RU2769046C2 - Sports bottle cap - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: sports equipment.

SUBSTANCE: sports bottle cap (100) for sports bottle (1) contains at least base element (10) with at least one filling hole (21) in base plate (11) surrounded with raised edge (15), flexible drinking pipe (23) with inner flow channel (24) locked, when bending flexible drinking pipe (23). Drinking pipe (23) is held in guiding element (30) rotary installed on base element (10). If drinking pipe (23) is bent, it can be easily placed in receiving space (14) surrounded with edge (15). A detachable lock is also provided, which holds guiding element (30) in a locking position against return effort of bent drinking pipe (23).

EFFECT: obtaining a sports bottle cap for a sports bottle.

10 cl, 16 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to a sports bottle cap having the features of the restrictive part of paragraph 1 of the claims.

Such a sports bottle cap is disclosed in EP 2532601 B1. The drinking spout is made in the form of a flexible plastic tube that can be bent to close the internal flow channel. The curved position of the tube, which itself guarantees the impermeability of the sports bottle cap, is fixed by a cap that can be locked onto the bottom of the sports bottle cap with a snap connection. When the lid is removed and screwed back on, the drinking spout can return to its original shape due to the resilient return forces and the internal flow channel is freed again. These sports bottle caps are specifically designed for use during sports activities where drinking directly from the bottle is intended through a drinking spout, also called a drinking tube. To do this, the action must also be as simple as possible, and it must be possible to perform it with one hand. A disadvantage of the known sports bottle cap is that the pivot cap, which also serves as a lock, is inconvenient. While drinking through the spout, it must be held with one finger.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lid for a sports bottle with a drinking spout that does not require an additional lid to fold the drinking spout and hold it in a folded position and thus create an airtight closure.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by means of a sports bottle cap having the features of claim 1, in particular due to the fact that the drinking spout is pivotally held in the guide element and/or is movably mounted on the main element, and that the curved drinking spout can be stored in a receiving space surrounded by an edge.

In contrast to the prior art, where the drinking spout receiving space is formed in the cavity under the lid, according to the present invention, the receiving space is formed directly on the body. The drinking spout is fixed in a folded position by means of a guide element in a locking position in the upper part of the receiving space. According to the present invention, the drinking spout does not simply protrude from the base element, but is held within the guide element by means of its defined side anchor points. This creates a certain point of bending of the elastic drinking spout.

The guide member is characterized in that, unlike the drinking spout, it is rigid and therefore can bring the flexible drinking spout into a locking position and hold it in place. The guide element preferably has a U-shape in cross section and is consistent with the end region of the drinking spout in an open configuration.

In a preferred embodiment, it is additionally provided that the guide element is positioned relative to the position of the outlet in the base element so that a double bend occurs. This creates an S-shaped tortuous configuration of the drinking spout when viewed from the side, so that the inner drinking channel overlaps at two points and a secure seal is achieved.

The interaction between the position of the guide element and the resilience of the drinking spout is also of great importance to the present invention. The guide element is pressed, for example, with the thumb, tilted forward and the drinking spout is withdrawn. The restoring force resulting from the previous deformation of the pressed nose is used in all preferred embodiments of the present invention to secure the locking position after it has been set by the user.

In several embodiments of the invention, the hinge points of the guide element take up a horizontal position when displaced. This is achieved by guiding the sliding element along the rail, thereby providing a linear movement when retracting. This means that the user can easily move the guide element after pressing the drinking spout downwards, i.e. radially outward, where the guide element is blocked by the release button and thus also holds the curved drinking spout downward. The blocking position of the guide element is held by the fact that it is tilted and that the spring force of the deformed drinking spout presses the guide element firmly against the release button.

In order to drink from the bottle again, the user only needs to lightly press forward on the guide element to disengage from the release button. With a slight pressure to release the lock, the guide lugs on the guide carriage are also pressed into the sliding element so that the guide element can straighten upwards as a result of the elastic recovery of the drinking spout. The user then pushes the guide element forward again, thereby bending the drinking spout and moving the guide element back to the lock position.

In order to provide even more protection against inadvertent opening and against inadvertent leakage of the drink, a safety slide is preferably provided for all embodiments, which can be moved to a position above the receiving space, where it either further blocks the curved drinking spout and/or fixes the guide element, for example, with forming a snap-on connection with the guide carriage.

