JPS6222869B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a fluid container for filling and discharging fluids such as liquids and flowable powders, and in particular to relatively small containers such as cardboard containers, cans or plastic containers. The present invention relates to an apparatus used to fill and remove fluid from a fluid container, such as a bag, contained within a rigid outer box.

A combination container consisting of an outer box and a bag, called a bag-in-box, is used especially for filling and selling alcoholic beverages and other liquids that are easily deteriorated by the action of air or oxygen. ,
The present invention can be most suitably used for bag-in boxes.

[Conventional technology]

A filling/unloading cylinder having a passageway for filling and removing liquid from the liquid container is attached to the liquid container, a lid body is removably engaged with an opening at the tip of the filling/unloading cylinder, and this A liquid filling and discharging device in which a portion of a lid body is provided with a liquid discharging portion that can be opened and closed is known (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 12356/1983).

In this liquid filling/retrieval device, an elastic partition is formed on the end face of the lid body, and at a part of the elastic partition, a portion of the elastic partition is elastically tightly sealed against the adjacent peripheral wall portion of the cylindrical body. Normally, the incision is closed by the elasticity of the elastic partition and the flow of liquid is interrupted, and when taking out the liquid, the knob on the front of the elastic partition must be lifted. This allows a portion of the elastic partition wall to be separated from the peripheral wall portion of the cylindrical body at the cutout portion against elasticity, and the liquid can be taken out through the gap formed there.

However, with this filling/unloading device, if a large external force or impact is applied to the cylinder or lid during transportation or storage, it will deform and a portion of the elastic partition wall will deform relative to the cylinder. , the complete pressure contact state at the incision may disappear, and the liquid in the container may inadvertently flow out. Furthermore, although the elastic pressure contact between the elastic partition and the cylindrical body can prevent the liquid from flowing out, it is also possible to completely isolate the liquid filled in the container from the outside air by the lid. It is difficult to improve the shelf life of. That is, there is no guarantee that the so-called virgin sealing property will be maintained in the elastic pressure contact between the elastic partition wall and the cylinder.

On the other hand, a part of the side wall of the bag body is connected to the socket part so as to form a breakable diaphragm at the inner end of the socket member, and the liquid contents of the bag body can be removed by fitting the plug into the socket member. A large liquid container is known that is constructed so that it can be taken out (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 47-22623). In this container, when taking out the liquid in the container, the side wall of the bag that makes up the diaphragm of the socket is first destroyed by the plug, so until then the side wall of the bag that makes up the diaphragm of the socket is destroyed. This completely isolates the liquid inside the container from the outside air.

However, in this known device, the filling port must be provided separately from the socket part that forms the spout by inserting the plug, and therefore the spout and the filling port must be provided separately. This poses the problem of high costs, and since a part of the side wall of the bag itself is used as the diaphragm of the socket, making the bag stronger will make it more difficult to break with the plug. However, if the plug is made easier to tear, the problem arises that the bag becomes too weak. On the other hand, in this known method, the diaphragm of the socket part is formed by sandwiching and packing a part of the bag between the inner and outer ring bodies and stretching it over the surface of the ring body, so it is not easy to form the diaphragm. However, it also had the disadvantage of being expensive.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to maintain the advantage that fluid can be filled and taken out through the same filling and taking out cylinder, while also having a lid body after filling. By applying this, it has a perfect virgin sealing property, and the material of the part that is broken when taking out the fluid can be freely selected, and the filling part and its sealing part can be easily sterilized immediately after filling. The objective is to obtain a fluid container that can.

[Means to achieve the purpose]

In the fluid container of the present invention, the base of the filling/unloading cylindrical body having a passage for filling and taking out fluid is attached to the container body so that the passage communicates with the inside of the container body, and the tip of the filling/unloading cylindrical body A lid body is removably and closely engaged with the opening of the section, and the lid body includes an end plate and a cylindrical skirt provided on the outer periphery of the end plate and engaged with the outer periphery of the filling/unloading cylinder. and a cylindrical part formed in the center of the end plate in a direction penetrating the end plate and having a socket hole penetrating inside, A fragile membrane is provided along the socket, and the fragile membrane seals the fluid inside the container body by cutting off the inside and outside of the socket hole. Formed as a hole that tightly receives the tap.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Bag 11 for the bag-in box shown in FIG.
may be made of any material, for example having an inner lining such as polyethylene, or an outer layer of metal-lined polypropylene or polyester. A lining is also provided to provide an inner surface of the bag that prevents adverse effects on or reactions with the contents of the bag. The lining is also provided to prevent the passage of air and oxygen through the walls of the bag relative to the contents (liquid). The bag has two opposed walls that are sealed along the periphery 12.

