Drink bottles with bite-actuated mouthpieces
View Patent ↗Drink bottles, or containers, with bite-actuated mouthpieces. In some embodiments, the mouthpieces are self-sealing mouthpieces that are biased to return from a dispensing configuration to a closed configuration. The bottles may be rigid or collapsible and may include a removable cap assembly. In some embodiments, the bottles include a manual on/off valve adapted to prevent drink fluid from being dispensed regardless of the mouthpiece's configuration. In some embodiments, the bottles include a straw extending into the bottle and/or a drink tube extending from external of the bottle and/or an air return system. In some embodiments, the bottles include a dispensing spout that is pivotally coupled to the cap of the drink bottle. In some embodiments, the dispensing spout includes a mount for the mouthpiece and/or cooperates with the cap to provide a manual on/off valve to selectively restrict flow of drink fluid from the bottle regardless of the mouthpiece's configuration.
1. A drink container, comprising:
a rigid fluid container having a fluid container base adapted to support the fluid container in an upright configuration, wherein the fluid container further includes a neck with an opening and a wall structure extending between the neck and the fluid container base; wherein the fluid container defines an internal compartment sized to hold a volume of potable drink fluid;
a cap assembly removably coupled to the fluid container to cover the opening, the cap assembly comprising:
a cap assembly base removably coupled to the neck of the fluid container;
a drink spout extending in a fixed orientation relative to the cap assembly base and having an outlet, wherein the drink spout defines at least a portion of a fluid conduit for drink fluid to flow from the fluid container through the drink spout; and
a self-sealing bite-actuated mouthpiece fluidly coupled to the drink spout and including a sealable opening through which drink fluid may be selectively dispensed from the fluid container to a user, wherein the mouthpiece is selectively configured between a closed configuration, in which the mouthpiece is adapted to prevent drink fluid from being dispensed therethrough, and a dispensing configuration, in which the mouthpiece is adapted to permit drink fluid to be dispensed therethrough, wherein the mouthpiece is adapted to be configured from the closed configuration to the dispensing configuration responsive to compressive forces applied thereto, and further wherein the mouthpiece is biased to automatically return from the dispensing configuration to the closed configuration.
2. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the fluid container is adapted to hold 12-36 fluid ounces of drink fluid.
3. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the cap assembly is threadingly coupled to the neck of the fluid container, and further wherein the drink container is at least substantially formed from at least one of polycarbonate and polypropylene.
4. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the wall structure of the fluid container includes an upper region, a central region, and a lower region, and further wherein the upper region is tapered and has a smaller internal perimeter than at least one of the central region and the lower region.
5. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece includes opposed bite regions, and further wherein the mouthpiece is adapted to be configured from its closed configuration to its dispensing configuration responsive to compressive forces being applied to the bite regions to urge the bite regions toward each other.
6. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the sealable opening includes at least one elongate slit.
7. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the outlet of the drink spout extends into the mouthpiece.
8. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece defines an internal mouthpiece chamber into which drink fluid may flow from the outlet of the drink spout and from which drink fluid may flow to the opening of the mouthpiece.
9. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece includes a dispensing face through which the sealable opening extends, and further wherein the mouthpiece includes a mouthpiece base portion having a contoured configuration with respect to the dispensing face.
10. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the mouthpiece includes a dispensing face through which the sealable opening extends, and further wherein the mouthpiece includes a mouthpiece base portion with a pair of projecting regions projecting away from the dispensing face, toward the fluid container, and separated by a pair of concave regions.
11. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the cap assembly further includes a handle that projects from the base of the cap assembly, and further wherein the handle defines a closed perimeter with the base around an opening through which an object may be inserted to selectively position the drink container.
12. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the drink container further includes a manual on/off valve that is adapted to selectively restrict the flow of drink fluid from the fluid container to the opening of the mouthpiece regardless of the configuration of the mouthpiece.
13. The drink container of claim 12 , wherein the fluid conduit includes an inlet through which drink fluid may selectively flow from the fluid container and to the mouthpiece, and further wherein the on/off valve is adapted to selectively prevent drink fluid from flowing through the fluid conduit from the inlet to the mouthpiece.
14. The drink container of claim 13 , wherein the drink spout forms at least a portion of the on/off valve.
15. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the cap assembly further includes an air return assembly adapted to selectively permit air from external the fluid container to enter the internal compartment of the fluid container.
