Patent Publication Number: US-4733785-A

Title: Buoyant advertising straw for beverage bottles

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to beverage straws for use in containers of beverages when shipped wherein the straw contains on its exterior a miniature of the container in which it is shipped with the beverage and wherein the beverage bottler&#39;s trademark, logo or other advertising message is printed on the exterior of the miniature container and wherein the straw and mini-container may be removed from the container when the contents have been consumed. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Beverage bottles containing straws and floats attached thereto within the bottle contents capped for shipment and sale have been known at least since the following patents: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,253,579 S. A. Deanes 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,309,994 J. W. McAuliffe 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,565 R. L. Neuhauser 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,695 R. L. Neuhauser 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,654 W. J. Brinkley III 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,531 H. Komatsuta 
     Other bottles in combination with straws within bottle contents transported in the capped condition are shown in the following patents: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,613,988 C. F. Jarbeau 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,331 C .R. Brisham et al 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,610 W. A. Pugh 
     Floats in combination with straws and muddlers for use in beverage glasses are shown in the following patents: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 1,916,646 S. Tyco 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,494 W. T. Wong 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     None of the art known to us at the time of filling this application for patent teach or suggest the combination of a beverage straw and mini-buoyant chamber in the miniature form of the beverage container in which the beverage, straw, and mini-buoyant container are shipped wherein the mini-buoyant container secured to the straw contains an advertising message during transport, while on sale display in stores, while the beverage is being consumed by the customer and after the straw has been removed from the container. During all these various stages of transport and consumption the mini-buoyant container has beamed the commercial message to all who see it either inside or externally of the bottle even when being played with by a child. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the beverage straw and mini-container for use with a beverage container in accordance with the present invention with a container shown in phantom. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the straw and elliptically cross sectional shaped mini-container of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom elevational view of straw of FIG. 4. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a straw and elliptically shaped mini-container constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the straw and mini-container of FIG. 4, with parts broken away and parts shown in section. 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the straw of the present invention shown in a closed beverage container. 
     FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of a beverage container and straw and mini-container being partially pulled from the container for disassociation therefrom. 
    
    
     THE BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, the buoyant straw 10 of the present invention is shown as having a major straw portion 11, having a buoyant chamber 12, generally shaped geometrically in one plane similar to the beverage bottle in which it is transported. The exterior of the buoyant chamber 12 has imprinted thereon at 12A the trademark or logo of the beverage supplier in the same type style as applied to the outside of the bottle or container or other desired advertising printed matter. 
     Above the buoyant chamber 12 is the known pleated flexure section 13, and drinking portion 14 for introduction into the mouth of the consumer. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the buoyant straw 10 is placed into a container 15 having a tampered neck which may be of the non-returnable type, filled with the consumable contents 16 and capped at 17. 
     The buoyant chamber 12 will be of elliptical cross-section and on the sides on which the logo is placed will be the major axis of the ellipse which will correspond to the bottle shape in one plant to the company&#39;s bottle in which it is placed and will correspond with the bottle shape, color and logo. 
     With the bottle cap 17 on, the buoyant chamber 12, as shown in FIG. 6 starts about 13/4 inches from the top of the bottle with the bottom end of the straw 11 against the bottom of the container 15 and the top drinking portion 14 against the cap 17. 
     When the cap 17 is removed, the straw 10 pops up approximately one inch. By pulling the flex extention 13 the straw extends another one to two inches. The buoyant chamber 12 at its wide section being the major axis of the ellipse will catch at the base of the bottle neck and prevent popping out of the bottle or container 15. As the beverage is consumed the straw will never drop more than the one inch due to hitting the bottom of the container. 
     Prior to discarding the bottle, a firm pull will release the straw 10 and its attached mini-container 12 from the bottle 15 and whenever and wherever the straw 10 is taken even when used with a conventional glass the advertising logo on the container will continue to beam its message to all observers whether it is in out of a glass. 
     The straw 10 and buoyant mini-container 12 may be made of conventional pliable plastic straw material known in the art. 
     The straw 10 may be produced in different measurements to correspond with dimensions of old and new style bottles of different content sizes as can the buoyant mini-bottle 12 which may carry on its exterior any desired advertising message. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the elliptical shape of the buoyant mini-container 12 while hugging the internal neck portion of the container 17, shown in dash line at 17 in FIG. 2, will permit insertion of a finger to flex the container 12 to assist its passage through the container neck for withdrawal of the entire straw from the container 15. The elliptical cross sectional shape of the buoyant mini-container will permit flexure of the container by applying finger pressure along the minor axis of the ellipse or at right angles to the major axis of the ellipse.