WO2009017390A1

WO2009017390A1 - Bag-in-box connector assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2009017390A1
Application number: PCT/NL2007/000182
Authority: WO
Inventors: Laurens Last; Jeroen Gerrit Anton Gebbink
Original assignee: Ipn Ip B.V.
Priority date: 2007-07-13
Filing date: 2007-07-13
Publication date: 2009-02-05

Abstract

A bag-in-box connector assembly for providing fluid communication with a collapsible bag (3) arranged within a box having at least one box panel (1). The connector assembly comprises a female element (10), as well as a male element (30) and a plug (40), the female element having a body adapted to be fitted to said collapsible bag (3), said body having an axial bore (12) which extends through the body, from an insertion opening (12a) for the male element to a seat (13), which extends around the bore, for the plug (40), which plug serves to close off the bore. The body of the female element furthermore has box panel retaining means (14a, b) for retaining said body with respect to said box panel so that said male element can be introduced into said insertion opening (12a). The male element (30) has a tubular part (31) with a head (32), said tubular part having an internal fluid passage (31a) which extends through the tubular part and having one or more lateral fluid ports (31b) behind the head. The head (32) and the plug (40) are adapted to establish a releasable coupling there between. The bore (12) has - between said insertion opening (12a) and the seat (13) for the plug - a sealing portion (12b), said male element being provided with one or more annular sealing members (33) sealingly engaging said sealing portion (12b) of the bore upon introduction of said male element into the bore, at least before said plug (40) is pressed from its seat. The body of the female element (10) has - in a region between the box panel retention means (14a,b) and the sealing portion (12b) of the bore (12) - a lateral drip prevention passageway (15) which is adapted to prevent dripping from said insertion opening (12a), said lateral drip prevention passageway (15) being in communication with said bore (12) and a space (4) between the box panel (1) of the box and the collapsible bag (3), said lateral drip prevention passageway (15) allowing for the lateral exit from said bore of any product which has been sucked into the bore (12) upon withdrawal of the male element (30) from the bore before said plug (40) is drawn into its seat (13).

Description

BAG-IN-BOX CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

The present invention relates to a connector assembly for establishing fluid communication. In a preferred embodiment the invention relates to a bag-in-box connector assembly.

Bag-in-box systems are widely used. Commonly the box is a corrugated board box, which is relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and has sufficient strength and rigidity. The collapsible bag commonly is an impermeable bag, usually of plastic, possibly having a multi-layer structure which could include a metallic layer.

Products held in such bag-in-box system are e.g. a product used for preparation of a comestible fluid such as a beverage, a (soft drink) syrup, a beverage ingredient, a concentrate (such as coffee extract), but also for milk, water, other food products, as well as paints, oils, inks, cosmetics, detergents, soaps, powdery substances (e.g. toners), etc.

For example from WO 99/05446 and WO 03/031161 connector assemblies are known which include a female element, a male element and a plug, as described in the preamble of claim 1. Commonly the female element is fitted to the bag, e.g. a by heat-sealing technique.

A bag-in-box unit used "stand-alone", e.g. with a male element embodied as a tap valve or connected to such a tap valve (via a hose), or in combination with a dispenser apparatus, commonly having a receiving space for accommodating one or more bag-in-box units, e.g. a (beverage) vending apparatus, e.g. a beverage dispenser apparatus wherein the product from the bag is mixed with e.g. (carbonated, cold, or hot) water.

Connector assemblies as described in the preamble of claim 1 are advantageous as they allow disconnecting the female (fitted on the bag in the bag-in-box) and the male element when product is still present in the bag. This is possible as upon withdrawal of the male element from the bore of the female element, the plug is again positioned in its seat and then closes off the bore. This e.g. allows to disconnect the bag-in-box in order to clean or service the dispenser apparatus or allows e.g. to exchange a bag-in-box containing a first product for another bag-in-box containing another second product.

