GB2146076A

GB2146076A - Containers for carbonated liquids

Info

Publication number: GB2146076A
Application number: GB08323646A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Geoffrey C Evans
Original assignee: Corrugated Products Ltd
Current assignee: Corrugated Products Ltd
Priority date: 1983-09-02
Filing date: 1983-09-02
Publication date: 1985-04-11
Also published as: GB2146076B; GB8323646D0

Abstract

A container for a carbonated liquid, for example beer, includes a rectangular carton (10, Fig. 3) surrounding a gas impervious flexible bag 16 fitted with a dispensing tap (12, Fig. 3) which can project through the carton. The bag 16 is enclosed in a sleeve or spherical bladder 14 of a resilient material which presses on the bag to reduce its volume as its contents are discharged. To fill the bag 16, the bladder 14 is first inflated with air, and the air is released at a rate corresponding to the filling of the bag 16 such that no air remains when the bag is full and in contact with the stretched bladder. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to containers for carbonated liquids The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to containers for carbonated liquids, especially but not exclusively beer.

In recent years the sale of wine in lined card-board boxes from which the wine can be dispensed over an extended period of time without adversely affecting the quality of the wine have become very popular.

It has not been possible to utilise such containers for carbonated liquids, for example beer, as the containers previously employed effectively provide a constant volume container so that after a quantity of liquid is drawn off an equal quantity of gas would be released from the remaining liquid to fill up the space and as the space increases the amount of dissolved gas in the liquid decreases so that when the final contents of the container are dispensed there is a strong likelihood that they will be defficient in dissolved gas and thus flat and unpalatable.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a container for carbonated liquids including an outer casing, a gas impervious bag for the liquid within the casing, said bag having a dispensing tap which may project from the casing and a resilient member surrounding the bag whereby as liquid is dispensed from the bag the resilient member causes the volume of the bag to decrease by an amount substantially proportional to the amount of liquid dispensed.

Preferably the resilient member comprises a spherical bladder surrounding all of the bag with the exception of a neck to which the tap is attached.

Alternatively it may comprise a sleeve.

Preferably the bag is provided with a flange around its neck for co-operating with that portion of the bladder or sleeve surrounding the neck.

Preferably the tap fitted to the bag is spring biased into the closed position and is so designed that the bag may be filled with liquid through the tap.

Preferably spacer means are provided in the casing which is normally of a rectangular prismatic shape to support the substantially spherical or tubular liquid-containing assembly during transit and storage. The spacer means may comprise foam plastics material wedges.

Further according to the present invention there is provided a method of filling with a liquid a gas impervious bag contained within a resilient member comprising introducing liquid through a dispensing valve in the bag while the resilient member is extended to or beyond the state which it would occupy when the bag is fully filled and when no other forces are exerted thereon.

Preferably when the resilient member is a bladder it is inflated with gas under pressure prior to the introduction of liquid into the bag contained therein and as the liquid is introduced into the bag the pressurised gas is released from the bladder at a rate proportional to the inlet rate of liquid such that the bladder exerts an inward pressure on the bag only when the bag is completely filled. In this way any folds or creases which have been made in the bag to assist its insertion into the bladder can open out without hinderence from the internal surface of the bladder.

In an alternative arrangement where the resilient member is a sleeve mechanical means may be provided to increase the effective diameter of the sleeve as the bag is being filled.

An ambodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a container for a carbonated liquid; Figure 2 shows an inner assembly from the container of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows diagrammatically a transverse cross-section through the line 111111 of Figure 1; and Figure 4 shows diagrammatically a cross-section through a dispensing tap for the inner assembly.

A container comprises a corrugated board casing 10 manufactured by existing techniques in the form of a rectangular prism. A dispensing tap 11 projects, in use, from a lower corner of the casing, the angle of tap lying at 45" to the base of the casing. Carbonated liquid, for example beer, to be dispensed is contained in a spherical double walled inner assembly comprising an outer bladder 14 and an inner bag 16.

The outer bladder 14 is substantially spherical when inflated and has a circular aperture therein through which a neck of the inner bag 16 projects, this neck 18 in contrast to the remainder of the bag 16 which is flexible, being relatively rigid and being provided with a rigid flange 20 against which the aperture in the bladder 14may seat.

The inner bag is made from a gas impervious plastics material film and need not be spherical.

Conveniently when in a collapsed condition the bag is a double skinned rectangular container seamed around its periphery and having the neck 18 at or near one corner thereof.

