JP7629158B2 - Wooden straws and their manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wooden straw having a peripheral wall that forms a flow path through which a beverage flows, and a method for manufacturing the same.

One example of a conventional wooden straw is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. The wooden straw of Patent Document 1 has two gutter-shaped hollow-core vertically split members. A first joint portion (convex portion, etc.) is formed on one end face and the other end face in the circumferential direction of one of the hollow-core vertically split members, and a second joint portion (concave portion, etc.) is formed on one end face and the other end face in the circumferential direction of the other hollow-core vertically split member. The first joint portion and the second joint portion are then joined together to one hollow-core vertically split member and the other hollow-core vertically split member. Therefore, the two hollow-core vertically split members can be split to expose their inner surfaces, and when cleaning, a sponge or the like can be pressed against the inner surfaces to efficiently clean them.

JP 2014-155524 A

However, the wooden straw disclosed in Patent Document 1 had the problem of high manufacturing costs due to the complex shapes of the first and second joints. In addition, there was a problem of low strength of the joints due to the thin wall portions of the first and second joints. Furthermore, there was a problem of difficulty in increasing the liquid-tightness of the joint structure, resulting in the beverage flowing through the flow path leaking out to the outside.

The present invention was made to address the above problems, and aims to provide a wooden straw and a manufacturing method thereof that can improve the strength of the joints while keeping manufacturing costs low and also prevents beverages from leaking out.

In order to achieve the above object, the wooden straw according to the present invention is characterized in that it has a peripheral wall portion that forms a flow path through which a beverage flows, and includes a first wooden gutter-shaped half that forms a radial half of the peripheral wall portion, a second wooden gutter-shaped half that forms the remaining radial half of the peripheral wall portion, a first adhesive portion that bonds one circumferential end face of the first half to one circumferential end face of the second half, and a second adhesive portion that bonds the other circumferential end face of the first half to the other circumferential end face of the second half , and the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion is formed to have a circular cross-sectional shape. the thickness of both circumferential ends of the first half is gradually increased from the circumferential center of the first half toward the circumferential ends and is set to be thicker than the thickness of the circumferential center of the first half, the thickness of both circumferential ends of the second half is gradually increased from the circumferential center of the second half toward the circumferential ends and is set to be thicker than the thickness of the circumferential center of the second half, and the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion is formed so that the outer surface of the first half and the outer surface of the second half are joined continuously without any steps, and have a cross-sectional shape that is a flattened circle.

In this configuration, one and the other circumferential end faces of the first half and one and the other circumferential end faces of the second half are bonded with the first and second adhesive parts, so no complex mating structure is necessary and it can be manufactured at low cost. Also, since no gaps are created between the two adhesive surfaces that are bonded to each other, it is possible to prevent the beverage from seeping out. Furthermore, since it is possible to eliminate the recesses and protrusions for mating with each other, i.e., the parts where the thickness is thin, it is possible to increase the strength of the joint.

In addition, in this configuration, the inner surface of the peripheral wall is formed to have a circular cross-sectional shape, so that the pressure loss of the beverage flowing through the flow path can be suppressed, and the user can easily suck the beverage. Also, the thicknesses of both circumferential ends of the first and second halves are set to be thicker than the thickness of the circumferential center, so that the bonding area of the first and second adhesive parts can be increased, and the bonding strength can be improved. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the outer surface of the peripheral wall is flat, so that the peripheral wall can be easily held in the mouth.

Furthermore, with this configuration, the peripheral wall portion feels good in the mouth when held in the mouth.

Another feature of the wooden straw of the present invention is that the thickness of the circumferential center portion of the first half is 1 mm or less, and the thickness of the circumferential center portion of the second half is 1 mm or less .

This structure allows the porous structure of the wood to exhibit its moisture absorbing and dissipating functions.

Another feature of the wooden straw according to the present invention is that both circumferential end surfaces of the first half and the second half are formed into flat surfaces.

In this configuration, the flat surface can be easily formed, making it possible to manufacture the product at low cost. In addition, since the first half and the second half can be bonded to each other at the flat surface, the bonding quality of the first adhesive portion and the second adhesive portion can be stabilized.

Another feature of the wooden straw according to the present invention is that the wood constituting the first half and the second half is a coniferous tree.

Coniferous trees such as Yezo spruce, cedar, and cypress have low density and contain a lot of air. In the above configuration, coniferous trees are used as the wood for the first and second halves, so the beverage flowing through the flow path has good heat retention and can be felt warm when the peripheral wall is held in the mouth.

Another feature of the wooden straw according to the present invention is that the wood that constitutes the first half and the second half is exposed on the inner and outer surfaces of the peripheral wall portion.

In this configuration, it is easy to determine whether the container has been used or not based on the water absorbency of coniferous wood. In other words, when moisture is present on the outer surface of the peripheral wall, it can be determined that the container has been used. In addition, the peripheral wall made of coniferous wood can absorb moisture that is present on its inner surface and dissipate it from the outer surface, which can prevent mold from growing on the inner surface of the peripheral wall.