In an arrangement with the female element of such a connector assembly retained in a side panel of the box, as is quite common, it has been observed that some contamination takes place after the male element has been withdrawn from the bore of the female element. This contamination is caused by the product in the bag and can be observed as a small amount of product dripping from the insertion opening of the female element, e.g. onto a platform on which the box is positioned (e.g. in the dispenser apparatus). This is particularly problematic when the product is sticky, such as with an extract, such as a coffee extract or soft drink syrup.

The present invention aims to provide a bag-in-box connector assembly which prevents or at least reduces contamination caused by the dripping of the product as outlined above.

The present invention provides a bag-in-box connector assembly according to claim 1.

In an alternative embodiment the present invention provides a bag-in-box connector assembly according to claim 2.

The present invention is based on the insight that upon withdrawal of the male element from the bore, the male element acts like a sort of plunger sucking a small volume of the product into the bore before the bore is effectively closed by the plug.

In the embodiment according to claim 1 said small volume of product will, when it moves towards the insertion opening, reach the lateral dripping prevention passageway. Obviously this passageway is preferably oriented in a lower portion of the body, so that gravity will lead the product into the passageway and then into the space between the panel of the box and the bag. Thus the dripping now effectively takes place within the box. This is not problematic.

In the embodiment according to claim 2 said small volume of product will, when it moves towards the insertion opening, reach the lateral dripping prevention cavity. Obviously this cavity is preferably oriented in a lower portion of the body, so that gravity will lead the product into the cavity.

The connector assembly of claim 2 can also be envisaged for application other than a bag-in- box, e.g. when applied to a bag without the presence of such a box. The appended claim 3 relates to this connector assembly.

The dripping prevention cavity can be provided with members increasing the effective surface of said cavity, e.g. a set of (parallel) ribs or spikes, etc, which cause the product to remain adhered to said surface. It is preferred that the connector assembly is designed and operates largely similar to the connector assembly shown in WO99/05446.

In a preferred embodiment of the connector assembly according to claims 1 , 2 or 3, the seat of the plug has a smaller diameter than the sealing portion of the bore, an annular shoulder being present between said seat and said sealing portion.

In a further preferred embodiment the plug has at least one elastic hooking part with corresponding outward directed hooking surface, the hooking part resting in a first position thereof with its outward directed hooking surface against the shoulder of the bore.

In a further preferred embodiment the male part has a recess located behind the head for receiving an elastic hooking part with an inward directed hooking surface of the plug when the male part is inserted into the bore, so that the plug connects with the male part.

It is noted that the plug could be provided with one or several hooking members that each have an outward directed hooking surface as well as an inward directed hooking surface. In an alternative, e.g. as disclosed in WO 03/031161 , the plug has a first set of hooking parts with only an outward directed hooking surface, which engage behind the shoulder in the bore, and a second set of hooking parts with only an inward directed hooking surface, which engage in the recess behind the head of the male element. In a further known alternative the plug has first hooking parts with only an inward directed hooking surface, engaging in the recess behind the head of the male element, whereas the plug has at a larger radius than these first hooking parts one or more further second hooking parts which engage on the body of the female element at a location outside the bore, e.g. behind an external annular shoulder extending around a tubular part of the female element body.

In a further preferred embodiment radially next to the hooking part with the outward directed hooking surface in its first position the bore defines a space between said hooking part and the female element, and said hooking part of the plug has been designed such that - when the male part is inserted into the bore - the head of the male part pushes said hooking part from its first position to a second position which is located radially further outward compared with the first position, and such that said hooking part, after passing the head of the male part, springs elastically inward to a third position and falls into the recess of the male part while the contact between the outward directed hooking surface and the shoulder is maintained. In a further version preferred version the recess in the male part is such that a radial space is present between the hooking part, located in its third position, and the male part, in such a way that when the male part is inserted further into the bore, which causes the hooking part to pass the shoulder in the bore, the hooking part moves under the influence of a force exerted by the shoulder of the bore on the hooking part to a fourth position which is located further inward in the recess compared with the third position.

