Straw and dispensing device for use in a beverage container

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6234342
  • Patent Number
    6,234,342
  • Date Filed
    Tuesday, June 22, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 22, 2001
    23 years ago
Abstract
A straw assembly disposed within a beverage container and adapted for use with various positioning mechanisms is disclosed. The straw assembly includes a plurality of structural features formed therein for appropriately locating the positioning mechanism. Additionally, a positioning mechanism slidably locatable along the axial length of the straw is disclosed which appropriately positions the straw in an opening of the container. The straw assembly may be fabricated from a photo-degradable material which expedites the photodegradation of the straw assembly when exposed to sunlight.
Description




BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to beverage containers having a self-contained straw and, more particularly, to a straw and a method of making a straw having features particularly adapted for use within the aforementioned container. Various designs have been proposed in the past art for placing a straw within a beverage container can that becomes accessible to the user when the beverage container is opened. An exemplary approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,103 which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and which describes a beverage can containing a straw dispensing mechanism that relies upon user manipulation of the container and the forces of gravity to bring the straw into alignment with the opening in the lid. More particularly, the user merely tilts the container, preferably prior to opening, to cause the mechanism within the container to bring the straw substantially into alignment with the tab. Once the can is opened, further minor manipulation of the can may be necessary to complete the alignment of the straw within the orifice.




Another exemplary approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,247 which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and which describes a beverage container having a positioning mechanism disposed therein which supports a straw substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beverage can. The positioning mechanism is operable to rotate the straw into alignment with the orifice in the can and a float for elevating the straw through the orifice in the can when liquid is present within the can and when the closure tab is deflected into the interior of the can. Thus, when a user opens the can, the straw disposed within the can is rotated into the appropriate position and accessible therethrough.




While the straw designs disclosed in the above-referenced patents remain technologically and commercially viable, certain improvements to the straw assembly have been made thereto. In this regard, the present invention provides a straw assembly having a positioning mechanism operably associated with a straw member for providing access thereto when the beverage container is opened. The present invention also relates to various structure features of the straw assembly which may be integrally formed therein and the process for forming these integral features.




Several embodiments of the present invention are disclosed. A first embodiment is disclosed which utilizes a straw having three distended segments in which structural features are formed in the straw. The first and second distended segments form a pocket for receiving and securing a positioning disk and a float thereto. A positioning disk, or alternatively a camming disk, are operably coupled to the straw assembly. Thus, the buoyancy characteristics of the straw assembly maintains the proper angular position enabling the user to manipulate the container to bring the straw member into alignment with the opening in the container. The third distended segment provides a conventional pleat structure which permits extension and retraction of the use end of the straw, thereby increasing or decreasing the overall length thereof. Alternate embodiments of the first preferred embodiment are disclosed which provide improvements to the structure and operation for various components of the present invention including a self-propelled float and a stiffness enhanced straw member.




In a second embodiment, the straw includes three distended segments in which distinct features are formed therein. More particularly, first and second distended segments provide a pillow structure which acts as an integral float lifter and obviates the need for providing a separate float element, and also are configured to retain the positioning disk onto the straw member. These pillow structures may optionally contain float pockets which further enhance the buoyancy characteristics of the straw. The third distended segment is provided to form the conventional pleat structure operable to modify the length of the straw.




A third embodiment is disclosed which is directed to a telescoping straw assembly. More particularly, the straw assembly includes an inner straw portion disposed and movable within an outer straw portion to provide adjustment in the length of the straw assembly. In addition, an annular volume of formed between the inner and outer straw portions to provide an integral float, thereby reducing the size of or eliminating the need for a float. The inner straw member further includes a pleated portion for providing addition adjustment to the length and orientation of the straw assembly.




A fourth embodiment is disclosed which is directed to a straw assembly readily adaptable for placing a straw assembly in a bottle such as a stretch blow-molded PET bottle. The straw assembly includes a straw member and a positioning mechanism slidably movable along the longitudinal axis of the straw for engaging a portion of the bottle to align the straw with the opening of the bottle. Gaseous fluid from the head space in the bottle is utilized to buoy the positioning mechanism towards the tapered end wall of the bottle near the opening.




As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the above-described embodiments of the present invention are readily adaptable for use in various beverage containers and provides improvements to straw assemblies utilized with a dispensing device in a beverage container.




Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage container with the improved straw assembly that is simple in design, utilizes a minimum of material, is inexpensive to manufacture, and requires relatively inexpensive equipment to assemble and insert into the containers.




It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive straw assembly that is readily adaptable for use in a wide variety of beverage containers and which are configured to be utilized with containers currently in use by the industry.




Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a means for attaching a float to the straw assembly in such a way as to improve operation of the float and to ensure improved performance, safety and ease of straw removal.




It is a further object of the present invention to provide a straw assembly which includes an integrated float, thereby eliminating the need for a separate float component.




It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a straw assembly having a positioning mechanism which substantially aligns the straw within an opening formed in the bottle.




