COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS

CONTENANT REPLIABLE POUR LIQUIDES

English Abstract

This invention is directed to an improved collapsible bag (10) having a spout (12) and one or more grooves (14) on the interior surface of a wall of the bag (10). The grooves (14), which are integral to a wall of the bag (10) rather than on a separate evacuation strip, are in liquid communication with the spout (12) and are sized such that the opposing wall of the bag (10) is not completely forced into the grooves (14) under the suction of conventional pumps which are used to withdraw the liquid from the bag (10). Thus, the grooves enable substantially complete withdrawal of the liquid from the bag (10) without the use of an evacuation strip. Additionally, the present invention may be used in any orientation and odes not require a slanted rack.

French Abstract

Cette invention concerne une poche repliable améliorée (10) ayant un bec (12) et une ou plusieurs rainures (14) sur la surface intérieure d'une paroi de la poche (10). Les rainures (14), qui font partie intégrante de la paroi de la poche (10) plutôt que d'être sur une bande d'évacuation séparée, sont en communication avec le bec (12) et sont dimensionnées de telle sorte que la paroi opposée de la poche (10) n'est pas complètement forcée dans les rainures (14) durant l'aspiration par les pompes classiques qui sont utilisées pour retirer le liquide de la poche (10). Ainsi, les rainures permettent substantiellement le retrait de la totalité du liquide de la poche (10) sans utilisation d'une bande d'évacuation. En outre, la présente invention peut être utilisée dans n'importe quelle orientation n'a pas besoin d'un support incliné.

Claims

-6-


I CLAIM:


1. A collapsible container for use in containing and dispensing a liquid,
comprising:

a flexible bag having a bag wall with an interior surface, said interior
surface having at least one groove; and

a spout disposed through said bag wall for dispensing liquid from said
bag;

wherein a majority of said bag wall has a first thickness and said bag
wall has a second thickness delimited by said at least one groove, wherein
said first thickness is greater than said second thickness;

wherein said at least one groove is in liquid communication with said
spout as said bag collapses to permit substantially complete withdrawal of
liquid from said bag.

2. The collapsible container of claim 1 wherein said at least one groove
comprises a plurality of grooves having elongated portions oriented
substantially parallel to each other.

3. The collapsible container of claim 1 wherein said at least one groove
comprises a plurality of grooves interconnected in a grid-like pattern.

4. The collapsible container of claim 1 wherein said at least one groove
comprises a plurality of grooves interconnected in a chevron pattern.

5. The collapsible container of claim 1 wherein said at least one groove
comprises a plurality of grooves that feed into a collection zone adjacent
said
spout.

6. The collapsible container of claim 1 wherein said flexible bag further
comprises a stiffener that overlies said at least one groove as said flexible
bag
collapses to help maintain liquid communication between said at least one
groove and said spout.

7. A collapsible container for use in containing and dispensing a liquid,
comprising:

a flexible bag having a first bag wall and a second bag wall, said first
bag wall having an interior surface with at least one groove; and







- 7 -


a spout disposed through said second bag wall for dispensing liquid
from said bag;

wherein a majority of said first bag wall has a first thickness and said
first bag wall has a second thickness delimited by said at least one groove,
wherein said first thickness is greater than said second thickness;

wherein said at least one groove is in liquid communication with said
spout as said bag collapses to permit substantially complete withdrawal of
liquid from said bag.

8. The collapsible container of claim 7 wherein said at least one groove
comprises a plurality of grooves having elongated portions oriented
substantially parallel to each other.

9. The collapsible container of claim 7 wherein said at least one groove
comprises a plurality of grooves interconnected in a grid-like pattern.

10. The collapsible container of claim 7 wherein said at least one groove
comprises a plurality of grooves interconnected in a chevron pattern.

11. The collapsible container of claim 7 wherein said flexible bag further
comprises a stiffener that overlies said at least one groove as said flexible
bag
collapses to help maintain liquid communication between said at least one
groove and said spout.

