The present invention relates to a closure for a drinking flask in accordance with the introductory portion of claim 1.
Closures for drinking flasks of the art are sufficiently known and find use especially in the fields of leisure and specifically sports. Numerous designs of the applicant, in which a drinking nipple is supported axially displaceable moveable in a cap part, are present in the marked. In order to extract a liquid one pulls the drinking nipple out by ones teeth whereby an opening for the extraction of the liquid present in the flask is produced.
Such closures do excellently satisfy their object indeed but have, however, the drawback that they are relatively cumbersome to operate.
A further drawback consists in that if one forgets to bring the drinking nipple after the drinking again into the closed position, such can follow in an undesired escaping of liquid out of the drinking flask.
The object of the present invention consisted in providing a closure for a drinking flask which does not feature the above mentioned drawbacks.
This object is met by the features of the characterizing portion of claim 1. Further embodiments of the invention are defined in further claims.
The drinking closure in accordance with the invention features the advantage in comparison with the prior art of a more simple and more convenient operability. Furthermore, in comparison with the prior art, the risk of an undesired escaping of liquid due to a unintentional leaving the drinking closure open after the drinking is practically done away with.
An embodiment of the present invention is explained still more in detail with reference to figures. There is illustrated in:
a drinking flask with a drinking closure mounted thereto, in a side view;
In
The stationary part 4 and the sliding part 5 cooperate in such a manner that an opening is formed for a flowing out of the liquid from the flask between the stationary part 4 and the sliding part 5 if the sliding part 5 is located in predetermined positions which in this text are termed drinking positions relative to the stationary part 4, and that this opening is closed if the sliding part 5 is located in a predetermined position relative to the stationary part 4 which is in this text termed shut position.
The sliding part 5 is slidable from the shut position illustrated in
For the transitions from the shut position into the drinking position the sliding part 5 is to be moved from the outer position inwards, i.e. towards the closure cap 2 into an inner position, whereby the movement towards the inside proceeds against the resistance of resetting means in form of springs 9 which operate with a direction of action outwards, thus away from the closing cap 2, onto the sliding part. The displacing of the sliding part 5 from the shut into the drinking position proceeds generally by the mouth of the user.
Quite obviously other means instead of the springs 9 may be foreseen which strive to move the sliding part 5 towards the outside away from the closure cap 2 and into the shut position.
In the shut position the closure V is leak tight closed against the surroundings and no liquid can exit out from the inside of the flask whereas in the drinking position liquid present in the drinking flask 1 can exit the drinking flask 1 through the passage opening 52 towards the outside.
At the shut-off and opening device K a axis of symmetry S can be defined around which the stationary part 4 and the sliding part 5 are arranged, whereby the stationary part 4 and the sliding part 5 possess a symmetry of rotation relative to the axis of rotation S.
The stationary part 4 is designed in principle in the shape of a mushroom and includes a cylinder shaped shaft 40 which passes in direction of the free end into a in principle hemispherical plug section 41. The shaft 40 of the stationary part 4 extends in the direction away from the closing cap 2 outwards (in the drawing upwards). The stationary part 4 is equipped at its inner end with a collar 6 of an in principle circular cross section. Several connecting rods 60 which are circularly staggered relative to each other are affixed to the collar 6, which extend inwards towards the closing cap 2 and connect the stationary part 4 in such a manner to the closing cap 2 that the stationary part 4 is mounted to the closing cap 2 stationary relative to the closing cap 2.
The sliding part 5 arranged coaxially around the shaft 40 of the stationary part 4 has the shape of the jacked of a truncated cone which is terminated at the outlet end 50 of the sliding part 5 by a rounded surface 51. The rounded surface 51 is provided with a passage opening 52 arranged concentrically to the rounded surface so that the sliding part possesses a volcano—like outer contour. The shaft 40 of the sliding part 5 projects through the passage opening, whereby the plug portion 41 is located with a portion which has a larger diameter than the passage opening 52 outside of the sliding part 5.
The sliding part 5 includes at its inside a central tube like passage 54 which opens at the one hand through the passage opening 52 at the outlet end 50 of the sliding part 5 towards the outside and at the other hand is in a flow communication with the inside of the drinking flask 1.
A inner area 53 of the portion of the sliding part 5 for receipt into the mouth is followed by first sleeve part 7 of a in principle cylindrical shape, as well as a second sleeve part 8 arranged coaxially to the first sleeve part 7 of also a in principle cylindrical shape.
