EP0994815B1 - Drinking devices - Google Patents

Drinking devices Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0994815B1
EP0994815B1 EP98932286A EP98932286A EP0994815B1 EP 0994815 B1 EP0994815 B1 EP 0994815B1 EP 98932286 A EP98932286 A EP 98932286A EP 98932286 A EP98932286 A EP 98932286A EP 0994815 B1 EP0994815 B1 EP 0994815B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
drinking tube
drinking
tube
tube according
gas
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP98932286A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0994815A1 (en
Inventor
Michael Simon Gore
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0994815A1 publication Critical patent/EP0994815A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0994815B1 publication Critical patent/EP0994815B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D77/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks or bags
    • B65D77/22—Details
    • B65D77/24—Inserts or accessories added or incorporated during filling of containers
    • B65D77/28—Cards, coupons, or drinking straws
    • B65D77/283—Cards, coupons, or drinking straws located initially inside the container, whereby the straw is revealed only upon opening the container, e.g. pop-up straws

Definitions

  • This invention relates to drinking devices, including drinks containers and implements, such as drinking straws, for consuming drinks.
  • Drinks supplied in containers such as cans, bottles and cartons are often consumed using straws.
  • the container is opened and the straw is then inserted into the open container. This necessitates a supply of straws; or a straw can be supplied with the container as a separate item.
  • US-A-5,584,434 discloses a drinking tube with a spiral portion which, in the Figure 2 embodiment, is capable of giving buoyancy to the tube.
  • a drinking tube which is provided with an integral gas entrapping structure giving buoyancy to the drinking tube when the tube is introduced within a liquid, characterised in that said structure is formed by a portion of the drinking tube which is enlarged and shaped as a gas entrapping space radially separated from the interior of the main body of the drinking tube, whereby, in at least one orientation, the drinking tube is buoyant within the liquid.
  • Reference herein to integral is intended to mean that the drinking tube is shaped so as to form a gas entrapping structure that is formed by the drinking tube so that the walls of the drinking tube are continuous.
  • the present invention preferably provides drinks container having a closed opening, the container also including a drinking tube of the invention.
  • the liquid is carbonated or non-carbonated.
  • the gas entrapping space extends circumferentially about said drinking tube.
  • the gas entrapping structure can take the form of a projecting fin or a plurality of projecting fins or projecting fins linked at an upper region by a continuous annular member or the gas entrapping structure can take the form of a cup shaped member or an inverted omega shaped member.
  • the arrangement of the enlarged portion is such that when the drinking tube is lowered into a liquid, not all the gas initially within the drinking tube will be pushed outwardly therefrom by the liquid. At least some gas will be trapped within the integral, enlarged portion provided with the drinking tube.
  • the drinking tube has to be inserted into the liquid in a particular direction relative thereto.
  • the present invention may also be embodied in a drinking tube with two gas entrapping enlargements spatially arranged such that one of which is effective when the drinking straw is inserted in one direction into a liquid and the other which is effective when the drinking straw is inserted the other way round.
  • the drinking straw may be provided with a single enlarged portion which is shaped so as to entrap gas whichever way round the drinking tube is inserted into the liquid.
  • the drinking tube is provided with a concertina section which enables the tube to be extended by the user when the drinks container is opened and/or enables the end of the drinking tube to be angled relative to the body of the drinking tube.
  • the drinking tube is constructed of plastics or the like.
  • At least a part of the portion of the gas entrapping structure is resiliently deformable so as to facilitate insertion of the drinking tube into the drinks container.
  • the drinking tube and container with a drinking tube is equally well suited for use with both non-carbonated and carbonated drinks.
  • Figure 1 represents a first embodiment of a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 2 represents a second alternative embodiment of a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 3 represents a third alternative embodiment of a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 4 represents a fourth alternative embodiment of a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 5 represents a fifth alternative embodiment of a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 6 represents a sixth alternative embodiment of a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 7 represents a drinking container provided with a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention.
  • Figure 8 represents an alternative embodiment of a drinking container provided with a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown a first embodiment of a drinking tube 1 which is provided with an integral enlarged portion 3 which extends radially outwardly from the main body of tube 1 and also extends upwardly to provide a circumferentially extending gas entrapping region 5.
  • Gas entrapping region 5 in this embodiment is provided as a fin.
  • the tube 1 is resiliently deformable at region 4.
  • FIG. 2 there is shown a second embodiment of a drinking tube 1 which illustrates an inverted omega shaped arrangement, wherein gas entrapping region 5 is provided with a terminal gas entrapping region 7.
  • FIG. 3 there is shown a third embodiment of drinking tube 1, wherein integral enlarged portion 3 is radially continuous and extends outwardly from main body of tube 1 forming cup 9 which defines space 11 about main body of tube 1.
  • FIG. 4 there is shown an alternative embodiment of Figure 1 wherein tube 1 is provided with a plurality of gas entrapping regions or fins 5, it will be appreciated that the number of gas entrapping regions is not intended to limit the scope of the application but merely to exemplify that tube 1 may be provided with a number of such gas entrapping regions and that their length and width may be variable according to the design required.
  • tube 1 is provided with spatially orientated gas entrapping regions or fins 5 and 13 that are opposed.
  • tube 1 may be inserted into a liquid in the orientation of direction X or direction Y.
  • FIG. 6 there is shown a sixth embodiment of the drinking tube 1, wherein gas entrapping region or fin 5 is provided with a continuous annular member 15 which links gas entrapping regions or fins 5.
  • tube 1 when tube 1 is inserted into a liquid in the orientation of direction of X, shown in Figure 1, air will be driven out of the tube by the liquid. Additionally air is trapped in region 5 of the tube. As a result tube 1 will be buoyant within the liquid.
  • a drinking tube such as tube 1 (refer to Figures 1-6) may be provided within a closed container containing a gasified or non-gasified drink.
  • tube 1 has been inserted into the container, for example a can 19 ( Figure 7) or a bottle 25 ( Figure 8) in such a way as to cause gas to be trapped within region 5.
  • the accumulation of gas within region 5 may arise through the insertion of the tube into the liquid 17 of the container before it is closed. Additionally or alternatively, gas may accumulate in region 5 through the natural process of release of the gas by the liquid 17, particular in the case of a gasified drink.
  • a concertina region 21 allows the user to extend the tube and adjust the length protruding above container opening 23 of can 19 or bottle 25. Additionally the concertina region 21 allows a user to adjust the angle of the tube end relative to the container according to a user's requirements.
  • the transverse extent of region 3 may be such that this region will pass through the opening in the container, once the container has been opened.
  • the enlarged portion 3 may be positioned longitudinally with respect to the remainder of drinking tube 1 so that, on opening the container, it may rise sufficiently, due to its buoyancy, to enable the upper end to be accessed by the mouth outside the container but with the enlarged region 3 remaining within the container and indeed held within the container by engagement against, for instance, the neck 27 of bottle 25 or the opening 23 of can 19. In this way the tube may be positively retained within the container even during use thereof. Due to the shape of the enlarged portion 3, it is possible to insert the tube easily into the container, the enlarged portion 3 is resiliently deformable at region 4 so deformation occurs at this region as this action is carried out. However, on retraction of the tube from the container the upper regions of enlarged portion 3 will engage against a shoulder portion of the container just below its opening, thereby preventing total removal of the drinking tube.
  • an enlarged region of a drinking tube may be of any suitable shape as long as it is capable of holding sufficient gas to give the drinking tube buoyancy within a liquid.
  • a drinking tube in accordance with the present invention may be made from any suitable material.
  • the tube may be made of plastics material.
  • Such a tube may be an manufactured by, for instance, a plastics extrusion process which may make use of an appropriately shaped tool whereby, during extrusion, the enlarged portion is formed as part of the tube.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
  • Packages (AREA)
  • Tea And Coffee (AREA)
  • Formation And Processing Of Food Products (AREA)
  • Confectionery (AREA)
  • Eye Examination Apparatus (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
  • Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
EP98932286A 1997-07-11 1998-07-10 Drinking devices Expired - Lifetime EP0994815B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9714533 1997-07-11
GBGB9714533.8A GB9714533D0 (en) 1997-07-11 1997-07-11 Drinking devices
PCT/GB1998/001846 WO1999002426A1 (en) 1997-07-11 1998-07-10 Drinking devices

