BEVERAGE CONTAINER WITH SELF-CONTAINED DRINKING STRAW

摘要

A beverage container (110) has a straw-dispensing mechanism (126, 128) that is disposed within the container to bring the straw (130) into alignment with the orifice (120) in the top of the container. When the orifice (120) is opened, the straw elevates through the orifice to become accessible to the user. The straw (130) engages a floating member (126) which is located adjacent to the lid (116) of the container when the container is filled with a fluid. The floating member (126) includes a contoured or cam surface (134) which is engaged by the opening tab of the container to roate the floating member (126) until the straw (130) aligns with the opening. Various designe configurations for the floating member are disclosed. An alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a floating member (726) having two contoured cam surfaces (734, 736) and two straws located in apertures (738, 740) spaced 180 DEG apart so as to reduce the degree of rotation required to align a straw with the orifice (120).