The closing cap 2 possesses a cylinder shaped center part 26 arranged around the sleeve part 8 of which the outer side is provided with an outer thread 22.
The closing cap 2 includes a annular channel shaped first guiding groove 20 in which the inner end 70 of the first sleeve part 7 is received and is guided therein axially displaceable relative to the axis of symmetry S.
Furthermore, a second, also annular channel shaped guiding groove 21 is foreseen at the closing cap 2 into which the inner end 80 of the second sleeve part 8 projects and is guided therein axially displaceable relative to the axis of symmetry S.
Thus, the sliding part 5 can be displaced through the guides formed between the first guiding groove 20 and the inner end 70 of the first sleeve part 7 as well as between the second guiding groove 21 and the inner end 80 of the second sleeve part 8 in a relative to the axis of symmetry S in the axial direction away from the closing cap 2, thus outwards (in the drawing upwards), as well in the direction towards the closing cap 2, thus inwards (in the drawing downwards) around the stationary first opening part 4.
The innermost position of the sliding part 5 illustrated in
In this position, as illustrated in
Springs 9 are foreseen at the closure which act with a direction of action outwards, i.e. away from the closure cap 2 towards the plug section 41 onto the sliding part 5 and strive to urge the sliding part 5 with the exit opening 50 against the plug section 41 acting as abutment.
For instance collar shaped sealing elements may be placed at the through opening 52. In order to open the trough opening 52 the sliding part 5 must be moved inwards thus against the closing cap 2—against the restoring force of the springs 9, whereby the mentioned annular gap for the exiting of the liquid is formed between the shaft 40 and the trough opening 52 because the plug section is reduced inwards. I.e. a drinking position between stationary part 4 and sliding part 5 is arrived at as soon as the sliding part 5 is moved from the shut-off position inwards.
When the user releases again the sliding part 5 which has been moved inwards the sliding part is moved again under the influence of the restoring force of the spring 9 in to the shut-off position illustrated in
In order to equalize the negative pressure produced during the drinking a aeration channel is foreseen which includes a annular gap portion 23 which is formed between the outer side of the cylinder shaped sleeve part 8 and the inner wall 25 of the closure cap 2. The annular gap portion 23 opens at the top into the hollow chamber 90 which communicates with the ambient air.
The lower end 80 of the sleeve part 8 is provided with a sealing lip of an elastic material formed rotation symmetric relative to the axis of symmetry S and as a truncated cone, which extends from the sleeve part 8 towards the inner wall 25 of the closing cap 2, presses with a pressing on force against the inner wall of the closing cap and closes in the shut-off position the annular gap channel 23 tightly in such a manner that neither air can penetrate trough the aeration channel from the outside into the inside of the flask nor liquid can leak trough the aeration channel outwards.
The air is aspirated during the drinking action through the hollow chamber 90 and from there further trough the annular gap portion 23 and the aeration gap formed between the sealing lip 81 and the inner wall 25 of the closing cap 2 and reaches finally through the holes 27 foreseen at the bottom of the second guiding groove 21 the inside of the flask.
Deforming elements project from the inner wall 25 of the closing cap 2 which in the presently illustrated embodiment are formed as abutments 24 of an elliptical cross-section. If the sliding part 5 is located in the shut-off position the sealing lip 81 is located further outwards in front of the abutments. If now the sliding part 5 is moved inwards, thus into a drinking position, the edge of the sealing lip 81 abutting the inner wall of the closure cap comes initially to contact the abutments 24 and is guided upon a continued inwards movement of the sliding part 5 over the abutments, whereby as a result of the movement between the sealing lip 81 and the abutments the sealing lip 81 is deformed elastically.
The setting of the deformation, i.e. the specification of the properties of the elements which take part in the deformation which are relevant for the deformation (such as e.g. shape, positioning and size of the deforming elements; elasticity and shape of the sealing lip 81) proceeds in such a manner that in drinking positions aeration gaps between the sealing lip 81 and the inner wall of the closure cap 2 are formed under the influence of the as generally known negative pressure produced in the inside of the flask during the drinking procedure. Because these aeration gaps are produced only at a negative pressure in the inside of the flask it is ensured that no liquid can leak from the inside of the flask through the aeration channel towards the outside.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/CH05/00327 | 6/10/2005 | WO | 00 | 8/12/2008 |