It is a further object of the present invention to provide improved materials for fabricating a drinking straw member including a photo-degradable straw member, a buoyant, cellular plastic straw member, and a buoyant straw member having a cellular plastic portion operably disposed between an inner and outer non-cellular plastic skin.











Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which make reference to the drawings of which:




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a vertical sectional view of a beverage can containing a straw assembly having a straw member, a positioning disk and a float according to a first embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a partial cross-sectional view of the straw assembly illustrated in

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a partial cross-sectional view of the straw assembly shown in

FIG. 2

in which the straw member is being removed from the positioning disk;





FIG. 3



a


is a cross-sectional view of the straw member illustrated in

FIG. 3

showing a substantially homogeneous non-cellular plastic composition;





FIG. 3



b


is an alternate configuration for the straw member illustrated in

FIG. 3

having a substantially homogeneous cellular plastic composition;





FIG. 3



c


is yet another alternate embodiment of the straw member illustrated in

FIG. 3

in which the straw member has a non-cellular plastic inner and outer skin and a cellular plastic filling therebetween;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view showing a self-propelled float adaptable for use in place of the float of the straw assembly illustrated in

FIGS. 1-3

;





FIG. 5

is a cross-sectional view of the float illustrated in

FIG. 4

;





FIG. 6

is a partial cross-sectional view of a straw assembly similar to that illustrated in

FIG. 1

having a straw member, a camming disk and a float;





FIG. 7

is a detailed view of the straw assembly illustrated in

FIG. 6

in which the straw member is being removed from the camming disk;





FIG. 8

is a partial cross-sectional view of a straw assembly in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 9

is an exploded perspective view of a straw assembly in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention;





FIG. 10

is a partial cross-sectional view of the straw assembly illustrated in

FIG. 9

in which the positioning mechanism is located in its moored position;





FIG. 11

is a partial cross-sectional view of the straw assembly illustrated in

FIG. 9

in which the straw assembly is released from its moored position and in which the positioning mechanism is traversing toward its engaged position at the top of the bottle;





FIG. 12

is a partial cross-sectional view of the straw assembly illustrated in

FIG. 9

in which the positioning mechanism is engaged at the tapered end wall of the bottle in an aligned position with the opening thereof;





FIG. 13

is a cross-sectional view of a telescoping straw assembly in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and





FIG. 14

is a cross-sectional view of the straw assembly shown in

FIG. 13

in an extended condition.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIG. 1

, a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. Beverage can


10


comprises a conventional aluminum container having cylindrical body


12


with closed bottom


14


and lid


16


that is joined by a seaming operation to body


12


of can


10


. Lid


16


includes lever ring


18


pivotally secured thereto and adapted to deflect closure tab


20


into the interior of can


10


, thereby providing an orifice through lid


16


for gaining access to the contents contained within can


10


. Closure tab


20


is formed by scoring lines in lid


16


which enable a control portion thereof to break free when lever ring


18


is actuated against closure tab


20


. In addition, manipulation of ring


18


and closure tab


20


provides access to straw assembly


22


disposed within beverage can


10


. While the present invention is illustrated and described in conjunction with an aluminum can, one skilled in the art will readily recognize that the present invention is equally adaptable for use with other types of beverage containers such as bottles or cartons.




Straw assembly


22


includes straw member


24


having a proximal or use end


26


and a distal end


28


opposite proximal end


26


. Straw assembly


22


further includes float


30


attached near distal end


28


and weighted positioning disk


32


disposed over straw member


24


adjacent float


30


. When initially disposed in can


10


prior to the filling and seaming processes, distal end


28


of straw member


24


is preferably temporarily adhered to a portion of beverage container


10


, such as cylindrical body


12


adjacent bottom


14


, with a small amount of soluble adhesive, such as glucose or thixotropic gel. Alternately, a small amount of concentrated syrup may be utilized for this purpose. After the filling and seaming processes are completed, adhesive bond


34


will dissolve, enabling straw member


24


to float freely within can


10


. Due to the positioning of float


30


beneath positioning disk


32


on straw


24


member, the orientation of straw


24


within can


10


will remain substantially as shown in FIG.


1


.




Straw member


24


further includes various structural features to position and retain float


30


and positioning disk


32


therewith. More specifically, straw member


24


includes a lower distended segment


36


and an intermediate distended segment


38


formed therein to position and retain float


30


in the appropriate axial location on straw member


24


. Lower distended segment


36


includes a pair of downwardly aligned frustoconical rings which define a seating surface


40


. Similarly, intermediate distended segment


38


includes a single upwardly aligned frustoconical ring. As such, straw member


24


, lower distended segment


36


and distended segment


38


define a pocket


42


which captures and retains float


30


on straw member


24


.




