Beverage container with self-contained drinking straw

A beverage container having a straw-dispensing mechanism that is disposed within the container and is responsive to appropriate manipulation of the container to bring the straw into alignment with the orifice in the top end of the container. The straw is supported by a weighted member that responds to the manipulation of the container to move the straw. A float is attached to the straw to elevate the straw through the orifice when the straw is aligned with the orifice. Several alternative embodiments of the invention are disclosed.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to beverage containers and, in particular, to 
a beverage container having a self-contained straw. Currently, beverage 
containers are manufactured, fitted, and sealed in a high-speed automated 
process. This process includes manufacturing a separate body for 
containing the fluid or beverage and a separate lid for sealing the open 
end of the body. During manufacture of the beverage container, a 
manufacturing operation known as "seaming" places the lid on a filled can 
body and seals its perimeter. At present, known seaming operations pass 
the lids horizontally across the top of the beverage containers at a 
vertical distance of only a few millimeters above the top edge of the 
beverage container. The seaming operation involves the use of very 
expensive high-speed machinery and tooling. 
Various designs have been proposed in the patent art for placing a straw 
within a beverage can that becomes accessible to the user when the tab in 
the lid of the can is deflected into the interior to open the can. The 
vast majority of these designs can be categorized into two groups. The 
first group comprises designs wherein the straw is installed within the 
can so as to be prealigned with the tab opening. Thus, when the tab is 
opened, access to the straw is presented. The practical disadvantage with 
this approach is that the bodies and lids of the cans are randomly 
oriented during the seaming operation. Consequently, any design that 
requires prealignment of the straw with the opening in the lid is not 
readily adaptable to existing canning equipment. 
The second group of designs generally involves the mounting or attachment 
in some manner of the straw to the underside of the lid such that when the 
can is opened, the end of the straw is drawn through or otherwise made 
accessible through the opening. These designs are also not readily 
adaptable to existing canning equipment due to the fact, as noted above, 
that commercial canning processes pass the lid within a few millimeters of 
the top of the can during the high-speed seaming operation. Consequently, 
any structure that is attached or otherwise appended to the underside of 
the lid will disrupt the seaming process. 
A third approach disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,244,112; 5,080,247; and 
4,930,652 which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention, 
describe various embodiments of a straw-dispensing mechanism that is 
disposed within the body of the container and operates to rotate the straw 
into alignment beneath the orifice of an opened beverage container. In 
particular, the designs described in these patents respond to the 
deflection of the closure tab into the body of the container to actuate or 
drive the rotating mechanism. While these designs remain technologically 
and commercially viable, other means, and in particular other forces, are 
available to align the straw with the orifice of an opened beverage 
container. 
In this regard, the present invention proposes a beverage container 
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. In particular, with the beverage 
container according to the present invention, 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 container is opened, further minor manipulation of the container 
may be necessary to complete the alignment of the straw with the orifice. 
Several embodiments of the present invention are disclosed. A first 
embodiment employs a swing arm that is rotatably mounted at one end to a 
central post located on a base member mounted at the bottom of the 
container. The straw is supported vertically at the outer radial end of 
the swing arm. Preferably, the swing arm is weighted so that when the 
container is tilted, the arm freely rotates in the direction the container 
is tilted, to bring the straw into alignment with the orifice. If the 
container is manipulated before it is opened, the container is preferably 
tilted toward the user with the tab in the 8 o'clock position. This serves 
to position the straw in a slightly misaligned position with respect to 
the tab in the lid. In this manner, the tab will not strike the straw when 
deflected into the interior of the container. After the container is 
opened, a final slight manipulation of the container serves to align the 
straw with the orifice in the lid. Preferably, a float is attached to the 
straw to elevate the straw through the orifice. 