In addition, the outer surface of the peripheral wall of the wooden straw can also be formed so that the cross-sectional shape is a regular octagon .

In this configuration, the outer surface of the peripheral wall is formed so that the cross section is a regular octagon, making it easy to hold the peripheral wall in your hand. Also, when the peripheral wall is held in your mouth, the flat surfaces come into contact with both your upper and lower lips, providing a stable fit.

In order to achieve the above object, the manufacturing method of the wooden straw according to the present invention is characterized by comprising the steps of: (a) forming a cylindrical base by bonding, with an adhesive, a first half base made of wood and shaped like a rain gutter, having a first groove that constitutes a radial half of a flow path through which a beverage flows, and a second half base made of wood and shaped like a rain gutter, having a second groove that constitutes the remaining radial half of the flow path; and (b) simultaneously cutting both radial ends of the base with two circular saw blades arranged in parallel and spaced apart in the radial direction to form an outer surface of a peripheral wall portion that constitutes the flow path , and the step (a) includes a step (a-4) of overlapping the first half base and the second half base with an adhesive; and a step (b) of simultaneously cutting both radial ends of the base with two circular saw blades arranged in parallel and spaced apart in the radial direction to form an outer surface of a peripheral wall portion that constitutes the flow path. The method includes a step (a-5) of supporting the second half-base with at least one first roller and pressing the second half-base with at least one second roller, and a step (a-6) of passing the base through a passage formed between the first roller and the second roller, wherein a flange-shaped first positioning portion for preventing movement of the first half-base in the width direction is provided on each of one end and the other end in the axial direction on the outer circumferential surface of the first roller, and a flange-shaped second positioning portion for preventing movement of the second half-base in the width direction is provided on each of one end and the other end in the axial direction on the outer circumferential surface of the second roller .

In this configuration, both radial ends of the base are cut simultaneously with two circular saw blades arranged parallel to each other, so the two outer faces of the peripheral wall can be formed accurately and quickly at a fixed distance.

In this configuration, when the base is passed through the passage, the first and second half bases can be centered in the width direction by the first and second positioning parts, and the first and second half bases can be integrated in a continuous state without causing a step due to misalignment between the inner surfaces of the first and second grooves. In other words, wooden straws can be efficiently manufactured. In addition, even if the adhesive protrudes from the connection part between the first and second half bases, it is possible to prevent the adhesive from adhering to the first and second rollers and staining them.

Another feature of the manufacturing method for wooden straws according to the present invention is that the step (a) includes a step (a-1) of forming a first plate-shaped assembly in which a plurality of the first half-bases are assembled and a second plate-shaped assembly in which a plurality of the second half-bases are assembled, a step (a-2) of forming an aggregate base in which a plurality of the bases are assembled by bonding the first assembly and the second assembly together, and a step (a-3) of dividing the aggregate base into a plurality of the bases.

In this configuration, a plurality of substrates can be manufactured simultaneously, which shortens the manufacturing time and keeps the manufacturing costs low.

Another feature of the method for manufacturing wooden straws according to the present invention is that when the outer end of a first adhesive portion that bonds one circumferential end face of the first half-base to one circumferential end face of the second half-base is defined as a first end, and the outer end of a second adhesive portion that bonds the other circumferential end face of the first half-base to the other circumferential end face of the second half-base is defined as a second end, the step (b) includes a step (b-1) of simultaneously cutting off the first end and the second end with two of the circular saw blades.

In this configuration, the adhesive that has overflowed from each of the first and second ends can be removed together with the first and second ends, allowing the outer surface of the peripheral wall to be formed quickly and beautifully.

1 is a perspective view showing the configuration and usage of a wooden straw according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a wooden straw according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a method for manufacturing wooden straws according to a first embodiment, in which (A) shows a process for forming a groove on an end face of a plate material, and (B) shows a process for dividing a first half-base and a second half-base from the plate material. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a method for manufacturing wooden straws according to the first embodiment, in which (C) is a diagram showing a step of bonding the first and second semi-base bodies, and (D) is a diagram showing a step of pressing the adhesive surfaces together. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of a roller press machine. 10E is a diagram showing a process of forming the outer surface of the peripheral wall portion. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing another manufacturing method for wooden straws according to the first embodiment, in which (A) shows a process of forming multiple grooves on the end face of a plate material, and (B) shows a process of dividing the plate material into a first assembly and a second assembly. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another manufacturing method for the wooden straw according to the first embodiment, in which (C) is a diagram showing a process of bonding a first assembly and a second assembly to form an aggregate base, and (D) is a diagram showing a process of dividing the aggregate base into a plurality of bases. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing yet another manufacturing method for wooden straws according to the first embodiment, in which (A) is a diagram showing a process of forming multiple grooves on the surface of a plate material, and (B) is a diagram showing a process of dividing the first and second semi-base bodies from the plate material. FIG. 13A is a plan view showing the configuration of a wooden straw according to a second embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a plan view showing the configuration of a wooden straw according to a third embodiment. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a method for manufacturing wooden straws according to a third embodiment, in which (A) shows a step of simultaneously cutting off a first end portion and a second end portion, and (B) shows a step of cutting off a corner portion of a base body.

