FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to reusable drinking straw, that may be collapsed or extended without the use of hands. Furthermore, described is an adaptation for conveniently and stylishly transporting a reusable straw when not in use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The usage of disposable plastic eating implements has been widely recognized as a significant source of pollution. The ubiquitous plastic straws have been particularly maligned due to their propensity in being ingested by marine life forms, who then succumb to starvation and disease linked to the presence of plastic straws in their digestive systems.
An alternative solution to using plastic is using biodegradable products. However, manufacture of these products usually involves paper, which puts and additional strain to an already strained supply of timber, as recycled materials are not always available or suitable for the purpose. Furthermore, biodegradable straws have been shown to be less durable and more expensive than the plastic alternative, making them less appealing to the average consumer.
At the same time, beverage consumption by using straws is not going away any time soon. Entire industries and the means of dispensing drinks has been built around the usage of drinking straws. Therefore, while an average consumer recognizes the problem caused by plastic straws, they are not ready to give up on drinking straws altogether. Therefore, there is a growing need created by responsible straw drinkers to obtain reusable straws that are portable and hygienic.
Several examples of such straws exist in the market. Many such examples feature a collapsible straw that requires a user to extend the straw to the usable length by grasping both the mouthpiece and the end being inserted into the drink. This maneuver requires that the user first disinfect their hands, something that is not always possible to do. Furthermore, reusable straws need to be rinsed after each use. Skipping this step will force a consumer to soil his or her hands during retraction process. Thus, the straws that presently exist in the art force a consumer to wash his or her hands twice. Once before using the straw and once after folding and cleaning the straw. The repeated hand sterilization is not always possible and is a huge inconvenience that presents a real impediment to mass adoption of reusable drinking straws.
Another major downside that exists in the present state of the art is the lack of convenient and stylish means of transporting a straw. Presently men require a pocket. Women will usually use a pocketbook or purse to stow the straw between uses. This forces a responsible consumer to always carry something with him, which in turn, exposes these stowage means to soling, degradation and loss. A far more optimal solution is to provide transportation means that can be easily carried on user's person, and yet be conveniently stowed out of the way on one's forearm.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A, 1B are a diagram of the disclosed device in fully retracted configuration.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of a fully deployed reusable straw.
FIGS. 3A-3C diagram straw deployment.
FIGS. 4A-4D all feature diagrams of the case housing the folded straw.
FIGS. 4F, 4G and 4E demonstrate an alternative embodiment of the case.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional diagram of the mouthpiece.
FIGS. 6A-6E demonstrate the various ways in which the disclosed device may be stowed and transported on user's body.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiment of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto.
Figures below demonstrate the collapsible and reusable straw 9 in its various stages of deployment and retraction. FIG. 1A and 1B demonstrates the device 1 that is comprised of an of a casing 4, a cap 2, and a collapsible straw 9. The casing 4 is a hollow sleeve for storing the telescoping folded sections of the collapsible straw 9. The collapsible straw 9 is attached to the mouthpiece sleeve 6, which also functions as the support frame for the sliding cap 2. The bottom end 40 of the lowest straw section enters the casing 4 through an opening at the top end 7. It is preferred that the sections of the straw 9 are made of stainless-steel alloys. The preferred overall length 62 of the casing 4 is in the range of 2 centimeters (cm) and 3.8 cm, and the overall length 63 of the casing 4 is in the range of 7 and 11 cm. When merged, the sidewalis of the casing 4 and the cap 2 are preferably flush with each other, making for a uniform width 64 of approximately 1.4 cm.
FIG. 2 demonstrates a fully deployed or extended collapsible straw 9. Shown are three telescoping sections, namely, the top section 8, the middle section 10 and the lower section 12. Alternatively, the number telescoping sections may be as few as two or as many as 5, depending on the thickness of materials used for the sidewall 21 of each individual section of the straw 9. Also shown is the mouthpiece 13 and the cap 2. The mouthpiece 13 may be a unitary section of the top section 8 or may exist as a separate sleeve as shown in FIG. 5.
It is notable that in the disclosed device, the cap 2 is not physically detached from the straw 9 in order to expose the spout. Rather, the cap 2 slides or twists along the length of the top section 8 or a separate sleeve 6 (FIGS. 1A or 5) to uncover the spout. Thus, a disposition of the cap 2 in the downward direction 23 would uncover the mouthpiece 13, while the disposition of the cap 2 in the upward direction 27 would conceal the mouthpiece 13. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the upward disposition 27 would serve to also expose surfaces 42 or 46 that communicate with surface 38 of the casing 4. It is notable that the top end 22 of the cap 2 is open to permit the passage of the top end 18 of the spout 13.
