Patent Application
20140263377
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid storage closure device with an integrated straw disposed therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid storage containers typically include a cover of some sort which must be removed to drink the liquid. For example, a plastic water bottle often comprises a plastic cap which can be screwed on to the top of the bottle to prevent liquid from spilling. Such a cover is easily misplaced and, when the cover is removed, the resultant opening is often too large for individuals to comfortably drink out of it without spilling. Removing the cap and inserting a standard straw is cumbersome and does not prevent spills.
Disclosed herein is a liquid storage closure device. In one embodiment, the liquid storage closure device comprises a cover capable of being attached to a liquid storage container, wherein the cover comprises an opening allowing liquid to pass through, an outer straw inserted within the liquid storage container and in fluid contact with the opening in the cover, an inner straw capable of being positioned in a retracted position or any number of extended positions, wherein the inner straw is slidingly and sealingly received within the outer straw and the opening in the cover, such that liquid is capable of passing from the liquid storage container, through a lower end of the outer straw disposed therein, and out an upper end of the inner straw, and a cap capable of being positioned in a substantially closed position or a substantially open position, wherein the cap is sealingly attached to the cover over the inner straw when positioned in the substantially closed position, such that liquid is substantially retained within the liquid storage container.
One embodiment disclosed herein is a liquid storage closure device, comprising a cover capable of being attached to a liquid storage container, wherein the cover comprises an opening allowing liquid to pass through, an outer straw inserted within the liquid storage container and in fluid contact with the opening in the cover, an inner straw capable of being positioned in a retracted position or any number of extended positions, wherein the inner straw is slidingly and sealingly received within the outer straw and the opening in the cover, such that liquid is capable of passing from the liquid storage container, through a lower end of the outer straw disposed therein, and out an upper end of the inner straw, and a cap capable of being positioned in a substantially closed position or a substantially open position, wherein the cap is sealingly attached to the cover over the inner straw when positioned in the substantially closed position, such that liquid is substantially retained within the liquid storage container.
In one embodiment, the inner straw is capable of being locked in place at an extended position. Advantageously, the inner stray may comprise a protrusion and the outer straw may comprise a corresponding cavity or indent. Preferably, the protrusion is located at the lower end of the inner straw. Optionally, the inner straw comprises at least one additional protrusion and may also comprise at least one additional cavity or indent.
The liquid storage container can be, for example, a bottle, a can, a box, or a pouch. In one exemplary embodiment, the outer straw may be integrated into the cover. In any of the embodiments, the outer straw and the cover can be made from the same material. In any of the embodiments, the opening in the cover may be a junction which connects the outer straw to the cover.
In any of the embodiments, the outer straw may have a length such that the lower end of the outer straw may be located at or near the bottom of the liquid storage container. Preferably, the outer stray is between about 3 and 17 inches long, preferably between about 9 and about 11 inches long. The inner straw is preferably between about 3 and 17 inches long, preferably between about 9 and about 11 inches long.
In one embodiment, the inner straw comprises a gripping surface at the upper end of the inner straw. Preferably, the gripping surface may be a protrusion which has a larger diameter than at least one of the outer straw or the opening in the cover.
In any of the embodiments, the cover may comprise a first raised portion which has a smaller diameter than the cap. Preferably, the first raised portion comprises circumferential lips which allow the cap to be secured in the substantially closed position. Advantageously, in any of the embodiments, both the cover and the cap may be threaded, such that the cap may be rotated from a substantially open position to a substantially closed position. Preferably, the cover comprises a first raised portion which has a smaller diameter than the cap and the threading on the cover may be located on the first raised portion.
In any of the embodiments, the cap may be attached to the cover by a tether. In any of the embodiments, the container may further comprise a seal which engages when the cap is in the substantially closed position, wherein the seal substantially prevents liquid from exiting the liquid storage closure device. Preferably, the seal comprises a stopper positioned on the inside of the cap, such that a portion of the stopper may be inserted inside the inner straw when the cap may be in the substantially closed position, thereby preventing liquid from exiting the inner straw. In one embodiment, the stopper is slightly larger than the interior diameter of the inner straw, such that the stopper pushes the outer diameter of the inner straw against the inner diameter of the outer straw and forms an additional seal.
