FR2596817A1 - Drinking straw whose shape can be adjusted, as desired, by the user - Google Patents

Abstract

Tube for sucking up a beverage from a container. The invention relates to a tube for sucking up a beverage, the shape of which tube can be changed by the user as many times as he wishes, simply by the force of his fingers. The tube for sucking up a beverage according to the invention consists of a longitudinally flexible tube 1 made from plastic and containing an outgrowth 2 in its internal part and in which there is embedded, in the direction of the length, a wire 4 capable of retaining the movements which are given to it. The beverage flows through the orifice 3 of the tube.

Description

 The present invention relates to tubes for sucking a liquid out of a container.

 The straws previously known for sucking drinks have already been provided with tortuous portions.

But such straws were made of rigid plastic, which prohibited the user from modifying the given shape during manufacture. In addition to the weariness quickly generated by these single-form straws for the user, there was also uncomfortable transport due to the rigidity of the chosen material.

The problem was to invent a straw flexible enough longitudinally so that the user could give it a movement of their choice by the sole force of their fingers or roll it up flat to transport it, and rigid enough so that it retained the forms given to it
The present invention provides a tube for the suction of a beverage liquid from a container comprising, on the one hand, a hollow and flexible tube through which the liquid can be sucked, and, on the other hand, a wire. metallic embedded in a protrusion inside the tube, over its entire length. The presence of the metallic wire should allow the straw to keep the shapes that the user wishes to give it. The protrusion is oriented towards the inside of the tube and belongs to its wall. The straw according to the invention must be long enough for the user to be able to produce complex figures.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the metal wire is embedded directly in the wall of the tube without protuberance.

 Other embodiments can be envisaged by using several metallic wires and possibly several protuberances, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

 The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention - Figure 1 shows in section, the straw according to the invention - Figure 2 shows in section, a variant of this straw.

 The straw shown in FIG. 1 comprises a flexible plastic tube having an outside diameter of the order of 6 millimeters and the wall (i) of which is approximately 1 millimeter thick. In a protrusion (2) forming an integral part of the tube, is embedded a metal wire (4) with a thickness of 1 millimeter. The opening (3) allows the passage of the drink.

 According to Figure 2, two metal wires (4a) and (5a) are directly inserted into the wall (la).

 Before the first use, the straw according to the invention is straight; the user gives it the shape they want by using only the force of their fingers. The portion of the straw intended to be immersed in the drink and the portion intended to be taken into the mouth by the user are preferably kept straight. When the user wishes to change the shape of his straw, he just needs to straighten it and then give it a new movement.

 The tube of the invention is made of a non-toxic plastic material, flexible longitudinally and approved by the hygiene services, for example PVC with a shore hardness of 79. The metal wire must be both malleable and keep the forms given to it, have a high resistance to torsion and Entre inoxidable. We can therefore choose an annealed galvanized wire, with a resistance of 40 to 50 kilograms per square centimeter and having undergone a triple galvanization. The manufacture of the PVC tube and the insertion of the wire can be carried out in a single operation, using extrusion.

Claims (5)

 1) Tube whose shape is modular, intended for the suction of a beverage liquid out of a container carterized by the fact that it is composed, on the one hand of a tube (i) flexible longitudinally containing an orifice (3) through which the liquid can be sucked, and, on the other hand, a metal wire (4) retaining the holes which are given to it, embedded in a protrusion (2) of the tube.  2) beverage suction tube according to claim 1, characterized in that the metal wire (4) is embedded in a protrusion (2) of the tube over its entire length.  3) Drink suction tube according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the protrusion (2) is oriented towards the inside of the tube (1) and belongs to the wall.  4) Drink suction tube according to claim 1, characterized by a wall (la) in which is directly embedded a metal wire (4a) or (5a).  5) Drink suction tube according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that several metal wires (4a) and (5a) are embedded in the wall (la) or in several protuberances.