of liquid inside the straw without exhibiting too much suction resistance. An advantage of this embodiment of the invention is that granules of irregular grain size can be filled in the straw in a greater particle distribution without allowing the smaller granules to fall out.

In a further variant of the invention, the straw is a one-piece design and it is sealed at both ends. One of the ends is welded and, after filling the container with the dry food product, the other end used for filling up is also welded. The welded ends of the straw are rounded off, preventing injuries to the mouth or lips.

In a further preferred embodiment, the straw is manufactured with a single opening, and so one end is already rounded off in the manufacturing process. Openings, holes, or slots are located at the end of the straw, ensuring the flow of liquid through the straw. Additional advantage this embodiment is that granules of irregular grain size can be filled in the container in a greater particle distribution without allowing the smaller granules to fall out.

In another embodiment of the present invention the inner surface of the straw is coated with an antimicrobial agent in order to prolong the shelf-life of the dry food product.

Among antimicrobial agents are preservatives such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid ester, imidazolidinyl urea, formaldehyde, sorbic acid, bronopol, dehydroacetic acid, benzoic acid and salicylic acid.

By the term dry food product we understand substances or mixtures consisting of powders, granules, beads etc. which contain nutritives, vitamins, fruit aromas, natural sugars, thickeners, emulsifiers etc. In the broadest sense of the present invention dry fruit extracts, sherbets, water-soluble vitamins and dietary supplements are all grouped under the term dry food product. Also freeze-dried soups of a specific grain size are defined as dry food product.

The straw, as so far defined in the invention, can be produced of a tubular shape in the shape of other polyhedrons (e.g. octagonal, decahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron or other greater polyhedrons).

In yet another embodiment the straw according to the invention is equipped and brought into alignment with a shaft that holds a connection piece which is connected to a cover cap which fits the end of the straw precisely.

In a further embodiment, the straw as defined in the invention comprises, at at least one location of the upper or lower section, a flexible range, a crease range, an accordion-folded range or a bellows range.

In another embodiment, the straw consists of at least one sealable end, the middle section which encases a dry food product and a flexible range eventually located between the middle section and the sealable range.

In yet another embodiment, the straw according to the invention is attached to a re-useable device made out of a flexible material from the group of flexible range, crease range, accordion-fold range and bellows range and this add-on device is further equipped with a mouthpiece and a re-sealable end-piece.

In yet another variant the straw as described is equipped with at least one section which is flexible.

A further object of the present invention is the procedure for filling the straw described above, whereby the straw, already sealed at one end, is filled with a dry food product under the exclusion of oxygen or under an oxygen content of under 0.9% and the straw is then finally sealed under inert atmosphere. Membranes that dissolve when contacted with liquid are recommended to ensure that the liquid comes into contact with the dry food mixture.

Yet another object of the present invention is the use of the above described straw for storing supplies of dry food products, especially powders which, when contacted with aqueous media, result in a readily drinkable liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained when the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1a is an embodiment of the straw in accordance with the present invention with a flattened grooving in plan view.

FIG. 1b is the straw according to the invention in a longitudinal view rotated by 90° in relation to FIG. 1a.

FIG. 2a is a variation on the straw according to the invention in perspective view.

FIG. 2b is the straw from FIG. 2a rotated 90°.

FIG. 3a is an end-piece according to the invention in plan view.

FIG. 3b is cross-section from FIG. 3a of the end-piece according to the invention.

FIG. 3c is a further embodiment in accordance with the invention in views U and V.

FIG. 4 is an open, resealable end-piece in perspective.

FIG. 5 is a flexible end-piece in perspective.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an end-piece as seen from below.

FIG. 7 is a further variant of the straw according to the invention in a sectional view taken along the line c-c.

FIG. 7a is an embodiment of the straw end range of the straw in FIG. 7 in view W.

FIG. 7b is an enlarged view of and end range from FIG. 7 with circular openings, sectional view taken along the line c-c.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1a shows the straw according to the present invention 1 in plan view and as a sectional view taken along the lines b-b. At the middle section 12 of the straw are located the two straw end ranges 7 and the aligned end-pieces 2. The end-piece 2 within the framed range consists of a cone area 11 tapering outwards which functions as a swirl mixing area and continues in a grooving 3. Beyond the grooving the straw material expands again and leads to the mouthpiece 4. The straw middle section 12 serves as a supply container for dry contents 6.

