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Title:
A DRINKING DEVICE CONFIGURED TO PRESS LIQUID OUT OF A CONTAINER
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2020/018010
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
The invention relates to a portable drinking device (1), such as a drinking bottle. The device (1) comprises a container (2), configured to contain a liquid, and a lid (5) configured to close an opening of the container (2). The container (2) is made of a flexible material so as to allow this to change shape. The lid (5) has a spout (6) operable between a closed and an open position, in which flow of liquid out of the container (2) through the spout (6) is prevented and allowed, respectively. The device (1) further comprises an outer casing (7) configured to receive the container (2) therein and an arrangement comprising a member (10) configured to be movably arranged within the casing (7). The arrangement is configured to, in a state of use of the device (1), apply said member (10) to bear with pressure against the flexible container (2) so as to, in the open position of the spout (6), press liquid out of the container (2).

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Inventors:
KJELLSTRÖM JOHAN (SE)
Application Number:
PCT/SE2019/050695
Publication Date:
January 23, 2020
Filing Date:
July 16, 2019
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
FLOWHYDRATE AB (SE)
International Classes:
A45F3/20; A45F3/16
Foreign References:
CN203828315U2014-09-17
CN202396769U2012-08-29
GB2404912A2005-02-16
US5358142A1994-10-25
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
BJERKÉNS PATENTBYRÅ KB (SE)
Download PDF:
Claims:
Claims

1 . A portable drinking device (1 , 100), such as a drinking bottle, comprising:

- a container (2) having an inner room (3) configured to con tain a liquid, and an opening (4) enabling liquid to be brought into and out of said inner room (3),

- a lid (5) configured to close said opening (4) of the con tainer (2) and having a spout (6) operable between a closed and an open position, in which flow of liquid out of the container (2) through the spout (6) is prevented and allowed, respectively, and

- an outer casing (7) configured to receive the container (2) therein,

wherein the container (2) is made of a flexible material so as to allow this to change shape, and wherein the drinking de vice (1 , 100) further comprises:

- an arrangement comprising a member (10) configured to be movably arranged within the casing (7), which arrange ment is configured to, in a state of use of the device (1 , 100), apply said member (10) to bear with pressure against the flexible container (2) so as to, in the open po sition of the spout (6), press liquid out of the container (2).

2. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the member (10) is movably connected to an in ner wall of the casing (7).

3. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the arrangement comprises at least one spring element (1 1 ) interconnecting the member (10) and a first in ner wall portion (12a) of the casing (7), and that said member

(10) is movable towards the first inner wall portion (12a) while storing potential energy in the at least one spring element

(1 1 ), and configured to, in the state of use of the device (1 , 100), be pushed away from the first inner wall portion (12a) so as to be applied to bear with pressure against the flexible container (2) by releasing potential energy stored in the at least one spring element (1 1 ). 4. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to claim 3, characterized in that the arrangement is configured to, in the state of use of the device (1 , 100), apply said member (10) to bear with pressure against the flexible container (2) and thereby press the flexible container (2) against a second inner wall portion (12b) of the casing (7).

5. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer casing (7) is config ured to removably receive the container (2) therein, so as to allow the container (2) to be removed therefrom in order to be filled with liquid.

6. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer casing (7) is formed by at least two parts (7a, 7b), and that these parts (7a, 7b) are at least partly separable from each other to enable open ing of an inner space (8) of the outer casing (7), in which the casing (7) is configured to receive the flexible container (2). 7. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer casing (7) is formed by two parts (7a, 7b) in the form of half shells, and that these parts (7a, 7b) are pivotably connected to each other at one end thereof. 8. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to any of the claims 3-

7, characterized in that the arrangement further comprises a lock mechanism comprising first and second locking means arranged on said member (10) and the first inner wall portion (12a) of the casing (7), respectively, wherein the lock mech- anism is configured to releasably secure the member (10) to the first inner wall portion (12a) of the casing (7) in a locking position by mutual engagement of the first and second lock ing means when the member (10) has been moved to a posi tion adjacent to the first inner wall portion (12a), and thereby the at least one spring element (1 1 ) to a state of storing po- tential energy.

9. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to claim 8, characterized in that the first locking means comprises at least one locking element (14) protruding from a base body (15) of said member (10) and the second locking means comprises at least one recess (16) on the first inner wall portion (12a) of the casing (7), that the at least one locking element (14) is provided with a stop part (17) at an end thereof remote from said base body (15), and that the locking element (14) is con- figured to engage with the recess (16) in the locking position by gripping behind an edge (18) of the recess (16) by the stop part (17).

10. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to claim 9, character- ized in that the second locking means comprises at least one recess (16) in the form of a through-hole in the first inner wall portion (12a) of the casing (7), that said locking element (14), in the locking position thereof, is configured to project through the recess (16) so that a part of the stop part (17) projects past a rear edge (20) thereof in an outer surface of the casing (7), and that the lock mechanism is operable to a releasing position by pushing the stop part (17) out of en gagement with the edge (18) of the recess (16) from the out side of the casing (7).

1 1 . A drinking device (1 , 100) according to any of the claims 3-

10, characterized in that the arrangement comprises at least two, preferably at least three, said spring elements (1 1 ). 12. A drinking device (1 , 100) according to any of the claims 3-

1 1 , characterized in that the at least one spring element (1 1 ) is a coil spring.

13. A drinking device (1 ) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1 ) is a drinking bot tle, preferably a sports drinking bottle.

Description:
A DRINKING DEVICE CONFIGURED TO PRESS LIQUID

OUT OF A CONTAINER

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a portable drinking device, such as a drinking bottle.

The invention relates to such a drinking device of any conceiv able type, which may be for instance a water bottle or a drinking device arranged in a backpack, but a sports drinking bottle may be mentioned as a typical example without restricting the inven tion thereto.

Such a drinking device is commonly used to contain a liquid, such as water or a sports drink, which a user of the device drinks to maintain the fluid balance in the body during sports and related activities, such as running, cycling or hiking. There is therefore desirable that the device is easy to carry and use, even during a trying and/or exhausting activity.

BACKGROUND ART

There are many types of drinking devices of this type already known, such as for instance regular handheld water bottles and multiple bottle waist belts.

These are however inconvenient to use and may during certain activities even be dangerous. One problem by use of such drink ing devices is that the liquid splashes around in the container of the device as soon as this is not full. This makes the drinking device uncomfortable to carry, especially during activities such as running . Another problem is that the user of for instance a reg ular water bottle has to bend the neck backwards for turning the face upwards in order to be able to drink from the bottle. This causes the user to lose focus for a few seconds, which may be dangerous during activities such as cycling or hill climbing. In the light of these problems, as a few examples, there is a need for such a drinking device that is convenient and safe to use dur ing various sports and activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a drinking device of the type defined in the introduction being improved in at least some aspect with respect to such drinking devices already known.

This object is according to the invention obtained by providing such a drinking device, which comprises:

- a container having an inner room configured to contain a liquid, and an opening enabling liquid to be brought into and out of said inner room,

- a lid configured to close said opening of the container and having a spout operable between a closed and an open position, in which flow of liquid out of the container through the spout is prevented and allowed, respectively, and

- an outer casing configured to receive the container therein,

wherein the container is made of a flexible material so as to allow this to change shape, and wherein the drinking device further comprises:

- an arrangement comprising a member configured to be movably arranged within the casing, which arrangement is configured to, in a state of use of the device, apply said member to bear with pressure against the flexible con- tainer so as to, in the open position of the spout, press liquid out of the container.

Such a drinking device enables a user to drink without raising the head as the liquid is automatically pressed out of the spout by the arrangement, when the spout is in the open position. Also, the arrangement reduces splashing of liquid inside the container of the device, by applying pressure against the container so that this is deformed as the user drinks and thus no air may enter into it. Hence, a drinking device with these features is convenient to carry and safe to use, even during demanding activities.