In a second embodiment, a substantially vertically oriented guide post is 
pivotally mounted at its lower end via a ball and socket joint to the 
center of a base member that is mounted at the bottom of the container. A 
straw is slidably positioned onto the guide post. A weighted positioning 
disk is attached to the straw adjacent its upper end so that when the 
container is tilted, gravitational forces acting on the disk cause the 
straw to tilt in a corresponding direction. The diameter of the weighted 
disk is sufficient to properly position the straw radially beneath the tab 
when the disk contacts the sidewall of the container. As before, a float 
secured to the straw serves to elevate the straw through the orifice in 
the lid. 
A third embodiment is disclosed which is similar to the second embodiment 
except that the base member has been eliminated so that the straw assembly 
is freely disposed within the container. A weighted positioning disk is 
attached near the upper end of the straw and a float is secured adjacent 
the bottom end of the straw. Thus, the buoyant characteristics of the 
float cause the bottom of the straw to contact the lower side of the 
container at a first point and the weighted disk contacts the upper side 
of the container at a substantially radially opposite point. Tilting of 
the container thus causes the weighted disk to move along the interior 
wall of the container, enabling the user to manipulate the container to 
bring the straw into alignment with the orifice in a manner similar to 
that described above. As before, the diameter of the weighted disk is such 
that the straw is radially offset by the disk from the sidewall of the 
container by the same distance as the lid orifice. 
As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the latter two 
embodiments of the present invention in particular are readily adaptable 
for use in other types of beverage containers having offset orifices, such 
as gable-top containers and rectangular or square beverage cartons 
commonly referred to as "aseptic" cartons in the trade. 
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage 
container with a self-contained straw-dispensing mechanism that is 
compatible for manufacture with existing canning equipment. 
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a 
beverage container with a self-contained straw-dispensing mechanism 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. 
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple 
and inexpensive straw-dispensing mechanism that is readily adaptable for 
use in a wide variety of beverage containers having offset orifices, such 
as beverage cans, gable-top containers, and square or rectangular cartons. 
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become 
apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the 
preferred embodiments which makes reference to the drawings of which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIG. 1, a first preferred embodiment of a beverage can 
according to the present invention is shown. The beverage can 10 comprises 
a conventional aluminum container having a cylindrical body 12 with a 
closed bottom 14 and a lid 16 that is joined by a seaming operation to the 
body 12 of the can. The lid includes an actuating member lever ring 18 
pivotally secured to the lid 16 that is adapted when actuated to open an 
orifice 20 in the lid by deflecting a closure tab 22 into the interior of 
the can. The closure tab 22 is formed by score lines in the lid 16 which 
enable a controlled portion of the closure tab 22 to break free from the 
lid 16 when the lever ring 18 is actuated against the tab by the user. As 
the user lifts the ring 18 to its maximum extent, the closure tab 22 is 
typically designed via the score lines to deflect downwardly and toward 
one side of the orifice 20 to fully open the orifice and facilitate the 
free flow of liquid through the orifice. 
The straw-dispensing mechanism according to the present invention includes 
a base member 24 having either two or three radially extending legs 26. 
The base member 24 is preferably made from a lightweight plastic material 
with the legs 26 being flexible and adapted to be compression-fit to the 
bottom 14 and/or sidewalls of the can body 12. Alternatively, the base 
member 24 may be adhered to the bottom 14 of the can by other means. 
Projecting vertically upward from the central portion of the base 24 is a 
post 28 about which a swing arm 30 is rotatably connected. In particular, 
the swing arm 30 includes a collar portion 32 at one end that is adapted 
to fit onto the post 28 with sufficient clearance to enable the swing arm 
30 to freely rotate about the post 28. Preferably, the collar portion 32 
of the swing arm 30 and the post 28 are designed so that the collar 
portion 32 snaps onto the post 28 to prevent inadvertent separation of the 
two components. The outer radial end of the swing arm 30 has integrally 
formed thereon a vertically extending locating post 34 which is adapted to 
receive a straw 36. The radial length of the swing arm 30 from the collar 
portion 32 to the straw locating post 34 is such that when the swing arm 
30 is rotated to a position in line with the orifice 20 in the lid of the 
can, the locating post 34 will be directly beneath the orifice 20. 
