EP1843683A1 - Drinking straw comprising a reinforced section - Google Patents

Abstract

A drinking straw with a wall having a first and a second end, wherein the drinking straw comprises a reinforced section at its first and/or second end. A method for producing a drinking straw is also provided.

Description

 Drinking straw with a stiffener

The present invention relates to a drinking straw having a wall with a first and a second end, wherein the drinking straw has a stiffening at its first and / or second end. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for producing the drinking straw according to the invention.

Drinking straws are nowadays often used to administer substances such as, for example, medicines, active ingredients, vitamins, foods and / or nutritional supplements. The substances are present in particular in the form of granules, pellets, microtablets or powder. The substance is located in the drinking straw and is preferably sucked with a liquid from the drinking straw into the mouth, for example of a patient or consumer. However, the drinking straws of the prior art have the disadvantage that controllers that are located inside the drinking straw are damaged by compression, that the controllers escape from the drinking straw and / or that the consumers injure themselves at the edges of the drinking straw.

It was therefore the object of the present invention to provide a drinking straw which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art.

The problem is solved with a drinking straw according to claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the drinking straw according to the invention are claimed in the dependent claims 2 to 1 1.

It was extremely surprising for the skilled person and not to be expected that the controller is no longer damaged in the drinking straw according to the invention and no longer escapes, the drinking straw is no longer deformed and it no longer leads to abrasions or cuts in the consumer. The drinking straw according to the invention is simple and inexpensive to produce.

A drinking straw in the sense of the invention is any drinking straw with which a gas or a liquid can be sucked through the mouth of a person. Preferably, the drinking straw is made of a thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic.

According to the invention, the drinking straw at its first and / or second end to a stiffening, which at least reduced, preferably prevented in the preparation of the subsequent storage and proper use deformation of the wall.

Preferably, the wall is at its first and / or second end more than 45 °, preferably at least 90 °, more preferably more than 120 °, even more preferably more than 140 °, even more preferably more than 160 ° and most preferably almost 180 ° bent inwards.

Further preferably, the drinking straw is double-walled in the region of its first and / or second end, wherein the walls do not have to abut each other. In this embodiment of the present invention, the wall is preferably everted inwards.

Preferably, the wall has a radius at its respective ends. This embodiment has the particular advantage that injuries to the consumer can be avoided. Preferably, the radius is more than 1 mm, preferably 1 - 2 mm.

Further preferably, a double-walled drinking straw having an outer circular cross section has an inner star-shaped cross section. This star has at least three peaks, but preferably 5 or more peaks.

Further preferably, a bead is formed in the drinking straw.

In a preferred embodiment, the drinking straw according to the invention has a control means, a so-called controller. On the one hand, this control agent prevents the substance filled in the drinking straw from trickling out of the drinking straw at the bottom. Furthermore, the control means can serve as an indication that the substance contained in the drinking straw has been completely consumed. When Contra 11 middle I are solids from a gas- and / or liquid-permeable material. By way of example, sponges and / or fiber braids may be mentioned here. Preferably, the outer contour of the control means in shape and size substantially corresponds to the inner contour of the drinking straw.

Preferably, the bent ends and / or the bead act as stoppers for the control agent so that it is not removable from the drinking straw under normal conditions, i. H. does not fall down or can not be sucked or blown out of the drinking straw by the consumer.

Another object of the present invention is a method for producing the drinking straw according to the invention, in which the stiffener is formed in the wall of the drinking straw.

The inventive method is simple and inexpensive to perform.

The formation of the stiffening in the wall of the drinking straw can be done only by pressure or by pressure in combination with temperature. The heating of the drinking straw can take place before and / or during the deformation.

Preferably, at least one end of the drinking straw is bent inwards by at least 45 °. More preferably, the drinking straw is bent more than 90 °, more preferably more than 120 °, more preferably more than 140 °, even more preferably more than 160 °, and most preferably almost 180 °, inwardly.

Preferably, the wall at one of the two ends is bent inwardly so that the drinking straw is designed double-walled at these locations, wherein the two walls do not have to be parallel to each other. Preferably, in this embodiment of the method according to the invention, the cross section of the inner wall is star-shaped. Preferably, a bead is formed in the drinking straw.

Preferably, the deformation of the wall of the drinking straw takes place in one or more steps.

The invention will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. These explanations are merely exemplary and do not limit the general inventive concept. The explanations apply equally to the drinking straw according to the invention and the method according to the invention for producing the drinking straw.

