Patent Publication Number: US-11643238-B2

Title: Bottom-fill hydration bottle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser. No. 63/055,429 filed on Jul. 23, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates generally to hydration bottles, and more particularly to a hydration bottle for receiving fluids from a bottom-feed system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     It is common for participants of organized sporting events to be provided with water or other beverages for hydration during the contest. Whether the event is at the high school, college, or professional level, each team typically has one or more assistants who are responsible for providing beverages to the athletes. 
     Owing to the minimal facilities that are often available during outdoor events, the most common means for providing the beverages is through the use of refillable water bottles that are shared by everyone. In this regard, the bottles are typically filled by removing the cap and filling the topless bottle with a hose, igloo cooler/dispenser, or by physically dunking the bottle into a central cooler that contains a beverage. During this process, contaminants such as dirt, grass and other forms of debris located along the outside of the bottles and/or the assistants&#39; hands are transferred into the beverage bottle top, igloo spigot and ultimately consumed by the players. Aside from exposing the players to illness, this cumbersome and slow process typically causes a significant portion of the beverage within the water bottle to become spilled before the assistant can replace the cap. As such, it is not uncommon for athletes to be handed a water bottle that is dirty and empty. 
     For this reason, there are known types of bottom-filling stations such as that described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/103,512 to Embo, the contents of which are incorporated herein. When using these and other systems, it is necessary for the top of the bottle to have an opening/vent for allowing air to escape as the fluid is introduced within the bottle. Unfortunately, because the nozzle of such systems are oriented vertically and designed to force water upward at speed, it is not uncommon for the fluid to shoot through the inside of the bottle and escape out of the opening in the top of the bottle. When this occurs, nearby equipment and individuals can become wet, thus wasting the fluid and creating a mess. 
     Accordingly, the need exists for a bottom feed hydration bottle that does not suffer from the drawbacks described above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a bottom-fill hydration bottle. One embodiment of the present invention can include a main body having a valve assembly positioned along a bottom end. The valve assembly including an inlet opening for engaging a filling station, a valve, and an outlet opening for discharging fluid into the main body. 
     In one embodiment, a deflector is positioned along the valve assembly within the main body of the bottle. The deflector including an input opening and at least one aperture that functions to discharge the received fluid in a direction that is different than the outlet opening of the valve. 
     In one embodiment, the hydration bottle includes a cap that is selectively coupled to the top of the main body. The cap can include a central spout having a bottom opening for receiving water from the main body and an upper opening for dispensing the fluid. In one embodiment, a diffuser is positioned along the bottom opening of the spout. The diffuser including an output opening and at least one aperture that functions to receive fluid from the main body at an angle that is different from the bottom end of the spout. 
     This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. 
         FIG.  1    is a front view of a bottom-fill hydration bottle that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
         FIG.  2 A  is a cutout view of the bottom-fill hydration bottle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  2 B  is another cutout view of the bottom-fill hydration bottle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  3    is another cutout view of the bottom-fill hydration bottle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  4    is another cutout view of the bottom-fill hydration bottle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  5    is perspective view of the cap of the bottom-fill hydration bottle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  6    is another perspective view of the cap of the bottom-fill hydration bottle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention. 
     Definitions 
     As described herein, a “unit” means a series of identified physical components which are linked together and/or function together to perform a specified function. 
     As described throughout this document, the term “about” “approximately” “substantially” and “generally” shall be used interchangeably to describe a feature, shape or measurement of a component within a tolerance such as, for example, manufacturing tolerances, measurement tolerances or the like. 
     As described herein, the term “removably secured,” and derivatives thereof shall be used to describe a situation wherein two or more objects are joined together in a non-permanent manner so as to allow the same objects to be repeatedly joined and separated. 
     As described throughout this document, the term “complementary shape,” and “complementary dimension,” shall be used to describe a shape and size of a component that is identical to, or substantially identical to the shape and size of another identified component within a tolerance such as, for example, manufacturing tolerances, measurement tolerances or the like. 
       FIGS.  1 - 6    illustrate one embodiment of a bottom-fill hydration bottle  10  that are useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. In each of the drawings, identical reference numerals are used for like elements of the invention or elements of like function. For the sake of clarity, only those reference numerals are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure. For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in  FIG.  1   . 
