Flexible straw and system and method of manufacturing the same
View Patent ↗A drinking straw includes a cylindrical sidewall having a longitudinal axis and a flexible region formed in the sidewall. The flexible region including a plurality of segmented sections separated from each other by inward annular corrugations. Each corrugation has a height parallel to the longitudinal axis and a depth transverse to the longitudinal axis. The height of each corrugation is one and a half times greater than the depth of the corrugation.
1. A drinking straw comprising:
a cylindrical sidewall having a longitudinal axis;
a flexible region formed in the sidewall, the flexible region including a plurality of segmented sections separated from each other by inward annular corrugations, and each segmented section having a height parallel to the longitudinal axis and a diameter transverse to the longitudinal axis;
each corrugation has a height parallel to the longitudinal axis and a depth transverse to the longitudinal axis;
the height of each segmented section is equal to the diameter of each segmented section; and
the height of each corrugation is one and a half times greater than the depth of the corrugation.
2. The drinking straw of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall is constructed from paper.
3. The drinking straw of claim 1 , further comprising:
outer faces of each of the segmented sections and the corrugations; and
annuli formed between each segmented section adjacent to a corrugation;
wherein each annulus is oriented normal to the outer faces of the segmented sections and the corrugations.
4. The drinking straw of claim 3 , wherein the annuli define annular living hinges between the segmented sections and the corrugations.
5. A drinking straw comprising:
a cylindrical sidewall having a longitudinal axis;
a flexible region formed in the sidewall, the flexible region including a plurality of segmented sections separated from each other by inward annular corrugations;
each corrugation has a height parallel to the longitudinal axis and a depth transverse to the longitudinal axis;
the height of each corrugation is one and a half times greater than the depth of the corrugation;
outer faces of each of the segmented sections and the corrugations; and
annuli formed between each segmented section adjacent to a corrugation;
wherein each annulus is oriented normal to the outer faces of the segmented sections and the corrugations.
6. The drinking straw of claim 5 , wherein the sidewall is constructed from paper.
7. The drinking straw of claim 5 , wherein:
each segmented section has a height parallel to the longitudinal axis and a diameter transverse to the longitudinal axis; and
the height of each segmented section is equal to the diameter of each segmented section.
8. The drinking straw of claim 7 , wherein the sidewall is constructed from paper.
9. The drinking straw of claim 5 , wherein the annuli define annular living hinges between the segmented sections and the corrugations.