EP0284735A1 - Device for taking beverages, such as a straw, cup or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

A drinking straw which can change colour is made of a basic body material which is a mixture of a synthetic resin and an active substance which changes colour reversibly dependent on temperature. It changes its colour when it is used for taking a drink which has a different temperature from that of the room. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a device for receiving beverages, such as drinking straw, cup or the like. The invention relates in particular to a color-changeable drinking straw, the surface color of which changes with the falling temperature of the straw when a cold drink is drunk with the drinking straw.

To date, there are a variety of straws for drinking cold drinks.

The selection of conventional drinking straws ranges from small to large diameter straws depending on the viscosity etc. of the drink.

Some of the conventional straws have different patterns on the surface to make them look more beautiful.

Especially with straws used at home, it happens that each straw has a different color or a different pattern, so that everyone in the family can use a different looking straw.

Especially the drinking straws of conventional type with surface patterns often serve as advertising media and not just for drinking a drink.

These conventional single color or pattern straws are not entirely satisfactory when viewed not only as a device for drinking a drink, but also as a means of drinking.

As already mentioned, conventional drinking straws are only differentiated according to different colors, different patterns, etc. As a result, they are not entirely satisfactory as a means of drinking pleasure.

The invention has for its object to provide a drinking straw which has a reversible temperature-dependent color-changing active ingredient, by means of which it changes the color when it is used to drink a drink at a temperature other than room temperature, which consequently conveys to the user a drinking pleasure and differs from other straws when drinking a drink.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the development of a color-changeable drinking straw, which is characterized in that a mixture of a synthetic resin and a reversibly temperature-dependent active substance is used as the basic body material.

According to the invention, a color-changing drinking straw is also provided, which consists of a base body and a synthetic resin. The base body is produced from a base body material which consists of a mixture of a synthetic resin and a reversibly temperature-dependent color-changing active substance, the synthetic resin having the same color as the base body material at normal temperature and being applied to the outer surface of the base body.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

1 and 2 show a device for producing a drinking straw according to the invention. Fig. 1 is a side view of the device and Fig. 2 shows a front view of the device. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the state when the drinking straw according to the invention has been immersed in cold water. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the state when cold water is sucked through the drinking straw according to the invention.

The color-changeable drinking straw according to the invention changes its color due to the color change of the reversibly temperature-dependent color-changeable active substance in its base body when it is brought into an atmosphere with a temperature which lies within the color-changing temperature range of this color-changeable active substance.

Therefore, if the drinking straw according to the invention is to be used, for example, for drinking a cold drink, the drinking straw can contain a reversible, temperature-dependent, color-changing active ingredient, which is one at room temperature (about 20 ° C.) has a certain color and changes color at temperatures between around 10 ° C and 15 ° C. If such a drinking straw is used to drink a cold drink, it is first partially immersed in the drink, the color change then taking place on the immersed section of the drinking straw.

Then the drink is sucked up through the drinking straw and the section of the drinking straw through which the drink rises shows the desired color change.

The reversible color-dependent active ingredient that is used for the drinking straw according to the invention is explained below:

The reversible color-dependent drinking straw basically consists of an electron-donating, color-developable substance (donor), an electron-accepting substance (acceptor) corresponding to the electron-donating, color-developable substance and a desensitizing agent. Here, the desensitizing agent refers to a substance that reduces the color developability by the electron-donating color-developable substance and the electron-accepting substance that accepts electrons from the color-developable substance as a color component. The use of the desensitizing agent in the color-changing agent in an appropriate amount can control the color developability, the color change temperature range, etc. of the color-changing agent in a desired manner.

