Patent ID: 8814021

Claim:
An apparatus for removing a portion of a protective covering from a drinking straw, comprising: (a) a support mounted on a container for receiving the portion of the protective covering removed from the drinking straw; (b) a fixed orifice in the support having a shape and a fixed diameter adapted for receiving the drinking straw packaged in the protective covering through the fixed orifice to the extent corresponding to the length of the portion of the covering to be removed from the drinking straw, the orifice positioned in the support to allow the protective covering to be received through the orifice but not withdrawn from the orifice; and (c) a plurality of flexible blades positioned below the fixed orifice of the support and having a wedge shape and an arcuate cutting edge collectively defining a perimeter of a flexible orifice having a first diameter that is the same or smaller than the diameter of the fixed orifice, and wherein the flexible blades flex downward, and only downward, as the straw is inserted to form a second larger diameter than the first diameter, and flex upward, and only upward, towards a stop as the straw is retracted to return to the first diameter and thereby cut and remove the portion of the protective covering from the straw by engagement of the cutting edges of the flexible blades through the protective cover and against the straw; wherein as the straw is retracted a to side of the plurality of flexible blades is in contact with a bottom side of the fixed orifice, the bottom side of the fixed orifice forming the stop.