PAILLE FLEXIBLE

FLEXIBLE DRINKING STRAW

Abrégé français

La présente invention concerne des pailles souples [présentant une (ou plusieurs) zone souples constituées d'anneaux pliants] fixées aux emballages de jus de fruit, de lait, de café et analogues, et qui sont incurvées pour occuper moins d'espace. Selon l'invention, l'accroissement du nombre d'anneaux et en maintenant certains des anneaux pliés (1, 3, 4) permet de redresser la paille sans causer de dommage et d'incurver la paille dans tous les sens. En outre, cela accroît la longueur utile de la paille. L'avantage de l'invention est qu'il permet de redresser la paille entièrement et d'augmenter son aspect fonctionnel sans encourir des coûts additionnels notables de production et sans modifications majeures à la chaîne de production existante.

Abrégé anglais

The invention relates to flexible straws [with one (or more) flexible zone
consisting of folding rings] which are attached to the packaging of fruit
juices, milks, coffees etc. and are bent to take up less space. The invention,
by increasing the number of rings and keeping certain of the rings folded (1,
3, 4) succeeds in straightening the straw up again almost without any damage
and in bending the straw to all directions. Further it increases the effective
length of the straw. The advantage of the invention is that it attains
complete straightening up and functionality of the straw without a significant
increase in the production cost and without major changes in the current
production line.

Revendications

6
CLAIMS
1. The flexible drinking straws [with one (or more)
flexible zone (corrugated zone) consisting of folding rings
(annular bellows folds, reentrant overlapping folds)] which
are attached to the packaging of fruit juices, milks, coffees
etc. and are bent to take up less space, are characterized in
that, the flexible zone (corrugated zone) consists of sufficient
folding rings (annular bellows folds, reentrant overlapping
folds) so that, after bending of the straw certain rings remain
folded without deformation of the expanded rings in a forceful
way.
2. The flexible drinking straws, which are attached to
the packaging of fruit juices, milks, coffees etc. and are bent
to take up less space, according to claim 1 are
characterized in that, after bending of the straw, certain
rings remain folded, interspersed among the expanded ones,
as well as around the middle of the arch formed by the
bending of the straw so that not many consecutive expanded
rings exist without interference of one (3) or more (4) folded
rings.
3. The flexible drinking straws, which are attached to
the packaging of fruit juices, milks, coffees etc. and are bent
to take up less space, according to claims 1, 2 are
characterized in that, after bending of the straw, the first

7
rings (1 ) remain folded, so that after straightening, the straw
may bend to all directions.
4. The flexible drinking straws, which are attached to
the packaging of fruit juices, milks, coffees etc. and are bent
to take up less space, according to claim 1, when all the
rings of the straw are expanded after bending, are
characterized in that, the straw has sufficient rings (more
than ten), so that when it bends the rings are not deformed
by force.
5. The flexible drinking straws, which are attached to
the packaging of fruit juices, milks, coffees etc. and are bent
to take up less space, according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 are
characterized in that, the straw, after bending, is let free to
remain bent at the desired angle without external pressure,
then it can be packed in its final form.

Description

CA 02394919 2002-06-18
WO 00/64316 PCT/GR00/00018
FLEXIBLE DRINKING STRAW
The invention relates to flexible straws [with one (or
more) flexible zone (corrugated zone) consisting of folding
rings (annular bellows folds, reentrant overlapping folds)]
which are attached to the packaging of fruit juices, milks,
coffees etc. and are bent to take up less space.
The straws used to date for this purpose have one
flexible zone (corrugated zone) consisting of 8-10 folding
rings (annular bellows folds, reentrant overlapping folds).
[The first (or the last) ring, being firm, is not counted as
folding ring]. To bend to obtuse angles (e.g. 180°) due to the
restricted number of rings, continuous external pressure has
to be exercised. This pressure keeps being exercised by the
packaging material afterwards as well. As a result the rings
~5 are permanently deformed and straightening of the straw is
not possible. Also a problem is posed by the fact that all
rings are expanded (unfolded) after bending of the straw.
(e.g. The U-shaped straws.)
2o The present invention, by increasing the number of rings
and keeping certain of the rings folded (contracted),
succeeds in straightening the straw up again almost without
any damage and in bending the straw to all directions.
Further, it increases the effective length of the straw.
Till now no one has thought to leave certain of the rings
folded or simply to increase the number of rings so that they

