Patent Application
20200329852
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates to the field of hydration systems, more specifically, a hydration bladder refill system that may be refilled without bladder removal.
For many high-energy activities, hydration is a key area of interest regarding a sustained level of performance, ranging from running, to hiking, or even to dancing. Hydration bladders, and their accompanying packs or bags, have grown in popularity alongside the growth in segments of vigorous activity.
Over the past two decades, hydration packs have taken many different forms, with changes implemented in areas concerning the construction of the bladder and the construction of the nozzle that a user supplies water through. The form of these packs has been a constant area of innovation.
However, the vast majority of hydration packs hang vertically in their containers, in order to put the feed tube at the lowest possible point to create suction for the user to capture the flow of a fluid.
With a bladder hanging vertically, the process of refilling the bladder generally requires the removal of the bladder from the underlying bag or container in order to access the port that allows water to flow back into the fluid cavity.
However, some of the high-energy activities that require constant hydration that is provided by a hydration pack may be sensitive to the amount of time required to refill the fluid cavity. As a non-limiting example, a triathlete who is running an event in a hydration pack loses valuable time off of his race results if he stops to remove his bladder from his bag or container to refill the fluid cavity.
Additionally, once the bladder has been removed from the container or bag to be refilled, a user needs to either put the bag or container on the ground or hand the bag to another individual in order to have the dexterity to remove the cap or open the port for the entry point of the bladder to begin to refill the fluid cavity.
A need exists in the field of personal hydration to minimize the total time a user needs to fully refill their hydration bladder in response to time-sensitive situations. A further need exists in the field of personal hydration such that the user dexterity required to refill a bladder does not require the separation of the bladder from the bag or container, which often requires the aid of another individual or the placement of the bag or container on another surface.
In an embodiment, the invention is a novel hydration pack refill system that comprises a fluid bladder, a bag for carrying the fluid bladder, a bladder nozzle for refilling the fluid bladder, a clip for sealing the end of the bladder nozzle, and a refill port for accessing the bladder nozzle through the bag and methods for its use. The invention may further comprise a water tube and a mouthpiece to allow a user to drink from the fluid bladder while wearing the bag. In preferred embodiments, the bag may be worn on a user's back, held in place by a pair of shoulder straps, and may be rapidly refilled by reorienting the bag from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, opening the refill port, extending the bladder nozzle, removing the clip to unseal the bladder nozzle, and refilling the fluid bladder via the bladder nozzle.
An object of the invention is to provide a hydration system for personal use. Another object of the invention is to provide the ability to refill the fluid bladder of the hydration system without having to completely remove the hydration system from the user's back.
A further object of the invention is to provide a nozzle for refilling the bladder which is located on the side of the bladder and which becomes accessible on an upper surface of the hydration system via a refill port when the hydration system is reoriented. A nozzle may comprise any nozzle, port, or purpose built ingress opening attached to a refill bladder to permit the ingress and egress of liquids to and from the refill bladder.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a hydration system that may be reoriented from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation by removing one shoulder strap and suspending the hydration system from the remaining shoulder strap.
Certain illustrative embodiments illustrating organization and method of operation, together with objects and advantages may be best understood by reference to the detailed description that follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail specific embodiments, with the understanding that the present disclosure of such embodiments is to be considered as an example of the principles and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described. In the description below, like reference numerals are used to describe the same, similar or corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.
The terms “a” or “an”, as used herein, are defined as one or more than one. The term “plurality”, as used herein, is defined as two or more than two. The term “another”, as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having”, as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language). The term “coupled”, as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.
Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment”, “certain embodiments”, “an embodiment” or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.
Unless otherwise stated, the words “up”, “down”, “top”, “bottom”, “upper”, and “lower” should be interpreted within a gravitational framework. “Down” is the direction that gravity would pull an object. “Up” is the opposite of “down”. “Bottom” is the part of an object that is down farther than any other part of the object. “Top” is the part of an object that is up farther than any other part of the object. “Upper” refers to top and “lower” refers to the bottom. As a non-limiting example, the upper end of a vertical shaft is the top end of the vertical shaft.
