Patent Publication Number: US-11375834-B2

Title: Coupling for a drinking straw

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to systems and methods for coupling two hollow structures. Specifically, the present invention relates to coupling and storing two halves of a drinking straw system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Over 500,000,000 plastic straws are used each day in the United States and are then disposed of after a single use. In only the past twenty years, people have come to expect plastic straws in every drink, in an example of extreme waste being generated for convenience. These short-lived tools are usually dropped into a garbage can with no further thought, instantly becoming a source of plastic pollution (http://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/no-straw-please/). 
     The consumption of 500 million single-use plastic straws a day is enough straws to wrap around the circumference of the earth 2.5 times per day. Currently, it is nearly impossible to recycle plastic straws, which often end up in a dump. Plastic straws are also swept away by winds and end up in waterways, and eventually move into the oceans. Plastic straws are confused as food by fish and seabirds. In a recent study, it was estimated that approximately 60% of seabirds currently have plastic in their stomachs, and by 2050, 99% percent of seabirds will have plastic in their stomachs. 
     In an effort to combat this massive environmental problem, single-use plastic straws are being banned in restaurants, cafes, and bars all around the world. For example, the city of Seattle, Wash. banned all plastic straws as of Jan. 1, 2018. Other countries, states, and cities are in the process of implementing similar bans of single-use plastic straws. Despite governmental efforts and increased public awareness of the environmental problems caused by single-use plastic straws, plastic straws are still being served in many places. 
     One solution to not using plastic straws is for people to carry their own reusable straws. However, reusable straws are often made out of glass or metal and, by nature, are long and inconvenient to carry around. Glass straws break easily and require a bulky case to keep them from shattering. If people are to bring reusable straws everywhere, they will need somewhere dean to store the reusable straw. That means keeping the reusable straw in a case that is even bigger and bulkier than the glass and metal straws in their current form. Therefore, there exists a need for a convenient reusable drinking straw that is easy to carry, store, and clean. 
     This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     With the above in mind, embodiments of the present invention are related to a coupling including a first elongate member and a second elongate member. The first elongate member includes a first tube and a first magnet. The first tube has a first end and a second end. The first magnet is secured to the first end of the first tube. The second elongate member includes a second tube and a second magnet. The second tube has a first end and a second end. The second magnet is secured to the first end of the second tube. The first and second magnets are cooperatively configured to attract one another and secure the first end of the first tube to the first end of the second tube. 
     The first end of the second tube is configured to receive and carry the first end of the first tube. 
     The first magnet is positioned on an exterior surface of the first end of the first tube and the second magnet is positioned on an interior surface of the first end of the second tube. 
     The first end of the second elongate member has an interior diameter greater than an exterior diameter of the first end of the first elongate member. 
     The first end of the first tube has a recess defined by an area of the first end having an exterior circumference smaller than an exterior circumference of a remainder of the first tube. 
     The first magnet s secured to the recess. 
     The first magnet covers an entirety of the recess. 
     The second tube has a first portion having a first interior diameter and a second portion having a second interior diameter less than the first interior diameter. 
     The second tube has a transition portion located between the first portion and the second portion and the transition portion has a tapered interior diameter. 
     The tapered interior diameter of the transition portion forms a 135-degree angle with respect to an interior surface of the second portion. 
     The second tube has a third portion having a third interior diameter greater than the first interior diameter. 
     The second magnet is secured to an interior surface of the third portion. 
     The second magnet covers an entirety of the interior surface of the first portion. 
     The second end of the second elongate member is configured to receive the second end of the first elongate member in a nested configuration. 
     In one embodiment, the coupling may be part of a straw system, which includes a receiving component and a lid component. 
     The receiving component carries the first elongate member and second elongate member in the nested configuration. 
     The lid component is configured to secure to an open end of the receiving component to store the first and second elongate members within a cavity defined by an interior surface of the receiving component and lid component in a coupled configuration. 
     The receiving component further includes a post secured to an interior side of a closed end of the receiving component. The post is configured to engage the first end of the first elongate member. 
