Lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw

Abstract

A lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw providing a tube body defining an enclosed conduit for a flow of liquid. The tube body and enclosed conduit have a substantially round sectional profile at a distal end meant to be placed into a container of liquid, and a substantially oblong sectional profile at a proximal end meant to be placed between lips of a user and to be accommodated by the lips of the user without requiring puckering or pursing of the lips. The sectional profile of the enclosed conduit changes from a round profile at the distal end and through approximately 90 percent of the tube body to an oblong profile at the proximal end, with the change of profile occurring at a transition segment near the proximal end. An optional bending segment can be provided to provide a bend in the tube body or allow the user to make such a bend. The sectional area or circumference of the enclosed conduit at the proximal end is not less than the sectional area at the distal end.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw comprising:
 (i) a tube body having a long axis and having a distal end and a proximal end in use, defining an enclosed conduit having a sectional profile which is substantially round at said distal end and through approximately 90 percent of said tube body, and having a sectional profile which is substantially oblong at said proximal end; and   (ii) a transition segment of said tube body and said enclosed conduit, near said proximal end, having a sectional profile which changes gradually from the substantially round profile of said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body to the substantially oblong profile of said proximal end of said tube body;   where the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said proximal end and through said transition segment is not substantially less than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body.   
     
     
         2 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 1 , further comprising a bending segment adapted to provide a bend in said tube body. 
     
     
         3 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 1 , further comprising said tube body made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         4 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 1 , further comprising said tube body made of durable plastic. 
     
     
         5 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 1 , further comprising said tube body made of silicon rubber. 
     
     
         6 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 1 , further comprising said tube body made of paper. 
     
     
         7 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 1 , further comprising said tube body made of lightweight degradable plastic. 
     
     
         8 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 1 , where the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said proximal end and through said transition segment not substantially less than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body is further not substantially greater than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body. 
     
     
         9 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 1 , where the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said proximal end and through said transition segment not substantially less than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body is further greater than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body. 
     
     
         10 . A lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw comprising:
 (i) a tube body having a long axis and having a distal end and a proximal end in use, defining an enclosed conduit having a sectional profile which is substantially round at said distal end and through approximately 90 percent of said tube body, and having a sectional profile which is substantially oblong at said proximal end;   (ii) a bending segment adapted to provide a bend in said tube body; and   (iii) a transition segment of said tube body and said enclosed conduit, near said proximal end, having a sectional profile which changes gradually from the substantially round profile of said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body to the substantially oblong profile of said proximal end of said tube body;   where the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said proximal end and through said transition segment is not substantially less than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body.   
     
     
         11 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 10 , further comprising said tube body made of stainless steel. 
     
     
         12 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 10 , further comprising said tube body made of durable plastic. 
     
     
         13 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 10 , further comprising said tube body made of silicon rubber. 
     
     
         14 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 10 , further comprising said tube body made of paper. 
     
     
         15 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 10 , further comprising said tube body made of lightweight degradable plastic. 
     
     
         16 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 10 , where the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said proximal end and through said transition segment not substantially less than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body is further not substantially greater than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body. 
     
     
         17 . The lip-pucker avoiding drinking straw of  claim 10 , where the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said proximal end and through said transition segment not substantially less than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body is further greater than the sectional area of said enclosed conduit at said distal end through approximately 90 percent of said tube body.