Receptacles – Container attachment or adjunct – Drinking device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-06
2001-10-02
Moy, Joseph M. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Container attachment or adjunct
Drinking device
C220S709000, C220S710000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296140
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container equipped with a device enabling a beverage to be absorbed in a hygienic manner preventing the consumer from placing his lips on an external portion of said container, and more particularly to the device for extracting a straw from the container.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Numerous containers are commercially available: plastic bottles, glass bottles, metallic cans, cardboard packagings, which can have various shapes allowing for the packaging of any type of liquid food products.
These various containers have the disadvantage, for the user, of being either unhealthy when one wishes to drink straight from the container, or impractical depending on the shape and size of the neck, or the very shape of the container itself.
In the particular case of metallic cans and cardboard packagings used for diverse and varied beverages, such as beers, sodas, fruit juices, or milk, they are very unhealthy. Indeed, from the locations where they are produced, after the beverage has been packaged, they are transported and unloaded without any specific hygienic measure, and then sold to the consumer by a retailer who stores them without any particular hygienic precaution and handles them manually. During these various manipulations, various microbes, viruses, bacteria or dust can be deposited on the walls of the container, which are ingested by the consumer when he places his lips on the container.
Furthermore, in the particular case of metallic cans, and independently of hygiene problems, the consumer can be hindered when drinking the beverage by problems of ill-timed flow, which most often leaves stains on his clothes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to avoid these disadvantages, the invention proposes to resolve these practical and hygiene related problems by simple and inexpensive measures by way of a device for automatically extracting a straw located within the container.
Thus, according to its main characteristic, the device for automatically extracting a straw arranged within a container, such as a cylindrical can provided with an opening device, for example, is characterized in that it comprises:
a straw-supporting element mobile between a free position in which the straw which it supports has its end in the orifice of the container opening device and a locked position in which the end is arranged within the container,
a biasing device for stressing the straw-supporting element, adapted to bias the latter from its locked position toward its free position,
a locking device adapted to lock the straw-supporting element in its locked position, and
a releasing device adapted to release the supporting element from its locked position.
According to a complementary characteristic, the device for automatically extracting a straw according to the invention is characterized in that the actuation of the container opening device controls the actuation of the releasing device which release the straw-supporting element.
According to another characteristic, the straw-supporting element comprises by a supporting arm provided with a straw-retaining device at its end, the arm being articulated between its free position and its locked position on an independent intermediate piece affixed to the container.
According to the preferred embodiment of the device for automatically extracting a straw according to the invention, the biasing device for stressing the straw are constituted by the articulation of the straw-supporting arm on the independent intermediate piece and/or by the arm itself, and are obtained due to the flexibility and elasticity of the material used to make the arm, the piece, and the articulation which connects them.
According to an embodiment of the device for automatically extracting a straw, the locking device comprises a secondary locking arm which has, at its end, an assembly of abutment surfaces adapted to cooperate with complementary support surfaces carried by the straw-supporting element when the latter is in the locked position.
According to this embodiment, the releasing device comprises a releasing lug carried by the secondary locking device and adapted to cooperate with the container opening device to cause the displacement of the secondary arm toward an extreme release position in which its abutment surfaces no longer cooperate with the complementary support surfaces of the straw-supporting element.
According to a complementary characteristic of the device for automatic extraction according to the invention, the straw-supporting element, the biasing device, the locking and releasing devices comprise a single piece called the independent intermediate piece.
According to the preferred embodiment of the device for automatically extracting a straw according to the invention, the independent intermediate piece is in the form of an annular ring adapted to be arranged beneath the upper wall or cover of a container in the form of a cylindrical can.
According to this embodiment, the intermediate piece comprises a sealing device adapted to make it possible to obtain sealing between the cover and the peripheral wall of the can, the sealing device being adapted to be implemented during assembly.
Furthermore, the invention also relates to a container for beverage, of the type comprising a device for automatically extracting a straw, such as those described hereinafter.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description that follows, with reference to the annexed drawings which are only provided by way of non-limiting examples.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2450244 (1948-09-01), Lynch
patent: 3295715 (1967-01-01), Pugh
patent: 3717476 (1973-02-01), Harvey
patent: 4537324 (1985-08-01), Wang
patent: 4792083 (1988-12-01), Yassur
patent: 5054639 (1991-10-01), Ahn
patent: 5172827 (1992-12-01), Chang et al.
patent: 5848721 (1998-12-01), Cornell et al.
patent: 89/01750 (1989-03-01), None
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Moy Joseph M.
LandOfFree
Container equipped with a device for automatically... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Container equipped with a device for automatically..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Container equipped with a device for automatically... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2573830