Bendable Safety Straw
A hot liquid straw is disclosed which features a flexible, elongated, hollow body having a continuous noncircular cross section and a length suited for drinking from a beverage container. The straw is dimensioned to regulate flow and remove heat from a hot liquid as it passes through, thereby delivering a volume of the liquid to a user's mouth at a temperature which is safe for consumption. The straw is flexible to allow for safe drinking on the go and for use in various heights of beverage containers. A system for drinking from a beverage container with a lid that accepts a snap-on container is also disclosed, in which the straw is inserted through a hole in the lid.
1 . A liquid straw comprising:
a flexible, elongated, hollow body having a continuous noncircular cross section and a length suited for drinking from a beverage container;
the body is constructed to bend at least 90 degrees without collapsing the cross-section under a bending force but return to its original shape when the bending force is removed; and
the bending force is such that a user can bend the straw by applying the bending force on the tip of the straw with the user's mouth, and the required bending force does not cause discomfort to the user.
2 . The straw of claim 1 , wherein the bending force is between 0.02 and 0.2 N.
3 . The straw of claim 1 , wherein the body is dimensioned to remove heat from a hot liquid as it passes therethrough to deliver a volume of the liquid to the user's mouth at a temperature which is safe for consumption.
4 . The straw of claim 1 , wherein the cross section is substantially a rectangle with rounded corners having a width and an interior thickness.
5 . The straw of claim 4 , wherein the width is in a range from 0.250 to 0.440 inches, and the interior thickness is in a range from 0.020 to 0.050 inches.
6 . The straw of claim 4 , wherein the body has an OH value between 0.18 and 0.23 inches and a volume delivery of greater than 0.200 in̂3/s.
7 . The straw of claim 1 , wherein the body is elastically deformable to at least 180 degrees without collapsing the cross section.
8 . The straw of claim 1 , wherein the body is pre-formed along the length into an arc shape of constant radius.
9 . The straw of claim 8 , wherein the arc shape has a measure of greater than 20 degrees.
10 . The straw of claim 1 , wherein the flexibility of the body is sufficient to allow it to be used with a plurality of beverage containers of various heights.
11 . The straw of claim 1 , wherein the body is constructed of plastic.
12 . (canceled)
13 . (canceled)
14 . (canceled)
15 . (canceled)
16 . (canceled)
17 . (canceled)
18 . (canceled)
19 . (canceled)