HANDS FREE HYDRATION SYSTEM

• US 20100084290A1
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nutra-Life, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nutra-Life, Inc.
• Inventors: Anson, Rebecca, Jimenez, Shane, Anson, Ricky L.
• Application Number:
  US12/552,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20100084290A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/219
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/243 moving linearly, i.e. without rotational motion
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/28 with auxiliary containers for additional articles or materials B65D51/247 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3261 Flexible containers having several compartments
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/002 using small portable filters for producing potable water, e.g. personal travel or emergency equipment, survival kits, combat gear C02F1/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/68 by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water medicinal water A61K
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/688 Devices in which the water progressively dissolves a solid compound
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/02 as part of a bottle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

A hydration system configured to receive liquid from a wearable fluid storage and delivery device and selectively add supplements thereto. The system includes a removable cap, an interior housing, and an outside housing. The interior housing has a supplement chamber for housing a dissolvable supplement body with an open end portion closable by the cap. The interior housing also has a bypass channel separated from the supplement chamber. The outside housing has an interior channel configured to slidably receive the interior housing and allow it to slide between a supplement adding position and a bypass position relative to the outside housing. In the supplement adding position, liquid received from the wearable device flows into the supplement chamber whereat at least a portion of the dissolvable supplement body dissolves into the liquid. In the bypass position, liquid received from the wearable device flows into the bypass channel bypassing the supplement chamber.

Claims

1. A hydration system for use with a dissolvable supplement body, a valve operable by a user, and a wearable fluid storage and delivery device comprising a bladder for storing a liquid, and a tube connected to the bladder, the tube being configured to conduct the liquid away from the bladder, the system comprising:

a supplement retention area;

a first connector in fluid communication with the supplement retention area, the first connector being connectable to the tube and configured to receive the liquid from the tube when connected thereto and conduct the liquid received into the supplement retention area; and

a second connector in fluid communication with the supplement retention area, the second connector being connectable to the valve and configured to receive the liquid from the supplement retention area and conduct the liquid received toward the valve, the supplement retention area being configured to retain the dissolvable supplement body as the liquid flows therethrough between the first and second connectors and dissolves the dissolvable supplement body.

2. The hydration system of claim 1, further comprising:

an outside housing comprising the first connector, and the second connector;

an interior housing assembly comprising the supplement retention area, the interior housing assembly being receivable inside the outside housing and movable relative to the outside housing between a first position and a second position; and

when the interior housing assembly is in the first position relative to the outside housing, the first connector being configured to conduct the liquid into the supplement retention area, and the second connector being configured to conduct the liquid away from the supplement retention area.

3. The hydration system of claim 2, wherein the interior housing assembly further comprises:

an interior housing comprising an interior chamber with an open end, an inlet, and an outlet; and

a top cap configured to close the open end of the interior chamber of the interior housing, the supplement retention area being located inside a closed portion of the interior chamber comprising the inlet and the outlet when the open end of the interior chamber is closed by the top cap, when the interior housing assembly is in the first position relative to the outside housing, the first connector being configured to conduct the liquid into the inlet, and the second connector being configured to conduct the liquid away from the outlet.

4. The hydration system of claim 3, wherein the top cap comprises a stop portion configured to limit the movement of the interior housing assembly relative to the outside housing when the interior housing assembly is moved from the first position to the second position.

5. The hydration system of claim 3, wherein the interior housing comprises a stop portion configured to limit the movement of the interior housing assembly relative to the outside housing when the interior housing assembly is moved from the second position to the first position.

6. The hydration system of claim 3, wherein the outside housing comprises an open ended channel defined by a sidewall,

the interior housing comprises a portion slidably received inside the open ended channel of the outside housing and a first stop portion positioned outside the open ended channel of the outside housing, the first stop portion being opposite the top cap, the portion of the interior housing being configured to slide inside the open ended channel of the outside housing, and the first stop portion being sized to abut the sidewall of the outside housing when the interior housing assembly is in the first position and to limit the movement of the interior housing assembly toward the first position;

and

the top cap comprises a second stop portion positioned and sized to abut the sidewall of the outside housing when the interior housing assembly is in the second position and to limit the movement of the interior housing assembly toward the second position.