There is an opening in the wall near the bottom end of the bag 11, and the base of the filling/unloading cylinder 14 is fixed inside the bag wall at the opening as shown in FIG. Filling and removal cylinder 1
4 can be filled into the bag 11 and taken out. The filling and unloading cylinder 14 has a generally cylindrical main body, and a peripheral flange 15 having a shoulder 16 is integrally formed at its proximal end. Further, two circumferential flanges 17 and 18 spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical main body are provided with a constant width in the radial direction, and a rib 19 having a relatively small width in the radial direction is provided at the open end of the circular main body. , that is, provided at the outer end. The cylindrical passageway 20 extends substantially over the entire length of the filling and unloading cylinder 14 and is formed with a recessed step 21 at its inner end. A bead 22 is formed inside the outer end of the passageway 20 .

The flanges 17 and 18 are spaced apart so that the periphery of a hole provided in the side wall of the bag-in box (not shown) is sandwiched between the flanges, and the filling/unloading cylinder 14 is constructed in a known manner. It is installed so that it will not be displaced relative to the outer box.

The lid body 23 shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 has an end plate 2
4, to which a substantially cylindrical skirt portion 25 is integrally provided. Skirt part 2
On the opposite side of 5, there is a short net 2 following the end plate 24.
6 is integrally provided, followed by a flange 2
7 is formed, and an angular wall portion 29 is formed following a part of the flange 27. Also, flange 2
A circular flange 28 having a partially circular shape is formed opposite to the flange 7 . A socket hole 30 is formed in the end plate 24 of the lid body 23 in a direction passing through it. This socket hole 30 is formed inside a cylindrical portion that includes the neck 26 and extends inwardly (to the left in FIG. 5) integrally with the end plate 24. Two inner peripheral edge ribs 31 and 32 are integrally formed on the inner surface of the skirt portion 25, and the peripheral edge of the fragile membrane 34 is formed into a cylindrical portion across the inside of the socket hole 30. installed. socket hole 3
An inward bead 35 is provided protruding from the outer end of the 0.

In order to prevent liquid from leaking through the passageway 20, the lid body 23 has an annular ridge 33 on the back side of its end plate 24, which contacts the inside of the inner bead 22 at the open end of the filling and unloading cylinder 14. There is. Further, an inner circumferential rib 32 is formed on the inner surface of the skirt portion 25 in close contact with the back of the outer rib 19 at the open end of the filling/unloading cylinder 14, and a similar inner circumferential rib 31 is formed on the inner end of the skirt portion 25. It is formed. The lid body 23, like the filling/unloading cylinder 14, is entirely integrally molded from a material such as polyethylene.

When in use, the bag 11 is filled with liquid via the filling/unloading cylinder 14, and then the lid 23 is placed in the seventh position.
As shown in the figure, the snap is engaged with the open end of the filling/unloading cylinder 14. At this time, the skirt part 25
fits into the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 14, and the tip of the skirt portion 25 contacts the peripheral flange 18. Furthermore, the ribs 31 and 32 on the inner side of the skirt portion are in close contact with the outer surface of the cylindrical body 14. The rib 32 goes over the outer rib 19 of the cylinder body 14 and closes on the back surface of the cylinder body 14, and further has an annular raised part 33.
is in close contact with the inside of the inner beat 22, and thus the lid body 23 is attached to the filling/unloading cylinder 14 in a liquid-tight manner so as not to escape. Further, due to the presence of the fragile membrane 34, the passage 20 is completely hermetically isolated from the outside, and no liquid leakage occurs.

The lid 23 is attached to the filling/unloading cylinder 14 as follows. That is, when the bag 11 is placed in the outer box and the outer box is placed in the correct upright position for removing its contents, the outer corner wall 29 of the lid 23 has a wall as shown in FIG. In order to receive the engagement portion on the outside of the barrel of the ejection tap T, it is assumed to be in an upright position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The construction of the ejection tap T is well known and is described in Australian Patent No. 407656.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the fragile membrane 34 of the lid body 23 has been torn by the tip of the take-out tap T that has penetrated it.
When the ejector tap T is inserted into the socket hole 30 in the state shown in FIG. 7, the outer peripheral surface of the tap T and the socket hole 30
The tip of the tap T breaks the fragile membrane 34 in a state in which liquid is prevented from flowing out due to the close contact between the surfaces of the tap T, and the peripheral rib 36 of the tap T overcomes the rib 35 in the socket hole and engages behind it, causing the tap T to close. The insertion position is determined.

