US2557411A

US2557411A - Child's drinking tube

Info

Publication number: US2557411A
Application number: US734179A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alfred G Butsch
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-03-12
Filing date: 1947-03-12
Publication date: 1951-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1968-06-19

Description

June 19, 1951 A. G. BUTSCH CHILDS DRINKING TUBE Filed March 12, 1947 Inventor:

Alfred G. Butsch,

His Attovneg Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED STATES FATE'LN'E' OFFICE CHILDS DRINKING TUBE Alfred G. Butsch, Erie, Pa.

Application March 12, 1947, Serial No. 734,179

Claims. 1

My invention relates to drinking tubes and particularly to an improvement in drinking tubes for children.

Most children at one time or another refuse to drink certain liquids essential to their health. The reason behind such refusal may be a mere whim or the suggestion from another childs refusal to drink. Drinking tubes have been made heretofore which helped to overcome a childs refusal to drink by attracting the childs interest to the passage of the liquid through a transparent tube a portion of which passed across his field of vision.

It is an object of my invention to provide a childs drinking tube including an improved arrangement for attracting the childs interest in the passage of the liquid through the tube during drinking.

It is another object of my invention to provide a childs drinking tube of the type for exciting interest in the act of drinking and which which characterizev my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drinking tube embodying my invention and immersed in a glass of liquid to be drunk; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2*? of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of another portion of the tube of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified form of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the drinking tube shown in Fig. 1 comprises a straight portion 5, an extended or circuitous portion 6, and a transverse mouthpiece I hinged to the portion 6 by a joint 8. While the tube may be constructed of glass or similar material, I prefer to employ a non-breakable or non-shatterable material. Sev eral suitable plastics having the required characteristics are available. The several portions of the tube in Fig. 1 are constructed of relatively rigid plastic. In order to use the tube for drinking it is placed in a glass or other drinking vessel 9 with the straight portion 5 immersed in the liquid in the glass. When the liquid is drawn through the tube it flows in a circuitous path through the portion 6 and this attracts the users attention.

which give sufficiently for the purpose.

During the initial passage of the liquid through the portion 6 each time the user sucks it upwardly, one or two slugs of liquid separated by air serve to attract attention. However, when the liquid is drawn up steadily there is no break in the liquid column and little evidence of movement may be presented.

I have found that by providing a small hole ill in the tube above the normal level of the liquid as indicated at l I a stream of small bubbles is introduced in the flowing liquid. These bubbles provide a continuous indication of motion and enhance the attractiveness of the tube to a child using it. The effectiveness of the tube in inducing a child to drink is thus increased.

In order that the mouthpiece I may be located so as tobring the circuitous portion of the tube effectively within the normal field of vision of the user, the mouthpiece is formed with its ends l2 at right angles to the main portion thereof. This end I2 is retained in the joint 8 by an enlarged section 13 clearly shown in Fig. 3. The section is is pressed into the end of the joint 8 the walls of The joint thus formed allows the mouthpiece to be rotated in a plane transverse to that of the circuitous portion 6.

In the modification of my invention illustrated in Fig. 4, a single length of flexible transparent tubing I4 is employed instead of the molded tube of Fig. 1. In order to hold the flexible tube M and provide a circuitous portion corresponding to the portion 6 of Figure 1, a wire rack I5 is removably attached to a glass II! by hooks l7 and I 8 formed in the wire and connected by an arouate portion 19 of the wire. The wire extends upwardly in zig-zag form and is provided with a plurality of loops 2!] in which the tube l4 may be secured. A hook 21 is formed in the top end of the wire above the middle of the zig-zag portion and holds the end of the tube so that it may extend transversely to the zig-zag portion in the same manner as the mouthpiece 1 of Fig. 1. The tube M is provided with a small opening 22 corresponding to the opening ll! of the tube of Fig. 1 to admit bubbles to the flowing liquid when the tube is in use.

The flexible tube 14 may be. removed easily from the wire rack for cleaning. Furthermore, the tube may be rearranged so that the circuitous portion lies in a different configuration from that illustrated; thus difierent shapes of the circuitous portion may be selected at will.