The following describes an embodiment of a wooden straw and its manufacturing method according to the present invention with reference to the drawings.

(Configuration of wooden straw according to the first embodiment)
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration and usage of a wooden straw 10 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the wooden straw 10. In this embodiment, the thickness of the wooden straw 10 is uniform over its entire length, and the cross-sectional shape of the wooden straw 10 coincides with its planar shape.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wooden straw 10 is a cylindrical device used to suck and drink a beverage 14 contained in a beverage container 12, and has a peripheral wall portion 16 that forms a flow path S for the beverage 14. More specifically, the wooden straw 10 has a wooden gutter-shaped first half 18 that forms half of the peripheral wall portion 16 in the radial direction, and a wooden gutter-shaped second half 20 that forms the remaining half of the peripheral wall portion 16 in the radial direction.

The type of wood used for the first half 18 and the second half 20, i.e., the type of wood constituting the peripheral wall portion 16, is not particularly limited, but coniferous trees (e.g., cedar, cypress, Yezo spruce, red pine, larch, etc.) are desirable because of their water absorption and heat retention properties. In this embodiment, Yezo spruce, a type of coniferous tree, is used as the wood constituting the peripheral wall portion 16, and the wood is exposed on the inner surface 16a and outer surface 16b (Figure 2) of the peripheral wall portion 16.

The cross-sectional shape of the wooden straw 10 will be described based on the plan view of Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, the inner surface 18a of the first half 18 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape is semicircular, and the thickness M1 of one end 18c in the circumferential direction of the first half 18 and the thickness M2 of the other end 18d are set to be thicker than the thickness N1 of the circumferential center portion 18e of the first half 18 (M1, M2 > N1). In this embodiment, the thickness of the first half 18 is gradually increased from the circumferential center portion 18e toward both circumferential ends 18c, 18d, so that the cross-sectional shape of the outer surface 18b of the first half 18 is semi-almond shaped (semi-elliptical).

On the other hand, the inner surface 20a of the second half 20 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape is semicircular, and the thickness M1 of one end 20c of the second half 20 and the thickness M2 of the other end 20d are set to be thicker than the thickness N2 of the circumferential center 20e of the second half 20 (M1, M2 > N2). In this embodiment, the thickness of the second half 20 is gradually increased from the circumferential center 20e to both circumferential ends 20c, 20d, so that the cross-sectional shape of the outer surface 20b of the second half 20 is semi-almond (semi-elliptical).

2, the wooden straw 10 includes a first adhesive portion 22 that bonds one circumferential end surface 18f of the first half 18 to one circumferential end surface 20f of the second half 20, and a second adhesive portion 24 that bonds the other circumferential end surface 18g of the first half 18 to the other circumferential end surface 20g of the second half 20. In this embodiment, both circumferential end surfaces 18f, 18g of the first half 18 and both circumferential end surfaces 20f, 20g of the second half 20 are formed as flat surfaces, and these flat surfaces are joined together with an instant adhesive 42 for wood (FIG. 4(C)). The first adhesive portion 22 and the second adhesive portion 24 are portions where the instant adhesive 42 has solidified.

The first half 18 and the second half 20 are joined to each other via the first adhesive portion 22 and the second adhesive portion 24 so that their inner surfaces 18a, 20a are continuous without any steps, and their outer surfaces 18b, 20b are continuous without any steps. As a result, the cross-sectional shape of the inner surface 16a of the peripheral wall portion 16 is circular, and the cross-sectional shape of the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16 is almond-shaped (elliptical). In other words, in this embodiment, the inner surface 16a of the peripheral wall portion 16 is formed so that its cross-sectional shape is circular, and the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16 is formed so that its cross-sectional shape is flattened circular.

As shown in FIG. 2, when focusing on the cross section of the peripheral wall portion 16, the width of the first adhesive portion 22 is equal to the thickness M1 of the circumferential end portions 18c, 20c of the first half 18 and the second half 20, and the width of the second adhesive portion 24 is equal to the thickness M2 of the circumferential end portions 18d, 20d of the first half 18 and the second half 20. Therefore, the longitudinal length M of the cross-sectional shape (flattened circle) of the peripheral wall portion 16 is the sum of the diameter D of the flow path S, the width M1 of the first adhesive portion 22, and the width M2 of the second adhesive portion 24 (M=D+M1+M2). Although these sizes are not particularly limited, in this embodiment, they are set to M=9 mm, D=5 mm, M1=2 mm, and M2=2 mm. The length L (not shown) of the peripheral wall portion 16 is set to L=210 mm.

