Drinking straw organizer for cleaning batch of drinking straws

Abstract

A drinking straw organizer immersed in a cleaning liquid accommodates a drinking straw in a perforated container, and uses a teeterboard motion generator to generate teeterboard motion to swing the perforated container, thereby causing the cleaning liquid to flow bidirectionally and effectively clean the drinking straw. One design of the teeterboard motion generator uses a gear assembly to generate teeterboard motion from unidirectional linear motion of an input member that is sufficiently heavy to automatically generate the unidirectional linear motion, resulting in the teeterboard motion generator being self-driven. Another design uses a common swing member locked to the perforated container. A serpentine channel in the common swing member guides the spherical unit to tortuously descend. The spherical unit is sufficiently heavy to automatically generate the teeterboard motion at the common swing member by utilizing a balanced transfer about a pivot when a weight is pulled downward under gravity, resulting in the teeterboard motion generator being self-driven.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a drinking straw organizer for cleaning a batch of drinking straws. BACKGROUND

[0002] Plastic straws have long been a convenient beverage accessory, but their disposal has become a major environmental problem. The existing disposable plastic straw model greatly contributes to the growth of plastic litter, which often ends up polluting the oceans and harming marine life. In response, many regions around the world have taken action to ban the use of disposable plastic straws.

[0003] Efforts to find sustainable alternatives to drinking straws made of other materials such as paper or plant fibers, face their own set of challenges. These challenges include production footprint from production materials such as glue and adhesives, availability, potential health and taste issues. Reusable options such as straws made of silicone require inconvenient cleaning between successive uses. Nonetheless, entrepreneurs running cafeterias or beverage service shops would be expected to be more willing to adopt reusable drinking straws in their business practices if a batch of drinking straws could be washed efficiently and effectively.

[0004] US20200237181 discloses a holder for holding reusable straws for cleaning in a dishwasher. The holder includes funnel sections connected to each other to permit the holder to hold and clean the reusable straws. Each funnel section has a funnel base to direct water and soap into the straw body. Disadvantageously, manual work is required to insert the straws into the holder and align on the holder. It is labor intensive and not suitable for cleaning a large batch of used straws in a commercial environment. Furthermore, the holder is designed to wash the straws with water jets commonly used in household dishwashers. Since each straw has a semi-enclosed area in its long cylindrical interior, an ordinary dishwasher cannot work on a large batch of straws in penetrating into the straws. Many other available effective cleaning techniques such as ultrasonic cleaning are not available either.

[0005] GB2576931 discloses a straw cleaning apparatus for a dishwasher. The apparatus has a straw holder for holding one or more straws. A fluid guide is used to direct cleaning fluid to flow through an open end of each straw to clean the one or more straws. However, manual work is required to insert the straws into and align on the clamps of the straw holder. With the fluid guide, aligning the straws with the clamps is labor intensive and not suitable for commercial operations.

[0006] US20210045614 discloses a cleaning device for cleaning reusable drinking straws. In this device, the straw mouth for dispensing cleaning solution to the straws is configured to engage the straw end. It requires manual fixing of the straws to the straw mouth. It is labor intensive. Furthermore, the device uses a cogwheel to hold the straws horizontally for cleaning and conveys the straws in a conveyor belt system in order to dip the straws in a queue into the cleaning solution. However, this industrial cogwheel model has some limitations. The number of straws that can be cleaned in each cycle is limited. In practical operation, it requires more than one dip of each straw into the solution for each cleaning. Therefore, either it takes a long time to clean a small number of straws or a large machine is required to handle a higher demand. Additionally, the straws are processed one after another along the cleaning pipeline instead of being organized in a more compact and efficient way.

[0007] There is a need in the art for a more efficient and effective device in cleaning a large batch of straws. SUMMARY

[0008] Disclosed herein is a design of a drinking straw organizer for cleaning a batch of drinking straws. Advantageously, the disclosed drinking straw organizer organizes the batch of drinking straws in a compact way and organizes the production process of cleaning the batch of drinking straws in an efficient way.

[0009] A first aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a first drinking straw organizer for cleaning a plurality of drinking straws.

[0010] The first organizer includes a frame, a perforated container, and a seesaw motion generator. The perforated container is for containing the plurality of drinking straws and allowing a cleaning liquid to flow through the perforated container. The perforated container is pivotally mounted to the frame such that the perforated container can swing. The seesaw motion generator is for swinging the perforated container when the first organizer is dipped into the cleaning liquid, thereby causing the cleaning liquid to flow bi-directionally through and clean the plurality of drinking straws. The seesaw motion generator includes a gear assembly mounted to the frame. The gear assembly contains an input end piece and an output end piece. The output end piece is configured to drive the perforated container at an interface between the perforated container and the output end piece. The gear assembly is configured to generate a seesaw motion observed at the interface from a unidirectional linear motion of the input end piece in order to swing the perforated container. The input end piece is manually movable such that it allows a user to operate the first organizer by a unidirectional linear movement of the user’s hand instead of repeatedly moving the perforated container back and forth, thereby increasing the user’s efficiency in cleaning the plurality of drinking straws while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning the plurality of drinking straws with the bi-directional flow of the cleaning liquid.

[0011] In certain embodiments, the input end component is heavy enough such that free fall of the input end component under the force of gravity automatically generates the unidirectional linear motion. It thereby results in the seesaw motion generator being self-driven when oscillating the perforated container, thereby saving the user's labor.

[0012] In certain embodiments, the seesaw motion generator further comprises a return spring mounted to the frame. Furthermore, the return spring is configured to provide a return force to push the perforated container back to the output end component when the output end component retreats from the perforated container during the seesaw motion. It results in the output end component being attached to the perforated container at the docking portion without the need to physically link the output end component and the perforated container together.

[0013] Generally, the gear assembly further comprises a first gear sub-assembly and a second gear sub-assembly. The first gear sub-assembly is used to generate the torsional force from the unidirectional linear motion. The input end component is included in the first gear sub-assembly. The second gear sub-assembly is used to generate the seesaw motion from the torsional force. The output end component is included in the second gear sub-assembly.

[0014] In certain embodiments, the first gear sub-assembly comprises a ball screw and an anti-rotation guide. The ball screw is formed with a ball bearing that engages a threaded shaft. The ball bearing is the input end component. The ball bearing is mechanically coupled to the anti-rotation guide such that the ball bearing can move linearly and non-rotatably along the anti-rotation guide to generate the unidirectional linear motion. The unidirectional linear motion of the ball bearing results in the threaded shaft rotating to thereby generate the torsional force. The ball bearing can be selected to be heavy enough such that free fall of the ball bearing under the force of gravity automatically generates the unidirectional linear motion.

