Field of the invention

The present invention belongs to the field of consumer products such as domestic utensils and the like.

Background of the invention

Hot water bottles are widely known in the art.

The basic structure of hot water bottles is a re-closable water reservoir adapted for keeping temperature of the water there-inside. The water reservoir of the hot water bottle may optionally be covered by a heat insulating envelope, for example by a textile cover.

Fig. 1 schematically illustrates a hot water bottle proposed by an Australian design AU2006101000.

A hot water bottle 10 comprises an elongate watertight container in the form of a bladder 12 made of flexible material for containing hot water. The bladder 12 has a sealable opening 14 at one end for filling the bladder 12 with hot water and emptying it after use. The sealable opening 14 in this embodiment is opened and closed with a screw cap closure 16. The bladder 12 is of a _length sufficient to comfortably wrap the hot water bottle 10 when filled with water around at least 75 percent of the circumference of a portion of a limb or a portion of a trunk of a user. This ensures that heat is transferred more effectively from the hot water in the bladder 12 to that portion of the limb by increasing the surface area of the limb that is in contact with the hot water bottle.

Considering the prior art described with reference to Fig 1, the Inventor notes that the hot water bottle of the A U2006101000 has quite a conventional shape and is still inconvenient for covering wider surfaces of a human body. Further, the described product can be used only stationary (at home, in a hospital or the like).

Object and summary of the invention

The main purpose of the invention is to propose such a hot water bottle that can be used independently of circumstances, for example both indoors and outdoors, that would be adapted for use in any position (for example, horizontally, vertically, by winding, etc.) and to cover greater surfaces than a conventional hot water bottle is adapted to. In other words, the object is to provide a hot water bottle suitable for arbitrary placing thereof, for example, on the user's body so as to use it "hands free".

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a hot water bottle comprising a flexible tube with a re-closable opening at least at one of its ends, wherein the tube is suitable for keeping there-inside a fluid-like or a sand-like substance of a desired temperature, and is adapted for winding said tube around one or more objects to be maintained at the desired temperature.

The tube may be made of an elastomeric material, for example of silicon.

The tube may be sealed at one of its ends.

The mentioned objects to be wrapped (enmeshed, entangled) by said tube may be of any kind, alive or not, for example: any portion of a human or animal's body, packages of food products, medicines, etc.

In one embodiment of the hot water bottle, the tube is adapted for wrapping (winding) the tube around a user's neck or limb one or more times.

It should be noted that the term "hot water bottle" is a widely used term for a reservoir which is typically used with hot water there-inside. However, such a reservoir (though being called "hot water bottle") may be used for accommodating there-inside other substances, and such substances may have any desired temperature, for various types of thermal treatment selected by a user. For example, the thermal treatment may be heating an object, cooling an object, keeping an object at a predetermined temperature.

The substance for filling the tube may be, for example, water or other liquid, crushed ice, a sand-like substance like a sawdust (the material which is used in cushions and the like for heating them in a microwave) etc. It is understood that the hot water bottle's tube may have a regular, circular cross-section, so the width of the tube will be defined by the diameter of its crosssection. However, the tube may have a different shape: for example it may have an oval/elliptical or almost rectangular cross-section, so the width of the tube will be defined by the maximal dimension of the cross-section.

The tube of the hot water bottle preferably has a length being substantially greater than its cross-section maximal dimension. For example, an outer diameter of the tube may be of about 30mm, while the length of the tube may be of about 1.5m or even more.

In other words, the proposed tube may be rather a thin flexible tube.

In one specific embodiment, the hot water bottle may constitute just a thin and flexible silicone tube having a re-closable opening at least at one of its ends, while the other end is closed.

In one implementation, such a tube may be filled with a hot fluid-like substance (e.g. hot water), and may be intended for heating quite a large/long surface. For example the tube may be adapted for winding it around a leg, hand, neck of the user, more than one times.

In one embodiment, the proposed hot water bottle may be further provided with an outer sleeve intended for covering/enveloping the flexible tube.

Still more preferably, the sleeve may be made of fabric and may have an appearance of a long scarf enabling a) accommodation of the flexible tube there- inside and b) winding the scarf, containing said tube, around the user's neck or limb.

In other words, said tube can be used not only as a long hot water bottle as is, but also as a fashionable scarf which helps the user to keep his neck, shoulders, chest etc. at a desired thermal regime.

In one embodiment, the described thin and flexible tube may have an integrally manufactured re-closable opening at one end, and a sealed opposite end.

