WO2008057020A1

WO2008057020A1 - Handle for a bag-in-box container

Info

Publication number: WO2008057020A1
Application number: PCT/SE2007/000979
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carlos De La Fe Dahlin
Original assignee: Cleaver Ways Ab
Priority date: 2006-11-06
Filing date: 2007-11-05
Publication date: 2008-05-15
Also published as: SE531862C2; EP2079993A1; SE0602356L; EP2079993A4

Abstract

The present invention relates to a handle (3; 6), adapted for attachment to the top (7) of a BIB container (1). The invention is characterized in that said handle (3; 6) comprises first means (10; 11, 12; 11, 18; 20; 25) for registering the deformation of said handle (3; 6), or of part of said handle (3; 6), or of parts of said handle (3; 6), or of an element attached to said handle (3; 6), caused by lifting the Bag-In-Box container (1) by said handle (3; 6), and second means (8, 9; 14; 23; 24) for presenting said deformation after conversion to a suitable quantity.

Description

HANDLE OF A BAG-IN-BOX CONTAINER

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a handle of a Bag- in-Box container, preferably for wine. It is sometimes of value to know how much wine remains in a Bag-in-Box container (a BIB container) , or how much wine has been drawn off from the BIB container since a particular point in time. The purpose of this could be, for example, to make it simpler for an end user to keep track of his or her wine consumption.

Prior art

US2005051586 Al discloses a bag, provided with a handle, said handle comprising springs, which register the weight of the bag when it is lifted by the handle.

WO9859223 Al discloses a handle, intended to be detachably affixed to a container for gas. Said handle contains a strain gauge, which registers the weight of the gas container when it is lifted by the handle.

Objects and features of the invention

A primary object of the present invention is to make it easier for the end user to track his or her wine consumption, by making it possible for him or her to determine how much wine remains in the BIB container 1, or how much wine has been drawn off from the BIB container 1 since a particular point in time. This object is reached by weighing the container by lifting it by its handle 3, the registered weight then possibly being transformed to a convenient measure useful to the end user. Registering the weight of the BIB container is accomplished by means of a device being attached to or integral to the handle 3, or being connected to the handle attachment 6 to the rigid case 2 of the BIB container. The useful measure, such as the number of glasses of wine drawn off from the container since it had a certain weight, a zeroing weight, will be presented directly in connection with the weighing. The presentation is made on the handle itself or somewhere on the rigid case 2. It should be noted, that the invention is also applicable to such a variant of the Bag-in- Box as is described in internal application No. PCT/SE2005/001932.

Brief description of the drawings

Below, a number of embodiments of the invention will be described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a traditional Bag-in-Box container; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a first embodiment of a handle of a

BIB container; Fig. 3 is a plan view of a second embodiment of a handle of a

BIB container; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified handle, within the scope of the second embodiment; Fig. 5 is a plan view of another modified handle, within the scope of the second embodiment;

Fig. 6 shows details of the handle according to Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a side view of a BIB container, having a handle according to a third embodiment of a BIB container handle; Fig. 8 is a plan view of details of the handle according to the third embodiment; Fig. 9 shows details of a modified handle, within the scope of the third embodiment; Fig. 10 shows details of yet another modified handle, within the scope of the third embodiment; Fig. 11 shows details of yet another modified handle, within the scope of the third embodiment; Fig. 12 shows details of a handle according to a fourth embodiment; and Fig. 13 shows details of a modified handle, within the scope of the fourth embodiment. Description of a first preferred embodiment