Since the blocking slider can only be moved in translation, the guide element cannot tilt while the guide element is engaged with the blocking slider. First, the user must return the blocking slide to the outer position so that the guide element and the drinking spout can be moved, and then carry out the retracting movement of the guide element, already described above, to unlock it.

Another advantage of the sports bottle cap according to the present invention is the combination of rotational movement of the guide element, bringing it into a horizontal position, in which the drinking spout is clamped, and subsequent linear displacement for fixation. This combination provides a self-locking transport position that can only be released by sliding.

In several embodiments, the implementation of the shift can be performed by the user by retracting movement. However, it is preferably configured such that the guide element slides on the sliding edge or sliding surface of the guide block when the user moves the guide element downward. This forced direction is achieved when the guide element is pressed slightly below the transport position. The guide element is then pushed outward in an oblique position with its outer rear support edge slightly raised until the support edge lies above the support surface. This has the advantage that the user only has to press the guide to lock. When the user releases it, the surfaces abut against each other and the transport position is fixed.

In order that the user does not have to perform two different closing movements, in a preferred embodiment at least one additional spring element is provided which acts on the support collars on the outside of the guide element. The user only has to turn down the guide element with the drinking spout. The necessary retracting movement for locking is achieved by means of spring elements which push the guide element straight back into the locking position.

In another embodiment of the invention, the movement of the guide element is carried out in the opposite direction: after the drinking spout has been pushed down into the receiving space, the guide element is moved forward towards the center, as a result of which the radial locking pin on each support neck engages with a groove in support groove in the main element and fixes the position of the guide element. To open it, the guide element must be pushed radially outward slightly to release this engagement again. In this embodiment, an unlock button is not required.

The present invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The drawings show the following:

in fig. 1-4 show a sectional view of a sports bottle cap according to a first embodiment of the invention with various positions of the drinking spout;

in fig. 5a, 5c show a perspective view of a sports bottle cap in a fixed transport position;

in fig. 6a, 6c show a perspective view of a sports bottle cap in an unsecured transport position;

in fig. 7a, 7c show a perspective view of a sports bottle cap in the unlocked position;

in fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a sports bottle cap in a drinking position;

in fig. 9, 10 are axonometric sectional views of a sports bottle cap immediately before and immediately after setting the transport position;

in fig. 11a is a perspective view of a sports bottle cap according to the second embodiment in a fixed transport position;

in fig. 11c is a perspective view of the sports bottle cap according to the second embodiment in the unlocked position; as well as

in fig. 12 is a perspective view of a sports bottle cap according to the third embodiment in a fixed transport position;

in fig. 13 is a perspective sectional view of a sports bottle cap according to a fourth embodiment of the invention in a drinking position;

in fig. 14 is a perspective sectional view of the cap of the sports bottle of FIG. 13 between the drinking position and the transport position;

in fig. 15 is a perspective, sectional view of the cap of the sports bottle of FIG. 13 just prior to installation in the transport position; as well as

in fig. 16 is a perspective view of a sports bottle cap according to the fourth embodiment in a fixed transport position.

In FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of a sports bottle cap 100 which contains the following main components:

- the main element 10, made of hard plastic;

- an insert 20 made of soft plastic or rubber;

- guide carriage 30;

- safety slider 40 and

- button 50 unlock.

The main body 10 has an outer, nearly cylindrical body that extends from a lower end where the screw thread starts to an upper end 15. The screw thread can be used to form a sealing connection to the neck of a sports bottle or drinking bottle, in particular a sealed bottle.

The inside of the main element 10 is divided by a main plate 11, which has several holes 12, 19. The first is the filling hole 19. There are also several small ventilation holes 12 in the main plate.

The plug-in element 20 approaches the base 11 in the base element 10 from below and is hermetically connected to it. The filling hole 19, covered with an insert 20, is attached to a drinking spout 23, which has an internal flow channel 24 starting from the inlet 21.

Around the vents 12, the insert 20 is provided with a small dome that encloses a brace 13 protruding downward from the base plate 11.

