Patent Application
20180199741
The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The present invention relates generally to the field of straws of existing art and more specifically relates to a protective guard; a straw topper.
Drinking straws are open to airborne contaminants and pests such as flies. In addition, common gatherings such as birthday parties result in confusion among children as to whose drink is whose thus resulting in the possibility for unknowingly sharing drinks thereby introducing the possibility of further contamination. A suitable solution is desired.
U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0252115 to Toepfert relates to a drinking straw that prevents the suction of objects. The described drinking straw that prevents the suction of objects includes a method of manufacturing a flexible drinking straw. The straw allows a user to easily suction liquid while preventing foreign bodies in the liquid from entering the mouth of a user. The straw comprises a tube defining a substantially constant cross-sectional inner channel. The tube has a multitude of fins extending from an inner wall of the tube to a distance from the inner wall. The fins create either a single or multiple liquid-way(s) that allow the liquid to flow freely while blocking foreign bodies that may be in the liquid. The straw comprises a tube with a cut and crimped end creating either single or multiple liquid-way(s) that allow liquid to flow freely while blocking foreign bodies.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known straw art, the present disclosure provides a novel straw topper. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a straw topper for sanitary protection and identification of drinking straws when inserted into a drink container.
The present invention is a straw topper comprising a straw topper assembly including a cylindrical body having an open proximate end and a closed distal end. The cylindrical body is configured to be placed over a suction end of a drinking straw. The cylindrical body and the closed distal end are configured to limit access to the suction end of the drinking straw forming a sanitary barrier that reduces contamination of the drinking straw by pests, human contact, and airborne debris. The cylindrical body of the drinking straw is approximately two inches in length and is approximately one inch in width in preferred embodiments.
A straw topper method of use is also disclosed herein. The straw topper method of use includes sliding the straw topper assembly on to straw that is residing in a drink container, removing the straw topper assembly for drinking, and drinking through the straw. The method of use of the straw topper further comprises the steps of installing the sanitary cap on the straw topper assembly and clipping the straw topper assembly to a set of keys using a key ring.
For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a straw topper, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a container attachment or straws and more particularly to a protective guard as used to improve sanitary protection and identification of drinking straws when inserted into a drink container.
Generally, drinking straws are open to airborne contaminants and susceptible to contamination such as contact with hair and/or pests landing on the drinking straw. Furthermore, gatherings where multiple children are in attendance generate a potential for misidentification of drink ownership possibly resulting in more than one child using the drinking straw. This may result in contamination of the drinking straw. A solution is needed for sanitary protection of drinking straws as well as identification of straw/drink ownership.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
In other alternate embodiments, label 118 is an external label sleeve 132. In further alternate embodiments, label 118 is internal label sleeve 134 when used together in functional combination with a transparent version of cylindrical body 112. In this embodiment, internal label sleeve 134 serves as a bushing providing a snug fit for smaller straw diameters. At least one access opening 122 allows for using additional decorative accessories such as attachment ribbon 124. Attachment ribbon 124 works in functional combination with at least one access opening 122 as a means for attaching straw topper assembly 110 to drinking straw 10 while in use. At least one access opening 122 functions as a means for hanging straw topper assembly 110 during storage. The straw topper 100 is shown arranged as a kit 130 including straw topper assembly 110, sanitary cap 128, external label sleeve 132, internal label sleeve 134, attachment ribbon 124, and set of user instructions 155. In particular, straw topper 100 may further include set of instructions 155. Set of instructions 155 may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of straw topper 100 such that straw topper 100 can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner.
It should be noted that steps 504 and 505 are an optional steps and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use 500 are illustrated using dotted lines in
The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.
The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/446,436 filed Jan. 1, 2017, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62446436 | Jan 2017 | US |