Fig.l shows a traditional BIB container 1, comprising a tap 4, a bag 5, a handle 3, a top 7, a rigid case 2, and a handle attachment 6.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the BIB container 1. The handle 3 shown in Fig. 2 comprises a sensor 10 to register the deformation of the material of the handle 3, an area 9 that is sensitive to finger pressure, a display 8, a power source (not shown) , a memory (not shown) , a processor (not shown) , electronic circuitry (not shown) , comprising cables and other auxiliary electronic components, not unique to the invention, used to connect the components listed to form a system. In this embodiment of the invention, the sensor 10 consists of a strain gauge 10 (or several; in Fig. 2 only one is illustrated, however) , attached to the outside or the inside of the handle 3, for example by glueing. The strain gauge 10 registers the deformation of the handle 3 caused by the BIB container 1 being lifted by the handle. This deformation is dependent on the weight of the BIB container 1, which means that the deformation can be converted to container weight, which in turn can be converted to the total number of glasses remaining in the BIB container 1. The area 9, being sensitive to finger pressure, for example in the form of a button, is used by the end user to zero the display. Zeroing is carried out in connection with lifting the BIB container 1 by the handle to weigh it. Zeroing corresponds to saving in the memory of the device the registered deformation of the handle by the sensor 10, in connection with lifting the BIB container 1, after conversion, to weight or number of glasses of wine remaining in the box, or to some other convenient measure. The display 8 will show, when the BIB container 1 is lifted by the handle, by some convenient measure, how much wine has been drawn off from the BIB container 1 after zeroing, or how much still remains, or how much has been drawn off in total. The system is powered by a power source, e.g. a battery. The processor will convert the signal received from the sensor 10 to the convenient measure, and if zeroing takes place in connection with lifting the BIB container 1 by the handle 3, the converted measure will be stored in memory, while the display 8 will show the value zero, but if no zeroing takes place in connection with lifting the BIB container 1, the value transmitted by the sensor 10 will be compared after conversion with the value stored in memory from the latest zeroing, and the display 8 will show, for example, the number of glasses drawn off since the last zeroing.

It should be noted that the material/composite material of the handle and the form of the handle may be chosen in order to simplify detection of handle deformation, without departing from the scope of the invention. Within the scope of the invention, other sensors than strain gauges may be used, or combinations of different sensors, to detect handle deformation.

Within the scope of the invention, the components listed above can be entirely or partially fitted in the rigid case 2, for example on the case top 7. In that case, the sensors 10 will register the deformation/strain caused in the rigid case 2, which may consist of carton, and the result will be displayed in a display area in the top 7 of the BIB container 1.

Description of a second preferred embodiment

The handle 6 shown in Fig. 3 comprises a cavity 11, containing at least one fluid 12. The drawing displays a cavity in the form of a channel, one end of which has an enlargement 13. When the BIB container 1 is lifted by the handle 6, the handle is deformed, and consequently, the cavity

11 will change its volume. That will cause the enclosed fluid

12 to move. In particular, the edge 14 of the fluid will move along the graduation of the channel. The graduation marks may, for example, correspond to the total number of glasses of wine having been drawn off from the BIB container 1. When the BIB cotainer 1 is lifted by the handle, it may be possible for an end user to displace a zero indicator, along the graduation, to the edge 14 (no such displaceble indicator is shown in Fig. 3) . By, when lifting the BIB container 1, noting the number of marks between the zero indicator and the edge 14, the amount of wine drawn off from the container since the last zeroing may be read. It should be noted, that within the scope of the present invention, the design of the cavity 11 and of the handle 6, the choice of material/composite material of the handle, and the location of the scale, may be adapted according to desired function and/or design. For example, it may be possible to embody the invention in such a way that the fluid, instead of consisting of one volume as displayed in Fig. 3, consists of two separate volumes, one on each side of the centre of the handle, see Fig. 4. According to an example of such an embodiment, there is a volume 15 of air between the two said edges 14. This volume of air may be viewed as an air bubble, being squeezed between the two edges 14. Within the scope of the present invention, the cavity containing the air bubble may be adapted for easy reading of the result of weighing in connection with deformation. For example, the cavity essentially containing the air bubble may be shaped for simple reading. For example, the cavity 11, which essentially encloses the air bubble may be extra thin, or be made of an extra flexible material. Within the scope of the present invention, the fluid 12 may be omitted, and the cavity 11 may contain only air 18 or some other fluid 18, see Fig. 5, and the cavity 11 may be adapted for detection of the deformation taking place when the BIB container 1 is lifted by the handle. Figs. 5 and 6 show how a part of the cavity 11 may be shaped for unfolding. Fig. 6 illustrates two stages of such unfolding. The unfolding is a result of increased pressure in the fluid 18, as a result of handle deformation, causing a part of the inner cylinder 16 to unfold and become part of the outer cylinder 19. This causes more of the graduation/scale (not indicated in the drawing) on the outside of the outer cylinder 19 and the inside of the inner cylinder 16 to become visible. This permits a reading of the weight of the BIB container 1, as it is lifted by the handle, or of the number of glasses, if the scale is adapted to this. It should be noted, that the fundamental property of this embodiment is that the handle comprises a cavity, which is deformed together with the handle when the box is lifted by the handle. The cavity may contain one or several fluids, the displacement of which may be read to indicate the weight of the box, and hence, for example, to inform about the number of glasses of wine drawn off.