According to an embodiment of the invention the member is mov- ably connected to an inner wall of the casing.

According to another embodiment of the invention the arrange- ment comprises at least one spring element interconnecting the member and a first inner wall portion of the casing, and said mem ber is movable towards the first inner wall portion while storing potential energy in the at least one spring element, and config ured to, in the state of use of the device, be pushed away from the first inner wall portion so as to be applied to bear with pres sure against the flexible container by releasing potential energy stored in the at least one spring element. Such a spring element enables the arrangement to apply a continuous and suitably high pressure against the container in the state of use of the device.

According to another embodiment of the invention the arrange ment is configured to, in the state of use of the device, apply said member to bear with pressure against the flexible container and thereby press the flexible container against a second inner wall portion of the casing. The arrangement is in this way configured to make the container immobile in the state of use of the device, whereby splashing of liquid therein is minimized.

According to another embodiment of the invention the outer cas- ing is configured to removably receive the container therein, so as to allow the container to be removed therefrom in order to be filled with liquid.

According to another embodiment of the invention the outer cas- ing is formed by at least two parts, and these parts are at least partly separable from each other to enable opening of an inner space of the outer casing, in which the casing is configured to receive the flexible container.

According to another embodiment of the invention the outer cas- ing is formed by two parts in the form of half shells, and these parts are pivotably connected to each other at one end thereof.

According to another embodiment of the invention the arrange ment further comprises a lock mechanism comprising first and second locking means arranged on said member and the first in ner wall portion of the casing, respectively, wherein the lock mechanism is configured to releasably secure the member to the first inner wall portion of the casing in a locking position by mutual engagement of the first and second locking means when the mem- ber has been moved to a position adjacent to the first inner wall portion, and thereby the at least one spring element to a state of storing potential energy. Such a lock mechanism simplifies the process of filling the container with liquid, as it enables locking of the member in a fixed position, in which no pressure is applied to the container by the member.

According to another embodiment of the invention the first locking means comprises at least one locking element protruding from a base body of said member and the second locking means com- prises at least one recess on the first inner wall portion of the casing, the at least one locking element is provided with a stop part at an end thereof remote from said base body, and the lock ing element is configured to engage with the recess in the locking position by gripping behind an edge of the recess by the stop part.

According to another embodiment of the invention the second locking means comprises at least one recess in the form of a through-hole in the first inner wall portion of the casing, said lock ing element, in the locking position thereof, is configured to pro- ject through the recess so that a part of the stop part projects past a rear edge thereof in an outer surface of the casing, and the lock mechanism is operable to a releasing position by pushing the stop part out of engagement with the edge of the recess from the out side of the casing. Such a lock mechanism makes it easy for a user of the device to set the arrangement in a mode of applying pressure against the container after this has been filled with liq uid.

According to another embodiment of the invention the arrange ment comprises at least two, preferably at least three, said spring elements. Provided with at least two or three spring elements, the arrangement may apply the member to bear with an evenly dis tributed pressure against the container.

According to another embodiment of the invention the at least one spring element is a compression spring.

According to another embodiment of the invention the at least one spring element is a coil spring. According to another embodiment of the invention the device is a drinking bottle, preferably a sports drinking bottle.

According to another embodiment of the invention the container is at least mainly made of a synthetic material, preferably a plastic or rubber material.

According to another embodiment of the invention the casing is at least mainly made of a synthetic material, preferably a plastic. According to another embodiment of the invention the container has an inner volume of 0.1 -5 litres, 0.1 -2 litres, 0.2-1 litres, pref erably 0.2-0.7 litres, more preferred 0.2-0.5 litres.

Further advantages as well as advantageous features of the in- vention will appear from the following description of an embodi ment of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specific description of an embodiment of the invention cited as an exam- pie.