[0015] In certain embodiments, the first gear sub-assembly comprises a rack-and-pinion assembly and a linear guide. The rack-and-pinion assembly is formed with a rack that engages a pinion. The rack is the input end component. The rack can slide linearly along the linear guide to generate the unidirectional linear motion. The unidirectional linear motion of the rack results in the pinion rotating to thereby generate the torsional force. The rack can be selected to be heavy enough such that free fall of the rack under the force of gravity automatically generates the unidirectional linear motion.

[0016] In certain embodiments, the second gear sub-assembly comprises a cam lobe and a cam follower. The cam follower is the output end component. The cam lobe is configured to rotate in response to the torsional force and to exert a force on the cam follower in a forward direction and in a backward direction along a preset direction when the cam lobe rotates such that the seesaw motion is generated.

[0017] In certain embodiments, the second gear sub-assembly includes a cam lobe. The cam lobe is the output end piece. The cam lobe is configured to rotate in response to the twisting force, and when the cam lobe rotates, the forward and backward forces are applied to the perforated container at the docking portion such that the seesaw motion is generated.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the perforated container is a wire mesh container.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the perforated container includes an openable bottom, allowing the user to easily unload the plurality of drinking straws into an external container after the plurality of drinking straws are cleaned.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the perforated container is releasably and pivotably mounted to the frame.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the first organizer further comprises a plurality of selectable perforated containers from which the perforated container is selected, wherein each selectable perforated container is adapted or optimized for holding or cleaning a particular type of drinking straw.

[0022] A second aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a second drinking straw organizer for cleaning a plurality of drinking straws.

[0023] The second organizer includes a frame, a perforated container, and a seesaw motion generator. The perforated container is for holding the plurality of drinking straws and allowing the cleaning liquid to flow through the perforated container. The perforated container is pivotably mounted to the frame at a first pivot and a second pivot, such that the perforated container can swing. The seesaw motion generator is for swinging the perforated container when the organizer is immersed in the cleaning liquid, thereby causing the cleaning liquid to flow bidirectionally and clean the plurality of drinking straws. The seesaw motion generator includes a common swinging member and a ball unit. The common swinging member is pivotably mounted to the frame at the first pivot. The common swinging member is lockable to the perforated container, such that the common swinging member and the perforated container can swing in synchronization. Further, the common swinging member includes a serpentine channel for guiding the ball unit inside the serpentine channel to descend tortuously. Additionally, the ball unit is heavy enough such that the ball unit falls freely inside the serpentine channel under the force of gravity to automatically generate the seesaw motion at the common swinging member, whereby the perforated container swings by shifting the balance of weight continuously and alternately between the left and right sides of the first pivot over time as the common swinging member, the perforated container, and the ball unit are pulled down under the force of gravity. It thereby causes the seesaw motion generator to be self-driven when swinging the perforated container, while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning the plurality of drinking straws with the bidirectional flow of the cleaning liquid.

[0024] The serpentine channel has a first end portion and a second end portion. Preferably, each of the first end portion and the second end portion is mounted with a lock trigger for manually controlling the release of the ball unit into the serpentine channel, such that the user is allowed to start cleaning the plurality of drinking straws by triggering the lock trigger to release the ball unit into the serpentine channel.

[0025] In certain embodiments, the common oscillating member is releasably lockable to the perforated container, thereby allowing the common oscillating member to be rotated upside down for lifting the ball unit inside the serpentine channel without rotating the perforated container at the same time.

[0026] In certain embodiments, the second organizer further comprises a plurality of selectable ball units from which the ball unit is selected. Each selectable ball unit has a different weight for configuring the ball unit to be heavy enough under the condition that the plurality of drinking straws in the perforated container have different weights.

[0027] In certain embodiments, the perforated container is a wire mesh container.

[0028] In certain embodiments, the perforated container comprises an openable bottom, thereby allowing the user to easily unload the plurality of drinking straws into an external container after the plurality of drinking straws are cleaned.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the perforated container is releasably and pivotably mounted to the frame.

[0030] In certain embodiments, the second organizer further comprises a plurality of selectable perforated containers from which the perforated container is selected, wherein each selectable perforated container is adapted or optimized for holding or cleaning a specific type of drinking straw.

[0031] A third aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a third drinking straw organizer for cleaning a plurality of drinking straws.

[0032] The third organizer comprises a frame, a perforated container, and a seesaw motion generator. The perforated container is for holding the plurality of drinking straws and allowing a cleaning liquid to flow through the perforated container. The perforated container is pivotally mounted to the frame such that the perforated container is able to oscillate. The seesaw motion generator is mounted to the frame and is configured to generate a seesaw motion for oscillating the perforated container, thereby causing the cleaning liquid to flow bidirectionally through the plurality of drinking straws to clean the plurality of drinking straws when the third organizer is immersed in the cleaning liquid.

[0033] Preferably, the seesaw motion generator includes a sufficiently heavy component such that the free fall of this component under gravity causes the seesaw motion generator to automatically generate seesaw motion to swing the perforated container. This results in the seesaw motion generator being self-driven while swinging the perforated container, while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning multiple drinking straws with bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid.

[0034] Other aspects of this disclosure are as illustrated by the embodiments described below. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 An isometric view of a first organizer for cleaning multiple drinking straws, as disclosed herein, is depicted according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the first organizer.

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a gear assembly for a perforated container for oscillating a first organizer, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, is depicted, wherein the gear assembly is implemented by a first implementation of a first gear subassembly and a first implementation of a second gear subassembly.

[0038] Figure 4 A second implementation of a first gear sub-assembly according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure is described.

[0039] Figure 5 A conceptual diagram depicts an operational sequence of oscillating a perforated container via a second implementation using a second gear sub-assembly in a first organizer.

[0040] Figure 6 An implementation of a first organizer with a perforated container having an openable bottom for easy unloading of multiple drinking straws is described.

[0041] Figure 7 An isometric view of a second organizer for cleaning multiple drinking straws, as disclosed herein, is depicted according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the second organizer.

[0043] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a third organizer for cleaning multiple drinking straws, as disclosed herein, is depicted according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements in the accompanying drawings are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily depicted to scale. Detailed Implementation

[0045] This paper discloses a design for a drinking straw organizer aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of cleaning large batches of drinking straws. The disclosed organizer achieves these advantages by organizing the batch of drinking straws in a compact manner and by organizing the cleaning process for that batch of drinking straws in an efficient manner. The disclosed organizer is intended for use in catering and beverage establishments where large batches of drinking straws frequently need to be cleaned in a short time with minimal labor. However, the disclosed organizer is not limited to use in these industrial establishments. The disclosed organizer can also be used in homes.

