Abstract:
The invention relates to a disposable drinking straw pump apparatus and method for using the apparatus. The apparatus contains a manual pump device and two unidirectional valves, which enable the user to direct the flow of liquid through the apparatus and into the user&#39;s mouth by compressing and releasing the pump device. In addition to its functional value for those with orofacial disabilities, the drinking straw pump apparatus has entertainment value for those who prefer to manually pump liquid into their mouths, and also as a training tool in developing the muscles and dexterity involved with the suction creation process.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/105,299 filed on Oct. 14, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a novel drinking straw pump apparatus and method for using the apparatus that utilizes a manual pump to transport liquid from a vessel to the user&#39;s mouth. In particular, the drinking straw pump apparatus contains a pump device and at least two valves, on opposite ends of the apparatus. The valves effectively prevent the liquid from flowing back into the vessel and keep the liquid flowing towards the user&#39;s mouth upon compression and release of the pump device by the user. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    With the rising demographics of the elderly population within the United States, a great deal of time and resources are being spent on the care of this patient population. The need for such care may arise out of many potential causes, but one issue involves patients with orofacial problems such as dysphagia, whether inherited or due to a secondary cause, such as a stroke. These patients tend to have difficulty performing even the simplest of tasks, such as drinking liquids from a cup or similar apparatus or controlling the suction of a liquid through a straw. 
         [0004]    The basic straw device used for generations consists of a cylindrically shaped tube, typically made of plastic or the like, which facilitates fluid consumption by means of the vacuum created when the user initiates the suction process on the mouth receiving end. Fluid consumption assistance devices are well known in the art and range from variations on the basic straw design to more complex systems incorporating an automated fluid delivering mechanism. Some straw designs are strictly utilitarian, while others provide an entertainment value in addition to their practical use. However, no previous straw design discloses an easy to use, disposable fluid consumption option that the user can easily transport wherever he or she may go, and does not require suction from the users mouth or creation of a vacuum to facilitate use. 
         [0005]    Fluid consumption assistance, as well as methods to facilitate such consumption, are well known in the art. Prior inventions have disclosed a variety of devices to assist the user in consuming the liquid, including both manual (non-electric, as in powered by the user) and electric devices. One such electric device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,954 granted to Lyons, which teaches a switch-activated device that provides fluids through the pumping of a motor, in set intervals. Given the demands of a power source, this device is not practical for users who are typically outside of their home, or traveling to destinations where an applicable power source is not readily available. 
         [0006]    Furthermore, manual devices for fluid consumption assistance are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 7,189,134 issued to Nugent et al. discloses a beverage bottle top that can utilize a vertical pumping action to move fluid from the bottle through the device. However, the disclosed invention requires that the bottle top be placed or secured on the top of the bottle, so that the top may rest securely and provide resistance for the pump to be moved descendingly, initiating fluid removal from the bottle through the device. This limitation may be undesirable for users if they do not want to carry around the device-compatible bottle all of the time. Rather, a device that can be used on all fluid-containing vessels is more desirable. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,557 granted to McCook, discloses a harness support bag worn by the user, which can be filled with fluid and which may be delivered to the user&#39;s mouth via the use of a squeeze bulb. This invention is also very cumbersome, as it requires that the apparatus be worn by the user, and would also require the user to fill the harness support bag with any fluids desired to be consumed, which also could be undesirable. 
         [0007]    Although the art has many examples of drinking straw devices, most are designed for the entertainment of the user, and none adequately address the specific needs of users who suffer from orofacial disabilities such as dysphagia. Thus, there is a long-felt but unmet need for a drinking straw pump apparatus that is disposable, can be completely powered by the efforts of the consumer or other individual, is easily transportable, and can be adapted to all liquid-containing vessels. Such a device would allow the user to carry the apparatus with him or her at all times, and to lead a less restrictive, more versatile lifestyle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is an object of the invention to provide a disposable, user-powered (manual powered), easily transportable, and adaptable drinking straw pump apparatus to provide consumers suffering from orofacial problems, which prevent the user from being able to drink normally from a drinking vessel or from a straw, with the ability to drink from a straw without any required mouth suction. 
         [0009]    A further object of the invention is to provide entertainment to the user by allowing him or her to consume a liquid by means of manually pumping the liquid from the liquid-containing vessel to the user&#39;s mouth. 
