Liquid container including a chronograph

Abstract

The invention relates to a liquid container (1) comprising a mouth (2) and a stopper (3) selectively adopting a closed configuration to stopper the mouth (2) and an open configuration to uncover the mouth (2), the liquid container (1) being characterized in that it comprises a chronograph (4) mounted externally on the stopper (3). Abstract figure: Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: Liquid container comprising a chronograph. Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a liquid container comprising a chronograph.

[0002] The invention finds a favorite, but not limiting, application in the fields of sports and outdoor activities. Previous technique

[0003] It is well known that during physical exertion, an athlete, depending on the type and intensity of the physical activity they are engaged in, must drink water or a carbohydrate-rich beverage at regular intervals to avoid dehydration or a drop in blood sugar. For example, it is advisable to drink sips of water, 100 mL to 200 mL, approximately every fifteen minutes.

[0004] There is therefore a constant need for athletes to accurately determine the time elapsed during physical exertion in order to drink at regular intervals and thus promote hydration and avoid a hypoglycemic crisis.

[0005] It is also well known, in the practice of hiking or more generally during an excursion in a natural environment, that it is necessary to purify water drawn from a river or lake in order to eliminate any viruses, bacteria, and / or parasites it may contain, thus making it potable and safe for consumption. Water purification is made possible, in particular, through the use of effervescent water purification tablets. However, when an effervescent water purification tablet is mixed with water, a reaction time is required for it to treat the water and make it potable. For example, an effervescent water purification tablet based on chlorine takes 30 minutes to treat 1 liter of water. In other words, until this reaction time has elapsed, the water remains unfit for consumption and presents a risk of gastrointestinal illness if drunk.

[0006] For this given application context, there is also a need to measure the time elapsed after the introduction of the effervescent water purification tablet into non-potable water to determine whether the reaction time has elapsed or not. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to meet these needs, the invention proposes a liquid container comprising a mouth and a stopper selectively adopting a closure configuration to plug the mouth and an opening configuration to unplug the mouth, the liquid container being notable in that it includes a chronograph mounted externally on the stopper.

[0008] In the application contexts given above as an illustrative example of the interest of the invention, the liquid container of the invention makes it possible, by means of the chronograph it comprises, to determine precisely: - the time elapsed since the last intake of water or energy drink, so that the wearer can prepare for the next intake in order to stay properly hydrated and / or avoid hypoglycemia; or - the time elapsed since the introduction of the effervescent water purification tablet into the unfit drinking water, the carrier of the liquid container then knowing exactly when the water will become potable.

[0009] Advantageously, since the liquid container includes a chronograph, the wearer / user of the liquid container does not need to wear and / or have at their disposal additional / additional electronic or mechanical equipment offering a stopwatch function for measuring time in order to determine the time elapsed between two events (for example, a chronograph wristwatch or an electronic terminal, such as a mobile phone, offering a stopwatch application).

[0010] Moreover, being mounted on the liquid container (more precisely, on the cap of the liquid container), the chronograph is easily transportable by a carrier of the liquid container.

[0011] As the chronograph is mounted externally on the cap, the measurement of elapsed time can be advantageously read by the wearer when the cap is in its closed configuration; indeed, the external mounting on the cap means that the chronograph is visible from the outside.

[0012] According to a feature of the invention, the chronograph is mounted on an upper part of the cap.

[0013] Thus, the chronograph is on top of the stopper, the stopper comprising a stopper body, which serves to stop the mouth, and this stopper body is surmounted by the upper part which holds the chronograph.

[0014] In a first variant, the upper part is integrated into the cap.

[0015] In other words, the upper part comes from the material with the cap and therefore with the corking body, to be one piece with the latter; the upper part and the corking body forming a single element.

[0016] In a second variant, the upper part is attached fixedly to the cap, for example by gluing, overmolding or welding.

[0017] When the upper part is fixedly attached to the stopper, it is possible to have separate materials, for example a rigid material for the stopper body and a flexible or elastic material for the upper part.

[0018] In a third variant, the upper part is mounted hinged on the cap.

[0019] Thus, the upper part can pivot with the chronograph on the cap.

