EP3634355B1

EP3634355B1 - Water channel for flexible container

Info

Publication number: EP3634355B1
Application number: EP18798691.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Christopher Richard Barchet; Michael Aaron KASCHKO; Macarthur David HAUFF; Jay Patrick BUBLITZ
Original assignee: Cascade Designs Inc
Current assignee: Cascade Designs Inc
Priority date: 2017-05-08
Filing date: 2018-05-01
Publication date: 2024-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-01
Also published as: EP3634355C0; KR102305108B1; KR20200037746A; CN111031993A; WO2018208538A1; EP3634355A1; PL3634355T3; EP3634355A4; AU2018266554A1; CN111031993B; AU2018266554B2

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. Appl. No. 62/502,866 filed May 8, 2017 .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Flexible, re-sealable containers and systems for hydration can include a drink tube connected to the bottom section of a flexible container where the tubing is loosely bundled in order to manage extra length of tubing. When packed inside a wearer's bag or backpack the drink tube can become kinked closing off the ability of the wearer to ingest fluid in the container. Typically, there is a detachable coupling between the tubing and container, which is difficult to access and sometimes not properly installed thereby causing fluid to leak as a result of gravity. Sometimes it is not possible to separate the coupling in this location without removing the entire system from the backpack.
Examples of drinking containers are known, for example, from US 7 392 916 B1 and US 2013/247271 A1 . Each of these documents discloses a container with a channel component allowing to drink the liquid from the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawing figures in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of a container according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a rear view of the container illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 illustrates a side perspective view of the container illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a channel component and coupling element according to an embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a channel component according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a liquid-dispensing apparatus as defined by the appended claims. This patent application is intended to describe one or more embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the use of absolute terms, such as "must," "will," and the like, as well as specific quantities, is to be construed as being applicable to one or more of such embodiments, but not necessarily to all such embodiments. As such, embodiments of the invention may omit, or include a modification of, one or more features or functionalities described in the context of such absolute terms.
In an embodiment of the invention, a liquid-dispensing apparatus 1 includes a flexible and translucent or semi-translucent container 20 having first and second opposing walls 21, 22 and a bottom surface 23. The walls 21, 22 and bottom surface 23 define an interior chamber 24 configured to contain liquid. A detachable coupling element 30 is coupled to the first opposing wall 21 and provides fluid communication between the chamber 24 and the exterior (i.e., ambient) of the container 20.
A channel component 10 disposed within the chamber 24 includes a proximal end 11 in fluid communication with the coupling element 30 and a terminal end 12 extending toward the bottom surface 23 of the container 20. As best illustrated in FIG. 5, the channel component 10 further includes a raised portion 13 configured to prevent the first and second walls 21, 22 from completely contacting each other as liquid is expelled from container 20. The channel component 10 may include a spine 14 that may be coupled along its entire length to the first opposing wall 21. The channel component 10 is configured such that liquid may pass through the entirety of the length of raised portion 13.
Suction may be applied to the coupling element 30, typically by a drink tube (not shown) that can be fluidly coupled to the coupling element 30, such that liquid is removed from the container 20 via channel component 10 and coupling element 30. As suction is applied to the coupling element 30, the opposing walls 21, 22 of container 20, beginning from the top of container 20, collapse into each other and, as the liquid continues to be removed from container 20, continue to collapse into each other toward the bottom surface of the container 20. When all of the liquid is extracted from the container 20, the container 20 is essentially flat with almost the entireties of each opposing wall 21, 22 contacting the other.
However, the channel component 10 provides a path similar to closed channel flow for liquid to flow along the length of the collapsed portion of the container 20. The specific design of the channel component 10, which, as best illustrated in FIG. 5, may be roughly T-shaped in cross-section, prevents the flexible container 20 from sealing off the water flow to the coupling element 30 and allows the full liquid volume to discharge through the coupling element 30.
According to the invention, the first wall 21 includes a storage compartment 31 and the coupling element 30 is rotatable to be in a stored position within the compartment 31 when, for example, not attached to a drinking tube.
Channel component 10 can be flexible but rigid enough to prevent the sides of container 20 to completely mate together creating the closed channel flow. Channel component 10 is designed and attached in a manner to reduce or eliminate the chance of harboring bacteria and can be easily cleaned without having to remove components from within the container 20. Additionally, coupling element 30 and channel component 10 are designed to reduce or remove all air, so no residual air bubbles are introduced when extracting fluid out of the container 20.
One or more alternative embodiments may include the following features:
Channel component 10 can include one channel or multiple channels (e.g., raised portion(s)) oriented in various directions.
Channel component 10 is shaped or component added to alter flow rate in order to indicate to user when fluid level is low.
Channel component 10 can be integrated into or operate in conjunction with a baffle 40 disposed within the chamber 24 and coupled to at least one of the first and second opposing walls 21, 22.
Instead of being a separate element, channel component 10 can be integrally formed from and within first opposing wall 21 such that raised portion 13 does not require spine 14 for attachment to wall 21.
Channel component 10 can have cross-sectional shapes such as but not limited to C-Shape, L-Shape and/or tubular.
Channel component 10 may not be linear in configuration.
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.

Claims

A liquid-dispensing apparatus (1), comprising:
a flexible container (20) comprising first (21) and second (22) opposing walls and a bottom surface (23), the walls and bottom surface defining an interior chamber (24) configured to contain liquid;

a drink tube exterior to the container;

a detachable coupling element (30) coupled to the first opposing wall and providing fluid communication between the chamber (24) and the drink tube when the drink tube is attached to the coupling element, wherein the first wall (21) comprises a storage compartment (31) and the coupling element (30) is rotatable to be in a stored position within the compartment (31) when the coupling element (30) is not attached to the drink tube; and

a channel component (10) disposed within the chamber, the channel component having a proximal end (11) in fluid communication with the coupling element and a terminal end (12) extending toward the bottom surface, the channel component having a raised portion (13) including a length, the raised portion being configured to prevent the first and second opposing walls from completely contacting each other as liquid is expelled from the container, the channel component having a spine (14) coupled along its entire length to the first opposing wall, wherein the channel component has a T-shaped, C-shaped, L-shaped, or tubular cross-section, the channel component (10) being configured such that liquid may pass through the entirety of the length of the raised portion.
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a baffle (40) disposed within the chamber (24) and coupled to at least one of the first (21) and second (22) opposing walls.
A liquid-dispensing apparatus (1), comprising:
a flexible container (20) comprising first (21) and second (22) opposing walls, and a bottom surface (23), the walls, and bottom surface (23) defining an interior chamber (24) configured to contain liquid;

a drink tube exterior to the container;

a detachable coupling element (30) coupled to the first opposing wall (21) and providing fluid communication between the chamber (24) and the drink tube when the drink tube is attached to the coupling element, wherein the first wall (21) comprises a storage compartment (31) and the coupling element (30) is rotatable to be in a stored position within the compartment (31) when the coupling element (30) is not attached to the drink tube; and

a channel component (10) having a proximal end (11) in fluid communication with the coupling element and a terminal end (12) extending toward the bottom surface, the channel component formed within the first opposing wall (21), the channel component having a raised portion having a length and being configured to prevent the first and second opposing walls from completely contacting each other as liquid is expelled from the container, wherein the channel component has a T-shaped, C-shaped, L-shaped, or tubular cross-section, the channel component (10) being configured such that liquid may pass through the entirety of the length of the raised portion.
The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a baffle (40) coupled to at least one of the first (21) and second (22) opposing walls.