HRP941032A2 - Quick-disconnect coupling for filling and emptying a collapsible container - Google Patents

Description

The field of technology

The invention is from the field of packaging for liquids, and in particular refers to closures with devices for filling or emptying, and is marked according to MKP B 65 D 47/04.

Technical problem

The technical problem that is solved by the subject invention is how to realize a quick-detachable coupling for a collapsible tank that will enable a quick connection to the pump for emptying the tank and at the same time automatically open the valve in the neck of the tank, which is normally closed.

State of the art

The present invention relates to a submerged pipe and valve with a quick release coupling for use in conjunction with a collapsible closed container for discharging liquid product therefrom.

In the prior art, there are several examples of submerged tubes that allow the product to be removed from the container. Typically, the dip tube is an elongated cylindrical tube that includes an upper portion connected to a valve and an open lower portion that is placed in the product to be withdrawn from the tank. For example, Daniels, US Patent 3,171,571, describes a "bag-in-a-box" type discharge package that includes a submerged tube.

Another example of a submerged tube placed in an elastic bag is described in Kramer et al. US Patent No. 2 859 899. The submerged tube has openings through which the syrup or other substance contained in the elastic bag is sucked out of it by means of a pump.

U.S. Patent 2,133,411 to Zohe describes an infant feeding bottle having a rigid member that prevents the elastic bag from bending so as to prevent the closure of the opening at the top end of the bottle through which milk is sucked.

It is common in the pressurized container industry to place a submerged tube in the aerosol container to discharge the product from it. A number of submerged tubes for use in pressure vessels have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, Roth et al., US Patent 3,245,582; Micaleff, US Patent 3,257,036; Venus, US Patent 3,791,557; Stewart, US Patent 3,388,832; Harris et al., US Patent 4,062,475; and Petterson, US Patent 4,087,026 all of which describe submerged tubes positioned in an aerosol container. These common dip tubes are designed to discharge the product using a pressurized source that forces the product through the dip tube.

Description of the solution to the technical problem

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an immersion tube containing one or more channels at its periphery, extending substantially the entire length of the immersion tube, for use in conjunction with a collapsible, closed container for discharging liquid product therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a submerged tube that can be cheaply extruded at a cost that is substantially lower than known techniques.

A further goal of the present invention is to obtain an immersed tube that enables the elastic bag to be folded on it, while still ensuring that the product is discharged from it.

The objectives of the present invention are achieved by providing an elongated submerged pipe having at least one channel on its periphery that extends along the entire length of the submerged pipe. The tube is placed in a collapsible bag, where a vacuum is created at its upper end or suction is performed. Initially, the air is extracted from the collapsible bag. Later, the liquid product in the collapsible bag will flow through the channel in the collapsible bag, and the collapsible bag is folded around the outer circumference of the immersed tube. Progressively, as the liquid product is removed from the collapsible bag, the bag will continue to collapse on the outer circumference of the immersed tube until the liquid product is discharged from it.

The main advantage of the dip tube in the present invention is that it will allow the dip tube to be emptied regardless of the orientation of the bag, namely with the neck of the bag on top, on the bottom or on the side of the bag.

Further, the applicability of the subject invention will be clear from the detailed description given later. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, although showing preferred embodiments of the invention, are provided for illustration purposes only, as various changes and modifications in the spirit of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

The subject invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, which are provided for illustration purposes only, and thus do not limit the subject invention.

Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a collapsible bag that includes a portion of the bag to which the submerged tube of the present invention connects.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the first version of the realization of the submerged pipe according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the second version of the realization of the submerged pipe according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the third version of the realization of the submerged pipe according to the subject invention.

Figure 5 is the final appearance of the second version of the realization of the submerged pipe according to the subject invention.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a dip tube according to the present invention that includes a closure for connecting the dip tube to a collapsible, closed container.

Figure 7 is a cut-away view of an alternative embodiment of the assembly for retaining the submerged pipe of the subject invention within the tank neck.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of the bag, i.e. the connecting element of the bag from Figure 1.

Figures 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views of one embodiment of the valve which may be used in the couplings of Figures 1 or 8, with Figure 9 showing the valve in the closed position and Figure 10 showing the valve in the open position.

