US3189171A

US3189171A - Compact drinking straw

Info

Publication number: US3189171A
Application number: US328220A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ruth S Miller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-12-05
Filing date: 1963-12-05
Publication date: 1965-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-15

Description

J 1-965 R. s. MILLER 3,189,171

COMPACT DRINKING STRAW Filed Dec. 5, 1963 Ruth 5. Miller ATTORNEY INVENTOR United States Patent 3,139,171 CUMPACT DRINKING STRAW Ruth S. Miller, 3945 Connecticut Ave. NW., Washington, DC. Filed Dec. 5, W63, Ser; No. 328,229 4 Claims. (Cl. 2ti6--47) This invention relates to a compact drinking straw, to a package containing the same and to the use of the same in connection with the imbibition of beverages from cartons, cups and similar containers.

With the increased use of automatic vending machines,

many of which are unattended for long intervals of time,

the consumer frequently finds that the supply of loose straws provided adjacent the vending machine has been exhausted, or hasbeen rendered unsanitary by the disposal of waste products into the straw-carrying receptacle. Also, a person may purchase a carton of milk at one location in a cafeteria and have to go to another location for a drinking straw.

For these and other reasons it has become desirable to provide a sanitary drinking straw which Will'be available to the beverage consumer at all times.

Briefly the present invention comprises a collapsible or telescopic drinking straw through which persons can drink any of the beverages presently marketed in cups, cartons or similar receptacles.

The invention may be utilized in a variety of ways, some of which are shown for purposes of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view showing the individual elements in a three part collapsible straw, prior to their assembly, the taper having been exaggerated somewhat for purposes of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the straw after the pieces of FIGURE 1 have been fitted together and the straw has been extended;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective showing the straw of FIGURES 1 and 2 in one form of a sanitary Wrapper in which the straw may be packaged;

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are perspectives each showing one manner in which the package of FIGURE 3 may be attached to various types of beverage containers such as the cartons in which milk is commonly dispensed to the consumer.

As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the collapsible straw of this invention comprises three interfitting sections. It will be understood that as few as two and as many as four or more pieces may be used, but it is preferred to use three since the cost of manufacturing increases as the number of pieces increases without any corresponding advantages.

I a "The straw of FIGURES l and 2 comprises a base 10 or first section, which is approximately 2%" long and which is constructed of plastic and may be somewhat pliable; a second section 12 which fits into base It}; and a third or top section 14 wihch fits into section 12. As shown in the figures, each section is tapered towards one end. When the narrower end Id of section 14 is inserted through the wide end 18 of section 12. and the narrower end 24 of section 12 (with section 14 already inside of section 12) is inserted through the wide end 22 of section It the drinking straw will be only about as long as any one of the individual sections. Thereafter, after. the sections have been assembled in the manner indicated a crimp 24 is made on opposite Walls adjacent to the bottom of section Ill by pressing with a suitable tool, which may be heated, across the bottom of the straw. This crimp serves to prevent the smaller pieces of the straw from falling out of the bottom 22 of the straw when the several pieces have been inserted into section ad in the manner indicated. By turning the straw upside down Patented June 15, 1965 and shaking it, the two inner sections fall out or are readily pulled out as far as the narrow end of the section in which they are contained and the resulting straw then has the appearance of FIGURE 2 which shows the straw extended to its full length. The inner sections 12 and 1d are preferably made of paper, e.g. the waxed paper presently used in the drinking straws now on the market for the same purpose, but the bottom or outermost section 10, which forms the holder for the other sections of the straw must be constructed of a firm, but slightly pliable plastic in order to be able to withstand possible crushing Ibefore the straw is used by the consumer.

The straw may be affixed to a carton or cup by various fastening means provided that they do not cause the package to lose its sanitary character.

Once the straw has been assembled it is encased in a wrapper 3% made of cellophane, glassine, or other trans parent water-proof material, adapted to form a sanitary air-tight envelope.