In any of the embodiments, the seal may comprise a material positioned between the cap and the cover when the cap is in the substantially closed position.
Also discloses is a method of using any of the embodiments of the container disclosed herein, comprising moving the cap from the substantially closed position to the substantially open position, extending the inner straw to an extended position, drinking a liquid from the liquid storage container, pushing the inner straw to the retracted position, and moving the cap to the substantially closed position.
The liquid storage container 14 may comprise any type of container that is capable of storing liquid. For example, the liquid storage container 14 may be a bottle, a can, a box, or a pouch. In embodiments where the liquid storage container 14 is a bottle, it may be any type of bottle, including, but not limited to, a water bottle, a soft drink bottle, or any other drink bottle. For example, the cover 12 may comprise threading to attach to a standard soft drink bottle. In some embodiments, the cover 12 may configured to screw on to a threaded bottle cap with any thread specification established by the International Society of Beverage Technologists. For example, but not by way of limitation, the cover 12 may be sized to screw on to a standard threaded bottle with an outside diameter of about 27.43 mm and a pitch of about 3.18 mm or a standard threaded bottle with an outside diameter of about 27.4 mm and a pitch of about 2.7 mm. In other embodiments, the cover 12 may be “snapped” on to a bottle configured for use with standard bottle caps, such as the generic crown cork bottle cap disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 468,258. In other embodiments, the cover 12 may be configured to be attached to a 12 ounce can drink. In other embodiments, the cover 12 may be configured to be attached to a boxed drink, such as a juice box, carton, or popper. In other embodiments, the cover 12 may be configured to attach to a pouch drink, such as many Capri-Sun brand drinks.
In some embodiments, the cover 12 comprises an opening 22 of any appropriate size which is configured to allow liquid to pass through it. For example, the opening 22 may be round with a diameter of between about 1 mm and about 20 mm. In some embodiments, the opening 22 may be round with a diameter of between about 3 mm and about 10 mm. In some embodiments, the opening 22 has a diameter of about 6 mm.
In some embodiments, the cap 20 may be positioned in a substantially closed position or a substantially open position. For example,
In some embodiments, the inner straw 18 may be slidingly and/or sealingly received within the outer straw 16 and the opening 22 in the cover 12. In an embodiment, liquid is capable of passing from the liquid storage container 14, through a lower end of the outer straw 16 disposed therein, and out an upper end of the inner straw 18. In some embodiments, the inner straw 18 may be positioned in a retracted position or any number of extended positions. For example,
In some embodiments, the inner straw 18 further comprises a gripping surface 24 at the upper end of the inner straw 18. In an embodiment, the gripping surface 24 is a protrusion which has a larger diameter than the outer straw 16 and/or the opening 22 in the cover 12. In embodiments where the gripping surface 24 is larger than the diameter of the outer straw 16 and/or the opening 22 in the cover 12, the gripping surface 24 may prevent the inner straw 18 from being pushed entirely within the outer straw 16. In some embodiments, the inner straw 18 is sized such that only a small portion of the inner straw 18 extends above the outer straw 16 and/or the opening 22 when the inner straw 18 is in the retracted position. In an embodiment, the size of the inner straw 18 may correspond to approximately the size of the outer straw 16. For example, the inner straw 18 may be between about 3 and about 17 inches long. In an embodiment, the inner straw 18 may be between about 9 and about 11 inches long.
In some embodiments, the liquid storage closure device 10 may also comprise a seal. As shown in
As shown in
Also disclosed is a method of using a liquid storage closure device 10. The method may comprise moving the cap 20 from a substantially closed position to a substantially open position. In an embodiment, the method further comprises extending the inner straw 18 to an extended position. For example, the inner straw 18 may be extended to an extended position in which it “locks” in place as described above. The method may also comprise drinking a liquid from the liquid storage container 14. In an embodiment, the method may comprise pushing the inner straw 18 back to a retracted position and moving the cap 20 to the substantially closed position.
While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointed out novel features as applied to various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices and processes illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. As will be recognized, the present invention may be embodied within a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately from others.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/779,335, filed Mar. 13, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61779335 | Mar 2013 | US |
