A drinking straw and method for the production thereof
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plastic drinking straws are environmentally harmful due to their non-biodegradability, contribute significantly to pollution, and fail to effectively maintain beverage temperature, while alternatives like paper straws are fragile and metal straws are expensive and difficult to clean.
Innovation Solution
A drinking straw made from frozen water or other frozen liquids, combined with a biodegradable or disposable plastic mouthpiece, allowing for customizable shapes and colors, which provides simultaneous cooling and reduces plastic waste by minimizing material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plastic drinking straws are used, then durability and hygiene are improved, but environmental pollution and non-biodegradability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional plastic to ice, transforming the physical state and properties of the straw. This allows the straw to be durable during use (maintaining structural integrity) while being fully biodegradable afterward, as ice naturally melts and disappears without environmental harm.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable ice straw that is designed for single use and then naturally dissolves. The ice straw serves its purpose during the drinking period and then melts away, eliminating the need for recycling or special disposal and causing no long-term environmental pollution.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If paper straws are used, then biodegradability is improved, but structural strength and durability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material from paper to ice, which provides superior structural strength while maintaining biodegradability. The ice straw can withstand suction forces and maintain its shape during use, unlike paper straws that become soft and deformable when wet.
3Reliability
If metal straws are used, then durability is improved, but cost and cleaning complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adopts a disposable ice straw that eliminates the need for cleaning and sterilization. Each ice straw is used once and then naturally melts, avoiding the complex cleaning procedures required for metal straws while remaining cost-effective through simple water-freezing production.
4Ease of operation
If conventional plastic straws are used, then functionality is improved, but temperature maintenance capability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the ice straw multi-functional: it serves as both a drinking conduit and a cooling element. The ice straw absorbs heat from the beverage through thermal conduction and phase change (melting), simultaneously enabling drinking functionality and maintaining beverage temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of ice melting to achieve cooling. As the ice straw absorbs heat from the beverage and melts from solid to liquid, it actively removes heat from the drink, maintaining a lower temperature throughout the drinking period.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively maintains beverage temperature, reduces plastic waste by over 75%, and offers customizable designs, ensuring the straw's working life corresponds to its use time, addressing environmental concerns and user preferences.
Implementation Method 1
A drinking straw made from frozen water or other frozen liquids... provides simultaneous cooling
Implementation Method 2
The body (2) consists of frozen water... allows the suction of liquids to be combined with the simultaneous cooling thereof
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5A~7B
AI summary
A drinking straw and method for the production thereof is disclosed which is characterised by the fact that the said drinking straw is essentially constituted of a body (2) endowed with a hole (20) which runs therethrough and a mouthpiece (3) provided for engaging therewith at one end of the body, wherein the said body (2) consists of a frozen liquid of the type fit for consumption, such as water. fruit juices, soft drinks, liqueurs, etc., and the said mouthpiece (3) is composed of a stopper (30) consisting of a disk envisaged to cover the upper part of the body (2) with a small, internally hollow projection (31 ) - envisaged to fit into the through-hole of the body (2) - on one side and an internally hollow cylindrical portion (32) on the other side, which is the part that is placed in the user's mouth. In particular, in addition to performing the function of a tube for drinking a beverage via suction, the drinking straw also allows the said beverage to be cooled, being used instead of conventional ice cubes or in combination therewith; above all, however, the said drinking straw allows the liquid to be kept cooled and/or to be cooled also when running through the body 2 composed of frozen liquid, which means a consumer ingests a perfectly cool or cold drink.