As used in this disclosure, a “bag” is a container made of a flexible material. The bag has a single opening which allows the bag to receive the items to be contained.
As used in this disclosure, a “cavity” is an empty space or negative space that is formed within an object.
As used herein, the words “couple”, “couples”, “coupled” or “coupling”, refer to connecting, either directly or indirectly, and does not necessarily imply a mechanical connection.
As used herein, the word “durable” refers to a material's ability to withstand wear, pressure, impact, heat, cold, sun exposure, and other forms of potentially damaging conditions without suffering any significant deterioration of quality or value.
As used in this disclosure, a “fastener” is a device that is used to join or affix two objects. Fasteners generally comprise a first element which is attached to the first object and a second element which is attached to the second object such that the first element and the second element join to affix the first object and the second object. Common fasteners include, but are not limited to, hooks, zippers, snaps, clips, ties, buttons, buckles, quick release buckles, or hook and loop fasteners.
As used in this disclosure, “flexible” refers to an object or material which will deform when a force is applied to it, which will not return to its original shape when the deforming force is removed, and which may not retain the deformed shape caused by the deforming force.
As used herein, “front” indicates the side of an object that is closest to a forward direction of travel under normal use of the object or the side or part of an object that normally presents itself to view or that is normally used first. “Rear” or “back” refers to the side that is opposite the front.
As used in this disclosure, a “hook and loop fastener” is a fastener that comprises a hook surface and a loop surface. The hook surface comprises a plurality of minute hooks. The loop surface comprises a surface of uncut pile that acts like a plurality of loops. When the hook surface is applied to the loop surface, the plurality of minute hooks fastens to the plurality of loops securely fastening the hook surface to the loop surface.
As used in this disclosure, “horizontal” is a directional term that refers to a direction that is perpendicular to the local force of gravity. Unless specifically noted in this disclosure, the horizontal direction is always perpendicular to the vertical direction.
As used in this disclosure, the word “interior” is used as a relational term that implies that an object is located or contained within the boundary of a structure or a space.
As used in this disclosure, “orientation” refers to the positioning and/or angular alignment of a first object relative to a second object or relative to a reference position or reference direction.
As used in this disclosure a “strap” is a strip of leather, cloth, nylon, plastic, thin metal, rubber, or other flexible material, that is used to fasten, secure, carry, or hold onto something. A strap is sometimes used in conjunction with a buckle. As used herein, the word “substantially” indicates that two or more attributes are the same except for a margin of error related to variances in materials, manufacturing processes, craftsmanship, installation, environmental conditions, or other factors that may influence the attributes and that the differences introduced by these factors are not considered detrimental to the operation of the invention as described herein.
As used in this disclosure, “vertical” refers to a direction that is parallel to the local force of gravity. Unless specifically noted in this disclosure, the vertical direction is always perpendicular to horizontal.
As used herein, the word “watertight” refers to a barrier that is impermeable to water.
As used in this disclosure, a “zipper” is a fastening device comprising two flexible strips with interlocking components that are opened and closed by pulling a slide along the two flexible strips.
Throughout this document, directional references of “left” or “right” are given with respect to the orientation of the user. Specifically, “left” is on the same side as the user's left and “right” is on the same side as the user's right.
Throughout this document, a directional reference of “rear” refers to the side of the hydration system that touches the user's back. A directional reference of “front” refers to the side of the hydration system that is opposite “rear”, which is also the side of the hydration system that is most visible to a person standing behind the user while the user is wearing the hydration system.
In embodiments, the invention is a novel hydration pack refill system that generally comprises the fluid bladder, the bag for carrying the fluid bladder, the bladder nozzle for refilling the fluid bladder, the clip for sealing the end of the bladder nozzle, and the refill port for accessing the bladder nozzle through the bag. The fluid bladder may be a flexible, watertight vessel for holding the fluid. As a non-limiting example, the fluid may be water. The bladder nozzle for filling the fluid bladder with the fluid may be located on a right side or a left side of the bag or the bottom of the bag. An additional outlet for removing the fluid from the fluid bladder may be located at the bottom of the fluid bladder to maximize the amount of the fluid that may be removed from the fluid bladder.
