EP1520836A1 - dispensing system for beverage in bag-in-box - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser (10) for fresh drinking water, mineral water, fruit juice or vegetable juice has a housing with an upper section (12) and lower section (14). The upper section holds a bag-in-box (32) with an integral tap fitting (24) that engages with a matching aperture in the upper housing. The lower part of the housing holds replacement containers (32). The upper part of the housing forms a shelf (26) for cups. The upper section is inclined towards the tap.

Description

The invention relates to a dispensing device for the portion-wise delivery of beverages from a pressureless container, in particular fresh water, Mineral water, fruit and / or vegetable juices.

Dispensing units for the portion-wise delivery of pressurized Drinks have long been known, especially of carbon dioxide Beer and non-alcoholic drinks. These usually complicated equipment are usually combined with a cooling device.

There are also dispensing units for drinks from non-pressurized Containers known for serving only the hydrostatic Take advantage of the pressure of the "quiet" drink by placing a tap in the bottom Area is arranged. This tap is fixed to the wall a refillable container volume or is included as part a permanently installed dispensing device to a replaceable container connected. Serving facilities with a pump or the like. Are not only complicated, but constantly need delivery energy, a regular Cleaning and maintenance from time to time.

FR 2799537 A1 describes an automatic plant for the production and Distribution of chilled water. The plant comprises a container of 30 l for the fresh water and an outflow with a replaceable installed Dispensing tap. The container is insulated on all sides and can be lifted off a lid are refilled. Below the container is a cooling installation arranged, which exploits the Peltier effect. The whole plant will mounted on a mobile chassis.

Other plants for fresh or mineral water use returnable plastic bottles, which use a dispensing device with a through-flow cooler. The reusable plastic bottles can be easily replaced, However, they must always be attached to the same serving device.

All known systems have the disadvantage that in relatively short Time intervals costly service work is necessary because at least the tap tap cleaned, disinfected and fresh drinking water too must be descaled. Depending on the system, the refillable container, a flow tube and any other elements cleaned and checked become.

The inventors have set themselves the task of a dispensing device of the beginning to create said type, which is easy to manufacture and operate, universal can be used and does not require maintenance work.

The object is achieved according to the invention that a multi-part trained Housing an upper part for receiving and holding at least a bag-in-box with integrated dispensing tap of the Foil bag and a lower part for storage of reserve containers comprises. Special and further forming embodiments of the dispensing device are Subject of dependent claims.

Bag-in-boxes are for example from the company Model AG, Industriestrasse 30, CH-8570 Weinfelden, they are part of the Food Boxing Program. In a mechanically stable carton made of corrugated cardboard is a plastic bag with integrated dispensing tap arranged. There will be filling volume of 3, 5, 10 and 20 liters offered. Immediately before use can on the front side of the box a three-sided punched retaining tab pushed in and turned over, the dispensing tap positioned in the middle at the bottom and the retaining tab flush with the face in a peripheral circumferential Channel of the tap are anchored. After removing a tamper evident, the tap can effortlessly with three fingers be operated. After emptying the bag-in-box, the foil bag with the tap, both made of trouble-free plastics, on disposed of in the normal way. The carton can be on demand again be used.

The fundamental difference of the dispensing device according to the invention All known devices are immediately recognizable, the bag-in-box is one autonomous dispensing system, which are merely positioned and held must, dispensing facilities are unnecessary. There are neither cleaning nor Disinfection, still descaling necessary. With every new bag-in-box a new, originality-guaranteed disposable tap is used, Further measures for continuous, hygienic and easy removal of the drink are not necessary.

So that the liquid stored without pressure in the bag-in-box is reduced to a minimum The bag-in-box in the upper part of the housing is like that stored so that it slopes downwards in the direction of the pouring tap, preferably at an angle α of 5 to 20 ° with respect to the horizontal.

In the simplest case, the upper part of the housing contains a bag-in-box, which usually contains fresh water or mineral water. The top can but also two or more side-by-side bag-in-boxes contain, which offer several drinks, such as mineral water and iced tea, if necessary, orange and / or apple juice. The selection There are practically no limits, and vegetable juices are also available become.

In the lower part, the respective reserve containers are stored.

Basically, the material plays for the production of the housing of the dispensing device with upper and lower part no essential role. expedient However, the housing consists of heat-insulating material or is with a provided appropriate insulation layer. Rigid corrugated cardboard, in particular simply or doubly bent has the necessary mechanical stability for such a housing, and has excellent insulation properties on. Also wood, composite layers of all kinds and plastic is suitable for the Production of a housing with upper and lower part with closable openings for inserting and removing the bag-in-boxes.

