WO2009125275A1

WO2009125275A1 - Modified drinking arrangement using an advertising apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2009125275A1
Application number: PCT/IB2009/005197
Authority: WO
Inventors: Adriaan De Kuijper
Original assignee: Adriaan De Kuijper
Priority date: 2008-04-07
Filing date: 2009-04-06
Publication date: 2009-10-15
Also published as: NL1036686A1; NL1035260C2; NL1035260A1; NL1036686C

Abstract

An instrument for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, the instrument comprising an elongated member (400) having a first end section (110) and a second end section (120) communicating with the first end section, and one or more display apparatuses (300) attached to the elongated member, each display apparatus having at least one side wall that is visible when the one or more display apparatuses are floating in the beverage container.

Description

TITLE

MODIFIED DRINKING ARRANGEMENT USING AN ADVERTISING APPARATUS

FIELD

Example embodiments relate to instruments used in beverage consumption.

BACKGROUND

Various forms, functions, and presentations of instruments used in beverage consumption are already known in the art. While many of them serve purely functional purposes, such as those found in drinking straws and stir sticks, others have been known to combine decorative, functional, and advertising features on their exterior surface, such as the inclusion of one or more colors, characters, graphical patterns, textures, and translucency. There are others commonly used in the beverage industry, such as those found in drinking straws, comprising one or more sections that allow the drinking straw to bend and expand without breaking. Others have been known to combine advertising aspects by integrating curves and shapes at one or more sections, such as those produced by Disney® with shapes of the Mickey Mouse® and Donald Duck® characters formed into mid-sections of drinking straws, and those offered by McDonalds® with shapes of the golden arches at the end of coffee stir sticks. Still, there are others which come complete with a wrapping, such as those commonly found wrapped around a drinking straw. Such wrapping typically serves the dual purpose of ensuring the drinking straw remains clean before a user drinks from the drinking straw while also providing a medium for displaying advertisements and other messages. The effectiveness of the advertising aspect of such wrapping is very low, however, since the wrapping is almost always discarded by the user, hi many situations, such as those typically found in restaurants and bars, most or all of the drinking straw wrapping is thrown away by the server or bartender and out of plain sight of the intended user before he or she even receives the drinking straw.

While there are various other forms of advertising to consumers of beverages, many of them serve to attract the attention or appeal to the subconsciousness of consumers through various high-cost or high-technology methods. Beverage companies may incur significant costs of purchasing, handling, and delivering promotional drinking glasses, which come complete with their respective advertisements on each glass, to food and beverage establishments. Other companies may incur considerable costs to provide wall-mounted neon or LCD advertisement signs to food and beverage establishments as another means to advertise their brand or product. This type of advertising typically only appeals to a few types of establishments, such as sports bars and coffee shops, those who do not mind such advertising as part of their interior decorations as well as those who readily have sufficient space available on their walls to fixate such advertising signs.

SUMMARY

It would be advantageous to provide simple, low cost, easy to handle and maintain, and universally adaptable methods of delivering repeated and prolonged general and targeted advertisements to general and specific audiences, and in all types of establishments and settings.

Present example embodiments relate generally to a method and apparatus that provides for delivering general and targeted advertisements to general and specific audiences that is not only simple, low cost, easy to handle and maintain, and universally adaptable but also applicable in all types of establishments and settings, and in all parts of the world. More particularly, present embodiments relate to a method and apparatus of integrating advertising with the consumption of food and beverages. More particularly, present embodiments relate to a modified drinking arrangement and its use as a means for displaying all forms of advertisements, information, and messages to the consumer of the beverage.

An example embodiment relates to a novel drinking arrangement using a modified drinking straw as a medium to display all forms of advertisements, information, and other messages to the consumer of the beverage.

Although the example embodiments provide for a drinking arrangement improvement over those previously known in the art, with direct reference to example embodiments and applications in the beverage industry, it is to be understood by persons ordinarily skilled in the art that present embodiments may also be applied to the consumption of other foods, such as soups, and to other applications and industries.