In FIG. 1 shows the closed transport position of the cap 100 of a drinking bottle. The drinking spout 23 is bent twice: once radially outward from the outlet 21 to the left, from where it is redirected in the bend 22 and goes in the other direction. Double folding, firstly, allows you to make the drinking spout 23 longer and at the same time leave it inside the edge 15, and secondly, the double closure of the internal flow channel 24 provides better protection against liquid leakage. The part of the drinking spout 23 behind the bend 22 lies entirely in the receiving space 14, which is surrounded by the edge 15 and delimited from below by the base 11. Firstly, the position of the bent drinking spout 23 is fixed by the guide element 30, which in FIG. 1 is in the locked position. The guide element 30 has one support neck 31 on each side for hinged installation in the main element 10.

Secondly, in FIG. 1, the safety slider 40 is brought into a locking position in which the guide 30 is above the receiving space 14. The guide 16 is provided with the guidance of the safety slide 40. It fixes the guide 30 and thus prevents the drinking spout 23 from unintentionally straightening out and, consequently, from being released. flow channel 24 inside. A guide 16 is formed on both sides on the inner faces of a U-bracket 17 which protrudes radially outward from the edge 15 of the main member 10. The bracket 17 can also be used to carry a canteen when the lid is in the closed position.

In FIG. 2 shows another sectional view of the beginning of the opening process. The safety slider 40 has already been extended to its extreme position outside the edge 15 in the bracket 17, which ensures that the guide element 30 can move freely. The safety slider 40 is held in this position by a snap-on projection 41.

Despite the fact that the safety slider has released the guide element 30, the latter cannot yet automatically straighten out, since it is still attached to the housing 10 with positive locking at a small distance, so that it can be displaced in the radial direction, but cannot yet rotate. around its support necks. In order to overcome this intermediate position, the guide element 30 moves forward radially towards the center by lightly pressing the release button 50 . Then its rear end is free, as shown in Fig. 3. Now the guide element 30 is no longer locked against rotation relative to the main element 10 and can straighten out due to the restoring force of the curved resilient drinking spout 23.

In FIG. 4 shows the drinking position. The drinking spout 23 is fully extended so that the internal flow channel 24 is open between the outlet 21 and the end of the drinking spout 23. The drinking spout 23 is held in the guide carriage 30 such that both components are in the same angular position.

In FIG. 5A, 5B, as in FIG. 1, the closed position is shown, but in a perspective view. Both the guide 30 and the safety slider 40 are approximately horizontal above the receiving space 14 inside and completely cover the opening of the receiving space 14. The top of the guide 30 and the safety slider 40 are provided with projections that form an integral grip to facilitate handling of the lid. 100 sports bottles by way of withdrawal components.

The guide element 30 is fixed on one side by a support collar 31, which is visible in the partial sectional view of FIG. 5B in the hinge support slot 18 in the base member 10. On the other hand, the guide member 30 rests with its rear edge 32 on a shoulder in the base member 10 and is held by its front edge by means of a safety slider 40. As can also be seen in FIG. 5B, the abutment slot 18 is designed as a double abutment slot or as an elongated hole. This allows the bearing journal 31 to be moved laterally before rotation is possible.

In FIG. 6A, the safety slider 40 has already been moved to its outer end position in the bracket 17, so that the locking of the guide element 30 is already released on one side. However, the guide element 30 still rests with its rear edge 32 on the support surface 10.1 (see FIG. 6B) on the main element 10, and this position is held by the elastic force of the elastic drinking spout 23. The support neck 31 is in the outer, rear position in the support groove 18.

Only by pressing the release button 50 as shown in FIG. 7A, the guide member 30 may be moved forward slightly. The support neck 31 in the support groove 18 moves to the forward, inner position. At the same time, the trailing edge 32 is released from engagement with the support surface 10.1, and the guide element 30 can freely rotate around the axis of the support journals 31.

Thanks to the restoring forces of the resilient drinking spout 23, the spout itself, as well as the guide carriage 30 connected to it, is fully straightened until the drinking position shown in FIG. 8 which corresponds to the position in the sectional view of FIG. 4.

While the previous illustrations refer primarily to the opening process, FIG. 9 and 10 show the transition from the drinking position of FIG. 4 and 8 back to the locked transport position of FIG. 1.5A or 5V.

Starting from the working position or drinking position in FIG. 8, the user presses the guide member 30 from above and presses it down. This also deforms the drinking spout 23. If the user pushes the guide element 30 a little further down into the receiving space 14 until it is below the upper side of the body, it reaches with its front, bottom sliding edge 33 the curved concave surface of the guide block 13 in main element 10.