Positioning disk


32


is concentrically located over straw


24


and directly engages an upper surface


44


of float


30


. More specifically, positioning disk


32


has a central aperture


46


formed therethrough. A plurality of barbs


48


are formed on a lower end wall of positioning disk


32


and extend downwardly to impale float


30


, thereby securing positioning disk


32


with float


30


. A plurality of inner barbs


50


are formed on the inner wall of positioning disk


32


formed by aperture


46


. Inner barbs


50


function to retain float


30


with positioning disk


32


should straw member


24


be removed therefrom in a manner hereafter described. As presently preferred, positioning disk


32


is fabricated from a suitable rigid plastic such as PET, polystyrene and polyvinylchloride which are ideally of greater density than the liquid beverage in the container and which provides adequate stiffness to maintain the structural integrity of positioning disk


32


.




Central aperture


52


formed in float


30


is approximately the same diameter as the outside diameter of straw member


24


and is positioned in pocket


42


by sliding float


30


axially along straw member


24


. In contrast, central aperture


46


formed in positioning disk


32


has a conical cross section in which the larger diameter is approximately twice the diameter of the frustoconical rings associated with lower distended section


36


, and in which the upper diameter is slightly larger than the diameter of lower distended segment


36


.




As presently preferred, float


30


is constructed from a suitable cellular foam plastic, such as a foam of any suitable polyolefin or polyester and provides sufficient buoyancy force to cause straw assembly


22


to ascend through the orifice in lid


16


when liquid is present in can


10


and when closure tab


20


has been opened. Alternatively, float


30


may be molded from a suitable polypropylene, using chemical blowing agents or gas injection or a combination thereof, or a coralfoam process, all of which are known to produce formed structures having an integral skin components around the total surface of float


30


. Moreover, float


30


may be round or oval, or any shape suitable to perform the functions described herein.




Alternatively, a self-propelled float such as that illustrated in

FIGS. 4 and 5

may be incorporated into the present invention. More specifically, float


30


′ includes a plurality of voids


62


molded into the interior thereof. As presently preferred, voids


62


are conical or semi-conical in shape and may additionally have an orifice


64


through the bottom surface


66


of float


30


′. The axis


68


of the conical void


62


may be tilted relative to the central longitudinal axis


70


of float


30


′ to provide desirable rotation of float


30


′, and thus concomitant rotation of the straw assembly associated therewith.




Once the straw assembly with float


30


′ is inserted, and the can is filled and closed, there will be an equilibrium of carbon dioxide (CO


2


) pressure in the head space and the liquid, such that the voids


62


in float


30


′ are filled with CO


2


gas. Upon opening the container, the gas will escape through the micropores generated as float


30


′ is molded and the float counter-pressure released. Escaping gas will act as a jet, propelling the straw assembly associated with float riser


30


′ to the top of the container and out through an opening associated therewith. One skilled in the art will readily recognize that a single or plurality of voids


62


can be incorporated to directionally propel the straw assembly upwardly. The conical voids


62


having a tilted cone axis


68


can rotationally propel the straw assembly. This rotational propulsion can be designed to provide inertia sufficient to overcome any tendencies from the straw assembly to stall or miss the desired opening within the container. With reference now to

FIGS. 1-3

, straw member


24


is removable from can


10


without concern that float


30


will become dislodged from positioning disk


32


, thereby interfering with the dispensing of beverage from can


10


when straw member


24


is removed. More specifically, as best seen in

FIG. 3

, as straw member


24


is removed from can


10


, it is pulled axially through aperture


46


formed in positioning disk


32


. Such relative axial movement pulls float


30


into central conical aperture


46


of positioning disk


32


. Further relative axial movement of straw member


24


impales float


30


onto inner barbs


50


formed on positioning disk


32


to capture and hold float


30


with positioning disk


32


. Once lower distended segment


36


clears inner barb


50


and disengages float


30


, straw member


24


is free to be removed from beverage can


10


. Notwithstanding the removal of straw member


24


, float


30


remains impaled on inner barbs


50


, thereby retaining float


30


with positioning disk


32


in a desirable manner.




Straw member


24


further includes an upper distended segment


52


formed adjacent the proximal end


26


of straw member


24


. The upper distended segment


52


includes a plurality of frustoconical pleats formed in straw member


24


which permits adjustment of the length of straw


24


in a manner well known in the art. These pleats may be oriented upwardly or downwardly relative to the proximal end


26


of straw member


24


.




As presently preferred, lower distended segment


36


includes a pair of frustoconical ring sections, intermediate distended segment


38


includes a single frustoconical ring section and upper distended segment


52


includes five frustoconical ring sections. However, one skilled in the art would readily recognize that the number and location of these segments can be modified without deviating from the scope of the present invention.




As presently preferred, straw member


24


is manufactured by utilizing three independently controlled heating zones, one associated with the lower, intermediate and upper distended segment, whereby a substantially straight straw is heated prior to reforming, and then passed into three independent mold zones, associated with each of the aforementioned segments to form the softened plastic. As shown in

FIG. 3



a


, straw member


24


is preferably fabricated from a non-cellular, thermal responsive plastic such as polypropylene.