The process of deploying or extending the straw 9 is preferably done in a single motion by one hand of a user, preferably without coming into contact with the distal end 40 or the mouthpiece 13. The first way of doing so is to take hold of the cap 2 with one hand and the casing 4 with the other and pull the straw 9, with all sections collapsed into one. Then a user flicks or twists the hand that is holding the straw 9 with considerable alacrity, casing each individual sections of the straw 9 to self-extend due to the centrifugal force of the flick. At this point, the mouthpiece 13 is still covered by the cap 2. Therefore, a user then grabs hold of the straw 9 with the hand that had been holding the cap 2, or with the other hand, in the area between the lower lip 25 of the cap 2, and the dashed line 50. The dashed line 50 represents a theoretical approximate point along the length of the straw 9 that will preferably remain above a lid or a surface of the beverage being consumed using the straw 9. Then, while the hand is in this position, the user twists the cap 2, or slides the cap 2, and induces the cap in the downward direction 23 to expose the mouthpiece 13.
To collapse the straw drawn out in this fashion a user would remove the straw 9 from the beverage container while grasping the straw 9 with one hand in an area above the dashed line 50. With the thumb of this hand, the user will cause the cap 2 to be twisted or glided in the upward direction 27 to cover the mouthpiece 13. Then the user would insert the distal end 40 within the casing 4, and when the distal end 40 reaches the bottom wall 34 of the casing 4, the sections will fold under the insertion pressure exerted by the user, thereby folding the straw 9 into the casing 4. At this point the user is free to pack up the straw and move on with his or her business.
The straw may be deployed using an alternative method. In this method, along the length of the sidewall 37, there are at least two sections having a flexible membrane 60. The two sections of the flexible membrane 60 are placed opposite each other within the sidewall 37 (see FIG. 4E). The external surface 62 is used to depresses each of the flexible membranes 60 inwardly, causing the flexible pads 64, that protrude into the cavity 4a, to come into contact with the sidewall 21 of the straw 9. Thus, the straw 9 starts out within the case 4, for example, during stowage or travel. To extract and extend the straw 9, a user clasps the cap 2 with one hand and squeezes the sections for flexible membrane 60 with the other hand (See FIG. 4G). While squeezing in the direction 66, the user pulls on the cap 2 in the direction 68 causing the sections of the straw 9 to extend. Once a desired or full degree elongation of each of the sections of the straw is reached, a user releases pressure on the flexible membranes 60, causing the distal end 40 to emerge from the case 4, now extended to the desired length. The other deployment steps are similar as in the flick method described above. Namely, the user clasps the straw 9 within the area between the lower lip 25 and the dashed line 50. The user then uses his/her thumb to twist or slide the cap 2 in the downward direction 23 or upward direction 27 to uncover or cover the mouthpiece 13. Retracting the extended sections again would be similar to the first method, namely casing the sections to telescope into one another by pressing the distal end 40 against the bottom surface 36.
FIGS. 3A-3C demonstrate the operation and mechanics of the cap 2. In FIG. 3A, the cap 2 is covering the mouthpiece 13. The cap 2 rides along threading 6a of the sleeve 6. At point 41 the sleeve contains a lip 42 or a neck section 46. The lip 41 or the neck section 46 represent a point where the top section 8 connects with the sleeve 6. Alternatively, the mouthpiece 13 and the top section 8 may be a unitary element, with the flared section 6 serving as a support point for the cap 2. Depending on the preferred method of stowage within the casing 4, a lip 42 or the neck section 46 may be employed to communicate with the flared section 38 of the casing 4.
Shown in FIG. 3C the is top point 22 having an opening into the 23. The channel 23 passes through the entire length of the cap 2 and contains necessary means to slide along the surface of the sleeve 6, namely threading 6a, or some form of sliding means, such as slots, rails or simple frictional surface.
The case 4 is shown in FIGS. 4A-4D and 4F. FIG. 4A demonstrates the casing 4 that is most suitable for use with the straw shown in FIG. 3B, or one which contains the neck portion 46. The cross-sectional diagram shown in FIG. 4A shows the case 4, the bottom wall 34, the bottom surface 36, and the sidewall 37. The casing 4 contains a hollow channel 4a which holds the straw 9 in its folded stated during travel or stowage. One should note the rounded corners 35, that unlike angled connections, prevent an accumulation of food and dust residue that is then difficult to dislodge and flush during cleaning. The distal end 40 of the straw 9 abuts the rounded corners 35 and hovers right above the bottom surface 36, facilitating the drainage of residual droplets stuck inside the straw 9. This channeling of droplets away from the straw components prevents these droplets and access moisture from bonding together the various moving components of the straw 9, thus guaranteeing smooth deployment of the straw 9 prior to each use.
Also shown in FIG. 4A is a flared portion 38, where the sidewall 37 is widened up to the step 39. An additional metallic ring 31 may be lodged within the flared portion 38. The metallic ring 31 will then serve as a latch for the magnetized neck portion 46 (FIG. 3B). Alternatively, the flared portion 38, with or without the metallic ring 31 can serve as a friction inducing surface for the neck portion 46.
FIG. 4B shows an alternate embodiment of the case 4. The case 4 in FIG. 4B is shown having the sidewall 37, the neck section 38 containing the slot 39b. The bottom wall 34 is shown as separate component that snaps onto the sidewall 37 at points 37a. The bottom wall 35a is shown as a detachable component of the sidewall 37, such that the bottom wall 34 can be dismounted from the rest of the case 4 for cleaning.
The case shown in FIG. 4b accommodates the embodiment of the straw shown in FIG. 3A. The straw 9 in FIG. 3A contains a lip 42, which functions as a barb that is lodged within the slot 39b while the straw 9 is inserted within the case 4.
FIGS. 4C and 4D demonstrate the outer dimensions of the case 4. Shown is the bottom wall 34. The sidewall 37 preferably has a smooth exterior surface 4b and is preferably made from insulating and environmentally friendly materials, such as metal alloys, wood or grass fiber, or stone. The lip 33 forms a border encircling the opening 33a to the internal cavity 4a.
FIG. 5 is an illustration of the sleeve 4 that forms the base for the sliding cap 4. Shown is the top end 18 that forms an opening 19. The channel 19a is in direct communication with the liquid channel formed by the components of the straw 9. The sidewall 18a is thickened at the threaded section 18b. The thicker sidewall at the threaded section 18b contains threading 7 or other contours that assist in controlled disposition of the cap 4 along the surface of the sidewall 18a. The threaded section 18b then contains a neck portion 46 that is terminated with a lip 42. The bottom point 49 is then attached to the top point 40a (FIG. 2) of the straw 9. As described in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the sleeve embodiment may contain an elongated neck portion 46, without the lip 42. Once the cap 2 has been fully affixed to the connector sleeve 6, the bottom section is twisted over the remaining exposed thread lines 7, thus the completely collapsed device 1 featuring the cap 2 and the case 4 that are securely attached to the connector sleeve 6 causing the straw 9 be firmly held in place while in transport without rattling swimming around the internal 10 cavity 4a.
FIGS. 6A-6E describe a means of transporting the device 1 when not in use. A major drawback of prior art devices is that they need to be carried around in pockets, bags, pocketbooks wallets and phone cases. Meaning, all of them must hitch a ride inside an article of clothing or together with a user's personal items. For this reason, they expose other items to the danger of soiling, and the devices themselves run a significant risk of being lost or left behind. The disclosed device resolves this problem with a harness system that is uniquely configured specifically for the disclosed device.
Shown in FIG. 6A is the disclosed collapsible straw device 1, being carried on a forearm 70 of a user. The disclosed harness system is comprised of at least two bands, where the first 20 band 90a wraps around the forearm 70. The first band 90a is then integrally connected to a second band 90b which is sufficiently wide to let the case 4 pass therethrough, and yet sufficiently narrow so as to retain a snug grip around the case 4. A third band 92a wraps around a user's forearm 70, forward of the first band 90a, and approximately near a user's wrist. Disposed at the top portion 92c of the third band 92a is a plug cover 92b. The plug cover is inserted into the opening 23a (FIG. 30 of the cap 2. Thereby, the harness, which consists of the first band 90a and at least a second band 92b establishes two points of connection to the disclosed collapsible straw device 1, holding the same firmly by the side of user's hand. In this manner the disclosed collapsible straw device 1 is both secured, out of the way, and yet ready for usage at any 5 moment. The disclosed components of the harness may be placed anywhere along the length of the forearm 70 or the upper arm (not shown). Appreciably, the harness may consist of just the first band 90a in combination with the second band 90b.
FIG. 6B demonstrates the arrangement from the top. Shown is the second band 90b, that is attached adjacently to first band 90a. The second band 90b secures the case 4. A third band 92a 10 is disposed in a parallel, spaced apart configuration with the first band 90a along the same arm 70 of a user. It is preferable that first, second and third bands, 90a, 90b, 92a, respectively, are elastic. The order in which they are inserted over the arm 70 is not important but is rather a matter of preference for the user.
FIG. 6C. is another embodiment of the disclosed harness. Shown is a first band 90a, the second band 90b, the third band 92a and a flap 92b that is capable of pivoting about its point of attachment 92c to the third band 92a. The flap 92b contains the plug 92b that is inserted into the opening 33a of the cap 2. It should be appreciated that the second band 92b and the flap 92c need to line up along the same linear axis to securely retain the disclosed straw device 1.
FIGS. 6D and 6E demonstrate alternative embodiments of the harness. In FIG. 6D, the 20 harness is comprised of a first band 90a in combination with the second band 90b. At least one third band 92a is placed in parallel and spaced apart association with the first band 90a along the same arm. In this case the third band 92a is attached adjacently to the third band 93. The third band 93 is analogous to the second band 92a, meaning that the combination of first and second bands 90a and 90b respectively may serve as a third and fourth band combinations to complete the disclosed harness system. In FIG. 6E the fourth band 93 is augmented by the presence of the flab 92b with the plug 92d. Also visible is FIG. 6E is the alternative embodiment of the case 4 having flexible membrane 60 along the length of the sidewall 37.
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.
Patent Application
20220007867