When looking at the cross section of the peripheral wall 16, the length N of the short side of the cross section (flattened circle) of the peripheral wall 16 is the sum of the diameter D of the flow path S, the minimum thickness N1 of the first half 18, and the minimum thickness N2 of the second half 20 (N = D + N1 + N2). Although these sizes are not particularly limited, in this embodiment, they are set as N = 7 mm, D = 5 mm, N1 = 0.5 to 1 mm, and N2 = 0.5 to 1 mm. However, in order to utilize the moisture absorption and moisture dissipation functions of the porous structure of wood, it is desirable for N1 and N2 to be 1 mm or less.

In this embodiment, as a result of adopting the above sizes, the weight of the wooden straw 10 is about 3 g, and coupled with the fact that the cross-sectional shape of the peripheral wall portion 16 is almond-shaped (elliptical), i.e., flattened circular, the wooden straw 10 does not feel "heavy and large" when held in the hand.

(Method of manufacturing wooden straws according to the first embodiment)
Next, a method for manufacturing the wooden straw 10 will be described. Fig. 3 shows a method for manufacturing the wooden straw 10, where (A) shows a process for forming the first groove 32 on the end surface 40a of the plate material 40, and (B) shows a process for dividing the plate material 40 into the first half base 34 and the second half base 38. Fig. 4 shows a method for manufacturing the wooden straw 10, where (C) shows a process for bonding the first half base 34 and the second half base 38, and (D) shows a process for pressing the bonding surfaces together. Fig. 5 is a front view showing the configuration of a roller press machine 44. Fig. 6(E) shows a process for forming the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16.

When manufacturing the wooden straw 10 shown in Figure 1, a worker performs a base forming process (a) to form a cylindrical base 30 (Figure 4 (C)), and then performs an outer surface forming process (b) to process the base 30 to form the outer surface 16b (Figure 2) of the peripheral wall portion 16.

In the base formation process (a), first, as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), a gutter-shaped wooden first half base 34 having a first groove 32 that constitutes half of the radial direction of the flow path S (Figure 2) and a gutter-shaped wooden second half base 38 having a second groove 36 that constitutes the remaining half of the radial direction of the flow path S (Figure 2) are formed. Next, as shown in Figures 4(C) and (D), the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 are joined with an adhesive to form the base 30.

In the process of forming the first half-base 34 and the second half-base 38 shown in Figs. 3(A) and (B), first, as shown in Fig. 3(A), the plate material 40 is fixed to a base (not shown) using a clamp (not shown), and the first groove 32 is formed on the end surface 40a of the plate material 40 using a cutting device such as a router. Next, as shown in Fig. 3(B), the part where the first groove 32 is formed is divided from the plate material 40 using a cutting device such as a circular saw. This divided part becomes the first half-base 34. In this embodiment, since the first half-base 34 and the second half-base 38 are formed to have the same shape, the worker can obtain the second half-base 38 by repeating the above procedure. Note that in Fig. 3(B), the second half-base 38 that has not yet been formed is shown by a dashed line.

In the process of joining the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 shown in Fig. 4(C) and (D), first, as shown in Fig. 4(C), the process of stacking both circumferential end faces (upper faces) 34a, 34b of the first half base 34 and both circumferential end faces (lower faces) 38a, 38b of the second half base 38 vertically with an instantaneous adhesive 42 for wood is performed, that is, the process (a-4) of stacking the lower first half base 34 and the upper second half base 38 vertically with an instantaneous adhesive 42 is performed. Next, as shown in Fig. 4(D), a process of pressing both circumferential end faces 34a, 34b and both circumferential end faces 38a, 38b from above and below is performed using a roller press machine 44. In other words, a "pressing process" is performed in which the bonding surfaces to be bonded to each other are pressed together.

4(D) and 5, the roller press 44 has a plurality of first rollers 46 (ten in this embodiment) arranged in a horizontal line and supporting the first half base 34 from below, and a plurality of second rollers 48 (ten in this embodiment) arranged opposite the first rollers 46 from above and pressing the second half base 38 from above. Between the first rollers 46 and the second rollers 48, a passage R is formed through which the base 30 (the first half base 34 and the second half base 38) passes. The second rollers 48 are attached to the lower end of a pivot arm 50, and a coil spring 52 is connected to the upper end of the pivot arm 50. The upper end of the pivot arm 50 is pulled upward by the elastic force of the coil spring 52, and the pivot arm 50 is biased in the counterclockwise direction around the pivot shaft 50a. As a result, the second roller 48 is biased downward and pressed from above against the base 30 passing through the passage R.

In other words, the above-mentioned "pressure bonding process" includes a process (a-5) of supporting the first semi-substrate 34 from below with a plurality of first rollers 46 and pressing the second semi-substrate 38 from above with a plurality of second rollers 48, and a process (a-6) of passing the substrate through a passage R formed between the first rollers 46 and the second rollers 48.

