GB2565820A

GB2565820A - Drinking straw

Info

Publication number: GB2565820A
Application number: GB1713614.4A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Taylor Michael
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-08-24
Filing date: 2017-08-24
Publication date: 2019-02-27
Also published as: GB201713614D0

Abstract

A drinking straw 100 comprises a tube 101 having an inlet end 102 and an outlet end 103. A bowl-shaped portion 104 is attached to the inlet end of the tube and an opening 105 at the inlet end of the tube is within a concave face 106 of the bowl-shaped portion. The drinking straw is composed of a metal. The metal may be copper, gold, silver or alloys thereof. In particular, an internal surface of the tube, the concave face of the bowl-shaped portion and/or the entire drinking straw may consist of a silver alloy. The silver alloy may contain at least 90% of silver by weight. An internal bore of the tube may have a diameter of between 1.5mm and 2.5mm and the tube may be between 100mm and 200mm in length. The tube may have a flared outlet end. In use, the straw aims to enhance the flavor of a beverage.

Description

DRINKING STRAW

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a drinking straw for enhancing the flavour of a beverage.

Background

It is well known that the way a beverage is drunk can affect how it is experienced. The type of drinking vessel used can affect the user's experience, which is especially the case for alcoholic drinks. The great variety of sizes and shapes of glasses for wines, beers and spirits demonstrate a general understanding, or belief, that the type of vessel used should in general be appropriate for the type of beverage. Drinking wine from a pint glass normally used for beer, for example, would normally be considered inappropriate, as would drinking beer from a glass normally used for wine. Some of the effects of the type of glass used will, of course, be purely psychological, in the same way that a user's experience of a wine can be affected by the surroundings and ambience. Some effects, however, can be attributed to the specific shape and size of the vessel used, which affect how the various flavours and aromas of the beverage are experienced. A red wine, for example, may normally be served in a larger, more rounded, glass so that more of the aromas in the wine will be able to be detected by the user's nose during drinking.

As well as the type of vessel used, the way that the beverage is drunk can greatly affect the user's experience. The use of a drinking straw, as opposed to drinking directly from a vessel such as a glass, affects the way a beverage is introduced into the mouth. Rather than being directed past the lips and on to the tip of the tongue, a straw directs the liquid towards the roof of the mouth and the centre of the tongue. This affects how the flavours and aromas of the beverage are sensed by the user. This is particularly the case when the beverage is served cold.

In the case of gin, which is commonly served on ice with tonic water, temperature is an important aspect of the drinking experience. A low temperature, however, can result in some of the aromatic components in the gin being suppressed or lost. Many modern varieties of gins contain a hugely varied selection of botanicals. To optimise the drinking experience, it would therefore be beneficial to be able to consume such a drink at the correct temperature but while maximising the ability to experience the aromas and flavours present in the drink. This may also apply to other alcoholic drinks, particularly those normally served cold.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with the invention there is provided a drinking straw comprising:

a tube having an inlet end and an outlet end; and a bowl-shaped portion attached to the inlet end of the tube, an opening at the inlet end of the tube being within a concave face of the bowl-shaped portion, wherein the drinking straw is composed of a metal.

An advantage of the invention is that the combination of high thermal conductivity typical of a metal with a bowl-shaped portion at the inlet end of the straw enables a marked improvement in the ability to detect aromatic components in a beverage, particularly one that is served ice-cold. This is believed to be at least partly due to the thermal mass of the bowl-shaped portion of the straw contacting a greater volume of liquid and maintaining the temperature of the liquid as it is drawn upwards through the tube and into the user's mouth.

The metal may have a thermal conductivity of greater than 300 W m¹ K¹ at 20 °C. Metals such as copper (around 386 W m¹ K¹), gold (around 315 W m¹ K¹) and silver (around 407 W m¹ K¹), or alloys thereof, may be used.

At least the internal surface of the tube, and optionally also the concave surface of the bowl-shaped portion, may consist of silver or a silver alloy. In other embodiments the internal and external surfaces of the drinking straw may consist of silver or a silver alloy. In other embodiments the entire drinking straw may consist of silver or a silver alloy. The silver alloy may consist of at least 90% silver by weight, a typical example being Sterling silver, containing 92.5% by weight of silver with 7.5% other metals including copper.

An advantage of the drinking straw comprising or consisting of silver is that silver has certain active properties that can affect the flavours and aromas present in the beverage. It is known that silver has antibacterial properties, possibly at least partly due to its effect in catalysing oxidation reactions. This is believed to be at least partly responsible for the enhancement of flavours when drinking through a silver straw, the effect of which is enhanced by increasing the area of contact through use of the bowlshaped portion at the inlet end.

An internal bore of the tube may have a diameter of between 1.5 and 2.5 mm, with a particular preferred diameter of around 2 mm (i.e. nominally between 1.9 and 2.1 mm). A bore of this diameter allows the liquid to travel at sufficient speed through the tube to arrive at the outlet end at the appropriate temperature and rate of flow. A larger bore will result in a lower travel speed, which will affect how the liquid enters the user's mouth.

The tube has a wall thickness that is preferably between 0.4 and 0.6 mm, with a particular preferred thickness of around 0.5 mm. In combination with the tube diameter, this provides an optimum weight and thermal mass for the drinking straw, the latter feature being important in enhancing delivery of the liquid at the appropriate temperature.

The tube is preferably between 100 and 200 mm in length, with a particular preferred length of between around 140 and 160 mm.

