Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A SELF-GENERATING PRESSURE APPLYING MEANS FOR A
DISPOSABLE CONTAINER
This invention relates generally to a self-
generating pressure applying means, such as an
exp~n~hle pouch which is adapted to be positioned in
a container having a quantity of material contained
therein so as to provide pressure on the material so
that it may be readily dispensed from the container
and in particular to a self-generating pressure
applying means which is particularly suited for
dispensing a fluid from a disposable container.
It has been known for many years to dispense
material from a container wherein a self-generating
pressure applying means is contained within the
container so as to apply a pressure on the material
contained within the container so that the material
may be readily dispensed therefrom through suitable
dispensing means. Two major requirements for such use
is that the self-generating pressure applying means
functions to apply a pressure within desired ranges
on the material within the container as portions of
the material are dispensed therefrom and to get
substantially all of the material out of the
container. While these requirements have been met in
many instances, the size and shape of some containers
*
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in association with the materials container therein
have provided problems in meeting these requirements.
This invention provides a new, improved
self-generating pressure applying means, such as an
expandable pouch means, which is particularly designed
and constructed so that it cooperates with the
container means in which it is contained to ensure
that substantially all of the material contained
within the container is dispensed therefrom and
maintains the pressure within the container means
within a desired range of pressure during the
dispensing operation. The expandable pouch means of
this invention is particularly useful wherever it is
undesirable to add additional C02 to the material in
the container and where it is desirable to maintain
substantially constant pressure on the material in the
container during the entire dispensing operation.
In the presently preferred embodiment of the
invention, the self-generating pressure applying means
comprises an expandable pouch means comprising two
relatively flat sheets of a gas and liquid impermeable
plastic material in superposed relationship and having
a octagonal shape having a length and a width and with
the edge portions thereof joined by permanent sealing
means. The expandable pouch means is located within
the container means so that as the expandable pouch
means expands, as described below, it applies pressure
to the material in the container means which in the
preferred embodiment is a liquid, such as a beverage
such as beer. The expandable pouch means is divided
into a plurality of compartments by lengthwise
extending strips of semipermanent, peelable sealing
means. The expandable pouch means is inserted into
the container means so that the lengthwise extending
strips are, as much as possible, generally parallel to
the longitudinal axis of the container means and will
move more closely to such relationship as liquid is
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dispensed from the container means. Two compartments
of a gas generating system are contained in one
relatively large compartment in the expandable pouch
means and each of the other compartments thereof
contains a supply of one of the two components. When
the two components are exposed in the one compartment,
they react to start generating gas to create a
pressure in the one compartment so that the portions
of the superposed flat sheets forming the one
compartment are forced apart. As fluid is dispensed
from the container, the one compartment continues to
expand and as it expands, it applies a force on the
strip of semipermanent, peelable sealing means between
the one compartment and the next adjacent other
compartment until such strip is ruptured. The one
component of the gas generating system in the next
adjacent other compartment reacts with the components
in the one compartment to continue the generation of
gas in the combined one compartment and next adjacent
other compartment. The expansion of the expandable
pouch means continues until substantially all of the
fluid has been dispensed from the container means. As
successive other compartments are expanded, the
expanded portion of the expandable pouch means will
take a shape generally corresponding to the shape of
the container means. Puncture means (not described in
this application) are then actuated to let the gas
pressure escape from the expandable pouch means and
the container means so that they may be safely placed
in the trash.
An illustrative and presently preferred
embodiment of the invention is shown in the
accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a front elevational view with
portions broken away illustrating an expandable pouch
means and the components of a gas generating system;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on
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the line 2-2 of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a
partially expanded expandable pouch means;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a
container for holding one component of a gas
generating system;
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, except for
the dispensing means, illustrating a container means
and its supporting structure in an upright position
for shipping and commercial storage and a partially
expanded expandable pouch means;
Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but with
the container means in a dispensing position and after
more than half of the fluid has been dispensed; and
Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but after
substantially all of the fluid has been dispensed.
