Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02899783 2015-08-06
WATER BOTTLE WITH SELF DEFENSE FEATURES
CROSS REFRENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to U.S. Application Ser. No. 14/600,575 filed
January 20,
2015, and entitled "Bottle for Consumable Liquids with Self Defense Features",
owned by
the assignee of the present application and herein incorporated by reference
in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the field of portable liquid
containers. More
specifically, relates to travel bottles including water bottle comprising self-
defense features
and emergency or survival utilities.
BACKGROUND
The human body is comprised of roughly 60% water by volume. Water helps carry
nutrients
throughout the body, flush waste products from the body, regulate body
temperature and
assist in digestion, among other functions. While the human body can go many
days without
food, a person will die from dehydration after only a few days without water.
Access to
potable water or energy liquids may be uncertain, especially during traveling,
participating in
sports activities or routine commuting, hence it is prudent to carry drinkable
water in a
portable liquid container such as water bottle.
Re-usable liquid containers made of high density plastic materials such as
HDPE, enabled
easy carrying of potable water or consumable liquids such as energy drinks.
Water bottles or
travel bottles are commonly used consumer products. Modern water bottles come
in a
plurality of shapes and sizes, with a plurality of features, limited only by
the imagination of
the designers and the needs of the consumers.
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Self-defense products are another popular category of consumer goods. As with
water bottles,
self-defense products also come in a plurality of shapes and sizes and
incorporated with
additional features to help a person fend off potential attackers or alert
others if external help
is needed. Self-defense products may include a whistle, pepper spray or other
lacrimation
spray container, blunt surface and knife. Many self-defense products are
comprised of
relatively small designs. While smaller designs lead to more portable
products, there are
many practical disadvantages to smaller sized devices, namely quick
accessibility and ease of
use. For example, the smaller size of the self-defense equipment poses
difficulty in timely
accessing especially when placed among other items of similar shapes and
sizes. In addition,
many popular self-defense devices feature safety mechanisms that may be
compromised by
the movement of the device in a purse or bag and during accidentally
discharge.
In addition to self-defense tools, emergency tools such as navigational
instruments, flash
light, alarms and the like, may come in handy when navigating through unknown
territory or
lost in .a remote area. For example, navigation tool and flash light helps in
finding a path to
safety in the event of a kidnapping, abduction, or similar circumstance
involving a threat to
personal safety. Furthermore, geolocation trackers facilitates tracking the
movement of an
object or a person.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to develop a commonly used consumer
product such as a
travel bottle incorporated with self-defense features and emergency tools.
SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a multi-utility water bottle comprising a
substantially
cylindrical body and a lid member removably attached to the body. The water
bottle
comprises a hollow compartment for storing water or consumable fluids. The
compartment
comprises a filtration unit for purifying the bottle contents. The body
comprises an inner
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chamber for holding fruits or vegetables, the inner chamber comprises a
plurality of openings
and is disposed within the water storing compartment for infusing the water
with nutrients
from fruits or vegetables. The body and the lid member is configured to
comprise a cutting
tool, an illuminating device, a sound alarm, and a tracking device. In an
embodiment, the
cutting tool may comprise a knife, the illuminating device may comprise a
flashlight and the
tracking device may comprise a location tracking device such as a GPS tracker
device. One
of the objectives of the present invention is to provide additional self-
defense features to a
popular consumer product already in use by many consumers.
In an embodiment, the water bottle of the present invention further comprise
self-defense
tools including a striking hammer made of metal and reflective strips fixed
along the length
of the water bottle body for enhancing visibility in dark. The water bottle
also comprises
shoulder strap mount on lateral sides of the lid member and a clip for
attaching the bottle to a
support for carrying and for holding the bottle while not in use. A sipper
attached to the top
surface of the lid member, the sipper is in communication with a straw
extending till the
bottom of the body.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates a top perspective view of the water bottle.
FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the water bottle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
In a broad embodiment, the present invention generally relates to a travel
bottle designed for
holding consumable liquids. The travel bottle or water bottle, of the present
invention is a
multi-utility bottle, incorporated with self-defense, emergency utilities,
alerting, and/or
navigation mechanisms, for use under distress or emergency situations.
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One of the preferred embodiments of the present invention relates to utilizing
an impact-
resistant and lightweight material, such as plastic or stainless steel, for
making the water
bottle. Since many types of materials are suitable for the product,
alternative embodiments
may encompasses any other material that suits the scope and spirit of the
invention. Molds
can be utilized to create the individual parts of the water bottle, which
would be one of the
easiest and cost-effective manner to manufacture the water bottle, though
other embodiments
of the invention may encompasses any other method for creating the individual
parts of water
bottle that would be suitable to the scope and spirit of the invention.
