Fluid dispensing vessel
A fluid dispensing vessel is described which includes a fluid storage container having a neck portion and which defines an internal cavity. A first portion of a cap releasably engages the neck portion; a second portion of the cap telescopingly receives at least a part of the first portion of the cap; a rotatable drinking spout is rotatably supported on the second portion of the cap; and a third portion of the cap is pivotally moveable relative to the second portion of the cap and is further releasably attached to the rotatable drinking spout. The third portion of the cap causes the rotatable drinking spout to move along a path of travel and then forcibly detaches from the rotatable drinking spout when the drinking spout reaches the terminal end of its travel.
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The present invention relates generally to fluid dispensing vessels, and more specially to a novel arrangement for sealing and unsealing such vessels, and for storing and then presenting a drinking spout for use by a consumer in a manner not possible, heretofore.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONDrinking containers of various types including travel mugs are well known in the art. Such drinking vessels have been designed for various purposes such as to be used on bicycles, while hiking, and doing various indoor and outdoor activities.
In this art field much effort has been undertaken to design various removable lids, closure devices or other mechanisms for opening and closing a drinking orifice or providing a drinking straw or other conduit in a convenient manner and also to prohibit the spilling of the drink contained within the drinking vessel should it be accidently overturned.
Assorted different commercially available products are available which provide various drinking vessels which have drinking spouts which may be pivoted between a closed, or sealed position, and an open position, which will allow a user to drink from the vessel.
While the aforementioned prior art devices have operated with varying degrees of success, there are perceived shortcomings with their individual designs which are detracted from their commercial usefulness. For example, in the prior art devices discussed, above, it has been well known to use pivotable drinking spouts on variously designed fluid dispensing vessels. However, such pivotable drinking spouts have often not been satisfactory from a user's standpoint because they either allowed the leakage of fluid from the drinking vessel, or further they have been continually exposed to the ambient environment so that they are easily contaminated by dust, debris, or other harmful contamination. In view of this, users have often had to take the extra step of wiping or otherwise cleansing the drinking spout before drinking fluid from the spout. It should be appreciated from this discussion, that this has made such earlier designs of fluid dispensing vessels somewhat unattractive when the user is engaged in sports activities such as riding a bicycle or engaging in some other athletic event where only one hand is conveniently available to grasp, and then open the fluid dispensing vessel.
Therefore, a fluid dispensing vessel which avoids the detriments individually associated with the prior art and provides a convenient means by which a user may easily open, and then close a fluid dispensing vessel, and which further protects the pivotal drinking spout from ambient environmental contamination is the subject matter of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a fluid dispensing vessel which includes a fluid storage container having an internal cavity for storing a source of fluid to be dispensed, and which further has a neck portion defining an aperture which allows access to the internal cavity thereof; a first portion of a cap which releasably engages the neck portion of the fluid storage container, and which further selectively occludes the aperture defined by the neck portion; a second portion of the cap which telescopingly receives, at least in part, the first portion of the cap; a rotatable drinking spout rotatably supported in a given orientation relative to the second portion of the cap, and which further facilitates the withdrawal of the source of fluid from the internal cavity of the fluid storage container; and a third portion of the cap which is pivotally movable relative to the second portion of the cap, and which is releasably attached to the rotatable drinking spout, and wherein the movement of the third portion of the cap causes the rotatable drinking spout to move along a given path of travel having a terminal end, and wherein the moveable third portion of the cap detaches from the rotatable drinking spout when the rotatable drinking spout reached the terminal end of the path of travel.
Still another aspect of the present invention relates to a fluid dispensing vessel which includes, a fluid storage container having a main body which defines an internal cavity for storing a source of fluid to be dispensed, and wherein the main body has a top peripheral edge which defines an aperture which allows access to the internal cavity of the main body; a first portion of a cap for selectively occluding the aperture which is defined by the fluid storage container, and wherein the first portion of the cap is releasably affixed to the main body of the fluid storage container, and located in covering relation over the aperture, and wherein a second aperture is formed in the first portion of the cap, and is disposed in fluid communication with the internal cavity of the fluid storage container; a second portion of the cap having a main body which defines an internal cavity which is dimensioned to telescopingly receive, at least in part, the first portion of the cap; a rotatable drinking spout which is pivotally mounted on the second portion of the cap, and which further defines a passageway which allows for the passing of fluid therethrough, and wherein the passageway has a first intake end, and a second exhaust end, and wherein the rotatable drinking spout is moveable along an arcuately shape path of travel from a first position, wherein the rotatable drinking spout is oriented in an occluding, sealing orientation, relative to the aperture defined by the first portion of the cap, and thereby prevents the removal of the source of fluid from the fluid storage container, and a second position, and wherein, in the second position, the first intake end of the passageway is substantially coaxially aligned relative to the second passageway which is defined by the first portion of the cap so as to facilitate the passing of the source of fluid from the fluid storage container to the second exhaust end of the passageway; and a moveable third portion of the cap which is pivotally attached to the second portion of the cap, and which travels along an arcuately shaped path of travel from a closed position, wherein the third portion of the cap matingly, releasably engages the second portion of the cap, and also encloses the rotatable drinking spout within the second portion of the cap, and further orients the rotatable drinking spout in the first position so as to prevent the source of fluid from being dispensed from the fluid storage container, to an open position, which causes the drinking spout to be moved to the second position, so as to facilitate the dispensing of the source of fluid from the fluid storage container, and wherein, in the open position, the moveable third portion releasably detaches from the rotatable drinking spout.