Alternately, straw member


24


may be fabricated from a photo-degradable composition such that exposure of the straw to a particular wave length of light will expedite its photodegradation. As presently preferred, a mixture of extrusion grade ethylene carbon monoxide copolymer (ECO) containing approximately 0.2 to 5 percent carbonyl units may be mixed with an extrusion grade polypropylene resin (PP) and extruded into a straw. A useful composition for this application is approximately between 2 and 20 percent ECO copolymer with the PP and other suitable adjuvants. It is been found that a straw fabricated from this composition is satisfactorily formable and will maintain the structural integrity during the necessary secondary operations, including flexing, pleat formation, device attachment and the like without any adverse effects. However, when exposed to sunlight, a straw manufactured from the above-described composition photodegraded within approximately 90-120 days.




Other materials could also be utilized for fabricating straw member


24


. For example, as illustrated in

FIGS. 3



b


and


3




c


, straw member


24


′ and


24


″ respectively, could be fabricated from a homogenous cellular foam material


26




b


with or without a co-extruded outer and/or inner skin


26




c


,


26




a


, respectively of non-cellular material, thereby providing additional buoyancy characteristics to straw assembly


22


. In this alternate embodiment, a presently preferred extrudable cellular material selected from the group of ethylenic polyolefins including ethlane olefin, and most preferably ultra low density polyethlane olefin could be utilized and is readily adaptable for co-extrusion with a non-cellular material selected from the group of olefins including polyethylene, and most preferably low density polyethylene.




Referring now to

FIGS. 6 and 7

, a partial cross-sectional view of a straw assembly similar to that illustrated in

FIGS. 1-3

is shown with cam disk


332


substituted for positioning disk


32


.

FIG. 6

illustrates beverage can


310


and straw assembly


322


after lever ring


318


has pushed closure tab


320


into the interior of beverage can


310


to provide an opening therein. Straw assembly


322


includes straw member


324


, float


330


and camming disk


332


. Camming disk


332


is manufactured from a material which will float within the liquid contained inside beverage container


310


and thus will position itself at the top thereof. Camming disk


332


is designed such that it rotates to appropriately position straw assembly


322


when beverage container


310


is opened. A presently preferred embodiment of camming disk


332


is illustrated and disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 08,856,838 entitled “Beverage Container With Self-Contained Drinking Straw”, which is commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention and the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.




Camming disk


332


further includes a plurality of barbs


334


,


336


formed on a portion of outer wall portion


338


,


340


respectively. Barbs


334


,


336


extend downwardly to impale float


330


as straw member


324


is extracted from camming disk


332


, thereby securing camming disk


332


with float


330


.




With continued reference to

FIG. 6

, for a standard 12-ounce beverage can, straw member


324


should have a length of approximately 6.1 inches to provide an ergonomically pleasing delivery system for beverage therefrom. Straw assembly


322


used in conjunction with camming disk


332


is preferably approximately 3.7 inches long. The length difference of approximately 2.4 inches is provided by flexible pleats


352


. Thus, approximately 48-56 pleats are required to provide this extension. Pleats


352


, when collapsed properly, form a compact structure of some rigidity. However, due to the large number of pleats required, the rigidity may be less than the original straw and may be less than is required for proper functioning of straw assembly


324


. Thus, it is desirable to provide enhanced structural rigidity to the straw assembly


322


to ensure the proper functioning of the positioning device.




In this regard, pleated portion


352


is surrounded by sleeve


354


which is a very thin shrink wrap of a low density, linear low density, or ultra low density polyethylene. Sleeve


354


is shrunk around the body of straw member


324


above and below pleated portion


352


, but most especially at the end adjacent float


330


. As presently preferred, sleeve


354


will hold snugly to the body of straw member


324


, above and below pleated portion


352


, and conform to pleated structure


352


. Thus, sleeve


354


will add inherent rigidity to straw member


324


. Moreover, sleeve


354


will provide a smooth surface to interact with the aperture formed through camming disk


332


thereby allowing smooth passage of straw assembly


322


through cam disk


332


during operation. Once straw assembly


322


is appropriately positioned for consumption of a beverage included in container


310


, sleeve


354


can be removed such that straw member


324


can be further extended to its final length.




Straw member


324


, by virtue of the pleating, has a volume


356


between each pleat, which if not covered by sleeve


354


will be in contact with the liquid. Thus, the inclusion of sleeve


354


creates volume


356


between sleeve


352


and pleated portion


352


which can be occupied by a gaseous substance. The volumetric considerations are such that the specific gravity of straw member


324


is lowered due to the entrapped gas space, enhancing the buoyancy of the straw member


324


and minimizing the size of or eliminating the need for float


330


.