The following can be mentioned as electron-donating, color-developable substance as color components according to the invention: Substituted phenylmethanes and fluoranes, such as, for example, 3,3ʹ-dimethoxyfluorane (yellow), 3-chloro-6-phenyl aminofluoran (yellowish orange), 3-diethylamino-6-methyl-7-chlorofluoran (red), 3-diethyl-7,8-benzofluoran (pink), 3,3ʹ, 3ʺ-tri (p-dimethylaminophenyl) phthalide (bluish purple ), 3,3ʹ-bis (pDimethylaminophenyl) phthalide (green), 3-diethylamino-6-methyl-7-phenylaminofluoran (black) and the like; Indolyl phthalide; Spiropyrans; Coumarins; Crystal violet lactone (blue), malachite green lactone (green), etc. At least one of these compounds is used according to the invention.

As an electron-accepting substance which combines with the electron-donating color-developable substance and enables the latter to develop a color, mention should be made of: phenols, such as e.g. P-phenylphenol, bisphenol A, cresol, resorzine, chloroglyzine, phenolic resin oligomers, β-naphthol and the like; their metal salts and ammonium salts; Benzotriazoles such as 5-chlorobenztriazole, 4-laurylaminosulfobenztriazole, 5-butylbenztriazole, dibenztriazole, 2-oxybenztriazole, 5-carboethoxybenztiazole and the like; their metal salts and ammonium salts; and so on. At least one of these compounds is used according to the invention.

The following can be used as a desensitizing agent: low-volatility solvents (e.g. polyglycols), alcohols, amides, azomethines, primary amine salts of carboxylic acids, etc. Of these, the azomethines and the primary amine salts of carboxylic acids are preferred.

Typical examples used in this invention azomethines include benzylidene, benzylidene-p-toluidine, Benzylidenstearylamin, Benzylidenlaurylamin, Benzylidenbutylamin, P-Methoxybenzylidenanilin, P-Methoxybenzylidenanisidin, P-Methoxybenzylidenstearylamin, P-Isopropylbenzylidenanilin, Benzylidenphenylhydrazin, Benzylidenäthylamin, Butylidenanilin, N, N -Dibenzylidene benzidine, 1,4-bisphenylazomethine, Benzylidene naphthylamine, benzylidene picolylamine, benzylidene, 6-methylpyridine, 4-aminopyridine, etc. The azomethines used in this invention are of course not limited to these compounds.

The primary amine salts of carboxylic acids have little or no water solubility and are represented by the following general formula.
R- (COO⁻) x.Rʹ- (NH₃⁺) y
[R- (COOH) x.Rʹ- (NH₂) y]
x and y: integers over one (1)

With regard to the carboxylic acids, the following are to be mentioned as aliphatic carboxylic acids: caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, 12-oxystearic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, oleic acid, behenic acid, enanthic acid, sebacic acid, azelaic acid, etc.; and as aromatic carboxylic acids: benzoic acid, P-chlorobenzoic acid, P-butylbenzoic acid, 1-naphthalenecarboxylic acid, cinnamic acid, phenylbutyric acid, methacrylic acid, terephthalic acid, 2-furan carboxylic acid, Z-benzfuran carboxylic acid, quinarindenic acid, etc.

With regard to the primary amines which react with the above-mentioned carboxylic acids, the following should be mentioned as aliphatic primary amines: caprylamine, laurylamine, myristylamine, stearylamine, coconut amine, oleamine, hexamethylene diamine, etc. Aromatic amines to be mentioned are: butylaniline, chloroaniline, aniline, naphthylamine, phenylenediamine, dichlorobenzidine, aminothiazole, aminopyridine etc.

The reversible temperature-dependent color-changing active ingredient according to the invention consists of three stocks share, namely an electron-donating, color-developable substance, an electron-accepting substance corresponding to the electron-donating, color-developable substance and a desensitizing agent. It is used in the form of a solution, an emulsion or a dispersion or in encapsulated form. When used in encapsulated form, there are no restrictions on the encapsulation method and coating material. The color-changeable active ingredient or the solution, emulsion or dispersion containing the active ingredient may further contain various additives as required, such as a surface substance, an active ingredient for regulating dryness, a foam inhibitor, a resin, a crosslinking active ingredient, a catalyst, an active ingredient for regulating viscosity , a solvent, a dye, a pigment dye, a fluorescent whitening agent, an ultraviolet absorber, an ultraviolet stabilizer, an infrared absorber, a pigment filler, a foaming agent, a water-repellent active ingredient, a metal powder, glass beads, plastic beads, a wax, a fatty oil or fat Antioxidants, a reducing inhibitor, an electrolyte, a reducing agent, an acid, an alkali, an antiseptic, an active chelating agent, a coloring agent, a flavoring agent, etc. without departing from the essence of the invention.

