Abstract:
Apparatuses for dispensing liquids are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, these apparatuses comprise: a bottle assembly having a value that allows liquid to pass from within the bottle assembly to outside of the bottle assembly; a cage for holding the bottle assembly that causes the valve to open when the bottle assembly is inserted into the cage and thereby allows liquid to flow from the bottle assembly into a portion of the cage; and a tube coupled to the portion of the cage that can be used by a user to draw liquid from the bottle assembly and the cage.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The disclosed subject matter relates to apparatuses for dispensing liquids. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    It is well known that remaining hydrated while exercising is essential for comfort and safety. This is particularly true when riding a bicycle as dehydration can disorient a rider and cause the rider to loser control of the bicycle and become injured. Bottle and cage systems for bicycles are widely used to enable a rider to store liquid in a convenient location from which a bottle can be retrieved and used to pour liquid into the rider&#39;s mouth. When riding a bicycle, however, a rider&#39;s hands are dedicated to holding onto the handle bars so that the rider can control the direction of the bicycle and operate the brakes and gear shift (when the bicycle is so equipped). In order to facilitate near-hands-free drinking while riding a bicycle, many riders utilize a back-pack-style liquid container that has a tube connected to the container and located near the mouth of the rider. The rider can then insert the hose into the rider&#39;s mouth and drink. However, even such back-pack-style liquid containers require a rider to remove his/her hands from the handle bars of a bicycle while riding in order to insert the drinking tube into the rider&#39;s mouth. 
         [0003]    Accordingly, new apparatuses for dispensing liquids are desirable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    Apparatuses for dispensing liquids are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, these apparatuses comprise: a bottle assembly having a valve that allows liquid to pass from within the bottle assembly to outside of the bottle assembly; a cage for holding the bottle assembly that causes the valve to open when the bottle assembly is inserted into the cage and thereby allows liquid to flow from the bottle assembly into a portion of the cage; and a tube coupled to the portion of the cage that can be used by a user to draw liquid from the bottle assembly and the cage. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a bicycle with an installed apparatus for dispensing liquids in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of a bottle, cage, and tube in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of mounting holes on a cage in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is an exploded-view diagram of a bottle and a cage in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a diagram showing a bottle being inserted into a cage in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of a bottle inserted into a cage and a piston on a bottle cap being depressed in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0011]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are diagrams of the bottom of a cage and a fitting that can be inserted into the cage in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  is a diagram of an arm for supporting a drinking tube that is mounted to the stem of a bicycle in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0013]      FIG. 9  is a diagram of an arm for supporting a drinking tube that is mounted to the handle bars of a bicycle in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0014]      FIG. 10  is a diagram of a drinking tube secured in a clip on an arm in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0015]      FIG. 11  is a diagram showing various angles at which an arm can be positioned in accordance with some embodiments. 
           [0016]      FIG. 12  is an exploded-view diagram of a drinking tube and an arm in accordance with some embodiments. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    In accordance with various embodiments, as described in more detail below, apparatuses for dispensing liquids are provided. In some embodiments, these apparatuses can be used by bicycle to drink water, for example, while the riders&#39; hands remain on the handle bars of their bicycles. 
         [0018]    Turning to  FIG. 1 , an example of an apparatus in accordance with some embodiments is illustrated. As shown, a bottle assembly  102  for holding liquid is located in a bottle cage  104  that is mounted on a frame  114  of a bicycle  100 . Liquid from bottle assembly,  102  can then pass out of the bottle through the cage and into a tube  105  connected to the bottom of the cage. This tube, and any liquid in it, runs up frame  114  toward the handle bars  116  of the bicycle. The handle-bar end of the tube is then connected to an arm  108  and a drinking tube  110 . The arm is mounted to stem  112  holding handle bars  116  to the bicycle. In order to drink the liquid, the rider simply needs to position his/her head so that his/her mouth can draw liquid from drinking tube  110 . 
         [0019]    Further details of a bottle assembly  102  and cage  104  in accordance with some embodiments are illustrated in  FIGS. 2-6 ,  7 A, and  7 B. As shown in  FIG. 2 , bottle assembly  102  can be positioned inside cage  104 . At the bottom of cage  104 , a fitting  106  can be provided for connecting a tube  105  to the bottom of the cage. As illustrated this fitting can be a barb fitting, although any suitable fitting for connection tube  105  to the cage can be used. The bottle, cage, fitting, and tube can be made of any suitable material or materials. For example, the bottle, cage, fittings, and tube can be made of food-safe plastics, rubbers, metals, and/or any other suitable materials. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , mounting holes  118  can be provided in cage  104  to enable the cage to be mounted to the frame of a bicycle in accordance with some embodiments. Any suitable number of holes can be provided, and the holes can be spaced and sized so as to facilitate being aligned with standard bottle cage braze-ons. In some embodiments, alternate mounting mechanisms can additionally or alternatively be used to mount cage  104  to the frame of a bicycle. For example, the cage can be mounted to a frame using straps, such as tie-wraps or plastic ties. 
