Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G21/00—Table-ware
  • A47G21/18—Drinking straws or the like
  • A47G21/183—Drinking straws or the like with means for changing the flavour of the liquid
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
  • A47G21/00—Table-ware
  • A47G21/18—Drinking straws or the like

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a drinking straw for imbibing a drink, the drinking straw having a substantially circular cross section.
• the drinking straw In order to make the drinking straw of sufficient length for convenient access to the contents of the packaging container, the drinking straw is most generally provided with a flexible, bellows-like central section.
• the drinking straw may consist of two parts which are telescopically insertable in one another.
• the flexible drinking straw In order to have space on a packaging container, for example a packaging container of parallelepipedic shape, the flexible drinking straw must be folded double, or alternatively the parts of the telescopic drinking straw must be slid into one another.
• the result will be a conventional drinking straw which has direct access to the drink enclosed in the packaging container.
• This may occasion problems if the packaging container were accidentally to be toppled over or if the packaging container is compressed in a heavy-handed manner. This latter is something that happens quite often when children handle the packaging container.
• One object of the present invention is to realise a drinking straw which reduces or prevents product spillage but at the same time permits a normal utilisation of the drinking straw for imbibing a drink.
• a further object of the present invention is that the drinking straw may be formed so as to control the flow of contents into the mouth of the person drinking from the packaging container.
• Yet a further object of the present invention is that the drinking straw, as a result of its design, may be employed for adding flavouring substances via the drinking straw.
• the drinking straw may be designed in different ways which may be utilised in different marketing campaigns.
• the drinking straw of the type described by way of introduction has been given the characterising features that both ends of the drinking straw display seals and that one or more flaps are cut into both ends of the drinking straw in the immediate proximity of the seals.
• Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Figs. 1-3 show three different embodiments of the present invention but all have the same basic concept. All embodiments show a drinking straw 1 which has two straight sections 2, 3 of which the one section 2 is longer than the other section 3. Alternatively, both of the sections 2, 3 may be of the same length. Between the two straight sections 2, 3, there is disposed a bellows-shaped section 4 which permits the drinking straw 1 to be folded as shown in the figures. When the drinking straw 1 is used for imbibing a drink, the bellows-shaped section 4 is folded back so that the drinking straw 1 will be more or less straight.
• the design of the drinking straw 1 according to the present invention may also be employed for completely straight drinking straws 1 as well as for telescopic drinking straws 1 or for foldable straws 1 with more than one bellow-shaped portion 4.
• the drinking straws 1 in Figs. 1-3 display a substantially circular cross section.
• the drinking straws are manufactured from a plastic material which has been approved for use together with foods and which is capable of being sealed by means of heat.
• the drinking straws 1 further display two ends 5, 6, where that end 5 which is disposed on the longer straight section 2 is intended to penetrate a weakened portion of a wall of a packaging container.
• the other end 6 on the shorter straight section 3 is intended to be placed in the mouth of the person intending to imbibe the drink which is enclosed in the packaging container.
• the seals 7, 8 may be cut and given different various forms depending upon their final use, so that the seal 7 on the longer straight section 2 which is to be used for penetrating the wall of a packaging container has been given a spiculated or tipped appearance.
• the seal 8 on the shorter straight section 3 has been given a more rounded appearance since this is intended to be placed in the mQuth of the person drinking from the packaging container.
• the wall of the drinking straw 1 has been provided with notches 9 which create and define flaps 10 in the wall of the drinking straw.
• the drinking straw 1 has one or more notches 9 of cruciform appearance, which gives rise to a number of triangular flaps 10.
• Fig. 2 shows the second preferred embodiment where one or more notches 9 are of semicircular appearance and where one or more flaps 10 thus display a semicircular appearance.
• the third preferred embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 3.
• one or more notches 9 have been designed sot that two parallel notches 11 have a rounded short end 12 and where one or more flaps 10 will have a corresponding appearance.
• the notches 9 may naturally be formed in a plurality of different ways.
• the notches 9 may, for example, be given figurative appearance which can be utilised in marketing, such as specific figures or logotypes.
• the notches 9 must be formed so that they give rise to flaps 10 in the wall of the drinking straw 1.
• the notches 9 and thereby the flaps 10 may also be differently formed in each different end 5, 6 of the drinking straw 1.
• the drinking straw 1 is in principle completely closed before use.
• the drinking straw 1 is in principle still closed when inserted into a packaging container.
• Trials have shown that an incautious handling of the packaging container, so that this is lightly compressed together or so that the packaging container topples over, does not give rise to any leakage of the contents of the packaging container, or at least a minimum of leakage.
• a drinking straw 1 formed in accordance with the principles of the present invention may also be employed for adding flavouring substances, in the form of small balls, inside the drinking straw 1, since the drinking straw 1 is in principle closed before being used. Only when the flaps 10 open and the drink enters into the drinking straw 1 will the flavouring substances come into contact with the drink. Other desirable additives may also be applied in the same manner.
• the present invention realises a drinking straw for imbibing a drink, the drinking straw being formed such that, when it penetrates the wall of a packaging container, there is no immediate access to the product enclosed in the packaging container. Only when a suction force is applied to one end of the drinking straw will the product flow through the drinking straw.
• the design of the drinking straw reduces or prevents leakage in the event of incautious handling of a packaging container with a drinking straw which is inserted in the packaging container, or if the packaging container with the drinking straw is toppled over.
• the design of the drinking straw also affords the possibility of adding flavouring substances or the like inside the drinking straw.

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• Packages (AREA)
• Table Equipment (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=39316430

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (6)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (4)

• 2006
  • 2006-12-11 SE SE0602649A patent/SE531294C2/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 2007
  • 2007-12-11 WO PCT/IB2007/003853 patent/WO2008072060A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-12-11 BR BRPI0718622-3A patent/BRPI0718622B1/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2007-12-11 ES ES07858997T patent/ES2391311T3/es active Active
  • 2007-12-11 CN CN2007800458592A patent/CN101557740B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-12-11 PT PT07858997T patent/PT2099338E/pt unknown
  • 2007-12-11 EP EP07858997A patent/EP2099338B1/en not_active Not-in-force

Patent Citations (4)

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