EP2016006A1

EP2016006A1 - Package and methods for the estimation of the content in a package of type "bag-in-box "

Info

Publication number: EP2016006A1
Application number: EP06733339A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Olof Karlsson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-26
Filing date: 2006-04-26
Publication date: 2009-01-21
Also published as: WO2007123446A1

Abstract

The, especially in Sweden, more and more common package of wine, the so-called 'Bag-in- Box' is even called the alcoholic trap. Today more wine is sold in this package than in the previous glass bottles holding 75 cl. The box has several advantages but one great drawback is that it is not possible to follow the consumption, the drawing off from the box. With the traditional glass bottle you can distinctly see how the level decreases with each glass of wine. The most frequent box contains 3 litres corresponding to 4 bottles of wine. The invention bears upon methods and design shapes making it possible to read off the remaining content in a so called 'bag-in-box', enclosed bag, intended for wine or other fluid. The main use is to give the consumer possibility to measure the emptying of wine or remaining wine in the package.

Description

Title

- Package and methods for the estimation of the content in a package of type "Bag-in-Box" .

TECHNICAL FIELD

Traditionally seen, wine has been sold in glass bottles and these are often light-transparent which means that content level can be easy to read off to make an estimation of how much has been consumed and what is remaining.

Wine has now begun vending in a new package called "Bag-in-Box", (hereinafter referred to as (BiB)), bag cardboard box. This package has a cover, box or cardboard box (box), which contains a sealed plastic bag (bag) or similar, equipped even with a drain cock device, a tap. One problem with these packages is the difficulty to estimate how much of the content of the package that is consumed respectively how much is remaining. Commonly these packages hold several litres that make it difficult to estimate the remaining quantity of an opened package.

The present invention solves this problem. By means of a table or a graph, hereinafter only referred to as table, the volume or the remaining number of glasses, respectively drawn off glasses, can be decided. This can be done by reading off the level through an opening in the box where the level can be determined by entering a tool into the slot/slots. This level is then input data into the table. The tool, which may be part of the package, is pressed down for sensing the counter pressure. When feeling this, the scale marks at the tool alternatively at the box be read off and in the table, be converted into volume, number of glasses or any other measure. The level itself gives a rough estimation of the content even without a table.

If the openings in the box are made wide, a finger can be used for estimation of the level.

If the bag is transparent, the level may be read off visually. One more variant for level determination is a transparent tube, which via a cock or similar is connected to the embodied liquid, the tube can then function as a gauge and its scale marks be read off and in the table converted into a number of glasses of wine or any other measure.

STATE OF THE TECHNIQUE

Packages of type BiB today lack possibility to show the remaining quantity of wine in the enclosed bag.

This invention solves the problem with the aid of a table or graph that can be printed at the box or may be found separately. If the fluid level within the box is made visible this will simply give an idea of the quantity.

The parameter, determining the remaining volume, may for this table consist of marks at a gauge alternatively visually by way of grooves at the outer case packaging, or by sensing the fluid level of the bag of package, eventually with the aid of a tool with scale marks at the tool alternatively at the package.

The invention as such is in no way limited to packages for wine but is general, independent of which fluid or other medium that is kept correspondingly.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

According to this invention the remaining quantity of wine in a BiB may be determined by means of a table, preferably printed at the package, but may even be separated.

Input parameter to the table is the level of wine in the inner bag, which can be determined if the box is equipped with open able elongated openings for sensing or inspection, or if a gauge is used.

It is easy to use these level data for the common consumer if the box is equipped with a table indicating the remaining quantity of wine in one or several measures useful for the consumer, as e.g. litres, decilitres, centilitres or simply glasses (when doing so the expected volume per glass ought to be specified, e.g. 15 cl) or the equivalent amount of bottles of wine. Such a table is shown in figure 5.

The table in figure 5 is just an example. The number of columns and lines and types of units may be varied in a suitable manner. Columns for consumed as well as remaining volume has been incorporated as well as a column showing how the volume in the BiB corresponds to in glass bottles. Wine is often sold in both BiB and glass bottles.

The table in figure 5 is just shown in its upper part and in bottom part, the intermediate part however follows the same pattern.

In figure 6 the number of discrete data has been diminished in order to increase the clarity. At the same time the table is adapted to the geometry of the box and bag and is printed on one side of the BiB and is supplemented with openable windows (8) to facilitate the level of wine in the bag. A tool e.g. alike (1) in figure 2b may at that moment bee inserted, pressed against the bag, and the level be read off from without and the corresponding values of e.g. volume from the printed, adapted table is given.

The method for determining the remaining quantity by estimating, measure the fluid level does not necessarily require any tools but is applicable with just the BiB available.