For the reversible temperature-dependent color-changing active ingredient, which is preferably used in this invention, commercially available products, so-called "Chromic Colors", which are manufactured by Matsui Shikiso Chemical Co., Ltd, in Japan, are available.

These Chromic Colors are described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 4,560,604 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open by Kokai No. 76072/1982, 32471/1983, 149685/1985 and 149686/1985 etc.

Each Chromic Color has its own color change temperature range as follows:

If of these Chromic Colors e.g. Chromic Color No. 15 is used as a reversible temperature-dependent color-changing active ingredient for the color-changing drinking straw according to the invention, the drinking straw changes its color at 11 ° C or below and the new color returns as another color at 19 ° C or above. This is why this Chromic Color can preferably be used for color-changing straws.

If a color-changeable drinking straw is used in a room with a relatively low temperature and e.g. Chromic Color No. 10 contains, the drinking straw changes its color at 7 ° C or below and the new color returns as another color at 16 ° C or above. That is why such a straw is particularly useful at low room temperatures.

Of course, other Chromic Colors can also be used depending on the temperature at which the drinking straw according to the invention is used.

The following is an example of the manufacture of a color changeable drinking straw 40 according to the invention, which comprises (a) a body made of a body material 10 and (b) a synthetic resin which is the same color as the body material 10 at normal temperature and on the outer surface of the body is applied, carried out with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

First, a reversibly temperature-dependent color-changing active ingredient, which changes color at temperatures of approximately 10 ° C. to 15 ° C. or below, is mixed with a known synthetic resin, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, poly (vinyl acetate) or the like, in order to prepare a base material 10 . An example of the synthetic resin is a mixture (8: 2) of a soft polyethylene and a hard polypropylene. The base body material 10 preferably has a color at normal temperature and changes it to a different color as the temperature falls. So that the base material 10 has a color at normal temperature, the reversibly temperature-dependent color-changing active ingredient and the synthetic resin may contain a dye, such as a pigment dye or another dye.

A resin 20 of the same color as the base material 10 at normal temperature is prepared separately. In order to have such a color, the synthetic resin 20 may contain a dye (for example a pigment dye, another dye) which has the same color as the dye which was added to the base body material 10.

Accordingly, the base body material 10 and the synthetic resin 20 have the same color at room temperature of approximately 20 ° C.

When the temperature of the base material 10 and the resin 20 is lowered to about 10 ° C to 15 ° C or below, the color of the base material 10 changes while the color of the resin 20 remains unchanged.

Next, a conventionally known cylindrical extrusion device for plastics is prepared.

This extrusion device 30 comprises (a) a cylinder portion 31 for extruding a base material 10 into a cylindrical extrudate (a straw main body 40) having a diameter and thickness suitable for the straw 40, and (b) a fixing portion 32 for applying a resin 20 to the outer surface of the cylindrical one Strip-shaped extrudates at the same time as the extrusion. A basic body material storage container 11 for the basic body material 10 is connected to the cylinder section 31 and a synthetic resin storage container 21 for the synthetic resin 20 is connected to the fastening section 32.

Thus, when the base body material 10 and the resin 20 are pressed out of the base body material storage container 11 and the resin container 21, the base body material 10 and the resin 20 are extruded from the cylinder portion 31 and the attachment portion 32, respectively. The result is a drinking straw, which (a) consists of a cylindrical Base body consists of a base body material 10 and (b) consists of a synthetic resin 20 applied to the outer surface of the base body.

