Patent Publication Number: US-2011057050-A1

Title: Modular bendable straw with secure connection

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims priority from International Application No. PCT/US2006/001359 filed on Jan. 17, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/072,298 filed Mar. 28, 2008, and U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 12/218,635 filed Jul. 16, 2008, and which are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to extendable, collapsible, flexible drinking straws. The invention is, however, more particularly directed to the further extensibility of flexible drinking straw structures as realized by connecting the end elements of successive flexible drinking straw segments. Various forms and configurations may be realized through the applications of the flexibilities and extensibilities of the drinking straw segments as provided by the invention. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Much effort has been directed to the provision of intermediate flexible portions in otherwise rigid tubular drinking straws. These efforts have been pursued from the earliest paper-wound drinking straws through the modern thermal setting plastic or thermoplastic drinking straws and preferably food grade plastic. The early straight, rigid tubular drinking straws exhibited the unwanted difficulty of kinking when an attempt was made to bend one into a more convenient configuration and position for the benefit of a user. Much of the early innovative activity was, therefore, directed to the alleviation of this unwanted kinking and the provision of bendability of drinking straws. 
     The relevant prior art related to drinking straws includes U.S. Pat. No. 2,557,411, to A. G. Butsch for Child&#39;s Drinking Tube issued Jun. 19, 1951. In a specific embodiment, rigid portions of tubular material are formed into a desired configuration and a swivel joint provided so as to bring the mouthpiece into convenient access for a user. No flexible or extendable portions have been provided by the inventor. 
     A flexible portion in a drinking straw has been provided in the invention by H. L. Levi in Flexible Drinking Straw for which U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,004 was issued on Mar. 13, 1962. The drinking straw so provided is made up of three tubular segments, connected end to end. The drinking end is described as being of a smooth, relatively stiff tube which is then connected to the intermediate portion which is flexible, accordion-like and which in turn is connected to the segment that is dipped into the material to be drunk by the user. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,168,982 was issued Feb.9, 1965 to H. E. Davis for Drinking Straw and described a tubular straw made of a helically wound strip having reinforcing wrinkles that provide flexibility to the body of the straw without kinking 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,094,268 and 2,550,797 were issued Sep. 28, 1937 and May 1, 1951 for Drinking Tube and Flexible Drinking Straw respectively to J. B. Friedman. The &#39;268 patent describes a method and apparatus for fabricating a flexible section in a tubular drinking straw positioned so that the tube may be bent without substantially reducing the diameter of the straw. 
     The &#39;797 patent describes a solution to a problem encountered when the drinking straws were attempted to be withdrawn from a package in which they were contained. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,187 was issued Oct. 10, 1967 to M. Mueller for Flexible Drinking Straws and describes a flexible tubular thermoplastic resinous drinking straw having sufficient resiliency to return substantially to its normal straight position after release of a bending force. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,224 was issued Nov. 5, 1968 to H. J. Harp, et al. for Flexible Drinking Tube. The Harp, et al. patent describes a method and apparatus for forming a flexible zone in tubes formed of thermoplastic material. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,578 was issued Apr. 15, 1969 to G. E. Peterson, et al. for Flexible Drinking Tube and describes a thermoplastic drinking tube including a flexible zone and a method for its manufacture. 
     These prior art innovations and their methods are commendable and show a creative spirit for their times. The quest to optimize ease of use for users of drinking straws including children, invalids and all others has been long and varied and many creative ideas have been contrived. The originators and their methods have contributed remarkably to the technology involved. These prior art innovations and systems, however, do not include those elements of the instant invention that provide a long felt but unmet need in the art. None of the prior art discovered has included highly longitudinally extensible drinking straw segments with the added capability of being serially connected end-to-end to form a much longer construction. None connect together reasonably securely, seal reasonably well against leakage, and look like a one-piece construction. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a modular, collapsible, flexible drinking straw segment which is capable of retaining its form whether collapsed or extended and when subjected to a tortuous shaping force. That is, when retracted or collapsed, the drinking straw segment may be stretched, the drinking straw segment may be collapsed. In either the stretched or collapsed state, the drinking straw segment will be responsive to bending forces and will retain a configuration caused thereby. The drinking straw segment so provided has the additional capability of being joined end-to-end, by a friction fit to other like segments so as to form a structure of any desired length. 