Additionally, if the liquid within beverage container


310


is a carbonated soft drink or a similar beverage enhanced by the addition of a gaseous substance, the gas in the beverage will permeate through sleeve


354


into the gas space between pleated portion


352


and sleeve


354


and achieve gaseous pressure equilibrium with its surrounding. When beverage container


310


is open, the head space gas pressure is relieved and the gas in the pleated area will expand to achieve equilibrium pressure with the head space. This volume expansion will cause sleeve


354


to increase to a size to accommodate the pressure equilibrium, thereby providing additional buoyancy and further reducing the specific gravity of straw assembly


322


. Moreover, the dilated sleeve will limit the travel of straw


324


through camming disk


332


to prevent premature ejection of straw member


324


.




When straw member


324


is extended, pleated portion


352


will cooperate to increase the length and locally decrease the diameter of straw member


324


such that sleeve


354


is locally oversized, thus permitting straw member


324


to be drawn through the aperture formed in camming disk


332


. As further extension of straw member


324


proceeds, sleeve


354


will bunch around the base thereof and provide both a float device and a means for retaining the straw within the container until removal is desired.




When no longer needed, straw member


324


is withdrawn completely through camming disk


332


and removed. Removal of straw member


324


causes float


330


to be impaled onto barbs


336


,


338


. In addition, sleeve


354


is trapped between camming disk


332


and float


330


such that both components remain with camming disk


332


and are not released within beverage container


310


.




Referring now to

FIG. 8

, a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in which certain structural features are integrated into the straw assembly, thereby eliminating the need for separate components. More specifically, straw member


424


includes a proximal end


426


and a distal end


428


, as well as lower distended segment


436


, intermediate distended segment


438


and upper distended segment


452


formed therein. As presently preferred, lower distended segment


436


includes a bulbous conical volume formed in the side wall of straw member


424


. Similarly, intermediate distended segment


438


includes a plurality of bulbous spherical volumes formed in the side wall and axially arranged along straw member


424


. One skilled in the art should readily recognize that while these geometric configurations are presently preferred, other geometric configurations such as bulbous elliptical volumes could be utilized without deviating from the scope of the present invention.




Straw member


424


differs from straw member


24


associated with the first preferred embodiment in that lower and intermediate distended segments


436


,


438


functionally replace float


30


associated with the first preferred embodiment. More specifically, pocket


442


is formed between lower distended segment


436


and intermediate distended segment


438


which is adapted to receive positioning disk


432


. More specifically, lower distended segment


436


is adapted to engage the inner wall formed by central aperture


446


of positioning disk


432


. Intermediate distended segment


438


functions to hold positioning disk


432


in its appropriate axial position.




Similarly, lower distended segment


436


and intermediate distended segment


438


are configured to act as floats and will enhance the buoyancy of the straw assembly


422


. Optionally, intermediate distended segment


438


may include float pockets


464


formed therebetween by the compressive forces on the straw after molding to initiate float pocket


464


. In this manner, the material utilized to form float pockets


464


are heated to a temperature higher than the temperature associated with the other zones for lower distended section


436


and upper distended section


452


.




With reference now to

FIGS. 9-12

, a third preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Beverage container


110


comprises a conventional stretch blow-molded PET bottle having a generally cylindrical side wall


112


with a closed bottom


114


and a tapered end wall portion


116


terminating at opening


118


. In this regard, container


110


is similar to that conventionally used for distribution of carbonated beverages and the like with a slight modification to the bottom portion thereof. More specifically, bottom portion


114


has indentation


120


formed in a center thereof. Indentation


120


is expeditiously made by a stretch rod used during the blowing process of bottle


110


. As presently preferred, mooring stud


122


is disposed within indentation


120


and provides an attachment location for self-dispensing straw assembly


124


in a manner hereafter described. One skilled in the art will readily recognize that straw assembly


124


may be directly inserted into indentation


120


for attachment with bottle


110


.




Straw assembly


124


includes straw member


126


and positioning mechanism


128


slidably positionable along the longitudinal axis of straw member


126


to appropriately position straw assembly


124


relative to opening


118


of bottle


110


. Positioning mechanism


128


includes lower collar


130


having a plurality of legs


132


extending radially outwardly therefrom, and upper collar


134


having a plurality of connecting members


136


extending radially outwardly therefrom. Each connecting member


136


is operably connected to an associated leg


132


. Lower and upper collars


130


,


134


are concentrically disposed over straw member


126


and freely reciprocate along its longitudinal axis.




Each of the plurality of legs


132


extending from lower collar


130


includes an inner portion


138


and an outer portion


144


. Inner portion


138


is secured to lower collar


130


at inner hinge point


140


and extends radially outwardly therefrom to terminate at mid hinge point


142


. Outer portion


144


is operably coupled to inner portion


138


at mid hinge point


142


. Connecting member


136


is secured at upper hinge point


146


to upper collar


134


and is operably coupled to inner portion


138


at lower hinge point


148


. As presently preferred, legs


132


and connecting member


136


are fabricated from a suitable plastic, such as polypropylene, and hinge points


140


,


142


,


146


and


148


are living hinges defined between the respective components of positioning mechanism


128


.