The bowl-shaped portion may have a diameter of between 15 and 25 mm.

The bowl-shaped portion may be oval or circular in plan view. Other shapes may also be used, such as star shapes, heart shapes, shell shapes, square or diamond shapes, clover-leaf (or shamrock) shapes or star-burst shapes. A common feature to all embodiments is the opening at the inlet end of the tube being in the concave portion of the bowl-shaped portion, which causes liquid to be drawn into the inlet end of the tube having passed over the surface of the bowl-shaped portion.

The tube may have a flared outlet end, an advantage of which is to allow the straw to be more easily held in the mouth without being handled, thereby maintaining the temperature of the liquid passing through the straw.

Detailed Description

The invention is described in further detail below by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a series of views (bottom, side and top views) of an exemplary drinking straw; and figures 2a to 2f are top and side views of alternative examples of inlet end portions of a drinking straw.

Figure 1 shows three views of an exemplary drinking straw 100. The left hand view shows the straw 100 in a first plan view from beneath, the middle view shows the straw 100 from the side and the right hand view shows the straw 100 in a plan view from above. The side and above plan views show dimensions of the straw 100, which are to be taken as merely illustrative of a particular worked example.

The straw 100 comprises a tube 101 having an inlet end 102 and an outlet end 103. At the inlet end 102 is provided a domed bowl-shaped portion 104. An opening 105 at the inlet end 102 of the tube 101 is provided within a concave face 106 of the bowlshaped portion 104

The tube 101 in figure 1 has an outer diameter of 3 mm and an inner diameter, i.e. an inner bore diameter, of 2 mm, and is around 150 mm long. The tube 101 is joined to the bowl-shaped portion 104, for example by brazing. The bowl-shaped portion 104 has a diameter of around 18 mm and a depth of around 5 mm, making the bowl a relatively shallow section of a hemisphere. The bowl-shaped portion 104 may have a thickness of around 0.9 mm.

The outlet end 103 of the tube 101 may be flared, as shown in side view in each of the drawings and in the end view 107. The flaring may take the outer diameter of the outlet portion 103 of the tube 101 to around 3.8 mm, causing a small lip around the outlet end 103 that allows the straw to be easily held in the mouth without slipping out.

The dimensions of the straw 100 allow the straw to be used in particular for drinks comprising spirits with a mixer, together with ice and any garnish that may be appropriate, as well as allowing the drinking straw to be easily carried in a pocket or handbag. The bowl-shaped portion 104 allows the drink to be stirred, which also ensures that the larger thermal mass of the bowl-shaped portion is in contact with, and brought to the same temperature as, the drink.

In use, liquid is drawn by suction through the opening 105, causing liquid to pass into and over the concave surface 106 of the bowl-shaped portion 104 and through the internal bore of the tube 101. When the surfaces the liquid is in contact with are made of, or consist primarily of, silver, the properties of the silver cause an enhancement in aromas and flavours that are transmitted through to the user's mouth. This is particularly beneficial in combination with a tube bore size of between 1.5 and 2.5 mm, and optimally around 2 mm, which causes the liquid to enter the user's mouth at a flow rate that allows for optimal mixing within the mouth.

The circular domed bowl shape illustrated in figure 1 is just one simple example of the type of shape possible for the bowl-shaped portion attached to the inlet end 102 of the tube 101. Various alternative shapes are also possible, some examples of which are illustrated in figures 2a to 2f. In each case, top and side views are shown, illustrating the shape of the bowl-shaped portion 104 attached to the tube 101 and the location of the opening 105 in the concave face of the bowl-shaped portion. These alternatives are: a five-pointed star shape (figure 2a), a heart shape (figure 2b), a shell shape (figure 2c), a diamond (or square) shape (figure 2d), a clover leaf (or shamrock) shape (figure 2e) and a star burst or sun shape (figure 2f). Other shapes would be within the scope of the invention, where the opening 105 is provided within the concave face of the bowl-shaped portion 104.

Other embodiments are intentionally within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A drinking straw comprising:

2. The drinking straw of claim 1 wherein the metal has a thermal conductivity of greater than 300 W m1 K1 at 20 °C.

3. The drinking straw of claim 2 wherein the metal is selected from copper, gold and silver or alloys thereof.

4. The drinking straw of any preceding claim wherein the internal surface of the tube consists of silver or a silver alloy.

5. The drinking straw of any preceding claim wherein the concave face of the bowl-shaped portion consists of silver or a silver alloy.

6. The drinking straw of any preceding claim wherein the entire drinking straw consists of silver or a silver alloy.

7. The drinking straw of any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein the silver alloy contains at least 90% of silver by weight.

8. The drinking straw of any preceding claim wherein an internal bore of the tube has a diameter of between 1.5 and 2.5 mm.

9. The drinking straw of claim 8 wherein the diameter of the internal bore is between 1.9 and 2.1 mm.

10. The drinking straw of any preceding claim wherein the tube has a wall thickness that is between 0.4 and 0.6 mm.

11. The drinking straw of any preceding claim wherein the tube is between around 100 and 200 mm in length.

12. The drinking straw of claim 11 wherein the tube is between around 140 and

5 160 mm in length.

13. The drinking straw of any preceding claim wherein the bowl-shaped portion has a diameter of between 15 and 25 mm.

10

14. The drinking straw of any preceding claim wherein the tube has a flared outlet end.