Further, in another specific embodiment the re-closable opening may be formed by a re-closable assembly, hermetically mountable on said tube. The re- closable assembly may arrive to a manufacturer, a vendor or even to a user in a kit with the flexible tube (or separately), where the re-closable assembly may be coupled to the tube.

The advantage of the re-closable assembly mountable on the tube is that the manufacturer, (a vendor and if desired, a user) may preliminarily select exact length of the tube, suitable for a specific implementation of the product. Such a solution makes unnecessary length limitations which may exist in relevant industries, and will make the product adjustable for specific needs of each specific user.

In one option, the tube may be produced open at both its ends and provided with said re-closable assembly for one of the ends of the tube. The manufacturer (vendor, user) may mount the re-closable assembly at one end of the tube; the other end of the tube may be sealed in any possible manner.

In another option, the other end of the tube may be sealed by mounting to it an additional, sealing assembly. The sealing assembly may be similar in shape to the re- closable assembly, but not providing any opening.

It should be noted that the proposed tube may be filled with the fluid -like or sand-like substance being at a desired temperature, just before use.

Alternatively or in addition, the tube may be heated/cooled (for example, in a microwave or in a freezer) with the mentioned substance which is already there- inside.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is proposed a kit of elements of a hot water bottle, the kit comprising: a flexible tube suitable for keeping there-inside a fluid-like or sand-like substance of a desired temperature, the tube having dimensions suitable for winding said tube around one or more objects for maintaining them at the desired temperature; a re-closable assembly, for hermetically mounting at an end of the flexible tube.

Optionally, the other end of the flexible tube may be sealed.

Optionally, a sealing assembly may be provided for mounting it at another end of the flexible tube.

More specific description of an exemplary re-closable assembly and an exemplary sealing assembly will be provided in the detailed description. The kit may also comprise a sleeve made of fabric for enveloping the flexible tube. The sleeve may have the form of a scarf.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is proposed a method of providing a hot water bottle, the method comprises providing a flexible tube with a re-closable opening at least at one of its ends, while ensuring that the tube suits for keeping there-inside a fluid-like or a sand-like substance of a desired temperature, and has dimensions suitable for winding said tube around one or more objects to be maintained at the desired temperature.

The flexible tube having any selected length may be manufactured, for example by extrusion, for example from elastomer such as silicone.

In another version, there is proposed a method of producing a kit for the hot water bottle, including: providing the flexible tube (suitable for filling it with a fluid-like or sand-like substance at a desired temperature, the tube having dimensions suitable for winding said tube around one or more objects to be kept at the desired temperature), providing a re-closable assembly for hermetically mounting at least at one end of the flexible tube.

The method may also comprise additionally providing a sealing assembly for mounting at another end of the tube.

The method may further comprise: selecting length of the tube suitable for a specific implementation of the hot- water bottle, hermetically mounting the re-closable assembly at one end of the flexible tube, while ensuring that the second end of the tube is sealed. In one version of the method, it comprises hermetically mounting the re- closable assembly to said at least one end of the tube.

The method may comprise assembling the hot water pipe by mounting the re- closable assembly to the flexible tube at both of its ends.

In yet another version of the method, it further comprises hermetically mounting the sealing assembly to the other end of the tube.

It is advantageous, that the method allows preliminarily adjusting length of the flexible tube before mounting the re-closable assembly at one of the tube ends, and/or before sealing the tube at its other end.

The method may further comprise filling the tube with the fluid-like or sandlike substance at a desired temperature before use of the hot water bottle.

The method may comprise heating or cooling the tube preliminarily filled with the substance, before use of the hot water bottle.

Advantages of the invention over existing similar products

Owing to the fact that the proposed flexible tube is thin and long, the proposed hot water bottle's weight is quite small, while it is adapted to cover/entangle quite a large surface. This combination of dimensions of the tube makes the invention very friendly and comfortable in use.

In one specific embodiment, the invention is actually a wearable hot water bottle.

The proposed hot water bottle may be presented in the form of a fashionable scarf, either for heating (say, during cold seasons) or for cooling (say, in summer). The proposed hot water bottle thus allows keeping any object (for example, the user's neck or limb) at a predetermined temperature, hands free.

