Spill-resistant drinking straw

Abstract

The invention provides spill-resistent drinking straws which are normally maintained in a substantially sealed state such that liquid is substantially prevented from flowing through the straw, but which can be manually deformed to an open state for use in drinking in which liquid can readily flow through the straw. A biasing member which is either integrally formed in the straw or attached to the straw maintains the straw in the substantially sealed state and automatically returns the straw from the open state to the substantially sealed state in the absence of external force. In some embodiments of the invention, the straw is constructed such that it is substantially sealed when in a bent condition such that the straw is crimped and thereby substantially sealed. In other embodiments of the invention, the straw is maintained in a substantially sealed position when in a straightened form.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.