Portable container

• US 20050072804A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nalge NUNC International Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nalge NUNC International Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Dennis B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,014,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/175
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2003/166 Hydration systems attached to the body by straps, e.g. incorporated in a backpack
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/04 Sacks or packs carried on the body by means of two straps passing over the two shoulders
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/20 of flexible material; Collapsible or stackable cups
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/56 Handles or other suspension means
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5877 connected to a planar surface of the package wall

Abstract

A container system has a container defining a volume. Inlet structure includes a cap that threads onto a spout. A tether has a first end formed integral with the base or neck of the spout. A second end of the tether is attached to a mount in the cap extending downward so that when installed and in the closed position, the second end of the tether attached to the mount is substantially in the same plane as the first end and the spiral stretch of the tether in between. When the tether moves from the stored position and the deployed position, it urges itself back toward the closed position. The tether has a length for positioning the cap of the inlet structure away from the inlet. A discharge port is connected to a discharge tube and a bite valve.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

wall means for defining a volume to contain matter;

a mouth positioned in said wall means for passing matter into and out of said volume;

a cap sized to fit on said mouth and positionable between a closed position in which said cap is positioned on said mouth to inhibit the movement of said matter into and out of said volume and an open position in which said cap is removed from said mouth for the movement of matter therethrough;

a tether having a first end and second end with a stretch therein between, said first end being secured to one of said wall means and said mouth and a second end secured to said cap, said tether being movable between a stored position in which said tether is positioned substantially within said mouth and a deployed position in which said tether extends from one of said mouth and said wall means to said cap in its open position, said stretch being formed to be a selected geometric shape in said stored condition and formed of a material having a memory

urging said stretch toward said stored position.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein said mouth has a base attached to said wall means and a neck attached to said base to extend away from said base and exterior of said wall means.

3. The container of claim 2, further including attachment means for removably and sealably associating said cap with said mouth when said cap is positioned in said closed position.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein said attachment means includes first threads formed on said neck and second threads formed with said cap for threadedly engaging said first threads.

5. The container of claim 2, wherein said first end of said tether is formed unitarily with said mouth.

6. The container of claim 5, wherein said cap has a mount, and wherein said tether is attached to said mount.

7. The container of claim 6, wherein said cap has an interior surface, and wherein said mount is centrally attached to said interior surface.

8. The container of claim 7 wherein said base of said mouth has a rim that is substantially planar and defines a rim plane, wherein said tether is attached to proximate said rim of said base of said mouth, wherein said mount has a height selected to position said second end of said tether proximate said rim plane with said cap in said closed position.

9. The container of claim 8, wherein said stretch of said tether in said stored position extends spirally at least 360 degrees about said mount to said second end.

10. The container of claim 9 wherein said stretch of said tether in said stored position extends spirally at least 540 degrees about said mount to said second end.

11. The container of claim 1 wherein said tether in said open position has an effective length sized for positioning said cap away from said mouth a distance selected for user access to said mouth.

12. The container of claim 8 wherein a rivet having a post and a head attaches said tether to said mount, wherein said second end of said tether has an aperture sized to receive said post of said rivet there through to rotate there about.

13. The container of claim 12 wherein said tether has a thickness and a width, and wherein said width is at least twice that of the thickness.

14. The container of claim 13 wherein said tether is made of flexible plastic.

15. The container of claim 14 wherein said tether is made polythene.

16. The container of claim 13, wherein said width is between about 0.5 cm and 1.0 cm, said length is between about 20 cm and 30 cm, and said thickness is between about 0.1 and 0.3 cm.

17. The container of claim 13, wherein said neck defines an aperture through said mouth which neck is cylindrical in shape with a diameter from about 5 centimeters to about 15 centimeters.

18. The container of claim 1, wherein the wall means is unitarily formed to have a bottom and at least one wall and with a top configured to contain said mouth.

19. The container of claim 1, wherein the wall means is a formed of a least one flexible sidewall having an upper edge sealed to form a first seal and a lower edge sealed to from a second seal.

20. The container of claim 19 further including a discharge port sealingly positioned in said second seal.

21. The container of claim 20 wherein said discharge port has a first base with a first aperture formed therein for communicating liquid between said volume and exterior of said container.