[0046] This organizer is designed for use in the presence of cleaning liquids such as cleaning water and water containing food-grade detergent. In normal industrial operation, the organizer can be immersed in a cleaning chamber filled with cleaning liquid. The cleaning chamber can also be equipped with, for example, an acoustic cleaning function, where high-frequency acoustic vibrations are used to remove any stubborn food residue or particles from the outer and inner surfaces of the straw immersed in the water bath.

[0047] Using a bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid to clean this batch of drinking straws is advantageous. The bidirectional flow during cleaning allows the cleaning liquid to circulate back and forth along the longitudinal tube of the corresponding drinking straw. Compared to using a unidirectional flow of cleaning liquid, it allows for more thorough contact and agitation of the entire inner surface of the straw body, resulting in more effective removal of contaminants and residues. Unidirectional flow can create stagnant areas or dead zones inside long tubes, while bidirectional flow helps minimize these stagnant areas by reversing the flow direction during circulation. It ensures more even coverage and cleaning throughout the straw body. Additionally, the back-and-forth movement of the cleaning liquid during bidirectional flow helps remove stubborn deposits or other accumulated material. Therefore, using a bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid allows for a more efficient and effective cleaning operation. It results in savings in water, energy, and time, and achieves better hygiene standards. This organizer is designed to utilize the bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid to clean this batch of drinking straws.

[0048] To generate a bidirectional flow of clean liquid through the corresponding drinking straw, an electric motor could be used to agitate the straw along its longitudinal tube. However, motors are energy-intensive. Using an energy-intensive motor somewhat contradicts the environmentally friendly intention of using reusable drinking straws. More importantly, since the organizer is used in the presence of clean liquid and potentially other electrical equipment such as ultrasonic cleaners, stringent requirements for electrical insulation and electromagnetic compatibility must be met, significantly increasing the organizer's manufacturing cost. Therefore, the organizer is designed to be manually driven by energy input from the user.

[0049] To reduce energy input from users, it is desirable for the organizer to be able to harvest energy from the environment. Gravitational potential energy, which can be easily converted into kinetic energy, is a convenient form of energy that can be easily collected and utilized. This organizer is designed to attempt to reduce energy input from users by utilizing gravitational potential energy.

[0050] To generate a bidirectional flow of clean liquid, the user needs to repeat a series of actions multiple times. Each cycle consists of a first action of moving the batch of drinking straws forward, a second action of stopping the movement of the batch of drinking straws, a third action of moving the batch of drinking straws backward, and a fourth action of stopping the movement of the batch of drinking straws. This cycle of actions performed by the user not only easily leads to user fatigue but is also time-inefficient. The purpose of developing this organizer is to avoid performing this time-inefficient cycle of actions.

[0051] The first aspect of this disclosure is to provide a first drinking straw organizer for cleaning a batch of drinking straws.

[0052] The first organizer disclosed by means of Figure 1 and Figure 2 An example is illustrated below. Figure 1 An isometric view of an exemplary first organizer 100 is depicted under operating conditions in which multiple drinking straws 191 are cleaned by immersing the first organizer 100 in a cleaning chamber 195 filled with cleaning liquid 193. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the first organizer 100. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the specification and appended claims, a vertical direction 80 is drawn, and this direction is sometimes used as a reference direction for describing the first organizer 100. In the specification and appended claims, positional and directional terms such as "above," "below," "higher," "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," and "horizontal" are interpreted with reference to the vertical direction 80.

[0053] The first organizer 100 includes a frame 150, a perforated container 110, and a seesaw motion generator 140.

[0054] The frame 150 is used to mechanically support the perforated container 110 and the seesaw motion generator 140. Typically, the frame 150 is designed to be easily gripped by the user to facilitate the user's transport of the first organizer 100 from one place to another.

[0055] A perforated container 110 having one or more through holes 111 is used to accommodate multiple drinking straws 191 while allowing cleaning liquid 193 to flow through it. The perforated container has a cavity 112 with a suitable shape and size such that the corresponding drinking straws 191 are stacked and organized in an orderly and compact manner, with the longitudinal tube orientation of the corresponding drinking straws 191 being the same for batch cleaning. The cavity 112 is typically shaped as a cuboid. Furthermore, the perforated container 110 is pivotally mounted to a frame 150 so that it can swing. It should be noted that the perforated container 110 is pivotally mounted to the frame 150 on a first pivot 155 and a second pivot 156, which are located on two opposite sides of the frame 150. The perforated container 110 can swing about an axis formed by connecting the first pivot 155 and the second pivot 156. Logically, one or more through-holes 111 on the perforated container 110 are designed to maximize or facilitate the bidirectional flow of the cleaning liquid 193. Preferably and advantageously, the perforated container 110 is formed as a wire mesh container with a surface made of wire mesh. The wire mesh container has a high percentage of perforation coverage on the surface of the perforated container 110, allowing the cleaning liquid 193 to flow through the perforated container 110 with virtually no obstruction.

[0056] A seesaw motion generator 140 generates a seesaw motion 132 for swinging the perforated container 110, causing the cleaning liquid 193 to flow bidirectionally and clean multiple drinking straws 191 when the first organizer 100 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 193. The seesaw motion 132 is an alternating backward and forward movement or motion. Specifically, the seesaw motion generator 140 includes a gear assembly 120 mounted to a frame 150. A "gear assembly" refers to a collection of components that make up a gear mechanism, wherein these components may be selected from gears, shafts, bearings, housings, etc., and these components are assembled together to function as a unit. The gear assembly 120 includes an input end component 121 and an output end component 122. The output end component 122 is configured to drive the perforated container 110 at a mating portion 123 (i.e., contact area) between the perforated container 110 and the output end component 122. It should be noted that, over time, the docking portion 123 may or may not be the same physical point / area on the outer surface of the output end component 122 or the perforated container 110. Furthermore, the gear assembly 120 is configured to generate a seesaw motion 132, as observed at the docking portion 123, from the unidirectional linear motion 131 of the input end component 121, to swing the perforated container 110. The generation of the seesaw motion 132, as observed at the docking portion 123, reflects the change in the position of the docking portion 123 over time. As described above, the first organizer 100 is designed to be manually driven. Therefore, the input end component 121 can be moved manually. By using the gear assembly 120, it is advantageous to allow the user to operate the first organizer 100 by unidirectional linear movement of the user's hand, rather than by repeatedly moving the perforated container 110 back and forth with the user's hand. Unidirectional linear movement of the hand is easier and faster to be performed by the user than repeated back-and-forth movement because the latter involves a cycle of acceleration, deceleration, and stopping. Therefore, it increases the efficiency of users cleaning multiple drinking straws 191 while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning multiple drinking straws 191 with bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid 193.

