Intake tracking hydration container

A hydration container includes a bottle having a selected volume and a bottle cap which includes a drinking nozzle. An indicator bearing a sequence of numbers is moveably mounted to the cap so that any one of the numbers in the sequence may be positioned opposite an index on the cap. Preferably, the numbers on the indicator are coordinated with numbers in a recommended daily fluid intake table present on the bottle. Thus when the user increments or decrements the indicator each time the bottle is refilled with fluid, the container will indicate in real time the user's approximate actual fluid consumption versus the intake goal indicated by the table.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to fluid containers. It concerns especially a container for holding a hydration fluid, particularly drinking water.

2. Background Information

Containers of the type of interest here are often carried by bikers, hikers and other individuals engaged in strenuous physical activities. This is because those individuals lose a considerable amount of fluid during the course of those activities which must be replenished in order to avoid dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and the like.

Conventional hydration containers usually consist of a conveniently sized and shaped bottle having an open top and a cap that includes a drinking nozzle and which may be releasably secured to the top of the bottle to close that top opening. Most often, the nozzle in the cap is a so-called sport nozzle which includes a movable valve member. When the valve member is pulled up away from the cap, the contents of the bottle may flow out through the nozzle and when that member is pushed down towards the cap, fluid flow through the nozzle is blocked.

As indicated above, it is essential that each individual using the container consume enough beneficial fluid over the course of a day of physical exercise to prevent dehydration and other physical problems. Unfortunately, it is quite difficult for that individual, under stress, to keep track of the amount of fluid that he/she has consumed over time, i.e. the number of times the container has been refilled with fluid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a hydration container which apprises the user of the amount of fluid he/she has consumed from the container over time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hydration container of this type which is easy to use.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a container which apprises the user of a recommended daily fluid intake.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a container which gives a fluid intake indication which is easy to see even though the user is running or engaged in other physical activity.

Other objects will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the following detailed description, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

In general, the hydration container comprises a bottle having an open top which may be closed by a removable cap containing a drinking nozzle. The cap also includes an indicator preferably in the form of a dial, which is moveably mounted to the cap. The indicator carries a sequence of numbers and it may be moved relative to the cap to position one of those numbers opposite an index inscribed on the cap. Each of these numbers represents the number of times the bottle contents has been consumed by the user. Typically, these numbers would be 0, 1, 2, 3 . . . X, the value X depending upon the volume of the bottle and a body parameter as will be described.

Preferably also the container includes a recommended daily fluid intake table inscribed on the bottle. This table lists the number of bottles that should be consumed over a period of time, e.g. a day, based on a selected body parameter, such as age, weight or the like. At the beginning of a day or before the start of a race or other event, the user may fill the container and position the indicator so that the number 0 is located opposite the index. As the day or event proceeds, the user may drink from the container until it is empty, at which time the bottle is refilled and the indicator advanced so that the number 1 is positioned opposite the index. During the course of the day or event, the user may consume the contents of the bottle several times, advancing the indicator in each case. Thus, at any given time, the number opposite the index on the container cap immediately tells the user how many bottles of water or other fluid he/she has consumed up to that time. The user may compare that number to the recommended daily intake number in the table on the bottle. Thus, the user can tell at any given time whether he/she should drink more or less water during the rest of the day or the remainder of the event.

Of course, instead of setting the indicator to 0 at the beginning of the event, the user may position an indicator number opposite the index which corresponds to the recommended daily intake number from the table and move the indicator in the opposite direction each time the bottle contents is consumed, in which case, the container will show the number of bottles left to be consumed before the user satisfies that requirement. When the bottle is empty and the indicator is moved to position 0 opposite the index, the user knows to stop drinking from the container.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 3of the drawings, the present hydration container, indicated generally at10, comprises an open top bottle12which is preferably of an impact resistant plastic material, and a cap14which may be releasably secured to the top of the bottle. For example, cap14may have interior threads14athat mate with exterior threads12aat the top of the bottle so that the cap can be screwed onto the bottle to close the top opening thereof.

Cap14includes a drinking nozzle shown generally at20. Preferably, nozzle20is a conventional so-called sport nozzle which includes an outer sleeve22whose lower end is inserted into a central opening23in the top of cap14and secured to the edge of the hole by a weld, adhesive or the like. Nozzle20also has a valve member24which is slidably positioned in sleeve22. When valve member24is moved up vertically to an open position in sleeve22, fluid can flow from the interior of bottle12to an opening24aat the top of valve member24. On the other hand, when the valve member is pressed down to a closed position within sleeve22, fluid flowing through the opening24ais blocked by a post25as is well known in the art. A conventional vent hole26is provided in the top of cap14to avoid a vacuum lock which would prevent free flow of fluid from bottle12when nozzle20is open.

