Receptacles – Container attachment or adjunct – Drinking device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2001-05-08
Moy, Joseph M. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Container attachment or adjunct
Drinking device
C220S709000, C220S710000, C215S388000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227403
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beverage container, and more particularly, to a beverage container having an internally submerged straw, an external sucking straw and a flexible tube connecting these, which has a structure capable of keeping the end portion of the sucking straw clean and allowing a beverage contained in the beverage container to be drawn out with ease.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the beverage container has a closed receiving space for containing any one of various beverages. Generally, the beverage container is made of metal, paper, resin, or the like. A sealable drinking opening is formed at a predetermined position of the beverage container.
After the drinking opening is opened, the user can drink the beverage by contacting the drinking opening with his lips or by sucking the beverage through a separate straw inserted into the drinking opening. In the ways of drinking a beverage as described above, there is a disadvantage in that the beverage may be spilt undesirably or the user must carry a straw inconveniently.
This problem has been solved by Korean Patent No. 210109 entitled “Beverage container with self-contained straw”, filed on Aug. 28, 1996 and issued on Apr. 23, 1999 to the applicant of the present invention. The beverage container disclosed in the patent has a straw assembly including a submerged straw, a sucking straw, and a flexible tube, instead of the drinking opening, and the user can drink the beverage conveniently with the straw assembly. Namely, in the beverage container disclosed in the patent, an orifice is provided at a portion of the top side of the container, and the submerged straw is installed within the container to extend from the orifice. The orifice is sealed with a thin foil such as an aluminum. The flexible tube is hermetically installed on the sealed orifice, and the sucking straw is connected to the flexible tube so that the sucking straw can penetrate the thin foil when the sucking straw is elected vertically and is pressed downward.
However, the disadvantage of the beverage container disclosed in the patent is that the sucking straw may become unhygienic since the sucking straw is exposed to the outside of the container, and, therefore, contaminants such as dust or foreign materials may adhere to the sucking straw. Further, another disadvantage of the patent is that it is difficult to continuously suck the beverage because of the pressure difference between atmosphere and the inside of the container. Furthermore, since the sucking straw is not completely fixed to the beverage container, the sealed portion between the flexible tube and the container may be damaged due to careless handling during the circulation of the beverage container.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a hygienic beverage container having a structure capable of protecting a sucking straw from external contaminants.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a beverage container having a structure allowing the beverage contained in the container to be easily drawn out from the container by forming an air hole allowing external air to flow into the beverage container when the user drinks the beverage.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a beverage container allowing the user to drink the beverage by means of a sucking straw or a drinking opening according to user's preference.
Accordingly, to achieve the first objective, there is provided a beverage container comprising: a container provided with a receiving space for containing a beverage; a submerged straw submerged within the container, and provided with a blocking member of a thin foil; a flexible tube capable of being deformed elastically and installed at the container so as to communicate with the submerged straw; a sucking straw installed at one end of the flexible tube and provided with a perforating portion capable of penetrating the blocking member, when necessary, with the flexible tube compressed so as to communicate with the submerged straw; and a sealing means detachably coupled to a sucking portion of the sucking straw so as to protect the sucking portion of the sucking straw from external contaminants.
To achieve the second objective, the container is provided with an air hole; and the cap member has a sealing portion capable of selectively sealing or opening the air hole.
To achieve the third objective, there is provided a beverage container comprising: a container having a closed receiving space for containing a beverage, and an attachment portion projected from the upper surface of the container while communicating with the receiving space; a submerged straw which is submerged in the container and the upper end of which hangs on the attachment portion; a sealing cover which detachably coupled to the attachment portion and at the center portion of which a blocking member of a thin foil is installed; a flexible tube capable of being deformed elastically and installed on the sealing cover so as to communicate with the submerged straw; a sucking straw installed at one end of the flexible tube and provided with a perforating portion capable of penetrating the blocking member, when necessary, with the flexible tube compressed so as to communicate with the submerged straw; and a cap member detachably coupled to a sucking portion of the sucking straw so as to protect the sucking straw from external contaminants.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5005717 (1991-04-01), Oilar
patent: 5054631 (1991-10-01), Robbins, III
patent: 5065881 (1991-11-01), Tarng
patent: 5437389 (1995-08-01), Kaufman et al.
patent: 5522524 (1996-06-01), Nmngani
patent: 5671863 (1997-09-01), Uliana
patent: 5687872 (1997-11-01), Nmngani
patent: 61-190463 (1986-08-01), None
patent: 62-78069 (1987-04-01), None
patent: 11-278524 (1999-10-01), None
patent: 1992-4522 (1992-07-01), None
Jones Tullar & Cooper P.C.
Moy Joseph M.
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