U.S. patent application number 11/466368 was filed with the patent office on 2008-02-28 for liquid bottle for a bicycle.
Invention is credited to William E. Coats, Robert V. Walsh.
Application Number | 20080047924 11/466368 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39112383 |
Filed Date | 2008-02-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080047924 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Coats; William E. ; et
al. |
February 28, 2008 |
Liquid Bottle for a Bicycle
Abstract
A bottle for containing liquids for a rider. The bottle includes
a hollow container sized to be held in one hand of a rider having
opposed top and bottom ends, and a continuous side wall extending
between the top and bottom ends. The bottom end is closed, the top
end has a filling means, and the side wall has an opening near the
bottom end of the container. The opening has a closable spigot for
drinking the liquid contained in the container without having to
tip the bottle. The rider can hold the bottle in a generally
upright position while pedaling the bicycle without having to
remove his or her eyes from the road, thus improving riding
safety.
Inventors: |
Coats; William E.; (Azusa,
CA) ; Walsh; Robert V.; (Altadena, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHELDON MAK ROSE & ANDERSON PC
100 East Corson Street, Third Floor
PASADENA
CA
91103-3842
US
|
Family ID: |
39112383 |
Appl. No.: |
11/466368 |
Filed: |
August 22, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/389 ;
220/710 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 25/465 20130101;
B65D 2501/0063 20130101; B65D 23/102 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/389 ;
220/710 |
International
Class: |
B65D 83/00 20060101
B65D083/00 |
Claims
1. A bottle suitable for containing liquids for a rider comprising:
a) a hollow container sized to be held in a hand of the rider and
having opposed top and bottom ends and a continuous side wall
extending between the top and bottom ends, the bottom end being
closed; b) a closable filing means at the top end of the container,
the filling means allowing for filling the container with a liquid;
c) an opening in the side wall proximal the bottom end of the
container with a closable spigot for the opening for drinking
liquid contained in the container without having to tip the bottle;
and d) at least one indentation in the side wall between the top
and bottom ends for placement of a rider's fingers for holding the
bottle in a generally upright position.
2. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the filling means is removable
from the container.
3. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the filling means is attached to
the container with a hinge.
4. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the filling means comprises a
closable orifice sized for filling the container with liquid.
5. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the filling means comprises a pull
out spout that opens when pulled out and closes when pushed in.
6. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the side wall is flexible and
squeezable, and wherein the spigot comprises a one-way valve that
opens to allow liquid out of the bottle when the container is
squeezed.
7. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the spigot comprises a pull out
spout that opens when pulled out and closes when pushed in.
8. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the spigot comprises a bite
valve.
9. The bottle of claim 1 wherein the side wall has a first diameter
proximal the top end and tapers to a second diameter proximal the
opening, the second diameter being less than the first
diameter.
10. The bottle of claim 9 wherein the spigot comprise a pull out
spout that opens when pulled out and closes when pushed in.
11. The bottle of claim 9 wherein the spigot further comprises a
hinge.
12. The bottle of claim 9 wherein the spigot further comprises a
spring, the spring biasing the spigot toward the sidewall.
13. A bottle suitable for containing liquids for a rider
comprising: a) a hollow container sized to be held in a hand of the
rider and having opposed top and bottom ends and a continuous side
wall extending between the top and bottom ends, the bottom end
being closed; b) a closable filing means at the top end of the
container, the filling means allowing for filling the container
with a liquid; and c) an opening in the side wall proximal the
bottom end of the container with a closable spigot for the opening
for drinking liquid contained in the container without having to
tip the bottle, the spigot further comprising: a hinge; and a
spring biasing the spigot around the hinge toward a closed
position; and wherein the spigot is moveable from the closed
position to an open position for drinking.
14. The bottle of claim 13 wherein the sidewall has a first
diameter proximal the top end and tapers to a second diameter
proximal the opening, the second diameter being less than the first
diameter.
15. A method for dispensing a liquid comprising the steps of: a.
obtaining the bottle of claim 1; b. filling the bottle through the
closable filling means; and c. emptying the bottle through the
closable spigot.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Most bicycle riders store bottles on bottle holders on their
bicycles to replenish their thirst while riding. Riders,
particularly high performance riders, often drink out of their
water bottles while riding, instead of stopping to drink the water.
A common problem for riders is falling or colliding with objects
while simultaneously drinking liquids and pedaling a bicycle. The
rider risks falling while looking down to reach for the water
bottle, and then titling his or her head back to drink out of a
conventional water bottle that has a spout on the top.
[0002] Some attempts have been made to provide riders with safer
means to access to their water bottles. Reference is made to U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,441,638; 5,301,858; 6,457,691; and 6,837,407.
[0003] Regrettably, none of these inventions provide an unobtrusive
bottle that can easily be removed from a holder and used by the
rider without requiring the rider to take his or her eyes off of
the road. Such a water bottle is needed.