In an example embodiment, an instrument for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, the instrument comprising an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section, and a display apparatus having at least one side wall that is visible when the display apparatus is floating in the beverage container, wherein the display apparatus attaches to the elongated member. In another example embodiment, an instrument for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, said instrument comprising an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section, a plurality of display apparatuses, and at least one of the display apparatuses having at least one side wall that is visible when the at least one display apparatuses is floating in the beverage container, wherein the display apparatuses attach to the elongated member.

In another example embodiment, a display apparatus for attaching to an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, the display apparatus comprising at least one side wall that is visible when the display apparatus is floating in the beverage container.

In another example embodiment, a protruding member for attaching to an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, wherein the protruding member is capable of ensuring one or more apparatuses remain attached to the elongated member.

In another example embodiment, an attachment apparatus for attaching to an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, wherein the attachment apparatus is capable of attaching the elongated member to a display apparatus having at least one side wall that is visible when the display apparatus is floating in the beverage container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 a is a side view of an example embodiment having two protruding members and one display apparatus attached to a drinking straw.

Fig. Ib is a top view of an example embodiment of a circular shaped two-sided display apparatus.

Fig. Ic is a side view of an example embodiment of a rectangular shaped six-sided display apparatus. Fig. 2 is a side view of an example embodiment placed in a beverage container containing a beverage, the example embodiment having one protruding member and one display apparatus. Fig. 3 is a top view of an example embodiment having a triangular shaped display apparatus attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a top view of an example embodiment having a complex shaped display apparatus, the display apparatus shown here shaped as a boat and attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a top view of an example embodiment having a complex shaped display apparatus, the display apparatus shown here shaped as a series of characters and attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a top view of an example embodiment having a display apparatus capable of receiving a wireless message and displaying the message on a digital display of the display apparatus, the display apparatus shown here displaying a message to the user that a table has become available and attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 7 is a top view of an example embodiment having a display apparatus with calculating means and capable of displaying results of a calculation on a digital display of the display apparatus, the display apparatus shown here displaying the temperature of the beverage to the user and attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 8 is a top view of an example embodiment having a display apparatus capable of receiving a wireless message and displaying the message on a digital display of the display apparatus, the display apparatus shown here displaying a stock market update and attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 9 is a top view of an example embodiment having a display apparatus used as a container to display advertising and also contain an SD memory card, the display apparatus attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 10 is a top view of an example embodiment showing each side wall of a two- sided display apparatus, with each side wall of the display apparatus displaying an advertisement and depicted as side 1 and side 2 and attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 11 is a top view of an example embodiment showing each side wall of a two- sided display apparatus, with side 1 being the only one of the two side walls displaying an advertisement, the display apparatus being attached to a drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 12 is a side view of an example embodiment placed in a drinking glass comprising two protruding members and a six-sided display apparatus, with each side wall of the display apparatus displaying an advertisement, the display apparatus being attached to the drinking straw with an attachment apparatus.

Fig. 13 is a side view of an example embodiment having one display apparatus attached to a drinking straw using two attachment apparatuses. Fig. 14 is a side view of an example embodiment with one attachment apparatus attaching two display apparatuses to the drinking straw.

Fig. 15 is a top view of an example embodiment with one attachment apparatus and one display apparatus, the display apparatus shown here being detached from the drinking straw. Fig. 16 is a side view of an example embodiment with one display apparatus and two protruding members, shown here demonstrating a use of the protruding member to keep the display apparatus from becoming separated from the system.

Fig. 17 is a side view of an example embodiment with one display apparatus attached to a drinking straw and zero protruding members. Fig. 18 is a side view of an example embodiment with one display apparatus attached to a drinking straw and one protruding member, the protruding member of this example embodiment being the radial widening of a section of the drinking straw.

Fig. 19 is a side view of an example embodiment with one display apparatus attached to a drinking straw and two protruding members, both protruding members of this example embodiment being the radial widening of a section of the drinking straw.

Fig. 20 is a side view of an example embodiment with one display apparatus attached to a drinking straw and two pro trading members, both protruding members of this example embodiment being a section of the drinking straw that is flexible and stretchable.

Fig. 21 is a side view of an example embodiment with two display apparatuses attached to a drinking straw and three protruding members, with two of the three protruding members of this example embodiment being a section of the drinking straw that is flexible and stretchable.

