MXPA00002354A - A disposable liquid containing and dispensing package and method for its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible bag (12) for liquid including a spout (14) and an elongated dip strip (16) inside the bag (12) and underlying the spout (14). The ends of the strip (16) are heat sealed between opposing bag walls (20, 22) in opposing peripheral edges (24) of the bag (12). The strip (16) includes a liquid passage (32) except at the flat ends (36) thereof and is located directly below the spout opening. The liquid passages (32) provide liquid communication for the liquid from the far reaches of the bag interior to the spout (14) as the bag (12) collapses during evacuation.

Description

DISPENSER CONTAINER CONTAINING LIQUID, DISPOSABLE, AND METHOD FOR ITS MANUFACTURE BACKGROUND Field of the Invention This invention relates to a disposable container for containing a liquid to be dispensed therefrom, and more specifically to a container, and a method for its manufacture, wherein the container includes a flexible bag, a mouth and a submerged tape, flat therein to provide a liquid passage out of the bag as the bag collapses or progressively folds when empty.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Box-in-box systems are well known in the art for containing and dispensing liquids, such as syrups for soft drinks, milk and water. These known systems include an outer protective and support cover made of cardboard and an internal, flexible, foldable plastic bag. The flexible bag has a mouth to which a valve coupling of the bag is connected to which, in turn, a hose connector is connected to a hose to dispense the liquid from the bag. The bag can be oriented with the mouth to the lowermost position of the bag to try to dose most of the liquid therefrom, or else the bag can be provided with a submerged tube or a submerged tape and the bag can then be oriented with the mouth to the top, or in any other location, because the submerged tape will help to remove all the liquid from the bag. The following United States Patents show these known bags: US Patent Nos. 4,286,899, 5,647,511 and 4,524,458.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A disposable liquid-containing dispensing container includes a flexible bag, a mouth in the bag having a hole through which the bag can be filled and emptied, and an elongated tape located within the bag and located for provide liquid communication with the hole in the mouth as the bag collapses during evacuation to help remove fluid from the bag. The submerged tape is located inside the bag when it is manufactured and is secured in the desired location having its two ends heat sealed between the walls of the bag on the opposite peripheral edges of the bag. An object of the present invention is to provide a container for liquids including a flexible bag, a mouth and a submerged, flat tape, and a method for its manufacture. Another object of this invention is to provide such a container, wherein the flat submerged tape is located within the bag when the bag is manufactured and is not connected to the mouth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view, with a partial cut, of the container of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a half-filled bag of this invention in a box and connected to a post-mix dispenser (mixer) through a hose having a pump therein; Figure 4 is a transverse end view through the submerged tape, taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional end view through a flat end of the submerged tape, taken along line 5-5 of Figure 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, Figures 1-5 show a package 10 according to the present invention including the flexible bag 12, a mouth 14 and a flat, submerged tape 16 within the bag 12. A preferred use for the package 10 (see Figure 3) is a bag-in-box beverage mixer system for supplying syrup to a soft drink dispenser., mixer. In such use, it is known to place the container 10, with a valve of the bag 15 connected to the mouth 14, in a carton 18. And connect a syrup hose 17, having a pump 13 therein, to the container connecting the hose by coupling the valve of the bag 15. The hose 17 supplies the syrup to a mixing dispenser 19. Although it is possible to use any suitable flexible bag, a preferred bag 12 consists of a pair of walls 20 and connected to each other at their peripheries 24 by heat sealing. The flexible walls 20 and 22 preferably each consist of two layers 28 and 30. The inner layer 30 is a continuous material of LLDPE of 2 mil. The outer layer 28 consists of a coextrusion layer of 4,000 LLDPE / nylon / LLDPE, with the layers bonded on each side of the nylon. Preferably, the two LLDPE layers are approximately 1.4 mil, the nylon approximately 1.0 mil and the bonding of the layers approximately 0.1 mil [sic]. The mouth 14 has a flange 25 which is heat sealed to the upper wall of the bag 20. The mouth 14 has a hole 26 which engages a hole 27 in the upper wall of the bag. The bag is filled and emptied through the mouth. A hole is cut through both layers of the upper wall of the bag at the desired location, and then the mouth is inserted through this hole 27 with the flange 25 on the inner side of the bag and the flange is then heat sealed to the inner layer that is, in turn and at the same time, heat sealed to the outer layer. The flat submerged ribbon 16 has an upper surface 46 facing the mouth 14 and the upper wall 20. The mouth includes a flat base 28 and a plurality of ridges 30 to provide a plurality of liquid passages 32 providing liquid communication throughout of substantially the entire length of the submerged tape, except for the ends 38 and 40. The passages 32 are preferably parallel to each other and extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of the submerged tape 16. Preferably, the flat submerged tape 16 is extruded, which offers the advantage that it can be manufactured at very little cost. The flat submerged ribbon is preferably secured within the bag as follows. The two ends 38 and 40 of the submerged tape 16 are flat, preferably having the central section 34 thereof containing the grooves, cut, leaving only the two flat side sections 35 and 36 at the ends 38 and 40. These two ends are placed between the two walls 20 and 22 on the opposite peripheral edges 42 and 44 of the bag and are heat sealed in place when the peripheral edges of the walls are heat sealed to form the bag. This procedure locates the tape in the bag when the bag is made and also locates the tape in relation to the mouth, that is, directly below the mouth of the mouth 26, so that the tape will always be located to provide communication of the liquid to the bag. the mouth from the parts further away from the bag, through the steps 32, as the bag collapses on the tape when it is empty. It will be apparent that different alterations, modifications and changes can be made in the preferred embodiment described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, it is possible to use other submerged tapes instead of the preferred one described above. If desired, it is possible to use another number and form of passages.