A drinking straw 36 having a float member 38, preferably cellular foam, 
attached near its bottom end, is adapted to freely slide onto the locating 
post 34. The float 38 is designed to provide sufficient buoyant force 
(when liquid is present in the can) to cause the straw 36 to ascend 
through the orifice 20 in the can lid 16 when the straw is aligned with 
the orifice 20. It will be noted that the height of the locating post 34 
is substantially greater than the vertical distance between the top of the 
straw 36 and the underside of the lid 16 to ensure that the straw ascends 
in a straight path up through the orifice 20. As best shown in FIG. 1, the 
locating post 34 is preferably formed with a cross-shaped cross-section to 
minimize the frictional interface between the locating post 34 and the 
straw 36 when the straw ascends through the orifice 20. 
To align the straw 36 with the orifice 20 in the lid 16, the user 
momentarily tilts the can toward himself with the closure tab 22 aligned 
in approximately the 8 o'clock position, or angularly offset slightly from 
the user (the 6 o'clock position defining the direction toward the user). 
The tilting of the can toward the user causes the swing arm 30 to rotate 
under the force of gravity to the 6 o'clock position so that the straw 36 
is slightly misaligned with the orifice 20. With the can preferably 
reoriented to its normal vertical position, the user then lifts the lever 
ring 18 to deflect the closure tab 22 into the interior of the can. With 
the orifice now opened, a further slight manipulation or tilting of the 
can in the direction of the orifice 20 serves to bring the straw 36 into 
alignment and thereby permit the straw to ascend through the orifice 20. 
Note, when the can is initially tilted toward the user, it is preferred 
that the closure tab 22 be oriented in the 8 o'clock position rather than 
the 4 o'clock position. This is due to the fact that conventional beverage 
cans typically have closure tabs 22 that are designed to deflect 
downwardly and toward the left side of the orifice 20 (i.e., left-hinged 
closure tabs). Consequently, when the can is subsequently opened by the 
lifting of the lever ring 18, the closure tab 22 does not strike the straw 
36 as it is deflected into the interior of the can, nor does it obstruct 
the final movement of the straw 36 to bring it into alignment with the 
orifice 20. Obviously, for beverage cans with right-hinged closure tabs, 
an initial 4 o'clock position would be preferred. 
Optionally, of course, the user may elect to open the can first before the 
can is manipulated to bring the straw into alignment with the orifice. 
When this procedure is followed, the user tilts the opened can in the 
direction of the orifice 20 as though intending to dispense liquid from 
the can. The resulting rotation of the swing arm 30 will thus bring the 
straw 36 directly into alignment with the orifice 20. Obviously, when 
following this procedure, the user must be careful to avoid tilting the 
can too much so that liquid is not inadvertently dispensed from the can. 
However, this procedure can readily be accomplished without spillage given 
the typical level of liquid in a filled can. 
In addition, the user may manipulate the can in other ways to cause the 
straw 36 to move into alignment with the orifice 20. For example, the user 
may impart a circular motion to the can to initiate a circular movement of 
the liquid within the can. Alternatively, the user may combine both 
circular and tilting motions and impart a slow "wobble" to the can to 
facilitate the desired rotational movement of the straw. 
In order to facilitate the movement of the swing arm 30 in response to the 
relatively slight tilting of the case, the swing arm 30 is preferably 
weighted or localized weight is added to the outer radial end of the swing 
arm 30. The added weight enables the swing arm 30 to more quickly respond 
to the user manipulation of the can. The additional weight may also serve 
to enable the user to achieve the desired alignment with a smaller angle 
of tilt, thus facilitating proper manipulation of the can without 
spillage. 