Fig. 22 is a side view of an example embodiment with five display apparatuses attached to the drinking straw and two protruding members. Fig. 23 is a side view of an example embodiment with five display apparatuses attached to the drinking straw and a maximum number of protruding members corresponding to this example embodiment of six. Fig. 24 is a side profile view of a user drinking from an example embodiment and viewing the floating display apparatus of the example embodiment.

Fig. 25 is a top view of an example embodiment in a beverage container containing a beverage. Fig. 26 is a side view showing a transparent beverage container containing a beverage and an example embodiment comprising a drinking straw, a floating display apparatus attached to the drinking straw and two protruding members.

Although similar reference numbers are used to refer to similar elements for convenience, it can be appreciated that each of the various embodiments may be considered to be distinct variations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An example embodiment of the drinking straw arrangement 100 is shown in Figure 1 a. The drinking straw arrangement 100 is depicted comprising a drinking straw 400 having a first end section 110, a second end section 120 connected to the first end section 110, a display apparatus 300, an attachment apparatus 200 attaching the display apparatus 300 to the drinking straw 400, and two protruding members 500 and 510 along the drinking straw 400. It is to be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art that the first end section 110 and the second end section 120 of the drinking straw 400 are interchangeable in present embodiments.

Although the example embodiment shown in Figure Ia consists of a single display apparatus 300, it is to be understood that present embodiments may also include a plurality of display apparatuses. Each display apparatus 300 may comprise two or more physical side walls, with each side wall of the display apparatus 300 capable of displaying zero, one or more than one advertisement and/or message. An example embodiment of a two-sided flat disc-shaped display apparatus 300 is shown with side walls 301 and 302 in Figure Ib, and an example embodiment of a six-sided rectangular-shaped display apparatus 300 is shown with side walls 301, 302, 303, 304, 305 and 306 in Figure Ic. One or more of the side walls of each display apparatus 300 may also be blank so as to allow customizing of advertisements, information and/or messages by writing, etching, printing and/or attaching at a later time. Each display apparatus 300 may comprise one or more basic shapes and forms such as a triangle as shown in Figure 3, circle, sphere, oval, cylinder, square, cube or rectangle, or more complex shapes and forms such as animals, people, objects such as the cruise ship example shown in Figure 4, characters such as the example shown in Figure 5, or logos. Each display apparatus 300 may possess one or more features, in part or in whole, including glow in the dark, being waterproof, being buoyant, being soluble, adding and/or changing flavor and/or odor to the beverage, emitting light such as the use of an LED, emitting audible sounds, sending a signal or message such as the level of beverage remaining, receiving and displaying a signal or message such as the status of a table reservation in a restaurant setting as shown in Figure 6, performing and displaying calculations such as the temperature of the beverage or type of beverage as shown in Figure 7 and/or its composition, and changing colors, patterns and/or shapes caused by the interaction of the beverage. The advertisements, information and/or messages on the one or more side walls may include company logos, trademarks, slogans, new products, warnings, information such as financial news as shown in Figure 8, menus, type of beverage, coupon codes, internet links, statistics, facts, jokes, promotions, wedding proposals, announcements, etc. One or more of the side walls of the display apparatus 300 may also be used in part or in whole as a container for other means to convey advertisements and/or messages to the user, including being a container for computer devices or memory storage such one or more SD cards 300' as shown in Figure 9, Compact Flash cards, Micro SD cards, XD cards, Memory Stick, SIM cards, or coupons or prizes. A display apparatus 300 may comprise one or more advertisements or messages on one or more of its side walls. An example embodiment comprises one or more advertisements and/or messages on all of its side walls so as to ensure at least one advertisement or message is visible to the user regardless of the orientation of the display apparatus 300 in the beverage 700. An example of a two-sided display apparatus 300 with both side walls 301 and 302 having advertisements is shown in Figure 10. When both side walls of a two-sided display apparatus 300 contain advertisements, there will always be an advertisement visible to the user. A less efficient example embodiment comprising one or more advertisements on only one side wall 301 of a two-sided display apparatus 300 is shown in Figure 11. Any act of pouring, stirring, drinking, shaking, or moving the liquid and/or beverage container may cause the display apparatus 300 to flip over and undesirably submerge the one side wall 301 comprising the one or more advertisements into the liquid and out of visible sight, as depicted in side 2 of Figure 11. An example embodiment of a six-sided display apparatus 300 comprising six advertisement side walls 301, 302, 303, 304, 305 and 306 is shown in Figure 12. In the example embodiment, there will there be at least one advertisement visible to a user at all times while drinking the beverage 700. Furthermore, there will be at least one advertisement visible through a transparent beverage container 600, such as a wine glass, to a person viewing the beverage container 600 from any angle.

