Drinking Straw Tip Stiffening by Bending for Easier Package Piercing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drinking straws require high piercing force to break through the pierceable portion of liquid product packages, especially when the lamination layers are strong, and are prone to damage and deformation during manufacturing, application, and handling, making it difficult to penetrate the package.
Innovation Solution
A drinking straw with a tubular body that is bent and permanently deformed to create stiffness-promoting elements, such as ribs, at the tip, which increases the stiffness of the piercing portion without using stronger materials, allowing easier penetration of the pierceable portion and enhancing resistance to damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the lamination layers of the pierceable portion are made of strong material, then the package integrity is improved, but the piercing force required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The straw is divided into distinct functional segments: a rigid tip portion for piercing, a flexible intermediate portion for deformation absorption, and a rigid body portion for structural integrity. This segmentation allows the tip to concentrate force effectively while the flexible portion protects against damage during handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The straw utilizes controlled deformation through parameter changes - the flexible portion is designed to deform elastically during piercing and handling, absorbing shocks and forces that would otherwise damage the straw or require excessive piercing force. This dynamic parameter change resolves the contradiction between package strength and piercing ease.
2Ease of manufacture
If the drinking straw is made from flexible material, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the resistance to damage and deformation during handling deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The straw is divided into distinct functional segments: a rigid tip portion for piercing, a flexible intermediate portion for deformation absorption, and a rigid body portion for structural integrity. This segmentation allows the tip to concentrate force effectively while the flexible portion protects against damage during handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The straw functions as a composite structure with different portions having different mechanical properties - rigid sections for strength and flexibility for shock absorption. This composite approach maintains manufacturing simplicity while dramatically improving damage resistance during handling and application.
3Strength
If the tip portion is made stiffer by using stronger materials, then the piercing capability is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The straw utilizes controlled deformation through parameter changes - the flexible portion is designed to deform elastically during piercing and handling, absorbing shocks and forces that would otherwise damage the straw or require excessive piercing force. This dynamic parameter change resolves the contradiction between package strength and piercing ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The straw is divided into distinct functional segments: a rigid tip portion for piercing, a flexible intermediate portion for deformation absorption, and a rigid body portion for structural integrity. This segmentation allows the tip to concentrate force effectively while the flexible portion protects against damage during handling.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 8~9
AI summary
A drinking straw comprises a tubular body (21) intended to define a passage for a liquid product and a tip portion (22) intended to pierce a pierceable portion of a container to allow consumption of the liquid product, wherein said tip portion (22) is bounded by two stiffness promoting elements (25) obtained by bending and permanently deforming said tubular body.