FIG. 1 shows the drinking straw according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the stiffening.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the star-shaped inner cross section.

FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the star-shaped inner cross section.

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the stiffening of the drinking straw.

Figure 6 shows the upper end of the drinking straw.

FIG. 1 shows the drinking straw 1 according to the invention, which has a wall 4. Inside the drinking straw is a control means 8 (controller), which on the one hand prevents the substance 10, which is located above the control means 8 trickles down from the drinking straw. Furthermore, it can be checked with the control means whether the substance 10 has been completely sucked out of the drinking straw. In its upper region, the drinking straw has a cap 12, which prevents it from escaping from the drinking straw before the substance 10 is consumed. In its lower region, the drinking straw has the stiffening 7 according to the invention, which will be explained in more detail below. Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the stiffening according to the invention, in which the lower end of the drinking straw has been bent inwardly by the angle α, which in the present case is at least 160 °, so that the drinking straw is double-walled in this area. This embodiment of the present invention has the advantage that the straw is relatively stiff in this area, so that the straw is not or only with difficulty deformable in this area and thus the control means 8, which is located above the stiffener, is not deformed and thereby no longer has its functionality, in particular its interaction with the drinking straw. On the other hand, this type of stiffening is a very good stopper for the controller, so that the controller can not escape from this end of the drinking straw. The radius 5 avoids injuries to the patient or the packaging in which the drinking straw is stored.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the star-shaped cross section 9 of the inner wall in the double-walled design of the upper or lower end of the drinking straw. By this embodiment, this end of the drinking straw is particularly stable. The star-shaped inner cross section is produced when the wall 4 is turned inwards, as shown in FIG. In the present case, the star has five peaks. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the star should have at least three peaks, but may well have more than five peaks.

FIG. 4 essentially shows the star-shaped inner diameter according to FIG. 3, wherein in the present case the depressions between the tips are more pronounced and arc-shaped.

Figure 5 shows another embodiment of the stiffening according to the invention, which is shown in the present case as a bead 6. The bead is molded into the drinking straw. The bead 6 also serves as a stopper for the controller 8. An escape of the drinking straw is particularly reliably avoided by this embodiment of the drinking straw according to the invention, because the bead 6 and the crimp of the drinking straw at the lower end represent redundant means for stopping the controller. FIG. 6 shows the upper end of the drinking straw, from which the substance 10 is sucked. This end is in the present case only as shown by arrow 1 1 drawn inward, so that the controller 8 can not escape from the drinking straw and at this point no sharp edges that may injure the mouth of the user or the package exists are. At the end that comes into contact with the mouth, it is important that the inside cross section moves within comparatively tight tolerances to ensure a safe exit of the particles. This cross section can also serve as a positive connection for the cap.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 drinking straw

2 upper end

3 lower end

4 wall

5 radius

6 bead

7 stiffening

8 controllers

9 Star-shaped inner diameter

10 substance

1 1 Simple crimping

12 cap

13 diameters

Claims

claims: 1 . Drinking straw (1) having a wall (4) with a first and a second end (2, 3), wherein at its first and / or second end (2, 3) has a stiffener (7), and in the region of first and / or second end (2, 3) is double-walled, characterized in that the cross section of the inner wall of the drinking straw is star-shaped. 2. drinking straw according to claim 2, characterized in that the wall at its first and / or second end by more than 120 °, more preferably by more than 140 °, even more preferably more than 160 ° and most preferably by almost 180 ° is bent inwards. 3. Drinking straw according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall (4) has a radius (5). 4. Drinking straw according to claim 3, characterized in that the radius (5) is more than 1 mm, preferably 1 - 2 mm. 5. Drinking straw according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a bead (6). 6. Drinking straw according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a control means (3). 7. Drinking straw according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bent ends (2, 3) and / or the bead (6) act as a stopper for the control medium. 8. Drinking straw according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is made of plastic. 9. A method for producing a drinking straw according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one end (2, 3) of the Drinking straw is more than 120 °, more preferably more than 140 °, more preferably more than 160 °, and most preferably bent by almost 180 ° inwards and the drinking straw in the region of at least one end (2, 3) is double-walled, characterized in that in this case the cross section of the inner wall of the drinking straw is formed star-shaped. 10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the wall (4) of the drinking straw, a bead (6) is formed. 1 1. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drinking straw is heated to deform. 12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the deformation of the wall of the drinking straw is carried out in one or more steps.