7. The hydration system of claim 6, wherein the interior housing assembly is non-rotatable within the open ended channel of the outside housing.

8. The hydration system of claim 7, wherein the portion of the interior housing slidably received inside the open ended channel of the outside housing has an oval or elliptical cross-sectional shape and the open ended channel of the outside housing has an oval or elliptical cross-sectional shape.

9. The hydration system of claim 3, wherein the open end of the interior chamber of the interior housing is configured to accommodate the passage of the dissolvable supplement body therethrough;

and

the top cap is selectively couplable to and removable from the open end of the interior chamber of the interior housing to allow the passage of the dissolvable supplement body through the open end and into the interior chamber.

10. The hydration system of claim 2, wherein the interior housing assembly comprises an outside bypass channel sealed from the supplement retention area, and

when the interior housing assembly is in the second position relative to the outside housing, the first connector conducts the liquid into the outside bypass channel, and the second connector conducts the liquid away from the outside bypass channel.

11. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein the supplement retention area is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers each configured to retain a separate dissolvable supplement body as the liquid flows through the supplement retention area between the first and second connectors and dissolves the dissolvable supplement bodies.

12. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein the supplement retention area is divided into the plurality of sub-chambers by one or more perforated walls.

13. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein the bladder stores a predetermined amount of liquid,

the liquid flows between the first and second connectors at a flow rate, and

the supplement retention area is configured to limit the flow rate to completely dissolve the dissolvable supplement body at the dissolve rate in the predetermined amount of liquid as the bladder is emptied.

14. A hydration system for use with a dissolvable supplement body, the hydration system comprising:

a removable cap;

an inside housing having an interior supplement chamber configured to house the dissolvable supplement body, the interior supplement chamber comprising an open end portion, an inlet, and an outlet, the open end portion of the interior supplement chamber being closable by the removable cap, the inside housing further comprising a bypass channel separated from the interior supplement chamber; and

an outside housing comprising a first fluid conducting connector couplable to a first tube, a second fluid conducting connector couplable to a second tube, and an interior channel configured to slidably receive the interior housing, the interior housing being configured to slide within the interior channel between a supplement adding position and a bypass position relative to the outside housing, the first fluid conducting connector being configured to receive liquid from the first tube when coupled thereto, the second fluid conducting connector being configured to conduct liquid into the second tube when coupled thereto,

in the supplement adding position, the inlet of the interior supplement chamber being aligned with the first fluid conducting connector such that the first fluid conducting connector conducts liquid received from the first tube into the inlet, and the outlet of the interior supplement chamber being aligned with the second fluid conducting connector such that the second fluid conducting connector conducts liquid away from the outlet of the interior supplement chamber, and into the second tube,

in the bypass position, the bypass channel being aligned with the first fluid conducting connector and the second fluid conducting connector such that the first fluid conducting connector conducts liquid received from the first tube into the bypass channel, and the second fluid conducting connector conducts liquid away from the bypass channel, and into the second tube without the liquid entering the interior supplement chamber.

15. The hydration system of claim 14 for use by a user having a mouth, the hydration system further comprising:

a bite valve coupled to the second tube and comprising a portion receivable inside the mouth of the user,

wherein when the interior housing is in the supplement adding position relative to the outside housing, and the user bites down on the portion of the bite valve and applies suction thereto, liquid is drawn from the second tube into the mouth of the user, which draws liquid from the interior supplement chamber via the second fluid conducting connector and the outlet, which draws liquid from the first tube via the inlet and the first fluid conducting connector, and

when the interior housing is in the bypass position relative to the outside housing, and the user bites down on the portion of the bite valve and applies suction thereto, liquid is drawn from the second tube into the mouth of the user, which draws liquid from the bypass channel via the second fluid conducting connector, which draws liquid from the first tube via the first fluid conducting connector.

