Personal hydration system with an improved mouthpiece

• US 6,364,168 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CamelBak Products LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CamelBak Products LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Inventors: Choi, Robert, Gardner, Gary D., Peters, Cynthia A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEASEL, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US09/519,302
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 222/175, 222/610, 222/490, 220/703, 220/714, 224/414, 224/148.2, 224/148.4
• US Class Current: 222/175
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/16 Water-bottles; Mess-tins; Cups
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/185 Mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/16 End- or aperture-closing arrangements or devices valves of valve bags B65D31/14 ; removable stoppers or caps B65D39/00, B65D41/00; closures of filled bags B65D77/10; closing filled bags in association with packaging B65B7/00, B65B51/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2031 the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure B65D47/2025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5877 connected to a planar surface of the package wall

Abstract

A personal hydration system with an improved mouthpiece for use in providing fluid for delivery to a user. The mouthpiece includes a neck that is adapted to be mounted on a supply tube to a hydration system and which is joined to a resilient head. The head includes a dispensing face with a pair of lips that define a normally closed slit, through which fluid is dispensed from the mouthpiece, a perimeter and a minimum dimension between opposed points on the perimeter. The bite region extends from the perimeter to a shoulder, which joins the bite region and the neck. From a closed position, in which the lips extend against each other to close the slit and prevent fluid from being dispensed through the slit, the mouthpiece is deformable to a dispensing position in which the lips are spread at least partially away from each other to allow fluid to be dispensed through the lips.

Claims

1. A personal hydration system for use in providing fluid to a user, the hydration system comprising:

a reservoir configured to hold a supply of fluid and including an output port through which the fluid may be passed;

a flexible hose with first and second ends, the first end being connected to the output port; and

a mouthpiece connected to the second end of the hose and configured to be placed in the user'"'"'s mouth to provide fluid delivery thereto, the mouthpiece comprising;

a neck portion mounted on the second end of the hose; and

a head adapted to be received in a user'"'"'s mouth and including a dispensing face adapted to selectively dispense fluid to a user'"'"'s mouth, a lip-receiving shoulder extending away from the neck portion, and a bite region extending from the lip-receiving shoulder generally toward the dispensing face, wherein the neck portion, the bite region, and the lip-receiving shoulder are formed integrally, the dispensing face includes a perimeter with a minimum dimension between opposed points on the perimeter, and the bite region has a length, measured in the direction of fluid flow, that is less than the minimum dimension.

2. The hydration system of claim 1, further including a pack adapted to receive the reservoir and having an opening for the hose to extend through.

3. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing face is integral with the bite region, the lip-receiving shoulder, and the neck portion.

4. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein a portion of the dispensing face that defines the perimeter is integral with the bite region and the neck portion.

5. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein the neck portion internally receives the second end of the hose.

6. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein the neck portion is circular in cross section.

7. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein the bite region includes a surface that upon receipt of a force generally normal to the direction of fluid flow, enables fluid to be dispensed through the dispensing face.

8. The hydration system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing face includes a pair of opposed lips that define a normally closed slit extending therebetween, wherein the slit has a long axis, and further wherein compressing the bite region along the long axis of the slit deforms the mouthpiece from a closed position in which the lips extend in contact with each other to close the slit and prevent fluid from being dispensed through the slit, to a dispensing position in which the lips are spread at least partially apart from each other to enable fluid to be dispensed through the slit.

9. The hydration system of claim 8, wherein in the dispensing position, the pair of lips is adapted to spread apart to create an opening with an area sufficient to dispense fluid from the mouthpiece at a flowrate greater than 30 ml/sec when the mouthpiece is placed in the user'"'"'s mouth, a biting force is applied, and the mouthpiece is drawn upon by the user.