In addition, the central post 28 may be lengthened so that the swing arm 30 
rotates about a horizontal plane that is closer to the middle of the can 
from a height standpoint. In such an embodiment an annular guide sleeve 
would be substituted for the straw locating post 34 at the outer radial 
end of the swing arm 30 to support the straw. With this alternative 
embodiment, the straw-manipulating mechanism will respond to smaller tilt 
angles, thus facilitating attainment of the desired alignment with less 
risk of spillage. 
To prevent the float 38 from elevating the straw 36 during the can filling 
and seaming processes, and thus possibly interfering with these processes, 
a small amount of soluble adhesive, such as glucose or thixotropic gel, is 
preferably applied to temporarily bond the straw 36 to the locating post 
34 and/or the swing arm 30. Accordingly, after the seaming operation is 
completed, the adhesive will gradually dissolve and thereby enable the 
straw 36 to float freely upward until it contacts the underside of the lid 
16. 
Alternatively, the straw-locating post 34 may be thermally expanded prior 
to placement of the straw 36 onto the post 34. The resulting slight 
thermal expansion of the post 34 creates a friction fit between the straw 
36 and the post. After the filling and seaming processes are completed, 
the subsequent lowering of the temperature of the locating post 34 causes 
it to contract and thereby release its frictional engagement with the 
straw 36. Either of these alternative means for temporarily securing the 
vertical position of the straw 36 can, of course, be used with a swing arm 
30 having a guide sleeve for supporting the straw instead of a support 
post 34. 
In addition, it may be desirable to provide a stop member 40, which may 
comprise a simple annular ring having a pair of flexible arms, that is 
secured to the straw 36 near its upper end to limit the extent to which 
the straw is elevated by the float 38 through the orifice 20, but which 
may be readily overcome by the user simply by grasping the top of the 
straw and pulling the stop 40 through the orifice 20. The stop 40 would 
thus serve to ensure that the straw 36 does not inadvertently choke a user 
that opens the can and begins ingesting the liquid directly from the can 
in a conventional manner. 
In this embodiment, as well as the other embodiments described herein, the 
straw 36 is preferably convoluted along most of its length so that it can 
be extended by the user to reach fully to the bottom of the can. 
Referring to FIGS. 3-5, an alternative embodiment of the present invention 
is shown. Equivalent components to those shown in the previous embodiment 
are labeled with a "/". The straw-manipulating mechanism in this 
embodiment also includes a base member 24' similar to the base member 24 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with either two or three legs 26' adapted to engage 
the bottom 14 of the can 12. Located at the center of the base member 24' 
is a socket 28' that is adapted to receive an appropriately sized ball 42 
that is formed at the bottom of the straw support post 34'. The ball end 
42 of the support post 34' is thus adapted to be snapped into the socket 
28' in the base 24' so that the support post 34' can freely pivot and 
rotate about the base socket 28'. The straw 36 is adapted to be slid onto 
the support post 34' and temporarily retained thereon as described above. 
Attached to the upper portion of the straw 36 is a positioning disk 44 
having a central aperture or bore 45 formed therein for frictionally 
receiving the straw 36. Once attached to the straw, the positioning disk 
44 has associated therewith sufficient weight to cause the upper end of 
the straw to fall toward the sidewall of the can 12 when the can is 
tilted, as shown in FIG. 4. The diameter of the positioning disk 44 is 
sized so that when the disk contacts the sidewall of the can, the straw 36 
is offset therefrom by an amount equal to the radial offset of the orifice 
20 in the lid 16. This ensures proper radial alignment between the straw 
36 and the orifice 20 when the straw and the orifice are angularly 
aligned. 
Thus, to align the straw 36 with the orifice 20 in the lid 16, the user 
follows either of the procedures outlined above. In this embodiment, when 
the can is tilted, the gravitational force exerted on the positioning disk 
44 causes the disk, together with the straw, to rotate freely along the 
sidewall of the can 12 about the ball and socket joint until the low point 
is reached (i.e., the direction of the tilt). When the straw is aligned 
with the orifice, the buoyancy of the float 38, which is sufficient to 
overcome the weight of the positioning disk 44, causes the top of the 
straw to ascend through the orifice 20 until the positioning disk 44 
contacts the underside of the lid 16. In the preferred embodiment, the 
straw will initially ascend approximately 1-2 inches above the lid of the 
can. 