An expandable pouch means 2 of the presently
preferred embodiment is illustrated in Figs. 1 - 3 and
comprises two relatively flat sheets 4 and 6 of a
flexible plastic material in superposed relationship
and made from a gas and liquid impermeable material
such as a composite material of an outside layer of a
polyester with an inside coating of PVDC, a layer of
polyethylene and a layer of an ionomer resin, such as
that marketed by Dupont under the trade designation
SURLY ~. Each of the flat sheets 4 and 6 is octagonal
in shape having a length greater than its width and
with peripheral edge portions 8 and 10 permanently
joined together by a permanent sealing means 12 formed
by heat sealing at a temperature of about 300F. for
0.5 second. The expandable pouch 2 is formed into a
first compartment 14 and a plurality of other
compartments 16 by a plurality of lengthwise extending
strips 18 which join together opposed portions of the
3S flat sheets 4 and 6 using a semipermanent peelable
sealing means 20 formed by heat sealing at a
temperature of about 250F. for 0.5 second. If the
1 333 1 69
flat sheets 4 and 6 are formed from different plastic
materials, the temperature and time would be ad~usted
as required to obtain the desired type of seal. Also,
if desirable, a suitable adhesive could be used to
obtain the desired results.
The normal operation of an expandable pouch
means 2 uses some delaying system so that the chemical
reaction can be started and still allow for sufficient
time for expandable pouch means 2 to be inserted into
the container means and suitable sealing and
dispensing means applied to the container means. The
delaying system for this invention is illustrated in
Fig. 1 wherein the first compartment is sub-divided to
three sub-compartments 22, 24 and 26. The sub-
compartment 22 is formed by a lengthwise extendingstrip 18, as described above, extending parallel to
the next adjacent permanent lengthwise extending
sealed edge portions 8 and 10. The sub-compartments
24 and 26 are formed by a lengthwise extending strip
18, as described above, extending parallel to and
spaced inwardly from the strip 18 forming sub-
compartment 22. The lower portion 28 of the strip 18
forming the sub-compartments 24 and 26 has a reduced
width for a purpose described below. A quantity of
25 one component 30 of a two component gas generating
system, such as a 50% citric acid solution, is
contained in the sub-compartment 22. A tablet 32
comprising the other component of the two component
gas generating system, such as concentrated sodium
30 bicarbonate, is contained in the sub-compartment 24.
A water solution 34 of sodium bicarbonate is contained
in the sub-compartment 26. The other compartments 16
each contain a quantity of the one component 30.
In operation, a force is applied to the sub-
35 compartment 22 to rupture the strip 18 so that thecitric acid solution 24 flows into sub-compartment 24
to contact the other component, comprising the sodium
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carbonate tablet 32, and begins to react therewith to
generate carbon dioxide gas. This reaction with the
tablet 32 proceeds at a rate to provide the above-
described delaying system to allow the expandable
pouch means 2 to be inserted into the container means
and suitable sealing and dispensing means applied to
the container means. The generation of the carbon
dioxide gas forms a pressurized force forcing the
strip 18 between the sub-compartment 24 and the sub-
compartment 26 to rupture at the weakened reducedwidth 28 to combine the sub-compartments 24 and 26.
This permits the citric acid solution to flow into
sub-compartment 26 and into contact with the water
solution 34 of sodium bicarbonate and further react to
continue the generation of carbon dioxide gas. As the
generation of the carbon dioxide gas continues, the
pressure within the first compartment 14 is increased
so as to expand the portions of the flat sheets 4 and
6 forming the first compartment 14. The dispensing of
fluid from the container means, as described below,
will provide space for further expansion of the
expandable pouch means 2. When the limit of the
volume of the first compartment 14 is reached, further
generation of carbon dioxide gas therein will result
in a force being applied to the strip 18 between the
first compartment 14 and the next adjacent other
compartment 16 so as to rupture such strip 18. The
citric acid solution 24 in the next adjacent other
compartment 16 will contact the water solution 34 of
sodium bicarbonate to continue the generation of
carbon dioxide gas. This sequence will continue until
the expandable pouch means 2 has been substantially
completely expanded.
Another embodiment for the provision of the
citric acid solution in the first compartment 14 is
illustrated in Fig. 4 and is particularly useful when
the fluid in the container means is a carbonated
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beverage, such as beer. A substantially rigid
container 40, which in the preferred embodiment is
plastic, has a closed end 42 and an open end 44. The
container 40 is illustrated as being a tube but it is
to be understood that it can be of any desired
geometrical configuration. A barb 46 is secured to
the inner surface 48 of the container 40 with its
pointed end 50 facing and relatively close to the open
end 44. A quantity of the citric acid solution 24 is
placed in the container 40 and the open end 44 is
sealed by a flexible membrane 52. The strips 18
forming the sub-compartments 22, 24 and 26 are not
used in this modification so that the first
compartment 14 is one unitary compartment. The filled
container 40 is contained in the first compartment 14
with the water solution 34 of sodium bicarbonate.