SUMMARY
[0004] The present invention is directed to a bottle for containing
liquids for a rider. The bottle comprises a hollow container sized
to be held in one hand of a rider, the container having opposed top
and bottom ends. A continuous side wall extends between the top and
bottom ends. The bottom end is closed to hold the liquid in the
container. The bottle further comprises closable filling means at
the top end of the container, which allows for filling the
container with a liquid from the top end. The side wall comprises
an opening near the bottom end of the container. The opening
comprises a closable spigot for drinking liquid in the container
without having to tip the bottle. The bottle further comprises at
least one indentation in the side wall between the top and bottom
ends for placement of a rider's fingers for holding the bottle in a
generally upright position. Additionally, the side wall can have a
first diameter proximal the top end and can taper to a second
diameter proximal the opening, the second diameter being less than
the first diameter.
[0005] The filling means at the top end of the container can have a
closable orifice that is sized for filling the container with
liquid. Optionally, the filling means is removable from the
container. The filling means can be attached to the container with
a hinge. The filling means can optionally have a pull out spout
that opens when pulled out and closes when pushed in.
[0006] Near the bottom end of the container is an opening having a
spigot. Optionally, the spigot can be a pull out spout that opens
when pulled out and closes when pushed in. The side wall of the
bottle can be of a flexible material to allow the rider to easily
squeeze liquid from the bottle. Additionally, the spigot can be a
one-way valve that opens to allow liquid out of the bottle when the
container is squeezed.
[0007] Additionally, the spigot can have a hinge and a spring
biasing the spigot around the hinge toward a closed position. The
spigot can be moved from the closed position to an open position
for drinking.
[0008] To use the present invention, a rider can drink liquid while
riding a bicycle by first placing the bottle in a holder on a
bicycle. A rider then grasps the bottle using at least one
indentation of the bottle while pedaling the bicycle and brings the
spigot to the mouth while maintaining the bottle generally upright.
The rider then causes the spigot to open and drinks liquid from the
bottle.
[0009] Thus, a bottle is provided which allows a rider to safely
drink liquids while continuing to pedal a bicycle.
DRAWINGS
[0010] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood with reference to
the following description, appended claims, and accompanying
drawings where:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a bottle according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the bottle of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of a bottle having a concave
portion and opposing indentations according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bottle of the present
invention in a mounting position in a holder on a bicycle;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the bottle of the
present invention in use by a rider on a bicycle; and
[0016] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bottle of the present
invention in use by a rider on a bicycle.
DESCRIPTION
[0017] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, a bottle 10 having features
of the present invention comprises a hollow container 12 sized to
be held in one hand of a rider, the container having opposed top 14
and bottom 16 ends. The bottle 10 has a continuous side wall 18
that extends between the top 14 and bottom 16 ends. The bottom end
16 of the container 12 is closed to hold liquid 19 within the
container 12. The top end 14 of the container 12 is generally open,
which allows for filling the container 12 with liquid 19 from the
top end 14. However, the bottle 10 further comprises a filling
means 20 at the top end 14 of the container 12, to keep liquid 19
contained within the bottle 10 upon filling the bottle 10 with
liquid 19.
[0018] The side wall 18 has an opening 22 or aperture near the
bottom end 16 of the container 12. The opening 22 allows the liquid
19 to be dispensed to the rider. Secured to the side wall 18 at the
opening 22 is a closable spigot 24 for dispensing the liquid 19
contained in the container 12 without having to tip the bottle 10.
The closable spigot 24 prevents liquid 19 leaking from the opening
22 in the container 12.
[0019] The bottle 10 further comprises at least one indentation 28
in the side wall 18 between the top 14 and bottom 16 ends for
placement of a rider's fingers for holding the bottle 10 in a
generally upright position. The indentations 28 are preferably
located on the middle of the side wall 18 to allow a rider to
easily grasp the bottle 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the indentations 28
can be placed on opposing sides of the side wall 18 to provide a
grasp for both left-handed and right-handed riders. As shown in
FIGS. 1 to 3, the indentations 28 are preferably the size of a
rider's fingers.
[0020] The filling means 20 at the top end 14 of the container 12
comprises a closable orifice that is sized for filling the
container 12 with liquid 19. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, preferably
the filling means 20 at the top end 14 of the container 12 is
removable from the container 12. The removable filling means 20 can
be attached to the container 12 with a hinge 30 to prevent against
permanently detaching the filling means 20 from the bottle 10.
Additionally, the removable filling means 20 can be a screw top.
The filling means 12 can optionally have a pull out spout 32 that
opens when pulled out and closes when pushed in, as shown in FIG.
1. The spout 32 gives riders the option to drink from the top end
14 of the container 12.
[0021] The side wall 18 of the bottle 10 can be of a flexible
material to allow a rider to easily squeeze the bottle. Materials
usable for making the bottle 10 include, for example PVC,
polyethylene, and polypropylene. Other usable materials will be
recognized by those skilled in the art. The bottle 10 can contain a
variety of liquids including, for example, water, juice, soda and
the like.
[0022] The closable spigot 24 is located near the bottom end 16 of
the container 12. Preferably, in an embodiment where the side wall
18 is flexible and squeezable, the spigot 24 is a one-way valve 34
that opens to allow liquid 19 out of the bottle 10 when the
container 12 is squeezed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0023] Optionally, the spigot 24 can be a pull out spout that opens
when pulled out and closes when pushed in, as shown in FIG. 3.
Preferably, the pull out spout can be pulled out and pushed closed
with a rider's teeth. The spigot 24 can also have a hinge 36 for
allowing the spigot 24 to be moved from a first position proximal
the sidewall 18 for ease of handling and storage, to a second
position extended from the sidewall 18 for easier access by the
rider.
[0024] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3, the spigot 24 can have a
spring 38 to bias the position of the spigot 24. The spring can
function to bias the spigot 24 toward the sidewall 18 so that the
spigot will not impact or become stuck on whatever bottle holder is
used in conjunction with the bottle. Moreover, the spigot 24 can be
configured so that the spigot is closed when moved to a closed
position proximal the sidewall 18 by the spring 38, and opened for
liquid flow when pulled away from the closed position to an open
position by a rider.
[0025] Optionally, the spigot 24 is a bite valve where the passage
of liquid 19 is triggered by pressure from the rider's teeth on the
spigot. An example of a bite valve is found in U.S. Pat. No.
6,070,767 to Gardner et al., the entire contents of which are
hereby incorporated herein by reference. Another valve usable with
the present invention is the "kicker valve" by Ultimate Direction
U.S.A, in Louisville, Colo. Some spigots 24 are self venting.
Alternatively, the sidewall 18 or filling means 20 may contain a
vent (not shown) for increasing fluid flow through the valve.
[0026] In an exemplary version of the invention, the bottle 10 is
preferably from about 2 to about 5 inches in diameter and more
preferably from about 21/2 inches to about 3 inches in diameter.
Additionally, the bottle 10 is preferably from about 6 to about 14
inches in height and more preferably from about 8 to about 10
inches in height. These dimension allow the bottle 10 to be easily
inserted into most standard existing bottle holders attached to
bicycles. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are four indentations 28
in the side wall 18 of the container 12 to allow for a rider's four
fingers to grasp the bottle 10.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 3, the side wall 18 may have a tapered
portion 40 with the spigot 24 being positioned inside the tapered
portion 40. The tapered portion allows a rider to easily access the
spigot 24 without the sidewall 18 interfering with the rider's
mouth or jaw. Additionally, the tapered portion helps the rider
drain all of the liquid out of the bottle 10.
[0028] Preferably, the tapered portion is rounded to fit the
contours of a rider's face. Preferably, the spigot 24 is moveable
to a closed position proximal the tapered portion 40 so that when
in the closed position the spigot 24 does not extend outside an
untapered portion of the sidewall.
[0029] A rider uses the bottle 10 by placing the bottle 10 in a
holder 42 on the bicycle 44, as shown in FIG. 4. Preferably, the
indentations 28 are facing upwards toward the rider when placed in
the holder 42. When thirsty, a rider grasps the bottle 10 using at
least one of the indentations 28 of the container 12 while
continuing to pedal the bicycle 38. The rider does not have to
divert their attention away from the road or path while grasping
for the bottle 10, since the indentations 28 provide the rider with
a convenient surface to grasp the bottle 10.
[0030] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, upon grasping the bottle 10, the
rider brings the spigot 24 to the mouth 46 while maintaining the
bottle 10 generally upright. The rider then causes the spigot 24 to
open. The rider drinks liquid from the bottle 10. Because the
spigot 24 is located near the bottom end 16 of the container 12,
the rider can drink the liquid without tipping their head back.
This allows the rider to continue pedaling while looking at the
road, path, and/or obstacles. Additionally, the rider does not have
to invert their arm, wrist or hand to bring the spigot 24 to their
mouth, thereby allowing the rider to maintain their body in a
stable position while drinking. All of these features function to
dramatically increase the safety of the rider.
[0031] The bottle 10 has many applications where it can be used. In
addition to being used on a bicycle, it may be used in other
vehicles of transportation, including automobiles, airplanes,
boats, scooters, motorcycles, unicycles, tandem bicycles, and other
vehicles where a rider needs to maintain a focus on a path.
[0032] In addition to the advantages discussed above, the bottle 10
of the present invention has many advantages over prior art
bottles. For example, the bottle's design is lightweight.
Additionally, use of the bottle requires minimal muscle movement
thereby saving energy.
[0033] Although the present invention has been described in
considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions
thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and
scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the
description of the preferred versions contained herein.
[0034] All features disclosed in the specification, including the
claims, abstracts, and drawings, and all the steps in any method or
process disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except
combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are
mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in the specification,
including the claims, abstract, and drawings, can be replaced by
alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar
purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly
stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a
generic series of equivalent or similar features.
[0035] Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state
"means" for performing a specified function or "step" for
performing a specified function, should not be interpreted as a
"means" for "step" clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112.
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