Figure 9A is a top view of the embodiment from Figures 9 and 10,

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another embodiment of a valve suitable for use in connection with the present invention,

Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the bag connector of the present invention illustrating the valve of Figures 9 and 10, and

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment illustrating a submerged tube retained in the valve body.

The present invention relates to a submerged tube for use in combination with a collapsible, closed container for discharging a liquid product. The submerged tube of the present invention can be used in combination with a "post-mix" beverage system. Such a "post-mix" beverage system, incorporated herein by reference, is described in Harvill US Pat. No. 4,104,461 dated March 29, 1977, which belongs to the same applicant as the subject invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the immersion tube 10 may include a deformed end 12 for connection to a portion of the bag 14. However, the immersion tube 10 of the present invention may be connected to a collapsible, closed container 16 by means of various connection parts. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the closure 19 can be placed on the submerged tube 10 to connect to the bag part 14. The closure 19 has an inwardly projecting edge 19A that allows the sliding movement of the closure 19 on the submerged tube 10 in one direction only. Therefore, once the closure 19 is positioned correctly on the dip tube 10 and the dip tube is pulled into the collapsible container 16 so that it contacts the bag portion 14, the dip tube 10 will be properly seated on the collapsible closed container 16.

The bag portion 14 in one embodiment includes a substantially horizontal portion of the wall 13 to which the deformed end 12 of the closure 19 is securely attached so as to prevent lateral movement of the submerged tube 10 within the collapsible closed container 16.

The bag portion 14 includes an upwardly projecting circular wall 15 which is positioned to be engaged by a valve coupling member 17. As shown in Figure 1, the upwardly projecting circular wall 15 may comprise serrations 15A which are engaged by corresponding serrations 17A on the coupling 17, so as to close the two elements against each other.

In one contemplated application of the present invention, the submerged tube 10 may be placed in a collapsible, sealed container 16 placed in a box 18. This construction is commonly referred to as a "bag-in-a-box." When a vacuum or suction is applied to the submerged tube 10 through a valve by means of a pump, initially all air is discharged from the collapsible closed container 16. Later, the liquid product contained in the closed container 16 will begin to flow upward through the submerged tube 0 to be emptied it and reached the discharge neck, which is not shown in the drawing. As the liquid product is discharged from the collapsible, closed container 16, the container is folded onto the submerged tube due to the vacuum created by the pump. Normal folding of the collapsible container in this manner usually leads to clogging of the opening of the prior art immersion tube and prevents further discharge of the product contained in the closed, collapsible container.

The submerged tube 10, according to the present invention, overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing at least one channel on its peripheral surface which extends in fact along the entire length of the submerged tube. Therefore, when the liquid product is discharged from the collapsible closed container 16, the container collapses around the part of the immersion tube 10 that is no longer surrounded by the liquid product, leaving the remaining part of the channel open so as to allow the complete discharge of all the liquid product contained in the collapsible, closed container 16.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the submerged pipe 10 according to the present invention. The immersed pipe 10 contains three channels 10C1 to 10C3 which enable the passage of the liquid product located in a collapsible, closed container from where it is to be sucked. Frame 10F has three legs joined at one end of the frame that extend outward from the joint. The other end of each leg is connected to edge elements 10A1 to 10A3 which are spaced relative to each other, so as to create channels 10C1 to 10C3 in between. The distance between the edge elements that create the channels can be increased or decreased depending on the viscosity of the liquid and the elasticity of the collapsible, closed container used in conjunction with the submerged tube.

Figure 3 illustrates another version of the realization of the submerged pipe according to the present invention. The immersion tube 20 includes a channel 20C1 on its outer surface which extends substantially the entire length of the immersion tube. In addition, a deformed end 22 may be provided at one end thereof to facilitate the connection of the submerged tube to the horizontal portion of the wall 13 of the bag portion 14 in the same manner as shown in Figure 1. However, as previously emphasized, within the scope of the present invention other means are provided for connecting the immersion tube 20 to the bag portion 14. The immersion tube 20 functions in the same manner as the immersion tube 10 described above.

Figure 4 shows the third version of the realization of the submerged pipe according to the present invention. The submerged pipe 30 contains two channels 30C1 30C2 which are placed on its outer surface and extend over the entire surface of the submerged pipe. The frame 30F connects the edge elements 30A1 30A2 so that channels 30C1, 30C2 are created between them. In addition, a deformed end 32 may be provided at one end thereof to facilitate connection of the submerged tube to the horizontal portion 13 of the bag portion 14 in the same manner as shown in Figure 1. Other means for connecting the submerged tube 30 to the bag portion 14 may be also use without deviating from the spirit and framework of the subject invention.

