US3332622A - Drinking straw - Google Patents

Description

R. A. LOMBARD DRINKING STRAW July 25, 1967 Filed June 5, 1966 INVEN TOR. Richard A. Lombard United States Patent O 3,332,622 DRINKING STRAW Richard A. Lombard, Panorama City, Calif. (9854 Vena Ave, Arleta, Calif. 91331) Filed June 3, 1966, Ser. No. 555,180 Claims. (Cl. 23933) This invention relates to drinking devices, and more particularly a drinking straw.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a drinking straw which includes colorful rotatable pinwheels for making said straw more attractive to the user.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drinking straw for youngsters so that they may drink liquids from a container without spilling it.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drinking straw which includes tube portions for conveying liquids from a container to the youngsters mouth in such a manner that the youngster may observe the rotating, colorful discs while he is sipping milk, etc., through said straw.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a drinking straw which is inexpensive to manufacture, is of rugged construction, and provides maximum utility to its user.

In the drawing,

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of FIGURE 1 shown partly broken away.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

According to this invention, a drinking straw is provided with an elongated tubular member 11, the upper end of said member being bent at 12 and extending into another tubular member 13 which is positioned in parallel with the first tubular member 11.

As can be seen from FIGURE 2 still another tubular member 14 extends in a direction which is perpendicular to member 13. The end portion of the tube member 14 is generally used for insertion into the youngsters mouth for the purpose of drinking the liquids through straw 10 when it is inserted into a container (not shown). Within the upper portion of the tubular members 11 and 13, provisions are made for the support blocks 15 which are suitably secured within their respective members. Each support block 15 is provided with a semi circular cutout 16 which partially admits a pinwheel arrangement 17 mounted on a pin 18 which, in turn, is secured within the walls of the tubular members 11 and/or 13. In the preferred arrangement of this invention pin 18 outwardly extends from the wall portions of members 11 and 13 so that each side of pin 18 may be secured to a colorful disc 19.

Looking now at the drawing, one will see that, in operation, the surge of liquid within the tubular members 11 Patented .luly 25, 1967 and 13 urge the pinwheel arrangement 17 to rotate in accordance with the intensity of the liquid flow.

It will also be noted that each disc 19 may be painted in different colors or carry a pictorial representation thereby providing colorful diversion to the user of the drinking straw 10.

What I now claim is:

1. A drinking straw comprising, in combination, a first tubular member, a second tubular member integrally secured to said first tubular member, said members positioned in parallel to each other, a third tubular member perpendicularly extending from said second tubular member, supporting blocks secured within said first and second members for narrowing the flow of liquid within said members, a laterally positioned pin rotatably secured within each of said first and said second members, the end portions of said pins arranged to outwardly extend from said first and said second members, a pinwheel member mounted on the center portion of each pin, a disc mounted on each end of each pin, each pinwheel member adapted to rotate and simultaneously turn said discs in accordance with the intensity of flow of liquid passing through said tubular members.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said supporting block is provided with a semi circular cutout for operably supporting a portion of said pinwheel member.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said first tubular member is secured to said second tubular member in such a manner that it forms a U-shape connecting means for providing smooth and uninterrupted flow of liquid from said first member to said second member.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said pinwheel member includes a hub of a circular configuration, a plurality of spaced-apart, curved blade members being supported on said hub for providing the rotating means to said discs.

5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein each of said discs is provided with colorful coating, and each disc is provided with a coating of different colors thereby providing means for attracting the attention of the user of said drinking straw.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,181,657 5/1916 Fox 46-41 1,494,742 4/ 1924 Hills 239-3 3 2,063,803 12/ 193 6 Gildersleeve 2393 3 2,557,411 6/ 1951 -Butsch 23933 FOREIGN PATENTS 676,187 7/ 195 2 Great Britain.

H. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

M. MAR, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A DRINKING STRAW COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER, A SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER INTEGRALLY SECURED TO SAID FIRST TUBULAR MEMBER, SAID MEMBERS POSITIONED IN PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, A THIRD TUBULAR MEMBER PERPENDICULARLY EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND TUBULAR MEMBER, SUPPORTING BLOCKS SECURED WITHIN SAID FIRST AND SECOND MEMBERS FOR NARROWING THE FLOW OF LIQUID WITHIN SAID MEMBERS, A LATERALLY POSITIONED PIN ROTATABLY SECURED WITHIN EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND MEMBERS, THE END PORTIONS OF SAID PINS ARRANGED TO OUTWARDLY EXTEND FROM SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND MEMBERS, A PINWHEEL MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE CENTER PORTION OF EACH PIN, A DISC MOUNTED ON EACH END OF EACH PIN, EACH PINWHEEL MEMBER ADAPTED TO ROTATE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TURN SAID DISCS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTENSITY OF FLOW OF LIQUID PASSING THROUGH SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS.

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