Abstract:
A hands-free, personal hydration system utilizes a peristaltic pump to deliver fluid from a reservoir through a drinking tube to a user&#39;s mouth. The pump can be activated by the user&#39;s lips completing a circuit upon touching the mouthpiece for a drink.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/409,278 filed Sep. 6, 2002. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to personal hydration systems and, in particular, to personal hydration systems that deliver fluids from a reservoir to a user through a drinking tube.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Personal hydration systems provide a convenient way of supplying fluids. Since many of these systems are used to provide hydration during exercise, there has been much interest in hydration systems that minimize the amount of effort and disruption required to obtain fluids and to provide sufficient amounts of fluids. Among the hydration systems having improved fluid delivery capabilities are those systems that include a powered pump and those that do not include a pump (“pump-less” systems).  
           [0004]    Pump-less systems operate under the action of a user drawing fluid from the reservoir, with or without the assistance of gravity. These systems have recently been improved by incorporating larger tubes, simpler spouts for filling, and leak-proof reservoirs. A prior art pump-less hydration system  100  for holding and delivering a fluid  113  is illustrated in FIG. 1. System  100  includes a reservoir  110  with a filling spout  111  and an exit port  112 . Exit port  112  is connected to a drinking tube  120 , which in turn is connected to a mouthpiece  130 . The user fills reservoir  110  with a desired amount of fluid  113 , and closes filling spout  111  to seal the reservoir. From the user&#39;s perspective, the operation of system  100  is similar to drinking through a straw. The user inhales sucks on mouthpiece  130  to draw fluid  113  from reservoir  110  into the user&#39;s mouth. The rate at which fluid is supplied to the user depends on the amount of suction and the fluid resistance through the system. While this is a simple process, it can be taxing, especially if the user is already exerting significant energy and having to breathe hard while exercising. In addition, the use of pump-less systems requires one to hold their breath for a significant period of time for each drink.  
           [0005]    Recent improvements have been made to hydration systems. As described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,571,260 and 5,645,404, pumps can provide fluid to a user&#39;s mouth while eliminating the need to suck. While these systems require less time to obtain a drink, they require the use of the user&#39;s hands, and are thus of limited use while exercising.  
           [0006]    [0006]FIGS. 2A and 2B depict another prior art hydration system  200  with a pump  240  fluidly connected to a drinking tube  220  and near the top of a reservoir  210 . A switch  242  located near the mouthpiece  230  can be activated by a hand manipulating the tube. Batteries  241  are situated near the pump  240 . System  100  includes a carrying device  270 .  
           [0007]    These pump systems, however, have several limitations. First, these aforementioned systems require the pump to come in contact with the liquid. As a result, the pump has to be cleaned after every use to keep it sanitary.  
           [0008]    The prior pump-enhanced systems also require a hand to switch the pump on. This is may be a problem for user during physical exertion, or when the user&#39;s hands are otherwise occupied.  
           [0009]    What is needed is an improved hydration system. Such a system should be easy to clean and maintain, should provide sufficient quantities of fluid to the user on demand, and should preferably be able to supply fluids without the use of the hands.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention solves the above-identified problems of hydration systems by providing a system having a peristaltic pump actuated by the contact of the user&#39;s lips on the fluid supply tube.  
           [0011]    The current invention includes a fluid reservoir, a drinking tube and a pump for propelling the fluid from the reservoir to a user&#39;s mouth. In one embodiment, the pump is activated when the lips of the user complete an electronic circuit. In another embodiment, the pump is activated when the lips cause a contact switch to close, completing a circuit for powering the pump.  
           [0012]    The present invention provides an external, peristaltic device that clamps on to the tube, and propels the liquid by squeezing. The pump does not come in contact with the fluid, eliminating the need to clean the pump. The pump may be driven by an electric, mechanical, or electro-mechanical motor that is, preferably, activated electronically.  
           [0013]    One aspect of the present invention provides a personal hydration system to facilitate the delivery of fluid from a reservoir, through a tube, to an open end of said tube. The system includes a pump having a mouth-actuated switch and attached to said tube to provide, when said switch is mouth-activated, a flow of fluid to said user. In one embodiment, the mouth-actuated switch includes a sensor responsive to an action of said user&#39;s mouth at said open end, and an electrical circuit operably connected to said sensor to provide power to said pump.  
           [0014]    Another aspect of the present invention provides a personal hydration system to facilitate the delivery of fluid from a reservoir, through a tube, to an open end of said tube, where the system comprises a bendable support attached to said tube.  
           [0015]    It is one advantage of the present invention to provide hands-free drinking without having to hold one&#39;s breath while sucking.  
           [0016]    It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a pump that does not contact the drinking fluid.  
           [0017]    It is another advantage of the present invention to provide a pump that can be retrofitted onto prior art “pump-less” systems.  
           [0018]    A further understanding of the invention can be had from the detailed discussion of the specific embodiment below. For purposes of clarity, this discussion refers to devices, methods, and concepts in terms of specific examples. However, the advantages of the present invention may be realized using a variety of pumps, reservoirs, and delivery tubes. It is therefore intended that the invention not be limited by the discussion of specific embodiments. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    Additional advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art pump-less hydration system;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIGS. 2A and 2B is a perspective view of a prior art pump enhanced system;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention showing a hands-free, peristaltic pump system;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 3 as the mouthpiece is placed in the users&#39;mouth;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 3; and  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of the embodiment of FIG. 3. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]    Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to specific configurations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments while remaining within the scope of the invention. The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the Figures.  
