Personal hydrations systems help athletes maintain adequate hydration while engaging in strenuous physical activities, such as running, cycling, skiing, hiking, or mountain climbing. These personal hydration systems typically include a bag-like reservoir carried in a back pack or waist pack. A flexible drinking tube connects to the reservoir through an exit port at one end and terminates in a mouthpiece at the other end. The tube is long enough to allow the mouthpiece to be carried in the user's mouth to enable the user to draw water from the reservoir like sucking water through a straw. When low on breath during vigorous exercise, drawing water from the reservoir can prove to be a difficult task.
Introduction: Various embodiments of the present invention assist in expelling liquid from a personal hydration system. The following description is broken into sections. The first provides an example of a conventional hydration system. The second section provides an example of a pressurized hydration system. The third section describes a remote pressurized hydration system. The fourth section describes various balloon pressurized hydration systems. The fifth section discusses manual pressurization, and the last section describes a self-cooling pressurized hydration system.
In the various examples discussed below, the term reservoir is used. While the figures show specific examples of bag like reservoirs, other types of containers such as sports bottles and the like are encompassed by the term reservoir. In short, the term reservoir refers to any object in which a drinking fluid can be sealed.
Non-Pressurized Hydration System:
The length of drinking tube 22 may vary depending upon the desired distance between the user's mouth and the location where reservoir 10 is positioned, such as on a user's back, waist, inside a user's garments, on a user's bike or other equipment. An end of drinking tube 22 is connected to reservoir 10 at exit port 20 through which fluid in compartment 24 is received into tube 22. In other words, compartment 24 is in fluid communication with exit port 20.
Reservoir 10 includes fill port 18 through which fluid may be poured into or removed from compartment 24. Fill port 18 also provides an opening through which compartment 24 may be accessed for cleaning. As shown, fill port 18 includes collar 26 and cap 28. Collar 26 is sealed to wall 14. Cap 28 is removably sealed to collar 26. For example, collar 26 and cap 28 may include mating threads and a gasket allowing cap 28 to be twisted off to be separated from collar 26 and twisted on to be sealed to collar 26. With cap 28 removed, a fluid can be poured into compartment 24 through collar 26 of fill port 18. Cap 28 can then be sealed to collar 26 securing the fluid in compartment 24. User supplied suction applied to drinking tube 22 can then pull the fluid out of compartment 24 through exit port 20.
Pressurized Hydration System:
The length of drinking tube 38 may vary depending upon the desired distance between the user's mouth and the location where reservoir 30 is positioned, such as on a user's back, waist, inside a user's garments, on a user's bike or other equipment. An end of drinking tube 38 is connected to reservoir 30 at exit port 36 through which fluid in compartment 54 is received into tube 38. In other words, compartment 54 is in fluid communication with exit port 36.
Reservoir 30 includes fill port 34 through which fluid may be poured into or removed from compartment 54. Reservoir 30 includes pressure port 42 and pressure regulator 46. Pressure port 42 represents an inlet through which a pressurizing gas can enter into compartment 54. Pressurizing gasses can be provided via a pressurizer such as cartridge holder 44 and cartridge 48 (best seen in
Once compartment 54 is filled with a liquid and pressurized, activation of bite valve results in the liquid being forced out of compartment 54 through drinking tube 38 and into a person's mouth. In this manner the person utilizing the reservoir 30 need only bite on bite valve 40 and liquid is expelled. The person need not suck to draw liquid from compartment 54.
Focusing on
It is noted that fill port 34, exit port 36, and pressure port 42 are shown as being formed in wall 50 such that fill port 34 provides ingress for liquid into compartment 54. Likewise, pressure port 42 provides ingress for pressurizing gases into compartment 54, and exit port 36 provides an egress for liquid out of compartment 54. While show as being formed in wall 50, one or more of ports 34, 36, and 42 may be formed in wall 52 or elsewhere so long as they provide the noted ingress and egress functions. Furthermore, two or more of ports 34, 36, and 42 may be the same port.
In
Baffles: Moving to
Looking at
In the Example of
Remote Pressurized Hydration System:
Transfer tube 66 couples pressure port 68 to swivel port 64 and serves as a sealed transfer allowing pressurizing gas to pass from pressure port 68 through swivel port 64, and into reservoir 60. Pressure port 68 represents an inlet through which a pressurizing gas can ultimately be introduced into reservoir 60. Pressurizing gases can be provided via a cartridge such as cartridge 48 seen in
A length of transfer tube 66 is selected to allow for convenient access to pressure port 68 and regulator 72. For example pressure port 68 may be attached to or integrated within a shoulder strap of a backpack used to carry reservoir 60. In this manner, a person can more easily access pressure port 68 and regulator 72 while wearing that backpack.
Balloon Pressurized Hydration System: In the Examples of
Starting with
Moving to
Manual Pressurization: While
Referring first to
Male coupler 126 of squeeze pump 106 can be coupled to and decoupled from female coupler 118 of exit tube 116. When coupled, the repeated manual squeezing of squeeze pump 106 forces pressurizing gas in the form of air into bladder 110 via exit tube 116. Also, male coupler 124 of drinking tube 120 can be coupled to and decoupled from female coupler 118 of exit tube 116. When coupled, fluid contained in bladder 110 is allowed to pass into and through drinking tube 120. In this example, port 114 serves as an exit port through which fluid can exit bladder 110 and as a pressure port through which pressurizing gases can enter bladder 110.