[0057] Although the user can continuously drive the input component 121 to achieve unidirectional linear motion 131, it is more desirable that the input component 121 automatically and spontaneously generates unidirectional linear motion 131 after the user "triggers" the motion 131. This frees up the user's hands and can improve user efficiency or work efficiency. Preferably and advantageously, the input component 121 is intentionally chosen to be heavy enough that its free fall under gravity automatically generates unidirectional linear motion 131. This causes the seesaw motion generator 140 to be self-driven when swinging the perforated container 110. The user's hands are freed from continuously driving the input component 121, saving the user's labor. It should be noted that since the gear assembly 120 is used to drive the perforated container 110, and since the perforated container 110 can carry multiple drinking straws 191 of different weights at different cleaning periods, it is evident that the weight of the input end component 121 can be selected under the fully loaded condition of loading multiple drinking straws 191 into the perforated container 110.

[0058] In practice, high efficiency needs to be maintained in the energy transfer from the output component 122 to the perforated container 110. Since the seesaw motion 132 involves pushing and pulling actions performed by the output component 122, it is conceivable to physically connect the output component 122 and the perforated container 110 together. In some embodiments, the output component 122 and the perforated container 110 are physically connected at a mating portion 123 to facilitate energy transfer from the output component 122 to the perforated container 110. However, it should be noted that although the gear assembly 120 can be easily implemented to produce a seesaw motion 132 with reciprocating linear motion of backward and forward movement, the oscillating motion of the perforated container 110 causes the mating portion 123 to undergo up-and-down movement. Therefore, physically combining the output component 122 and the perforated container 110 may not achieve high efficiency in energy transfer. To improve energy transfer efficiency, the first organizer 100 can adopt the following alternative arrangement. In some embodiments, the seesaw motion generator 140 also includes a return spring 128 mounted to the frame 150. The return spring 128 is configured to provide a restoring force to push the perforated container 110 back to the output end member 122 when the output end member 122 retracts from the perforated container 110 during seesaw motion 132. This causes the output end member 122 to attach to the perforated container 110 at the mating portion 123 without physically connecting the output end member 122 and the perforated container 110 together. It should be noted that, in such embodiments… Figure 2 In an exemplary implementation of the disclosed first organizer, the gear assembly 120 and the return spring 128 may be mounted on two opposite sides of the frame 150, such that the perforated container 110 is sandwiched between the output end component 122 and the return spring 128.

[0059] In the first organizer 100, generally, the gear assembly 120 further includes a first gear subassembly 126 and a second gear subassembly 127. The first gear subassembly 126 is used to generate a torsional force 134 from a unidirectional linear motion 131. An input component 121 is included in the first gear subassembly 126. The second gear subassembly 127 is used to generate a seesaw motion 132 from the torsional force 134. An output component 122 is included in the second gear assembly 127.

[0060] Figures 3 to 5 Schematic diagrams are depicted for illustrating various embodiments of the first gear subassembly 126 and the second gear subassembly 127. Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a gear assembly 120 implemented using a first implementation of a first gear subassembly 126 and a first implementation of a second gear subassembly 127 is shown. Figure 4 A second implementation of the first gear subassembly 126 is described. Figure 5 A conceptual diagram depicts an operational sequence of oscillating the perforated container 110 via a second implementation using the second gear sub-assembly 127.

[0061] refer to Figure 3 A first implementation of the first gear subassembly 126 includes a rack and pinion assembly 320 and a linear guide 340. The rack and pinion assembly 320 has a rack 321 (i.e., a pinion) that engages with a pinion 331. The rack 321 is the input component 121. The rack 321 can slide linearly along the linear guide 340 to generate a unidirectional linear motion 131. The unidirectional linear motion 131 of the rack 321 causes the pinion 331 to rotate, thereby generating a torsional force 134. The torsional force 134 is transmitted to the second gear subassembly 127 via, for example, an X:1 gear 350. Based on the above-described features of the input component 121, the rack 321 can be selected to be heavy enough that the free fall of the rack 321 under gravity automatically generates a unidirectional linear motion 131, thereby causing the seesaw motion generator 140 to be self-driven when swinging the perforated container 110, thus saving the user's effort.

[0062] refer to Figure 4A second implementation of the first gear subassembly 126 includes a ball screw 420 and an anti-rotation guide 440. The ball screw 420 is a mechanical actuator that converts linear motion into rotational motion with almost no friction, or vice versa. The ball screw 420 is formed with a ball bearing 421 engaging a threaded shaft 431. The threaded shaft 431 may be fitted with a top bearing 432 and a bottom bearing 433, such that the ball bearing 421 is confined within the top bearing 432 and the bottom bearing 433. The ball bearing 421 is an input component 121. The ball bearing 421 is mechanically coupled to the anti-rotation guide 440 such that the ball bearing 421 can move linearly and non-rotatably along the anti-rotation guide 440 to generate a unidirectional linear motion 131. The unidirectional linear motion 131 of the ball bearing 421 causes the threaded shaft 431 to rotate, thereby generating a torsional force 134. Torsional force 134 is transmitted to the second gear subassembly 127 via, for example, a spur gear 434. As an example, the mechanical connection between the ball bearing 421 and the anti-rotation guide 440 can be achieved by positioning the anti-rotation guide 440 between the ball bearing 421 and the nut 441 that engages the ball bearing 421. Based on the aforementioned features of the input component 121, the ball bearing 421 can be selected to be sufficiently heavy so that its free fall under gravity automatically generates a unidirectional linear motion 131, thereby causing the seesaw motion generator 140 to be self-driven when swinging the perforated container 110, thus saving the user's effort.

[0063] refer to Figure 3 A first implementation of the second gear subassembly 127 includes a cam cam angle 332 and a cam follower 322. The cam follower 322 is also the output component 122 of the gear assembly 120. It is well known that the cam cam angle 332 and the cam follower 322 are used in internal combustion engines to control valve timing. The cam cam angle 332 is an egg-shaped eccentric cam angle. In the second gear subassembly 127, the cam cam angle 332 is configured to rotate in response to a torsional force 134, and when the cam cam angle 332 rotates, it applies forces forward and backward along a preset direction 334 to the cam follower 322, generating a seesaw motion 132. In a practical implementation, a linear guide 335 stationary relative to the frame 150 can be used to restrict the direction of movement of the cam follower 322 to the preset direction 334. When the cam follower 322 moves back and forth along the preset direction 334, the seesaw motion 132 is a reciprocating linear motion.