16. The hydration system of claim 15, wherein the bite valve is operable to selectively halt the flow of the liquid into the mouth of the user.

17. The hydration system of claim 14 for use by a user, further comprising:

a bladder wearable by a user and configured to store a liquid, the first tube being connectable to the bladder and configured to conduct the liquid stored in the bladder away therefrom and toward the first fluid conducting connector.

19. The kit of claim 15, wherein the valve is operable to selectively halt the outbound flow of liquid from the supplement retention area.

20. The kit of claim 15, further comprising at least one dissolvable supplement body.

18. A kit comprising:

a wearable fluid storage and delivery device comprising a bladder for storing a liquid, and a tube connected to the bladder, the tube being configured to conduct an inbound flow of liquid away from the bladder;

a valve operable by a user;

a hydration system comprising;

a supplement retention area;

a first connector in fluid communication with the supplement retention area, the first connector being connectable to the tube and configured to receive the inbound flow of liquid from the tube when connected thereto and conduct the inbound flow of liquid into the supplement retention area; and

a second connector in fluid communication with the supplement retention area, the second connector being connectable to the valve and configured to receive an outbound flow of liquid from the supplement retention area and conduct the outbound flow of liquid to the valve, the supplement retention area being configured to retain a dissolvable supplement body as the inbound flow of liquid flows therethrough, dissolves the dissolvable supplement body, and exits the supplement retention area as the outbound flow of liquid.

21. A kit usable with a first tube connectable to a source of liquid, and a second tube for delivering liquid to an intended recipient, comprising:

at least one dissolvable supplement body; and

a hydration system comprising;

a removable cap;

an inside housing having an interior supplement chamber configured to house the dissolvable supplement body, the interior supplement chamber comprising an open end portion, an inlet, and an outlet, the open end portion of the interior supplement chamber being closable by the removable cap, the inside housing further comprising a bypass channel separated from the interior supplement chamber; and

an outside housing comprising a first fluid conducting connector couplable to the first tube, a second fluid conducting connector couplable to the second tube, and an interior channel configured to slidably receive the interior housing, the interior housing being configured to slide within the interior channel between a supplement adding position and a bypass position relative to the outside housing, the first fluid conducting connector being configured to receive liquid from the first tube when coupled thereto, the second fluid conducting connector being configured to conduct liquid into the second tube when coupled thereto,

in the supplement adding position, the inlet of the interior supplement chamber being aligned with the first fluid conducting connector such that the first fluid conducting connector conducts liquid received from the first tube into the inlet, and the outlet of the interior supplement chamber being aligned with the second fluid conducting connector such that the second fluid conducting connector conducts liquid away from the outlet of the interior supplement chamber, and into the second tube,

in the bypass position, the bypass channel being aligned with the first fluid conducting connector and the second fluid conducting connector such that the first fluid conducting connector conducts liquid received from the first tube into the bypass channel, and the second fluid conducting connector conducts liquid away from the bypass channel, and into the second tube.

22. A method of producing a supplemented liquid, the method comprising:

inserting a dissolvable supplement body into a supplement receiving opening of a supplement housing;

connecting the supplement housing to a tube coupled to a bladder of a wearable fluid storage and delivery device, the bladder storing a liquid operable to dissolve the dissolvable supplement body, the supplement housing having an inlet for receiving liquid from the bladder through the tube;

connecting the supplement housing to a valve selectively openable and closable by a user, the supplement housing having an outlet for supplying liquid to the valve when the valve is open;

attaching a cap over the supplement receiving opening to retain the dissolvable supplement body inside the supplement housing; and

causing liquid to flow from the bladder into the inlet of the supplement housing to cause the liquid to flow through the supplement housing and out the outlet with the cap retaining the dissolvable supplement body inside the supplement housing as the liquid flows and at least partially dissolves the dissolvable supplement body to produce a supplemented liquid, which flows out through the valve when the valve is open.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising drinking the supplemented liquid.