Sport water bottle with high flow rate
A bottle assembly has a bottle and a removable cap. The cap includes a nozzle and a vent arrangement. The vent arrangement can include a vent conduit that extends into an air cavity present at the bottom of the bottle assembly when the bottle assembly is inverted. The vent arrangement allows for pressure equalization within the bottom assembly in response to liquid being dispensed from the bottle assembly to permit high flow rates of the dispensed liquid without squeezing of the bottle.
1 . A sports beverage bottle assembly, comprising:
a bottle defining a closed bottom end and an open top end;
a cap selectively connectable to the bottle and configured to close the open top end of the bottle, wherein the bottle and the cap cooperate to define an interior, the cap comprising:
a tubular support that extends from an interior surface of the cap; and
a tubular vent body that extends from the interior surface of the cap;
a nozzle carried by the tubular support of the cap, the nozzle movable between an open position and a closed position, the nozzle comprising an outlet passage;
a vent configured to permit a vent flow of vent air from an atmosphere outside of the bottle assembly to an interior space of the bottle assembly through a vent passage;
a vent conduit that extends from the vent passage to a terminal end located within the bottle, wherein the vent conduit is attached to the tubular vent body;
a check valve configured to permit the vent flow of air and inhibit or prevent a flow of air or the liquid contents through the vent passage in a direction from the interior space of the bottle assembly to the atmosphere, wherein the check valve comprises:
an umbrella valve having a stem portion and a flattened head portion, wherein the stem portion extends through an opening in the cap and the flattened head portion is positioned against an interior surface of the cap; and
multiple vent passages arranged around the opening, wherein the flattened head portion covers the multiple vent passages in a normal position and flexes to open the multiple vent passages in response to the vent flow of air;
wherein the bottle assembly is configured to dispense the liquid contents through the outlet passage of the nozzle in response to the bottle assembly being tilted toward an inverted position such that the liquid contents enters the outlet passage of the nozzle.
2 . The sports beverage bottle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the movement of the nozzle between the open position and the closed position is twisting or linear movement.
3 . The sports beverage bottle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vent passage extends through the cap at a location spaced from a nozzle receiver opening through an exterior surface of the cap that opens into an interior space of the tubular support.
4 . The sports beverage bottle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bottle is constructed of a rigid material.
5 . The sports beverage bottle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle comprises a nozzle portion and an arm that extends tangentially outward from the nozzle portion.
6 . The sports beverage bottle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vent conduit comprises an enlarged upper end that is configured to engage the tubular vent body.
7 . The sports beverage bottle assembly of claim 6 , wherein the vent conduit tapers in a direction from the enlarged upper end to the terminal end.
8 . The sports beverage bottle assembly of claim 1 , wherein an outlet opening of the outlet passage of the nozzle is located on an upper end of the nozzle.
9 . The sports beverage bottle of claim 1 , wherein a total area of the multiple vent passages is equal to or greater than a minimum cross-sectional area of the vent conduit.
10 . The sports beverage bottle of claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple vent passages has an arcuate shape.
11 . A sports beverage bottle assembly, comprising:
a bottle defining a closed bottom end and an open top end;
a cap selectively connectable to the bottle and configured to close the open top end of the bottle, wherein the bottle and the cap cooperate to define an interior, the cap comprising:
a tubular support that extends from an interior surface of the cap; and
a tubular vent body that extends from the interior surface of the cap;
a nozzle carried by the tubular support of the cap, the nozzle movable between an open position and a closed position, the nozzle comprising an outlet passage, wherein the tubular support and the nozzle cooperate to define one or more windows that permit entry of the liquid contents into the outlet passage of the nozzle through a circumferential surface of the tubular support, wherein the nozzle comprises a plurality of radially-outward-projecting ears that engage the tubular support to define the open position of the nozzle;
a vent configured to permit a vent flow of vent air from an atmosphere outside of the bottle assembly to an interior space of the bottle assembly through a vent passage;
a vent conduit that extends from the vent passage to a terminal end located within the bottle, wherein the vent conduit is attached to the tubular vent body;
wherein the bottle assembly is configured to dispense the liquid contents through the outlet passage of the nozzle in response to the bottle assembly being tilted toward an inverted position such that the liquid contents enters the outlet passage of the nozzle;
wherein the nozzle is configured to be removable from the cap by pressing on a side of the nozzle and collapsing the nozzle such that the ears do not engage the tubular support and the nozzle can move upwards and out of the cap.
12 . The sports beverage bottle of claim 11 , wherein the nozzle comprises an indicator to indicate to the user the location on the nozzle to press for removal of the nozzle.
13 . A sports beverage bottle assembly, comprising:
a bottle defining a closed bottom end and an open top end;
a cap selectively connectable to the bottle and configured to close the open top end of the bottle, wherein the bottle and the cap cooperate to define an interior, the cap comprising:
a tubular support that extends from an interior surface of the cap; and
a tubular vent body that extends from the interior surface of the cap,
wherein the tubular vent body comprises a cylindrical outer surface;
wherein the tubular support and the cylindrical outer surface of the tubular vent body define a space therebetween;
a nozzle carried by the tubular support of the cap, the nozzle movable between an open position and a closed position, the nozzle comprising an outlet passage having no interior obstructions and having a minimum diameter of at least 9 millimeters;
a vent configured to permit a vent flow of vent air from an atmosphere outside of the bottle assembly to an interior space of the bottle assembly through a vent passage;
a vent conduit that extends from the vent passage to a terminal end located within the bottle, wherein the vent conduit is friction fit onto the cylindrical outer surface of the tubular vent body with a portion of the vent conduit received in the space between the tubular support and the cylindrical outer surface of the tubular vent body, wherein the vent conduit has a minimum internal diameter of at least 3 mm;
wherein the bottle assembly is configured to dispense the liquid contents through the outlet passage of the nozzle in response to the bottle assembly being tilted toward an inverted position such that the liquid contents enters the outlet passage of the nozzle.
14 . The sports beverage bottle of claim 13 , wherein the tubular support and the nozzle cooperate to define one or more windows that permit entry of the liquid contents into the outlet passage of the nozzle, wherein the one or more windows define a total area of at least 65 square millimeters.
15 . The sports beverage bottle of claim 14 , wherein the one or more windows occupy a circumference of at least 270 degrees of the tubular support.
16 . The sports beverage bottle of claim 13 , wherein the bottle is configured to dispense about 21 oz. of liquid from the bottle in about 10 seconds or less using gravity force alone.