h a l f b a k e r yRenovating the wheel
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A big annoyance with consuming crushed-ice drinks such as Frappucinos, Slurpees, Squishies, and the like is having to reposition the straw after sucking out a vertical tube of the ice -- especially towards the end of the drink when a lot of work must be expended in constructing new vertical piles of
ice for consumption.
The straw consists of an ordinary vertical shaft, joined to a curved horizontal segment. The arc of the curved segment is such that it would match that of a standard 16 oz drinking cup size so it may be placed on the bottom flush against the cup walls. The end of the straw is angled slightly upwards from the bottom of the cup. When drinking, the suction pulls in all of the icy material in a spiral configuration, thus leaving no gaps in the drink.
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Annotation:
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How about just having a connical bottom to the cup so that material falls down to a single point for you to slurp out. |
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sounds like an "I want a device that does X" without any mention of how said device will work. You even state "the idea would be", in future tense, indicating that there is not yet an idea. Therefore, you get a bone. |
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I do have an idea, though.
A cup which is constructed with parallel walls and a built-in straw molded into the plastic could be constructed. The straw would be open to the bottom of the cup, and would run up the outside of the cup. |
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After filling said cup with your favorite frozen beverage, a lightweight plastic piston would be placed in the top of the cup. This piston would seal against the walls of the cup (hence the parallel walls). As you draw the beverage out of the cup via the built-in straw, the resulting vacuum pulls the piston down along with the beverage, keeping any air out, and ensuring that every pull on the straw will result in an air-free mouthful of frozen flavored goodness. |
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I like it, but it's too easy. I think the straw should have enough columns to fill the container, all terminating in one mouthpiece. The beverage is consumed in parallel, not series. |
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See, I was going to complain that you would get ice-chunk blockages with [FF]'s method. Having parallel exit nozzles would fix this. Of course, without the cylinder pushing down you'll get air bypass. I think a combination of both ideas, where the bottom of the cup is covered in straw holes, all of which lead to one straw, and a piston on top should solve this problem. |
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Somebody has to say it:
This idea sucks. :-) |
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Parents are gonna love this one..... |
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" Johnny, you got Slurpee all over the back seat ! " |
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" It's not my fault, it's the residual pressure from the piston, Mom ! " |
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Hey, just cram the whole of the top of the cup into your mouth and throw your head back. Watch out for the brain freeze though! |
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Expanding on [Worldgineer]'s and [Freefall]'s ideas: I think a trumpet shaped piston might be useful (larger radius at the bottom, leading to a small straw radius at the top exit).
Or use a collapsing container, and then no need for a piston! |
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Whoops, I'm a noob. I corrected it with my own idea for how it would work. |
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Ok, sounds good. It would be better with a piston, or at least a Peltier powered ice grinder, but this may work as well. |
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My concern would be the tendency for ice to melt under pressure of the piston. But if the piston were, say, glow-in-the-dark, the benefits would clearly outweigh the potential problems. |
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