         [0010]    Yet another object of the invention is to provide a means by which a user may be able to take advantage of the set quantity of liquid housed within the upper chamber of the drinking straw pump apparatus, and delivered to the user&#39;s mouth in segmented quantities. Such an advantage is apparent in helping the user such as a child, or individual recovering from an injury, to learn how to develop the mouth suction process or to rehabilitate the user&#39;s mouth suction muscles and routine, and to prevent the user from receiving too much or too little liquid. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of the drinking straw pump apparatus. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the valve member. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of other embodiment of the drinking straw pump apparatus. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The present invention relates to a drinking straw pump apparatus  10  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , and a method for using the apparatus  10 . 
         [0016]    The drinking straw pump apparatus  10  is fabricated using a lightweight, durable, and pliable material, which is most preferably polypropylene plastic, but can be any other material known in the industry that is generally impermeable to liquids and solutions. 
         [0017]    The apparatus is comprised of a liquid-receiving section  12  that is placed into a liquid and a mouth-receiving section  14  that is placed into the mouth of a user. Both the liquid-receiving section  12  and the mouth-receiving section  14  are comprised of an elongated cylindrical portion that is hollow and facilitates the unobstructed passage of liquid or a solution through. 
         [0018]    The apparatus  10  is further comprised of a pump device  16 , which is located between the liquid-receiving section  12  and the mouth-receiving section  14 . In one embodiment, the pump device is located in the center of the apparatus  10 , at an equal distance between the liquid-receiving section  12  and the mouth-receiving section  14 . Alternative embodiments of the present invention may include the pump device located at any point between the liquid-receiving section and the mouth-receiving section. The purpose of the pump device is to withdraw liquid from a vessel, up through the liquid-receiving section  12 , and into the pump device when manually compressed and released by a user. And upon subsequent compression by the user, the liquid is ejected from the pump device  16  and flows into the mouth-receiving section  14 , at which point the liquid is deposited into the user&#39;s mouth. Upon repeated compressions of the pump device, liquid is continually withdrawn from the vessel and ejected into the user&#39;s mouth. The liquid is solely transferred by the action of the pump device. In one embodiment, and as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 3  the pump device  16  is a spherical squeeze bulb, but alternative embodiments may include a pump device in other shapes and sizes that can easily be manually compressed by a user. The pump device  16  is further comprised of a lightweight, durable, and pliable material, which is most preferably polypropylene plastic, but can be any other material that is generally impermeable to liquids and solutions and is capable of being compressed by a user. The pump device  16  is hollow and is comprised of a first opening  18  and a second opening  20 . The first opening  18  connects the pump device  16  to the liquid-receiving section  12  and the second opening  20  connects the pump device  16  to the mouth-receiving section  14 . 
         [0019]    The apparatus  10  is further comprised of a first valve  22  located between the liquid-receiving section  12  and the pump device  16  and a second valve  24  located between the pump device  16  and the mouth-receiving section  14 . A one embodiment of the valves  22 ,  24  is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The first valve  22  comprises a one-way flow device capable of allowing a liquid to flow proximally from a vessel to the pump device  16 . The second valve  24  comprises a one-way flow device capable of allowing a liquid to flow proximally from the pump device  16  to the mouth-receiving section  14  and into a user&#39;s mouth. The first valve  22  contains a lower first valve opening  21  and a lower second valve opening  23 . The first valve  22  is connected to the drinking straw pump apparatus  10  by inserting the end of the liquid-receiving section  12  distal from the vessel into the lower first valve opening  21 . In an alternative embodiment, any valve  50 ,  FIG. 3 , used in the industry that controls flow of liquids can be used with the apparatus  10 . 