22. The container of claim 21 wherein said wall is formed to have two opposite edges extending between said upper edge and said lower edge.

23. The container of claim 22 wherein said lower seal has a portion extending at an angle from said lower edge toward one of said two opposite edges.

24. The container of claim 23 wherein said base of said discharge port has a first outer surface and a second outer surface spaced from said first outer surface with said first aperture positioned thereinbetween, said first outer surface and said second outer surface each configured to be sealed into said lower seal.

25. The container of claim 24 wherein said first base has a first edge and a second edge with said aperture thereinbetween and with said first outer surface and said second outer surface extending arcuately between said first edge and said second edge.

26. The container of claim 20 further including a discharge tube connectable to said discharge port.

27. The container of claim 26 wherein said discharge port includes a valve operable between an open position and a closed position.

28. The container of claim 27 wherein said valve is a bayonet valve and wherein said discharge tube has a bayoneted connector insertable into said valve to operate said bayonet valve from a normally closed position to an open position.

29. The container of claim 28 wherein said bayonet valve has an axis essentially normal to said lower seal, and wherein said bayonet has a housing which includes an elbow extending away from said axis.

30. The container of claim 21 further including a bite valve operable between a closed position to pass liquid therethrough and a closed position inhibiting the flow of liquid there through by the user biting thereon, said bite valve being positioned on the distal end of said discharge tube, said discharge tube being sized in length to extend to the user'"'"'s mouth.

31. The container of claim 1 further including a thermal control chamber positioned proximate said wall means and attached thereto.

32. The container of claim 31 wherein said thermal control chamber includes a substance that is thermally treated to place it at a temperature different from ambient temperature.

33. The container of claim 32 wherein said thermal control chamber is at least two separate sealed chambers.

34. The container of claim 33 wherein said wall means includes a wall member, and wherein said thermal control chamber is formed by said wall member and a thermal chamber wall sealed to said wall member to define said thermal chamber therein between

35. The container of claim 1 further including a handle removably attached to said mouth, said handle being sized for grasping by the user'"'"'s hand.

36. The container of claim 35 wherein said handle includes apertures sized and shaped for positioning on suspension structure for suspending said container therefrom.

39. The container of claim 14 wherein said tether is formed from polyurethane.

40. The container of claim 1 wherein said selected geometric shape is a spiral.

41. The container of claim 2 wherein said cap has a cap sealing surface and said neck has a neck sealing surface to abut said cap sealing surface with said cap in said closed position.

42. The container of claim 1 wherein said second end of said tether is removably secured to said cap.

43. The container of claim 6 where said tether is attached to said mount by a rivet.

44. The container of claim 6 wherein said tether is attached to said mount by a removable rivet.

37. The container of claim 37 wherein said end for connection with said aperture is rotatably connected to said aperture.

38. The container of claim 37 wherein said end for connection with said aperture is rotatably connected to said aperture.

45. A portable container system comprising:

wall means for defining a volume to contain matter;

a mouth positioned in said wall for passing matter into and out of said volume, said mouth having an aperture sized to allow movement of matter into and out of the volume;

a cap sized to fit on the mouth positionable between a closed position in which the cap is sealed on the mouth to inhibit the movement of matter out of said volume and an open position in which the cap is removed from the mouth for the passage of matter into and out of said volume, said cap having a mount formed thereon to extend into said mouth with said cap in said closed position;

a tether with a first end attached to said mouth and a second end attached to said mount of said cap with a stretch in between, said tether being movable from a stored position with said cap in said closed position to a deployed position with said cap in said open position, said stretch being spiral in shape to extend radially about said mount at least 360 degrees in said stored position, said stretch having a thickness and a width and formed of a plastic material which urges said tether to said stored position from said deployed position;

a discharge port attached to said wall means for transporting matter from within to without of said volume;

a discharge tube removably connected to said discharge port for transporting matter from said discharge port; and

a bite valve positioned on the distal end of said discharge tube for operation by the user between an open position for passage of matter therefrom and a closed position inhibiting the flow of matter therefrom.