12. The collapsible container of claim 11 wherein said stiffener is
connected to said second bag wall.

13. A collapsible container for use in containing and dispensing a liquid,
comprising:

a flexible bag having a bag wall with an interior surface, said interior
surface having at least one groove; and

a spout disposed through said bag wall for dispensing liquid from said
bag;

wherein said at least one groove is in liquid communication with said
spout as said bag collapses to permit substantially complete withdrawal of
liquid from said bag;






- 8 -


wherein said bag further comprises a stiffener that overlies said at least
one groove as said bag collapses to help maintain liquid communication
between said at least one groove and said spout.

14. A collapsible container for use in containing and dispensing a liquid,
comprising:

a flexible bag having a first bag wall and a second bag wall, said first
bag wall having an interior surface with at least one groove; and

a spout disposed through said second bag wall for dispensing liquid
from said bag;

wherein said at least one groove is in liquid communication with said
spout as said bag collapses to permit substantially complete withdrawal of
liquid from said bag;

wherein said bag further comprises a stiffener that overlies said at least
one groove as said bag collapses to help maintain liquid communication
between said at least one groove and said spout.

15. The collapsible container of claim 14 wherein said stiffener is
connected to said second bag wall.

Description

CA 02407379 2002-10-10
TITLE: CbLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS
BACHGROUND OF THE INVENT,~ON
1. FS~eld of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus fox
containing and dispensing liquid. More specifically, this invention
IO is directed to a collapsible container for use in a bag-in=box
apparatus.
2. Descri ts'~on of the Related Art
In the field of post-mix beverage systems, an apparatus
commonly known as a bag-in-box package is used to store and
dispense beverages such as soft drinks. Typically, such bag-in-box
packages comprise a collapsible bag or bladder disposed within a
cardboard box. The bag has a spout for filling the bag with liquid,
and the spout protrudes through a wall of the box for dispensing the
liquid from the bag, usually by connection to a pump. One of the
problems associated with such bag-in-box packages is that the bag
collapses upon itself as the liquid is withdrawn, which tends to
create pockets of liquid that are isolated from the spout and cannot
be withdrawn from the bag. Thus, the residual portion of liquid
remaining in the bag is wasted.
~ One possible solution to the foregoing problem is to place an
evacuation strip inside the bag as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,749,493 to Boone et al. The bag of the '493 patent contains an
elongated, narrow, flexible evacuation strip comprising a plurality of
upstanding ribs. The evacuation strip is attached to the inner
surface of one of the bag walls. A spout is disposed through a wall of


CA 02407379 2002-10-10
2
the bag, and the evacuation strip is in liquid communication with
the spout. As the bag collapses upon withdrawal of the liquid
through the spout, the ribs of the evacuation strip prevent the walls
of the bag from isolating pockets of liquid from the spout. The
evacuation strip thus enables substantially complete withdrawal of
the liquid from the bag. However, the evacuation strip adds an
extra complication to the bag manufacturing process.
Another possible attempt to solve the problem of incomplete
withdrawal of the liquid from such bag-in-box packages is to place
the packages on slanted racks. By orienting the package such that
the spout is at the lowest possible point, gravity will assist in forcing
the liquid toward the spout. However, the need fox a special slanted
rack is a disadvantage to such an arrangement. Another
disadvantage is the required orientation of the spout in a particular
position, namely, at the lowest possible point.
In light of the foregoing disadvantages, it would be a
significant advancement in the art of liquid dispensing to provide a
collapsible container for use in a bag-in-box package that would
enable substantially complete withdrawal of the liquid from the
container without the use of an evacuation strip or slanted rack.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, this invention is directed to an improved
collapsible bag having a spout and one or more grooves on the
interior surface of a wall of the bag. The grooves, which are integral
to a wall of the bag rather than on a separate evacuation strip, axe
in liquid communication with the spout and are sized such that the
opposing wall of the bag is not completely forced into the grooves
under the suction of conventional pumps which are used to
withdraw the liquid from the bag. Thus, the grooves enable
substantially complete withdrawal of the liquid from the bag


