Disposable straw
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional disposable plastic straws are non-biodegradable and contribute to environmental pollution, while eco-friendly alternatives like paper straws remain partially biodegradable due to synthetic coatings, and they do not effectively enhance the taste or aroma of beverages.
Innovation Solution
A disposable straw made from a mixture of rice flour and tapioca starch, with optional edible pigments and flavors, designed to be resilient, translucent, and capable of being consumed entirely, featuring unique shapes and caps to prevent deformation and facilitate reuse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If plastic is used to manufacture disposable straws, then the straws are tough and resilient, but they do not readily decompose and cause environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material made from rice flour and tapioca starch to create straws that combine the desired mechanical properties with biodegradability. This composite approach allows the straw to maintain toughness and resilience while being fully decomposable, directly resolving the contradiction between strength and environmental harm.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If paper is used to manufacture eco-friendly straws, then they are biodegradable, but they are coated with synthetic resin to improve water resistance which prevents complete biodegradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using rice flour and tapioca starch with specific ratios and processing conditions to achieve both water resistance and complete biodegradability. The extrusion process and material composition are optimized to create a structure that resists water during use but decomposes completely afterward, eliminating the need for synthetic resin coatings.
3Ease of operation
If conventional disposable straws are used, then they are functional, but they do not enhance the taste and aroma of drinks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the straw multi-functional by incorporating edible pigments and flavors into the rice flour-tapioca starch composite. The straw not only serves as a drinking tool but also acts as a flavoring and coloring agent that enhances the beverage experience, thereby resolving the contradiction between basic functionality and sensory enhancement.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a disposable straw. According to one embodiment, a disposable straw has a body, which is provided to be long in a lengthwise direction, has openings formed on both end portions thereof according to the lengthwise direction, and has a hole through which a beverage can pass in the lengthwise direction since the openings are connected, wherein the body is mainly composed of at least one from among rice flour, sweet potato starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, and flour. According to one embodiment of the present invention, waste is not generated at all even if a disposable straw is used, and the taste and smell of a beverage can be enhanced when drinking with the disposable straw.