[0064] refer to Figure 5The second implementation of the second gear subassembly 127 differs from its first implementation in that the cam follower 322 is eliminated from the second gear subassembly 127, and the cam lob 332 directly contacts the perforated container 110. Therefore, manufacturing costs can be saved by using the second implementation of the second gear subassembly 127 instead of its first implementation. In short, the second implementation of the second gear subassembly 127 includes the cam lob 332 but does not have the cam follower 322. The cam lob 332 is the output end component 122. Furthermore, the cam lob 332 is configured to rotate in response to the torsional force 134, and when the cam lob 332 rotates, it applies forces forward and backward on the perforated container 110 at the mating portion 123, generating a seesaw motion 132 as observed at the mating portion 123.

[0065] Figure 5 A demonstration of operating the first organizer 100 to clean multiple drinking straws 191 is also provided. As an example for illustration, Figure 5 Sub-figure (a) depicts the initial state of the input component 121 in its top position. In this initial state, the cam lob 332 (which is the output component 122) has a far point (which is the point on the cam lob 332 furthest from the cam lob rotation axis 530), which pushes the perforated container 110 forward at the mating portion 123, causing the perforated container 110 to swing to Figure 5 To the left, and the return spring 128 is compressed. Subfigure (b) depicts the next situation where, as the input component 121 descends, the cam lob 332 rotates 180°, causing the proximal point (the point on the cam lob 332 closest to the cam lob rotation axis 530) to face the perforated container 110. After being compressed in the initial situation of subfigure (a), the elasticity of the return spring 128 pushes the perforated container 110 to swing to the left. Figure 5 The right side thus contacts the proximal point of the cam cam angle 332. During the transition from the case in sub-figure (a) to the case in sub-figure (b), the multiple drinking straws 191 move from the left side of the first tissue 100 to its right side. Simultaneously, along with... Figure 5 The cleaning liquid 193 flows effectively in an upward-to-left direction to clean the multiple drinking straws 191. Following the situation in sub-figure (b), the cam cam angle 332 rotates again, and the far point contacts the perforated container 110 again, thus achieving a situation similar to sub-figure (a). Therefore, the cleaning liquid 193 flows along... Figure 5 The multiple drinking straws 191 are cleaned by a reverse flow of cleaning liquid 193 in a direction pointing to the right. In short, during the descent of the input end component 121, the multiple drinking straws 191 are cleaned with a bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid 193. Subgraphs (c) and (d) depict the final instance of swinging the perforated container 110 from the left to the right of the first organizer 100 before the input end component 121 descends to the bottom, thereby cleaning the multiple drinking straws 191 with a reverse flow of cleaning liquid 193 along the direction pointing to the right.Figure 5 The cleaning liquid 193 flows effectively in the direction pointing to the left to clean multiple drinking straws 191.

[0066] Figure 6 An implementation of a first organizer 100 having a perforated container 110 including an openable bottom 113, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, is described. The openable bottom 113 allows the user to easily unload multiple drinking straws 191 into the outer container 680 after cleaning, thereby enhancing user convenience. Direct contact between the user's hands and the multiple drinking straws 191 can be avoided.

[0067] In addition to being pivotally mounted to the frame 150 at the first pivot 155 and the second pivot 156, the perforated container 110 may also be designed to be releasable from both pivots 155, 156. In some embodiments, the perforated container 110 is releasably and pivotally mounted to the frame 150. The releasable pivots serving as the first pivot 155 or the second pivot 156 for supporting the perforated container 110 on the frame 150 can be achieved, for example, by forming two U-shaped end openings correspondingly on two opposite edges at the top of the frame 150, such that two corresponding shafts protruding from the perforated container 110 can be inserted into and removed from the two recesses. Because the perforated container 110 in the first tissue 100 is replaceable, the user can select a suitable perforated container for the first tissue 100 based on the specific circumstances considered.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first organizer 100 also includes a plurality of selectable perforated containers, from which a perforated container 110 is selected. Each selectable perforated container is adapted or optimized for accommodating or cleaning a particular type of drinking straw.

[0069] The entire first tissue 100 can be easily manufactured from a single, food-grade, durable, and corrosion-resistant material such as 304 or 316 stainless steel. The materials used in its manufacture should also be highly compatible with reusable straw materials and various cleaning facilities.

[0070] A second aspect of this disclosure is to provide a second drinking straw organizer for cleaning a batch of drinking straws. The disclosed second organizer is a variation of the first organizer 100, wherein the seesaw motion generator 140 is redesigned to be simpler.

[0071] The disclosed second organizer is by means of Figure 7 and Figure 8 An example is illustrated below. Figure 7An isometric view of an exemplary second organizer 700 is depicted under operating conditions in which multiple drinking straws 191 are cleaned by immersing the second organizer 700 in a cleaning chamber 195 filled with cleaning liquid 193. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the second organizer 700. Figure 7 and Figure 8 In this context, the vertical direction 80 is sometimes used as a reference direction to describe the second organizer 700.

[0072] The second organizer 700 includes a frame 150, a perforated container 110, and a seesaw motion generator 740.

[0073] The perforated container 110 has a cavity 112. The perforated container 110 is used to accommodate multiple drinking straws 191 within the cavity 112 and allows cleaning liquid 193 to flow through the perforated container 110. Specifically, the perforated container 110 is pivotally mounted to the frame 150 at a first pivot 155 and a second pivot 156, allowing the perforated container 110 to swing. Specifically, the perforated container 110 can swing about an axis formed by connecting the first pivot 155 and the second pivot 156. The frame 150 and perforated container 110 for the second tissue 700 respectively share the same features, characteristics, and embodiments as the frame 150 and perforated container 110 for the first tissue 100.

[0074] In the second organizer 700, a seesaw motion generator 740 is used to oscillate the perforated container 110, causing the cleaning liquid 193 to flow bidirectionally and clean multiple drinking straws 191 when the second organizer 700 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 193. The seesaw motion generator 740 includes a common oscillation member 720 and a spherical unit 728. The common oscillation member 720 is designed to oscillate synchronously with the perforated container 110, such that the seesaw motion 732 of the common oscillation member 720 drives the perforated container 110 to oscillate. The spherical unit 728 is then used to drive the common oscillation member 720 to move, thereby generating the seesaw motion 732. The spherical unit 728 is a solid object having a substantially near-spherical shape, making it easy to roll on a flat surface.