     In a further embodiment, the straws are joined together using a threaded connection with one end of each straw being internally threaded and one end being externally threaded for fitting inside the internally threaded end of another straw. 
     In yet another embodiment, straw sections are of a rigid plastic or at least rigid at a connection, are blow molded in identical or substantially identical pieces, each having a male and a female end. The female end is substantially the same as a body of the straw section, and the male end has a tubular portion with multiple longitudinally spaced ridges that engage portions of the female end of another straw section. The tubular portion is fully inserted into the female end, such that when the straw sections are connected in this way, the straw sections appear to be one continuous straw, and the ridges of the male end engage the insides of the female end to longitudinal secure the straw sections together and to seal them against leakage of liquid. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a drinking straw segment as contemplated by a first embodiment of the invention in its fully retracted or collapsed form. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration showing the drinking straw segment slightly extended. 
         FIG. 3  shows a much more extended illustration of the extendible drinking straw segment. 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration intended to show the extendible drinking straw segment in a fully extended condition. 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective illustration intended to show details of the flexible zone and the accordion-like structure, of the convolutions providing drinking straw segments which are flexible and bendable. 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged perspective illustration showing how the accordion-like convolutions expand at an outer bend and contract on the inner bend as the drinking straw segment is bent. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration showing how one segment may be attached to another for purposes of creating longer composite structures. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic illustration showing the capability of the drinking straw segment to be bent back upon itself. 
         FIG. 9  is a fanciful illustration showing a possible contortion of joined segments to make a desired configuration. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a straw in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention where each straw section has threaded ends. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing two straw sections of the type of  FIG. 10  connected together. 
         FIG. 12  is an enlarged sectional view of  FIG. 11  showing details of a threaded connection of the straw sections. 
         FIG. 13  is a sectional view of a male end and portion of a main body of one straw section fully inserted into a female end and portion of a main body of another straw section, such that the straw sections appear to be one straw, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention where each straw section has a male end with ridges and a female end. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing two straw sections of the type similar to that of  FIG. 13  but in a variation of the embodiment of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view showing two straw sections of the type similar to that of  FIG. 13  but in another variation of the embodiment of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view showing two straw sections of the type similar to that of  FIG. 13  but in a further variation of the embodiment of  FIG. 13 . 
         FIG. 17  is an illustration showing a possible contortion of four joined straw sections to make a desired configuration in accordance with any of the embodiments of  FIGS. 13 to 16 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) 
     Referring to the drawing and to  FIGS. 1 through 4  with greater particularity, an extendible, collapsible, flexible drinking straw segment is denoted generally by the numeral  10  and is shown in various stages of extension. A straight, tubular, cylindrical female end element or section has been identified by the numeral  12  while the numeral  14  denotes a straight; tubular, cylindrical male end section or element. A flexible, accordion-like, tubular zone,  18  is shown intermediate the two end sections or elements. Either end section,  12  or  14 , is capable of being used by a drinker as a mouthpiece. Additionally, a male end section  14  of one drinking straw segment can be inserted into an amenable female end section  12  of another drinking straw segment in liquid-tight connection so as to create longer overall drinking straw structures. As many drinking straw segments as desired may be so connected in tandem thus to form longer structures. Alternatively, a drinking straw segment may be connected to itself to form an O structure, if desired. 
       FIG. 5  shows enlarged detail of the convolutions  16  forming the accordion-like structure of the flexible, tubular zone  18  and illustrating how these convolutions may be collapsed upon one another to shrink the segment into its collapsed or retracted form. 