Figure 5 shows the appearance of the end part of another embodiment according to the subject invention. The submerged tube is shaped like a square and contains edge members 40A1-40A4 joined together by a frame 40F. The edge members 40A1-40A4 are spaced from each other to form channels 40C1 to 40C4 on the outer surface of the immersion tube 40 which extend over substantially the entire surface of the immersion tube. As noted above, a suitable coupling element will be placed near one end of the submerged tube for connection to the bag portion 14.

According to the present invention, various embodiments of the immersed tube may be obtained by extrusion, molding or any other convenient means of obtaining an immersed tube with one or more channels extending along its entire length. In addition, any suitable material, for example plastic, metal or other material can be used in the construction of the submerged pipe according to the subject invention. The submerged pipe according to the present invention can be further constructed into various shapes and is not limited to a circular or square submerged pipe as shown in Figures 1-6. The number of channels in the outer surface of the submerged pipe according to the present invention is not limited to a specific number. There can be 10 or more channels.

Figures 7-13 show various embodiments of the bag connector 50, valve assemblies in the bag connector 50 as well as alternative means for retaining the submerged tube 10 either within the bag connector 50 or in a portion of the bag.

As for the details in Figure 7, it shows what will later be called the bag connector 50, which actually performs the same function as the bag connector 17 from Figure 1. Namely, the bag connector 50 accommodates the valve assembly and ensures a quick connection between the parts of the bag at its ends. 54 and the housing of the discharge coupling which will be discussed later.

As shown in Figure 7, the bag connector 50 is open at both ends to allow fluid flow therethrough and includes threads 50A around both ends of the outer wall near the upper end of the connector to receive the threaded housing of the connector, thread 50B to engage the lower edge of the connector hoses, a lower enlarged portion 50C that fits into pocket 54A of bag portion 54, and an annular sealing ring or rings 50D sized to fit into pocket 54A.

The bag part 54 includes an annular flange 54B which is heat sealed or attached by other suitable means to the collapsible bag indicated by 16. In the lower part of the pocket 54A of the part 54 there is a tripod 56. In a preferred embodiment, the tripod 56 is formed as an integral part of the part 54. pocket portion 54A, the tripod 56 includes a centrally positioned ring 56A that forms an opening through which the submerged tube 10 enters the container as well as a plurality of radial fasteners 56B. The central opening defined by the ring 56A is large enough for the immersion tube 10 to be easily inserted although the large immersion tube retention closure 52 (or the deformed end of the immersion tube) does not allow the immersion tube to fall out of the opening in the bag. The central opening in the tripod 56 is of such a size that the submerged tube can easily be hinged. It can be seen from Figure 7 that when the bag connector 50 containing the valve is placed in the pocket 54 of the bag part, the immersion tube 10 and the retainer 52 are engaged or sandwiched between the bag connector of the tripod 56. The space between the radial fasteners 56B of the tripod 56 allows the container or collapsible bag is filled with liquid before the immersion tube is inserted without damaging or restricting the flow of liquid. The tripod is located at the bottom of the ring pocket 54A of the part 54 so that there is a space to close the pocket 54A without touching the tripod to connect the filling machine. In this way, the tripod 56 can be maintained in practically sterile conditions. Using the tripod 56 eliminates the need for an additional part or element to maintain the submerged tube 10 in the bag portion 54.

Figure 8 shows another embodiment of the bag connector 50 in an inserted, closed state with the bag portion 54 of the collapsible container 16. In this embodiment, the connector has the same diameter from top to bottom.

Figures 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views illustrating the internal features of the bag connector 50 of Figure 8 in the closed and open positions respectively with the valve assembly 60. In this embodiment, the connector 50 has the same diameter from top to bottom. The coupling 50 of the bag in the preferred embodiment is molded from plastic and functions as the mass of the valve assembly.

