Flat Straw

Abstract

An article of manufacture for providing a reusable drinking cup lid and built-in straw according to the present invention includes a flatstraw having a reusable straw having a pair of opposing sides, a pair of lid pieces, each lid piece having an outer rim frame, a hinge coupling the pair of lid pieces together at one end of each lid piece; and a latching mechanism coupled to the pair of lid pieces about an opposite end from the hinge. The latching mechanism is configured to retrain the pair of lid pieces in a closed configuration while holding the pair of opposing sides of the reusable straw coupled together.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flatstraw providing a reusable drinking cup lid and built in straw according to the present invention, the flatstraw comprises:
 a reusable straw having a pair of opposing sides;   a pair of lid pieces, each lid piece having an outer rim frame;   a hinge coupling the pair of lid pieces together at one end of each lid piece; and   a latching mechanism coupled to the pair of lid pieces about an opposite end from the hinge, the latching mechanism configured to retrain the pair of lid pieces in a closed configuration while holding the pair of opposing sides of the reusable straw coupled together.   
     
     
         2 . The flatstraw according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the lid pieces further comprising
 a lid surface having a semi-circle shape on an outer edge with the outer rim frame extending downward from the outer edge and a mating edge between the outer edge configured to couple to a corresponding mating edge of an opposing lid piece;   wherein the reusable straw is configured to be held together by the two mating edges of the lid pieces in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         3 . The flatstraw according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the two mating edges comprises an interlocking edge and a straw indentation configured to match the shape of the reusable straw. 
     
     
         4 . The flatstraw according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the opposing sides of the reusable straw comprises:
 an inner surface;   an outer surface;   a pair of edge surfaces extending outward from the inner surface; and   an interlocking seal along the pair of edge surfaces for engaging a corresponding interlocking seal of the opposing sides of the reusable straw, the interlocking seal couples to the corresponding interlocking seal to enclose the inner surface when the pair of lid pieces are in the closed configuration.   
     
     
         5 . The flatstraw according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the opposing sides of the reusable straw is permanently coupled to one of the mating edges of one of the lid pieces. 
     
     
         6 . The flatstraw according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the opposing sides of the reusable straw is inserted through the pair of lid pieces between the mating edges of the pair of lid pieces. 
     
     
         7 . The flatstraw according to  claim 6 , wherein the flatstraw is held in place between the mating edges of the pair of lid pieces by a locking mechanism engaging alignment pegs coupled to the lid pieces. 
     
     
         8 . The flatstraw according to  claim 6 , wherein the flatstraw passes through the pair of lid pieces in the closed configuration about a center of the interlocking edges. 
     
     
         9 . The flatstraw according to  claim 6 , wherein the flatstraw passes through the pair of lid pieces in the closed configuration about the hinge between the interlocking edges. 
     
     
         10 . The flatstraw according to  claim 1 , wherein the flatstraw is made of a material comprising plastic, metal, and a washable synthetic material.