In the drawings:

Fig 1 is a side elevation view of a drinking device according to an embodiment of the invention, in a state of use,

Fig 2 is an exploded view showing the main individual com ponents of the drinking device of Fig. 1 , Fig 3 is a side elevation view of the drinking device of Fig. 1 during a first step in a process of filling the container with liquid,

Fig 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 during a second step in a process of filling the container with liquid,

Fig 5 is a view from above of the drinking device as shown in

Fig. 4, Fig 6a is a side elevation view of the drinking device of Fig. 1 during a third step in a process of filling the container with liquid,

Fig 6b is a sectional view as seen from the plane A in Fig. 6a, and

Fig 7 is a simplified view of a drinking device according to another embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE IN VENTION

A portable drinking device 1 according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the appended figures 1 -6b and will now be described while at the same time making reference to all these figures. The drinking device 1 is a drinking bottle to be used dur ing various activities, especially sports such as running or cycling, but also during other activities such as hiking in the nature or hill climbing.

The drinking device 1 comprises a container 2 having an inner room 3 configured to contain a liquid, such as water or a sports drink, and an opening 4 enabling liquid to be brought into and out of said inner room. The container is made of a flexible material, such as plastic or rubber, and is thus allowed to change shape and inner volume. The maximum inner volume, i.e. when the con tainer is filled with liquid, is typically 0.2-0.5 litres, but other sizes are also possible, such as a 1 litre container.

The drinking device 1 further comprises a lid 5 configured to close said opening 4 of the container 2. The lid has a spout 6 operable between a closed and an open position, in which flow of liquid out of the container through the spout is prevented and allowed, re- spectively. The specific structures of such a lid 5 and spout 6 may be configured in a plurality of different ways and are not important for the present invention. The lid may as an example be config ured as a common water bottle lid made of plastic, which is screwed onto the container 2 for closing the opening 4 thereof. The spout may as an example be made of rubber and have an inner channel through which flow of liquid out of the container is allowed in the open position of the spout. The spout may have some type of arrangement configured to block the flow of liquid in the channel in the closed position of the spout. Suitably, the spout is in the closed position when the arrangement is in a rest state and is operable by a user to the open position by biting on the spout. Such lids 5 and spouts 6 are well known in the art and will therefore not be further described in this disclosure.

The drinking device 1 further comprises an outer casing 7 config- ured to receive the container 2 in an inner space 8 thereof. The casing is formed by two casing parts 7a, 7b, in the form of half shells, which are pivotably connected to each other through a hinge 9 at one end of the casing and configured to be removably secured to each other at another opposite end by a locking clip 21 . The casing parts are movable with respect to each other through the hinge so as to enable the inner space 8 of the casing 7 to be opened (as is seen in Figs. 3-5) and closed (as is seen in Fig. 6b). The container may thus be removed from the casing in order to be filled with liquid. The casing is suitably made of a hard synthetic material, such as a plastic, but may also include other materials.

The drinking device 1 further comprises an arrangement compris ing a member 10 in the form of an elongated pressing plate made of a hard material, preferably a plastic, and three spring elements 1 1 in the form of compression springs, more specifically coil springs, interconnecting the member and a first inner wall portion 12a of the casing 7. The member 10 is thus movably arranged within the casing in such a way that it is configured to be movable towards the first inner wall portion 12a while storing potential en ergy in the spring elements 1 1 , and be pushed away from the first inner wall portion by releasing potential energy stored in the spring elements. The arrangement is configured to, in a state of use of the device 1 , apply said member 10 to bear with pressure against the flexible container 2 and thereby press the flexible container against a sec ond inner wall portion 12b, opposing the first inner wall portion 12a, of the casing 7 by releasing potential energy stored in the spring elements. The arrangement thereby builds up a pressure inside the flexible container in the state of use of the device, so that the liquid is pressed out of the container by the arrangement when the spout 6 is in the open position, even if the device 1 is directed with the spout 6 upwards, as seen for instance in Fig. 1 . The member 10 has a front surface 13 by which it is configured to bear against the flexible container 2 in the state of use of the device, which front surface has a shape corresponding to the shape of the second inner wall portion 12b of the casing. This shape of the front surface, together with the even distribution of the three spring elements 1 1 along the member, enables the ar rangement to make the flexible container almost entirely flat and thereby the user to drink nearly all liquid contained therein.