FIG. 1b illustrates an embodiment in accordance with the invention as shown in FIG. 1a in a longitudinal view and rotated 90°. In this figure the end-piece is presented with a tapering cone area 11 and an expanding mouthpiece 4. The closure 5 is located between end-piece 2 of the straw end 7 and the straw middle section 12. The closure 5 is intended to prevent the contents from falling out, as well as to ensure storage stability of the dry food product. By the term dry food product we understand substances or mixtures consisting of powders, granules, beads etc. which contain nutritives, vitamins, fruit aromas, natural sugars, thickeners, emulsifiers etc. In the broadest sense of the present invention dry fruit extracts, sherbets, water-soluble vitamins and dietary supplements are all grouped under the term dry food product. Also freeze-dried soups of a specific grain size are defined as dry food product.

FIG. 2a shows a further embodiment of the straw according to the present invention 1 with the end-pieces 2 and mouthpieces 4 in perspective.

FIG. 2b shows a further variant of the straw in accordance with the invention 1 in perspective. Here the contents 6 are indicated inside the middle section 12 of the straw 1.

FIG. 3a illustrates the end-piece 2 of a straw according to the invention 1 in an enlarged sectional view. Material thickness 9 lies within a range between 0.01 mm and 0.2 mm. The straw middle section 12, here not represented, continues in the straw end range 7, to which a swirl mixing area 10 is connected. This swirl mixing 10 area stretches from the straw end range 7 to the opening 8 of the mouthpiece 4. This area serves to produce a turbulence of the liquids (water, milk, spirits and the like) in order to ensure a speedy mixing with the contents in the form of granules, powders, beads or similar substances and to speed up the dissolution of the dry contents. The groove 3 divides the end-piece 2 into mouthpiece 4 and cone area 11.

FIG. 3b shows the end-piece 2 in plan view. Around the grooving 3 the flow of fluids (of water, milk, spirits or similar) is at its strongest and the flow is lead directly to the dry contents of the straw. With this embodiment, the closure 5 is located between straw end 7 and end-piece 2. The closure 5 is then opened by way of mechanical impact such as rubbing or squeezing or by way of contact with the liquids.

FIG. 3c shows a further variant of the present invention. In this embodiment the straw 1 is a one-piece design. It consists of a middle section 12 and is equipped with a mouthpiece 4 at each end which is conical, tapering towards the straw. Below this conical range the straw is deformed by 90° creating a cross-shaped opening 30. The opening 30 has two braces 25 and 26 and is sufficiently large to ensure the flow of liquid inside the straw without requiring too much suction. This variant of the invention is also of advantage in that granules 6 of irregular grain size can be filled in a greater particle distribution while preventing the smaller granules from falling out.

FIG. 4 illustrates an open, re-sealable end-piece 13 which can be connected to an embodiment of the mouthpiece 4/18 of the straw according to the invention. In this variant form, the re-sealable end-piece 13 is constituted by the re-sealable end range which range consists of the cover cap 19 with the mouthpiece admission 21, of the upper mouthpiece range 16 of the re-sealable end-piece 13, over which the shaft 15 is located, which shaft is linked to the connection piece 14 that holds the cover cap 19 and is aligned with the flexible range 20. The mouthpiece is designed so that it is lead through the flexible range 20 and in its upper range 16 it is equipped with a cover cap 19 for re-sealing and in its lower range 17 it serves as an admission for the mouthpiece 4/18 of the straw according to the invention 1. Hereby the lower range 17 is produced in a way that labyrinth seals 24 serve as admission for the mouthpiece 18 of the straw in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 5 shows the flexible end-piece 13 in perspective. At the top is the mouthpiece 16 of the flexible end-piece 13. This mouthpiece 16 continues in the shaft 15 which is precisely aligned to the mouthpiece 16 of the flexible range 20. The connection piece 14 provided with a cover cap 19, located at the shaft, is not shown here.

FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of an end-piece 13 according to the invention from below. An embodiment of the straw is shown with an admission point 24 to take up the mouthpiece 4 of the straw. This admission point 24 is a drilled hole located at the lower end of the flexible area 23. Hereby it is granted that by sucking at the straw when the end-piece 2 is inserted into the straw according to the invention an area as large as possible is sealed and no air enters the straw around the admission point 24. Additionally this device ensures that no liquids escape through this connection point, due to the large number of sealing elements located at the admission area.

FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment in accordance with the present invention where the straw 1 is a one-piece design and is sealed at the end ranges 7. First one of the end ranges 7 is welded and, after filling the container with the dry food product 6 the other end used for filling up is also welded. The welded end ranges 7 of the straw are rounded off, preventing injuries to the mouth or lips of the customer. In another, preferred variation the straw is manufactured with a single opening at just one of the end ranges 7, and so one end-range 7 is already rounded off in the manufacturing process.

At both end-ranges 7 of the straw orifices 27 in the shape of holes, slots, oblong holes or similar are located, ensuring the flow of liquid through the straw. This design has the advantage that even granules of irregular grain size can be filled in the container in a great particle distribution without allowing the smaller granules to fall out through the orifices 27.

The openings are arranged around the perimeter of the straw 1 at the straw end range 7. There is a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 12 openings provided at this section. Ideally there are 4 to 8 openings.

Additionally, FIG. 7 also displays a c-c sectional view of the straw according to invention. Hereby the above described orifices 27 are arranged around the perimeter of the straw at a distance of 90° from each other. The openings are formed in a way that even in the case of a dry food product 6 in the shape of granules with considerable particle distribution the smaller particles are prevented from falling out through the orifices 27.

In FIG. 7a the straw according to the invention as described in FIG. 7 is displayed in an enlarged view W. There are three orifices 27 in the shape of oblong slots.

FIG. 7b illustrates a strongly enlarged view of a straw end range 7 in cut c-c with circular orifices 27. The orifices are located at a distance of 90° from each other, distributed around the perimeter of the straw.

Claims

1. A straw with two ends, wherein each end is sealed and/or sealable and said straw can serve as a supply container for dry food products.

2. The straw as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the ends is re-sealable and the re-sealable end comprises a cover cap which, by way of a connection piece, is linked with a shaft that is mounted on the end of the straw.

3. The straw as defined in claim 1, wherein said straw is manufactured as a one-piece design of one material and comprises a middle section and two ends and two eventually mounted end-pieces.

4. The straw as defined in claim 1, further comprising a shaft mounted at said ends, wherein said shaft presents a connection piece linked to a cap which can be flush-mounted onto the ends of the straw.

5. The straw as defined in claim 1, further comprising an inner surface and an anti-microbial coating on said inner surface of the straw.

6. The straw as defined in claim 1, further comprising a bendable range, a crease range, an accordion-fold range or a bellows range at at least one position at either end of the straw.

7. The straw as defined in claim 1, further comprising an end-piece and a mouthpiece, wherein the mouthpiece comprises a swirl mixing area, reaching from one of the straw ends to a tapering grooving of said mouthpiece.

8. The straw as defined in claim 7, further comprising braces.

9. The straw as defined in claim 8, wherein said braces are in the shape of welding spots of the straw material, of ligaments, rods or similar.

10. Straw as defined by claim 1 further characterized by the fact that is a one-piece design and is sealable at one of the ends.

11. Straw as defined by claim 1 further characterized by the fact that is a one-piece design made of one single material.

12. Straw as defined by claim 1 further characterized by the fact that is a one-piece design and closed at the ends and comprises circular or oblong openings at the straw ends.

13. Straw as defined by claim 12, wherein the one-piece design straw comprises a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 12 openings at each end.

14. Straw as defined by claim 12 wherein the one-piece design straw comprises 4 to 8 openings at each straw end.

15. Straw as defined by claim 1 wherein said straw contains dry food product.

16. Straw as defined by claim 15 wherein said dry food product is candy.