In FIG. 9 shows the initial contact of the sliding edge 33 with the guide block 13. The guide element 30 is thus tilted slightly inwards and downwards.

The rear side of the guide element 30 is at the same time slightly raised. The trailing edge 32 is located above the bearing surface 10.1 of the main member 10. Since on one side there is contact on the guide block 30, but on the other hand the bearing journals 31 are held in the bearing grooves 18 (see FIGS. 6B, 7B), the force applied by the user is redirected so that the support necks 31 are displaced in the radial direction until they are in their rearward position in the support slots 18. If the user releases the guide element 30, it is pressed upward again due to the resilience of the drinking spout 23, while the rear edge 32 is placed on the support surface 10.1, creating a transport position. Additional locking can be achieved by using a safety slider 40 which prevents the guide member 30 from moving out of the locking position by inadvertent slight pressure.

In FIG. 11A shows a perspective view of a sports bottle cap 100' according to the second embodiment, in a fixed transport position. The guide member 30, the safety slider 40, and the base member 10 are practically unchanged from the first embodiment.

The difference is that a spring element 25' is provided between the support neck 31 and the housing base. In the embodiment shown, it is part of the insert and thus, together with the drinking spout 23', is formed from an elastomeric material. The spring pressing element 25' is a compressible body which presses the guide slider 30 in a fixed position through the bearing journals 31 and holds it there.

In order to raise the drinking spout 23', the user must move the guide element 30 to the position shown in FIG. 11B against the force of the pressure spring element 25'. This compresses the elastomeric pressure spring element 25'. This position corresponds to the illustration of the first embodiment in FIG. 7B. Accordingly, the drinking position in which the drinking spout 23' is straightened is exactly the same in the case of the sports bottle cap 100' shown in FIG. eight.

In FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a sports bottle cap 100'' according to the third embodiment, also in the unlocked position.

The guide member 30, the safety slider 40, and the base member 10 are also substantially unchanged in comparison with the first and second embodiments. The drinking spout insert 23'' does not have a molded elastomeric spring element, but instead has a metal pressure spring element 50'' in the same position, which has the same function. The pressure spring element 50'' pushes the bearing journals 31 in the slots 18 shaped like oblong holes in the base member 10 outwardly and thus automatically moves the guide slider 30 back to the lock position as soon as the user stops applying pressure on the guide slider 30.

The pressure spring element 25' for the sports bottle cap 100' or the pressure spring element 50'' in the sports bottle cap 100'' on the one hand facilitates the closing process, since the user only has to press the guide element 30 with the drinking spout 23, but it is not necessary to pull the guide member 30 into the lock position. On the other hand, this slows down the ejection of the guide 30 with the drinking spout 23, since the user must leave a finger on it in the longer path of the guide 30 when moving it against the force of the pressure spring element 50. As a result, the user automatically prevents the guide 30 from rising.

In the second embodiment of the sports bottle cap 100', the friction between the support necks 31 and the elastomeric pressure spring 25 further retards the movement.

In FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of a sports bottle cap 200 placed on a drinking bottle 1. The main body 210 is formed in the same way as in the previously described embodiments and also has an edge 215 above the main plate 211 to form a receiving space 214. The main plate 211 has a vent 212 as well as a fill port 221. A portion of the elastomeric insert 220 is positioned below the main plate 211, covering the fill port 221 as well as the vent 212. The insert 220 also includes a drinking spout 223 having an internal flow channel 224 extending into the region of the inlet 221.

The drinking spout 223 is held in a guide member 230 which is movably mounted in the main member 210. In FIG. 13 shows a drinking position in which the drinking spout 223 and the guide 230 are lifted up so that the tubular pin 222 between the drinking spout 223 and the inlet 221 is open. The guide element 230 is located so that its rear edge 233 is in the groove 213 of the insert element 220 to avoid excessive movement of the insert element 220 outward, beyond the drinking position shown.

In addition, in FIG. 13 shows the safety slider 240 positioned in a drinking position outside the receiving space 214. The bracket 217 is attached to the main member 210. The safety slider 240 is guided in the rail 216. Due to the shape of the rail 216, the safety slider 240 must first fall under the front of the rail 216 when moving in closed position, as shown in Fig.16, and then securely fixed from inadvertent shifting.

In FIG. 14 shows the sports bottle cap 200 in an intermediate position in which the drinking spout 223 is brought from the drinking position to the closed and transport position.

The shape of the bearing neck 231 is very important. It connects the side surface of the guide member 230 and its associated bearing slot 218 in the main member 210. The bearing journal 231 is not only formed as part of a cylindrical shaft, but has an additional locking pin 232 extending radially outward. The support slot 218 is shaped so that the support neck 231 with the locking pin 232 has sufficient space to move as needed when the guide 230 is depressed.

In FIG. 15 shows the position of the guide element 230 just before the final lock position. The guide element 230 already lies flat, so that its surface is largely aligned with the surroundings of the main element 210. The drinking spout 223 has already been lowered into the receiving space 214. The safety slider 240 is still outside the receiving space 214. The locking pin 232 on the support neck 231 is now in a roughly horizontal position and positioned directly in front of the pocket 219 in the support slot 218.

If the guide element 230 is now slightly pushed forward, that is, in the direction of the bracket 217 or the receiving space 214, the blocking pin 232 engages with the pocket 219. against the wall of the pocket 219. Thus, the locking position of the guide 230 is automatically held by the locking pin 232 and the pocket 219 even if the user no longer touches the guide 230.

To further secure the guide 230, the blocking slider 240 is pushed along the guide 216 until it is over the receiving space 214 and further secures the leading edge 234 of the guide 230 in a form-fitting manner. Thus, the drinking spout 223 cannot quickly straighten out even if the blocking pin 232 comes out of the pocket 219 in the support slot.

In FIG. 16 shows the final blocking and transport position in which the blocking slider 240 is positioned against the guide element 230.

Claims (18)

1. A sports bottle cap (200) for a sports bottle (1), comprising at least: - a main element (210) having at least one filling hole (221) in the main plate (211) surrounded by a raised edge (215), - a flexible drinking tube (223) with an internal flow channel (224) that locks when the flexible drinking tube (223) is bent, and - the drinking tube (223) is held in the guide element (230) pivotally mounted on the main element (210), - it is possible to store a curved drinking tube (223) in a receiving space (214) surrounded by an edge (215), and - a releasable lock is provided that holds the guide element (230) in the locking position against the return force of the curved drinking tube (223), characterized in that the guide element (230) has on both sides a support collar (231) which is held in a support groove (218) in the base element (210) and in that the lock is formed by at least one locking pin (232) adjacent in the radial direction to the support pin (231), and the blocking receiver (219) in the support receiver (218), into which the blocking pin (232) enters in the blocking position of the guide element (230). 2. Sports bottle cap (200) according to claim 1, wherein at least one safety slider (240) is provided, which is movable in the rail (216) above the receiving space (214) and which, in the first end position, holds the curved drinking tube (223) and/or guide element (230) in the closed position. 3. Sports bottle cap (200) according to claim 2, wherein the safety slider (240) is movable to a second end position outside the receiving space (214) by means of a guide rail extending beyond the edge (215). 4. Cover (200) sports bottle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, in which the drinking tube (223) is an integral part of the elastomeric insert (220) sealed to the underside of the main plate (211) and closing the filling hole (221). 5. Cover (200) sports bottle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-4, in which the drinking tube (223), lowered into the receiving space (214), passes in the first direction at the first bend point near the filling hole (221), and above, at the second bend point (222) - in the opposite direction, while the drinking tube (223) assumes an S-shaped configuration. 6. Cover (200) sports bottle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, in which the guide element (230) is slidable on the sliding surface or edge (233) of the slide on the guide element (213) during the downward rotational movement and radial outward displacement. 7. Cover (200) sports bottle according to any one of paragraphs. 1-6, in which the guide element (230) is supported on the main element (210) by at least one spring element. 8. Sports bottle cap (200) according to claim 7, wherein the drinking tube (223) is an integral part of the elastomeric insert (220) sealed to the underside of the main plate (211) and closing the filling hole (221), and in in which the spring element is an elastomeric compressible pressure spring element that is part of the insert element. 9. Sports bottle containing at least a drinking bottle (1) and a sports bottle cap (200) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8. 10. Sports bottle according to claim 9, wherein the drinking bottle (1) and the sports bottle cap (200) are connected by a screw thread.

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