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0994815A1 EP0994815A1 (en) 2000-04-26
EP0994815B1 true EP0994815B1 (en) 2002-04-03

Family

ID=10815642

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP98932286A Expired - Lifetime EP0994815B1 (en) 1997-07-11 1998-07-10 Drinking devices

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0994815B1 (es)
JP (1) JP2001509461A (es)
AT (1) ATE215497T1 (es)
AU (1) AU8223698A (es)
DE (1) DE69804616T2 (es)
ES (1) ES2175731T3 (es)
GB (1) GB9714533D0 (es)
WO (1) WO1999002426A1 (es)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001094235A1 (fr) 2000-06-02 2001-12-13 Kabushiki Kaisha Hosokawa Yoko Recipient a boisson

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH359051A (fr) * 1958-08-25 1961-12-15 Jean Broiedo Jacques Ensemble pour contenir et servir une boisson
US3099565A (en) * 1961-02-06 1963-07-30 Roy L Neuhauser Self-elevating drinking straw
US3211379A (en) * 1964-01-13 1965-10-12 Frank P Becker Self-rising straw
US4733785A (en) * 1986-07-18 1988-03-29 Turner Jr Dan B Buoyant advertising straw for beverage bottles
US5584434A (en) * 1995-01-25 1996-12-17 Lipson; Erik Drinking straw having a cage for containing an object therein

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0994815A1 (en) 2000-04-26
DE69804616T2 (de) 2002-11-28
ATE215497T1 (de) 2002-04-15
WO1999002426A1 (en) 1999-01-21
DE69804616D1 (de) 2002-05-08
JP2001509461A (ja) 2001-07-24
AU8223698A (en) 1999-02-08
ES2175731T3 (es) 2002-11-16
GB9714533D0 (en) 1997-09-17

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