Especially with large sales, the bag-in-boxes without further Measures precooled placed in the upper part and mounted the tap become. An insulated base also holds the reserve bag-in-boxes cool for a long time. The cooling hold time can be extended, if deep-frozen cooling elements, as they are common for camping boxes, inserted become.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention is at least installed in the upper part of the housing a cooling unit. This keeps those there Mounted bag-in-box at an adjustable temperature even for a long time. The inserted in the upper part, possibly also in the lower part of the cooling unit conventional design, it can be connected to the mains or to a vehicle battery provided it has sufficient capacity. After a special embodiment, the cooling unit as an inclined support surface be used for the bag-in-box, even for several. Are for the different ones Bag-in-boxes may require different temperatures Cooling unit only over a part, especially only a bag-in-box extend and the rest usually be held.

A mounted in the upper part of the housing cooling unit can cool air in the Lower part blow or may also extend into the lower part, for example with cooling coils or cold fingers.

The necessary space for setting up and filling the cups can be created be with the front of the upper part running down and back, preferably with an angle α, from 5 to 20 ° with respect to the vertical, accordingly the support angle α of the bag-in-box. So lies the face of the Bag-in-box in the upper part over the entire surface, the tap can be mounted more easily become.

Further, the front side of the upper part can be designed so that the area the front of the bag-in-box is transparent. So can the on the Bag-in-box imprinted content can be recognized instantly and also has an advertising impact. Of course, the whole top or the whole Housing be transparent, especially in combination with a powerful cooling unit. However, this is more a matter of design than the optimal functionality.

The inventive dispensing device can be used exceptionally diverse be, e.g. in sales and exhibition rooms, reception rooms, Conference rooms, workshops, construction sites and cloakrooms. Especially with Cooling elements or battery-powered cooling units are other uses at outdoor events, in coaches, out of the way Construction sites, military exercises and disaster operations.

• Fig. 1 eine perspektivische Darstellung eines Ausschankgeräts,
• Fig. 2 eine Variante gemäss Fig. 1 mit transparentem Gehäuse,
• Fig. 3 eine Ansicht eines Oberteils mit angedeutetem Unterteil eines Ausschankgeräts,
• Fig. 4 ein Teilschnitt IV - IV gemäss Fig. 3,
• Fig. 5 eine Hinteransicht von vier nebeneinander gestellten Bag-in-Boxes, und
• Fig. 6 einen horizontalen Teilschnitt durch eine Seitenwand eines Ausschankgeräts, gemäss VI - VI von Fig. 3.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, which are also the subject of dependent claims. They show schematically:

• 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing device,
• 2 shows a variant according to FIG. 1 with a transparent housing, FIG.
• 3 is a view of an upper part with indicated lower part of a dispensing device,
• 4 is a partial section IV - IV according to FIG. 3,
• Fig. 5 is a rear view of four side by side bag-in-boxes, and
• 6 is a horizontal partial section through a side wall of a dispensing device, according to VI - VI of Fig. 3rd

An illustrated in Fig. 1 dispensing appliance 10 essentially comprises a Upper part 12, a lower part 14 and a middle part 16, which may be formed separately, but may also belong to the upper part 12 or lower part 14.

The upper part 12 optionally has a liftable lid 18 or a lockable Opening in the rear wall for inserting and removing one invisible bag-in-box. The front side of the upper part 12 has with respect to the Vertical an angle α, which is suitably in the range of 5 to 20 °. In the area of the overlying bag-in-box, the front side 20 is transparent formed, the front side 22 of the bag-in-box with an inscription is recognizable well readable. Also frontally is in the upper part 12 of the dispensing device 10th the integrated in the bag-in box Ausschankhahn 24 recognizable. This one can be in be executed any known per se, in the present case he is with three Finger operated.

The lower part 14 of the dispensing device 10 has not on the back visible door 12 through which introduced the reserve containers to be stored become. The front side protruding top surface of the lower part 14 forms a Shelf 26 for drinking cup 28. When operating the tap 24 the beverage 30 flows into the drinking cup 28.

Fig. 2 shows a dispensing device 10 with completely transparent trained Housing, consisting of upper part 12, lower part 14 and central part 16. In the upper part 12 is a bag-in box 32 can be seen, which with its end face 22 at the End face 20 is present. The labeling of the bag-in-box, especially from whose end face 22 is omitted for the sake of simplicity. With a metallic one Stand 34, the bag-in box 32 is tilted so that they are opposite to the Horizontal forms an angle α, which the angle α of the end face 20 of the Upper part 12 relative to the vertical of preferably 5 to 20% corresponds.