In another specific embodiment, the invention may be a cooling tube adapted for winding around a number of objects, for example around some packages of food products in a bag or a box. The tube may be filled by crushed ice and serve as a long cooling element at a picnic etc. Alternatively, the tube may be filled with water and kept in a freezer for such a use. The tube for the hot water bottle can be produced with no length-limit, or according to specific needs of a user. By doing this, the invention allows a manufacturer/a vendor/a user to select the desired length of the tube and to assemble the hot water bottle from the tube and the re-closable assembly/assemblies. Optionally, the sealing assembly may also be used.

An exemplary structure of the proposed hot water bottle, the flexible tube and the re-closable assembly, as well as an exemplary version of manufacturing and assembling the proposed hot water bottle will be described in the detailed description.

The invention will be further described in detail as the description progresses.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be further described and illustrated with the aid of the following non-limiting drawings in which:

Figs. 1 (prior art) illustrates one known arrangement of a hot water bottle.

Fig. 2A is an exemplary pictorial view of one specific embodiment of the proposed hot water bottle. It is a scarf with a flexible tube inside, filled with a material having a desired temperature.

Fig. 2B is a sketch of another example illustrating how the proposed hot water bottle can be used.

Fig. 3A is a perspective exploded view of one specific embodiment of the proposed flexible tube for the inventive hot water bottle, provided with a re-closable assembly and a sealing assembly.

In practice, length of the tube may be much longer than its section shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional perspective view of the assembled hot water bottle shown in Fig. 3A.

Fig. 3C is a more detailed cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the tube shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, illustrating an embodiment of the re-closable assembly mounted at the upper end of the flexible tube.

Figs 4A - 4C illustrate one embodiment of an inner ting of the exemplary re-sealable assembly. Figs. 5A - 5D illustrate one embodiment of an outer ring of the exemplary re-sealable assembly.

Figs. 6A - 6C illustrate one embodiment of a funnel over-molded onto the outer ring of the re-sealable assembly, shown in Figs. 5.

Detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention

Fig. 1 (prior art) illustrates a side view and a plan view of a hot water bottle 10 which comprises an elongate watertight container in the form of a bladder 12 made of flexible material for containing hot water. The bladder 12 has a sealable opening 14 at one end for filling the bladder 12 with hot water and emptying it after use. The sealable opening 14 in this embodiment is opened and closed with a screw cap closure 16. The bladder 12 is of a length sufficient to comfortably wrap the hot water bottle 10 when filled with water around at least 75 percent of the circumference of a portion of a limb or a portion of a trunk of a user. This ensures that heat is transferred more effectively from the hot water in the bladder 12 to that portion of the limb by increasing the surface area of the limb that is in contact with the hot water bottle.

Fig. 2A illustrates one specific embodiment 18 of the proposed hot-water bottle. In this figure, it has the appearance of a fashionable long scarf, which may be winded around the user's neck a number of times, and still the scarf ends remain on the user's chest or back.

The scarf 18 comprises an inner flexible tube 20 filled with hot water. The tube is provided with a re-closable connector 22 (schematically shown as a funnel). The second end of the tube is sealed. The scarf further comprises a fabric or woven envelope 24 which turns the product into a scarf 18 heated from inside by the tube 20. It should be kept in mind, however, that the proposed hot-water bottle may comprise just a flexible tube with a re-closable connector, the tube may be filled with cold/hot water and used for cooling/heating/maintaining temperature of one or more goods/articles, by tangling the tube around such articles. An example of such a use is schematically illustrated in Fig. 2B, as a picnic box. In this embodiment, the tube 20 may be filled with crushed ice. Alternatively, it may be filled with cold water and then placed in a freezer (with or without packages to be cooled), for further use at a picnic. Shape and dimensions (e.g. the ratio between the thickness and the length) of the hot water bottle essentially differ from those of the one shown in Fig. 1, so the hot-water bottle of Figs. 2A, 2B obtains new features and thus is much more functional.

Figs. 3A - 3C show one embodiment of the proposed water bottle, assembled from a flexible tube 30, a re-closable assembly 32 to form a re-closable opening at one end of the flexible tube, and a sealable assembly 34 to seal the other end of the flexible tube. In Fig. 3C the flexible tube 30 is shown in black, for clarity.

The process of assembling the hot water bottle is explained by Figs 3 as follows. The flexible tube 30, the re-closable assembly 32 and the sealing assembly 34 are provided in advance. The tube may be made from silicon by extrusion, and should stand at least 100 degrees Celsius.

The flexible tube 30 is cut to a necessary size and is pulled on an inner ring 36 so as to form a cuff on its outer surface.