CA 02407379 2002-10-10
s
without the use of an evacuation strip. Additionally, the present
invention may be used in any orientation and does not require a
slanted rack. Although the primary intended application of the
present invention is in bag-in-box packages for containing and
dispensing beverages, this invention may also be used to advantage
in other liquid dispensing applicattions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE D~WINø~S
This invention may best be understood by reference to the
following drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible bag in accordance
with the present invention disposed within a box.
Fig. 2 is a cut-away top view illustrating the interior of the
bottom wall of the collapsible bag of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a cut-away top view illustrating the interior of the
bottom wall of an alternative embodiment of a collapsible bag in
accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2 or
Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a cut-away top view illustrating the interior of the
bottom. wall of another alternative embodiment of a collapsible 'bag
in accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 6 is a top view of the collapsible bag of Fig. 1.
Fig. 9 is a top view of the collapsible bag of Fig. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to Fig. 1, a preferred embodiment of this invention
comprises a collapsible bag 10 having a spout 12 and a plurality of
grooves 14 on the interior of the bottom wall of bag 10. Bag I0,
which is useful for containing and dispensing a liquid such as a
beverage (not shown), is adaptable for insertion into a box 20 to form


CA 02407379 2005-08-31
-4-
a bag-in-box apparatus. Spout 12 protrudes through a flap opening 22 of box
20. Figure 2 more clearly illustrates the interior of the bottom wall of bag
10
with grooves 14, which are in liquid communication with spout 12. As liquid is
dispensed from spout 12, bag 10 gradually collapses. However, grooves 14
prevent the walls of bag 10 from sealing off the liquid from spout 12, which
enables substantially complete evacuation of the liquid from bag 10.
Collapsible bag 10 may be made of a pair of sheets of flexible material, such
as a thermoplastic, polynylon, metallized plastic, or other suitable material,
joined at the peripheries by means known in the art, such as heat sealing or a
suitable adhesive. The flexible sheets form the walls of the bag 10. Spout 12
may be attached to a wall of bag 10 by similar means. Grooves 14 may be
formed in a bag wall by a variety of manufacturing techniques, such as
extrusion, molding, machining, stamping, or pressing. Although Figs. 1 and 2
show grooves 14 in the bottom bag wall, alternatively grooves 14 may be
formed in the upper bag wall. Additionally, although Figs. 1 and 2 show spout
12 and grooves 14 disposed on the same bag wall, spout 12 and grooves 14
may be on opposite bag walls so long a grooves 14 are in liquid
communication with spout 12 as bag 10 collapses. For the sake of clarity, Fig.
1 does not show stiffener 16 as illustrated in Fig. 6 and discussed below.
Figure 3 illustrates an alternative bag 110 having a grid-like pattern of
grooves 114 on the interior of the bottom wall of bag 110. Grooves 114 are in
liquid communication with spout 12 to allow substantially complete withdrawal
of the liquid from bag 110. Figure 4 illustrates the cross-sectional view
taken
at line 4-4 of either Fig. 2 or Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 4, a majority of the
bag
wall in which the grooves 14, 114 are formed may have a first thickness, and
the bag wall may have a second thickness delimited by one or more of the
grooves such that the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
Grooves 114 may be in a variety of different patterns other than the pattern
shown in Fig. 3. For example, a chevron groove pattern 214 feeding into a
collection zone 216 in the vicinity of spout 12 is shown on bag 210 in Fig. 5.
Again, although Figs. 3 and 5 show grooves 114 and 214 in the bottom bag
wall, grooves 114 and 214 may be formed in the upper bag wall, and spout 12


CA 02407379 2005-08-31
-5-
and grooves 114, 214 may be on opposite bag walls so long as grooves 114,
214 are in liquid communication with spout 12 as bag 110, 210 collapses.
As shown in Fig. 6, the top of bag 10 may be provided with a stiffener
16 to help guard against the complete collapse of the bag upon itself and the
consequent trapping of residual liquid inside the bag. As bag 10 collapses
upon withdrawal of the liquid, stiffener 16 will overlie at least one groove
14.
The stiffness of stiffener 16 prevents it from being sucked into groove 14 and
blocking the liquid from spout 12. Figure 7 illustrates a similar stiffener
218 on
bag 210.
Although the foregoing specific details describe a preferred
embodiment of this invention, persons reasonably skilled in the art of liquid
dispensing will recognize that various changes may be made in the details of
the apparatus of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, it should be
understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific details
shown
and described herein.
25

Representative Drawing