         [0027]    An embodiment of the present invention is described in relation to FIGS.  3 - 6 . FIG. 3 is an illustration of a personal hydration system  300  that includes a pump  340  that can be activated without needing to use a hand to manipulate a switch. The system includes a reservoir  310  having a fill spout  311 , and a drinking tube  320  connected to the reservoir through an exit port  312  located near the reservoir base. The other, open end of tube  320  includes a mouthpiece  330  for dispensing fluid. System  300  also includes a device for delivering fluid to the user, including a pump  340  attached to tube  320 , a mouth-actuated sensor  345  on mouthpiece  330 , wires  343  having ends  341  on the mouthpiece and leading from the sensor to a circuit  370 , and batteries  350 .  
         [0028]    Details of one embodiment of mouthpiece  330  are shown in the side view of FIG. 4 and the top view of FIG. 5. In the embodiment of FIGS.  4 - 5 , mouthpiece  330  is flared at the end that dispenses fluid, providing a preferred orientation for placing in the mouth of a user M. The mouthpiece is an open tube, or alternatively is a bite valve. The elongated cross section of mouthpiece  330  has a preferred location for placing the lips when a drink is desired, as shown by the dotted line  342  of FIG. 5.  
         [0029]    Drinking tube  320  is connected to the reservoir  310  near the pump  340  at the exit port of the reservoir, to allowing the pump to be primed by gravity when the reservoir is holding liquid. Pump  340  is controlled by circuit  370 , which is connected to mouthpiece  330  through wires  343 , and powered by batteries  350 . More specifically, circuit  370  is actuated by the action of the user&#39;s lips on a mouth-actuated sensor  345 .  
         [0030]    Sensor  345  includes wire ends  314  that located on mouthpiece  330  that are connected to circuit  370  by wires  343  along tube  320 . Circuit  370  is responsive to a mouth-actuated action, preferably the touching of the user&#39;s lips, on sensor  345 , which provides switches power to pump  340  when actuated. The actuated pump  340  draws fluid out of reservoir  310  and forces the liquid through tube  320  to mouthpiece  330  for consumption by the user.  
         [0031]    The inventive personal hydration system shown in FIG. 3 uses a touch sensitive sensor  345  on mouthpiece  330  and a circuit  370  to actuate the pump. In one embodiment, sensor  345  is actuated by as a result of the resistance change across the ends of wires  341  on mouthpiece  330 . Specifically, the user&#39;s touching of the ends of wires  341  results in resistance change between the wires that is sensed by a circuit which then that powers pump  340  with batteries  350 . For example, the user contacts the end of wires  341  with the user&#39;s lips to actuate the pump.  
         [0032]    One such actuating circuit  370  is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,843 to Vaz Martins (the “Vaz Martins patent”), incorporated herein by reference. In the Van Martins patent, a circuit is provided that senses the resistance between the wire ends. The circuit is bistable, and responds to the resistance across the wire ends. When the resistance drops from high value when the ends are not contacted by the user to a lower value corresponding to the resistance across the contact surface, the state of the circuit changes. This change of state can be further sensed by a conventional circuit that causes power from batteries to be coupled to the pump.  
         [0033]    Sensor  345  and circuit  370  are illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Wire ends  342  of FIG. 5 are shown leading to circuit  370  as wires A and B. Wires A and B are connected to circuit  370  are shown in FIG. 6. Circuit  370  is the circuit described in the Vaz Martins patent, including a voltage +V, delivered by batteries  350 , resistors R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 , as shown in FIG. 3 of the Vaz Martin patent, transistors T 1  and T 2 , (element  10  and  11  in FIG. 3 of the Vaz Martin patent), and a bistable circuit C (element  12  in FIG. 3 of the Vaz Martin patent). Circuit  370  produces a switching signal S, that is connected to pump  340 , and that is responsive to resistance changes at wire ends  342 . In particular, a decrease in the resistance at wire ends  342 , due for example to lips L touching the ends, provides a signal S that further provides power to pump  340  using circuits known in the art.  
         [0034]    An alternative circuits  370  for actuating the pump are within the scope of this patent. One such circuit is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,618 to Larson, and incorporated herein by reference, which is a more sophisticated version of the circuit of the Vaz Martins patent. The circuit of the Larson patent requires three wires, and improves the operation and reliability of the circuit of the Vaz Martins patent by eliminating leakage current across the wire ends. Circuits for actuating the inventive pump would be obvious to one skilled in the art after consideration of the disclosure of the present patent application. In addition, it would likewise be obvious to use other actuating means, such as switches or multiple actuators on the mouthpiece.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 3 also depicts one example of a support mechanism  360 . Support mechanism  360  includes an additional, thicker wire  361  that travels along the drinking tube. This wire is malleable enough to be bent easily, but resilient enough to hold its shape while holding the drinking tube  320  in the desired location. This support mechanism would likely also include a way to anchor the wire and drinking tube to the body of the user. A clip  361  is illustrated to represent an example of such an anchor. Wires  341 , support wire  361 , and drinking tube  320  can be located inside a cloth sleeve.  
         [0036]    In FIG. 3, the pump is shown to be a rotary-style peristaltic pump  340 . This style pump clamps on to the drinking tube  320  and squeezes the tube in order to draw and push the liquid from the reservoir to the mouthpiece of the user. Pump  340  includes rollers  342  attached to the end of spinning cams  343  that squeeze the tube. Pump  340  is powered by a mechanical device such as a coiled spring  344 , or is alternatively powered by an electric motor, or a combination of a mechanical device and an electric motor. Since most of the energy is used by the pump, mechanical powering provides the advantage of avoiding the need for large batteries or frequent battery charging. Other types of peristaltic pumps could also be used. Alternatively, other types of pumps are known in the art that can be used in place of the peristaltic pump.  
         [0037]    Having disclosed exemplary embodiments, modifications and variations may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of the invention as described by the following claims.