The end inner ring 36, with the cuff of the tube on it, is inserted into the outer ring 38 and hermetically fixed there-inside. The fixation is ensured by protrusions 37 of the inner ring 36, which are clamped in corresponding slots 39 of the outer ring 38. The hermetic character of the connection is ensured by teeth 35 of the inner ring 36 and a tooth 33 of the outer ring 38, which tooth together press and fix the portion of the flexible tube there-between, thus providing a sealing O-ring. (Teeth 35, 33 are shown in the enlarged portion of Fig. 3B).

The outer ring 38 is provided with a funnel 40. A threaded cork 42 is provided to tightly close the opening of the outer ring 38.

The funnel 40 may be made of a so-called silicone liquid or any other flexible material that is 100 degrees durable. It may be attached using a method of over molding to the outer ring 38, to make the funnel 40 inseparable from the ring 38. The inner and outer rings 36, 38 may be made of plastic or silicon/rubber.

The sealing assembly 34 comprises an inner ring 46 which is similar to the inner ring 36 of the re-closable assembly. However, an outer cap 48 differs from the outer ring 38, since it has a sealed bottom in order to seal the flexible tube from its other end. Figs. 4A-4C, using different views, show the inner ring 36 in more detail. The inner ring has four segments. Each of the segments is provided with a protrusion 37 intended for engaging with slots 39 of the outer ring 38.

Figs. 5A-5D show the outer ring 38 in more detail, by using different views thereof. The outer ring 38 is provided with a neck 41 which is threaded inside and has a rim 43 with orifices 45. The orifices 45 serve for integrating the outer ring 38 with the funnel 40 (see Figs. 6A - 6C).

Figs. 6A - 6C show how the material of the funnel (e.g., silicone, rubber, etc.), after being injected into the rim 43 of the outer ring 38, penetrate into orifices 45 thereof and form hermetic connection there -between.

The outer ring 38 may have an original design that will be detailed below for a number of features required for the invention:

1. Orifices 45 for fixing there-within the silicone or any other flexible material of the funnel.

2. An opening in the neck 41 with internal thread, with a diameter that allows the boiling water to be poured into the tube without fear of splashing. A diameter lower than this may endanger the user when using the invention. (For example, the internal diameter of the neck may be equal to the internal diameter of the tube, e.g. of about 30 mm).

3. Two outer ears for interfacing with a fabric sleeve (scarf) or any other insulator which will keep the coating in place for user's protection.

4. Slots 39 for receiving protrusions 37 of the inner ring and thus fixing the outer ring and the inner ring to one another.

5. Bumps or teeth (33 on the outer ring 38 and 35 on the inner ring 36) have ranges that maximize friction pressure with the tube 30 to the point of complete sealing and pipe grasping without the ability to pull out the tube or make rupture.

Exemplary parameters of the tube being one of the main components of the proposed hot water bottle:

*flexibility of the elastomeric tube is around 40 shore.

^dimensions of the elastomeric tube: -Internal diameter of about 30 mm (Or according to customer's requirement). -Wall thickness of about 1.5 mm (Or according to customer's requirement). -External diameter of about 33 mm (Or according to customer's requirement). -The length of the tube is unlimited and may be selected according to a user's preference or a specific implementation. For example, it may be of about 140 - 150 cm ( for example, starting from about five-fold of the tubes' diameter).

The tube is manufactured preferably by extrusion.

*holds hot water (resisting 100°C and more).

*when filled with hot water of 100°C, the tube preferably does not have inclusions of foreign matter or other defects that could adversely affect the safe performance of the invention.

*when the tube is filled with hot water of 100 °C, the inside faces preferably does not stick or block together.

*the tube preferably does not stain color or release any other materials with or without hot water of 100 °C.

*the tube preferably does not have any smell.

*full thickness tear strength of the tube may be of about 80 N (Newton).

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the user will wear a fabric sleeve used as a scarf to disguise the water heating system and make it a wearable hot water bottle. The sleeve/scarf prevents direct contact of the tube with the user by enveloping the tube, it provides insulation that maintains the temperature of the liquid inside the tube. Additionally, the fabric may be selected to be pleasant and/or insulating according to the customer's requirements. At the end of the use of water, the water may be splashed out and the invention just turns the hot water bottle into a simple heat insulating scarf.

As mentioned above, that the tube may be used as is or with the sleeve, for cooling or heating a number of packages of food placed in a box for a picnic etc. (see Fig. 2B). It should be appreciated that while the invention has been described with reference to specific examples and drawings, other versions of the method may be proposed which should be considered part of the invention whenever defined by the claims which follow.