The arrangement further comprises a lock mechanism comprising first and second locking means arranged on said member 10 and the first inner wall portion 12a of the casing 7, respectively. The lock mechanism is configured to releasably secure the member to the first inner wall portion of the casing in a locking position (see Fig. 6b) by mutual engagement of the first and second locking means when the member 10 has been moved to a position adja cent to the first inner wall portion 12a, and thereby the spring elements 1 1 to a state of storing potential energy.

The first locking means comprises two elongated locking ele- ments 14 protruding from a base body 15 of said member 10 at a side thereof opposite to the front surface 13, and the second lock ing means comprises two recesses 16 on, in the form of through- holes in, the first inner wall portion 12a of the casing 7. Each locking element 14 is provided with a stop part 17 at an end thereof remote from said base body and is configured to engage with a said recess 16 in the locking position by gripping behind an edge 18 of the recess by the stop part, which edge defines at least a part of an exit opening of the recess at an outer surface of the casing 7. Each locking element 14 has an elongated resilient body which is connected to the base body 15 of the member 10 by one end and provided with the stop part 17 on the other end. In an operation of securing the member to the first inner wall portion 12a of the casing 7, the member is pushed against the first inner wall portion so that each stop part 17 of the two locking elements 14 is pushed against a guide surface 19 adjacent to and tapering into a recess 16 on the first inner wall portion 12a. As the stop part is guided along the guide surface 19 towards the recess 16, the resilient body of the locking element is bent away from its rest state while storing potential energy in the resilient body. When the stop part has been further pushed into the recess and past said edge 18 thereof, the locking element 14 will automatically snap out to a position of engaging the recess 16 by the stop part 17 snapping out behind said edge 18 thereof.

This snapping action is achieved by releasing the potential energy stored in the resiliently bent elongated body of the locking ele ment 14 when the entire stop part 17 has been brought past said edge 18 of a said recess 16 so that the counter pressure by an inner wall of the recess acting on the stop part of the locking ele ment ceases, whereby the elongated body of the locking element is allowed to return to its rest state (see fig. 6b). Accordingly, the stop part 17 of each locking element is configured to snap out behind said edge 18 of a respective recess 16 so as to grip behind this edge and thereby secure the member 10 to the first inner wall portion 12a of the casing 7 in the locking position of the lock mechanism. Each locking element 14 is configured to, in the locking position of the lock mechanism, project through a respective recess 16 in such a way that at least a part of the stop part 17 projects past a rear edge 20 thereof in an outer surface of the casing 7. Thus, a part of each stop part protrudes from the outer surface of the cas ing in said locking position (as is seen in Figs. 4 and 6b). This means that the user of the device 1 has access to the lock mech anism from the outside of the casing and may operate the lock mechanism to a releasing position by pushing the stop parts out of engagement with the edge 18 of the recesses 16 (i.e. in a di- rection towards each other as seen in Fig. 6b).

The drinking device 1 may also be provided with straps 22 at the outside of the casing 7, for more convenient carrying of the de vice, especially during activities such as running.

A process of filling the container 2 with liquid as well as use of the device 1 is now to be explained. Starting from the state of use of the device (as shown in Fig. 1 ), firstly, the locking clip 21 is released and the casing parts 7a, 7b pivoted away from each other so that the inner space 8 of the casing 7 is opened (see Fig. 3). The container may now be removed from the casing and filled with liquid.