Description of a third preferred embodiment

Fig. 7 shows yet another embodiment of the handle. Fig. 8 shows the characterizing part 30 of the embodiment in two situations, one without any load and one under a load of the force F. The characterizing part 30 contains two sections 20, capable of considerable deformation. The sections 20 may- consist of the same material as the rest of the handle, but if so being made considerably thinner, to permit considerable deformation, or the sections 20 may be made of a more flexible material than the rest of the handle 3, to permit considerable deformation. The sections 21 will not be deformed greatly under load, and are provided with a graduation/scale. When the BIB container 1 is lifted by the handle 3, subjecting the characterizing part 30 to the tensile force F, see Fig. 8, the sections 21 will move in relation to one another. The graduations on each of the sections 21 should be of the same type as those on a slide caliper, constituting a vernier scale, allowing the reading of relatively small displacements of the sections 21 in relation to each other. According to one embodiment, the two sections 21, see Fig. 9, may be placed one on top of the other, in which case the scale graduations may consist of openings/slits 23. In Fig. 9, the distance between the slits 23 along the right hand section 21 in the drawing is slightly greater than that between the slits 23 of the left hand section 21. In Fig. 9, those parts of the slits 23 which lie on top of one another have been filled out in black, to increase clarity. Fig. 9 shows the flexible sections 20. When the characterizing part of the handle is subjected to the force F, the sections 20 extend. The section 21 (being rigid in relation to section 20) on the left hand side moves downward, in relation to the section 21 on the right hand side of the drawing, and consequently, the spot 24, i.e. the greatest area of conjunction between the slits 23, is displaced downward, in comparison with the situation when the characterizing part 30 of the handle is not subjected to any load. Since the force 2F (2F, because in this embodiment there are two characterizing parts) necessary to lift the BIB container 1 by the handle diminishes as wine is drawn off from the container, the spot is displaced upwards when the BIB container 1 is lifted by the handle, and the number of glasses of wine or the amount of wine (number of litres being indicated in Fig. 9) registered increases. It should be noted, that within the scope of the present invention, the handle 3 may be arranged to contain one characterizing part 30, rather than the two indicated in Figs. 7-11.

It should be noted, that the embodiment shown in Figs. 8 and 9 could be viewed as a separate invention, intended to be used as a weighing scale. The weighing scale in this case resembles a typical fishing scale.

Description of a fourth preferred embodiment

The Figs. 12 and 13 illustrate yet another embodiment of the invention, where the handle comprises a spring element 25, in the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 12 and 13 in the form of one or several helical spring. When the BIB container 1 is lifted by the handle 3, the spring element/s/ 25 is/are extended to a degree proportional to the weight of the BIB container 1. This extension is read against a graduation, and this yields information about the weight of the box, or some other convenient quantity, when the box is lifted. It should be noted, that the spring element according to the invention may consist of any elastic material, such as plastic or rubber, of any suitable form providing for a suitable deformation to be read.