Any form of sanitary wrapper may be used without depmting from the intended scope of the invention, for example as shown in FIGURE 3, a wrapper 3th is provided with a tear strip 32 similar to the opening strips presently used on packages of cigarettes and chewing gum and other automatically vended articles. The package of FIGURE 3 may also include a tab 34 of fiberboard which may be fastened to the wrapper in any suitable manner and which may have a message or advertisement on its face, or it may be secured to a cup or carton by a strip of cardboard or by a tape 38 as shown in FIGURE 4. Tape 38 may be integral with carton 40, in which case tab 34 is slipped under tape 38 in assembling the package. It is preferred that the straw package 30 be secured to square carton 40 on a slant, as it would then be less likely to fall out when the carton or cup is being carried. It is also possible to merely hold the packaged straw on the cup or carton or bottled drink by means of a rubber band.

In FIGURE 5, the compact drinking straw is shown in its cover 30 of cellophane, glassine or waxed paper, laid diagonally in the lid 42 of the carton 48. If the side walls of the lid are not sufliciently high to prevent the packaged straw from protruding over the package, the lid may be formed with a depression therein, as shown in the dashed lines on FIGURE 4, in order to receive the packaged telescopic straw.

In FIGURE 6 the packaged straw is shown attached to one of the sloping gables of a gable type carton, by strip 38. It is also possible to afiix the packaged straw to the gable type carton by stapling or heat sealing tab 3d to the roof piece 38 of the gable type carton 44.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a drinking straw which can be easily attached to the side of a small milk carton or Waxed paper cup used for soft drinks, which can be fastened to the neck of a soft drink :bottle, or which can be easily carried in ones pocket or handbag and that such a straw may be used to very good advantage where cartons of milk are sold in vending machines, snack bars or carry-out counters or on trains or buses. The straw may be attached to the carton at any ice ' time and it may be preferable when the straw is used on cartons being dispensed by vending machines, that the straw be attached to the carton at the time the carton is put into the machine.

Having now described a number of preferred embodiments of my invention it is not intended that it be limited except as may be required by the appended claims.

It will be seen that the packaged straw of the present invention may be associated with the small half-pint cartons commonly used without being inserted into the contents of the carton and that the straw is maintained in a sterile and sanitary state at all times.

prising at least twoseparate tubes each tapered from one end to the other, the'smaller of said tubes havinga larger end snugly received in the smaller end of the next larger tube, the largest of-said tubes'being'made of a relatively rigid and less crus'hable material than any of the smaller of said tubes, andcrimp means at the largestend of'said larger tube preventing anyof said smaller tubes from falling out ofthe large tube when said straw is collapsed and said tubes are nested within one 'another'in the crush resistant larger tube and when enclosed in a sanitary wrapper.

2. The straw of claim 1 collapsed and in a transparent sanitary wrapping.

3. The package of claim 2 including a tear strip thereon.

4. In a container for beverages, the packaged straw of claim 2 secured thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,356 7/20 Dunhill 206-37 2,013,475 9/35 Orton 229-7 2,220,746 1 1/40 Wentz 229-7 2,664,239 12/53 Vogt 229-7 2,665,834 1/54 Anglada 229-87 2,799,439 7/57 Pugh 229-7 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner.

Claims

1. A PACKAGEABLE, TELESCOPICALLY COLLAPSIBLE STRAW COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE TUBES EACH TAPERED FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, THE SMALLER OF SAID TUBES HAVING A LARGER END SNUGLY RECEIVED IN THE SMALLER END OF THE NEXT LAYER TUBE, THE LARGEST OF SAID TUBES BEING MADE OF A RELATIVELY RIGID AND LESS CRUSHABLE MATERIAL THAN NAY OF THE SMALLER OF SAID TUBES, AND CRIMMP MEANS AT THE LARGEST END OF SAID LARGER TUBE PREVENTING ANY OF SAID SMALLER TUBES FROM FFALLING OUT OF THE LARGER TUBE WHEN SAID STRAW IS COLLAPSED AND SAID TUBES ARE NESTED WITHIN ONE ANOTHER IN THE CRUSH RESISTANT LARGER TUBE AND WHEN ENCLOSED IN A SANITARY WRAPPER.