Drinking straw with valve function

• US 6,745,949 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyou Sang Lee
• Original Assignee: Kyou Sang Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Kyou Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): BRINSON, PATRICK F
• Application Number:
  US10/172,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20030006293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 239/33, 239/24, 239/29, 215/229, 215/388, 215/387, 220/714, 220/709, 220/705, 220/703, 220/906, 220/254.1, 220/254.3, 220/254.7, 229/103.1, 222/529, 222/530, 222/538, 251/342
• US Class Current: 239/33
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/18 Drinking straws or the like as integral parts of drinking containers A47G19/2266; for therapeutic purposes A61J15/00 ; adapted to emerge from drinking containers when opened B65D77/283
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/186 Details of bendable straws
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/066 the spout being either flexible or having a flexible wall portion, whereby the spout is foldable between a dispensing and a non-dispensing position B65D47/2043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/28 Cards, coupons, or drinking straws B65D5/4212, B65D23/14, B65D25/205, B65D33/004, B65D51/245, B65D75/54 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a drinking straw with valve function adapted to be mounted to a beverage container, the straw including a straw member having a straw body, a bellows portion formed at a desired portion of the straw body, and a tube arranged in the bellows portion while being integral with the straw body and having a desired elasticity, and a straw mounting member for mounting the straw member to the beverage container. The straw mounting member includes a fixed base attached to a top of the beverage container while being in close contact with the top of the beverage container, a straw fitting section formed at one side portion of the fixed base, and adapted to mount the straw member thereto, and a straw holding section formed at the other side portion of the fixed base, and adapted to hold the straw member in a bent state or to release the straw member from the bent state. A cut-out is selectively formed at an inner tube portion of the tube in a region where the inner tube portion bends. The cut-out has a desired shape while serving to provide an improved passage closing function when the bellows portion bends.

Claims

1. A drinking straw with valve function adapted to be mounted to a beverage container, the straw comprising a straw member including a straw body having a passage defined therein, a bellows portion formed at a desired portion of the straw body, and a tube arranged in the bellows portion while being integral with the straw body and having a desired elasticity, said tube providing a passage closing function when the bellows portion bends further comprising:

a straw mounting member for mounting the straw member to the beverage container, the straw mounting member including a fixed base attached to a top of the beverage container while being in close contact with the top of the beverage container, a straw fitting section formed at one side portion of the fixed base, and adapted to mount the straw body thereto, and a straw holding section formed at the other side portion of the fixed base, and adapted to hold the straw member in a bent state or to release the straw member on the bent state.

2. The straw according to claim 1, wherein:

the straw fitting section comprises a straw fitting hole formed at the fixed base, and a protrusion extending downwardly from a lower surface of the fixed base around the straw fitting hole; and

the straw holding section comprises a pair of hooks extending upwardly from an upper surface of the fixed base while facing each other, the hooks having a desired elasticity.

3. The straw according to claim 1, wherein a packing member is installed at the straw fitting section so that it is interposed between an inner surface of the straw fitting section and a corresponding outer surface portion of the straw member in order to provide an improved sealing effect between the straw and the beverage container, while firmly fitting the straw member in the straw fitting section.

4. The straw according to claim 1, wherein the straw member is integrally formed with the straw fitting section of the straw mounting member.

5. A drinking straw with valve function comprising a hollow straw body having a passage defined therein, a bellows portion formed at a desired location of the straw body while having a desired length, and a tube arranged in the bellows portion, further comprising:

a cut-out formed at an inner tube portion of the tube in a region where the inner tube portion bends, the cut-out having a desired shape while serving to provide an improved passage closing function when the bellows portion bends.

6. The straw according to claim 5, wherein the cut-out has a substantially triangular cross-section so that when the tube bends by an angle of 90°

, lateral surfaces of the cut-out come into contact with each other while forming a contact line moving toward an outer tube portion of the tube, whereby the contact line comes into close contact with the outer tube portion in a pressed state at a tip thereof.

7. The straw according to claim 5, wherein the tube has the same length as the straw body.

8. The straw according to claim 5, further comprising:

a straw mounting member for mounting the straw member to a beverage container, the straw mounting member including a fixed base attached to a top of the beverage container, a straw fitting section formed at one side portion of the fixed base, and adapted to mount the straw body thereto, and a straw holding section formed at the other side portion of the fixed base, and adapted to hold the straw body in a bent state or to release the straw member from the bent state.