Although the example embodiment shown in Figure 1 a consists of a single attachment apparatus 200, it is to be understood that present embodiments may also include a plurality of attachment apparatuses. Each attachment apparatus 200 is used to attach one or more display apparatuses 300 to the drinking straw 400. Each attachment apparatus 200 may have an interior circumference that is greater than the exterior circumference of the drinking straw 400. Each attachment apparatus 200 may allow the one or more display apparatuses 300 to move in a variety of ways, including longitudinally along the length of the drinking straw 400 as depicted by the two arrows A and B in Figure 1 a, radially away and towards the drinking straw 4 as depicted by the two arrows C and D in Figure 1 a, and also around the tubular exterior of the drinking straw 4 as depicted by the two arrows E and F in Figure Ia. In allowing the one or more display apparatuses 300 to move about in a variety of ways, the one or more display apparatuses 300 can remain afloat on the surface of the beverage regardless of the amount of beverage 700 in the beverage container 600, as well as float about in and around the beverage container 600.

Each display apparatus 300 may be attached to the drinking straw arrangement 100 using more than one attachment apparatus 200. Figure 8 and Figure 13 both show example embodiments of a drinking straw arrangement 100 using two attachment apparatuses 200 and 201 to attach one display apparatus 300 to the drinking straw 400. Each attachment apparatus 200 may also be used to attach more than one display apparatus 300 to the drinking straw arrangement. Figure 14 shows an example of a drinking straw arrangement 100 using one attachment apparatus 200 to attach two display apparatuses 300 and 310 to the drinking straw 400.

Each display apparatus 300 may also be attached to the drinking straw 400 without the use of an attachment apparatus 200. An example embodiment wherein the display apparatus 300 itself attaches to the drinking straw 400 without the use of an attachment apparatus 200 is shown in Figure 2. In an example embodiment shown in Figure 15, the one or more display apparatuses 300 can be detached entirely from the drinking straw arrangement 100 with very little effort from the user. This may be desirable for applications where the user may wish to keep the advertisements and/or messages for future viewing and/or use. Figure 16 shows an example embodiment of the use of a pair of protruding members

500 and 510. The flexible section 510' in the example embodiment can be either a functioning protruding member or not a functioning protruding member. In the former case, the flexible section 510' is a protruding member only if the flexible section 510 is not a protruding member, in which case flexible section 510 does not have sufficient radial widening to stop movement of the one or more attachment apparatuses 200. In the latter case, the flexible section 510' is not a protruding member only if the flexible section 510 is a protruding member, in which case flexible section 510 has sufficient radial widening to stop movement of the one or more attachment apparatuses 200. It is to be understood that other variations of this example embodiment may comprise either one protruding member 200 as shown in Figure 2, or zero protruding members as shown in Figure 17. It is also to be understood that although the example embodiment shown in Figure 16 consists of a pair of protruding members 500 and 510, it is to be understood that other example embodiments may include more than two protruding apparatuses.