Once bladder 110 is filled with a liquid and pressurized using squeeze pump 106 and male coupler of drinking tube 124 is coupled to female coupler 118, activation of bite valve 122 results in the liquid being forced out of bladder 110 through exit tube drinking tube 38 and into a person's mouth. In this manner the person utilizing the reservoir 30 need only bite on bite valve 40 and liquid is expelled. The person need not suck to draw liquid from compartment 54.
Referring now to
Swivel port 140 serves to provide an input for pressurizing gas into reservoir 128 via transfer tube 142. As its name suggests swivel port 140 swivels allowing transfer tube 142 to rotate about a point. With male coupler 146 of squeeze pump 106 coupled to female coupler 144 of transfer tube 142, the repeated manual squeezing of squeeze pump 106 forces pressurizing gases in the form of air through transfer tube 142 into bladder 130. While not shown, swivel port 140 may be integrated into fill port 132. For example, fill port 132 is shown to include a cap that closes fill port 132. Swivel port 140 could be formed in that cap such that when fill port 1322 is closed, swivel port 140 would provide input for pressurizing gases through the cap and into bladder 130.
A length of transfer tube 142 is selected to allow for convenient access to squeeze pump 106. For example squeeze pump 106 may be attached to or integrated within a shoulder strap of a backpack used to carry reservoir 128. In this manner, a person can more easily squeeze pump 106 while wearing that backpack.
Once bladder 110 is filled with a liquid and pressurized using squeeze pump 106, activation of bite valve 138 results in the liquid being forced out of bladder 130 through drinking tube 136 and into a person's mouth. In this manner the person utilizing the reservoir 128 need only bite on bite valve 138 and liquid is expelled. The person need not suck to draw liquid from bladder 130.
Removable Thermal Pack: Moving to
Referring still to
As shown, baffles 152 and 154 are separated by a distance D1. Thermal pack 162 has a width dimension D2. In a given implementation D2 is generally equal to D1 allowing thermal pack to be inserted through collar 156 and wedged or positioned between baffles 152 and 154. In instances where D2 is greater than D1, inserting thermal pack 162 causes baffles 152 and 154 to stretch apart and snugly hold thermal pack in place.
As shown, baffles 152 and 154 are parallel to one another and extend along a longitudinal axis of bladder 150 whose internal compartment has an internal width dimension D3. In a given implementation, D1 is approximately one-third of D3. This ratio has proven most effective in preventing “footballing” of bladder 150 as pressurizing gases are introduced. Footballing is discussed in more detail above with respect to
With reference to
Accessories: In the examples discussed above, each pressurized hydration system is utilized to expel a liquid from a bladder through a tube. Using couplers, examples of which are discussed above, those tubes can be removed and interchanged. Beneficially, various tubs can serve various purposes. As discussed above, a tube can be a simple drinking tube with a valve on one end and another tube can be part of a pressurizer. However, many other options are available.
The first and second ports of filter 256 are configured such that as a liquid is expelled from reservoir 240, the liquid passes through first tube 250 and through the first port and into filter 256. The liquid passes through the second port through the second tube and is ultimately expelled through valve 262. The pressure supplied by pressurizer 244 supplies the force for urging the liquid out of reservoir 240 through filter tube 242. Filter 256 is configured to remove impurities from the liquid. In this manner, reservoir 240 can be filled with water from a muddy lake, stream, or other impure source. Reservoir 240 can then be pressurized and the liquid forced through filter tube 242 to purify the water for drinking or other purposes.
As a liquid is expelled from reservoir 264, the liquid passes through tube 274 and is either blocked by shower valve 282 or allowed to be sprayed by shower head 280. The pressure supplied by pressurizer 268 supplies the force for urging the liquid out of reservoir 240 through shower tube 266. Shower head 280 includes an array of holes through which the liquid flows creating a spray pattern. In this manner, reservoir 240 can be filled with water and pressurized. Valve 282 can be opened and a person can manipulate shower head 282 to direct a spray pattern to a desired location.
Conclusion: The various examples discussed above allow for the pressurization of a hydration system where that pressurization functions to more pressurized efficiently expel liquid from a reservoir. Pressurization can be achieved through a variety of techniques including the use of pressurized gas cartridges and manual bulb type pumps. The reservoir can be worn as part of a pack or even integrated into a vehicle such as a kayak. The contents of the reservoir can be cooled by a thermal capacitance medium contained in the baffles or by a removable thermal pack secured between the baffles. Furthermore, the liquid in a pressurized reservoir can be expelled through a filter, shower head, or any other useful accessory.
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/764,620 filed Jun. 18, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,136,702 (now published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008-0308578 A1 to Skillern et al.) having the same title, and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application 60/822,273, filed Aug. 14, 2006. The present application also claims the priority of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/969,742 filed Sep. 4, 2007.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20100044396 A1 | Feb 2010 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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60822273 | Aug 2006 | US | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11764620 | Jun 2007 | US |
Child | 12204326 | US |