[0075] The common swing member 720 is pivotally mounted to the frame 150 at one of the two pivots 155, 156. Without loss of generality and for ease of explanation, as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As depicted, the common swing member 720 is assumed to be pivotally mounted at the first pivot 155. Furthermore, the common swing member 720 can be locked to the perforated container 110, such that the common swing member 720 and the perforated container 110 can swing synchronously. Locking the common swing member 720 and the perforated container 110 can be achieved, for example, by using a shaft to engage or connect the common swing member 720 and the perforated container 110.

[0076] Advantageously, the common swing member 720 includes a serpentine channel 722. The serpentine channel 722 includes a first end 723 and a second end 724. The cross-section of the serpentine channel 722 is wide enough to allow the spherical unit 728 to travel along the serpentine channel 722. The serpentine channel 722 is used to guide the spherical unit 728 to descend in a zigzag manner along the serpentine channel 722. In particular, when the spherical unit 728 is positioned inside the serpentine channel 722, and when the serpentine channel 722 is vertically oriented and the first end 723 is positioned higher than the second end 724, the spherical unit 728 is guided to descend zigzag from the first end 723 to the second end 724. In addition, the spherical unit 728 is heavy enough that the free fall of the spherical unit 728 under the action of gravity inside the serpentine channel 722 automatically generates a seesaw motion 732 at the common swing member 720, thereby swinging the perforated container 110. It should be noted that the zigzag trajectory taken by the spherical unit 728 during its free fall under gravity alternately shifts the center of mass of the combined unit between the left and right sides of the first pivot 155 over time. The combined unit is a group of objects formed by the spherical unit 728, the common swing member 720, and the perforated container 110. This alternating shift of the center of mass results in alternating clockwise and counterclockwise torsional forces at the first pivot 155 over time, thereby generating a seesaw motion 732 at the common swing member 720. Due to the automatic generation of the seesaw motion 732, the seesaw motion generator 740 is self-driven when swinging the perforated container 110, while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning the multiple drinking straws 191 with the bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid 193. It should be noted that the seesaw motion generator 740 in the second organizer 700 utilizes the principle of balance shifting around the first pivot 155 when gravity pulls the weight (i.e., the combined unit) downwards. In other words, when the common swing member 720, the perforated container 110 and the spherical unit 728 are pulled downwards under the action of gravity, the balance of weight shifts continuously and alternately between the left and right sides of the first pivot 155 over time.

[0077] Similar to the first organizer 100, since the common swing member 720 is used to drive the perforated container 110, and since the perforated container 110 can be loaded with multiple drinking straws 191 of different weights at different cleaning periods, it can be seen that the weight of the spherical unit 728 can be selected under the full-load condition of loading multiple drinking straws 191 into the perforated container 110.

[0078] During operation, the spherical unit 728 is enclosed within the serpentine channel 722. The serpentine channel 722 can be manufactured as a closed channel, with the spherical unit 728 permanently residing within it. Alternatively, the serpentine channel 722 can be manufactured with one or both of a first end 723 and a second end 724 that can be opened, allowing the spherical unit 728 to be removably inserted into it. This arrangement is useful if it allows a user to select from a plurality of different spherical units 782 to handle different loads on multiple drinking straws 191 held in the perforated container 110.

[0079] In some embodiments, the second organizer 700 further includes a plurality of selectable spherical units from which a spherical unit 728 is selected. Each selectable spherical unit has a different weight to configure the spherical unit 728 to be sufficiently heavy given the varying weights of the multiple drinking straws 191 in the perforated container 110.

[0080] When the user wishes to begin cleaning the multiple drinking straws 191, the user rotates the common oscillating member 720 until the serpentine channel 722 is vertically oriented and the spherical unit 728 is positioned at the top of the serpentine channel 722. The top of the serpentine channel 722 is higher than its bottom, wherein the top and bottom are selected from the first end 723 and the second end 724. The spherical unit 728 then descends along the serpentine channel 722 in a zigzag pattern until it reaches the bottom. During the descent, a seesaw motion 732 is generated. It should be noted that the spatial design of the serpentine channel 722 associated with the movement of the spherical unit 728 controls the seesaw rhythm, time interval, and direction of the oscillating movement of the common oscillating member 720. The serpentine channel 722 introduces the seesaw motion 732 as the spherical unit 728 rolls down the serpentine channel 722 due to gravity. The time taken for the spherical unit 728 to complete the entire serpentine channel 722 is designed to match the complete cycle of the oscillating movement of the perforated container 110.

[0081] It should be noted that when the user positions the common swing member 720 vertically and the spherical unit 728 is positioned at the top, the spherical unit 728 will immediately fall, and the user will need to quickly retract his or her hand from the common swing member 720. This is inconvenient for the user. To enhance user convenience, preferably, each of the first end 723 and the second end 724 is equipped with a locking trigger for manually controlling the release of the spherical unit 728 into the serpentine channel 722, allowing the user to begin cleaning the multiple drinking straws 191 by triggering the locking trigger to release the spherical unit 728 into the serpentine channel 722. Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, a first locking trigger 733 and a second locking trigger 734 are respectively mounted on the first end 723 and the second end 724. The first locking trigger 733 is described as an example. The first locking trigger 733 is equipped with a mechanism that holds the spherical unit 728 at the first end 723, wherein this mechanism can be manually triggered to release the spherical unit 728. Preferably, this mechanism is configured such that the user needs to perform a simple hand movement to simultaneously trigger the mechanism and release the common swing member 720.

[0082] Consider the first cleaning period, in which the spherical unit 728 descends from the first end 723 to the second end 724. After the spherical unit 728 reaches the second end 724, completing the first cleaning period, the user can begin the second cleaning period by repositioning the spherical unit 728, i.e., repositioning the spherical unit 728 to the top. To reset the position, the user can rotate the combined unit (which combines the spherical unit 728, the common swing member 720, and the perforated container 110) upside down, so that the spherical unit 728, which is still physically located at the second end 724, is repositioned at the top. However, the perforated container 110 is held upside down at this moment and is inoperable. After the spherical unit 728 falls from the second end 724 to the first end 723, the user can first lock the spherical unit 728 at the first end 723 with the first locking trigger 733, and then rotate the combined unit upside down again. Therefore, the spherical unit 728 is repositioned back to its top, while the perforated container 110 returns to its normal operating state, with the cavity 112 facing upwards. However, this series of operations is inconvenient for the user because the perforated container 110 also needs to be rotated.

[0083] Preferably, the common swing member 720 is releasably lockable to the perforated container 110. It allows the common swing member 720 to rotate upside down for lifting the spherical unit 728 within the serpentine channel 722 without simultaneously rotating the perforated container 110. At the end of the first cleaning period, the user can first lock the spherical unit 728 at the second end 724 (the bottom end at this moment) using the second locking trigger 734. After the user releases the common swing member 720 from the lock with the perforated container 110, the user can rotate the common swing member 720 upside down and lock the common swing member 720 and the perforated container 110 again. Thus, the position of the spherical unit 728 is reset to the top and the cavity 112 of the perforated container 110 remains facing upwards.

[0084] Similar to the first organizer 100, the entire second organizer 700 can be readily manufactured from a single, food-grade, durable, and corrosion-resistant material such as 304 or 316 stainless steel. The materials used in its manufacture should also be highly compatible with reusable straw materials and various cleaning solutions.

[0085] Further details regarding the application and manufacture of the first organizer 100 and the second organizer 700 are provided below.

[0086] Each of the first organizer 100 and the second organizer 700 disclosed herein has a unique seesaw mechanism to drive the perforated container 110 during the cleaning of multiple drinking straws 191. This seesaw mechanism is compatible with and can be performed in various existing cleaning process environments, where reusable drinking straws undergo various cleaning procedures such as water baths, sonic cleaning, drying, UV disinfection, ozone disinfection, etc. The seesaw mechanism is a power mechanism that causes bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid 193 along the longitudinal axis of the respective drinking straw 191 and provides suitable movement to allow the breakdown of dust, grease, and water to roll off, thereby maximizing the cleanability of many existing cleaning and disinfection devices and making them suitable for cleaning drinking straws. Furthermore, the seesaw mechanism ensures that the cleaning cycle can be performed more efficiently, which reduces the number of cleaning cycles and helps save water and energy during a complete cleaning process. Additionally, each of the first organizer 100 and the second organizer 700 also supports packaging and temporary storage needs. It further ensures that the entire cleaning cycle in the catering establishment meets hygiene standards.

[0087] Each of the disclosed first organizer 100 and second organizer 700 provides a sustainable, practical, and labor-saving option for beverage suppliers, restaurant bars, and other environments that require frequent straw cleaning. Each organizer further provides comprehensive cleaning organization and hygiene standards to meet the unique needs of reusable straw use in the catering environment.

[0088] Neither the first organizer 100 nor the second organizer 700 contains any motors or other components that require magnets or electricity, as such components would cause significant complexity in manufacturing and are compatible with many straw cleaning situations, such as water-based environments, situations requiring the absorption of acoustic energy or various temperature and gas conditions during cleaning or disinfection.

[0089] The gravity-driven seesaw movement in each of the first organizer 100 and the second organizer 700 is highly sustainable. It does not result in electrical energy consumption and, compared to various static arrangements of the straw placement during a cleaning cycle, it can improve productivity and efficiency by allowing for faster and more thorough cleaning.

[0090] Importantly, the first organizer 100 and the second organizer 700 are uniquely tailored for straw cleaning, addressing a common pain point faced by bars and restaurants whose solutions focus solely on disposable straws made from alternative materials. The compact footprint of each of the first organizer 100 and the second organizer 700 makes them powerful tools for food and beverage service providers. It allows service providers to efficiently utilize their existing cleaning and sanitizing processes for regular tableware to maintain the same level of reusable straws. The first organizer 100 and the second organizer 700 are themselves durable and compatible with many cleaning systems, thus providing flexibility in the final cleaning process based on the institution's needs and any latest cleaning technologies that may have been developed.

[0091] A third aspect of this disclosure is to provide a third drinking straw organizer for cleaning a batch of drinking straws. The third organizer is a generalization of the first organizer 100 and the second organizer 700.

[0092] The disclosed third organizer is illustrated by a schematic diagram of an exemplary third organizer 900 for cleaning multiple drinking straws 191. Figure 9 An example is illustrated below. For example... Figure 9 The vertical direction 80 shown is sometimes used as a reference direction for describing the third organizer 900.

[0093] The third organizer 900 includes a frame 150, a perforated container 110, and a seesaw motion generator 940.

[0094] The perforated container 110 is used to accommodate multiple drinking straws 191 and allows cleaning liquid 193 to flow through it. Specifically, the perforated container 110 is pivotally mounted to the frame 150, allowing it to swing. The frame 150 and perforated container 110 used in the third organizer 900 respectively share the same features, characteristics, and embodiments as those used in the first organizer 100.

[0095] In the third organizer 900, a seesaw motion generator 940 is mounted to the frame 150 and configured to generate a seesaw motion 932 for swinging the perforated container 110. Therefore, when the third organizer 900 is immersed in the cleaning liquid 193, it causes the cleaning liquid 193 to flow bidirectionally through multiple drinking straws 191 for cleaning the multiple drinking straws 191. Embodiments of the seesaw motion generator 940 include the seesaw motion generator 140 used in the first organizer 100 and the seesaw motion generator 740 used in the second organizer 700. Other implementations of the seesaw motion generator 940 may also be used in the third organizer 900.

[0096] Preferably and advantageously, the seesaw motion generator 940 includes a sufficiently heavy component 921 such that the free fall of component 921 under gravity causes the seesaw motion generator 940 to automatically generate a seesaw motion 932 to swing the perforated container 110. Therefore, it results in the seesaw motion generator 940 being self-driven when swinging the perforated container 110, while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning multiple drinking straws 191 with the bidirectional flow of cleaning liquid 193. Some examples of component 921 are provided below. If the seesaw motion generator 140 used in the first organizer 100 is used as the seesaw motion generator 940 of the third organizer 900, then component 921 is the input component 121. In the case where the seesaw motion generator 740 used in the second organizer 700 is used as the seesaw motion generator 940 of the third organizer 900, component 921 is a spherical unit 728.

[0097] This disclosure may be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, these embodiments are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive in all respects. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and thus all variations within the meaning and equivalent scope of the claims are intended to be covered therein.

Claims

1. A drinking straw organizer for cleaning multiple drinking straws, the organizer comprising: frame; A perforated container for receiving the plurality of drinking straws and allowing cleaning liquid to flow through the perforated container, wherein the perforated container is pivotally mounted to the frame, allowing the perforated container to swing; and A seesaw motion generator is provided for swinging the perforated container when the tissue is immersed in the cleaning liquid, thereby causing the cleaning liquid to flow bidirectionally and clean the multiple drinking straws. The seesaw motion generator includes a gear assembly mounted to the frame, the gear assembly comprising an input end component and an output end component. The output end component is configured to drive the perforated container at a mating point between the perforated container and the output end component. The gear assembly is configured to generate a seesaw motion as observed at the mating point from the unidirectional linear motion of the input end component, thereby swinging the perforated container. The input end component is manually movable, allowing the user to operate the tissue via unidirectional linear movement of their hand, rather than repeatedly moving the perforated container back and forth, thereby increasing the efficiency of cleaning the multiple drinking straws while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning the multiple drinking straws with the bidirectional flow of the cleaning liquid.

