PERSONAL HYDRATION SYSTEM
A personal hydration system for use by military personnel in environments containing nuclear, biological and chemical agents. This system includes a bladder, a neck, a cap having an outlet port and a hose with a connector. The bladder has no sharp or small radius internal corners and may be turned inside out through an oversized fill port to ensure complete cleaning. The cap is sealed by a primary seal, wherein a thicker portion of the bladder is trapped between the cap and the neck, and a secondary seal, wherein seals are squeezed between the neck and the bladder's interior. The cap includes an outlet port, thereby decreasing the possible exposure sites. The connector is adapted so that it may attach itself to various other equipment, such as gas masks or mouthpieces. A user wearing thick gloves will be capable of operating the entire system, including the cap and the connectors.
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/432,236, filed May 11, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to systems for providing drinking fluid to a user and more particularly to a personal hydration system capable of being used by military personnel, police, security or members of the public who may find themselves in hazardous environmental conditions, an environment which may include nuclear, biological and chemical agents.
BACKGROUNDCanteens and water bottles of various configurations have long been utilized to create a portable source of drinking water and other hydrating fluids. While functional, they require a significant amount of manual manipulation and distraction from the activities at hand.
More recently, a number of improvements in hydration systems have been devised. These improvements are based on a flexible bladder connected to a tube and a shut-off device that allows the user to drink at will with no or minimal distraction and use of the hands. These bladders are often strapped in carriers worn on the back, creating a small pressure that enables the drinking fluid to be dispensed with little or no sucking. The result of these hydration systems is that they facilitate hydration without requiring the user to pause in activities such as bicycling, hiking, skiing, etc.
These same features have also proved to be useful to military personnel who often face the need to remain hydrated while being engaged in physical activities. Hydration systems designed for the recreational market have been utilized by military personnel and a certain amount of customization has been done to facilitate that usage.
While improvements have been made to the personal hydration system, there are still numerous drawbacks for use of these personal hydration systems in a military setting. One drawback of the prior art personal hydration systems is that they are difficult to clean and do not allow the user to visually inspect the cleanliness of the systems. Another drawback of the prior art personal hydration systems is that the systems are difficult to operate when the user is wearing thick gloves. A third drawback of the prior art personal hydration systems is that there are too many lineal sealing points which may provide access to nuclear, biological and chemical agents into the hydration systems. Yet, another drawback of the prior art systems is that the bladders have corners which form stress joints and may allow for nuclear, biological and chemical agents to enter into the hydration systems. Another drawback of the prior art personal hydrating systems is that the users will find it difficult to determine whether the cap is properly sealed before operating the hydration systems in unsafe environmental conditions. These are just a few of the numerous drawbacks of the prior art personal hydration systems.
It is a desire of the present invention to provide an improved personal hydration system that is easier to clean, allows the user to visually determine that the system is clean, operable with thick gloves, has fewer lineal sealing points, has fewer stress joints and has improved sealing of the cap so as to enable the user to determine that the cap is sealed properly. The present invention uses a connector that eliminates the lock-ring, thus allowing the user to connect the improved personal hydration system to other equipment by simply pulling and pushing the connector to the equipment.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn embodiment of the improved personal hydration system, which may be used by military personnel, includes an elastomeric bladder that may be translucent, a neck, a cap having an outlet port, an internal drinking tube, and a hose with a connector at one end. The improved personal hydration system is capable of being used in environments containing nuclear, biological and chemical agents. The bladder is flexible and has a shape that has no sharp or small radius internal corners. In an embodiment, the bladder has a fill port located at an angle in the bladder's top portion which is oversized so that the bladder may be turned inside out for cleaning purposes. In another embodiment, the fill port is not angled.