The bag may be a container that houses the fluid bladder. In preferred embodiments, the bag may be made of a flexible, durable fabric. As a non-limiting example, the bag may be made of canvas, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, or combinations thereof. The bag may comprise the pair of shoulder straps. The top of a left strap may couple to the top of an upper compartment port on the left rear side of the bag. The bottom of the left strap may couple to the bottom of the bag on the left rear side of the bag. The top of a right strap may couple to the top of the upper compartment port on the right rear side of the bag. The bottom of the right strap may couple to the bottom of the bag on the right rear side of the bag. The user may wear the bag in the vertical orientation by sliding their arms through the left strap and through the right strap such that the bag rests on their back with the pair of shoulder straps passing over their shoulders.
The bag may be reoriented to the horizontal orientation for purpose of refilling by removing the strap from the arm that is on the side of the bag opposite the bladder nozzle and then swinging the bag on the remaining strap around the side of the user until the bag is suspended from one shoulder of the user with the bladder nozzle on the top of the reoriented bag.
The bag may comprise one or more compartments. One of the one or more compartments may be a bladder compartment for housing the fluid bladder. The bladder compartment may also be referred to as a lower compartment. The fluid bladder may be sized to fit within the bladder compartment. The fluid bladder may substantially fill the bladder compartment when the fluid bladder is filled with the fluid. The fluid bladder may be restrained within the bladder compartment by a bladder retention strap. The bladder retention strap may be vertically oriented within the bladder compartment. The top and bottom of the bladder retention strap may be coupled to the bag at the top and bottom of the bladder compartment such that the bladder retention strap may prevent the fluid bladder from falling out of the bag when a lower compartment port is opened. The bladder retention strap may retain the fluid bladder between the bladder retention strap and the front side of the bag. In some embodiments, the fluid bladder may be removed from the bladder compartment by stretching the bladder retention strap which is elastic, by decoupling the top of the bladder retention strap or the bottom of the bladder retention strap from the bag, or by decoupling a first strap portion from a second strap portion at a retention strap fastener. As a non-limiting example, the retention strap fastener may be a hook and loop fastener.
One of the one or more compartments may be an upper compartment which may provide a storage area within the bag.
The bag may comprise one or more fabric ports that provide access to the one or more compartments. One of the one or more fabric ports may be located adjacent to the bladder nozzle and may be designated as the refill port. The refill port may be opened to gain access to the bladder nozzle. The one or more fabric ports may also comprise the upper compartment port which provides access to the upper compartment when opened and the lower compartment port which provides access to the lower compartment when opened.
In some embodiments, the upper compartment port, the lower compartment port, or both may be padded for the comfort of the user. As a non-limiting example, the upper compartment port, the lower compartment port, or both may comprise five-layered foam.
The fluid bladder may comprise an inlet in the form of the bladder nozzle. The bladder nozzle may be the entry point for the fluid to flow into the fluid bladder. The bladder nozzle may be a hollow cylindrical extension of the fluid bladder on one side of the fluid bladder. The center of the bladder nozzle may open to the interior of the fluid bladder such that the fluid may flow into or out of the fluid bladder via the bladder nozzle. The bladder nozzle may be pressed flat, folded, and sealed by sliding the clip onto the fold of the bladder nozzle to prevent the flow of the fluid. The clip may be a mechanism that secures the bladder nozzle to prevent the flow of the fluid through the bladder nozzle in either direction. As non-limiting examples, the clip may be a slide clip, a locking seal, a screw top, or other form of seal. In some embodiments, the clip may press against both sizes of the folded nozzle and may compress the material of the bladder nozzle to create the friction that holds the clip in place.