The purpose of the one or more protruding members is to limit the longitudinal movement of the one or more attachment apparatuses, as depicted by the two arrows A and B or Figure 1 a, and to ensure the one or more attachment apparatuses do not slide off and become separated from the drinking straw 400 while handling the drinking straw arrangement 100. The importance of having the one or more attachment apparatuses to remain attached to the drinking straw 400 is to ensure the one or more display apparatuses remain together with the drinking straw arrangement 100. Furthermore, in situations where one or more display apparatuses 300 are detached from the one or more attachment apparatuses 200 by a user, having each attachment apparatus 200 remain attached to the drinking straw 400 also ensures that part or all of each attachment apparatus 200 will not be accidentally ingested by the user while drinking the beverage 700. The one or more protruding members 500 may each have an exterior circumference that is greater than the interior circumference of the one or more attachment apparatuses 200, or at least a part of each protruding member 500 may have sufficient radial distance from the drinking straw so as to stop the movement of the attachment apparatus 200 from completely passing over the protruding member 500. The protruding member may also be in the form of the radial widening of a section 500 of the drinking straw 400 as shown in Figure 1 S. A plurality of protruding members may be in the form of the radial widening of more than one section, such as the example embodiment of two protruding members 500 and 510 shown in Figure 19. Figures 20 and 21 depict further example embodiments where the protruding members 500, 510 and 520 are in the form of flexible sections of the drinking straw 400. These flexible sections 500, 510 and 520, functioning as protruding members, are known and commonly used in drinking straws to allow the drinking straw 400 to bend and remain in a bent position without breaking the drinking straw 400. However, the example embodiments teach the novel use of such flexible sections of a drinking straw to also restrict movement of the one or more attachment apparatuses 200, and to ensure unity of the drinking straw 400, the one or more attachment apparatuses 200 and the one or more display apparatuses 300 together as a drinking straw arrangement system 100.

Example embodiments may include zero protruding members as shown in Figure 17, a single protruding member 500 as shown in Figures 2 and 18, or a maximum number of protruding members defined by the formula (N+l), where N is the number of display apparatuses.

As shown in Figure 22, an example embodiment comprising five display apparatuses 300, 310, 320, 330, and 340 and two protruding members 50 and 510 will allow all five display apparatuses 300, 310, 320, 330, and 340 to move freely along the longitudinal length of the drinking straw 400 and between the two protruding members 500 and 510.

As shown in Figure 23, an example embodiment comprising five display apparatuses 300, 310, 320, 330, and 340 with the maximum number of protruding members 500, 510, 520, 530, 540, and 550 of six will allow each of the five display apparatuses 300, 310, 320, 330, and 340 to move only between a set of two adjacent protruding members. In the example embodiment, display apparatus 300 will only move between adjacent protruding members 500 and 510, display apparatus 310 will only move between adjacent protruding members 510 and 520, display apparatus 320 will only move between adjacent protruding members 520 and 530, and so on. It is to be generally understood that the approximate location of the one or more protruding members along the longitudinal length of the drinking straw 400 may depend on the intended use, beverage, size, and shape of the beverage container 600, liquid level of the beverage 700, or a combination of these factors. When a beverage container 600 receives either the first end section 110 or the second end section 120 of the drinking straw 400, the one or more attachment apparatuses 200 will move longitudinally along the length of the drinking straw 400, as depicted by the arrows A and B in Figure Ia, and/or peripherally around the drinking straw 400, as depicted by the arrows C, D, E and F in Figure Ia to allow the one or more display apparatuses 300 to float above the surface of the beverage 700, regardless of how much beverage 700 is poured into or consumed out of the beverage container 600. It is to be understood that the one or more display apparatuses in present embodiments may also sit atop an exterior upper wall of a partially or fully enclosed beverage container, such as a carbonated beverage can, so as to allow the user to view the display apparatus.

Figure 24 shows a typical position of a user drinking from an example embodiment. As can be seen, when the user drinks using the drinking straw arrangement 100, his/her eyes will be fixated onto the one or more display apparatuses 300. Figure 25 shows the view of the user of Figure 24 while drinking from the drinking straw arrangement 100. As can be seen in Figure 25, while the user drinks from the second end section 120 of the drinking straw 400, his/her view will be fixated on the advertisement of the display apparatus 300 for the greater duration of the time he/she drinks from the drinking straw 400.

Figure 26 shows a cross-sectional view of an example embodiment with the first end section 110 submerged in a glass of water and the single display apparatus 300 floating above the surface of the beverage 700. Alternatively, it is to be understood by those ordinarily skilled in the art that the second end section 120 can also be the drinking straw end that is submerged in the beverage.

