Anti-spill drinking apparatus

Abstract

An anti-spill drinking straw and cap assembly for use with a beverage container is disclosed. The assembly includes a drinking straw and receptacle cover having a substantially sealed interface, either by interference fit or thermal or chemically fused attachment to provide an anti-spill sealed interface. According to either embodiment, the straw-and-cap assembly is readily adapted to be used with any container having either a full-rim opening, or an opening such as that defined by a scored region or other predetermined opening provided within the top surface of the cap removed by a pull-tab or push-through structure either central to or eccentric with a central portion of the top surface. The drinking straw and cap may be provided as an assembly for use with any receptacle configured to receive it, with standard or custom sized openings. The cap may include a threaded engagement collar for engagement with a corresponding threaded collars common to many standard-sized beverage containers, or may include a snap-fit collar for universal attachment to like-sized containers. The assembly may include orifices/straws that are positioned either centrally or offset from a center point of the cap, to be readily received and affixed to open containers, or in an offset relationship corresponding to offset “pop-top” or push-through openings of soda cans, juice boxes, or other containers of various shapes such as square or rectangular with either central or offset openings where a discrete opening is provided.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A container cap and drinking straw assembly, the assembly comprising: 
 a cap having a top surface and an undersurface, the cap adapted for use with a container supporting a quantity of a flowable foodstuff in a concavity thereof, the cap including an access port, the cap further being removably securable to the container about an opening adjacent to the concavity, and    a drinking straw having a proximate drinking end and a distal suction end, the straw being adapted to be projected through the access port and sealingly retained within the access port with the distal suction end concurrently positioned within the concavity, wherein a peripheral aspect of the straw and adjacently mounted access port are assembled and secured in a substantially leakproof configuration.    
     
     
         2 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a seal between the straw and the access port, for sealing the container cap between the top surface and the undersurface of the cap.    
     
     
         3 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a straw receiving sleeve secured to the access port for receiving the peripheral aspect of the straw.    
     
     
         4 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the straw receiving sleeve extends from the undersurface of the cap toward the concavity of the container.  
     
     
         5 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the straw receiving sleeve extends in a range of about zero degrees to about 45 degrees normal to the plane of the container cap.  
     
     
         6 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the sleeve is integrally formed with the container cap.  
     
     
         7 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 6 , further comprising a fusible seal provided between the sleeve and a circumferential aspect of the straw supported in opposing position therewith.  
     
     
         8 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the fusible seal is selected from the group including a thermally induced melt seal, and an adhesive seal.  
     
     
         9 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the sleeve is a sealing grommet at least a portion of which is secured within the recess defined by the access port, and an outer circumferential periphery of the sealing grommet forming a leakproof seal with the access port, and an inner circumferential periphery of the sealing grommet forming a leakproof seal with a periphery of the drinking straw.  
     
     
         10 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the cap has a container-engaging collar, the collar having a securing structure adapted for engaging the container opening with a substantially sealed engagement.  
     
     
         11 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the securing structure is a threaded structure.  
     
     
         12 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the securing structure is a lip.  
     
     
         13 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the cap-engaging portion of the container has a shape, and the container cap has a complementary shape.  
     
     
         14 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the access port is symmetrically or asymmetrically positioned relative to the top surface of the container cap.  
     
     
         15 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a flange extending from the underside of the container cap, the flange substantially sealingly engaging with a circumferential aspect of the container opening when the container cap is fully engaged with the container to achieve concurrent plural sealed engagements between the assembly and container.  
     
     
         16 . A modular container cap and drinking straw assembly for use with a container having a concavity for supporting a quantity of a flowable foodstuff, the modular assembly comprising: 
 a cap having a top surface and an undersurface coextensive with and extending to a collar for engaging the container to encompass an opening to the concavity, the cap including an access port, and    a drinking straw having a drinking end and a suction end, an intermediate peripheral aspect of the straw projecting through the access port being sealingly supported within a sleeve immediately adjacent to the access port in a substantially leakproof configuration with the suction end positioned within the concavity when the modular assembly is secured to the container.    
     