The water bottle can be made in different sizes and shapes. For example, the
bottles can be
made with a capacity of 0.5 liter to 2.5 liter range, as users may prefer
different container
volumes for carrying water or energy drinks during activities such as running,
hiking,
commuting and the like. In addition to variations in size, shape and materials
used, the water
bottle may contain an insulating element to keep hot beverages hot and cold
beverages cold.
According to an embodiment, the water bottle of the present invention
comprises a shape
which is generally cylindrical in design. Users may wish for alternative
shapes depending on
their specific hydration needs and also based on their aesthetic and ergonomic
needs.
Alternative embodiments of the present invention may utilize a variety of
shapes and designs,
including but not limited to an extruded rectangular design or generally box-
shaped design
for the water bottle. Also within the scope and spirit of this invention, the
water bottle may
include other features, such as reflective tape; straws; variations on lid
designs; hooks, straps,
or other attachment point features for clipping, securing, or holding the
bottle; and/or
carrying straps.
Referring to the top perspective view of the water bottle, as shown in Fig. 1,
the water bottle
100 comprises a lid 110 removably attached to the bottle body 120 and is
configured to be
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easily removed when a user wishes to refill the bottle body 120 with water or
liquid. The
bottle body 120 comprises a hollow compartment to hold and store liquid. The
hollow
compartment may comprise a filtration unit for purifying the water or fluid
present in the
compartment. The filtration unit may comprise activated carbon filters,
membrane filters, and
the like. The bottle body 120 may comprise an inner chamber for holding fruits
or vegetables,
the inner chamber comprises a plurality of openings and is disposed within the
hollow
compartment for infusing the water with nutrients from fruits or vegetables.
The lid 110 may be attach to the bottle body 120 in different ways. In an
embodiment, the
water bottle comprise internal threads on the lid 110 and external threads on
the bottle body
120 to facilitate a screw-on type attachment. Alternative embodiments of the
present
invention may utilize different attachment mechanisms, such as snap closures,
and other
similar mechanisms for providing a watertight seal between the lid 110 and
bottle body 120.
In an embodiment, the lid 110 is formed as a single piece of material or may
comprise two or
more units assembled together to form a closure.
The bottle body 120 further comprises a plurality of compartments accessible
from the
exterior of the bottle body 120. In another embodiment, the water bottle 100
may comprise
one or more compartments protruding into the interior hollow space of the
bottle body 120.
The water bottle 100 comprise an attachment feature 102 either on the lid 110
or on the bottle
body 120, using which the user may clip the bottle 100 to a support material
or travel gear
when not in use. The attachment feature 102 may comprise a clip or similar
means of
attachment and may encompass a variety of different shapes, designs and
materials.
Still referring to Fig. 1, the lid 110 may be designed in many different ways
that may include
features to allow the user to drink from the bottle 100 without having to
remove the lid 110
from the body 120. In an embodiment, the bottle 100 may comprise a sipper 130
attached to
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the lid 110, the sipper 130 is in communication with a straw extending into
the bottle body
120. The straw carries water from the bottle body 120 to the sipper 130. In an
embodiment,
the sipper 130 can be folded towards the planar surface of the lid 110 when
not in use and
easily unfolded to a sipping position, perpendicular to the lid planar
surface. Alternative
embodiments may include lid and bottle body designs with a variety of leak-
proof
mechanisms commonly used in drinking apparatus.
The water bottle 100 may comprise an alerting device, such as a sound alarm
104. Alerting
devices may include electronic sound/noise generating mechanisms including but
not limited
to buzzers, personal alarms and loud alarms. In an embodiment, the sound alarm
104 may
comprise a button for activation, for instance the alarm can be activated
under distress or
emergency situations for seeking help. In another embodiment, the alerting
device may
comprise a whistle, which can be folded in place into a recess on the top
exterior of the lid
110. The whistle may be used for signaling others in times of distress, or
whenever desired by
the user.
The lid 110 may further comprise a location tracking device 106 such as a GPS
tracker, using
which the location of the water bottle 100 or the user carrying the water
bottle 100 can be
tracked. In an embodiment, the tracking device 106 may be incorporated in the
bottle body
120. In an exemplary embodiment, if lost in an unknown territory, the specific
location of a
person carrying the water bottle 100 can be tracked using signals emitted from
the tracking
device 106 and external help such as emergency response teams or law
enforcement officials
can be sent to rescue that person.