     As shown in the drawings, the bottle  10  can include a main body, a valve assembly, a deflector, a cap and a diffuser. 
     As shown at  FIG.  1   , the main body  11  can include a continuous sidewall  11   a , a bottom wall  11   b  and an opening  12  along the top  11   c  that form a hollow interior space. Threads  13  can be disposed along the opening for receiving a threaded cap as is known in the art. In the preferred embodiment, the main body will be constructed from a resilient plastic so as to allow a user to squeeze the sidewall to force liquid through the opening in the top of the bottle; however, the main body can be constructed from any number of other materials and can include any number of different shapes and sizes. 
     In one embodiment, a valve assembly  14  can be positioned along the bottom end  11   b  of the bottle and can function to receive fluid from the nozzle of a fluid dispenser. The valve assembly can include a one-way valve  14   a  that is positioned between an inlet opening  14   b  positioned along the outside of the bottle, and an outlet opening  14   c  positioned along the inside of the bottle. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the valve  14   a  can be constructed to comprise a resilient member that is biased in the closed position and that can be manually opened by insertion of the nozzle from the fluid dispenser. Likewise, the inlet opening  14   b  can include any number of different shapes and sizes suitable for engaging the filling spout of any type of liquid pumping device so as to receive liquids from any external device at any pressure level. 
     As shown, the bottle  10  can also include a hydration cap  15  having a top end  15   a , a bottom end  15   b  and a sidewall  15   c  onto which a plurality of complementary threads (not illustrated) are located. A drinking spout  16  is provided along the cap  15 . 
     In various embodiments, a deflector device can be provided along the inside of the bottle to change the direction of the fluid entering the bottle, and/or can be positioned along the cap itself. More specifically, the deflector or deflectors working together can function to prevent the fluid from shooting vertically upward from the valve outlet  14   c  to the top end of the bottle  11   c  where it can escape through the opening  12  and/or the spout  16 . 
       FIGS.  2 A and  2 B  illustrate one embodiment of a bottom-fill flow deflector  20  that includes, comprises, or consists of a generally hollow and resilient main body member  21  having a selectively openable aperture  22  along one side. The deflector can be connected to the valve  14  so as to receive fluid from the valve outlet opening  14   c  and direct the same toward the aperture  22 . The deflector can be constructed such that the aperture  22  is biased in the closed position shown at  FIG.  2 A  until receiving the fluid from the valve at a specific pressure such as 25 PSI, for example. Then, upon receiving the fluid at a sufficient pressure, the force of the fluid can function to move the aperture to the open position shown at  FIG.  2 B  where it will flow into the bottle in a generally horizontal manner. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the deflector  20  can be constructed from a single piece of rubber or malleable plastic, however other construction materials are contemplated. In either instance, the aperture opening  22  can be oriented angularly (and preferably perpendicularly) to the inlet opening  14   b  of the valve to prevent the received liquids from entering the bottle in a vertical orientation. 
     Although described above with regard to a specific pressure and shape, this is for illustrative purposes only, as the deflector  20  can be constructed to include any number of different shapes and sizes and to discharge fluid at any number of different pressure levels. Moreover, although described above as a separate component that is secured along the top end of the valve  14 , other embodiments are contemplated wherein the deflector  20  is formed as an integral part of the valve itself so as to include a unitary construction. In such an embodiment, the aperture  22  could function to eliminate the need for a separate valve component  14   a  in the assembly. 
       FIG.  3    illustrates one embodiment of a bottom-fill flow deflector  30  that includes, comprises, or consists of a generally elbow-shaped member  31  having a fixed position aperture  32  along one side. The deflector can be connected to the valve  14  so as to receive fluid from the valve outlet opening  14   c  and direct the same toward the aperture  22  which is oriented 90 degrees relative to the valve outlet  14   c . Such a feature functioning to change the flow of incoming fluid from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation. 
