Wide Mouth Opening Military Canteen With Nbc Adapter

Abstract

A military canteen has a wide mouth dimensioned neck or spout for drinking or pouring liquid therefrom, the wide mouth nature allowing for relatively easy service access into the internal cavity of the canteen body. A first flat bottom cap is threadably to the neck for sealing the opening of the neck. A second cap is threadably attached to the neck in place of the first cap, the second cap has an NBC adapter located thereon. A lanyard has a first ring that encircles the neck and is pressed toward shoulders of the canteen body whenever either the first cap or the second cap is attached to the neck. The lanyard has a second ring that either frictionally attaches to a raised portion on a top of the first cap or encircles the NBC adapter of the second cap.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a military canteen that has a wide mouth opening that receives both a standard flat bottom cap as well as an NBC cap for use with a gas mask. The wide mouth nature of the opening allows for easy internal cleaning of the canteen.

[0003] 2. Background of the Prior Art

[0004] Beginning in the 1960s, the M1961 canteen, replacing the M1910 canteen, and has been a staple item of equipment issued to U.S. military personnel. The M1961 is a polyethylene plastic canteen that is kidney-shaped and fits into a correspondingly shaped drinking cup, and typically holds one quart of water. The M1961 is held via a MOLLE nylon canteen carrier with the kidney shape of the M1961 (either alone or nested within the drinking cup) contouring to approximately match the contour of the carrier's body. Based on knowledge gathered from the wars fought by the U.S. military in the hot dry climates of Southwest Asia and with advances in the medical understanding of military hydration requirements, new approaches to military hydration have been introduced. However, the M1961 canteen, or a derivation thereof, are still in widespread use by various military units including many special operations units.

[0005] The M1961 and its derivations are versatile, lightweight, easy to carry, and easy to fill with liquid and thereafter dispense liquid therefrom. However, a prime complaint often issued from users of the M1961 is the relative difficulty of being able to deeply clean the canteen, this being due to the relatively narrow diameter of the neck of the canteen, such diameter typically being 28 millimeters. Although, an appropriate cleaning solution, such as dishwashing detergent, can be poured into the canteen, swished around, and then discarded, many users desire to clean the canteen more thoroughly, especially in the crevices of the canteen, in order to rid the interior of the canteen of any harbored bacteria and virus for fear that such bacteria and virus can fester and grow and cause gastrointestinal ailments at a most inopportune moment. Such users resort to the use of flexible narrow width brushes to provide a more thorough cleaning than can be achieved via solution alone. However, as such a brush can be inserted into the interior of the canteen only through the relatively narrow top spout opening, the use of such a brush is slow, cumbersome, and frustrating, and the ability to be able to properly and thoroughly brush the entire interior surface of the canteen is improbable at best.

[0006] What is needed is an ability to be able to quickly and easily deeply clean the entire interior surfaces of a M1961 or similar military canteen without the need for special tools or special skills and without the need to resort to harsh chemical detergents and without the frustration of using narrow brushes inserted through the relatively narrow spout opening. Such an ability to clean the canteen must be provided without the need to change the overall kidney shape of the M1961 canteen (the M1961 shape).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The wide mouth opening military canteen with a nuclear, biological, chemical gas mask (hereinafter "NBC) adapter of the present invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art by providing a military canteen that is essentially an M1961 or derivative canteen that has a wide mouth opening so as to permit a user to be able to easily access essentially the entire interior surface of the canteen so that a deep and thorough cleaning of the canteen, using appropriate mechanical implements, can be performed. The wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter allows the canteen to be used in normal fashion including retaining the ease with which liquid is introduced into and discharged from the canteen and including the retention of the typical kidney shape so that the wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter can be carried in normal fashion by military personnel. An NBC adapter is threadably attached to the wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter in order to allow the canteen to be used with a gas mask. The wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter is of relatively simple design and construction, being produced using standard manufacturing techniques.