According to one variant to this innovation is the outer hard case, often hard paper, corrugated cardboard or similar, equipped with notches in a suitable way, e.g. in the shape of punched apertures (if necessary covered) or perforated pre-punched and open able flaps. These notches make it possible to view or feel the content of the embodied bag and thus get a level read-off and quantity estimation. Some bags are provided with a metal film or similar making it impossible to view the fluid level. It is nevertheless possible to watch the bag itself through the openings and sense it off with a finger or a tool, eventually following the package, in order to get an estimation of the fluid level.

The number of notches, the size of these and the placing of these is variable and depends on among other things of type of bag and the design of the material of the hard package. The openings may be entirely open from the beginning and then if necessary covered with removable tape or similar. They may even be pre-punched, to be able to open when desired, and they may possibly be reseal able. The appearance of the openings may vary immensely and even be part of the design of the package owing to integration of the holes in different decorative figures.

Detection of fluid level may in its simplest form be done quite visually or with the use of the fingers, but the accuracy will then be low as the upper part of the bag grows fairly crumpled and the small surface a finger is representing easily crumples the bag even more and makes the determination unsafe.

To get a larger surface some sort of tool is needed. This can be added at the gauging or be integrated in the package. A table knife or similar may be stuck through a vertical slot into the package at one side and with its blunt side horizontally be brought down towards the upper side of the bag. The knife back indicates the upper level of the fluid when the bag makes resistance. The vertical slot may be equipped with a table for easy read off of the remaining quantity of fluid. See figure 6 where (8) indicates the vertical slots. The "knife" represents one for the purpose suitable tool which either is ready or follows the package.

One to the bag attached, suitably shaped part, see figure 3 can be one form of design of the "tool", accessible from exterior in the same way as the drain cock, by opening the box package at intended spot, gripping the part and bringing it downwards in the vertical slot. The design of the part can be varied in many ways. It may even be attached to the exterior of the package or follow the package in any other suitable way.

The table on the outer shell of the package may be provided with simple volume descriptions e.g. the number of remaining glasses of wine or remaining deciliters or other measures or established units for other fluids. Even if the method not can claim to be accurate it involves a clear improvement compared to today's nonexistent possibility to read off the fluid level.

In another variant of this invention the fluid level may be read off by way of a transparent gauge alternatively the package itself constitutes the gauge.

A BiB often has a hard outer case, the "box", often hard paper, corrugated cardboard or similar. The content is in a plastic bag, the "bag", which has a cock as part of the plastic bag (integrated). The "box", can be opened via a perforated pattern in the case, and the cock of the bag be taken out, to be attached to the case by resealing of parts of the case. The cock may be equipped with a nipple connection to which the enclosed gauge can be connected. The gauge may even be integrated with the cock and be inserted in the package at delivery. The gauge may be stiff or soft and pliable in order to be bent out from the box at tapping off.

Different embodiments are described in the following figures.

DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a number of different examples of how holes, the openings, in the case may look like. The holes may be punched out, but they may even be pre-punched to be openable and even resealable. a) shows a vertical elliptical hole on one side b) a round hole on one side c) two rows of holes along one edge of the package which gives a possibility to look through one of the rows of holes and see the level towards light from the opposite row of holes d) a large opening from one edge gives a good possibility to both see and sense the amount of wine e) three openings from one edge f) two openings from one edge with flaps for easy opening and resealing.

Figure 2 a) shows how sensing of fluid level can be performed through along narrow opening (30) in the package where a suitable object is pressed down towards the enclosed bag and the level, where the object meets resistance, indicates the fluid level and the remaining quantity of fluid can be read off with the aid of a table at the outside of the package. When the object, the tool (1), is pressed down towards the enclosed bag the fluid level gives a clear back- pressure when the bag is quite filled up below the object. The tool is also shown in a design where it is part of the package, put in from the top side through a hole and accessible direct from the exterior. It can be pulled out, be used for gauging in the rectangular opening and after the use be put back in its hole. b) shows how the tool (1) is pressed down towards the enclosed bag and the back-pressure gives the remaining quantity. c) shows a "semaphore"-like tool (2) where the surface towards the bag is larger and thus more distinctly indicates the upper fluid level. The "semaphore" may be part of the package.

Figure 3. a) shows how a "semaphore" (2) which gives a larger surface towards the fluid level is attached to the bag b) schematically shows how it looks like in the box when the tool is pressed down compressing the inner bag. c) a simple "rod" (3) is attached to the upper edge of the bag

Figure 4. a) shows a tool in the shape of a rod with a perpendicular attached plate (5) or rod (6). b) shows the tool (5) placed into the package where a suitable large hole (7) at the top of package where the plate (5) is brought down towards the bag. The rod is graded in remaining or drawn off quantity and can be read off towards the upper side of the package. If the plate is substituted by a rod (6) this could be inserted through the same hole as the one which is used for attaching the tool.

Figure 5 shows a detailed table with volume (remaining and consumed) in as well cl as in glasses a 15 cl. An illustration is also given of equivalent numbers of 75 cl bottles. Even the weight, which is another measure and method for decision of content, may be shown.