Miscellaneous

In the described embodiments, the handle 3 can be seen as essentially comprising two main parts: One part that is characteristic of the invention and intended to measure the weight of the BIB container 1, by registering some form of deformation and presenting a corresponding suitable quantity, and another part that is typical of a traditional BIB container handle 3, intended to lift the box, having two (within the scope of the invention, having only one is a possibility) ends for attachment of the handle to the top 7 of the BIB container 1, forming part of the attachment 6. The embodiments described above do not delineate clearly between these two parts, possibly with the exception of the embodiment illustrated by Figs. 7-11. Within the scope of the present invention, the handle may be adapted to achieve a clearer delineation between said parts. The purpose of this would be to make sure that different ways of gripping the handle with one hand do not influence the deformation being measured, thereby disturbing the result of the measurement. However, even with this in mind, an adaptation can be made within the scope of the present invention to blur the line between said parts, for example in relation to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 7-11. For example, a handle 3 resembling a traditional handle for the BIB container 1 can be used, see Fig. 1, and be adapted in a way that creates two sections which move in relation to each other when the handle is subjected to a load. A reading is made of this relative movement, for example by means of a vernier scale. The sections may move rigidly or by elongation. The sections may be parts of the same piece of material, or be separate parts; they may consist of the same or of different materials, with identical or different elongation characteristics. In Fig. 10 two variants of two such sections are shown. The rest of the handle is not depicted in the drawing. Fig. 10 shows an upper area 27, provided with graduations. These graduations in the illustrated instance consist of slits 23 letting through light, as a result of material being removed or being transparent. Fig. 10 also shows a lower area 28, likewise provided with openings/slits 23. When the handle is used for lifting, thus being subjected to a load, the upper area 27, the lower area 28 and possibly an intermediate layer 29, forming the so called characterizing part 30, may be integrated in the handle 3, for example by letting the elements be parts of the handle itself, in such a way that the upper area 27 moves in relation to the lower area 28, for example in connection with bending the characterizing part 30. The relative movement of the areas is detected in a way corresponding to that of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 9, using a vernier scale. When lifting the handle, the user, looking at the handle from the point indicated in Fig. 10 by a symbolic eye, will see a spot 24, which moves and comes to rest in a particular position when equilibrium is reached. The position of said spot may be read against a graduation similar to that illustrated in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 shows an upper area 27, an intermediate layer 29, and a lower area 28, being bent as the handle is subjected to a load. Fig. 11 shows how the upper area 27 slides on the intermediate layer 29, for example along a groove, the intermediate layer in turn sliding on the lower area 28, for example along a groove. Within the scope of the present invention, the area 27, the area 28, and the intermediate layer 29 may be made of rigid or flexible material. The different layers may be allowed to slide against each other, or be fixed in relation to each other, for example by glueing. Further, still within the scope of the present invention, the appearance of the graduations, or the form of the slits 23, or their location, is not limited to the appearance and location illustrated in the drawings. The central element of the concept illustrated by the two sets of slits 23 shown in Fig. 9, is not that the pattern consists of slits, nor that the slits interfere to create a spot 24, as shown in Fig. 9, but the central element of the concept is that two patterns are allowed to interfere when two areas move in relation to each other, as a result of lifting the box. The two patterns (the scope of the invention does not restrict the number of patterns to two, but any number of patterns is possible) are designed to create a pattern of interference which can be interpreted as a measure of weight. This more general description is also useful as a description of a separate invention relating to a weighing device or a force scale. It should be noted, that the present invention relates to a BIB container 1 containing any liquid, and that wine is used throughout this document only as an example of a liquid.

Claims

1. Handle (3; 6), adapted for attachment to the top (7) of a BIB container (1) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said handle (3; 6) comprises first means (10; 11, 12; 11, 18; 20; 25) for registering the deformation of said handle (3; 6), or of part of said handle (3; 6) , or of parts of said handle (3; 6), or of an element attached to said handle (3; 6), caused by lifting the BIB container (1) by said handle (3; 6), and second means (8_r 9; 14; 23; 24) for presenting said deformation after conversion to a suitable quantity.

2. Handle according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the material of said handle (3; 6) is deformable, and that said handle comprises means (23; 24; 11, 12) for indicating the deformation of the handle (3; 6) caused by lifting the BIB container (1) by said handle (3; 6).

3. Handle (3) according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said handle (3) comprises sections (20) being more flexible than other sections (21) of said handle (3) .

4. Handle (3) according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said other sections (21) of the handle (3) are provided with graduations/scale marks.

5. Handle (6) according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said handle (6) comprises a cavity (11) and a fluid (12) enclosed in said cavity (11) .

6. Handle (6) according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a graduation is provided adjacent to said cavity (11) .

7. Handle (3) according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said means for registering the deformation of said handle (3) comprises a strain gauge (10).

8. Handle (3) according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said means for registering the deformation of said handle (3) comprises a helical spring (25) .

9. Bag-In-Box container, comprising a tap (4), a bag (5), a handle (3) and a rigid case (2), c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said rigid case (2) is provided with an electrically operated strain gauge, preferably on the top (7) of said case (2).