Positioning mechanism


128


defines a kinematic linkage, the geometry of which is defined by the position of lower collar


130


relative to upper collar


134


. As presently preferred, positioning mechanism


128


includes a plurality of legs radially extending therefrom. As presently illustrated in the figures, positioning mechanism


128


includes four leg assemblies


132


. However, the number of legs should properly be determined by the size of the straw assembly


124


and the volume of the contents within bottle


110


. It is presently believed that positioning mechanism


128


must contain at least three legs to provide the proper support for parachute device


152


. Similarly, it is believed that the maximum number of legs is determined by providing parachute device


152


with sufficient surface area to enhance the buoyancy of positioning mechanism


128


. As presently preferred, the number of legs associated with positioning mechanism


128


is between approximately three and eight depending on the size and contents of bottle


110


.




Membrane


154


is attached between each of the plurality of legs


132


extending from lower collar


130


and define a parachute-type device which will capture gaseous fluid trapped within bottle


110


, thereby providing additional buoyancy to urge positioning mechanism


128


upwardly therein in a manner hereafter described.




Straw assembly


124


further includes mooring collar


152


disposed on the distal end


150


of straw member


126


. Mooring collar


152


cooperates with mooring stud


122


for temporarily securing straw assembly


124


in the bottom of bottle


110


. As presently preferred, mooring collar


152


is a micro-foamed component which maintains engagement with mooring stud


122


when dry. However, once the foam component is saturated with liquid, it expands and properly disengages mooring stud


122


for operably freeing straw assembly


124


from bottle


110


.




With continued reference to

FIGS. 10-12

, the operation of the third embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Prior to filling of bottle


110


, straw assembly


124


is inserted into bottle


110


using standard high-speed insertion techniques known to one skilled in the art. The foldable nature of positioning mechanism


128


enables it to be folded up into a compact nature and inserted into bottle


110


through opening


118


. Once a straw assembly


124


is inserted into bottle


110


, mooring collar


152


is urged onto mooring stud


122


for temporarily securing straw assembly


124


onto bottom


114


. Such insertion now makes it possible for bottle


110


to be filled with the appropriate product using standard filling practices, since straw assembly


124


is well below opening


118


.




During the filling operation, fluid agitation will loosen and extend legs


132


of positioning mechanism


128


so that they extend past the diameter of opening


118


. Furthermore, during the filling operation, a certain amount of the liquid is absorbed by mooring collar


146


causing it to expand and release straw assembly


124


from mooring stud


122


at the bottom of bottle


110


. The rate of absorption of mooring collar


152


is designed such that it requires a longer time period to release from mooring stud


122


than the time required for filling and capping of bottle


110


.




After straw assembly


124


has been released from mooring stud


122


, positioning mechanism


128


begins to float within the liquid contained in bottle


110


due to the fact that it has a lighter specific gravity than the fluid contained therein. At this point, outer portions


144


are in proximity of cylindrical side wall


112


and straw assembly


124


is in an approximately neutrally buoyant condition.




Bottle


110


is subsequently inverted during subsequent handling procedures causing the gas associated with head space in bottle


110


to migrate past positioning mechanism


128


toward bottom


114


thus inflating membrane


154


. More specifically, when bottle


110


is returned to its upright position, membrane


154


is filled with head space gas (and re-pressurized from dissolved gas if the beverage is carbonated). As such, membrane


154


provides additional buoyancy to positioning mechanism


128


causing it to move upwardly as best illustrated in

FIG. 11

until it engages tapered end wall


116


of bottle


110


as best shown in FIG.


12


. In this position, outer portions


144


engage tapered end wall


116


and appropriately position straw member


126


within opening


118


of bottle


110


. The head space gas trapped by membrane


154


maintains positioning mechanism


128


in the appropriate position. In addition, outer portions


144


may be fabricated from a sufficiently flexible material such that they act like suction cups adhering and maintaining positioning mechanism


128


in its proper position for ultimate use.




Referring now to

FIG. 13 and 14

, a straw assembly having an extendable length straw member for use in an aluminum can or other suitable container which includes telescoping portion and a flexible pleated portion therein. In addition, the straw assembly provides an intermediate volume between an inner and outer straw portion which acts as an integral float when the straw assembly is collapsed and disposed within a filled container, and especially when the beverage is a carbonated soft drink. Thus, the straw assembly is readily adaptable for use with a wide variety of devices for dispensing a straw assembly from within a beverage container such as those disclosed herein, as well as those referenced and expressly incorporated herein.




Straw assembly


200


includes outer straw portion


202


and inner straw portion


204


partially disposed within outer straw portion


202


. More specifically, outer straw portion


202


is generally cylindrical having an inner wall


206


formed thereon. A seal member


208


is circumferentially disposed about an end of outer portion


202


closest to the proximal end


210


of straw assembly


200


. Outer portion


202


terminates at distal end


212


.