As shown in FIG. 5, a flange-shaped first positioning portion 46a that prevents the first half base 34 from moving in the width direction is provided at each of the axial ends of the outer peripheral surface of the first roller 46. The inner surfaces of the two first positioning portions 46a are formed in a tapered shape that is inclined so that the height gradually decreases as the axial direction approaches the inside, and the distance between the two first positioning portions 46a is set to be approximately the same as the width of the first half base 34. On the other hand, a flange-shaped second positioning portion 48a that prevents the second half base 38 from moving in the width direction is provided at each of the axial ends of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller 48. The inner surfaces of the two second positioning portions 48a are formed in a tapered shape that is inclined so that the height gradually decreases as the axial direction approaches the inside, and the distance between the two second positioning portions 48a is set to be approximately the same as the width of the second half base 38.

Therefore, when the base 30 is passed through the passage R, the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 can be centered in the width direction center of the passage R by the pair of left and right first positioning parts 46a and the pair of left and right second positioning parts 48a. As a result, the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 are accurately positioned in the passage R, so that the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 can be integrated in a continuous state without causing a step due to a positional misalignment between the inner surface of the first groove 32 and the inner surface of the second groove 36. In other words, the wooden straw 10 can be efficiently manufactured. In addition, even if the instant adhesive 42 protrudes to the outside from the connection part between the first half base 34 and the second half base 38, it is possible to prevent the first roller 46 and the second roller 48 from being soiled by the instant adhesive, thereby preventing interruption of the manufacturing work and reducing the cleaning effort.

In the outer surface forming process (b), as shown in FIG. 6(E), the base 30 formed in the base forming process (a) is fixed to the base (not shown) of the molder device 54, and the molder blade 56 is rotated to form the outer surface 16b (FIG. 2) of the peripheral wall portion 16. The molder device 54 in this embodiment is a single-sided molding machine that cuts only one side of the outer surface 30b of the base 30 located on the upper side. Therefore, when cutting of one side is completed, the base 30 is turned upside down and cutting of the other side is performed. Then, when cutting of the one side and the other side is completed, the base 30 is fixed by vacuum suction and finished. The inner surface 30a of the base 30 becomes the inner surface 16a (FIG. 2) of the peripheral wall portion 16 as it is. In this embodiment, the outer surface 30b of the base 30 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape is a square, and the length of one side of the square is set to 10 mm.

(Effects of the wooden straw and its manufacturing method according to the first embodiment)
According to this embodiment, the above-mentioned configuration can provide the following effects. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, one end face 18f and the other end face 18g in the circumferential direction of the first half 18 and one end face 20f and the other end face 20g in the circumferential direction of the second half 20 are bonded by the first adhesive portion 22 and the second adhesive portion 24, so that a complicated joint structure is not necessary and the product can be manufactured at low cost. In addition, since no gap is generated between the two adhesive surfaces that are bonded to each other, the seepage of the beverage 14 can be prevented. Furthermore, since the recesses and protrusions for the mutual fitting, i.e., the portions where the wall thickness is thin, can be eliminated, the strength of the joint between the first half 18 and the second half 20 can be increased.

2, the inner surface 16a of the peripheral wall portion 16 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape is circular, so that the pressure loss of the beverage 14 flowing through the flow path S can be suppressed, and the user can easily inhale the beverage 14. In addition, the thicknesses M1 and M2 of the circumferential ends 18c, 18d, 20c, and 20d of the first half 18 and the second half 20 are set to be thicker than the thicknesses N1 and N2 of the circumferential central portions 18e and 20e, so that the adhesive area of the first adhesive portion 22 and the second adhesive portion 24 can be increased, and the adhesive strength can be improved. Furthermore, the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape is flattened circular, so that the user can easily hold the peripheral wall portion 16 in the mouth, and the peripheral wall portion 16 feels good when held in the mouth.

As shown in FIG. 2, both circumferential end faces 18f, 18g, 20f, and 20g of the first half 18 and the second half 20 are formed into flat surfaces that are easy to form, and therefore can be manufactured inexpensively. In addition, because the first half 18 and the second half 20 can be bonded to each other using these flat surfaces, the bonding quality of the first adhesive portion 22 and the second adhesive portion 24 can be stabilized.

Since coniferous wood is used as the wood for the first half 18 and the second half 20 shown in FIG. 2, the beverage 14 flowing through the flow path S is well kept warm, and the user can feel the warmth when the peripheral wall portion 16 is held in the mouth. The coniferous wood constituting the first half 18 and the second half 20 is exposed on the inner surface 16a and the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16, so it is easy to determine whether the bottle has been used or not based on the water absorbency of the coniferous wood. In other words, when moisture is present on the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16, it can be determined that the bottle has been used. In addition, the peripheral wall portion 16 made of coniferous wood can absorb moisture that is present on its inner surface 16a and dissipate it from its outer surface 16b, which can prevent mold from growing on the inner surface 16a of the peripheral wall portion 16.

As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), in the process of forming the first half-base 34 and the second half-base 38, grooves 32, 36 are formed in the end surface 40a of the plate material 40, making it easy to fix the plate material 40 to a base (not shown) using a clamp (not shown).