In a further embodiment it is preferred that the connector assembly is designed such that the plug is free of the bore when the male part has been inserted fully into the bore, with said hooking part of the plug with outward directed hooking surface springing back elastically from the fourth position to the third position when it comes out of the bore.

In yet a further preferred embodiment the bore of the female element has, at the end facing away from the insertion opening, a surface tapered inward in the direction of the insert opening, which forces the hooking part to its fourth position when the plug is pulled into the bore.

Preferably the hooking parts of the plug are arranged around a cavity which is open towards the insertion opening, and which serves to receive the head of the male part.

Preferably the body of the female element is a unitary plastic body, e.g. formed by injection moulding.

Preferably the male element is provided with one or more O-rings forming the one or more sealing members of said male element.

Preferably the bore in the body of the female element is - in the region between the insertion opening and the sealing portion - provided with one or more axial grooves, the male element being provided with one or more ribs corresponding to said one or more axial grooves, so as to block rotation of said male element with respect to said female element when the male element is inserted.

Preferably the box panel retaining means comprise to axially spaced external flanges on the female body between which an edge of the panel can be received. Preferably the male element is provided with a flexible valve member arranged within said channel of the male element. Preferably the flexible valve member comprises a flexible ring wall extending over the one or more lateral ports of the male element.

The male element can be adapted to be mounted on a support of a dispenser apparatus, e.g. in a stationary manner (such as on a wall portion of the dispenser) or in a mobile manner (such as on a actuable device, e.g. manual or power operated device, of a dispenser apparatus for establishing the introduction of the male element into the bore and/or the withdrawal from said bore).

The present invention further relates to a bag-in-box container provided with a connector assembly as described herein. Also the invention relates to a system for dispensing a product and a method for the use of such a system.

The invention will now be explained in more detail referring to the drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows in cross-section a preferred embodiment of a bag-in-box connector assembly according to the invention in a first state, Fig. 2 shows the connector assembly of figure 1 in perspective view,

Fig. 3 shows the bag-in-box connector assembly of figure 1 in a second state,

Fig. 4 shows a second preferred embodiment of the connector assembly according to the invention in perspective view, and

Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal cross-section of the connector assembly of figure 4.

A preferred embodiment of the bag-in-box connector assembly will now be explained referring to figures 1-3.

In figures 1 and 3 a portion of a side panel 1 and a bottom panel 2 of a further non-shown box are schematically shown. Also schematically shown in figure 1 is a portion of a collapsible bag 3 with is arranged within said box as is common in a bag-in-box system. As will be explained below a female element 10 of the connector assembly has been sealed (e.g. by a heat sealing technique) onto said bag, in this example in a vertical seam 3a of said bag 3. The female element 10 forms part of a bag-in-box connector assembly for providing fluid communication with the collapsible bag 3 arranged within the box, primarily in order to allow for the dispensing of the product held in the bag 3.

This connector assembly further includes a male element 30 and a plug 40.

The female element 10 here is a unitary plastic element, preferably injection moulded.

The female element has a body adapted to be fitted to said collapsible bag 3, here with an sealing surface 10a (see figure 2) extending around said body, in this example (as is common) including two diametrically opposed fins 11.

The body can be heat sealed in the seam between two film walls of the bag 3. In another well known design (not shown) the body of the female element is adapted to be arranged in an aperture in a film wall of the bag and has a flange, e.g. a planar flange, such as a circular flange, or the like adjoining said film wall and heat sealed to said wall. Other designs are well known in the art.

The body of the female element 10 has an axial bore 12 which extends through the body, from an insertion opening 12a for the male element 30 to a seat 13, which extends around the bore, for the plug 40. The plug 40 serves to close off the bore 12 from the interior of the bag 3.

The body of the female element 10 furthermore has box panel retaining means for retaining said body with respect to the box panel 1 so that the male element 30 can be introduced into the insertion opening 12a. In this example the box panel retaining means are formed by two axially spaced apart flanges 14a, b on the exterior of the body, here the flange 14a forming the front face of the female element body. The panel 1 fits between these flanges 14a, b. It will be understood that other designs of the box panel retaining means, such as a single flange which is glued or otherwise fastened to the box panel can also be used.

