Water purifying drink containers

• US 8,975,596 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meridian Design Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Meridian Design Incorporated
• Inventors: Kuhlmann, Kurt, Matthews, Dan Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Berman, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, David E
• Application Number:
  US13/555,030
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 250432 R-432 PD, 250/453.11, 250/455.11
• US Class Current: 250/432.R
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/009 Apparatus with independent power supply, e.g. solar cells, windpower, fuel cells for electrolysis apparatus C02F2201/46165
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/3228 Units having reflectors, e.g. coatings, baffles, plates, mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/326 Lamp control systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/02 as part of a bottle
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/04 as part of a pitcher or jug
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/211 Solar-powered water purification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/212 Solar-powered wastewater sewage treatment, e.g. spray evaporation

Abstract

Water purifying drink containers include a liquid container, a cap assembly removably coupled to the liquid container, and a purification assembly that emits ultraviolet (UV) light in the germicidal spectrum to purify a volume of drink liquid held in the liquid container. In some embodiments, the purification assembly includes a UV bulb positioned within a recess of the cap assembly facing the internal compartment of the liquid container. In some embodiments, the UV bulb further emits light in the visible spectrum and the drink container includes an indicator that becomes illuminated with visible light to indicate to a user when the UV bulb is emitting UV light.

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 drink liquid;

a cap assembly removably coupled to the neck of the liquid container and adapted to restrict dispensing of drink liquid from the internal compartment of the liquid container through the opening, wherein the cap assembly includes a body, wherein the body includes a lower portion that defines a lower edge that is adjacent to the liquid container, and wherein the lower portion defines a recess facing the internal compartment of the liquid container when the cap assembly is coupled to the neck of the liquid container; and

a purification assembly coupled to the body of the cap assembly, wherein the purification assembly includes an ultraviolet (UV) bulb positioned within the recess, wherein the UV bulb is adapted to selectively emit UV light in the germicidal spectrum for a selected period of time and at a selected power level, to thereby purify a volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container,

wherein the purification assembly comprises a controller adapted to vary the power output to the UV bulb to achieve the selected power level for emission of UV light,

wherein the purification assembly is configured to detect a power level of a power source prior to initiating a purification cycle, and compare the power level with a minimum threshold to complete a purification cycle.

2. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the UV bulb does not extend into the drink liquid when a predetermined volume of drink liquid is held in the internal compartment of the liquid container, wherein the predetermined volume is equal to a predetermined liquid capacity of the liquid container.

3. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the UV bulb does not extend beyond the lower edge of the body of the cap assembly.

4. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the cap assembly further includes a reflective surface positioned to reflect light from the UV bulb toward the internal compartment of the liquid container, and wherein the reflective surface is configured to reflect light from the UV bulb toward an entirety of the internal compartment of the liquid container.

5. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the cap assembly further includes a UV-transmissive partition positioned between the UV bulb and at least a substantial portion of the internal compartment of the liquid container when the cap assembly is coupled to the neck of the liquid container.

6. The drink container of claim 2, wherein the UV bulb is arranged in relation to the cap assembly to be optionally immersed in the predetermined volume of drink liquid if the liquid container is inclined or is inverted.

7. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is configured to track at least one of (a) a total number of purification cycles, and (b) the total duration of light emission from the UV bulb, and further wherein the purification assembly is configured to prevent utilization of the UV bulb beyond a predetermined lifespan related to at least one of (a) and (b).

8. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the drink container is configured such that the UV bulb selectively emits UV light to the entirety of the internal compartment of the liquid container.

9. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the drink container is configured such that the UV bulb selectively emits UV light to the entirety of the internal compartment of the liquid container without any portion of the drink container blocking the UV light from illuminating all of any drink liquid held in the internal compartment.

10. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is configured to determine an output level of the UV bulb and prevent utilization of the UV bulb if the output level is below a predetermined threshold.

11. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the body of the cap assembly-includes an upper portion and a threaded insert coupled to the upper portion, wherein the threaded insert includes threads adapted to mate with corresponding threads of the liquid container, wherein the threaded insert includes the lower portion of the body of the cap assembly.

12. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to track the number of cycles that the UV bulb has been selectively activated, and wherein the controller is further adapted to restrict activation of the UV bulb upon the UV bulb having been activated a predetermined number of cycles.

13. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to restrict activation of the UV bulb based at least in part on criteria associated with the effectiveness of the UV bulb at a given moment in time.

14. The drink container of claim 13, wherein the criteria includes a UV-transmissivity of the volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container.

15. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly includes a power source and the controller is adapted determine a potential output of the power source and to restrict activation of the UV bulb if the power source does not have sufficient output to activate the UV bulb for the predetermined period of time to purify the volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container.

16. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is configured to select the period of time for emission of UV light on a volume of drink liquid in the liquid container.

17. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the purification assembly is adapted to detect at least one of (a) a UV-transmissivity of a drink liquid and (b) a volume of a drink liquid, and wherein the purification assembly is configured to determine a duration of UV emission and a power level of UV emission based on (a) or (b).

18. The drink container of claim 1, wherein the cap assembly comprises a translucent portion configured to allow a user visually confirm operation of the purification assembly, and further wherein the cap assembly comprises a lamp configured to emit visible light including, but not limited to, fluorescent light.

19. The drink container of claim 1, further comprising a mouthpiece to selectively dispense liquid from the internal compartment while the cap assembly is coupled to the neck of the liquid container.

20. A drink container, comprising:

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

a cap assembly removably coupled to the neck of the liquid container and adapted to restrict dispensing of drink liquid from the internal compartment of the liquid container, wherein the cap assembly includes a body that defines a recess facing the internal compartment of the liquid container when the cap assembly is coupled to the liquid container; and

means for purifying drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container, wherein the means for purifying includes a UV bulb positioned within the recess, wherein the UV bulb is adapted to selectively emit UV light in the germicidal spectrum for a selected period of time and at a selected power level, to thereby purify a volume of drink liquid held in the internal compartment of the liquid container,

wherein the means for purifying drink liquid comprises a controller adapted to select the period of time for emission of UV light based at least in part on either;

(a) a total number of purification cycles, or (b) the total duration of light emission from the UV bulb,

wherein the controller is adapted to determine a potential output of a power source to restrict activation of the UV bulb if the power source does not have sufficient power to activate the UV bulb for the selected period of time at the selected power level.

21. The drink container of claim 20, wherein the body of the cap assembly includes a lower portion that defines a lower edge and the recess, and wherein the UV bulb does not extend beyond the lower edge of the body of the cap assembly.

22. The drink container of claim 20, further comprising a UV-transmissive partition positioned between the UV light emitter and the internal compartment of the liquid container, wherein the UV-transmissive partition comprises quartz.