Figure 6 shows an example on a BiB with table and openable flaps (8) for determination of level. Determination of volume may be performed by weighing as well as by determination of level.

Figure 7 a) shows how the fluid level is shown in the gauge (10) which via the cock is connected to the fluid in the "bag" (9). b) shows how the fluid level is presented in the gauge (10) which via the cock is connected to the fluid in the "bag" (9) delivered with the package (12).

Figure 8 shows an attachment unit containing a gauge and a potential cock (13) which may be attached to the "ordinary" cock (11).

Figure 9 a) shows how a bag (9) is equipped with a narrow gauge section (16) which by the use of the opening (14) in the bag may be attached to the box. The "box" which carries this side, (15) is an opening in the box and may be used to read off the level in the "bag" and which is opened by the consumer. b) shows how the "bag" (9) has shrank owing to drawing of fluid, but how it is held up in the "box", either by means of the slot (14) or by an opening, short slot or tape at the corners of the bag (18) which carries the corner at the upper part of the bag. c) shows schematically how the fluid level (17) may be read off via the opening (15) in the "box".

Figure 10 In figure 10 a bag (9) is shown equipped with a tube (19) and at the end of the tube a cock (11), a cap screwed on, a cork (20), a clip (21) or similar. Tube and cock is found within the box from start and are taken out from there by the consumer. The cock is attached in a suitable manner to the top of the box. The tube, which is transparent, shows the fluid level, figure 10b.

Figure 11 In figure 11a the cock has its traditional placing, at the very bottom of the box, while the tube (19) can be attached in a suitable way at the upper part of the box. The tube shows the fluid level according to figure l ib.

Figure 12 In figure 12 is the BiB in its traditional design. A gauge (22) may be mounted to the cock by the consumer. The tube is supplied with the package or may be separate. The tube may contain a float (23).

Claims

1. Package, preferable one-way package, for non solid products as fluid, powder and substances with a consistency intermediate first mentioned two substances, being composed of one interior member for the product produced by a plastic material which is impervious to the product and which is surrounded by a case of arbitrary material as paper, which case may have arbitrary shape as parallelepiped shape, cylindrical shape, globular shape and with that similar, at which the interior container member cooperates with an emptying arrangement which preferably drains a predetermined quantity of the product, which arrangement is so arranged at the package that the opening for the draining obtain a predetermined position characterized in that the package is equipped with a facility giving indication of used product or of remaining product.

2. Package according to claim 1 characterized in that the appliance is mechanical.

3. Package according to claim 1 characterized in that the appliance is formed of a transparent part or parts of the case and possibly also transparency of the interior container member.

4. Package according to claim 1 characterized in that the appliance consists of a table or graph that shows the content in proportion to readable graduations or levels.

5. Method to determine/read off the remaining content in a "bag in box" package according to claim 1 to 4 characterized in that the package is provided with a printed conversion table (figure 5) so as to directly convert the result of read off graduations, levels into appropriate measures of remaining quantity of wine and possibly even show the quantity of consumed wine.

6. Method to determine/read off the remaining quantity in a "bag-in-box" package characterized in that the case of the package, the "box", is equipped with openings, alternatively is so designed that it can be opened at one or more places, and the quantity of fluid remaining in the enclosed package (the "bag") can be decided through the openings, either simply visually or by feeling with e.g. a finger or by means of a suitable tool.

7. Method according to claims 5 and 6 characterized in that the table/graph according to claim 4 is arranged in connection to the openings, se figure 6, in order that the sensing of the fluid level may be directly converted into a volume measure.

8. Method to estimate remaining quantity of fluid in a "bag-in-box" package characterized by the possibility to read off the level of fluid from the outside of the package at one, in a broad sense, transparent gauge connected to the fluid in the "bag".

9. Method according to the claims 5. 6 and 7 characterized in that an object, a tool, which is used at the determination of level may be delivered with the package.

10. Method according to claim 8 characterized in that the gauge is delivered with the package either entirely integrated with the "bag" or providing a loose part which is manually assembled to the "bag" by the user.

11. Method according to claim 8 characterized in that the gauge consists of the transparent bag where the fluid level becomes visible by means of manual opening of the box at intended place and that the bag is suspended in the box or is manually hung so that the "bag" (the bag) and the fluid level could be seen along its vertical length.

12. Method according to claim 8 characterized in that one in addition not transparent "bag" (bag) is equipped with transparent sectors, or parts which leads to the same functionality as a "bag" made of entirely transparent material.

13. Method according to claim 8 characterized in that the cock, the cork or the clip may be placed at the very end of the gauge which may be fixed or bendable to simplify drawing off.

14. Method according claim 8 characterized by the design of the cock witch is such that drawing off takes place via the gauge which is either integrated with the cock or is attached when used.

15. Method according to claim 8 characterized in that the gauge has a scale with graduation of content or that corresponding graduation exists at the box.