When the extrusion of the base body material 10 is rotating, the synthetic resin is applied spirally to the outside of the base body, as shown in FIG. 1.

The drinking straw thus produced, which consists of (a) the base body made of the base body material 10 and (b) the synthetic resin 20, which has the same color as the base body material 10 at normal temperature, has a single color overall at normal temperature.

When this drinking straw is cooled to temperatures of approximately 10 ° C. to 15 ° C. or below, the base body material 10 changes its color due to the color change of the reversibly temperature-dependent color-changing active substance that it contains, while the color of the synthetic resin 20 remains unchanged. As a result, the base material 10 and the resin 20 have different colors.

Accordingly, when the drinking straw 40 is immersed in a cold beverage for drinking, the portion of the base material 10 of the drinking straw 40 immersed in the beverage changes color (see FIG. 3).

When the drinking process begins, the drink in the drinking straw 40 rises and as a result the portion of the base material 10 of the drinking straw 40 through which the drink rises changes its color (see FIG. 4).

It was stated above that the application of the synthetic resin 20 to the outer surface of the base body consisting of the base body material 10 takes place by coextrusion. Alternatively, it is possible that a base body is produced with the base body material 10 and that a suitable pattern is then drawn onto the outer surface of the base body with the synthetic resin or that a pattern prepared with the synthetic resin 20 is applied to the outer surface of the base body.

With regard to the color-changeable drinking straw according to the invention, which consists of a base body and a synthetic resin that has the same color as the base body at normal temperature and is applied to the outer surface of the base body, specific examples of the composition, the production and the Effectiveness carried out. In these examples, the color change temperature range of the base body is about 10 ° C to 15 ° C or below.

example 1

A mixture of 50 parts by weight (parts by weight are referred to as parts below), malachite green lactone, 20 parts of benzotriazole, 80 parts of bisphenol A, 25 parts of CHINUBIN no. 326 (brand name, an ultraviolet absorber), 675 parts of an equimolar salt of oleine and myristylamine and 100 parts Epicoat No. 828 (brand name, an epoxy resin) was added with stirring to one liter of an aqueous poly (vinyl alcohol) solution to obtain an emulsion with oily droplets about 10 to 30 µm in diameter. This emulsion, heated to 65 ° C., quickly became 40 parts of Epicure V (brand name, a curing agent medium) added. This mixture was heated at 95 ° C to 98 ° C for two hours to obtain spherical particles with an average diameter of 15 to 35 µm.

10 parts of these spherical particles were quickly kneaded with a mixture consisting of 89.5 parts of polyethylene resin beads (SUMIKATHENE G 807 (trade name)) melted at 110 ° C and 0.5 part of zinc oxide as a white pigment to form a base material 10 prepare. (This body material 10 was white in color at room temperature.)

The base body material 10 was continuously extruded into a cylindrical body with a diameter of 7.0 mm by means of an extrusion device. Simultaneously with the continuous extrusion process, a white spiral pattern was applied to the outer surface of the cylindrical body with the above mixture of polyethylene resin and zinc oxide.

The cylindrical body with the white spiral pattern on the outer surface can be cut into pieces of suitable length (e.g. 250 mm) for a drinking straw 40.

The drinking straw 40 thus obtained had a white color overall at room temperature. When immersed in water (about 10 ° C), the base body made of the base body material 10 showed a clear green color, while the spiral pattern remained white; so the spiral pattern clearly stood out from the base.

Example 2

40.5 parts of an aqueous 20% poly (vinyl alcohol) solution were 2 parts of 4,4,6ʹ-tris (dimethylamino) triphenylmethane-2ʹ lactone, 12 parts of a fine myristyl alcohol powder and 1 part of 5-ethyl- 1,2,3-benzotriazole. The mixture was treated with a sand mill to obtain a fine dispersion.