Claims (7)

1. A disposable and dosing container containing liquid comprises: (a) a flexible bag that includes a pair of bag walls, an upper and a lower wall, sealed at their peripheral edges and adapted to be filled with a liquid that is to be dosed therefrom: (b) the bag including a hole through the top wall and including a mouth having a hole in the mouth engaging with the hole in the bag, through which mouth the bag can be filled and emptied Y (c) a submerged, elongated tape, located within the bag and having a pair of flat ends that are sealed between the walls of the bag at the opposite peripheral edges thereof and being located directly below the hole of the mouth with a upper surface facing the mouth, the tape including at least one passage of elongated liquid on the upper surface extending between the flat ends to provide a liquid passage from the inside of the bag to the mouth as the bag progressively collapses.

2. The package as recited in claim 1, wherein the mouth is located adjacent to a peripheral edge of the bag.

3. The package as mentioned in claim 2, wherein the submerged tape is extruded and the flat ends are heat sealed between the walls of the bag when the bag is manufactured. The package as recited in claim 1, wherein the submerged tape is flat and has an upper surface facing the upper wall and includes an imperforate base and a plurality of elongated ridges on the upper surface located in a line and a side side, and providing fluid passages. The package as recited in claim 1, wherein the tape is extruded and includes a central section with at least one passage of liquid and a pair of flat side sections, and wherein the center section is cut at the ends for provide flat ends. 6. A method for providing a disposable and dosing container containing liquid including a flexible bag that includes a pair of sealed bag walls at its peripheral edges and adapted to be filled with a liquid to be dosed therefrom, the bag includes a hole through a wall and includes a mouth having a hole in the mouth engaging with the hole in the bag, through which the bag can be filled and emptied, and a submerged, elongated tape, located within the bag and having a pair of flat ends that are sealed between the walls of the bag on the opposite peripheral edges thereof and being located directly below the mouth orifice, with an upper surface facing the mouth, the tape including at least a passage of elongated liquid on the upper surface extending between the flat ends to provide a liquid passage from the inside of the bag to the tailor-made mouth that the bag collapses progressively, comprises the steps of: (a) heat sealing the walls of the bag to each other at their peripheries to form the bag, with the tape submerged being inside the bag; and (b) heat sealing the flat ends of the tape between the walls of the bag at the opposite peripheral edges thereof with the tape and the passages being located directly below the mouth orifice and providing liquid communication between the inside of the bag and the hole in the mouth as the bag collapses when empty. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the tape is extruded and includes a central section with at least one passage of liquid and a pair of flat side sections, and includes the step of cutting the central section adjacent to each end of the tape to provide flat ends.