After the expandable pouch means 2 has been inserted
into the container means filled with a carbonated
beverage, as described below, the pressures generated
by the carbonated beverage in the container means will
exert a pressure on the flexible membrane 52 moving it
into contact with the pointed end 50 to rupture the
flexible membrane 52 and permit the citric acid
solution 24 to flow into the water solution 34 of
sodium bicarbonate in first compartment 14 to start
the carbon dioxide gas generating system.
The location of the expandable pouch means 2
in a container means 60 is illustrated in Figs. 5 - 7.
In Fig. 5, the container means 60 is supported in the
upright position for shipping and commercial storage
by a support member 62. The expandable pouch means 2
has a length substantially greater than the
longitudinal extent of the container means 60 and a
width substantially greater than the diameter of the
container means 60. Therefore, in order to insert the
expandable pouch means 2 through an opening 64 in the
container means 60, it is necessary to apply a force
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in a widthwise direction to compact the expandable
pouch means 2 in that direction so that its cross-
sectional configuration is less than the cross-
sectional configuration of the opening 64. Also, as
the expandable pouch means 2 i8 inserted into the
container means 60, it i8 necessary to apply a force
in the lengthwise direction to push the expanda~le
pouch means 2 into the container means 60. This
results in a crumpling of the expandable pouch means 2
in the lengthwise direction. Since the material in
the expandable pouch means 2 has little tendency to
resile, it will remain crumpled while a dispensing
means 66 for dispensing portions of the material in
the container means 60 is assembled in the opening 64.
In the preferred embodiment, the fluid 68, such as a
carbonated beverage such as beer, is in the container
means 60 prior to the insertion of the expandable
pouch means 2. If desired, the expandable pouch means
2 can be inserted into the container means 60 prior to
the filling of it with the fluid. The fluid level 70
is slightly below the dispensing means 66. The strip
18 forming sub-compartment 22 is ruptured prior to the
insertion of the expandable pouch means 2 into the
container means 60 so that the gas generating system
is in operation, as described above, and the first
compartment 14 has been at least partially expanded in
the illustration in Fig. S. The container means 60 is
illustrated in the fluid dispensable position in Figs.
6 and 7. Another support member 72 has been pre-
viously secured to the container means 60. Thesupport member 62 and the support member 72 have
planar surfaces 74 and 76 for supporting the container
means 60 on a generally horizontal surface, such as a
shelf of a home refrigerator. The planar surfaces 74
and 76 also function to maintain the container means
60 in such fluid dispensable position. While it is
highly preferred to use the horizontal dispensing
1 33 3 1 69
position, it is understood that the pressure in the
container means provided by the expandable pouch means
would permit dispensing in other positions, some of
which may require different types of dispensing means.
In Fig. 6, more than half of the fluid has been
dispensed from the container means 60. The first
compartment 14 and several of the next adjacent other
compartments 16 have been expanded, as described
above, to form a combined compartment which is located
adjacent to the upper longitudinally extending portion
of the container means 60. In Fig. 7, the expandable
pouch means 2 is substantially fully expanded and is
substantially completely in contact with the inner
surface of the container means 60 except for the
portion defining the opening 64. After substantially
all the fluid 68 has been dispensed from the container
means 60, a pressure relieving device (not shown) in
the dispensing means 66 is actuated and the carbon
dioxide gas in the expanded pouch means 2 is removed
through the dispensing means 46 so that the container
means 60 and the expandable pouch means 2 are
substantially at atmospheric pressure and the
container means 60 can be safely placed in the trash.
When the expandable pouch means 2 is being
inserted into the container means 60, the strips 18
are generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of
container means 60. As explained above, the relative
length of the expandable pouch means 2 causes it to be
crumpled as it is inserted into the container means
60. However, the strips 18 still extend generally in
the same direction as the longitudinal axis of the con-
tainer means 60. As fluid is dispensed from the container
means 60 and more of the other compartments 16 are ex-
panded, the expanded portion of the expandable pouch
means 2 gradually moves into a position wherein its
longitudinal axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis
of the container means 60, as illustrated in Fig.
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6. When the expandable pouch means 2 is fully
expanded, as illustrated in Fig. 7, the longitudinal
axes of the expandable pouch means 2 and the container
means 60 will substantially coincide.
