A protective enclosure for straws used to consume beverages is disclosed. The protective enclosure may be operated by one hand to selectively access or cover an end of a straw through which a beverage may be consumed. The protective enclosure has a clamshell like opening and closing operation, portions of which are interdigitated and pivot during operation. The protective enclosure has a mechanism which selectively extends and retracts the straw during operation of the device. The protective enclosure may have an additional seal or seals to exclude contamination from dirt and/or insects during use.

The present invention relates to a pouch having an internal straw, which stores liquid in a space between a first sheet material (101) and a second sheet material (102), the edges of which are welded, and in which a straw (111) is built-in. A baseline (120) where the first sheet material (101) and the second sheet material (102) meet in a floor portion inside the pouch has a straight upward gradient from a bottom point (121) to form an inverted triangular shape between the bottom point (121) and the straight upward gradient. Moreover, a lower end (111A) of the straw (111) is positioned at the bottom point (121), and the lower end of the straw is attached to the first sheet material (101) or the second sheet material (102) to maintain the position of the lower end of the straw.

A storage container is provided that exhibits an optical illusion that some of the items stored in the container have disappeared in all or in part.

The present invention relates to a straw (1), a straw assembly (2) and a cup assembly (3). The straw (1) comprises first holes (13) in an upper half and second holes (14) in a lower half both arranged at the lateral surface of the straw (1). A sleeve element (20) can be arranged coaxially to and around the straw (1) to form a straw assembly (2). The sleeve element (20) is configured to close the first holes (13) in a first position and the second holes (14) in a second position. The straw assembly (2) can be arranged in a cup assembly (3). As the sleeve element (20) is also configured to float in a liquid the sleeve element (20) is moved through the force of buoyancy either to the first or the second position depending on the inclination of the cup assembly (3) with respect to the force of gravity. This provides a solution for any angle drinking.

A hydration system includes a liquid reservoir, a bottleneck plug, a tube, a hydration valve (e.g., bite valve), and a flow-restricting device (e.g., check valve). The tube comprises a first end for coupling to the liquid reservoir via the plug, a second end having the hydration valve, and the flow-restricting device interposed between the liquid reservoir and the hydration valve. The plug may be inserted into a variety of bottlenecks.

A sanitary drinking straw dispensing assembly comprising a plurality of drinking straws each supported in an individual sanitized wrapper or covering to protect the straw free of dirt and contamination with the sanitized wrappers each having a first end, a second end and a fingertip grasping tear-away section located proximal the second end of the sanitized wrappers, and a container supporting at least a portion of the wrapped straws proximal the first end of the sanitized wrappers therein with the sanitized wrappers bounded to each other proximal the second end of the sanitized wrappers within the container.

An automated dispenser for straws is provided with a housing, a hopper, and a guide tray. The housing has a dispensing slot in an anterior outer wall. The hopper has an upper section with transverse walls and longitudinal walls which converge to define a stacking slot and a substantially horizontal support to support straws beneath the stacking slot. An anterior inner wall, longitudinally extending channel, and posterior wall span the longitudinal walls. The anterior inner wall has an ejection opening and the posterior wall has an access opening each of which adjoin the longitudinally extending channel. A support member and pressing foot within the stacking slot can translate longitudinally and pass through both the ejection opening and the access opening. A guide tray, disposed below the ejection opening, has a location zone, a posterior wall, and an anterior wall. The guide tray urges straws into the dispensing slot projecting upwardly.

A disposable straw drinking system for use with a beverage dispenser is disclosed. The straw drinking system includes a straw dispenser for storing and dispensing of new straws to be used with the straw drinking system. Once retrieved from the straw dispenser, the new straw can be inserted into an opening of a beverage dispensing unit. The beverage dispensing unit is connected through a flexible tube to a beverage reservoir of the beverage dispenser to provide for easy flow of the beverage from the beverage dispenser to the straw inserted into the beverage dispensing unit. The pressure of the beverage being dispensed through the straw can be controlled by a control unit of the beverage dispensing unit. For example, applying more pressure on the control unit can result in beverage being dispensed with more pressure. Once the straw has been used once for a user, it can be inserted into a used straw unit to be discarded.

A hydration system includes a liquid reservoir, a bottleneck plug, a tube, a hydration valve (e.g., bite valve), and a flow-restricting device (e.g., check valve). The tube comprises a first end for coupling to the liquid reservoir via the plug, a second end having the hydration valve, and the flow-restricting device interposed between the liquid reservoir and the hydration valve. The plug may be inserted into a variety of bottlenecks.