Extend A Straw

Technical Field

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.

Background 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. 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 United States Patent number 2,557,411 , to A. G. Butsch for Child's Drinking Tube issued June 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 Prinking Straw for which United States Patent number 3,025,004 was issued on March 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.

United States Patent number 3,168,982 was issued February 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.

United States Patent numbers 2,094,268 and 2,550,797 were issued September 28, 1937 and May 1, 1951 for Drinking Tube and Flexible Drinking Straw respectively to J. B. Friedman. The 286 patent described method and apparatus for fabricating a flexible section in a tubular drinking straw so positioned that the tube may be bent without substantially reducing the diameter of the straw.

The 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.

United States Patent number 3,346,187 was issued October 10, 1967 to M.

Mueller for Flexible Drinking Straws and described a flexible tubular thermoplastic resinous drinking straw having sufficient resiliency to return substantially to its normal straight position after release of a bending force.

United States Patent number 3,409,224 was issued November 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.

United States Patent number 3,438,578 was issued April 15, 1969 to G. E. Peterson, et al. for Flexible Drinking Tube and described 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.

Disclosure of Invention

In accordance with the instant invention there is provided an extendable, 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 colllapsed, the drinking straw segment may be extended and when extended or stretched, the drinking straw segment may be collapsed. In either the extended 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 to other like segments so as to form a structure of any desired length.

Brief Description of Drawings

Further advantages and features of the instant invention will be more fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the ensuing detailed description thereof regarded in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a drinking straw segment as contemplated by the invention in its fully retracted or collapsed form.

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration showing the drinking straw segment slightly extended.

Figure 3 shows a much more extended illustration of the extendible drinking straw segment.

Figure 4 is an illustration intended to show the extendible drinking straw segment in a fully extended condition.

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective illustration intended to show details of the flexible zone and the accordion-like structure, of the convolutions providing flexibility and bendability to the drinking straw segments.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective illustration showing how the accordion- like convolutions expand on the outer bend and contract on the inner bend as the drinking straw segment is bent.

Figure 7 is a schematic illustration showing how one segment may be attached to another for purposes of creating longer composite structures.

Figure 8 is a schematic illustration showing the capability of the drinkinmg straw segment to be bent upon itself.

Figure 9 is a fanciful illustration showing a possible contortion of joined segments to make a desired configuration.

ABSTRACT OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, the numbers refer to like parts and, for the purpose of explication, set forth below are the numbered parts of the names of the elements of this invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Referring to the drawing and to Figures 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.

Figure 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 Figure 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 Figure 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.

Attention is now invited to Figure 8, which shows a drinking straw segment as bent and constrained to form a loop and having both male 14 and female 12 ends 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.

Finally Figure 9 illustrates a possible application showing serially connected drinking straw segments, connected at connection junctions 20 and forming a numeral.

Industrial Applicability

The present invention finds application wherever drinking straws may be used. Flexible and extendible drinking straws as well as longer structures as described in the instant invention provide added advantages for a user. The attachable drinking straw segments described are capable of forming many fanciful configurations so as to be responsive to the desires of a user.