To this dispersion, 30 parts of an aqueous 10% carboxymethyl cellulose solution was added as a paste solution incompatible with the above aqueous poly (vinyl alcohol) solution. The mixture was stirred for about 5 minutes, causing phase separation and two phases of spongy tissue to form. 10 parts of an aqueous 20% tannic acid solution (for industrial purposes) were added to this and the mixture was stirred. Immediately afterwards, 4 parts of unhydric Glauber's salt and 0.5 part of saltpetre were added, and the mixture was stirred for about 1 minute so that it curled into blue particles. The next day, it was diluted with 5 liters of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride, and the colored particles were collected by decantation or the like. The collected particles were then suspended in 1 liter of saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution. 5 g of glutaraldehyde were uniformly distributed therein and the solution was left to stand for 1 week. The particles were collected by filtering out and washed thoroughly with water to obtain 26.5 parts of short columnar microcapsules with an average particle diameter of 0.1 mm.

10 parts of these blue particles were mixed with the mixture (90 parts) from Example 1 consisting of polyethylene resin and white pigment dye kneaded into a base material 10. This base material 10 had a white color at room temperature.

In the same manner as in Example 1, this base material 10 was extruded into a cylindrical body. Simultaneously with the extrusion process, a dot pattern was applied to the outer surface of the cylindrical body with the above mixture of polyethylene resin and zinc oxide.

The cylindrical body with the dot pattern on the outer surface can be cut into pieces of suitable length (e.g. 250 mm) for a drinking straw 40.

The drinking straw thus obtained had a white color overall at room temperature. When immersed in cold water, only the base body material 10 showed a blue color and consequently the white dot pattern on the base body stood out.

In the above examples, drinking straws were made that were white in color at room temperature. However, straws can also be made so that they have a different color at room temperature.

The drinking straws 40 produced in the above examples consist of (a) a base body made of a base body material 10 and (b) a synthetic resin 20 with the same color as the base body at normal temperature, which is applied to the outer surface of the base body. When immersed in cold water or soaked in cold water, the resin 20 looks as if it would stand out from the body.

The color-changeable drinking straw 40 according to the invention can also be produced only from the basic body material 10. In this case, the color of the drinking straw 40 changes at normal temperature when immersed in cold water or when cold water is sucked up. This also means a certain attraction for the user of the drinking straw.

The color-changeable drinking straw 40 according to the invention can also be produced in such a way that it consists of (a) a base material made of synthetic resin with a constant color and (b) a mixture of a synthetic resin applied to the outer surface of the base body and a reversibly temperature-dependent active ingredient which changes color Temperature fluctuations cause color change. If this drinking straw 40 is immersed in cold water or cold water is sucked up by it, the color of the drinking straw 40 changes at normal temperature only on special sections of the drinking straw. The attraction for the user of the drinking straw is all the greater.

As stated above, the invention provides a drinking straw with a reversibly temperature-dependent color-changing active ingredient, as a result of which the drinking straw changes its color when it is used to drink a drink at a temperature other than room temperature, and accordingly conveys a drinking stimulus to its user and differs from others Straws differ when drinking a drink.

Claims (4)

1. Device for receiving drinks, such as drinking straw, mug or the like. characterized by a base material which comprises a synthetic resin and a reversibly temperature-dependent, color-changing active ingredient. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reversible temperature-dependent color-changing active substance comprises an electron-donating and electron-accepting substance, the electron-accepting substance comprising, the electron-accepting substance being selected in accordance with the electron-donating, color-developable substance, and a desensitizing agent Active ingredient. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the synthetic resin is a mixture of at least two parts from the group consisting of a polyethylene, a polypropylene, a polystyrene and a poly (-vinyl acetate). 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized by (a) a base body made of a base material that is a mixture of a synthetic resin and a reversibly temperature-dependent color-changing active ingredient, and (b) synthetic resin that has the same color as the basic material at normal temperature, and that is applied to the outer surface of the base body.

Images