[0020] In a fourth variant, the upper part is mounted detachably on the cap.

[0021] Thus, the upper part can be detached from the cap, with its chronograph.

[0022] In advantageous embodiments of the detachable assembly, the upper part is mounted on the cap by a sliding assembly, a snap-fit ​​assembly, a screw-fit assembly or a magnetic assembly.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the chronograph is embedded at least partially in a cavity in the upper part of the cap.

[0024] Thus, the chronograph is at least partially housed in this cavity to be of a reduced size.

[0025] In one example, at least one edge of the chronograph may protrude out of the cavity, allowing a user to dislodge the chronograph from the cavity and remove it from the liquid container.

[0026] In one embodiment, the chronograph is fully embedded in the cavity.

[0027] In one embodiment, the chronograph is fixedly mounted on the part upper part of the cap.

[0028] Thus, the chronograph is attached to this upper part.

[0029] In another embodiment, the chronograph is mounted detachably on the upper part of the cap.

[0030] For example, the chronograph can be mounted on the upper part of the cap by a recessed mounting, a sliding mounting, a snap-on mounting, a screw mounting or a magnetic mounting.

[0031] According to one embodiment of the invention, the liquid container includes a power supply, for example a battery or a cell, electrically powering the chronograph.

[0032] According to one embodiment of the invention, the power supply is integrated into the chronograph or is integrated into the cap.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, the power supply is electrically connected to a charging port mounted on the cap.

[0034] In other words, the power supply is rechargeable and can be charged by means of an external power supply connected to the charging port. In one example, the charging port is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cap has an access hatch to access the power supply.

[0036] In one embodiment, the power supply may not be rechargeable, for example, being a disposable battery. The access hatch therefore allows to access the power supply, which in various examples may be contained in the stopper or in the chronograph, in order to remove it and replace it with a new power supply.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cap includes a charging station for electrically recharging the power supply integrated into the chronograph, which is advantageous in the case where the chronograph is detachable from the cap in order to be able to be used independently.

[0038] According to one example, the charging station is integrated into the cap.

[0039] According to one embodiment of the invention, the charging station is an induction charging station.

[0040] In other words, in one embodiment, the invention provides a wireless charging method for the chronograph's power supply based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. Both the chronograph's power supply and the charging station comprise an inductor coil. When an electric current flows through its inductor coil, the charging station generates a magnetic field. When the chronograph is mounted on its cap and thus sufficiently close to the charging station, the magnetic field generates an electric current in the inductor coil of the chronograph's power supply, thereby charging it.

[0041] Advantageously, the induction charging station eliminates the need for any wired connection between the chronograph and the charging station, thus making charging the chronograph's power supply more convenient.

[0042] Alternatively, the charging station is an electrical contact charging station, by means of connection ports establishing contact between the charging station and the chronograph's power supply.

[0043] In an example of mounting the chronograph by magnetization, the magnets used can each have an annular shape.

[0044] In a particular embodiment, the induction charging station is attached to the cap (for example, to the upper part of the cap) and includes a ring-shaped magnet having a given magnetic pole and surrounding the inductance coil of the charging station. The chronograph also includes a ring-shaped magnet having a magnetic pole opposite to that of the magnet of the induction charging station, and surrounding the inductance coil of the chronograph's power supply. In other words, in this particular embodiment, the chronograph is magnetically mounted on the cap containing the induction charging station; and the chronograph's power supply is charged by electromagnetic induction.

[0045] In this embodiment, in addition to a more practical charging of the chronograph's power supply because it does not involve any wires, the magnets, by fixing the chronograph to the charging station by induction, advantageously facilitate the transport of the chronograph but also the transport of the liquid container during the charging of the chronograph.

[0046] According to one example, the magnet of the chronograph and / or the induction charging station can be integrated into the chronograph and / or the charging station.

[0047] According to one embodiment of the invention, the stopper is hinged on the mouth of the liquid container or is mounted in a detachable manner on the mouth of the liquid container.

[0048] When the stopper is articulated on the mouthpiece, for example by pivoting, the stopper remains attached to the mouthpiece by means of an articulation mechanism (for example a hinge, equipped or not with an elastic return system urging the stopper towards its opening); whereas when the stopper is mounted detachably on the mouthpiece, the stopper can be completely detached from the mouthpiece.