     Although described with regard to an elbow-shaped member having a single aperture, this is for illustrative purposes only, as many other shapes are also contemplated, each having at least one aperture that is oriented at a different angle than the valve outlet. Moreover, although described above as a separate component that is secured along the top end of the valve  14 , other embodiments are contemplated wherein the deflector  30  is formed as an integral part of the valve itself so as to include a unitary construction. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates one embodiment of a bottom-fill flow deflector  40  that includes, comprises, or consists of a generally cylindrical-shaped member having a capped top end  41   a  and a continuous sidewall  41   b  with a plurality of apertures  42  thereon. The deflector can be connected to the valve  14  so as to receive fluid from the valve outlet opening  14   c  and direct the same toward the apertures  42  which are oriented 90 degrees relative to the valve outlet  14   c . Such a feature functioning to change the flow of incoming fluid from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation. 
     Although described with regard to a cylindrical-shaped member having a plurality of apertures, this is for illustrative purposes only, as many other shapes are also contemplated, each having one or more apertures at any number of different locations and/or orientations relative to the valve outlet. Moreover, although described above as a separate component that is secured along the top end of the valve  14 , other embodiments are contemplated wherein the deflector  30  is formed as an integral part of the valve itself so as to include a unitary construction. 
     In either instance, it is preferred that the outside facing portion of the bottom end of the bottle  11   b  be constructed to include a concave shape  11   d  so as to accommodate the material of the inlet opening  14   b  that is located positioned along the outside of the bottle. In this regard, the concavity will preferably include a central height that is equal to or greater than the height of the exposed portion of the valve relative to the outer edges of the bottom of the bottle  11 . Such a feature ensuring the valve does not extend below the bottom edge of the bottle so as to allow the bottle to stand flush and upright when placed onto a flat surface  5  such as a countertop, for example. 
       FIG.  5    illustrates one embodiment of the hydration cap  15  shown for use with the bottom-fill bottle such as that described above. As noted above, the cap includes a top end  15   a , a bottom end  15   b , a sidewall  15   c , and a drinking spout  16  extending upward therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, an angular diffuser  50  can be secured onto the bottom end of the cap  15   b  so as to be in communication with the spout inlet  16   a.    
     As shown, the diffuser  50  can include, comprise, or consists of a generally elbow-shaped member  51  having a fixed position aperture  52  along one side. The diffuser can be connected to the spout  16  so as to allow fluid stored within the main body of the bottle  11  to enter through the aperture  52  and direct the same toward the spout opening  16   a  which is oriented 90 degrees relative to the aperture  52 . Such a feature functioning to prevent liquids that enter the bottle  10  vertically from the valve  14  from being able to pass directly into the spout  16  and exit the same. 
     Although described with regard to an elbow-shaped member having a single aperture, this is for illustrative purposes only, as many other shapes are also contemplated, each having at least one aperture that is oriented at a different angle than the spout inlet. Moreover, although described above as a separate component that is secured along the bottom of the cap body, other embodiments are contemplated wherein the diffuser  50  is formed as an integral part of the cap itself so as to include a unitary construction. 
       FIG.  6    illustrates one embodiment of the hydration cap  15  shown for use with the bottom-fill bottle such as that described above. As noted above, the cap includes a top end  15   a , a bottom end  15   b , a sidewall  15   c , and a drinking spout  16  extending upward therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, an angular diffuser  60  can be secured onto the bottom end of the cap  15   b  so as to be in communication with the spout inlet  16   a.    
     As shown, the diffuser  60  can include, comprise, or consist of a generally cylindrical-shaped member having a capped bottom end  61   a  and a continuous sidewall  61   b  with a plurality of apertures  62  thereon. The diffuser can be connected to the spout  16  so as to allow fluid stored within the bottle  11  to enter through the apertures  62  and direct the same toward the spout opening  16   a  which is oriented 90 degrees relative to the apertures  62 . Such a feature functioning to prevent liquids that enter the bottle  11  vertically from the valve  14  from being able to pass directly into the spout  16  and exit the same. 
     Although described with regard to a cylindrical-shaped member having a plurality of apertures, this is for illustrative purposes only, as many other shapes are also contemplated, each having one or more apertures at any number of different locations and/or orientations relative to the spout inlet outlet. Moreover, although described above as a separate component that is secured along the bottom end of the cap  15 , other embodiments are contemplated wherein the diffuser  60  is formed as an integral part of the cap itself so as to include a unitary construction. 
     As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Likewise, the terms “consisting” shall be used to describe only those components identified. In each instance where a device comprises certain elements, it will inherently consist of each of those identified elements as well. 
     The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.