[0008] The wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter of the present invention is comprised of a canteen body that has a main body with a set of shoulders that extend into a neck portion with a round open top that is of a wide mouth dimension. Threading encircles an outer surface of the neck portion proximate the open top. A first cap is threadably attached to the neck portion via the threading on the neck and corresponding threading on an inner surface of the first cap. The first cap has an essentially flat bottom surface and a top surface. The first cap seals the open top of the canteen whenever the first cap is attached to the neck portion. A second cap has a cap body which is threadably attached to the neck portion via the threading on the neck and corresponding threading on an inner surface of the cap body. The second cap also has an NBC adapter extending upwardly from the cap body. The second cap is attached to the neck portion whenever the first cap is not attached to the neck portion so that the second cap seals the open top whenever the second cap is so attached to the neck portion. The canteen body may be made from plastic, although metal and other sutiable materials may also be used. The canteen body is kidney shaped indeed M1961 shaped. A lanyard is provided such that the lanyard has a first ring and a second ring joined to the first ring by a flexible connector. The first ring is positioned in encircling relationship with the neck portion of the canteen and positioned between the shoulders and the first cap whenever the first cap is attached to the neck portion and with the second ring frictionally engaged with a raised portion located on the top surface of the first cap. The first ring is positioned in encircling relationship with the neck portion of the canteen and positioned between the shoulders and the second cap whenever the second cap is attached to the neck portion and with the second ring encircling the NBC adapter and positioned between the cap body and an annular lip encircling the NBC adapter.

[0009] The present wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter, by being kidney shaped, has the versatility to continue to work with the metal drinking cup into which the wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter may nest.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter of the present invention having a standard flat bottom cap threadably attached to the neck of the opening.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter having a cap with an NBC adapter thereon, threadably attached to the neck of the opening.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of the wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter, illustrating both caps usable with the canteen.

[0013] Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0014] Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the wide mouth opening military canteen with NBC adapter of the present invention, generally denoted by reference numeral 10, is comprised of a canteen body 12 that has shoulders 14 from which a neck 16 extends upwardly, the neck 16 having threading 18 encircling an outer surface thereof, the neck 16 terminating at an opening 20. As seen, the opening 20 is a wide mouth opening which is defined as an opening having an inside diameter of at least 43 millimeters. The inside diameter of the entire length of the neck 16 is at least as wide as the inside diameter of the neck 16 at the opening 20 in order to allow easy internal access into the canteen body 12 for cleaning.

[0015] A first cap 22 is threadably attached to the neck 16 by engaging internal threading 24 within the first cap 22 with the threading 18 on the neck 16. The first cap 22 screws onto the neck 16 of the canteen body 12 in order to close and seal the opening 20 in order to maintain the canteen essentially liquid tight. As seen, the first cap 22 is a wide configuration cap with a flat bottom 26 and a top 28 such that a centrally disposed circular raised portion 30 is located on the top 28 of the first cap 22.

[0016] As seen, a second cap 32 has a cap body 34 with internal threading 36 thereon and an NBC adapter 38 for plugging into a gas mask (not illustrated) extending upwardly from the body portion 34. The second cap 32 screws onto the neck 16 of the canteen body 12 by having the threading 36 of the cap body 34 threadably engage the threading 16 on the neck 16 of the canteen body 12 in order to close and seal the opening 20 in order to maintain the canteen essentially liquid tight. A protective NBC cap 40 is threadably attachable to external threading 42 located on the NBC adapter 38 in order to protect the NBC adapter 38, the protective cap 40 removed therefrom prior to NBC adapter 38 use. As seen, an annular lip 44 encircles the NBC adapter 38 between the external threading 42 of the NBC adapter 38 and the cap body 34.

[0017] A lanyard 46 is provided and has a first ring 48 and a smaller second ring 50 joined by a flexible connector 52. Whenever the first cap 22 is attached to the neck 16 of the canteen body 12, the first ring 48 is positioned in encircling engagement with the neck 16 below the neck's threading 18 so that when the first cap 22 is screwed onto the neck 16, the first ring 48 is pressed between the shoulders 14 of the canteen body 12 and the first cap 22. The second ring 50 may be placed into a stowed position by having the second ring 50 encircle the raised portion 30 of the first cap 22. The raised portion 30 of the first cap 22 and the inside diameter of the second ring 50 are dimensioned so as to allow the second ring 50 to be friction held in encircling engagement with the raised portion 30.

[0018] Similarly, whenever the second cap 32 is attached to the neck 16 of the canteen body 12, the first ring 48 is positioned in encircling engagement with the neck 16 below the neck's threading 18 so that when the cap body 34 of the second cap 32 is screwed onto the neck 16, the first ring 48 is pressed between the shoulders 14 of the canteen body 12 and the second cap 32. The second ring 50 may be placed into a stowed position by having the second ring 50 encircle the NBC adapter 38 and pressed against the upper surface of the cap body 34. In such a position, the second ring 50 passes over the annular lip 44 of the NBC adapter 38, the outer diameter of the annular lip 44 being very slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the second ring 50 so as to require the second ring 50 to be pressed pass the annular ring 44 with a bit of effort on the user's part so that the annular ring 44 helps hold the second ring 50 in stowed position during normal device use.

[0019] Of course, the second ring 50 can be removed from its stowed position with respect to either the first cap 22 or the second cap 32 and used as desired--for example, attached to a belt of a user via a carabineer.

[0020] The canteen body 12 is made from an appropriate sturdy material such as plastic or metal with the first cap 22 made from the same or similar material. The main portions of the second cap 32 (cap body 34 and outer shell of the NBC adapter 38) can also be made from the same or similar material as the canteen body 12. The lanyard 46 is made from an appropriate flexible material such as plastic.

[0021] Referring to one particular embodiment of the present invention, a comparison between the most commonly available canteen, and the particular embodiment of the invention will explain how the invention can serve the same function as the common canteen, while offering the advantage of a lower profile.

[0022] The fluid reservoir on the most commonly-used prior art canteen has a bottom dimension of approximately 41/8'', more or less. The shape of this reservoir is such that, looking at the front of the canteen (bottom down, opening up), the left and right sides of the canteen extend upward at an angle, becoming wider as they extend further from the bottom. At approximately 4 1/16'' from the bottom of the prior art canteen, the left and right sides reverse direction, and begin to curve inward gradually, making the width narrower, as they approach the bottom of the neck, which point is approximately 63/8'' from the bottom. This common prior art canteen holds a nominal volume of 32 ounces in the fluid reservoir, with an overall height (minus the cap) of approximately 8 1/16''.

[0023] The fluid reservoir of one embodiment of the invention has a bottom approximately the same as the common canteen, 41/8'', more or less, and follows the same general profile as the common canteen up to and beyond the 4 1/16'' point. This is specifically to accommodate the use of the invention with the existing accessories (such as the metal cup) that help make the existing canteen more useful. But, unlike the shape of the prior art canteen, the left and right sides of the invention continue to proceed outward to the point of approximately 45/8'' from the bottom, making the area from the 4 1/16'' point to the 45/8'' point wider than that same area on the common canteen. Then, again unlike the common canteen, the left and right side profiles turn sharply and proceed directly inward at an almost horizontal direction, to the bottom of the neck, which point is approximately 55/8'' from the bottom of the invention. The resulting extra width of the invention, from the 4 1/16'' point to the 55/8'' point, allows the invention to hold the same 32 ounces of water as the common canteen, but at a much lower overall height. Like the most commonly used canteen, the invention also holds a nominal volume of the 32 ounces in the fluid reservoir, but has an overall approximate height (minus the cap) of only 63/8''.

[0024] By this comparison, it can be seen that the reduction in height offers obvious advantages in the use, carrying, or storage of this canteen, while serving the same purpose as a reservoir for a nominal 32 ounces of water. These advantages are in addition to others offered by the invention, and described elsewhere.

[0025] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A wide mouth opening canteen comprising, in combination a canteen body having a main body with a set of shoulders extending into a neck portion with a round open top that is of a wide mouth dimension, the neck portion having threading encircling an outer surface of the neck portion proximate the open top; a first cap threadably attached to the neck portion via the threading on the neck portion, the first cap having a flat bottom surface and a top surface, the first cap sealing the open top whenever the first cap is attached to the neck portion; and a second cap having a cap body, the cap body threadably attached to the neck portion via the threading on the neck portion, the second cap also having an NBC adapter extending upwardly from the cap body, the second cap attached to the neck portion whenever the first cap is not attached to the neck portion, and the second cap sealing the open top whenever the second cap is attached to the neck portion.

2. The wide mouth opening canteen as in claim 1 wherein the canteen body is made from plastic.

3. The wide mouth opening canteen as in claim 2 wherein the canteen body is kidney shaped.

4. The wide mouth opening canteen as in claim 2 wherein the canteen body is M1961 shaped.

5. The wide mouth opening canteen as in claim 1 wherein the canteen body is kidney shaped.

6. The wide mouth opening canteen as in claim 1 wherein the canteen body is M1961 shaped.

7. The wide mouth opening canteen as in claim 1 further comprising a lanyard, the lanyard having a first ring and a second ring joined to the first ring by a flexible connector, the first ring positioned in encircling relationship with the neck portion of the canteen and positioned between the shoulders and the first cap whenever the first cap is attached to the neck portion and with the second ring frictionally engaged with a raised portion located on the top surface of the first cap, and such that the first ring positioned in encircling relationship with the neck portion of the canteen and positioned between the shoulders and the second cap whenever the second cap is attached to the neck portion and with the second ring encircling the NBC adapter and positioned between the cap body and an annular lip encircling the NBC adapter.