The filled container 2 is then placed in the empty casing part 7b, i.e. the part which is not provided with the member 10 and spring elements 1 1 (see Figs. 4 and 5). The user then transfers the lock mechanism to the locking position by pushing the member to wards the first inner wall portion 12a of the other casing part 7a until the stop parts 17 of the locking elements 14 snap out behind said edge 18 of the recesses 16 and the member 10 is secured in a position adjacent to the first inner wall portion.

The casing 7 is then closed by bringing the casing parts 7a, 7b together (see Fig. 6b) and securing them to each other by the locking clip 21 . The user may now transfer the lock mechanism to a releasing position by pushing the stop parts 17 towards each other and thereby out of engagement with said edge 18 of the recesses 16 so that the spring elements 1 1 start to press the member 10 away from the first inner wall portion 12a of the casing 7 and against the flexible container 2. Thereby, the drinking de vice 1 is set in the state of use. Lastly, the user suitably transfers the spout 6 to the open position (for instance by pressing it be tween two fingers) so that any air is pressed out of the container by the arrangement. When liquid comes out, the spout should be released to be set in the closed position and the drinking device 1 is ready to be used.

During use of the drinking device 1 , the arrangement will contin uously urge said member 10 to bear with pressure against the flexible container 2 by action of the spring elements 1 1 , so that liquid is pressed out of the container as soon as the user opens the spout. As the user drinks, so that the liquid volume in the container is reduced, the arrangement will deform and compress the container 2 towards a flat state so that no air is allowed to enter into the container and this may not move inside the inner space 8 of the casing 7.

Accordingly, the drinking device 1 enables the user to drink there from without raising the head and the liquid has no room to splash around in the device at any time, which makes the device safe and convenient to use, even during demanding activities. Further more, the separate removable container 2 enables easy washing of the device, as no other component thereof comes into contact with the liquid. A drinking device 100 according to another embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 7. The outer casing 107 of the device is schematically shown and placed in a backpack and the spout 106 is in the form of a tube extending from the device in the back pack to the mouth of the user. The other components and features of the device 1 shown in Figs. 1 -6b may be configured in the same or a similar way by the device 100 shown in Fig. 7. In other pos sible embodiments of the invention, the device could be config ured to be arranged on a bicycle or in a canoe, as a few examples. The invention is of course not in any way restricted to the embod iments thereof described above, but many possibilities to modifi cations thereof will be apparent to a person with ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as de- fined in the appended claims.

The outer casing does not have to entirely enclose the flexible container, but could be configured as a hollow cylinder with open bottom or as a cage, as a few examples. Also, parts of the flexible container could project out of the casing in the state of use of the device. The individual casing parts of an outer casing formed by two or more parts may have different dimensions. Two casing parts which are pivotably connected to each other at one end thereof could be pivotably connected along longitudinal edges.

The flexible container may also include parts which are not flexi ble, such as a hard plastic plate or the like. The container could also be fixedly secured in the casing, for instance through the lid, such as in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4.

That two parts are interconnected should in this disclosure be in terpreted as that they are directly or indirectly interconnected. For instance, a spring element interconnecting the member and a first inner wall portion of the casing may be connected to the member and/or the first inner wall portion by another component, such as a disk or rod, as a few examples. In the same way, for instance “a recess on the first inner wall portion” should be interpreted as that the recess is arranged directly on this wall portion, or on a component arranged thereon.

A“state of use” of the device is in this disclosure to be interpreted as a state in which the device is completely assembled and ready for use. A spring element is in this disclosure to be interpreted as an ele ment with the ability to be moved from a rest state while storing potential energy and is configured to return to the rest state by releasing the potential energy stored. Such a spring element may in addition to a compression spring also be or comprise a foam block, a tension spring or a leaf spring, as a few examples.

The member of the arrangement may have any suitable shape, such as be completely flat, curved, semicylindrical or hemispher ical. The term“recess” is in this disclosure to be interpreted as includ ing any recessed part in a surface, including for instance a through-hole and a recess closed by a bottom surface.