[0049] According to one embodiment of the invention, the cap is chosen from at least one screw cap, one clip-on cap, one pressure cap or one mechanical cap.

[0050] According to one embodiment of the invention, the chronograph is a chronograph watch.

[0051] In other words, and advantageously, in one embodiment of the invention, the chronograph can also, in addition to its function as a chronometer, indicate the time (or even the date).

[0052] According to one possibility, the chronograph includes a display screen, such as for example a quartz screen, a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display or an electronic ink display.

[0053] According to one embodiment of the invention, the container for liquid is a gourd or a bottle.

[0054] In one embodiment, the liquid container is a flask comprising a cylindrical body. In one example, the cylindrical body has a height of 255 millimeters and a diameter of 80 millimeters. In another example, the cylindrical body has a height of 185 millimeters and a diameter of 65 millimeters.

[0055] In one embodiment, the liquid container is a bottle capable of holding up to 650 mL of liquid.

[0056] In another embodiment, the liquid container is a flask capable of holding up to 350 mL of liquid.

[0057] In another embodiment, the liquid container comprises a body made of a food-grade material, for example, 18 / 10 stainless steel. Brief description of the drawings

[0058] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a non-limiting example of implementation, made with reference to the accompanying figures in which:

[0059] [Fig. 1] is a schematic front view of the container for liquid, which here corresponds to a flask, according to a first embodiment, with the cap in its closing configuration;

[0060] [Fig.2] is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the container for liquid the [Fig.l];

[0061] [Fig.3] is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the container for liquid the [Fig.1], with the stopper in its open configuration;

[0062] [Fig.4] is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the liquid container according to a second embodiment.

[0063] [Detailed description of one or more embodiments of the invention]

[0064] This description gives various embodiments of the liquid container 1 of the invention. In one embodiment, the liquid container 1 may, for example, be a flask or a bottle. In the embodiments described below, the liquid container 1 is considered to be a flask, referred to as 1 below.

[0065] In various embodiments, the gourd 1 comprises a container 10, for example cylindrical in shape and having, for example, a height of 255 millimeters for a diameter of 80 millimeters, or a height of 185 millimeters for a diameter of 65 millimeters.

[0066] In different embodiments, the bottle 1 can hold up to 350 mL of liquid, or up to 650 mL of liquid.

[0067] The container 10 can for example be made of a food-grade material, for example 18 / 10 stainless steel.

[0068] With reference to [Fig.1], the gourd 1 comprises a mouthpiece 2 and a stopper 3 selectively adopting a closing configuration to plug the mouthpiece 2, and an opening configuration to unplug the mouthpiece 2.

[0069] The cap 3 can be selected from at least one screw cap, one snap-on cap, one pressure cap or one mechanical cap

[0070] The cap 3 can for example be hinged on the mouth 2 of the gourd 1 or be mounted in a detachable manner on the mouth 2.

[0071] In embodiments where the stopper 3 is hinged to the mouthpiece 2, it remains attached to the mouthpiece 2 by means of a hinge mechanism 7, such as a hinge, it being noted that this hinge 7 may be equipped with an elastic return system, such as a spring or a spring blade, configured to pull the stopper 3 towards its opening. In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 2] and [Fig. 3], the stopper 3 is pivotally hinged to the mouthpiece 2.

[0072] The container 10 and the cap 3 may include, for example, additional mechanical retaining elements (not shown in the figures) which cooperate together in a locking position to hold the cap 3 in its closed configuration, and a push button 8 allows these additional mechanical retaining elements to be tilted into an unlocking position to release the cap 3, thus allowing the cap 3 to pivot to its open configuration.

[0073] In other embodiments, the stopper 3 can be completely detached from the mouthpiece 2, which is the case of a stopper screwed, or clicked, or pressed into the mouthpiece 2.

[0074] The bottle 1 further includes a chronograph 4 which is mounted externally on the cap 3. This chronograph 4 includes a display screen 44 for displaying the countdown time, and for example selected from a quartz screen, a liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode display or an electronic ink display.