2. The organizer according to claim 1, wherein the input end component is heavy enough that the free fall of the input end component under the action of gravity automatically generates the unidirectional linear motion, thereby causing the seesaw motion generator to be self-driven when swinging the perforated container, thus saving the user's labor.

3. The organizer of claim 1, wherein the seesaw motion generator further comprises a return spring mounted to the frame, and wherein the return spring is configured to provide a restoring force to push the perforated container back to the output end component during the seesaw motion, as the output end component retracts from the perforated container, thereby causing the output end component to attach to the perforated container at the mating portion without physically connecting the output end component and the perforated container together.

4. The organizer of claim 1, wherein the gear assembly further comprises: A first gear subassembly for generating torsional force from the unidirectional linear motion, the input end component being included in the first gear subassembly; and A second gear subassembly for generating the seesaw motion from the torsional force, wherein the output component is contained in the second gear subassembly.

5. The organizer of claim 4, wherein the first gear subassembly comprises a ball screw and an anti-rotation guide, the ball screw being formed with a ball bearing engaging a threaded shaft, the ball bearing being the input end component, the ball bearing being mechanically coupled to the anti-rotation guide such that the ball bearing is capable of linear and non-rotatable movement along the anti-rotation guide to generate the unidirectional linear motion, the unidirectional linear motion of the ball bearing causing the threaded shaft to rotate, thereby generating the torsional force.

6. The organizer of claim 4, wherein the first gear subassembly comprises a rack and pinion assembly and a linear guide, the rack and pinion assembly having a rack that engages with the pinion, the rack being the input end component, the rack being capable of sliding linearly along the linear guide to generate the unidirectional linear motion, the unidirectional linear motion of the rack causing the pinion to rotate, thereby generating the torsional force.

7. The organizer of claim 4, wherein the second gear subassembly includes a cam cam and a cam follower, the cam follower being the output component, and wherein the cam cam is configured to rotate in response to the torsional force, and when the cam cam rotates, applies a force forward and backward along a predetermined direction to the cam follower, thereby generating the seesaw motion.

8. The organizer of claim 4, wherein the second gear sub-assembly includes a cam cam angle, the cam cam angle being the output end component, and wherein the cam cam angle is configured to rotate in response to the torsional force, and when the cam cam angle rotates, it applies forces forward and backward on the perforated container at the mating portion, thereby generating the seesaw motion.

9. The tissue organizer according to claim 1, wherein the perforated container is a wire mesh container.

10. The organizer of claim 1, wherein the perforated container includes an openable bottom, thereby allowing the user to easily unload the plurality of drinking straws into an external container after the plurality of drinking straws have been cleaned.

11. The tissue of claim 1, wherein the perforated container is releasably and pivotally mounted to the frame.

12. The organizer of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of selectable perforated containers, wherein each selectable perforated container is adapted or optimized for accommodating or cleaning a particular type of drinking straw.

13. A drinking straw organizer for cleaning multiple drinking straws, the organizer comprising: frame; A perforated container for accommodating multiple drinking straws and allowing cleaning liquid to flow through the perforated container, wherein the perforated container is pivotally mounted to the frame at a first pivot and a second pivot, allowing the perforated container to swing; and A seesaw motion generator is used to swing the perforated container when the tissue is immersed in the cleaning liquid, thereby causing the cleaning liquid to flow bidirectionally and clean the multiple drinking straws. The seesaw motion generator includes a common swing member and a spherical unit. The common swing member is pivotally mounted to the frame at a first pivot. The common swing member is lockable to the perforated container so that the common swing member and the perforated container can swing synchronously. The common swing member includes a serpentine channel for guiding the spherical unit located within the serpentine channel to descend in a zigzag manner. The spherical unit described herein is heavy enough that its free fall under gravity within the serpentine channel automatically generates a seesaw motion at the common swing member. Thus, when the common swing member, the perforated container, and the spherical unit are pulled downward under gravity, the perforated container swings by continuously and alternately shifting the balance of weight between the left and right sides of the first pivot over time. This results in the seesaw motion generator being self-driven when swinging the perforated container, while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning the multiple drinking straws with the bidirectional flow of the cleaning liquid.

14. The tissue organ of claim 13, wherein: The serpentine channel has a first end and a second end; and Each of the first end and the second end is equipped with a locking trigger for manually controlling the release of the spherical unit into the serpentine channel, allowing the user to begin cleaning the multiple drinking straws by triggering the locking trigger to release the spherical unit into the serpentine channel.

15. The tissue of claim 13, wherein the common swing member is releasably lockable to the perforated container, thereby allowing the common swing member to rotate upside down for lifting the spherical unit within the serpentine channel without simultaneously rotating the perforated container.

16. The organizer of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of selectable spherical units, from which spherical units are selected, each selectable spherical unit having a different weight to configure the spherical unit to be sufficiently heavy under conditions where the weights of the plurality of drinking straws in the perforated container are different.

17. The tissue organizer of claim 13, wherein the perforated container is a wire mesh container.

18. The organizer of claim 13, wherein the perforated container includes an openable bottom, thereby allowing the user to easily unload the plurality of drinking straws into an external container after the plurality of drinking straws have been cleaned.

19. The tissue of claim 15, wherein the perforated container is releasably and pivotally mounted to the frame.

20. The organizer of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of selectable perforated containers, wherein each selectable perforated container is adapted or optimized for accommodating or cleaning a particular type of drinking straw.

21. A drinking straw organizer for cleaning multiple drinking straws, the organizer comprising: frame; A perforated container for accommodating multiple drinking straws and allowing cleaning liquid to flow through the perforated container, wherein the perforated container is pivotally mounted to the frame, allowing the perforated container to swing; and A seesaw motion generator is mounted to the frame and configured to generate seesaw motion for swinging the perforated container, thereby causing the cleaning liquid to flow bidirectionally through the plurality of drinking straws to clean the plurality of drinking straws when the tissue is immersed in the cleaning liquid.

22. The organizer of claim 21, wherein the seesaw motion generator comprises a sufficiently heavy component such that the free fall of the component under gravity causes the seesaw motion generator to automatically generate the seesaw motion to swing the perforated container, thereby making the seesaw motion generator self-driven when swinging the perforated container, while maintaining the advantage of effectively cleaning the multiple drinking straws with the bidirectional flow of the cleaning liquid.

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