         [0020]    In a one embodiment of the claimed invention, a lower intermediate straw  29  is inserted at one end  35  into the lower second valve opening  23  and at the other end  17  into the first opening of the pump device  16 . The second valve  24  is attached to the apparatus  10  by inserting the end of the mouth-receiving section  14  distal from the user&#39;s mouth into the upper second valve opening  27 . Additionally, in one embodiment, an upper intermediate straw  30  is inserted at one end  31  into the upper first valve opening  25  and at the other end  19  into the second opening  20  of the pump device  16 . The use of the intermediate straws  29 ,  30  enable the apparatus to hold larger volumes of liquid. Alternative embodiments of the claimed invention do not require the intermediate straws or can include any number of intermediate straws, extending or decreasing the length of the apparatus. In addition,  FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of the present invention as being composed of individual elongated cylindrical portions that are attached together by any means known in the industry at the valves  22 ,  24  and at the pump device  16  to form the straw pump apparatus. Alternative embodiments,  FIG. 3 , of the present invention may be constructed such that the valves and the pump device are built directly into the elongated cylindrical portions, rather than pieced together, thereby making the apparatus a single piece of material having the same features as described herein. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, each valve  22 ,  24  is comprised of a cylindrical valve chamber  26  in which a small ball  28  is contained. The balls  28  are of a sufficient size to seal and unseal both first valve openings  21 ,  25  depending on whether the pump device  16  is compressed or released by the user. Additional embodiments,  FIG. 3 , may contain any other shape or size of material in place of the balls to perform the same valve sealing function including moveable flaps, or any type of valve used in the industry. When the pump device  16  is compressed by the user, a pressure is created towards both first valve openings  21 ,  25 , which moves each ball  28  in the valves  22 ,  24  away from the pump device  16 . This seals the bottom valve  22 , while opening the upper valve  24 . The compression and release of the pump device  16  causes the liquid within the pump device  16  to flow into the vessel, (in the liquid-receiving section  12  of the apparatus  10 ) then into the pump device  16  (in the mouth-receiving section  14  of the apparatus  10 ), and ultimately into the mouth of the user. When the pump device  16  is released by the user following a compression, a negative pressure is created towards both second valve openings  23 ,  27 , which moves each ball  28  in the chambers  26  towards the pump device  16  allowing liquid to be transported through the chambers  26  towards the pump device  16  (at the liquid-receiving section  12  of the apparatus  10 ) and seals the upper valve  24 . The flow of liquid through the apparatus is depicted in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In a preferred embodiment of the claimed invention, the end  35  of the liquid-receiving section  12  distal from the vessel and the end  33  of the mouth-receiving section  14  distal from the user&#39;s mouth are constructed to prevent blockage by the ball  28  housed within each valve chamber  26  when the pump device  16  is released from compression. 
         [0022]    The method for using the apparatus is also disclosed. This method generally includes placing the liquid-receiving section  12  of the apparatus  10  into a liquid-containing vessel and the mouth-receiving section  14  of the apparatus  10  into a user&#39;s mouth. The user then manually compresses the pump device  16  to activate the flow of liquid from the vessel and into his or her mouth. With each compression and release of the pump device  16 , pressure is created and released within the pump device  16  and the valves  22 ,  24 . This pressure within the apparatus alleviates the need for the user to utilize the traditional mouth suction method for drinking through a straw, which either may not be possible for example, if a user has orofacial problems such as dysphagia, a child who has not developed the muscle control, or it can simply be a fun and different way for a user to drink through a straw. The valves  22 ,  24  assist by regulating the unidirectional flow of the liquid whereby the balls  28  contained in each valve chamber  26  prevent the backflow of liquid through the apparatus  10 . When the pump device is compressed, the resulting pressure closes the first valve  22  and forces the contents of the valve chamber  26  to exit through the second valve  24 . When the pump device  16  is released, a vacuum is created which forces the second valve  24  to close and the first valve  22  to open whereby liquid is suctioned up through the apparatus. The opening and closing of the first and second valves  22 ,  24  regulates the flow of liquid through the apparatus and prevents any liquid in the apparatus from flowing back into the liquid-containing vessel. The pump device  16  can be compressed and released as many times as desired by the user. 
         [0023]    One embodiment of the present invention describes using the apparatus as a drinking straw. Additional embodiments may utilize the apparatus for various other functions in commercial, residential, or industrial environments, for example, as a siphoning mechanism to transport liquid from one vessel to another or to drain water from a pool or pond. 
         [0024]    Thus, there has been described a drinking straw pump apparatus and a method for using. It is apparent to those skilled in the art, however, that many changes, variations, modifications, other uses, and applications to the drinking straw pump apparatus and method for using are possible, and also such changes, variations, modifications, other uses, and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention, which is limited only by the claims which follow.