Drink containers

• US 8,191,727 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CamelBak Products LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CamelBak Products LLC (Vista Outdoor Inc.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Derek Gavin, Davies, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Pickett, J. Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poon, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/357,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20100181329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 220/252, 220/705, 220707-709, 215387-389
• US Class Current: 220/707
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2266 Means for facilitating drinking, e.g. for infants or invalids
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 19/2272 from drinking glasses or cups comprising lids or covers
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 21/18 Drinking straws or the like as integral parts of drinking containers A47G19/2266; for therapeutic purposes A61J15/00 ; adapted to emerge from drinking containers when opened B65D77/283
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/065 with hinged, foldable or pivotable spouts
• 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 51/242 provided with means for facilitating lifting or suspending of the container

Abstract

Drink containers with mouthpiece assemblies having a dispensing configuration and a stowed configuration. A mouthpiece assembly defines a liquid passage through which drink liquid may be dispensed when the mouthpiece assembly is in the dispensing configuration and includes means for selectively restricting the flow of drink liquid through the liquid passage when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration. In some examples, the means for selectively restricting the flow of drink liquid include a tube that at least partially defines the liquid passage and which includes a crimping region. The crimping region may be constructed of a resiliently and reversibly deformable material that is adapted to restrict the flow of drink liquid through the liquid passage when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration. In some embodiments, the mouthpiece assembly includes a means for automatically releasing the mouthpiece assembly from its stowed configuration to a dispensing configuration.

Claims

1. A drink container, comprising:

a liquid container having a neck with an opening and having an internal compartment sized to hold a volume of potable drink liquid;

a cap assembly removably coupled to the liquid container, the cap assembly comprising;

a base removably coupled to the neck of the liquid container and including a through-passage;

a first catch structure;

a mouthpiece assembly extending through the through-passage of the base and defining a liquid passage through which drink liquid from the liquid container may selectively flow, and further defining an inlet through which drink fluid in the internal compartment may enter the liquid passage and an outlet through which drink liquid from the internal compartment of the liquid container is selectively dispensed, wherein the mouthpiece assembly is configured to be selectively configured between a dispensing configuration, in which the liquid passage permits drink liquid to flow from the internal compartment at least into the liquid passage, and a stowed configuration, in which the liquid passage restricts the flow of drink liquid through the liquid passage, wherein the mouthpiece assembly is biased to the dispensing configuration, wherein the mouthpiece assembly is configured to be selectively coupled to and decoupled from an operative position on the base of the cap assembly via an underside of the base but not via a top side of the base, and wherein the mouthpiece assembly comprises;

a mouthpiece portion that includes the outlet;

a tube that defines at least a portion of the liquid passage for drink liquid to flow from the internal compartment to the mouthpiece portion, wherein the tube includes a crimping region constructed of a resiliently deformable material and is adapted to restrict the flow of drink liquid through the liquid passage when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration, and wherein the mouthpiece portion and the tube are constructed as a unitary assembly of the resiliently deformable material;

an anchor portion extending from the tube, wherein the anchor portion is sized to restrict passage of the anchor portion through the through-passage of the base of the cap assembly; and

a second catch structure adapted to be selectively engaged with the first catch structure to retain the mouthpiece assembly in the stowed configuration; and

a user release mechanism adapted to automatically disengage the first and second catch structures upon actuation of the user release mechanism and thereby release the mouthpiece assembly to move via its bias from the stowed configuration to the dispensing configuration.

2. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the user release mechanism includes a mouthpiece assembly engagement portion adapted to engage the mouthpiece assembly and force disengagement of the first and second catch structures upon actuation of the user release mechanism.

3. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece assembly further includes a rigid collar member that is pivotally coupled to the base and which includes a crimping portion;

wherein the crimping portion is adjacent the crimping region of the tube and external of the liquid passage, wherein the rigid collar member engages and crimps the crimping region to restrict the flow of drink liquid through the liquid passage when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration.

4. The drink container of claim 3, wherein the rigid collar member includes the second catch structure, and further wherein the user release mechanism includes a collar engagement portion that is adapted to engage the rigid collar member and force disengagement of the first and second catch structures upon actuation of the user release mechanism.

5. The drink container of claim 4, wherein when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration and upon actuation of the user release mechanism, the collar engagement portion is adapted to translate relative to and wedge the rigid collar member to force the rigid collar member to pivot.

6. The drink container of claim 3, wherein the mouthpiece portion includes a seat for the rigid collar member in which the rigid collar member engages the mouthpiece portion, wherein the seat restricts relative movement between the mouthpiece portion and the rigid collar member.

7. The drink container of claim 3, wherein the rigid collar member includes a user engagement portion, wherein the user release mechanism includes the user engagement portion, and wherein when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration and upon a user imparted force on the user engagement portion that pivots the rigid collar member, the first and second catch structures disengage and thereby release the mouthpiece assembly to move via its bias from the stowed configuration to the dispensing configuration.

8. The drink container of claim 3, wherein the rigid collar member includes a stop surface that does not engage the base of the cap assembly when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration and that engages the base of the cap assembly when the mouthpiece assembly is in the dispensing configuration to define a dispensing position of the mouthpiece portion.

9. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the crimping region at least partially biases the mouthpiece assembly to the dispensing configuration.

10. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the cap assembly further includes a handle that projects away from the base of the cap assembly, wherein the handle includes a pair of lateral guards that at least partially define a stowing region that receives at least a portion of the mouthpiece assembly between the pair of lateral guards when the mouthpiece assembly is in the stowed configuration.

11. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece portion includes a bite-actuated mouthpiece.

12. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece portion, the tube, and the anchor portion are constructed as a unitary assembly of the resiliently deformable material.