Method and apparatus for coating a drinking straw
OwnerJon Kyle Lavender, Alex Jon Lavenderinventors
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Abstract
A method for coating a paper drinking straw, an apparatus for coating a paper drinking straw, and a coated drinking straw assembly are disclosed. The apparatus includes a dipping tank containing a liquid bath for coating a straw when submerged in the liquid and a straw engagement means for submerging the straw in the bath. The method includes receiving an uncoated paper drinking straw and submerging the straw in a bath containing a water-resistant and/or a water-soluble coating. The drinking straw assembly includes an elongate tubular body and a coating that has been applied to all surfaces of the straw by submerging the body in a bath containing the coating.
Claims26
An apparatus for coating a drinking straw, the apparatus comprising:
- a dipping tank containing a liquid bath for coating all surfaces of the drinking straw when submerged in the liquid bath;
- a conveyor belt configured to transport a plurality of drinking straws into the dipping tank for submersion in the liquid bath and out of the dipping tank after submersion in the liquid bath,
- wherein the conveyor belt includes a plurality of grooves, with each groove configured to receive at least one drinking straw of the plurality of drinking straws,
- wherein a portion of the conveyor belt is outside the dipping tank and a portion of the conveyor belt is in the dipping tank;
- and
- a straw engagement means at least partially submerged in the dipping tank for submerging the plurality of drinking straws in the liquid bath and preventing the plurality of submerged drinking straws from floating out of the grooves of the conveyor belt;
- and
- a blower positioned to blow excess coating from the surfaces of the plurality of drinking straws into a waste catcher to capture the excess coating after the plurality of drinking straws have been submerged in the liquid bath.
An apparatus for coating a drinking straw, the apparatus comprising:
- a dipping tank containing a liquid bath for coating all surfaces of a plurality of drinking straws when submerged in the liquid bath;
- a drying element positioned to dry the plurality of drinking straws after the plurality of straws emerge from the liquid bath;
- and
- a conveyor belt including a plurality of grooves with each groove configured to receive at least one drinking straw of the plurality of drinking straws,
- wherein a portion of the conveyor belt is outside the dipping tank and a portion of the conveyor belt is in the dipping tank,
- wherein the conveyor belt transports the plurality of drinking straws into the dipping tank to be submerged in the liquid bath,
- wherein the conveyor belt transports the plurality of drinking straws out of the dipping tank to the drying element after the plurality of straws have been submerged in the liquid bath, and
- a wheel at least partially submerged in the dipping tank, wherein the wheel is configured engage the conveyor belt to prevent the plurality of drinking straws from floating to a surface of the liquid bath when submerged.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.