     The receiving component further comprises a third magnet secured to the post and configured to attract the first magnet of the first elongate member. 
     The third magnet surrounds an entirety of a circumference of the post. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the straw system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the straw component of the straw system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the container component of the straw system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is perspective view of the first tube of the first elongate member of  FIG. 22 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of the first tube of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the first tube of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom plan view of the first tube of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the second tube of the second elongate member of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevation view of the second tube of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a top plan view of the second tube of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 11  is a bottom plan view of the second tube of  FIG. 8 . 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-section view of the second tube taken through line  12 - 12  of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the receiving component of the container component of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 14  is a side elevation view of the receiving component of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a top plan view of the receiving component of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 16  is a bottom plan view of the receiving component of  FIG. 33 . 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-section view of the receiving component taken through line  17 - 17  of  FIG. 14 . 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the lid component of the container component of  FIG. 3 , 
         FIG. 19  is a side elevation view of the lid component of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 20  is a top plan view of the lid component of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 21  is a bottom plan view of the lid component of  FIG. 18 . 
         FIG. 22  is a side elevation view of the first elongate member of the straw component of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 23  is a top plan view of the first elongate member of the straw component of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 24  is a side elevation view of the second elongate member of the straw component of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 25  is a top plan view of the second elongate member of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 26  is a cross-section view of the second elongate member taken through line  26 - 26  of  FIG. 24 . 
         FIG. 27  is a detailed view of the area labeled A in  FIG. 26 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Those of ordinary skill in the art realize that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention. 
     In this detailed description of the present invention, a person skilled in the art should note that directional terms, such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” and other like terms are used for the convenience of the reader in reference to the drawings. Also, a person skilled in the art should notice this description may contain other terminology to convey position, orientation, and direction without departing from the principles of the present invention. 
     Furthermore, in this detailed description, a person skilled in the art should note that quantitative qualifying terms such as “generally,” “substantially,” “mostly,” and other terms are used, in general, to mean that the referred to object, characteristic, or quality constitutes a majority of the subject of the reference. The meaning of any of these terms is dependent upon the context within which it is used, and the meaning may be expressly modified. 
     An embodiment of the invention, as shown and described by the various figures and accompanying text, provides a coupling, which may be used to join two hollow structures. In one embodiment, the coupling may join two halves of a straw system  100 . The straw system  100  may include a straw component  101  and a container component  102 . The coupling may be present on the straw component  101  and be utilized to join a first elongate member  103  of the straw component  101  to a second elongate member  104  of the straw component  101 . 
     The first elongate member  103  may include a first tube  107  having a first end  108  and a second end  109 , a first magnet  110 , and a recess  115 . 
     The second elongate member  104  may include a second tube  111 , having a first end  112  and a second end  113 , a second magnet  114 , a first portion  116 , a second portion  117 , a third portion  118 , and a transition portion  119 . 
     The coupling between the first elongate member  103  and the second elongate member  104  may include a first magnet  110  secured to the first elongate member, as depicted in  FIGS. 22 and 23 , and a second magnet  114  secured to the second elongate member  104 , as depicted in  FIGS. 25 and 26 . In such an embodiment, the first elongate member  103  may include a first tube  107 , having a first end  108  and an opposing second end  109 . The first tube  107  may be a hollow, cylindrical member with a uniform interior diameter extending the entirety of the length of the first tube  107  from the first end  108  to the second end  109 . As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a recess  115  may be located on the first end  108  of the first elongate member  103 . The recess  115  may be defined by an exterior surface of the first tube  107  having an exterior circumference smaller than the exterior circumference of the second end  109  of the first tube  107  and the portion of the first tube  107  between the bottom end of the recess  115  and the second end  109  of the first tube  107 . The first magnet  110  may be secured to an exterior surface of the first tube  107 . In embodiments having a recess  115 , the first magnet  110  may be secured to the external surface of the recess  115 . The first magnet  110  may be a flexible, elongate structure, including, but not limited to, magnetic tape having an adhesive surface located on a surface contacting the recess  115 . The first magnet  110  may be secured to the first tube  107  around an entirety of an external surface the first end  108  of the first tube  107 . The first magnet  110  may have an adhesive backing, which may be secured to the exterior surface of the first tube  107 , more specifically, the first magnet  110  may be secured to the recess  115 . The first magnet  110  may have a length equal to the exterior circumference of the recess  115  and a width equal to the height of the recess  115 . The first magnet  110  may cover an entirety of the surface of the recess  115 . The thickness of the first magnet  110  may be equal to the depth of the recess  115 . In such an embodiment, the exterior circumference of the first elongate member  103  may be uniform along an entirety of the length of the first elongate member  103  from the first end  108  to the second end  109  when the first magnet  110  is secured to the first tube  107 . 