Inner portion


204


includes a pleated portion


214


which enables the length of inner portion


204


to be adjusted, as well as permitting the distal end


210


of straw assembly


200


to be angularly positioned in a manner well known in the art. Inner portion


204


further includes a flared portion


216


formed on an end opposite distal end


210


. As best seen in

FIG. 13

, flared portion


216


engages distal portion


212


of outer portion


202


to sealingly engage with inner wall


206


. Annular volume


218


is formed between inner wall


206


of outer portion


202


and outer wall


220


of inner portion


204


when straw assembly


200


is in a collapsed state. Flared portion


216


of inner portion


204


sealingly engages the distal end


212


of straw assembly


200


. Similarly, seal


208


of outer portion


202


engages outer wall


220


and pleated portion


214


of inner portion


204


. In this manner, annular volume


218


is sealed so as to act as an integral float when straw assembly


200


is disposed within the beverage, especially when the beverage is a carbonated soft drink. More specifically, annular volume


218


may be pressurized with carbon dioxide gas from the beverage as part of the head space pressurization equilibrium.




With reference now to

FIG. 14

, straw assembly


200


may be extended to provide a straw member of desirable length. More specifically, inner portion


204


is longitudinally positioned relative to outer portion


202


such that flared portion


216


is positioned directly adjacent seal


208


formed on outer portion


202


, thereby providing a fluid tight drinking conduit. In addition, pleated portion


214


may be extended to adjust the length of straw assembly


200


to a desired length.




As presently preferred, straw assembly


200


has an overall length of approximately 3.7 inches when collapsed and an overall length of approximately 6.125 inches when extended. Furthermore, the outer diameter of pleated portion


214


is approximately equal to the outer diameter of outer portion


202


such that it can be readily accommodated into various known dispensing devices such as those previously described herein.




While the present invention has been described and illustrated above with particular reference to the presently preferred embodiments, one skilled in the art should readily recognize that the invention is subject to additional variations and modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Moreover, each of the preferred embodiments includes various structures and/or functional features alone and in combination. One skilled in the art should recognize that these structures and functions can be utilized alone or in combination as deemed necessary for a given application.



Claims
  • 1. A straw assembly for use in a beverage container, the straw assembly comprising:a straw member having a wall portion, a first distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion and a second distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion, said wall portion and said first and second distended segments defining a pocket, wherein said first distended segment provides buoyancy to the straw member; and a positioning member having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving said straw member such that said positioning member is removably secured in said pocket adjacent said first and second distended segments.
  • 2. A straw assembly for use in a beverage container, the straw assembly comprising:a straw member having a wall portion, a first distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion and a second distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion, said wall portion and said first and second distended segments defining a pocket, wherein said first distended segment comprises a first pillow structure formed in said wall portion; and a positioning member having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving said straw member such that said positioning member is removably secured in said pocket adjacent said first and second distended segments.
  • 3. The straw assembly of claim 2 wherein said first pillow structure is a bulbous conical volume.
  • 4. The straw assembly of claim 2 wherein said second distended segment comprises at least one pillow formed in said wall portion.
  • 5. The straw assembly of claim 2 wherein said first pillow structure is a bulbous spherical volume.
  • 6. A straw assembly for use in a beverage container, the straw assembly comprising:a straw member having a wall portion, a first distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion and a second distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion, said wall portion and said first and second distended segments defining a pocket, wherein said second distended segment comprises a plurality of bulbous spherical volumes; and a positioning member having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving said straw member such that said positioning member is removably secured in said pocket adjacent said first and second distended segments.
  • 7. The straw assembly of claim 6 wherein said second distended segment further comprises a float pocket disposed between a pair of adjacent bulbous spherical volumes.
  • 8. The straw assembly of claim 7 wherein said at least one float pocket is formed by said wall portion of said straw member.
  • 9. A straw assembly for use in a beverage container, the straw assembly comprising:a straw member having a wall portion, a first distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion and a second distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion, said wall portion and said first and second distended segments defining a pocket; a positioning member having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving said straw member such that said positioning member is removably secured in said pocket adjacent said first and second distended segments, wherein said positioning member is a cellular foam disk, said cellular foam disk having an aperture formed therethrough, at least one void formed into an interior thereof, and an orifice formed through a bottom surface of said float into said at least one void, said cellular foam disk being permeable to a gas contained within said beverage container such that said gas fills said at least one void when said beverage container is closed, and said gas escapes from said at least one void when said beverage container is opened to impart a force on said float.
  • 10. A straw assembly for use in a beverage container, the straw assembly comprising:a straw member having a wall portion, a first distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion and a second distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion, said wall portion and said first and second distended segments defining a pocket; a positioning member having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving said straw member such that said positioning member is removably secured in said pocket adjacent said first and second distended segments, a third distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion to provide adjustment in the length thereof, said third distended segment comprising a plurality of pleats formed in said wall portion and a sleeve disposed over said third distended segment of said straw member.
  • 11. A straw assembly for use in a beverage container, the straw assembly comprising:a straw member having a wall portion, a first distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion and a second distended segment formed by radially extending said wall portion, said wall portion and said first and second distended segments defining a pocket; a positioning member having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving said straw member such that said positioning member is removably secured in said pocket adjacent said first and second distended segments, wherein said straw member is fabricated from a photo-degradable plastic material, said photo-degradable plastic material comprises a combination of polypropylene and ethylene carbon monoxide copolymer.
  • 12. The straw assembly of claim 11 wherein said ethylene carbon monoxide copolymer contains approximately 0.2-5.0 percent carbonyl units.
  • 13. The straw assembly of claim 11 wherein said photo-degradable plastic comprises two (2) to twenty (20) percent ethylene carbon monoxide copolymer.
  • 14. A straw assembly for use in a beverage container, the straw assembly comprising:a straw member having a wall portion, a bulbous conical volume formed in said wall portion, a plurality of bulbous spherical volumes formed in said wall portion and a plurality of pleats formed in said wall portion; at least one float pocket operably disposed between said plurality of bulbous spherical volumes; a positioning member having an aperture formed therethrough for receiving said straw member such that said positioning member is removably secured in a pocket defined by said wall portion, said bulbous conical volume and said bulbous spherical volume.
Parent Case Info