[0075] Advantageously, since the water bottle 1 includes the chronograph 4, a wearer of said water bottle 1 does not need to wear and / or have at their disposal any additional / additional electronic or mechanical equipment offering a stopwatch function for measuring time in order to determine the time elapsed between two events.

[0076] In addition, being mounted on the gourd 1 (more precisely, on the cap 3), the chronograph 4 is easily transportable by a gourd carrier.

[0077] As the chronograph 4 is mounted externally on the cap 3, the measurement of the elapsed time can be advantageously read by the wearer when the cap 3 is in its closed configuration; indeed, the external mounting on the cap 3 means that the display screen 44 of the chronograph 4 is visible from the outside.

[0078] The stopper 3 may include a stopper body 5 and an upper part 6 which surmounts the stopper body 5, with the chronograph 4 which is mounted on this upper part 6.

[0079] Several embodiments are conceivable for this upper part 6, which can either be integrated into the stopper 3 by being formed from the same material as the stopper body 5, or be fixedly attached to the stopper body 5 of the stopper 3, or be hinged on the stopper body 5 of stopper 3, or be mounted in a detachable manner on stopper body 5 of stopper 3.

[0080] In the illustrated embodiment, the upper part 6 is integrated into the stopper 3 by coming from the same material as the stopper body 5.

[0081] In different embodiments, the chronograph 4 can be fixedly mounted on the upper part 6 of the cap 3 or alternatively can be detachably mounted on the upper part 6 of the cap 3.

[0082] In the embodiment shown [Fig.1] to [Fig.3], the upper part 6 includes a cavity 61 in which the chronograph 4 is fully embedded. This chronograph 4 can be fixed, for example by gluing, welding or overmolding, in this cavity 61, or it can be mounted in a detachable manner in this cavity 61 so that it can be extracted from it; in the latter case, the chronograph 4 can be retained in the cavity 61 for example by a snap-fit ​​mounting, a screw mounting or a magnetic mounting.

[0083] In an embodiment not shown, the chronograph 4 can be partially embedded in the cavity 61, with, for example, at least one edge of the chronograph 4 protruding out of the cavity 61, allowing, for example, a user to access side buttons or to grasp it manually in order to dislodge it out of the cavity 61.

[0084] Generally, one or more buttons of the chronograph 4 protrude from the cap 3 to start and stop the timing. The chronograph 4 may correspond to a chronograph watch, that is to say, a watch that indicates the time (and possibly the date) and that also has a stopwatch function.

[0085] The water bottle 1 may for example include a power supply source 41, such as a battery or a cell, to electrically power the chronograph 4.

[0086] In an embodiment not shown, the power supply 41 is contained in the cap 3 and is therefore external to the chronograph 4, and in this case the chronograph 4 is connected to the power supply 41 via suitable connection ports and / or at least one connection cable.

[0087] In the illustrated embodiment [Fig.2] and [Fig.3], the power supply 41 is contained in the chronograph 4.

[0088] In the embodiment presented, the power supply 41 is considered to be rechargeable, which is electrically connected to a charging port 62 mounted on the cap 3, more precisely on the cap body 5, and to which an external power supply can be connected to charge the rechargeable power supply 41. This charging port 62 can, for example, be a USB port. In this case, the power supply 41 is connected to charging port 62 via suitable connection ports and / or at least one connection cable.

[0089] In embodiments not shown, the power supply 41 may not be rechargeable and may, for example, be a disposable battery. In this case, the chronograph 4 can be removed to access this disposable battery. Alternatively, if, for example, the chronograph 4 cannot be removed, the cap 3 has an access hatch allowing access to this disposable battery for removal and replacement with a new one.

[0090] When the chronograph 4 is detachable from the upper part 6 of the cap 3, and the power supply 41 is rechargeable and integrated into the chronograph 4, the cap 3 may include a charging station 9 shaped to electrically charge the power supply 41. This charging station 9 may be integrated into the cap body 5 or into the upper part 6 of the cap 3.

