Protective cover for pop-up straw
OwnerEdward Conrad, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A protective enclosure for straws used to consume beverages is disclosed. The protective enclosure may be operated by one hand to selectively access or cover an end of a straw through which a beverage may be consumed. The protective enclosure has a clamshell like opening and closing operation, portions of which are interdigitated and pivot during operation. The protective enclosure has a mechanism which selectively extends and retracts the straw during operation of the device. The protective enclosure may have an additional seal or seals to exclude contamination from dirt and/or insects during use.
Claims18
A device for use to consume beverages comprising an enclosing shell for a straw, the enclosing shell having a plurality of elements at least partially interdigitated and wherein each of said elements has a spring therein, the interdigitated elements being joined at a pivot point, the interdigitated elements being at least partially pivotable around the pivot point to selectively open and close the shell, the shell having an aperture therein for receiving a straw therethrough, the shell having at least one lifting member therein, the lifting member cooperating with at least one of the shell elements to selectively extend and retract a straw received therein.
A device for use to consume beverages comprising an enclosing shell for a straw, the enclosing shell having at least two shell elements, at least one of the shell elements having an opening therein for receiving a straw therethrough, the two shell elements being at least partially interdigitated, the two shell elements being pivotally joined at an extremity thereof, the two shell elements each having walls at least partially enclosing the protective enclosure, the walls being in a spaced relationship, the walls being at least partially relieved to provide opposed spring members thereon, the two shell elements each having levers thereon, the levers each having apertures therein, the apertures being sized to receive a straw therethrough and cooperating to impinge against a straw received therein with a biasing grip, the levers cooperating to extend a straw received therethrough on opening of the protective enclosure and to retract a straw received therethrough on closing of the protective enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.