These and other aspects of the present invention will be described in greater detail hereinafter.
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the following accompanying drawings:
This disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance of the constitutional purposes of the U.S. patent laws “to promote the progress of science and useful arts.” (Article I, Section 8).
The present invention is generally indicated by the number 10, and is best understood by a study of
Received within the internal cavity 23 of the fluid storage container 11 is a fluid withdrawing conduit 30, which has a first end 31, and which is positioned closely adjacent to the first or base end 12, and an opposite, or second end 32. A fluid passageway 33 is defined between the first and second ends 31 and 32. The fluid withdrawing conduit 30 is operable to cooperate with a cap having multiple portions, as will be described, hereinafter, and which is threadably affixed to the second end 13 of the main body 11. As seen in the exploded perspective view as illustrated in
As best seen in
Still referring to the first portion of the cap 40, as described in the paragraph, above, the first portion of the cap 40 further has formed in the top surface 42 thereof an annular shaped cavity 50 which surrounds the aperture 47. Still further, depending downwardly from the bottom surface 43 is a nipple portion 51 defining a conduit or passageway 52 which extends to the aperture 47. The nipple portion 51 is operable to telescopingly receive the second or distal end 32 of the fluid withdrawing conduit 30 in the manner of a friction like fit. Therefore the source of fluid to be dispensed 24 may be withdrawn along the fluid withdrawing conduit 30 and then exit through the aperture 47 when a suction is applied to same. As seen in the exploded perspective view of
Still referring to
Referring now to
Referring still to
Referring more specifically to
As seen in
Referring now to
As seen in
As best appreciated by a study of the drawings, the third portion of the cap 110, in response to force applied to the resilient latch 120 by a user, is operable to move along an arcuately shaped path of travel 130 (
The operation of the described embodiment of the present invention is believed to be readily apparent as briefly summarized to this point.
Referring back to the earlier described drawings, a fluid dispensing vessel 10 of the present invention is best understood by a study of
More specifically, the present invention relates to a fluid dispensing vessel 10 which includes, as a first feature, a fluid storage container having a main body 11 which defines an internal cavity 23 for storing a source of fluid to be dispensed 24. The main body 11 has a top peripheral edge 13 which defines an aperture 15, and which allows access to the internal cavity 23 of the main body 15. The invention 10 further includes a first portion of a cap 40 for selectively occluding the aperture 15 which is defined by the fluid storage container 11. The first portion of the cap 40 is releasably affixed to the main body of the fluid storage container 11, and is located in partial covering relation over the aperture 15. A second aperture 47 is formed in the first portion of the cap 40, and is disposed in fluid communication with the internal cavity 23 of the fluid storage container 11. The present invention 10 also includes a second portion of the cap 70, and which has a main body 71, and which further defines an internal cavity 74 which is dimensioned to telescopingly receive, at least in part, the first portion of the cap 40. In addition to the foregoing features, the present invention 10 includes a rotatable drinking spout 90 which is pivotally mounted on the second portion of the cap 70, and which further defines a passageway 93 which allows for the passage of fluid 24 therethrough. The passageway 93 has a first intake end 91, and a second exhaust end 92. The rotatable drinking spout 90 is moveable along an arcuately shaped path of travel 100, from a first position 101, where the rotatable drinking spout 90 is oriented in an occluding, sealing orientation relative to the aperture 47 which is defined by the first portion of the cap 40. This feature prevents the removal of the source of fluid 24 from the fluid storage container 11. Further the rotatable drinking spout is moveable to a second position 102. In the second position 102 the first intake end of the aperture 91 is substantially coaxially aligned relative to the aperture 47 which is defined by the first portion of the cap 40 so as to facilitate the passing of the source of fluid 24 from the fluid storage container 11 to the second exhaust end 92 of the passageway 93 that is defined by the rotatable drinking spout 90. In addition to the other features noted above, the present invention 10 includes a moveable third portion of the cap 110 which is pivotally attached to the second portion of the cap 70. The moveable third portion of the cap 110 travels along an arcuately shaped path of travel 130 from a closed, first position 131 wherein the third portion of the cap 110 matingly, releasably engages the second portion of the cap 70 and also encloses the rotatable drinking spout 90 within the second portion of the cap 70. Further, the moveable third portion of the cap 110 further orients the rotatable drinking spout 90 in the first position 101 so as to prevent the source of fluid 24 from leaking out of the fluid storage container 11 by way of the vent 54. Additionally, the moveable third portion of the cap 110 can be moved to an open or second position 132 which causes the drinking spout 90 to be moved to the second position 102 so as to facilitate the dispensing of the source of fluid 24 from the fluid storage container 11. In the open position 132 the moveable third portion 110 can be forcibly releasably detached from the rotatable drinking spout 90 and moved to a position where it does not impede the use of the drinking spout by a consumer.