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2
are not deformed by force during bending of the straw.
The Letter Patents, GB-A-1 219 595 (UNION CARBIDE
CORP. - 20 January 1971 ) and US-A-3 641 884 (JIVOIN -
February 1972) refer to properties of the common,
straight, flexible drinking straws of general use.
No mention is made to straws which are attached to the
1o packaging of fruit juices, milks, coffees etc. and are
permanently bent until their use. Besides, approximately 28
years have lapsed since then but no one has thought of some
of the recommended innovations.
~ 5 The advantage of the present invention is that it attains
complete straightening up and functionality of the straw
without a significant increase in the production cost and
without major changes in the current production line.
2o FIG. 1 shows indicatively a straw in bent position, with
one flexible zone having certain rings folded.
To assist straightening up of the straw, when all its rings
are expanded after bending (like the case is until today), the
straw must have sufficient rings (more than ten), so that
when it bends, the rings are not deformed by force.
Further, the straw should not be under any form of
external pressure. Therefore the straw, after bending, is let
3o free to remain bent at the desired angle without external

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3
pressure. Following this it can be packed in its final form.
If, in any way, more rings are expanded, than those
needed to bent the straw to the desired angle, then the extra
expanded rings lose their flexibility as the time passes and
do not bend to any direction.
To achieve the best possible straightening up and
1 o functionality of the straw, even if stored for an extensive
period, there have to be sufficient rings so that after bending
of the straw, certain rings remain folded without, of course,
deformation of the expanded rings in a forceful way.
We aim at keeping the first rings (1 ) folded (e.g. 2-4 first
rings) so that after straightening, the straw may bend to all
directions thanks to the folded rings.
Straightening of the straw is considerably assisted by the
2o existence of interspersed folded rings among the expanded
ones, as well as around the middle of the arch formed by
bending of the straw, so that not many consecutive expanded
rings exist without interference of one (3) or more (4) folded
ones, particularly at the middle of the arch, where the biggest
amount of pressure is exercised [e.g. an expanded ring (2) is
followed by a folded ring (3)].
In order definite rings remain folded, apart from their
number certain other factors are of importance as well, like
3o the material, point (or points) at which pressure is exerted to

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bend the straw, the shape and the position of fulcrum (or
fulcrums) etc. (e.g. The pressure is applied on a fixed point
and the position of the fulcrum changes as the straw bends).
As there exist extra rings, it is difficult for them to be
deformed by force. For full scale application of the
recommended changes there have to be sufficient rings
(many more than ten folding rings).
In order the straw is not under any form of external
pressure after bending, it is let free to remain bent at the
desired angle without external pressure. Following this, it can
be packed in its final form.
If something goes wrong in bending and some
consecutive rings unfold (5) or some of the first rings unfolds
this is not a serious problem and the straw straightens again
(usually without any particular effort), because:
1. The rings are not deformed by force.
2. There will always be enough folded rings to support
straightening of the expanded ones.
With the presence of folded rings, after bending of the
straw, we can increase its effective length as well, because
when it straightens and all rings are unfolded, it can bend, if
we wish, at the first rings and the remaining section stays
3o straight and larger than respective section of the usual

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straws.
In case the straw has more than one flexible zones
5 (corrugated zones) consisting of folding rings (annular
bellows folds, reentrant overlapping folds) [e.g. the S-shaped
straws - EP-A-0 327 244 (ELOPAK SYSTEMS AG)] the
above are applied on all zones.

Dessin représentatif