Drinking container with filter filling reservoir

Abstract

A drinking container includes a main reservoir; a filling reservoir; a filter connecting the filling reservoir to the main reservoir; a plunger assembly having a plunger head sized complementary to the interior of the filling reservoir and a shaft extending therefrom to allow the plunger head to be urged into the filing reservoir, thereby urging liquid in the filling reservoir through the porous filter into the drinking reservoir. The shaft may define a passageway from an opening in the plunger head, to allow addition of liquid through the passageway into the filling reservoir. A valve allows closing of the opening to allow the plunger head to be urged into the filing reservoir, thereby urging liquid in the filling reservoir through the filter into the thinking reservoir.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drinking container comprising:
 a main reservoir;   a filling reservoir;   a porous filter connecting said filling reservoir to said main reservoir;   a plunger assembly comprising a plunger head sized complementary to the interior of said filling reservoir and a shaft extending therefrom to allow said plunger head to be urged into said filing reservoir, thereby urging liquid in said filling reservoir through said porous filter into said drinking reservoir.   
     
     
         2 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said shaft defines a passageway from an opening in said plunger head to allow addition of liquid through said passageway into said filling reservoir; said plunger assembly further comprising a valve allowing closing of said opening to allow said plunger head to be urged into said filing reservoir, thereby urging liquid in said filling reservoir through said porous filter into said drinking reservoir. 
     
     
         3 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein said valve comprises a flap, moveably mounted on the bottom of said plunger head. 
     
     
         4 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein said valve comprises a ball valve mounted on the bottom of said plunger head. 
     
     
         5 . The container of  claim 2 , further comprising a filling opening on a side of said shaft, in flow communication with said passageway. 
     
     
         6 . The container of  claim 1 , further comprising a spout in flow communication with said drinking reservoir. 
     
     
         7 . The container of  claim 6 , further comprising a drinking valve to close said spout. 
     
     
         8 . The container of  claim 1 , comprising a lid, at least partially closing said drinking reservoir. 
     
     
         9 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein said filling reservoir extends from said lid into said main reservoir. 
     
     
         10 . The container of  claim 9 , wherein said shaft extends through said lid. 
     
     
         11 . The container of  claim 10 , wherein said filling reservoir is substantially cylindrical. 
     
     
         12 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein said plunger head comprises a generally annular body, nested within said filling reservoir. 
     
     
         13 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said porous filter is held in a removable filter assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said porous filter comprises at least one of fibreglass, carbon, ceramic, and ion exchange resin. 
     
     
         15 . The container of  claim 14 , wherein said porous filter has a pore size of between about 0.1 to 1.2 microns. 
     
     
         16 . The container of  claim 2 , further comprising an inlet to said passageway, located on a side wall of said shaft. 
     
     
         17 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein said inlet is received in said filling reservoir, when said plunger head is completely urged into said filling reservoir. 
     
     
         18 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein said plunger assembly is fully extractable from said filling reservoir to allow addition of liquid into said filling reservoir. 
     
     
         19 . A method of filtering a liquid for consumption, comprising:
 providing a drinking container comprising a main reservoir and a filling reservoir, a porous filter extending between said main reservoir and said filling reservoir, and a plunger assembly extending from said filling reservoir;   adding a desired amount of liquid to said filling reservoir;   urging said plunger assembly through said filling reservoir to urge said desired amount of liquid from said filing reservoir, through said porous filter and into said main reservoir.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said adding a desired amount of liquid to said filling reservoir comprises adding a desired amount of liquid to said filling reservoir through a passageway in said plunger assembly; said method further comprising sealing said passageway to prevent back flow from said filling reservoir into said passageway. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising sealing said drinking container for transport.