Therefore, it will be understood that the fluid dispensing vessel 10 of the present invention avoids many of the detriments associated with the prior art devices, arrangements and designs utilized heretofore for related fluid dispensing vessels while simultaneously providing a means whereby a rotatable drinking spout may be provided and presented for use by a consumer and which otherwise when not in use is protected from contamination which may come from a myriad of different external sources.
In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural and methodical features. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown and described since the means herein disclosed compromise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted in accordance with the Doctrine of Equivalents.
Claims
1. A fluid dispensing vessel, comprising:
- a fluid storage container having an internal cavity for storing a source of fluid to be dispensed, and which further has a neck portion defining an aperture which allows access to the internal cavity;
- a first portion of a cap which releasably engages the neck portion of the fluid storage container and which selectively occludes the aperture defined by the neck portion;
- a second portion of the cap which telescopingly receives, at least in part, the first portion of the cap;
- a rotatable drinking spout rotatably supported in a given orientation relative to the second portion of the cap and which facilitates the withdrawal of the source of fluid from the internal cavity of the fluid storage container; and
- a third portion of the cap which is pivotally movable relative to the second portion of the cap, and which is releasably attached to the rotatable drinking spout, and wherein the movement of the third portion of the cap causes the rotatable drinking spout to move along a given path of travel having a terminal end, and wherein the moveable third portion of the cap detaches from the rotatable drinking spout when the rotatable drinking spout reaches the terminal end of the path of travel.
2. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the neck portion has an outside facing surface which is threaded, and wherein the first portion of the cap threadably couples with the fluid storage container, and wherein the first portion further defines an aperture, and a vent, which are both coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the internal cavity of the fluid storage container.
3. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 2, and wherein the first and second portion of the cap cooperatively mate together to rotatably support the rotatable drinking spout, and wherein the rotatable drinking spout has a first, and an opposite, second end, and wherein a passageway extends between the first and second ends, and wherein the rotatable drinking spout, when positioned at the terminal end of the path of travel, orients the passageway, thereof, so as to facilitate the passing of the source of fluid from the internal cavity of the fluid storage container though the passageway defined by the rotatable drinking spout to the second end thereof.
4. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in 3, and wherein the path of travel of the rotatable drinking spout extends between a stored position, where the rotatable drinking spout is located within the second portion of the cap, and is operable to substantially seal the vent, to the opposite, terminal end thereof, and wherein the vent couples a surrounding ambient environment to the internal cavity of the fluid storage container and facilitates the passing of the source of fluid from the internal cavity of the fluid storage container and through the passageway as defined by the rotatable drinking spout and to the distal end thereof.
5. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 4, and wherein the first end of the rotatable drinking spout is semi-hemispherical, and the fluid dispensing vessel further comprises an annular seal which circumscribes the aperture which is defined by the first portion of the cap, and wherein the first end of the rotatable drinking spout moveably sealingly cooperates with the annular seal as it moves along the path of travel from the stored position to the terminal end thereof.
6. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 5, and wherein the third portion of the cap is pivotally supported for movement relative to the second portion of the cap by the mating cooperation of the first and second portions of the cap.
7. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 6, and wherein the third portion of the cap has an inside facing surface, and a pair of depending engagement members are mounted on the inside facing surface and are operable to releasably engage the rotatable drinking spout when the drinking spout is located in the stored position, and wherein pivotal movement of the third portion of the cap is effective in moving the rotatable drinking spout along the path of travel from the stored position, and in the direction of the terminal end thereof, and wherein the continued movement of the third portion of the cap after the rotatable drinking spout has reached the terminal end of the path of travel is effective in detaching the third portion of the cap from the drinking spout.
8. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 7, and wherein the pair of depending engagement members are laterally resilient by moveable.
9. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 8 and wherein the third portion of the cap has a resilient latch which engages the second portion of the cap, and wherein the second portion of the cap is sealably coupled to the first portion of the cap.
10. A fluid dispensing vessel, comprising:
- a fluid storage container having a main body which defines an internal cavity for storing a source of fluid to be dispensed, and wherein the main body has a top, peripheral edge which defines an aperture which allows access to the internal cavity of the main body;
- a first portion of a cap for selectively occluding the aperture which is defined by the fluid storage container, and wherein the first portion of the cap is releasably affixed to the main body of the fluid storage container, and located in covering relation over the aperture, and wherein an aperture is formed in the first portion of the cap, and is disposed in fluid communication with the internal cavity of the fluid storage container;
- a second portion of the cap having a main body which defines an internal cavity which is dimensioned to telescopingly receive, at least in part, the first portion of the cap;
- a rotatable drinking spout which is pivotally mounted within the second portion of the cap, and which further defines a passageway which allows for the passage of fluid therethrough, and wherein the passageway has a first intake end, and a second exhaust end, and wherein the rotatable drinking spout is moveable along an arcuately shaped path of travel from a first position, wherein the rotatable drinking spout is oriented in an occluding, sealing orientation, relative to the aperture defined by the first portion of the cap, and thereby prevents the removal of the source of fluid from the fluid storage container, and a second position, and wherein, in the second position, the first intake end of the passageway is substantially coaxially aligned relative to the aperture which is defined by the first portion of the cap so as to facilitate the passing of the source of fluid from the fluid storage container to the second exhaust end of the passageway; and
- a moveable third portion of the cap which is pivotally attached to the second portion of the cap, and which travels along an arcuately shaped path of travel from a closed position, wherein the third portion of the cap matingly, releasably engages the second portion of the cap, and also encloses the rotatable drinking spout within the second portion of the cap, and further orients the rotatable drinking spout in the first position so as to prevent the source of fluid from being dispensed from the fluid storage container, to an open position, which causes the drinking spout to be moved to the second position so as to facilitate the dispensing of the source of fluid from the fluid storage container, and wherein, in the open position, the moveable third portion of the cap releasably detaches from the rotatable drinking spout.
11. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the main body of the fluid storage container defines a threaded neck portion, and the top peripheral edge of the main body is defined by the threaded neck portion.
12. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 10, and further comprising a fluid withdrawing conduit positioned within the fluid storage container, and which is coupled in fluid flowing relation relative to the aperture which is defined by the first portion of the cap.
13. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the main body of the fluid storage container defines a threaded neck portion, and the top peripheral edge of the main body is defined by the threaded neck portion, and wherein the first portion of the cap threadably couples with the threaded neck portion.
14. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the first portion of the cap further defines a vent which, when non-occluded, couples, in fluid flowing communication, the internal cavity of the fluid storage container, with a surrounding ambient environment when the rotatable drinking spout is in the second position, and wherein the vent is substantially sealably occluded by the rotatable drinking spout when the rotatable drinking spout is located in the first position.
15. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 10, and further comprising:
- an annular seal which is positioned in circumscribing relation relative to the aperture which is defined by the first portion of the cap, and wherein the rotatable drinking spout has a first, semi-hemispherical end which is pivotally mounted on the second portion of the cap, and an opposite, distal end, and wherein the first semi-hemispherical end of the rotatable drinking spout is positioned in a juxtaposed, moveably sealable relationship relative to the annular seal.
16. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the moveable third portion of the cap has an inside facing surface with a pair of depending, engagement member for releasably engaging the rotatable drinking spout, and for moving the rotatable drinking spout along the arcuately shaped path of travel from the first position, to the second position, and wherein continued movement of the moveable third portion of the cap to the open position, thereof, is effective in forcibly detaching the pair of depending engagement members from the rotatable drinking spout, and wherein movement of the moveable third portion from the open position to the closed position is effective in causing the pair of depending, engagement members to resiliently deform and then releasably engage the rotatable drinking spout and move the rotatable drinking spout from the second position to the first position.
17. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 16, and wherein the pair of depending engagement members are laterally resiliently moveable.
18. A fluid dispensing vessel as claimed in claim 10, and wherein the moveable third portion of the cap has a resilient latch which engages the second portion of the cap, and wherein the second portion of the cap is sealably coupled to the first portion of the cap.
Type: Application
Filed: May 31, 2011
Publication Date: Dec 6, 2012
Applicant:
Inventor: Jeff Steininger (St. Mary's, OH)
Application Number: 13/134,124
International Classification: B65D 51/18 (20060101); B65D 43/18 (20060101); B65D 41/62 (20060101);