The bottle further comprise a striking device 108, such as a metal frame
hammer fixed to the
lid 110. The striking device 108 may be constructed of stainless steel, or any
other dense and
rigid material suitable for its designed purpose. The lid 110 may comprise
shoulder strap
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mount 107 for attaching shoulder straps to the water bottle 100, the shoulder
straps can be
used for easy carrying of the water bottle 100.
FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the water bottle 100, the
bottle body 120
comprise a plurality of compartments for holding self-defense and/or emergency
utility or
survival tools. An impact base 140, is held in place with the impact base
attachment point
142 at the bottom of the bottle body 120. The impact base 140 may be designed
as a striking
plate for self-defense or utility, such as breaking a car's window when the
user is trapped
inside a car. The impact base 140 may be constructed of stainless steel, or
any other dense
and rigid material suitable for its designed purpose. In a preferred
embodiment, the impact
base 140 is attached to the bottle body 120 by the impact base attachment
point 142
comprising a snap lock mechanism and is designed to firmly stay shut when
engaged with the
impact base attachment point 142, but readily swing free when the impact base
attachment
point 142 is disengaged.
In an embodiment, the bottom of the bottle body 120 may comprise a hollow
channel holding
a cutting tool 122 such as a knife or cutting blade, for use as a self-defense
weapon. In an
embodiment, the user may remove the knife 122 from the hollow channel to use
the knife in a
customary fashion. The cutting tool 122 may comprise a hook member for pulling
the tool
out of the channel. In an embodiment, the cutting tool 122 may be released by
a spring
mechanism upon opening the impact base 140 at the bottom of the bottle body
120.
Alternatively, the cutting tool 122 may comprise a pocket knife, wherein a
handle part of the
knife is fixed inside the channel and the blade portion is released out,
extending beyond the
bottle body 120, upon actuation by a spring mechanism. The knife blade may be
straight,
serrated, or a combination of the two, and can be made from metal, ceramic, or
any other
material suitable for its designed purpose. The knife shares similar
dimensions to utility and
pocket style knives currently on the market and may range depending on the
size and
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dimensions of the water bottle 100 and jurisdictional compliance requirements
for concealed
knife types and lengths.
The bottle body 120 may also comprise a hollow channel or compartment holding
an
illuminating device 124 such as a flash light. The illuminating device 124 may
comprise a
LED flashlight with a hook member attached at rear end for accessing the
flashlight and
removing the light from its respective channel. In an alternative embodiment,
the flash light
can be released from the compartment by a spring actuated mechanism. For
example, when
the user wishes to access the illuminating device 124, the user disengages the
impact base
attachment point 142, causing the spring to expand, pushing the illuminating
device 124
outward and causing the impact base 140 to swing open. Alternative embodiments
of the
present invention allow for the illuminating device 124 to be stored within
the bottle body
120 and released using a variety of different mechanisms and methods,
including detachable
mechanisms, while remaining within the scope and spirit of the invention.
A reflective strip 126 is attached to at least one side of the bottle body 120
for identifying the
water bottle 100 under dark conditions. In an example, the reflective strip
126 can be
incorporated with fluorescent and/or phosphorescent materials. The bottle body
120 further
comprise a grip 128 made of recessed or raised surfaces, for firmly holding
the water bottle
100.
The water bottle 100 of the present invention may further comprise other self-
defense tools
including Taser gun or stun guns. Since certain type of self-defense weapons
are not legal in
some states / countries, the self-defense features of the water bottle 100 can
be chosen based
on the local laws, while remaining within the scope and spirit of the
invention.
In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described.
However, one of
ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes
can be made
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without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims
below.
Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an
illustrative rather than a
restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included
within the scope of
present teachings.
The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may
cause any
benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to
be construed
as a critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the
claims. The invention
is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during
the
pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.
Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and
bottom, and the
like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another
entity or action
without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or
order between such
entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "has", "having,"
"includes",
"including," "contains", "containing" or any other variation thereof, are
intended to cover a
non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus
that comprises, has,
includes, contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but
may include
other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method,
article, or apparatus.
An element proceeded by "comprises ... a", "has ... a", "includes ... a",
"contains ... a" does
not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical
elements in the
process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, contains
the element. The
terms "a" and "an" are defined as one or more unless explicitly stated
otherwise herein. The
terms "substantially", "essentially", "approximately", "about" or any other
version thereof, are
defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
The terms
"coupled" and "linked" as used herein is defined as connected, although not
necessarily
directly and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is
"configured" in a
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certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in
ways that are not
listed. Also, the sequence of steps in a flow diagram or elements in the
claims, even when
preceded by a letter does not imply or require that sequence.
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