The neck has deformable seals positioned concentrically along its base which attaches to the internal side of the bladder's fill port. A thicker portion of the bladder, the portion which is slightly thicker at the rim of the fill port, is exposed along the top side of the neck's base adjacent to the lower end of the neck's threaded section so that it may act as a primary seal when the cap is attached to the neck. The rim of the cap is tapered at its bottom side so that it can properly form a seal with the thicker portion of the bladder trapped between the cap and the neck. The cap also has external ribs to facilitate a user operating the cap while wearing gloves. The cap has an outlet port attached to the top side of the cap, thereby decreasing the number of parts and the possible exposure sites to the environment. As the cap is turned for closing, the cap is sealed by two methods. The primary seal is where the bladder is trapped between the cap and the neck and is tightened as the cap is closed. The secondary seal is where the deformable seals are squeezed between the neck and the bladder's inner surface.
The internal drinking tube attaches to the outlet port on the cap's inner side and extends the bladder's length along its interior side. The hose is connected to the outlet port on the cap's exterior side and has a connector attached to the hose's other end. The connector is adapted so that it may receive a connection from various other equipment, which includes, but is not limited to, a mouthpiece or a gas mask.
The foregoing has outlined the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.
The foregoing and other features and aspects of the present invention will be best understood with reference to the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The general principles described herein may be applied to embodiments and applications other than those detailed below without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. The present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods, and devices for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
As shown in
In an embodiment, the bladder 20 has a fill port 22 located at an angle along its top portion. The bladder 20 is a molded elastomeric bladder, preferably made of silicone and coated with parylene. The wall thickness of bladder 20 is uniform throughout, with the exception that the wall thickness at the fill port 22 is slightly greater. Silicone is an inherently translucent elastomer which naturally inhibits biological growth. There are several other benefits for using silicone as the construction material. Another benefit is that silicone is easy to make suitable for potable water. A third benefit is that silicone has a history of application in products which must be resistant to atmospheric contaminants, which include nuclear, biological and chemical agents. Another benefit is that it is easily formulated with excellent strength and very high ultimate elongation, which allows it to resist shock and deformation extremely well. Although silicone with a parylene liner has been shown as the construction material in this embodiment, other materials that are waterproof and resistant to nuclear, biological and chemical agents, such as chlorobutyl and other butyl materials may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Other illustrative non-exclusive examples of chemically resistant materials for constructing components of bladder 20 include thermoset epoxies such as vulcanized butyl rubber and chloro-isobutene-isoprene rubber (chloro-butyl), thermoplastic elastomers such as Sentoprene rubber, nylon, ABS, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene. The choice of materials for a particular component include considerations of the expected forced to be applied to the component, structural requirements, and flexibility requirements, and accordingly may vary from component to component and system to system. For the inside of the bladder 20, colored material, of the same elastomer formulation as the outside, is contemplated. A multilayer design is contemplated such that surface degradation would not affect the performance of the system. Since the inside and outside layers are merely versions of the same basic elastomer formulation and are applied as part of the same manufacturing step, the resulting multi-layered construction remains essentially homogeneous. Thus, the outer layer would also be potable water compatible and formulated for low taste as the inner layer and the inner layer would also incorporate nuclear, biological and chemical agent (NBC) impermeability as the outerlayer. Further, nano-fillers such as nano-clays are also contemplated to be incorporated in the bladder 20 to enhance the impermeability of the elastomers used.