16. The drink container of claim 15 , wherein the air return assembly is spaced-apart from the opening of the mouthpiece.
17. The drink container of claim 15 , wherein the air return assembly includes an air return valve.
18. The drink container of claim 15 , wherein the air return assembly includes an air return passage through which air may selectively flow and an air return valve that is adapted to selectively obstruct the passage to prevent air from flowing therethrough.
19. The drink container of claim 18 , wherein the air return valve is further adapted to prevent drink fluid from flowing from the internal compartment of the fluid container through the air return passage.
20. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the drink container further includes an elongate internal straw that extends from the cap assembly into the internal compartment of the fluid container.
21. The drink container of claim 20 , wherein the base of the cap assembly includes a mount, and further wherein the internal straw is adapted to be removably coupled to the mount.
22. The drink container of claim 1 , wherein the drink container further includes an elongate drink tube, and further wherein the elongate drink tube fluidly couples the mouthpiece to the drink spout.
23. The drink container of claim 22 , wherein the drink tube is a flexible drink tube.
24. The drink container of claim 22 , wherein the drink tube is removably coupled to the drink spout and the mouthpiece.
25. The drink container of claim 24 , wherein the mouthpiece is adapted to be fluidly coupled directly to the drink spout upon removal of the drink tube from the mouthpiece and the drink spout and insertion of at least a portion of the drink spout into the mouthpiece.
26. A drink container, comprising:
a fluid container having a fluid container base adapted to support the fluid container in an upright configuration, wherein the fluid container further includes a neck with an opening and a wall structure extending between the neck and the fluid container base; wherein the fluid container defines an internal compartment sized to hold a volume of potable drink fluid, wherein the fluid container is adapted to hold at least 12-36 fluid ounces of drink fluid;
a cap assembly coupled to the fluid container to cover the opening, the cap assembly comprising:
a cap assembly base threadingly coupled to the neck of the fluid container;
a drink spout extending in at least a defined orientation relative to the cap assembly base and having an outlet, wherein the drink spout defines at least a portion of a fluid conduit for drink fluid to flow from the fluid container through the drink spout;
a handle that projects from the base of the cap assembly; and
a self-sealing bite-actuated mouthpiece fluidly coupled to the drink spout and including a sealable opening through which drink fluid may be selectively dispensed from the fluid container to a user, wherein the mouthpiece is selectively configured between a closed configuration, in which the mouthpiece is adapted to prevent drink fluid from being dispensed therethrough, and a dispensing configuration, in which the mouthpiece is adapted to permit drink fluid to be dispensed therethrough, wherein the mouthpiece is adapted to be configured from the closed configuration to the dispensing configuration responsive to compressive forces applied thereto, and further wherein the mouthpiece is biased to automatically return from the dispensing configuration to the closed configuration, wherein the mouthpiece includes opposed bite regions, and further wherein the mouthpiece is adapted to be configured from its closed configuration to its dispensing configuration responsive to compressive forces being applied to the bite regions to urge the bite regions toward each other; wherein the sealable opening includes at least one elongate slit; wherein the outlet of the drink spout extends into the mouthpiece; wherein the mouthpiece includes a dispensing face through which the sealable opening extends.
27. The drink container of claim 26 , wherein the fluid container is a self-supporting container having a container base adapted to support the fluid container in an upright orientation on a level surface, wherein the fluid container is at least substantially formed from at least one of polycarbonate and polypropylene, wherein the wall structure of the fluid container includes an upper region, a central region, and a lower region, and further wherein the upper region is tapered and has a smaller internal perimeter than at least one of the central region and the lower region.
28. The drink container of claim 26 , wherein the at least a defined orientation relative to the cap assembly base is a single fixed orientation relative to the cap assembly base.
29. The drink container of claim 26 , wherein the at least a defined orientation relative to the cap assembly base includes a range of orientations relative to the cap assembly base.
30. The drink container of claim 26 , wherein the at least a defined orientation relative to the cap assembly base is a range of pivotal orientations relative to the cap assembly base.
31. The drink container of claim 26 , wherein the mouthpiece defines an internal mouthpiece chamber into which drink fluid may flow from the outlet of the drink spout and from which drink fluid may flow to the opening of the mouthpiece.
32. The drink container of claim 26 , wherein the mouthpiece includes a mouthpiece base portion with a pair of projecting regions projecting away from the dispensing face, toward the fluid container, and separated by a pair of concave regions.