(Modification)
In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the purpose of the present invention. For example, in the wooden straw 10 of the above embodiment, the wood constituting the peripheral wall 16 shown in Fig. 2 is exposed on the inner surface 16a and the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall 16, but the wood may be coated with a urethane paint or the like. In this case, it is possible to prevent the adhesion of dirt and to extend the life of the wooden straw 10.

As shown in FIG. 4(C), in the manufacturing method of the wooden straw 10 of the above embodiment, the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 are joined with instant adhesive 42 for wood, but the type of adhesive is not particularly limited, and general-purpose wood glue, etc. may be used.

As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), in the manufacturing method of the wooden straw 10 of the above embodiment, after the step of forming the grooves 32, 36 on the end surface 40a of the plate material 40, the step of separating the portion in which the grooves 32, 36 are formed from the plate material 40 is performed, but these steps may be performed simultaneously. In this case, the time required to form the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 can be shortened. In addition, the parts of the cutting device (ruler, etc.) and the cutting device (ruler, etc.) can be shared, simplifying the manufacturing equipment.

As shown in FIG. 3B, in the manufacturing method of the wooden straw 10 of the above embodiment, the portion in which the grooves 32, 36 are formed is separated from the plate material 40, but it is also possible to prepare a plate material according to the size of the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 in advance and form the grooves 32, 36 in this plate material.

As shown in FIG. 4(D) and FIG. 5, in the roller press machine 44 used in the manufacturing method of the wooden straw 10 of the above embodiment, the first rollers 46 and the second rollers 48 are arranged in a horizontal direction, but they may be arranged in a direction inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The first rollers 46 and the second rollers 48 may be arranged so as to face each other in the left-right direction instead of the up-down direction. The number of the first rollers 46 and the second rollers 48 is preferably multiple, but may be one. Even if there is only one of these, the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 can be accurately positioned relative to each other in the width direction. However, in this case, it is preferable to provide a guide member downstream of the first roller 46 and the second roller 48 to prevent the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 from being misaligned.

As shown in FIG. 4(D), in the manufacturing method of the wooden straw 10 of the above embodiment, a roller press machine 44 is used in the bonding process, but other press machines such as a belt press machine may be used instead.

Figure 7 shows another manufacturing method for the wooden straw 10, where (A) shows the process of forming a plurality of first grooves 32 on the end surface 66a of the plate material 66, and (B) shows the process of dividing the plate material 66 into the first assembly 60 and the second assembly 62. Figure 8 shows another manufacturing method for the wooden straw 10, where (C) shows the process of bonding the first assembly 60 and the second assembly 62 to form the assembly base 64, and (D) shows the process of dividing the assembly base 64 into a plurality of bases 30.

When manufacturing wooden straws 10 using the other manufacturing methods shown in Figures 7 and 8, the worker performs a base forming process (a) to form a cylindrical base 30 (Figure 8 (D)), and then performs an outer surface forming process (b) to process the base 30 to form the outer surface 16b (Figure 2) of the peripheral wall portion 16.

In the base formation process (a), first, as shown in Figs. 7(A) and (B), a process (a-1) is performed to form a plate-shaped first assembly 60 in which a plurality (two in this embodiment) of wooden gutter-shaped first half bases 34 having first grooves 32 are assembled, and a plate-shaped second assembly 62 in which a plurality (two in this embodiment) of wooden gutter-shaped second half bases 38 having second grooves 36 are assembled. Next, as shown in Fig. 8(C), a process (a-2) is performed to form an assembly base 64 in which a plurality of bases 30 are assembled by bonding the first assembly 60 and the second assembly 62 to each other. After that, as shown in Fig. 8(D), a process (a-3) is performed to divide the assembly base 64 into a plurality of bases 30.

In the step (a-1) of forming the first assembly 60 and the second assembly 62 shown in Fig. 7(A) and (B), first, as shown in Fig. 7(A), a plate material 66 is fixed to a base (not shown) using a clamp (not shown), and a cutting device such as a router is used to form a plurality of first grooves 32 (two in this embodiment) on the end surface 66a of the plate material 66. Next, as shown in Fig. 7(B), a cutting device such as a circular saw is used to divide the portion of the plate material 66 in which the plurality of first grooves 32 are formed. This divided portion becomes the first assembly 60. In this embodiment, since the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 are formed in the same shape, the worker can obtain the second assembly 62 by repeating the above procedure. In Fig. 7(B), the second assembly 62 that has not yet been formed is shown by a dashed line.

In the process (a-2) of forming the aggregate substrate 64 shown in FIG. 8(C), the first aggregate 60 and the second aggregate 62 are first stacked one on top of the other with an instant adhesive for wood (not shown). Next, the adhesive surfaces of these aggregates are pressed together using a roller press 44 (FIG. 4(D)). In the process (a-3) of dividing the aggregate substrate 64 shown in FIG. 8(D), the aggregate substrate 64 is divided into a number of substrates 30 using a cutting device such as a circular saw.