One example of the tap 12 suitable for use with the invention is shown in cross-section in Figure 4 but it must be realised that various other designs of taps may be employed. The tap illustrated in Figure 4 has a valve member 22 slidable in a cylindrical sleeve 24 attached to the end of the neck 18. A spring 26 is interposed between the top of the sleeve 24 and the top of the valve member 22 to urge the valve member, which has a conical front face 26, against a conical seat 28 formed at the base of the sleeve 24. A slot 30 is provided in the sleeve to reveal the body of the valve member 22 so that it can be slid out of the sealing position to the dispensing position shown in Figure 4.

The filled bag and bladder assembly is fitted in the casing 10 and so that it obtains reasonable support foamed plastics corner wedges 32 (8 in number) are fitted in the package around the assembly. The casing is approximately 5% over sized.

In use, the tap is opened to allow liquid to be dispensed and as liquid leaves the inner bag 16 the consequent decrease in volume is accompanied by a corresponding decrease in volume of the bladder 14 owing to its resilience and state of pre-tension induced during the filling operation described below. As a result the inner bag partially collapses and the partially collapsed bag remains totally full of liquid so that release of carbon dioxide dissolved in the liquid is minimised or eliminated thereby maintaining the liquid in the bag in good condition. It will be realised, therefore, that as the bag collapses creases and folds will form therein to accommodate the decrease in volume.

By the same token it will be realised that if a collapsed bag was inserted into a bladder in its normally collapsed condition as the bag was filled the creases therein would be restricted or prevented from unfolding by contact with the inner wall of the bladder which is bearing thereon with an increased pressure. It is necessary therefore during the filling step to ensure that the inner bag is free to expand as itfillswith liquid.

Conveniently, the bag is filled through the dispensing tap and any suitable filling machine will ensure that the valve member 22 is lifted off the valve seat 28 during the filling operation. Prior to the introduction of liquid into an empty bag 16 within the bladder 14 the bladder is inflated with compressed air through a valve (not shown). The pressure of gas inflating the bladder is carefully regulated as the bag is filled and is released art a rate which corresponds to the rate of filling the bag so that the increase in volume of bag is permitted by the decreasing gas content of the bladder, the enclosed volume which remains the same. When the bag has been fully filled there is effectively no inflating gas within the bladder such that is surrounds and contacts the bag in a pretensioned state.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the bladder may be replaced by a resilient sleeve surrounding a bag which, in operation, assumes a substantially cylindrical form. In a further modification the bag and valve need not form separate members but the bag could be provided by a continuous lining of the bladder made from a film of plastics material which is both waterproof and impervious to gas.

As indicated above, the dispensing tap can take any suitable form and similarly, the bag sleeve may take any suitable form. The corrugated board casing may be made from any other suitable material and may have any convenient shape. The bladder also could have any convenient shape, apart from the spherical shape described above.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A container for carbonated liquids including an outer casing, a gas impervious bag for the liquid within the casing, said bag having a dispensing tap which may project from the casing and a resilient member surrounding the bag whereby as liquid is dispensed from the bag the resilient member causes the volume of the bag to decrease by an amount substantially proportional to the amount of liquid dispensed.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which the resilient member comprises a spherical bladder surrounding all of the bag with the exception of a neck to which the tap is attached.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1, in which the resilient member is a sleeve.

4. A container as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, in which the bag is provided with a flange around its neck for co-operation with that portion of the bladder or sleeve surrounding the neck.

5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the tap fitted to the bag is spring biassed into the closed position and is so designed that the bag may be filled with liquid through the tap.

6. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, having a rectangular prismatic shape.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6, in which spacer means are provided in the casing to support the substantially spherical or tubular liquidcontaining assembly during transit and storage.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7, in which the spacer means comprise foam plastics material wedges.

9. A method of filling with a liquid a gas impervious bag contained within a resilient member comprising introducing liquid through a dispensing valve in the bag while the resilient member is extended to or beyond the state which it would occupy when the bag is fully filled and when no other forces are exerted thereon.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, in which when the resilient member is a bladder, it is inflated with gas under pressure prior to the introduction of liquid into the bag contained therein and as the liquid is introduced into the bag the pressurised gas is released from the bladder at a rate proportional to the inlet rate of liquid such that the bladder exerts an inward pressure on the bag only when the bag is completely filled.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, in which, where the resilient member is a sleeve, mechanical means are provided to increase the effective diameter of the sleeve as the bag is being filled.

12. A containerfor carbonated liquids, substan- tially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A method of filling a gas impervious bag with a liquid, substantially as herein before described.

14. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.