It is noted here that panel 1 can be an external panel of the box, but it can also envisaged that the panel 1 is an internal box panel, the box having a further panel, such as a foldable or removable panel, which lies over said panel 1.

Also it is noted that a temporary seal, e.g. an adhesive seal member, could be arranged over the insertion opening 12a to avoid contamination entering the bore 12 from the outside. Also it can be envisaged that the male element 30 is pre-fitted in a suitable partially inserted position in the bore, e.g. restrained by a removable temporary coupling element or an actuating device for the male element 30.

The male element 30 has a tubular part 31 with a head 32. The tubular part 31 has an internal fluid passage 31a which extends through the tubular part and has one or more lateral fluid ports 31b behind the head 32.

The head 32 and the plug 40 are adapted to establish a releasable coupling there between, such that upon introduction of the male element 30 into the bore 12 the head 32 couples with the plug 40 and the plug 40 is pressed from its seat 13, thereby providing a fluid communication via the one or more lateral fluid ports 31b and the internal fluid passage 31a. As mentioned before this co-operation of the male element and the plug is e.g. present in the connector assembly of WO99/05446.

Upon withdrawal of the male element 30 from the bore 12, e.g. complete or suitable partial withdrawal of said male element 30, the plug 40 is drawn into its seat 13 by the male element thereby interrupting fluid communication with the interior of the bag 3.

Preferred details of the design and interaction of the plug 40, the male element 30 and the body of the female element at and near the seat 13 will be explained further below.

As can be seen in the figures 1, 3 the bore 12 has - between the insertion opening 12a and the seat 13 for the plug 40 - a sealing portion or section 12b, here with a smooth cylindrical inner sealing surface.

The male element 30 is provided, behind the head 32 and the lateral ports 31b, with one or more, here two, annular sealing members on the exterior of the male element, here O-rings 33, which sealingly engage the sealing portion 12b of the bore 12 upon introduction of the male element 30 into the bore 12, at least before the plug 40 is pressed from its seat 13.

As can be seen the body of the female element 10 furthermore has - in a axial region between the box panel retention means 14a,b and the sealing portion 12b of the bore 12 - a lateral drip prevention passageway 15 which is adapted to prevent dripping of product from the insertion opening 12a. This lateral drip prevention passageway 15 has an inlet which is in communication with the bore 12 and an outlet which is arranged to be in communication with a space 4 between the box panel 1 of the box and the collapsible bag 3.

This lateral drip prevention passageway 15 allows for the lateral exit from said bore 12 of any product which has been sucked into the bore 12 upon withdrawal of the male element 30 from the bore 12 before the plug 40 is drawn into its seat 13.

As the skilled person will now understand, the withdrawal of the male element 30 causes the male element 30 to act similar to a plunger pump within the bore 12 and will thus suck in a (very) small amount of product into the bore.

When the box is oriented with the bore 12 in a non-upwards direction, e.g. substantially horizontally or (inclined) downwards, this small amount of product will tend to flow towards the insertion opening 12a. However the product will now first reach the passageway 15 and flow, under the influence of gravity and/or possibly adhesion, into said passageway 15 and then drip into the box. So no dripping will occur outside the box, obviating e.g. the need to clean a platform or the like on which the box is placed.

The male element 30 here is provided, as is preferred, with a flexible valve member 36 arranged within the channel 31a of the male element. A preferred embodiment of said valve member 36 is shown in figure 3.

The flexible valve member 36 comprises a flexible ring wall 36a extending over the one or more lateral ports 31 b of the male element 30.

In this example the valve member 36 has a nose 36b clampingly fitted in the hollow head 32. An air evacuation opening at the front of the head 32 allows the escape of air as the nose 36b is fitted in said head, said nose than closing off any connection between the front end of the head and the inner channel 31a.

In this example the male element 30 is designed with a mounting flange 37 allowing to mount the male element 30 at a stationary position in a dispenser device, e.g. a beverage dispenser.