Note that it is also possible to insert a tap other than the illustrated extraction tap into the socket hole 30 of the lid body 23.
Further, a filling/unloading cylinder having a structure different from that shown in the drawings may be used. In one such example, the peripheral flange 18 could be removed and the lid plate 23 could perform the same role as the flange 18 in engaging the material of the outer box to hold the fill and dispense cylinder in place. It is also possible to shorten the overall length of the filling and unloading cylinder, such as the inner end of the filling and unloading cylinder. In this case, the lid body 2
3 is mounted on the barrel 14, the inner end of the skirt portion 25 will have the same function as the flange 18 of the illustrated construction.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The present invention provides a lid that can be removably tightly fitted to the fluid filling/retrieval cylinder, so that the container can be filled with the contents while the lid of the fluid filling/unloading cylinder is removed. It is similar to the first known example mentioned at the beginning in that when the container is opened and then the lid is attached, the inside and outside of the container are isolated and the fluid inside the container does not flow out. However, in the present invention, In particular, a fragile membrane is provided on the lid itself, and the inside and outside of the lid are completely isolated unless the fragile membrane is broken, so when the lid is fitted to the filling/unloading cylinder after filling the container, The filled liquid is completely cut off from the outside air until it breaks through the fragile membrane, giving the lid a virgin sealing property, preventing the liquid from accidentally leaking out due to external force or being affected by the outside air. It is prevented from doing so. Therefore, the present invention has the effect of the first known example described above, in which filling and taking out of the container can be performed through the same filling and taking out cylinder,
Moreover, the effect of the virgin sealing property of the second known example described above can also be obtained.

On the other hand, in the present invention, unlike the case of the second known example, by providing the fragile membrane not on the container itself but on the lid, the fragile membrane can be formed of a material completely different from the material of the container. As a result, it is possible to select the material with the best punctureability for the fragile membrane, regardless of the material of the container (in the case of a bag), and it is also possible to select a material with barrier properties such as aluminum film for the fragile membrane. It is also possible to provide composite membranes containing

Furthermore, in the present invention, as a result of providing the fragile membrane at the inner end of the socket hole inside the cylindrical portion in the direction penetrating the end plate of the lid body, the fragile membrane is not only protected, but also prevents filling. With the lid fitted to the opening of the filling/unloading cylinder of the end-filling container with a double/unloading cylinder, the container filling/unloading cylinder and the lid are sterilized by, for example, gamma ray irradiation, and the container is then sterilized. , the filling/unloading cylinder and the inside of the lid were sterilized, and then placed in a sterile chamber, where the periphery of the lid on the sterilized container was treated with hypochlorous acid. After sterilizing by spraying with a soda aqueous solution, etc., remove the lid from the container, open it, aseptically fill the container with liquid through the filling/unloading cylinder, and then insert the lid again into the opening of the filling/unloading cylinder. By simply mating the two, a filled container with sterile and virgin sealing properties can be obtained. On the other hand, in the first known example, such a sterilization method cannot be used due to the lack of virgin sealing properties. Therefore, in the present invention,
It can be said that the sealing process after filling can be easily performed while maintaining sterile conditions.

Further, in the present invention, the fluid can be easily taken out by inserting a tap, as in the case of the second known example.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an inner bag equipped with a filling/unloading cylinder on one side in the fluid container of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in Fig. A front view of the lid for taking out the liquid in the bag, Figure 4 is a side view of the lid in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in Figure 3, and Figure 6 is the lid. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the lid shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 attached to the filling/unloading cylinder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the lid shown in FIGS. FIG. 3 is a view showing the same part as in FIG. 11...Bag, 14...Filling and unloading cylinder, 1
7, 18, 27, 28...flange, 20... passage,
23...Lid body, 25...Skirt portion, 30...Socket hole, 33...Annular protrusion, 34...Fragile membrane, T...Ejection tap.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A base portion of a filling/unloading cylinder having a passage for filling and taking out fluid is attached to a container body so that the passage communicates with the inside of the container body, and a tip portion of the filling/unloading cylinder is attached to the container body. A lid body is removably and tightly engaged with the opening of the opening, and the lid body includes an end plate and a cylindrical skirt part provided on the outer periphery of the end plate and engaged with the outer periphery of the filling/unloading cylinder. and a cylindrical part formed in the center of the end plate in a direction penetrating the end plate and having a socket hole penetrating the inside,
A frangible membrane is provided at the inner end of the socket hole across it, and the brittle membrane cuts the inside and outside of the socket hole so that the fluid can be sealed inside the container body, and the socket hole is used to prevent the fluid from being taken out. A fluid container characterized in that it is formed as a hole that tightly receives a take-out tap that is sometimes inserted to break a fragile membrane. 2. A patent claim in which a rib is provided on the outer periphery of the opening at the tip of the filling/unloading cylinder, and another rib is provided protruding inside the skirt portion of the lid body so as to go over the rib and come into close contact with the rear of the rib. The fluid container according to item 1. 3. The fluid container according to claim 1, wherein an annular protuberance is formed on the inner surface of the end plate of the lid, the annular protuberance closely contacting the inner peripheral edge of the opening end of the filling/removal cylinder. 4. The fluid container according to claim 1, wherein the socket hole of the lid body is provided with a device for defining the insertion position of the ejection tap inserted into the socket hole.