Receptacles – Container attachment or adjunct – Drinking device
Utility Patent
1998-08-06
2001-01-02
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Container attachment or adjunct
Drinking device
C040S306000, C206S217000, C206S459500, C215S383000, C220S710000, C229S103100, C229S116100, C229S922000
Utility Patent
active
06168042
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to a cup and a straw attached thereto for drinking liquids from said cup.
The instant invention provides a cup with an accordion straw releasably attached to the exterior, thereof, and adjacent to the mouth of the cup. A consumer may grasp the cup, remove the straw from the exterior of the cup and insert the straw into a liquid contained by the cup. The consumer is, thereby, afforded an inexpensive means of drinking from the cup without raising the cup to the consumer's lips.
2. Description of the Related Art
Containers have long been employed to hold liquids to allow drinking therefrom. Such containers are typically referred to as cups. Drinking from said cups has traditionally been accomplished by raising of the cup to the lips of the person desiring to drink, therefrom, and, then, pouring of the liquid from the cup into the mouth of the person.
It has been found, however, that while some persons wish to drink from a cup, they find raising a cup their lips either undesirable or unacceptable. Some persons may find it crass or unfashionable to raise a cup to their lips. Others may be concerned about the sanitary nature of the cup. Still others have found placing a cup against their lips unacceptable for cosmetic reasons. By way of example, persons in the modeling or entertainment industry spend long work days with their lips covered with a cosmetic of some sort. While such persons would be desirous of a drink from a cup, they wish to minimize any alteration to the cosmetic covering caused by transporting the liquid to their mouth.
It has been found advantageous to persons drinking from such cups to employ a hollowed cylindrical object to transport suction from the person's mouth to below the surface of the liquid contained in the cup. Such hollowed cylindrical objects are typically referred to as straws. The straw, thereby, transports the liquid in the cup to the person's mouth without the cup being lifted to the mouth. Contact between the cup and the person's mouth and lips may thereby be avoided by one wishing to drink therefrom. In this manner, contact with person's lips is minimized to a small straw.
Persons who are concerned about the sanitary nature of such cups and straws for medical reasons (such as not being able to bend back the neck to drink after neck surgery) do not desire to clean the same, have been found to desire cups having an associated straw to allow the use of a new straw with each new cup. In this manner, such cup and straw combinations may be used as disposable objects, and a new cup and straw combination obtained whenever a drink is desired.
Prior attempts at providing a cup with an associated straw have produced complicated and cumbersome devices which are expensive and inconvenient to use. The high cost of such attempts eliminates the possibility of such combinations being disposable. Furthermore, the simplicity of use desired by those who wish to use a straw is also eliminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,213,961 to Shepard represents one prior attempt at a cup and straw combination. However, Shepard shows a straw which is integrally formed into a cup. This raises costs of manufacture and does not allow for maintaining the straw of Shepard in a clean or sanitary condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,332,567 to Pugh represents another attempt at a cup and straw combination. The teachings of Puqh require a cup to have a groove formed therein along the length and bottom thereof. The costs of manufacturing the Puqh cup become high and prohibit the application to a disposable type application.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,804 to Henning represents another attempt at a cup and straw combination. Henning teaches a very intricate construction to provide a straw integrally formed in a cup. As with the above discussed art, the costs of manufacture of the cup of Henning become prohibitive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,889 to Gibbons represents another attempt at a cup and straw combination. Gibbons also shows a cup with an integrally formed straw. The costs of construction of Gibbons prohibit disposable applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,631 to Reeves represents another attempt at a cup and straw combination. Reeves shows a cup having a compartment formed on a side thereof for containing a straw. The elaborate construction of Reeves is expensive and prohibits disposable applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,204 to Lin represents another attempt at a cup and straw combination. Lin shows a straw integrally formed into a cup and an extension of the straw extending beyond the rim of the cup for drinking therefrom. The integral formation of the straw of Lin to the cup requires expensive manufacturing. Furthermore, the formation of the extension of Lin onto the straw portion integrally formed to the cup requires manufacturing techniques which prohibit a disposable application of the cup. Additionally, the construction of Lin does not provide for a means of protecting the straw from dirt, debris, or germs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,633 to Jantzen et al. represents another attempt at a cup and straw combination. Jantzen et al. provides a cup which allows drinking from the bottom, thereof, through a straw inserted in a hole in the outer wall of the cup. The straw is not attached to the cup of Jantzen et al. for use therewith; rather it is merely inserted into the hole in the cup. Furthermore, the straw of Jantzen et al. provides no means of keeping the straw clean and sterile, and avoiding leakage of a liquid.
It is therefore an object of the instant invention to provide a cup and straw combination which is easy to use.
It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a cup and straw combination which is of simple construction.
It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a cup and straw combination which is inexpensive to produce and transport to customers.
It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a cup and straw combination which keeps the straw sanitary until ready for use.
It is a further object of the instant invention to provide a cup and straw combination which would have a multitude of uses, which include, by way of example only, fast food restaurants, eat in or carry out restaurants, picnics, cocktail parties, birthday parties, graduation parties, hospitals, retirement homes, airlines, and most other social occasions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objections of the instant invention are accomplished by providing a cup with an attached straw. A cup is provided having a mouth into which liquids may be placed and out of which liquids may be extracted. It is often desirable to drink liquids from a cup through a straw rather than from the mouth of the cup.
The present invention is comprised of a straw having at least one accordion section. The accordion section allows for flexibility of the straw. Therefore, the straw may be bent for drinking from the cup. The straw may also be bent to conform to the outer perimeter of the cup, thus allowing attachment of the straw to the cup as described hereinbelow.
A string of beads of a pressure sensitive adhesive is preferably but selectively positioned on the cup. The straw is positioned in the beads of a pressure sensitive adhesive to selectively fix the straw to the cup. Consequently, a consumer gets a fresh unused straw with each cup. The concerns about alocating a straw or the cleanliness of such straw is thereby eliminated. Additionally, a cup and attached straw may be manufactured at a cost low enough to offer the cup and straw combination as a disposable good.
In order to facilitate easy and efficient stacking of the cup with the attached straw of the present invention, the straw is preferably attached to the exterior perimeter of the cup immediately adjacent to the mouth thereof. However, the present invention comprises attachment of the straw at any location on the cup consistent with the present invention as described below.
To further assure the cleanliness of the straw attached to the cup, th
Merek Joe
Patula & Associates
Shoap Allan N.
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