1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus to be held within a bottle to provide for drinking a beverage from the bottle, and, more particularly, to such an apparatus additionally preventing leakage from the bottle in the event the bottle is knocked over or inverted.
2. Summary of the Background Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,785 describes a bottle having a tapered neck portion, holding a beverage and a combination straw and mini-buoyant chamber designed to float upward into the neck of the bottle when the cap is removed and to be held therein by contact with the neck of the bottle. The combination of the straw and the mini-buoyant chamber, which carries an advertising message on its exterior surface, can be removed from the bottle with a firm pull. The opening within the neck of the bottle is round, while the mini-buoyant chamber is non-circular, so that an air passage is formed for admitting air around the mini-buoyant chamber as the beverage is sucked out through the straw. What is needed is a way to block this air passage when suction is not being applied through the straw, so that the beverage cannot spill out through the air passage when the bottle, having been opened, is accidentally knocked over or inverted.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,656,654 describes a combination of a beverage container and a drinking tube with means to present the tube for use upon opening the container. A drinking tube for use with a beverage container having a lid with a tear-out strip is an elongate tubular member having a length at least equal to an internal diagonal dimension of the container and an upper end portion thereof engaged by a positioning member mounted on the tear-out strip that guides the upper end portion through an opening in the lid formed by removal of the tear-out strip. A float member is mounted on the tubular member for raising the upper end of the tubular member through the opening in the lid. Again, what is needed is a way to block the air passage through the opening in the lid around the straw when suction is not being applied through the straw, to prevent the spilling of beverage from the container if the container is knocked over or dropped.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,116,446 and 6,494,322 describe a stopper for use with an individual beverage container is disclosed. The stopper has a generally tubular side wall with an upper edge and a lower edge. The side wall is dimensioned to In snugly in the neck of the beverage container with a pressure fit. A bottom extends inwardly from the side wall. A flat upper portion is integrally attached to the bottom and is spaced upwardly from the bottom. An aperture is formed in the bottom or the flat upper portion. In addition, a vent hole is formed in the bottom or the flat upper portion. Preferably, the fiat upper portion is spaced from the side walls thereby forming a trough therebetween. Preferably the aperture is formed in the bottom and dimensioned to receive a straw snugly therethrough. Preferably the flat upper portion is divided into a first and second upper portion with a channel therebetween, with the channel being contiguous with the aperture and dimensioned to receive an upper portion of the straw when in a stored position. In an alternate embodiment the aperture and vent hole are formed between the side wall and the neck of the bottle. What is needed is a valve member closing the vent hole when suction is not provided through the straw, so that beverage is not spilled when the container is knocked over or dropped.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,239 describes a straw assembly disposed within a beverage container and adapted for use with various positioning mechanisms. A positioning mechanism is slidably lockable along the length of the straw for appropriately positioning the straw in the opening of the container. Again, what is needed is a venting mechanism opening only when suction is applied to the container through the straw.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,711 describes a sports bottle cap having a pressure differential valve allowing water to flow out through the bottle cap only when the bottle is inverted and squeezed, or, alternately, when a straw is threaded through the pressure differential valve, deactivating it, and attached to the bottle cap, allowing the user to draw beverage from the bottle. The bottle cap additionally includes an umbrella valve operating as a one-way valve that remains collapsed flat against the bottom surface of an inlet air passage when the bottle is squeezed, but that opens easily as air pushes against it when the bottle is released. Essentially, it opens the same way as an umbrella would inappropriately collapse if pointed away from the wind. Another advantage of the umbrella valve is that it quickly returns air into the bottle so that the user is able to drink rapidly without having to wait for air to return through the differential valve, through a filter if one is used, or through a straw tube if one is used. What is needed is a simple stopper mechanism that can be shipped within a sealed bottle for deployment when the bottle is opened, having a simple flapper-type one-way valve to provide only for air return during suction from the bottle through the straw.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,273,172 describes a closure device mounted at the top of an open beverage container by a sealing device extending down into the bottle. A top part of the closure device includes a semi-circular portion having a groove, with beverage-emitting and air-admitting holes being positioned in the base of the groove. A pivotally movable cap is mounted on the top part covering the groove. When the cap is closed, it causes a flexible hose mounted in the beverage-emitting hole to bend, closing the hose and also moving the hose into position to block the air-admitting hole. In this way, leakage of the beverage is prevented when the pivotally movable cap is closed. What is needed is a valve preventing leakage when the bottle is knocked over or dropped, even when the pivotally movable cap is left open.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds