WO2008069727A1

WO2008069727A1 - Portable liquied container

Info

Publication number: WO2008069727A1
Application number: PCT/SE2007/001080
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bengt-Inge Brodén
Original assignee: Broden Bengt-Inge
Priority date: 2006-12-04
Filing date: 2007-12-04
Publication date: 2008-06-12

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable liquid container comprising an inner flexible drink container (1) and an outer inflatable container (2), wherein the inner flexible drink container (1) is provided with a drink connection and a filling connection and the outer inflatable container (2) is provided with a blow connection, and in that the inner flexible drink container (1) is connected to the outer inflatable container (2), so that when the outer inflatable container (2) expands as a result of inflowing air through the blow connection, underpressure is created in the inner flexible drink container (1).

Description

PORTABLE LIQUID CONTAINER

Field of the invention The present invention relates to a liquid container intended to be easily transportable by one person, especially when on the move, for example during a walk or a march.

Background and prior art

It is known to use liquid containers which are fastened, for example, to the inner side or rear side of a rucksack or a combat pack in order to make it flexible to carry. The liquid container is held in place against the rucksack or the combat pack, for example, by a net. A tube is then available, which runs from the bottom part of the liquid container and is closed off with a nozzle placed close to the mouth of the user, so that it is easy to drink from the liquid container without even needing to stop. These liquid containers typically have a large hole with a resealable lid at the top of the liquid container to allow a desired liquid to be easily filled therein. Combat troops often use a liquid container of this kind known as Camel Back.

One problem with these types of liquid containers is that, when the container is filled through the resealable lid, the liquid therein is at risk of contamination by, for example, hand dirt or dust entering with the liquid.

Brief summary of the invention

One object of the present invention is to provide a portable liquid container which avoids contamination during filling and which, at the same time, is easy to fill up and use, for example when on the move. The present invention is founded on the insight that the abovementioned objects can be achieved by means of a drink container in which an underpressure can be created which sucks up liquid for filling.

That which is especially characteristic of a portable liquid container according to the invention emerges from Claim 1.

One advantage with a portable liquid container configured according to the present invention is that it is easy to drink from it when on the move, for example, and it is easily possible to fill in new liquid without risk of contamination of the liquid, since it can be easily coupled, for example, to a water tank.

A preferred embodiment is founded on the insight that it becomes easier still to drink from the portable liquid container if it is pressurized. According to this preferred embodiment, a drink container comprises an inner pressure chamber which, when it is blown up, pressurizes the drink container. A further advantage with a pressurized drink container is that it is possible to swill out liquid from the drink container in order, for example, to irrigate a wound for cleaning purposes or to swill liquid in the mouth of someone whose suction capacity is weak.

According to another preferred embodiment, the portable liquid container comprises a cavity which can contain a purifying filter, for example a carbon filter, in order that liquid which is filled into the liquid container shall be filtered and/or in order that liquid which is drunk from the liquid container shall be filtered.

Advantageously, a drink nozzle is connected to the drink container by a tube, which is provided with a valve for simplifying regulation of the intake of liquid into the container and the drinking of liquid therefrom, for example a combined non-return and control valve. Advantageously, a blow nozzle is also connected to an inflatable container by a tube, which is provided with a valve for simplifying inflation and the retention of air, for example a combined non-return and control valve. The tube to the drink nozzle is preferably provided with the cavity for a carbon filter, for example disposed together with the valve.

Advantageously, the portable liquid container comprises two rigid plates disposed and connected against two mutually opposing sections of the outer inflatable container and the inner flexible drink container in order to improve the working thereof. This allows the space which is occupied by the portable liquid container in a rucksack or a combat pack, for example, to be favourably adapted.

In order to prevent the inner flexible drink container from sticking together when it is empty, it is preferably constructed with an internal distancing member, so that expansion of the inner flexible drink container is facilitated.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description and subsequent claims.

The invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to the detailed description of embodiments and the accompanying figures, which are merely illustrative and are not therefore limiting for the present invention.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 shows in side view a cross section of a portable liquid container according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows in plan view a cross section of the portable liquid container shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 shows the portable liquid container illustrated in Fig. 1, having rigid plates,

Fig. 4 shows a portable liquid container according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and

Fig. 5 shows a portable liquid container according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of embodiments In the following description, specific details, such as special techniques and applications, are given for elucidatory and non-limiting purposes in order to produce a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is evident to a person skilled in the art that the present invention can be realized in other embodiments which differ from these specific details. In other examples, a detailed description of well-known methods and arrangements are omitted so as not to obfuscate the description of the present invention with unnecessary details.

A first embodiment of a portable liquid container according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1-3.

The portable liquid container, here illustrated in the form of a cuboid, comprises an inner flexible drink container 1 and an outer inflatable container 2. The inner flexible drink container 1 is preferably made of plastic film such as, for example, polyethylene, polyamide and aluminium foil or a so-called barrier film. A barrier film is totally free from air inlets. The inner flexible drink container 1 is provided with a common drink and filling connection, which is preferably coupled to a drink nozzle 3 by a tube 4. Alternatively, the drink container 1 can be constructed with separate connections for drinking and filling, but a common connection makes production simpler, for example by virtue of the fact that only one common lead-in is required instead of two different ones. The shown tube 4 to the inner flexible drink container 1 is preferably provided with a combined non-return and control valve (not shown) . Advantageously, the drink nozzle 3 is disconnectable from the inner flexible drink container 1 at the valve, which coupling advantageously is configured with a bayonet mount, for example a so-called Luer Lock, for connection to a closed tank having a corresponding bayonet mount or for sticking down into an open water course for filling of liquid therefrom.

The outer inflatable container 2 is preferably made of plastic film of the same type as the inner flexible drink container, and comprises a lead-in for the common drink and filling connection to the inner flexible drink container 1. The outer inflatable container 2 is provided with a blow connection, which is preferably coupled to a blow nozzle 5 by a tube 6. The tube 6 to the inflatable container 2 is preferably provided with a combined non-return and control valve (not shown). The outer inflatable container 2 comprises an outer wall and an inner wall, which inner wall is connected to the inner flexible drink container 1, preferably by glue, at least over two mutually opposing sections thereof. Alternatively, the inner wall in the outer inflatable container 2 is as one with these mutually opposing sections of the inner flexible drink container 1. In addition, the inner wall in the outer inflatable container 2 can be connected to the inner flexible drink container 1 by bars. These mutually opposing sections are preferably the lid and the base in the cuboid-shaped liquid container, or, in other words, the largest sides of the liquid container, which preferably contain neither a blow connection nor a drink and filling connection.

Blowing up of the outer inflatable container 2 causes this to expand. When the outer inflatable container 2 expands as a result of inflowing air, it will take with it the inner flexible drink container 1 as a result of its connection to the latter. In this way, an underpressure is created in the inner flexible drink container 1. The more air is blown into the outer inflatable container 2, the greater will be the underpressure created in the inner flexible drink container 1, at least until the outer inflatable container 2 is fully filled. In order to make it easier for whoever blows air into the outer inflatable container 2, the preferred combined non-return and control valve is advantageously used, so that, between successive fillings with air, breath can be drawn without the blow nozzle 6 needing to be manually plugged.

Once an underpressure has therefore been created in the flexible drink container 1, liquid can be sucked into it by setting the coupling to the common drink and filling connection to the desired drink, for example water in a closed tank or an open water course, and open its preferred non-return and control valve. Once the flexible drink container 1 has subsequently been filled with liquid, the air is fully or partially released from the outer inflatable container 2, which makes it easier for the user of the portable liquid container 1 to drink the brought drink through the drink nozzle 3, since underpressure is thus no longer created by the outer inflatable container 2 when liquid is evacuated from the inner flexible drink container 1. Should the outer inflatable container be damaged, it is easily possible also to pour liquid into the inner flexible drink container 1, alternatively to inject liquid into the inner flexible drink container 1, instead of sucking liquid into it.

The outer inflatable container has been described in the form of an inflatable cuboid with the inner flexible drink container therein, but can alternatively be configured with an inflatable shell surface 12 between two rigid plates 7 and 8 as lid and base, as is illustrated in Fig. 3. In this case, firstly the outer inflatable container 12, or the inflatable shell surface, and secondly the inner flexible drink container 1, are advantageously connected to the two rigid plates 7 and 8 , which constitute the two mutually opposing sections of the portable drink container. With rigid plates, maximal force upon the inner flexible container is achieved with a smaller quantity of air in the outer inflatable container 12. Furthermore, the portable liquid container is given a protective layer against damage to the inflatable container.

Even though the portable drink container has been described as cuboid-shaped, illustrated with substantially right angles, it can alternatively have varying height between lid and base in order, for example, to be better adapted to the space between the back of a user and his rucksack or combat pack.

A further variant on the shape of the portable liquid container is spherical, which gives a better degree of filling, and which shape, moreover, produces strong force upon the inner flexible container, but with a bulkier portable liquid container.

The portable liquid container advantageously comprises a cavity for reception of a purifying filter, for example a carbon filter. This cavity is preferably disposed in the coupling to the common drink and filling connection. The filter can be used for the purification of water which is sucked into the inner flexible drink container, for example when filling takes place from an open water course. The filter can also be used to purify water which is drunk from the inner flexible drink container. Either replaceable one- way filters can be used for filling and drinking respectively, or reversible filters can be used which manage to filter liquid in both directions. The purification can also be reinforced by the use of cleaning liquid, for example so-called Clear Water, in the cavity. In this way, the cleaning liquid is mixed directly with sucked-in liquid, instead of being fed in separately, which calls for subsequent shaking of the portable liquid container for reliable mixing.

Advantageously, a distancing member is disposed in the inner flexible drink container to prevent the inner flexible drink container from sticking together when it is totally empty, which facilitates the creation of underpressure in the same when the outer inflatable container is blown up.

The portable liquid container is preferably carried on the rear side of a rucksack or combat pack, for example in a pocket.

A second embodiment of a portable liquid container according to the present invention will next be described with reference to Fig. 4. This embodiment is identical with the above-described first embodiment, apart from the following.

The portable liquid container comprises a pressure chamber 9 inside the flexible drink container 1, preferably lying freely therein. The drink container 9 is preferably made of plastic film of the same type as the inner flexible drink container. The pressure chamber 9 is provided with a blow connection, which is preferably coupled to a blow nozzle 10 by a tube 11. The tube 11 to the pressure chamber 9 is preferably provided with a combined non-return and control valve (not shown) . Both the outer inflatable container 2 and the inner flexible drink container 1 are provided with lead-ins for the connection between the blow nozzle 10 and the pressure chamber 9. The fact that the pressure chamber 9 lies freely within the inner flexible drink container 1 means that its shape is substantially independent thereof and can, for example, be spherical, even if the flexible drink container 1 is cuboid- shaped.

After the inner flexible drink container 1 has been filled with liquid and the outer inflatable container 2 has possibly been emptied of air, the pressure chamber 9 is filled with air. The liquid in the inner flexible drink container 1 is thereby pressurized, which means that it is very simple to drink up the liquid without needing to suck the liquid out of it. It is further possible to then also swill liquid out of the portable liquid container, which can be used, for example, to irrigate a wound for cleaning thereof or swill liquid in the mouth of a comrade who is too weak to suck in liquid himself.

A simplified liquid container according to a third embodiment, which is illustrated in Fig. 5, is obtained by omitting the outer inflatable container according to the above-described second embodiment.

Compared with the above-described second embodiment, the liquid container according to the present third embodiment further comprises an air-bleed valve at the lead-in 12, in the now outer flexible drink container 1, for the blow connection tube 11. Liquid is poured into the liquid container through the common drinking and filling connection 3, 4. In order to prevent an overpressure from building up in the outer flexible drink container 1 when liquid flows into it, which overpressure might hinder the filling of liquid therein, any air in the outer flexible drink container 1 flows out of it through the air-bleed valve situated at the lead-in 12. Before the liquid container is pressurized, as has been described above, it is preferably ensured that liquid does not leak out of the air-bleed valve .

It is evident that the present invention can be varied in a number of ways . Such variations should not be regarded as deviation from the scope of the present invention. All such variations which are evident to a person skilled in the art are meant to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Portable liquid container, characterized in that it comprises an inner flexible drink container (1) and an outer inflatable container (2), wherein the inner flexible drink container (1) is provided with a drink connection and a filling connection and the outer inflatable container (2) is provided with a blow connection, and in that the inner flexible drink container (1) is connected to the outer inflatable container (2), so that when the outer inflatable container (2) expands as a result of inflowing air through the blow connection, underpressure is created in the inner flexible drink container (1).

2. Portable liquid container according to Claim 1, in which the drink connection and the filling connection are as one and a drink nozzle (3) is coupled to the common drink and filling connection by a tube (4), which is provided with a valve, preferably a combined non-return and control valve .

3. Portable liquid container according to Claim 2, in which the tube (4) to the drink nozzle (3) is provided with a coupling having a cavity for reception of a purifying filter, preferably disposed together with its valve.

4. Portable liquid container according to any one of Claims 1-3, in which a blow nozzle (5) is coupled to the blow connection by a tube ( 6 ) , which is provided with a valve, preferably a combined non-return and control valve.

5. Portable liquid container according to any one of Claims 1-4, comprising an inflatable pressure chamber (9) inside the inner flexible drink container (1), which inflatable pressure chamber (9) is provided with a blow connection (10, 11).

6. Portable liquid container according to Claim 5 , in which a blow nozzle (10) is coupled to the blow connection by a tube (11), which is provided with a valve, preferably a non-return and control valve.

7. Portable liquid container according to any one of Claims 1-6, comprising two rigid plates (7, 8) disposed and connected against two mutually opposing sections of the outer inflatable container (2) and the inner flexible drink container (1), in order to reinforce the underpressure in the inner flexible drink container (1) which arises when the outer inflatable container (2) is blown up.

8. Portable liquid container according to any one of Claims 1-7, in which the inner flexible drink container (1) is constructed with a distancing member in order to facilitate expansion of the inner flexible drink container (1).

9. Portable liquid container, characterized in that it comprises an outer flexible drink container (1) and an inner inflatable pressure chamber (9), wherein the inner inflatable pressure chamber (9) is provided with a blow connection, the outer flexible drink container (1) is provided with a drink connection and a filling connection, and the outer flexible drink container (1) is provided with a lead-in for the blow connection for the inner inflatable pressure chamber (9), the said portable liquid container comprising an air-bleed valve for the said outer flexible drink container (1) at the said lead-in (12).