     The second elongate member  104  may include a second tube  111  having a length extending from a first end  112  to a second end  113 . A second magnet  114  may be secured to the first end  112  of the second tube  111 . In one embodiment, the second magnet  114  may secure to an interior surface of the second tube  111 . 
     The first elongate member  103  and the second elongate member  104  may be cooperatively configured to allow the first end  112  of the second tube  111  to carry the first end  108  of the first tube  107 , In such a coupled configuration, the first magnet  110  and the second magnet  114  may attract one another to maintain the mated position of the first elongate member  103  and the second elongate member  104 . The first elongate member  103  and the second elongate member  104  may be decoupled by applying lateral pressure to one or both of the first elongate member  103  or second elongate member  104  to move the members  103 ,  104  away from one another. The amount of lateral pressure sufficient to decouple the members  103 ,  104  may be easily provided by a human of average strength. 
     The interior diameter of the first end  112  of the second elongate member  104  may be greater than the exterior diameter of the first end  108  of the first elongate member  103 . 
     The second tube  111  of the second elongate member  104  may have first portion  116  having an interior diameter greater than an interior diameter of a second portion  117 . The first portion  116  may be proximate the first end  112  of the second tube  111  and the second portion  117  may be proximate the second end  113  of the second tube. The interior diameter of the first portion  116  may be continuous along an entirety of the length of the first portion  116 . The interior diameter of the second portion  117  may be continuous along an entirety of the length of the second portion  117 . 
     A transition portion  119  may be located along the interior of the second tube  111  between the first portion  116  and the second portion  117 . The interior diameter of the transition portion  119  may be equal to the interior diameter of the second portion  117  at the location where the second portion  117  and transition portion  119  are adjacent or connect to one another. The interior diameter of the transition portion  119  may taper to a smaller interior diameter in the direction opposing the second portion  117 . The interior diameter of the transition portion  119  may taper at a constant slope. In embodiments in which the transition portion  119  is adjacent the first portion  116 , the interior diameter of the transition portion  119  may equal the interior diameter of the first portion  116  at the location at which the transition portion  119  and first portion  116  are adjacent or connect to one another. In embodiments, in which the first portion  116  and the transition portion  119  are not adjacent, the interior diameter of the transition portion  119  may taper to an interior diameter smaller than the interior diameter of the first portion  116 . The interior surface of the transition portion  119  may form a 135 degree angle with the interior surface of the second portion  117 . 
     In one embodiment, a third portion  118  may be located between the first portion  116  and the second portion  117  and between the first portion  116  and the transition portion  119 . The third portion  118  may be adjacent the first portion  116 . The interior diameter of the third portion  118  may be less than the interior diameter of the second portion  117  and the first portion  116 , The interior diameter of the third portion  118  may be uniform along an entirety of a length of the third portion. In embodiments without a transition portion  119 , the third portion  118  may be adjacent the second portion  117 . In embodiments having a transition portion  119 , the third portion  118  may be located between the first portion  116  and the transition portion  119 . In such an embodiment, the interior diameter of the third portion  118  may be equal to the interior diameter of the transition portion  119  at the location at which the third portion  118  and transition portion  119  are adjacent or secured to one another. 