In step (a-2), the two first half substrates 34 constituting the first assembly 60 are supported from below by the first roller 46, and the two second half substrates 38 constituting the second assembly 62 are pressed from above by the second roller 48. Therefore, the distance between the two first positioning portions 46a of the first roller 46 is set to be approximately the same as the combined width of the two first half substrates 34, and the distance between the two second positioning portions 48a of the second roller 48 is set to be approximately the same as the combined width of the two second half substrates 38.

The outer surface forming step (b) is the same as the outer surface forming step (b) in the above embodiment shown in FIG. 6(E), so a description thereof will be omitted. In this manufacturing method, multiple base bodies 30 can be manufactured simultaneously, so that the manufacturing time can be shortened and manufacturing costs can be kept low.

9A and 9B are diagrams showing yet another method of manufacturing a wooden straw 10, in which (A) shows the process of forming a plurality of grooves 32, 36 on the surface 68a of a plate material 68, and (B) shows the process of dividing the plate material 68 into a first half base 34 and a second half base 38. In each of the above embodiments, the grooves 32, 36 are formed on the end faces 40a, 66a of the plate materials 40, 66, but as shown in FIG. 9A, the grooves 32, 36 may be formed on the surface 68a of the plate material 68. As shown in FIG. 9B, even in this case, the first half base 34 and the second half base 38 can be obtained by dividing the plate material 68 for each groove 32, 36.

(Configuration of wooden straws according to other embodiments)
Fig. 10(A) is a plan view showing the configuration of a wooden straw 70 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 10(B) is a plan view showing the configuration of a wooden straw 72 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a method of manufacturing the wooden straw 72 according to the third embodiment, where (A) is a diagram showing a process of simultaneously cutting off the first end 84a and the second end 86a, and (B) is a diagram showing a process of cutting off the corners of the base body 30.

In the wooden straw 10 of the above embodiment, the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16 is formed so that the cross section is almond-shaped (elliptical), but as in the wooden straw 70 shown in FIG. 10(A), the portions corresponding to both ends of the almond shape (elliptical) in the longitudinal direction may be removed. Also, as in the wooden straw 72 shown in FIG. 10(B), the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16 may be formed so that the cross section is a regular octagon.

When these wooden straws 70, 72 are manufactured, the outer periphery of the base 30, which has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, is cut off by a double saw 74. As shown in Figures 11 (A) and (B), the double saw 74 has a bed 76, a mounting table 78 on which the base 30 is placed, a fixed column 80a and a movable column 80b that hold the base 30 placed on the mounting table 78 in its longitudinal direction, and two circular saw blades 82a, 82b arranged parallel to each other. The double saw 74 also has a feed device (not shown) for simultaneously moving the two circular saw blades 82a, 82b in the longitudinal direction of the base 30, and a spacing adjustment mechanism (not shown) for adjusting the spacing between the two circular saw blades 82a, 82b.

When manufacturing the wooden straw 70 shown in FIG. 10(A), both radial ends of the peripheral wall 16 of the wooden straw 10 shown in FIG. 2 are cut off with the double saw 74. That is, as shown in FIG. 4(C), when the outer end of the first adhesive portion 84 that bonds one circumferential end surface 34a of the first half base 34 and one circumferential end surface 38a of the second half base 38 is the first end 84a, and the outer end of the second adhesive portion 86 that bonds the other circumferential end surface 34b of the first half base 34 and the other circumferential end surface 38b of the second half base 38 is the second end 86a, in the outer surface forming process (b) that forms the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall 16, a process (b-1) is performed in which the first end 84a and the second end 86a are simultaneously cut off with the two circular saw blades 82a and 82b of the double saw 74.

When manufacturing the wooden straw 72 shown in FIG. 10(B), the outer periphery of the base 30 is cut with the double saw 74 so that the cross-sectional shape of the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall 16 is a regular octagon. When the first end 84a and the second end 86a are defined as above, in the outer surface forming process (b) for forming the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall 16, a process (b-1) is carried out in which the first end 84a and the second end 86a are simultaneously cut with the two circular saw blades 82a, 82b of the double saw 74. In addition, a process (b-2) is carried out in which two opposite faces of the outer periphery 30b of the base 30 are simultaneously formed with the two circular saw blades 82a, 82b of the double saw 74.

The mounting table 78 shown in FIG. 11(A) has a flat upper surface, so that the above step (b-1) of cutting off the first end 84a and the second end 86a can be carried out by placing the base 30 on this mounting table 78. On the other hand, the mounting table 78 shown in FIG. 11(B) has a V-shaped groove 78a that receives the corners of the base 30, and can support the base 30 in a state inclined at 45 degrees. Therefore, in the above step (b-2), by placing the base 30 on this mounting table 78, the corners of the base 30, which has a square cross-sectional shape, can be cut off with an inclined surface that corresponds to a regular octagon.

The manufacturing method for the wooden straw 70 according to the second embodiment and the manufacturing method for the wooden straw 72 according to the third embodiment make it possible to reliably remove the adhesive 42 (FIG. 4(C)) that has overflowed from each of the first end 84a and the second end 86a, and the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16 can be formed quickly and beautifully. In addition, since both radial ends of the base body 30 are simultaneously cut with two circular saw blades 82a, 82b arranged parallel to each other, the two faces of the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16 can be accurately and quickly formed at a fixed interval.

According to the wooden straw 72 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 10(B), the outer surface 16b of the peripheral wall portion 16 is formed so that the cross-sectional shape is a regular octagon, making it easy to hold the peripheral wall portion 16 in the hand. In addition, when the peripheral wall portion 16 is held in the mouth, the flat surfaces come into contact with both the upper and lower lips, providing a stable fit.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Wooden straw, 12... Beverage container, 14... Beverage, 16... Peripheral wall part, 16a... Inner surface, 16b... Outer surface, 18... First half, 20... Second half, 22... First adhesive part, 24... Second adhesive part, 30... Base, 32... First Groove, 34...first half-substrate, 36...second groove, 38...second half-substrate, 40...board material, 42...adhesive, 60...first aggregate, 62...second aggregate, 64...aggregated substrate, 70, 72...wooden straw, 82a, 82b...circular saw blade.

Claims (8)

A wooden straw having a peripheral wall that forms a flow path through which a beverage flows,
A gutter-shaped first half body made of wood constituting a radial half of the peripheral wall portion;
A gutter-shaped second half made of wood constituting the remaining radial half of the peripheral wall portion;
a first adhesive portion that bonds one end surface of the first half body in a circumferential direction to one end surface of the second half body in a circumferential direction;
a second adhesive portion that adheres the other end surface of the first half to the other end surface of the second half in the circumferential direction ,
The inner surface of the peripheral wall portion is formed so as to have a circular cross-sectional shape,
The thickness of each of the first half circumferential ends is gradually increased from a circumferential center of the first half toward the circumferential ends , and is set to be thicker than the thickness of the first half circumferential center,
The thickness of each of the circumferential end portions of the second half is gradually increased from the circumferential center portion of the second half toward the circumferential end portions , and is set to be thicker than the thickness of the circumferential center portion of the second half,
The outer surface of the peripheral wall portion is formed so that the outer surface of the first half and the outer surface of the second half are joined continuously without any steps, and the cross-sectional shape is a flattened circle. The thickness of the first half at the circumferential center portion is 1 mm or less,
A wooden straw , wherein the thickness of the circumferential central portion of the second half is 1 mm or less . The wooden straw according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein both circumferential end surfaces of the first half and the second half are formed into flat surfaces. The wooden straw according to claim 1 , wherein the wood constituting the first half and the second half is a coniferous tree. The wooden straw according to claim 4 , wherein the wood constituting the first half and the second half is exposed on the inner and outer surfaces of the peripheral wall portion. a step (a) of forming a cylindrical base by bonding, with an adhesive, a first half base made of wood and having a gutter shape and a first groove that constitutes a radial half of a flow path through which a beverage flows, and a second half base made of wood and having a gutter shape and a second groove that constitutes the remaining radial half of the flow path;
and (b) simultaneously cutting both radial end portions of the base body with two circular saw blades arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other in the radial direction to form an outer surface of a peripheral wall portion that constitutes the flow path ,
The step (a)
a step (a-4) of overlapping the first semi-substrate and the second semi-substrate with each other via an adhesive;
A step (a-5) of supporting the first semi-substrate with at least one first roller and pressing the second semi-substrate with at least one second roller;
and (a-6) passing the substrate through a passage defined between the first roller and the second roller,
a flange-shaped first positioning portion that prevents the first half base from moving in a width direction is provided on each of one end and the other end in an axial direction of an outer circumferential surface of the first roller,
A method for manufacturing wooden straws, wherein a flange-shaped second positioning portion that prevents the second half base from moving in the width direction is provided on each of the axial ends of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller . The step (a)
A step (a-1) of forming a plate-shaped first assembly in which a plurality of the first semi-substrates are assembled, and a plate-shaped second assembly in which a plurality of the second semi-substrates are assembled;
a step (a-2) of forming an aggregate substrate in which a plurality of the substrates are aggregated by bonding the first aggregate and the second aggregate to each other;
The method for manufacturing wooden straws according to claim 6 , further comprising a step (a-3) of dividing the aggregate substrate into a plurality of substrates. When an outer end of a first adhesive portion bonding one circumferential end face of the first half substrate and one circumferential end face of the second half substrate is defined as a first end, and an outer end of a second adhesive portion bonding the other circumferential end face of the first half substrate and the other circumferential end face of the second half substrate is defined as a second end,
The method for manufacturing wooden straws according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein the step (b) includes a step (b-1) of simultaneously cutting off the first end and the second end with two circular saw blades.

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