As shown inFIGS. 1-3, cap14also includes an indicator28moveably mounted to the top of the cap. While the indicator member may take a variety of forms, in the illustrated container embodiment, indicator28is in a form of an annular rotatable dial which encircles sleeve22. The indicator is held in place by a shoulder22aof sleeve22which overlies the inner edge margin of the indicator.

As best seen inFIGS. 2 and 3, the upper surface of indicator28is divided into a plurality of equal sectors by raised ribs32and the areas between those ribs are numbered sequentially. The illustrated indicator carries the numbers 0 (start) to 6. In another preferred embodiment, a symbol, such as a star, may be used instead of the “0”. Thus, by rotating indicator28using ribs32, any one of those numbers may be positioned opposite an index34inscribed in the top of cap14.

Preferably, detents are provided to releasably retain indicator28when each numbered sector of the indicator is opposite index34. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the underside of indicator28is formed with a circular array of dimples36, each dimple being positioned more or less in the middle of a numbered sector of the indicator. Also at least one bump38, or more preferably, a plurality of such bumps are present on the upper surface of cap14under indicator28. The dimple(s) and bump(s) are in register when one of the numbers 0-6 on the indicator is directly opposite index34. When the indicator28is rotated, the indicator will flex upward enough to allow the bump(s)38to slide along the underside of indicator28until the bump(s) is/are in vertical alignment with the dimple(s) when a numbered sector of the indicator28is opposite index34at which point each bump on cap14will resiliently engage in an opposite dimple in indicator28.

Of course, this is only one of many possible ways to releasably locate the numbered sectors of the indicator opposite index34.

When a user drinks from container10, the container itself will help the user keep track of the amount of fluid he/she has consumed. More particularly, at the beginning of a day or event, the user may fill container10and set indicator28to position the number 0 opposite index34. During the course of the event, each time the user consumes the contents of bottle12, he/she will advance the indicator to a position the next number opposite index34. Since the bottle12has a known volume, e.g. 750 mL., by looking at the top of the container, the user will know immediately the number of bottles, and thus approximate amount of fluid, he or she has consumed up to that point in time. For example, if the indicator is set on the number 3, the user knows that he/she has consumed three bottles of fluid and is working on the fourth. Knowing the volume of the bottle12, the user can tell immediately whether or not he/she is meeting the recommended fluid requirement.

Of course, instead of initially setting indicator28to 0, it could be set to a selected number indicating a desired volumetric intake goal, e.g. 5. The user may then rotate the indicator in the opposite direction to decrement the indicator each time he/she refills the bottle12. In that event, the container will indicate the number of bottles left to drink by the end of the day/event in order to satisfy the recommended fluid intake requirement.

When container10is used primarily as a water bottle, in order to further assist the user, the container may include a recommended water intake table42inscribed on bottle12as shown inFIG. 1. The bottle may also carry various instructions for using the table as indicated at44aand44b.

As shown inFIG. 1, table42may, for example, list the numbers of bottles that should be consumed in a day for males and females, based on their ages. Other body parameters may be used in the table, e.g. weight, height, etc. Also, the numbers should be based on the volume of the particular bottle12, e.g. 750 mL. Of course, if the bottle12volume is more or less than that value, the bottle numbers in the table would be correspondingly lower or higher. In any event, the bottle numbers in the table should correspond to the numbers on indicator28.

Thus, if the user of container10is a 14 year old male, table42tells him that his recommended water intake is 2-3 bottles. Therefore, when filling container10for the first time, the user may set the indicator28to 0. Then, each time the container is refilled, the indicator should be advanced so that at any given time during the day, by looking at the number opposite index34and comparing it to table42, the user will know whether or not he is on track to consume the recommended 2-3 bottles of water.

It is apparent from the foregoing that container10is composed of relatively simple, molded plastic parts that can be made in quantity quite inexpensively. Therefore, the incorporation of my invention into an otherwise more or less standard hydration container does not add appreciably to the overall cost of that container. Therefore, the container should prove to be a very marketable consumer item.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above among those made apparent from the preceding description are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description as shown or the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention described herein.