It will be understood that the male element 30 can have all sorts of designs, e.g. with a tap valve for stand-alone use of the bag-in-box, etc. As can be seen the bore 12 in the body of the female element is - in the region between the insertion opening 12a and the sealing portion 12b - provided with one or more axial grooves 17, the male element 30 being provided with one or more ribs corresponding to said one or more axial grooves 17, so as to block rotation of said male element with respect to said female element when the male element 30 is inserted.

In the depicted preferred embodiment the seat 13 for the plug 40 has a smaller diameter than the sealing portion 12b of the bore 12, an annular shoulder 16 being present between said seat 13 and said sealing portion 12b.

The plug 40 has at least one elastic hooking part 41 with corresponding outward directed hooking surface, the hooking part 41 resting in a first position thereof with its outward directed hooking surface against the shoulder 16 when the plug 40 is retained in the seat 13.

Also the male part 30 has a recess 39 located behind the head 32 for receiving an elastic hooking part 42 with an inward directed hooking surface of the plug 40 when the male part 30 is inserted into the bore 12, so that the plug 40 connects with the male part 30.

Radially next to the hooking part 41 with the outward directed hooking surface in its first position the bore 12 defines a space between said hooking part 41 and the body of the female element. The hooking part 41 of the plug has been designed such that - when the male part is inserted into the bore - the head of the male part pushes said hooking part 41 from its first position to a second position which is located radially further outward compared with the first position, and such that said hooking part, after passing the head of the male part, springs elastically inward to a third position and falls into the recess 39 of the male part while the contact between the outward directed hooking surface and the shoulder 16 is maintained.

Also the recess 39 in the male part is such that a radial space is present between the hooking part 41 , located in its third position, and the male part, in such a way that when the male part is inserted further into the bore 12, which causes the hooking part to pass the shoulder 16 in the bore, the hooking part 41 moves under the influence of a force exerted by the shoulder of the bore on the hooking part to a fourth position which is located further inward in the recess compared with the third position.

Also the connector assembly is designed such that the plug is free of the bore when the male part 30 has been inserted fully into the bore, with said hooking part 41 of the plug with outward directed hooking surface springing back elastically from the fourth position to the third position when it comes out of the bore 12.

As can be seen the plug here has two hooking parts 41 and two hooking parts 42, which are arranged around a cavity which is open towards the insertion opening, and which serves to receive the head 32 of the male part 30.

Figures 4 and 5 depict a second embodiment of the bag-in-box connector assembly according to the invention.

The female element 100 here has flanges 114a, b for retaining a panel of the box. The female element 100 has a bore 112 in its body with an insertion opening 112a and a seat 113 for a plug (not shown). The bore 112 has a sealing portion 112b adapted to co-operate with a male element (not shown) basically similar as described with reference to figures 1-3.

Instead of the lateral dripping prevention passageway 15, the body of the female element 100 has - in a region between the insertion opening 112a and the sealing portion 112b of the bore - a lateral drip prevention cavity 150 which is in communication with said bore 112.

This lateral drip prevention cavity 150 is adapted to prevent dripping from said insertion opening 112a by retaining in said cavity 150 any product which has been sucked into the bore 112 upon withdrawal of the male element from the bore before said plug is drawn into its seat.

It will be understood that it is preferred to arrange the female element body such that the cavity 150 at the lower side of the body. The small amount of product sucked into the bore 112 is retained in this cavity and can e.g. evaporate or solidify.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A bag-in-box connector assembly for providing fluid communication with a collapsible bag (3) arranged within a box having at least one box panel (1),

which connector assembly comprises a female element (10), a male element (30) and a plug (40), the female element having a body adapted to be fitted to said collapsible bag (3), said body having an axial bore (12) which extends through the body, from an insertion opening (12a), which is adapted for introduction of the male element into the bore, to a seat (13) which is adapted for the plug (40), which plug serves to close off the bore, the body of the female element (10) furthermore having box panel retaining means (14a,b) for retaining said body with respect to said box panel (1),