At this point the user may elect to commence drinking through the straw, or 
withdraw the straw further from the can. In this embodiment, the 
positioning disk 44 may be formed with sufficient rigidity and the 
frictional interface between the straw 36 and the positioning disk may be 
sufficiently low to permit the straw to be pulled upwardly through the 
positioning disk as the positioning disk is held against the underside of 
the lid 16. As presently noted, the straw 36 is preferably convoluted 
along most of its length so that it can thereafter be extended by the user 
to reach fully to the bottom of the can. 
Alternatively, the positioning disk 44 may be sized and designed with 
sufficient flexibility to enable the user to extract the positioning disk 
through the orifice 20 as the straw 36 is pulled out of the can. Once 
pulled through the orifice and while still positioned on the straw, the 
positioning disk 44 may optionally be configured to compressively fit into 
the orifice. The user may thereupon elect to position the disk 44 into the 
orifice 20 so that it is retained under slight compression along the edges 
of the orifice. Once positioned in this manner, the positioning disk 44 
serves to stabilize the straw 36 during use and also substantially 
encloses the orifice 20 to prevent contaminants as well as insects from 
entering the can. 
Turning now to FIGS. 6-8, a third preferred embodiment of the present 
invention is shown. In this embodiment the straw 36 has a float 38 
attached near its lower end and a weighted positioning disk 44' attached 
near its upper end. When initially disposed in the can prior to the 
filling and seaming processes, the lower end of the straw 36 is preferably 
adhered temporarily adjacent to the bottom 14 of the can with a small 
amount of soluble adhesive 46, as described in the initial embodiment. 
Subsequently, after the filling and seaming processes are completed, the 
adhesive bond 46 will dissolve, enabling the straw 36 to float freely 
within the can. Due to the positioning of the float 38 beneath the disk 
44' on the straw, the orientation of the straw 36 within the can will 
remain substantially as shown in FIG. 8 with the bottom end of the straw 
36 contacting the sidewall of the can 12 at a first point and the 
positioning disk 44' contacting the sidewall of the can at a second 
substantially radially opposite point. As in the previous embodiment 
illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, the diameter of the position disk 44' is 
selected so that the top of the straw is radially offset from the sidewall 
of the can by a distance corresponding to the radially offset position of 
the orifice 20 in the lid 16. In this manner, when the user manipulates 
the can to cause the disk 44' to move along the inside wall of the can, 
the straw 36 will rotate into alignment with the orifice 20. The buoyancy 
of the float 38 is sufficient to overcome the weight of the positioning 
disk 44' so that when brought into alignment with the orifice 20 the straw 
36 will ascend through the orifice 20. 
To bring the straw 36 into alignment with the orifice 20 in the lid, the 
user follows either of the same two procedures outlined above. As in the 
previous embodiment, once aligned with the orifice 20, the straw will 
elevate through the orifice until the positioning disk 44' contacts the 
underside of the lid 16. Thereupon, the options presented to the user are 
the same as those described in connection with the embodiment illustrated 
in FIGS. 3-5. 
Referring to FIG. 9, an exemplary application of the teachings of the 
present invention to a gable-top container SO is shown. The container 50 
illustrated in FIG. 9 is of conventional design commonly used as a milk 
carton. The container 50 is typically formed with a square-sided body 52 
having a gabled top portion 54 that is sealed along its upper edge 56. The 
container 50 is opened by breaking the seal at one end, folding back the 
top sides, and then forming a spout from the exposed end portion 58 of the 
gabled top 54 in a conventional manner. 