The beverage 700 in the beverage container 600 can be any consumable liquid, including water, soda, ice tea, juice, fruit punch, milk, soy milk, yogurt, alcohol, coffee, tea, liquid food additives such as vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, ketchup and mustard, and may also include ice, tapioca, tea leaves, coffee grinds, fruits, vegetables, ornaments and other additives known in the art. The beverage container 600 containing the beverage 700 may be a variety of types of containers, including drinking cups made of glass, crystal, ceramic, plastic, metal, porcelain, wood, cardboard and/or paper, coffee mugs, tea cups, beer mugs, wine glasses, shot glasses, soda cans, bottles, plastic containers, plastic bags, bowls, pitchers, jugs, coconut shells and other fruits, and other containers capable of holding beverages and known in the art. Although the aforesaid example embodiments provide for a drinking arrangement improvement over those previously known in the art, with direct reference to example embodiments and applications in the beverage industry, it is to be understood by persons ordinarily skilled in the art that present embodiments described herein are merely intended to facilitate understanding of present embodiments, and implies no limitation thereof. Various modifications and improvements of the present embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as recited in the appended claims, and these will naturally be included as equivalents. Furthermore, various modifications and improvements of the present embodiments are applicable in the consumption of other foods, such as soups, and to other applications and industries without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as recited in the appended claims, and these too will naturally be included as equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. An instrument for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, said instrument comprising: an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section; and a display apparatus having at least one side wall that is visible when said display apparatus is floating in the beverage container, wherein the display apparatus attaches to the elongated member.

2. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the elongated member is tubular in shape and having a bore extending therethrough.

3. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the elongated member is one of (a) a beverage straw and (b) a stick.

4. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elongated member comprises a flexible section for expanding and contracting to allow said elongated member to bend.

5. The instrument according to claim 4, wherein the elongated member comprises a second flexible section for expanding and contracting to allow said elongated member to bend.

6. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is formed of buoyant material.

7. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is configured for being displaced about the elongated member.

8. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is formed of waterproof material.

9. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to S, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is formed of a dissolving material for being dissolved by the beverage.

10. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is capable of changing the color, flavor, or odor of the beverage.

11. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus comprises a means of receiving and conveying a wireless message.

12. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is a receiving device for receiving and conveying a wireless message.

13. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus comprises a means of sending a wireless message.

14. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is a transmitting device for sending a wireless message.

15. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus comprises a means for determining and conveying the temperature or composition of the beverage.

16. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein at least apart of the display apparatus is a sensing device for determining and conveying the temperature or composition of the beverage.

17. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is detachably attached to the elongated member.

18. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising an attachment apparatus for attaching the display apparatus to the elongated member.

19. The instrument according to claim 18, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is detachably attached to the attachment apparatus.

20. The instrument according to any one of claims 18 and 19, wherein at least a part of the attachment apparatus is detachably attached to the elongated member.

21. The instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 20, further comprising a protruding member disposed along the elongated member and located at a fixed position closer to the second end section than to the first end section, said protruding member dimensioned to ensure the display apparatus remains attached to the elongated member.

22. The instrument according to claim 21, further comprising a second protruding member disposed along the elongated member and located at a fixed position between the first protruding member and the first end section, said second protruding member dimensioned to ensure the display apparatus remains attached to the elongated member.

23. The instrument according to claim 22, wherein at least a part of the protruding member is a flexible section of the elongated member for expanding and contracting to allow the elongated member to bend.

24. The instrument according to claim 22, wherein at least a part of the second protruding member is a flexible section of the elongated member for expanding and contracting to allow the elongated member to bend.

25. The instrument according to claim 21 and 23, wherein at least a part of the protruding member is a flexible section of the elongated member and at least a part of the second protruding member is a second flexible section of the elongated member, said flexible section and second flexible section being expandable and contractible to allow the elongated member to bend.

26. An instrument for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, said instrument comprising: an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section; a plurality of display apparatuses; and at least one of the display apparatuses having at least one side wall that is visible when said at least one display apparatuses is floating in the beverage container, wherein the display apparatuses attach to the elongated member.

27. The instrument according to claim 26, wherein the elongated member is tubular and having a bore extending therethrough.

28. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 or 27, wherein the elongated member is one of (a) a beverage straw and (b) a stick.

29. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the elongated member comprises a flexible section for expanding and contracting to allow said elongated member to bend.

