WO2008100199A1

WO2008100199A1 - Device for indicating the level of a liquid in a bag-in-box

Info

Publication number: WO2008100199A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/000113
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olof Karlsson
Original assignee: Olof Karlsson
Priority date: 2007-02-12
Filing date: 2008-02-12
Publication date: 2008-08-21

Abstract

The innovation concerns a level indicator for reading the level of a liquid, preferably wine, in a bag-in-box. The indicator comprises a bag (3) containing a liquid and a tube (4) connected to the bag. The level indicator bag is put between the box and the bag which holds the wine and the tube can be arranged vertically. The liquid rises in the tube in proportion to the weight of the wine in the bag and the level in the tube discloses the level of the wine in the bag.

Description

Device for indicating the level of a liquid in a bag-in-box

TECHNICAL AREA

Traditionally wine has been sold in bottles of glass which often are light transmitting so the wine level is easy to detect, for a judgment of which quantity is used and what is left. Wine has begun to be sold in a new package called "Bag-in-Box".

This package has a cover, a box (Box), which contains a closed package (Bag) made of plastic or similarly, also equipped with a draining flange, a valve.

One problem with this package is the difficulty to judge how much is tapped from the package and how much is remaining. It is common that this package hold many litres, which makes the judgment of remaining volume in a used package difficult.

Today it is the weight of the package that gives the closest estimation about remaining content.

The weight of the package (tara) is not known. This innovation gives a solution of this problem, in that way that the package is fit with a pressure meter, for estimation of the remaining wine in the package. STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY

Packages of type "Bag-in-Box" is today missing the possibility to present remaining volume of the fluid in the "plastic- package" the Bag, which holds the fluid.

This innovation, a pressure meter, solves the problem by equipping the package with the described pressure meter, placed between the bottom of the box and the bottom of the bag which holds the content.

The innovation takes for granted that the Bag-in-Box is placed in a traditional way, with the bottom placed on a horizontal surface, when the measurement is made.

The innovation as such is not limited to packages for wine but is general for anyone fluid which is kept in a similarly way.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 shows a design with a closed level tube inside the Bag,

Figure 2 shows a second design with a closed level tube on the outside of the Bag, Figure 3 A shows a pressure meter with an open level tube,

Figure 3 B shows a level tube on a pressure meter which is possible to open, Figure 3 C shows a pressure meter with a closed flexible and flat level tube, Figure 3 D shows a pressure meter with a closed and rolled up level tube, Figure 4 shows a pressure meter with closed level tube on the outside of the box, Figure 5 shows a pressure meter with closed and rolled up inside the box, Figure 6 shows a pressure meter with a bottom which is harder.

In those figures where the Bag is shown, the upper part of the Bag is given to be empty and flat in the paper plane depending on the atmospheric pressure. DESCRIPTION OF THE INNOVATION

In the following the content in the Bag is mentioned as wine, but it can be other fluids. The fluid in the pressure meter is called pressure fluid and it can be chosen depending of the real content in the Bag.

If the real content in the Bag is wine, the fluid in the pressure meter, the pressure fluid, can consist of normal water, eventually coloured. The difference in density between wine and water is small, and can surely be neglected, but if higher accuracy is wanted, a scale can be added outside the package, close to the level tube.

With a higher density of the pressure fluid than that of the content in the Bag the level

(6) will be lower than the level (8) and the level tube can be made shorter.

With equal density in both fluids the level (6) and (8) is the same.

The pressure meter (9) consists of a pressure-sensor (3) and a level tube (4), from in a first design, filled with the pressure-fluid (10).

The volume of the pressure-fluid (10) in (3) is bigger than the volume in the level-tube

(4) so there is always fluid left in (3) even when (4) is full of liquid, but the volume of the pressure-fluid is less then the maximum volume of (3) and (4) together, the pressure-meter is not allowed to be completely filled up. Figure 3 C shows a complete pressure-meter (also the level-tube (4)) which may be produced of a flexible and formable folio, at least on one side.

The pressure-sensor (3) is almost flat and stays flat on the bottom in the Box underneath the Bag.

It has relatively little height and covers the whole bottom area in the Box, or over some part of it. It is hence influenced by the pressure in the bottom of the overlying Bag, the pressure depends of remaining fluid (wine) since the cross area of the Bag is determined of the inner size of the Box.

The pressure on the upper surface by (3) will be equal to the pressure in the bottom of the Bag and is a direct function of remaining volume wine.

The level tube with a volume smaller than the pressure sensor has from the beginning, at the manufacturing of the pressure meter, been pressed and completely empty, without air or fluid.

It has been lying folded or rolled, figure 3 D, (4) and placed within the Box figure 5, but can be picked out for a vertical placing along the height of the Box.

Mentioned level tube or the Box can be equipped with a tape or a mechanical arrangement to keep the level tube on place.

From the beginning it is possibly sitting vertically placed within the Box and is readable from outside trough a window or openings in the Box. When the level tube is on place, the pressure fluid will rise in the tube until a height so that the pressure of the fluid column of the tube will be equal to the pressure in the fluid on the top surface of the pressure sensor and the level (6) in the tube shows the remaining amount of wine inside the Bag (5).

Above the level (6) the cross section of the flexible tube will be close to zero, figure 3 C and figure 4.

If the density of the wine and the pressure fluid is the same the showed level (6) will be direct in accordance with the level of the wine (8).

Figure 3 C shows a pressure meter where the level tube is flexible and from the beginning closed and flat and complete without air or fluid. Figure 4 shows the pressure meter according to 3 C mounted in the Box with the Bag above and with some fluid in it.

Figure 4 shows how the flexible level tube is mounted to the Bag and how fluid has pressed up, expanded the flat tube and filled up the empty space in the tube, until the level (6) has raised to equivalent level in the Box.

Figure 5 shows how a flexible level tube is placed in the Bag and that it can be reached if wanted through an opening or part, possible to open, of the Box.

The pressure meter outside the Box is shown also in figure 3 D.

Figure 3 B shows a design where the pressure sensor (3) is made with at least one side with flexible folia and with a level tube whose cross area is not changing with the pressure fluid level (6).

The tube can be a transparent tube which can be stored in the Box and picked out, then connected vertical on the outside, eventually sitting inside the Box but visible from outside. In this design the tubes upper part must be removable when measuring, since the cross section of the tube is constant and the pressure from above the level (6) shall be equal with the atmosphere pressure.

The upper part of the tube (12) is removed or punctured so that the surrounding pressure from the atmosphere comes into the tube and the fluid level will sink to (6). The upper part of the tube may have a device, which can be removed, like a screw cap or a break part seal, which you can find on small non-returnable bottle of type plastics bottles with break part on the pipe for example nose drops, or similar function.

In a second design in figure 3, is shown how a pressure meter with a tube of type not changing cross section like in figure 3 A-B, and where open the upper part of the tube is not opened which has been described above. From the beginning, with pressure sensor (3) lying horizontal and completely without impact from the Bag and with the level tube vertical, the level (6) shall be at (11) with normal atmospheric pressure inside the upper part of the level tube. When a Bag is placed on the pressure sensor, the level in the level tube will rise, and at the same time the pressure above the pressure fluid level (6) will increase.

The level (6) will be lower than in the earlier described designs but with a marking on the level tube or in close surrounding to it, this makes anyhow a level measurement possible.

Temperature and atmospheric pressure will influence the accuracy, of the reading. If the level tube is equipped with a gas container (7) in its upper part, the influence of the gas pressure (6) may be neglected.

In figure 6 shows a pressure meter (9) from the side, without pressure fluid (10) and where the pressure sensor walls and bottom is made more stable and possibly with small distance pieces (12) to stretch the flexible and thin upper part of the pressure sensor, that part which meets the form of the Bag.

The pressure sensor covers the whole bottom of the Box.

The design assures that it will be more smooth pressure distribution against the bottom of the Box and this gives a more accurate presentation in the level tube.

Claims

1.

Device for indication of remaining volume of wine (or other flowing content) in a Bag- in-Box when this is standing on a horizontal surface characterised of that the device consist of a flexible and adjustable relatively flat bag, a pressure sensor, which contains fluid, with a volume smaller than the volume of mentioned pressure sensor and that it covers the bottom surface or part of it in the Box and that its upper surface is close to the Bag, which means that the pressure in the fluid, measured direct underneath the upper surface of the measure sensor is very close to the pressure of the wine on the bottom of the Bag which means that it is a direct function of the volume of remaining wine, said pressure sensor is in connection with a vertical mounted viewable and transparent tube, level tube, or similar device with a volume smaller than the volume of the fluid in the pressure sensor, where the fluid from the pressure sensor is pressed up to a height proportionally to mentioned pressure, at which reading of the level in the tube gives an indication of remaining wine in the Box.

Device according 1 characterised of that a bag and a tube is produced of two foliate or a bend foliate ( for example plastic) connected in a suitable way, glued or welded and where the bag is filled with fluid at the production. 3 Device according 1 -2 characterised of that the Box has a graduation of suitable part which can be volume, number of used alternative resting bottles or wine glasses, and the graduation is placed close to the level tube on the Box.

4 Device according 1 -3 characterised of that the fluid in the pressure sensor may be water possibly coloured water or, on demand, other fluids.

5

Device according 1-4 characterised of that mentioned pressure sensor can be made in the same process as the Bag and that it may be a part of this.