the male element (30) having a tubular part (31) with a head (32), said tubular part having an internal fluid passage (31a) which extends through the tubular part and said tubular part having one or more lateral fluid ports (31b) behind the head,

said head (32) and said plug (40) being adapted to establish a releasable coupling there between, such that upon introduction of the male element into the bore (12) said head (32) couples with said plug (40) and said plug is pressed from its seat (13), thereby providing a fluid communication for a product via said one or more lateral fluid ports (31b) and the internal fluid passage (31a), and such that upon a suitable withdrawal of said male element (30) from the bore (12), said plug (4) is drawn into its seat (13) by the male element thereby interrupting said fluid communication for said product,

wherein said bore (12) has - between said insertion opening (12a) and the seat (13) for the plug - a sealing portion (12b), said male element being provided with one or more annular sealing members (33) sealingly engaging said sealing portion (12b) of the bore upon introduction of said male element into the bore, at least before said plug (40) is pressed from its seat,

and characterised in that the body of the female element (10) has - in a region between the box panel retention means (14a,b) and the sealing portion (12b) of the bore (12) - a lateral drip prevention passageway (15) which is adapted to prevent dripping of said product from said insertion opening (12a), said lateral drip prevention passageway (15) having an inlet in communication with said bore (12) and having an outlet arranged to be in communication with a space (4) between the box panel (1) of the box and the collapsible bag (3), said lateral drip prevention passageway (15) allowing for the lateral exit from said bore of any product which has been sucked into the bore (12) upon withdrawal of the male element (30) from the bore before said plug (40) is drawn into its seat (13).

2. A connector assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 , characterised in that the body of .the female element (100) has - in a region between the insertion opening (112a) and the sealing portion (112b) of the bore - a lateral drip prevention cavity (150) which is in communication with said bore, said lateral drip prevention cavity (150) being adapted to prevent dripping from said insertion opening (112a) by retaining in said cavity (150) any product which has been sucked into the bore upon withdrawal of the male element from the bore before said plug is drawn into its seat.

3. A connector assembly for providing fluid communication with a container, for example a collapsible bag, e.g. arranged within a box,

which connector assembly comprises a female element, as well as a male element and a plug, the female element having a body adapted to be fitted to said container, said body having a body with an axial bore which extends through the body, from an insertion opening for the male element to a seat, which extends around the bore, for the plug, which plug serves to close off the bore,

the male element having a tubular part with a head, said tubular part having an internal fluid passage which extends through the tubular part and having one or more lateral fluid ports behind the head,

said head and said plug being adapted to establish a releasable coupling there between, such that upon introduction of the male element into the bore said head couples with said plug and said plug is pressed from its seat, thereby providing a fluid communication via said one or more lateral fluid ports and the internal fluid passage, and such that upon a withdrawal of said male element from the bore, said plug is drawn into its seat by the male element thereby interrupting fluid communication,

wherein said bore has - between said insertion opening and the seat for the plug - a sealing portion, said male element being provided with one or more annular sealing members sealingly engaging said sealing portion of the bore upon introduction of said male element into the bore, at least before said plug is pressed from its seat, characterised in that the body of the female element (100) has - in a region between the insertion opening (112a) and the sealing portion (112b) of the bore - a lateral drip prevention cavity (150) which is in communication with said bore, said lateral drip prevention cavity (150) being adapted to prevent dripping from said insertion opening (112a) by retaining in said cavity any product which has been sucked into the bore upon withdrawal of the male element from the bore before said plug is drawn into its seat.

4. A bag-in-box product container comprising a box, a collapsible bag arranged within said box and a connector assembly according to one or more of the preceding claims.

5. A system for dispensing a product from a container, in particular a collapsible bag, said system including a dispenser apparatus, e.g. a post-mix dispenser apparatus, said dispenser apparatus having a receiving space for accommodating one or more bag-in-box product container according to claim 4, said system further including one or more bag-in-box product containers according to claim 4.

6. Method for dispensing a product from a container, wherein use is made of a system according to claim 5.