Drinking straw, package assembly and method for producing a drinking straw

Abstract

There is described a drinking straw (3, 3′) for a package (2) being filled with a pourable food product. The drinking straw (3, 3′) comprises at least an inlet opening (11) for allowing the introduction of the pourable food product into the drinking straw (3, 3′), a tubular main portion (16) configured to be inserted, in use, into the package (2), having the inlet opening (11) and a sleeve (22, 22′) superimposed on and/or surrounding at least a section of the tubular main portion (16). The sleeve (22, 22′) is configured to allow for the insertion and/or introduction of the drinking straw (3, 3′) into the package (2) and to impede and/or hinder and/or block a removal and/or separation of the drinking straw (3, 3′) from the package (2) after introduction and/or insertion of the drinking straw (3, 3′) into the package (2).

1 . Drinking straw for a package being filled with a pourable food product; the drinking straw comprising at least:
 an inlet opening for allowing the introduction of the pourable food product into the drinking straw;   a tubular main portion configured to be inserted, in use, into the package, having the inlet opening; and   a sleeve superimposed on and/or surrounding at least a section of the tubular main portion;   wherein the sleeve is configured to allow for the insertion and/or introduction of the drinking straw into the package and to impede and/or hinder and/or block a removal and/or separation of the drinking straw from the package after introduction and/or insertion of the drinking straw into the package.   
     
     
         2 . Drinking straw according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises an abutment portion configured to abut onto an inner surface of the package during a movement of the tubular main portion out of the package for impeding and/or hindering and/or blocking a separation and/or removal of the drinking straw from the package. 
     
     
         3 . Drinking straw according to  claim 2 , wherein the package comprises a main opening allowing for the introduction of the drinking straw into the package;
 wherein the abutment portion is configured to abut against a section of the inner surface arranged in the area of a rim of the main opening.   
     
     
         4 . Drinking straw according to  claim 3 , wherein a maximum transversal extension of the abutment portion is larger than a transversal extension of the main opening. 
     
     
         5 . Drinking straw according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve also comprises a coupling portion having an inner coupling surface being in contact with an outer coupling surface of the section of the tubular main portion. 
     
     
         6 . Drinking straw according to  claim 5 , wherein the sleeve comprises a collar connected to the coupling portion and having a maximum external transversal extension being larger than a maximum external transversal extension of the coupling portion. 
     
     
         7 . Drinking straw according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises a thickening. 
     
     
         8 . Drinking straw according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve comprises a plurality of abutment elements;
 wherein the abutment elements are moveable between an initial position in which the abutment elements protrude away from the tubular main portion and an insertion position in which the abutment elements are approached to and/or lie against the tubular main portion.   
     
     
         9 . Drinking straw according to  claim 8 , wherein each abutment element comprises an engagement surface configured to abut against the inner surface of the package during a movement of the tubular main portion out of the package for impeding and/or hindering and/or blocking the separation and/or the removal of the drinking straw from the package. 
     
     
         10 . Drinking straw according to  claim 1 , wherein the sleeve at least partially delimits the inlet opening. 
     
     
         11 . Drinking straw according to  claim 10 , wherein, the sleeve at least partially defines a tip section of the drinking straw comprising the inlet opening. 
     
     
         12 . Drinking straw according to  claim 11 , wherein the sleeve and the tubular main portion define in cooperation the tip section. 
     
     
         13 . Package assembly comprising a package filled with a pourable food product and a drinking straw according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . Method for producing a drinking straw according to  claim 1 , comprising at least:
 providing for the tubular body;   providing for the sleeve; and   coupling the sleeve onto the tubular main portion of the tubular body.   
     
     
         15 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein during the coupling of the sleeve onto the tubular main portion, the sleeve is non-removably coupled and/or connected to the tubular main portion. 
     
     
         16 . Method according to  claim 14 , wherein during the coupling of the sleeve onto the tubular main portion, the sleeve is non-removably coupled and/or connected to the tubular main portion by mechanical friction, gluing, bonding, welding or mechanical deformation.