In the front region of the lid 18 of the upper part 12 is a cooling unit 36th mounted, which is powered by the mains or by a battery. With the Cooling unit 36, the beverage is cooled in the bag-in box 32. After special, For simplicity, not shown embodiments, the cooling unit 36 also cool the lower part 14. For this purpose, for example Openings through the middle part 16 lead what a circulating cooling air flow allowed.

In the lower part 14 four stacked bag-in boxes 32 can be seen. she form a rapidly accessible reserve and can - as mentioned - also pre-cooled become.

FIG. 3 shows an end view of the upper region 12 of a dispensing appliance 10 with three adjacent bag-in boxes 32, of which only the Front side 22 is visible. These bag-in boxes 32 are inclined, they run back to top, which is shown with dashed lines.

In the area of the tap 24 is a punched-over bail 38th arranged, which serves for the insertion of the tap 24.

The housing has an insulation 40, which to the rapid heating of pre-cooled drinks 30 prevents the effect of on the bag-in-boxes 32 set cooling elements 42 increases and the efficiency of cooling units 36 (FIG. 2).

In the section according to FIG. 4, the area of the bag-in-box 32 is in the dispensing appliance 10 is shown. The bag-in-box 32 is equipped with a specially designed cooling unit 36 supported, with the bag-in-box rests flush with the surface and at the same time optimally cooled and supported at the angle α. The foil bag 44 with the drink 30 is already half empty, he is on the integrated Tapping tap 24 emptied. In the standing in reserve bag-in boxes 32 the tap 24 placed in the carton 46, when inserting he will fastened by means of the retaining tab 38 shown in FIG. 3 in the end face 22.

5 shows four side-by-side supported bag-in boxes 32. For the sake of simplicity, the upper part 12 (FIG. 1) has been omitted. The two middle ones Bag-in-boxes are supported by a respective cooling unit 36 according to FIG. 4. The two remaining bag-in-boxes are inclined by means of a chrome steel stand 34 posed. The arrangement according to FIG. 5 causes the two middle bag-in-boxes 32 can be cooled, the two outside bag-in-boxes 32 are cooled at most marginally. It may be desirable be that chilled and uncooled or little chilled drinks offered can be. The support by a cooling unit 36 or by a Stand 34 can be varied as desired, also with respect to the material of the Stand, which z. B. made of a metal, wood or corrugated cardboard can.

Fig. 6 shows a partial horizontal section VI - VI according to FIG. 3 by a External wall of a dispensing device 10. It is a corrugated cardboard 48th with a so-called double shaft 50, 52. The corrugated cardboard has two cover sheets 54, 56 and a separator sheet 58, which the larger shaft 50 with a wave height of about 3 mm and the smaller shaft 52 with a wave height of about Limit 1.5 mm. Obviously, the wave direction is vertical, which is the Tipping device gives better stability. The mechanical stability of the Dispensing machine 10 can be further improved if two or even three Corrugated cardboard according to Fig. 6 folded and glued to each other.

Claims (10)

Drafting device (10) for the portion-wise dispensing of beverages (30) from a pressureless container, in particular fresh water, mineral water, fruit and / or vegetable juices,
characterized in that
a multi-part housing formed an upper part (12) for receiving and holding at least one bag-in-box (32) with integrated dispensing tap (24) of the film bag (44) which is ready for dispensing; a lower part (14) for storing reserve containers (32) includes. Dispensing appliance (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the bag-in-box / it (32) in the upper part (12) in the direction of the dispensing tap (24) is held inclined downwards, preferably at an angle (α) from 5 to 20 °, with respect to the horizontal. Dispensing appliance (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lower part (14) has a storage surface (26) for the filling of drinking cups (28). Drafting device (10) according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the upper part (12) and preferably also the lower part (14) made of insulating material, preferably corrugated cardboard (48) with a vertical corrugation, or provided with an insulating layer (40) are. Dispensing appliance (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least in the upper part (12), cooling elements (42) inserted and / or a cooling unit (36) are installed. Drafting device (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the cooling unit (36) is designed as a bearing surface for the bag-in-boxes (32) and at least in the upper part (12) content Erten Bag-in-Boxes (32) at least extends over a bag-in box (32). Dispensing appliance (10) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that cooling means of the refrigeration unit extend into the insulated lower part (14) or at least one compartment thereof. Dispensing appliance (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the end face (20) of the upper part (12) is inclined with respect to the vertical at an angle (α), and the end face of the bag-in-box (32). over the entire surface rests. Dismounting device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the housing is transparent, preferably at least the end face (20) of the upper part (12). Dispensing appliance (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the bag-in-box (32) a 3, 5, 10 or 20 I of the beverage (30) holding foil bag (44) as a bag and a folding box ( 46) of corrugated cardboard (48) as a box.

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