As illustrated in Figs. 5 - 7, the container
means 60 comprises a blown hollow integral plastic
container means made of one piece of integrally molded
plastic material, such as polyethylene terephthalate
(PET), and having a hemispherical top portion 78, an
annular cylindrical central portion 80, a hemi-
spherical bottom portion 82 and a neck portion 84
defining the opening 64. The container means 60 is
large enough to hold 288 fluid ounces of a beverage.
The expandable pouch means 2 may be of any
size and shape so as to be commensurate with the size
and shape of the container means 60 with which it is
to be used. Also, the expandable pouch means 2 may be
ùsed to dispense any kind of material from the
container means as is customary in this art. However,
in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the ex-
pandable pouch means 2 is designed for applying
pressure to a quantity of beer equal to 288 fluid
ounces or 2.25 gallons in a container means 60. The
following example described an expandable pouch means
2 designed for such a container means wherein the
container means 60 has an overall length along its
longitudinal axis of about 15.5 inches, an external
diameter of the cylindrical central portion 70 of
about 9.0 inches, an average wall thickness of about
0.030 inches and wherein it is desired to maintain a
pressure profile within the container means between 18
and 25 psig. The expandable pouch means 2 has a
overall length of about 17 inches and an overall width
of about 15.5 inches and has nine compartments formed
therein.
The following table lists the various
parameters involved in dispensing a beverage from a
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container wherein the container has an overflow volume
of about 10.2 liters and contains 8.52 liters of beer
at a temperature of about 38 D F. and at a pressure
equal to that at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. In
the table the head space volume is listed as 1.220799
liters. This is the volume to which the first com-
partment 14 will expand to before any beer is dispens-
ed from the container. The first compartment will ex-
pand to a volume of 1.565575 liters before the peel-
able seam strip 18 between it and the next adjacentother compartment is ruptured. The first compartment
14 or sub-compartment 26 will contain 100 grams of
sodium bicarbonate, which is more than the stoichio-
metric amount necessary to react with the citric acid
to produce the required pressurizing gas, combined
with 170 ml of water and any other desired additional
ingredients.
Setup conditions:
Product Volume to be dispensed (L) 8.520001
Product Overage Volume (L) 0.0592
Absolute Pressure (PSIA) 12
Starting Gauge Pressure (PSIG) 25
Low Limit Operating Pressure (PSIG) 18
High Limit Operating Pressure (PSIG) 25
Starting Process Temperature (F) 38
Pouch/Chemical Total Displacement Vol (L) 0.35
Tap Displacement Volume (L) 0.05
25 Container Overflow Volume (L) 10.2
Head Space Liquid Volume (L) 0.17
The following are pouch design parameters based on
the above setup conditions:
Head Space Volume (L) 1.220799
Total Charging Gas (Moles) 0.164039
Acid Required to charge to Start Press.(GMS) 10.49849
50% Conc. Acid required for Start Press.(ML) 16.93305
Theoretical sodium bicarbonate required (gms) 75.76741
Actual sodium bicarbonate included (gms)100.000
Sodium bicarbonate in tablet (gms) 1.00
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N ~ ~ ~ N
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I~ d ~ H In
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~
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S~o ~ ~ r 0
U . ~D
H--I '~ 'I 1~
o O
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P~ 0 0
~n~D 0 ~r r
a~o O ~
a ~
o ........ . O
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0
Q4 0 ~
0 0 r~ ~1 0 a~ ~'
S~--~r ~ ~ u~ o o ~ ~ .,1 ~
u0 ~ In ~o 0 o u~ ~ 0
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CJ
n ~ ,1 ~ 0 ~ ,~ O .~ O a~
0 0 N 11~ -- p, ~
O - O
1 33 3 1 69
- 13 -
The pouch seam locations below are measured between
the inside edge of the first permanent seam and the
trailing edge of each peelable compartment seam:
Comp No. Comp Vol Seam at
(L) (inches)
1 1.565575 5.404052
2 1.992217 6.073413
3 2.520163 6.873369
4 3.173466 7.779452
3.981892 7.734003
6 4.982274 9.794613
7 6.220191 10.90686
8 7.752043 12.25709
Final 9.740799 15
While an illustrative and presently
preferred embodiment of the invention has been
described in detail herein, it is to be understood
that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously
embodied and employed and that the appended claims are
intended to be construed to include such variations
except insofar as limited by the prior art.