     In  FIG. 6  indication of the action of the convolutions  16  in response to a bending force is illustrated showing contraction of the convolutions on the inner bend and expansion on the outer bend. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , one drinking straw segment is shown above with its male element  14  about to be inserted into the female element  12  of a lower-shown companion drinking straw segment. The resulting drinking straw structure will be longer than either of the component segments alone. It is, of course, to be understood that the conjoining of successive drinking straw segments may be repeated in accordance with the desires of a user so as to make as long a structure as is wanted. The lower-shown companion drinking straw segment is shown as bent into a substantially right angled configuration. 
       FIG. 8  shows a drinking straw segment as bent and constrained to form a loop. Both male  14  and female  12  ends are free so that they might be each attached to companion segments to form other desired shapes. The male and female ends of the segment shown could just as easily be joined together to form a closed O shape. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates a possible application showing serially connected drinking straw segments, connected at connection junctions  20  and forming a numeral. 
     In another embodiment, shown by  FIGS. 10 ,  11  and  12 , an extendible, collapsible, flexible drinking straw segment is denoted generally by numeral  30 . Straw  30  has a straight, tubular, cylindrical female end element or section  32  and a straight, tubular, cylindrical male end element or section  34 . A flexible, accordion-like, tubular zone  38  is shown intermediate the two end sections. Female end section  32  is capable of being used by a drinker as a mouthpiece as it preferably has a smooth outer surface. Male end section  34  of one drinking straw segment can be inserted into a female end section  32  of the same or of another drinking straw segment in a threaded connection to create a longer overall drinking straw. Female end section  32  has internal threads  40 , while male end  34  has external threads  42 . As many drinking straw segments as desired may be so connected to form longer structures, such as in  FIG. 7  or  9 . 
     Preferably, especially in this embodiment, the straw is made out of plastic, such as thermo-set or thermo-resin plastic, so that threading can be readily molded. The plastic is preferably food grade plastic and preferably a high density plastic. Examples may include polypropylene or polystyrene. 
     In another embodiment as shown in  FIG. 13 , each straw section is made of a rigid plastic, again preferably a food grade high density plastic. In this embodiment, when the straw sections are connected together, the straw looks continuous. Each straw section  50 ,  52  has a male end  54  and a female end  56 . Each straw section  50 ,  52  has a main body  55 ,  57 , respectively. The straw sections are identical or substantially identical. The main bodies  55 ,  57  are identical or substantially identical. The female end of straw section  50  looks like the female end  56  of straw section  52 , and the male end of straw section  52  looks like the male end  54  of straw section  50 . The male end  54  has multiple bumps or outwardly extending projections or ridges  54   a,    54   b ,  54   c,  preferably three such ridges, and a free end  54   d . The female end  56  has innermost projections  56   a,    56   b,    56   c  and  56   d.  Preferably, these innermost regions are the same as in the main body  57 . 
     Each of the ridges  54   a,    54   b  and  54   c  are preferably solid all the way around, and longitudinally spaced (in the axial or lengthwise direction of the male section, so as to correspond to the axial or longitudinal spacing of the innermost projections  56   a,    56   b  and  56   c . The tubular portion of the male end has an outer radius which is the same or substantially the same as the inner radius of the female end at the innermost projections  56   a,    56   b  and  56   c.  The ridges have a slightly larger external radius than the inner radius of the female end at the innermost projections  56   a,    56   b  and  56   c,  e.g., on the order of one, two or three mils different, but it could be larger, e.g., up to one, two or three hundredths or more, depending upon the plastic used for the straw sections, the dimensions of the straw sections, and other factors that would be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art. The mating of the ridges and the innermost projections should be sufficiently tight to seal the straw sections against leaking at this joint, and to enable the straw sections to stay together under bending stresses and normal usage to create shapes as in the other embodiments herein, such as the shape of  FIG. 9 . 