     
         17 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 a seal for sealingly locating the straw within the access port.    
     
     
         18 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the sleeve is set at an angle relative to the plane of the container cap.  
     
     
         19 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the straw receiving sleeve extends from the undersurface of the cap toward the concavity of the container.  
     
     
         20 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the straw receiving sleeve extends in a range of about zero degrees to about 45 degrees normal to the plane of the container cap.  
     
     
         21 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the sleeve is integrally formed with the container cap.  
     
     
         22 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising a fusible seal provided between the sleeve and a circumferential aspect of the straw supported in opposing position therewith.  
     
     
         23 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 22 , wherein the fusible seal is selected from the group including a thermally induced melt seal, and an adhesive seal.  
     
     
         24 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the sleeve is a sealing grommet at least a portion of which is secured within the recess defined by the access port, and an outer circumferential periphery of the sealing grommet forming a leakproof seal with the access port, and an inner circumferential periphery of the sealing grommet forming a leakproof seal with a periphery of the drinking straw.  
     
     
         25 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the cap-engaging portion of the container has a shape, and the container cap has a complementary shape.  
     
     
         26 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the access port is symmetrically or asymmetrically positioned relative to the top surface of the container cap.  
     
     
         27 . The container cap and straw assembly as recited in  claim 16 , further comprising a flange extending from the underside of the container cap, the flange substantially sealingly engaging with a circumferential aspect of the container opening when the container cap is fully engaged with the container to achieve concurrent plural sealed engagements between the assembly and container.  
     
     
         28 . A container cap for use with a drinking straw and a container having a concavity for supporting a quantity of a flowable foodstuff, the container cap comprising: 
 a straw-supporting sleeve, and    a top surface and an undersurface coextensive with and extending to a collar for engaging the container to encompass an opening to the concavity, the cap including an access port for supporting in sealing engagement an intermediate aspect of the straw projecting through the access port within the sleeve positioned immediately adjacent to the access port.    
     
     
         29 . The container cap recited in  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 a seal for sealingly locating the straw within the access port via the sleeve.    
     
     
         30 . The container cap as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the sleeve is set at an angle relative to the plane of the container cap.  
     
     
         31 . The container cap recited in  claim 28 , wherein the straw receiving sleeve extends from the undersurface of the cap toward the concavity of the container with which it is to be secured.  
     
     
         32 . The container cap as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the straw receiving sleeve extends in a range of about zero degrees to about 45 degrees normal to the plane of the container cap.  
     
     
         33 . The container cap as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the sleeve is integrally formed with the container cap.  
     
     
         34 . The container cap as recited in  claim 33 , further comprising a fusible seal to be provided between the sleeve and a circumferential aspect of the straw supported in opposing position therewith.  
     
     
         35 . The container cap as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the fusible seal is selected from the group including a thermally induced melt seal, and an adhesive seal.  
     
     
         36 . The container cap as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the sleeve is a sealing grommet at least a portion of which is secured within the recess defined by the access port, and an outer circumferential periphery of the sealing grommet forming a leakproof seal with the access port, and an inner circumferential periphery of the sealing grommet forming a leakproof seal with a periphery of a drinking straw installed therewith.  
     
     
         37 . The container cap as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the container cap has a shape complementary to a cap-engaging portion of the container with which it is to be secured.  
     
     
         38 . The container cap as recited in  claim 28 , wherein the access port is symmetrically or asymmetrically positioned relative to the top surface of the container cap.  
     
     
         39 . The container cap as recited in  claim 28 , further comprising a flange extending from the underside of the container cap, the flange substantially sealingly engaging with a circumferential aspect of a container opening in the fully engaged position with the container to achieve concurrent plural sealed engagements between the container cap and container.