30. The instrument according to claim 29, wherein the elongated member comprises a second flexible section for expanding and contracting to allow said elongated member to bend.

31. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 30, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses is formed of buoyant material.

32. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 31, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses is configured for being displaced about the elongated member.

33. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 32, wherein at least part of at least one of the display apparatuses is formed of waterproof material.

34. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 33, wherein at least part of at least one of the display apparatuses is formed of dissolving material for being dissolved by the beverage.

35. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 34, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses is capable of changing the color, flavor, or odor of the beverage.

36. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 35, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses comprises a means of receiving and conveying a wireless message.

37. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 36, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses is a receiving device for receiving and conveying a wireless message.

38. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 37, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses comprises a means of sending a wireless message.

39. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 3S, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses is a transmitting device for sending a wireless message.

40. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 39, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses comprises a means of determining and conveying the temperature or composition of the beverage.

41. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 40, wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses is a sensing device for determining and conveying the temperature or composition of the beverage.

42. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 41 , wherein at least a part of at least one of the display apparatuses is detachably attached to the elongated member.

43. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 42, further comprising at least one attachment apparatus for attaching at least one of the display apparatus to the elongated member.

44. The instrument according to claim 43, wherein at least a part of the at least one of the display apparatuses is detachably attached to the at least one attachment apparatus.

45. The instrument according to any one of claims 43 and 44, wherein at least a part of the at least one attachment apparatuses is detachably attached to the elongated member.

46. The instrument according to any one of claims 26 to 45, further comprising a protruding member disposed along the elongated member and located at a fixed position closer to the second end section than to the first end section, said protruding member being dimensioned to ensure the display apparatus remains attached to the elongated member.

47. The instrument according to claim 46, further comprising a second protruding member disposed on the elongated member and located at a fixed position between the first protruding member and the first end section, said second protruding member being dimensioned to ensure the display apparatus remains attached to the elongated member.

48. The instrument according to claim 46, wherein at least a part of the protruding member is a flexible section of the elongated member for expanding and contracting to allow the elongated member to bend.

49. The instrument according to claim 47, wherein at least a part of the second protruding member is a flexible section of the elongated member for expanding and contracting to allow the elongated member to bend.

50. The instrument according to claim 46 and 48, wherein at least a part of the protruding member is a flexible section of the elongated member and at least a part of the second protruding member is a second flexible section of the elongated member, said flexible section and second flexible section capable of expanding and contracting to allow the elongated member to bend.

51. A display apparatus for attaching to an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, said display apparatus comprising: at least one side wall that is visible when the display apparatus is floating in the beverage container.

52. The display apparatus according to claim 51, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is formed of buoyant material.

53. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 and 52, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is configured for being displaced about the elongated member.

54. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 53, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is formed of waterproof material.

55. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 54, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is formed of dissolving material for being dissolved by the beverage.

56. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 55, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is capable of changing the color, flavor or odor of the beverage.

57. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 56, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus comprises a means of receiving and conveying a wireless message.

58. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 57, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is a receiving device for receiving and conveying a wireless message.

59. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 58, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus comprises a means of sending a wireless message.

60. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 59, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is a transmitting device for displaying and transmitting a wireless message.

61. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 60, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus comprises a means of determining and conveying the temperature or composition of the beverage.

62. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 61, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is a sensing device for determining and conveying the temperature or composition of the beverage.

63. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 62, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is detachably attachable to the elongated member.

64. The display apparatus according to any one of claims 51 to 63, wherein at least a part of the display apparatus is detachably attachable to an attachment apparatus.

65. A protruding member for attaching to an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, wherein said protruding member being dimensioned to ensure one or more apparatuses remain attached to the elongated member.

66. An attachment apparatus for attaching to an elongated member having a first end section and a second end section communicating with the first end section for use in a beverage container containing a beverage, wherein said attachment apparatus is capable of attaching the elongated member to a display apparatus having at least one side wall that is visible when said display apparatus is floating in the beverage container.

67. The attachment apparatus according to claim 66, wherein at least a part of the attachment apparatus is detachably attachable to the elongated member.

68. The attachment apparatus according to any one of claims 66 and 67, wherein at least a part of the attachment apparatus is detachably attachable to the display apparatus.