A multi-layered dip molding process is used for manufacturing the hydration system 10 of the present invention. This process allows for the use of different versions of the same basic material for manufacturing the different layers of the bladder 20. The exterior of the bladder 20 may be made of carbon black. The inner colored layer of the bladder 20 may be of a lighter color. Additionally, the multi-layered dip molding process results in the hydration system of the present invention being significantly lighter in weight as compared to other commercially available products. Hence, the thinner and lighter product of the present invention provides greater conformity to the user, minimizing space for a given water volume
The bladder 20 is molded as an elliptical shape, with a cylindrical body and spherical ends, having no sharp or small radius internal corners. Small radius internal corners are internal corners having a radius of about 1.5 mm or less. In this embodiment, the bladder 20 has internal corners with a radius of about 2.5 mm. This shape removes potential stress points and areas capable of trapping debris. The bladder 20 may vary in shape and size depending upon the volume of drinking fluid to be carried by the user and the intended use of the improved personal hydration system 10, while still remaining within the scope of the present invention. The bladder 20 may come in other shapes, such as round, oval, cubical, rectangular, triangular, etc., so long as there are no sharp or small radius internal corners, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Also, although this embodiment shows the radius for the internal corner being about 2.5 mm, the radius may be larger without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
In this embodiment, the bladder 20 needs to meet certain testing and physical requirements because of its potential use in a military setting. First, the bladder 20 must be able to hold at least 70 ounces of drinking fluid at a temperature in the range from about −60° F. to about 160° F. The present invention, however, is not limited to such a size, as different sizes can be provided to hold more or less fluid in the bladder 20 as needed. The bladder 20 will be designed to normally store drinking fluid at a temperature in the range from about 0° F. to about 125° F. The bladder 20 should also be able to support a 500 lb distributed load and be able to withstand a 30-foot drop while filled with chilled water at a temperature range from about 32° F. to about 40° F. Also, there should be no air leakage through the bladder 20 when it is exposed to about a 5 psi pressure. Finally, the bladder 20 should provide 24 hour protection from exposure to nuclear, biological and chemical agents based on a 15 liter/day consumption rate and 70 ounces bladder 20 capacity. These requirements may be higher or lower without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
The materials and construction of the improved personal hydration system 10 will enable a user to use it for multiple purposes, including in environments containing nuclear, biological and chemical agents (NBC), conventional warfare, training use and daily use. With the present invention, there is no need to use different products for different types of activities.
The fill port 22 in this embodiment, which is circular in shape, is located at the top portion of the bladder 20 at an angle so as to reduce the profile of bladder 20 while the cap 40 is engaged to the neck 30 (
As shown in
In this embodiment, the neck 30 needs to meet certain testing and physical requirements because of its potential use in a military setting. The neck 30 must be able to support three times the weight of the bladder 40 (
As seen in
As shown in
The external ribs 42 are substantially vertical along the external side of cap 40 and serve a dual purpose. First, the external ribs 42 facilitate the user to turn the cap 40, even while wearing thick gloves. Secondly, the external ribs 42 strengthen the integrity of the cap 40. Although this embodiment shows the external ribs 42 being substantially vertical, they may also be angled without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
The outlet port 50, preferably a hose barb, is integrally molded onto the center of the exterior top side of the cap 40. Although this embodiment shows that the outlet port 50 is integral to the cap 40, the outlet port 50 may be removably attached to the cap 40 without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Also, although this embodiment locates the outlet port 50 onto the center of the cap 40, the outlet port 50 may be located elsewhere on the cap 40, including its sides, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Some of the advantages of having the outlet port 50 molded onto the cap 40 are (1) the number of components are reduced thereby limiting the cost and the number of leak points, (2) the length of the hose 60 (
Threads 44 (
Referring back to
The hose 60 has an adjacent end 62 and a distal end 64, wherein the adjacent end 62 is removably connected to the outlet port 50 on the exterior side of cap 40. In this embodiment, the hose 60 is constructed of the same or similar material as the material of bladder 20. This material ensures that nuclear, biological, and chemical agents do not penetrate into the improved personal hydration system 10 via the hose 60. Although this embodiment shows that the material of hose 60 is the same or similar material as the material of bladder 20, the material of hose 60 may be completely dissimilar depending upon its application without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Also shown in
In an embodiment, the distal end of the hose is connected via the connector 70 to a mouthpiece 120 such that the hose 60 is in fluid communication with mouthpiece 120. Mouthpiece 120 is sized to be received within the user's mouth to deliver fluid to the user. Mouthpiece 120 is shown in more detail in
An example of the mouthpiece 120 is a bite-actuated, or mouth-actuated, mouthpiece 120 that it is selectively deformed from a sealed (or closed) position, in which fluid is prevented from being dispensed from the mouthpiece, to a dispensing (or open) position, in which the user may draw fluid from the reservoir through the tube and mouthpiece when the user compresses the mouthpiece with the user's teeth or lips. Bite-actuated mouthpieces are often biased or otherwise configured to automatically return to the closed position when a user is not exerting force upon the mouthpiece to configure the mouthpiece to its closed position. Another example of the mouthpiece 120 is the pop-up style valve. Pop up valves are usually provided on a cap with thread attachments so that they can connect to the threaded spout of the bottle. The valve is popped open to provide a flow path. The valve has to be pushed down to close the flow path. This requires action by a user to close the valve. If left open, the contents of a container could leak if tipped over.
