Drinking straw with flavoring bag

Abstract

A drinking straw assembly includes a flavoring bag fabricated of water permeable material and containing a water flavoring substance attached to an exterior surface of a drinking straw proximate to its emersion end. An alternative embodiment includes a drinking straw having a means for attaching a flavoring sack, such as a tea bag, to an exterior surface of the straw proximate to its emersion end. Another embodiment includes a flavoring bag for use with a drinking straw which includes a bag body formed of water permeable material and containing a fluid flavoring substance. The flavoring bag includes means for attaching the bag body to an exterior surface of an emersion end portion of the straw.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A drinking straw comprising: 
 a fluid conduit having an interior wall defining an interior fluid conducting passage and extending from a sipping end to an immersion end such that, when said immersion end is immersed in a fluid, the fluid may be drawn through the passage from said immersion end to said sipping end by applying sufficient suction at said sipping end; and,    a fluid flavoring bag body including a fluid permeable material and containing a fluid flavoring substance for flavoring a fluid, said flavoring bag body attached to an exterior surface of a conduit emersion end portion adjacent said immersion end.    
     
     
         2 . A drinking straw comprising: 
 a fluid conduit having an interior wall defining an interior fluid conducting passage and extending from a sipping end to an immersion end such that, when said immersion end is immersed min a fluid, the fluid may be drawn through the passage from said immersion end to said sipping end by applying sufficient suction at said sipping end; and,    attachment means for attaching a fluid flavoring element for flavoring a fluid to an exterior surface of an emersion end portion of said conduit adjacent to said immersion end.    
     
     
         3 . The drinking straw of  claim 2  in which the flavoring element is a fluid flavoring bag including a fluid flavoring bag body made of material including a fluid permeable material, said bag body containing a fluid flavoring substance for flavoring a fluid, further comprising: 
 said attachment means is a clip-type attachment means.  
 
     
     
         4 . The drinking straw of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 said clip-type attachment means comprises an elastic clip member extending outward from said exterior surface of said emersion end portion of said conduit to a distal clip member end and lying generally in a common plane with an axis of said emersion end portion; and,    releasable constraining means for releasably constraining a distal end portion of said elastic clip member adjacent said distal end in proximity to said exterior conduit wall when said elastic clip member end portion is pressed toward said conduit wall    
     
     
         5 . The drinking straw of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 said releasable constraining means includes a hook.    
     
     
         6 . The drinking straw of  claim 2  in which the flavoring element is a fluid flavoring bag including a fluid flavoring bag body made of material including a fluid permeable material, said bag body containing a fluid flavoring substance for flavoring a fluid, further comprising: 
 said attachment means comprises an elastic band.  
 
     
     
         7 . The drinking straw of  claim 2  in which the flavoring element is a fluid flavoring bag including a fluid flavoring bag body made of material including a fluid permeable material, said bag body containing a fluid flavoring substance for flavoring a fluid, further comprising: 
 said attachment means comprises an adhesive strip.  
 
     
     
         8 . The drinking straw of  claim 2  in which the flavoring element is a fluid flavoring bag including a fluid flavoring bag body made of material including a fluid permeable material, said bag body containing a fluid flavoring substance for flavoring a fluid, further comprising: 
 said attachment means comprises a string.  
 
     
     
         9 . A flavoring bag for flavoring a liquid to be consumed by use of a drinking straw, the straw having a fluid conduit with an interior wall defining an internal fluid conducting passage and extending from a sipping end to an immersion end to be immersed in the liquid to be consumed through the straw and having an emersion end portion adjacent the emersion end, the flavoring bag comprising: 
 a bag body formed of material including material permeable to the liquid to be consumed;    a flavoring substance contained within said bag body; and,    attachment means for attaching the flavoring bag body to an exterior surface of the emersion end portion of the straw.    
     
     
         10 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 said attachment means is a clip-on type attachment means which nestingly embraces the emersion end portion of the straw.    
     
     
         11 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 said attachment means comprises an elastic band.    
     
     
         12 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 said attachment means comprises an adhesive strip.    
     
     
         13 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 said attachment means comprises a first and second butterfly strip running along an edge of said bag body portion and including first and second opposing surfaces respectively; and.    said first opposing surface includes a first adhesive strip.    
     
     
         14 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 said second opposing surface includes a second adhesive strip.    
     
     
         15 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 said attachment means comprises a cylindrical ring for embraceingly receiving said straw end portion.    
     
     
         16 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 said bag body is formed of first and second similar sacks, said sacks joined at two generally parallel common seams and including first and second opposing sack sides, respectively, said first opposing sack side including an adhesive coating such that a drinking straw may be placed between said first and second opposing sack sides and said first and second opposing sack sides may be brought into contact to adhere one to the other to surround and retain the emersion end portion of the straw therebetween.    
     
     
         17 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 said second opposing sack side includes an adhesive coating.    
     
     
         18 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 said bag body is formed with a bag body edge; and,    a tube, formed along said edge, sized to embraceingly receive and retain the emersion end portion of the straw.    
     
     
         19 . A flavoring bag as in  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 said tube is formed of an elastic material.    
     
     
         20 . A flavoring bag attachment device for attaching a flavoring bag to a drinking straw, the straw having a fluid conduit with an interior wall defining an internal fluid conducting passage and extending from a sipping end to an immersion end to be immersed in a liquid to be consumed through the straw and having an emersion end portion adjacent the emersion end, the flavoring bag attachment device comprising: 
 drinking straw attachment means for attaching the flavoring bag attachment device to a drinking straw; and,    flavoring bag attachment means for attaching the flavoring bag attachment device to a flavoring bag.    
     
     
         21 . The flavoring bag attachment device of  claim 20  further comprising; 
 said drinking straw attachment means includes a first straw receiving tube section, said first straw receiving tube section including a first interior wall defining a first interior passage, said first interior passage sized to receive a drinking straw.  
 
     
     
         22 . The flavoring bag attachment device of  claim 21  further comprising; 
 said straw receiving tube section includes an exterior surface and said flavoring bag attachment means comprises clip means for clipping a flavoring bag against said exterior surface.  
 
     
     
         23 . The flavoring bag attachment device of  claim 21  further comprising; 
 said drinking straw attachment means includes a second straw receiving tube section, said second straw receiving tube section including a second interior wall defining a second interior passage, said second passage sized to receive a drinking straw; and  
 said flavoring bag attachment means includes an elongate longitudinal connecting strip including first and second distal ends, said first end attached to said first straw receiving tube section and said second end attached to said second straw receiving tube section.