Patent Application
20250116356
Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to storable conduit devices for transporting fluids and more particularly pertains to a new storable conduit device having a structure allowing for the conduit to be easily flattened and retained in such a condition such that the conduit may be rolled up and thus maintain a small volume of space for storage purposes. In some embodiments, this will encourage a person to carry and re-use the conduit as a drinking straw whereby after use the conduit is cleaned and placed back into storage. Consequently, the present device will reduce waste and consumption of plastics and generally provide a more environmentally friendly straw assembly. Alternatively, other uses may be envisioned such as gardening hoses, medical devices, and other fluid conduit structures where the ability to flatten the conduit allows for ease of deployment, storage, and/or transportation.
The prior art relates to storable drinking conduit devices that include the ability to be stored when not in use and re-used as needed. However, these conduits, even in their stored condition, remain too large in volume to encourage long-term storage, transportation and usage.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a tube that is elongated and defined by a perimeter wall having a first end and a second end. The first end has an opening therein extending through a length of the tube and outwardly through the second end. The tube is comprised of a bendable material. The perimeter wall includes a first living hinge and a second living hinge each being elongated and extending from the first end to the second end. The first living hinge is positioned opposite of the second living hinge. The first and second living hinges facilitate bending of the perimeter wall along the first and second living hinges. A cross-section of the tube taken perpendicular to a longitudinal axis extending through the first and second ends forms a tubular shape when the first and second living hinges are in a relaxed state. The first and second living hinges divide the perimeter wall into a first wall section and a second wall section positioned opposite of each other, and which are collapsible against each other when the first and second living hinges are biased against the relaxed state such that the tube is placed in a flattened state. The first end of the tube is rollable toward the second end when the tube is in the flattened state to form a flat spiral and define a stored condition. The tube is unrolled and the first and second flat hinges returned to a relaxed state to define a deployed condition.
Another embodiment of the disclosure includes a method of storing a conduit including the step of flattening a tube. The tube is elongated and defined by a perimeter wall extending from a first end to a second end of the perimeter wall. The first end has an opening therein extending through a length of the tube and outwardly through the second end. The tube is comprised of a bendable material. The perimeter wall includes a first living hinge and a second living hinge each being elongated and extending from the first end to the second end. The first living hinge is positioned opposite of the second living hinge. The first and second living hinges facilitate bending of the perimeter wall along the first and second living hinges. A cross-section of the tube taken perpendicular to a longitudinal axis extending through the first and second ends forms a tubular shape when the first and second living hinges are in a relaxed state. The first and second living hinges divide the perimeter wall into a first wall section and a second wall section positioned opposite of each other. The first and second wall sections are collapsible against each other when the first and second living hinges are biased against the relaxed state such that the tube is placed in the flattened state to facilitate rolling of the tube from the first end to the second end. The first and second flat hinges are returnable to a relaxed state to define a deployed condition. The tube is rolled in its flattened state from the first end thereof to the second end thereof to form a flat spiral defining a stored condition. The flat spiral is then placed in a storage container having a size and shape to receive the tube in the stored condition.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The perimeter wall 14 includes a first living hinge 22 and a second living hinge 24. The first 22 and second 24 living hinges are each elongated and extends from the first end 16 to the second end 18. Often the first 22 and second 24 living hinges will be comprised of a material which is more resiliently stretchable than remaining portions of the perimeter wall 14. In some embodiments the first 22 and second 24 living hinges will be formed in the perimeter wall 14 itself and be comprised of the same material as the perimeter wall 14. In some embodiments the first 22 and second 24 living hinges may form a unitary structure with the remaining portions of the tube 12 such that the tube 12, from the first end 14 to the second end 16, is impervious to fluid leakage. However, as indicated above, the first 22 and second 24 living hinges may be comprised of a different material than a remainder of the perimeter wall 14.
The first living hinge 22 is positioned opposite of the second living hinge 24, and the first 22 and second 24 living hinges facilitate bending of the perimeter wall 14 along the first 22 and second 24 living hinges. A cross-section of the tube 12 taken perpendicular to a longitudinal axis extending through the first 16 and second 18 ends will most often form a tubular shape, which is often a rounded shape, when the first 22 and second 24 living hinges are in a relaxed state as shown in
The first 22 and second 24 living hinges divide the perimeter wall 14 into a first wall section 26 and a second wall section 28 that are positioned opposite of each other. The first 26 and second 28 wall sections are collapsible against each other, owing to the nature of the bendable material of the tube 12, when the first 22 and second 24 living hinges are biased against the relaxed state. Thus, the tube 12 is placeable in a flattened state as shown in
The first end 16 of the tube 12 is rollable toward the second end 18 when the tube 12 is in the flattened state to form a flat spiral. When in the flat spiral, shown in
Because of the nature of some of the materials that may be utilized for the tube 12, a condition may exist whereby the material of the tube 12 retains the memory of its shape when in the stored condition. That is, the tube 12 may not easily unroll to the deployed condition. To help ensure unrolling of the tube 12, a spine 30 may be added to the tube 12 which will bias the tube 12 against being retained in the flat spiral when force, holding the tube 12 in the flat spiral position, is removed. The spine 30 will usually be spaced from the first 26 and second 28 living hinges and will be elongated. The spine 30 may be comprised of memory materials, including plastics, carbon fibers, and metals, which will return to their original shape.
Though not shown, an alternative structure for unrolling of the tube 12 would include the first 22 and second 24 living hinges, instead of a being a conventional flat or straight living hinge, comprising a butterfly or other monostable or bi-stable living hinge having the ability to bias towards or against the flat spiral, or the flattened form of the tube 12, or both.
A storage container 42 is provided having a size and shape to receive the tube 12 in the stored condition. The storage container 42 in the embodiment of
In use, the tube 12 will be utilized as a conventional conduit for the transfer of fluids and thus may be used as a drinking conduit. However, when not in use, it may be rolled up and stored within the container 42. When the user wishes to use the assembly 10, the tube 12 is removed from the container 42 and unrolled for use. When the user no longer requires a drinking straw, the tube 12 is cleaned, flattened, and rolled up for storage in the container 42 until needed again.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the element.