A spring-loaded wheel 60 is placed in the valve body and normally turned to the closed position in which it is blunt

the conical part of the valve 62 is sealed in the opening 63 by the action of the integrally cast spring 66 which ends in the ring-shaped base 70. The base 70 of the spring 66 is mounted in a groove in the inner wall of the connector 50 of the bag. The valve assembly further includes an inner wheel holder 64 which is integrally molded with members 62, 66 and 70. An outer holder 68 is integrally molded with the bag connector 50 where it is centrally held by radial fasteners 68A (Figure 9A) to provide fluid passage 67 around the outer portion. .

As seen in Figure 9, a spring loaded wheel 60 is normally located in the opening 63 to shut off the flow of fluid through the valve body of the bag coupling 50. Fig. 10 shows the spring-loaded wheel 60 in its actual conditions in response to the insertion of the corresponding coupling 72 on top of the coupling 50 of the bag. The matching coupling 72 may be a conventional quick release coupling, as illustrated in the "post-mix" beverage industry to connect the well-known "FIGAL" syrup containers to the discharge machine. The top of the coupling 72 includes a serrated hose extension 76 and the lower end includes a lip 74 that extends downwardly over the side walls of the bag coupling 50. The coupling 72 can be threaded onto the coupling 50 of the bag using the thread 50A. As seen in Figure 10, when the matching coupling 72 is threaded, it pushes the inner valve wheel retainer 64 so that the spring 66 is compressed and the toothed conical valve element 62 is driven out of sealing engagement with the port 63. The outer retainer 68 is pushed into coupling 72 to valve element 72A which then opens. In this way, all the valves in the respective couplings are open and the liquid can flow freely from the bottom of the coupling 50 of the bag through its interior and the interior of the coupling 72, and through the extension of the hose 76 towards the emptying device.

The pair of retainers 72 and 68 provides a unique advantage because the center retainer 64 spring-loaded the wheel when pushed by the clutch 72 to open the valve in the bag clutch, while the outer retainer 68 serves to open the valve element 72A in the mating clutch 72. Therefore, the spring 66 of the spring-loaded wheel it need not be so strong as to open the wheel 72 of the matching coupling 72 because the outer bracket 68 which is fixedly mounted relative to the coupling 50 performs this operation. Since the fixed outer holder 68 is able to function with very strong mating coupling springs as desired in the coupling 72, it is possible to use a variety of mating coupling designs 72 with the coupling 50 of the present invention. This gives an added advantage because the strong springs in the matching coupling allow for a very strong seal against the high vacuum created by the discharge system. If the outer bracket 68 is not added, the spring of the wheel 68 must be strong enough to open the matching coupling and the wheel assembly after opening should pop out from the bottom under a fixed tension so that the wheel bracket opens the wheel-matching couplings. This is of course undesirable as it requires an additional part which increases the complexity of the bag coupling assembly.

In the preferred embodiment, the entire coupling 50 of the bag and the spring-loaded wheel 60 are cast from a relatively inexpensive plastic material, so they can be discarded if desired.

In the embodiments of Figures 9 and 10, the deflection spring 66 of the wheel 60 has a pair of spiral arms that terminate in an annular base 70. Therefore, the spring 66 is similar in shape to a spiral spring, which allows the free and unimpeded flow of fluid through it.

One alternative embodiment of the spring is shown in Figure 11. According to Figure 11, the spring 80B is an extension of the tapered conical sealing member 80 and includes multiple coils resulting in a cylindrical bottom shape. The inner wheel holder 80A functions in a similar manner to the wheel holder 64 of the embodiments of Figures 9 and 10. The lower part of the cylindrical spring element 80B of Figure 11 terminates in an annular flange 80C which is mounted in the inner walls of the bag coupling 50 in a suitable groove near its lower part. Flange 80C includes a plurality of fluid passages 82 positioned around its circumference to allow free flow of fluid. The valve assembly from Figure 11 functions practically in the same way as the valve assembly in the embodiments from Figures 9 and 10.

Figure 12 shows the bag connector 50 which includes the wheel spring implementation of Figures 9 and 10. The bag connector 50 of Figure 12 has a slightly different external configuration which facilitates the use of a different shape of the matching connector, that is, one that corresponds to the top of the matching connector 58. The top of the connector 50 bag of Figure 12 has a reduced diameter extending downwardly toward an enlarged webbing portion 92 and multiple outwardly extending pin elements. Thus, when the matching coupling is connected to the reduced end 50 of the bag, it sealingly engages its tip with the sealing "O" ring 90 and engages the pin members 94 which extend outwardly in a mated position. The connector 50 of the third embodiment of Figure 4 is further accomplished by an enlarged flange 96 that allows the connector to be held by the operator's hand when inserting into a bag portion or while connecting to a matching connector.