         [0021]    An exploded view of a bottle assembly  102  and cage  104  in accordance with some embodiments is shown in  FIG. 4 . As illustrated, bottle assembly  102  can be formed from a bottle body  120  and a bottle cap  122 . Bottle body  120  can be any suitable shape and have any suitable mechanism (such as threads) for enabling its open-end to engage cap  122 . As shown, the body can be sized to facilitate being held in one hand, and can have any suitable aesthetic design. Cap  122  can include a silicon o-ring  124 , a lid  126 , an umbrella valve  128 , a bottle stopper  130 , a piston spring  132 , and a piston  134 . These components can be assembled so that piston  134  goes through spring  132 , stopper  130 , and lid  126  and is held in place by o-ring  124 . When piston  134  is depressed toward body  120  (such as is done by cage  104  as described below) liquid is able to pass out of the bottle body through the cap in the space surrounding the piston. In this way, piston  134  forms part of a valve in the bottle assembly. Additionally, in some embodiments, bottle stopper can be positioned to enable liquid to pass out of the bottle body when not in the cage by being pulled away from the bottle body, as is common in many sports bottle containers. Umbrella valve  128  can be used to allow air to enter the bottle assembly to replace the volume of liquid removed from the bottle body. 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, cage  104  can include cage body  136 , bottle retainer  138 , duckbill valve  140 , silicon o-ring  142 , and fitting  106 . Cage body  136  can be any suitable shape and dimension that facilitate bottle assembly  102  being securely held in the cage. Bottle retainer  138  can be used to hold bottle assembly  102  in cage  104  by interlocking with a groove  146  in bottle body  120 . Duckbill valve  140  can be provided to limit the flow of liquid from the tube and fitting returning to the cage and bottle assembly. O-ring  142  can be used to provide a tight seal between fitting  106  and cage body  136 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 5  illustrated bottle assembly  102  being inserted in cage  104  in accordance with some embodiments. As shown, when the bottle assembly is inserted in the cage, cage portion  148  may flex in order to allow sufficient dimensions for the bottle assembly to pass through the space between retainer  138  and portion  148 . Once the bottle assembly is fully inserted into the cage, as shown in  FIG. 6 , piston  134  is depressed by member  152  at point  154  so that liquid can flow out of the bottle body through the cap. A seal  150  can be provided between cage body  136  and stopper  130  so that liquid flowing out of the bottle assembly remains in space  156  within cage  104  before passing through fitting  106 . 
         [0024]    Further details of the bottom of cage  104  and fitting  106  in accordance with some embodiments are illustrated in  FIGS. 7A and 7B . As shown in  FIG. 7A , cage  104  and fitting  106  can be separated by removing the fitting from the cage. As also shown in  FIG. 7A , duckbill valve  140  and o-ring  142  are assembled into fitting  106 . As shown in  FIG. 7B , fitting  106  can be inserted into the bottom of cage  104  by pressing the fitting into the corresponding hole in the cage. O-ring  142  seals the connection between cage  104  and fitting  106 , and barb  141  holds fitting  106  in cage  104 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 8  illustrates further details of arm  108  and drinking tube  110  in accordance with some embodiments. The arm and drinking tube can be made of any suitable material or materials. For example, the arm and drinking tube can be made of food-safe plastics, rubbers, metals, and/or any other suitable materials. As shown, arm  108  can be connected to step  112  of a bicycle. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 9 , arm  108  can be configured in some embodiments so that it is connected to handle bars  116  of a bicycle. In some embodiments, arm  108  can be connected to any other suitable portion of a bicycle, or other device. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 10 , in some embodiments, clip  158  can be provided on arm  108  to secure drinking tube  110  in a downward position. As shown in  FIG. 11 , in some embodiments, arm  108  can be rotated through different angles relative to stem  112  and handle bars  116  to facilitate riders with different location requirements for drinking tube  110 . Any suitable range and/or increments of angles can be used. 
         [0027]    Further details of arm  108  and drinking tube  110  in accordance with some embodiments are illustrated in  FIG. 12 . As shown, arm  108  can include a clip  158  (as described above), an arm body  160 , a washer  162 , a bracket  164 , a shim  166 , screws  168 , and nuts  170 . Arm body  160  can be any suitable length and shape in order to facilitate positioning drinking tube  110  in a desired orientation. Washer  162  can be made from rubber in some embodiments in order to provide friction to hold arm in a desired orientation. Shim  166  can be used to couple bracket  164  to the stem or handle bars of a bicycle, and various size whims van be used to adapt the bracket to different sizes of stems and handle bars. Shim  166  can be formed from any suitable material, such as rubber. Screws  168  and nuts  170  can be any suitable screws and nuts for securing the arm and bracket. 
         [0028]    At the opposite end of arm body  160 , arm  108  can also include a fitting  172 , a silicon o-ring  174 , a fitting  176 , loc-line links  178 , a fitting  180 , a tube  182 , and a bite valve  184 . Fitting  172  can be any suitable fitting (such as a barb fitting) for connecting to tube  105  ( FIG. 1 ), and can be configured to engage arm body  160  and fitting  176  (which can be any suitable fitting) when snapped in place. O-ring  174  can be used to provide a tight seal between fittings  172  and  176 . Loc-line links  178  can be provided to enable drinking tube  110  to be positioned at different orientations relative to arm  108 . Although loc-line links are illustrated, any suitable mechanism for enabling a user to move the drinking tube can be used. Fitting  180  can then be used to couple tube  182  to loc-line links  178 . Tube  182  can be any suitable type of tube, and can have any suitable dimensions. Finally, bite valve  184  van be connected to tube  182  and can provide a mechanism through which a rider can draw liquid from drinking tube  110  when the user bites on valve  184  and sucks liquid. 
         [0029]    Although the invention has been described and illustrated in the foregoing illustrative embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the details of implementation of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is only limited by the claims which follow. For example, while these apparatuses have been described herein in connection with use on a bicycle, it will be apparent that these apparatuses can be used in any other suitable application, such as on exercise equipment, motorcycles and ATV&#39;s, personal water craft, etc. Features of the disclosed embodiments can be combined and rearranged in various ways.