This is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/992,836, filed Dec. 17, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,340.

US Referenced Citations (92)
Number Name Date Kind
806528 Dewender Dec 1905
942306 Clarke Dec 1909
1253579 Deanes Jan 1918
1309994 McAuliffe Jul 1919
1962883 Tate et al. Jun 1934
1997914 Pollard Apr 1935
2052307 Kennedy Aug 1936
2072580 Correll Mar 1937
2150439 Hamilton Mar 1939
2201224 Buchen May 1940
2260968 Cordis Oct 1941
2279396 Hanson, Jr. Apr 1942
2392479 Humbert Jan 1946
2432132 Allen Dec 1947
2547362 Berry Apr 1951
2613988 Jarbeau Oct 1952
2748968 Attler Jun 1956
2799439 Pugh, Sr. Jul 1957
2805809 Pugh Sep 1957
2815879 Hermes Dec 1957
2837234 Mainiere Jun 1958
2844267 Petriccione Jul 1958
2867536 Mead et al. Jan 1959
2997195 Yuen Aug 1961
3071303 Pugh Jan 1963
3099565 Neuhauser Jul 1963
3101855 Yuen Aug 1963
3184134 Cohen et al. May 1965
3211379 Burton Oct 1965
3215329 Pugh, Sr. Nov 1965
3220587 Griffin et al. Nov 1965
3226001 Sequeira Dec 1965
3291331 Grisham et al. Dec 1966
3298577 Chlystun Jan 1967
3303984 Jurena Feb 1967
3303985 Prokes et al. Feb 1967
3325076 Soucy Jun 1967
3326695 Neuhauser Jun 1967
3409224 Harp et al. Nov 1968
3438527 Gamblin, Jr. Apr 1969
3517884 Horvath Jun 1970
3542278 Deaver Nov 1970
3568870 Elston Mar 1971
3623632 Chang Nov 1971
3656654 Brinkley, III Apr 1972
3717476 Harvey Feb 1973
3746197 Sather Jul 1973
3776458 Chunga, Sr. Dec 1973
3780944 Zubalik Dec 1973
3799914 Schmit et al. Mar 1974
4109817 Payne et al. Aug 1978
4194674 Pearson Mar 1980
4228913 Mack et al. Oct 1980
4251019 Cone Feb 1981
4305521 Komatsuta et al. Dec 1981
4356927 Cooper et al. Nov 1982
4379511 del Fabro Apr 1983
4411359 Franco Oct 1983
4582213 Park et al. Apr 1986
4688721 Inaba Aug 1987
4690294 Jones Sep 1987
4709829 Johnson et al. Dec 1987
4728001 Serba Mar 1988
4733785 Turner, Jr. et al. Mar 1988
4736887 Inaba Apr 1988
4744477 Wofford May 1988
4792083 Yassur Dec 1988
4826034 Forbes May 1989
4877148 Larson et al. Oct 1989
4892187 Stein Jan 1990
4909437 Kang Mar 1990
4911315 Shrum Mar 1990
4923083 Forbes May 1990
4930652 Murphy et al. Jun 1990
5054639 Ahn Oct 1991
5071019 Sizemore Dec 1991
5080247 Murphy et al. Jan 1992
5114074 Frauenthal et al. May 1992
5148971 Ahn Sep 1992
5160058 Ahn Nov 1992
5172827 Chang et al. Dec 1992
5183183 Hernandez Feb 1993
5244112 Murphy et al. Sep 1993
5253779 Lee Oct 1993
5431297 Rosello Jul 1995
5482202 Wen Jan 1996
5547103 Murphy et al. Aug 1996
5564591 Christine et al. Oct 1996
5597089 Smith Jan 1997
5819972 Puente Pubill Oct 1998
5819979 Murphy et al. Oct 1998
6083586 Andersen et al. Jul 2000