Figure 13 shows a bag connector 50 of another embodiment of the present invention which includes a spring-loaded wheel 60 of the type illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, with an immersion tube 10 supported at the bottom of the bag connector 50 or valve body by an immersion tube retainer 98. The immersion tube retainer 98 is a one-way slide washer as previously described in the embodiment of Figure 6. However, in the version of the embodiment of Figure 13, the immersion tube retainer retainer supports the immersion tube 10 at the bottom of the valve body (bag connector 50) instead of in the bag portion. There are clear advantages when the submerged tube is retained in the valve body or fitting 50 rather than part of the bag. For example, the valve/immersion tube assembly of Figure 13 can be retracted into the bag portion and collapsible bag 16 without contaminating the immersion tube 10 or the product-contacting parts 50 of the coupling by means of the flange 96. Further, the valve/immersion tube assembly of Figure 13 can be used with standard bags or parts without the need for a tripod type retainer such as 56 in Figure 7. Thus, filling the bag through the channel or part is least damaged. Further, it is an advantage that the valve/immersion tube assembly of Figure 13 can be transported from the manufacturer to the bag filling site as a single assembly, without having to perform secondary assembly operations in the bag filling plant.

It is understood that the invention thus described can be modified in many ways. Variations should not be considered a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, whereby modifications will be understandable to those skilled in the art, and are therefore included in the following patent claims.

Claims (9)

1. A quick-detachable device for emptying and filling collapsible containers for emptying syrup from the container, wherein this container has a connection with an opening for the passage of syrup, characterized by the fact that it contains a first connecting element (17) with a first and second open end connected by a central opening (63 ), with the other open end connected to said connection, first a self-closing valve (62) placed in said opening (63) having an element forming a valve seat, a spring element (66) for normally pushing this valve element onto the valve seat, and a first actuating stem connected to said valve element extending towards the first open end of the first connecting element (17), a second actuating stem rigidly fixed in said opening within its walls to the first actuating stem, and extending towards the first open end of the first connecting element (17), where the second driving spindle is supported in the center by several radial spiders that extend radially from the nki openings and mutually create openings for the passage of liquid, and the second driving spindle has a channel for guiding and supporting the first driving spindle, as well as a second connecting element (50) that engages the first open end of the first connecting element (17), whereby the second connecting element (50) includes an element for engaging the first actuating stem to separate said valve element from the valve seat when the first (17) and second (50) coupling elements are fully engaged, as well as a second self-closing valve that is opened by the second actuating stem when the first (17) ) and the second (50) driving element fully coupled. 2. Quick-detachable device according to patent claim 1, characterized in that the spring element (66) is an integrally cast extension of the mentioned valve element. 3. Quick-detachable device according to patent claim 2, characterized in that the spring element (66) has at least one curved arm that extends from the valve element (66) and ends with an integrally formed ring (70), wherein the ring (70) is attached to the wall of the central opening on the side of the valve bearing towards the other open end of the first coupling element (17). 4. The quick-detachable device according to patent claim 2, characterized in that the spring element (66) includes a cylindrical sleeve (94) with multiple annular folds, wherein the sleeve (84) is integrally formed with the valve element and extends from it towards the open end of the first element coupling (17), and that this sleeve has a flange attached to the wall of the central opening in which there are fluid channels. 5. Quick-detachable device according to patent claim 1, characterized in that the valve element is in the form of a tapered cone. 6. Quick-detachable device according to patent claim 1, characterized in that the first driving spindle and the spring element (66) are integrally molded from plastic mass. 7. Quick-detachable device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first self-closing element (62) is completely located in the central opening of the first coupling element (17) so that the first driving spindle does not extend from the first open end in any position of this spindle. 8. Quick-detachable device according to patent claim 7, characterized in that the channel in the second driving spindle is of sufficient length to completely support the first driving spindle in all its working positions. 9. Quick-detachable device according to patent claim 1, characterized in that the channel in the second driving spindle is of sufficient length to completely support the first driving spindle in all its working positions.