     The second magnet  114  may be secured to the interior surface of the first portion  116 . The second magnet  114  may be a flexible, elongate structure. The second magnet  114  may be secured to the second tube  111  around an entirety of an interior surface the first end  112  of the second tube  111 . The second magnet  114  may have an adhesive backing, which may be secured to the interior surface of the second tube  111 , more specifically, the second magnet  114  may be secured to the interior surface of the first portion  116 . The second magnet  114  may have a length equal to the interior circumference of the first portion  116  and a width equal to the height of the first portion  116 . The second magnet  114  may cover an entirety of the interior surface of the first portion  116 . 
     The external circumference of the first end  108  of the first elongate member  103  may be sized to be slightly smaller than or equal to the interior circumference of the first end  112  of the second elongate member  104  to provide a water tight fit between the two members  103 ,  104 . The interior circumference of the first end  108  of the first elongate member  103  may be equal to the interior circumference of the third portion  118  of the second tube  111 . 
     The straw component  101  may be stored in a nested configuration. In this nested configuration, as depicted in  FIG. 1 , the second end  111  of the second elongate member  104  may receive the second end  109  of the first elongate member  103 . The first elongate member  103  may be positioned within the second elongate member  104  so the second end  109  of the first elongate member  103  contacts the transition portion  119  or third portion  118  of the second tube  111 . In this nested configuration, the straw component may be positioned in and carried by the container component  102 . 
     The container component  102  may include a receiving component  105  and a lid component  106 . The receiving component  105  may be a cylinder elongate member with an open end  120  and an opposing closed end  121 . The interior circumference of the container component  102  may be larger than the exterior circumference of the second elongate member  104 , The container component  102  may include a lid recess  122  at the open end  120 . The lid recess  122  may be defined by a portion of the exterior surface of the container component  102  having a smaller exterior circumference than the remainder of the container component  102 . The interior circumference of the container component  102  may be uniform along an entirety of the length of the container component  102 . The difference between the exterior circumference of the lid recess  122  and the exterior circumference of the remainder of the container component  102  may be equal to the thickness of a sidewall of the lid component  106 . 
     The receiving component  105  may carry at least a portion of the first elongate member  103  and second elongate member  104  when in the nested configuration. The first end  108  of the first elongate member  103  may be positioned proximate the closed end  121  of the receiving component  105 . In some embodiments, a post  123  may be secured to an interior surface of the closed end  121  of the receiving component  105 . The post may extend upwardly from the closed end  121  of the receiving component  105  into the cavity defined by the walls of the receiving component  105 . The post may have an exterior circumference smaller than the interior circumference of the first end  108  of the first tube  107 . The first end  108  of the first tube  107  may be positioned to contact the closed end  121  of the receiving component  105 . In such an embodiment, the post  123  may extend into the interior of the first end  108  of the first tube  107  to engage the first end  108  of the first tube  107  of the first elongate member  103 . A third magnet  124  may be secured to the post  123 , The third magnet  124  and the first magnet  110  may attract one another. Such a configuration may reinforce the attachment of the first magnet  110  to the first tube  107 . The third magnet  124  may be a flexible, elongate structure. The third magnet  124  may be secured to the post  123  around an entirety of the circumference of the post  123 . The third magnet  124  may have an adhesive backing, which may be secured to the exterior surface of the post  123 . The third magnet  124  may have a length equal to the exterior circumference of the post  123  and a width equal to the height of the post  123 . The third magnet  124  may cover an entirety of the lateral surface of the post  123 . 
     The lid component  106  may be an elongate cylindrical member having an open end and an opposing closed end. The open end of the lid component  106  may be sized to receive and carry the open end of the receiving component  105 . The lid component may be positioned and carried along an entirety of the length of the lid recess  122 . The length of the lid component  106  and receiving component  105  when in the mated configuration may be greater than or equal to the length of the straw component  101  in the nested configuration. The receiving component  105  and lid component  106  may secure together and define a cavity by the interior surfaces of both components  105 ,  106 . 
     Some of the illustrative aspects of the present invention may be advantageous in solving the problems herein described and other problems not discussed which are discoverable by a skilled artisan. 
     While the above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment, but as exemplifications of the presented embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments. While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best or only mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. 
     Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.