The air inlet openings in the tubes illustrated are located above the top or normal full level of liquid in the glass; obviously, however, the openings may be placed lower down on the tubes so that they lie initially below the surface of the liquid. Such location of the openings requires that the child drink a certain amount of liquid before the bubble eflect is obtained; in some cases this may prove an additional inducement to drinking the liquid.

From the foregoing, it is readily apparent that I have provided a simple and effective arrangement for increasing the attractiveness to children of a drinking tube for inducing children to drink liquid which they otherwise mightrefuse for various reasons.

While I have illustrated specific forms of my invention other modifications will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art. I do not therefore, desire my invention to be limited to the embodiments shown and described and I intend by the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An elongated drinking tube for children comprising a transparent portion bent to provide an extended circuitous passage extending within the field of vision of the user whereby the users attention will be attracted by the flow of liquid through said portion, and said tube being provided with a small opening in its wall for the admission of air to said portion during the use of the tube, the opening in said tube being sufliciently restricted to afford the admission of air bubbles to the liquid flowing through the tube without interruption of the flow of liquid whereby the passage of air bubbles through said portion enhances the attractiveness of said tube to the user.

2. A drinking tube for children comprising a straight portion adapted to be immersed in the liquid to be drunk and a transparent portion bent to provide an extended circuitous passage within the field of vision of the user whereby the users attention will be attracted by the flow of liquid through said transparent portion, and said tube being provided with a small opening in the upper part of said straight portion for admitting bubbles of air to the tube during use, the opening in said tube being sufliciently restricted to aiford the admission of air bubbles to the liquid flowing through the tube without interruption of the flow of liquid whereby said bubbles on passing through said transparent portion enhance the attractiveness of said tube to the user.

3. An elongated drinking tube for children comprising a transparent portion bent to provide an extended circuitous passage extending within the field of vision of the user whereby the users attention will be attracted by the flow of liquid through said portion, and said tube being provided with a small opening in its wall for the admission of air to said portion during the use of the tube, the opening in said tube being suificiently restricted to afiord the admission of air bubbles to the liquid flowing through the tube Without interruption of the flow of liquid whereby the passage of air bubbles through said portion enhances the attractiveness of said tube to the user, and a rack adapted to be secured to a drinking vessel for supporting said tube in position on said drinking vessel.

4. An elongated drinking tube for children comprising a transparent portion bent to provide an extended circuitous passage extending within the field of vision of the user whereby the users attention will be attracted by the flow of liquid through said portion, said tube bein provided with a small opening in its wall for the admission of air to said portion during the use of the tube, the opening in said tube being sufliciently restricted to afford the admission of air bubbles to the liquid flowing through the tube without interruption of the flow of liquid whereby the passage of air bubbles through said portion enhances the attractiveness of said tube to the user, and a rigid end portion extendin transversely away from said transparent portion and adjustably connected thereto for selectively positioning the users end of said tube with respect to said passage.

5. An elongated drinking tube for children comprising a transparent portion bent to provide an extended circuitous passage extending within the field of vision of the user whereby the users attention will be attracted by the flow of liquid through said portion, said tube being provided with a small opening in its wall for the admission of air to said portion during the use of the tube, the opening in said tube being sufficiently restricted to afford the admission of air bubbles to the liquid flowing through the tube without interruption of the flow of liquid whereby the passage of air bubbles through said portion enhances the attractiveness of said tube to the user, and a substantially straight end portion extending transversely away from said transparent portion and being angularly movable with respect thereto in a substantially upright plane for selectively positioning the users end of said tube with respect to said circuitous passage.

ALFRED G. BUTSCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 103,300 Chapin May 24, 1870 455,452 Murray July 7, 1891 659,669 Hayes Oct. 16, 1900 1,155,262 Mock Sept. 28, 1915 2,063,803 Gildersleeve Dec. 8, 1936 2,160,474 Jones et al. May 30, 1939 2,435,033 Campbell Jan. 27, 1948