The straw 36 in this embodiment has a float 38 attached near its lower end 
and a weighted sleeve member 60 attached near its upper end. In the 
preferred embodiment the upward buoyant force exerted on the straw 36 by 
the float 38 when liquid is present in the container 50 is slightly 
greater than the downward gravitational force exerted on the weighted 
sleeve 60. Accordingly, when the upper end of the straw 36 is aligned with 
the opening in the container 50, the float 38 will serve to elevate the 
straw up through the opening. 
Once the container 50 has been opened in the conventional manner, the upper 
end of the straw 36 is aligned with the opening by tilting the container 
slightly toward the formed spout, being careful, of course, not to 
inadvertently dispense liquid from the container. The gravitational force 
on the weighted sleeve 60 causes the upper end of the straw 36 to pivot 
toward the opening, thus permitting the straw to elevate up through the 
opening. Optionally, the user may tilt the container 50 toward the 
appropriate gabled end portion 58 of the container prior to opening of the 
container to pre-position the upper end of the straw 36 in the vicinity of 
the opening. In this manner, when the container 50 is then opened, the 
straw 36 will either immediately, or following further minor manipulation 
of the container, ascend through the opening. 
To temporarily secure the straw 36 to prevent premature elevation and 
interference with the filling and/or sealing process, any of the 
techniques previously enumerated in connection with the description of the 
previous embodiments may be used. 
Turning now to FIG. 10, an exemplary application of the present invention 
to a rectangular beverage carton or "aseptic" carton 62 is shown. Beverage 
cartons of this general type typically include an offset orifice 64 that 
is exposed by the removal of a seal (not shown). Although the orifice 64 
is located in the top 66 of the carton 62 shown in FIG. 10, it will be 
understood that the carton may be formed with the orifice located in a 
sidewall 68 adjacent the top end 66 of the carton 62. 
The straw 36 in this embodiment is supported by a base member or strip 72 
that is fitted to, adhered, or otherwise secured to the bottom 70 of the 
carton 62. A socket 74, similar to that described in the embodiment 
illustrated in FIGS. 3-5, is located at the center of the base member 72 
and is adapted to receive an appropriately sized ball (not shown) that is 
formed at the bottom of a straw support post 76. The ball end of the straw 
support post 76 is thus adapted to snap into the socket 74 so that the 
support post 76 can freely pivot and rotate about the base socket 74. 
The straw 36, which is adapted to be slid onto the straw support post 76, 
has a float 38 attached near its bottom end and a weighted positioning 
disk 78 attached near its top end. As in the embodiment described in FIGS. 
3-5, the positioning disk 78 is sufficiently weighted such that when the 
carton 62 is tilted, the upper end of the straw 36 pivots accordingly. 
Thus, to align the straw 36 with the orifice 64, the carton 62 is tilted 
slightly toward the orifice, the gravitational force exerted on the 
positioning disk 78 causes the straw 36 to pivot about the socket 74 in 
the base member 72 until the positioning disk 78 contacts the sidewall 68 
of the carton. The diameter of the positioning disk 78 is sized so that 
when the disk 78 contacts the sidewall 68 of the carton 62, the upper end 
of the straw 36 is offset therefrom by an amount sufficient to position 
the straw beneath the orifice 64. When the straw 36 is aligned with the 
orifice 64, the buoyancy of the float 38, which is sufficient to overcome 
the weight of the positioning disk 78, causes the top of the straw 36 to 
ascend through the orifice until the positioning disk 78 contacts the 
underside of the top 66 of the carton 62. As before, the user may at this 
point elect to commence drinking through the straw, or withdraw the straw 
further from the carton. Preferably, the positioning disk 78 is positioned 
near the upper end of the straw 36 so that approximately one to two inches 
of the straw initially projects through the orifice 64, when the 
positioning disk 78 contacts the underside of the top 66 of the carton 62. 
It will further be understood that the invention is subject to additional 
variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the 
invention as set forth in the appended claims.