[0091] In the illustrated embodiment [Fig.4], the power supply 41 includes an inductor coil, and the charging station 9 is an induction charging station also including an inductor coil 91. In this case, the charging station 9 includes its own electric battery, which may be a rechargeable battery connected or not to a charging port provided on the cap 3.

[0092] Thus, this embodiment proposes a wireless charging method based on the principle of electromagnetic induction: when an electric current flows in the inductance coil 91 of the charging station 9, the latter generates a magnetic field; and when the chronograph 4 is mounted on the cap 3, and is therefore sufficiently close to the charging station 9, the magnetic field has the effect of generating an electric current at the level of the inductance coil of the power supply 41 of the chronograph 4 allowing it to be charged.

[0093] The charging station 9 has the advantage of avoiding any wired connection between itself and the chronograph 4, thus making it more convenient to charge the power supply 41 of the chronograph 4, and facilitating the transport of the water bottle 1 while charging the chronograph 4.

[0094] In the illustrated embodiment [Fig.4], the chronograph 4 is mounted on the cap 3 by magnetization; for this purpose, the chronograph 4 is attached to a magnet 42 which has a given magnetic pole and which is fixed / pressed under the chronograph 4, and the cap 3 is also attached to a magnet 92, arranged on the cap 3, having a magnetic pole opposite to the magnetic pole of the magnet 42; these two magnets 42, 92 can, for example, each have an annular shape.

[0095] In an embodiment not shown, the cap 3 includes a straw that can selectively adopt a passive position in which the straw is retracted or folded down, and an active position in which the straw is deployed to allow drinking its contents.

[0096] Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it is evident that modifications and changes can be made to these examples without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, individual features of the various embodiments illustrated / mentioned can be combined in additional embodiments. Therefore, the description and drawings should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Claims

Demands

1. Liquid container (1) comprising a mouthpiece (2) and a stopper (3) selectively adopting a closure configuration to stop the mouthpiece (2) and an opening configuration to release the mouthpiece (2), the liquid container (1) being characterized in that it comprises a chronograph (4) mounted externally on the stopper (3).

2. Liquid container (1) according to claim 1, in which the chronograph (4) is mounted on an upper part (6) of the stopper (3).

3. Liquid container (1) according to claim 2, wherein the upper part (6) is integrated into the stopper (3).

4. Liquid container (1) according to claim 2, wherein the upper part (6) is attached fixedly to the cap (3), for example by gluing, overmolding or welding.

5. Liquid container (1) according to claim 2, wherein the upper part (6) is hinged mounted on the stopper (3).

6. Liquid container (1) according to claim 2, wherein the upper part (6) is detachably mounted on the cap (3).

7. Liquid container (1) according to claim 6, wherein the upper part (6) is mounted on the cap (3) by a slide mount, a snap mount, a screw mount or a magnetic mount.

8. Container for liquid (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, in which the chronograph (4) is embedded at least partially in a cavity (61) of the upper part (6) of the stopper (3).

9. Liquid container (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the chronograph (4) is fixedly mounted on the upper part (6) of the stopper (3), or the chronograph (4) is detachably mounted on the upper part (6) of the stopper (3).

10. Liquid container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a power supply source (41), for example a battery or cell, electrically powering the chronograph (4).

11. Container for liquid (1) according to claim 10, in which the power supply (41) is integrated into the chronograph (4) or is integrated into the stopper (3).

12. Liquid container (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the power supply (41) is electrically connected to a refill port (62) mounted on the cap (3).

13. Liquid container (1) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the cap (3) has an access hatch for accessing the power supply (41).

14. Liquid container (1) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the cap (3) includes a charging station (9) for electrically recharging the power supply (41) integrated into the chronograph (4).

15. Container for liquid (1) according to claim 14, wherein the charging station (9) is an induction charging station.

16. Liquid container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the stopper (3) is hinged to the mouth (2) of the liquid container (1) or is mounted detachably to the mouth (2) of the liquid container (1).

17. Liquid container (1) according to claim 16, wherein the stopper (3) is selected from at least one screw cap, one snap-on cap, one pressure cap or one mechanical stopper.

18. Container for liquid (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the chronograph (4) is a chronograph watch.

19. Liquid container (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid container (1) is a flask or bottle.