Although the improved personal hydration system 10 could be used separately,
Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, these descriptions are not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the invention, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. It is therefore, contemplated that the claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention.
Claims
1. An improved personal hydration system comprising:
- an elastomeric bladder, for containing a drinking fluid, having an oversized fill port, wherein the bladder can be turned inside out through the fill port for cleaning and inspection purposes;
- a neck having a base and a threaded portion extending from the base, wherein the base is attached to the interior side of the bladder at the fill port;
- a cap that is removably attached to the threaded portion of the neck;
- an outlet port located at a position on the improved personal hydration system such that the outlet port has access to the drinking fluid within the bladder;
- a hose having an adjacent end and a distal end, wherein the adjacent end is attached to the outlet port and the distal end is attached to a connector; and
- a shut-off device moveably positioned on the hose between the outlet port and the connector.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bladder is constructed of silicone and has a parylene coating.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the bladder is constructed of butyl rubber.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein said butyl rubber incorporates nano-fillers for improving impermeability.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein said nano-filler is a nano-clay.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the outlet port is located on the exterior side of the cap.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the threaded portion of the neck has a large pitch.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the rim of the cap is tapered.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises external ribs located around the side of the cap.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one deformable seal is placed between the top side of the base of the neck and the interior side of the bladder at the fill port.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a plurality of arcs to provide a greater surface area for sealing and preventing the neck from being dislodged from the bladder while a user pulls on the neck.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein a thicker portion of the bladder is trapped between the cap and the neck, thereby creating a seal for the cap.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the bladder has no sharp or small radius internal corners.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the fill port is located at an angle on the top portion of the bladder, thereby creating a low profile.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the cap has a hard stop upon closure, thereby allowing a user to determine proper sealing of the cap.
16. The system of claim 1, further comprising an internal drinking tube attached to the interior side of the outlet port and extending toward the bottom of the bladder.
17. The system of claim 1, further comprising an insulated cover having a flap, wherein the insulated cover holds the bladder, and wherein the cap is accessible for filling with drinking fluid when the flap is in an open position.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector is adapted to attach to a gas mask.
19. The system of claim 1, wherein the connector is adapted to attach to a mouthpiece.
20. An improved personal hydration system capable of being used in environments containing nuclear, biological and chemical agents, the system comprising:
- an elastomeric bladder, for containing a drinking fluid, having an oversized fill port located on the top portion of the bladder, wherein the bladder can be turned inside out through the fill port for cleaning and inspection purposes, wherein the bladder has no sharp or small radius internal comers, and wherein the bladder is constructed of butyl rubber;
- a neck having a base with at least one deformable seal located on its top side and a threaded portion extending from the base, wherein the base is attached to the interior side of the bladder at the fill port;
- a cap having an outlet port, wherein the cap is removably attached to the threaded portion of the neck, wherein a thicker portion of the bladder is trapped between the cap and the neck thereby creating a seal for the cap, and wherein the cap has a hard stop upon closure thereby allowing a user to determine proper sealing of the cap;
- a hose having an adjacent end and a distal end, wherein the adjacent end is attached to the outlet port; and the distal end is attached to a connector;
- a shut-off device moveably positioned on the hose between the outlet port and the connector;
- an internal drinking tube attached to the interior side of the outlet port and extending toward the bottom of the bladder; and
- an insulated cover having a flap, wherein the insulated cover holds the bladder, and wherein the cap is accessible for filling with drinking fluid when the flap is in an open position.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 17, 2008
Publication Date: Oct 1, 2009
Inventor: Steve L. Bemis (Pinehurst, TX)
Application Number: 12/141,009
International Classification: B65D 37/00 (20060101);