     To keep the straw sections together even more securely, there may be a ridge or bump  54   e  located just before the tubular male end begins. This will further help the seal as well. In addition, the straw section  52  preferably terminates at an end  56   e  where the straw section extends radially outwardly just past first innermost projection  56   a.  Accordingly, this end  56   e  would abut the ridge  54   e.  The free end  54   d  of the male section may also have a ridge or flare slightly and be located at a distance from ridge  54   c  which is just less than the distance between ridges  54   a  and  54   b  or  54   b  and  54   c,  so that it abuts the innermost projection  56   d  of the female end to help act as a stopper, and to help seal the connection against leakage. 
     In another embodiment as shown in  FIG. 14 , each straw section is the same or essentially the same as in the embodiment of  FIG. 13 , except that the male end  54 A of straw section  50 A has additional ridges  54   f,    54   g,    54   h  right before the ridges  54   b,    54   c  and the end  54   d , respectively. Ridge  54   h  acts, like ridge  54   e,  as a stopper and seal point, and ridges  54   f  and  54   g  also function this way. In a further embodiment as shown in  FIG. 15 , each straw section is the same or essentially the same as in the embodiment of  FIG. 13 , except that the male end  54 B of straw section  50 B has ridges  54   f,    54   g  right before the innermost projections  56   b,    56   c , respectively. In a still further embodiment as shown in  FIG. 16 , each straw section is the same or essentially the same as in the embodiment of  FIG. 13 , except that the male end  54 C of straw section  50 C has ridges  54   a,    54   b  and  54   g.    
     The aspect of the embodiments of  FIGS. 13 to 16  that the connected straw sections will look like one continuous straw is best shown in  FIG. 17 . Four straws  50 ,  52 ,  50 ,  52  are connected together at three junctions  60 . Yet, the four straw sections look like one continuous straw. At least in the embodiments of  FIGS. 13 to 16  the straw sections are preferably blow molded, and rigid at least in the female and male ends, and the male end has at least two radially outwardly projecting ridges, preferably three, and in some embodiments greater than three. The straw sections are preferably unitary made. Although made of a rigid plastic, the accordion-like body provides a series of living hinges, allowing the straw section to bend. 
     In the embodiments above like reference numerals represent like elements. 
     The straw sections may have any reasonable length, thickness and radius, and there are many variations in the art. By way of example only, one set of suitable dimensions might be that the male end is about ½″ long or just over ½″, from the free end  54   d  to just at or just at the far end of ridge  54   a  ( FIG. 13 ). Peak to peak distance on the profile, innermost projection to innermost projection (e.g.,  56   a  to  56   b ), and outermost ridge to ridge ( 54   a  to  54   b,  e.g.) distances are all roughly, e.g., 170 to 200 mils, in one embodiment, and, e.g., the ridge radius may be, e.g., about 7 to 10 mils, so that the peak height of each bump is about 7 to 10 mils. In a 12″ straw, e.g., the male end would be at least about or about 1/24 of the length of the straw, and the female end would be a substantially corresponding amount. A typical straw thickness would be a few mils, and here, e.g., for some rigidity, when using polypropylene or polyethylene, the straw may be about ten mils thick. The inner radius of the straw section may be, e.g., about 1/10″ (for the male and female sections and the outer radius may be about 1.5/10″ to about 2/10″, also by way of example. The thickness and material are chosen, in relation to the straw length, the peaks and valleys of the straw&#39;s profile, and the ridge size, so that the straw sections securely connect under typical bending stresses in connecting and positioning the sections, and still the sections can bend a substantial amount. 
     While blow molding is preferred, extrusion molding and other types of molding may work as well. 
     Although the invention has been described using specific terms, devices, and/or methods, such description is for illustrative purposes of the preferred embodiment(s) only. Changes may be made to the preferred embodiment(s) by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims.