Patent ID: 6908015
Filing Date: 2005-06-21
Classification: A45F,A62B,F16L

Abstract:
1. A personal hydration system, comprising: a reservoir having a body portion with an internal compartment adapted to receive a volume of drink fluid, wherein the reservoir includes a selectively sealable fill port having an opening through which drink fluid may be added to or removed from the compartment; and an elongate downstream assembly extending in fluid communication from the reservoir to define a fluid conduit through which drink fluid may flow from the compartment for drinking by a user, wherein the downstream assembly comprises a plurality of fluidly interconnected components selected from at least the group consisting of one or more of a length of hollow drink tubing through which drink fluid may flow, an on/off valve adapted to selectively obstruct the fluid conduit and prevent drink fluid from flowing therethrough, a mouthpiece adapted to dispense drink fluid to a user's mouth, a bite-actuated mouthpiece adapted to dispense drink fluid to a user's mouth upon receipt of user-applied compressive forces to the mouthpiece, an exit port adapted to fluidly interconnect the downstream assembly and the reservoir to permit drink fluid to be drawn from the compartment into the downstream assembly, and a gas mask fitting adapted to fluidly interconnect a quick-connect assembly with an intake tube of a gas mask, and further wherein the downstream assembly further includes at least one quick-connect assembly adapted to fluidly interconnect at least two of the plurality of components, wherein the plurality of fluidly interconnected components are adapted to be chemically resistant, such that drink fluid may remain in the downstream assembly when the downstream assembly is exposed to a chemical agent present in a concentration of 10 g/m a male coupling member having a shaft that includes a tip and which defines at least a portion of the fluid conduit, wherein the male coupling member includes a region distal the tip with a port through which drink fluid may selectively flow into or out of the assembled quick-connect assembly; a female coupling member having a body with an opening sized to receive at least the tip of the male coupling member, wherein the opening is in fluid communication with a cavity that extends through the female coupling member to a region distal the opening that includes a port through which drink fluid may selectively flow into or out of the assembled quick-connect assembly; and a resilient lock ring coupled to the female coupling member and including a passage extending therethrough, wherein the lock ring is adapted to selectively engage and prevent removal of the shaft of the male coupling member when the shaft of the male coupling member is at least partially inserted into the passage, wherein the passage of the lock ring is selectively deformable to configure the lock ring between an unlocked configuration, in which the tip of the male coupling member may pass through the passage, and a locked configuration, in which the tip of the male coupling member may not pass through the passage, and further wherein the lock ring is biased to the locked configuration.