The invention may further comprise the water tube and the mouthpiece to allow the user to drink from the fluid bladder while wearing the bag. The bottom of the water tube may couple to the fluid bladder at the outlet. The outlet may allow the fluid to flow from the fluid bladder into the water tube. The top of the water tube may couple to the mouthpiece. The water tube may pass through the one or more compartments within the bag and may exit the bag at the top of the bag. In some embodiments, the water tube may pass between layers of the side wall of the bag such that the water tube is not visible within some or all of the one or more compartments of the bag. The water tube may be placed over the user's shoulder such that the mouthpiece may be placed into the mouth if the user when the bag is in place on the user's back. The user may siphon the fluid from the fluid bladder into their mouth by placing the mouthpiece in their mouth and sucking on the mouthpiece.
The bag may normally be worn on the user's back in the vertical orientation, held in place by the pair of shoulder straps over the user's shoulders. The vertical orientation places the outlet at the bottom of the fluid bladder and places the mouthpiece at the top of the bag where it may be pulled to and placed in the mouth of the user. The bladder nozzle may be sealed closed by the clip while the bag is in the vertical orientation to prevent spilling the fluid. The bag may be reoriented to the horizontal orientation by slipping one arm out of a first shoulder strap on the side of the bag that is opposite the bladder nozzle and by swinging the bag under the arm using a second shoulder strap. This places the bag into the horizontal orientation where the bladder nozzle is at the top of the fluid bladder as the bag hangs from the second shoulder strap at the side of the user. While in the horizontal orientation, the refill port may be opened and the bladder nozzle may be used to refill the fluid bladder. To refill the fluid bladder, the bladder nozzle may be extended in an upward direction, the clip may be removed, and the end of the bladder nozzle may be held open while the fluid is added. When the refilling operation is complete, the bladder nozzle may be flattened and folded and the clip may be placed onto the bladder nozzle at the fold. The bladder nozzle may be placed back inside the bladder compartment, the refill port may be closed, and the first shoulder strap may be moved back to its original position over the user's shoulder.
In some embodiments, the bladder compartment may be lined with an insulating material to assist in retaining the fluid bladder at a constant temperature.
The pair of shoulder straps may be flexible bands of natural or synthetic material. As non-limiting examples, the pair of shoulder straps may be made of canvas, nylon, polypropylene, or combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the pair of shoulder straps may comprise one or more device pockets and a plurality of cable straps. One or more electronic devices may be placed into the device pockets and cables leading from the electronic devices may be routed through the plurality of cable straps. As a non-limiting example, electroluminescent wire, or EL wire, may be routed through the cable straps for decorative purposes and an EL wire driver may be placed into the device pocket. An individual cable strap selected from the plurality of cable straps may be a flexible strap coupled to the shoulder strap and oriented laterally across the shoulder strap. In some embodiments the cable strap may be elastic. The device pocket may be an open-top pouch that is oriented longitudinally on the shoulder strap to which it is coupled.
In some embodiments, the bag may comprise a skin which is a detachable cover for the front of the bag. The skin may be detached from the bag by unzipping a skin zipper. The skin may be replaced with an alternate skin. The alternate skin may be retained by zipping the skin zipper on the alternate skin to couple the alternate skin to the bag. The alternate skin may comprise a different material, coloration, texture, pattern, graphic image, or combinations thereof and may alter the overall appearance of the bag.
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While all figures presented visualize the alignment of the hydration system to the right side, the hydration system may be reversed in an embodiment in which the protrusion of the bladder nozzle 104 through the refill port 112 may be on either wall of the bag 111 such that a left-handed or right-handed person could access the refill port 112 on their dominant side.
While the embodiments presented in this document have described the use of zippers to seal the refill port 112, the upper compartment port 136, and the lower compartment port 137, alternative embodiments that use magnets, clips, snaps, buttons, other fasteners, or combinations thereof are envisioned and are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
While the embodiments presented in this document have described the refill port 112 on one side of the bag 111 only, embodiments with the refill port 112 on either or both side of the bag 111 are envisioned and are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
While preferred materials for elements have been described, the device is not limited by these materials. Wood, plastics, rubber, foam, metal alloys, aluminum, and other materials may comprise some or all of the elements of the hydration system and apparatuses in various embodiments of the present invention.
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.
While certain illustrative embodiments have been described, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, permutations and variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.
