Abstract:
The invention includes a container secured to a canteen body forming a bowl, with the container being selectively movable between a position in which water will flow and another position in which water will not flow from the container. Moving the container thereby allows water to fill the attached bowl for consumption by a pet. In one example of the invention, an additional dish is attached to the main dish body, with the additional dish being removable and useful as a flying disk.

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of prior U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/891,217, filed Feb. 22, 2007, contents of which are incorporated herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates generally to water containing devices such as canteens. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    When camping and hiking, it is common to carry a canteen containing water for use during the hike. A canteen is typically a single-purpose item, and if the user wants to take along a bowl or other items, they must be carried as separate items. It is also common to take a flying disk on a hike, and the flying disk must also be purchased and carried separately from the other items. It would be useful to have a canteen with additional features, including an incorporated bowl and a detachable flying disk. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    The various embodiments of the invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a preferred example of the invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a preferred canteen, taken at line A-A in  FIG. 1 , with the canteen in a nested position. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a preferred canteen, taken at line A-A in  FIG. 1 , but with the canteen in an extended position to cease water flow. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a preferred canteen, taken at line A-A in  FIG. 1 , with the canteen in an upright position to allow water flow. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a back view of the preferred example of the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the preferred example of the invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the preferred example of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a preferred example of the invention, shown with the canteen nested. 
           [0013]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a preferred example of the invention, shown with the canteen in an extended position. 
           [0014]      FIG. 10  is an exploded view of a preferred example of the invention. 
       
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    In a preferred form, the invention includes a canteen secured to a canteen body forming a bowl, with the canteen being selectively movable between a position in which water will flow and another position in which water will not flow from the canteen. Moving the canteen thereby allows water to fill the attached bowl for consumption by a pet. In one example of the invention, an additional dish is attached to the main dish body, with the additional dish being removable and useful as a flying disk. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    An exemplary canteen  1  in accordance with the present invention is depicted in  FIG. 1 . As shown, the canteen includes a fluid container  10  nested within a canteen body forming a bowl  20 . The container may be of any size or shape and, as illustrated, is generally formed in a kidney shape. The container has a perimeter that is generally adjacent the rim of the bowl, except along an area opposite from the mouth of the container where a recessed region is provided. The recessed or scalloped region  12  provides a region in which a person&#39;s hand can be inserted to raise the container from the nested position as in  FIG. 1  to a raised position as in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         [0017]    As best seen in  FIG. 10 , the container includes a neck  15  forming an opening or mouth, and a mating cap  16  having a ball valve  30 . In the preferred example, the neck includes external threads that mate with complementary internal threads formed within the cap. The ball valve is snap-fit into a retainer  22  formed in the cap for pivotal movement to allow water to be poured from the container by rotation of the cap with respect to the valve. The retainer holds the valve  30  in a substantially stationary position with respect to the bowl, with a stem  33  extending downward from the valve  30  and into a lower portion of the bowl where the stem abuts a shoulder or other surface to restrict pivotal movement of the stem with respect to the bowl. Preferably, the valve includes both a water channel  31  and an air channel  32  to facilitate a steady stream of water from the container. Likewise, the cap  16  includes mating water and air channels. As shown, the stem  33  provides an opening that is relatively closer to the bottom of the bowl than the air channel, helping to ensure that air travels through one channel and water travels through the other. 
         [0018]    The container cap includes an opposing pair of stems  14  (one visible in  FIG. 10 ) that are sized and configured to be received within corresponding concavities within the retainer  22  of the canteen body. The canteen body also includes a pair of opposing grooves that receive the opposing stems of the cap. The cap stems can be slideably received within the grooves and held in place by the concavities to enable the container to be pivotably attached to the canteen body. Likewise, the stems and concavities are sized and configured to allow the cap and therefore the container to be detached from the canteen body. 
         [0019]    In use, the container is pivotally attached to the canteen body such that the canteen body serves to retain the container and doubles as a drinking bowl. Thus, the canteen body or dish  20  includes an interior well  24  formed within a central region of the canteen body, with the well being large enough to receive the container and therefore also large enough to serve as a bowl. The cross-sectional view of  FIG. 2 , taken at line A-A in  FIG. 1 , shows the fluid container  10  nested within the well  24  of the bowl  20 . 
         [0020]    As noted above, the lid and the valve each include water passage channels to allow water to flow out of the container. The passages are configured to only allow water to flow when the water flow channels are aligned. Thus, in a first position, the nested configuration of  FIG. 2 , the fluid channel  17  of the cap is out of alignment with the channel  31  of the valve  30 , thereby preventing water from flowing through the valve and into the bowl. At a second position, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the channels  17 ,  31  are aligned and water can flow freely from the container to the bowl. At a third position, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the container  10  is not nested within the bowl  20  but the channels  17 ,  31  are not aligned and therefore water does not flow. 
         [0021]    This combination of positions is particularly useful for using the bowl as a watering dish for a pet. Thus, the canteen can be placed on the ground or other surface and the container raised to the position of  FIG. 4  to begin to fill the bowl with water. Once enough water has been placed in the bowl, the container can be adjusted to the position of  FIG. 3  in which the container is not nested within the bowl but the water cannot flow. As shown, the channels within the cap and valve are preferably configured so that in this third position the container is maintained in a substantially vertical position or a position slightly more open than 90 degrees from the fully closed position. In such a position, the bowl is readily accessible by a pet for drinking and the risk of tipping or spilling is minimized, yet water does not flow from the container. 
         [0022]    In order to hold the container firmly in one or all of the positions described above, the canteen body and container or cap include complementary bumps or raised portions. A first pair of bumps  26  is provided on the canteen body on opposing sides of the cap, with the bumps mating with a recessed region, shoulder, or other surface  18  to frictionally hold the container in place in the third position of  FIG. 4 . An additional pair of bumps  25  is provided to mate with an additional shoulder or mating surface  19  on the cap to hold the container in the position of  FIG. 3 . Alternate structures are also possible to hold the container in place, such as channels, grooves, detents, or other features. 
         [0023]    As best seen in  FIG. 1 , the canteen body further includes a handle  13 , with the handle configured generally adjacent the point of attachment of the cap to the canteen body so that the container will be carried upright when the canteen is carried by the handle. 
         [0024]    The canteen body also includes a pair of connectors  28 ,  29  to fasten shoulder strap clips (not shown). The connectors are best seen in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0025]    One example of the invention also optionally includes a flying disk  60  that is attachable to the canteen body. The flying disk is a substantially circular, relatively shallow concave disk. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the flying disk can serve either of two primary purposes. Oriented in a concave position as in  FIG. 10 , the disk can serve as a bowl for feeding a pet or other use. Oriented in the opposite position, the disk can serve as a flying disk. In order to allow the disk to readily serve as a bowl, the disk includes a plurality of feet  40 . In other versions, the disk does not include feet. 
         [0026]    The disk is secured to an outer portion of the container body, and can be attached to either side. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , in one example of the invention the disk is removably attachable to the side of the container body adjacent the bottom of the bowl. A lower surface of the canteen body includes one or more ribs that mate with corresponding surfaces on the disk, thereby enabling the disk to be snap fit onto the canteen body. Other arrangements such as channel-and-groove, tab-and-slot, threads or other fastening arrangements may be used. Deflection of the ribs or the canteen body likewise allow the disk to be removed from the canteen body. 
         [0027]    Preferably, the components of the invention are formed from one or more components such as polypropylene, thermoplastic elastomers, as set forth on the attached drawing sheets. Other materials are also possible, consistent with the production of a drinking container and bowl. 
         [0028]    While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.